Pre-Columbus Metal Plates and Stone Boxes Found in the Western Hemisphere.
"…I [Nephi] have received a commandment of the Lord that I should make these plates…that there should be an account engraven of the ministry of my people." (1 Nephi 9:3) 600-592 B.C.
“...wherefore I did make plates of ore that I might engraven upon them the record of my people.” (1 Nephi 19:1) 581 B.C.
"…the Lord commanded me, wherefore I did make plates of ore that I might engraven upon them the record of my people." (1 Nephi 19:4) 600-570 B.C.
“And I did teach my people...to work in all manner of...gold, and of silver, and of precious ores....” (2 Nephi 5:15) 588-570 B.C.
"And it came to pass… I, Mormon, began to be old; and knowing it to be the last struggle of my people, and having been commanded of the Lord that I should not suffer the records which had been handed down by our fathers, which were sacred, to fall into the hands of the Lamanites, (for the Lamanites would destroy them) therefore I… hid up in the hill Cumorah all the records which had been entrusted to me by the hand of the Lord, save it were these few plates which I gave unto my son Moroni." (Mormon 6:6) 385 A.D.
"He [Moroni] said that there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent...." (Joseph Smith-History 1:34)
Archaeological discoveries of plates made of gold, have been made since the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in 1830.
These ancient people did indeed make and used metal plates. Some of these plates that have been found have been made out of gold as were the Book of Mormon plates. Some of these plates were made out of "thin plates of gold" as were the Book of Mormon plates. (Joseph Smith-History 1:34)
These ancient people also made metallic plates out of other metal elements such as copper. They also did make and use stone boxes to store valuable items. The following are a few examples of the post Book of Mormon discoveries:
<< Man with a gold book or plates, Zaachila, Mexico
Discovered artifact originating from ancient city of Zaachila, Oaxaca, Mexico. This person is believed to represent the god Xiuhtecuhtli also called Huehueteotl or old God. This god is thought to be the creator of all life. What is interesting is that this God has a beard and a gold book or gold plates in front of him.
<< Man with gold book or plates, Monte Albán, Mexico
<< Man with gold book or plates, Mesoamerica, Dated 1200 A.D. to 1521 A.D.,
<< Man with a gold book or plates with drawings, Monte Albán, Mexico
<< Thin gold plates found in Pre-Columbus tombs near Túquerres, Ecuador.
<< Thin gold sheets, Mina Perdida, Peru
Foil sheets found near Mina Perdida, Peru. The outside sheets are gold. The center copper & gold mixture.
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<< Stone box from Tizapan, Mexico. 900 A.D to 1500 A.D. (19.5 x 20 x 20 cm)
<< Drawing of Pre-Columbus Mesoamerica Stone Box with lid. (Antiquities of Mexico, by Lord Kingsborough, Vol IV, Monuments of New Spain,)
Drawing of Pre-Columbus Mesoamerica Stone Box with lid and carvings. (Antiquities of Mexico, by Lord Kingsborough, Vol IV, Monuments of New Spain,)
A pre-Columbus Stone Aztec Box with Huitzilopochtli performing self-sacrifice.
[Note: Most likely a hand-down falling-away now pagan representation of the "self-sacrifice" that Jesus Christ gave for the world.] (Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City)
<< A pre-Columbus, Carved Stone Box, Hul Nal Ye, located in a cave in Cave, Chisec, Guatemala
<< Stone Box found at Tenochtitlán, Mexico, Pre-Columbus
<< Stone Box found off the coast of Veracruz area of Tampoico Mexico.
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Additional Information
... Is the Book of Mormon Like Other Ancient Metal Documents? #512
... Are There Other Ancient Records Like the Book of Mormon? #407
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