Oliver Cowdery - Divine Removal from Persecution and Preservation to Complete the Translation

Due to persecution which developed in the neighborhood of Harmony, Pennsylvania, Joseph Smith felt that he and Oliver would be forced to move away. Oliver thereupon wrote to David Whitmer of Fayette township, New York, with the request that he and Joseph be permitted to finish their important work at his father's home. Arrangements were satisfactorily concluded and about the first of June, 1829, David Whitmer arrived at Harmony with a two-horse wagon to convey Joseph, Emma, Oliver and the sacred record to Fayette. This was a miraculous providence of the Lord—just when persecution threatened to interrupt the sacred translation work, the Lord opened a way for the work to be completed in safety. At the Whitmer home, the work of translation was immediately resumed, and in about four weeks' time the great and important work was concluded. The Lord's timing was perfect: the translation could not have been completed at Harmony, but was brought to completion at Fayette without interruption.

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

In the beginning of the month of June, his son David Whitmer came to the place where we were residing, and brought with him a two-horse wagon, for the purpose of having us accompany him to his father’s place and there remain until we should finish the work. He appeared to be a nice, quiet, and agreeable young man, and one of the Lord’s people. He brought us tidings from my father’s house, and from Samuel, and Hyrum, who were very anxious to know how we were getting along, and how things went with us. However, before I had arrived at father’s, I had received a revelation which informed me that we should commence to receive members into the Church of Christ, and I was to ordain Oliver Cowdery to be an Elder in the Church of Christ; and that he also was to ordain me to the same office; and then we were to ordain others, as it should be made known unto us from time to time. We were, however, to be commanded to preach only repentance to this generation. As I was coming down to Fayette, with David and Oliver, we traveled several days. When we arrived at the place of Mr. Whitmer, Joseph Smith, Sen., came to the place shortly after, and found all the family together, and appeared to be greatly pleased with every thing that had transpired in the family respecting the work of the Lord. Joseph Smith, Sen., and his wife came down and stayed until the translation was finished, when we returned to Manchester.