Super fascinating facts about the Book of Mormon.
Fascinating Facts About “The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ”
Many in Christianity have been taught to believe, although God never taught it in the Bible, that our loving Heavenly Father will never again communicate with us through prophets, unless they are those whose writings are recorded in the Bible.
A Bible-believing man, Dusty Smith, actively spread false slander against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for years. Recently, I have gained a strong and powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon and of modern-day prophets and apostles. Then someone said to him, “I can’t believe you believe in modern-day prophets.” Dusty responded, “I can’t believe you don’t.” Dusty then asked him: When your children turn 18, will you tell them that they are on their own afterward, and if they have questions or problems in their future lives, they should be guided only by the notes and teachings you, as their father, gave them during their first 18 years? Or would you be willing to continue giving them direction and guidance?
Please review some of the many Bible verses that make it clear that God loves us enough to continue communicating with us through His prophets and apostles:
Amos 3:7 “ For the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets .”
Hebrews 13:8 “ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. ”
So why would God stop communicating with His children and guiding us through His servants, His prophets and apostles?
Considering that God spoke to His children throughout biblical times through prophets, it makes sense that He would speak to us today through prophets and apostles He called, doesn’t it?
The Bible teaches us in Ephesians 4:11-14: “ And He gavesome to be apostles , some to be prophets , some to be evangelists , and some to be pastors and teachers ; for the equipping of the saints , for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ , until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man , to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children , tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine , by the trickery of men, in cunning schemes lying in deceitful plots.”
Considering that not all of us have reached a unity of faith, why would God stop communicating with us through His prophets and apostles?
The Bible teaches us in Matthew 7:15a “15 And beware of false prophets ” (not prophets of God), which also clearly says that there will be true prophets of God, whom we should listen to, right?
Isn’t it true that God can choose to give us additional teachings and guidance through His prophets and apostles today if He so desires? Don’t we have different modern problems than the people of the Bible had 2,000 years ago, and we need God’s guidance and help to solve them? Why wouldn’t He, as our loving Heavenly Father, desire to give us additional guidance today? Wouldn’t it be rather arrogant of us to tell God that we don’t want to read or hear anything beyond what He spoke to His ancient prophets 2,000 years ago?
We know and testify that our loving Heavenly Father communicates with us today through His living prophet, the young-at-heart and super-energetic Russell M. Nelson, age 99, who provides us with messages and much-needed guidance. He was called to be one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ in 1984 (39 years ago) when he was a world-renowned heart surgeon, who helped pioneer open-heart surgery. He was the first doctor west of the Mississippi River to perform a heart transplant and lovingly saved many lives in his successful career. However, when he received his call to be an apostle, he was willing to immediately abandon his successful career and everything else to serve full-time for the rest of his life as an apostle and special witness of Jesus Christ, just as the apostles of Jesus Christ abandoned their professions when they were called by Jesus. He and the other current apostles have never attended Bible school, but if you listen to their messages, you will love them and recognize that they love and know the Bible well, and that they dearly love their Savior and His teachings. If you study their lives and teachings, you will be impressed and edified. They are all wonderful and loving husbands, fathers, and grandparents, centered on Christ. Click on the two links to enjoy two talks by President Russell M. Nelson:
“Peacemakers are needed”:
“Joy and Spiritual Survival”:
You can listen to great talks from prophets and apostles, including incredible female leaders, by visiting the following church website:
Then, click on English at the top right of the screen and choose Spanish to change the language, then click on Library, click on General Conference, and click on any uplifting talk you would like to hear.
The only couple of Bible verses I’ve heard my Christian friends quote to support their belief that God will never give us more of His Word are Matthew 7:15 , “… beware of false prophets ,” (not all prophets), and the little quote that appears in the last chapter of the Bible:
Revelation 22:18-19 ” …If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the book of life and from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
It seems clear that John is talking about the “prophecy of this book” of Revelation that he was writing, but nowhere does it say that God cannot add to His Word, and in fact, God did add to His Word; “The book of John and the three epistles of John” were written several years after the Book of Revelation, so clearly God can add to the Bible, and He did. And if God wanted to give us more of His word through the prophets in the Book of Mormon or any other book, He certainly can, right? The books of the New Testament were not placed in chronological order according to the date they were written. There were 13 other books that were not placed in the Bible when it was bound, even though they are referenced in the Bible.
