Snippets from the testimony of David Whitmer (Part 1)

Last updated on: March 22, 2018 at 8:09 pm by Dan Peterson

Snippets from the testimony of David Whitmer (Part 1) 2018-03-22T20:09:55-06:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Susquehanna River as it flows past Harmony (now Oakland), Pennsylvania
(LDS Media Library)

David Whitmer, the last surviving witness to the Book of Mormon, lived until 1888. He spent most of his adult life outside of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but never denied — in fact, often reaffirmed — his testimony of the book.

Here are some passages from his account, as reproduced in Hyrum L. Andrus and Helen Mae Andrus, Personal Glimpses of the Prophet Joseph Smith (American Fork, UT: Covenant Communications, 2009):

David Whitmer explains that he first heard of what would eventually be known as Mormonism in the 1828, when, during a business trip to Palmyra, New York, he heard people talking about certain golden plates allegedly found by a young man in the neighborhood.

I had conversation with several young men who said that Joseph Smith certainly had golden plates, and that before he had attained them [while he searched with them, for a time, for lost treasures] he had promised to share with them, but had not done so and they were very much incensed with him.

Said I, “How do you know that Joe Smith has the plates?”

They replied, “We saw the place in the hill that he took them out of, just as he described it to us before he had obtained them.”

These parties were so positive in their statements that I began to believe there must be some foundation for the stories then in circulation all over that part of the country. (41)

After several months Oliver [Cowdery] told me he was going to Harmony, Pa., whither Joseph Smith had gone with the plates on account of the persecutions of his neighbors, and see him about the matter. He did go, and on his way he stopped at my father’s house and told me that as soon as he found out anything, either truth or untruth, he would let me know.

After he got there he became acquainted with Joseph Smith, and shortly after wrote to me tell me that he was convinced that Smith had the records, that Joseph had told him his (Oliver’s) secret thoughts, and all he had meditated about going to see him, which no man on earth knew, as he supposed, but himself. Smith told him that it was the will of heaven that he (Oliver) should be his scribe to assist in the translation of the plates, so he stopped to write for Joseph. (41-42)

Soon thereafter, Oliver Cowdery wrote to David Whitmer asking him to come down to them in Harmony and to take them back up to Fayette, New York.

I did not know what to do, I was pressed with my work. I had some 20 acres to plow, so I concluded I would finish plowing and then go. I got up one morning to go to work, as usual, and on going to the field found between five and seven acres of my ground had been plowed during the night.

I don’t know who did it; but it was done just as I would have done it myself, and the plow was left standing in the furrow. This enabled me to start sooner. (42)

When I arrived at Harmony, Joseph and Oliver were coming toward me, and met me some distance from the house. Oliver told me that Joseph had informed him when I started from home, where I had stopped the first night, how I read the sign at the tavern, where I stopped the next night, etc., and that I would be there that day before dinner, and this was why they had come out to meet me; all of which was exactly as Joseph had told Oliver, at which I was greatly astonished. (42)

Previous Post

March 21, 2018

From amino acid soup to the B-Minor Mass

Next Post

March 22, 2018 "The Sick Man of Europe"

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is taught about gossip in the Bible?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Encourage it Enjoy it Avoid it Spread it