How Heavy Were Joseph Smith's "Golden Plates"?

We do know that gold weighs about 1200 pounds per cubic foot. Given the dimensions by Smith, some have concluded that the plates could have weighed as much as 234 pounds to as little as 100 pounds. The heavier weight is based on what would probably be the total weight of a solid block of gold measuring the size of Smith's plates. This weight would tend to be unlikely given the fact that engravings on a thin plate of soft metal such as gold would probably not lay perfectly flat. If such indentions did tend to cause the plate to "bulge," it would also seem likely that the engravings would have been difficult to read.

Mormon metallurgist Reed Putnam estimates that if the plates were made of pure gold, they would have probably weighed around 100 pounds. In perspective, that would be like carrying a bag of Portland cement under one's arm.

MRM.org

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[Smeogul]

God uses special gold for stuff like this : lighter in weight and shinier than earthly gold. I think that I deserve priesthood and a BMW for providing this (divinely inspired) answer.

[fws91]

@Toddjumper I have a question tho,why do yall defend this one passage to mean land of jerusalem when the BoM uses the phrase "at Jerusalem" 19 times."The second race came directly from the city of Jerusalem about 600 years before Christ" -Joseph Smith in Documentary History of the Church 4:537 He said the Lehi came from Jerusalem.That is 7 times.here are the other BoM refs. Alma 11:4, 3 Nephi 10:5,Helaman 16:18-19,1 Nephi 19:13,1 Nephi 19:20, 1 Nephi 22:4,4 nephi 1:31 & 2 nephi 10:5

[defiant0121]

The golden plates were actually pretty light, because the golden plates didn't exist! Joseph Smith was a Fake con man with several wives.

[RainbowManification]

It was probably a gold alloy.

[scottwins2]

@fws91 It would be like saying IN Salt Lake County or AT Salt Lake

County, or FROM Salt lake County Bethleham is in Jerusalem proper. Its one is the same.

[lp000028]

may be he was full of it and your gulliable.

[fws91]

@Toddjumper vs3 means u cant reason with a fool just as u cant with a horse or donkey.vs4 means DONT answer a fool to his folly CUZ( cause)he will think ur a fool like him(effect) Vs 5 means ANSWER a fool according to his folly(CAUSE) & he will think he said something wise & assume you'll agree with him.(effect) the author's point: you're stuck either way dont even attempt to answer a fool.

[fws91]

@Toddjumper wisdom lit presents what is USUALLY & NORMALLY true,written in contrastive modes 2 show the vast DIFFERENCES of conduct & consequences.pro 26:3-5 is a fig of speech known as ellipsis.It omits key words in order 2 emphasize a point.in hebrew these vss 3-4 are cause & effect with the not left out they r not commands.