Background on David Whitmer 

David Whitmer was born Jan. 7, 1805 in Harrisburg, PA.  At the age of four, his family moved to the finger lakes area of New York, Fayette township, 22 miles from Palmyra.  As a friend of Oliver Cowdery, David heard from Oliver about Joseph Smith during a business trip to Palmyra in 1828.  Later, after Oliver had moved to Harmony, PA to act as scribe for Joseph, Oliver sent letters to David testifying of the Book of Mormon and its translation.  As a result of this communication, it was decided that Joseph and Oliver should come to the home of David's father, Peter Whitmer, Sr. in order to continue the translation.  Persecution in Harmony and difficulties with Joseph's in-laws precipitated the move.  Accordingly, David Whitmer made plans to travel to Harmony to escort Joseph and Oliver.  It was late in May 1829, and the beginning of a series of miracles that David was privileged to witness. 

가을의 성공적인 수확을 위해서는 5월 하순에 꼭 씨를 뿌려야 하므로 데이비드 휘트머는 조셉과 올리버 카우드리를 그의 쌍두 마차로 데려오기 전에 흙을 갈고 토양을 준비해야 했다.  씨뿌리기를 하던 날, 보통 같으면 이틀이 걸려야 할 그 일을 그는 하루만에 끝낼 수 있었다.  데이비드의 아버지는 이 분명한 기적에 감명을 받았던 것 같다.  피터 휘트머 일세는 이렇게 말했다.  "이 일에는 분명히 위대한 힘이 작용했음에 틀림없다.  밭에 석회 가루를 뿌리는 즉시 펜실베이니아로 가는게 좋겠다." (석회 가루는 토양의 산성화를 줄이는 데 사용되었다.)  그 다음날 데이비드는 밭에 석회 가루를 뿌리러 나갔는데, 놀랍게도 거기엔 이미 석회 가루가 뿌려져 있었다.  그 밭 근처에 살고 있던 그의 누이가 말하기를 전날 낯선 사람 세 명이 놀라운 솜씨로 석회 가루를 뿌리고 있는 것을 아이들이 보고 일러주었다는 것이었다.  그녀는 그 사람들이 데이비드가 고용한 사람들이라고 생각했다고 말했다.
“A late May planting was essential for successful fall crops; therefore, David Whitmer had to plow and prepare the soil before he could take his two-horse wagon to pick up Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.  At the end of a day of plowing he found he had accomplished in one day what normally would have taken two days to do.  David's father was likewise impressed by this apparent miracle.  Peter Whitmer, Sr., said, 'There must be an overruling hand in this, and I think you would better go down to Pennsylvania as soon as your plaster of paris is sown.' (Plaster of paris was used to acidify the soil.) The next day David went to the fields to sow the plaster, but to his surprise he found the work had been done.  His sister, who lived near the field said that her children had called her to watch three strangers the day before spread the plaster with remarkable skill.  She assumed they were men David had hired.

 

이 신성한 도움에 감사하면서 데이비드 휘트머는 하모니로 가는 3일 간의 여행을 서둘렀다.  마을로 가던 중에 그는 조셉 스미스와 올리버 카우드리를 만났다.  데이비드가 도착하는 시간을 정확히 알려 주지 않았음에도 불구하고 조셉은 하모니로 가고 있는 데이비드의 여정을 세세히 시현으로 알고 있었던 것이다. (때가 찬 시대의 교회사, 56-57)
“Grateful for this divine intervention, David Whitmer hurried off on the three-day journey to Harmony.  Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery met him as he approached the town.  Although David had not told them exactly when he was coming, Joseph had seen in vision the details of David's trip to Harmony.” (Church History in the Fullness of Times, 56-57)

The Millenial Star, vol 40, pp.769-774 records David's testimony about this trip:

“Oliver told me that Joseph had informed him when I started from home, where I stopped the first night, how I read the sign at the tavern, where I stopped the next night, etc., and that I would be there that day for dinner, and this is why they had come out to meet me.  All of which was exactly as Joseph had told Oliver, at which I was greatly astonished.”

Returning to the record in the Church History in the Fullness of Times manual:

데이비드 휘트머는 조셉이 선지자요 선견자이며, 이 성공적인 회복의 시작에 주님의 도움이 있었음을 이 세 가지 기적을 들어 간증했다.
“These three miracles witnessed by David Whitmer exemplified the Prophet's seership and the Lord's intervention for the successful inauguration of the Restoration.

 

조셉 스미스와 데이비드의 만남은 이것이 처음이었다.  올리버 카우드리가 그랬던 것처럼 조셉과 데이비드도 빠른 속도로 친구가 되었다.  곧 그들은 160킬로미터나 떨어진 페이에트로의 여정에 올랐다.  이 때 판을 옮기는 동안의 위험을 피하기 위해 모로나이가 판을 가져갔다.  그 여정에는 또 다른 이상한 사건이 있었는데, 그들이 마차를 타고 가고 있을 때 일어났다.  데이비드 휘트머는 그 일을 다음과 같이 서술했다.
“This was the first meeting between Joseph Smith and David Whitmer.  As had happened with Oliver Cowdery, David and Joseph quickly became friends.  Soon they were on their way to Fayette, some one hundred miles away.  On this occasion Moroni took the plates to avoid danger while transporting them.  Another unusual event occurred en route.  It happened while they were riding along in the wagon.  David Whitmer described the event:

 

어떤 쾌활하고 근엄하게 보이는 노인 한 분이 갑자기 마차 앞에 나타나서, '안녕하십니까, 날씨가 덥군요.'라고 인사하면서 손으로 얼굴과 이마를 닦았다.  우리도 인사를 했으며, 조셉의 지시로 내가 그 분에게 같은 방향이면 마차에 타라고 권유했다.  그러나 그는 매우 쾌활하게 '아닙니다. 저는 쿠모라로 가는 중입니다.' 라고 말했다.  나로서는 그 이름이 생소했으며, 쿠모라가 무엇을 의미하는지 몰랐다.  우리는 모두 그를 주시하고 서로를 응시했다.  내가 미심쩍어 하며 조셉을 돌아본 순간 그 노인은 이내 사라져 버렸다.
“'A very pleasant, nice-looking old man suddenly appeared by the side of our wagon and saluted us with, 'good morning, it is very warm,' at the same time wiping his face or forehead with his hand.  We returned the salutation, and, by a sign from Joseph, I invited him to ride if he was going our way.  But he said very pleasantly, 'No, I am going to Cumorah.'  This name was something new to me, I did not know what Cumorah meant. We all gazed at him and at each other, and as I looked around enquiringly of Joseph, the old man instantly disappeared....

 

그는 하모니를 출발하기 직전 조셉에게서 금판을 가져갔던 그 사자였다. (때가 찬 시대의 교회사, 57)
“'... It was the messenger who had the plates, who had taken them from Joseph just prior to our starting from Harmony.’” (Church History in the Fullness of Times, 57)