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| {{BoMWitnessPortal}}
| | #REDIRECT [[Question: Could Joseph Smith have hypnotized the witnesses to the Book of Mormon?]] |
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| ==Criticism==
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| Critics claim that the Book of Mormon witnesses may have been sincere in their testimony, but were actually the victims of 'hallucination' or 'hypnosis' induced in them by Joseph Smith.
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| ===Source(s) of the criticism===
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| {{BoMWitnessesCritics}}
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| ==Response==
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| David Whitmer—like the other witnesses—had been charged with being deluded into thinking he had seen an angel and the plates. One observer remembers when David was such accused, and said:
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| :“How well and distinctly I remember the manner in which Elder Whitmer arose and drew himself up to his full height—a little over six feet—and said, in solemn and impressive tones: ‘No sir! I was not under any hallucination, nor was I deceived! '''I saw with these eyes''', and '''I heard with these ears'''! I know whereof I speak!’{{ref|whitmer1}}
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| Martin Harris used the same qualifying statements to describe his experience:
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| :In introducing us, Mr. Godfrey said, "Brother Harris, I have brought these young men to hear your statement as to whether or not you believe the Book of Mormon to be true." His face was turned to the wall. He turned and faced us and said, "Now I don't believe, but I know it to be true, for '''with these eyes I saw''' the angel and '''with these ears (pointing to them) I heard''' him say it was a true and correct record of an ancient people that dwelt upon this the American continent (Alma L. Jensen recital).
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| Oliver Cowdery was asked, “Was your testimony based on a dream, was it the imagination of your mind, was it an illusion”? He responded with the exact same qualifying statements as the other two Witnesses:
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| :“'''My eyes saw''', '''my ears heard''', and my understanding was touched, and I know that whereof I testified is true. It was no dream, no vain imagination of the mind—it was real.” (Jacob F. Gates, "Testimony of Jacob Gates," ''Improvement Era'' 15 [March 1912]: 418-19)
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| ==Conclusion==
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| ==Endnotes==
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| #{{note|whitmer1}} {{InvestigatingWitnesses1|start=88}}
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| ==Further reading==
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| ===FAIR wiki articles===
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| {{BoMWitnessesWiki}}
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| ===FAIR web site===
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| {{BoMWitnessesFAIR}}
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| ===External links===
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| {{BoMWitnessesLinks}}
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| ===Printed material===
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| {{BoMWitnessesPrint}}
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