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PrevPrevious EpisodeExonerating Lucy Harris (Part 8 of 12)
Next ExpisodeHow Did Nephites Get Priesthood? (Part 10 of 12)Next

Who Stole the Lost 116 Pages? (Part 9 of 12)

Table of Contents: Who Stole the Lost 116 Pages? (Part 9 of 12)

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If Lucy Harris didn’t burn the lost manuscript, who stole it?  Historian Don Bradley thinks a big suspect might have been an extended member of the Harris family.  What else does he know?

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Don:  It turns out, for instance, the Harris’s had a son-in-law who was a con man. He was a swindler. His name was Flanders Dike. Flanders Dike came from an entire family of swindlers. Two years after the manuscript disappeared, Flanders Dike is mentioned in a newspaper article saying he has skipped town. He’s left Palmyra, with about $1,000 of other people’s goods and money. There’s another notice in the paper several years later saying he’s escaped from jail after doing similar shenanigans again. There are accounts of other swindles carried out by various [relatives] like his father and his brothers. Lucy Mack Smith gives an account in her memoir, saying that Flanders Dike, at one time before the manuscript disappeared, he stole the Anthon transcript temporarily. So, this guy had already stolen documents, other documents associated with the coming fourth of the Book of Mormon. Then just four months later, the Book of Mormon manuscript goes missing. Why wouldn’t we suspect this guy?

I was also surprised to find out that Martin Harris missed his daughter’s wedding because he was helping Joseph translate the Book of Mormon!  What other surprises does Don have in store?  Check out our conversation….

- Who Stole the Lost 116 Pages? (Part 9 of 12) - Mormon History Podcast
If Lucy Harris didn’t burn the manuscript, who stole it? Historian Don Bradley has a likely suspect.

Don’t miss our other conversations with Don!

361: Exonerating Lucy Harris (Bradley)

360: Masonic Golden Plates & Temple Theology (Bradley)

359: Temple Endowment in Lost Pages (Bradley)

358: Laban Killed During Passover (Bradley)

357: More than 116 Pages Lost? (Bradley)

356: How Much of BoM is Missing? (Bradley)

355: Re-Writing Oliver’s Words: Dirty, Nasty, Filthy Scrape? (Bradley)

354: Dating Fanny Alger

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More Podcasts with these Guests:

  • Joseph’s Magical Masonry (Part 6 of 7)
  • Masonic Legends & Gold Plates (Part 5 of 7)
  • Critics & Apologists (Part 12 of 12)
  • More Details on the Liahona (Part 11 of 12)
  • How Did Nephites Get Priesthood? (Part 10 of 12)

Get more information on the people and things discussed in this episode:

  • Guest: Don Bradley
  • Theology: Book of Mormon, Mormon Scripture
  • Historical Mentions Lucy Harris, Martin Harris, Mormon History
  • Tags: Church History, Flanders Dike, golden plates, GT Podcast, iTunes, Lost 116 Pages, Lost Manuscript, Lucy Harris, Martin Harris, money diggers, translation of Book of Mormon

Tell me when the next episode drops!

PrevPrevious EpisodeExonerating Lucy Harris (Part 8 of 12)
Next ExpisodeHow Did Nephites Get Priesthood? (Part 10 of 12)Next
  • Date: January 23, 2020
  • Guest: Don Bradley
  • Theology: Book of Mormon, Mormon Scripture
  • Historical Mentions Lucy Harris, Martin Harris, Mormon History
  • Tags: Church History, Flanders Dike, golden plates, GT Podcast, iTunes, Lost 116 Pages, Lost Manuscript, Lucy Harris, Martin Harris, money diggers, translation of Book of Mormon
  • Posted By: RickB

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Rick Bennett, Host of Gospel Tangents

Rick Bennett is the friendly, independent historian at the heart of Gospel Tangents LDS Podcast: The Best Source for Mormon History, Science, and Theology. When he isn't interviewing Mormon scholars, prophets, and others, he is teaching math and statistics at Utah Valley University. He also freelances as a research biostatistician in the fields of Dermatology and Traumatic Brian Injuries, as well as in the network television/cable T.V. industries as a sports statistician. Rick holds a Master of Statistics Degree from the University of Utah.

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