Quest for the Gold Plates [Paperback]

Stan Larson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1997

A controversial account of Thomas Stuart Ferguson's efforts to confirm the archaeology of the Book of Mormon and his final rejection of the historicity of the Book of Mormon.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stan Larson received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England. He is the editor of "Prisoner for Polygamy," "My Continuing Quest," "A Ministry of Meetings," "The Truth, The Way, The Life," "Modern Echoes from Ancient Hills," "Working the Divine Miracle," and "What E'er Thou Art, Act Well Thy Part." He has also published articles in the "Ensign," "BYU Studies," "Dialogue," "Sunstone," "Journal of Mormon History," and "Evangelical Quarterly."

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Freethinker Pr (1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963473263
• ISBN-13: 978-0963473264
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,122,345 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

188 of 204 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Choose Your "Quest" Wisely, February 12, 2001

By 

Missing in Action (Idaho Falls, Idaho USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Quest for the Gold Plates (Paperback)

Thomas Ferguson was, according to Stan Larson, an earnest, if not zealous young lawyer who was determined to "prove" the authenticity of the Book of Mormon by virtue of archeology. He was not the first to do so, nor was he the last, and indeed, archeological "proof" continues to surface among church members. What he found during his Quest was that the evidence he was certain he could find turned out to be more problematic than he ever dreamed. So much so that he became convinced that it would never be found...indeed, COULD never be found.

What rocked his faith, however, was not the lack of archeological evidence, for there were always still possibilities why they hadn't found it yet. What collapsed Ferguson's faith was the dubious authenticity of the Book of Abraham once the original Joseph Smith papyri were found in a musuem in New York. Ferguson had the papyri translated by reputable Egyptologists, only to learn that the so-called source of the Book of Abraham was nothing more than common funerary papyri from a common Egyption mummy. His research proved, much to his dismay, that Joseph Smith had no knowledge of hieroglyphics, nor could he have interpreted the writings or facsimilies in any legitimate way and produce the Book of Abraham. From Ferguson's point of view, it could only have been a fiction from the mind of Joseph Smith. With this realization, coupled with the gross lack of ANY supportive archeological evidence, Ferguson concluded that the Book of Mormon was a similar fiction...the product of an imaginative genius, but probably not the divinely inspired and protected record that he had previously believed.

The rest of the story is how Ferguson tried to walk a double life, living out the duration of his life as an active, though unusual member of the church, singing in the choir, attending the meetings and socials he chose to, for the purpose of maintaining some ties with the people and the "fraternity" he loved. He became convinced that religion is of itself a healthy exercise for a moral society, and he had concluded that the Mormon Church had as worthy a formula for good as any. So he maintained his affiliation, but not without certain sacrifices.

To me, the most inspirational part of the story is the courage it requires to undertake an honest quest, and be changed by what you find regardless of how much it challenges what you had previously believed. That is an essential element in all human growth and development, and were it not for courageous men like Ferguson, (or Galileo, or Einstein, or Darwin, or others) who are willing to question their own beliefs and study objectively what they observe, then civilization would never advance. Thomas Stuart Ferguson is a shining and intriguing example of one who was willing to make the quest, regardless of the outcome.

197 of 222 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A tragedy of truth found and rejected, August 25, 1999

By 

Duwayne Anderson (Saint Helens, Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Quest for the Gold Plates (Paperback)

In an ideal world you'd expect that any subject could be coolly and dispassionately examined and judged according to the facts. We don't live in such a world, though, and this is abundantly clear upon reading Stan Larson's book "Quest for the Gold Plates."

This is a book about one man's search for truth. Thomas Stuart Ferguson was a staunch Mormon with a dream to show to the world that Mormonism is true, and that the Book of Mormon is literally the history of a vast ancient Amerindian civilization. According to the Book of Mormon there were three migrations from the Old World to the New. The first migration happened sometime around the fabled tower of Babel described in the Old Testament. The second two migrations happened within a few years of each other, and involved Hebrew migrations from the area around Jerusalem roughly 600 BCE.

According to the Book of Mormon, the people involved in these migrations established huge civilizations that stretched from sea to sea. They wrote extensively using Hebrew and Egyptian, domesticated horses and cattle, cultivated many Old World plants, traveled in chariots, and smelted many metals, including iron and steel.

The Book of Mormon, ostensibly written by these civilizations, came to us from the prophet Joseph Smith, who founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). Not too surprisingly, however, the golden plates are not available for scientific examination - the same angle who gave them to Joseph for "translation" took them back when the book was complete. Thus giving us the title of Larson's book.

The Book of Mormon is so descriptive and unambiguous about the extent and type of ancient Amerindian civilizations it describes that it practically screams for corroborating archaeological evidence to support its assertions. As a young man, Ferguson felt foreordained as the person responsible for finding this archaeological information and bringing it to the world - proving Mormonism is true and opening the floodgates for converts into Joseph Smith's religion.

