The Book of Mormon on a Golden Disc

March 2023

A group of electrical and computer engineering students etched the entire Book of Mormon onto a silicon disc (called a wafer in the electronics world) that can fit in the palm of your hand. According to the students, each word is made up of letters that are only 25 by 35 micrometers (a millionth of a meter). After engraving the four-inch diameter wafer with all 291,652 words contained in the book, naturally the students gave it a gold-plated coating.

“Like Moroni himself, we etched into this wafer, so it is physically engraved,” says student Ethan Belliston. “Current electronic storage degrades over time, but this will last forever. It’s a great way to create a compact, permanent record readable with a simple microscope.”

For good measure, the group also created micro editions of the Old and New Testaments. All three wafers are currently on display on the fourth floor of the Clyde Building.