|
[ 5 ]
CHAPTER I.
Mormonism -- Its Early History
_______________
My Childhood Faith
I first heard the Mormons or Latter Day Saints preach in the City of London, Canada, when but a child. My parents joined the church, I was baptized and from that hour became an earnest worker in the Sunday school and church, I was sincere, though very ignorant, having never mastered the multiplication tables in school, and Could read and write with difficulty, but -studied hard and was soon ushered into the Priesthood of the church, being ordained a Priest in 1882, Elder in 1884, Seventy in 1886, Apostle in 1897, a High Priest in 1897, in 1902 I was ordained Counselor to the Prophet Joseph Smith, thus holding the highest honor ever conferred on any man in the church under the prophet. I tendered my resignation from this position in 1907, but the Prophet declined to accept it and I remained in that position until 1909, when the Prophet said the Lord revealed to him that I should be released from that office, showing clearly, that it was because of my continued petitions for release and saying in so many words "He has been earnest and faithful in service and his reward is sure." D. C. 129, 1.
The conference accepted this commendation as from the lips of tile Lord, whereupon the Prophet stated that the Lord had shown him that I should be ordained a Bishop, the Presiding Bishop stated that he had seen me in a blaze of glory acting as Bishop of the church. I believed all this and was the same hour ordained a Bishop and placed in charge of the work in Canada.
I have been careful to make the above statements for two reasons: First, to show that I was in earnest and that the people so regarded me, and that I have been honored with seven different ordinations, going from the lower to the higher rungs of the ladder of Priesthood, an honor that no other man living in Mormonism ever enjoyed, if it is an honor; and second, to show that in all those years I was considered by them, fit for such positions, and if there is any faith left in them concerning their prophet and his revelations, this fact must be admitted by them and thus is disproved the maliciousness and cruelty of their base slanders against me, both from the pulpit and the press, since I left their church and denounced their corruption and superstition, as a fraud.
Receiving Mormonism in my childish ignorance, I followed on with a zeal that was admired by them all, every prominence possible was accorded me and my faith was such for many years that I sacrificed everything in life at the shrine of that monstrous deception, when books and papers were placed in my hands against the church, I was so completely grounded in the faith that while I read, it was only to fit myself to fight
6 MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY .
anything that was presented against it, so the years drifted away, I preaching in most every province of the Dominion of Canada, many parts of the United States, and the leading cities of the British Isles.
My First Doubt
The time came in the mercy of God, that evidence was presented to me that gave my faith a shock, it is not the first drop of water that drowns a person, nor the first straw that breaks the camel's back, but drop by drop, the water came upon me, until I found myself overwhelmed by the waves of truth and the last straw broke down my last effort of resistance, and I became convinced that the man Joseph Smith, whom I almost worshipped as God's prophet, seer, revelator, translator, mouthpiece and chief representative on earth, was an adulterer, liar, impostor, deceiver, false prophet and polygamist. This conclusion arrived at, my faith in his revelations found in the Book of Mormon, the Book of Abraham, the Doctrine and Covenants was shaken, and I began to investigate, until I found all to be a delusion and a snare, his inspired translation of the sacred scriptures I found to be a mess of infidelity, largely borrowed from the criticisms made upon the sacred book by such men as Thomas Pain and others who have wasted talent in finding fault with the Bible, the fruits of Joseph Smith's deception is found in the intrigue, deception and false revelations of the reorganization, and in the concubinage and polygamy of Brigamism, Strangeisms, and other branches of the Mormon church which is a withering blight to the morality of the world, to say nothing of the ethical teaching of pure Christianity.
Joseph Smith was born of superstitious, lazy, shiftless parents, if here is any credence to be placed on human testimony, were I to submit he sworn affidavits of their neighbors as printed in many books, they were just such parents as would produce such a rascal as the combined history of the times and his own works represent him to have been.
Born in 1805, he professed to have been converted in his fifteenth year and when offering his first vocal prayer, under a tree, he tells us that God came from heaven, introduced Christ to him and that Christ told him, "Not to join any church, for the churches were all wrong. The reeds all an abomination and the professors were all corrupt, they who professed to worship in those churches were drawing near God with their lips, while their hearts were far from Him." Ch. His. Vol. 1, page 10.
In a word, Joseph's information from Christ was to the effect that lie world of Christianity was a conglomerated mass of deception and hypocrisy from the priest and parson in the pulpit, to the mother, who in the dimming twilight and evening shadows, called her children to her side to teach them "Gentle Jesus meek and mild," was one huge system of hypocrisy.
His own history shows that this vision did not make any moral change in his life, for while his neighbors charge him with most every sin, he is frank to confess that lie "displayed the corruption of human nature which led him into divers temptations to the gratification of many appetites." Ch. His. Vol. 1, page 12.
MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY 7
History of The Book of Mormon.
We are asked to believe that, notwithstanding all this, God sent an angel to him, and repeated his visit three times in one night, and that under instructions of this angel he went to a hill and dug up a "Golden Bible" (for that was the name they gave the book of Mormon), with it the Urim and Thummim, to interpret it with, and some other things. This Golden Bible, or Book of Mormon, is the foundation of the Mormon church. Smith said it was "the keystone of our religion." This book claims to be a history of two distinct peoples who lived upon the continent of America, the Jaredites and Nephites, it covers a period of about twenty-six centuries, the Jaredites came from the Tower of Babel, the Nephites from Jerusalem, the first people became a mighty people and finally fought among themselves until they were destroyed all but one man who was found by the other folk. The second colony became very numerous and they fought till their prophets bid their records (made on gold or brass plates) in a Hill in the State of New York, then this prophet tells us, all the good people are killed and he is alone and he buries the plates and the angel delivers them to Joseph Smith in 1827.
Joseph Smith and his people have contradicted themselves and each other as to the finding and translating this golden Bible, that it is safe to say that no two writers agree regarding the matter. We could, fill a volume but will content ourselves by pointing a few of the hundreds of contradictions regarding the book.
We are requested to believe that God raised up these people to write on those metallic plates, beginning long before Abraham was born, and that the plates were made and filled with their history and they traveled from the Plains of Shinar over the ocean and all over America with their plates, then the other colony found them. The second colony start out with Nephi killing Laban stealing a bundle of metallic plates that gave the history of the world as contained in the five books of Moses and of the books of the prophets down to Jeremiah, this young fellow Nephi kills Laban, steals the plates, steals Laban's clothes, steals his great sword and his breast-plate and makes a prisoner of Laban's servant, then escapes out of Jerusalem and joins his parents and brethren and they through the wilderness and not only drag along with all these brass plates, but in the wilderness they make more plates and engrave upon them their history.
