010 What is the Best External Evidence for the Book of Mormon?
May 9, 2023
auto_awesome
The discussion revolves around the vital testimony of the Three and Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon. These individuals, despite their later challenges with the Church, never denied their experiences, adding credibility to Joseph Smith's claims. The complexities of the translation process and the weight of eyewitness statements are explored, underscoring the intertwining of faith and evidence. Personal reflections on the lives of key witnesses, like David Whitmer, emphasize their consistent accounts and the emotional weight of their testimonies.
The collective testimonies of the Three and Eight Witnesses provide compelling external evidence supporting the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon's claims.
Witnesses' individual experiences were uniquely orchestrated by God, enhancing the credibility of Joseph Smith's accounts and the authenticity of the Book of Mormon text.
Despite personal challenges and leaving the church, the unwavering affirmations of the witnesses throughout their lives strengthen the foundation for belief in the Book of Mormon's divine origins.
Deep dives
The Importance of Witnesses
The collective testimonies of the three and eight witnesses of the Book of Mormon serve as compelling external evidence for its truthfulness. These individuals had premeditated and orchestrated experiences that align with God's intentions, which lends credibility to Joseph Smith's claims and the authenticity of the Book of Mormon text. Even after facing personal challenges, including leaving the church, none of the witnesses ever denied their experiences, which is significant in assessing the validity of their testimonies. Their unwavering declarations throughout their lives provide a strong foundation for belief in the miraculous events surrounding the Book of Mormon's origin.
The Miraculous Translation Process
The translation of the Book of Mormon, completed by Joseph Smith in approximately 60 working days, has raised questions regarding its authenticity due to its extraordinary speed and complexity. The text demonstrates various literary features, such as detailed calendar systems, geographical references, and intricate chiasms, suggesting divine inspiration rather than human authorship. Critics have proposed alternative theories to explain its origins, including plagiarism and mental illness, but these naturalistic explanations fail to account for the miraculous context of the translation. Thus, the rapid creation of the text, combined with its intricate details, suggests the involvement of divine aid.
The Nature of Evidence and Faith
The interplay between evidence and faith is a significant aspect of belief in the divine origins of the Book of Mormon. While miracles and divine manifestations are essential to faith, empirical evidence provided by the witnesses strengthens believers' convictions without removing the need for faith. The testimonies of the three and eight witnesses serve as critical external evidence of both the existence of the plates and the authenticity of the translation process. This relationship between evidence and faith invites individuals to engage with their beliefs while acknowledging that faith itself is often grounded in the unseen.
Individual Experiences of the Witnesses
Each witness had a unique experience that contributed to their collective testimony, reinforcing their convictions about the Book of Mormon's truth. For instance, the three witnesses—Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris—testified about seeing an angel and handling the plates, as confirmed by Joseph Smith's accounts. Martin Harris, particularly known for his passionate affirmations, often used physical objects in his analogies to emphasize the reality of his experiences. On the other side, the eight witnesses had different encounters, handling the plates directly and affirming their material existence without invoking supernatural elements, thus creating a robust framework of credible testimony.
Unbroken Testimonies Despite Trials
Throughout their lives, both the three and eight witnesses maintained their testimonies despite various trials, even after leaving the church. Their consistent affirmations lend significant weight to their claims of witnessing the plates and experiencing divine involvement in the Book of Mormon's translation. Notably, David Whitmer and Martin Harris, who faced personal conflicts and challenges, still boldly attested to what they had seen, reinforcing the authenticity of their experiences. The fact that many of these witnesses continued to affirm their testimonies under difficult circumstances illustrates their deep commitment to what they claimed to have experienced firsthand.
Aside from the text of the Book of Mormon itself and a personal witness from God’s Spirit, what is the best evidence for the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon? Different people might answer this question in different ways, but in today’s episode of Church History Matters Casey and Scott propose that the very best external evidence for the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon is the collective testimony of the Three and Eight Witnesses. Their experiences appear to have been premeditated, anticipated, and orchestrated by God in order to help the rest of us have reason to pause and take seriously both Joseph Smith’s testimony and, most importantly, the primary evidence of the text of the Book of Mormon itself. In every copy of the Book of Mormon ever published, the written witnesses of these three and eight have been printed for all to consider.
And it’s true that several of these eleven men either left the Church because of difficulties with Joseph Smith or were excommunicated from it, yet none of them ever denied the reality of their experience as a Book of Mormon witness. In this episode we discuss why this matters.
