[TruthTalk] iron as a decorative metal in the Book of Mormon

[Blaine Borrowman]

Blaine:  In the Book of Mosiah in the BoM, King Noah, a wicked Nephite King, built many  elegant buildings and "ornamented them with fine work of wood, and of all manner of precious things, of gold, and of silver, and of iron"  (Mosiah 11:8)   We would not think of iron as a decorative metal nowadays, nor was it considered such in the time of Joseph Smith.  However, it was considered a precious item at one time, along with gold and silver and the semi-precious blue stone Lapis Lazuli in ancient Israel, according to a recent article,  "King Og's Iron Bed--Fact or Fancy?" Bible Review 6 (April 1990):  16-20 Here, Allen R. Millard documents archeological evidence of iron being used to decorate beds (Deut 3:11) and thrones, as well as bracelets and jewelry, weapons and royal swords.