Snippets from the testimony of David Whitmer (Part 4)

Last updated on: March 27, 2018 at 10:05 pm by Dan Peterson

Snippets from the testimony of David Whitmer (Part 4) 2018-03-27T22:05:42-06:00 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.

David Whitmer had been out of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for many decades when he died in Richmond, Missouri. But he wanted his testimony about the Book of Mormon to be heard even beyond his death. Note the two books (presumably the Bible and the Book of Mormon) carved atop his grave marker and the words carved into its side.
(Photograph by Tom Denardo, from Wikimedia Commons)

Here is another passage from David Whitmer’s testimony, as it has been published in Hyrum L. Andrus and Helen Mae Andrus, Personal Glimpses of the Prophet Joseph Smith (American Fork, UT: Covenant Communications, 2009):

We, the Three Witnesses, saw the plates in June, 1829 — the latter part of the month, and the eight witnesses saw them one or two days after. Joseph showed them the plates himself, but the angel showed us (the Three Witnesses) the plates, to fulfill the words of the book itself. Martin Harris was not with us at this time; he obtained a view of them afterwards (the same day).

The angel stood before us. Joseph, Oliver and myself were together. We not only saw the plates of the Book of Mormon but also the brass plates, the plates of the Book of Ether, the plates containing the records of the wickedness and secret combinations of the people of the world down to the time of their being engraved, and many other plates. The fact is, it was just as though Joseph, Oliver and I were sitting just here on a log, when we were overshadowed by a light. It was not like the light of the sun nor like that of a fire, but more glorious and beautiful. It extended away round us, I cannot tell how far, but in the midst of this light about as far off as he sits (pointing to John C. Whitmer, sitting a few feet from him), there appeared as it were, a table with many records or plates upon it, besides the plates of the Book of Mormon, also the Sword of Laban, the Directors — i.e., the Ball which Lehi had — and the Interpreters. I saw them just as plain as I see this bed (striking the bed beside him with his hand), and I heard the voice of the Lord, as distinctly as I ever heard anything in my life, declaring that the records of the plates of the Book of Mormon were translated by the gift and power of God. (45-46)

This testimony is particularly impressive because, as I’ve said, David Whitmer eventually broke with Joseph Smith and the Church, fiercely disagreeing with some of the directions in which it developed, and he lived more than fifty years in isolation from the Latter-day Saints. Yet not only did he never deny his testimony concerning the Book of Mormon, he continually reaffirmed it until his death, as the last surviving Witness, in 1888.

Uncategorized

Book of Mormon

Book of Mormon Witnesses

David Whitmer

Mormonism

Previous Post

March 26, 2018

The myth of the "Dark Ages"

Next Post

March 27, 2018 European colonialism and the "mission civilisatrice"

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

According to Jesus, what should you do if someone asks you to go one mile with them?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Go two miles Refuse Go halfway Demand payment