We have volumes, I may say, published in regard to his testimony. A lecture could be delivered on him alone, but that will not be necessary on this occasion. I will simply say that David Whitmer, like Oliver Cowdery, was always true and faithful to his testimony. When prominent people frequently visited him from Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis and elsewhere, and when several leading papers of the east sent special delegations to him, urging him to tell the truth in regard to the Book of Mormon, he always, in answering them, bore the same testimony that he did in the years of his youth, namely, that the Book of Mormon is true. On one occasion he said: "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, about as far off as he sits (pointing to John C. Whitmer, sitting a few feet from him), there appeared, as it were, a table with many records or 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 (striking the bed beside him with his hand), 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."

Seven years before his death, a man in his neighborhood circulated a report that David Whitmer had gone back on his testimony in regard to the Book of Mormon. He felt so bad to think that anybody would accuse him of such a thing that he prepared and signed a sworn statement, which was published in the Conservator, a paper published in Richmond, Mo., March 25, 1881, and in this document he says:

"It having been represented by one John Murphy, of Polo, Caldwell County, Missouri, that I, in a conversation with him last summer, denied my testimony as one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon. To the end, therefore, that he may understand now, if he did not then; and that the world may know the truth, I wish now, standing as it were, in the very sunset of life, and in the fear of God, once for all to make this public statement:

"That I have never at any time denied that testimony or any part thereof, which bas so long since been published with that book, as one of the Three Witnesses. Those who know me best well know that I have always adhered to that testimony. And that no man may be misled, or doubt my present views in regard to the same, I do again affirm the truth of all statements as then made and published."

As I have said, I have a great many documents and sayings to show that David Whitmer again and again reiterated his testimony of the Book of Mormon. Whenever he had an opportunity, either in private conversation or in being interviewed by newspaper men or others, he would always tell the same story in regard to that book. He never denied the testimony that he first bore to its divinity. Three days before his death he called his children

and other relatives and friends together and testified to them, with all the fervor of his soul, that the Book of Mormon was true; this testimony lives in the hearts of his children and grandchildren to this day.

AFFIRMATION OF MARTIN HARRIS.

Martin Harris, the other witness, came to Salt Lake City in 1870. He is the only one of the three witnesses who is buried within the confines of the State of Utah. Only a short time ago I visited his grave in Clarkston, Cache County, Utah. While he was away from the Church for many years, he was never untrue to his testimony, and though an old man, and perhaps a little childish, when he came here, he was very much elated over what he saw, and he fully appreciated what the believers in the Book of Mormon had accomplished in these mountains. On one occasion, when he looked down from Ensign Peak on this city, he was led to utter in the height of his enthusiasm: "Who should have thought that the Book of Mormon could have done all this!"

Of course, we might ridicule such an expression to a certain extent; yet it is true that if it had not been for the Book of Mormon, there would not have been such a city in the valley of the Great Salt Lake as the one Martin Harris saw here in 1870. There might have been a city or a town of some kind, but not a city of the saints, like the one he beheld on that occasion.

Martin Harris died in Clarkston, Utah, on the 10th of July, 1875. On one occasion he stood up in this tabernacle when it was filled with people, and testified that the Book of Mormon was true, and when he, on his dying bed, was visited by one of the brethren who said to him: "Martin, they are translating the Book of Mormon into the Spanish language," he quickly roused himself and said, "What is that? What is that? I want to hear more about that." And he lived three days longer, elated and happy, because the book was to be published in one more language.

Now, these are the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon. There are other witnesses whom I must mention.

THE EIGHT WITNESSES.

Some nineteen years ago, I had an interesting mission, a special one, given to me by the authorities of the Church. Perhaps some of my friends will remember that the late Edward Stevenson and myself, together with another brother (Bishop Joseph S. Black of Deseret) went east in 1888 and visited nearly all of the so-called waste places of Zion. Among the states we thus visited was Missouri, where we were particularly interested in interviewing the descendants of the eight witnesses, as well as of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon, but unhappily we reached Richmond a few months after the last of the three witnesses, had passed away, namely, David Whitmer, who died in January, as we visited Richmond the following September. We soon found that Rich

mond and vicinity contained many relatives of the Whitmers and Pages; and therefore we spent several days there visiting from house to house, in order to find out what we could from the children, grandchildren and friends of the eight witnesses.

Of course you are aware that there were eight witnesses besides the three witnesses that I first mentioned. While these eight witnesses did not receive the same divine manifestations that the three witnesses did, yet they testified to the fact that they knew the Book of Mormon to be true, and that they had seen the plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated and had handled them.

Before visiting among these people I was not quite satisfied with the assertion that I had heard so many make to the effect that these witnesses all remained faithful and true to their testimony to the days of their death. I wanted to know something more definite about each of them, and for this purpose we spent an interesting time among the Whitmers and others in Richmond, interviewing many and listening to what they knew and could tell us about these witnesses.

CHRISTIAN WHITMER.

I will first mention Christian Whitmer. He was one of the early elders of the Church--a good and faithful man. His being exposed to the persecutions in Jackson county in 1833 brought upon him a disease from which he died on the 27th of November, 1835, in Clay county, Missouri, the second temporary home that the saints had in that state.

