Mostrar código-fonte de Pergunta: Será que John Whitmer, uma das Oito Testemunhas, na verdade, dizer que ele viu as placas por um "poder sobrenatural"?

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==Pergunta: Será que John Whitmer, uma das Oito Testemunhas, na verdade, dizer que ele viu as placas por um "poder sobrenatural"?==
===The "supernatural power" quote is actually reported by Theodore Turley six years after getting the information from Whitmer===

Some critics of the Restoration have focused on a single statement reportedly made by John Whitmer in 1839 to make it appear as though the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon did not have a physical encounter with the golden plates (as they so testified on the pages of the book itself), but rather a spiritual or visionary experience only. Detractors advocate this viewpoint in the hope of weakening the idea that the golden plates existed in objective reality and also to make it appear that the Witnesses themselves were delusional or hallucinatory and, therefore, should not be trusted to provide accurate testimony.  

The key to properly understanding the nature of the alleged 1839 John Whitmer statement is to see it in its historical context. The quotation in question is not a contemporaneous declaration, but was instead reported by eyewitness Theodore Turley about six years after the information was relayed by Whitmer.<ref>“Memorandums,” 1845, handwriting of Thomas Bullock, LDS Church Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah.</ref> Three years prior to giving this verbal account, however, John Whitmer published a firsthand explanation of his experience. It is reproduced here because its content is crucial to analyzing the Turley reminiscence. 

'''ca. 27 March 1836'''
:“I desire to testify unto all . . . that <font color="blue">I have most assuredly seen the plates</font> from whence the Book of Mormon [was] translated, and that <font color="blue">I have handled these plates</font>, and know of a surety that <font color="red">Joseph Smith, jr. has translated the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God</font>.”<ref>{{MAfairwiki|vol=2|num=6|author=John Whitmer|article=To the patrons of the Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate|date=March 1836|start=287}}</ref>

It is plainly manifest in this primary source that John Whitmer not only saw the Book of Mormon plates without any hint of spiritual overtones but he also physically “handled” them. More importantly, for this discussion anyway, is the phraseology that Whitmer uses next. He indicates that he knew beyond doubt that Joseph Smith translated the plates “by the gift and power of God” – i.e., by a supernatural power. 

===Theodore Turley states that John Whitmer saw the plates by a "supernatural power"===

Now for the Turley statement that is so dearly cherished by detractors of the faith. It reads:

'''5 April 1839'''
:“[Theodore] Turley said, ‘Gentlemen, I presume there are men here who have heard [John] Corrill say, that Mormonism was true, that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and inspired of God. I now call upon you, John Whitmer: you say Corrill is a moral and a good man; do you believe him when he says the Book of Mormon is true, or when he says it is not true? There are many things published that they say are true, and again turn around and say they are false.’ Whitmer asked, ‘Do you hint at me?’ Turley replied, ‘If the cap fits you, wear it; all I know is that you have published to the world that an angel did present those plates to Joseph Smith.’ Whitmer replied: ‘I now say, <font color="blue">I handled those plates; there were fine engravings on both sides</font>. I handled them;’ and he described how they were hung [on rings], and [said] ‘<font color="red">they were shown to me by a supernatural power</font>;’ he acknowledged all.”<ref>{{HoC|vol=3|start=307|end=308}}</ref>

===Whitmer clearly states that he "saw and handled" the plates===

At first glance it may appear that this statement scores significant points for the opposing team. But any ground that seems to be gained is effectively nullified by comparing this John Whitmer statement with another one made by him which was recorded by Myron Bond only about seven months after the information was verbalized. It reads: 

'''21 December 1877–21 March 1878'''
:“John Whitmer told me last winter . . . [that he] ‘<font color="blue">saw and handled</font>’ [the plates and] . . . helped to copy [the Book of Mormon manuscript] as <font color="red">the words fell from Joseph’s lips by supernatural or [A]lmighty power</font>.”<ref>''Saints’ Herald'' 25/16 (15 August 1878): 253; letter written by Myron Bond in Cadillac, Michigan on 2 August 1878.</ref>

Again, John Whitmer testified that he “saw and handled” the golden plates without any spiritual or visionary overtones. He also used language with regard to the translation process that unmistakably matches what Theodore Turley reported in his late recollection. The connection in phraseology must not be overlooked - both quotations speak of a supernatural power. But the more recent reminiscence of Myron Bond matches the firsthand published information provided by John Whitmer in 1836. Both of these sources identify the supernatural power as the power of God which was manifest through the translation process.  (And, since John was one of the scribes for Joseph Smith's translation of the Book of Mormon, it is not surprising that he would choose to repeatedly emphasize that the translation was done with divine aid.  This aspect of his witness is conceptually distinct from his witness of the plates' reality.)

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[[en:Question: Did John Whitmer, one of the Eight Witnesses, actually say that he saw the plates by a "supernatural power"?]]
[[es:Pregunta: ¿John Whitmer, uno de los ocho testigos, dijo realmente que vio las planchas por un "poder sobrenatural"?]]