Joseph Smith wrote witnesses statement

[_Doctor Scratch]

Thanks Doc.

All of my friends have nothing but good things to say about Royal. The consistent thing that is said about Royal is that he is the only scholar found at the Maxwell Institute. My guess would be that Royal is such a classy person, he would never suggest such a thing.

Well, clearly the Mopologists are a fan of Skousen's, too. They are a fan of anyone who helps make the case that their work--their "scholarship"--is more authoritative than the words and revelations of the prophets and GAs.

[_Joe Geisner]

Well, clearly the Mopologists are a fan of Skousen's, too. They are a fan of anyone who helps make the case that their work--their "scholarship"--is more authoritative than the words and revelations of the prophets and GAs.

You are not going to get an argument from me. As you posted on the Facebook thread, they apologists have set out to do harm to good people. If Royal crosses them in any way, they will throw him under the bus. Much like what the JSPP are doing with all the other people that Smith associated with, including Brigham Young.

The call is to save Smith at all cost!

[_dblagent007]

Is this the original statement of the eight witnesses? I'm not a handwriting expert, but it sure looks like the same person wrote the statement and signed all the names (note the distinctive way capital Ss are written througout).
http://goo.gl/MKT2P

Here is the one for the three witnesses.
http://goo.gl/oMpDY

Normally, the Joseph Smith papers show who wrote the statement. Actually, maybe they didn't list a scribe if it was in Joseph Smith's own handwriting. Actually, upon further reflection, both of these statements along with the signatures appear to be in Joseph Smith's distinctive curvy handwriting.

[_dblagent007]

One more thing to note is that this was written in June-Aug 1829, shortly after the Book of Mormon was translated. I bet these are the original statements written in Joseph Smith's handwriting including the signatures of each alleged witness!

[_lulu]

Is this the original statement of the eight witnesses? I'm not a handwriting expert, but it sure looks like the same person wrote the statement and signed all the names (note the distinctive way capital Ss are written througout).
http://goo.gl/MKT2P

Here is the one for the three witnesses.
http://goo.gl/oMpDY

Normally, the Joseph Smith papers show who wrote the statement. Actually, maybe they didn't list a scribe if it was in Joseph Smith's own handwriting. Actually, upon further reflection, both of these statements along with the signatures appear to be in Joseph Smith's distinctive curvy handwriting.

This was answered in a prior thread. The statement of the 8 is in Cowdery's handwriting and is part of the printer's Book of Mormon manuscript. That is stated on another page on the JSPP site.

[_dblagent007]

This was answered in a prior thread. The statement of the 8 is in Cowdery's handwriting and is part of the printer's Book of Mormon manuscript. That is stated on another page on the JSPP site.

Ah, thanks.

[_The Mighty Builder]

You don't know that, Nobody knows for sure, You weren't there.

[_Frodo]

I went back and read the linked article in the OP. His case is that there is a strong textual similarity between the Book of Mormon and the 3 witness statement. He indicated that this is evidence that the 3 witness statement was received revelation just as the Book of Mormon.

It would appear that you could also make the case that if the Book of Mormon were a fictional account dictated by Joseph that you would expect to see the same similarity in the text of the 3 witness statement.

[_Chap]

I went back and read the linked article in the OP. His case is that there is a strong textual similarity between the Book of Mormon and the 3 witness statement. He indicated that this is evidence that the 3 witness statement was received revelation just as the Book of Mormon.

It would appear that you could also make the case that if the Book of Mormon were a fictional account dictated by Joseph that you would expect to see the same similarity in the text of the 3 witness statement.

Half a minute. The witness statements are supposed to be what real living people set down as a record of what they have seen. These are human voices speaking, or they aren't what they claim to be. By reason of that fact, they couldn't be more different from revelation.

Now since we know that this stuff was not revelation, the obvious deduction is that anything resembling it is, by reason of that fact, and to that extent, LESS likely to be revelation.

Clearly the only hypothesis in town that fits in with the textual resemblances between the witness statements and the Book of Mormon is that the same person wrote both.

[_why me]

Does it really matter? The witnesses saw the statement where their names were attached and were fine with it. Since there were two statements and 11 witnesses, it would be obvious that the statements would have written by one or two people. The important thing is: no witness contradicted the statement. End of story.