Excerpt from The Latter-Day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 73: April 6, 1911

Oliver Cowdery deserves to be remembered and honored by the Latter-day Saints. There is no doubt he faltered and fell depriving himself, whether he realized it at the time or not, of the authority, gifts and power which the Lord had conferred upon him. He, however, did not join the enemies of the people, nor affiliate with the apostate branches, that sought to establish them selves as the Church; and he never denied The Testimony of Three Witnesses. For this he had the promise of the Lord: The gates of hell shall not prevail against you: for my grace is sufh cient for you, and you shall be lifted up at the last day. Who can doubt it? He was the first person baptized in this dispensa tion, and he died in the faith.

In presenting a brief history of the life of Oliver Cowdery, and his prominent part in the founding and development of the Mor mon Church, it seems best to state at once that the doctrine of polygamy, which characterized the Mormons after they went to Utah, was not promulgated until years after he had left them, nor openly practiced until after his death. He removed from Wells, Vermont, at a very early age. He obtained a fair educa tion for the times, and migrated to Western New York, where the schools were of the most primitive order, and engaged in the pro fession of school teaching. He was so employed in Palmyra, in the winter of 1828-29, and while thus engaged followed the com mon practice of boarding around, which led him into the home of Joseph Smith, Sr. Here he first heard of the reputed finding of the gold plates by Joseph Smith, J r., which the latter claimed had been shewn him by an angel, a topic at that time on every body's tongue, for miles around. Oliver Cowdery* became interested, and announced his intention of visiting young Joseph Smith and investigating the matter for himself. This was the turning point in his career.

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