1. 1853 October, pp. 225–29—The Parentage and More Private Life of Joe Smith

2. 1853 December, pp. 269–74—Alleged Discovery of the Book of Mormon

3. 1853 December, pp. 269–74—Advance of the Sect up to the Death of Smith

Welsh Calvinist Methodist Record, October 1853, pp. 225–29

Mormonism

the parentage and more private life of joe smith.

As the abettors of “the last and lowest religious imposture are displaying renewed activity in various parts of Wales, we will lay before our readers in this and two or three succeeding numbers a few facts respecting the false prophet and his sect. Those in the present number will include that portion of the life of Joseph Smith which preceded the discovery of The Book of Mormon.

Joseph Smith was born in the town of Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont, one of the United States, on the 23rd December, 1805. When ten years old, his parents, with their family, moved to Palmyra, New York, in the vicinity of which he resided for about eleven years, the latter part in the town of Manchester. His father was a farmer by occupation, a man of idle and drunken habits, and given to the practice of swindling his neighbours by pretending to extraordinary powers. Mr. Peter Ingersoll, a man of good character, stated in 1833 that he “was a neighbour of Smith from 1822 to 1830. The general employment of the family was digging for money. Smith, senior, once asked me to go with him to see whether a mineral rod would work in my hand, saying he was confident it would. As my oxen were eating, and being myself at leisure, I went with him. When we arrived near the place where he thought there was money, he cut a small witch-hazel, and gave me direction how to hold it. He then went off some rods, telling me to say to the rod—’work to the money’—which I did in an audible voice. He rebuked me for speaking it loud, saying it must be spoke in a whisper. While the old man was standing off some rods, throwing himself into various shapes, I told him the rod did not work. He seemed much surprised, and said he thought he saw it move. It was now time for me to return to my labour. On my return I picked up a small stone, and was carelessly tossing it from one hand to the other. Said he, (looking very earnestly,)—’what are you going to do with that stone?’—’Throw it at the birds,’ I replied. ‘Now,’ says he, ‘if you only knew the value there is back of my house!’ and pointing to a place near. ‘There,’ said he, ‘is one chest of gold and another of silver.’ He then put the stone which I had given him into his hat, and, stooping forward, he bowed and made sundry motions, quite similar to those of a stool pigeon. At length he took down his hat, and being much exhausted, said in a faint voice,—’if you knew what I have seen, you would believe.’ His son, Alvin, went through the same performance, which was equally disgusting. Another time the said Joseph, senior, told me that the best time for digging money was in the heat of summer, when the heat of the sun caused the chests of money to rise near the top of the ground. ‘You notice,’ said he, ‘the large stones are in the top of the ground. We call them rocks, and they truly appear so, but they are, in fact, most of them chests of money raised by the heat of the sun!’”

William Stafford stated, under oath, that he “first became acquainted with Joseph, senior, and his family in 1820. They lived in Palmyra, about one mile and a half from my residence. A great part of their time was devoted to digging for money, especially in the night-time, when they said the money could be most easily obtained. I have heard them tell marvellous tales of the discoveries they had made in their money-digging. They would say, for instance, that in such a place, on such a hill, on a certain man’s farm, there were deposited kegs, barrels, and hogsheads of coined silver and gold, bars of gold, golden images, brass kettles filled with gold and silver, golden candlesticks, etc. They would say, also, that nearly all the hills in this part of New York were thrown up by human hands, and in them were large caves which Joseph, junior, (the prophet,) could see by placing a stone of singular appearance in his hat in such a manner as to exclude all light; at which time they pretended he could see all things within and under the earth; that he could see within the caves large gold bars and silver plates; that he could also discover the spirits in whose charge these treasures were, clothed in ancient dress. At certain times these treasures could be obtained very easily; at others, the obtaining of them was very difficult. The facility of obtaining them depended in a great measure on the state of the moon. New moon and Good Friday, I believe, were regarded as the most favourable time for obtaining these treasures.

“Joseph Smith, senior, came to me one night, and told me that Joseph, jun., had been looking in his glass, and had seen, not many rods from his house, two or three kegs of gold and silver, some feet under the surface of the earth; and that none others but the elder Joseph and myself could get them. I consented to go, and early in the evening repaired to the place of deposit. Joseph, sen., first made a circle twelve or fourteen feet in diameter. This circle, said he, contains the treasure. He then stuck in the ground a row of witch-hazel sticks around the circle, for the purpose of keeping off the evil spirits. Within this circle he made another, of about eight or ten feet in diameter. He walked around three times on the circumference of this circle, muttering to himself something which I could not understand. He next stuck a steel rod in the centre of the circles, and then enjoined profound silence upon us, lest we should arouse the evil spirit who had charge of these treasures. After we had dug a trench about five feet in depth around the rod, the old man, by signs and motions, asked leave of absence, and went to the house to inquire of young Joseph the cause of our disappointment. He soon returned, and said that Joseph had remained all this time in the house, looking in the stone, and watching the motions of the evil spirit; and that he saw the spirit come up to the ring, and as soon as it beheld the cone which we had formed around the rod, it caused the money to sink. We then went into the house, and the old man observed that we made a mistake in the commencement of the operation. If it had not been for that, said he, we should have got the money.

