Friday, February 6, 2026

Explaining 2 sets of plates - graphic book

Several years ago I worked with an African illustrator to create a book for African Latter-day Saints that explained Church history from their perspective, including African culture. We published it in 2021.

Here is the cover for the French edition:


It is available in English, French and Spanish in print and on Kindle. Here is the English Kindle edition: https://www.amazon.com/Lemurs-Chameleons-Golden-Plates-Perspective-ebook/dp/B09MFTFK1F

One part of the book explained the two sets of plates.

Joseph's mother, Lucy Mack Smith, related this account of Joseph and Oliver contacting David Whitmer in May 1829.

In the mean time Joseph was 150 miles distant and knew naught of the matter e[x]cept an intimation that was given through the urim and thumim for as he one morning applied the<​m​> latter to his eyes to look upon the record instead of the words of the book being given him he was commanded to write a letter to one David Whitmore [Whitmer] this man Joseph had never seen but he was instructed to say him that he must come with his team immediately in order to convey Joseph and his family <​Oliver [Cowdery]​> back to his house which was 135 miles that they might remain with him there untill the translation should be completed for that an evil designing people were seeking to take away Joseph’s life in order to prevent the work of God from going forth among the world 

https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/lucy-mack-smith-history-1844-1845/100

Here are some of the images:




















This is the display in the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah.