John, this is overall and example of begging the question. I still wait to find out where the advanced metallurgy necessary to make a copper-gold alloy existed - especially if plating is involved - something not encountered until centuries later.
Regarding this nonsense about the 8 witnesses - only three of the eight witnesses made separate statements that they had handled the plates. They were Joseph's two brothers, Hyrum and Samuel, and John Whitmer.
Whitmer's statement that "... they were shown to me by a supernatural power" (History of the Church, Vol. 3, p. 307). IE a vision. Further John, the 8 were not shown all together, but in smaller groups of 4. All the witnesses had close ties to Joseph and his family. Some like Martin Harris had a substantial financial investment in the success of the Book of Mormon (can you say filthy lucre). Many of the witnesses ended up leaving the church and following other leaders and religions such as James Strang, the Shakers, Methodists, etc. By 1847 not a single one of the surviving eleven witnesses was part of the LDS Church.
Actions belay the reality here John. IF they saw REAL plates - there is absolutely no reason for them to have left the mormon church as they did. Their 'walk' repudiated their 'talk'.
All of the witnesses, except for Oliver Cowdery, left mormonism and believed Strang's claim of being a prophet by merely reading his letter. How much credibility can we give these people when they accept someone so easily as a prophet who later turns out to be a fraud?
finally John, just for grins and giggles, if copper only, we are still talking of something weighing around 230 pounds. That is still a significant feat to run through the forest with even that much weight in his arms like a 'deer'. Start adding gold and the weight increases quickly.
I’m still waiting for the FULLNESS to be shown.