Thus the book of Mormon starts out with lying, deception, robbery, murder and slavery, and the fellow who did all this was but lad, from time to time for many hundreds of years they travel on until they become great nations and fill America with people, they make plates galore until we have tons of plates and finally one named Moroni makes an abridgment of all these plates, and hides them up and then his boy Moroni has a few plates and he writes seventy-seven pages on plates and hides them up in 420 A. D. in a hill in New York State, and in about fifteen hundred years after, he makes the acquaintance of Joseph Smith and shows him the
8 MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY
plates and breast plate of Laban, and the Urim and Thummim and Joseph gets to work to translate them for the salvation of the world, and calls it THE BOOK OF MORMON.
Now let us read the conflicting testimonies concerning the manner of the translation of the plates:
"The Book of Mormon tells us that the interpreters, or Urim and Thummim, were prepared by God for the purpose of translating the book. They are described as being two stones in silver bows and these stones fastened to a breast-plate was the Urim and Thummim. See Book of Mormon, page 29, and Ch. His. Vol.. 1, page, 13. Others describe them as a large pair of spects. The Book of Mormon shows that Jared had them 2230 B. C., then we are told Moses and Aaron had them 1606 B.C., Lehi had them 600 B.C., Moroni had them 420 A. D. and Abraham had them to study the stars. So states the Book of Mormon, and the Book of Abraham, Mill. Star, Vol. 6."
Now while Joseph claims he received these wonderful spectacles for the express purpose of translating the language found on the plates into the English of the Book of Mormon, yet many of his own people show that he had a peep stone which he used in place of the Urim and Thummim. Thus God prepared these stones and preserved them for thousands of years to translate the plates with, and Joseph found a better way.
"Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into his 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 would appear the writing, One character at a time would appear and under it was the interpretation in English. Joseph would read off the English to Oliver-when it was written down and repeated to Joseph to see if it was correct, when it would disappear and another character would appear, thus t Book of Mormon was translated by the power of God." Whitmer address, p.30.
"After the translation of the Book of Mormon was finished early in the spring of 1830 Joseph gave the stone to Oliver and told me, as well as others, that he was through with it, and he did not use the stone any more." Whitmer address, p. 32.
"Martin Harris said: "That the Prophet possessed a seer stone which 'he was able to translate with as well as from the Urim and Thummim, and for convenience he then used the seer stone,-by the aid of the seer stone sentences would appear arid were read by the prophet and written by Martin Harris, and when finished he would say "Written" and if correctly written that sentence would disappear and another appear in its place, but if not correctly written it remained until corrected, so that the translation was just as it was engraven on the plates, precisely in the language then used 'Myth' of Manuscript Found, p. 91."
Emma Smith testifies: "In writing for your father, I frequently wrote day after day, often sitting at the table close by him, he sitting with his face buried in his hat with the stone in it, and dictating hour after hour with nothing between us-he had neither manuscript or book to read
MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY 9
from - the plates often lay on the table without any attempt at concealment, wrapped in a small linen table cloth which I had given him to fold them in." Tulledge, p. 793.
Joseph and others claim that when he had finished the translation he gave the plates and the Urim and Thummin to the angel who kindly called for them, but this story is contradicted by himself when he claimed to have them in 1835 to translate the Book of Abraham with, see his mother's history, p. 149, Tulledge, p. 30, Mill Star, Vol. 3, p. 49. Now, let us expose all these contradicting and silly falsehoods.
Affidavit of Willard Chase.
"In the year of 1822, I was engaged in digging a well, I employed Alvin and Joseph Smith to assist me, after digging about twenty feet below the surface of the earth we discovered a singularly appearing stone. I brought it to the top of the well, and as we examined it, Joseph put it in his hat and then hid his face in his hat-the next morning he came to me and wished to obtain the stone he said he could see things through it. I told him I did not wish to part with it, but would lend it to him. He had the stone for about two years. He published that he could see things through it. I ordered him to return it and he did so, but some time after Hyrum came and borrowed it and promised to return it. In 1827, after Joseph had obtained the plates he told me that if it had not been for that stone (which he acknowledged belonged to me) he would not have obtained the plates. In April, 1830, I asked Hyrum for the stone, he told me I could not have it as Joseph used it to translate his Bible with. Harris and. him abused me and I never received the stone." Sworn before, Fred Smith, J. P., Dec. 11th, 1833, Origin of Book of Mormons, by Shook, p. 22-28.
Affidavit of Isaac Hale, Father-in-law of Smith.
"I first became acquainted with Joseph Smith in Nov., 1825, he was at that time in the employ of some men who were called money diggers, and his occupation was of seeing or pretending to see by means of a stone, placed in his hat over his face, in this way he pretended to discover minerals and hidden treasures. Smith and his father and some other men, all money diggers, boarded at my house. Smith gave the diggers much
encouragement but they left and never paid their board bill -- while I was absent from home Smith ran off with my daughter Emma and married her. Smith stated to me that he had given up what he called glass looking and was now willing to work hard for a living. I took Emma and Joseph in to board with us. While there, he started to translate the plates -- the manner in which he pretended to read and interpret was done the same as when he looked for the money diggers with the stone in his hat and his hat over his face, while the book of plates were at the same time hid in the woods." Affirmed before me, March 20th, 1834, C. Dimon, J. P., Ibid, p. 31-32.
10 MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY
Affidavit of William Stafford.
"I became acquainted with Joseph Smith and his family in the year 1820. They lived in Palmyra about one mile and a half from my house A great part of their time was devoted to digging for money, I have heard them tell marvelous tales respecting the discovery of money for instance, that at such a place on a certain man's farm there was deposited kegs, barrels and hogsheads of coined silver and gold, bars of gold and golden images, kettles filled with gold and silver, gold candle sticks and swords. Joseph said he could see by placing a stone of singular appearance in his hat in such a manner as to exclude all the light at which time be pretended that he could see things within and under the earth. Joseph came to me one night, told me that his son Joseph bad been looking in his glass, and had seen not many rods from his home, two or three kegs of gold and silver, some feet under the surface of the earth, and that none other than Joseph Sr. and myself could get them. We dug and Joseph went to the house to enquire the cause of our disappointment. He returned and said that Joseph had remained all the time in the house looking it the stone and watching the movements of the evil spirits -- that he saw the spirits come up to the ring that we had dug, and they caused the money to sink - he said that we had made a mistake and that was the reason that the spirits were permitted to sink the money so we could not get it." Given under oath before Judge Th. P. Baldwin, Dec., 1833, Ibid. 28-31.
Affidavit of Z. H. Gurley.
We have learned that Joseph Smith secured the Peep Stone, found in the Chase well, with which he went about claiming to find gold and silver by looking through the stone placed in his hat, and with the stone he claims to have discovered the plates, as stated by Chase, and that by the Stone he claims to have translated the Gold plates of the Book of Mormon, and to show you that looking for hidden treasure did not stop when the Book of Mormon was published, it is clearly announced in the church papers and elsewhere that Smith led a party to Salem, Mass., in the year 1836 (long after the church was organized), to hunt for hidden treasures. They failed, but nothing daunted, Joseph had a revelation promising that "all the gold and silver under Salem would be found by them." For full history of this deception read Mill Star, Vol. 51, p. 822; Z. H. Gurley Tract, p. 3.
