Elder Edward Stevenson in a letter dated Feb. 16, 1886, and addressed to Pres. D. H. Wells, writes:

"After my visit to Independence I took a run down to Lexington Junction, 42 miles from Kansas City, and up the Lexington Railroad five miles to Richmond, Ray County, Mo., and called on David Whitmer, desiring to see once more the only surviving witness of the visitation of the angel who commanded him with others to bear record of the truth of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and this Gospel dispensation of the nineteenth century. Eight years ago I visited him, and 52 years ago I heard him bear his testimony, as also Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris, when I was only a boy 14 years of age, and I am a witness that each time their testimony has been by the power of God, that thrills through the whole system like a two-edged sword. David Whitmer is now just past 81 years of age, and only by a hair's breadth has escaped from a death bed. He is very feeble, his frame weighing less then one hundred pounds. In this his last testimony be said to me, 'As sure as the sun shines and I live, just so sure did the angel appear unto me and Joseph Smith, and I heard his voice, and did see the angel standing before us, and on a table were the plates, the sword of Laban, and the ball or compass.' Although so weak and feeble, yet he fired up, so that after a time I was necessarily obliged to check him and let him rest, while in turn I talked to him."