Facing Death Head On

David Whitmer

During the persecutions in Missouri, David Whitmer was tarred and feathered and then told he could be released if he denied his testimony. Instead he did what?

a.      Shared his testimony of the Book of Mormon

b.      Sung a hymn

c.       Preached the gospel

d.      Told the mob where to go and how to get there

Yesterday’s answer:

b.   Michael H. Chandler

 

The following letter was written by Oliver Cowdery to William Frye:

Kirtland, Ohio, December 22, 1835

Dear Brother in the Lord [William Frye]:

   . . . Upon the subject of the Egyptian records, or rather the writings of Abraham and Joseph, and may I say a few words. This record is beautifully written in papyrus with black, and a small part, red ink or paint, in perfect preservation. The characters are such as you find upon the coffins of mummies, hieroglyphics and etc., with many characters or letters exactly like the present, though perhaps not quite so square form of the Hebrew without points.

   These records were obtained from one of the catacombs in Egypt, near the place where once stood the renowned city of Thebes, by the celebrated French traveller Antonio Sebolo [Lebolo], in the year 1831. He procured license from Mohemet Ali, then Viceroy of Egypt under the protection of Chevralier [Chevalier] Drovetti, the French Consul, in the year 1828; employed 433 men four months and two days, (if I understood correctly, Egyptian or Turkish soldiers), at from four to six cents per diem, each man; entered the catacomb June 7, 1831, and obtained eleven mummies. There were several hundred mummies in the same catacomb. About one hundred embalmed after the first order and deposited and placed in niches and two or three hundred after the second and third order, and laid upon the floor or bottom of the grand cavity, the two last orders of embalmed were so decayed that they could not be removed and only eleven out of the first, found in the niches.

   On his way from Alexandria to Paris he put in at Trieste, and after ten days illness, expired. This was in the year 1832. Previous to his decease, he made a will of the whole to Mr. Michael H. Chandler, then in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, his nephew, whom he supposed to have been in Ireland.

   Accordingly the whole were sent to Dublin, addressed according, and Mr. Chandler's friends ordered them sent to New York where they were received at the customhouse in the winter or spring of 1833. In April of the same year Mr. Chandler paid the duties upon his mummies and took possession of the same. Up to this time they had not been taken out of the coffins nor the coffins opened.

   On opening the coffins he discovered that in connection with two of the bodies were something rolled up with the same kind of linen, saturated with the same bitumen, which when examined proved to be two rolls of papyrus, previously mentioned. I may add that two or three other small pieces of papyrus, with astronomical calculations, epitaphs, etc., were found with others of the mummies.

   When Mr. Chandler discovered that there was something with the mummies, he supposed or hoped it might be some diamonds or other valuable metal, and was no little chagrined when he saw his disappointment. He was immediately told while yet in the customhouse, that there was no man in that city, who could translate his rolls; but was referred by the same gentleman, (a stranger) to Mr. Joseph Smith, Jr., who continued [that] he possess some kind of power or gift by which he had previously translated similar characters. Brother Smith was then unknown to Mr. Chandler. Neither did he know that such a book or work as the record of the Nephites had been brought before the public. From New York he took his collection to Philadelphia, [Pennsylvania], where he exhibited them for a compensation. The following is a certificate put into my hands by Mr. Chandler, which he obtained while in Philadelphia and will show the opinion of the scientific of that city:

   "Having examined with considerable attention and deep interest, a number of mummies from the catacombs, near Thebes, in Egypt and now exhibiting in the Arcade, we beg leave to recommend them to the observation of the curious inquirer on subjects of a period so long elapsed; probably not less than three thousand years ago.

   "The features of some of the mummies are in perfect expression. The papyrus covered with black or red ink, or paint, in excellent preservation, are very interesting. The undersigned, unsolicited by any person connected by interest with this exhibition, have voluntarily set their names hereunto, for the simple purpose of calling the attention of the public to an interesting collection, not sufficiently known in this city." signed

John Redman Cone, M.D., E. H. Rivinius, M.D., Richard Harlan, M.D., J. Pencoat, M.D., Wm. P. C. Barton, M.D., Samuel G. Morgan, M.D."

 

   While Mr. Chandler was in Philadelphia he used every exertion to find someone who would give him the translation of his papyrus, but could not satisfactorily, though from some few men of the `first eminence' he obtained in a small degree the translation of a few characters.

   Here he was referred to Brother Smith. From Philadelphia he visited Harrisburg, [Pennsylvania] and other places east of the mountains, and was frequently referred to Brother Smith for the translation of his Egyptian relic.

   It would be beyond my purpose to follow this gentleman in his different circuits to the time he visited this place, the last of June or first of July, at which time he presented Brother Smith with his papyrus. Till then neither myself nor Brother Smith knew of such relics being in America. Mr. Chandler was told that his writings could be deciphered, and very politely gave me privileges of copying some four or five different sentences or separate pieces, stating at the same time, that unless he found someone who "could give him a translation soon he would carry them to London."

   I am a little in advance of my narrative. The morning Mr. Chandler first presented his papyrus to Brother Smith, he was shown by the latter, a number of characters like those upon the writings of Mr. C. [Chandler] which were previously copied from the plates containing the history of the Nephites, or Book of Mormon.

   Being solicited by Mr. Chandler to give an opinion concerning his antiquities, or a translation of some of the characters, Brother J. [Joseph] gave him the interpretation of some few for his satisfaction. For your gratification I will here annex a certificate which I hold, from under the hand of Mr. Chandler, unsolicited however, by any person in this place, which will show how far he believed Brother Smith able to unfold from these long obscure rolls, the wonders obtained thereon:

"Kirtland July 6th, 1835

   This is to make known to all who may be desirous, concerning the knowledge of Mr. Joseph Smith, Jr., in deciphering the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic characters, in my possession, which I have, in many eminent cities, shown to the most learned; and from the information that I could ever learn, or meet with, I find that Mr. Joseph Smith, Jr., to correspond in the most minute matters.

Signed Michael H. Chandler

Traveling with and proprietor of Egyptian Mummies."

   The foregoing is verbatim as given by Mr. Chandler excepting the addition of punctuation, and speaks sufficiently plain without requiring comment from me and it was given previous to the purchase of the antiquities, by any person here.

   The language in which this record is written is very comprehensive, and many of the hieroglyphics exceedingly striking.

Oliver Cowdery Letters, Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery, San Marino, California (hereafter cited as Huntington), letters of Oliver Cowdery cited in Stanley R. Gunn, Oliver Cowdery: Second Elder and Scribe (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1962) and LDS Church Archives. With the exception of two letters, the letters in this collection have been printed in Gunn's work and were located at the time of the publication of that work in the Huntington Library or Church Archives.