Explaining away the book of mormon witnesses fairmormon. Would you believe something so fantastic if someone you knew said they experienced something. Ten testimonies of jesus christ from the book of mormon. The eight witnesses were one of the two groups of witnesses who made statements stating that they had seen the golden plates which joseph smith jr.
The witnesses of the book of mormon by preston nibley. Other reasons we do not hold the book of mormon as true are many and varied. Book of mormon the testimony of three witnesses duration. This is the changing mind of the god of mormonism or of joseph smith doctrine and covenants 5. Investigating the book of mormon witnesses kindle edition. A passage in the book of mormon similarly indicated that the testimony of the witnesses and the book of mormon would come forth at the same time. Some argue that if members accept whitmers witness of the book of mormon. The solemn testimony of the three witnesses has appeared in every edition of the book of mormon since 1830. When moroni finished the record of the nephites he closed with the prophetic words which formed our last lesson.
Oliver cowdery, martin harris, and david whitmer were appointed to be three special witnesses of the book of mormon in june 1829. The testimony of three witnesses, oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris. This is the first half of an old byu film depicting the story of the three witnesses of the book of mormon. The first edition of the book of mormon featured two testimonials. Our lesson today is the testimony of three men that the prophecy of the coming forth and translation of the book of mormon had been fulfilled. Can i get a witness to the book of mormon let us reason. Readers of the book of mormon are undoubtedly familiar with the three witnesses. But his role in the early events of the restoration, and his experiences with the. The testimony of the eight witnesses gospel doctrine.
Each of the three had ample reason and opportunity to renounce his testimony if it had been false, or to. The eight witnesses of the book of mormon lds blogs. To the inside front cover are affixed four clippings of descriptions of different versions of first edition copies of the book of mormon and of an 1854 edition of the doctrine and covenants, along with a clipping describing the origin of the text of the book of mormon and a bookplate of the shepard book company of salt lake city, utah. Three witnesses mormonism, the mormon church, beliefs. At the beginning of the book of mormon, we have the testimony of joseph smith, the testimony of three witnesses, and the testimony of eight witnesses. The names of oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris are familiar to most of us, notably because of their role as witnesses to the reality of the book of mormon. The three witnesses of the book of mormon, part 1 youtube. Well, in the court of law, does a statement from 1827 have anything to do with a document written in 1830. The history of when david whitmer, oliver cowdery and martin harris saw the golden plates of the book of mormon. As a preface to this answer, please see our article on mormonism and what mormons believe. The statement of the 3 witnesses for the book of mormon was a single statement signed by all three men. The book of mormon provided multiple official and unofficial witnesses who corroborated aspects of josephs account. Jul 08, 2011 like martin harris, each of the three witnesses to the book of mormon willingly accepted visionary or second sight experiences as objective, unquestionable reality.
Apr 26, 2010 the book of mormon has 12 official witnesses. 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. Oxford university press, 2003, 4142, emphasis added. That we, through the grace of god the father, and our lord jesus. Steve christensen buzzsprout3308863 thu, 09 apr 2020 23. Current mormon doctrine on the nature of god, the priesthood, use of temples, baptism for the dead, and men becoming gods, is nowhere contained in the book of mormon. The testimony of the eight witnesses was first published at the end of the 1830 edition of the book of mormon and has been printed in nearly every edition since, although most subsequent editions moved the statement to the front of the book and included minor grammatical corrections. Three witnesses oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris declared an angel of god appeared to them and showed them the book of mormon plates and they heard the voice of the lord pronounce that joseph smith s translation had been accomplished by the gift and power of god. But this dismissal overlooks their enormous significance. Events surrounding the translation of the book of mormon, 18271828. We talk at length about our assumptions that the three witnesses has a spiritual event, that the eight witnesses had a physical event, whether their experience was consistent, and how the institutional church may have. That we, through the grace of god the father, and our lord jesus christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of nephi, and also of the lamanites, their brethren, and also of. Testimony of the book of mormon eyewitnesses come reason.
