Edward Stevenson, Letter to Editor,
Salt Lake Herald, 21 January 1878
Source: Edward Stevenson to editors of the Salt Lake Herald, 21 January 1878, cited from Ebbie Richardson, “David Whitmer,” pp. 161-62.
[In a letter to the Herald, 21 Jan 1878, Edward Stevenson gave the editors additional information gleaned from the same interviews with David Whitmer.]
In reply to a question by me, as to his present views as a witness to the plates of the Book of Mormon, he said: “I was plowing in my field, when I heard a voice saying, “Blessed is the name of the Lord and those that keep his commandments.” After I had plowed one more round, the Prophet and Oliver Cowdery came along, and said, “Come and be one of the witnesses.” We passed through a clearing and sat on a log. While there a light appeared, which grew brighter, until an angel stood before them with the plates and other things. The angel turned the leaves so that we could see the engravings, etc. We then heard a voice saying that those things were true and that the translation was correct. This was about 11 o’clock in the morning.