The "Anthon Transcript" (often identified with the "Caractors document") is a piece of paper on which Joseph Smith wrote several lines of characters. According to Smith, these characters were from the golden plates (the ancient record from which Smith claimed to have translated the Book of Mormon) and represent the reformed Egyptian writing that was on the plates.
In 1828, this paper was delivered to Charles Anthon, a well-known classical scholar of Columbia College, for an expert opinion on the authenticity of the characters and the translation. Some adherents to the Book of Mormon claim that Anthon attested to the characters' authenticity in writing to Martin Harris but then ripped up his certification after hearing the story of Smith and the plates.[1] Critics of Smith claim that Anthon believed any idea of the plates containing an ancient language was a hoax all along and that Harris was being deceived.[2][3]
Believers claim that the incident between Harris and Anthon fulfilled a biblical prophecy made by Isaiah, as Anthon is reported to have said to Harris, through Smith's telling of events, "I cannot read a sealed book."[4][5]
In 1980, Mark Hofmann created and sold a forgery of the Anthon Transcript to leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which was revealed to be fraudulent when three Salt Lake City bombings (which Hofmann was convicted for) were investigated.
- ^ Smith Jr., Joseph. Joseph Smith – History. LDS Church. pp. 56–57. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
- ^ E.D. Howe (1834). "Chapter XVIII". Mormonism Unvailed. Painesville, Ohio: Telegraph Press. pp. 269–274.
- ^ Bushman, Richard L. (2005). Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling. New York: Knopf. pp. 64–65.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
ldswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Smith, Calvin N. (17 July 1983). "Charles Anthon, reluctant witness". Deseret News. Retrieved 13 December 2009.
In his 1841 letter, Anthon said that "no one until the present time has even requested from me a statement in writing."