As an example of this, here is a letter written by john whitmer toward the end of his life, i have never heard that any one of the three, or eight witnesses ever denied the testimony that they have borne to the book as published in the first edition of the book of mormon. Since its publication in 1830, the book of mormon has been accompanied by the testimony of three witnesses claiming to have seen the an angel with the plates and the testimony of eight witnesses. Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come. Facts on the book of mormon witnesses part 1 mormons in. Beginning with the first edition of 1830, the book of mormon has generally contained two sets of testimoniesthe testimony of three witnesses and the testimony of eight witnesses. The three witnesses see the golden plates and the angel moroni. Another testament of jesus christ is to convey to the modern world powerful testimonies of the divine mission and essential attributes of jesus christ, to the convincing of the jew and gentile that jesus is the christ, the eternal god title page. The testimony of these three prophets interlink in order to establish the veracity and power of each others witness of christ. It is recorded in the american cyclopedia and the encyclopedia britannica, that i, david whitmer, have denied my testimony as one of the three witnesses to the divinity of the book of mormon. Theyre distinctly different both in their tone and in what they describe. Three witnesses of the book of mormon department of. The joint statement of the three witnesses oliver cowdery, martin harris, and david whitmer has been printed with a separate statement by the eight witnesses in nearly every edition of the book of mormon since its first publication in 1830. It is very interesting how the lord decided to have those special witnesses of his work of the last days.
For the story of the three witnesses we will turn to josephs record in history of the church. Were familiar, of course, with oliver cowdery as one of the official three witnesses to the book of mormon. Book of mormon witnesses the encyclopedia of mormonism. When i was a missionary, my understanding and impression from looking at the testimony of the three and eight witnesses in the book of mormon was that the statements were legally binding documents in which the names represented signatures on the original document similar to what you would see on the original us declaration of independence. Answers to questions about the witnesses to the book of mormon. Last witnessof the three witnesses the church of jesus. The book of mormon contains two sets of joint statements written by joseph smith for those who claimed to have seen the gold plates. The testimonies of the three and eight witnesses were published in the first edition of the book of mormon and every edition since. In studying the history of joseph smith and the the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, referred to as the mormons, we emphasize joseph smiths own testimony of the book of mormon, that book of additional scripture that is another testament of jesus christ.
We also talk about the testimony of the three witnesses. When joseph smith first obtained the gold plates, he was told to show them to no one. However, within the pages of the book of mormon itself are the combined testimony of three ancient witnesses. Martin harris may 18, 1783 july 10, 1875 was an early convert to the latter day saint movement who financially guaranteed the first printing of the book of mormon and also served as one of three witnesses who testified that they had seen the golden plates from which joseph smith said the book of mormon had been translated. Book of mormon, 1830, page 589 the joseph smith papers. That we, through the grace of god the father, and our lord jesus christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of nephi, and also of the lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken. Many critics of the book of mormon witnesses say that the witnesses of the book of mormon denied their written testimonies in statements to different people over the years. In the course of the work of translation of the book of mormon, we joseph smith and oliver cowdrey ascertained that three special witnesses were to be provided by the lord, to whom he would grant that they should see the plates from which this work the book of mormon should be translated. But though their testimonies are still printed at the beginning of every copy of the book of mormon, all three of these men left the church at some pointonly two. While the most perfect book states only three witnesses eight more men are able to give their testimony in the book of mormon, found directly under the testimony of three witnesses. The testimony of three witnesses book of mormon central. By richard packham at the front of every copy of the book of mormon you will find the testimony of three witnesses, as signed by oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris. David whitmer, one of the book of mormons three witnesses, said if you believe my testimony to the book of mormon.
