21 September 1859 Transcription: the Testimony of Eight Witnesses To

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

21 September 1859 Transcription: the Testimony of Eight Witnesses To 21 September 1859 transcription: 1981 LDS Edition Book of Mormon: With differences in red (ignoring small capitals, the testimony of eight witnesses and hyphenation for word wrapping). to the book of mormon, THE TESTIMONY OF EIGHT WITNESSES be it known unto all nations, kindreds, Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall and people, unto whom this work shall come : come, that joseph smith, junior, the trAnslator of That Joseph Smith, Jun. , the tr anslator of this this work, has shown unto us the plates of which work, has shown unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which have the appearance of hath been spoken, which have the appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said smith gold; and as many of the leaves as the said has translated, we did handle with our hands: Smith has translated we did handle with our and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of hands ; and we also saw the engravings thereon, which has the appearance of ancient work, and all of which has the appearance of ancient work, of curious workmanship. and this we bear record and of curious workmanship. And this we bear with words of soberness, that the said smith has record with words of soberness, that the said shown unto us, for we hAve seen and hefted, Smith has shown unto us, for we h ave seen and and know of a surety that the said smith has got hefted, and know of a surety that the said Smith the plates of which we have spoken. and we give has got the plates of which we have spoken. And our names unto the world to witness unto the we give our names unto the world , to witness world that which we have seen; and we lie not, unto the world that which we have seen . And we god bearing witness of it. lie not, God bearing witness of it. christian whitmer, jacob whitmer, Christian Whitmer Hiram Page peter whitmer, jr., Jacob Whitmer Joseph Smith, Sen john whitmer, Peter Whitmer, Jun Hyrum Smith hiram page, John Whitmer Samuel H. Smith joseph smith, sen., hyrum smith, samuel h. smith. .
Recommended publications
  • MEMBERS of the CHURCH of JESUS CHRIST of LATTER-DAY SAINTS Bmby S-ER 26,1830 Ly Mmd
    MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS BmBY S-ER 26,1830 Ly mmD. Platt On September 26,1830 at the second conference By her I had one son and two daughters. The Church of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints it was was not organized but soon after, April 6, 1830. A few days stated that there were sixty-two members, and that thrrty- afterwards] I was baptized in the waters of Seneca Lake by five of them had joined the church since the fist conference Joseph Smith." (0PH2599)It is possible that Solomon was on June 9th. This means that fiom April 6,1830 to June 9, baptized between April 8th and April 10th. As nearly all of 1830 there were twenty-seven people who joined the the baptisms talk place on Sunday during these initial Church, each of whom has been identified for many years, months, the fact that he was not part of the group baptized except fur two. The complete number of sixty-two members on Sunday, April 1 Ith, points to a date of the 8th, 9th or by September 26th has never been identifled prior to this 10th to quai@ for the "few days" noted in his article. autobiography. He had had to iraveI from his home in the vicinity of Lyons, Wayne. New York, just north of Fayette, Joseph Smith, Jr., Oliver Cowdery, and Samuel H. to be baptized, so it was not far. Smith were all initially baptized on May 15, 1829 (LMS:337).
    [Show full text]
  • Witnesses of the Book of Mormon
    Witnesses of the Book of Mormon Richard Lloyd Anderson Witnesses of the Book of Mormon Beginning with the rst edition of 1830, the Book of Mormon has generally contained two sets of testimonies— the “Testimony of Three Witnesses” and the “Testimony of Eight Witnesses.” When Joseph Smith rst obtained the gold plates, he was told to show them to no one. As translation progressed, he and those assisting him learned, both in the pages of the Book and by additional revelation, that three special witnesses would know, by the power of God, “that these things are true” and that several besides himself would see the plates and testify to their existence (Ether 5:2—4; 2 Ne. 27:12—13; D&C 5:11—13). The testimonies of the witnesses afrm that these things occurred. The witnesses were men known for truthfulness and sobriety. Though each of the Three Witnesses was eventually excommunicated from the Church (two returned), none ever denied or retracted his published testimony. Each reafrmed at every opportunity the veracity of his testimony and the reality of what he had seen and experienced. A June 1829 revelation conrmed that Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris would be the Three Witnesses (D&C 17). Soon thereafter, they, with Joseph Smith, retired to the woods near Fayette, New York, and prayed for the promised divine manifestation. The “Testimony of Three Witnesses” summarizes the supernatural event that followed, when an angel appeared and showed them the plates and engravings and they heard the Lord declare that the Book of Mormon was “translated by the gift and power of God.” They said that the same divine voice “commanded us that we should bear record of it.” Joseph Smith’s mother later recounted Joseph’s great relief at no longer being the sole witness of the divine experiences of the restoration (see witnesses, law of).
