What do you think?
Rate this book
Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses
Here are modern men who can be examined closely on their astounding claim—of being commissioned by an angel’s appearance and by God’s voice to testify of ancient scripture. Here are others who describe a physical experience of seeing and handling the metal record. Can it be taken seriously? This is the question author Richard Lloyd Anderson sets out to answer in this book. Using historical sources as close to the witnesses as possible, he has carefully researched their backgrounds, characters, and testimonies. His findings cannot be taken lightly. Statements clearly traced to the witnesses verify the testimonies printed in the Book of Mormon that they saw the plates, and in the case of the Three Witnesses, that an angel displayed them while the heavenly voice declared that the translation was correct. The witnesses’ lives were fused by the fire of their testimonies into a sign for God that will continue to touch or to trouble thinking me. After years of working with their lives and their words, I am deeply convinced that their printed testimonies must be taken at face value.
206 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
67 people are currently reading
365 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
March 27, 2014
1. I did not love the author's writing. It was often disjointed and unclear as to who was speaking.
2. You could tell he had researched extremely well and he had citations for everything. He was very knowledgeable about the subject, even if he didn't always express himself clearly.
3. He provided great background information and built up the credibility of the witnesses from many sources.
4. When discussing quotes about the witnesses, he was quick to build up positive information, but did not always provide the same leniency toward negative sources.
5. Despite his bias, he provided much credible evidence to support his conclusions.
6. In the end, whether you believe the witnesses or not, he left no doubt that the witnesses truly believed they saw an angel and the gold plates.
7. If the witnesses truly believed they saw those things, you either have to believe they did or find some other explanation.
8. In the 1830s, there are not any other explanations that I find plausible.
2. You could tell he had researched extremely well and he had citations for everything. He was very knowledgeable about the subject, even if he didn't always express himself clearly.
3. He provided great background information and built up the credibility of the witnesses from many sources.
4. When discussing quotes about the witnesses, he was quick to build up positive information, but did not always provide the same leniency toward negative sources.
5. Despite his bias, he provided much credible evidence to support his conclusions.
6. In the end, whether you believe the witnesses or not, he left no doubt that the witnesses truly believed they saw an angel and the gold plates.
7. If the witnesses truly believed they saw those things, you either have to believe they did or find some other explanation.
8. In the 1830s, there are not any other explanations that I find plausible.
September 18, 2015
Beyond the Prophet Joseph Smith, there were eleven men who claimed to have seen and touched the metal plates, the translation and publication of which comprise the Book of Mormon. I came to this book having already a strong intellectual and spiritual conviction of the truth of the Book of Mormon. And seeing as how this was published by Deseret Book, it's no surprise that this book comes down highly in favor of the opinion that the Book of Mormon truly did exist and that the men who said they saw it must be believed. The potential biases of the publisher and my own predisposition aside, I find the arguments very convincing. The character of the men and the nature of their testimonies makes any conspiracy theory of lying to be very difficult to accept.
Speaking as a criminal defense attorney, I can confidently say that if you had 11 witnesses of such reputation and character testifying against you so consistently, you wouldn't stand a chance.
The collection of research of each of the lives of the witnesses leads me to more deeply conclude what I have long known spiritually: That the Book of Mormon is exactly what Joseph Smith claims it to be.
Speaking as a criminal defense attorney, I can confidently say that if you had 11 witnesses of such reputation and character testifying against you so consistently, you wouldn't stand a chance.
The collection of research of each of the lives of the witnesses leads me to more deeply conclude what I have long known spiritually: That the Book of Mormon is exactly what Joseph Smith claims it to be.
January 12, 2009
This little book is a great example of how the novice "defender of the faith" should stage a topic. Saves his ammo - instead of a machine gun pick-off, he uses sniper like skill to defend his topic - more humane this way. Quick read but well researched and still valid as ever.
February 10, 2016
Although I must admit my bias as a former student of Richard Anderson, I believe he makes a great case for the reliability of the witnesses. Chronicles the entire lives of each of the witnesses--well-researched and insightful. Highly recommended.
January 11, 2024
Richard Lloyd Anderson provides an excellent review of known facts about the lives of the witnesses of the Book of Mormon as well as documented statements from each man. He covers some of the disparaging claims made by dissenters and shows the unreliability of those claims. Well done. Well written and informative.
May 8, 2025
This classic is a must-read for anyone seriously investigating the origin of the Book of Mormon.
May 13, 2022
A respected LDS apologist, Daniel Peterson, once remarked that he’s occasionally approached by individuals struggling with their faith. When asked, he recommends reading two things. First, the scriptures themselves (they’re often being ignored). Second, this book.
Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses is exceptionally compelling as it conducts a detailed analysis of those who claimed to have had personal experiences with the plates. Joseph Smith's brother William would recollect:
Others emphatically stated they had both seen and handled them.
The author doesn't shy away from the fact that so many of the witnesses later became disaffected from the church. He spends a lot of time discussing their curious continuation of sharing their experiences with the plates nonetheless. In fact, none would ever recant. It's a fair question that if the Book of Mormon were a complete fabrication, why would Joseph Smith be so quick to excommunicate them? He doesn't seem to be the least bit concerned in that regard.
Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses is exceptionally compelling as it conducts a detailed analysis of those who claimed to have had personal experiences with the plates. Joseph Smith's brother William would recollect:
"When the plates were brought in they were wrapped up in a tow frock. My father then put them into a pillow case… . We handled them and could tell what they were. They were not quite as large as this Bible. Could tell whether they were round or square. Could raise the leaves this way (raising a few leaves of the Bible before him). One could easily tell that they were not a stone, hewn out to deceive, or even a block of wood. Being a mixture of gold and copper, they were much heavier than stone, and very much heavier than wood”.
Others emphatically stated they had both seen and handled them.
The author doesn't shy away from the fact that so many of the witnesses later became disaffected from the church. He spends a lot of time discussing their curious continuation of sharing their experiences with the plates nonetheless. In fact, none would ever recant. It's a fair question that if the Book of Mormon were a complete fabrication, why would Joseph Smith be so quick to excommunicate them? He doesn't seem to be the least bit concerned in that regard.
"...writers have long asked how Joseph Smith would dare to condemn the Book of Mormon witnesses if these men had the power to expose the Book of Mormon as a fraud. Joseph acts independently of them, as B. H. Roberts said, defying them to do their worst, dealing with them on the apparent assumption that their testimony was an eternal obligation".
October 21, 2009
I loved the book!
It is an in depth read into the lives and testimonies of the Book Of Mormon Witnesses. Quote from the author: The ultimate value of truth is that it needs no defense, only investigation.
I learned that The Book of Mormon witnesses reaffirmed their testimonies about seeing, and handling the gold plates until their deaths. That there were many witnesses to the plates in addition to the 11 that were written about in this book. The witnesses were for the most part common persons who didn’t have high standing within the church organization it’s self. These 11 witnesses never discredited their testimonies despite high costs to themselves personally. Many of the witnesses were excommunicated or left the church. Some returned but many did not. I often wondered how Joseph Smith would dare to condemn and excommunicate the witnesses if they had the power to expose the Book of Mormon as a fraud. But the authors research concludes that the Book of Mormon Witnesses remained steadfast in their statements and testimonies that they had seen and handled the golden plates.
Eleven persons in addition to Joseph Smith signed and bore testimony in writing at the front of the Book of Mormon that they saw and handled the golden plates and that there testimonies have not been recanted and stand as a witnesses still today.
It is an in depth read into the lives and testimonies of the Book Of Mormon Witnesses. Quote from the author: The ultimate value of truth is that it needs no defense, only investigation.
I learned that The Book of Mormon witnesses reaffirmed their testimonies about seeing, and handling the gold plates until their deaths. That there were many witnesses to the plates in addition to the 11 that were written about in this book. The witnesses were for the most part common persons who didn’t have high standing within the church organization it’s self. These 11 witnesses never discredited their testimonies despite high costs to themselves personally. Many of the witnesses were excommunicated or left the church. Some returned but many did not. I often wondered how Joseph Smith would dare to condemn and excommunicate the witnesses if they had the power to expose the Book of Mormon as a fraud. But the authors research concludes that the Book of Mormon Witnesses remained steadfast in their statements and testimonies that they had seen and handled the golden plates.
Eleven persons in addition to Joseph Smith signed and bore testimony in writing at the front of the Book of Mormon that they saw and handled the golden plates and that there testimonies have not been recanted and stand as a witnesses still today.
October 25, 2023
This is my favorite book on the three witnesses! I loved how detailed it was on each person, going through their lives and what happened. This book was a powerful testimony builder for me. I loved it!
