Jacob Whitmer was the second born child of Peter Whitmer, Sr.

Peter Whitmer, Sr.

Peter Whitmer, Sr. was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement, and father of the movement's second founding family.Peter Whitmer, Sr. was born April 14, 1773 in Pennsylvania and married Mary Elsa Musselman. The Whitmers had eight children together: Christian, Jacob, John, David,...

 and Mary Musselman

Mary Whitmer

Mary Musselman Whitmer was a Mormon Witness, the wife of Peter Whitmer, Sr. Through her son David Whitmer, she and her family became acquainted with Joseph Smith, Jr. around 1828...

. He is primarily remembered as one of the Eight Witnesses

Eight Witnesses

The Eight Witnesses were one of the two groups of witnesses who signed a statement stating that they had seen the golden plates which Joseph Smith, Jr. said was his source material for the book...

 of the Book of Mormon's

Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...

 Golden Plates

Golden Plates

According to Latter Day Saint belief, the golden plates are the source from which Joseph Smith, Jr. translated the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the faith...

.

Biography

Born January 27, 1800, Jacob Whitmer moved with his parents' family to New York, where he married Elizabeth Schott on September 29, 1825. Jacob and Elizabeth had nine children together, only three of which survived to adulthood.

Whitmer's younger brother David

David Whitmer

David Whitmer was an early adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement who eventually became the most interviewed of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon's Golden Plates.-Early life:...

 became a close associate of Joseph Smith, Jr.. In June 1829, Jacob Whitmer joined his brothers in signing a statement testifying that he personally saw and handled the Golden Plates

Golden Plates

According to Latter Day Saint belief, the golden plates are the source from which Joseph Smith, Jr. translated the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the faith...

 said to be in Smith's possession. On April 11, 1830, he was baptized into the newly organized "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints."

He gathered with early church members to Jackson County, Missouri

Jackson County, Missouri

Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. With a population of 674,158 in the 2010 census, Jackson County is the second most populous of Missouri's counties, after St. Louis County. Kansas City, the state's most populous city and focus city of the Kansas City Metropolitan...

, USA

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, but was driven by non-Mormon vigilantes from his home there and later from his home in Clay County, Missouri as well. He then settled in Caldwell County, Missouri

Caldwell County, Missouri

Caldwell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. , the population was 8,969. Its county seat is Kingston. The county was organized in 1836 as a haven for the Mormons, who had been previously driven from Jackson County, Missouri in November of 1833 and had been refugees in...

 where he served on Far West's

Far West, Missouri

Far West, Missouri, was a Latter Day Saint settlement in Caldwell County, Missouri.-Foundation and early history:The town was founded by Missouri Mormon leaders, W. W. Phelps and John Whitmer in August 1836 shortly before the county's creation. The town was platted originally as a square area,...

 High Council. He was excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1838 along with the rest of the living members of the Whitmer family, and driven again from his home — this time by Mormon vigilantes.

He settled finally near Richmond

Richmond, Missouri

Richmond is a city in Ray County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,797 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Ray County.-Geography:Richmond is located at...

 in neighboring Ray County where he worked as a shoemaker and a farmer. He died on April 21, 1856 still affirming his testimony of the Book of Mormon.