Ether 5

5:1-6 - This is a super short chapter, only 6 verses, but the IM has quite a bit on the subject. Moroni says that he feels that he’s “written the words which were commanded me, according to my memory.” Moroni starts this chapter giving instructions to Joseph Smith, kind of like “ok I’ve done my part, so let me tell you what you have to do now.” I know that we’ve discussed before that ancient prophets prayed for Joseph Smith and for his success, so it would make sense that if they prayed for him, they also gave him advice and instruction, if they thought they’d be able to relay it, which Moroni clearly would have. Also I think we talked about how Moroni tutored Joseph Smith way more than we know, right after my 400th post, a guy I go to church with told me a story of when Joseph, Emma, and a couple of other people were riding in a wagon once, and a man walked past them, in era-style clothing, hat and beard and once the wagon past the man, Joseph Smith told his traveling companions “that was Moroni.” Just a story, interesting, but if it is true, and I have no reason to believe that it’s not, they were very familiar with each other, which would make sense. If the Lord had an angel by his side while in the garden of Gethsemane, then it would make sense that the mortal and flawed Joseph Smith would have extensive help from heaven performing his immense task. The IM says, “Moroni held ‘the keys of the record of the stick of Ephraim.’ In Ether 5, Moroni addressed the future translator of the Book of Mormon, even though nearly 14 centuries would elapse before the Prophet Joseph Smith would read his words.”” This same friend also explained some things about the stick of Judah and the stick of Ephraim, but I didn’t really understand what he was saying. In addition to commanding the person who would translate the plates to not translate the sealed portion, it is also revealed that “ye may be privileged that ye may show the plates unto those who shall assist to bring forth this work; and unto three shall they be shown by the power of God; wherefore they shall know of a surety that these things are true.” Here is where I don’t know a ton, but I have had this debate with someone very close to me who was disputing the testimony of the witnesses saying that they said that they saw the plates “with an eye of faith,” which is super vague, but apparently this person was contesting that the witnesses never actually saw the plates, they just had a revelation or something like that, but reading these accounts, that’s not true at all, they did actually see the plates. The IM teaches, “Ether 5:2 refers to those ‘that ye (Joseph Smith) may show the plates unto,’ specifically the Eight Witnesses. Verses 3-4 refer to ‘three’ who would see the plates ‘by the power of God,’ which is a specific reference to the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon. Verse 4 also states that the word ‘shall stand as a testimony,’ showing that the Book of Mormon itself is a witness. This same verse also shows that the Godhead are witnesses of the Book of Mormon. Ether 5:2-4 specifically refers to the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon. In June of 1829 the Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation ‘that three special witnesses would be designated… Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris were moved upon by an inspired desire to be the three special witnesses.’ We have the testimony of the Three Witnesses in the introductory pages of the Book of Mormon. Of these Three Witnesses, Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated: ‘The solemn written testimony of three witnesses to what they saw and heard- two of them simultaneously and the third almost immediately thereafter- is entitled to great weight. Indeed, we know that upon the testimony of one witness great miracles have been claimed and accepted by many religious people, and in the secular world the testimony of one witness has been deemed sufficient for weighty penalties and judgments. Persons experienced in evaluating testimony commonly consider a witness’s opportunity to observe an event and the possibility of his bias on the subject. Where different witnesses give identical testimony about the same event, skeptics look for evidence of collusion among them or for other witnesses who could contradict them. Measured against all of these possible objections, the testimony of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon stands forth in great strength. Each of the three had ample reason and opportunity to renounce his testimony if it had been false or to equivocate on details if any had been inaccurate. As is well known, because of disagreements or jealousies involving other leaders of the Church, each one of these three witnesses was excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by about eight years after the publication of their testimony. All three went their separate ways, with no common interest to support a collusive effort. Yet to the end of their lives- periods ranging from 12 to 50 years after their excommunications- not one of these witnesses deviated from his published testimony of said anything that cast any shadow on its truthfulness. Furthermore, their testimony stands uncontradicted by any other witnesses. Reject it one may, but how does one explain three men of good character uniting and persisting in this published testimony to the end of their lives in the face of great ridicule and other person disadvantage? Like the Book of Mormon itself, there is no better explanation than is given in the testimony itself, the solemn statement of good and honest men who told what they saw… Witnesses are important, and the testimony of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon is impressive and reliable.’” It seems like the testimony of the Three Witnesses, and then the Eight Witnesses later, is much more than needs to be provided for something to have existed. It’s interesting that this message came from Elder Dallin H. Oaks and that he says “Persons experienced in evaluating testimony” because he’s a lawyer, and not just a regular old lawyer, like all the other Apostles, he’s accomplished and revered in his craft. He is a graduate of both BYU and the University of Chicago Law School, he also “practice law and taught law in Chicago.” He was president of BYU for 9 years and then a Utah Supreme Court justice for 4 years. So yeah, I think that if we needed the opinion of someone who was considered an expert at witness testimony, it would be him. But he’s more invested in the testimony of the Three Witnesses because according to his April 1999 general conference talk entitled “The Witness: Martin Harris,” we learn that “Martin Harris’s older brother, Emer, who is my great-great- grandfather… baptized about 100 persons. Among those baptized was a family named Oaks, which included my great-great-grandfather. Thus, my middle name and my last name come from the grandfathers who met in that missionary encounter in Susquehanna County in 1832-33.” So apparently, and I didn’t know this before right now, Elder Dallin Harris Oaks bears the name of one of the Three Witnesses, therefore he would not only have the motivation to more fully understand the witness testimony but would also have the expertise to do so. Later in the talk referenced by the IM, we learn of a talk given by Martin Harris in the Tabernacle shortly before his death, in which “over 35 persons left similar personal accounts of what he told them during this period. One reported Martin saying, ‘It is not a mere belief, but is a matter of knowledge. I saw the plates and the inscriptions thereon. I saw the angel, and he showed them unto me.’ When he reiterated his testimony of the Book of Mormon in the closing days of his life, Martin Harris declared, ‘I tell you of these things that you may tell others that what I have said it true, and I dare not deny it; I heard the voice of God commanding me to testify to the same.’” We know that he saw them, he saw the writings on them, he saw the angel holding the plates, and he heard the voice of God commanding him to testify of the truthfulness of these things. In the Church manual Our Heritage, chapter 2 we have David Whitmer’s account of the witness event, saying, “We went out into the woods, near by, and sat down on a log and talked awhile. We then kneeled down and prayed. Joseph prayed. We then got up and sat on the log and were talking, when all at once a light came down from above us and encircled us for quite a little distance around; and the angel stood before us.’ This angel was Moroni. David said that he ‘was dressed in which, and spoke and called me by name and said ‘Blessed is he that keepeth His commandments.’ A table was set before us and on it the records were placed. The Records of the Nephites, from which the Book of Mormon was translated, the brass plates, the Ball of Directions, the sword of Laban and other plates.’ While the men were viewing these things, they heard a voice that said: ‘These plates have been revealed by the power of God, and they have been translated by the power of God. The translation of them which you have seen in correct, and I command you to bear record of what you now see and hear.’ Soon after this event, Joseph Smith showed the plates to eight additional witnesses, who handled them in a secluded setting near the Smith family home in Manchester, New York. The testimonies of both groups of witnesses are recorded at the beginning of the Book of Mormon.” I didn’t realize that the witnesses were also shown the sword of Laban, the Liahona, and other things. The angel, Moroni, must have brought the table with him, which would make sense. This reminds me by another event that happened in the early translation of the Book of Mormon as described in the talk "Martin Harris and Three Wise Men" where Richard E. Bennett taught that Joseph Smith had “transcribed some of the characters as a sort of alphabet or reference guide.” Martin Harris was the main scribe at the time and “for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the resentment of his wife, Lucy, at his growing involvement, Harris persuaded Joseph to let him take the transcription to New York City… ‘to submit them to men of learning for their inspection.’… According to Anthon’s own accounts, Harris first visited Mitchill, who wrote him a letter referring him to Anthon, who in turn ‘stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyric, and Arabic; and he said they were true characters… and that the translation of such of them as had been translated was also correct.’ However, when Harris said that an angel had given Joseph the book, Anthon tore up the certificate, vehemently denied the possibility of heavenly manifestations, and told Harris to bring him the plates, which he would translate. When Harris replied he could not do so and that parts of the plates were sealed, Anthon brusquely responded, ‘I cannot read a sealed book.’ Harris promptly returned to Mitchill, ‘who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and the translation.’ Sometime later this entire episode cane to be interpreted as fulfilling Isaiah 29:11, which speaks of ‘the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed.’ Whatever else Harris gleaned from these leading scholars, they confirmed his beliefs and encouraged him to devote him time, energy, and resources to the translation and publication of the Book of Mormon. If he left Palmyra wondering and inquiring, Harris returned supporting and defending.” I had heard bits and pieces of this story but didn’t know the whole thing. It makes sense that Anthon would not want his name associated with any kind of outlandish statements, this is an example of what happens when people don’t defend the faith, this is what people do when they know something but don’t want to have anything to do with it. This is what would have happened if any of the witnesses decided that they didn’t want to participate in the restoration, or if they wanted out of the speculation. Finally, in the book “Heroic Mormon Women,” There is the story of Mary Whitmer, “mother of witnesses to the Book of Mormon… She was the first and only woman to see the gold plates from which the Prophet Joseph translated the Book of Mormon. One morning after Joseph Smith, his wife Emma, and Oliver Cowdery came to live with the Whitmers in Fayette, New York, to complete the translation of that Nephite record, Mary Whitmer was going out to the shed to milk the cows. She was met by Moroni, the angel who delivered the plates to the Prophet, who said to her: ‘You have been very faithful and diligent in your labors, but you are tired because of the increase of your toil; it is proper therefore that you should have a witness that your faith might be strengthened.’ The angel then showed her the plates. He turned the leaves one by one. There were held together with three rings. David Whitmer, her son, reported: ‘My father and mother had a large family of their own; the addition to it of Joseph, his wife Emma, and Oliver, very greatly increased the toil and anxiety of my mother. And although she never complained, she had sometimes felt that her labor was too much. This circumstance, however, completely removed all such feelings and nerved her up for her increased responsibilities.’” These are all incredible accounts, definitely witness enough to substantiate the claims of those who made them, but all in all, it doesn’t matter, the witnesses and the stories are there to strengthen our faith and maybe start the process of asking questions, but ultimately, there will never be enough witnesses to satisfy those who won’t ask God for themselves, and no witnesses are necessary for those do. I would just like to add my testimony to that of others, I’ve never seen the gold plates, I haven’t wielded the sword of Laban, but I know that the Book of Mormon was written by numerous prophets on the American continent centuries ago. I know that the writing of this book was commanded of the Lord and that it’s coming forth is by the power of God. I know that it was written for our benefit, to convince us to come unto Christ and have joy and eternal life. I know that if we study it with real intent, truly desiring to learn and grow and understand, then the Lord will teach us and tutor us and we will draw closer to him. I am eternally grateful for all the work and effort that was put into bringing forth the Book of Mormon so my welfare, I am eternally grateful.