per nature, spoke for half an hour on the harmony between the Bible and the original Book of Mormon, showing how the finding of the plates had been predicted, referring to the innumerable evidences, in the shape of ruins of great cities existing on this continent; of its former occupation by a highly civilized race, reverently declared his solemn conviction of the authenticity of the records in his possession, and closed by denouncing the Latter-Day Saints, of Utah, as an abomination in the sight of the Lord. While he believed implicitly in the original book, he protested against the Book of Covenants, which was simply a compilation of special revelations that Smith and his successors had pretended to have received. Joe Smith, he said, was generally opposed to these revelations, but was freqently importuned by individuals to reveal their duty, and oftimes he was virtually compelled to yield, and in this way the original purity of the faith was tarnished by human invention, and the accepted records of to-day lumbered with a mass of worse than useless rubbish. Should Brigham Young, or any of his infatuated satelites, ever dare to declare any of their interpolations to be from the original tablets, or proclaim that their nicious doctrines or practices were authorized by the true version, then he, David Whitmer, would bring forth the records and confound them. Until that time, he, alone, would be the custodian of the sacred documents. When the question of polygamy was broached, and it was asked if the original Book of Mormon justified the practice, Mr. Whitmer most emphatically replied: "No! It is even much more antagonistic to both polygamy and concubinage than is the Bible. Joe Smith never,to my knowledge, advocated it, though I have heard that he virtually sanctioned it at Nauvoo. However, as I cut loose from him in 1837, I can't speak intelligently of what transpired thereafter." David Whitmer believes in the Bible as implicitly as any devotee alive; and he believes in the Book of Mormon as much as he does in the Bible. The one is but a supplement to the other, according to his idea, and neither would be complete were the other lacking. And no man can look at David Whitmer's face for a half-hour, while he charily and modestly speaks of what he has seen, and then boldly and earnestly confesses the faith that is in him, and say that he is a bigot or an enthusiast. While he shrinks from unnecessary public promulgation of creed, and keenly feels that the Brighamites and Danites, and numerous other ites have disgraced it, yet he would not hesitate, in emergency, to stake his honor, and even his life, upon its reliability. His is the stern faith of the Puritans, modified by half a century of benevolent thought and quiet observation. He might have been a martyr, had he lacked sense and shrewdness to escape the death sentence that was pronounced against him by the high priests of the church he had helped to build. As it is, he is, perhaps, the only living witness of the wondrous revelation made to Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism. David Whitmer was married in Seneca county, New York, in 1830, and was for a number of years an elder in the Church of Christ. To-day he is the proprietor of a livery stable in Richmond, Missouri, owns some real estate, has a handsome balance in the bank, is universally respected by all who know him, and surrounded by children and grand-children, is pleasantly gliding toward the gates of sunset, confident that the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, was also the God of Nephi, whose faithful disciple he has been, and is. He does not believe that all believing in the Book of Mormon, or all adherents to any other faith, will be found among the elect, but that the truly good of every faith will be gathered in fulfillment of prophecy. Neither does he believe that the Book of Mormon is the only record of the lost tribes hidden in the earth, but on the contrary, that the caves hold other records that will not come forth till all is peace, and "the lion and the lamb shall lie down together." Three times has he been at the hill Comorah, and seen the casket that contained the tablets and seer-stone. Eventually the casket had been washed down to the foot of the hill, but it was to be seen when he last visited the historic place. He declares that he has never been a Mormon, as the term is commonly interpreted, but is a firm believer in the Book, in the faith of Christ, and the fulfillment of the prophecies in due time. Some of them have already been fulfilled; for instance, that which declares that the saints shall be driven from city to city, and also the prediction that the twelve apostles shall lead them to the devil. In 1837, David and his brother John, then living in Far West, Missouri, were warned that they must make a confession of their apostacy or be killed, as the leaders of the church were conspiring against them. They determined to accept neither horn of the dilemma, and arranged for flight. At an appointed time John emerged from the back door of his house, gave the preconcerted signal by raising his hat, and hastily mounting horses in waiting, they rode away. John, as clerk of the church, had its records, and Oliver Cowdery bore off the original translation, and eventually transferred it to the keeping of David. Since that memorable day both John and David Whitmer have kept aloof from the so-called Latterday Saints, although firm as ever in the faith as taught by the Book of Mormon. John is a man of fine education, and abundantly able to defend his faith from assaults from any quarter. The testimony of the three witnesses, as translated into different languages and published to the world, is in the following words: Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues and people unto whom this work shall come, that we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken; and we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore, we know of a surety that the work is true. And we also testify, that we have seen the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true; and it is marvelous in our eyes, nevertheless the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. And 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 with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen. OLIVER COWDERY, A citizen of Caldwell county having made public a statement reflecting upon the character of David Whitmer, the latter secured a testimonial, signed by many of the leading citizens of Richmond, where Mr. Whitmer has resided since the year A. D. 1838, certifying, that from a long and intimate acquaintance with him, they knew him to be a man of the highest integrity, and of undoubted truthfulness. In