April 15, 2019
Richard Lloyd Anderson has spent his entire adult life researching history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was very much impressed when he was my teacher in a 3-credit missionary preparation class at BYU during the school year of 1956-57. He was a young teacher, and many students had enthusiastic opinions of him. I have thought for years that I would learn much by reading this book, and it has confirmed much of what I already knew and taught me meaningful more. However, I am sure it is difficult to summarize a life-time of research between two book covers, and occasionally the details of his writing were not entirely clear to me without some careful study. His last two chapters (11 & 12) are a rebuttal of the opposition which to me seems somewhat unnecessary and almost an invitation to contention. Contention is Lucifer's tool which gets everybody nowhere. Anderson's own words on pages 186 (in chapter 12) come very close to explaining my personal thoughts and feelings after reading this book:
"The ultimate value of truth is that it needs no defense, only investigation The words of the witnesses do speak for themselves, after analysis clears away garbled versions of what somebody attributed to them. All scriptures promise the Spirit's seal to those who sincerely hear, reflect, and pray. Joseph Smith and eleven more are modern witnesses of ancient scriptures; they are on God's errand to testify, as the above revelation commands, 'that I may bring about my righteous purposes unto the children of men in this work.' Their declarations concerning the Book of Mormon have been quoted extensively---both to show their historical consistency and to reveal their sincerity. Their words not only document events, but disclose their inner selves. If God indeed called them, their message carries the assuring peace of God."
I present one more interesting, brief summarizing quote (from page 187): "The Bible defender can be the offender, for in jealously guarding his limited collection of prophets, he often opposes more revelation with a few stock quotes that migrate from one anti-Mormon book to another without much understanding of the situation that produced them." Would that we all understood countless such situations as well as Anderson does. Because one of God's greatest gifts to humanity is agency, no one can be forced to believe, and no one can be forced to not believe. Each must exercise faith, make a choice putting faith into action, and seek the assuring peace of God. I love the Book of Mormon and all that it represents and teaches.
"The ultimate value of truth is that it needs no defense, only investigation The words of the witnesses do speak for themselves, after analysis clears away garbled versions of what somebody attributed to them. All scriptures promise the Spirit's seal to those who sincerely hear, reflect, and pray. Joseph Smith and eleven more are modern witnesses of ancient scriptures; they are on God's errand to testify, as the above revelation commands, 'that I may bring about my righteous purposes unto the children of men in this work.' Their declarations concerning the Book of Mormon have been quoted extensively---both to show their historical consistency and to reveal their sincerity. Their words not only document events, but disclose their inner selves. If God indeed called them, their message carries the assuring peace of God."
I present one more interesting, brief summarizing quote (from page 187): "The Bible defender can be the offender, for in jealously guarding his limited collection of prophets, he often opposes more revelation with a few stock quotes that migrate from one anti-Mormon book to another without much understanding of the situation that produced them." Would that we all understood countless such situations as well as Anderson does. Because one of God's greatest gifts to humanity is agency, no one can be forced to believe, and no one can be forced to not believe. Each must exercise faith, make a choice putting faith into action, and seek the assuring peace of God. I love the Book of Mormon and all that it represents and teaches.
October 25, 2024
I have always been aware of the fact that the witnesses to the golden plates never renounced their testimony, but I lacked the personal study to know it for sure. For those curious about that claim, this book is the perfect resource. Richard Lloyd Anderson has written a stunningly accessible book that focuses on each of the three witnesses, and the eight witnesses as a whole. Because of the vast quantity of testimonies and the long lives of the three witnesses, much more time is spent covering their authenticity, but since most of the eight witnesses had died by the 1860's, comparatively little, though sufficient time is spent confirming their allegiance to their testimonies. In the end, their testimonies are verified as having been maintained their whole lives.
Anderson also does the book a great service by including the two last chapters on possible cases against the witnesses and what investigating the witnesses and their testimonies means as a whole. Considering the vast quantity of information and additional testimonies, Anderson sums up his case well when he says, "This became [the anti-Mormon] formula: ignore the testimony and attack the witness" (p. 166). Essentially, because the case for their testimonies is so strong, the avenue resulted to by adversaries is often a form of character assassination. In total, I believe that Anderson's book still holds up today after 40 years, and probably will continue to hold up for the foreseeable future. I highly recommend this book for any devoted Latter-day Saint.
Anderson also does the book a great service by including the two last chapters on possible cases against the witnesses and what investigating the witnesses and their testimonies means as a whole. Considering the vast quantity of information and additional testimonies, Anderson sums up his case well when he says, "This became [the anti-Mormon] formula: ignore the testimony and attack the witness" (p. 166). Essentially, because the case for their testimonies is so strong, the avenue resulted to by adversaries is often a form of character assassination. In total, I believe that Anderson's book still holds up today after 40 years, and probably will continue to hold up for the foreseeable future. I highly recommend this book for any devoted Latter-day Saint.
