All three witness fall away from the church but never deny their testimony regarding the plates
C) Martin Harris
Much less is known about the circumstances surrounding the excommunication of Martin Harris. Martin had always been a staunch supporter of Joseph Smith and it is unlikely that he considered Joseph a fallen prophet as did the other witnesses. For whatever reason, Martin was excommunicated in Kirtland, Ohio in Dec. 1837.
After his departure from the church, Martin followed several unorthodox sects of his day. For a while he was affiliated with the Shakers and even went on a mission to England on behalf of the Strangites. Although he was rebaptized in 1842, he never went West with the saints. He was considered a dissenter since then. He lived for years in Kirtland and acted as a self appointed custodian of the Kirtland Temple. An interesting interview took place between Martin and William H. Homer who stopped at the Kirtland Temple on the way home from his mission:
"Homer was returning from a mission for the Church in 1869 and decided to visit the Kirtland Temple. He seems to have been unaware of the fact that the custodian was Martin Harris, his sister's father-in-law...
"'I first saw Martin Harris in Kirtland, Ohio, about the last of December, 1869. On my return from a mission in England I stopped to visit some of my relatives in Pennsylvannia. On resuming my journey, one of my cousins, James A. Crockett, who was not a member of the Church, came as far as Kirtland, Ohio, with me. We remained in Kirtland over night and the next morning after breakfast, we asked the landlord who was custodian of the Mormon Temple at Kirtland and he informed us that Martin Harris was custodian, and pointed out to us where we could find the old gentleman. Accordingly we went to the door and knocked. In answer to our knock there came to the door of the cottage a poorly clad, emaciated little man, on whom the winter of life was weighing heavily. It was Martin Harris...
"'In his face might be read the story of his life. There were the marks of spiritual upliftment. There were the marks of keen disappointment. There was the hunger strain for the peace, the contentment, the divine calm that it seemed could come no more into his life. It was a pathetic figure, and yet it was a figure of strength. For with it all there was something about the little man which revealed the fact that he had lived richly, that into his life had entered such noble experiences as come to the lives of but few...
"'I introduced myself modestly as a brother-in-law of Martin Harris, Jr.-as he had married my eldest sister-and as an Elder of the Church who was returning from a foreign mission....
"'The effect of the introduction was electric[al]. The fact of relationship was overwhelmed by the fact of Utah citizenship. The old man bristled with vindictiveness. 'One of those Brighamite Mormons, are you?' he snapped. Then he railed impatiently against Utah and the founder of the 'Mormon' commonwealth. It was in vain that I tried to turn the old man's attention to his family. Martin Harris seemed to be obsessed. He would not understand that there stood before him a man who knew his wife and children, who had followed the Church to Utah...
"'After some time, however, the old man said, 'You want to see the Temple, do you?' 'Yes, indeed,' I exclaimed, 'if we may.' 'Well, I'll get the key.' From that moment, Martin Harris, in spite of occasional outbursts, radiated with interest. He led us through the rooms of the Temple and explained how they were used. He pointed out the place of the School of Prophets. He showed where the Temple curtain had at one time hung. He related thrilling experiences in connection with the history of the sacred building...
"'Harris was moved to speak against the Utah 'Mormons'. An injustice, a gross injustice had been done to him. He should have been chosen President of the Church....
"'What about your testimony to the Book of Mormon? Do you still believe that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a Prophet?' Again the effect was electric[al]. A changed old man stood before me. It was no longer a man with an imagined grievance. It was a man with a message, a man with a noble conviction in his heart, a man inspired of God and endowed with divine knowledge. Through the broken window of the Temple shone the winter sun, clear and radiant.
"'Young man,' answered Martin Harris with impressiveness, 'Do I believe it! Do I see the sun shining! Just as surely as the sun is shining on us and gives us light, and the ... [moon] and stars give us light by night, just as surely as the breath of life sustains us, so surely do I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, chosen of God to open the last dispensation of the fulness of times; so surely do I know that the Book of Mormon was divinely translated. I saw the plates; I saw the Angel; I heard the voice of God. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet of God. I might as well doubt my own existence as to doubt the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon or the divine calling of Joseph Smith.' It was a sublime moment. It was a wonderful testimony. We were thrilled to the very roots of our hair. The shabby, emaciated little man before us was transformed as he stood with hand outstretched toward the sun of heaven. A halo seemed to encircle him. A divine fire glowed in his eyes. His voice throbbed with the sincerity and the conviction of his message. It was the real Martin Harris whose burning testimony no power on earth could quench. It was the most thrilling moment of my life."
"'I asked Martin Harris how he could bear so wonderful a testimony after having left the Church. He said, 'Young man, I never did leave the Church the Church left me.'" (selected excerpts from The Case of the Book of Mormon Witnesses by Eldin Ricks, pp. 17-18)
As a result of this interview, Martin agreed to visit his relatives in Utah. However, he did not have the means and the church had to assist in his transportation. An Edward Stevenson was asked to go to Kirtland in order to accompany Mr. Harris to Salt Lake City. Our narrative continues:
"'When Martin reached Salt Lake City, he visited Brigham Young at his home. They became reconciled, and Martin Harris was invited to speak in the Tabernacle, and he bore a faithful testimony. He went to Smithfield, and later to Clarkston and made his home with his son, Martin Harris, Jr., and in course of time he returned to full fellowship and communion with the Saints....'"
"Martin Harris spent the last five years of his long life-a time when a man usually seeks to make peace with his maker-visiting congregations of the Saints and bearing testimony to what he had seen and heard. I have personally talked to a woman who heard him give his testimony at a Church service when she was a very young girl. She told how impressed everyone was with his story about seeing the angel and the Book of Mormon plates; and I must admit that to me it was moving even to hear her second hand account of his experience. This matter of the impressiveness of Martin Harris's testimony, by the way, calls to mind the fact that even after he reached his nineties and in the face of imminent death he still went on testifying that he had seen the angel and the book. It seems to me that this very zeal, that failed to dim with the passing years, is a point that should not be overlooked...
"A few hours before his death and when he was so weak and enfeebled that he was unable to recognize me or anyone, and knew not to whom he was speaking, I asked him if he did not feel that there was an element at least, of fraudulence and deception in the things that were written and told of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and he replied as he had always done so many, many times in my hearing and with the same spirit he always manifested when enjoying health and vigor and said: 'The Book of Mormon is no fake. I know what I know. I have seen what I have seen and I have heard what I have heard. I have seen the gold plates from which the Book of Mormon is written. An angel appeared to me and others and testified to the truthfulness of the record, and had I been willing to have perjured myself and sworn falsely to the testimony I now bear I could have been a rich man, but I could not have testified other than I have done and am now doing for these things are true.'" (selected excerpts from The Case of the Book of Mormon Witnesses by Eldin Ricks, pp. 20-21)