Brass Plates

The Plates of Brass, January 1988 Ensign, Robert Millet

Brass Plates Guide to the Scriptures
A record of the Jews from the beginning to 600 B.C., containing many writings of the prophets (1 Ne. 5:10–16). This record was kept by Laban, one of the Jewish elders in Jerusalem. While Lehi and his family were in the wilderness, Lehi sent his sons back to Jerusalem to obtain this record (1 Ne. 3–4). (For further information, see “A Brief Explanation about the Book of Mormon,” which is in the Book of Mormon.)

Contents of the Brass Plates, BYU Studies. John Welch
Book of Mormon Plates and Records, The Encyclopedia of Mormonism

•  How Laban obtained these plates and where they originally came from are not known. 
• The plates of brass were the basic scriptures of the Nephite nation, and for centuries their prophets read them, quoted them in sermons, and excerpted material from them to enrich their own writings.
• 
  

What parts of the Brass Plates were in the Old Testament? Book of Mormon Central

What happened to the Brass Plates? Did Moroni take them? Ask Gramps

• So the Brass Plates of Laban were never in the hands of Joseph Smith

The Plates of Brass Yet to Carry out a Great Mission. Scott Proctor. Meridian Magazine
The Brass Plates, Andrew Skinner and other professors, etc. Video 2.5 minutes
The Brass Plates, Book of Mormon Stories, Video, 4 minutes
The Brass Plates and Biblical Scholarship, John Sorenson

Archeology and Historical Evidence

Supporting Evidence of the Book of Mormon

Archeology and Historical Evidence of the Book of Mormon

Brass Plates

Contents Purposes of the Brass Plates

1. 2 Nephi 4:2  Prophecies by Joseph who was sold into Egypt. He prophesied about future generations. 
2. 1 Nephi 5:16 Lehi's genealogy, Records of the Jews from Abraham to Zedekiah.
3. Omni 1:14  "... the Lord had sent the people of Mosiah1 with the plates of brass which contained the record of the Jews."
4. Alma 37:3-5 3 And these plates of brass, which contain these engravings, which have the records of the holy scriptures upon them, which have the genealogy of our forefathers, even from the beginning—4 Behold, it has been prophesied by our fathers, that they should be kept and handed down from one generation to another, and be kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord until they should go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, that they shall know of the mysteries contained thereon. 5 And now behold, if they are kept they must retain their brightness; yea, and they will retain their brightness; yea, and also shall all the plates which do contain that which is holy writ.6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.
    7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls. 8 And now, it has hitherto been wisdom in God that these things (Brass plates and other scriptures) should be preserved; for behold, they have enlarged the memory of this people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them to the knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls. 9 Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer. 10 And who knoweth but what they will be the means of bringing many thousands of them, yea, and also many thousands of our stiffnecked brethren, the Nephites, who are now hardening their hearts in sin and iniquities, to the knowledge of their Redeemer? 11 Now these mysteries are not yet fully made known unto me; therefore I shall forbear. 12 And it may suffice if I only say they are preserved for a wise purpose, which purpose is known unto God; for he doth counsel in wisdom over all his works, and his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round. 13 O remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strictare the commandments of God. And he said: If ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land—but if ye keep not his commandments ye shall be cut off from his presence. 14 And now remember, my son, that God has entrustedyou with these things, which are sacred, which he has kept sacred, and also which he will keep and preserve for a wise purpose in him, that he may show forth his power unto future generations. 15 And now behold, I tell you by the spirit of prophecy, that if ye transgress the commandments of God, behold, these things which are sacred shall be taken away from you by the power of God, and ye shall be delivered up unto Satan, that he may sift you as chaff before the wind. 16 But if ye keep the commandments of God, and do with these things which are sacred according to that which the Lord doth command you, (for you must appeal unto the Lord for all things whatsoever ye must do with them) behold, no power of earth or hell can take them from you, for God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words. 17 For he will fulfil all his promises which he shall make unto you, for he has fulfilled his promises which he has made unto our fathers. 18 For he promised unto them that he would preserve these things for a wise purpose in him, that he might show forth his power unto future generations. 19 And now behold, one purpose hath he fulfilled, even to the restoration of many thousands of the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth; and he hath shown forth his power in them, and he will also still show forth his power in them unto future generations; therefore they shall be preserved. 20 Therefore I command you, my son Helaman, that ye be diligent in fulfilling all my words, and that ye be diligent in keeping the commandments of God as they are written.
   5. 
   
   
   
   

The 24 Nephite Historian /Record Keepers

NEPHITE HISTORIANSIn Custody of the Record-Plates
(A. K.)

1 LEHI I	600 B.C. to	?
2 NEPHI I	? B.C. to	546	Son of Lehi
3 JACOB	546 B.C. to	?	Bro. of Nephi
4 ENOS	? B.C. to	422	Son of Jacob
5 JAROM	422 B.C. to	362	Son of Enos
6 OMNI	362 B.C. to	318	Son of Jarom
7 AMARON	3l8 B.C. to	280	Son of Omni
8 CHEMISH	280 B.C. to	?	Bro. of Amaron
9 ABINADOM	? B.C. to	?	Son of Chemish
10 AMALEKI	? B.C. to	200	Son of Abinadom
11 BENJAMIN	200 B.C. to	125	Son of Mosiah I
12 MOSIAH II	125 B.C. to	9l	Son of Benjamin
13 ALMA II	91 B.C. to	73	Son of Alma I
14 HELAMAN II	73 B.C. to	57	Son of Alma II
15 SHIBLON	57 B.C. to	53	Bro. of Hel. II
16 HELAMAN III	53 B.C. to	39	Son of Hel. II
17 NEPHI II	39 B.C. to	1	Son of Hel. III
18 NEPHI III	1 A.D. to	34	Son of Nephi II
19 NEPHI IV	34 A.D. to	110	Son of Nephi III
20 AMOS I	110 A.D. to	l94	Son of Nephi IV
21 AMOS II	194 A.D. to	306	Son of Amos I
21 AMOS II	194 A.D. to	306	Son of Amos I
22 AMMORON	306 A.D. to	320	Bro. of Amos II
23 MORMON III	320 A.D. to	385	Son of Morm. II
24 MORONI II	385 A.D. to	42l	Son of Morm. III

It is evident that the 24 custodians were not in one line of descent, but rather in four separate families or lineal groups. Place the separating fences between: 10 and 11; 12 and 13; 22 and 23. In other words, Amaleki, Mosiah and Ammoron, did not hand the records dawn to lineal descendants, but stepped aside from their family lines. Obviously the four families are: 1, Lehi to Amaleki; 2, Benjamin to Mosiah II; 3, Alma II to Ammoron; 4, Mormon III to Moroni.

(Source: Centerplace.org)

Book of Mormon Plates