My mission president in Germany knows the Bible inside and out. He helped teach more than 200 young missionaries to love the Bible and Jesus Christ as our Savior even more. He taught us that: “People can prove anything they want using the Bible if they apply their own ‘interpretation’ to it.”
For to read the two little verses in the Book of Revelation, which countless people have quoted to me when I mention the Book of Mormon, and interpret them to mean that ‘God never can or will never communicate with us through a prophet again’ – – – is a huge stretch of someone’s private interpretation, don’t you think – – – if you stop and ponder it prayerfully in your heart? – – – – especially when you compare it to so many other verses in the Bible that teach the opposite.
Also, consider this almost identical scripture in the Old Testament:
Deuteronomy 4:2 “ You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take away from it,…”
Obviously, God added a lot to His Word after the book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament, but of course, He didn’t want just any man to start adding to His Word, right?
Millions of Bible-believing Christians are 100% convinced that the best and most convincing evidence that there is more to God’s Word apart from the Bible is “The Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ.” I believe you will feel the same way if you seriously and prayerfully study the Book of Mormon and receive your own spiritual from God that it is true and witness from Him. The devil and his team (not God) are the ones who started spreading the lie that our loving Heavenly Father would never communicate with us again through prophets He calls. If you believe God will never communicate with us through any prophets or apostles other than those in the Bible, then show me some real proof of that in the Bible.
What is “The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ,” that amazing book that has become the second most widely read and beloved self-help book and the sixth most widely read book in world history with 200 million copies in print?
It is an ancient record similar to the Bible, with the first prophets being Lehi and his son, Nephi, whom God asked to leave Jerusalem around 600 BC, shortly before Jerusalem was destroyed, and to build a great ship and take their families to the American continent. Different prophets of God recorded their teachings on gold plates over a period of 1,000 years.
You may be wondering who wrote the Book of Mormon, which has positively changed so many millions of lives? Experts who study writing styles have found convincing evidence that the Book of Mormon was written by several different authors, and that none of them had the writing style of the young farmer prophet Joseph Smith, who had very limited education and who translated and published the Book in 1830 by the gift and power of God.
There are millions of Bible-believing Christians who, out of ignorance, believe the Book of Mormon is evil, even though they have never read it and have no idea of the beautiful truths it teaches. They are simply trusting 200 years of false slander and lies initiated by the devil and his team to scare people and keep them from being strengthened by the Word of God, which is so beautifully taught in the Book of Mormon. If you are trying to decide to read the Book of Mormon, would it be wiser to trust the words of those who have never read it and have no idea what it teaches, or the millions of Bible-believing Christians who have prayerfully studied it?
The devil and his team have used fear tactics and slander throughout history to prevent people from reading God’s Word in the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Some examples are below:
1. In 100 BC, Antiochus IV (king of the Seleucid Empire who brutally persecuted the Jews) burned all the scriptures he could find and decreed death for all their owners.
2. In 64 AD, Nero made Christians scapegoats for the burning of Rome, while he persecuted and executed many and destroyed their writings.
3. In 301–304 AD, the Roman Emperor Diocletian burned thousands of hand-copied Bibles, ordered all Bibles to be destroyed, and decreed that any home with a Bible in it should be burned. In fact, he even built a monument over what he thought was the last surviving Bible.
4. During the Middle Ages (500-1500 AD), Rome burned Bibles along with their owners.
5. William Tyndale was imprinted and burned at the stake on October 6, 1536, for translating the Bible into English. Many were burned at the stake for possessing any part of the Bible in English during that period.
6. The Council of Trent (1545-63 AD) also prohibited its use and pronounced a curse on anyone who dared to oppose this decree. Many priests have issued decrees prohibiting the reading of the Bible in the common language of the people, condemning Bible societies, and prohibiting its possession and translation under penalty of mortal sin and death.
My niece gave her little friend a Book of Mormon for her birthday. When she opened the gift wrapper, she immediately dropped it, saying that her pastor had taught them the Book of Mormon was so evil that no one should even touch it. Sadly, many good and well-intentioned Christians have been ignorantly helping the devil spread these lies against the Book of Mormon and our people for 200 years. If someone tells you the Book of Mormon is evil, one thing you can know for sure is that they have never read it, or they haven’t read it all with an open mind and in sincere prayer, or they could never have come to such an obviously false conclusion.
