17. Importance of Multiple Witnesses

In the Book of Mormon, the idea of multiple witnesses is expressed multiple times. God knew that there were people in the latter-days who would reject the Book of Mormon. They would say things like “A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible,” (2^nd Nephi 29:3). In order combat those who say that there is no need of another testament of the Lord’s words, the Lord explicitly states in 2^nd Nephi that “Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also,” (2^nd Nephi 29:8). This scripture tells us that the Lord will not abandon his people. He states that he remembers multiple nations, not just the Jews in Jerusalem. By claiming that he remembers nations the same as others, he is promising that he will not leave one group of people alone, to wander forever in darkness. The Book of Mormon also tells of the benefits of having multiple witnesses. When Alma went proselyting to the city of Ammonihah, no one listened to his words. He was rejected, but as he left the city an angel commanded him to return to the city. When he got back, a local from the city who had been prepared by an angel took him in, and agreed to help Alma to teach the people. As Alma began to speak again, the people “were wroth with me,” (Alma 9:31). But once Amulek spoke, those same people “began to be astonished, seeing there was more than one witness who testified of the things whereof they were accused, and also of the things which were to come, according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them,” (Alma 10:12). By having a second witness, Alma and Amulek were able to get the people of Ammonihah to at least consider the words that they had spoken, and even were able to get some of them to believe.

           

Multiple witnesses cause people to think differently about a subject. More than one witness complicates a story. At any time, an individual has the ability to say anything that they desire. However, if two people testify to the same thing, especially if there is no personal motivation behind their testimony, it is a lot more difficult to pin their testimony as a lie. In the story of Alma and Amulek, when Alma teaches to the people, the people were able to rationalize that this man is lying, or crazy or both. But when Amulek comes and echoes Alma’s words, the idea that those words are a lie becomes a lot less likely. Amulek faced no personal gain from lying to his fellow citizens. Because of this, the people were more willing to listen to his words.