Smith’s mother, Lucy, never saw the plates for Joseph warned her that to look at them meant instant death. . Emma, Smith’s wife, claimed she “saw” the plates but they were covered by a cloth. . Martin Harris, who was Joseph’s secretary in the writing down of the translation, never got the chance to really see the plates although the two men worked in the same room. Joseph gave Harris the same warning: that the wrath of God would strike him down if he tried to see the plates. Joseph claimed that one day he received a revelation from God that he must have three witnesses to prove the authenticity of the plates. (Doctrine & Covenants Sec. 5). Joseph chose Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris and David Whitmer. He took the three men out into the woods where supposedly an angel showed them the plates. . Martin Harris was later questioned by a lawyer: “Did you see the plates with your bodily eyes?” Harris replied: “I did not see them as I do that pencil case, yet I saw them with the eyes of faith.” (The Confusion of Tongues, Chas. W. Ferguson p. 371) All three men told different stories as to what actually happened in the woods. All three later quarreled with Smith and left the church. Joseph described them as liars, forgerers, slander-bearers and thieves. Joseph even claimed that in July of 1828 he had received a revelation from God in which the Almighty described Martin Harris as wicked.
.Yes, what part of my statement that none of them recanted their story even after they had left the church seemed to have escaped your attention, Bill?
As well, you are making some pretty sweeping statements…not to mention taking a whole lot of stuff out of context.
For instance, Martin Harris left–you forgot to mention that he came BACK. They hold a pageant in his honor every other summer in Cache Valley, where he spent the last years of his life. (Mormons will hold pageants, plays, musicals and performances for any excuse at all…
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You also neglected to mention that Martin Harris left the place where the other two (Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer) were, because he was feeling guilty about something; he saw the plates later, and in a different manner. Cowdery, who left and came back a year and a half before he died, and Whitmer, who left the church and did NOT come back, were adamant to the end of their days that they were shown the plates by an angel.
However, it is the eight witnesses who testified that they were shown the plates by Joseph Smith Jr.
They wrote this:
Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come: That Joseph Smith, Jun., the Author and Proprietor of this work, has shewn unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which have the appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said Smith has translated we did handle with our hands; and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient work, and of curious workmanship. And this we bear record with words of soberness, that the said Smith has shewn unto us, for we have seen and hefted, and know of a surety that the said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken. And we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we have seen. And we lie not, God bearing witness of it.
Not one of them ever recanted that statement, even though several of them left the church or were excommunicated, as well. In fact, the Whitmer family became rather strong enemies of the church; the sort of ex-member that some of us are familiar with. Even so, they went to their graves insisting that they had, indeed, seen and handled those plates that 'had the appearance of gold."
But, as I have written elsewhere, those plates could be handed over to the finest forensic experts, and authenticated every way it is possible to authenticate them, and it would still be insufficient proof that Mormonism is ‘true’ to someone who prefers that it not be true.
After all, look at Judas; he was with Jesus constantly; we may never know why he did what he did. There are a great many theories about that. The bottom line, though, is that even though he was with Christ all the time, witnessed the miracles and HAD to know Who Christ was, he still did what he did. Why? Because he had a different idea about things and refused to accept that which was in front of him until it was too late.
Peter had a problem with that, too. Look at what HE did…and Thomas.
In fact, look at all the apostles…when all that Christ asked of them was to stay awake with Him in the garden of Gethsemane? People will refuse to believe in the face of overwhelming evidence, but will believe the most empirically unprovable things upon the witness of the Holy Ghost given quietly to their hearts.
