Blaine: Kevin is right about the apostacies, wrong about the credibility of the witnessing. The 12 men never denied their testimonies, even after they had apostasized. Most, including two of the three witnesses who saw the angel, repented, and rejoined the LDS Church after it had moved to Utah. The third one, the only one not to rejoin, continued to accept interviews up to his very deathbed, and maintained steadfastly he had seen and heard all that he signed his name to. He often retold the story, never deviating from the original. As usual, Kevin doesn't give the full story or even relevant facts.
Here's a history lesson. Oliver Cowdry was a teacher and, for a time, a participant in the Campbell/Stone movement (early 1800's).. Since I do not believe that Mormon "truth" is the product of revelation, perhaps some of it came from J Smith's association with others such as Cowdry. Cowdry would have believed in water baptism, elders, evangelism, communion, to name a few of the similarities. It is a hypothesis but is worth studying if you are a history buff.
John