The three men chosen as witnesses of the book of mormon were oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris. Testimony of three witnesses book of mormon youtube. The book of mormon is an additional set of sacred prophetic writings adopted by the the church of jesus christ of latterday saints as well as it many offshoots, collectively referred to as the mormonism as both holy scripture and another witness of the divinity of jesus christ an important element to proving the divine authenticity of this scripture is the testimony of latterday witnesses. Dec 05, 2009 president nelson grandfathers visit from the other side of the veil and family history work duration. Why were three key witnesses chosen to testify of the book of mormon. The testimony of these witnesses contain qualifications which indicate there was a spiritual, visionary dimension to the encounter with the plates and the angel. The testimony of three witnesses be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come.
The three are part of twelve book of mormon witnesses, who also include smith and the eight witnesses. Why are there two sets of official book of mormon witnesses. Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come, that we, through the grace of god the father and our lord jesus christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of nephi, and also of the lamanites, his brethren, and also of the people of jared, who came from the tower of which. Book of mormon the testimony of three witnesses youtube. Lesson 41 the testimony of three witnesses book of mormon. We can compare the witnesses for the book of mormon to the witnesses of manuscript found. Investigating the book of mormon witnesses kindle edition by richard lloyd anderson. All three witnesses eventually broke with smith and were excommunicated from the church.
Start studying book of mormon brad wilcox midterm 1byu. Did the book of mormon witnesses really see what they claimed. Would you bear witness yet again that you heard the voice of. Testimony of the three witnesses book of mormon central. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading investigating the book of mormon witnesses. The witnesses never denied or contradicted their book of mormon testimonies. The three witnesses monument photo courtesy steve mortensen. Richard lloyd anderson, wherein he presents evidence from original sources on each of the eleven witnesses of the metal plates from which the prophet joseph smith translated the ancient scriptural account known as the book of mormon. The three witnesses are shown the golden plates by the angel, moroni. In addition to the changes and corrections that have marked the book s history, there are many contradictions between the teachings of the book of mormon and the bible, as well as inconsistencies between the other lds standard works. The author, richard lloyd anderson, gives many historical details about the statements of such critics and the sources and background of their statements. The three and eight witnesses to the book of mormon. An earlier group of witnesses who said they had seen the plates were called the three witnesses.
Three witnesses the three witnesses are david whitmer, oliver cowdery, and martin harris, who mortgaged his farm to finance the first printing of the book of mormon. David whitmer january 7, 1805 january 25, 1888 was an early adherent of the latter day saint movement who eventually became the most interviewed of the three witnesses to the book of mormon. Testimony of three witnesses, late june 1829, page 589. Book of mormon audio the testimony of three witnesses. Three witnesses oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris declared an angel of god appeared to them and showed them the book of mormon plates and they heard the voice of the lord pronounce that joseph smiths translation had been accomplished. Joseph smith gave this account of of when he, whitmer, cowdery and harris were shown the golden plates by the angel. Investigating the book of mormon witnesses by richard lloyd. By providing the testimonies of witnesses and including them at the end of the book of mormon, joseph smith was following not only the ancient pattern called for by nephi, but also the guidance and inspiration of the lord.
Harmon, made in about 1885, cited in vogel, emd, 2. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Whatever one may think of the book of mormon origins, the three witnesses along with the other eight witnesses and the prophet joseph smith himself could. The witnesses were also told in a revelation that they should testify that ye have seen them even as my servant joseph smith jr. The following is their testimony that can be found in the first pages of the book of mormon. Each of the three had ample reason and opportunity to renounce his testimony if it had been false, or to equivocate on details if any had been inaccurate. Why didnt the book of mormon witnesses sign their testimony. Ces letter says the witness testimonies of the book of mormon hold no credibility or weight in a court of law. Of course we were in the spirit when we had the view, for no man can behold the face of an angel, except in a spiritual view, but we were in the body also, and everything was as natural to us, as it. Questions about the witnesses to the reality of the. Did the book of mormon witnesses contradict their testimony. The three witnesses receive their witness gospel doctrine. That we, through the grace of god the father, and our lord jesus christ, have seen the plates which contain this.
