The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1916-08-31

"But they will never find Them" he
said. '"They are in existence, bu,
where am not at liberty to say"
The whereabouts of the golden
plates and the sealed book became one
of the mysteries of the church. Some
believe they were buried again at the
hill of Cumorah. Others hold that
they remained in the possession of Da'
vid Whitmer and passed on down to
his lineal descendants and are now in
hiding in the home of Mr.. Schweisch
of Richmond, NO., his grandson.
Il don't want to make any statement
about it," insisted the fence-post sales.
man. IF had the sealed book ]
would not dare admit it. It has caused
me enough trouble already. I can say
this, however, that those who have
been searching for the golden plates
will never find them. They might az
we'll give up.
II don't want to make any statement
about that. But know what they are.
They consist Of the golden plates, the
copper plates which are the record of
the Jewish Sanhedrin or Great Coun.
Gil, and the sword of Laban, the ia.
ther-fn-law Of Jacob. Then there are
some other minor articles. But I want
to repeat that search for them will
never find them, nor need anybody
bother my daughter after I am dead,
for they will never find them"
Record Of Descendants.
There is special interest in the gold.
en- plates because of the prophecy Of
more revelations to come from 1.-THE
book that is sealed" The plates are
Of pure gold, eight inches long, four
inches wide and four inches high, &C.
cording to Mr.. Schweisch.
This Missouri travelling salesman 4
the last lineal descendant of David
Whitmer, who was the last of the
three witnesses to the translation Of
the golden plates. The one thing that
makes many believe these valuable
church relics were passed down from
Whitmer to his descendant, the fence
post salesman, is quit claim deed
on record in the courthouse at Rich
mond, Mo-, which mentions certain
heirlooms," said to be the golden
plates. A sister-in-law waived the
right TO the heirlooms which descend
ed to the grandson, instead of to her,
through her husband, the brother of
David Whitmer.
Mr.. schweisch says that the work
Of translating was partly done in his
grandfather's house.
"There is no doubt Of the existence
of the golden plates" said Mr..
Schweisch. "They were found by 10
seph Smith, founder of the church,
who, following out the instructions of
q divine vision, went to the hill of Gu
moran, about twenty miles from Sem
eca Falls, N. Y, and found them in q
box of stone.
"They were engraved with charac-
tiers which no one could read and in
fulfilment Of the prophesy in the TWEEN.
ty-ninth chapter of Isaiah, Joseph
Smith. an unlearned boy, could read
the records which no learned man
could decipher. have often heard
my grandfather tell of the translation,
Parts of the translation were made in
my grandfather's house in New York,
Joseph Smith would take the Seer
stone that helped him translate the
record and put it in his hat, holding
1t closely around his face to exclude
the light. and the spiritual light would
appear, and before his eyes would ap.
pear sort of parchment on which
would be the characters of the golden
plate with the English translation un.
der them. In this way the translation
was made and verified, character BY
character