Evidence #434 | January 31, 2024
Book of Mormon Evidence: Law of Witnesses
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Scripture Central
Abstract
Numerous passages from the Book of Mormon invoke the principle of the law of witnesses, as outlined in the Pentateuch. The quantity, variety, consistency, and—in several instances—subtlety of this textual data point to an author (or set of authors) whose worldview was deeply informed by this legal principle.The Law of Witnesses in the Old Testament
According to the legal codes of the Old Testament, witnesses played a crucial role in determining the facts of a legal dispute. As described in Deuteronomy 19:15: “One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.”1 Although there is scant information on actual legal proceedings in ancient Israel, it is clear that the law of witnesses was indeed invoked, as seen in the story Ruth and Boaz (Ruth 4:9–11).2 Two witnesses—albeit false witnesses—were also called upon by Jezebel in order to convict Naboth of a crime he didn’t commit (1 Kings 21:10–13).3
The principle of multiple witnesses is also used, often metaphorically, in a variety of other settings in the Old Testament.4 In Deuteronomy 4:26 nature itself is called upon as a dual witness: “I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day” (cf. Job 16:19). Isaiah selected two apparently eminent men to be “faithful witnesses” for one of his prophecies, as recorded in Isaiah 8:1–2. And even sacred texts themselves could be seen as playing the role of a witness. According to Deuteronomy 31:26, the Ten Commandments were preserved in the Ark of the Covenant specifically as a “witness” against the Israelites.
Witnesses are also mentioned in settings of ritual ordinance or ceremony. When entering into an agreement with Laban, Jacob erected a “pillar” (made of a single stone) and a “heap” (made of multiple stones), each of which served as a “witness” to their covenant (Genesis 31:46–52). Similarly, the tabernacle which Moses erected in the wilderness, in which sacred priesthood rituals were performed, was referred to as the tabernacle of “witness” (e.g., Numbers 17:7).5
The Law of Witnesses in the New Testament
Terms related to “witness” turn up frequently in the New Testament.6 Several texts directly quote the law of witnesses outlined in Deuteronomy (Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1). In others, the association comes by way of allusion or inference, as seen in 1 Timothy 5:19: “Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.” Another example comes from the trial of Jesus, where “two false witnesses” were eventually found who testified against him (Matthew 26:60).
This legal principle can also be found in texts that aren’t strictly legal in nature, as seen in the “two witnesses” described in Revelation 11:3, and also even in the Godhead itself, as set out in 1 John 5:8: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” In such instances, the legal principle converges with religious doctrine, indicating that God himself operates in harmony with his divinely revealed legal framework.
The Law of Witnesses in the Book of Mormon
As a volume of scripture which claims to be grounded in ancient Israelite religion and culture, one would expect the Book of Mormon to be sensitive to this fundamental legal principle. And, indeed, it is. When viewed collectively, dozens of passages in a variety of settings appear to invoke the law of witnesses. For a comprehensive list of relevant passages, readers can turn to Appendix 1. For the same passages organized into separate categories, see Appendix 2. Summaries and analysis of this categorical data are given in the subsections below.
Legal and Royal Court Settings
Considering how important witnesses were to the Israelite and Nephite legal systems, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that bearing “false witness” was a significant crime in both societies.7 Sometimes—as in the trials of Nehor8 and Korihor,9 or in the case of Seantum10—the role of witnesses is only implied, rather than directly mentioned. In other instances, witnesses are mentioned but not especially emphasized.
The latter situation occurs several times in the setting of a royal court or household. For example, after Ammon protected King Lamoni’s flocks, the king’s servants “all testified to the things which they had seen” (Alma 18:2). Later, when interrogating Ammon, Lamoni’s wife explained, “I have had no witness save thy word, and the word of our servants; nevertheless I believe that it shall be according as thou hast said” (Alma 19:9).11 Another Lamanite queen, whose husband was murdered by Amalickiah, “desired him that he should bring witnesses with him to testify concerning the death of the king … and they all testified unto her that the king was slain by his own servants” (Alma 47:33–34).
A particularly memorable invocation of the law of witnesses can be seen in the story of Alma and Amulek at Ammonihah. At a crucial point in the narrative, the people taunted Alma by declaring:
Who art thou? Suppose ye that we shall believe the testimony of one man, although he should preach unto us that the earth should pass away? … And they said: Who is God, that sendeth no more authority than one man among this people, to declare unto them the truth of such great and marvelous things? (Alma 9:2–6)
These questions seem obviously informed by the law of witnesses as stipulated in Deuteronomy 19:15: “One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin.” As explained by legal scholar John W. Welch, by invoking this principle, “the people of Ammonihah moved Alma’s encounter from the sphere of religious exhortation to the domain of the law.”12
Yet just as they were about to apprehend Alma, who appeared legally defenseless, “Amulek went and stood forth, and began to preach unto them also” (Alma 9:34). At the conclusion of Amulek’s speech, “the people began to be astonished, seeing there was more than one witness who testified of the things whereof they were accused” (Alma 10:12).13 The issue of witnesses comes up again when Alma and Amulek were taken by the people to be judged: “And the people went forth and witnessed against them” (Alma 14:5).14
Testimony of the Prophets
In numerous instances, the Book of Mormon emphasizes the collective testimony of past or present prophets, almost as if they are arrayed in a legal court to establish the truth. Jacob declared, “we are not witnesses alone in these things; for God also spake them unto prophets of old” (Jacob 4:13). When confronting Korihor in a legal trial, Alma declared, “Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? … will ye deny against all these witnesses?” (Alma 30:44–45). Similar statements are made in nearly two dozen instances throughout the text (see Appendix 2).
Pattern of Companion Prophets
In addition to invoking the joint testimony of past prophets, there is a pattern throughout the Book of Mormon of prophets testifying in twos, threes, or small groups. The first duo starts with Lehi and Nephi, the founding prophets of the Nephite nation (1 Nephi 14:29; 1 Nephi 22:31; Helaman 8:22).15 In another instance, Nephi included himself, Jacob, and Isaiah as a trio of prophetic witnesses (2 Nephi 11:2–3).16 In the book of Mosiah, Benjamin and Abinadi—although separated in time and place—also give something of a joint prophetic testimony.17
In the book of Alma, we encounter Ammon and the sons of Mosiah who preached to the Lamanites (Alma 17–27). Later, Alma and Amulek jointly preached to the people of Ammonihah (Alma 8–14) and also to the Zoramites, along with other companions (Alma 31–35). In the book of Helaman we read about the ministry of Nephi and his brother Lehi, the sons of Helaman (Helaman 5), and there are hints that a later prophet named Nephi ministered to the people with his brother Timothy (3 Nephi 7:19; 19:4).
At the conclusion of the Book of Mormon, we encounter another father-son duo, just as at the beginning. Together, Mormon and Moroni finish out the record with their joint testimonies of Christ, as well as their witness of the wickedness and destruction of their people. As Mormon declared on one occasion, “behold I have witnessed almost all the destruction of my people, the Nephites. And … I deliver these records into the hands of my son; and it supposeth me that he will witness the entire destruction of my people” (Words of Mormon 1:1–2).18
Finally, on a few occasions, prophets from the brass plates are sometimes explicitly named as something like companion witnesses. Nephi stated that Jesus would be, “lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos” (1 Nephi 19:10). Centuries later, when teaching the Zoramites, Alma cited the teachings of Zenos, after which he declared, “For it is not written that Zenos alone spake of these things, but Zenock also spake of these things” (Alma 33:15). Nephi, the son of Helaman, likewise mentioned that “there have been many prophets that have testified these things; yea, behold, the prophet Zenos did testify boldly; for the which he was slain. And behold, also Zenock, and also Ezias, and also Isaiah, and Jeremiah” (Helaman 8:19–20).
