SPALDING STUDIES LIBRARY -- SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
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John E. Page (1799-1867)
The Spaulding Story (Pittsburgh: Gospel Light Press, 1843) Note: LDS Apostle John E. Page's 1843 booklet on the "Spaulding Story" was limited to a small press run: only 2 or 3 copies of the 1843 edition survive today and its text is seldom cited by students of Mormon history. The 1866 RLDS reprint of the pamphlet is more readily available to researchers and has been cited in various works on Mormon history. The reprint eliminates some text found in the 1843 edition -- almost all new material added in 1866 appears on pp. 15-16 of the reprint. More comments by the transcriber |
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John E. Page (1799-1867)
The Spaulding Story (expanded 2nd edition, IL, 1866.) |
Origin of the Spaulding Story (1840) | Plain Facts... Spaulding Story (1841)
John E. Page: "Mormonism, Alias Truth" (1842) | Notice about Rigdon (1844)
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SPAULDING STORY, CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF THE BOOK OF MORMON, DULY EXAMINED, AND EXPOSED TO THE RIGHTEOUS CONTEMPT OF A CANDID PUBLIC; BY JOHN E. PAGE, Pastor and Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, in Pittsburgh -- 1843. From the last day of May, A.D. 1836, I have been continually employed in the ministry of the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ as set forth in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, and the Book of Mormon. The former Books being the records of Gods law written to Israel on the Eastern Continent, and the latter the record of God's law to Israel on this continent; -- all of which books or records I know to be just and true in their doctrine and principles, and all of divine origin. And the most plausible reason that I have ever heard rendered why the public should not believe the Book of Mormon to be of divine origin, is a fabricated story of one Solomon Spaulding, giving an account of the origin of the American Indians written sometime in the years of 1809, '10, '11, and '12. In 1812 Mr. Spaulding removed to this city, (Pittsburgh,) where he lodged his romance in the printing office of Messrs. Patterson and Lambdin for publication, where it is said. (by report) that Mr. Sidney Rigdon, availed himself of the opportunity of transcribing the romance and altering it to suit his purposes, which has appeared in the form of the Book of Mormon. N. B. To the reader I will here give a synopsis of what I shall attempt to prove by the documents presented in this pamphlet. 1st. I shall present a letter purporting to have been written by Mrs. Davison, formerly the wife of Mr. S. Spaulding, to prove that the romance was written in Conneaut, Ashtabula county, Ohio, in the year A. D. 1812, -- Also, that Mr. S. Spaulding removed to Pittsburgh, in 1812, and lived there two years, and then removed to Amity, Washington Co., Pa., where he died in 1816. It will also prove that the romance fell into the hands of the widow who carefully preserved it from 1816 till 1834, when it was delivered into the hands of one Dr. Philaster Hulbert, who was deputed by a number of the citizens to procure the same if possible. 2nd. I will present an extract from a pamphlet published by the Rev. Samuel Williams, Pastor of the first Regular Baptist Church of Pittsburgh, entitled "Mormonism Exposed," to prove that Mr. Sidney Rigdon did not reside in the city of Pittsburgh till 1822, six years after the romance fell into the safe keeping of Mr. Spaulding's widow. 3d. I will present an extract from a letter written by Mr. John Haven, of Holiston, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, to his daughter Elizabeth Haven, of Quincy, Adams co., Ill., to prove that Mr. E. D. Howe, the author of the "History of Mormonism," was not as honest as he professed to be when he said in his advertisement, "The truth and the whole truth have been my constant aim." He says on the 289th page of his Book, when speaking of the romance, "Now as Spaulding's book can nowhere be found, or anything heard of it after being carried to this establishment," (Patterson's printing office;) when Mrs. Davison, (Spaulding's widow,) says that Dr. P. Hulbert, took it from her in 1834, and promised to get it printed, and give her one half of the profits, and afterwards writing her "that it did not read as he expected, therefore he should not print it;" thus proving positively that Spaulding's romance is in the hands of Howe, of Painesville Ohio, or his agents. Surely the old adage is good, that "a liar is not to be believed when he speaks the truth." 4th. I will present three extracts taken from three different authors, one from E. D. Howe's "History of Mormonism," one from S. Williams' (of Pittsburgh,) "Mormonism Exposed," and one from Matilda Davison's letter, showing clearly that our enemies are not candid or valiant for the truth, in their attempts to expose "Mormonism," or the triumphant march of God's truth as preached by the Latter-day Saints. Inasmuch as each one of the three authors in presenting Mr. Patterson's testimony (concerning the romance) have made him flatly contradict himself, which we can not believe he has done of his own will and accord, inasmuch as we have repeatedly heard that Mr. Patterson is a gentleman of unquestionable character for truth and veracity. We insert other documents, the purpose of which will be obvious on their own face. 1st. I present a letter purporting to be written by Mrs. Matilda Davison, of Monson, (Mass.,) copied from the Philadelphia Saturday Courier, of Nov. 26, 1842. I have before me a copy of the same, that has went the rounds of the newspapers of 1840, as found in the "Episcopal Recorder," published in Philadelphia, Saturday, Sept. 12, 1840.