March 3, 2025
The 3 and 8 Witnesses had many issues with Joseph Smith throughout his life, and many of them left The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
None of them denied their testimonies of the events of early 1829. David, Martin, and Oliver saw the plates, the artifacts, the angel, and heard the voice of God commanding them to bear testimony of what they had seen. They did so until they day they died, even during the years that they were estranged from the Church.
The 8 Witnesses are more of a mixed bag, some stayed faithful all their days, some left, and again, none denied their testimony that they had seen and handled the plates.
Reports that any of these men denied their testimony are greatly exaggerated, second-hand, late, or directly contradicted by the men themselves. The story of the Book of Mormon is a weird one—angels and gold plates and farm boys—but the unwavering testimony of these men is a historical fact that must be taken into consideration when evaluating it.
None of them denied their testimonies of the events of early 1829. David, Martin, and Oliver saw the plates, the artifacts, the angel, and heard the voice of God commanding them to bear testimony of what they had seen. They did so until they day they died, even during the years that they were estranged from the Church.
The 8 Witnesses are more of a mixed bag, some stayed faithful all their days, some left, and again, none denied their testimony that they had seen and handled the plates.
Reports that any of these men denied their testimony are greatly exaggerated, second-hand, late, or directly contradicted by the men themselves. The story of the Book of Mormon is a weird one—angels and gold plates and farm boys—but the unwavering testimony of these men is a historical fact that must be taken into consideration when evaluating it.
May 3, 2024
I started reading this book at the first of the year; read all but the last chapter, and then it somehow never got picked back up until a few days ago when I finally finished it.
Richard Lloyd Anderson is a very noted LDS historian and has written a very definitive history of the witnesses who saw the gold plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated. He shows that these people were honest, well liked and respected citizens of wherever they lived.
They had never been known to fabricate stories. Anderson's research into their background, characters and testimonies cannot be taken lightly. Most impressive of all, they, to their last breath of life, never redacted any part of their witness of seeing these plates, either shown to them by Joseph Smith, or in the case of Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer, by an angel.
Richard Lloyd Anderson is a very noted LDS historian and has written a very definitive history of the witnesses who saw the gold plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated. He shows that these people were honest, well liked and respected citizens of wherever they lived.
They had never been known to fabricate stories. Anderson's research into their background, characters and testimonies cannot be taken lightly. Most impressive of all, they, to their last breath of life, never redacted any part of their witness of seeing these plates, either shown to them by Joseph Smith, or in the case of Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer, by an angel.
January 18, 2019
An excellent read. My father recommended this when I told him I was wanting to read church history. This was well worth the read.
Its not very long--not even 200 pages. Anderson takes time to break down not only what the Witnesses said at the time of their association with the church, but how society perceived them, what they said later in life, and a general examination of their character. It details an interesting perspective that you don't see in standard LDS works or in other scholarly works.
If you are interested in early LDS history, this is a great book to look into prominent church leaders.
Its not very long--not even 200 pages. Anderson takes time to break down not only what the Witnesses said at the time of their association with the church, but how society perceived them, what they said later in life, and a general examination of their character. It details an interesting perspective that you don't see in standard LDS works or in other scholarly works.
If you are interested in early LDS history, this is a great book to look into prominent church leaders.
May 23, 2021
This book is thoroughly researched and we’ll documented.
Some of the author’s logical conclusions were not as well developed as I would have hoped, and the book is more of a defense than an investigation into the Book of Mormon witnesses. I would have liked to see the author give more credibility, or at least spend more time on dissenting opinions, simply in the spirit of fairness.
All that said, it is difficult to justify that the witnesses objectively denied to that which they originally purported to have seen. Each of the 3 declared a final confirmatory witness of the Book of Mormon just prior to their death.
I strongly recommend this book.
Some of the author’s logical conclusions were not as well developed as I would have hoped, and the book is more of a defense than an investigation into the Book of Mormon witnesses. I would have liked to see the author give more credibility, or at least spend more time on dissenting opinions, simply in the spirit of fairness.
All that said, it is difficult to justify that the witnesses objectively denied to that which they originally purported to have seen. Each of the 3 declared a final confirmatory witness of the Book of Mormon just prior to their death.
I strongly recommend this book.
March 31, 2024
Book of Mormon witnesses explained
The book of Mormon was given to us by God. And this book highlights the efforts by the witnesses of the book of Mormon to be the word of God. Their testimony is unassailable! This book outlines the reasoning behind God's use of the witnesses of the book of Mormon in these latter days to testify of the truthfulness of his work. The work is by a historian at heart someone who looks at documents and backgrounds and comes to a certain conclusion. The conclusion of the book is that these men witnessed by Divine means the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.
