[Key Excerpts] On his unwavering witness: "It having been represented by one John Murphy, of Polo, Caldwell County, Mo., that I, in a conversation with him last summer, denied my testimony as one of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon. I wish now, standing as it were, in the very sunset of life, and in the fear of God, once for all to make this public statement: That I have never at any time denied that testimony or any part thereof." On the translation method: "I will now give you a description of the manner in which the Book of Mormon was translated. Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English." On his criticisms of Joseph Smith: "If you believe my testimony to the Book of Mormon; if you believe that God spake to us three witnesses by his own voice, then I tell you that in June, 1838, God spake to me again by his own voice from the heavens, and told me to separate myself from among the Latter Day Saints." On doctrinal changes: "In the winter of 1834, they saw that some important changes would have to be made in the revelations. The doctrine of high priests was never spoken of, and never thought of being established in the church until Rigdon came in. Remember that we had been preaching from August 1829 until June 1831 — almost two years — and had baptized about 2,000 members into the Church of Christ, and had not one high priest." On polygamy: "I was in Kirtland in 1834 when the first threatenings of polygamy were whispered about. I opposed it from the beginning. It is a wicked doctrine and has been the ruin of thousands." On his final plea: "I have no interest in deceiving you, and I have nothing to gain by telling you a falsehood. I am an old man, and I shall soon appear before God to give an account of my life. I bear my testimony to you that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, but I do not endorse the errors of any church."