    [Show full text]
  • Joseph Smith and Diabolism in Early Mormonism 1815-1831
    Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 5-2021 "He Beheld the Prince of Darkness": Joseph Smith and Diabolism in Early Mormonism 1815-1831 Steven R. Hepworth Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the History of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Hepworth, Steven R., ""He Beheld the Prince of Darkness": Joseph Smith and Diabolism in Early Mormonism 1815-1831" (2021). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 8062. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/8062 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. "HE BEHELD THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS": JOSEPH SMITH AND DIABOLISM IN EARLY MORMONISM 1815-1831 by Steven R. Hepworth A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in History Approved: Patrick Mason, Ph.D. Kyle Bulthuis, Ph.D. Major Professor Committee Member Harrison Kleiner, Ph.D. D. Richard Cutler, Ph.D. Committee Member Interim Vice Provost of Graduate Studies UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 2021 ii Copyright © 2021 Steven R. Hepworth All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT “He Beheld the Prince of Darkness”: Joseph Smith and Diabolism in Early Mormonism 1815-1831 by Steven R. Hepworth, Master of Arts Utah State University, 2021 Major Professor: Dr. Patrick Mason Department: History Joseph Smith published his first known recorded history in the preface to the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon.
    [Show full text]
  • Historical Setting of Mormonism in Manchester, Ontario County, N E W Yo R K H
    62 THE JOHN WHITMER HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL Historical Setting of Mormonism in Manchester, Ontario County, N e w Yo r k H. Michael Marquardt Introduction his study will examine the historical events of the Joseph Smith Sr. fam- ily residence in the township of Manchester, New York. It will tell about Tthe Smith family and their experiences while residing there. It includes the earliest stories as heard by their neighbors. Another objective is to present documen- tation relating to the commencement of what became a new religious movement. It will show that Manchester is where the formal organization of the early church commenced. Discussions about Native Americans who lived in what became Ontario County were held in the Smith home. Lucy Mack Smith, mother and chronicler of this fam- ily, is the source for the report of young Joseph Smith Jr. engaging the family in these tales. From what Lucy tells us in her history, these stories and various discussions about the prospect of obtaining a record were mentioned before her son Alvin died in November 1823. The final outcome was the publication in 1830 of a large religious volume titled the Book of Mormon. The present study contains the documents, let- ters, and revelations produced in Manchester. Palmyra, New York After living in the state of Vermont, Joseph Smith Sr. (1771–1840) decided that it was time to relocate west to Palmyra, New York,1 the town was in Ontario County. He left prior to his family making the trip. The Smith family included his wife Lucy (1775–1856) and eight children, from ages eighteen years to about nine months.
