Criticism of Mormonism/Books/The Changing World of Mormonism/Chapter 5

Response to claims made in "Chapter 5: The Book of Mormon"


Chapter 4
A FAIR Analysis of:
Criticism of Mormonism/Books
A work by author: Jerald and Sandra Tanner
 Chapter 6

94

Claim
  • Brigham Young claimed that some of the Book of Mormon witnesses doubted that they had ever seen an angel.

Author's source(s)
Response

94

The author(s) make(s) the following claim:

Oliver Cowdery may have had doubts about his testimony.

Author's sources: Times and Seasons 1841 vol. 2, p.482

FAIR's Response

Question: Did Oliver Cowdery ever deny his Book of Mormon witness because he thought that Joseph Smith was a fallen prophet?

There is a wealth of evidence which demonstrates that Oliver never denied his testimony, even after his disagreements with Joseph Smith

As a lawyer, while writing to Phineas Young, Oliver said:

I have cherished a hope, and that one of my fondest, that I might leave such a character, as those who might believe in my testimony, after I should be called hence, might do so, not only for the sake of the truth, but might not blush for the private character of the man who bore that testimony. I have been sensitive on this subject, I admit; but I ought to be so—you would be, under the circumstances, had you stood in the presence of John, with our departed Brother Joseph, to receive the Lesser Priesthood—and in the presence of Peter, to receive the Greater, and looked down through time, and witnessed the effects these two must produce,—you would feel what you have never felt, were wicked men conspiring to lessen the effects of your testimony on man, after you should have gone to your long sought rest.[1]

Surely Oliver's concern for his testimony included his testimony as a witness.

Eventually Oliver left the law practice he had started after leaving the Church, and journeyed to Kanesville, Iowa, with his wife and daughter and finally reunited with the Church in 1848. Before he was baptized he bore his testimony to the congregation that had gathered for a conference.

I wrote, with my own pen, the entire Book of Mormon (save a few pages) as it fell from the lips of the Prophet Joseph, as he translated it by the gift and power of God, by the means of the Urim and Thummim, or as it is called by the book, Holy Interpreters. I beheld with my eyes, and handled with my hands, the gold plates from which it was transcribed. I also saw with my eyes and handled with my hands the Holy Interpreters. That book is true. ...It contains the everlasting gospel, and came forth to the children of men in fulfillment of the revelations of John, where he says he saw an angel come with the everlasting gospel to preach to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. It contains principles of salvation; and if you, my hearers, will walk by its light and obey its precepts, you will be saved with an everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God on high.[2]

Oliver rejoined the Church and prepared to journey to Utah to unite with the main body of the Latter-day Saints but he died while living temporarily in Richmond, Missouri. Oliver Cowdery had contracted tuberculosis. In March 1850, while on his deathbed, Oliver used his dying breaths to testify of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Lucy P. Young, his half-sister, was at his bedside and reported:

Oliver Cowdery just before breathing his last, asked his attendants to raise him up in bed that he might talk to the family and his friends, who were present. He then told them to live according to the teachings contained in the Book of Mormon, and promised them, if they would do this, that they would meet him in heaven. He then said, ‘Lay me down and let me fall asleep.’ A few moments later he died without a struggle.[3]

In November 1881, over 30 years after Oliver's death, his former law partner Judge W. Lang claimed in a letter that Oliver had admitted that the Book of Mormon was a fraud. Lang's letter claimed that the Book of Mormon was derived from the Spalding manuscript by Oliver, and that Sidney Rigdon and Joseph Smith approved the final draft. This claim cannot be considered credible for a number of reasons, among them the fact that the Spalding manuscript bears no resemblance to the Book of Mormon (something even the critics agree with), and the fact that Sidney Rigdon was never associated with Joseph Smith prior to the publication of the Book of Mormon. The basis for Lang's claim seems to be the standard Spalding theory of Book of Mormon authorship.


96

Claim
  • The witnesses to the Book of Mormon were "very gullible." The story of Hiram Page and his stone is used as an example of their gullibility.

Author's source(s)
  • History of the Church, by Joseph Smith, vol. 1, pp.109-10
Response

97

The author(s) make(s) the following claim:

David Whitmer said that God told him to separate himself from among the Latter Day Saints.

Author's sources: An Address to All Believers in Christ, pp. 27-28

FAIR's Response

Question: Did God tell David Whitmer to leave the Church and repudiate Mormonism?

