Martin Harris

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Martin Harris, 1783 – 1875) was an early convert to the Latter Day Saint movement, who financially guaranteed the first printing of the Book of Mormon, as well as a testifying that Joseph Smith said the Book of Mormon had been translated.

Early life

Harris was born in Easton, New York, the second of the eight children born to Nathan Harris and Rhoda Lapham.

Little is known about his youth, according to historian Ronald W. Walker, "but if his later life and occupation are examples, the boy partook of the solid values of his neighborhood, which included work, honesty, rudimentary education, and godly fear." Harris married Lucy Harris, his first cousin, in 1808.

Harris served with the 39th regiment of the New York State Militia of Ontario County, New York, during the War of 1812. He inherited 150 acres.

Harris lived in Palmyra, New York, where he was a wealthy farmer before 1831. Harris' neighbors regard him as both an honest and superstitious man. Harris' "vision was both exuberant and fecund," a biographer said. For example, Harris once believed that a sputtering candle was the work of the devil. Harris allegedly saw Jesus in the shape of a deer and walked and talked to him for two or three miles, according to an acquaintance. He was described as "a visionary fanatic" by the local Presbyterian minister. Harris' mind, according to a friend, who described him as "universally revered as a hero," and that his participation in earthly visits of angels and ghosts gave him the local reputation of being mad. "Martin was a man that would do just as he agreed with you," another friend said. But, he was also a natural performer for hearing spooks." Harris, on the other hand, was remembered as a "not very religious" person before the Book of Mormons was published. Nevertheless, early anti-Mormons who knew Harris believed he was "honest," "benevolent," and a "worthy citizen."

"Many families, numbering around fifty souls, took up their march from this town last week for the 'promised land,' among whom was Martin Harris, one of the first believers in the 'Book of Mormon." Mr. Harris was one of the town's early settlers and has never had the image of an honourable and noble man as well as an obliging and benevolent neighbor. He had earned himself a respectable fortune by honest industry, but his delusion has left a large group of acquaintances and acquaintances angry.

Early interaction with Smith

In 1816, the Smith family moved to Palmyra, and Joseph Smith Sr. was hired by Harris in 1824 to dig a well and a cistern. Smith Sr. reportedly told Harris about the gold plates in 1824. When Joseph Smith first used a seer stone to find a missing object for Harris, Harris recalled it.

Smith transcribed characters from the golden plates to a piece of paper, perhaps the one now known as the Anthon transcript, but both Harris's and Anthon's accounts disagree on the authenticity of the Book of Mormons. Harris took the transcript of characters to New York City, where he worked with Charles Anthon, a professor of linguistics at Columbia College, in the winter of 1828. The two guys' accounts of the meeting on virtually every point are conflictive. Harris' account is included in Smith's History of the Church. Harris said Anthon gave him a certificate confirming the authenticity of the characters and the translations, but Anthon discovered that Smith claimed to have obtained the plates from an angel, he tore it to pieces. In 1834 and 1841, Anthon, for his part, wrote articles. Despite the years in between, both accounts are in good agreement, but there is a difference between whether he had given Harris a written opinion on the transcript or not. Anthon said in both cases that he told Harris that he (Harris) was a perpetrator of a scam and not to interfere. In either case, the episode appears to have perplexed Harris' doubts about the authenticity of the golden plates and the translation sufficiently to mortgage his farm to get the book printed. Harris' wife continued to object to Smith's union.

Harris appears in both of Anthon's books that he visited him again after the Book of Mormon was published and gave him a copy, which Anthon refused to accept. Anthon claims he defrauded Harris and should return to the chest and look at the plates with the plates stuck in the chest, but Harris says he would not bother looking at the plates or his family would be cursed.

Harris moved to Harmony, Pennsylvania, in February 1828, to serve as a writer, while Smith ordered the translation of the golden plates. Smith and Harris' translation had resulted in 116 pages of manuscript by June 1828.

Harris begged Smith for permission to read the 116 pages of manuscript back to his wife to convince her of its authenticity; Smith reluctantly agreed. The manuscript was lost after Harris had given the pages to his wife and others. The plates were temporarily suspended, but Smith restarted the translation, primarily Oliver Cowdery.

Joseph Smith's first written revelation, which was published in July 1828, refers to Smith's delivery of the 116 pages to Harris. "thou gave up that which was sacred," the author says, "who has broken the most holy vows, which were not made before God, who has relyed on his own authority, and boasted in his own wisdom," says Smith.

Nonetheless, Harris continued to help Smith financially. The translation was completed in June 1829. Smith had hired E. B. Grandin of Palmyra to print the Book of Mormon by August. Harris financed his farm to Grandin to guarantee the printing fees were paid, and he later sold 151 acres (61 ha) of his farm to pay off the mortgage. Smith revealed a surprise to Harris in March 1830: "I command you, that thou shalt not covet thine own property, but give freely to the printing of the book of Mormon." "Misery shalt receive" if thou wilt deceive these advices, he said, including the loss of one's life and property. Impart a portion of thy's land; Yea, even a part of thy's lands; and all save the family's support. "Pay the printer's debt" is paid.

Smith revealed that three men would be called as special witnesses to the golden plates' existence as the translation neared. Harris was selected as one of the Three Witnesses, alongside Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer.

"It was in the second half of June, 1829..." Joseph, Oliver Cowdery, and myself were together, and the angel led them [the plates] to us. A table upon which were many golden plates, as well as the director's sword, was visible in the midst of all this light, but just a few feet from us. I saw them as plain as I see you now, and I've also heard the Lord declare that the Book of Mormon's records were translated by the grace and grace of God."

Joseph Smith and Martin Harris had a similar encounter, and as the book was being printed, Cowdery, Whitmer, and Harris signed a joint statement that has been included in every one of the more than 120 million copies of the Book of Mormon printed since then.

It reads in part:

"We say with words of soberness that an angel of God came down from heaven and laid the plates before our eyes; and we know that by God the Father's and Our Lord Jesus Christ's grace that we were able to see and know that these things are correct."

Smith said in 1839 that Harris's experience in seeing the plates differed from Whitmer and Cowdery's. The attestation of the Three Witnesses was included in virtually every subsequent edition, and it has been included in virtually every subsequent edition.

Harris and his wife divorced in part because of continuing disagreement over Smith and the golden plates, as well as the loss of his farm. Lucy Mack Smith referred to Lucy Harris as a woman of "irascible temper." Martin Harris beat her often, and neighbors confirmed she had bruises and other signs of abuse, according to Lucy Harris. With a neighboring "Mrs," she speculated that her husband may have committed adultery. Haggard is the author of a "huge" story.

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