Editing Jacob Whitmer (section)

==Biography==
Born in Pennsylvania, Whitmer moved with his parents to [[New York (state)|New York]], where he married Elizabeth Schott on September 29, 1825. Whitmer and Elizabeth had nine children together, only three of whom survived to adulthood.

Whitmer’s younger brother, [[David Whitmer|David]], became a close associate of [[Joseph Smith]]. In June 1829, Jacob Whitmer joined his brothers in signing a statement testifying that he personally saw and handled the [[golden plates]] said to be in Smith's possession. On April 11, 1830, he was baptized into the newly organized [[Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)|Church of Christ]].

Whitmer moved with the majority of the New York church members to Ohio in 1831. Whitmer then gathered with early church members to [[Jackson County, Missouri]] by 1833, but was driven by [[anti-Mormon]] vigilantes from his home there, and later from his home in [[Clay County, Missouri]]. He then settled in [[Caldwell County, Missouri]] where he served on [[Far West, Missouri|Far West's]] [[high council (Latter Day Saints)|high council]] and received an elder’s license from the church in December 1837.<ref name=jsp />

In a dispute over land ownership in Far West, Whitmer was [[Excommunication#The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|excommunicated]] from the church in 1838 along with the rest of the living members of the Whitmer family,<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=McCune|first=George M.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/25553656|title=Personalities in the Doctrine and Covenants and Joseph Smith–History|publisher=Hawkes Publishing, Inc.|year=1991|isbn=0890365180|location=Salt Lake City, Utah|pages=142–145|oclc=25553656}}</ref> and driven again from his home—this time by [[Danite|Mormon vigilantes]].<ref name=jsp>{{Cite web |title=Whitmer, Jacob |url=https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/person/jacob-whitmer |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=www.josephsmithpapers.org}}</ref>

Whitmer settled finally near [[Richmond, Missouri|Richmond]] in neighboring [[Ray County, Missouri|Ray County]], where he worked as a shoemaker and a farmer.<ref name=jsp /> He died on April 21, 1856, still affirming his testimony of the golden plates.