David Whitmer’s Heavenly Manifestation of the Angel and the Plates

David Whitmer, Oliver Cowdery, and Joseph Smith went to the woods near the Peter Whitmer Sr. home in Fayette, New York, in June 1829 to pray for a manifestation of the golden plates. After praying twice without success, Martin Harris, who had joined them, withdrew, believing his presence hindered the manifestation. Immediately after he left, an angel appeared to the three remaining men. A light, described by Whitmer as more glorious than the sun, enveloped them, and an angel stood before them with a table holding several sacred artifacts, including the golden plates, the brass plates, the sword of Laban, the Liahona, and the interpreters. The angel turned the leaves of the plates so they could see the engravings, and they heard the voice of Jesus Christ declare the translation was correct. Joseph later found Martin Harris nearby, where they prayed together, and Martin received a similar vision. As Whitmer later recounted, he was not merely a passive observer but saw the artifacts as clearly as he would later view furniture in his own home.

Fuller account of this event (in the witness’s own words):

The fact is, it was just as though Joseph, Oliver, and I were sitting just here on a log, when we were overshadowed by a light. It was not like the light of the sun nor like that of a fire, but more glorious and beautiful. It extended away round us, I cannot tell how far, but in the midst of this light, or rather in the midst of this great glory, there appeared as it were, a table with many records of plates upon it, besides the plates of the Book of Mormon, also the Sword of Laban, the directors—i.e., the ball which Lehi had, and the interpreters. I saw them just as plain as I see this bed, and I heard the voice of the Lord, as distinctly as I ever heard anything in my life, declaring that the records of the plates of the Book of Mormon were translated by the gift and power of God.