Nature as a Witness
On at least two occasions, nature itself is appealed to as a witness in the Book of Mormon. When debating Korihor, Alma declared, “all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator. … And yet will ye deny against all these witnesses?” (Alma 30:44–45). Since stars and planets were often symbolically linked to divine beings in an ancient worldview, they provide an apt metaphor for witnesses.19
A more general analogy was later given by Nephi, son of Helaman: “yea, even ye have received all things, both things in heaven, and all things which are in the earth, as a witness that they are true” (Helaman 8:24). In both statements, the earth and the heavenly luminaries seem to function as separate witnesses of the truth, thus at least metaphorically fulfilling the requirement for multiple witnesses.
Church Regulations
In the Church established by Alma the Elder, we read the following concerning members who were engaging in sin and misconduct: “there were many witnesses against them; yea, the people stood and testified of their iniquity in abundance” (Mosiah 26:9). Near the end of the Nephite record, a similar report is given: “they were strict to observe that there should be no iniquity among them; and whoso was found to commit iniquity, and three witnesses of the church did condemn them before the elders, and if they repented not, and confessed not, their names were blotted out, and they were not numbered among the people of Christ” (Moroni 6:7). Thus, it appears that witnesses likely played a vital role in matters of Church discipline throughout Nephite history.
Covenant Settings
In covenant settings in the Book of Mormon, disciples are described as manifesting faith, bringing forth the fruits of repentance, and showing a willingness to follow God by entering into the ordinance of baptism. Collectively, these actions function as a type of multi-faceted “witness” to God of the initiate’s sincerity and devotion. For instance, Alma declared, “go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism” (Alma 7:15). Likewise, in 3 Nephi 7:25 we read that converts “should be baptized with water, and this as a witness and a testimony before God, and unto the people, that they had repented and received a remission of their sins.”
Reception of the Holy Ghost then serves as a second “witness” in this two-part ordinance. Except, in this case, the direction of the testimony is reversed. Whereas the initiate first witnesses something unto God through baptism, it is then God’s turn to witness something unto the initiate through the Holy Ghost. As explained by Nephi, “ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son” (2 Nephi 31:18). Jesus himself later declared, “And the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and the Father giveth the Holy Ghost unto the children of men, because of me” (3 Nephi 28:11). The sacrament serves a similar function to baptism, as partaking of both the bread and then the water serves as a dual “witness” of willing discipleship (Moroni 4:3; 5:2).
The Godhead
The idea that God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost function as a set of divine witnesses surfaces repeatedly throughout the text. One setting in which these three witnesses are mentioned involves covenants (as described in the previous section). While the Holy Ghost certainly bears record of the Father and the Son, the testifying doesn’t stop there. After outlining the ordinance of baptism and confirmation to the Nephites, Jesus explained (3 Nephi 11:34–35):
Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost. And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one.
Thus, all three divine beings “bear record” of one another in different ways, and in a number of settings all three names are invoked together. In one notable example, after prophesying about the three human witnesses who would behold the plates of the Book of Mormon, Moroni mentioned a set of three divine witnesses who would further establish the truth of the work (Ether 5:4):
And in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established; and the testimony of three, and this work, in the which shall be shown forth the power of God and also his word, of which the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost bear record—and all this shall stand as a testimony against the world at the last day.
Thus, we get three witnesses on each side of the veil, as it were, testifying of this sacred text. Another notable invocation of the Godhead can be seen in Moroni 10:4-5: “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in th ename of Christ, if these things are not true, and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you , by th epower of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” Note that these three names are invoked specifically in the context of establishing the “truth,” signaling that each divine plays a role in that process.
Sacred Texts
When teaching the Nephites, Jesus explained, “And behold, all things are written by the Father; therefore out of the books which shall be written shall the world be judged (3 Nephi 27:25–26; cf. 2 Nephi 29:11; Revelation 20:12). As presented in other passages, it is clear that such texts will specifically act as a type of witness to the truth.
Jacob asked Sherem, “Believest thou the scriptures? And he said, Yea. And I said unto him: Then ye do not understand them; for they truly testify of Christ” (Jacob 7:10–11; cf. v. 19). This makes sense, considering that the scriptures, by their nature, contain the words of various prophetic witnesses. Interestingly, when Jesus invoked this concept, he broke the Nephite scriptures down into two separate entities—the law and the prophets—which jointly testified of him: “And this is the law and the prophets, for they truly testified of me” (3 Nephi 15:10; cf. 2 Nephi 25:28).20
In other cases, entirely separate volumes of scripture can be viewed as playing the role of separate witnesses. To Joseph who was sold into Egypt, the Lord prophesied that his posterity and the posterity of Judah would each write records, and that they would eventually “grow together, unto … establishing peace” and would bring Joseph’s posterity “to the knowledge of my covenants” (2 Nephi 3:12). In Nephi’s panoramic vision, he saw a similar outcome: “These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first” (1 Nephi 13:40). He also saw that these separate texts would be “established by the mouth of the Lamb” and be “established in one” (v. 41). Notice how the phrasing in these passages mirrors the language of witnesses found in Deuteronomy 19:15: “at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.”
Moroni also saw the Book of Mormon as validating the Bible: “this is written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye believe that ye will believe this also” (Moroni 7:9). As explained by Mormon, the Nephite record was created, at least in part, so “that the Jews, the covenant people of the Lord, shall have other witness besides him whom they saw and heard, that Jesus … was the very Christ” (Mormon 3:21). Perhaps the most explicit rendition of this idea can be found in Nephi’s final prophecies in 2 Nephi 29. Addressing those who would reject the Book of Mormon due to their belief in a closed biblical canon, the Lord asked:
Know ye not that there are more nations than one? … Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God … And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also. And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever. (2 Nephi 29:7–9)21
When viewed collectively, these passages help explain why the subtitle “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” was added to the Book of Mormon.22
Book of Mormon Witnesses
Finally, the Book of Mormon makes specific predictions about three human witnesses who would testify to its truthfulness. Nephi prophesied that “three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; and they shall testify to the truth of the book and the things therein” (2 Nephi 27:12). A fairly clear allusion to Deuteronomy 19:15 is then given two verses later: “in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth him good will he establish his word (2 Nephi 27:14). Centuries later, Moroni delivered a similar prophecy: “in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established; and the testimony of three … shall stand as a testimony against the world at the last day” (Ether 5:4).
These prophecies were fulfilled when Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris, and David Whitmer were shown the plates of the Book of Mormon via a miraculous angelic visitation.23 It is also interesting that witnesses sometimes played a similar authenticating role in ancient documents, some of which, like the Book of Mormon, were also sealed in some manner.24
Conclusion
As can be seen from the foregoing analysis, the Book of Mormon manifests a remarkably varied and extensive awareness of the law of witnesses. The legal principle turns up consistently in multiple contexts and is sometimes articulated in ways that are clearly allusive to its presentation in the Old Testament.
In other instances, manifestations of the law are subtle enough that, unless pointed out, many readers might easily miss them. For instance, one may overlook just how many times prophetic companions turn up together in twos, threes, or other small groups of multiple witnesses. Likewise, how many readers have noticed how forms of the term “establish”—as seen in 2 Nephi 3:12 and repeatedly in 1 Nephi 13 in connection to sacred texts—harks back to the language of Deuteronomy 19:15? The way that heaven and earth are metaphorically called upon as dual witnesses in passages like Alma 30:44–45 and Helaman 8:24 serves as another, but certainly not the last, example of elusive consistency.
When viewed collectively, the quantity, variety, and subtlety of references or allusions to this particular legal principle are noteworthy. The textual data seem to point to an author, or set of authors, who were particularly sensitive to the principle’s ancient legal usage and religious significance. This data is consistent with—and perhaps even expected—if the Book of Mormon is what it claims to be.
