Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints<\/a> for many decades when he died in Richmond, Missouri, on 25 January 1888. But he wanted his testimony about the Book of Mormon to be heard even beyond his death. Note the two books (presumably the Bible and the Book of Mormon) carved atop his grave marker and the words carved into its side: \u00a0\u201cThe record of the Jews and the record of the Nephites are one. \u00a0Truth is eternal.\u201d
(Public domain photograph by Tom Denardo, from Wikimedia Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
William E. McLellin was chosen as one of the Twelve Apostles in 1835, but was excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1838. \u00a0However, he never abandoned his faith in the Book of Mormon, and one of the pillars of his faith rested upon his early, searching interviews with the witnesses to that book. \u00a0He was a highly intelligent man (and, it seems, a rather irascible one), and he was very careful and intent upon getting at the truth. \u00a0He left a number of statements on his investigations. \u00a0This one comes from a previously unpublished manuscript that he wrote between January 1871 and January 1872. \u00a0I find it fascinating:<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
In 1833, when mobbing reigned triumphant in Jackson Co. Mo. I and O. Cowdery fled from our homes, for fear of personal violence on Saturday the 20th day of July. \u00a0The mob dispersed, agreeing to meet again on the next Tuesday. \u00a0They offered eighty dollars reward for any one who would deliver Cowdery or McLellan in Independence on Tuesday. \u00a0On Mond[a]y I slipped down into the Whitmer\u2019s settlement, and there in the lonely woods I met with David Whitmer and Oliver Cowdery. \u00a0I said to them, \u201cbrethren I have never seen an open vision in my life, but you men say you have, and therefore you positively know. \u00a0Now you know that our lives are in danger every hour, if the mob can only\u00a0only<\/del>\u00a0catch us. \u00a0Tell me in the fear of God, is that book of Mormon true? \u00a0Cowdery looked at me with solemnity depicted in his face, and said, \u201cBrother William, God sent his holy angel to declare the truth of the translation of it to us, and therefore we\u00a0know. \u00a0And though the mob kill us, yet we must die declaring its\u00a0truth.\u201d \u00a0David said, \u201cOliver has told you the solemn truth, for we could not be deceived. \u00a0I most truly declare\u00a0declare<\/del>\u00a0to you its truth!!\u201d \u00a0Said I, boys I believe you. \u00a0I can see no object for you to tell me false <hood> now, when our lives are endangered. \u00a0Eight men testify also to handling that sacred pile of plates, from which Joseph Smith <read off the> translation that heavenly Book.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nOne circumstance I\u2019ll relate of one of these eight witnesses. \u00a0While the mob was raging in Jackson Co. Mo. in 1833 some young men ran down Hiram Page <in the woods> one of the eight <witnesses,> and commenced beating and pounding him with whips and clubs. \u00a0He begged, but there was no mercy. \u00a0They said he was <a> damned Mormon, and they meant to beat him to death! \u00a0But finally one then said to him, if you will deny that damned book, we will let you go. \u00a0Said he, how can I deny what I\u00a0know\u00a0to be true? \u00a0Then they pounded him again. \u00a0When they thought he was about to breathe his last, they said to him, Now what do you think of your God, when he dont save you? \u00a0Well said he, I believe in God\u2013Well, said one of the most intelligent among them, I believe the damned fool will stick to it though we kill him. \u00a0Let us let him go. \u00a0But his life was nearly run out. \u00a0He was confined to his bed for a length of time. \u00a0So much for a man who knows for himself. \u00a0Knowledge is beyond faith or doubt. \u00a0It is positive certainty.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nI in company with <a> friend, <I> visited one of the eight witnesses <in 1869>\u2013he only one who is now alive, and he bore a very lucid and rational testimony, and gave us many interesting particulars. \u00a0He was a young man when he had those testimonies. \u00a0He is\u00a0now<\/del><was then> sixty eight years old, and still he is firm in his faith. \u00a0Now I would ask what will I do with such a cloud of faithful witnesses, bearing such a rational and yet solemn testimony? \u00a0These men while in the prime of life, saw the vision of the angel, and bore their testimony to all people. \u00a0And eight men saw the plates, and\u00a0handled\u00a0them. \u00a0Hence these men all knew the things they declared to be positively true. \u00a0And that too while they were young, and now when old they declare the same things.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
These paragraphs come from Mitchell K. Schaefer, ed.,\u00a0William E. McLellin\u2019s Lost Manuscript<\/em>\u00a0(Salt Lake City: Eborn Books, 2012), 166-167. \u00a0The editorial marks (and McLellin\u2019s curious misspelling of his own name) and the occasional omitted word are all faithfully reproduced and double-checked.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
The witness whom McLellin visited in 1869 must have been John Whitmer, who died in 1878.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 \u00a0 William E. McLellin was chosen as one of the Twelve Apostles in 1835, but was excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1838. \u00a0However, he never abandoned his faith in the Book of Mormon, and one of the pillars of his faith rested upon his early, searching interviews with the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[56,259,8924,7914,918,5691,8930,8933,3016,8927,8918,8921,313,8936,5688,7917,6963,5349,921],"class_list":["post-83325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-book-of-mormon","tag-book-of-mormon-witnesses","tag-cowdery","tag-david","tag-david-whitmer","tag-eight-witnesses","tag-hiram","tag-hyrum","tag-john","tag-john-whitmer","tag-mclellin","tag-oliver","tag-oliver-cowdery","tag-page","tag-three-witnesses","tag-whitmer","tag-william","tag-william-mclellin","tag-witnesses"],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/a>