how Mr. S. progressed in deciphering the manuscript, and when he had a sufficient portion prepared, he would inform them, and they would assemble to hear it read. He was enabled, from his acquaintance with the classics and ancient history, to introduce many singular names, which were particularly noticed by the people, and could be easily recognized by them. Solomon Spaulding had a brother, John Spaulding, residing in the place at the time, who was perfectly familiar with the work, and repeatedly heard the whole of it read. _____________ * We have before us a book entitled "History of Mormonism," published by E. D. Howe, of Painesville, Ohio. The first edition appeared in 1834, under the title of "Mormonism unveiled." The whole matter it contains is a very weak attempt to put down 'Mormonism,' alias the 'Latter-day Saints': -- however, in it we find some things that answer our purpose; for instance, we find in said book on the 282 page, the certificate of one Henry Lake, saying: "Spaulding left here (Conneaut) in 1812, for Pittsburgh." † 1812. With all due respect to the inhabitants of this city, (Pittsburgh,) I defy them all to make it appear that Sidney Rigdon lived in Pittsburgh at the time she (Mrs. Davison) states, which must have been (if at all to have given him an opportunity to have had access to Spaulding's romance) in 1812, '13 and '14, inasmuch as she states that "the manuscript (romance) was returned to the author, and soon after we removed to Amity, Washington county, Pa., where Mr. S. deceased in 1816." On the 287th page of Howe's book, we find these words, "From her (Mrs. Davison) we learned that Spaulding resided in Pittsburgh about two years." This would give Mr. Rigdon only two years to transcribe or alter said romance for any purpose whatever, and that too at the 20th and 21st years of his age, as he was born in the year 1793. In 1812, '13, '14, he was employed on his father's farm as a farm-boy and for years after, and did not live in Pittsburgh till 1822, six years after the romance fell into the hands of Spaulding's widow, and was "carefully preserved," according to her own statement. ‡ Compare this with a corresponding saying of Mrs. McKinstry, as found in Mr. John Haven's letter to his daughter Elizabeth, of Quincy, Ill., which reads thus: -- "Ques., to Mrs. McKinstry -- How old were you when your father wrote the manuscript? Ans. About five years of age. Ques. Did you ever read the manuscript? Ans. When I was about twelve years old I used to read it for diversion." If Mrs. McKinstry was five years old at 1812, she was 12 years old at 1819, three years after her father died, which goes to prove demonstratively, that Mr. Howe's saying on the 289th page of his book, "Now as Spaulding's book can no where be found, or anything heard of it after being carried to this establishment," (Patterson's printing office) to be a willful falsehood -- and Mrs. McKinstry's testimony throws the romance altogether and entirely out of the reach of Mr. S. Rigdon, and I defy the world to refute it. Book of Mormon came out, a copy of it was taken to New Salem, the place of Mr. Spaulding's former residence and the very place where the Manuscript Found was written. A woman preacher appointed a meeting there and in the meeting read and repeated copious extracts from the Book of Mormon. * 2nd. -- Rev. S. Williams, of this city, says on the second page of his pamphlet entitled "Mormonism Exposed," that "he (Sidney Rigdon,) came to this city, (Pittsburgh) and connected himself with the 1st Regular Baptist Church, on the 28th day of January, 1822. On page 3d Mr. S. Williams says, "he (Rigdon,) propagated the doctrines of Alexander Campbell," this however was after he was excluded from the Baptist Church, not for immoral conduct, but for entertaining doctrines peculiarly different from those of the Regular Baptist Church. The above quoted sayings of the Rev. Mr. Williams, are corroborated by the certificates of Messrs. Carvil Rigdon and Peter Boyer, on a subsequent page of this pamphlet. It will be seen by the following letter, that the production entitled: "Origin of Mormonism," signed "Matilda Davison," is a base forgery of D. Austin, of Monson, Mass., or of Priest Storrs, of Holliston, Mass., or of both. Yet the following letter goes to confirm one statement found in Mrs. Davison's letter, and that is this -- that Mr. P. Hulbert obtained the original "Romance," (written by her former husband, S. Spaulding) in the year 1834, four years after the Book of Mormon appeared in print, and that the romance was in her careful keeping and preservation from the year 1816, six years before S. Rigdon lived in Pittsburgh; proving positively to a _____________ * This woman preacher must have been an impostor (if there was any such woman preacher) for the Mormons have no women preachers among them, "for they do not believe in a female priesthood." demonstration that that base falsehood of Dr. P. Hulbert, and fathered by E. D. Howe, of Painesville was originated on purpose to deceive the public, saying: "Now as Spaulding's book (romance) can no where be found." Therefore I would advise the public to look for the Spaulding romance where it was 'lost,' and that is in the hands of Hulbert or Howe, or some of their agents, and if there is such a 'romance' in the world let it come forth at once and be compared with the Book of Mormon, and if found to compare well, then show that the "romance" has not been altered to suit the purposes of any; -- In short let it come out at once clothed with truth and it will do more to put down Mormonism than all the Ministers of the age, united with the Mobs of Missouri. And be assured gentle reader, that until this is done the Book of Mormon will go forth as sacred and divine as it surely is, and for the purpose too for which it is designed of God, and that is for the effectual moral reformation of the world, or the gathering of the Lord's people Israel. I will here further state that I am personally acquainted with Mr. A. Badlam, of Quincy, Ill., and know him to be a gentleman of respectability, truth and veracity. THE AUTHOR.