God told David Whitmer to leave Far West one month after he had already been excommunicated from the Church

David Whitmer, one of the Book of Mormon's Three Witnesses, said:

If you believe my testimony to the Book of Mormon; if you believe that God spake to us three witnesses by his own voice, then I tell you that in June, 1838, God spake to me again by his own voice from the heavens, and told me to "separate myself from among the Latter Day Saints, for as they sought to do unto me, should it be done unto them."[4]

and

In June, 1838, at Far West, Mo., a secret organization was formed, Doctor Avard being put in as the leader of the band; a certain oath was to be administered to all the brethren to bind them to support the heads of the church in everything they should teach. All who refused to take this oath were considered dissenters from the church, and certain things were to be done concerning these dissenters, by Dr. Avard's secret band. I make no farther statements now; but suffice it to say that my persecutions, for trying to show them their errors, became of such a nature that I had to leave the Latter Day Saints; and, as I rode on horseback out of Far West, in June, 1838, the voice of God from heaven spake to me as I have stated above.[5]

God did not tell Whitmer to repudiate Mormonism

The quotations cited by the critics are taken from a pamphlet written by David Whitmer near the end of his life. In this pamphlet, called An Address to All Believers in Christ, Whitmer strongly reiterates his testimony of the Book of Mormon and his experience seeing the angel as one of the three witnesses. He then goes on to outline in detail his disagreements with the church and with Joseph Smith, Jr. It was because of these disagreements that Whitmer was ultimately excommunicated. When God told him to leave Far West, he had not been a member of the Church for weeks. God did not tell Whitmer to repudiate Mormonism.

Whitmer's safety in Far West may have been at risk after his excommunication

However, since he remained among the Saints during the month after he was excommunicated, he was at potential risk of harm. Whitmer announced that "the voice of God" told him to "separate [him]self from among the Latter Day Saints" in June 1838, after the formation of Sampson Avard's secret vigilante group. David Whitmer had been excommunicated from the Church more than a month earlier, and his only continued association with the Saints was the fact that he was still living among them in Far West.

Whitmer was not instructed to leave the Church or "repudiate Mormonism," he was instructed (by God) to leave Far West after he was already excommunicated. This was arguably a very prudent course, both for Whitmer's safety and the integrity of the Restoration witnesses. Whitmer's witness of the Book of Mormon and seeing the angel is much more powerful since he forcefully maintained it even after he left the Church and disagreed with Joseph Smith.


97

Claim
  • Joseph said that John Whitmer, David Whitmer, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris are "too mean to mention."

Author's source(s)
  • History of the Church 3:232
Response
  • Despite the violent disagreement between Joseph and these apostates, none denied their testimony.
  • Why would Joseph risk angering men who he knew could expose his fraud, unless he knew their witness too strong to deny?
  • Book of Mormon witnesses
  • Eight witnesses

97

Claim
  • Joseph said derogatory things about David Whitmer.

Author's source(s)
  • History of the Church 3:228.
Response
  • Despite the violent disagreement between Joseph and David, Whitmer continued bearing his testimony for decades of the Book of Mormon.
  • Why would Joseph risk angering men who he knew could expose his fraud, unless he knew their witness too strong to deny?
  • Book of Mormon/Witnesses

97

Claim
  • The dissenters received a threatening letter before being driven out of Far West.

Author's source(s)
  • Senate Document 189, Feb. 15, 1841 pp. 6-9
Response

98

Claim
  • Oliver Cowdery was accused of being involved in counterfeiting.

Author's source(s)
  • History of the Church 3:16
  • A History of the Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri From 1836 to 1839, p.146-147
Response
  • Jesus was accused of many crimes too; would the Tanners condemn Him? Historical figures should be innocent until proven guilty.
  • Oliver became a respected and successful lawyer. Why was he not charged for this crime? Why was he respected if suspected of such a crime?
  • This is more ad hominem, and the Tanners never provide the evidence of what the witnesses said and did.
  • Book of Mormon witnesses—None recanted
  • Book of Mormon/Witnesses

99

Claim
  • Oliver Cowdery joined a Methodist church after his excommunication.

Author's source(s)
  • New Era, Jan. 1969, p. 56
Response
  • Oliver never renounced his testimony. A religious Christian, he probably preferred to worship somewhere than nowhere at all. Latter-day Saints believe there is much good in other faiths.
  • Oliver returned to the Church, and continued to affirm his testimony until his death.
  • Book of Mormon witnesses—None recanted
  • Book of Mormon/Witnesses

99-100

Claim
  • Some of the Book of Mormon witnesses later followed James Strang, and, according to the authors, "their testimony is recorded in almost the same way that the testimony of the eleven witnesses is recorded in the Book of Mormon."

