It will be interesting now to return briefly to the first ten visions, and learn what effect the testimonies of the eleven witnesses have upon them. Unquestionably, the nine visits of the angel, Moroni, looked to the translation of the sacred plates as well as to the restoration of the fulness of the gospel. On the first night of his appearance to the boy-prophet, the angel showed the boy in vision the hill Cumorah, and the place where the plates were hidden. The next day he met the boy on the sacred hill. Once a year for four years thereafter, the angel and the boy met at the place where the plates lay concealed. And at every meeting of the two, the theme between them was largely the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. It is true that at each ministration of the Angel Moroni, Joseph Smith was alone with him. There were no eyewitnesses. Yet, in the light of the testimony borne by the three, there can be no doubt that the angel did visit the prophet; and in the light of the additional testimony of the eight, there can be no reasonable doubt that the plates were delivered to him. The testimony of the eleven witnesses confirm the story of the visits of the angel Moroni. In this case, too, then, the assertion holds: Not a single important step in the progress of the restoration was taken without corroborative testimony or the presence of witnesses.
In a similar way, the testimonies of the eleven witnesses corroborate the story of the first glorious vision of the Father and the Son. It was in that vision that the boy-prophet first received his call. It was then that he learned that the religious world had gone astray, and that the God of heaven had a great work for him to do. That work was to restore the fulness of the Gospel. But the restoration of the Gospel involved the revelation of the "Book of Mormon," and the translation of the sacred record. Neither the revelation of the book nor the translation of it, could have been accomplished had the first vision been a delusion. In fact, the full subsequent history of the restoration depends upon the authenticity of that vision. It is not too much to say again then, that in the case of the first vision also, the assertion is establised, that, not a single important step in the progress of the restoration was taken without corroborative testimony or the presence of witnesses.
Great weight is thus laid upon the testimonies of the three and the eight. Their solemn declarations confirm the words of the Prophet concerning the opening acts of the restoration. Now, there are those who question the value of the testimonies of these eleven men. They assert that the witnesses were under the influence of the young Prophet—hypnotized by him; or that they were themselves parties to a tremendous fraud. It will be interesting to consider briefly what became of each one of these eleven men, and to learn how they viewed in later life the testimonies they had published to the world.
Oliver Cowdery was born at Wells, Rutland County, Vermont, in October, 1805. He met the Prophet, Joseph Smith, April 5th, 1829, became his scribe during the translation of the Book of Mormon, and was baptized with the Prophet in June, 1829. Oliver Cowdery rose to great prominence in the new Church. It appears, however, that he was possessed of serious weaknesses. In 1838, certain charges were preferred against him before the High Council at Far West. Some of the charges were sustained, and since he did not make satisfactory amends, Oliver Cowdery was excommunicated from the Church. He went thereupon to Michigan to practice law. Once, a fellow practitioner said to him, "Mr. Cowdery, I see your name is attached to this book [the 'Book of Mormon']. If you believe it to be true, why are you in Michigan?" After reading the names of the witnesses, he continued, "Mr. Cowdery, do you believe this book?"
"No, sir," responded Mr. Cowdery, quickly.
"But your name is attached to it," protested his fellow-lawyer, "and you declare here that you saw an angel, and also the plates from which the book purports to be translated; and now you say you don't believe it. Which time did you tell the truth?"
"My name is attached to that book, and what I there have said is true," replied Oliver Cowdery with emphasis. "I did see this; I know I saw it, and faith has nothing to do with it, as a perfect knowledge has swallowed up the faith which I had in the work, knowing, as I do, that it is true."[K]
[Footnote K: "Historical Record," pp. 200, 201.]
And so it was always: Oliver Cowdery never wavered in his testimony. Surely, if he had been under the influence of Joseph Smith at the time of the angelic ministration, he was from under it now. Or if he had connived with Joseph Smith at a monstrous fraud, he was not concerned in it now that he had been cast off by the Church. This one bit of unwilling testimony is alone sufficient to establish the truth of the whole testimony of the three. Oliver Cowdery repented and joined the Church again in 1848, during the troublous days of the expulsion of the Church from Nauvoo. It is worthy of note that these were days of severe tribulation to the Church. Oliver Cowdery could gain nothing by rejoining it then. Moreover, the Prophet was dead. What Oliver Cowdery did in 1848, he did because of the deep conviction of his own soul, and not because of the influence of Joseph Smith. Oliver Cowdery died in 1850. His dying words were a changeless testimony of the divine truth of the "Book of Mormon."
David Whitmer, too, testified unchangeably to the truth of the testimony he had signed and given to the world. David Whitmer was born near Harrisburg, Pa., January 7th, 1805. He was baptized, June, 1829. Like Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer rose to prominence in the Church. Like Oliver Cowdery, he became estranged from the Church. On April thirteenth, 1838, several charges were preferred against him and sustained. Accordingly he was excommunicated from the Church. David Whitmer never at any time returned his allegiance to the Church. Yet, he bore an unchangeable, undying testimony to the divine truth of the "Book of Mormon."