Notwithstanding every one of these three witnesses withdrew from the Church in 1838, yet they remained firm in their declarations to the truth of their testimony. Nine years afterwards Oliver Cowdery returned to the church and was rebaptized. In 1871 Martin Harris came to Utah, and he also was rebaptized. David Whitmer, who died at Richmond, Ray Co., Mo., was the only one of the three who died without rebaptism. He had resided in that place nearly fifty years, and many leading citizens of Richmond signed their names, which were published, testifying that David Whitmer was an honorable citizen whose veracity was unquestioned. I can testify to the truth of these statements, for I visited him in 1870, also in 1879, and again in 1886. I was acquainted with him in 1833 and also in 1838 when he was disfellowshipped by the Church at Far West, Mo. It was no secret among those who knew him at his home in Richmond that he always stood firm to his testimony, as above stated. The other two witnesses were equally valiant, both while in full fellowship and after withdrawing from the Church, and I defy the world to impeach either of those three witnesses. Joseph Smith could not have accomplished the work entrusted to him without the aid of the Urim and Thummim. It was therefore provided for him. Anciently it was used by God's servants--His prophets, seers and revelators. The language engraven upon the gold plates is Reformed Egyptian and is spoken of in the Book of Mormon, which says: "And now behold, we have written this according to our knowledge in the characters which are called among us the Reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech."_--Book of Mormon, p.570, N. E._ And the thirty-fourth verse says: "But the Lord knoweth the things which we have written, and that none other people knoweth our language; therefore hath he prepared means for the interpretation thereof." There is still another instance worth mentioning. King Limhi was in possession of twenty-four gold plates, and desired to have them translated. Ammon told the king: "I can assuredly tell thee, O king, of a man who can translate the records; for he has wherewith that he can look and translate all records that are of ancient date; and it is a gift from God, and the things are called interpreters."_--Book of Mormon, p. 30, N. E._ "And now he translated them by the means of those two stones which were fastened into the two rims of a bow. Now these things were prepared from the beginning, and were handed down from generation to generation, for the purpose of interpreting language."_--Book of Mormon, p. 228, 13-14 v._ "And whosoever has these things is called Seer, after the manner of old times."_--Book of Mormon, p. 228, 16 v._ By the above we learn that the Urim and Thummim or interpreters was anciently used, and answered the description of those that Joseph is represented as receiving.