On the other hand, it is questionable whether Joseph Smith himself would have had the awareness, mental recall, and literary ability to infuse the text so thoroughly and brilliantly with this foundational legal concept.25 This is especially true when considering the many other complex and seemingly ancient features in the Book of Mormon,26 as well as the unusual constraints involved in its dictation.27
Martin Oman Evans, “Second Nephi as a Legal Document,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 60 (2024): 253–312.
John W. Welch, The Legal Cases in the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: BYU Press/Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2008).
Robert L. Marrott, “Witnesses, Law of” in Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 4 vols., ed. Daniel H. Ludlow. (New York, NY: Macmillan, 1992), 4:1569–1570.
Bruce A. Van Orden, “The Law of Witnesses in 2 Nephi,” in The Book of Mormon: Second Nephi, The Doctrinal Structure, ed. Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate, Jr. (Provo, UT: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1989), 307–321.
Law of Witnesses in the Book of Mormon: Textual Data
Introduction
The following scriptural passages present textual data in relation to the law of witnesses. While this list is fairly comprehensive, it shouldn’t be viewed as a fully complete or exhaustive representation of everything the Book of Mormon has to say on this topic. For many of these same passages listed by category, instead of in sequential order, see Appendix 2.
1 Nephi 1:19
19 And it came to pass that the Jews did mock him because of the things which he testified of them; for he truly testified of their wickedness and their abominations; and he testified that the things which he saw and heard
1 Nephi 10:10
10 And after he had baptized the Messiah with water, he should behold and bear record that he had baptized the Lamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world.
1 Nephi 11:7
7 And behold this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.
1 Nephi 12:18
18 And the large and spacious building, which thy father saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible gulf divideth them; yea, even the word of the justice of the Eternal God, and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever.
1 Nephi 13:39–40
39 And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true.
40 And the angel spake unto me, saying: These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first,
1 Nephi 14:29
29 And I bear record that I saw the things which my father saw, and the angel of the Lord did make them known unto me.
1 Nephi 19:10
10 And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel.
1 Nephi 22:30–31
30 Wherefore, my brethren, I would that ye should consider that the things which have been written upon the plates of brass are true; and they testify that a man must be obedient to the commandments of God.
31 Wherefore, ye need not suppose that I and my father are the only ones that have testified, and also taught them. Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day. And thus it is. Amen.
2 Nephi 3:12
12 Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord.
2 Nephi 11:2–3
2 And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him.
3 And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words.
4 Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.
2 Nephi 27:12–14
12 Wherefore, at that day when the book shall be delivered unto the man of whom I have spoken, the book shall be hid from the eyes of the world, that the eyes of none shall behold it save it be that three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; and they shall testify to the truth of the book and the things therein.
14 Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to bring forth the words of the book; and in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth him good will he establish his word; and wo be unto him that rejecteth the word of God!
2 Nephi 27:22
22 Wherefore, when thou hast read the words which I have commanded thee, and obtained the witnesses which I have promised unto thee, then shalt thou seal up the book again, and hide it up unto me, that I may preserve the words which thou hast not read, until I shall see fit in mine own wisdom to reveal all things unto the children of men.
2 Nephi 29:6–9
6 Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?
7 Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?
8 Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also.
9 And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever.
2 Nephi 31:7–8
7 Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.
8 Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.
2 Nephi 31:13–14
13 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.
14 But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels, and after this should deny me, it would have been better for you that ye had not known me.
2 Nephi 31:18
18 And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive.
Jacob 4:6
6 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.
Jacob 4:13
13 Behold, my brethren, he that prophesieth, let him prophesy to the understanding of men; for the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly, for the salvation of our souls. But behold, we are not witnesses alone in these things; for God also spake them unto prophets of old.
Jacob 7:10–12
10 And I said unto him: Believest thou the scriptures? And he said, Yea.
11 And I said unto him: Then ye do not understand them; for they truly testify of Christ. Behold, I say unto you that none of the prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they have spoken concerning this Christ.
12 And this is not all—it has been made manifest unto me, for I have heard and seen; and it also has been made manifest unto me by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, I know if there should be no atonement made all mankind must be lost.
Jacob 7:19
19 And he said: I fear lest I have committed the unpardonable sin, for I have lied unto God; for I denied the Christ, and said that I believed the scriptures; and they truly testify of him. And because I have thus lied unto God I greatly fear lest my case shall be awful; but I confess unto God.
Words of Mormon 1:1–2
1 And now I, Mormon, being about to deliver up the record which I have been making into the hands of my son Moroni, behold I have witnessed almost all the destruction of my people, the Nephites.
2 And it is many hundred years after the coming of Christ that I deliver these records into the hands of my son; and it supposeth me that he will witness the entire destruction of my people. But may God grant that he may survive them, that he may write somewhat concerning them, and somewhat concerning Christ, that perhaps some day it may profit them.
Mosiah 2:14–15
14 And even I, myself, have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you, and that ye should not be laden with taxes, and that there should nothing come upon you which was grievous to be borne—and of all these things which I have spoken, ye yourselves are witnesses this day.
15 Yet, my brethren, I have not done these things that I might boast, neither do I tell these things that thereby I might accuse you; but I tell you these things that ye may know that I can answer a clear conscience before God this day.
Mosiah 7:21
21 And ye all are witnesses this day, that Zeniff, who was made king over this people, he being over-zealous to inherit the land of his fathers, therefore being deceived by the cunning and craftiness of king Laman, who having entered into a treaty with king Zeniff, and having yielded up into his hands the possessions of a part of the land, or even the city of Lehi-Nephi, and the city of Shilom; and the land round about
Mosiah 13:23
23 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Mosiah 17:2
2 But there was one among them whose name was Alma, he also being a descendant of Nephi. And he was a young man, and he believed the words which Abinadi had spoken, for he knew concerning the iniquity which Abinadi had testified against them; therefore he began to plead with the king that he would not be angry with Abinadi, but suffer that he might depart in peace.
3 But the king was more wroth, and caused that Alma should be cast out from among them, and sent his servants after him that they might slay him.
4 But he fled from before them and hid himself that they found him not. And he being concealed for many days did write all the words which Abinadi had spoken.
Mosiah 18:9–10
9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?
Mosiah 21:35
35 They were desirous to be baptized as a witness and a testimony that they were willing to serve God with all their hearts; nevertheless they did prolong the time; and an account of their baptism shall be given hereafter.
Mosiah 24:14
14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
Mosiah 26:9
9 And it came to pass that Alma did not know concerning them; but there were many witnesses against them; yea, the people stood and testified of their iniquity in abundance.
Alma 5:45–47
45 And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?
46 Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.
47 And moreover, I say unto you that it has thus been revealed unto me, that the words which have been spoken by our fathers are true, even so according to the spirit of prophecy which is in me, which is also by the manifestation of the Spirit of God.
Alma 7:15–16
15 Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism.
16 And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from thenceforth, the same will remember that I say unto him, yea, he will remember that I have said unto him, he shall have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me.
Alma 9:2–6
2 Who art thou? Suppose ye that we shall believe the testimony of one man, although he should preach unto us that the earth should pass away? …
6 And they said: Who is God, that sendeth no more authority than one man among this people, to declare unto them the truth of such great and marvelous things?
Alma 10:12
12 And now, when Amulek had spoken these words the people began to be astonished, seeing there was more than one witness who testified of the things whereof they were accused, and also of the things which were to come, according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them.
Alma 14:5
5 And the people went forth and witnessed against them—testifying that they had reviled against the law, and their lawyers and judges of the land, and also of all the people that were in the land; and also testified that there was but one God, and that he should send his Son among the people, but he should not save them; and many such things did the people testify against Alma and Amulek. Now this was done before the chief judge of the land.
Alma 14:10–11
10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.
Alma 18:2
2 And when they had all testified to the things which they had seen, and he had learned of the faithfulness of Ammon in preserving his flocks, and also of his great power in contending against those who sought to slay him, he was astonished exceedingly, and said: Surely, this is more than a man. Behold, is not this the Great Spirit who doth send such great punishments upon this people, because of their murders?
