Saturday, April 1, 2023

John Whitmer and Joseph Smith being the "author and proprietor of the Book of Mormon"

John Whitmer, History 1831-circa 1847, p. 94, reads as follows (strikethrough has been removed):

 

James Js Strang a Prophet Seer <&> Revelator unto my church for thou shalt shurly die a martor, thy Cup is bitter &c Shortly after this appointment of Strangs the mob gathered and took by Strategem Joseph & Hyrum Smith conveyed them to Carthage the Seat of Justice in & for the Co. of Caldwell. <Hancock> as if to try them by the law of the land, but insted of trying them by the law of the land for their crimes they murdered them & thus the Lords annointed fell by the brutal hand of men. & they are gone the way of all the earth. & Strangs Reigns in the place of Smith the author and proprietor of the Book of Mormon

 

Such shows that John Whitmer and early LDS did not believe that Joseph Smith being called the “author and proprietor” of the 1830 Book of Mormon did not mean it was anything but a translation of an ancient document.


Further Reading:


The 1830 Book of Mormon listing Joseph Smith as “Author and Proprietor”