    [Show full text]
  • Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual Religion 324 and 325
    Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual Religion 324 and 325 Prepared by the Church Educational System Published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Salt Lake City, Utah Send comments and corrections, including typographic errors, to CES Editing, 50 E. North Temple Street, Floor 8, Salt Lake City, UT 84150-2722 USA. E-mail: <[email protected]> Second edition © 1981, 2001 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America English approval: 4/02 Table of Contents Preface . vii Section 21 Maps . viii “His Word Ye Shall Receive, As If from Mine Own Mouth” . 43 Introduction The Doctrine and Covenants: Section 22 The Voice of the Lord to All Men . 1 Baptism: A New and Everlasting Covenant . 46 Section 1 The Lord’s Preface: “The Voice Section 23 of Warning”. 3 “Strengthen the Church Continually”. 47 Section 2 Section 24 “The Promises Made to the Fathers” . 6 “Declare My Gospel As with the Voice of a Trump” . 48 Section 3 “The Works and the Designs . of Section 25 God Cannot Be Frustrated” . 9 “An Elect Lady” . 50 Section 4 Section 26 “O Ye That Embark in the Service The Law of Common Consent . 54 of God” . 11 Section 27 Section 5 “When Ye Partake of the Sacrament” . 55 The Testimony of Three Witnesses . 12 Section 28 Section 6 “Thou Shalt Not Command Him Who The Arrival of Oliver Cowdery . 14 Is at Thy Head”. 57 Section 7 Section 29 John the Revelator . 17 Prepare against the Day of Tribulation . 59 Section 8 Section 30 The Spirit of Revelation .
    [Show full text]
  • The Peter Whitmer Log Home: Cradle of Mormonism
    Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel Volume 12 Number 3 Article 12 9-1-2011 The Peter Whitmer Log Home: Cradle of Mormonism Larry C. Porter Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/re BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Porter, Larry C. "The Peter Whitmer Log Home: Cradle of Mormonism." Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel 12, no. 3 (2011). https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/re/vol12/iss3/12 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. © Intellectual Reserve, Inc. © Intellectual Reserve, The Whitmer log home was a house of refuge for Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in troubled times. The Peter Whitmer Log Home: Cradle of Mormonism larry c. porter Larry C. Porter ([email protected]) is a professor emeritus of Church history and doc- trine, BYU. rson Pratt joined the Church on his birthday, September 19, 1830. He Owas baptized by his brother, Parley P. Pratt, in Old Canaan, Columbia County, New York. Orson came to see the Prophet Joseph Smith at the Peter Whitmer log home in western New York the following month of October and later reflected: “It was a very interesting period of my life, when but nine- teen years of age, to visit the place where this Church was organized—the room of old father Whitmer—where the Lord spoke to His servant Joseph and others, as printed in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants.
    [Show full text]
  • Who Were Permitted to See the Plates?
    KnoWhy # 54 March 15, 2016 Eight Witnesses View the Book of Mormon Plates by Dale Kilbourn Who Are the “Few” Who Were Permitted to See the Plates? “The book shall be hid from the eyes of the world, that the eyes of none shall behold it save it be that three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God … And there is none other which shall view it, save it be a few according to the will of God.” 2 Nephi 27:12–13 The Know As part of his prophecy about the Restoration and com- also used the word few, it is possible that Joseph Smith ing forth of the Book of Mormon, Nephi saw that “at understood that word to call for eight further witnesses. that day when the book shall be delivered … [it] shall be hid from the eyes of the world.” Nephi did, however, It was probably later that same week in June 1829, that specify that “three witnesses shall behold it, by the pow- the eight Book of Mormon Witnesses were shown the er of God … and they shall testify to the truth of the plates, and unlike the Three, they were allowed to han- book and the things therein” (2 Nephi 27:12). dle them.5 These were Joseph Smith Sr., Hyrum Smith, Samuel H. Smith, Hiram Page, Christian Whitmer, It is likely that the translation of this passage prompted Jacob Whitmer, Peter Whitmer Jr., and John Whitmer. Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris to Like the Three Witnesses, none of the Eight ever de- seek an opportunity to see the plates as the Three Wit- nied their testimony, despite some leaving the Church.6 nesses Nephi mentioned.1 Oliver remembered, “It was a clear, open beautiful day” when they saw the angel These witnesses were expected to “testify to the truth of and the plates,2 probably in late-June 1829.3 Though the book and the things therein” and “to bear testimony they each left the Church for a time, all three frequent- of [God’s] word unto the children of men” (2 Nephi ly, and unashamedly, bore witness to seeing the plates 27:12–13).
