The Story of the Mormons, from the Date of Their Origin to the Year 1901Linn, William Alexander
History
The Story of the Mormons, from the Date of Their Origin to the Year 1901
Linn, William Alexander
Latter Day Saints -- History; Utah -- History
The precarious character of Smith's original partners in the Bible
business is further illustrated by his statement that, in the summer of
1830, Cowdery sent him word that he had discovered an error in one of
Smith's "revelations,"* and that the Whitmer family agreed with him on
the subject. Smith was as determined in opposing this questioning of
his divine authority as he always was in stemming any opposition to his
leadership, and he made them all acknowledge their error. Again, when
Smith returned to Fayette from Harmony, in August, 1830 (more than a
year after the plates were shown to the witnesses), he found that "Satan
had been lying in wait," and that Hiram Page, of the second list of
witnesses, had been obtaining revelations through a "peek-stone" of his
own, and that, what was more serious, Cowdery and the Whitmer family
believed in them. The result of this was an immediate "revelation"
(Sec. 28) directing Cowdery to go and preach the Gospel to the Lamanites
(Indians) on the western border, and to take along with him Hiram Page,
and tell him that the things he had written by means of the "peek-stone"
were not of the Lord.
* Millennial Star, Vol. XIV, p. 36.
Neither Smith's autobiography nor the "Book of Doctrine and Covenants"
contains any explanation of the second "testimony." The list of persons
who signed it, however, leaves little doubt that the prophet yielded to
their "teasing" as he did to that of the original three. The first four
signers were members of the Whitmer family. Hiram Page was a root-doctor
by calling, and a son-in-law of Peter Whitmer, Sr. The three Smiths were
the prophet's father and two of his brothers.*
* Christian Whitmer died in Clay County, Missouri, November 27,
1835; Jacob died in Richmond County, April 21, 1866; Peter died in Clay
County, September 22, 1836; Hiram Page died on a farm in Ray County,
August 12, 1852.
The favorite Mormon reply to any question as to the value of these
"testimonies" is the challenge, "Is there a person on the earth who can
prove that these eleven witnesses did not see the plates?" Curiously,
the prophet himself can be cited to prove this, in the words of the
revelation granting a sight of the plates to the first three, which
said, "And to none else will I grant this power, to receive this same
testimony among this generation." A footnote to this declaration in the
"Doctrine and Covenants" offers, as an explanation of Testimony No.
2; the statement that others "may receive a knowledge by other
manifestations." This is well meant but transparent.
Mother Smith in later years added herself to these witnesses. She said
to the Rev. Henry Caswall, in Nauvoo, in 1842, "I have myself seen and
handled the golden plates." Mr. Caswall adds:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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