Ferguson was unrelenting, and he moved in high circles within the Mormon Church. He co-authored "Ancient American and the Book of Mormon" with Milton R. Hunter (a General Authority in the Mormon Church) and on October 1952 Ferguson organized the New World Archaeological Foundation (NWAF) in California. Early on NWAF performed some valuable archaeological research, and employed some eminent non-Mormon scientists. This was part of Ferguson's plan, as he intended the archaeological evidence for the Book of Mormon to be of the highest academic quality. Eventually, however, the Mormon Church lost its enthusiasm for funding a strictly academic organization, especially as the promised evidence for the Book of Mormon failed year after year to appear. In 1960 the First Presidency of the LDS Church announced that NWAF would be reorganized, and its continued support from the LDS Church would come through church-owned BYU with Howard W. Hunter, an apostle of the Mormon Church, appointed as chairman in January 1961, and Ferguson as secretary.

Ferguson began his quest with rhetoric of the highest moral caliber. He described his quest as a search for truth. He was firm in his conviction that through his work the latter-day prophet Joseph Smith would be vindicated at last, and all the world compelled to admit that the Book of Mormon was literal history, and by implication that Mormonism was God's restored church on earth. As the years passed, however, and the expected evidence stubbornly refused to materialize, Ferguson became less brash. Eventually he came to recognize that the archaeological evidence he looked for did not exist. In 1993 Michael D. Coe, professor of anthropology at Yale University, summarized the situation by saying:

"I have seen no archaeological evidence before or since that [1973] date which would convince me that it [the Book of Mormon] is anything but a fanciful creation by an unusually gifted individual living in upstate New York in the early nineteenth century." [page 70].

Though Ferguson began his quest as a quest for truth, once he found the truth he quickly abandoned his earlier plans to disseminate it. Larson shows clearly through letters and documented conversations that Ferguson eventually reached the same conclusion as Coe. Yet while the young Ferguson expected people in other religions to abandon their faith for the light and truth of Mormonism, the old Ferguson proved too inadequate to show the same conviction to truth. Though he believed the Book of Mormon is fiction, Ferguson simply found it impossible to let go the social fabric of his Mormon upbringing. He described the Mormon Church as a great fraternity, and a worthwhile organization in its own right. He seemed to find a measure of smugness in knowing that it is all a hoax, but not wanting to spoil the party for all the common people who find Mormonism so important in their lives.

In this regard I find myself completely at odds with Larson's closing comment:

"His [Ferguson's] legacy is a commitment to the search for truth."

No statement could be more inaccurate. In the end, Ferguson showed that his commitment is to fraternity and brotherhood. He saw the truth, but found himself unable to proclaim it. Ferguson is simply another of a long list of men who had the opportunity to speak out and be heard - who could have made a difference by standing up for truth, but decided instead to keep a secret rather than upset his life and disillusion the common folk. For me, Ferguson represents a tragedy.

Clearly written and immaculately referenced, Stan Larson's book is essential for anyone concerned with the reality of whether or not the Book of Mormon is true. It represents the story of one man's search for truth, and tragic failure to embrace it. Perhaps some good can yet come, however, if Larson's book can inspire other's to accept the truth Ferguson discovered, and let commitment to truth overcome commitment to fraternity.

Duwayne Anderson August 25, 1999

47 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent account of Ferguson's search for the gold plates, May 18, 2004

By 

Robert Badger (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Quest for the Gold Plates (Paperback)

Leaving the faith of one's parents is often a very difficult thing. I cannot imagine what it would be like to be in Thomas Stuart Ferguson's position. Here we have a man who devoted so much in the way of time and treasure to prove that the Book of Mormon was true. He wrote many books defending the Book of Mormon from an archeological point of view. Yet he came to see that archeology and history will not vindicate the book of Mormon. He lost faith in the Book of Mormon completely.

I had the good fortune some years past to meet the author of this book. He gave a presentation on his findings with regards to Ferguson. I came away from that presentation somewhat amazed at the chameoleon nature of Thomas Stuart Ferguson. He had no faith in the Book of Mormon and even indicated so to Jerald and Sandra Tanner. Yet, he still continued to attend church regularly. To those who had questions about the Book of Mormon, he could give answers in either direction. To faithful Mormons seeking faith building material, he could and would give out much information that would confirm them in their faith. To Mormons questioning the historical veracity of the Book of Mormon, he could and would give out much information that would demonstrate the historical and archeological problems involved in the Book of Mormon.

He was a complex character. However, his story is very much worth telling. He is fortunate to have found a sympathetic biographer in Stan Larson.