said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken.  And we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we have seen; and we lie not, God bearing witness of it. 
                    Christian Whitmer,
Jacob Whitmer,
Peter Whitmer, Jr.,
John Whitmer,
Hiram page,
Joseph Smith, Sr.,
Hyrum Smith,
Samuel H. Smith.

And when I am far on the road to conviction, and eight men, be they grammatical or otherwise, come forward and tell me that they have seen the plates too; and not only seen those plates but “hefted” them, I am convinced.  I could not feel more satisfied and at rest if the entire Whitmer family had testified.

The Mormon Bible consists of fifteen “books”—­being the books of Jacob, Enos, Jarom, Omni, Mosiah, Zeniff, Alma, Helaman, Ether, Moroni, two “books” of Mormon, and three of Nephi.

In the first book of Nephi is a plagiarism of the Old Testament, which gives an account of the exodus from Jerusalem of the “children of Lehi”; and it goes on to tell of their wanderings in the wilderness, during eight years, and their supernatural protection by one of their number, a party by the name of Nephi.  They finally reached the land of “Bountiful,” and camped by the sea.  After they had remained there “for the space of many days”—­which is more Scriptural than definite—­Nephi was commanded from on high to build a ship wherein to “carry the people across the waters.”  He travestied Noah’s ark—­but he obeyed orders in the matter of the plan.  He finished the ship in a single day, while his brethren stood by and made fun of it—­and of him, too—­“saying, our brother is a fool, for he thinketh that he can build a ship.”  They did not wait for the timbers to dry, but the whole tribe or nation sailed the next day.  Then a bit of genuine nature cropped out, and is revealed by outspoken Nephi with Scriptural frankness—­they all got on a spree!  They, “and also their wives, began to make themselves merry, insomuch that they began to dance, and to sing, and to speak with much rudeness; yea, they were lifted up unto exceeding rudeness.”

Nephi tried to stop these scandalous proceedings; but they tied him neck and heels, and went on with their lark.  But observe how Nephi the prophet circumvented them by the aid of the invisible powers: 

And it came to pass that after they had bound me, insomuch that I could not move, the compass, which had been prepared of the Lord, did cease to work; wherefore, they knew not whither they should steer the ship, insomuch that there arose a great storm, yea, a great and terrible tempest, and we were driven back upon the waters for the space of three days; and they began to be frightened exceedingly, lest they should be drowned in the sea; nevertheless they did not loose me.  And on the fourth day, which we had been driven back, the tempest began to be exceeding sore.  And it came to pass that we were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea.

Then they untied him.