What exactly was the purpose of the golden plates?

[_Lost Mystic]

Nobody was allowed to look at them, some were allowed to touch them when the plates were wrapped up in a sheet, and Joseph Smith didn't put them in his hat with his rock...

So why were they even needed? Especially with the big buildup from Moroni: "not yet! I'll let you find them perhaps a different year"

So what good were they? I know they didn't exist, but what do apologists say?

[_Buffalo]

Nobody was allowed to look at them, some were allowed to touch them when the plates were wrapped up in a sheet, and Joseph Smith didn't put them in his hat with his rock...

So why were they even needed? Especially with the big buildup from Moroni: "not yet! I'll let you find them perhaps a different year"

So what good were they? I know they didn't exist, but what do apologists say?

God was trying to help Moroni build his pecs and quads by having him drag them thousands of miles across the continent. For behold, the Lord delighteth in a bitchin bod.

[_Darth J]

As I said in another thread, the golden plates had more or less the same use for Joseph Smith that international postal reply coupons had for Charles Ponzi.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-pl ... Trust.html

Elder M. Russell Ballard has indicated that actually seeing and touching the golden plates would not give a person knowledge that the Book of Mormon is true.

I remember an experience that I had as mission president some years ago when I presided over the affairs of the Church in Eastern Canada. I met with about 30 different ministers of different religions and then I let them ask me questions and the very first question I was asked was by a fine minister who said, “Mr. Ballard, if you just give us the gold plates and let us see that they exist, then we would know that the Book of Mormon is true.” And I looked at him and I said, “Father, you know better than that. You’re a man of the cloth. You know that God has never revealed religious truth to the heart and soul of a man or a woman except by the power of the spirit. Now you could have those plates, you could turn the pages, you could look at it, you could hold it, and you wouldn’t know any more after that experience whether or not the book is true than you would have before.

Transcript of Interview with Elder M. Russell Ballard, from the official website of the LDS Church

So then why do we have the testimony of the Eight Witnesses, whose only function was to testify that Joseph Smith was in possession of some plates? As it turns out, unverifiable testimonials are consistent with a con game.

Word of mouth is an excellent source of information for any consumer. We always recommend that anyone hiring a contractor, for example, should ask for the names of other customers to call for references. However it is important to note that testimonials are only useful if they are from other real, unbiased consumers who can be contacted independently.

A collection of written testimonials provided by the seller (even if it includes real-looking names, addresses and photographs) is another matter. It could be real, but it could be fake. Testimonials and references only count if you can talk to real people independently of the seller.

Also be aware that when you see that other people have accepted something, there is a natural tendency to relax and simply trust their judgment. But if everybody just believes everybody else, you could all be duped together.

https://www.oag.state.Texas.us/consumer/five_tricks.shtml