Joseph Smith, Jr., the translator of this work, has shown unto us the plates of which hath been spoken,

which have the appearance of gold, the testimony of eight witnesses.

Hey, listeners, this is Neil from Book of Mormon Central, and today's podcast addresses the question,

why was Peter Whitmer Jr. chosen to witness the gold plates?

Shortly after Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery arrived at the Whitmer Farm in Fayette in early June 1829, members of the Whitmer family

desired Joseph to seek revelations on their behalf. Among them was Peter Whitmer Jr., who was

19 years old at the time, four years younger than the prophet.

Through Joseph, the Lord told young Peter,

the thing which will be the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people,

that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my father.

Soon thereafter, Peter was among the few baptized

before the formal organization of Christ's restored church in April 1830. Like others in the Whitmer

family, Peter may have assisted Joseph as he finished the translation of the Book of Mormon in the

Whitmer home. At the end of June 1829, Peter was chosen to be among the eight witnesses who testified

with words of soberness that Joseph has got the plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated.

As the Book of Mormon was being printed, Peter stayed in Palmyra, likely to assist Hiram Smith

and Oliver Cowdery in protecting the manuscript copies of the Book of Mormon.

A few months after the church was organized, Peter was called to travel with Oliver Cowdery

and to open your mouth to declare my gospel. Peter and Oliver were joined by recent converts Parley P.

Pratt and Ziba Peterson on what became known as a mission to the

Lamanites. Peter and the other missionaries entered into a solemn covenant to go to the Lamanites

to assist in the glorious work and business of proclaiming glad tidings of great joy unto them

...