Jacob Whitmer
{{short description|Book of Mormon witness}}
{{More footnotes|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox Latter Day Saint biography
| name = Jacob Whitmer
| image = Jacob Whitmer.jpg
| alt = Image of Jacob Whitmer
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1800|02|02|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = Pennsylvania, United States[https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MDZV-4JD United States Census, 1850]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1856|04|21|1800|02|02|mf=yes}}
| death_place =
| death_cause =
| resting_place = Richmond Pioneer Cemetery, Missouri, United States
| resting_place_coordinates = {{Coord|39|17|6.76|N|93|58|34.93|W|type:landmark|display=inline|name=Richmond Pioneer Cemetery, Missouri}}
| known_for = One of the Eight Witnesses
| spouse = Elizabeth Schott
| children = 9
| parents = Peter Whitmer, Sr.
Mary Musselman
| website =
| signature = Jacob Whitmer Signature.jpg
| footnotes =
| portals = movement}}
Jacob Whitmer (February 2, 1800 – April 21, 1856) was the second born child of Peter Whitmer, Sr., and Mary Musselman. He is primarily remembered as one of the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's golden plates.
Biography
Born in Pennsylvania, Whitmer moved with his parents to New York, where he married Elizabeth Schott on September 29, 1825. Whitmer and Elizabeth had nine children together, only three of whom survived to adulthood.
Whitmer’s younger brother, David, became a close associate of Joseph Smith. In June 1829, Jacob Whitmer joined his brothers in signing a statement testifying that he personally saw and handled the golden plates said to be in Smith's possession. On April 11, 1830, he was baptized into the newly organized Church of Christ.
Whitmer moved with the majority of the New York church members to Ohio in 1831. Whitmer then gathered with early church members to Jackson County, Missouri by 1833, but was driven by anti-Mormon vigilantes from his home there, and later from his home in Clay County, Missouri. He then settled in Caldwell County, Missouri where he served on Far West's high council and received an elder’s license from the church in December 1837.
In a dispute over land ownership in Far West, Whitmer was excommunicated from the church in 1838 along with the rest of the living members of the Whitmer family,{{Cite book|last=McCune|first=George M.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/25553656|title=Personalities in the Doctrine and Covenants and Joseph Smith–History|publisher=Hawkes Publishing, Inc.|year=1991|isbn=0890365180|location=Salt Lake City, Utah|pages=142–145|oclc=25553656}} and driven again from his home—this time by Mormon vigilantes.{{Cite web |title=Whitmer, Jacob |url=https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/person/jacob-whitmer |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=www.josephsmithpapers.org}}
Whitmer settled finally near Richmond in neighboring Ray County, where he worked as a shoemaker and a farmer. He died on April 21, 1856, still affirming his testimony of the golden plates.
Notes
{{reflist}}
References
- {{cite book | last = Jenson | first = Andrew | title = Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A compilation of biographical sketches of prominent men and women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | volume = 1 | date = 1901 | publisher = The Andrew Jenson History Company (Printed by The Deseret News Press) | location = Salt Lake City, Utah | pages = [https://archive.org/details/latterdaysaint01jensuoft/page/276 276–277]}}
- Keith W. Perkins, [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1989/02/true-to-the-book-of-mormon-the-whitmers "True to the Book of Mormon—The Whitmers"], Ensign, February 1989.
{{Book of Mormon Witnesses}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitmer, Jacob}}
Category:American Latter Day Saints
Category:Book of Mormon witnesses
Category:Converts to Mormonism
Category:Farmers from Missouri
Category:Leaders in the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)
Category:People excommunicated by the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)
Category:People from Caldwell County, Missouri
Category:People from Clay County, Missouri
Category:People from Fayette, New York
Category:People from Ray County, Missouri
Category:Religious leaders from New York (state)
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