Of the many evidences that could be given for the Book of Mormon, the witnesses to the gold plates from which it is claimed to be translated stand eminently. In the words of Latter-day Saint scholar Daniel C. Peterson, the witnesses stand as “the only public, objective, secular evidence that the Lord [Himself] gives for the Book of Mormon.”¹⁷

In the front matter of the Book of Mormon, one can find the testimonies of the witnesses. There is the testimony of the three witnesses––Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer––where they claim to have (1) seen an angel come down from heaven and lay the plates before them; (2) seen the plates; (3) seen the engravings on the plates; (4) heard the voice of God declare that the plates were translated by His gift and power; and (5) heard the Lord command them to testify of the Book of Mormon’s divinity.

Then there is the testimony of the eight witnesses––including Christian Whitmer, Jacob Whitmer, Peter Whitmer Jr., John Whitmer, Hiram Page, Joseph Smith Sr., Hyrum Smith, and Samuel H. Smith. They testified that (1) Joseph Smith showed them the plates; (2) they handled, saw, and hefted the leaves from the plates; and (3) they saw the engravings on the plates.

These eleven might be termed the “formal” witnesses to the Book of Mormon plates since they all gave their names in an official statement certifying a particular testimony. However, along with the formal witnesses, there are 19 informal witnesses to the Book of Mormon plates; individuals who did not give their names to a formal statement but nonetheless left accounts stating that they had seen the plates. These individuals include Luke Johnson, Mary Whitmer, Harrison Burgess, Emma Smith, Katharine Smith, Don Carlos Smith, Sophronia Smith, William Smith, Lucy Smith Millikin, Lucy Mack Smith, Josiah Stowell, Alvah Beaman, Joseph Knight Sr., Lucy Harris, Lucy Harris Jr., Joseph McKune Sr., Lyman Johnson, Isaac Hale, and Sarah Fowler Andrick. If one includes Joseph Smith Jr., that would make 20 informal witnesses to the Book of Mormon plates.¹⁸

By any standard, the witness testimony for the reality of the Book of Mormon is impressive.

There have been several arguments against the use of the Witnesses as evidence for the Book of Mormon, but these have been thoroughly refuted.¹⁹

In 2021, Daniel C. Peterson released a dramatic film, a documentary, and a website dedicated to retelling the story of the Book of Mormon witnesses. The website in particular, witnessesofthebookofmormon.org, will curate all of the statements of the Book of Mormon witnesses. The website includes media that examines the witnesses and all their statements in their historical contexts as well as answers criticisms against the witnesses. It is an invaluable resource.

The experiences of the witnesses and their collective, lifelong commitment to their testimonies, even in the face of opposition and disillusionment, are unique and instructive in that they simultaneously teach us today about remaining true to our own testimonies of the gospel amidst similar challenges and provide us a fundamental, divinely-given evidence that strengthen those testimonies.