In addition to the testimony of the Three Witnesses and the testimony of the Eight Witnesses to the fact that Joseph Smith was in possession of the Nephite plates, the Urim and Thummim and the breast plate, I present also the testimony of persons who may be said to have become acquainted with these facts in an incidental way.
When the strong sympathy and mutual2 confidence subsisting3 between the Prophet and his mother, Lucy Smith, is taken into account, it would be more than passing strange if she did not in some substantial way have personal knowledge of her son being in possession of the Nephite plates, and the things found with them. That she had this knowledge appears in the sequel. In 1845, while residing at Nauvoo "Mother Smith," as she was affectionately called by the Saints, dictated4 her memoirs5 to Mrs. Martha Jane Knowlton Coray, which are now published under the title History of the Prophet Joseph, by his Mother, Lucy Smith.[1] In her account of her son's movements on the night of the 21st, and the morning of the 22nd of September, 1827—the day Joseph Smith obtained possession of the Nephite record—Lucy Smith states that in consequence of having visitors at their home—these visitors were Mr. Joseph Knight6 and Mr. Josiah Stoal—she was detained until past midnight of the 21st, in her domestic duties; that while so engaged Joseph came to her and asked if she had a chest with a lock and key. She surmised7 instantly for what use he wanted it, for evidently the family knew the appointed time had come to secure the plates. A few minutes after this Emma Smith, the Prophet's wife, passed through the room, dressed for riding, and a few minutes later she and Joseph departed with the horse and wagon8 of one of their guests, Mr. Joseph Knight. The family was astir early in the morning and Mr. Knight was somewhat exercised on finding his horse gone, and Mother Smith did not feel at liberty to say who had taken him. Meantime the Prophet Joseph returned with the horse and wagon. And now the statement of the Prophet's mother:
I trembled so with fear, lest all might be lost in consequence of some failure in keeping the commandments of God, that I was under the necessity of leaving the room in order to conceal9 my feelings. Joseph saw this, and said, "Do not be uneasy, mother, all is right—see here I have got a key." I knew not what he meant, but took the article of which he spoke10 into my hands, and examined it. He took it again and left me, but said nothing respecting the record. * * * * That of which I spoke, which Joseph termed a key, was indeed, nothing more nor less than the Urim and Thummim, and it was by this that the angel showed him many things which he saw in vision; by which also he could ascertain11, at any time, the approach of danger, either to himself or the record, and on account of which he always kept the Urim and Thummim about his person.[2]
After relating the particulars about the Prophet bringing home the plates and securing them, she makes the following statement:
Soon after this, he came in from work, one afternoon, and after remaining a short time, he put on his great coat, and left the house. I was engaged at the time, in an upper room, in preparing some oilcloths for painting.[3] When he returned, he requested me to come down stairs. I told him that I could not leave my work just then; yet, upon his urgent request, I finally concluded to go down and see what he wanted, upon which he handed me the breast plate spoken of in his history. It was wrapped in a thin muslin handkerchief, so thin that I could feel its proportions without any difficulty. It was concave on one side and convex on the other, and extended from the neck downwards12, so far as the center of the stomach of a man of extraordinary size. It had four straps13 of the same material, for the purpose of fastening it to the breast, two of which ran back to go over the shoulders, and the other two were designed to fasten to the hips14. They were just the width of two of my fingers, (for I measured them), and they had holes in the end of them, to be convenient in fastening. After I had examined it, Joseph placed it in the chest with the Urim and Thummim.[4]
I next call attention to a statement made by Parley15 P. Pratt concerning an item of experience when performing a brief mission among some branches of the Church in western New York, in company with the Prophet Joseph. He says:
Arriving in Geneseo, we met with the other elders who had started from Kirtland on the same mission, and with others who were local, and held a general conference. Among those whose hospitality we shared in that vicinity (Geneseo) was old Father Beaman and his amiable16, interesting family. He was a good singer, and so were his three daughters; we were much edified17 and comforted in their society, and were deeply interested in hearing the old gentleman and Brother Joseph converse18 on their early acquaintance and history. He [Beaman] had been intimate with Joseph before the first organization of the Church; and assisted him in preserving the plates of the Book of Mormon from the enemy, and had at one time had them concealed19 under his own hearth20.[5]
In consequence of the worldly circumstances of his father, the Prophet was under the necessity, at times, of finding employment away from home. In the month of October, 1825, he hired with an old gentleman by the name of Josiah Stoal, who lived in Chenango county, in the state of New York, and was put to work, with other hands, by the old gentleman, to search for a silver mine which the traditions of the neighborhood said had been opened by the Spaniards near Harmony, Susquehanna county, state of Pennsylvania. It was here that the Prophet made the acquaintance of the Knights21, who were well-to-do-farmers and millers22 in that neighborhood. It appears from all the circumstances that the Prophet took Josiah Stoal and Joseph Knight into his confidence,[6] as to the time when he was to receive the plates of the Book of Mormon, and hence their presence at the Smith residence on the morning of the 22nd of September, 1827. Messrs. Knight and Stoal had business at Rochester, New York, and in leaving their home in Chenango county, so timed their journey that they arrived at the Smith residence on the 20th of September and remained there for a number of days;[7] and were not only present when Joseph Smith obtained the records, but were there when he brought them to the house a day or two later. And now the testimony of Mr. Stoal. Under date of December 19, 1843, a Mrs. Martha L. Campbell, writing to the Prophet Joseph Smith, at the request of Mr. Stoal, and for him, says:
