This is a post from December of last year, just after I started reading the Book of Mormon again---it was on an old blog of mine, but I wanted to include it here as well:
December 31, 2009:
I've just started reading the Book of Mormon again, and listening to a podcast of BYU's Book of Mormon Roundtable Discussions (available here). One of the things mentioned in the Introductory podcast is that when you combine the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Three Witnesses (Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris), and the Eight Witnesses (Christian Whitmer, Jacob Whitmer, Peter Whitmer, Jr., John Whitmer, Hiram Page, Joseph Smith, Sr., Hyrum Smith, and Samuel H. Smith), you have twelve individual witnesses of the Book of Mormon's validity and divine origin.
Another interesting point is that the testimony of Eight Witnesses nicely complements the testimony of Three Witnesses. The Eight saw the plates with their own eyes in broad daylight. Joseph Smith showed the plates to them; they hefted them, turned the leaves, and examined the engravings with their own eyes. The testimony of the Eight is completely derived from what they were able to observe naturally through their physical senses---almost a scientific observation, confirming that the plates did, in fact, exist, and looked exactly like Joseph said they looked.
In contrast the testimony of Three Witnesses was derived from a spiritual experience---the three testified that they saw the engravings on the plates "by the power of God, and not of man." An angel from God came down from heaven and showed them the plates, and they heard the voice of God testify of the truthfulness of the record and the translation.
Critics who believe in God, but have trouble accepting the Book of Mormon could claim that Joseph fabricated what looked like gold plates and deceived the Eight into thinking that they had actually seen an ancient record. But what then of the testimony of the three, who claim to have heard the voice of God declaring that the record was true and the translation correct, and to whom the plates were shown, not by Joseph Smith, but by an angel? And those critics who deny God and the supernatural could claim that the Three were simply hallucinating must somehow explain how Joseph came up with the heavy gold plates that were shown to eight men in broad daylight. In this way the physical testimony of the Eight, and the spiritual testimony of the Three are mutually reinforcing and and strengthen each other against attack from various perspectives.
The text of the Testimony of the Three Witnesses is especially compelling to me (read it here), in part because each man who so testified never denied his testimony, even when that testimony required leaving possessions and family behind, and even when they were disaffected with the Prophet Joseph and could have recanted their testimony in order to hurt him or the Church. Each went to his grave affirming that what he had said years before was true.
Of course none of this proves to anyone that the Book of Mormon is true. But hopefully these Book of Mormon witnesses create enough room to believe that we are willing to try the experiment and find out for ourselves. I'm looking forward to renewing my own witness of the book as I start reading again.
December 31, 2009:
I've just started reading the Book of Mormon again, and listening to a podcast of BYU's Book of Mormon Roundtable Discussions (available here). One of the things mentioned in the Introductory podcast is that when you combine the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Three Witnesses (Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris), and the Eight Witnesses (Christian Whitmer, Jacob Whitmer, Peter Whitmer, Jr., John Whitmer, Hiram Page, Joseph Smith, Sr., Hyrum Smith, and Samuel H. Smith), you have twelve individual witnesses of the Book of Mormon's validity and divine origin.
Another interesting point is that the testimony of Eight Witnesses nicely complements the testimony of Three Witnesses. The Eight saw the plates with their own eyes in broad daylight. Joseph Smith showed the plates to them; they hefted them, turned the leaves, and examined the engravings with their own eyes. The testimony of the Eight is completely derived from what they were able to observe naturally through their physical senses---almost a scientific observation, confirming that the plates did, in fact, exist, and looked exactly like Joseph said they looked.
In contrast the testimony of Three Witnesses was derived from a spiritual experience---the three testified that they saw the engravings on the plates "by the power of God, and not of man." An angel from God came down from heaven and showed them the plates, and they heard the voice of God testify of the truthfulness of the record and the translation.
Critics who believe in God, but have trouble accepting the Book of Mormon could claim that Joseph fabricated what looked like gold plates and deceived the Eight into thinking that they had actually seen an ancient record. But what then of the testimony of the three, who claim to have heard the voice of God declaring that the record was true and the translation correct, and to whom the plates were shown, not by Joseph Smith, but by an angel? And those critics who deny God and the supernatural could claim that the Three were simply hallucinating must somehow explain how Joseph came up with the heavy gold plates that were shown to eight men in broad daylight. In this way the physical testimony of the Eight, and the spiritual testimony of the Three are mutually reinforcing and and strengthen each other against attack from various perspectives.
The text of the Testimony of the Three Witnesses is especially compelling to me (read it here), in part because each man who so testified never denied his testimony, even when that testimony required leaving possessions and family behind, and even when they were disaffected with the Prophet Joseph and could have recanted their testimony in order to hurt him or the Church. Each went to his grave affirming that what he had said years before was true.
Of course none of this proves to anyone that the Book of Mormon is true. But hopefully these Book of Mormon witnesses create enough room to believe that we are willing to try the experiment and find out for ourselves. I'm looking forward to renewing my own witness of the book as I start reading again.
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