Alma 19:9
9 And Ammon said unto her: Believest thou this? And she said unto him: I have had no witness save thy word, and the word of our servants; nevertheless I believe that it shall be according as thou hast said.
Alma 19:15
15 Now, when the servants of the king had seen that they had fallen, they also began to cry unto God, for the fear of the Lord had come upon them also, for it was they who had stood before the king and testified unto him concerning the great power of Ammon.
Alma 30:44–45
44 But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.
45 And yet do ye go about, leading away the hearts of this people, testifying unto them there is no God? And yet will ye deny against all these witnesses? And he said: Yea, I will deny, except ye shall show me a sign.
Alma 33:15
15 For it is not written that Zenos alone spake of these things, but Zenock also spake of these things—
Alma 34:30
30 And now, my brethren, I would that, after ye have received so many witnesses, seeing that the holy scriptures testify of these things, ye come forth and bring fruit unto repentance.
Alma 34:33
33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.
Alma 47:33–34
33 Therefore, when the queen had received this message she sent unto Amalickiah, desiring him that he would spare the people of the city; and she also desired him that he should come in unto her; and she also desired him that he should bring witnesses with him to testify concerning the death of the king.
34 And it came to pass that Amalickiah took the same servant that slew the king, and all them who were with him, and went in unto the queen, unto the place where she sat; and they all testified unto her that the king was slain by his own servants; and they said also: They have fled; does not this testify against them? And thus they satisfied the queen concerning the death of the king.
Helaman 7:21
21 But behold, it is to get gain, to be praised of men, yea, and that ye might get gold and silver. And ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world, for the which ye do murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear false witness against your neighbor, and do all manner of iniquity.
Helaman 7:29
29 Behold now, I do not say that these things shall be, of myself, because it is not of myself that I know these things; but behold, I know that these things are true because the Lord God has made them known unto me, therefore I testify that they shall be.
Helaman 8:16–22
16 And now behold, Moses did not only testify of these things, but also all the holy prophets, from his days even to the days of Abraham.
17 Yea, and behold, Abraham saw of his coming, and was filled with gladness and did rejoice.
18 Yea, and behold I say unto you, that Abraham not only knew of these things, but there were many before the days of Abraham who were called by the order of God; yea, even after the order of his Son; and this that it should be shown unto the people, a great many thousand years before his coming, that even redemption should come unto them.
19 And now I would that ye should know, that even since the days of Abraham there have been many prophets that have testified these things; yea, behold, the prophet Zenos did testify boldly; for the which he was slain.
20 And behold, also Zenock, and also Ezias, and also Isaiah, and Jeremiah, (Jeremiah being that same prophet who testified of the destruction of Jerusalem) and now we know that Jerusalem was destroyed according to the words of Jeremiah. O then why not the Son of God come, according to his prophecy?
21 And now will you dispute that Jerusalem was destroyed? Will ye say that the sons of Zedekiah were not slain, all except it were Mulek? Yea, and do ye not behold that the seed of Zedekiah are with us, and they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem? But behold, this is not all—
22 Our father Lehi was driven out of Jerusalem because he testified of these things. Nephi also testified of these things, and also almost all of our fathers, even down to this time; yea, they have testified of the coming of Christ, and have looked forward, and have rejoiced in his day which is to come.
Helaman 8:24
24 And now, seeing ye know these things and cannot deny them except ye shall lie, therefore in this ye have sinned, for ye have rejected all these things, notwithstanding so many evidences which ye have received; yea, even ye have received all things, both things in heaven, and all things which are in the earth, as a witness that they are true.
3 Nephi 1:18
18 For they knew that the prophets had testified of these things for many years, and that the sign which had been given was already at hand; and they began to fear because of their iniquity and their unbelief.
3 Nephi 6:21–23
20 And there began to be men inspired from heaven and sent forth, standing among the people in all the land, preaching and testifying boldly of the sins and iniquities of the people, and testifying unto them concerning the redemption which the Lord would make for his people, or in other words, the resurrection of Christ; and they did testify boldly of his death and sufferings.
21 Now there were many of the people who were exceedingly angry because of those who testified of these things; and those who were angry were chiefly the chief judges, and they who had been high priests and lawyers; yea, all those who were lawyers were angry with those who testified of these things.
22 Now there was no lawyer nor judge nor high priest that could have power to condemn any one to death save their condemnation was signed by the governor of the land.
23 Now there were many of those who testified of the things pertaining to Christ who testified boldly, who were taken and put to death secretly by the judges, that the knowledge of their death came not unto the governor of the land until after their death.
3 Nephi 7:10
10 And they did call him their king; therefore he became a king over this wicked band; and he was one of the chiefest who had given his voice against the prophets who testified of Jesus.
3 Nephi 7:15
15 And it came to pass that Nephi—having been visited by angels and also the voice of the Lord, therefore having seen angels, and being eye-witness, and having had power given unto him that he might know concerning the ministry of Christ, and also being eye-witness to their quick return from righteousness unto their wickedness and abominations;
3 Nephi 7:24–25
24 Now I would have you to remember also, that there were none who were brought unto repentance who were not baptized with water.
25 Therefore, there were ordained of Nephi, men unto this ministry, that all such as should come unto them should be baptized with water, and this as a witness and a testimony before God, and unto the people, that they had repented and received a remission of their sins.
3 Nephi 10:1–3
1 And now behold, it came to pass that all the people of the land did hear these sayings, and did witness of it. And after these sayings there was silence in the land for the space of many hours;
2 For so great was the astonishment of the people that they did cease lamenting and howling for the loss of their kindred which had been slain; therefore there was silence in all the land for the space of many hours.
3 And it came to pass that there came a voice again unto the people, and all the people did hear, and did witness of it, saying:
3 Nephi 10:15–17
15 Behold, I say unto you, Yea, many have testified of these things at the coming of Christ, and were slain because they testified of these things.
16 Yea, the prophet Zenos did testify of these things, and also Zenock spake concerning these things, because they testified particularly concerning us, who are the remnant of their seed.
17 Behold, our father Jacob also testified concerning a remnant of the seed of Joseph. And behold, are not we a remnant of the seed of Joseph? And these things which testify of us, are they not written upon the plates of brass which our father Lehi brought out of Jerusalem?
3 Nephi 11:10
10 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.
3 Nephi 11:32
32 And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.
3 Nephi 11:35–36
35 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost.
36 And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one.
3 Nephi 15:10
10 Behold, I have given unto you the commandments; therefore keep my commandments. And this is the law and the prophets, for they truly testified of me.
3 Nephi 16:6
6 And blessed are the Gentiles, because of their belief in me, in and of the Holy Ghost, which witnesses unto them of me and of the Father.
3 Nephi 18:10–11
10 And when the disciples had done this, Jesus said unto them: Blessed are ye for this thing which ye have done, for this is fulfilling my commandments, and this doth witness unto the Father that ye are willing to do that which I have commanded you.
11 And this shall ye always do to those who repent and are baptized in my name; and ye shall do it in remembrance of my blood, which I have shed for you, that ye may witness unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.
3 Nephi 20:24
24 Verily I say unto you, yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have testified of me.
3 Nephi 23:5
5 And whosoever will hearken unto my words and repenteth and is baptized, the same shall be saved. Search the prophets, for many there be that testify of these things.
3 Nephi 28:11
11 And the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and the Father giveth the Holy Ghost unto the children of men, because of me.
Mormon 3:16
16 And it came to pass that I utterly refused to go up against mine enemies; and I did even as the Lord had commanded me; and I did stand as an idle witness to manifest unto the world the things which I saw and heard, according to the manifestations of the Spirit which had testified of things to come.