Why would God allow the devil and his team to slander the Bible and the Book of Mormon and persecute those who read them? In short, because all of us, God’s children (both good and bad), need to receive God’s gift of free will during our mortal school and probationary period, in order to have the opportunity to progress and find true joy. No one could feel happy, joyful, and thankful if we were “forced” to do good works and do everything good and with love, and in God’s way.
God knew there would be much opposition to both the Bible and the Book of Mormon that came to us through His prophets, and He prophesied about it. For example, God sent an angel and former Book of Mormon prophet named Moroni to the 17-year-old farmer with limited education, Joseph Smith, who would become a prophet of God. And Joseph recorded that experience as follows:
“ 33 He called me by name , and told me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me, and that among all nations, kindreds, and tongues my name would be taken for good and for evil, that is, that I would be spoken of well and ill among all people.
34 He said that there was deposited a book , written upon gold plates ,giving an account of the ancient inhabitants of this continent, and of their origin. He also declared that it contained the fulness of the everlasting gospel as communicated by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants.” As recorded in the History of Joseph Smith in the Pearl of Great Price, verses 33 and 34.
If God wasn’t involved in that amazing prophecy, then how was such a one-in-10-trillion-odds prophecy fulfilled? There are some truly good people who are known for doing a lot of good, like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and some truly bad people, like Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin, who are widely known for doing a lot of evil. But I don’t think there is anyone who is spoken of so widely in all of history, for both good and evil, among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, as the Prophet Joseph Smith. In fact, today, there are over 70,000 young Christian missionaries around the world who sacrifice greatly at their own expense to share their testimonies of Joseph Smith as one of God’s prophets and of the Book of Mormon as an additional powerful testimony of the Bible and of Jesus Christ as our beloved Savior.
A Bible scholar and living apostle of Jesus Christ, Jeffrey R. Holland, wrote: “My own great-grandfather said simply: ‘No bad man could write a book like this (the Book of Mormon); and no good man would write it unless it were true and God commanded him to.’”
A brilliant and knowledgeable Bible scholar, Tad R. Callister, wrote a very compelling book called “A Case for the Book of Mormon,” which, unfortunately, is not yet available in Spanish. On page 183, Tad tells the true story of a member of his congregation. He wrote: “The Book of Mormon not only teaches us about Christ, but it also leads us to Christ.” A member of our congregation who had been less active in the Church for some time shared his testimony…. With his permission, I share excerpts from a talk he gave: “Just a year ago, I couldn’t have imagined being here and speaking in church. But last October, something happened. I began reading the Book of Mormon. As I did, I found it delightful. … I would read for hours at a time. On an airplane, in a motel room, at home, I didn’t want to put it down. By January, I had finished the book. By April, I had read it again.”
During this time, I changed. My world changed. A heart that had been hardened softened. Faith that had long been extinguished was restored and began to grow. I wanted to regret. I wanted to draw closer to the Savior. I wanted to become more like the Savior. . . .
“I stand before you today a new man because of this experience. A changed man. . . . Of course, it is the Savior who heals people and changes lives, but the Book of Mormon has the power to bring people to Christ.”
Tad Callister cited some of the wonderful promises that God’s prophets and apostles today have given us regarding the Book of Mormon, such as the following:
From President Ezra Taft Benson: “There is a power in the book (the Book of Mormon) that will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin to study it seriously. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path.”
From Marion G. Romney: “I am confident that if parents in our homes will prayerfully and regularly read the Book of Mormon, both alone and with their children…. there will increase a spirit of reverence, mutual respect, and
Mutual consideration. The spirit of contention will prevail. Parents will advise their children with greater love and wisdom. Children will be more receptive and submissive to their parents’ advice. Justice will increase.
From President Russell M. Nelson: “I promise you that as you immerse yourself daily in the Book of Mormon, you will be immune to the evils of our age, including the plague of pornography and other crippling addictions.”
