Latter Day Saints; United States -- Description and travel
This was the way that Harris saw the plates, Cowdery, another of the
witnesses, was one of the prime actors in getting up this "cunningly
devised fable." Whether Whitmer, the third witness, was a deceiver, or one
of the deceived, I am unable to say, but he and four of his brothers were
among the earliest avowed converts to Mormonism. And as he was thus
privileged because he assisted to bring forth the work, there can be but
little doubt that he bore the same relation to it that Cowdery did. The
declaration in the testimony "that an angel of God came down from heaven,
and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates,
and the engravings thereon," show but too well what sort of jugglery to
blind people's eyes, this certificate is. They seem themselves not to have
been satisfied with the testimony; and therefore, although it was expressly
revealed that only three should see the plates, and that it should be
established by the witness of three,[4] yet they immediately subjoin the
testimony of eight additional witnesses in the following words: "Be it
known unto all nations, kindreds and tongues, and people, unto whom this
work shall come, that Joseph Smith Jr., the author and proprietor of this
work has shewn unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which have the
appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said Smith has
translated, we did handle with our hands; and we also saw the engraving
thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient work and of curious
workmanship. And thus we bear record, with words of soberness, that the
said Smith have shown unto us, for we have seen and hefted, and know of a
surety, that the said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken. And
we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we
have seen: and we lie not, God bearing witness of it." This is signed by
Hiram Page, Jo Smith's father,--two of his brothers, and four of the
Whitmers, brothers of the Whitmer, who was one of the three witnesses. They
were all persons deeply interested in the success of this imposture, and
expecting to make their fortunes by it. As I have before taken occasion to
remark, Harris was ready to be duped by any thing which these jugglers were
disposed to tell him. He seemed to think at length that he himself was
inspired, and that revelations from heaven were made to him in reference to
the most minute affairs in life. After the BOOK OF MORMON was published it
was revealed to him that he should sell it for one dollar and fifty cents
per copy. But as it did not sell very briskly at that price, he declared
that another revelation was made to him from heaven, and that he was
ordered to sell the book for one dollar per copy. No matter where he went,
he saw visions and supernatural appearances all around him. He told a
gentleman in Palmyra, after one of his excursions to Pennsylvania, while
the translation of the Book of Mormon was going on, that on the way he met
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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