Defending the Faith: Defending the Faith: John Whitmer's testimony endures

Why does this matter? John Whitmer's testimony doesn't, by itself, prove the Book of Mormon true. But it is an important indicator pointing in that direction. It greatly strengthens the probability that Joseph Smith actually possessed the plates he claimed to possess and that his claims rest on more than simply personal, subjective hallucination. They involve other people. But there's no evidence for a conspiracy, and, anyway, the bigger a conspiracy is, the more difficult it is to keep it secret and together. Moreover, where did Joseph Smith and his supposed co-conspirators get all that gold?

John Whitmer's testimony contributes to a strong cumulative case for the truthfulness of the Restoration and for God's tangible involvement in it.

Daniel C. Peterson is a native of southern California and received a bachelors degree in Greek and philosophy from BYU. He earned a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures from UCLA after several years of study in Jerusalem and Cairo. He is a professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic at BYU, the editor of the twice-annual FARMS Review, and the author of several books and numerous articles on Islamic and Latter-day Saint topics. Peterson is also director of outreach for BYU's Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. He spent eight years on the LDS Church's Gospel Doctrine writing committee and is the founder and manager of MormonScholarsTestify.org.