[ FROM THE QUINCY WHIG. ] It will be recollected that a few months since an article appeared in several of the papers, purporting to give an account of the origin of the Book of Mormon. How far the writer of that piece has effected his purposes, or what his purposes were, in pursuing the course he has, I shall not attempt to say at this time, but shall call upon every candid man to judge in this matter for himself; I shall content myself by presenting before the public the other side of the question, in the letter which follows. the manuscript and the Book of Mormon agree? Ans. I think some of the names agree. Ques. Are you certain that some of the names agree? Ans. I am not. Ques. Have you ever read any in the Book of Mormon? Ans. I have not. Ques. Was your name attached to that letter which was sent to Mr. John Storrs by your order? Ans. No, I never meant that my name should be there.4th -- The three following extracts of three different authors writing against the Book of Mormon, show that our enemies are not valiant for the truth, though some of them are dubbed with the title of Reverend, and by hap one of them was once the widow of a Rev. who wrote lying "romances" for the righteous purpose of getting money for "profit." And another a printer of Painsville, by the name of E. D. Howe, who has published a bundle of falsehoods entitled "History of Mormonism" for the same purpose. 1st. We give the testimony of Mrs. Matilda Davison as found in her letter: -- "There (Pittsburgh) Mr. Spaulding found a friend and acquaintance in the person of Mr. Patterson, an editor of a Newspaper. He exhibited his manuscript to Mr. Patterson, who was very much pleased with it and borrowed it for perusal; he retained it a long time." "At length the manuscript was returned to its author and soon after we removed to Amity, Washington county, Pa, where Mr. Spaulding deceased in 1816. The manuscript then fell into my hands and was carefully preserved. It has frequently been examined by my daughter, Mrs. McKinstry of Monson, Mass., with whom I now reside, and by other friends." 2nd. Mr. E. D. Howe's statement, as found on the 289 page of his "History of Mormonism," as published in Painsville, Ohio. "Mr. Patterson says he has no recollection of any such manuscript being brought there for publication, neither would he have been likely to have seen it, as the business of printing was conducted wholly by Lambdin at that time. He says however that many manuscript books and pamphlets were brought to the office about that time, which remained upon their shelves for years without being printed or even examined. Now as Spalding's book can nowhere be found or any thing heard of it after being carried to this establishment, there is the strongest presumption that it remained there in seclusion till about the year 1823 or 1824, at which time Sidney Rigdon, located himself in that city. We have been credibly informed that he was on terms of intimacy with Lambdin, being seen frequently in his shop. Rigdon resided in Pittsburgh about three years." Page 290. "We therefore, must hold out Sidney Rigdon to the world as being the original "author and proprietor" of the whole Mormon conspiracy until further light is elicited upon the lost writings of Solomon Spaulding." 3d. The following statement is found on the 16th page of the Rev. S. Williams' Pamphlet published I suppose in the spring of 1842, at Pittsburgh, entitled "Mormonism Exposed:" "The following certificate from Mr. Patterson, in regard to the "Manuscript Found," now the "Mormon Bible," will complete the chain of circumstantial evidence, proving that the manuscript remained in the Office with others, from 1814, until S. Rigdon came to this place, and obtained it from Lambdin. Mr. Patterson firmly believes, also, from what he has heard of the Mormon Bible, that it is the same thing he examined at that time. "R. Patterson had in his employment Silas Engles at the time, a foreman, printer and general superintendent of the printing business. As he (S. E.) was an excellent scholar, as well as a good printer, to him was entrusted the entire concerns of the office. He even decided on the propriety or otherwise, of publishing manuscripts when offered -- as to their morality, scholarship, &c., &c. In this character, he informed R. P. that a gentleman, from the East originally, had put into his hands a manuscript of a singular work, chiefly in the style of our English translation of the Bible, and handed the copy to R. P., who only read a few pages, and finding nothing apparently exceptionable, he (R. P.) said to Engles, he might publish it, if the author furnished the funds or good security. He (the author) failing to comply with the terms, Mr. Engles returned the manuscript, as I supposed at that time, after it had been some weeks in his possession, with other manuscripts in the office. "This communication written and signed April 2, 1842. The following statement of facts in relation to the birth, life, education, and occupation of Sidney Rigdon, Minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, in the Church of the Latter Day Saints, is taken from the family records, as kept by his parents and by the subscribers. He (S. Rigdon) was born on his father's farm, Piny fork of Peter's Creek, St. Clair township. Alleghany county, Pa., on the 19th day of February, A. D. 1793, where he lived till the winter of 1818 and 1819, * and followed farming and received a common English education. In the fall of 1817 he professed religion, † and joined the regular Baptist Church of that place, and in the winter of 1818 and '19 he went to Beaver county, Pa., where he studied divinity with a Baptist Preacher by the name of Clark, and was licensed to preach by the Conoquenessing Church (time not recollected) and went from there to Warren, Ohio, and was ordained a regular Baptist preacher, and returned to Pittsburgh in the winter of 1821 and '22, and took the care of the first Regular Baptist Church, and there continued to preach till the Baptist Association met in Pittsburgh, (precise time not recollected, but we think about the fall of 1824) at which time they brought some charges against him for not being sound in the faith; brought him to trial, but denied him the liberty of speaking in self-defence, and he declared a non-fellowship with them and began to preach Campbellism. And he and they that joined with him got the liberty of the Court House, there they held their meetings, and he and his Brother-in-law Mr. Brooks followed the tanning business till the winter of 1827-_____________ * 1819 is the year that Mrs. McKinstry, the daughter of Mr. S. Spaulding says she read her father's romance for diversion, when she was 12 years old, and her mother who