Even if the majority of the witnesses to the book of mormon did not deny their testimony of the book itself, this does little to support mormonism today. Each of these specific menoliver cowdery, martin harris, and david whitmersacrificed much to help with the translation and publication of the book of mormon, and its likely this is a significant part of why they were chosen as witnesses. Some of the most important evidence for the reality and divine nature of the book of mormon comes from detailed scholarship about the witnesses to the book of mormon. Book of mormon witnesses all later denied its truthfulness. And thats somewhat true with the book of mormon but we dont have the testimony of the witnesses which was at the end of the book of mormon and is at the end of the printers manuscript. That we, through the grace of god the father, and our lord jesus christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of nephi, and also of the lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of jared, who came from the tower of which hath. He gave joseph like first witness, but one according to the scriptures is not enough so god provided three new witnesses. The testimony of the three witnesses to the book of mormon stands forth in great strength, president dallin h. Two solemn declarations the testimony of three witnesses and the testimony of eight witnesses have been published with the book of mormon since 1830. In regards to my testimony to the visitation of the angel, who declared to us three witnesses that the book of mormon is true, i have this to say. Here are some critics thoughts on that thanks to gary porter and craig criddle for these. The mormon testimony mormons claim that a personal feeling, a burning in the bosom, which is interpreted to be a manifestation of the holy ghost, is the only evidence needed to prove that the religion is true. Some dismiss the testimonies of the three and eight witnesses as of no real consequence, since they fail to prove the book of mormon ancient.
Not one of the three witnesses ever denied his testimony of the book of mormon. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Testimony of eight witnesses church of jesus christ. The three witnesses is the collective name for three men connected with the early latter day saint movement who stated that an angel had shown them the golden plates from which joseph smith, jr.
The three witnesses, unlike the eight witnesses, were shown the plates by a heavenly messenger, not joseph smith. Published in every edition of the book of mormon are the testimonies of eight witnesses who saw the metal plates from which the prophet joseph smith translated the ancient scriptural account and of three witnesses who not only saw the plates but who were shown them by an angel. Oaks, first counselor in the first presidency, has said. Book any title page introduction testimony of three witnesses testimony of eight witnesses testimony of the prophet joseph smith a brief explanation about the book of mormon illustrations 1 nephi 2 nephi jacob enos jarom omni words of mormon mosiah alma helaman 3 nephi 4 nephi mormon ether moroni pronunciation guide. Ancient documents often needed the signatures of witnesses in order to be considered authentic or legally binding. The world was not left with joseph smiths testimony alone. The three witnesses of the book of mormon were oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris. Mar, 2008 in studying the history of joseph smith and the the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, referred to as the mormons, we emphasize joseph smiths own testimony of the book of mormon, that book of additional scripture that is another testament of jesus christ. After departing mormonism, he later declared, if you believe my testimony to the book of mormon. Investigating the book of mormon witnesses deseret book. Three witnesses oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris declared an angel of god appeared to them and showed them the book of mormon plates. Today chris and clay join me again for a roundtable discussion about the eleven witnesses to the book of mormon. So in the original we dont have any signed testimony of the witnesses of the book of mormon, either the three.
In the course of the work of translation, we ascertained that three special witnesses 1 were to be provided by the lord, to whom he would grant that they should see the plates from which this work the book of mormon should be translated. The three witnesses were oliver cowdery, martin harris, and david whitmer, whose joint testimony, in conjunction with a separate statement by eight witnesses, has been printed with every edition of the book of mormon since its first publication in 1830. Theldslife living life as a latterday saint 17,770 views. Like the three witnesses, the book of mormon prophecies that there will be others which will testify of this work, and there is none other which shall view it, save it be a few according to the will of god, to bear testimony of his word unto the children of men. A carefully researched, thoughtprovoking book, by dr. As christians, we always want to use the bible and its timeless truths as our primary tool in witnessing the love of god and salvation through christ.
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