By Jack H. West, 1954.
Oliver Cowdery left another great testimony. He said he and the Prophet read in the translation of the Book of Mormon in Second Nephi 27:12, as well as other places, the testimony that when that book should come forth in the latter days in its translated form, three special witnesses would testify of its authenticity.
…three witnesses shall behold it, by the powers of God, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; and they shall testify to the truth of the book and the things therein.
And there is none other which shall view it, save it be a few according to the will of God, … (2 Nephi 27:12-13.)
It is strange that there were exactly “a few, that is eight,” more men who testified that they saw these records. You remember that the New Testament tells us the story of how Jesus went to the spirit world and preached to the spirits in prison, and we were told that there were “a few, that is, eight,” that had been saved by water in the time of the flood, (1Peter 3:20.) “…a few, that is eight…” It is interesting, just as a side note, that there were just a “few” more, other than the three special witnesses and the one key witness.
When Joseph and Oliver read this in the translation, Oliver said, “I would like to be one of those special witnesses. Do you think I could?” Joseph gave the answer that he always gave when he was in doubt. “There is one sure way to find out. We will ask God.” He had that kind of confidence.
The Lord answered back that he was to take Oliver, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris and go with them into the woods. If it so be that they were faithful they might be the special witnesses. Oliver testified that they went into the woods and that they did receive a marvelous manifestation, but that a peculiar thing happened first.
They had agreed to pray in a circle, one at a time. As I recall, they had finished praying twice around and were about to start the third round when Martin Harris, according to Oliver’s testimony and Martin’s testimony, said to the Prophet Joseph Smith, “I am sorry Joseph, I am the reason you aren’t receiving an answer.” And he asked for permission to withdraw into another part of the forest.* He did. And then, on the very next prayer, Oliver said a marvelous manifestation broke upon them, and as a result of that manifestation he and others signed the testimony which has been in the forepart of the Book of Mormon for many years.
BE IT KNOWN unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come: That we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken. And we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true. And we also testify that we have seen the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man. [Now note this carefully, in case you haven’t read this recently.] And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true. And it is marvelous in our eyes. Nevertheless, the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen
Oliver Cowdery
David Whitmer
Martin Harris
You remember, we were talking about the testimony of Oliver Cowdery. Oliver had testified that he wanted to be one of the three special witnesses. He went into the woods to pray with Joseph Smith and the others and did become one of the three special witnesses to the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.
One day, long after Oliver’s excommunication, a fellow attorney met Oliver on the street. He had in his hand a Book of Mormon opened to the page where the testimony of the three witnesses was recorded. “I see your name attached to this book as one of its special witnesses.” Let’s get the actual trial testimony of the incident. The prosecution, by the way, brought out this conversation between Oliver and his attorney friend.
Some asked me a moment ago if the prosecution were able to say anything against the book. In nearly three weeks of the mock trial I heard things I didn’t have the least idea existed! I didn’t realize there had been over 1500 books written as commentaries upon the Book of Mormon. Did you know that? And many of those 1500 books have been written specifically against the Book of Mormon.
So the prosecution brought into court things I had never heard of, things which I thought seemed to be very find evidence against the record. But as we got down to the facts of the matter, down to the core of the truth, we found that many times things which seemed to be against the record in testimony boomeranged. They were like that little thing from the land “way down under,” that trails way out some place and seems to be getting somewhere and then turns clear around until it hits the thrower right in the back of the neck. And these poor, young budding attorneys got awfully tired of getting hit right in the back of the neck with the “evidences” they brought into court. Now we have a case in point here: Remember, the opposing attorneys brought this previously mentioned conversation between Oliver Cowdery and his lawyer friend into court as evidence.
The question: “Mr. Cowdery, I see your name attached to this book [the Book of Mormon] as one of its special witnesses. Do you believe this book?”
“No sir.”
Well that hit me like a bolt out of the blue. I thought I had thoroughly searched the life of Oliver Cowdery, and I had found no evidence anywhere of his having denied his testimony. And yet here appeared to be a denial in Oliver’s conversation with his attorney friend.
When we got into the record from which the prosecution had given this quote, I became very curious. And I found, lo and behold, that the one who wrote this denial, in the book they were quoting from, was not the person who was having the conversation with Oliver Cowdery, nor was he present on the occasion. Therefore, it was hearsay, and it would not stand up as evidence in a court of law. Now I was still curious and thought there must be some basis for that story. So I searched in the writings of Oliver Cowdery, and found that he had mentioned this very episode. I then found a letter, written by the other man who was a party to the conversation. He had mentioned it in a letter to a friend.
When we got the full answer, this was it: (Notice the nicety of wording of an attorney.) –“I see your name attached to this book [the Book of Mormon] as one of its special witnesses. Do you believe this book?” The answer did start out “No sir,” but then it went on to say: “My name is attached to this book, and what I then said is true. I did see this, and I know I saw it. Belief and faith has nothing to do with it. A perfect knowledge has swallowed up the belief and faith I formerly had in the work, knowing as I do that the work is true.”
Well you can see how the prosecuting attorney’s wished they had never brought up that point.
Oliver Cowdery asked for readmittance into the Church again in the year 1848, not as a high priest, not as an apostle, in the higher priesthood, but as a deacon in the lower priesthood. He was readmitted to the Church and thousands upon thousands of people heard his ringing testimony.
Even while he was out of the Church, though somewhat bitter toward the Prophet Joseph Smith for having excommunicated him and publicly humiliating him before his friends in the world, Oliver Cowdery never denied his testimony. Some time after his excommunication he was in a court room one day as a practicing attorney. In an effort to defeat Cowdery in his case, a fellow attorney charged, in a derogatory way, that Oliver Cowdery could not be trusted very far because he believed in angels and angelic visitations, as Joseph Smith of the famous “Gold Bible” did. The charge went into the records of the particular case that was on trial, and so Oliver Cowdery stood up, asked that his testimony in turn be put into the records of that law case, and it did get into the records. I have the writings of one who was in that courtroom who was not a member of the Church. This individual said anybody who heard Oliver Cowdery make that beautiful statement in court, and seeing the truth standing out and flashing from his eyes, couldn’t possibly believe that he was untruthful. The people were deeply impressed. Oliver Cowdery was very well thought of. In part, this was his answer to the accusation and the testimony written in the court recorder:
May it please the court and gentlemen of the jury: My brother attorney on the other side has charged me with connection with Joseph Smith and the “Golden Bible”. The responsibility has been placed upon me, and I cannot escape reply. Before God and man I dare not deny what I have said—what my testimony contains, as written and printed on the first page of the Book of Mormon. May it please your Honor and gentlemen of the jury, this I say: I saw the angel and heard the voice from heaven. How can I deny it? It happened in the daytime when the sun was shining brightly in the firmament, not at night when I was asleep. The glorious messenger from heaven, dressed in a white robe, standing above the ground in a glory I have never seen anything to compare with, the sun insignificant in comparison, told us if we denied that testimony there is no forgiveness in this life or in the world to come. How can I deny? I dare not, I will not.
No, Oliver Cowdery never denied his testimony. As a matter of fact, when he was about to go meet his Maker, he drew all those near and dear to him around his bed, and with the very last breath he breathed he breathed on this earth, he testified to the authenticity of the Book of Mormon, and that the golden plates did actually exist.
http://youtu.be/Vde2IGoe6Qw
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