"Did Joseph Smith find gold tablets and then lose them?"
Our detractors will call what I'm about to tell you "spin." Nevertheless, it is what the LDS Church teaches, and is the opposite perspective from what you have read.
Joseph Smith was directed to ancient records written on plates made of gold. Now, utter the word "gold," and you instantly get fantastic ideas. Examine according to its elemental properties, however, gold is an excellent long-term medium for storing information.
Joseph Smith was then commanded to translate these records; he did so with the help of several other people. The plates were later shown to 11 different witnesses, whose testimony of having seen and handled the records was written and signed by each.
This translation was called "The Book of Mormon." It is a record of prophecies and events from the Lord's people in ancient America.
Our detractors have long tried to discredit The Book of Mormon using any evidence they can find or invent; the record has withstood the test of time.
When the work of translation was done, the original record was returned to the Lord. In my opinion, this was done as a trial of faith.
A more complete record of these events, in Smith's own words, may be found here:
Joseph Smith - History
"Did JS advocate polygamy?"
Joseph Smith taught "plural marriage" - as it's referred to in LDS circles. I won't get caught up in another apologetic debate as to this teaching; suffice it to say that there is much misunderstanding and misinformation regarding the practice - among which is the idea that it was practiced widely. In reality, Smith taught the doctrine reluctantly, and its practice was tightly controlled. I will not get into another argument about whether the practice was "right" or "wrong."
But, yes, the early LDS Church did accept polygamy until, for various reasons, the practice was abandoned in 1890. Suffice it to say, that we believe it was commanded by the Lord, just as it was to the Patriarchs of old (Abraham, Isaac, etc.), and we obeyed; likewise, when the Lord commanded that it be done away with, we obeyed. For more information on that, see here:
Official Declaration 1 Today, those who practice it are not affiliated with the LDS Church; to do so is an excommunicable offense.
If you would like to know more about the LDS perspective on the topic, please visit the following:
http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai049.html
I appreciate your honest questions. I hope my answers have been satisfactory. Please feel free to ask if you are curious about anything else regarding the LDS Church.
For a "Cliff's Notes" overview of the primary doctrines of the LDS Church, go here:
Articles of Faith
Best regards.
Thank you for the info. You are very nice and polite I am just not interested in learning more about your religion. I won’t hesitate to vote for Romney if he is the nominee.