Peter Whitmer Sr.

Peter Whitmer Sr. was an early convert to the Latter Day Saint movement whose home in Fayette, New York, served as a crucial gathering place for the early church. It was in his home that the translation of the Book of Mormon was completed, many early revelations were received, and the church was formally organized on April 6, 1830.

Four of his sons—Christian, Jacob, John, and Peter Jr.—were among the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, and his son David was one of the Three Witnesses. His daughter Catherine married Hiram Page, another of the Eight Witnesses, and his daughter Elizabeth Ann married Oliver Cowdery, one of the Three Witnesses. His wife Mary is reported to have had a spiritual experience viewing the plates as well.

Peter Sr. was baptized on April 18, 1830, shortly after the church’s organization. He moved with the Saints to Kirtland, Ohio, and later to Missouri. After the church disputes of 1838, he remained in Richmond, Missouri, where he died on August 12, 1854. The Whitmer family, despite their later estrangement from the main body of the church, never denied their testimonies of the Book of Mormon.