Shakers

Shaker Witnesses

CES Letter Core Question

Why should we believe the Book of Mormon Witnesses but not the Shakers witnesses?

Shakers

The Shakers and Ann Lee:

The Shakers felt that “Christ has made his second appearance on earth, in a chosen female known by the name of Ann Lee, and acknowledged by us as our Blessed Mother in the work of redemption” (Sacred Roll and Book, p.358). The Shakers had a sacred book entitled A Holy, Sacred and Divine Roll and Book; From the Lord God of Heaven, to the Inhabitants of Earth.

More than 60 individuals gave testimony to the Sacred Roll and Book, which was published in 1843. Although not all of them mention angels appearing, some of them tell of many angels visiting them. One woman told of eight different visions.

Here is the testimony statement (page 304 of Sacred Roll and Book):

We, the undersigned, hereby testify, that we saw the holy Angel standing upon the house-top, as mentioned in the foregoing declaration, holding the Roll and Book.

BETSEY BOOTHE.
LOUISA CHAMBERLAIN.
CATY DE WITT.
LAURA ANN JACOBS.
SARAH MARIA LEWIS.
SARAH ANN SPENCER.
LUCINDA MCDONIELS.
MARIA HEDRICK.

Joseph Smith only had three witnesses who claimed to see an angel. The Shakers, however, had a large number of witnesses who claimed they saw angels and the Sacred Roll and Book. There are over a hundred pages of testimony from “Living Witnesses.” 

CES Letter, Page 103-104

Next Relevant Quote

Why should we believe the Book of Mormon Witnesses but not the Shakers witnesses? 

CES Letter, Page 104

The CES Letter continues to attempt to discredit the Book of Mormon witnesses by comparing their messages to that of over seventy testimonies published in the appendix of A Holy, Sacred and Divine Roll and Book. 

A holy, sacred, and divine roll and book from the Lord God of He

However, a comparison demonstrate many important contrasts:

Witnesses

 Book of Mormon Sacred Scroll (Shakers)
Viewed the same things Yes

No

Commanded to bear witness

 Yes No
Spiritual and physical experiences Yes

No (all spiritual)

Supernatural Experiences given to fulfill the law of two or three witnesses

 Yes No
Testimonies specifically to all the world Yes

No

Later denials that the ever denied their testimonies

 Yes No
Specific purpose of witnessed experiences Yes

No

Unified message

 Yes No
Randomness of visions and testimonies No

Yes

 

To read the testimonies, Click here.

In Christian theology, “in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word [should] be established” (2 Cor. 13:1). The Book of Mormon witnesses were granted very specific supernatural experiences and then commanded to bear witness of what they saw.

The Shaker Roll and Book afterwards fell into discredit and dishonor among the Shakers themselves and was abandoned by its leaders and most believers,[12]

After the Three Witnesses saw the angel and the plates, Lucy Smith recalled Joseph exclaiming:

"Father, mother, you do not know how happy I am: the Lord has now caused the plates to be shown to three more besides myself. They have seen an angel, who has testified to them, and they will have to bear witness to the truth of what I have said, for now they know for themselves, that I do not go about to deceive the people, and I feel as if I was relieved of a burden which was almost too heavy for me to bear, and it rejoices my soul, that I am not any longer to be entirely alone in the world” (History of Joseph Smith, p.153).

Who were the Shaker Witnesses?

Shakers had 5200 members in 1860.

Virtually nothing is known about these Shaker witnesses. Contrast that with an abundance of testimonies and interview from the Book of Mormon witnesses. Here is what I could dig up:

  1. BETSEY BOOTHE.
  2. LOUISA CHAMBERLAIN.
  3. CATY DE WITT -
  4. LAURA ANN JACOBS - 
  5. SARAH MARIA LEWIS.
  6. SARAH ANN SPENCER.
  7. LUCINDA MCDONIELS.
    • A Lucinda McDonald born in 1821 appears on this Shaker list.
    • Lucinda McDonald in the 1860 census in New Lebanon NY at age 37, census shows living in the same household as Louisa Chamberlain (above)
  8. MARIA HEDRICK.

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