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Difference between revisions of "Detailed response to CES Letter, Witnesses"
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I have cherished a hope, and that one of my fondest, that I might leave such a character, as those who might believe in my testimony, after I should be called hence, might do so, not only for the sake of the truth, but might not blush for the private character of the man who bore that testimony. I have been sensitive on this subject, I admit; but I ought to be so—you would be, under the circumstances, had you stood in the presence of John, with our departed Brother Joseph, to receive the Lesser Priesthood—and in the presence of Peter, to receive the Greater, and looked down through time, and witnessed the effects these two must produce,—you would feel what you have never felt, were wicked men conspiring to lessen the effects of your testimony on man, after you should have gone to your long sought rest. (Oliver Cowdery to Phineas Young, 23 March 1846, Oliver Cowdery Collection, "Scriptory Book of Joseph Smith Jr." (kept by George W. Robinson), 22, LDS Church Historical Department (published in Scott H. Faulring, ed, ''An American Prophet's Record.— The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith'' (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1989), emphasis in original; cited in Scott H. Faulring. “The Return of Oliver Cowdery”, FARMS Featured Paper, no date.) | I have cherished a hope, and that one of my fondest, that I might leave such a character, as those who might believe in my testimony, after I should be called hence, might do so, not only for the sake of the truth, but might not blush for the private character of the man who bore that testimony. I have been sensitive on this subject, I admit; but I ought to be so—you would be, under the circumstances, had you stood in the presence of John, with our departed Brother Joseph, to receive the Lesser Priesthood—and in the presence of Peter, to receive the Greater, and looked down through time, and witnessed the effects these two must produce,—you would feel what you have never felt, were wicked men conspiring to lessen the effects of your testimony on man, after you should have gone to your long sought rest. (Oliver Cowdery to Phineas Young, 23 March 1846, Oliver Cowdery Collection, "Scriptory Book of Joseph Smith Jr." (kept by George W. Robinson), 22, LDS Church Historical Department (published in Scott H. Faulring, ed, ''An American Prophet's Record.— The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith'' (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1989), emphasis in original; cited in Scott H. Faulring. “The Return of Oliver Cowdery”, FARMS Featured Paper, no date.) | ||
</blockquote> | </blockquote> | ||
| + | }} | ||
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| + | ====No Document of Actual Signatures==== | ||
| + | {{CESLetterItem | ||
| + | |claim=The author states, "The closest thing we have in existence to an original document of the testimonies of the witnesses is a printer’s manuscript written by Oliver Cowdery. Every witness name on that document is not signed; they are written in Oliver’s own handwriting. Further, there is no testimony from any of the witnesses directly attesting to the direct wording and claims of the manuscript or statements in the Book of Mormon." | ||
| + | |answer= | ||
| + | *Nonsense. We will let the witnesses speak for themselves on this issue. In each case, they made statements confirming their testimonies near the end of their lives. | ||
| + | *David Whitmer affirms his testimony in 1881 as it is printed in the Book of Mormon years after he left the Church: | ||
| + | <blockquote> | ||
| + | That I have never at any time, denied that testimony or any part thereof, <span style="color:blue">which has so long since been published with that book</span> as one of the three witnesses.<br><br> | ||
| + | Those who know me best, well know that I have adhered to that testimony. {{ref|whitmer1}} | ||
| + | </blockquote> | ||
| + | *Oliver Cowdery in 1848, years after he left the Church: | ||
| + | <blockquote> | ||
| + | I wrote, with my own pen, the entire Book of Mormon (save a few pages) as it fell from the lips of the Prophet Joseph, as he translated it by the gift and power of God, by the means of the Urim and Thummim, or as it is called by the book, Holy Interpreters. <span style="color:blue">I beheld with my eyes, and handled with my hands, the gold plates from which it was transcribed</span>. I also saw with my eyes and handled with my hands the Holy Interpreters. That book is true. {{ref|cowdery1}} | ||
| + | </blockquote> | ||
| + | *Martin Harris, right before his death: | ||
| + | <blockquote> | ||
| + | The Book of Mormon is no fake. I know what I know. I have seen what I have seen and I have heard what I have heard. <span style="color:blue">I have seen the gold plates from which the Book of Mormon is written.</span> An angel appeared to me and others and testified to the truthfulness of the record, and had I been willing to have perjured myself and sworn falsely to the testimony I now bear I could have been a rich man, but I could not have testified other than I have done and am now doing for these things are true. {{ref|harris1}} | ||
| + | </blockquote> | ||
| + | *Also, the author fails to note that ''one'' of the witnesses signatures on the printer's manuscript is genuine: that of Oliver Cowdery himself. | ||
| + | |link= | ||
| + | |subject= | ||
| + | |summary= | ||
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| + | ==References== | ||
| + | #{{note|whitmer1}}"David Whitmer Proclamation, 19 March 1881," ''Early Mormon Documents'' 5:69. | ||
| + | #{{note|cowdery1}}Andrew Jenson, ''LDS Biographical Encyclopedia'' (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Company, 1901), 1:246. | ||
| + | #{{note|harris1}}George Godfrey, “Testimony of Martin Harris,” from an unpublished manuscript copy in the possession of his daughter, Florence (Godfrey) Munson of Fielding, Utah; quoted in Eldin Ricks, The Case of the Book of Mormon Witnesses (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1971), 65–66. | ||
Revision as of 20:01, 13 July 2013
- REDIRECTTemplate:Test3
| [[../Priesthood Restoration Concerns & Questions|Priesthood Restoration Concerns & Questions]] | A FAIR Analysis of:
[[../|Letter to a CES Director]] |
[[../Temples & Freemasonry Concerns & Questions|Temples & Freemasonry Concerns & Questions]] |
A FAIR Analysis of the online document Letter to a CES Director section "Witnesses Concerns & Questions"
Oliver Cowdery lived in a culture steeped in biblical ideas, language and practices. The revelation’s reference to Moses likely resonated with him. The Old Testament account of Moses and his brother Aaron recounted several instances of using rods to manifest God’s will (see Ex. 7:9-12; Num. 17:8). Many Christians in Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery's day similarly believed in divining rods as an instrument for revelation. Cowdery was among those who believed in and used a divining rod.
Jeffrey G. Cannon, "Oliver Cowdery's Gift," history.lds.org off-site
- Response to section: Magical Worldview
- Response to section: Witnesses [Work in Progress]
- Response to section: Martin Harris
- Response to section: David Whitmer
- Response to section: Oliver Cowdery
- Response to section: Second Sight [Work in Progress]
- Response to section: James Strang and the Voree Plates Witnesses [Work in Progress]
- Response to section: No Document of Actual Signatures
- Response to section: Conclusion [Work in Progress]
Response Section
Magical Worldview
Martin Harris
David Whitmer
Oliver Cowdery
No Document of Actual Signatures
References
- [note] "David Whitmer Proclamation, 19 March 1881," Early Mormon Documents 5:69.
- [note] Andrew Jenson, LDS Biographical Encyclopedia (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Company, 1901), 1:246.
- [note] George Godfrey, “Testimony of Martin Harris,” from an unpublished manuscript copy in the possession of his daughter, Florence (Godfrey) Munson of Fielding, Utah; quoted in Eldin Ricks, The Case of the Book of Mormon Witnesses (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1971), 65–66.