Mormon 3:21
21 And also that ye may believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, which ye shall have among you; and also that the Jews, the covenant people of the Lord, shall have other witness besides him whom they saw and heard, that Jesus, whom they slew, was the very Christ and the very God.
Mormon 7:8–9
8 Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you.
9 For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them.
Ether 4:11
11 But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good.
Ether 5:4
4 And in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established; and the testimony of three, and this work, in the which shall be shown forth the power of God and also his word, of which the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost bear record—and all this shall stand as a testimony against the world at the last day.
Ether 12:41
41 And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen.
Moroni 4:3
3 O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it; that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given them, that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
Moroni 5:2
2 O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee, in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
Moroni 6:2
2 Neither did they receive any unto baptism save they came forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that they truly repented of all their sins.
Moroni 6:7
7 And they were strict to observe that there should be no iniquity among them; and whoso was found to commit iniquity, and three witnesses of the church did condemn them before the elders, and if they repented not, and confessed not, their names were blotted out, and they were not numbered among the people of Christ.
Moroni 9:22
22 But behold, my son, I recommend thee unto God, and I trust in Christ that thou wilt be saved; and I pray unto God that he will spare thy life, to witness the return of his people unto him, or their utter destruction; for I know that they must perish except they repent and return unto him.
Witnesses in the Book of Mormon: Category Data
Introduction: The following scriptural passages present textual data in relation to the law of witnesses. While this list is fairly comprehensive, it shouldn’t be viewed as a fully complete or exhaustive representation of everything the Book of Mormon has to say on this topic. Also note that some passages are listed under multiple categories. The category topics below are hyperlinked for easier webpage navigation. For many of these same passages listed in sequential order, instead of by category, see Appendix 1.
4. Legal and Royal Court Settings
7. Pattern of Companion Prophets
9. Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation
1. Book of Mormon Witnesses
2 Nephi 27:12–14
12 Wherefore, at that day when the book shall be delivered unto the man of whom I have spoken, the book shall be hid from the eyes of the world, that the eyes of none shall behold it save it be that three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; and they shall testify to the truth of the book and the things therein.
14 Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to bring forth the words of the book; and in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth him good will he establish his word; and wo be unto him that rejecteth the word of God!
2 Nephi 27:22
22 Wherefore, when thou hast read the words which I have commanded thee, and obtained the witnesses which I have promised unto thee, then shalt thou seal up the book again, and hide it up unto me, that I may preserve the words which thou hast not read, until I shall see fit in mine own wisdom to reveal all things unto the children of men.
Ether 5:4
4 And in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established; and the testimony of three, and this work, in the which shall be shown forth the power of God and also his word, of which the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost bear record—and all this shall stand as a testimony against the world at the last day.
2. Church Regulations
Mosiah 26:9
9 And it came to pass that Alma did not know concerning them; but there were many witnesses against them; yea, the people stood and testified of their iniquity in abundance.
Moroni 6:7
7 And they were strict to observe that there should be no iniquity among them; and whoso was found to commit iniquity, and three witnesses of the church did condemn them before the elders, and if they repented not, and confessed not, their names were blotted out, and they were not numbered among the people of Christ.
3. Covenant Settings
1 Nephi 10:10
10 And after he had baptized the Messiah with water, he should behold and bear record that he had baptized the Lamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world.
2 Nephi 31:7–8
7 Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.
8 Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.
2 Nephi 31:13–14
13 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.
14 But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels, and after this should deny me, it would have been better for you that ye had not known me.
2 Nephi 31:18
18 And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive.
Mosiah 18:9–10
9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?
Mosiah 21:35
35 They were desirous to be baptized as a witness and a testimony that they were willing to serve God with all their hearts; nevertheless they did prolong the time; and an account of their baptism shall be given hereafter.
Alma 7:15–16
15 Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism.
16 And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from thenceforth, the same will remember that I say unto him, yea, he will remember that I have said unto him, he shall have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me.
3 Nephi 7:24–25
24 Now I would have you to remember also, that there were none who were brought unto repentance who were not baptized with water.
25 Therefore, there were ordained of Nephi, men unto this ministry, that all such as should come unto them should be baptized with water, and this as a witness and a testimony before God, and unto the people, that they had repented and received a remission of their sins.
3 Nephi 18:10–11
10 And when the disciples had done this, Jesus said unto them: Blessed are ye for this thing which ye have done, for this is fulfilling my commandments, and this doth witness unto the Father that ye are willing to do that which I have commanded you.
11 And this shall ye always do to those who repent and are baptized in my name; and ye shall do it in remembrance of my blood, which I have shed for you, that ye may witness unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.
Moroni 4:3
3 O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it; that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given them, that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
Moroni 5:2
2 O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee, in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
Moroni 6:2
2 Neither did they receive any unto baptism save they came forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that they truly repented of all their sins.
4. Legal and Royal Court Settings
Mosiah 2:14–15
14 And even I, myself, have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you, and that ye should not be laden with taxes, and that there should nothing come upon you which was grievous to be borne—and of all these things which I have spoken, ye yourselves are witnesses this day.
15 Yet, my brethren, I have not done these things that I might boast, neither do I tell these things that thereby I might accuse you; but I tell you these things that ye may know that I can answer a clear conscience before God this day.
Mosiah 7:21
21 And ye all are witnesses this day, that Zeniff, who was made king over this people, he being over-zealous to inherit the land of his fathers, therefore being deceived by the cunning and craftiness of king Laman, who having entered into a treaty with king Zeniff, and having yielded up into his hands the possessions of a part of the land, or even the city of Lehi-Nephi, and the city of Shilom; and the land round about
Alma 9:2–6
2 Who art thou? Suppose ye that we shall believe the testimony of one man, although he should preach unto us that the earth should pass away? …
6 And they said: Who is God, that sendeth no more authority than one man among this people, to declare unto them the truth of such great and marvelous things?
Alma 10:12
12 And now, when Amulek had spoken these words the people began to be astonished, seeing there was more than one witness who testified of the things whereof they were accused, and also of the things which were to come, according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them.
Alma 14:5
5 And the people went forth and witnessed against them—testifying that they had reviled against the law, and their lawyers and judges of the land, and also of all the people that were in the land; and also testified that there was but one God, and that he should send his Son among the people, but he should not save them; and many such things did the people testify against Alma and Amulek. Now this was done before the chief judge of the land.
Alma 18:2
2 And when they had all testified to the things which they had seen, and he had learned of the faithfulness of Ammon in preserving his flocks, and also of his great power in contending against those who sought to slay him, he was astonished exceedingly, and said: Surely, this is more than a man. Behold, is not this the Great Spirit who doth send such great punishments upon this people, because of their murders?
Alma 19:9
9 And Ammon said unto her: Believest thou this? And she said unto him: I have had no witness save thy word, and the word of our servants; nevertheless I believe that it shall be according as thou hast said.
Alma 19:15
15 Now, when the servants of the king had seen that they had fallen, they also began to cry unto God, for the fear of the Lord had come upon them also, for it was they who had stood before the king and testified unto him concerning the great power of Ammon.
Alma 30:44–45
44 But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.
45 And yet do ye go about, leading away the hearts of this people, testifying unto them there is no God? And yet will ye deny against all these witnesses? And he said: Yea, I will deny, except ye shall show me a sign.
Alma 47:33–34
33 Therefore, when the queen had received this message she sent unto Amalickiah, desiring him that he would spare the people of the city; and she also desired him that he should come in unto her; and she also desired him that he should bring witnesses with him to testify concerning the death of the king.
34 And it came to pass that Amalickiah took the same servant that slew the king, and all them who were with him, and went in unto the queen, unto the place where she sat; and they all testified unto her that the king was slain by his own servants; and they said also: They have fled; does not this testify against them? And thus they satisfied the queen concerning the death of the king.