reply to the statement referred to above, and in order to set himself right before the world, Mr. Whitmer published the following: Unto all nations, kindred tongues and people, unto whom these presents shall come: It having been represented by one John Murphy, of Polo, Caldwell county, Missouri, that I, in a conversation with him last summer, denied my testimony as one of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon. To the end, therefore, that he may understand me now, if he did not then, and that the world may know the truth, I wish now, standing as it were in the very sunset of life, and in the fear of God once for all, to make this public statement: That I have never at any time, denied the testimony or any part thereof, which has so long since been published with that book, as one of the three witnesses. Those who know me best well know that I have always adhered to that testimony. And that no man may be misled or doubt my present views, in regard to the same, I do again affirm the truth of all of my statements, as then made and published. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear;' It was no delusion! What is written is written-and he that readeth let him understand. And that no one may be deceived or misled by this statement, I wish here to state, that I do not indorse polygamy or spiritual wifeism. It is a great evil, shocking to the moral sense, and the more so because practiced in the name of religion. It is of man and not of God, and is especially forbidden in the Book of Mormon itself. I do not indorse the change of the name of the church, for as the wife takes the name of her husband, so should the church of the Lamb of God take the name of its head, even Christ himself. It is the Church of Christ. As to the high priesthood, Jesus Christ himself is the last Great High Priest, this too after the order of Melchisedec, as I understand the holy scriptures. Finally I do not indorse any of the teachings of the so-called Mormons, or Latter-day Saints, which are in conflict with the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as taught in the Bible and Book of Mormon; for the same gospel is plainly taught in both of these books as I understand the word of God. And if any man doubt, should he not carefully and honestly read and understand the same before presuming to sit in judgment and condemning the light, which shineth in darkness and showeth the way of eternal life, as pointed out by the unerring hand of God. In the spirit of Christ, who hath said, 'Follow thou me, for I am the life, the light and the way,' I submit this statement to the world. God in whom I trust being my judge, as to the sincerity of my motives and the faith and hope that is in me of eternal life. My sincere desire is that the world may be benefitted by this plain and simple statement of the truth. And all the honor be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen! Richmond, Missouri, March 19, 1881. DAVID WHITMER, SR. Relative to this testimonial, the Richmond Conservator, of March 25, 1881, contained the following editorial: Elsewhere we publish a letter from David Whitmer, Sr., an old and well known citizen of Ray, as well as an endorsement of his standing as a man, signed by a number of the leading citizens of this community, in reply to some unwarranted aspertions made upon him. There is no doubt that Mr. Whitmer, who was one of the three witnesses of the authenticity of the gold plates, from which he asserts that Joe Smith translated the Book of Mormon, (fac simile of the characters he now has in his possession, with the original records) is firmly convinced of its divine origin; and while he makes no effort to obtrude his views or beliefs, he simply wants the world to know that, so far as he is concerned, there is no "variableness or shadow of turning." Having resided here for nearly half a century, it is with no little pride that he points to his past record, with the consciousness that he has done nothing derogatory to his character as a citizen and a believer in the Son of Mary, to warrant such an attack on him, come from what source it may; and now, with the lilies of seventy-five winters crowning him like an aureole, and his pilgrimage on earth well nigh ended, he reiterates his former statements, and will leave futurity to solve the problem that he was but a passing witness of its fulfillment. It is not the part of these pages to comment upon the Book of Mormon, the " golden plates," or the witnesses, as such; we have simply given place to the foregoing as a matter of interest in connection with the history of Ray county. GEOLOGY. RAY COUNTY COAL.* The Lexington coal-bed is occasionally opened at points along the Missouri bluffs, from the east county line to Camden. Above Camden the formations dip strongly west, and the Lexington coal is no longer seen, but it is replaced by higher rocks. Around Richmond, on the waters of Crooked river, the coal is worked at many places. The mines near the east county line are worked by horizontal driftings. * * * *Iron ores and coal fields: Geological survey of Missouri, Raphael Pumpelly, director. The section at Oberholtz, from the hill top down, was as follows: No. 1-68 feet slope. 2-2 feet, equivalent to No. 15 (4 feet limestome: irregularly bedded: gray and drab: sometimes quite nodular: generally coarse grained. Abounds in Chaætetes milleporaceous, contains cylindrica and Athyris subtilita), of Lexington section; color, light drab. 3-31 feet slope. 4-4 feet brown limestone, abounds in Chatetes milleporaceous. 5-9 feet, 2 inches alternations of thin beds of limestone and buff shales, abounding in fossils, including Chonetes mesoloba, Chonetes, Pr. Prattenianus, Hemipronites Crassus and spr. cameratus. 6-2 feet, 4 inches hard, blue limestone in irregular layers: Contains Athyris subtilita. 7-6 inches shale. 8-14 feet coal (Lexington seam) said to increase to 20 inches. 9-2 feet clay. 10-15 feet gentle slope to Missouri bottoms. An analysis of Oberholtz coal by Mr. Chauvenet, gives:— Water.. Volatile. Fixed carbon. Ash..... Color of ash. Sp. gravity. Sulphur WILLIAMS** BANK is seventy-five yards farther west. 11.02 32.48 46.30 10.20 gray. 1.277 4.609 At Howell's, three-quarters of a mile farther west, the coal is sixteen to twenty-two inches thick. An analysis of Howell's coal by Mr Chauvenet, gives: A half mile farther west the above rocks are found lower in the bluffs, with the upper beds exposed, thus: SECTION 174. No. 1-Slope. 2-15 feet drab, sandy shales. *If local names of coal banks, mentioned in this chapter, have been changed, the intelligent reader will, no doubt, remember their locality from the names here used; and will understand, at all events, that only Ray county coal is referred to. |