JACOB WHITMER,

In the order that the names appear in the Book of Mormon Jacob Whitmer is the next witness. He lived to a pretty good age, and he, too, was true to his testimony, though he left the Church as early as 1838. In his later years he lived in Richmond, where he died April 21, 1856. There was a certain apostate faction, known as the Whitmerites, living in and about Richmond in 1888, and even now there are a few of them left. A son of Jacob Whitmer, namely John C. Whitmer, who for several years prior to his death stood at the head of this faction as its president, was very much elated about the Book of Mormon, and he willingly told us what he could remember about his father. During our conversation he testified as follows: "My father, Jacob Whitmer, was always faithful and true to his testimony in regard to the Book of Mor mon, and confirmed it on his deathbed."

PETER WHITMER, JR.

Peter Whitiner, Jr., was another witness. He also remained steadfast to his testimony to the last, and died as a faithful elder in the Church. He was one of the first men to take a long mission. Leaving the place where the Church was organized in the latter

part of 1830, he traveled about one thousand three hundred miles westward and was one of the first elders who placed his feet in Jackson County, Missouri, arriving there early in 1831, together with Oliver Cowdery, Parley P. Pratt, Ziba Peterson and Fredrick G. Williams. He died on the 22nd of September, 1836, in Clay County, Missouri, true and faithful to his testimony of the Book of Mormon.

JOHN WHITMER.

Another witness was John Whitmer, who was the first regular historian of the Church. In this connection I may digress a little by saying that some years ago, on one of my special missions to the states, I succeeded in obtaining from the relatives of John Whitmer a copy of the old history that he kept at the time he was Church Historian. He did not write very much 'tis true, but some of the little he did write and which thus fell into our hands, we think is very valuable. John Whitmer died on the 11th of July, 1878, in Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri. Although he never joined the Church again after his excommunication in 1838, he was always true to his testimony in regard to the Book of Mormon. Even in his darkest days, and at the time when he, full of enmity, first turned his back upon the Church and the Prophet Joseph, he declared in the presence of a number of Missourians— enemies of the work of God-that he knew the Book of Mormon was true. His nephew, John C. Whitmer, of Richmond, who was with him before his death, testified that “his uncle John" bore testimony to the truth of the Book of Mormon until the last. This is corroborated by many others who visited John Whitmer on various occasions previous to his death.

HIRAM PAGE.

Hiram Page was another man in whom we were interested. You will remember him as a witness. He had a son living in Richmond when I visited there in 1880. This son, Philander Page, testified as follows: "I knew my father to be true and faithful to his testimony to the divinity of the Book of Mormon until the very last. Whenever he had an opportunity to bear his testimony to this effect, he would always do so, and seemed to rejoice exceedingly in having been privileged to see the plates and thus become one of the eight witnesses. I can also testify that Jacob, John, and David Whitmer and Oliver Cowdery died in full faith in the divinity of the Book of Mormon. I was with all these witnesses at their deathbeds and heard them all bear their last testimony."

John C. Whitmer (a nephew of Hiram Page by marriage), to whom I have already referred twice, testified: "I was closely connected with Hiram Page in business transactions and other matters, he being married to my aunt. I knew him at all times and under all circumstances to be true to his testimony concerning the divinity of the Book of Mormon."

(To be continued.)

THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS' MILLENNIAL STAR.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1908.

ANTI-"MORMONISM" AS AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE. THE question is raised by the Daily Dispatch, a newspaper having a wide circulation in this country, in an article reproduced on another page of the STAR, as to whether there is such a disease as "Mormomania." It is well-known that there are a number of unfortunate individuals of both sexes who are afflicted with monomania. On all subjects but one they are as sane as ordinary people, but have one special topic on which they have become demented. In conversation with them there are no indications of lunacy or insanity, until that one subject is broached. Then the twist in the brain from which they suffer is made apparent, and they go off in a tangent and often become quite vehement, sometimes delirious in that particular direction, and even go as far as to run into hysteria and violence.

The term "Mormomania" is applicable to certain individuals who are monomaniacs on the question of "Mormonism." Ordinarily they can be conversed with rationally on matters of common interest, but directly the Latter-day Saints, vulgarly called "Mormons," or their doctrines are mentioned, irritation ensues and the afflicted person flies off his balance, becomes wild and vehement, repeats all kinds of groundless accusations, spreads slander and scandal, hesitates at no libel, deals out the most absurd and fabulous concoctions as though they were facts, and appears to believe them himself.

Singular to state, there are many otherwise rational people who become infected by the virus thus scattered, and the disease then may be aptly termed "Mormophobia." Under its influence, mobs have been roused to acts of violence against person and property, and occasionally into deeds of death. Latterly, however, public sentiment has been against such lawlessness, and the guardians of the public peace have not been disposed to permit or wink at such outbreaks, but when called upon have performed their duty in the suppression of rioting and similar disturbances and in protecting those who were assailed in that manner.

Experience has shown that the most violent and extreme of "Mormomaniacs" are individuals whose personal standing and