And to show that the-reorganization is hypocritical in writing history, be it known that the same revelation that came through Julia Gurley stating that young Joseph was the legal successor to his father as president of the church, also directed her father and others to dig for lead ore in Wisconsin. "In the name of God it is here." But it was not there. Then they were commanded to dig "three feet to the north." They failed. Then the word of the Lord came again, "dig fifteen feet to the north." Many of their revelations were on finding lead in Wisconsin, all failed, yet the reorganization published part of these false revelations
MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY 11
that had ruined the Gurley and Newkirk and other families, just because along with the digging, came the statement. that Joseph was to lead the church. They knew when they published the part concerning Joseph, that the other part was not from God, but contained the old spirit of Mormonism, looking for gold and silver until Joseph found the Plates of Gold and made the Book of Mormon out of them.
Apostle Gurley shows clearly how his father was deceived by Joseph Smith and reorganized Mormonism, and while he became an Apostle and one of the most prominent men in the reorganized church, he with his brother and sisters and mother all left the reorganized church it the time that President Jason W. Briggs left and denounced it, with other leading men. Herald, Vol. 1, p. 23. See Apostle Z. H. Gurley Tract, Hist., of Reor. Ch. pp. 1-4.
Now all this twaddle is so foolish that many will be slow to believe it, but, dear reader, it is admitted by the leading people of the Smith church that he had that stone and that he not only used it to translate the book of Mormon with, but that before he was twenty years of age, he hired out to Mr. Stoal to hunt for gold and silver mines, and that Stoal came many miles for him, having heard his marvelous fame abroad. See Hist. of Joseph by his mother, p. 96-97, published by the Reorganized church.
Joseph called the Urim and Thummin a key, just as Mr. Stoal called it and his mother says Joseph kept the Urim and Thummin about his person by which he could in a moment tell whether the plates were in danger-he looked in the Urim and Thummim and saw the plates were safe. Ibid. 107-110.
Now this was not the only stone that was doing wonders. I quote this silly rot from their own books. Hyrum Page, a brother of an Apostle, got a stone through which he received revelations, many of the leading men of the church believed in this stone of Page, including Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer and the Whitmer family, so Joseph had a revelation regarding this Page stone and his revelations, and God told him they were all of the devil and so the Whitmers were reconverted to Joseph's stone, for proof read Reorganized ch. hist., Vol. 1, pages 111-119
Just think, this same Cowdery and Whitmer are the chaps who tell us they saw the breast plate, the Urim and Thummin and plates, and an angel came from heaven and showed them and God spoke from heaven commanding them to bear testimony of the divine translation of the plates. See their testimony on the fly-leaf of every book of Mormon. Yet the Page stone could deceive them and they were led by the devilish revelations that came through it, these men we will see were strong witnesses for Joseph. Then it just seems that the devil with his seer stones were hot after Joseph and his seer stone, a girl by the name Chase got a green stone or glass, and she would direct the mob to where Joseph had the plates secreted, and time after time Joseph just got there in time to save the plates. See Mother Smith's Hist., p. 115.
12 MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY
The Gold Plates
Now we desire to call the reader's attention to another foolish yarn. We are requested to believe that God inspired the Prophets and seers for thousands of years to write these plates so that the people of this generation could be saved by "the words of the Book" and while he had protected them by mighty miracles all along the lapse of centuries and at last had kept them "hid up" from 420 A. D. till 1827, then he sends an angel for Joseph to translate them by use of Urim and Thummim. Yet, listen to Joseph, his mother and others tell how Joseph had the time of his life to keep them, this is one of the stories of Mormonism that beats the Arabian Knights to a frazzle.
The angel is reported to have said to Joseph, "While the plates were in my hands they were safe, but now I give them to you, beware how you took after them." After Joseph took- them from the stone box, in the side of a hill,- he had much trouble to keep them. He first cut the bark off a log, took his knife and cut the center of the tree out, placed the great breast plate, spectacles and plates therein and turned back the bark to cover it over with brush. Then he took them and hid them in a chest. Then he hid them under- his bed so he could feel them through the night, then he buried them under the fire place, then he hid them in a cooper shop, then he hid them in a red morocco box. Once he was traveling with them and had them stowed away in a barrel of beans, then the Lord lent him a hand at another time he was making a trip, and he just handed them to an angel. The day was hot and they saw a poor old fellow tramping along and they offered him a ride, this tramp turned out to be the angel Moroni, who at the end of the hot day's tramp, handed over the plates to Joseph. See Mother Smith's history, pp. 110-149.
Query, why could not the Lord have taken care of these plates a little ' longer, and save Joseph all this fighting with the devil's seer stones, that were bound to destroy them, but there is one time that the devil beat both Joseph and his helpers. Just think, God had preserved these plates so that their contents would come forth in this generation, but the Devil fooled them badly in that. After God had inspired Joseph to translate 116 pages (this was a large part of the book), and God had inspired Martin Harris to write the translation, the devil put it in the heart of Harris to ask Joseph for the 116 pages and he gave them to him. Mrs. Harris knew that her husband was being duped out of his money (for it was he that put up the money to get the fraud published) and she took the sacred 116 pages (preserved by the Almighty for a thousand centuries) and BURNED THEM, and they never were able to secure the sacred truths revealed but like the druggist, God gave Joseph a "Just as Good," and so the Lord gave Harris a good setting out and then he was accepted and permitted to spend his money to print the book.
It is said that Joseph, just a lad, got the plates and when taking them home, he ran three miles, knocked down three men who tried to get the plates, knocked his thumb out of joint, and he made this run of three miles, whipped these three men, while he had a big breast plate that Mrs. Smith said was worth more than five hundred dollars, all the gold plates
MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY 13
and the sacred Urim and Thummim and the sword of Laban under his arm. He could carry hundreds of pounds of gold plates and breast plates and all the other stuff. To believe that is to believe some story. Mother Smith's history, p. 111. Can you beat it?
One writer speaking of the size and weight of the plates, to say nothing of the breast plate, says "It would require 2,000 pages of foolscap to contain it, one page of plates to one page of foolscap-that would be a pile of plates over four feet high, if we reduce it by half it would be a pile over two feet high. If gold it would weigh seven hundred and fifty pounds, if brass about two hundred and fifty pounds. Joseph and others say they were of gold, the book itself says in many places, brass, but just think from 750 to 250 pounds weight, to have a fellow hit you with a gun and then you knock him and two others down and run three miles with all this under your arm, surely Mormonism is a marvelous work and a wonder.