    [Show full text]
  • The Three Witnesses the Eight Witnesses Witnesses See the Gold
    The Three The Eight Witnesses Witnesses ________ Witnesses See ________ _______ ________ ________ the Gold Plates ________ ________ ________ _______ ________ ________ The Three The Eight Witnesses Witnesses ________ ________ _______ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ _______ ________ ________ The Three The Eight Witnesses Witnesses ________ ________ _______ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ _______ ________ ________ The Answers: The Three Witnesses The Eight Witnesses Oliver Cowdery Christian Whitmer, Jacob Whitmer, Peter Whitmer, Jun., John David Whitmer Whitmer Martin Harris Hiram Page, Joseph Smith, Sen., Hyrum Smith, Samuel H. Smith On the next slides you can download the PDF file to your lap top or notepad and show them slide by slide Oliver Cowdery David Whitmer Martin Harris Jacob Whitmer Peter Whitmer John Whitmer Hyrum Page Joseph Smith Sen. Hyrum Smith Joseph Smith Samuel Smith The Few Who Were Permitted to See the Plates Witnesses: While Joseph Smith was translating the Book of Mormon, the Lord revealed that, in addition to the Prophet’s testimony, the world would have “the testimony of three of my servants, whom I shall call and ordain, unto whom I will show these things” (D&C 5:11; see also Ether 5:2–4; 2 Ne. 27:12–13). “They shall know of a surety that these things are true,” the Lord declared, “for from heaven will I declare it unto them” (D&C 5:12).The three men chosen as witnesses of the Book of Mormon were Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris. Their written “Testimony of Three Witnesses” has been included in all of the almost 100 million copies of the Book of Mormon the Church has published since 1830.
    [Show full text]
  • Hiram Page: an Historical and Sociological Analysis of an Early Mormon Prototype
    Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 1987 Hiram Page: An Historical and Sociological Analysis of an Early Mormon Prototype Bruce G. Stewart Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Cultural History Commons, History of Religion Commons, and the Mormon Studies Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Stewart, Bruce G., "Hiram Page: An Historical and Sociological Analysis of an Early Mormon Prototype" (1987). Theses and Dissertations. 5142. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5142 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. eu y e ar HIRAM PAGE AN historical AND sociological IW5r ANALYSIS OF AN EARLY MORMON PROTOTYPE A thesis presented to the department of history brigham young university in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree master of arts bruce G stewart by bruce G stewart april 1987 this thesis by bruce G stewart is accepted in its present form by the department of history ofo f brigham young university as satisfying the thesis requirement for the degree of master of arts n a I1 d walker committee chaichalchairmanrmanaman a er e7ea0 mm i ee M e m b er JIMMhymo 21 Z date D al2lmichael quinn aduateacuategraduate coordinatorcoordinatc5r 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS chapter page I1 introduction
    [Show full text]
  • Doctrine and Covenants Teacher Manual Religion 324 and 325
    Doctrine and Covenants Teacher Manual Religion 324 and 325 Published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Salt Lake City, Utah Comments and corrections are appreciated. Please send them to: Seminaries and Institutes of Religion Curriculum Services 50 East North Temple Street Salt Lake City, UT 84150-0008 USA Email: [email protected] Please list your complete name, address, ward, and stake. Be sure to give the title of the manual when you offer your comments. © 2017 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America Version 1, 9/17 English approval: 9/16 Translation approval: 9/16 Translation of Doctrine and Covenants Teacher Manual Language 14343 xxx Contents Introduction to the Teacher Manual Maps 1 Introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants; Doctrine and Covenants 2 2 Doctrine and Covenants 1 3 Doctrine and Covenants 3; 10 4 Doctrine and