5. Legal Codes
Mosiah 13:23
23 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Helaman 7:21
21 But behold, it is to get gain, to be praised of men, yea, and that ye might get gold and silver. And ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world, for the which ye do murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear false witness against your neighbor, and do all manner of iniquity.
6 Nature as Witness
Alma 30:44–45
44 But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.
45 And yet do ye go about, leading away the hearts of this people, testifying unto them there is no God? And yet will ye deny against all these witnesses? And he said: Yea, I will deny, except ye shall show me a sign.
Helaman 8:24
24 And now, seeing ye know these things and cannot deny them except ye shall lie, therefore in this ye have sinned, for ye have rejected all these things, notwithstanding so many evidences which ye have received; yea, even ye have received all things, both things in heaven, and all things which are in the earth, as a witness that they are true.
7. Pattern of Companion Prophets
1 Nephi 11:7 (cf. 1 Nephi 1:9)
7 And behold this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.
1 Nephi 14:29
29 And I bear record that I saw the things which my father saw, and the angel of the Lord did make them known unto me.
1 Nephi 19:10
10 And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel.
1 Nephi 22:30–31
30 Wherefore, my brethren, I would that ye should consider that the things which have been written upon the plates of brass are true; and they testify that a man must be obedient to the commandments of God.
31 Wherefore, ye need not suppose that I and my father are the only ones that have testified, and also taught them. Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day. And thus it is. Amen.
2 Nephi 11:2–3
2 And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him.
3 And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words.
4 Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.
Words of Mormon 1:1–2
1 And now I, Mormon, being about to deliver up the record which I have been making into the hands of my son Moroni, behold I have witnessed almost all the destruction of my people, the Nephites.
2 And it is many hundred years after the coming of Christ that I deliver these records into the hands of my son; and it supposeth me that he will witness the entire destruction of my people. But may God grant that he may survive them, that he may write somewhat concerning them, and somewhat concerning Christ, that perhaps some day it may profit them.
Mosiah 17:2
2 But there was one among them whose name was Alma, he also being a descendant of Nephi. And he was a young man, and he believed the words which Abinadi had spoken, for he knew concerning the iniquity which Abinadi had testified against them; therefore he began to plead with the king that he would not be angry with Abinadi, but suffer that he might depart in peace.
3 But the king was more wroth, and caused that Alma should be cast out from among them, and sent his servants after him that they might slay him.
4 But he fled from before them and hid himself that they found him not. And he being concealed for many days did write all the words which Abinadi had spoken.
Alma 33:15
15 For it is not written that Zenos alone spake of these things, but Zenock also spake of these things—
Helaman 8:22
22 Our father Lehi was driven out of Jerusalem because he testified of these things. Nephi also testified of these things, and also almost all of our fathers, even down to this time; yea, they have testified of the coming of Christ, and have looked forward, and have rejoiced in his day which is to come.
3 Nephi 7:19
19 And in the name of Jesus did he cast out devils and unclean spirits; and even his brother did he raise from the dead, after he had been stoned and suffered death by the people.
3 Nephi 10:16
16 Yea, the prophet Zenos did testify of these things, and also Zenock spake concerning these things, because they testified particularly concerning us, who are the remnant of their seed.
3 Neph 19:4
4 And it came to pass that on the morrow, when the multitude was gathered together, behold, Nephi and his brother whom he had raised from the dead, whose name was Timothy, and also his son, whose name was Jonas, and also Mathoni, and Mathonihah, his brother, and Kumen, and Kumenonhi, and Jeremiah, and Shemnon, and Jonas, and Zedekiah, and Isaiah—now these were the names of the disciples whom Jesus had chosen—and it came to pass that they went forth and stood in the midst of the multitude.
8. Sacred Texts
1 Nephi 13:39–40
39 And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true.
40 And the angel spake unto me, saying: These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first
2 Nephi 3:12
12 Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord.
2 Nephi 29:6–9
6 Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?
7 Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?
8 Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also.
9 And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever.
Jacob 7:10–11
10 And I said unto him: Believest thou the scriptures? And he said, Yea.
11 And I said unto him: Then ye do not understand them; for they truly testify of Christ. Behold, I say unto you that none of the prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they have spoken concerning this Christ.
Jacob 7:19
19 And he said: I fear lest I have committed the unpardonable sin, for I have lied unto God; for I denied the Christ, and said that I believed the scriptures; and they truly testify of him. And because I have thus lied unto God I greatly fear lest my case shall be awful; but I confess unto God.
3 Nephi 15:10
10 Behold, I have given unto you the commandments; therefore keep my commandments. And this is the law and the prophets, for they truly testified of me.
Mormon 3:21
20 And these things doth the Spirit manifest unto me; therefore I write unto you all. And for this cause I write unto you, that ye may know that ye must all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, yea, every soul who belongs to the whole human family of Adam; and ye must stand to be judged of your works, whether they be good or evil;
21 And also that ye may believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, which ye shall have among you; and also that the Jews, the covenant people of the Lord, shall have other witness besides him whom they saw and heard, that Jesus, whom they slew, was the very Christ and the very God.
Mormon 7:8–9
8 Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you.
9 For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them.
9. Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation
Jacob 4:6
6 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.
Jacob 4:13
13 Behold, my brethren, he that prophesieth, let him prophesy to the understanding of men; for the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly, for the salvation of our souls. But behold, we are not witnesses alone in these things; for God also spake them unto prophets of old.
Jacob 7:11–12
11 And I said unto him: Then ye do not understand them; for they truly testify of Christ. Behold, I say unto you that none of the prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they have spoken concerning this Christ.
12 And this is not all—it has been made manifest unto me, for I have heard and seen; and it also has been made manifest unto me by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, I know if there should be no atonement made all mankind must be lost.
Alma 5:45–47
45 And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?
46 Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.
47 And moreover, I say unto you that it has thus been revealed unto me, that the words which have been spoken by our fathers are true, even so according to the spirit of prophecy which is in me, which is also by the manifestation of the Spirit of God.
Alma 7:15–16
15 Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism.
16 And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from thenceforth, the same will remember that I say unto him, yea, he will remember that I have said unto him, he shall have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me.
Alma 10:12
12 And now, when Amulek had spoken these words the people began to be astonished, seeing there was more than one witness who testified of the things whereof they were accused, and also of the things which were to come, according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them.
Helaman 7:29
29 Behold now, I do not say that these things shall be, of myself, because it is not of myself that I know these things; but behold, I know that these things are true because the Lord God has made them known unto me, therefore I testify that they shall be.
Mormon 3:16
16 And it came to pass that I utterly refused to go up against mine enemies; and I did even as the Lord had commanded me; and I did stand as an idle witness to manifest unto the world the things which I saw and heard, according to the manifestations of the Spirit which had testified of things to come.
Ether 4:11
11 But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good.
10. Survivor Witnesses
Words of Mormon 1:1–2
1 And now I, Mormon, being about to deliver up the record which I have been making into the hands of my son Moroni, behold I have witnessed almost all the destruction of my people, the Nephites.
2 And it is many hundred years after the coming of Christ that I deliver these records into the hands of my son; and it supposeth me that he will witness the entire destruction of my people. But may God grant that he may survive them, that he may write somewhat concerning them, and somewhat concerning Christ, that perhaps some day it may profit them.
Mosiah 24:14
14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
Alma 14:10–11
10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.
3 Nephi 7:15
15 And it came to pass that Nephi—having been visited by angels and also the voice of the Lord, therefore having seen angels, and being eye-witness, and having had power given unto him that he might know concerning the ministry of Christ, and also being eye-witness to their quick return from righteousness unto their wickedness and abominations;
3 Nephi 10:1–3
1 And now behold, it came to pass that all the people of the land did hear these sayings, and did witness of it. And after these sayings there was silence in the land for the space of many hours;
2 For so great was the astonishment of the people that they did cease lamenting and howling for the loss of their kindred which had been slain; therefore there was silence in all the land for the space of many hours.