Translation Perfect.
We call the reader's attention to another point regarding the Book of Mormon that will bury it by its own weight. The preface of the book says "The interpretation of the book is by the gift of God." If God inspired Smith to interpret the book by the sacred instruments provided by the Almighty, as stated several times over in the book, then there can be no mistakes in the book. The testimony of the three witnesses, found in the front of every Book of Mormon, says, speaking of the translation of the plates, "And we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for His voice hath declared it unto us." Here again it is shown that God inspired the interpretation.
We have already shown by the testimony of David Whitmer, Martin Harris, Emma Smith and others, that Joseph Smith would put the God appointed interpreters into his hat, close out all light, save the divine effulgence, and there the words would appear by a miracle, and if the writer made any mistake, God was there to correct it by refusing to take the words from the stone till the correction was made. There were no difficulties as to the human work, the translation appeared on the Urim and Thummim, or the Seer stone, or parchment, sentence by sentence and as soon as one was correctly transcribed the next would appear, and so every word was given by the direct power of the Almighty, and for one to say "if there are mistakes, they are the mistakes of men" is simply to deny the divine authenticity of the translation. God was the translator directly and to deny that is to deny every claim made by the book itself. This being true, what shall we say when it is admitted by the leaders of every faction of the Mormon church, that there are several thousand mistakes in the book, and that the translation given to the world in 1830 was corrected in thousands of places in the next edition in 1837, and so the corrections continued until one writer points out two thousand changes in the Book and when later corrections are counted up, there is found to be many thousands more.
14 MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY
From the statements made by God, the Angel, Smith, Cowdery, Harris, Whitmer and others, if true, God gave every part of the translation. If that be true, then there should be no mistakes in spelling, grammar, punctuation. If such mistakes appear by the thousands, then we are requested to believe that God was responsible for the mistakes, for we are repeatedly informed by Smith and the others that every word was placed on the seer stone by inspiration. The everlasting argument made in favor of the Book of Mormon as against the Bible is that the Bible has been translated by uninspired men and they have taken out much that God inspired the prophets and apostles to put in and that these wicked sons of an apostate church have put in many things that the Lord did not inspire the true servants to write. Mormon literature is full of that kind of talk. If then, God gave every sentence, every word by a direct revelation on the seer stone, we remark His work would he perfect, but when we turn to the Book of Mormon and find thousands of mistakes in spelling, punctuation-and grammar, we are-forced to the conclusion that God is not the author of this literary monstrosity, and therefore we must look to Smith, Rigdon or some one else upon whom must be placed the blame.
In this short paper we will content ourselves with representing a few points of interest regarding punctuations, spelling, grammar and ask the reader for an honest verdict as to whether the Book of Mormon is the product of Divinity or the miserable production of Impostor Joseph Smith and his confederates in a monstrous deception.
Maj. J. H. Gilbert, who printed the first edition of the Book of Mormon, makes the following statement: "There was not a punctuation mark of any kind from beginning to end of manuscript, sentences were not commenced with capitals. We were not allowed to correct any grammatical errors." This gentleman lived to be a very old man and all through life he bore this same testimony. I quote his statement from a letter written by him under date of Feb. 27, 1884, B. K. Debate, p. 392.
He further states in the same letter:
"If Mr. Whitmer claims that he has the manuscript that I used in setting up the Mormon Bible, and that it is punctuated, and the sentences begin with capitals, I say it has been altered since it left my hands, or that he has not got the original."
We may perhaps clear the way here by stating that the church history shows that Oliver Cowdery wrote a second copy of the manuscript and perhaps the one copy has punctuations and capitals, but not the original, and we may easily see why the printer was not permitted to make any changes, as the claim then and now is, that the whole Book was the direct production of Divine inspiration. It was written by miracle, preserved by miracle, revealed to Smith by miracle, translated by miracle. Smith or Cowdery's mental peculiarities and style could not appear in the Book of Mormon, they had no more to do with the words, style, truth, literary characters of the Book of Mormon than a speaking trumpet or phonograph have with what man utters through them., The only opportunity there is for a human error in the
MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY 15
Book of Mormon, is in typographical errors, but there can be none of these for it was proof read by inspired men, and those men testify that the voice of God declared to them that the translation was accomplished by the power of God and that the work is true, with these matters fairly presented it now devolves upon the reader to decide that all important question, is the Book of Mormon of divine authenticity?" The new covenant "given by the direct inspiration of God for the salvation of a ruined world." Or is it the production of Joseph Smith and his comrades in deception and blasphemy?
In this short paper I shall not attempt to record the many thousand of changes that have been made since the first edition was published, but direct the reader's attention to such works as that published by a brilliant. scholar, once a member of the Mormon church, by the name of Lamoni Call, of Bountiful, Utah. His work is entitled "Two Thousand Changes in the Book of Mormon." The reader will notice his name "Lamoni," and the name of the city he resides in "Bountiful," are both names taken from the Book of Mormon, so this scholar ought to know what he is writing about. That Mr. Call has not misrepresented the facts I call your attention to the report of a committee selected by the Reorganized church to examine and compare the many different editions of the Book of Mormon with the Manuscript of the book, then in the possession of one of the three witnesses, David Whitmer. This committee was presided over by Joseph Smith, president of the Reorganized church and son of the founder of the church. Their report is recorded in the Herald for Aug. 23rd, 1884. The report practically admits all that Mr. Call and others have said as to incorrect spelling and horrible grammar and thousands of changes, they publish a great number of instances and add, "The alterations are too numerous to publish in detail.." Yet they do publish a great many hundreds of them and occupy ten columns over nine feet of solid matter in their published report. Did God make these mistakes or are they the blunders of Joseph Smith and his confederates in deception?
Many Parts Taken From The Bible and Other Books
A careful examination of the Book of Mormon will reveal to the Bible student that there are thirty-eight pages in the Book of Mormon that is found in the Bible, whole sentences of Paul's writings, six hundred years before Paul wrote a word, whole chapters of the Old Testament are quoted and complete sentences from the New Testament giving the exact language hundreds of years before the one who uttered it lived. One writer states that "by actual count the plagiarisms from the New Testament of paragraphs, phrases and sentences are over 500, the quotations of phrases amount to hundreds. There are over ten in each page of Rigdon's sermon against Infant Baptism, pages 330-341. Whole chapters are quoted, Isaiah 11, 14, 21, 48, 50, 52, 54; Malachi 3; Matthew 5, 6, 7; 2 Corinthians 13. Braden Kelley debate, page 153.
Not only have they stolen the religious portion of the Book of Mormon from the Bible, but they have quoted the great English poet, Shakespeare,
16 MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY
as also from Pope's Essays on Man, The Westminster Confession of Faith, and other leading authors of the last few hundred years, thus showing beyond a doubt that the fraud was written by someone living in these latter times and not by the hands of prophets and seers residing in America hundreds and thousands of years ago, some of them, before the time of Abraham.