Covenants 5; 17 5 Doctrine and Covenants 6; 8–9 6 Doctrine and Covenants 7; 13; 18 7 Doctrine and Covenants 4; 11–12; 14–16 8 Doctrine and Covenants 19 9 Doctrine and Covenants 20–22 10 Doctrine and Covenants 23–25 11 Doctrine and Covenants 26–28 12 Doctrine and Covenants 29 13 Doctrine and Covenants 30–34 14 Doctrine and Covenants 35–36; 39–40 15 Doctrine and Covenants 37–38; 41 16 Doctrine and Covenants 42 17 Doctrine and Covenants 43–45 18 Doctrine and Covenants 46–49 19 Doctrine and Covenants 50 20 Doctrine and Covenants 51–56 21 Doctrine and Covenants 57–58 22 Doctrine and Covenants 59–62 23 Doctrine and Covenants 63 24 Doctrine and Covenants
    [Show full text]
  • Journal of Mormon History Vol. 38, No. 2, Spring 2012
    Journal of Mormon History Volume 38 Issue 2 Article 1 2012 Journal of Mormon History Vol. 38, No. 2, Spring 2012 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/mormonhistory Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Journal of Mormon history. Vol 38, Winter 2012: Iss. 2. This Full Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Mormon History by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Journal of Mormon History Vol. 38, No. 2, Spring 2012 Table of Contents CONTENTS LETTERS --Augusta Adams Cobb Young: Priesthood Holder Connell O’Donovan, vii PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS --“Not as a Stranger”: A Presbyterian Afoot in the Mormon Past William P. MacKinnon, 1 TANNER LECTURE --Mormon Stories: A Librarian’s Perspective George A. Miles, 47 ARTICLES --From Doctor to Disciple: Willard Richards’s Journey to Mormonism Devery S. Anderson, 67 --New Ways In: Writing Interdisciplinary Mormon History Introduction Rachel Cope, 99 --Shifting the Plot: Possibilities in Mormon Women’s History Rachel Cope, 100 --History through Liturgy: What Worship Remembers Matthew Bowman, 108 --A Shared Historicist Enterprise: Mormon History through a Literary Lens Amy Easton-Flake, 114 --Mormon History and “Lived Religion” Ryan G. Tobler, 119 --“Where Nothing Is Long Ago”: Childhood and Youth in Mormon History Rebecca de Schweinitz, 125 --Religion in a Recipe Kate Holbrook, 139 Conclusion Rachel Cope, 143 --Eleven Witnesses Behold the Plates Gale Yancey Anderson, 145 --Joseph Smith’s Personal Polygamy Brian C. Hales, 163 REVIEWS --Mark T.
    [Show full text]
  • THE ADOPTION of BIBLICAL ARCHAISMS in the BOOK of MORMON and OTHER 19TH CENTURY TEXTS by Gregory A
    Purdue University Purdue e-Pubs Open Access Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 12-2016 Sounding sacred: The dopta ion of biblical archaisms in the Book of Mormon and other 19th century texts Gregory A. Bowen Purdue University Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations Part of the English Language and Literature Commons, History of Religions of Western Origin Commons, and the Linguistics Commons Recommended Citation Bowen, Gregory A., "Sounding sacred: The dopta ion of biblical archaisms in the Book of Mormon and other 19th century texts" (2016). Open Access Dissertations. 945. https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations/945 This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact [email protected] for additional information. SOUNDING SACRED: THE ADOPTION OF BIBLICAL ARCHAISMS IN THE BOOK OF MORMON AND OTHER 19TH CENTURY TEXTS by Gregory A. Bowen A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Purdue University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Linguistics West Lafayette, Indiana December 2016 ii THE PURDUE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL STATEMENT OF DISSERTATION APPROVAL Dr. Mary Niepokuj, Chair Department of English Dr. Shaun Hughes Department of English Dr. John Sundquist Department of Linguistics Dr. Atsushi Fukada Department of Linguistics Approved by: Dr. Alejandro Cuza-Blanco Head of the Departmental Graduate Program iii For my father iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my committee for all they have done to make this project possible, especially my advisor, Dr. Mary Niepokuj, who tirelessly provided guidance and encouragement, and has been a fantastic example of what a teacher should be.
    [Show full text]