3 And it came to pass that there came a voice again unto the people, and all the people did hear, and did witness of it, saying:
Mormon 3:16
16 And it came to pass that I utterly refused to go up against mine enemies; and I did even as the Lord had commanded me; and I did stand as an idle witness to manifest unto the world the things which I saw and heard, according to the manifestations of the Spirit which had testified of things to come.
Moroni 9:22
22 But behold, my son, I recommend thee unto God, and I trust in Christ that thou wilt be saved; and I pray unto God that he will spare thy life, to witness the return of his people unto him, or their utter destruction; for I know that they must perish except they repent and return unto him.
11. Testimony of the Prophets
1 Nephi 1:19
19 And it came to pass that the Jews did mock him because of the things which he testified of them; for he truly testified of their wickedness and their abominations; and he testified that the things which he saw and heard
1 Nephi 19:10
10 And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel.
1 Nephi 22:30–31
30 Wherefore, my brethren, I would that ye should consider that the things which have been written upon the plates of brass are true; and they testify that a man must be obedient to the commandments of God.
31 Wherefore, ye need not suppose that I and my father are the only ones that have testified, and also taught them. Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day. And thus it is. Amen.
2 Nephi 11:2–3
2 And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him.
3 And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words.
4 Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.
Jacob 4:6
6 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.
Jacob 4:13
13 Behold, my brethren, he that prophesieth, let him prophesy to the understanding of men; for the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly, for the salvation of our souls. But behold, we are not witnesses alone in these things; for God also spake them unto prophets of old.
Jacob 7:10–12
10 And I said unto him: Believest thou the scriptures? And he said, Yea.
11 And I said unto him: Then ye do not understand them; for they truly testify of Christ. Behold, I say unto you that none of the prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they have spoken concerning this Christ.
12 And this is not all—it has been made manifest unto me, for I have heard and seen; and it also has been made manifest unto me by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, I know if there should be no atonement made all mankind must be lost.
Words of Mormon 1:1–2
1 And now I, Mormon, being about to deliver up the record which I have been making into the hands of my son Moroni, behold I have witnessed almost all the destruction of my people, the Nephites.
2 And it is many hundred years after the coming of Christ that I deliver these records into the hands of my son; and it supposeth me that he will witness the entire destruction of my people. But may God grant that he may survive them, that he may write somewhat concerning them, and somewhat concerning Christ, that perhaps some day it may profit them.
Alma 30:44–45
44 But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.
45 And yet do ye go about, leading away the hearts of this people, testifying unto them there is no God? And yet will ye deny against all these witnesses? And he said: Yea, I will deny, except ye shall show me a sign.
Alma 33:15
15 For it is not written that Zenos alone spake of these things, but Zenock also spake of these things—
Alma 34:30
30 And now, my brethren, I would that, after ye have received so many witnesses, seeing that the holy scriptures testify of these things, ye come forth and bring fruit unto repentance.
Alma 34:33
33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.
Helaman 8:16–22
16 And now behold, Moses did not only testify of these things, but also all the holy prophets, from his days even to the days of Abraham.
17 Yea, and behold, Abraham saw of his coming, and was filled with gladness and did rejoice.
18 Yea, and behold I say unto you, that Abraham not only knew of these things, but there were many before the days of Abraham who were called by the order of God; yea, even after the order of his Son; and this that it should be shown unto the people, a great many thousand years before his coming, that even redemption should come unto them.
19 And now I would that ye should know, that even since the days of Abraham there have been many prophets that have testified these things; yea, behold, the prophet Zenos did testify boldly; for the which he was slain.
20 And behold, also Zenock, and also Ezias, and also Isaiah, and Jeremiah, (Jeremiah being that same prophet who testified of the destruction of Jerusalem) and now we know that Jerusalem was destroyed according to the words of Jeremiah. O then why not the Son of God come, according to his prophecy?
21 And now will you dispute that Jerusalem was destroyed? Will ye say that the sons of Zedekiah were not slain, all except it were Mulek? Yea, and do ye not behold that the seed of Zedekiah are with us, and they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem? But behold, this is not all—
22 Our father Lehi was driven out of Jerusalem because he testified of these things. Nephi also testified of these things, and also almost all of our fathers, even down to this time; yea, they have testified of the coming of Christ, and have looked forward, and have rejoiced in his day which is to come.
3 Nephi 1:18
18 For they knew that the prophets had testified of these things for many years, and that the sign which had been given was already at hand; and they began to fear because of their iniquity and their unbelief.
3 Nephi 6:21–23
20 And there began to be men inspired from heaven and sent forth, standing among the people in all the land, preaching and testifying boldly of the sins and iniquities of the people, and testifying unto them concerning the redemption which the Lord would make for his people, or in other words, the resurrection of Christ; and they did testify boldly of his death and sufferings.
21 Now there were many of the people who were exceedingly angry because of those who testified of these things; and those who were angry were chiefly the chief judges, and they who had been high priests and lawyers; yea, all those who were lawyers were angry with those who testified of these things.
22 Now there was no lawyer nor judge nor high priest that could have power to condemn any one to death save their condemnation was signed by the governor of the land.
23 Now there were many of those who testified of the things pertaining to Christ who testified boldly, who were taken and put to death secretly by the judges, that the knowledge of their death came not unto the governor of the land until after their death.
3 Nephi 7:10
10 And they did call him their king; therefore he became a king over this wicked band; and he was one of the chiefest who had given his voice against the prophets who testified of Jesus.
3 Nephi 7:15
15 And it came to pass that Nephi—having been visited by angels and also the voice of the Lord, therefore having seen angels, and being eye-witness, and having had power given unto him that he might know concerning the ministry of Christ, and also being eye-witness to their quick return from righteousness unto their wickedness and abominations;
3 Nephi 10:15–17
15 Behold, I say unto you, Yea, many have testified of these things at the coming of Christ, and were slain because they testified of these things.
16 Yea, the prophet Zenos did testify of these things, and also Zenock spake concerning these things, because they testified particularly concerning us, who are the remnant of their seed.
3 Nephi 11:10
10 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.
3 Nephi 12:2
2 And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins.
3 Nephi 15:10
10 Behold, I have given unto you the commandments; therefore keep my commandments. And this is the law and the prophets, for they truly testified of me.
3 Nephi 20:24
24 Verily I say unto you, yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have testified of me.
3 Nephi 23:5
5 And whosoever will hearken unto my words and repenteth and is baptized, the same shall be saved. Search the prophets, for many there be that testify of these things.
12. The Godhead
1 Nephi 12:18
18 And the large and spacious building, which thy father saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible gulf divideth them; yea, even the word of the justice of the Eternal God, and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever.
2 Nephi 31:7–8
7 Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.
8 Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.
2 Nephi 31:13–14
13 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.
14 But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels, and after this should deny me, it would have been better for you that ye had not known me.
2 Nephi 31:18
18 And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive.
3 Nephi 11:32
32 And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.
3 Nephi 11:35–36
35 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost.
36 And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one.
3 Nephi 16:6
6 And blessed are the Gentiles, because of their belief in me, in and of the Holy Ghost, which witnesses unto them of me and of the Father.
3 Nephi 28:11
11 And the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and the Father giveth the Holy Ghost unto the children of men, because of me.
Ether 5:4
4 And in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established; and the testimony of three, and this work, in the which shall be shown forth the power of God and also his word, of which the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost bear record—and all this shall stand as a testimony against the world at the last day.
Ether 12:41
41 And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen.
- 1. See also Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6.
- 2. John W. Welch, The Legal Cases in the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: BYU Press/Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2008), 94–95, 392–393, 397–398.
- 3. The narrative suggests that these false witnesses were crucial. Even a king apparently couldn’t just convict a man of a crime without the necessary witnesses, at least not if he wanted to maintain a semblance of following the law.
