Doctrine & Covenants 17 All

Doctrine & Covenants > Section 17

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Doctrine & Covenants > Section 17

Questions

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Lexical notes

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Exegesis

The role the three witnesses played in the restoration was unique. They were certainly more than just witnesses in the legal sense (although they served this role as well, essentially including their affidavits in the book). They were called by revelation, likely foreordained to their mission, and verse 7 explains that they were given power from on high and a special gift in connection with their calling. Yet their calling came with no formal priesthood keys (in fact, probably only Oliver Cowdery even held the Aaronic priesthood at the time they were shown the plates, and the Melchizedek authority would not have been restored yet in June 1829).

Their mission as witnesses was a lifelong calling that they clearly recognized and continued to fulfill even when they were disaffected from the Church. In fact, it seems their mission was separate from the organization of the Church and often not even under the direction of Church authorities. In contrast, within the Church the formal office of "special witnesses" was filled by the Apostles, who could be argued to carry the role within the Church generally that the three witnesses carry specifically with respect to the Book of Mormon. Perhaps it is not so ironic that the witnesses selected the original twelve apostles, as they had related missions.

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