He resided in the same town, richmond, missouri, for about half a century, one of the most remarkable men ever connected with the history of ray county. One day, while david whitmer was working in his fields, he heard a voice saying, blessed is the name of the lord and those that keep his commandments. The lord counseled david whitmer to ask in faith and to be believing so that he would receive the holy ghost and also that he might see, hear, and know the truthfulness of the book of mormon. Changing the revelations, the case against mormonism chapter 6. Lds 1833 book of commandments compared to 1966 doctrine. Williams checked at least some of the revelations after they were printed in the book of commandments and noted only four. David whitmer 7 january 1805 25 january 1888 was an early adherent of the latter day saint movement and one of the three witnesses to the book of mormons golden plates. Joseph smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light. This book is the record of john whitmer, who served as mormon church historian from 1831 until his excommunication in 18. The revelations in the book of commandments up to june, 1829, were given through the stone, through. The question before us is how david whitmers testimony of the book of mormon affected his life. David whitmer statements as one of the three witnesses 1831.
David whitmer, one of the three witnesses to the book of mormon, an address to all believers in. We thought it would be a good project to compare these two books and. Book of commandments 24 states that salvation could come to those who would believe. Quote from david whitmer really sums up my feelings well. The man who broke all the commandments john barnett psalm 51 when david stood at the other end of nathans boney finger, pointed directly in his facehe was guilty, and he knew it. David whitmer never looked into the urim and thummim nor. John whitmer august 27, 1802 july 11, 1878 was an early leader in the latter day saint movement.
John whitmer, the book of john whitmer kept by commandment, typescript by pauline hancock, byua. Posts about david whitmer written by gay mormon fundie. While whitmer believed the book of mormon to be true, he did not believe that the true church was to be led by one man. They were changed to mean something entirely different from the way they were first given and printed in the book of commandments. Why did joseph smith attempt to secure the book of mormon. Chief walker 18011855 hawk of the mountains mormon elder friend of brigham young p. David whitmer was one of the three witnesses of the book of mormon. Doctrine and covenants book of commandments joseph smith. David claimed the book of commandments was printed in full, but the lds and community of christ churches say it was not. David whitmer claimed that the printers manuscript of the book of. After he had plowed one more round, the prophet and oliver cowdery came along, and said. An address to all believers in christ david whitmer on. Had the restoration of the melchizedek priesthood under the hands of peter, james, and john been recorded prior to 1833, it likewise would have been expected to appear in the book of commandments. Changes in the revelations, 1833 to 1835 the dialogue journal.
Mormon quotes on the book of commandments mormonthink. The story of the church the book of mormon witnesses. The book of commandments was a small work which elder w. David whitmer and the book of commandments the revelations in the book of commandments up to june, 1829, were given through the stone, through which the book of mormon was translated. Although it is not entirely clear if all four men, or only cowdery and page, travelled to kingston, what is clear is that they failed to sell a to the book of mormon. Section 14, revelation to david whitmer church of jesus. Whitmer, david, in jenson, lds biographical encyclopedia, 1. Book of commandments and book of doctrine and covenants. We, the undersigned citizens of richmond, ray county, mo. Book of commandments whitmer college antimormon, pro. However, nowhere in the book of commandments is this miraculous and doctrinally vital event recorded.
Smith, leader of the latter day saint movement, gathered several of his revelations for a high priests council in november 1831. This implies david lied, or, they have something to hide. I have concluded not to request the saints herald to publish my epistle, as i will not enter into a newspaper controversy. According to david whitmer, joseph and company purposely made significant changes to the revelations which completely altered their meaning. In 1829, joseph baptized david whitmer as a member of the church, and just a short time later, david whitmer became a witness of the gold plates that the book of mormon had been translated from. He was one of the eight witnesses of the book of mormons golden plates.
Murphy reported that whitmer claimed that the angel that showed him the plates had no appearance or shape and that whitmer saw nothing, in the way you understand it. Whitmars sic description of the book of mormon, differs entirely from that given by harris. The three witnesses left the lds church because it did not structure itself after the book of mormon, in fact its structure is according to priestcraft which was explained and condemned in the book of mormon. David whitmer january 7, 1805 january 25, 1888 was an early adherent of the latter day saint movement who eventually became the most interviewed of the three witnesses to the book of mormon s golden plates. The church of christ, informally referred to as the church of christ whitmerite, was a denomination of the latter day saint movement based on the claims of david whitmer, one of the three witnesses to the book of mormons golden plates there were actually two separate organizations of this church. David whitmers statement that the church received the book of commandments as being printed correctly, is proven true by the fact that the first presidency of the church joseph smith, sydney rigdon, and fredrick g. Kept by commandment by john whitmer, available from rakuten kobo. That we, through the grace of god the father, and our lord jesus christ, have seen the plates which contain. David whitmers rebuttal to john murphys june 1880 claims regarding his experience as a book of mormon witness summary. David whitmer 7 january 1805 25 january 1888 was an early adherent of the latter day saint movement and one of the three witnesses to the book of mormons golden plates quotes. Martin harris, oliver cowdery, hiram page, david whitmer, john whitmer, christian whitmer, jacob whitmer, peter whitmer jr.
