JS obtained the plates in 1827 and commenced translating them then.

Date
Jun 1832
Type
Manuscript
Source
Joseph Smith, Jr.
LDS
Hearsay
Scribed Verbatim
Direct
Reference

Joseph Smith, Jr. “A History of the life of Joseph Smith Jr.," [ca. June 1832], 5, The Joseph Smith Papers website, accessed July 16, 2021

Scribe/Publisher
Joseph Smith, Jr., Frederick G. Williams
People
Joseph Smith, Jr.
Audience
Reading Public
Transcription

therefore I was chastened and saught diligently to obtain the plates and obtained them not untill I was twenty one years of age and in this year I was married to Emma Hale Daughtr of Isaach [Isaac] Hale who lived in Harmony Susquehan[n]a County Pensylvania on the 18th January AD, 1827, on the 22d day of Sept of this same year I obtained the plat[e]s—and the in December following we mooved to Susquehana by the assistence of a man by the name of Martin Har[r]is who became convinced of th[e] vision and gave me fifty Dollars to bare my expences and because of his faith and this rightheous deed the Lord appeared unto him in a vision and shewed unto him his marvilous work which he was about to do and <h[e]> imediately came to Suquehannah and said the Lord had shown him that he must go to new York City <with> some of the characters so we proceeded to coppy some of them and he took his Journy to the Eastern Cittys and to the Learned <saying> read this I pray thee and the learned said I cannot but if he would bring the blates [plates] they would read it but the Lord had forbid it and he returned to me and gave them to <me <to> translate and I said I said cannot for I am not learned but the Lord had prepared spectticke spectacles for to read the Book therefore I commenced translating the characters

BHR Staff Commentary

Joseph Smith received the plates in 1827 at age twenty-one, but Martin Harris lost the manuscript that was translated at this time, which leaves the translation Book of Mormon as we know it occurring at a later date.

Citations in Mormonr Qnas
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