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Questions
It is claimed that because most of the witnesses are related to teach other, their witness is not to be trusted.
To see citations to the critical sources for these claims, click here
Answer
Sectarian critics are often guilty of a double standard on this score, since many of Jesus' apostles were likewise closely related.
Detailed Analysis
Relationships among the Three and Eight Witnesses
Three of the witnesses were related to Joseph Smith:
- Joseph Smith, Sr. [father]
- Hyrum Smith [brother]
- Samuel H. Smith [brother]
Five of the eleven witnesses were sons of Peter Whitmer, Sr., who had provided Joseph and Oliver a place to translate:
- David Whitmer
- Christian Whitmer
- Jacob Whitmer
- Peter Whitmer, Jr.
- John Whitmer
Two of the witnesses married into the Whitmer family:
- Oliver Cowdery would marry Elizabeth Ann Whitmer in 1832.[1]
- Hiram Page married the oldest Whitmer daughter, Catherine, on 10 November 1825.[2]
The final witness was Martin Harris, who had funded the Book of Mormon's publication, and acted as the first scribe prior to the loss of the 116 pages.
Thus, the critics were certainly correct when they pointed out that most of the witnesses were related to one another. But, this is essentially an ad hominem attack—they are seeking to discredit the witnesses on illegitimate grounds.
Notes
- ↑ Richard Lloyd Anderson, "Oliver Cowdery," in Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 4 vols., edited by Daniel H. Ludlow, (New York, Macmillan Publishing, 1992), 3:338.
- ↑ Susan Easton Black, Who’s Who in the Doctrine and Covenants (Salt Lake: Deseret Book, 1997), 208.