Before leaving this part of the examination I wish to say that Joseph Smith claimed that God had inspired him to translate the Bible, both the old and new testament. He did so, and has made thousands of corrections, taking out hundreds of verses and placing in hundreds. In this way he has given us a new Bible by inspiration, they claim to believe in the Bible as held by all Christians. This is a false position for the bible given them by Joseph Smith is published and used by the Mormons in this city. I have one in my possession and have traveled with some of their apostles that have no other Bible but the Smith one.
Speaking on the corruption of the Christian churches, the revelation of Smith, found in the Book of Mormon says: "For behold they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious and also many covenants of the Lord have been taken away, and all this have they done that they might pervert the way of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men." This hypocrisy in his revelations in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, in which he is commanded to translate the scriptures. See Book of Mormon, I Nephi, 3, 40; D. C. 42, 15, 6, 12, 90, 12.
Now the folly of it all is that while Smith condemns the King James translation of the Bible, and corrects thousands of its mistakes in his new Bible, when we take up the Book of Mormon (printed before his new bible), the same mistranslations of King James' translation are found by the dozens, in the Book of Mormon. Question, if as stated by the Mormon church, "the whore of the Whole earth, the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches combined" have changed the Bible in order to deceive the people, why did God, when giving the Book of Mormon word by word to Joseph Smith, stand in with the "whore of all the earth" in presenting their mistakes to Joseph Smith as found in King James' translation of the Bible? Can we ask for greater proof to show that God had nothing to do with the Book of Mormon, but that Joseph Smith and his confederates in the deception, knew no other Bible to quote from than the King James and they quoted that as the words of God, and then Joseph and Rigdon, a few years later, forgot the trap they had set for themselves and professed to correct and translate by inspiration the Bible, and in their attempt to expose the Christian Bible they destroyed the faith of many of their followers in the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon.
Notwithstanding all these blunders, we are told by the Reorganized church authorities "No book ever came before the race of mankind with such an august message as the Book of Mormon." Saints Herald, Nov. 6th, 1918. To this agrees the great Apostle Pratt. "The Book of Mormon
MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY 17
claims to be a divinely inspired record-it professes to be revealed to the present generation for the salvation of all who will receive it, and for the overthrow and damnation of all nations who reject it - the nature of the message in the Book of Mormon is such that if true, no one can possibly be saved and reject it." Divinity of Book of Mormon, p. 1.
Early History of America.
There is one other claim made for the Book of Mormon, one that has deceived thousands of people, which I wish to expose before I show the real true history of the Book of Mormon. It is this: That the Book of Mormon gave to the world the first account or history of the early settlers of America, that the fact that America was once a civilized part of the world, and that the inhabitants built large cities and all that was unknown till revealed by God in the great revelation known as the Book of Mormon. This delusion has been circulated by their books and preachers all over the country, and it is false. That I once believed that and taught it and sent my sermons out by the thousands is quite true, but thank God, the darkness and superstition is fled away and I am disillusionized, but to the proofs.
"The fact is that there were a considerable number of works on science and travel and adventure published in the English language before 1830 which contained descriptions of the ruined cities of Mexico, Central America and Peru-the following are the names of a number of works in the English language before 1830, describing the antiquities of Central America and Mexico. They are either quoted from or referred to in the writings of Bancroft, Prescott and other later writers:-
"Conquest of Mexico, De Solis, London, 1735; History of America, Herrera, London, 1740; History of America, Robertson, London, 1777; Origin of the Tribes and Nations of America, Barton, Philadelphia, 1797 Account of the Settlement of Honduras, Henderson, London, 1812; Re; searches, Humboldt, London, 1814; Researches in America, McColoch, Baltimore, 1817; Spanish America, Bonneycastle, London, 1818; Travels in North America, Bingley, London, 1821; Description of an Ancient City, Del Rio, London, 1822; Six Months' Residence in Mexico, Pollock, London, 1823; History of Guatemala, Juarros, London, 1824; History on Mexico, Mill, London, 1824; Notes of Mexico, Poinsett, London, 1825; Mexico Illustrated, Beaufoy, London, 1828; Mexico in 1827, Ward, 1828.
"We might continue the list but will be content to say the American Antiquarian Society was organized in Worcester, Mass., 1812, and the American continent was well known then. 'North American Indians' was published in London by the celebrated Adair in 1775 and such men as Hunter, Barton, Colden, Loskiel, Stoddard and Charlevoix, wrote more or less extensively on the subject of antiquities and Indian life before 1830." Cumorah Revisited Shook, pp. 133-134.
The celebrated Josiah Priest wrote a work entitled "The wonders of Nature and Providence." It was copyrighted by him June 2, 1824, in
18 MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY
the office of R. R. Lansing, clerk of the district of northern New York and printed in Rochester, N. Y. in 1824. Will the reader remember that the Book of Mormon was copyrighted by Joseph Smith in the same office by the same R. R. Lansing, June 10th, 1829, and printed in Palmyra, N. Y. just twenty miles from Rochester in 1830.
This book of Josiah Priest quotes from many of the authors I have named above, and it is beyond all question that the writers of the Book of Mormon had opportunity to study many of these books and hence the positions taken in the Book of Mormon agree with many of those books. For instance, it has been known from the conquest of Mexico by Cortez, that there were three civilizations in Mexico; it has been known since the conquest of Peru by Pizarro that there had been three or more civilizations there; Baron Humboldt visited America and described the Ruins of Central America in his book published in both England and America in 1806. But why take time and space to prove further that the, claim as made by Mormons that the Book of Mormon gave the first real history of these things, is a monstrous falsehood. We leave this part believing that none but those who are prejudiced by their priestcraft and superstitions will attempt to refuse the position I have taken.
The Spaulding Story, or Manuscript Found
I shall be as brief as possible in giving the real origin of the Book of Mormon. The reader can read the complete story from the Encyclopedias and history of the times, but I shall content myself in giving a brief outline of the matter which will show beyond doubt that the claim made for the Book of Mormon is fraudulent.
Solomon Spaulding was born in 1761, preached for a time and leaving the ministry he became an infidel, kept tavern for a time and when his health failed, he started to write a novel on the early inhabitants of America. He was a great reader and had studied many of the works that I have had occasion to make reference to in this paper.
