Letter VII (7): D&C 5: Only 3 witnesses saw the abridged plates

Now that we're studying the Doctrine and Covenants in Come Follow Me, we can take another look at early Church history.

For example, D&C 5 explains that the testimony of three witnesses would corroborate Joseph's testimony. But the revelation says "to none else will I grant this power." That leaves many people to wonder about the Eight Witnesses. What did they see if not the plates D&C 5 refers to?

9 Behold, verily I say unto you, I have reserved those things which I have entrusted unto you, my servant Joseph, for a wise purpose in me, and it shall be made known unto future generations;
10 But this generation shall have my word through you;
11 And in addition to your testimony, the testimony of three of my servants, whom I shall call and ordain, unto whom I will show these things, and they shall go forth with my words that are given through you.
12 Yea, they shall know of a surety that these things are true, for from heaven will I declare it unto them.
13 I will give them power that they may behold and view these things as they are;
14 And to none else will I grant this power, to receive this same testimony among this generation, in this the beginning of the rising up and the coming forth of my church out of the wilderness—clear as the moon, and fair as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.
15 And the testimony of three witnesses will I send forth of my word.
16 And behold, whosoever believeth on my words, them will I visit with the manifestation of my Spirit; and they shall be born of me, even of water and of the Spirit—
(Doctrine and Covenants 5:9–16)

In a previous post on this blog, we discussed how Martin Harris corroborated what D&C 5 says:

"These plates were usually kept in a cherry box made for that purpose, in the possession of Joseph and myself. The plates were kept from the sight of the world, and no one, save Oliver Cowdrey, myself, Joseph Smith, jr., and David Whitmer, ever saw them.”

https://www.lettervii.com/2019/02/martin-harris-no-on-else-saw-plates.html

This is no surprise to regular readers of this blog because we are aware of the "two sets of plates" explanation. Basically, the Three Witnesses saw the abridged plates, as explained in D&C 5 and other references, but the Eight Witnesses saw the plates of Nephi.

(click to enlarge)

See the explanation, here:

https://www.lettervii.com/p/the-two-sets-of-plates-schematic.html

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To recap: Moroni put the abridged plates in the stone box, as explained by the Title Page, which was the last leaf of the plates. That set of plates did not include the original (small) plates of Nephi. The "original Book of Mormon" consisted only of Mormon's abridgment, plus the abridgment of the record of the Jaredites and Moroni's concluding chapters.

But after Martin Harris lost the 116 pages, the Lord instructed Joseph not to retranslate those plates (the Book of Lehi), but instead told Joseph "you shall translate the engravings which are on the plates of Nephi." (Doctrine and Covenants 10:41)

But Joseph didn't have the plates of Nephi when he was in Harmony. We can tell from the Original Manuscript that he translated the plates of Nephi in Fayette. Why?

Before leaving Harmony, Joseph gave the abridged plates to a messenger, an old man with a long beard. Then, when David Whitmer came to Harmony to bring Joseph and Oliver to Fayette, they encountered the messenger who had the abridged plates in his knapsack. When David offered to give him a ride, the man declined, saying he was "going to Cumorah." David didn't know what that meant. He said it was the first time he'd ever heard of Cumorah. He asked Joseph who the man was, and Joseph said he was one of the Three Nephites (not Moroni).

Joseph did not have the plates of Nephi, which he translated in Fayette, until after he arrived in Fayette. The messenger presumably picked up the small plates of Nephi from the repository in the Hill Cumorah (Mormon 6:6) when he returned the abridged plates to the repository, and then brought those plates of Nephi to Fayette. He also showed them to Mary Whitmer (David's mother), who said he identified himself as "Brother Nephi."

[See this explanation for the Moroni/Nephi issue:

https://www.mobom.org/moroni-and-nephi

Later, an angel (Moroni), who was not the old man named Nephi, showed the abridged plates to the Three Witnesses, of which a portion was sealed. One way we can tell they saw the abridged plates is because their testimony tracks the Title Page, which was the last leaf of the abridged plates and does not mention any original plates of Nephi.

we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken.

That's why both Martin Harris and D&C 5 explain that no one other than the Three Witnesses saw the abridged plates.

Shortly thereafter, Joseph showed the plates of Nephi to the Eight Witnesses, none of whom said any plates were sealed. Joseph's mother explained that, unlike the angel who showed the plates to the Three Witnesses, these plates were brought "by one of the ancient Nephites," presumably the same one who took them from Cumorah to Fayette.

In a few days we were follow by Joseph and
Oliver
and the whitmers who came to make us a visit and also to make some arrangements about getting the book printed soon after they came They all that is the male part of the company repaired to a little grove where it was customary for the family to offer up their secret prayers— as Joseph had been instructed that the plates would be carried there by one of the ancient Nephites. Here <it> was that those 8 witnesses recorded in the Book of Mormon looked upon the plates and handled them