According to Joseph Smith, an 1823 visitation from a resurrected prophet named Moroni had led to his finding and eventual unearthing of a long-buried book, inscribed on metal plates, which contained a record of God's dealings with the ancient Israelite inhabitants of the Americas.

The record, along with other artifacts (including a breastplate and what Smith referred to as the Urim and Thummim), had been found buried in a hill near his home.

On September 22, 1827, Smith's record indicates that the angel had allowed him (after 4 years of waiting and preparation) to take the plates and other artifacts.

Almost immediately thereafter, Smith began having difficulties with people trying to discover where the plates were hidden on the Smith farm.

With the monetary and moral support of a wealthy Palmyra neighbor named Martin Harris, Smith and his wife Emma move from western New York to Harmony, Pennsylvania, where Smith reports to a few family members and colleagues including Harris that he has translated some of the Reformed Egyptian text from the Golden plates.

According to Smith's history, he had invited Harris to take a sample of the characters from the plates to a few well-known scholars including Charles Anthon.

Harris returns to report that Anthon had initially provided authentication to the translation of the Reformed Egyptian, but had torn up his written statement upon hearing the story of how Joseph had obtained them.

Harris returns, and acts as Smith's scribe while Smith translates words using Urim and Thummim.

In June 1828, after completing the first 116 pages of the record, Smith allows Harris to take the manuscript to Palmyra to show Harris' wife.

Harris returns, long overdue, and informs Smith that the manuscript has been lost or stolen.

Smith will record, "the Lord took the Urim and Thummim and the plates,” stopping the work of translation.

Around the same time, Smith's wife gives birth to a stillborn son, their first child.