Eight witnesses to the book of mormon

But though their testimonies are still printed at the beginning of every copy of the book of mormon, all three of these men left. It took roughly 65 days to translate the book of mormon. Check out the viewpoint on mormonism podcast series 15 witnesses to the book of mormon part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 february 1518, 2016 joseph smith claimed that in 1823 he was visited by an angel named moroni and that this angel told him that there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the. As a missionary, i was instructed to teach investigators about the testimonies of the witnesses to. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and. It also said that three would be shown the plates by the power of god. 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. The book of mormon the testimony of three witnesses. 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. Modern mormon spin doctors write all kinds of articles claiming that the witnesses may have denied the mormon church but they never the book of mormon. Harper invites us to examine the evidence left by oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris top to bottom as well as the eight witnesses. The first set are the three witnesses the book of ether in the book of mormon states that the plates would be shown to certain individuals who shall assist to bring forth this work. When joseph smith first obtained the gold plates, he was told to show them to no one. Eight witnesses the book of mormon also includes a joint statement from eight men who claim to have seen the gold plates.

Despite hardships and difficulties, the book of mormon witnesses remained true to their testimonies of this book throughout their lives. The book shall be hid from the eyes of the world, that the eyes of none. Likely given that three of the eight witnesses were either excommunicated or left the church and as with the three witnesses, they never recanted their testimony as published in the book of mormon to explain the testimony of the witnesses, something that joseph smith fabricated a set of 10 or led plates they used to trick them with. There is much more that can be said about the unreliability of the three and the eight witnesses to the book of mormon plates. The eight witnesses were shown the plates by joseph smith.

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 expressed certainty about the boundaries and constructs of their. Eight witnesses monument mormon historic sites foundation. The item was signed by the eight witnesses who confirmed that they saw the golden plates from which the book of mormon was taken. May 18, 2016 the eight witnesses of the book of mormon may 18, 2016 the eight witnesses of the book of mormon may 18, 2016 the eight witnesses of the book of mormon stay safe and healthy. The last printed leafbearing the signed statements of. Richard lloyd anderson, book of mormon witnesses, in the encyclopedia of mormonism, 4 vols. All three witnesses eventually broke with smith and were excommunicated from the church. As the director of the church history library, where we hold the churchs official archival.

Evaluating the book of mormon witnesses book of mormon. Harmon, made in about 1885, cited in vogel, emd, 2. The testimonies of the three and eight witnesses were published in the first edition of the book of mormon and every edition since. The book of mormon is a sacred, ancient record that was translated by the gift and power of god into english in 1830 through joseph smith jr. The three and eight witnesses to the book of mormon.

Every book of mormon makes these statements in the inside cover of title page. Unlike the earlier testimony signed by the three witnesses, which borrowed most of its language from the book of mormon, this statement reads like a legal document. Activity after losing the 116 pages and not being able to translate for a while the translation of the book of mormon started again on april 7, 1829. They knew that three people would be allowed to see the plates and would testify to the world that the book of mormon is true ether 5. The monument honors all of the eight witnesses to the book of mormon.

Deseret news archives this monument honers the eight witnesses of the book of mormon and was erected in liberty, missouri, on the same day the 100th anniversary of the three witnesses monument in richmond, missouri. Attacks against the book of mormon have experienced a kind of mission creep since its publication in 1830. The suggestion that the eight witnesses never actually saw or hefted the plates and that the three witnesses viewed them solely supernaturally leads some to wonder if the witnesses saw anything substantive at all, opening to question the plates existence and the book of mormons truthfulness. Joseph smith, the three witnesses, and the eight witnesses are a twelveman jury in affirming the reality of the gold plates and the book of mormon. Eight witnesses mormonism, the mormon church, beliefs. The american scripture that launched a new world religion new york. The witness statements enhance the plausibility of joseph smith and the book he dictated. Some mormons will agree that all three witnesses denied the book of mormon but came back to deny their denial. Book of mormon, 1830, page 590 the joseph smith papers. Book of mormon witnesses the encyclopedia of mormonism. And we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we have seen. 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. An additional eight witnesses members of the smith and whitmer families 1 declared that joseph smith himself showed them the plates and allowed each to heft the ancient artifact and examine its engravings. Like the lives of the three witnesses, the lives of.

Eight witnesses to gold plates and their testimony is included in the book of mormon. Among other things, it is the final resting place of two members of the eight witnesses to the book of mormon. Three are related to joseph smith including his father and two brothers. Photograph of a handwritten statement which is published at the beginning of the book of mormon. But the eight witnesses report handling the plates under natural circumstances, describing color, substantial weight, individual leaves with engraved writings, and careful craftsmanship throughout.

