DiscussMormonism.com

I testify that about August 2012 while reading threads on the Mormon discussion forum I found a thread which directed me to the following two websites:
http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperDetai ... t-1829?p=1
http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperDetai ... t-1829?p=1
At the time the websites contained a photocopy of what claimed to be of the actual witness statements by the three and eight witnesses. In examination of the eight person witness statement, or specifically the signatures of the Whitmers on the statement all of the signatures appeared to me to have a similarity indicating to me that they were all signed by the same person.

Can't see it. :( The link just opens a blank page on the JSP site.

try these links...
Testimony of Three Witnesses, late June 1829
Testimony of Eight Witnesses, late June 1829

as the source note explains, this is merely the Book of Mormon Printer's Manuscript, in Oliver Cowdery's hand.

it does not pretend to be the original signed statement of the witnesses (if there ever was one).

palerobber wrote:try these links...
Testimony of Three Witnesses, late June 1829
Testimony of Eight Witnesses, late June 1829

as the source note explains, this is merely the Book of Mormon Printer's Manuscript, in Oliver Cowdery's hand.

it does not pretend to be the original signed statement of the witnesses (if there ever was one).

Thanks! That works and answers my unasked question.

sleepyhead wrote:I testify that about August 2012 while reading threads on the Mormon discussion forum I found a thread which directed me to the following two websites:
http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperDetai ... t-1829?p=1
http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperDetai ... t-1829?p=1
At the time the websites contained a photocopy of what claimed to be of the actual witness statements by the three and eight witnesses. In examination of the eight person witness statement, or specifically the signatures of the Whitmers on the statement all of the signatures appeared to me to have a similarity indicating to me that they were all signed by the same person.

The signatures of the Smiths involved also appear to have been made by the same hand. They are at least as similar as those of the Whitmers involved, especially when it comes to the handwriting of the last name in each case.

Having seen this, I would really like to know if there was an original copy actually signed by all of the witnesses.

palerobber wrote:try these links...
Testimony of Three Witnesses, late June 1829
Testimony of Eight Witnesses, late June 1829

as the source note explains, this is merely the Book of Mormon Printer's Manuscript, in Oliver Cowdery's hand.

it does not pretend to be the original signed statement of the witnesses (if there ever was one).

Thanks palerobber,

I didn't realize that this was a printers manuscript. I withdraw my testimony.

There are no witness pages in the Bible. Example: "I Aaron do swear that Moses talked to the Lord, I personally heard it. Pray about it and see if God doesn't back me up... "

Does the Church have the actual copy? "The Church" in any of its various forms? LDS, FLDS, Reformed/Community of Christ, Strangites, Hedrekites, AUB and/or all the others descended from the madness of Joseph?

If so, has there been any checking as to whether any of the signatures were not by separate individuals?

Hello zelph,

After I saw the printers copy of the witnesses statement I decided to communicate with the community of Christ (as superwimp). Rgill wrote:

"Today approximately 25 percent of the text of O survives: 1 Nephi 2 through 2 Nephi 1, with gaps; Alma 22 through Helaman 3, with gaps; and a few other fragments. All but one of the authentic pages and fragments of O are housed in the archives of the LDS Historical Department; one-half of a sheet (from 1 Nephi 14) is owned by the University of Utah."

- www.lightplanet.com/Mormons/book_of_mor ... ripts.html

So, the original cover pages probably do not exist anymore.

If you want to read the whole discussion here's the link.
http://cofchrist.oli.us/index.php/topic,20568.0.html

If a document existed with the witnesses actual hand written signatures on it would be SO faith promoting the Church would have published it in the front of the Book of Mormon.
In similar fashion to publishing the facsimiles in the Book of Abraham.

That it isn't in there is sufficient to deduce such a document does not exist.