Don Bradley wrote: ↑Wed May 18, 2022 4:27 am2) One of those involved in the forgery reported that it was inspired by what Parley P. Pratt said in his Voice of Warning about how truth would spring out of the earth to confirm the Book of Mormon, so it's possible that there's some further spoofing on Pratt in the plates themselves. So it may be worth checking further on how Pratt discusses this theme in his writing.
Pratt provides a description of the gold plates in A Voice of Warning and other pertinent information about the Book of Mormon story in which the perpetrators likely used to come up with ideas and motives for their hoax. I include them here for reference:
Parley P Pratt wrote:These records were engraved on plates which had the appearance of gold. Each plate was not far from seven inches in width, by eight inches In length, being not quite as thick as common tin. They were filled on both sides with engravings, in Egyptian characters, and bound together In a volume, as the leaves of a book, and fastened at one edge with three rings running through the whole. This volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed. The characters or letters upon the unsealed part were small and beautifully engraved. The whole book exhibited many marks of antiquity In its construction, as well as much skill in lie art of engraving.
The translation process began:
Parley P Pratt wrote:In the meantime, a few of the original characters were accurately transcribed and translated by Mr. Smith, which, with the translation, were taken by a gentleman named Martin Harris to the City of New York, where they were presented to a learned gentleman named Anthon, who professed to be extensively acquainted with many languages, both ancient and modern. He examined them, but was unable to decipher them correctly ; but he presumed that if the original records could be brought, he could assist in translating them. But to return. Mr. Smith continued the work of translation, as his pecuniary circumstances would permit, until he had finished the unsealed part of the records. The part translated is entitled the "Book of Mormon," which contains nearly as much reading as the Old Testament.
American Indians and lost records:
Parley P Pratt wrote:If you had been ploughing, or digging a well or cellar, and accidently dug up a record containing some account of the ancient history of the American continent, and of its original inhabitants, together with the origin of the Indian tribes who now inhabit it; had this record had nothing to do with God, or angels, or inspiration; it would have been hailed, by all the learned of America and Europe, as one of the greatest and most important discoveries of modern times, unfolding a mystery which had, until then, bid defiance to all the researches of the learned world. Every newspaper would have been filled with the glad tidings, while its contents would have poured upon the world a flood of light, on subjects before concealed in the labyrinth of uncertainty and doubt.
Understanding lost Indian languages:
Parley P Pratt wrote:Boudinot, in his noble work, remarks concerning their language: Their language, In its roots, idiom, and particular construction appears to have the whole genius of the Hebrew; and what is very remarkable, and well worthy of serious attention, has most of the peculiarities of that lauguage, especially those in which it differs from most other languages. There is a tradition related by an aged Indian, of the Stockbridge tribe, that their fathers were once in posession of a "Sacred Book," which Iras handed down from generation to generation; and at last hid in the earth, since which time they had been under the feet of their enemies. But these oracles were to be restored to them again; and then they would triumph over their enemies, and regain their rights and privileges. Mr. Boudiuot, after recording many traditions similar to the above, at length remarks: **Can any man read this short account of Indian traditions, drawn from tribes of various' nations
From this we can gather that Fugate and Wiley were able to piece together the story of the Book of Mormon and use that information to devise a plan for a hoax in which they may entrap the prophet Joseph Smith and lure him into translating fake plates. Both of these men were proselytized by missionaries using Pratt’s missionary tract. I think it’s also highly likely that the missionaries also informed them about the Book of Abraham translation which would give them additional ideas for their hoax. The missionaries may have even had a copy of the Times and Seasons publication of the Book of Abraham or at minimum recount content of that recent publication which details special instructions on heavenly astronomy.
This supports the idea for why I think it very likely that astronomical iconographic representations (although crudely expressed) are featured in the headers of the Kinderhook plates. Yes, those are human faces in the sun/moon discs! What else could they be?