Mary Whitmer Summary

The Story of Mary Whitmer In June of 1829, the Whitmer home was a hub of activity. Joseph and Emma were boarding with the family, as was Oliver Cowdery, and a variety of visitors came to call on the Smiths regularly. As a result, the Whitmer home was extremely crowded, and Mary Whitmer experienced a significant increase in her workload. She already had eight children to care for, the guests were supposedly not helping her in her labors, and she was becoming frustrated. One day, Mary went out to the barn to milk the cows. Joseph was using the barn as a safe hiding place for the plates, but Mary was not aware of that fact. When she approached the barn, she met an elderly looking man. He addressed her, saying “You have been very faithful and diligent in your labors, but you are tired because of the increase of your toil; it is proper therefore that you should receive a witness that your faith may be strengthened”. He then proceeded to show her the golden plates and their engravings, encouraging her to endure to the end with the promise of …show more content…
To the outward observer, Mary’s difficulties might have seemed more like minor inconveniences. After all, a few house guests could not be that large of a burden, could they? To Mary, however, this was a struggle and a trial of her faith. She did not truly understand the importance of the work that she was participating in, and being able to see the plates made her role become more of a reality. Mary already had faith; she used it to take in the guests in in the first place. She merely needed a reminder, as many of us do from time to time, that the Lord was aware of her and her contribution to the progression of His work. It was because of the faith that she had showed from the beginning that the Lord rewarded her for her discipleship by allowing her the privilege of becoming a witness of the reality of the