The whole letter is of interest, but this is the only part bearing upon the Book of Mormon, and is referred to as testimony for this reason: It is a wholly undesigned incident in connection with the coming forth of the work, and is one which occurs under circumstances that render it of first rate importance as testimony. It is a fact directly stated in the history of Mother Lucy Smith that Josiah Stoal and Joseph Knight were guests at the homestead of the Smiths from the 20th to the 24th, or 25th of September, 1827; and now a letter written on December 19, 1843, sixteen years later, without any design whatever of corroborating the fact of Lucy Smith's statement, also says that Josiah Stoal was at the Smith residence, and that he received the plates from the hands of the Prophet, on the occasion of his bringing them home, remarking at the time, "Blessed is he that seeth and believeth, and more blessed is he that believeth without seeing." So there can be no question but what Josiah Stoal had the most palpable evidence that Joseph Smith had the Nephite record; and sixteen years afterwards, though he had neglected his privileges as a member of the Church, and had not followed her fortunes, yet he reaffirms his faith in the work which the Book of Mormon may be said to have inaugurated, and declares that he has "never staggered at the foundation of the work, for he knew too much concerning it." That is, he had too strong evidence of the reality of those facts in which the work had its origin to doubt their truth. I have laid much stress, but not without good reason, upon the direct testimony of the Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses to the truth of the Book of Mormon; and, of course, their testimony must forever stand as of first importance in the direct external evidences of the book, but I confess also that this incidental testimony appeals strongly to me, and when I think how in harmony it all is with the circumstances surrounding the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, to my mind it wonderfully strengthens the direct statements of the other Witnesses. Footnotes 1. See _Improvement Era_, vol. V. Mother Smith's Memoirs were first published by Orson Pratt in Liverpool, England, in 1853, under the title _Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations_. As "Mother Smith" dictated chiefly from memory, there were some inaccuracies in her work, as first published by Elder Orson Pratt. Afterwards the work was corrected by a committee of which the late George A. Smith, Church Historian, was chairman. It is this revised copy from which the _Era_ edition was published in 1902, and which is cited in these notes. 2. _History of the Prophet Joseph_, by Lucy Smith, ch. 23. 3. Lucy Smith followed the business of hand painting oilcloth covers for tables, stands, etc., see her _History of the Prophet Joseph_, ch. 17. 4. _History of the Prophet Joseph_, by Lucy Smith, ch. 24.