is now Mrs. Matilda Davison, says that Mr. S. Spaulding wrote the romance in 1812. She is particular on this point, it being the year of Hull's surrender. † 1817 being the time of S. Rigdon's professing religion is one year after the death of Mr. Spaulding, as Mrs. Davison says that he died in 1816. "The manuscript then fell into my hands and was carefully preserved, it has frequently been examined by my daughter, Mrs. McKinstry, of Monson, Mass., with whom I now reside and by other friends." Question, when did S. Rigdon, ever see the Spaulding manuscript? I answer never! NO NEVER!!! NEVER!!! '28, when he (S. Rigdon) moved somewhere into the Western Reserve, in the state of Ohio, and there continued to preach till the latter day saints came to that part of the country and he joined them and continues to be an elder in that church (of latter day saints, called Mormons.) In confirmation of the above statements, we hereby subscribe our names. PETER BOYER, We the undersigned do hereby certify that we are personally acquainted with Messrs. Carvil Rigdon and Peter Boyer and do know them to be gentlemen of truth and veracity. Old Regular Baptist Church. THOMAS PHILLIPS, Member of the Old Regular Baptist Church. ISAAC PHILLIPS, THOMAS BLACKMORE, WM. ALLESON. I will here state, for the benefit of our readers at a distance, that the place of the birth and farming occupation of S. Rigdon till 1819, is about twelve miles from this city, Pittsburgh. THE AUTHOR. I hereby certify that I heard Rev. John Rigdon, a member of the church of Disciples, known by the name of Campbellites, sometime in March, A. D. 1840, at his own residence in Fulton Co., Illinois, say in answer to a question propounded to him by Elder John E. Page, as follows, to wit: Question by Mr. Page. -- "Sir, what are your views in relation to Sidney Rigdon having any connection with the origin of the Book of Mormon, as it is reported, that he, Rigdon, had access to the Spaulding manuscript, from which he transcribed or originated the Book of Mormon." Answer by Mr. John Rigdon. -- "I do not believe from my acquaintance with him, (S. Rigdon,) having known him from his infancy till after the publication of said Book of Mormon, as well as one can know another, being on the greatest terms of intimacy at the time said book was printed, and from all the circumstances connected with his life, character and conduct, that Sidney Rigdon had anything whatever to do with it." The above is what he, (J. Rigdon,) said in substance, if not verbatim. SIDNEY A. KNOWLTON.
SIDNEY A. KNOWLTON. Pittsburgh, Mayor's Office, Jan. 24, 1843.Sworn and subscribed before me this day. ALEX HAY, Mayor. If any should be desirous to know the standing and character of Mr. Sidney A. Knowlton, they can refer to the old citizens of Cumminsville and Carthage, Ohio, a short distance from Cincinnati. In Cumminsville, on Mill creek, and in Carthage, are the places where Mr. S. Knowlton acquired much of his wealth, and sustained the character of a gentleman of truth and veracity. He is now located on a plantation of his own, about 20 miles from Nauvoo, on the head waters of Bear Creek, in Hancock Co., Ill., where any one can refer and find his character to be worthy of public confidence, as a man of truth and veracity. Since the above went to press, the following certificate from Messrs. T. Wright, M.D., and John Ludlow, Esq., came to hand, which we insert entire, together with their note in postscript to answer their request, which is a compliment due to those gentlemen, for their favor to Mr. Knowlton, which we shall follow with a few remarks for the public good, hoping that Mssrs. Wright and Ludlow will profit by the same. "CARTHAGE, 4th Feb. 1843. MR. KNOWLTON. -- Dear Sir: --Yours of the 24th ult., requesting me to certify to your character for integrity and truth, while residing in our village, came to hand a few days ago. I return for answer the following, viz: that in no instance did I ever know any thing in your character opposed to truth and integrity. It is five years since you left Carthage, and since that time you have, as I am sorry to understand, espoused the peculiar and dangerous doctrines of the Mormons; but beyond this misfortune or weakness, nothing that I am aware attaches to your behavior as blame worthy. At your request, Mr. Ludlow joins me in testifying to the above. Yours, &c.
T. WRIGHT, T. W. If Messrs. Wright and Ludlow had stated something that they knew to be a fact, as objectionable to the doctrines of the Mormons, as a reason why they are "dangerous," or why they consider it a trait of "weakness" in the character of Mr. Knowlton, for "espousing" it, we would have as freely inserted it in this pamphlet as the above. A wise and faithful court hears the evidence of any matter before they render a verdict. A good and faithful physician will prescribe a remedy for the sick if they know or understand the nature of the disease -- so with a faithful friend or Christian, relative to the Mormons, they will point out the dangers with the necessary proofs attending the assertion that the "doctrines" of the Mormons are "dangerous," so that we may shun the consequent evil by applying a Godly remedy. The fact is, when I can ascertain how the scripture doctrines of the Old and New Testament can be effectually carried out independent of the Book of Mormon, I will renounce Mormonism and join the standard of that people, who will show me that great secret. I have long since learned that the cry of 'danger,' 'delusion,' 'false prophet,' 'heresy,' 'imposture,' 'Joe Smith and the devil,' is no argument to prove that the Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith or his brethren or my humble self to be wrong. Therefore, I will say, To all the inhabitants of the world and dwellers of the earth: The author of this Pamphlet, fearless of fair controversy, feels secure in asserting that the faith of the Latter Day Saints is the only system of religious faith that is now preached among men by which Bible intelligence is reduced to an exact science, so that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments can be understood in their fulness and applied consistently. Therefore, respected reader, you will do well to hear, investigate, and prove the faith, and then judge, and "hold fast that which is good," If the people wish further information, our Elders are now in various parts of the country, and would gladly preach their gospel in its ancient fulness, wherever doors are open, and opportunity presents. All invitations for preaching will be kindly received by them, and attended to as far as possible. We have published a variety of books and pamphlets, which illustrate more clearly, at length, our views and doctrines.