I recently listened to a woman on a podcast who was super addicted to heroin, alcohol, and some of the most addictive and deadly drugs in the world. She didn’t believe she could break free from these horrible addictions. A friend told her that if she read the Book of Mormon every day, she would have the power to stay away from all these addictive drugs. She decided to try it. With the power of the Book of Mormon in her life every day, she has happily managed to avoid drugs and alcohol since then, 10 years ago, and her life has transformed in amazingly happy ways. She is now married and raising her children in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I suggest to those who study it seriously and prayerfully not to trust any one party regarding whether the Book of Mormon contains the power of God’s scriptures or not. Instead, follow the guidance of God Himself, through the last prophet, whose name was Moroni, who wrote on the gold plates around 421 AD the following promise about how someone can know whether the Book of Mormon is from God or not:
Moroni 10:3-5: “Behold, I would exhort you, that when ye read these things, if God thought it expedient that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord had been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam unto the time that ye shall receive these things, and that ye would ponder upon them in your hearts.
And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye shall ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, whether b these things be not true : and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with d real intent , having e faith in Christ, he will show fthem together with you the g truth , by the power of the Holy Ghost: and by the power of the Holy Ghost ye shall be able to know the b truth of all things.”
Why not study and experiment with the Book of Mormon for yourself, to discover from the hand of God Himself whether there is amazing heavenly power in the scriptures and greater gifts of the Spirit of real love, joy, and inner peace that come into a person’s life when they study it prayerfully, sincerely, and with an open mind? You have nothing to lose, right? – – – and everything to gain!
We, Charles and Amparo Hunt, personally testify with all sincerity that the Book of Mormon has changed our lives in wonderful, joyful, and positive ways; leading us to a stronger testimony of the Bible and of Jesus Christ as our Savior, and to a deeper sense of the Spirit’s gifts of love, joy, inner peace, faith, kindness, and more joyful and trusting relationships, etc. Have any of you Christians reading this ever experienced crises of faith or doubts about the Bible or Jesus Christ as your Savior? Whether you have or not, I invite you to prayerfully read Tad Callister’s masterwork, “A Case for the Book of Mormon,” along with “The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ,” and I promise you will be blessed with greater motivation to follow the Lord’s teachings.
The last prophet in the Book of Mormon was Moroni. He wrote the title page of the Book around 421 AD, part of which is quoted here: “Written… unto both Jews and Gentiles – written by way of commandment, by the spirit of prophecy and revelation – Written and sealed, and hid up for the purposes of the Lord… It is to come forth by the gift and power of God to be interpreted… and hid up for the purposes of the Lord, that it might come forth in due time… And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting Himself unto all nations.”
Tad Callister, in his book “A Case for the Book of Mormon,” on pages 35 and 36, tells how “Professor Hugh Nibley, teaching at BYU (Brigham Young University), challenged some of his students to write a book comparable to the Book of Mormon. I summarize the challenge as follows:
• Write a history of ancient Tibet covering the period from 600 BC to 450 AD. Why ancient Tibet? Because you don’t know any more about Tibet than Joseph Smith (or anyone else in 1820) knew about ancient America.
• No investigations of any kind will be conducted.
• Your story must be 531 pages and more than 300,000 words.
• Aside from some grammatical corrections and minor changes, you should not make any modifications to the text. The first edition, as dictated to your secretary, should be kept forever.
• You must change your writing style many times to represent various authors.
• Future archaeological discoveries must support the veracity of the objects, events, and names referred to.
• You must invent around 280 new names for people and places that will remain under scrutiny over the years as to their correct application and derivation.
• Thousands of great men, intellectual giants, national and international personalities and scholars must accept his story and teachings as true.
• Tens of thousands of salesmen (ie, missionaries) must give eighteen months or more of their lives, paying their own way, and bearing witness to the truth of this book.
• You must finish writing this book in sixty-five business days or less.
With all the criticism about whether Joseph Smith or someone else wrote the Book of Mormon, I have never seen anyone equal it. Instead of spending a lifetime criticizing the Book of Mormon and arguing whether Joseph Smith wrote it, why don’t critics simply find some brilliant person in their early twenties who, in sixty-five working days, can write a comparable work? Of course, for it to be comparable, it must be done without a computer or research assistants and dictation without notes in a single draft. In the end, this would be the best evidence for critics that the Book of Mormon could have been man-made. . . . But ultimately, this will not happen. Why? Because the Book of Mormon is incomparable—it is a work of God, and therefore man cannot duplicate it.
