eleven chosen witnesses view the plates—their unimpeachable testimony—restoration of the melchisedec priesthood by disciples of our lord—the apostleship conferred—other baptisms—the translation completed.
after establishing himself at the house of david whitmer, and early in the month of june while engaged in translating, joseph was instructed that three special witnesses should be blessed of god with a revelation of the truth of the book and should be permitted to examine the plates. this was, also, in fulfillment of predictions published in the book of mormon. when this promise became known to oliver cowdery and david whitmer, they begged that they might be numbered among the three witnesses. while they were still making their petitions for this favor, martin harris came to fayette. impelled by repentance and a desire to gain forgiveness, he had followed joseph. martin humbled himself in prayer to god and solicited the entreaties of joseph in his behalf. joseph joined with martin in praying to heaven that his humility and contrition might be accepted and that he might be received again into favor. the lord answered joseph that if martin continued faithful and humble, and refused to be led away again by evil counsels or the vanity of the world, his sins would be forgiven. then martin, learning that witnesses were to be chosen to behold the plates of gold, bearing the engraved record, and to give testimony to all the world concerning this work of god, most penitently and anxiously solicited that he might be one of the witnesses with oliver cowdery and david whitmer. much supplication was offered by these three men; and joseph prayed to the lord on their behalf. soon the prophet received a reply that through prayer and humility, oliver and david and martin should witness this manifestation of the power of god; that they should view the plates of gold upon which were written the sacred records; that they should see the urim and thummim—the breast-plate of gold, and also the seer-stones which were given to the brother of jared upon the mount, when he talked with the lord face to face; and that they should be permitted to behold the sword of laban, which nephi carried away from jerusalem. after this promise was given in a revelation through the prophet, he and his three fellow-servants, oliver cowdery, david whitmer and martin harris, withdrew into a retired spot in the woods, and there bowed themselves in humble prayer. joseph first offered a supplication to the lord and he was followed by the others in succession; all asking that the witnesses might be purified and forgiven before heaven and be permitted to view the plates and the other treasures. at first they received no manifestation of divine favor; and they contritely and fervently repeated their solicitations. still there came no answer. martin harris then arose and confessed that his presence was the cause of their failure. he said that he realized, through the whispering of the spirit, that his presence was objectionable because of the sins he had formerly committed, and that the lord designed this as a rebuke to him and an admonition that he must continue to humble himself before heaven. he proposed that he should withdraw to a little distance, beyond the sight of his companions, and engage in silent prayer; while they should continue their joint supplications for the favor of god.
after martin was gone, the others knelt down again and engaged once more in prayer. while they were beseeching the heavens, a light of exceeding brightness changed the shadowed air above their heads into wondrous brilliancy, and soon descended around about them. within a pillar of radiance stood the angel holding the treasures in his hands. he turned over the leaves of the unsealed portion of the record one by one, and displayed to the gaze of oliver and david the golden plates. so bright was the light that they could plainly discern the engraved characters. the angel also showed to them the other promised treasures. while the light was still about them, the voice of heaven declared to them the divinity of the work of which they were the witnesses. and after they had been admonished to be forever faithful to the testimony bestowed upon them, the vision withdrew.
joseph left oliver and david engaged in thanksgiving to god for his infinite mercy, while he hastened away to find martin harris. at a little distance, still within the wood, joseph discovered martin praying hopelessly. he had not been able to obtain an answer to his supplication, and he earnestly entreated joseph to join with him in his appeal to the lord. meekly they prayed to god; and at length came an answer in the renewal of the vision. once more the holy personage descended in dazzling brightness and exhibited to martin the plates and the other treasures as they had been shown to oliver and david. and again the voice of heaven gave testimony and admonition. so great was the glory of the vision that martin harris had not strength to long sustain his ecstasy; and he fell upon his face, crying,
"it is enough! mine eyes have beheld of the glories of god!"
all the witnesses then returned with the prophet to the house of peter whitmer. later they gave to the world the testimony which has since gone forth with the book of mormon: declaring to all nations, kindreds, tongues and people that through the grace of god the eternal father and his son jesus christ, they had seen the plates containing the holy record; that an angel of god came down from heaven and laid before their eyes the plates; that they beheld the engraving thereon; and that the voice of god had declared unto them for a surety that the holy record was true and had been faithfully translated; and to this testimony they added the solemn words:
"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 eternally with him in the heavens."
