The Kinderhook Plates Incident: Significance in Mormon History

LDS Perspective

The Kinderhook Plates Incident refers to the discovery of six brass plates in 1843 near Kinderhook, Illinois, which were presented to Joseph Smith, the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The plates were said to contain ancient characters resembling a form of script, and were believed by some to be suitable for translation. However, this event quickly turned out to be a hoax, as later investigations revealed that the plates were forged by local individuals Wilbur Fugate and Robert Wiley, intending to trick Joseph Smith into attempting a translation (see Gospel Topics Essay: Kinderhook Plates). Joseph Smith's initial examination of the plates did not lead to a successful translation, and historical accounts indicate that he showed little sustained interest in them a

Historical Perspective

The Kinderhook Plates Incident refers to the discovery of six brass plates in 1843 near Kinderhook, Illinois, and Joseph Smith's subsequent claim to have translated them. On May 1, 1843, it was reported that these plates were found in a mound, supposedly containing inscriptions in an ancient language, which Joseph Smith asserted were records of a descendant of Ham, through Pharaoh. Smith claimed that he had translated a portion of these plates, stating they contained a genealogical history and other significant details. This incident was chronicled by William Clayton, Joseph Smith's secretary, as well as in Smith's own writings and the church's publications of the time (MormonThink - Joseph Smith - [Source 1](http://mormonthink.com/QUOTES/kinderhook.htm)). The initial excitement surroundi