He wrote one entitled the "Manuscript Story." Later he wrote others, one of which was called "Manuscript Found." This first work called the "Manuscript Story," was set aside and in time was discovered and was loaned to Hulbert, who gave it to Howe to prepare for publication to prove it was the foundation for the Book of Mormon. They soon discovered that it was not the right one. This manuscript became lost with a host of other papers of the office, in time the office and contents changed hands and many years after was discovered, the Mormons heard that it had been located and rushed for it, and obtained a copy and printed it to show that it was not the original of the Book of Mormon. This they think they have done, but the cat is out of the bag when we discover that there were two or more manuscripts written by Spaulding, the one they run down as the Manuscript Story, and the one that was the real foundation of the Book of Mormon was "The Manuscript Found." They have confused these two stories till the superficial reader has them as one and the same manuscript. I know that, for I both believed it and preached it myself, My writings prove that, but when I was made to
MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY 19
understand that the Manuscript Found was the real foundation of the Book of Mormon, I could see how easily people could be mistaken in taking the "Manuscript Story" for the "Manuscript Found." Knowing this, the Mormons have made the most of it to their eternal discredit.
The clear statements made by Spaulding, his wife, his daughter, his partner in business and many others who knew him well and read the Manuscript Found are in evidence, that he wrote the Manuscript, placed it in the printing office for publication, he died in 1816 and that Sydney Rigdon, who was in turn a farmer, preacher for the Baptists, Disciples and Mormons, was well acquainted with a printer who either loaned him the "Manuscript Found" or gave him opportunity to steal it. That Rigdon had the Manuscript and spent much of his time in reading it and intended "to make a great thing out of it some day," is proved by his wife and several preachers with whom he conversed. That he made secret visits to Joseph Smith during the time Smith was arranging to spring his Book of Mormon on the world is a well attested fact. That he let P. P. Pratt into the secret, and had Pratt go to the Mormons and profess conversion, and then come to Rigdon and profess to present to him the Book of Mormon for the first time, and that Rigdon in a few days was baptized and knew from God the Book of Mormon was true, is all too well known to need reiteration here. I will content myself by presenting for the reader the testimony of those who knew, and if there is any credence to. be given to human testimony, then it is well sustained that the book of Mormon is a fraud stolen from the Spaulding Manuscript Found, and that Rigdon and Smith placed the religious part of it, stealing that from the King James translation of the Bible, which book they afterwards assailed With all the infidelity within them by setting it aside for their own translation of the Bible.
I will now present to you the sworn statement of Solomon Spaulding's wife, his brother, his sister-in-law, his partner in business and a number of other neighbors who heard him read the Manuscript Found, and the reader will note that this combination of evidence is as good a description of the Book of Mormon as any Mormon could give today: Braden and Kelly debate, pages 35-42.
Mr. Spaulding's brother John: -- "It was a historical romance of the first settlers of America, and endeavored to show that the American Indians are the descendants of the Jews, or the Ten Lost Tribes. It gave a detailed account of their journey from Jerusalem, by land and sea until they arrived in America under the command of Lehi and Nephi. They afterwards had quarrels and contentions and separated into two distinct nations, one of which he denominated Nephites, the other Lamanites. Cruel and bloody wars ensued, in which great multitudes were slain. They buried their dead in large heaps which caused the mounds, so common in this country. Their arts, sciences and civilization were all brought into view, in order to account for all the curious antiquities found in various parts of Northern and Southern America. I well remember that he wrote in the old style, and commenced almost every sentence with, "And it came to pass," or "Now it came to pass."
20 MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY
Solomon Spaulding's Sister-in-law: -- "I was at the house of Solomon Spaulding shortly before he left Conneaut. He was then writing a historical novel founded on the first settlers of America. He presented them as an enlightened and war-like people. He had for many years contended that the aborigines of America were the descendants of some of the Lost Tribes of Israel; and this idea he carried out in the book in question. The lapse of time which has intervened prevents my recollecting but a few of the leading incidents of his writings, but the names Lehi and Nephi are yet fresh in my memory, as being the principal heroes of his tale. They were officers of the company which first came off from Jerusalem. He gave a particular account of their journey by land and by sea, till they arrived in America, after which disputes arose between the chiefs which caused them to separate into bands, one of which was called Lamanites, the other Nephites. Between these there were recounted tremendous battles which frequently covered the ground with slain and these being buried in large heaps was the cause of the many mounds in the country. Some of these people he represents as being very large."
Henry Lake, Solomon Spaulding's business partner, testifies: -- "Solomon Spaulding frequently read to me from a manuscript which he was writing, which he entitled the "Manuscript Found," and which he represented as being found in this town. I spent many hours in hearing him read said writings and became well acquainted with their contents. The Book represented the American Indians, as being the descendants of the Lost Tribes of Israel, and gave an account of their having left Jerusalem and of their contentions and wars which were many and great. I -remember telling Mr. Spaulding that so frequent use of the words "And it came to pass," "Now it came to pass" rendered the book ridiculous."
Aaron Wright testifies: -- "One day when I was at the home of Solomon Spaulding he showed and read to me a history be was writing of the Lost Tribes of Israel, purporting that they were the first settlers of America and that the Indians were their descendants. He traced their journey-from Jerusalem to America. He told me his object was to account for the fortifications, etc., that were to be found in this country and said that in time it would be fully believed by all except learned men and historians."
Oliver Smith testifies: -- "Solomon Spaulding boarded at my house six months. All his leisure hours were occupied in writing a historical novel, founded upon the first settlers of this country. He said he intended to trace their journey from Jerusalem by land and sea till their arrival in America, and give an account of their arts, sciences, civilization, laws and contentions. In this way he would give a satisfactory account of all of the old mounds so common in this country. Nephi and Lehi were, by him, represented as the leading characters, when they first started for America. Their main object was to escape the judgments which they supposed were coming on the old world."
MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY 21
Nahum Howard testifies: -- "In conversation with Solomon Spaulding I expressed my surprise that we had no account of the people once in this country, who erected the old forts, mounds, etc. He told me he was writing a history of that people."
Artemus Cunningham testifies: -- "Solomon Spaulding described to me his book. He said it was a fabulous or romantic history of the first inhabitants of this country and it purported to be a record found buried in the earth or in a cave. He had adopted the ancient scriptural style of writing. He then read from his manuscript. I remember the name of Nephi, who appeared to be the principal hero of the story. The frequent repetition of the phrase "I, Nephi" I remember as though it were yesterday. He attempted to account for the numerous antiquities which are found upon the continent."
John N. Miller testifies: -- "I perused Spaulding's manuscript as I had leisure, more particularly the one he called his "Manuscript Found." It purported to be a history of the first settlers of America. He brought them off from Jerusalem, under their leaders, detailing their travels by land and sea."
Mrs. Spaulding testifies: -- "Mr. Spaulding conceived the idea of writing a history of the long lost race that produced these antiquities. Their extreme antiquity led him to write in the most ancient style, and as the Old Testament was the oldest book in the world, he imitated its style, as much as possible. As he progressed in his narrative, the neighbors would come in from time to time to hear Portions read, and a great interest in the book was excited among them, It claimed to have been written by one of the lost nations and to have been recovered from the earth. The neighbors would often ask how Mr. Spaulding progressed in deciphering the manuscript, and when he had a sufficient portion prepared be 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 easily be recognized by them."