Author's source(s)
  • James Strang, Gospel Herald, January 20, 1848
  • William E. McLellin, The Ensign of Liberty, Kirtland, Ohio, April, 1847
  • John Whitmer's History, p.23
  • Latter-Day Saints' Millennial Star, vol. 8, pp.124-28
Response
  • The witnesses never bore the kind of testimony about Strang as they did about seeing and handling the plates.
  • James Strang

103

Claim
  • Martin Harris changed his religion thirteen times. The authors claim that Richard Anderson was "forced to acknowledge that Martin Harris' life shows evidence of 'religious instability'."

Author's source(s)
  • Richard L. Anderson, Improvement Era, March 1969, p.63
  • E. Cecil McGavin, The Historical Background for the Doctrine and Covenants, p.23, as cited in an unpublished manuscript by LaMar Petersen
Response
  • Harris managed to frustrate many other religious groups by his continued insistence on preaching the Book of Mormon instead of their tenets. He eventually returned to the Church and died in full fellowship.
  • Book of Mormon witnesses—Character

108

Claim
  • Martin Harris said that he saw the plates with his "spiritual eyes."

Author's source(s)
  • Marvin S. Hill, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Winter, 1972, pp.83-84.
Response

108

Claim
  • David Whitmer said that he "handled the plates," but that he "did not touch nor handle the plates."

Author's source(s)
  • Saints Herald, 1882
Response

108

Claim
  • Martin Harris said that the eight witnesses never saw the plates.

Author's source(s)
  • Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Winter, 1972, pp. 83-84
Response

109

Claim
  • No visions actually occurred in the Kirtland Temple. William McClellin claimed that there was "no endowment."

Author's source(s)
  • William McClellin, Ensign of Liberty, Kirtland, Ohio, March 1848, p.69
Response
  • The Tanners are again arguing without any evidence.
  •  History unclear or in error: To do this, they must ignore a mound of first person contemporaneous testimony.
  • Kirtland Temple dedication
  • Steven C. Harper, "Pentecost Continued: A Contemporaneous Account of the Kirtland Temple Dedication," Brigham Young University Studies 42 no. 2 (2003), 4–.
  • Milton V. Backman, Jr., The Heavens Resound: A History of the Latter-day Saints in Ohio, 1830–1838 (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Co., 1983), 309–. ISBN 0877479739 GospeLink

111

Claim
  • Material from the Presbyterian "Westminster Confession" is "probably" the source for Alma 40.

Author's source(s)
  • Westminster Confession; Alma 40
Response

114

Claim
  • Joseph is claimed to have copied the name "Nephi" from the Apocrypha.

Author's source(s)
  • Authors' opinion.
Response

115

Claim
  • The story of Moses leading the children of Israel out of Egypt is claimed to be the source for the book of 1 Nephi.

Author's source(s)
  • Authors' opinion.
Response
  • Assertion is not an argument. The Tanners need evidence.
  • If this is so, where is the parting the sea? The ten plagues? The earth opening up to swallow the rebellious? Water from a rock? Manna from heaven? Joseph ignored the best, most dramatic parts.
  • Nephi consciously modeled his family on the Israelites, so some parallels are to be expected—only an initial belief that the book is a forgery makes this argument work. It is circular.
  • Book of Mormon/Plagiarism accusations/King James Bible

115

Claim
  • The Book of Mormon quotes Malachi many years before it was written.

Author's source(s)
Response

116

Claim
  • The story of Lazarus being raised from the dead is a source for the story of Ammon.

Author's source(s)
  • Authors' opinion.
Response

118

Claim
  • The story of Alma was taken from the story of Paul.

Author's source(s)
  • Authors' opinion.
Response

119-121

Claim
  • The Book of Mormon contains material found in the New Testament.

Author's source(s)
Response

122

Claim
  • In the Book of Mormon, Jesus quotes a paraphrase of Moses' words found in Acts 3:22-26, rather than Deuteronomy 18:15, 18-19.

Author's source(s)
Response

123

Claim
  • The Greek terms "Alpha" and "Omega" appear in the Book of Mormon. Bruce R. McConkie says they are used "figuratively."

Author's source(s)
Response

124

Claim
  • The Book of Mormon contains the Greek name Timothy.