The book of Mormon was given to us by God. And this book highlights the efforts by the witnesses of the book of Mormon to be the word of God. Their testimony is unassailable! This book outlines the reasoning behind God's use of the witnesses of the book of Mormon in these latter days to testify of the truthfulness of his work. The work is by a historian at heart someone who looks at documents and backgrounds and comes to a certain conclusion. The conclusion of the book is that these men witnessed by Divine means the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.
February 1, 2025
There was a lot of good content in Richard Lloyd Anderson's investigation of the Book of Mormon witnesses. I appreciate his research into the lives of these men during their time both inside and outside of the Church. But I didn't think the writing itself was great.
This was not helped by the fact that there were so many formatting problems with the digital version of the book.
Overall, 3.75 stars rounded up to 4 because I know this is the definitive work on this subject and I'm giving the author lots of credit for content.
This was not helped by the fact that there were so many formatting problems with the digital version of the book.
Overall, 3.75 stars rounded up to 4 because I know this is the definitive work on this subject and I'm giving the author lots of credit for content.
March 26, 2025
Great Background Information
I really enjoyed reading the background info regarding the 11 witnesses (and more) of the Book of Mormon. Especially what happened to them after giving their testimonies. It was amazing to me how they all remained true to their original testimonies even after they left the church or were excommunicated. They all had stellar reputations within their communities which adds to the veracity of what they testified to.
A must-read for anyone wanting to know more about these witnesses!!
I really enjoyed reading the background info regarding the 11 witnesses (and more) of the Book of Mormon. Especially what happened to them after giving their testimonies. It was amazing to me how they all remained true to their original testimonies even after they left the church or were excommunicated. They all had stellar reputations within their communities which adds to the veracity of what they testified to.
A must-read for anyone wanting to know more about these witnesses!!
April 18, 2019
The author calls anyone who disagrees with Mormonism an "anti" source, then doesn't conclude that the people he quotes who are Mormons are "pro" sources, but rather, those people are unbiased in his view. Mr. Anderson therefore, would be an "unbiased" source. Includes some basic info that needs further research to determine its veracity. I would sincerely like to see a book like this written with no biases one way or another.
December 29, 2023
This short and interesting book summarizes and reviews the primary source historical records around the Book of Mormon witnesses. I learned some interesting things I didn't know before. This book was published in 1981 and I am curious what may have come to light concerning the Book of Mormon witnesses in the decades since that time. Nevertheless, this book was a valuable supplement to my study of the Book of Mormon.
August 20, 2021
An in depth look at the 11 witnesses to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Most left the church, but none ever denied their witness. Mr. Anderson looked for mostly first hand source material and not secondhand or further from the actual witness. A good read and gives one pause to buoy up ones own testimony.
May 19, 2023
If the Book of Mormon plates were real, then the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is God's church on earth. 12 men testify that they saw and held the plates. Are you prepared to read the Book of Mormon and ask God yourself if it is true and another testimment of Jesus Christ? Don't criticize it or members of the church unless you have read and prayed about the Book of Mormon.
May 27, 2023
I loved learning more about the witnesses and their lives. Despite having read the Book of Mormon many times, I didn't know a lot of details about the witnesses, especially the three witnesses. It was testimony-building to do so.
The book itself is old and at times, is a little. I'm glad I read it and would highly recommend, with that caveat.
The book itself is old and at times, is a little. I'm glad I read it and would highly recommend, with that caveat.
February 28, 2024
Well researched and presented. Very interesting insight into the lives of these accomplished men who remained solid in their attestations to seeing the plates which Jospeh Smith received from God, and having spiritual experiences during the founding of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
January 22, 2018
Very well done and recommended. I learned so much that was inspiring about these men, and also gained a better understanding of fact vs. fiction n the historical events. The author was fair and thorough.
February 22, 2021
Well documented histories of these 19th Century witnesses, with detailed biographies of the three major witnesses, information about other witnesses, this book is a good resource for Come Follow Me lessons on the Doctrine and Covenants.
February 24, 2025
Quite a few instances of overly strident language and conclusions (“undoubtedly,” “one must conclude,” etc.), but there’s an impressive amount of research leading to a conclusion that’s very hard to avoid: these witnesses were sincere in their consistent testimony.
June 22, 2018
One of the most faith promoting books I have ever read. An incredible read that I recommend to everyone.
November 26, 2018
Read it.
November 3, 2019
Too often the Saints—myself included—fail to give deserved weight to the testimonies of the eyewitnesses. These men and their accounts are as credible as they are compelling.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews