Christian Whitmer (January 18, 1798 – November 27, 1835) was the eldest son of

Peter Whitmer, Sr. Peter Whitmer Sr. (April 14, 1773 – August 12, 1854) was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement, and father of the movement's second founding family. Whitmer was born in Pennsylvania and married Mary Elsa Musselman. The Whitmers had ...

and Mary Musselman. He is primarily remembered as one of the Eight Witnesses of the

Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude ...

golden plates According to Latter Day Saint movement, Latter Day Saint belief, the golden plates (also called the gold plates or in some 19th-century literature, the golden bible) are the source from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, a sacred t ...

Biography

Born in Dauphin, Pennsylvania, Whitmer moved with his parents to New York in 1809. On February 22, 1825, he married Ann Schott (1801–1866) in

Fayette, New York Fayette is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 3,617 at the 2020 census. The town is in the north-central part of the county and is southeast of Geneva, New York. A post office is located in the Town of Fayette a ...

. In June 1829,

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, h ...

showed Whitmer, along with several of his brothers, the

gold plates According to Latter Day Saint belief, the golden plates (also called the gold plates or in some 19th-century literature, the golden bible) are the source from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the faith. Some ac ...

; Whitmer subsequently signed a declaration of the Eight Witnesses. On April 11, 1830, he and Ann were baptized into the newly organized

Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to: Church groups * When used in the plural, a New Testament designation for local groups of people following the teachings of Jesus Christ: "...all the churches of Christ greet you", Romans 16:16. * The entire body of Ch ...

. Upon its organization, Whitmer was made a

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

in the church. They subsequently moved to

Jackson County, Missouri Jackson County is located in the western portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 717,204. making it the second-most populous county in the state (after St. Louis County). Although Independence retains ...

, where Whitmer was appointed a leading

elder An elder is someone with a degree of seniority or authority. Elder or elders may refer to: Positions Administrative * Elder (administrative title), a position of authority Cultural * North American Indigenous elder, a person who has and tr ...

of the church. By 1835, Whitmer and his family had relocated to the new Latter Day Saint settlement of

Far West, Missouri Far West was a settlement of the Latter Day Saint movement in Caldwell County, Missouri, United States, during the late 1830s. It is recognized as a historic site by the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, added to the register in 1970. It ...

, where Whitmer was a member of the high council. He died there on November 27, 1835, leaving no children. His widow, Ann, eventually returned to Fayette.

Notes

References

* *Keith W. Perkins
"True to the Book of Mormon—The Whitmers"
''

Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diff ...

'', February 1989. 1798 births 1835 deaths American Latter Day Saints Book of Mormon witnesses Converts to Mormonism Leaders in the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints) People from Far West, Missouri People from Fayette, New York Religious leaders from New York (state) Whitmer family {{LDS-stub