the great happiness which the three witnesses experienced in thus being permitted to view the sacred treasure, and the great desire they evinced from this hour to aid the work of the lord, made joseph anxious that others who were worthy might, in part at least, participate in that blessing. he therefore obtained permission from the lord, to show the plates of gold to eight other faithful persons: christian whitmer, jacob whitmer, peter whitmer, jr., john whitmer, hiram page, joseph smith, sen., hyrum smith and samuel h. smith. and these men also gave to the world a testimony which has linked their names forever with the book of mormon and the cause of christ. they saw, and testified to seeing, the plates of gold and the engravings of curious workmanship upon them. and they closed their simple declaration with these words:
"and we give our names unto the world to witness unto the world that which we have seen; and we lie not, god bearing witness of it."
at length the translation was completed, and joseph and his friends arranged to have the book printed. a contract was made with egbert b. grandin, of palmyra, wayne county, new york. and soon this sublime work, which details the history of the peoples who anciently inhabited the continents of north and south america; which describes the dealings of god with the nations of the past upon these lands; and which recounts the ministrations of christ in this part of his vineyard after his crucifixion at jerusalem, was opened to the gaze of the world. it is a marvelous book and a wonder. its pages portray the history of powerful nations which flourished for hundreds and even thousands of years; and yet, despite the brevity of the work, this history is more complete and graphic than any that was ever penned by the unaided hand of man. the book also contains a record of a sublime system of religion and religious government, as perfect as any enjoyed by man upon this earth.
after the work of translation was ended, joseph recommitted his charge to the care of the angel of the record; and moroni received it back into his keeping, to bring forth the yet unsealed portions of it only when god shall so decree.
joseph, and oliver under the prophet's direction, labored assiduously to spread the truth among the people. and, though the powers of evil were often manifested against them, they still were blessed with much success. they had not waited for the completion of the work of translation in order to engage in preaching. they felt that the command was already definite, and that the need of the world was urgent. as they became more acquainted with the glorious truths which had been opened to their minds through the bestowal of the aaronic priesthood upon them, they became eager to obtain a better understanding of the work of god and to enjoy further blessings and gifts in accordance with the promise made to them.
some time in the month of june, 1829, peter, james and john, the ancient disciples of our lord and savior, and who, under him, held the keys of that dispensation, appeared in glory to joseph and conferred upon him the apostleship to which they themselves had been ordained by the lord jesus while in mortality. then these holy personages ordained oliver to the same priesthood. after they had departed, joseph re-ordained oliver, and also accepted a re-ordination himself at oliver's hands. thus was the melchisedek priesthood in purity and power again received on earth. the gift of the holy ghost was sealed upon the heads of the prophet and his fellow-servant, and they enjoyed its fullness of blessing. a momentous revelation soon followed from the lord; directed not only to joseph, but to oliver cowdery and david whitmer, making known the calling of the apostles of the last dispensation and bestowing instructions concerning the building up of the church of christ, according to the fullness of the gospel.
so passed some months of blessing and industry. truth was constantly developed by study and reflection upon god's goodness and the mysteries of his kingdom through the aid of revelation from him. much time was also given to inquiring acquaintances and strangers who came to seek for light. whenever any person, being convinced of the truth of the mission to which joseph smith had been called, solicited baptism at the hands of the apostles, if joseph became convinced of the sincerity and worthiness of the applicant, the ordinance was administered in faith and power. it never failed to produce its promised result.
emma, the wife of the prophet, had remained in pennsylvania. after the manuscript translation had been placed in the printer's hands, joseph found time to visit his wife. as fast as the truth was made known to him through revelation, he communicated it unto her; he desired that she might partake with him of the gifts which heaven was bestowing. he paid two or three visits to harmony during the autumn of 1829, and the succeeding winter; while oliver, under joseph's direction, gave close attention to the printing and publishing of the book of mormon. early in the spring of 1830, the work was completed and the first edition of the book was given to the world.
and at this time the hour was come for the establishment, after the order revealed by god, of the church of christ once more upon the earth.