Brother Smith:—
By request of Brother Stoal I now sit down to write you. He is quite unwell, and is sometimes fearful that he cannot stand it through the winter, and wishes me to say to you that he wants your prayers and the prayers of all the Saints for the recovery of his health to enable him to gather among the Saints; and he also wishes to know if you could receive him as a brother. He says he shall come out [to Nauvoo] next spring if he lives and has health to endure the journey. He says if he remains23 as well as [at] present he shall venture to start. He says he has never staggered at the foundation of the work, for he knew too much concerning it. If I understood him right he was the first person that took the plates out of your hands the morning you brought them in, and he observed, Blessed is he that sees and believeth, and more blessed is he that believeth without seeing, and he says he has seen and believeth. He seems anxious to get there [to Nauvoo] to renew his covenants24 with the Lord.[8]
The whole letter is of interest, but this is the only part bearing upon the Book of Mormon, and is referred to as testimony for this reason: It is a wholly undesigned incident in connection with the coming forth25 of the work, and is one which occurs under circumstances that render it of first rate importance as testimony. It is a fact directly stated in the history of Mother Lucy Smith that Josiah Stoal and Joseph Knight were guests at the homestead of the Smiths from the 20th to the 24th, or 25th of September, 1827; and now a letter written on December 19, 1843, sixteen years later, without any design whatever of corroborating26 the fact of Lucy Smith's statement, also says that Josiah Stoal was at the Smith residence, and that he received the plates from the hands of the Prophet, on the occasion of his bringing them home, remarking at the time, "Blessed is he that seeth and believeth, and more blessed is he that believeth without seeing." So there can be no question but what Josiah Stoal had the most palpable evidence that Joseph Smith had the Nephite record; and sixteen years afterwards, though he had neglected his privileges as a member of the Church, and had not followed her fortunes, yet he reaffirms his faith in the work which the Book of Mormon may be said to have inaugurated, and declares that he has "never staggered at the foundation of the work, for he knew too much concerning it." That is, he had too strong evidence of the reality of those facts in which the work had its origin to doubt their truth.
I have laid much stress, but not without good reason, upon the direct testimony of the Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses to the truth of the Book of Mormon; and, of course, their testimony must forever stand as of first importance in the direct external evidences of the book, but I confess also that this incidental testimony appeals strongly to me, and when I think how in harmony it all is with the circumstances surrounding the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, to my mind it wonderfully strengthens the direct statements of the other Witnesses.
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1
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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subsisting
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| v.（靠很少的钱或食物）维持生活，生存下去( subsist的现在分词 ) | |
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dictated
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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memoirs
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| n.回忆录；回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数) | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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surmised
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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9
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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10
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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11
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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12
downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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13
straps
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| n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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14
hips
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| abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的 | |
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15
parley
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| n.谈判 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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edified
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| v.开导，启发( edify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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millers
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| n.（尤指面粉厂的）厂主( miller的名词复数 )；磨房主；碾磨工；铣工 | |
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23
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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covenants
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| n.（有法律约束的）协议( covenant的名词复数 )；盟约；公约；（向慈善事业、信托基金会等定期捐款的）契约书 | |
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25
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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corroborating
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| v.证实，支持（某种说法、信仰、理论等）( corroborate的现在分词 ) | |
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