John Whitmer Gravesite

John Whitmer was one of the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon. In 1836, He played a key role in helping the Church secure lands that became the city of Far West. Before moving to Far West, he served as the Church Historian. He also served as an assistant to his brother David Whitmer in the Missouri Church Presidency and as editor of the LDS Messenger and Advocate. On July 11, 1878, John Whitmer passed away in Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri. He is buried in the Kingston Cemetery, southeast of the Far West Temple Site.

In 1837, after struggling through trials and persecutions, the Saints in Missouri began to rebuild, breaking ground for a temple in Far West. During this period, tensions surfaced between members of the Whitmer family and Church leaders in Ohio. By the spring of 1838, David Whitmer and Oliver Cowdery had lost confidence in Joseph Smith’s leadership. Oliver Cowdery, David and John Whitmer, and Hiram Page left Far West later that summer. The entire Whitmer family followed across the county line and out of Church activity.

The Whitmers’ departure from Caldwell County removed them from the armed conflict that took place there in the last months of 1838. Most of the family stayed in Richmond or neighboring settlements in Ray County. John Whitmer returned to Far West and was able to buy property from Latter-day Saints as the main body of Church members left the city. He lived on his farm there for the next 38 years, caring for the land dedicated for a temple. The Church purchased the Far West temple lot from John Whitmer’s descendants in 1909.

What to Expect

A tall stone marker in the Kingston Cemetery stands over the grave of John Whitmer. In 1999, the John Whitmer Historical Association and the Missouri Mormon Frontier Foundation placed a granite plaque at the base of the marker.