Martin Harris's final testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith
Published October 20, 2026 at 3:07 PM
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Young Woman's Journal Research
Martin Harris, a witness of the Book of Mormon, was on his deathbed in Clarkston, Utah, in July 1875. In the presence of William H. Homer and Eliza Williamson Homer, he rallied to bear a final testimony that he had seen the plates, seen the angel, heard the voice of God, and knew that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God.
William H. Homer, who witnessed the final moments of Martin Harris on July 10, 1875, recorded that at the time of the event, his mother Eliza Williamson Homer was present, but his father (William H. Homer Sr.) and Martin Harris Jr. and his wife Nancy Homer Harris were absent as they were attending to evening chores. Homer provides a detailed account of Harris rallying his remaining strength to deliver this final, firm witness before passing away later that same day in Clarkston, Utah.
In Their Own Words
“I did go in the woods with Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, AND David Whitmer and behold an angel decended from heaven in a dazsling light of glory, and stood about two feet from the ground. I saw the gold plates. I saw him turn the leaves over one by one. I saw the Urim and Thummimn, the brest plate and the Sword of Labon. After the angel had delivered his message, I saw him ascend up into heaven, and I heard the voice of God in the midst of the dazzling light declair that the Book of Mormon was translated correct, and I was commanded by God's voice to testify to all the world what I had seen and heard. I cried out in my ecstasy "Tis enough, tis enough. Mine eyes have beheld the glories of God. Hossannah to God and the Lamb." Jumping up I praise the Lord. Brethren and Sisters I thank you for your kind attention, and I do it in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”
— William Pilkington, affidavit regarding the testimony of Martin Harris
Sources & References
The Young Woman's Journal, vol. 25 no. 12 (December 1914). L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University digital collections. https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/YWJ/id/17344 (account extracted verbatim from the collection's page-level OCR; research confidence: high) Additional sources (periodical research): William H. Homer, 'The Passing of Martin Harris,' Improvement Era, vol. 29 no. 5 (March 1926), pp. 468–472. https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/sites/default/files/archive-files/pdf/homer/2022-04-18/ie_29.05_william_h._homer_jr._the_passing_of_martin_harris_march_1926_468-72.pdf Full first-person account: William Pilkington swears affidavit saying he heard Martin Harris bear his testimony of the Book of Mormon and recount seeing the angel. • Book of Mormon Online https://bookofmormon.online/history/1934-05-19-william-pilkington-martin-harris
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