“At another time they devised a scheme by which they might satiate their hunger with the mutton of one of my sheep. They had seen in my flock of sheep a large, fat, black wether. Old Joseph and one of the boys came to me one day, and said that Joseph, jun., had discovered some very remarkable and valuable treasures, which could be procured only in one way. That way was as follows:—that a black sheep should be taken to the ground where the treasures were concealed; that, after cutting its throat, it should be led around a circle while bleeding. This being done, the wrath of the evil spirit would be appeased; the treasures could then be obtained, and my share of them was to be fourfold. To gratify my curiosity, I let them have a large fat sheep. They afterward informed me that the sheep was killed pursuant to commandment; but as there was some mistake in the process, it did not have the desired effect. This, I believe, is the only time they ever made money-digging a profitable business. They, however, had around them constantly a worthless gang, whose employment was to dig money at night, and who at day-times had more to do with mutton than money. When they found that the people of this vicinity would no longer put faith in their schemes for digging money, they then pretended to find a gold Bible, of which they said the book of Mormon was only an introduction.”

Barton Stafford said, that “Joseph Smith, senior, was a noted drunkard, and most of the family followed his example, and Joseph, jun., especially, who was very much addicted to intemperance. In short, not one of the family had the least claims to respectability. Even since he professed to be inspired of the Lord to translate the book of Mormon, he one day, while at work in my father’s field, got quite drunk on a composition of cider, molasses, and water. Finding his legs to refuse their office, he leaned upon the fence, and hung for some time; at length, recovering again, he fell to scuffling with one of the workmen, who tore his shirt nearly off from him. His wife, who was at our house on a visit, appeared much grieved at his conduct, and to protect his back from the rays of the sun, and conceal his nakedness, threw her shawl over his shoulders, and in that plight escorted the prophet home.” Fifty citizens of Palmyra also certified that “Joseph Smith, sen., and his son Joesph, were, in particular, considered entirely destitute of moral character, and addicted to vicious habits.” Eleven citizens of Manchester certified that the family of Joseph Smith, sen., “were not only a lazy, indolent set of men, but also intemperate, and that their word was not to be depended on, and that we are truly glad to dispense with their society.” Mr. E. D. Howe, in his book called “Mormonism Unveiled,” says that “some of the most respectable citizens of our country solemnly declare upon their oaths that no credit can be given to any one member of the Smith family.”

It is deplorable to think that at the hands of such a drunkard, an idler, and impostor as this, a large and rapidly-increasing sect, now consisting of above 300,000 members, has received its religious creed, and that a very large proportion of these choose also to follow him in their practice. But, lest we should be deemed partial, let us hear his own testimony respecting himself, prefaced by a few particulars narrated by one of his most distinguished disciples.

Mr. Orson Pratt, “One of the twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” says that “his advantages for acquiring scientific knowledge were exceedingly small, being limited to a slight acquaintance with two or three of the common branches of learning. He could read without much difficulty, and write a very imperfect hand, and had a very limited understanding of the elementary rules of arithmetic. These were his highest and only attainments, while the rest of those branches so universally taught in the common schools throughout the United States were entirely unknown to him. When somewhere about fourteen or fifteen years old,” at which time, be it remembered, William Stafford first became acquainted with him and the other members of the family of Smith, “he began seriously to reflect upon the necessity of being prepared for a future state of existence; but how, or in what way to prepare himself, was a question as yet undetermined in his own mind.”

His own account, published in the Millennial Star, of the manner in which he prosecuted his inquiries and the result, is more circumstantial than that given by Mr. Orson Pratt. “So great was the confusion and strife,” says he, “among the different religious denominations, that it was impossible for a person, young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong. My mind at different times was greatly excited, the cry and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself, what is to be done? Who of all these parties are right? or are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?

“While I was labouring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the epistle of James, 1st chapter and 5th verse, which reads, ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth unto all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him.’ . . . . . . I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God I did; for the teachers of religion of all the different sects understood the same passage so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible . . . . . . I at length came to the determination to ‘ask of God’ . . . . . So, in accordance with this my determination, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful clear day, early in the spring of 1820. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never yet made the attempt to pray vocally.

“After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me and finding myself alone, kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such astonishing influence over me, as to bind my tongue, so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction . . . . . . Just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me, I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said (pointing to the other)—’this is my beloved son, hear him’. . . .

“No sooner did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong,) and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong, and the personage who addressed me said, ‘that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt.’ . . . When I came to myself again, I found myself laying on my back, looking up into heaven. . . .

“I soon found, however, that my telling the story excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase: all united to persecute me. It has often caused me serious reflection, both then and since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy of a little over fourteen years of age, should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of the day, so as to create in them a spirit of the hottest persecution and reviling. . . . I have thought since that I felt much like Paul when he made his defence before King Argrippa . . . . Some said he was dishonest; others said he was mad, and he was ridiculed and reviled; but all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. . . . I now had got my mind satisfied, so far as the sectarian world was concerned, that it was not my duty to join with any of them, but continue as I was until further directed.”

