Slippery Treasure

The Smith family and other treasure seekers believed that enchantments on buried treasure had the power to move the location of the treasure under the earth so that those seeking the hidden valuables could not acquire them. Joseph Smith and his family were hired by farmers and landowners to locate buried treasure and break the enchantments that guarded the treasure. Porter Rockwell, a childhood friend of Joseph’s, recalled that:

“the spades often struck the iron sides of the treasure chest, and how it was charmed away, now six inches this side, now four feet deeper, and again completely out of reach. “

In one instance, Joseph’s father eagerly jumped into the pit that they were digging and allegedly struck his pick a chest, breaking a piece of the lid off. The Smiths claimed the chest itself slipped away deeper into the ground and could not be retrieved, but Joseph Smith Jr. would later show this piece of the treasure chest as proof of how close they had come on that single occasion. From a modern, logical perspective, “slippery treasure” is a highly suspect reason failing to find anything on these treasure digs.

Slippery treasure is mentioned several times in the Book of Mormon, in references to God cursing the land and burying items forever. The spirit or guardian that prevented the treasure seekers from obtaining their treasure foreshadows the acquisition of the gold plates from the Angel Moroni, as Joseph could access the plates until Moroni, the spirit guardian of the plates, granted his permission.