Author's source(s)
Response

125

Claim
  • Joseph Smith's mother said that he used to entertain them with stories about the ancient inhabitants of the American continent before he translated the Book of Mormon.

Author's source(s)
  • History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, 1954 ed., p.83
Response

127

Claim
  • B.H. Roberts concluded that the book View of the Hebrews could have provided a structural foundation for the Book of Mormon.

Author's source(s)
Response

127

Claim
  • B.H. Roberts listed a number of parallels between View of the Hebrews and the Book of Mormon.

Author's source(s)
Response

128

Claim
  • The Book of Mormon may have used Josiah Priest's book The Wonders of Nature as a source.

Author's source(s)
  • Authors' opinion.
Response

128-129

Claim
  • The Book of Mormon contains changes that altered the original meaning of the text.

Author's source(s)
  • Authors' opinion.
Response

132

Claim
  • According to Oliver B. Huntington, the proper spelling of words was given by the Lord. The authors quote from Huntington's journal as follows:

Saturday Feb.25, 1881, I went to Provo to a quarterly Stake Conference. Heard Joseph F. Smith describe the manner of translating the Book of Mormon ... Joseph did not render the writing on the gold plates into the English language in his own style of language as many people believe, but every word and every letter was given to him by the gift and power of God.... The Lord caused each word spelled as it is in the book to appear on the stones in short sentences or words, and when Joseph had uttered the sentence or word before him and the scribe had written it properly, that sentence would disappear and another appear. And if there was a word wrongly written or even a letter incorrect the writing on the stones would remain there.... and when corrected the sentence would disappear as usual.

Author's source(s)

  • "Journal of Oliver B. Huntington," p.168 of typed copy at Utah State Historical Society.

Response

  •  History unclear or in error: So far as is known, only the first spelling of proper names was controlled in the translation of our current Book of Mormon text.
  • Book of Mormon/Translation/Method


133

Claim
  • Members of the Church have claimed that the Smithsonian uses the Book of Mormon in archaeological research.

Author's source(s)
  • Letter written by Earnest L. English on May 3, 1936, that the authors claim "distributed to LDS church members by leaders (local) in Cleveland, Ohio in 1959."
Response

139

Claim
  • Some Mormon archaeologists have begin to "face the truth" regarding Book of Mormon archeology by declaring that it is a "myth."

Author's source(s)
  • Dee Green, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Summer 1969, pp.76-78
Response

140-141

Claim
  • Mormon archaeologist Thomas Stuart Ferguson lost his testimony because he couldn't find any archaeological evidence for the Book of Mormon.

Author's source(s)
  • Visit by Thomas Stuart Ferguson to the authors on December 2, 1970.
Response
  • Thomas Stuart Ferguson
  • Ferguson was not an archaeologist; he was an amateur with an inaccurate idea of what archaeology could accomplish.

141-142

Claim
  • Lehi would never have written using an Egyptian language. Jewish scriptures could not have been written in Egyptian.

Author's source(s)
  • M.T. Lamb, The Golden Bible, pp.89-91.
Response

144

Claim
  • None of the characters on the Anthon transcript bear any resemblance to known hieroglyphics found in the New World. There is not such language as "Reformed Egyptian."

Author's source(s)
  • Letter from John A. Wilson to Marvin Cowan dated March 16, 1966.
  • Letter from Richard A. Parker to Marvin Cowan, dated March 22, 1966).
Response
  1. ↑ Oliver Cowdery to Phineas Young, 23 March 1846, Oliver Cowdery Collection, "Scriptory Book of Joseph Smith Jr." (kept by George W. Robinson), 22, LDS Church Historical Department (published in Scott H. Faulring, ed, An American Prophet's Record.— The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1989), emphasis in original; cited in Scott H. Faulring. “The Return of Oliver Cowdery”, FARMS Featured Paper, no date.
  2. ↑ Andrew Jenson, LDS Biographical Encyclopedia (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Company, 1901), 1:246.
  3. ↑ Andrew Jenson, LDS Biographical Encyclopedia (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Company, 1901), 1:246.
  4. ↑ David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ by a Witness to the Divine Authenticity of The Book of Mormon (David Whitmer: Richmond, Virginia, 1887).
  5. ↑ David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ by a Witness to the Divine Authenticity of The Book of Mormon (David Whitmer: Richmond, Virginia, 1887).
Retrieved from "https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/answers/index.php?title=Criticism_of_Mormonism/Books/The_Changing_World_of_Mormonism/Chapter_5&oldid=127580"