Mr. Spaulding's daughter: -- "My father read the manuscript I had seen him writing to the neighbors and to a clergyman, a friend of his who came to visit him. Some of the names he mentioned while reading to the people, I have never forgotten. They are as fresh in my memory as though I had-heard them but yesterday. They are Mormon, Moroni, Lamanite and Nephi, etc."
Joseph Miller testifies: -- "Mr. Spaulding seemed to take great delight in reading from his manuscript written on foolscap. I heard him read most if not all of it, and had frequent conversations with him about it. Some time ago I heard most of the Book of Mormon read. On hearing read the account of the battle between the Amlicites (Book of Alma, Chapter 11) in which the soldiers of one army placed a red mark on their foreheads to distinguish them from their enemies. It seemed to reproduce in my mind not only the narrative but the very words as they had been imprinted on my mind by reading Spaulding's manuscript."
22 MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY
Ruddick McKee testifies: -- "I was a boarder at Spaulding's tavern in Amity, Pa., in the fall of 1814. I recollect quite well Mr. Spaulding spending much time in writing on sheets of paper torn from an old book, what purported to be a veritable history of the nations or tribes that inhabited Canaan. He called it "Lost Manuscript" or some such name. I was struck with the minuteness of its details and apparent sincerity and truthfulness of the author. I have an indistinct recollection of the passage referred to by Mr. Miller, about the Amlicites making a cross with red paint in their foreheads to distinguish them from their enemies in the confusion of battle."
Mr. Abner Jackson testifies: -- "Spaulding frequently read his MS. to the neighbors and commented on it as be progressed. He wrote it in Bible style, "And it came to pass" occurred so often that some called him "Old come to pass." The names Mormon, Moroni, Nephi, Nephite, Laman, Lamanite, etc., were in it. The closing scene was at Cumorah where all the righteous were slain."
Rev. John Winter, M. D., testifies: -- "In 1822-3 Rigdon took out of his desk in his study a large manuscript stating that it was a Bible romance purporting to be a history of the American Indians. That it was written by one Spaulding, a Presbyterian preacher whose health had failed and who had taken it to the printers to see if it would pay to publish it. And that he (Rigdon) had borrowed it from the printer as a curiosity."
James Jeffries testifies: -- "Forty years ago I was in business in St. Louis. The Mormons then had their temple in Nauvoo, Ill. I had business transactions with them. I knew Sydney Rigdon, he acted as general manager of the business of the Mormons (with me). Rigdon told me several times, in his conversation with me, that there was in the printing office with which he was connected in Ohio, a manuscript of the Rev. Spaulding, tracing the origin of the Indians from the lost tribes of Israel. This manuscript was in the office several years. He was familiar with it. Spaulding wanted it published but had not the means to pay for printing. He (Rigdon) and Joseph Smith used to look over the manuscript and read it on Sundays. Rigdon said Smith took the manuscript and said, "I'll print it," and went off to Palmyra, N. Y."
From the above testimonies we think we have proven that Solomon Spaulding's Manuscript Found was the real foundation of the Book of Mormon. They have beyond doubt shown that the features found in the Book of Mormon and the Manuscript Found, both as to plot, names of the leading actors, and names of places are absolutely the same. We now present briefly, the following features found in the Book of Mormon and the Manuscript Found, being in complete harmony, as stated in those two books and nowhere else as follows:-
"(1) The plot of the Manuscript Found as witnesses describe it was just what Mormons give when describing the Book of Mormon. (2) It purported to be a veritable history of the aborigines of America. So does the Book of Mormon. (3) It attempted to account for the antiquities of America by giving an account of their construction. So does
MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY 23
the Book of Mormon. (4) It assumed that Israelites were the aborigines of America and ancestors of the Indians. So does the Book of Mormon, (5) It said the Israelites left Jerusalem, so does the Book of Mormon. (6) They left to escape divine judgments about to fall on their people. So does the Book of Mormon. (7) That they journeyed through and from Southern Asia, by land and sea, so does the Book 'of Mormon. (8) Their leaders were Nephi and Lehi, so does the Book of Mormon. (9) One Laban was murdered to obtain records. So declares the Book of Mormon. (10) They quarreled and divided into two nations, called Nephites and Lamanites. So says the Book of Mormon. (11) There were terrible wars between the two nations and the parties into which they divided with awful slaughter. So declares the Book of Mormon. (12) They buried their dead after these slaughters in great heaps, that caused the mounds. So declares the Book of Mormon. (13) In two. instances the end of these wars was the total annihilation of all but one who escaped to make record of the final catastrophe. So declares the Book of Mormon. (14) These sole survivors finished the record of the people and buried it. So declares the Book of Mormon. (15) The Manuscript Found gave an historical account of the civilization, laws, customs, arts and sciences of those people. So does the Book of Mormon. (16) One party of these people were the ancestors of our American Indians. So declares the Book of Mormon. (17) The names Nephi, Lehi, Laban, Lamon, Nephite, Lamanite, Mormon, Moroni, Amlicite, Zarahemla, etc. were in the Manuscript Found, so they are in the Book of Mormon. (18) The use and characteristics of these names in the Manuscript Found were precisely the same as in the Book of Mormon. (19) The Manuscript Found was written in scriptural style -- that is, the style of King James' Version. So is the Book of Mormon. (20) "Now it came to pass" Occurred too frequently as to render the language ridiculous. Such is true of the Book of Mormon. (21) This ridiculous peculiarity got for the author of the Manuscript Found, the nickname of "Old Came to Pass." The Book of Mormon is just such a book. (22) The original from which the story was translated was taken from the earth. The same is claimed by the Book of Mormon. (23) One party of emigrants landed near the Isthmus of Panama and migrated across the continent in a northeastern direction. So declares the Book of Mormon. (24) The land near the Isthmus was called the land of Zarahemla. So declares the Book of Mormon. (25) In a battle between the Amlicites and Lamanites, one party marked their foreheads with a red cross to distinguish them from their enemies. So declares the Book of Mormon. (26) The destruction of the nation exterminated took place near a hill called Cumorah. So declares the Book of Mormon. (27) The Manuscript Found could have been used as a fraud, an imitation of the Bible, a pretended revelation. The Book of Mormon is just such a fraud. Now then, the reader must do one of the two things, believe that Solomon Spaulding, during a period of from fourteen to twenty-two years before the Book of Mormon appeared, by a miracle wrote a romance that contained these twenty-seven great features of the Book of Mormon -- features that no
24 MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY
other book except the Manuscript Found and the Book of Mormon ever contained in common, or that Rigdon or someone else stole the manuscript of the Manuscript Found and remodeled it into the Book of Mormon." Deb. B. K.
As a closing thought to this brief history of Mormonism, I wish to bring the four first great and prominent men of Mormonism before you in the light of their own statements regarding each other.
