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Question: Was Martin Harris a gullible witness who would simply believe anything he was told?
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Question: Was Martin Harris a gullible witness who would simply believe anything he was told?
Martin was clear that he required considerable proof to support Joseph
Martin recalled his first discussions with Joseph about the claims regarding plates:
- I said, if it is the devil's work I will have nothing to do with it, but if it is the Lord's, you can have all the money necessary to bring it before the world. He [Joseph] said that the angel told him, that the plates must be translated, printed and sent before the world. I said, Joseph, you know my doctrine, that cursed is every one that putteth his trust in man, and maketh flesh him [sic] arm; and we know that the devil is to have great power in the latter days to deceive if possible the very elect; and I don't know that you are one of the elect. Now you must not blame me for not taking your word. If the Lord will show me that it is his work, you can have all the money you want.[1]
Even in religious matters then, Martin was keenly aware of the risk of mistake and deception.
Martin was actually quite skeptical in the beginning of Joseph's ability to translate
There are four specific things that Martin did in order to show (and obviously eventually allay) his own skepticism and the skepticism of his family.
- He took a copy of characters that Joseph copied from the plates to several professors in New York in order to try and verify them.
- He swapped the seer stone that Joseph was using during the Book of Mormon translation in order to test the prophet's ability.
- Before translating the Book of Mormon, he interrogated Emma and Joseph regarding details of the Book of Mormon's appearance.Cite error: Closing
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Here again, Martin conducted a clever "blinded test" of Joseph's ability, and Joseph passed--convincing Martin further.
The story of Martin Harris' desire to take the 116 pages of Book of Mormon manuscript to convince his family and friends that Joseph was a genuine prophet is also well known. Here again, Martin sought to use empirical proof (the manuscript itself) as evidence that Joseph could do what he claimed.
Notes
- ↑ Martin Harris, interview with Joel Tiffany, 1859, in "Mormonism—No. II," Tiffanys Monthly (August 1859): 163-70; in Dan Vogel (editor), Early Mormon Documents (Salt Lake City, Signature Books, 1996–2003), 5 vols, 2:309.