Tad Callister also wrote on pages 8 and 9 of his book that BH Roberts wrote that “The Holy Ghost must always be the primary source of evidence for the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. All other evidence is secondary to this.” He also wrote that “President (Apostle) Boyd K. Packer spoke of the need for reason as well as revelation in our search for truth: ‘Each of us must accommodate the combination of reason and revelation in our lives. The gospel not only permits it, it demands it.'” And Tad quoted: “Austin Farrer, an Anglican theologian, gave us this important insight: ‘Although argument does not create conviction, the lack of it destroys belief. What seems proven may not be accepted; but what no one shows an ability to defend is quickly abandoned. Rational argument does not create belief, but it maintains a climate in which belief can flourish.’” Tad added: “In other words, reason doesn’t necessarily produce conviction, but the lack of it creates a climate for doubt, while the presence of it creates a climate for belief.”
It was the same prophet/angel Moroni, who later visited the young farmer, the Prophet Joseph Smith, some 1,400 years after the burial of the gold plates, when Joseph was only 17 years old, and made the following amazing prophecy concerning Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon which, even more amazingly, has come to pass and proven to be true:
In short, either the angel prophet Moroni visited the young 17-year-old prophet Joseph Smith, or he didn’t. If he didn’t, then please pause to consider how the astonishing prophecy that the name of this unknown young farmer, Joseph Smith, would be known “both for good and for evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues” was fulfilled? I mean, what are the odds that the name Joseph Smith would ever be taught to more people in the history of the world, for both good and evil? – – – about one in ten billion, right? Is it simply an incredible coincidence that this angel Moroni got that prophecy right, or was God involved?
“But Charles, considering that this absolutely astonishing prophecy has actually been fulfilled, many of the pastors and Bible colleges don’t begin to wonder if perhaps, in fact, it could have been a true prophecy from God Himself through His prophet Moroni?”
I wish that they were so, but I’m sure they want to keep the fulfillment of this amazing prophecy as quiet as possible, just as they don’t want the Book of Mormon read or spoken to by members of the Church.
Did anyone actually see the gold plates, which Joseph Smith claimed to have translated from the ancient records of prophets who lived from approximately 600 BC to 421 AD? Yes, God Himself wanted witnesses of that. There were three honest and reliable witnesses who testified to the following, which is found in the introduction to every copy of the Book of Mormon:
THE TESTIMONY OF THREE WITNESSES
Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people unto whom this work shall come, that we, by the grace of God the Father, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates containing this record, which is a history of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came out of the tower spoken of. And we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for so his voice has declared unto us; Wherefore, we know of a surety that the work is true. We also bear record that we have seen the engravings upon the plates; and they have been shown to us by the power of God, and not by the power of any man. And we declare with solemn words that an angel of God came down from heaven, and brought the plates, and set them before our eyes, insomuch that we did see and behold them, and the engravings which were upon them; and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we did see and bear record that these things are true. And it is marvelous in our sight. However, the voice of the Lord commanded us to testify of it; Therefore, to be obedient to God’s commands, we testify of these things. And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, our garments will be clean from the blood of all men, and we will stand blameless before the judgment seat of Christ, and we will dwell with Him eternally in heaven. And honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, who are one God. Amen.
Oliver Cowdery
David Whitmer
Martin Harris
And there were eight more witnesses, who testified to the following, which is also included in the 200 million copies of the Book of Mormon:
THE TESTIMONY OF EIGHT WITNESSES
Let it be known to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people to whom this work may come, that Joseph Smith, Jr., the translator of this work, has shown us the plates spoken of, which have the appearance of gold; and we have handled with our own hands as many leaves as the said Smith has translated; and we have also seen the engravings thereon, all of which have the appearance of ancient work and exquisite workmanship. And we bear this witness in solemn words, and that the said Smith has shown us the plates we have spoken of, for we have seen and weighed them, and we know of a certainty that the said Smith has them in his possession. And we give our names to the world in testimony of what we have seen. And we do not lie, for God is our witness.
Christian Whitmer
Jacob Whitmer
Peter Whitmer, Jr.
John Whitmer
Hiram Page
Joseph Smith, Father
Hyrum Smith
Samuel H. Smith”
Did any of the eleven witnesses ever deny their testimony? If you had seen what they saw and heard, and experienced what they experienced, would you deny it—even if an angry mob threatened to kill you on the spot—for not denying it? None of the eleven witnesses ever denied it. Below, you will read some quotes from Chapter 7 of the Book of Tad about the three witnesses:
“In 1833, mobs in Missouri were destroying property, driving Saints from their homes, and even killing them. It was a dangerous time to be a Latter-day Saint. The mob had offered a monetary reward to anyone who could deliver William McClellan or Oliver Cowdery to them… McClellan later recounted what had happened: “There in the lonely woods, I met David Whitmer and Oliver Cowdery. I said to them, ‘Brethren, I have never seen an open vision in my life, but you say you have seen it, so you positively know. Now you know that our lives are in danger every hour if the mob succeeds in trapping us. Tell me, for God’s sake, is that Book of Mormon true?’ Cowdery looked at me with solemnity on his face and said, ‘Brother William, God sent his holy angel to declare to us the truth of his translation, and therefore we know it. And although the mob kills us, we must die declaring the truth.” David said, “Oliver has told you the solemn truth.” . . . I said, “Boys, I believe you. I see no reason for you to tell me lies now that our lives are in danger.” (in Schaefer, “The Testimony of Men,” 109)
“John P. Greene, a former Methodist minister who had joined the Church, recalled that David Whitmer and others were threatened with death unless they denied the Book of Mormon: ‘When the mob was again gathered, they went to the houses of several leading Mormons; and taking Isaac Morley, David Whitmer, and others, they told them to bid their families good-bye, for they would never see them again. They then led them at the point of bayonets into the public square, stripped them naked amid threats and insults, covered them with tar, and feathered them. The commanding officer then called out twelve of his men and ordered them to prepare their weapons and point them at the prisoners’ breasts, and to be ready to fire when he gave the order—’ He addressed the prisoners, threatening them with instant death unless they denied the Book of Mormon and confessed that it was a fraud; adding at the same time that if they did so, they might enjoy the privileges of citizens David Whitmer, raising their arms and giving testimony that the Book of Mormon was the Word of God. Then the mob let them go.”
“It is recorded in the American Cyclopedia and Encyclopedia Britannica that I, David Whitmer, have denied my testimony as one of the three witnesses to the divinity of the Book of Mormon: and that the other two witnesses, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris, denied their testimony concerning that Book. I will say once again to all mankind that I have never at any time denied that testimony or any part of it. I also testify before the world that neither Oliver Cowdery nor Martin Harris ever denied their testimony. Both died affirming the truth of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon (David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ)
“Even during the time Oliver (Cowdery) was away from the Church (1838–1848), he remained faithful to his testimony of the Book of Mormon. In fact, as proof of his continued testimony, he admitted his error and eventually rejoined the Church.”
David Whitmer was with Oliver Cowdery when he died. David wrote of that experience: “I was present at Oliver Cowdery’s deathbed, and his last words were: ‘Brother David, be true to your testimony of the Book of Mormon.’”
“For fifty years after his excommunication from the Church, David lived in the non-Mormon community of Richmond, Missouri, but always clung to his testimony. His friends and associates, although not believers in the Book of Mormon, came to love and respect him, even to the point of electing him their elder and defending him when necessary.”
A few hours before Martin Harris’s death, he said, ‘The Book of Mormon is not false. I know what I know. I have seen what I have seen and heard what I have heard. I have seen the gold plates upon which the Book of Mormon is written. An angel appeared to me and others and testified to the truth of the record, and had I been willing to have perjured myself and sworn falsely to the testimony, I might have been a rich man, but I could not have testified otherwise than I have done and am doing now, for these things are true.’ (Godfrey, “Testimony of Martin Harris,” from an unpublished manuscript copy in the possession of his daughter, Florence (Godfrey) Munson of Field, Utah.)
If you reread the testimony of the Three Witnesses carefully, you will understand why they never denied their testimonies of the Book of Mormon, even when they expected to be killed for not denying it. Please consider that, as they testified, “ an angel of God came down from heaven … we saw them and held the plates and the engravings thereon… the voice of the Lord commanded us to bear witness of it. ” It is no wonder that none of the Three Witnesses (or the other eight witnesses) ever denied their testimonies.
We lovingly invite every sincere seeker after truth and goodness to prayerfully read the Book of Mormon and ask God if it is true and comes from Him through His prophets. If the Book of Mormon is true, as we know it to be, then that is undeniable proof that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, and that Jesus Christ restored His true Church to the earth through him, with the fulness of His gospel – – – and that Jesus Christ leads His Church today through a living prophet and apostles – – – as He did in Bible times.
Elder and Sister Hunt