Joseph Smith professed that he has seen God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, face to face, also talked to such Angels as John the Baptist, Peter, James, John, Nephi, Moroni, and others. That, as a result of his conversation with those sacred beings, he denounced all Christianity as the "whore of the whole earth, the Mother of abominations, the church of the Devil," and was inspired to organize the only true church upon the face of the whole earth, bring forth the Book of Mormon which contains the fullness of the gospel for the salvation of the world and translate the Old and New testament, so as to expose the corruption of the Bible as adopted by the churches.
Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris, testify to the truth of all the above claims made by Joseph Smith, and tell us that the voice of God bade them bear witness to the world regarding all this, and that angels appeared to them from time to time in support of it all.
It would require a book to publish all the statements made by these men affirming the above positions, so I will give the reader the opportunity to consult the different books in which these statements are made, I affirm I have the books, all accepted by the church. Book of Mormon, Church History, Vol. 1, Inspired Translation of the Bible by Joseph Smith and Doctrine and Covenants, Revelations of Smith.
Witnesses Leave the Church.
Now it so happens that the three witnesses above named all parted with Smith denounced him as about everything that was bad and left the church in a few years after they had organized it.
Oliver Cowdery says Smith held over him a mysterious power and deceived him-that he tried to destroy his reputation and his life-that he was a false prophet -- that he made a tool of him -- that the voice of the angel who claimed to be John the Baptist, was strikingly similar with the voice of Sidney Rigdon (this is a mild way of letting the cat out of the bag, that the angel John the Baptist who conferred the Priesthood upon him and Smith, was none other than Rigdon) -- that this Rigdon influenced Smith into the formation of a secret band to commit murder.
Cowdery testifies that the Lord revealed himself in person to him and commanded him to leave the church and to denounce the wickedness of Smith, he declared that he can prove that Smith had a band organized to inflict death upon apostates and that he fled to save his life.
This statement was published by Oliver Cowdery in Norton, Ohio, in 1839. See the True Origin of Polygamy by Shook, pp. 49-54.
MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY 25
David Whitmer testifies, left the church in a few years, denied that -- "The church was organized April 6th, 1830 -- agrees with Cowdery that the secret band of murderers was organized in 1838. He says he left the church in 1838, and all of the eight witnesses of the Book of Mormon, who were living, left the church with their families (save the Smiths). The church went deeper and deeper into wickedness. Joseph had a revelation telling Cowdery and others to go to Toronto, Canada, and they would sell the copyright of the Book of Mormon. They went, but could not get a buyer. That proved to them and others that Smith was false -- says "I have as much evidence to believe that Brother Joseph received the revelation on polygamy and gave it to the church as I have to believe that such a man as George Washington ever lived." He clearly shows that the leaders of the Reorganization admitted it and that they are now lying out of it and in this they are playing the hypocrite. See Origin of Polygamy, p. 41 by Shook, Whitmer's address, p. 26-38.
Martin Harris, the last of the three witnesses, left the church and denounced it in both America and England. This is sometimes denied but the history of the church proves it beyond doubt. Ibid. p. 44.
Now what has Joseph Smith and the church authorities to say of these three witnesses that they wish us to believe talked with God and conversed with angels. They tell us that Whitmer was so highly favored of God that three angels were sent to spread plaster of Paris on his land, so that he could go with his team of horses and give Joseph Smith a ride. This story is published by the Reorganized church, see Mother Smith's history, pp. 144-145.
Just as soon as these three men discovered they had been fooled by Smith, they denounced him and then all that the pen and tongue of hatred and slander could write or articulate was not vile enough to circulate about these men, in proof of which I submit the following: --
Joseph Smith: -- "About this time there were several persons living in Far West, who were cut off the church, these characters were studiously engaged in circulating false and slanderous reports against the saints to 'stir up our enemies to drive us from our homes, and enjoy the spoils together. They are as follows: Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and others." Joseph Smith in Times and Seasons, Vol. 1, p. 80.
Hyrum Smith, Joseph's brother states that: -- "While I was away from home persons came to my home, ransacked it, carried off money and other valuables, among those who treated me thus I cannot help making particular mention of Lyman Cowdery, who in connection with his brother Oliver Cowdery, took from me a great many things and to cap the climax of his iniquity he compelled my father (by threatening to bring a mob upon him), to deed over to him or his brother Oliver, 160 acres of land, to pay a note which he said I had given to Oliver for $165 - the note was a forgery. Ibid., Vol. 1, p. 22-23.
Rigdon and 84 others swear that Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer were guilty of theft and counterfeiting, and says they were blacklegs of the deepest dye." Ibid. Vol. 1, pages 82-84.
26 MORMONISM -- ITS EARLY HISTORY
There is a report published by the authority of the United States government, and presented in the district court before judge King, in which 84 leading Mormons state that Oliver Cowdery is charged with stealing, lying, perjury, counterfeiting, and being leader of a gang of blacklegs, congressional document 189, A. D. 1841.
Joseph, writing to the press regarding Whitmer, says: -- "Poor Phelps, who professes to be much of a prophet, has no other dumb beast to ride but David Whitmer, or to forbid his madness when he goes up to curse Israel, but this ass (not being of the same kind as Balaam's), therefore notwithstanding the Angel appeared unto him, yet he cannot sufficiently penetrate his understanding but that he (Whitmer) brays out cursings instead of blessings, poor ass, who ever lives will see him and his rider perish like those who perish in the gainsaying of Noah." B. K. D. p. 173.
Joseph wrote of the third witness: -- "Martin Harris is so far beneath contempt that a notice of him would be too great a sacrifice for a gentleman to make. The church exerted some restraint upon him, but now he has given loose to all kinds of abominations-lying, cheating, swindling with all kinds of debauchery." Elders Journal, Aug. 1838, p. 49, B. K. D., p. 173.
We could write a book of many pages were we inclined to make report of all the evidence these four leaders have published against each other. We think the above is sufficient to prove beyond a doubt, that their testimony is from such a source that God will never condemn any person for refusing to accept it. If Smith tells a hundredth part of the truth about the three witnesses they were three scoundrels, and as such we should not be expected that such characters would be the comrades of angels and blessed with personal conversations with God and Christ, therefore we are justified in refusing to believe their testimony.
On the other hand, if they tell one hundredth part of the truth about Smith, he was a false prophet, a murderer in his heart, a liar of the deepest dye, and the author of the infamous revelation on polygamy and concubinage, and that he not only taught and practiced these abominations, but that as a result of his life of shame he has prostituted hundreds of thousands of his followers, who have lived in these unhallowed conditions a whole life time and went down to death despised by all who love God and clean respectable conduct.
In this short treatise, I have endeavored to give you the result of my studies and trust that the reader may be benefitted by the efforts I have made to bring the facts to the public.
|
