Book of Mormon Translation Timeline

LDS apologists like to say that the Book of Mormon was written in only 60 days and what a amazing feat this was. However, what they fail to say is this claim means 60 different individual days "translation". Not the chronological passing of time from when Joseph Smith started to when it ended.

Using Thursday June 25, 1829 as the day translation was completed. From when Joseph first saw the plates it was 5 years 9 months. From when Joseph first physically visited the plates it's 4 years 9 months or when he took possession of the plates it's 1 year 9 months. When he first translated from the plates (HC 1:19) it's 1 year 7 months. When he started translation with Martin Harris it's 1 year 2 months

To say it was done in just 60 days is very misleading bordering on dishonest. The sixty day number is thrown out implying writing the book is a impossible task in that time frame for a uneducated farm boy. The test implies that there are actual plates and not an author and writing can't begin with out "the plates".

However a critic doesn't need to assume there are actual plates just some method of authorship. If someone starts telling stories about a magic book that they are going to be able to translate it's reasonable that he started working on the BOM the first time he told a story about it.

Here is the timeline:

1822- Joseph Smith finds a seer stone while digging a well by his farmhouse

Sept 1823-Joseph Says he sees Moroni in a vision in his room and is allowed to see the plates but not take them.

Sept 1824-Joseph visits the plates again, but is not allowed to take themSept 1825-Joseph visits the plates yet again.

March 1826-Joseph is arrested for "glass looking" with the seer stone to find buried treasure

Sept 1826-Joseph visits the plates

Sept 1827-Joseph finally takes possession of the plates

April 1828-Joseph begins translation of Book of Lehi with Martin Harris as scribeJune 1828-Manuscripts for Book of Lehi are lost

July 1828- Joseph receives revelation telling him his gift of translating is taken away for a season

Sept 1828-Joseph starts re-translation of Book of Mormon without any instructions from God or any kind of revelation. He just does it on his own, the really odd thing is he doesn't attempt to re-translate the Book of Lehi, and skips 1Nephi, 2Nephi, Jacob, Enos, Jarom, Omni and Words of Mormon. He continues where he left off chronologically at the end of the Book of Lehi, or the beginning of Mosiah. His wife Emma served as scribe.

April 1829-Joseph begins the "rapid-fire" translation now with Oliver Cowdery as scribe

April 1829- Oliver Cowdery wants to translate with the magic rock in the hat, is granted the ability, then God changed his mind because Oliver isn't patient enough.

May 1829-Joseph receives revelation not to re-translate Book of Lehi and to replace it with Books of Nephi. The Lord also tells Joseph that "NOW" his gift of translating is "restored" hmm...

June 1829-Transcript is finished, witnesses "see" the plates and Joseph gives them back to Moroni.