I started thinking how rediculous the idea is that someone would be struck dead if they saw the (imaginary)golden plates. I cannot believe I bought into that lie. Really...the story goes that they were just a history etched out on golden plates. What magical powers would all of a sudden make them a murder weapon?

When I think of things like this I am just embarrassed for myself.

I mean really? how could I not have seen how stupid that sounds?

about running through the woods with the heavy plates tucked under his arm to avoid thieves. Why not just uncover them and let their zap-o-matic electrocution powers finish off the thieves?

Supposedly, he also hid them in a barrel of beans once to keep them from getting stolen.

But at other times the angels Moroni and Nephi were always keeping a watchful eye on them and could take them away in an instant.

Joe couldn't even keep his stories straight at the most basic level...and still there are armies of gullible people who are willing to testify (using testimony gloves no doubt) that they know it's all true. It's an amazing world! ;o)

What a great point! If I knew that "no man could look upon the plates and live" then I would say: "Here ya go fellas, and watch their faces melt like a scenen from 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'. I'm sure apologists would say that Joseph simply hadn't read the owner's manual yet for the plates.

yeah, good one! No one was allowed to see the plates because they were so sacred, even though not a single new doctrine came from them. All the unique mormon doctrine comes from the Book of Abraham, and the papyrus scrolls were there for all to see, for a small price.
Why the difference? The scrolls were real, the plates were imaginary.