View source for Jacob Whitmer

{{short description|Book of Mormon witness}}
{{More footnotes|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox Latter Day Saint biography
| name                       = Jacob Whitmer
| image                      = Jacob Whitmer.jpg
| alt                        = Image of Jacob Whitmer
| birth_date                 = {{Birth date|1800|02|02|mf=yes}}
| birth_place                = Pennsylvania, United States<ref>[https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MDZV-4JD United States Census, 1850]</ref>
| death_date                 = {{Death date and age|1856|04|21|1800|02|02|mf=yes}}
| death_place                = 
| death_cause                = 
| resting_place              = Richmond Pioneer Cemetery, Missouri, United States
| resting_place_coordinates  = {{Coord|39|17|6.76|N|93|58|34.93|W|type:landmark|display=inline|name=Richmond Pioneer Cemetery, Missouri}}
| known_for                  = One of the [[Eight Witnesses]]
| spouse                     = Elizabeth Schott
| children                   = 9
| parents                    =  [[Peter Whitmer, Sr.]]<br />[[Mary Whitmer|Mary Musselman]]
| website                    = <!-- {{URL|www.example.com}} -->
| signature                  = Jacob Whitmer Signature.jpg
| footnotes                  =
| portals                    = movement}}

'''Jacob Whitmer''' (February 2, 1800 – April 21, 1856) was the second born child of [[Peter Whitmer, Sr.]], and [[Mary Whitmer|Mary Musselman]]. He is primarily remembered as one of the [[Eight Witnesses]] of the [[Book of Mormon]]'s [[golden plates]].

==Biography==
Born in Pennsylvania, Whitmer moved with his parents to [[New York (state)|New York]], where he married Elizabeth Schott on September 29, 1825. Whitmer and Elizabeth had nine children together, only three of whom survived to adulthood.

Whitmer’s younger brother, [[David Whitmer|David]], became a close associate of [[Joseph Smith]]. In June 1829, Jacob Whitmer joined his brothers in signing a statement testifying that he personally saw and handled the [[golden plates]] said to be in Smith's possession. On April 11, 1830, he was baptized into the newly organized [[Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)|Church of Christ]].

Whitmer moved with the majority of the New York church members to Ohio in 1831. Whitmer then gathered with early church members to [[Jackson County, Missouri]] by 1833, but was driven by [[anti-Mormon]] vigilantes from his home there, and later from his home in [[Clay County, Missouri]]. He then settled in [[Caldwell County, Missouri]] where he served on [[Far West, Missouri|Far West's]] [[high council (Latter Day Saints)|high council]] and received an elder’s license from the church in December 1837.<ref name=jsp />

In a dispute over land ownership in Far West, Whitmer was [[Excommunication#The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|excommunicated]] from the church in 1838 along with the rest of the living members of the Whitmer family,<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=McCune|first=George M.|title=Personalities in the Doctrine and Covenants and Joseph Smith–History|publisher=Hawkes Publishing, Inc.|year=1991|isbn=0890365180|location=Salt Lake City, Utah|pages=142–145|oclc=25553656}}</ref> and driven again from his home—this time by [[Danite|Mormon vigilantes]].<ref name=jsp>{{Cite web |title=Whitmer, Jacob |url=https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/person/jacob-whitmer |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=www.josephsmithpapers.org}}</ref>

Whitmer settled finally near [[Richmond, Missouri|Richmond]] in neighboring [[Ray County, Missouri|Ray County]], where he worked as a shoemaker and a farmer.<ref name=jsp /> He died on April 21, 1856, still affirming his testimony of the golden plates.

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite book | last = Jenson | first = Andrew | title = Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A compilation of biographical sketches of prominent men and women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | volume = 1 | date = 1901 | publisher = The Andrew Jenson History Company (Printed by The Deseret News Press) | location = Salt Lake City, Utah | pages = [https://archive.org/details/latterdaysaint01jensuoft/page/276 <!-- quote=Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, vol 1. --> 276–277]}}
*Keith W. Perkins, [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1989/02/true-to-the-book-of-mormon-the-whitmers "True to the Book of Mormon—The Whitmers"], ''[[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]]'', February 1989.
{{Book of Mormon Witnesses}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitmer, Jacob}}
[[Category:1800 births]]
[[Category:1856 deaths]]
[[Category:American Latter Day Saints]]
[[Category:Book of Mormon witnesses]]
[[Category:Converts to Mormonism]]
[[Category:Farmers from Missouri]]
[[Category:Leaders in the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)]]
[[Category:People excommunicated by the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)]]
[[Category:People from Caldwell County, Missouri]]
[[Category:People from Clay County, Missouri]]
[[Category:People from Fayette, New York]]
[[Category:People from Ray County, Missouri]]
[[Category:Religious leaders from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Whitmer family]]

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