The Three Witnesses and Early Historical Sources

The revelation to the three witnesses

The Setting of the Revelation to the Three Witnesses Doctrine and Covenants 17 arises during the final phase of the Book of Mormon translation in 1829, a moment when Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris longed to fulfill the ancient prophecy recorded in Ether 5. Joseph Smith used the interpreters—later called the Urim and … Read more

Historical Sources on Joseph Smith and Plural Marriage

Super Special Secret Source on Polygamy (Plural Marriage)

From the earliest decades of the Restoration, the question of who introduced plural marriage has been contested. Latter-day Saints have consistently taught that the principle was revealed to Joseph Smith and practiced under his direction in Nauvoo. In contrast, the Reorganized Church (RLDS, now Community of Christ) spent more than a century claiming that Joseph … Read more