Like Joseph Smith, James Strang reported numerous visions, unearthed and translated allegedly ancient metal plates using the Urim and Thummim, and claimed to have restored long-lost spiritual knowledge to humankind. Like Smith, he presented witnesses to authenticate the records he claimed to have received.[31] Unlike Smith, however, Strang offered his plates to the public for examination. The non-Mormon Christopher Sholes–inventor of the typewriter and editor of a local newspaper–perused Strangs Voree Plates, a minuscule brass chronicle Strang said he had been led to by a vision in 1845.[32] Sholes offered no opinion on Strangs find, but described the would-be prophet as honest and earnest and opined that his followers ranked among the most honest and intelligent men in the neighborhood.[33] Strang published his translation of these plates as the Voree Record, purporting to be the last testament of one Rajah Manchou of Vorito, who had lived in the area centuries earlier and wished to leave a brief statement for posterity. While many scoffed, Strangites assert that two modern scholars have affirmed that the text on the plates appears to represent a genuine, albeit unknown, language.[34] This assertion has not been verified by independent sources, however. The Voree Plates disappeared around 1900, and their current whereabouts are unknown. [32] Strang also claimed to have translated the Plates of Laban described in the Book of Mormon.[35] This translation was published in 1851 as the Book of the Law of the Lord, said to be the original Law given to Moses and mentioned in II Chronicles 34:14–15.[36] Greatly expanded and republished in 1856, this book served as the constitution for Strangs spiritual kingdom on Beaver Island, and is still accepted as scripture by Strangites. One distinctive feature (besides its overtly monarchial tone) is its restoration of a missing commandment to the Decalogue: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Strang insisted that versions of the Decalogue found in Bibles used by other churches—including other Latter Day Saint churches—contain only nine commandments, not ten.
Posted on: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 03:43:00 +0000
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