Book of Mormon witnesses

The Book of Mormon witnesses are people who were a group of contemporaries of Joseph Smith who claimed to have seen the golden plates from which Smith translated the Book of Mormon. The most significant witnesses were the Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses, all of whom allowed their names to be used on two separate statements included with the Book of Mormon and church leaders contend that the witnesses never denied their accounts. Critics have challenged the nature and reliability of the accountshttps://www.deseretbook.com/product/5089770.html?srsltid=AfmBOoo7ppikPRgXthS57gQSn44QApUTV-HBAlVOVaPuroqD_GZ4mocY

The Eight Witnesses were closely tied to the Whitmer and Smith families. By 1838, four of the eleven witnesses (Harris, John Whitmer, Cowdery, David Whitmer) were excommunicated from the early church, while others disaffected. Despite breaking with Joseph Smith, none of the witnesses denied their testimonies, Cowdery and Harris later returned to the Church, while David Whitmer continued to maintain his testimony until his death. Others, such as Emma Smith and Mary Whitmer, also reportedly had spiritual or physical experiences with the plates. 

NameDate of birthPlace of birthOccupationDeathChristian Whitmer18 January 1798 
(Age 31)Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaShoemaker, law enforcement officer27 November 1835
Clay County, MissouriJacob Whitmer89x89px27 January 1800
(Age 29)Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaShoemaker21 April 1856
Richmond, MissouriPeter Whitmer, Jr.27 September 1809
(Age 19)Fayette, New YorkTailor22 September 1836
Clay County, MissouriJohn Whitmer89x89px27 August 1809
(Age 20)Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaFarmer11 July 1878
Far West, MissouriHiram Pagec. 1800 (Age 29)VermontPhysician12 August 1852
Excelsior Springs, MissouriJoseph Smith, Sr.97x97px12 July 1771
(Age 58)Topsfield, MassachusettsFarmer, schoolteacher14 September 1840
Nauvoo, IllinoisHyrum Smith84x84px9 February 1800 
(Age 29)Tunbridge, VermontFarmer, schoolteacher27 June 1844
Carthage, IllinoisSamuel H. Smith80x80px13 March 1808
(Age 21)Tunbridge, VermontFarmer27 July 1844
Nauvoo, IllinoisOliver Cowdery80x80pxOctober 3 1806
(Age 22)Wells, Vermontschool teacherhttps://www.josephsmithpapers.org/person/oliver-cowdery3 March 1850
Richmond, MissouriMartin Harris80x80px18 May 1783
(Age 45-46)Easton, New YorkFarmer10 July 1850
Clarkston, Utah TerritoryDavid Whitmer80x80px7 January 1805
(Age 24https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/answers/Question:_Did_David_Whitmer_ever_deny_his_Book_of_Mormon_witness_because_he_thought_that_Joseph_Smith_was_a_fallen_prophet%3F#:~:text=When%20another%20anti%2DMormon%20published,had%20never%20denied%20that%20testimony)Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaFarmerhttps://witnessesofthebookofmormon.org/three-witnesses/david-whitmer/biography25 January 1888
Richmond, Missouri

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