SITH in the April 2020 Liahona

Fun with SITH from the April 2020 Liahona.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2020/04?lang=eng

The first fun thing to notice is they don't quote or even cite Joseph Smith's answer to this question.

The second thing to notice is they use an illustration that directly contradicts what both Joseph and Oliver said.

Original content in blue, my comments in red.

How did Joseph Smith translate the Book of Mormon?

Before hiding the gold plates, Moroni, the last prophet of the Book of Mormon, wrote on the book’s title page that the book would be translated “by the gift and power of God.” This remains the best description of the translation of the Book of Mormon.

If this is the "best description of the translation," then why does the article go beyond Moroni's statement? Why does the article ignore what Joseph and Oliver said, while quoting what others said?

Joseph Smith dictated the words of the translation to scribes, mostly Oliver Cowdery. Because Joseph was translating a completely unknown language, he needed to rely on the Lord. One way the Lord helped was to provide physical instruments to aid Joseph in translating. 

Instruments, plural? Both Moroni and Joseph Smith referred to exactly one instrument: the Urim and Thummim, or, as the Nephites would have said, ‘Interpreters.’ (Joseph Smith—History, Note, 1)

Witnesses said Joseph looked into the instruments and that words appeared to him in English. 

Two problems here. 

(i) What were these unidentified people witnesses of? At most they could have observed Joseph look into a hat and speak words. But they forgot to mention important details such as time, place, and what, exactly, Joseph dictated.

(ii) Observers could not be witnesses of what "appeared to him" when he looked into the "instruments," so their statements are inferences, guesses, or assumptions.

The translation instruments included the “interpreters” or “Urim and Thummim”—two clear stones fastened in a metal rim so that Joseph could look through them. These had been given to Joseph along with the plates. 

This is the only "translation instrument" Joseph and Oliver ever mentioned. Joseph specifically said he translated the record with the Urim and Thummim that came with the plates.

Another instrument Joseph used was a “seer stone” that he would look into, often by placing it in a hat. Joseph had found this stone earlier and had used it to find hidden or lost things.

Neither Joseph nor Oliver ever stated, implied, or even suggested such a scenario. The evidence for this claim has lots of evidentiary problems.

He used both the interpreters and the seer stone as he translated, always relying on the inspiration of heaven.

The article states this claim as a fact, even though it directly contradicts what Joseph and Oliver specifically taught, sometimes in direct refutation of the SITH allegations.

The translation of the Book of Mormon was truly miraculous and was done “by the gift and power of God.”

At least this statement corroborates what Joseph and Oliver always said.