I don't know much about Mormon history, but I read the wiki on Martin Harris. I assume he was one of the 11 men. Harris seems to have been a very confusing person. His inconsistent behavior and story reminds me of Bob Lazar who claimed to know that Area 51 was studying ET spacecraft. Some people simply enjoy the hoax or the attention or the power or the money. Sometimes their hoaxes get out of control.
Of course the Mormon claims are no less likely than the claims of any other religion. Maybe they are true, but there are a lot of reasons that people might make false or wildly exaggerated claims.
I don't mean to offend anybody with this post - just giving my opinions. I think Mormons seem to be fine people, and their reasons for believing are no sillier than any other theist.
No offence taken, with so much anti stuff out there it’s hard to discern the truth.
Although he was the first person outside of Joseph’s family to accept his story Martin Harris seems to be the one that question Joseph’s account of his visions the most.
He was 22 years older than Joseph and his wife was very doubting, can’t blame her. He was hard working and well respected in Palmyra, New York. He had been elected to a number of offices. Then all of a sudden he put in the position of helping this young man who says an angel has shown up and told him where these gold plates are.
He tried several ways to challenge Joseph including taking some of the characters or examples of the writing on the Book of Mormon plates to New York City. He took them to an expert there who assured him they were real. It was enough to convince him to mortgage his farm to help finance it.
He helped as a scribe for a time but when he lost the first 116 pages he lost his calling. But he did not turn on Joseph, even when he lost his home he did not turn on Joseph. He was the first man in the Church to put his money and property into the custody of the first Bishop, thus becoming the first to live the law of consecration. He helped compile our Doctrine and Covenants and choose the first Council of the Twelve Apostles.
At one point during the years in Kirtland there were was an apostasy among some of the members over money. It’s another long story but Martin seems to have stayed on the outside. He was not apart of the squabble but he was influenced by some of the rumors and at one point he said he lost convenience in Joseph and his heart was turned dark. It’s odd because there has been a claim that he was excommunicated but it seems it was never official. He wandered for a few years and then landed in Kirtland sort of as an unofficial guide of the old temple. His family went west with the Church and he lagged behind until 1869 when at the age of 87 he road the train out to Utah where he was re-baptized.
Before he died at the age of 92 he spoke in the Tabernacle;
“It is not a mere belief, but is a matter of knowledge. I saw the plates and the inscriptions thereon. I saw the angel, and he showed them unto me”
Here’s another statement.
"In introducing us, Mr. Godfrey said, 'Brother Harris, I have brought these young men to hear your statement as to whether or not you believe the Book of Mormon to be true.' His face was turned to the wall. He turned and faced us and said, 'Now I don't believe, but I know it to be true, for with these eyes I saw the angel and with these ears (pointing to them) I heard him say it was a true and correct record of an ancient people that dwelt upon this the American continent'." ( Alma L. Jensen, attested statement, Dayton, Ohio, 1 June 1936,)