Copy of a Letter from Elder O. Hyde, to George G. Adams, Minister
from personal knowledge I am prepared to say, that Mr. Winchester and Mr. Rigdon have told the truth concerning him, and the character which he sustains. certificate is in due form of law, and that full faith and credit are due his official attestations. The following letter was written by Elder Rigdon on the same subject
I never thought the matter worthy of notice, nor probably ever should, had it not made its appearance in your paper, or some one of equal respectability. And I believe, gentlemen, had you have known the whole history of this budget of lies, it would never have found a place in your paper. But to my history: consistency in the choice of means, namely, lies; but if truth would do it, they would surely not have recourse to lies. statement does not say whether he obtained the manuscript, but still leaves the impression that he did, and that it was compared with the Book of Mormon. Now whoever will read the work got up by said Hulbert entitled "Mormonism Unveiled," will find that he there states that the said manuscript of Spaulding's romance was lost and could no where be found. But the widow is here made to say that it is carefully preserved. Here seems to be some knavery or crooked work; and no wonder, for this said Hulbert is one of the most notorious rascals in the western country. He was first cut off from our society for an attempt at seduction and crime, and secondly he was laid under bonds in Geauga county, Ohio, for threatening to murder Joseph Smith, Jr., after which he laid a deep design of the Spaulding romance imposition, in which he has been backed by evil and designing men in different parts of the country, and sometimes by those who do not wish to do wrong, but who are ignorant on the subject. Now what but falsehood could be expected from such a person? Now if there is such a manuscript in existence, let it come forward at once, and not be kept in the dark. Again, if the public will be patient, they will doubtless find that the piece signed "Matilda Davison" (Spaulding's widow,) is a base fabrication by priest Storrs, of Holliston, Mass., in order to save his craft, after losing the deacon of his church, and several of its most pious and intelligent members, who left his society to embrace what they considered to be truth. At any rate, a judge of literary productions, who can swallow that piece of writing as the production of a woman in private life, can be made to believe that the Book of Mormon is a romance. For the one is as much like a romance as the other is like a woman's composition. CONCLUSIONS FROM WHAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED ABOVE. The facts made to appear by the documents presented in this pamphlet are as follows:1. Rev. Solomon Spaulding wrote a romance in Conneaut, Ashtabula County, Ohio, in the year 1812, and in the same year removed to Pittsburgh, and lodged his romance in the printing office of Messrs. Patterson and Lambdin, for publication. The romance remained in Pittsburgh two years and two years only. 2. In 1814 Mr. Spaulding moved to Amity, Washington county, Pa., there lived TWO YEARS, and died in 1816: and from that time until 1834, the romance was in the hands and safe keeping of Mr. S. Spaulding's widow, (now Mrs. Davison.) In 1834 it was delivered into the hands of one P. Hulbert to get printed, and afterwards, writing to Mrs. Davison and informed her that the romance did NOT read as he (Hulbert) expected, therefore he should not print it. N. B. Let the reader notice in particular that the Book of Mormon first appeared in print in the year 1830. Therefore, inasmuch as the only object of Mr. Hulbert and his accomplices, in visiting Mrs. Davison was to obtain the original romance, and compare it with the Book of Mormon, in order to find the similarity between the two, (if any,) to make it appear if possible, that the Book of Mormon was a new fangle of the "romance" by S. Rigdon. It is rational to conclude, that the Book of Mormon and the said romance must have been put through a very nice and critical research to find their similarity or likeness, but finding none to exist, the only alternative that remained was to say, "Now as Spaulding's book, (romance,) can no where be found after it was carried to Patterson's printing office, and remained there till 1823," &c., when Sidney Rigdon lived in Pittsburgh. Thus a lie has been catered and palmed off on the ignorant and unwary relative to a matter of the first importance, to deceive the public, saying that the romance of Spaulding's was "lost and can no where be found," when in fact it was at that time when the lie was made, in the hands of him that made that base falsehood. The influence of which is the same as that falsehood made by the Jews, saying that "his (Christ's) disciples came and stole him away while we slept." But as many of the Jews at that time loved a lie better than the truth, they gave implicit heed to the falsehood to their swift destruction. So, no doubt, it will be with many of this generation; they will give heed to the Spaulding lie till they, like the Jews will suddenly fall under the just judgments of God, while he proceeds to gather his saints unto Mount Zion, the city of the Most High. 3. Sidney Rigdon did not live in Pittsburgh till 1822, six years after Spaulding's romance was carried from Pittsburgh to Washington county, Pennsylvania. 