Stowell was called by the defense and sworn in as a witness. He testified under oath that he saw the plates the day Joseph first brought them home. As Joseph passed them through the window, Stowell caught a glimpse of the plates as a portion of the linen was pulled back.
From Darkness unto Light
(Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center;
Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2015), 13.
Timeline
March 22, 1770: Josiah Stowell (sometimes spelled “Stoal”) born in Winchester, New Hampshire to Israel Stowell and Mary Butler.
By 1791: Married Miriam Bridgeman.
Biography
Josiah Stowell (sometimes spelled “Stoal”) was born on March 22, 1770 in Winchester, New Hampshire to Israel Stowell and Mary Butler. He was a member of the Presbyterian church.
Statements
Stowell, who claimed that he was the “first person that took the Plates out of [Joseph Smith’s] hands the morning [he] brought them in,” would have been the first person other than Joseph to feel and heft the plates.