- Sometime in this month of February, the aforementioned Mr. Martin Harris came to our place, got the characters which I had drawn off the plates, and started with them to the City of New York. For what took place relative to him and the characters, I refer to his own account of the circumstances as he related them to me after his return, which was as follows:
- I went to the City of New York and presented the characters which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to Professor [Charles] Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian.
- I then showed him those which were not yet translated, and he said that they were Egyptian, Chaldean, Assyrian, and Arabic, and he said that they were true characters. He gave me a certificate, certifying to the people of Palmyra that they were true characters and that the translation of such of them as had been translated was also correct.
- I took the certificate and put it into my pocket, and was just leaving the house when Mr. Anthon called me back and asked me how the young man found out that there were gold plates in the place where he found them. I answered that an angel of God had revealed it unto him. He then said to me, Let me see that certificate. I accordingly took it out of my pocket and gave it to him, when he took it and tore it to pieces, saying that there was no such thing now as ministering of angels and that if I would bring the plates to him, he would translate them. I informed him that part of the plates were sealed and that I was forbidden to bring them. He replied, I cannot read a sealed book. I left him and went to Dr. [Samuel L.] Mitchill who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and the translation.
Part 8 (February 1828)