David Whitmer said that the Book of Mormon was not translated by the power of man and not derived from the work of Spaulding.

Date
1887
Type
Book
Source
David Whitmer
Excommunicated
Hearsay
Direct
Late
Reference

David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ by a Witness to the Divine Authenticity of The Book of Mormon (Richmond, MO: David Whitmer, 1887), 10-11

Scribe/Publisher
David Whitmer
People
David Whitmer, Joseph Smith, Jr., Oliver Cowdery, Solomon Spaulding
Audience
General Public
PDF
Transcription

I will say that all who desire to investigate the Spaulding manuscript story will not be obliged to go very far before they will see the entire falsity of that claim. I testify to the world that I am an eye-witness to the translation of the greater part of the Book of Mormon. Part of it was translated in my father’s house in Fayette, Seneca County, N. Y. . . . I will now give you a description of the manner in which the Book of Mormon was translated. 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; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man.

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