--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Gates, Jacob F. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 15 number: 5 published: 1912-03 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Gates, Jacob F., "Testimony," *Improvement Era* 15, no. 5 (March 1912): 468–469.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1505unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1505unse start_page: 468 end_page: 469 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1912-03) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1505unse publication_year: 1912 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1912, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Testimony Testimony of Jacob Gates. My father, Jacob Gates, while on his way to England, in 1849, stopped at the town of Richmond, where lived at that time Oliver Cowdery. Hearing that Oliver was in poor health, and wishing to renew old acquaintance, as they had been friends in earlier days, father called on him at his home. Their conversation, during the visit drifted to early Church history, and to their mutual experiences during the troublous times in Missouri and Illinois. Finally father put this question to him "Oliver," said : he, "I want you to tell me the whole truth about your testimony concerning the Book of Mormon —the testimony sent forth to the world over your signature and found in the front of that book. Was your testimony based on a dream, was it the imagination of — your mind, was it an illusion, a myth tell me truthfully?" To question him thus seemed to touch Oliver very deeply. He answered not a word, but arose from his easy chair, went to the book case, took down a Book of Mormon of the first edition, turned to the testimony of the Three Witnesses, and read in the most solemn manner the words to which he had subscribed his name, nearly twenty years before. Facing my father, he said "Jacob, I want you to remember what I say to you. I am a dying man, and what would, it profit me to tell you a lie? I know," said he, "that this Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God. My eyes saw, my ears heard, and my understanding was touched, and I know that whereof I testified is true. EDITOR'S TABLE 41* It was no dream, no vain imagination of the mind it was real."— Then father asked him about the angel under whose hands he received the priesthood, to which he made answer thus "Jacob, : I felt the hand of the angel on my head as plainly as I could feel yours, and could hear his voice as I now hear yours." Then father asked this question: "If all that you tell me is true, why did you leave the Church?" Oliver made only this explanation ; said he : "When I left the Church, I felt wicked, I felt like shedding blood, but I have got all over that now." State of Utah, County of Salt Lake, ss. Jacob F. Gates, of Salt Lake City, Utah, being first duly sworn, deposes and says, that he is a citizen of the United States, of the age of fifty-seven years, and that he is the son of Jacob Gates, who, prior to his death, related to affiant a conversation which he had with Oliver Cowdery, at the town of Richmond, State of Missouri, and that the above and foregoing is a true and correct statement of said conversation as given to him by his father. Jacob F. Gates. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 30th day of January, 1912. Arthur Winters, Notary Public. My commission expires December 3, 1915-