Now, you must all be faithful in Christ. I want to say to you all that the Bible and the record of the Nephites (Book of Mormon), are true, so you can say that you have heard me bear my testimony on my death bed. All be faithful in Christ and your reward will be according to your works. God bless you all. My trust is in Christ for ever, worlds without end. Amen. * * * * On Monday last (Jan. 23rd), at 10 o'clock a. m., after awaking from a short slumber he said he had seen beyond the veil and had seen Christ on the other side. His friends who were constantly at his bedside claim that he had many manifestations of the truths of the great beyond, which confirmed their faith beyond all shadow of doubt. He bore his long illness with great patience and fortitude, his faith, never for a moment wavering, and when the summons came, he sank peacefully to rest with a smile on his countenance, just as if he was being lulled to sleep by secret music. Just before his breath left his body, he opened his eyes, which glistened with the brightness of early manhood. He then turned them toward heaven, and a wonderful light came over his countenance, which remained several moments, when the eyes gradually closed and David Whitmer had gone to his rest. [1] In the same issue of the paper from which this account of his death is taken, occurs the following description of Whitmer's connection with the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and his being a Witness of its truth. Some inaccuracies as to details must be allowed for here, such as the omission of Martin Harris' name as one of the Three Witnesses, and the time of day that Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith called upon him in the field to go with them to become a witness to the Book of Mormon. Other accounts state that they came to him in the morning instead of the afternoon. [2] And it should be remembered that what follows is not given in the language of David Whitmer: When he was twenty-four years of age and worked on his father's farm near Palmyra, New York, all that section of the country was more or less excited over the reported discovery by Joseph Smith of the gold plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated. Oliver Cowdery, the village school teacher, mentioned the matter to him and announced his determination to visit Smith and investigate the matter for himself, promising Mr. Whitmer, at the latter's request, to advise him of the result. A few days later he [Whitmer] received a letter from Cowdery, urging him to join him, which he did, being received by the "Prophet" with open arms. After remaining long enough to satisfy himself of the divine inspiration of Smith, the three returned to Whitmer's home, where it was agreed that the work of translation should be prosecuted.