4. In the years 1812-13-14, the time that Mr. Spaulding's romance was in Pittsburgh, Mr. S. Rigdon was in the 19th, 20th and 21st years of his age, labouring on his father's farm, as a farmer, and still lived there till the year 1819, the 26th year of his age, THREE years after Mr. Spaulding died, and his daughter Mrs. McKinstry used to read her father's romance for diversion, and that too at a distance from Pittsburgh. Thus, gentle reader, your humble servant, the author of this pamphlet, humbly hopes and trusts that the documents presented with the attendant notes and remarks, will clearly and satisfactorily settle the matter in the minds of a candid public, that the Book of Mormon did not originate, as is by many vainly supposed, through the medium of Spaulding's romance and S. Rigdon, when in fact it is a demonstrated truth, as clear as the noonday sun, that Mr. S. Rigdon knew nothing of the Book of Mormon, nor of its origin, till after it appeared in print in the year 1830. However, the story of the Spaulding romance, seemed to be clothed with so much plausibility to those who knew nothing of the facts concerning the matter, that inasmuch, as there is so much reference made to it, both in the city and country, throughout the world as a reason to reject the Book of Mormon as fabulous, that we thought it proper to correct the public mind concerning this matter. The impartial reader who already is aware that all things is not right relative to matters and things called religion, while we see so much jargon and division concerning it, will please investigate what is reproachfully called "Mormonism," and thus acquire a correct understanding of the Latter Day Saints' doctrine and principles, and no doubt you, (as hundreds and thousands elsewhere are doing,) will fall in love with the truth of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and turn your face Zion ward, and gather with the Saints and seek to restore Abraham's seed to the land of "their fathers," that the glory of Zion may appear in the earth; that Jerusalem may become the throne of the Lord, and a people be prepared to receive the Lord Jesus at his coming, "in the clouds with power and great glory," "to reign in Mount Zion and Jerusalem and before his ancients gloriously." |
 Apostle John E. Page (1799-1867) JOHN E. PAGE PAMPHLET The Story of John E. Page John Edward Page (1799-1867) was the eldest son of Ebenezer and Rachel Page, and was born Feb. 25, 1799, in Trenton Township, Oneida county, New York. He was baptized by Emer Harris (brother to Martin Harris) Aug. 18, 1833, near Vermilion, Lorain Co., Ohio and was ordained an elder the following month just south of Vermilion in Florence township, Erie Co. John moved to Kirtland in August 1835, served an eight month mission in Canada during 1836-37, and was ordained an LDS Apostle at Far West on Dec. 19, 1838 and about five months thereafter moved to Hancock Co., Illinois. In April, 1840, he was selected to accompany Orson Hyde on a mission to Jerusalem, but never raised the necessary funds to purchase his overseas ticket. Apostle Page traveled about, preaching in Indiana and Ohio, and was in the area between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh during the winter of 1840-41. Page spent the spring and summer of 1841 in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, having apparently abandoned his Jerusalem mission assignment. That fall Page was called back to Nauvoo, but he did not make the journey until the first part of 1842. On his way he stopped in Pittsburgh to preach during February and while there baptized his local converts Joseph Arny and Richard Savery. Having established a congregation in the "Iron City." Apostle Page drafted a petition to the LDS leaders (which he got the local Mormons and some of their friends to sign), requesting that he might be assigned to do further missionary work in Pittsburgh. At the conference held at Nauvoo in April, 1842, this request was granted and Page was sent back to Pittsburgh. He subsequently formally organized a branch of the LDS Church in that city. John E. Page, the Editor and Publisher: 1842-44 As an Apostle working out of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Page presided over the Saints in Pennsylvania and adjacent regions between 1841 and 1844. Although the Church in that area apparently did not yet possess its own printing press, Page still managed to publish a considerable amount of Latter Day Saint material. Beginning in June 1843, first in Pittsburgh and later in Philadelphia, he edited and published an obscure Mormon newspaper The Gospel Light, the functional successor to Elder Benjamin Winchester's more widely known Gospel Reflector. In 1844 Page replaced The Gospel Light with the larger format People's Organ, a paper which only lasted four issues. During the second half of 1843, while at Pittsburgh, Page published the important Mormon pamphlet, The Spaulding Story Concerning the Origin of the Book of Mormon. Although Benjamin Winchester' s Origin of the Spaulding Story was likely still in print in both its American edition and its British version, Page chose to ignore most of the contents of that booklet, compiling his own text mostly from scratch. His avoidance of Winchester's text is partly explained by the fact that, in 1843, Winchester was even more out of favor with the top Mormon leadership than was Page. Also, Page had his own squabbles with Winchester in Pittsburgh and was probably not inclined to favor his ecclesiastical rival with much of a citation in the new anti-Spalding claims pamphlet. In fact, Page mentions Winchester only twice, in passing, in the 1843 publication. His elimination of the Winchester account had the effect of removing from the Mormon readership the fact that D. P. Hurlbut first encountered some minimal portion of the Spalding authorship claims while serving his LDS mission in Winchester's home county of Erie, Pennsylvania. It is possible that John E. Page was pleased to excise this potentially troubling reference and thereby be able to credit Hurlbut with the whole "Spalding story" from beginning to end (see pp. 5, 10, & 14 of the 1843 pamphlet). For more on Page's interaction with critical non-Mormons and the Spalding claims, (see Page and the Anti-Mormons -- below). In the summer of 1843, the LDS Twelve Apostles were sent to the East on various missions; Heber C. Kimball and Orson Pratt met with John E. Page at Cincinnati on June 23 and there reorganized the LDS Cincinnati branch. Shortly after this Page annulled the reorganization and incurred the ire of his superior in the Twelve, Brigham Young. In early July President Young, accompanied by Wilford Woodruff and