When we read david whitmers an address to all believers in christ we became aware of additional changes. Whitmer, cowdery, and phelps used revelation book 1 as a printers manuscript, marking up corrections, changes, and verse numbers therein, and published revelations in both the first church newspaper, the evening and the morning star, and the book of commandments. Quote from david whitmer really sums up my feelings well about joseph smith as a prophet. On tuesday, april 6, 1830, the church of jesus christ of latterday saints was officially organized with six members.
David whitmer, we repeat, was not a competent witness as to the means used by the seer in translating the book of mormon. A composite interview with david whitmer scott woodward. What had david whitmer done to deserve this rebuke from the lord. An account written by the hand of mormon, upon plates taken from the. Section 14, revelation to david whitmer, doctrine and covenants student manual 2002, 2930 historical background while joseph smith and oliver cowdery worked on the translation of the book of mormon at the prophets farm in harmony, pennsylvania, persecution began to increase, making it more and more difficult to finish the work. The book of commandments was planned as a compilation of joseph smith jr. David was ordained as an elder on april 6, 1830, and was one of. If this is an honest question, the answer is david whitmer fell away from the church as he has several doubts and problems with joseph smiths teachings and david seemed frozen in his understand of the gospel. Witnesses to the book of mormon david whitmer general.
Mclellin, who led a congregation of latter day saints in kirtland, ohio. After some time, harris left the other three men, believing his presence had prevented the vision from occurring. Smith, biography of david whitmer, journal of history 3 july 1910. Book of commandments david claimed the book of commandments was printed in full, but the lds and community of christ churches say it was not. Whitmer ordered that his testimony to the book of mormon be placed on his. On sunday, june 28, 1829, joseph smith, oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris went into the woods near the home of peter whitmer, sr. Wakara was born on the banks of pequirarynoquint stinking riverthe spanish fork near the present spanish fork, utah, to timpanogos ute parents. Believing that all the brethren who are rid of prejudice, and desire the truth only as christ has given it to us in the two sacred books, will write for my pamphlet, which will be sent to. Ostler assistant professor of church history and doctrine, byu the testimony of david whitmer, which is laid forth below, clearly contradicts the principles established by the lord in this revelation.
Williams checked at least some of the revelations after they were printed in the book of commandments and noted only four typographical errors. Book of commandments, 1833, page 0 the joseph smith papers. Whitmer was also the first official church historian and a member of the presidency of the church in missouri. David whitmer had a close relationship with the prophet joseph smith. Section 30, your mind has been on the things of the earth. The book of commandments is the earliest published volume said to contain the revelations of. As with david, we see that john whitmers witness contains a twoedged sword. Why did book of mormon witness david whitmer state that. David whitmer photograph, unknown photographer, circa 1855. Introducing a book of commandments and revelations, a major. Here is the truth about the translation from the article, the process of translating the book of mormon by joseph fielding mcconkie professor of ancient scripture, byu and craig j. Cowdery and david whitmer, johns brother, to complete the book of mormon manuscript. David whitmer was interviewed by john murphy in june 1880.
He was one of the three witnesses to the book of mormon. He, joseph, and oliver also received many revelations from god together in the early portions of the 1831 book of commandments which later became the 1835 doctrine and covenants. David broke all ten in reality, david had broken all of the ten commandments when he sinned with bathsheba. Because most of the book was produced in davids own house, he was an eyewitness to the translation process itself, and to the early history the latter day saint movement. An address to all believers in christ david whitmer. David whitmer, one of the witnesses to the book of mormon, had this to say about the priesthood restoration. This is a very interesting book that was written by david whitmer on his death bed. David whitmer, one of the three witnesses to the book of mormon, an address to all believers in christ, 1887, p. David whitmerinterview with john murphy in june 1880. The tenman council voted to print 10,000 copies, but the actual number of prints was reduced to between three and five thousand. Continually identified by the lds and rlds churches as an excommunicated apostate, david whitmer was neither. David whitmer january 7, 1805 january 25, 1888 was an early adherent of the latter day. Johns brother david traveled to harmony, pennsylvania, to help move joseph and oliver to the whitmer home in fayette, new york.
I will now give you a description of the manner in which the book of mormon was translated. Be it 1emembered, howeve1, that david whitmer testified on this point more than fifty years afte. David whitmer, the young man to whom the angel addressed himself in 1829 in the fayette woods lived on for many years, the last remaining witness to the book of mormon. I do not believe that john the baptist ever ordained joseph and oliver. John whitmer, report on the church of christ mormon, may 1831. David whitmer, an address to all believers in christ by a witness to the. David whitmm is quoted as saying that the book of com mandments was complete and that he had a cmnplete copy bound in paper. Davids faith was sufficient, and he became one of the three special witnesses of the book of mormon. John, at the age of twentysix, became a scribe to joseph smith writing about sixty pages of the original manuscript. Community of christ libraryarchives, independence, mo. Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come. David whitmer richard lloyd anderson, investigating the book of mormon witnesses, pp.
1059 654 1407 743 180 1305 1284 350 1522 639 399 103 267 493 552 198 237 741 494 186 737 1356 1366 891 496 166 23 731