[Harlan, Iowa, June, 1882.]
... We are making progress in our preparations for church building here. I think we shall meet with good success.
You asked the question, "How did you like your visit with Father Whitmer?" It was one of the great events of my life to visit him and Richmond. I was well repaid for time and money expended in making the trip. We all thought we had a splendid feast at Independence, but the visit to David Whitmer was like having the best of the wine at the last of the feast. We made ourselves known to his grandson and he prepared the way for us. We visited Bro. David in the forenoon; and again in the evening at his request. He remarked that we had brought a good spirit with us and he felt like talking. He did talk, and I learned many things that I did not know before about the rise of this work. One thing in particular; he says there were about forty or fifty members in the Church when organized on April 6th, 1830. We have been told and so recorded in history that there were only six members. He explained it this way, -- there were only six Elders. He said that he baptized fourteen in Seneca Lake, a few days before the Church was organized. I asked his wife if she was present when the Church was organized on April 6th, 1830. She replied, "Yes; and was a baptized member at that time." We asked him the question: Had Joseph Smith any manuscripts of any kind by him at the time of translating the Book of Mormon that he could read from?
His answer was: "No, Sir. We did not know anything about the Spaulding manuscript at that time."
We asked him if his testimony was the same now as it was at the time the Book of Mormon was published, regarding seeing the plates and the angel. He rose to his feet, stretched out his hands and said: "These hands handled the plates, these eyes saw the angel, and these ears heard his voice; and I know it was of God."
That was the strongest testimony I ever heard, and I felt that he was telling the truth....
J. W. Chatburn.