Christian whitmer one of the eight witnesses to the book of mormon was the eldest son of peter whitmer, sen. Eight witnesses view the book of mormon plates by dale kilbourn. This eliminates any mortal and therefore fallible middleman. Several other of the eight witnesses are buried in the general vicinity at richmond and excelsior springs, missouri. Did the book of mormon witnesses really see what they claimed. In the introductory pages of the book of mormon, there is a page that contains the testimony of three witnesses and the testimony of eight witnesses. Some even base their testimony of the truthfulness of the book of mormon on these 11 witnesses and their claims. And eyewitness testimony to the existence of angels and of god himself is scarcely of trivial importance. Book of mormon witnesses all later denied its truthfulness. The eight witnesses of the book of mormon the book of. Soon afterward, at the smith farm in new york, eight others were allowed to view and handle the plates.

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. There are only two of the witnesses to that book now living, to wit. Book of mormon central evidences of the book of mormon. Did the eleven witnesses actually see the gold plates. The eight witnesses of the book of mormon lds blogs. This account may come across as a little too convenient and lead you to wonder is there any evidence that the plates existed at all introduced at the beginning of every copy of the book of mormon are the testimonies of the three and eight witnesses. In the lds church, much emphasis is placed on the witness of three men who said that they saw the gold plates which were translated by joseph smith into the book of mormon, as well as eight additional witnesses who testified of their belief in the book of mormon.

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. An additional eight witnesses members of the smith and whitmer families declared that joseph smith himself showed them the plates and allowed each to heft. We can compare the witnesses for the book of mormon to the witnesses of manuscript found. This book was printed on thirtyseven sheets and folded into thirtyseven gatherings of eight leaves each, making a text block of 592 pages. Did the book of mormon witnesses really see what they.

Additional information on the individual witnesses and their statements are available in the maxwell institutes digital collection. Who are the few who were permitted to see the plates. The three witnesses, unlike the eight witnesses, were shown the plates by a heavenly messenger, not joseph smith. 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. The book of mormon relies not only on the record of an ancient people, but also on the separate testimonies of three and eight witnesses published in the back of the books original 1830 edition and in the front of its more recent editions. Book of mormon the testimony of eight witnesses youtube. In this video, i discuss how relying on the published testimony of eight witnesses has led many to incorrectly assume the experience of the eight men was completely natural and physical. An angel showed the book of mormon plates to the three witnesses, who heard gods voice declare the translation correct. As church membership mushroomed, and it became clear the book of mormon is pretty. Besides their formal testimonies printed in every edition of the book of mormon since 1830, two of the three witnesses and three of the eight witnesses are known to have left behind written accounts of their experience. He removed while quite young, with his parents, from pennsylvania to seneca county, western new york, where he married anne schott, february 22, 1825. Here are some critics thoughts on that thanks to gary porter and craig criddle for these. The testimony of the three and eight witnesses to the book of mormon is a key part to the testimonies of many members of the church. All i can suggest is that a person read the book on their own and pray about it.

Its language distances the eight witnesses from js by referring to him as the said smith. Eight witnesses memorialized by new monument church news. It is unknown whether the eight witnesses signed the original statement, and it is likewise unknown who wrote the statement. Testimony of eight witnesses, late june 1829, page 590. Three witnesses of the book of mormon department of. Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come, that joseph smith, jr. The combined testimonies of the three and eight witnesses of the book of mormon provide powerful evidence of the restoration. Why are there two sets of official book of mormon witnesses.

Book of mormon audiobook podcast of the book of mormon. The eight witnesses were all members of the whitmer or smith families. The eight witnesses were one of the two groups of witnesses who signed a statement reprinted in the book of mormon stating that they had seen the golden plates which joseph smith, jr. Half of the witnesses are related to david whitmer. Monument to the eight witnesses of the book of mormon, liberty, missouri. Today chris and clay join me again for a roundtable discussion about the eleven witnesses to the book of mormon. Fallout the relationship with the witnesses were strained. The testimonies of the three and eight witnesses balance the supernatural and the natural, the one stressing the angel and heavenly voice, the other the.

Testimony of eight witnesses manuscript collection. The eight witnesses were the second of the two groups of special witnesses to the book of mormons golden plates. However, even if all eleven witnesses affirmed that they really saw and even handled the book of mormon plates it does biblically validate. The question of the book of mormon witnesses is extremely significant. The first edition of the book of mormon featured two testimonials. Oxford university press, 2003, 4142, emphasis added. Evaluating the book of mormon witnesses religious studies center. 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. And not one of the witnesses ever retracted or denied their testimony, including the men who later left mormonism.

Richard lloyd anderson, personal writings of the book of mormon witnesses, in book of mormon authorship revisited. Christian whitmer, jacob whitmer, peter whitmer, jr. The eight witnesses were the second of two sets of special witnesses to the book of mormons golden plates. 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. The objective of this restoration edition has been to recover the text of the book of mormon back to what joseph smith intended it to be before his death. Book of mormon 1830eight witnesses wikisource, the. 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. Several others had direct experiences with the plates or otherwise witnessed joseph smith s translation of the book of mormon. The manuscript states that joseph smith was the author of the book. View of what was once the michael arthur farm, liberty, missouri. Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come. Another testament of jesus christ, the testimony of three witnesses and the testimony of eight witnesses.