The Kinderhook Plates

---The Kinderhook Plates are 6 small brass plates with mysterious engravings on them.  They were claimed to have been found in a mound in Kinderhook Illinois in 1843. Joseph Smith claimed to translate a portion of the plates but died before he could finish. He claimed that they were an ancient document from a descendant of Ham, through the loins of Pharaoh.
---In 1879 Wilbur Fugate said that the plates were a hoax. That they were forged by himself and two others (Bridge Whitten & Robert Wiley). They did it to test the validity of Joseph Smith.
---The plates were presumed lost and the church claimed that Fugate could not be trusted, the church continued to publish facsimilies of the plates in the History of the Church.
---In 1920 one of the plates was found in the Chicago History Museum. It was proved to be one of the 6 plates and was also proved to be a fabricated hoax. Fugate was telling the truth.

Here are some quotes:

 "I have seen 6 brass plates... covered with ancient characters of language containing from 30 to 40 on each side of the plates. Prest J. has translated a portion and says they contain the history of the person with whom they were found and he was a descendant of Ham through the loins of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and that he received his kingdom from the ruler of heaven and earth." (William Clayton's Journal, May 1, 1843, as cited in Trials of Discipleship — The Story of William Clayton, a Mormon, page 117)

 "I insert facsimiles of the six brass plates found near Kinderhook...
"I have translated a portion of them, and find they contain the history of the person with whom they were found. He was a descendant of Ham, through the loins of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and that he received his kingdom from the Ruler of heaven and earth." (History of the Church, Vol. 5 page 372)

 "Why does the circumstance of the plates recently found in a mound in Pike county, III., by Mr. Wiley, together with ethnology and a thousand other things, go to prove the Book of Mormon true? — Ans. Because it is true!" (Times and Seasons, Vol. 5, page 406)

" 'Six plates having the appearance of Brass have lately been dug out of the mound by a gentleman in Pike Co. Illinois. They are small and filled with engravings in Egyptian language and contain the genealogy of one of the ancient Jaredite back to Ham the son of Noah" (The Ensign, August 1981, page 73)

In this video I address being called a hypocrite.