Was it that or more like they weren’t asked and probably hoped that folks would simply “forget” and not accuse them of intentionally “fibbing”. I know that I don’t know many people who would impugn their own honor–too embarrassing and there may be legal problems.
I think I might have figured out why they didn’t deny their testimony of the Book of Mormon. Here is some info I found on Wikipedia, I know it isnt the best place but I assume it presents the general facts:After the assassination of Joseph Smith in 1844,
several rival leaders claimed to be Smith’s successor, including Brigham Young, Sidney Rigdon, and James J. Strang. Many of Rigdon’s followers became disillusioned by 1847 and some, including Apostle William E. M’Lellin and Benjamin Winchester,
remembered Whitmer’s 1834 ordination to be Smith’s successor. At M’Lellin’s urging,
Whitmer exercised his claim to be Smith’s successor and the Church of Christ (Whitmerite) was formed in Kirtland, Ohio. However, Whitmer never joined the body of the new church and it dissolved relatively quickly.
Around this time, fellow Book of Mormon witness Oliver Cowdery, began to correspond with Whitmer. After traveling from Ohio to Kanesville (Council Bluffs),
Cowdery met in the Kanesville Tabernacle meeting, called to sustain Brigham Young as the new President of the Church; Cowdery bore his testimony with a conviction to the truthfulness of everything that had happened spiritually with Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. Meeting with Young at Winter Quarters, Nebraska,
he requested readmission into the Church, where he was re-baptised into the church. Cowdery then travelled to meet with Whitmer in Richmond, to persuade David Whitmer to move west with him to rejoin the Saints in Utah. While staying with Whitmer, however, Cowdery succumbed to consumption [teburculosis] and died.
Whitmer continued to live in Richmond and in 1867, he was elected to fill an unexpired term as mayor (1867–1868). **In 1876, Whitmer again asserted his claim to be the successor of Joseph Smith **and organized a second Church of Christ (Whitmerite).
In 1887, he published a pamphlet entitled An Address to All Believers in Christ, in which he affirmed his testimony of the Book of Mormon, but denounced The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsUtah in . At the end of his life, Whitmer ordained a nephew to be his successor. David Whitmer died January 25, 1888 in Richmond. The Whitmerite church survived until the 1960s.
If the general information presented here is true then what we see is the framework for a great hoax gone wrong. There is infighting that erupts after Smith dies with various men claiming succession. .
From Cowdery’s Wiki page it says he was excommunicated for fighting with Smith over who was to lead. An odd fight for someone to pick if someone really believed Joseph Smith to be supreme prophet of God. From the above quote I can envision that Cowdery struck a deal with Brigham Young and would use his “testimony” to support Brigham Young’s party. In exchange Cowdery would receive a new high office in the future, but a year after being readmitted he died of teburculosis.
IF the general information above is true then we have a pretty strong idea why Whitmer never denied the plates, it would destroy his OWN CLAIM to LDS Church leadership which he apparently maintainted till his death. What is deceptive about LDS claims that Whitmer never denied testimony of the plates is that they leave out the fact Whitmer denounced the LDS in Utah and claimed himself to be leader.
From the Wiki Page on the Third Witness, Martin Harris, it appears Harris originally supported James Strang. And later Harris supported Whitmer’s claim to the leadership role. After a life of mindless wandering through various religions he was left in poverty and accepted a “free room and board” deal if he would come home to Utah and affirm his ‘testimony’.
So, if this is true, the question of “why did they maintain their testimony to the BOM despite the fact they each were kicked out of the LDS Church” is not so much of a mystery. Each used this testimony as a tool to exercise power later on.
