The Kinderhook Plates Incident; and, The Zelph Incident

Although critics and anti-Mormons try to suggest the Kinderhook Plates demonstrate Joseph Smith was not a true prophet, the opposite is true. Joseph detected them to be fakes and never translated them. Critics also try to claim the Zelph incident shows Joseph Smith was a false prophet. During the Zion's Camp march, Joseph Smith received revelation about a large skeleton that was unearthed, saying the person was "Zelph," a Lamanite (Native American) prophet. The statements of Joseph Smith must be taken on faith as true by those who believe he was a prophet, or disbelieved by skeptics due to their lack of faith. There is no scientific evidence to prove or disprove Joseph Smith's statements about Zelph.