What kind of sword was the sword of Laban?

When Nephi encountered the unconscious Laban, he noticed that Laban was wearing a fine sword made of “precious steel” with a hilt of “pure gold.” After slaying Laban, Nephi took this sword for himself. He would later use it as a model for manufacturing similar weapons for his people’s defense.

What is the significance of the sword of Laban?

The sword of Laban as associated with Joseph Smith came to be an additional witness of his authority and of the divine sanction for his work. Abstract: Swords have often been seen as symbols of divine authority and kingship.

Does sword of Laban have plates?

Laban, being a descendant of Joseph, inherited the birthright sword and the plates of brass, both treasures eventually coming into the possession of Nephi, who was both a prophet and a descendant of Joseph, as was Joseph Smith Jr.

Does the LDS Church still have the Urim and Thummim?

While the term is ubiquitous and well ingrained in modern Latter Day Saint theology, it was not initially applied to the spectacles or seer stone used in translating the Book of Mormon, and “Urim and Thummim” does not appear within the Book of Mormon or early versions of the Doctrine and Covenants.

Where are the plates of Nephi now?

Palaeographic study of the plates is not possible; according to Joseph Smith the plates were returned to an angel named Moroni, and are no longer in human possession.

Who made the Liahona?

The ball worked according to faith and diligence, 1 Ne. 16:28–29 (Alma 37:40). Benjamin gave the ball to Mosiah, Mosiah 1:16. The ball or director was called the Liahona, Alma 37:38.

Is there a cave in the Hill Cumorah?

According to some of those leaders, Joseph Smith and others returned the plates to a cave in the Hill Cumorah after he finished translating them. At least 10 different accounts,¹ all secondhand, refer to this cave and what was found there.

What happened to the golden plates after Joseph Smith translated them?

Smith eventually obtained testimonies from 11 men who said that they had seen the plates, known as the Book of Mormon witnesses. After the translation was complete, Smith said that he returned the plates to the angel Moroni; thus they could never be examined.

What is the purpose of the Urim and Thummim?

Considering the scholars’ conclusion that Urim essentially means “guilty” and Thummim essentially means “innocent”, this would imply that the purpose of the Urim and Thummim was an ordeal to confirm or refute suspected guilt; if the Urim was selected it meant guilt, while selection of the Thummim would mean innocence.

Did Joseph Smith use a seer stone?

“As a young man during the 1820s, Joseph Smith, like others in his day, used a seer stone to look for lost objects and buried treasure,” the essay said. “As Joseph grew to understand his prophetic calling, he learned that he could use this stone for the higher purpose of translating scripture.”

Are the Mormon plates real?

In the words of Mormon historian Richard Bushman, “For most modern readers, the plates are beyond belief, a phantasm, yet the Mormon sources accept them as fact.” Smith said that he returned the plates to the angel Moroni after he finished translating them, and their authenticity cannot be determined by physical …