- 4. See, for example, F. Rachel Magdalene, On the Scales of Righteousness: Neo-Babylonian Trial Law and the Book of Job (Providence, RI: Brown Judaic Studies, 2007); Shalome E. Holtz, “A Comparative Note on the Demand for Witnesses in Isaiah 43:9,” Journal of Biblical Literature 129, no. 3 (2010): 457–461. For a more general survey of the concept of witnesses found in Old Testament texts, see Alison A. Trites, The New Testament Concept of Witness (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1977), 20–47.
- 5. Other translations frequently render it as tabernacle or tent of “testimony.” See https://biblehub.com/numbers/17-7.htm.
- 6. See Trites, The New Testament Concept of Witness, 66–221.
- 7. See Exodus 20:16; Deuteronomy 5:20; Matthew 19:18; Romans 13:9; Mosiah 13:23; Helaman 7:21.
- 8. See Welch, The Legal Cases in the Book of Mormon, 222: “The text does not say how or where, but sometime soon after the slaying of Gideon, Nehor was apprehended ‘by the people of the church’ (Alma 1:10), who were carrying out a normal civilian right and duty. Had the captors been present when Gideon spoke out against Nehor? There seem to have been plenty of witnesses to the killing.”
- 9. See Welch, The Legal Cases in the Book of Mormon, 280: “In essence, Korihor was apprehended by members of the general population, as would have been normal under their law; he was tied up, taken to the priest by these witnesses, and then banished from the territory by their high priest.”
- 10. Concerning the case of Seantum, it is notable that when Nephi proclaimed that the chief judge had been murdered, there were “certain men who were among them ran to the judgment-seat; yea, even there were five who went” (Helaman 9:1). Whether these men volunteered or were assigned, it seems like the number was intended to leave no question as to the veracity of their testimony. If all five came back proclaiming the same thing, the law of witnesses would be amply fulfilled and their testimony would be essentially indisputable.
- 11. The fact that she includes the word of her servants in addition to Ammon’s own testimony seems intentional and significant.
- 12. Welch, The Legal Cases in the Book of Mormon, 243.
- 13. This detail is made even more noteworthy by the fact that Alma’s return to the city and his meeting with Amulek was, in the first place, orchestrated by an angel. It appears their companionship was, at least in part, divinely destined to meet this legal requirement (Alma 8:14–30).
- 14. When the people of Ammonihah ultimately proved themselves to be guilty, they were utterly destroyed, a punishment legally outlined in Deuteronomy 13 for apostate cities. See Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Destruction of Apostate Cities,” Evidence #0048, September 19, 2020, online at evidencecentral.org.
- 15. The sustained manner in which this occurs suggests Nephi intended their prophetic testimonies to be mutually reinforcing. See Noel B. Reynolds, “Lehi’s Dream, Nephi’s Blueprint: How Nephi Uses the Vision of the Tree of Life as an Outline for 1 and 2 Nephi,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 52 (2022): 231–278; Daniel L. Belnap, Gaye Strathearn, and Stanley A. Johnson, The Things Which My Father Saw: Approaches to Lehi’s Dream and Nephi’s Vision, 2011 Sperry Symposium (Provo, UT: BYU Religious Studies Center; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2011), 179–198; S. Kent Brown, “Nephi’s Use of Lehi’s Record,” in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon: Insights You May Have Missed Before, ed. John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne (Provo, UT: FARMS, 1991), 3–14; Noel B. Reynolds, “Nephi’s Political Testament,” in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon: Insights You May Have Missed Before, ed. John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne (Salt Lake City/Provo: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1991), 220–229; Noel B. Reynolds, “The Political Dimension in Nephi’s Small Plates,” BYU Studies 27, no. 4 (Fall 1987): 20–33; Noel B. Reynolds, “Nephi's Outline,” in Book of Mormon Authorship: New Light on Ancient Origins, ed. Noel B. Reynolds (Provo, UT: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1982), 53–74; Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Nephi’s Use of Lehi’s Words,” Evidence# 0391, February 7, 2023, online at evidencecentral.org.
- 16. Book of Mormon Central, “Who Are the Witnesses of Christ in 2 Nephi? (2 Nephi 11:2–3),” KnoWhy 37 (February 19, 2016); Bruce A. Van Orden, “The Law of Witnesses in 2 Nephi,” in The Book of Mormon: Second Nephi, The Doctrinal Structure, ed. Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate, Jr. (Provo, UT: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1989), 307–321.
- 17. In this case, their testimony would be, at least in part, a product of literary structuring, where similar prophetic messages are embedded in related narratives for rhetorical purposes. Whether this was done by Mormon or another underlying editor, the testimonies delivered by Abinadi and Benjamin seem intentionally parallel. For a detailed comparison of their related teachings and statements, as well as discussion about how or why these similarities might arise in the text, see Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Benjamin’s Speech (Literary Influence),” Evidence# 0374, October 10, 2022, online at evidencecentral.org; John L. Hilton III, “Abinadi’s Legacy: Tracing His Influence through the Book of Mormon,” in Abinadi: He Came Among Them in Disguise, ed. Shon D. Hopkin (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2018), 93–116, esp. 103–109. For an analysis of King Benjamin’s speech as a prophetic lawsuit which involves the principle of witnesses (Mosiah 2:14–15), see Evidence central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Benjamin’s Prophetic Lawsuit,” Evidence# 0359, July 18, 2022, online at evidencecentral.org.
- 18. Although several Book of Mormon prophets fit the description, Mormon and Moroni, in particular, have been designated as “survivor witnesses.” See Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Survivor Witnesses,” Evidence# 0146, February 2, 2021, online at evidencecentral.org.
- 19. See Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Lehi’s Prophetic Calling (Sun and Stars),” Evidence# 0330, April 18, 2022, online at evidencecentral.org.
- 20. It should be recognized, however, that the conceptual distinction between the “law” and the “prophets” is found elsewhere in various Nephite and biblical texts (see 3 Nephi 12:17; 14:12; Matthew 7:12; 22:40; Luke 16:16; John 1:45; Acts 13:15; Romans 3:2). Thus, while Christ may have rhetorically used this existing dichotomy in 3 Nephi 15:10 to emphasize compliance with the law of witnesses, most other instances of the “law” and “prophets” seem not to be used in that manner.
- 21. See Book of Mormon Central, “Why Is There a Need for the Testimony of Two Nations? (2 Nephi 29:8),” KnoWhy 56 (March 17, 2016).
- 22. As explained in a newsroom article published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: “To help clarify and emphasize the purpose of the Book of Mormon, a subtitle was added in 1982. The full title reads, The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.”
- 23. See Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Oliver Cowdery,” Evidence# 0114, November 19, 2020, online at evidencecentral.org; Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Martin Harris,” Evidence# 0027, September 19, 2020, online at evidencecentral.org; Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: David Whitmer,” Evidence# 0136, January 18, 2021, online at evidencecentral.org; Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Prophecy of Witnesses,” Evidence# 0064, September 19, 2020 (updated May 25, 2023), online at evidencecentral.org.
- 24. See Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Doubled, Sealed, and Witnessed Documents,” Evidence# 0003, September 19, 2020, online at evidencecentral.org.
- 25. See Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Joseph Smith’s Limited Education,” 0001, September 19, 2020, online at evidencecentral.org. See also, Brian C. Hales, “Joseph Smith’s Education and Intellect as Described in Documentary Sources,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 59 (2023): 1–32; Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Joseph Smith Compared with Contemporary Authors,” Evidence# 0106, November 2, 2020, online at evidencecentral.org.
- 26. On the Recency interface of the Evidence Central website, see the following main categories: Biblical History, Culture, Complexity, Law, Linguistics, Literary Features, Records and Relics, and Warfare.
- 27. See Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: “Translation (Main Category),” online at evidencecentral.org.