OLIVET, Mahaska Co., Iowa, July 22d, 1884.
Friend Herald Readers:—On the 8th of May last, in company with our estimable young brother, "Lettie" Brackenbury, went to the house of Bro. David Whitmer, and upon being ushered into the parlor, the noted and far-famed veteran was apprised of our presence and came into the parlor, when we had the inestimable pleasure of forming an acquaintance that shall ever be dearly remembered by us. I told him I was very much pleased on having the pleasure of forming his acquaintance, as it was something I had long time desired. "Well," said he, "when you see me, you but see an old man whose days are almost numbered." "Yes," I replied, "but sometimes certain incidents occur in the history of men's lives, that render their acquaintance and presence more pleasurable than that of others; and such we deem has been the case with yourself." We were then invited into the sitting room, where the aged friend reclined on a lounge, feeling somewhat indisposed. Then we talked about the invaluable plates, the angel's appearance, etc. He said: "I saw the angel as plainly as I see you; he was surrounded by the [glory] of God, which overshadowed us, and we heard [the] voice, and we saw the records of the Book of Mormon," etc. "My testimony is the same as at the beginning, and is true."
I asked him of Oliver Cowdery, and he said, "Oliver's testimony was ever the same till death. His remains lie over there, [pointing toward the cemetery], that's where he was buried." I understood the Utah folks had offered him a large sum of money if he would dispense to them the manuscript, but he declined their offer. Then they asked him to set his price, and he replied there was "not money enough in the world to buy it [from] him." When he would speak of the record, and [the] angel, his countenance would beam with light, his eyes brighten and sparkle; his voice become firm and unfaltering. He would relate the scene with a freshness and earnestness of expression, as though it were of recent occurrence, and not of fifty-five years agone. Friends, do you suppose this man would have hesitated five minutes about surrendering that manuscript into others' hands for hundreds of thousands of dollars, had it been of Spaulding origin?
Had there not been back of it, the voice of God and of an holy angel, and the unspeakable glory, would not the "golden calf" have been a sparkling temptation and an irresistible inducement to let it go! But no! Here we have in this man an integrity rarely equalled. A man who has withstood all the calumny, vituperation and mocking of a blinded world. A man, who in the presence of prosperity and adversity, midst sunshine and cloud, calm and storm, disease and death, when the church was in her glory, and in her gloom; when she prospered, and when she became blighted by the damning breath of persecution and apostasy; through it all, for fifty-five years has his testimony of the heavenly scene, and of the divinity of the Book of Mormon, been the same unwavering, unswerving testimony! And now, while gray hairs adorn his temples, and the frost of nearly eighty winters has done its chilling work, and his voice soon to falter in death, shall that testimony, and a faithful life sanctify his resting place and hallow the hour of his departure, when the angel whom he saw shall speak to him in a happier world, and clasp hands with the two "witnesses" who await his coming.
He permitted us to view the manuscript, which we did, and read extracts in it, finding what we read identical with the printed book. Headings of chapters were properly written. Names of places and men commencing with capital letters. I saw the three different handwritings. The paper is remarkably well preserved, being of foolscap size, and numbers of the sheets sewed together with yarn "Grandmother Whitmer spun;" and it is well preserved too. We also saw the transcription of characters as done by Joseph Smith's hand, which Martin Harris took to the Professor.
Men may talk of these witnesses renouncing Mormonism and going back on their testimony, as Rev. Bowman did at Edenville, a time ago; but I know better, their statement is founded in falsehood, and wilful ignorance.
While at Richmond, Bro. Whitmer received a letter from some brother in Michigan concerning his testimony, and Bro. Whitmer requested me to say to all Herald readers, that his testimony was the same as found in [the] Book of Mormon, and he had never asked that it be taken out, or that he had changed his mind relative to it; and never to believe anything you may hear to the contrary; that he was not able to answer so many uncalled for questions. He reads the Herald, and I write this request according to my promise to him.
Yours cheerfully, J. FRANK McDOWELL.