Geo. A. Smith visited Cincinnati and reversed Page's action ("History of John E. Page" Millennial Star Vol. XXVII (1865) pp. 103-104). After a brief stay in Pittsburgh, Page apparently turned over leadership of the LDS branch to Elder William Small (who also soon left the area and became the President of the St. Louis branch a few months later) and traveled through the eastern states until he reached Washington, D. C. There Page remained until April 1844, when he moved back to Pittsburgh (John Quist, "John E Page: An Apostle of Uncertainty," Journal of Mormon History XII (1985) pp. 53-68). Page returned to Nauvoo at the end of 1844 and there received his LDS endowment on January 26 1845. John E. Page was disfellowshipped by the Council of Twelve under Brigham Young, in Nauvoo on Jan. 9, 1846 and was formally excommunicated from the Church on June 26, 1846. He subsequently joined with James J. Strang at Voree, Wisconsin and remained in Strang's group until 1848. While residing at Voree Page authored three interesting pamphlets: his 1847 Treastise on Circumcision, his 1847 Treatise on the Spiritual Covenant, and his 1847 The Priesthood. After a long disassociation from Mormonism, Page ordained Granville Hedrick as "Apostle and President of the High Priesthood" in May 1863. Subsequently he assisted the Hedrickites (later known as the Church of Christ: Temple Lot) gain possession of the land in Independence, Missouri that Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon had dedicated for a millennial LDS temple. In later years he "dwindled into obscurity and died near Sycamore, De Kalb county, Ill., in the fall of 1867" (Millennial Star, XXVII, p. 103.) Some of Page's last published writings were some fractious letters published in the RLDS Saints' Herald during the 1860s. Page and the Anti-Mormons: 1841-43 Late in April 1841 Apostle John E. Page visited the Cincinnati suburb of Carthage and his activities there were recorded by Disciple of Christ editor, Walter Scott: Carthage has had another visit from the Mormons. The fact that we touched their idol the Golden Bible, has excited the highest indignation of these deluded men. At a previous meeting it was announced that the speaker named Page would, on Wednesday evening, address the audience relative to certain papers on Mormonism published in the Evangelist. Wednesday evening came, and there was a full house. In the beginning of his speech Mr. Page observed, "If Mormonism be false how comes it to pass that so many of the Disciples, Reformers, or Christians, as they sometimes call themselves, embrace it?" He had baptized many of them, and Rigdon himself had been a Reformer. To this it was replied that the question touched in the Evangelist did not relate to conversion, but to the Book of Mormon... (Evangelist of the True Gospel IX:5 May 1, 1841). Although he spent the spring of 1841 in and around Cincinnati, Page was also preaching in the Pittsburgh region during the same general period and Editor Scott found space in his newspaper to discuss his activity there as well: Some two weeks ago...[there was] an announcement in our city papers that a Mormon was to preach in the Bethel meeting-house... He professed to be an apostle called of God, and the Book of Mormon, to be divine. To prove the divinity of the book he assured us that a prophecy, and the description of certain cities in South America were accurately laid down, and that recent discoveries made by Stevens and Catherwood in 1840 confirmed the sayings of the book... After a few nights lecturing... [efforts were] made to bring about a contest, without success, until after repeated challenges to discuss the authenticity of the Book of Mormon, had been made by the Mormon, our bro. Church accepted the challenge. The Mormon, whose name is John E. Page, would not meet him unless brother Church would discuss the Abrahamic covenant, the literal gathering of the Jews, and determine what had become of the house of Joseph first. Brother Church held to the challenge as accepted... In a letter written to James T. Cobb, dated Nov. 12, 1878, long-times Pittsburgh resident and Baptist minister, the Rev. Samuel Williams, stated: "About in 32 or 3 John E. Page came to P'gh... and raised some excitement... But only remained about two years... About this time I delivered four lectures on Mormonism to crowded houses and the substance of these lectures were published. In regard to his reply to my pamphlet I do not believe 300 copies were ever printed..." In another letter written to James T. Cobb, dated Nov. 12, 1878, Williams added the following information: "... without much thought gave you that date, 1832, but 1842 and not `32 is the correct date... I was opposing John E. Page and I know he flourished in Pittsburgh in 1841-2..." The lecture material mentioned by Rev. Williams was published in Pittsburgh in May of 1842 under the title Mormonism Exposed. Page's own pamphlet was not just a reply to Rev. Williams, but to all advocates of the Solomon Spalding authorship claims for the Book of Mormon. That booklet appeared late in 1843 under the title The Spaulding Story... An advertisement for the tract may be found in the second issue Page's Gospel Light newspaper. John E. Page's series of articles written in Pennsylvania in defense of Mormonism began with his May 28, 1842 letter to the Pittsburgh Morning Chronicle. Page did not specifically address the Solomon Spalding authorship claims until he published an article in the Chronicle on July 2, 1842. The Apostle continued his attack on the Spalding claims with three more articles, published in the same paper on July 4th, July 8th, and July 12th. The last two of these articles merely reproduced pp. 5-8 and pp. 11-12 of Elder Benjamin Winchester's Origin of the Spaulding Story. It must have occurred to Page, during the summer of 1842, that Winchester's 1840 pamphlet was an inadequate defense against local charges saying that Sidney Rigdon had once obtained a Spalding manuscript in Pittsburgh and later turned that story into the Book of Mormon. By mid-1843 