ATTENTION RESTORATION FESTIVAL NO. 21

Do you realize what some of the testimonies really are of those who were eye-witnesses to the Book of Mormon’s coming forth and its translation?

Martin Harris, the only one outside the Smith family who was a resident of Palmyra and would have been knowledgeable of the work from the very start, declares, “Joseph Smith, Jr., found at Palmyra, N.Y., on the 22nd day of September, 1827, the plates of gold … Joseph had a stone which was dug from the well of Mason Chase … IT WAS BY MEANS OF THIS STONE HE FIRST DISCOVERED THESE PLATES … Joseph had had this stone for some time. There was a company there in that neighborhood, who were digging for money … Of this company were … JOSEPH SMITH, JR., AND HIS FATHER, AND HIS BROTHER HIRAM SMITH. THEY DUG FOR MONEY IN PALMYRA, MANCHESTER, ALSO IN PENNSYLVANIA … The money-diggers claimed that they had as much right to the plates as Joseph had, as they were in company together. They claimed that Joseph had … appropriated to himself that which belonged to them … These things had all occurred before I talked with Joseph respecting the plates. But I had the account of it from Joseph, his wife, brothers, sisters, his father, and mother. I TALKED WITH THEM SEPARATELY, THAT I MIGHT GET THE TRUTH OF THE MAHER … Joseph … sent… and wished me to come and see him … I went… and requested him to tell me the story, which he did as follows. He said: ‘An angel had appeared to him, and told him it was God’s work … the ANGEL TOLD HIM HE MUST QUIT THE COMPANY OF THE MONEY-DIGGERS … the angel told him, that the plates must be translated, printed and sent before the world.’”

Martin further states that he went home and prayed about these things and that the Lord “showed me that it was his work… He showed this to me by the still small voice spoken in the soul.” So Martin pays Joseph’s debts and furnishes him the money to go to his father-in-laws. This account was taken “down from the lips of Martin Harris, and read the same to him after it was written, that we might be certain of giving his statement to the world … in the latter part of January, 18S9.” – Tiffany’s Monthly, Vol. V, No. 1, June 1859, New York, Pages 163-170.

In a letter written by S. Burnett (a member of the early church) to Lyman E. Johnson (one of the first twelve apostles chosen in the early church) from Orange Township, Ohio, April 15, 1838, the statement is recorded,”…when I came to hear Martin Harris state in public THAT HE NEVER SAW THE PLATES WITH HIS NATURAL EYES ONLY IN VISION OR IMAGINATION, NEITHER OLIVER NOR DAVID A ALSO THAT THE EIGHT WITNESSES NEVER SAW THEM A HESITATED TO SIGN THAT INSTRUMENT FOR THAT REASON, BUT WERE PERSUADED TO DO IT, THE LAST PEDESTAL GAVE WAY,…I therefore three week since in the Stone Chapel…RENOUNCED THE BOOK OF THE MORMON WITH THE WHOLE SCENE OF LYING AND DECEPTION…I was followed by W. Parish, Luke Johnson, & John Baynton (the Inst two were also members of the first twelve apostles chosen in the early church) all of who concured [sic] with me, after we were done speaking M. Harris arose A said he was sorry for any man who rejected the Book of Mormon for he know it was true, he said he had hefted the plates repeatedly In a box with only a tablecloth or a hankerchief [sic] over them, BUT HE NEVER SAW THEM ONLY AS HE SAW A CITY THROUGH A MOUNTAIN. AND SAID THAT HE NEVER SHOULD HAVE TOLD THAT THE TESTIMONY OF THE EIGHT WAS FALSE, IF IT HAD NOT BEEN PICKED OUT OF HIM, BUT SHOULD HAVE LET IT PASSED AS IT WAS…”(From the Joseph Smith Collection of diaries, letter books, correspondence, etc, dating from 1827 to 1844 in the L.D.S. Church Archives, Salt Lake City. Letter book April 20, 1837-Feb. 9, 1843, Pages 64-66.)

Emma Smith, Martin Harris, David Whitmer and William Smith, all eye-witnesses to the translation, agree that the method of translating our present Book of Mormon was by a stone in a hat, into which Joseph Smith put his face, so as to exclude the external light. Then he would dictate word after word to his scribe. These witnesses understood that the words he spoke were appearing on the stone under a corresponding character from the plates. See article from the November 15, 1962, Saints’ Herald, Pages 14-33, for the list of references for the above witnesses testimonies.

We were Book of Mormon believers until the finding of two original court bills involving Joseph Smith SHOCKED US INTO RECONSIDERING WHAT WE HAD BEEN TOLD WAS TRUE.

Those two bills found in July, 1971, identified Joseph Smith as a “GLASS-LOOKER” AS EARLY AS MARCH 20, 1826, EIGHTEEN MONTHS BEFORE HE CLAIMED TO HAVE RECEIVED THE PLATES TO THE BOOK OF MORMON. The bills were found in the basement of the Chenango County, New York, Sheriff’s office. They listed the cost of bringing Joseph Smith to trial for the case against him. A CASE IN WHICH HE IS CALLED A “GLASS-LOOKER”.

May God help all of you who believe the Book of Mormon to consider again and see if the Book of Mormon is what you were taught it was or IF IT IS THE PRODUCT OF STUDYING THINGS OUT IN THE MIND OF ONE WHO TESTED RIGHT WITH WHETHER HIS BOSOM BURNED OR HIS MIND FORGOT IN A STUPOR OF THOUGHT.(Doctrine & Covenants Sec 9:3)

“THE LORD IS GOOD: HIS MERCY IS EVERLASTING; AND HIS TRUTH ENDURETH TO ALL GENERATIONS.” (Ps. 100:5). As you search to determine the truth of historical facts may you find Him who is THE TRUTH. BLESSED BE HIS NAME.