Page had completed his own anti-Spalding pamphlet, drawing new material from G. J. Adams' 1841 brochure, Plain Facts shewing the origin of the Spaulding Story and from his own investigations in and around Pittsburgh. In a letter dated Sept. 13, 1876, RLDS Elder William Small recalled: "While I was living in Pittsburgh in 1841, at the time so much was said of the Book of Mormon, and in connection with the Solomon Spaulding Story. It was stated that the Spaulding manuscript was placed in Mr. Patterson's hands for publication, and that Sidney Rigdon was connected with him at the time. In connection with John E. Page I called upon General [sic] Patterson, the publisher..." Although John E. Page reportedly interviewed the Rev. Robert Patterson, Sr. prior to publishing his 1843 attack on the Spalding claims, the Apostle makes no use of any facts obtained from that interview in his pamphlet. Rather, he prints statements taken from local Mormons Carvil Rigdon (Sidney's brother) and Peter Boyer (Sidney's brother-in-law) dated Jan. 27, 1843. Elder Small dates Page's unpublished interview with Patterson to about the year 1841, but the Page-Patterson encounter more than likely occurred not too long after the publication of Rev. Samuel Williams' Mormonism Exposed at Pittsburgh in May of 1842. The Pittsburgh newspapers cheerfully reprinted the 1842 John C. Bennett exposure of Joseph Smith and the Mormon leadership, beginning with a notice published in that city on July 9, 1842. The growing scandal at Nauvoo almost certainly shook the confidence, if not the faith, of the wayward LDS Apostle. In a letter he addressed to Smith at Nauvoo and dated Aug. 8, 1842, from Pittsburgh, John E. Page said that Bennett's exposure had "done much to injure the cause of the Kingdom here. The people are anxiously looking for the fall and effectual downfall of 'Mormonism; through a Judas of a Bennett." Page had responded to Smith's own letter of July 16, 1842, in which the Mormon prophet mentioned rather casually: "You no doubt have heard of Gen'l. Bennett's conduct we think he cannot do much." In later years a more jaded John E. Page would slip briefly into and out of latter day polygamy, but in mid-1842 the news of Joseph Smith's involvement in such unsavory marital practices must have come as an unhappy surprise to the previously over-vocal Mormon leader in Pittsburgh. And, if the news surprised Page, it angered and disgusted the local newspaper editors in Page's mission field. Although they continued to cover the story unfolding at Nauvoo, most of the Pittsburgh editors quickly grew wary of giving their own city's Mormons any undue publicity. It was not until Sept. 17, 1842 that John E. Page made any recorded attempt to respond in the popular press to Bennett's allegations regarding Joseph Smith, polygamy, etc. Then he stated, somewhat ambiguously, "I say I must and will receive Mr. Joseph Smith jr. as a good man, and a prophet, until he is fairly, reasonably and rationally proved to be otherwise.... I must say he is a Prophet. If he should ever be found guilty of crime, I shall do by him as I do by David and Solomon of old; I shall disdain the act of crime as much in the character of Joseph Smith as in David and Solomon, and yet as readily retain the word of the Lord, given through Mr. Smith, as through David and Solomon, as long as they appear to be clothed with the same Divine authority, by the participation of the promises, and the fulfilment of prophecy." Apostle Page's true feelings about Joseph Smith's newly exposed secret polygamy may be revealed in his raising Smith to the same level as kings David and Solomon (both notorious for polygamous relationships) and then excusing him (Smith) of his ostensible sexual sins in the same way that orthodox religionists had long since excused David and Solomon. Page's use of this extraordinary analogy indicates that he probably knew of Smith's polygamy by this date --or, at least had heard such strong rumors to that effect that he could not in good faith ignore such public accusations out of hand. One of Page's last known letters published in the Pittsburgh press saw light on Sept. 26, 1842. There he says: "we would be... very happy, indeed, to see any respectable character come to our places of worship, and treat us respectfully, and redeem us from our errors, if error we believe..." On Dec. 8, 1842, in his correspondent's swan song, Page added these final words: "Why did you wield your pen unprovoked against the much abused and afflicted Mormons? Answer -- Upon the same principle that a Messiah was crucified, a Stephen stoned, a James slain, a Paul beheaded, a Rogers burned, a Columbus neglected, ridiculed & envied, a Newton counted mad and a Fulton laughed to scorn. In short, it is because you know not what it is. With that final outburst the fire seems to have gone out of John E. Page for several months. The eccentric Apostle was, however, back in Pittsburgh not many months later, venting his vitriol against the Protestants in the pages of his own Gospel Light and Rigdon's anticipated public refutation speech never came, for he almost immediately turned around and went back to Nauvoo -- to try and claim leadership of the Mormon Church following the assassination of Joseph Smith. When Rigdon reappeared in Pittsburgh a few weeks later, Apostle Page made the decision to continue his fellowship with Orson Hyde, Brigham Young, and others of "The Twelve" who had recently ejected Rigdon from the Church. It is perhaps ironic that Page (who had so vigorously defended Rigdon's "character" in his pamphlet and newspaper at Pittsburgh), made his final "anti-Mormon" assault upon his own latter day mentor, in being quoted by the Pittsburgh Gazette on Oct. 11, 1844 with these words: "Elder Page of this city, one of the "high travelling council of twelve," has issued his manifesto, warning all Mormons, and all who wish to become Mormons, against Sidney Rigdon, who it seems has been expelled from the company of the "Saints." |
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