These disclosures respecting himself still further enlightened us about his character. The vision, in conjunction with his pretended power of seeing beneath the surface of the earth, reveals a fearfully disordered imagination or a surpassing moral assimilation to the father of lies. The manner in which he speaks of all denominations of Christians indicates unparalleled arrogance or consummate craft. The comparison of his position to that of the Apostle Paul is blasphemy. The disjoining of appeals to the Bible from prayer in the inquiry after religious truth, is the grand characteristic of the sect which he has founded. and likens it in spirit to the prevalent infidelity of the age.

Welsh Calvinist Methodist Record, December 1853, pp. 269–74

Mormonism

alleged discovery of the book of mormon.

“Evil men and seducers,” wrote Paul to Timothy, “shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” A more impressive illustration of the truth contained in these words cannot be “Evil men and seducers,” wrote Paul to Timothy, “shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” A more impressive illustration of the truth contained in these words cannot be taken out of modern history than that supplied by the career of the impostor Joe Smith. Being a dissolute character, his idle habits led him to resort to the most unscrupulous shifts for the purpose of securing the means of sensual gratification. He therefore found it necessary to add lying to idleness and drunkenness. We have seen the vigorous blade of deceit, full of promise, appear in his more private life; in the impudent piece of forgery called the Book of Mormon, we shall see the ear; and in the institution of the ripened Mormon sect we shall see the full corn in the ear.

To the indulgence of the irrepressible habit of lying, even when it seemed that nothing could be gained thereby, Joe Smith was indebted for the first suggestion respecting the Mormon Bible. Peter Ingersoll, from whose deposition we have made extracts already, says—“one day he came and greeted me with a joyful countenance. Upon asking the cause of his unusual happiness, he replied in the following language:—’as I was passing yesterday across the woods, after a heavy shower of rain, I found in a hollow some beautiful white sand, that had been washed up by the water. I took off my frock, and tied up several quarts of it, and then went home. On my entering the house, I found the family at table, eating dinner. They were all anxious to know the contents of my frock. At that moment I happened to think of what I had heard about a history found in Canada, called the Golden Bible; so I very gravely told them it was the Golden Bible. To my surprise they were credulous enough to believe what I said. Accordingly, I told them I had received a commandment to let no one see it; for, said I, no one can see it with the naked eye and live. However, I offered to take out the book and show it to them, but they refused to see it, and left the room.’” Smith then went on to inform Ingersoll, in language too abominable to be quoted at length, that “he had the fools fixed, and would carry out the fun.” Ingersoll continues—“notwithstanding he told me he had no such book, and believed there never was such, yet he told me that he actually went to Willard Chase, to get him to make a chest, in which he might deposit his Golden Bible. But as Chase would not do it, he made a box himself of clapboards, and put it into a pillow-case, and allowed people only to lift it, and feel it through the case.” This was in the early part of September, 1827.

When Joe called upon Willard Chase about the making of the chest, he gave a somewhat different account of the Golden Bible, for he then stated that “he expected soon to get the Golden Bible.” A few weeks after, Mr. Chase says he came to his house and related the following story: “on the 22nd of September he arose early in the morning, and, together with his wife, repaired to the hill which contained the book. He left his wife in the waggon by the road, and went alone to the hill, a distance of thirty or forty rods from the road. He said he then took the book out of the ground and hid it in a tree-top and returned home.”

The story of the discovery, as given by Smith sen. to Chase, differs considerably from both the former. He told Chase, in the summer of 1827, that “a spirit had appeared to his son, some years previous, and informed him that in a certain place there was a record on plates of gold; that he must repair to the place where they were on the 22nd of September, dressed in black clothes, and riding a black horse with a switch tail. He repaired to the place of deposit, and demanded the book, which was in a stone box, unsealed, and so near the top of the ground that he could see one end of it, and raising it up took out the book of gold; but fearing some one might discover where he got it, he laid it down to place back the top stone as he found it; and turning around, to his surprise there was no book in sight. He again opened the box, and in it saw the book, and attempted to take it out, but was hindered. He saw in the box something like a toad, which soon assumed the appearance of a man, and struck him on the side of the head. Not being discouraged at trifles, he again stooped down and strove to take the book, when the spirit struck him again, and knocked him three or four rods away, and hurt him prodigiously. He was commanded by the spirit to come again in a year. He did so, and again received the like command. He went again the third time, and saw the book and a pair of spectacles, with which he afterwards translated the book of Mormon.”

We will not offend the common-sense of our readers by indicating the numerous and palpable discrepancies of these statements. As the plot thickens, or, to use Joe’s elegant phraseology, as the fun is being carried out, the clumsy, transparent falsehoods appear in clusters. The fact is, Joe did not dream, at that time, of becoming the notorious personage afterwards known as “the prophet Joseph,” or he would have sought a larger measure of that particular species of inspiration from a certain quarter, which is necessary in order to the fraing of a plausible lie. It is is [sic] plain, indeed, that his moral parent, notwithstanding his long experience, did not clearly foresee the future of his child, or he would have been at the pains of more carefully instructing him. How difficult it is to concoct a harmonious system of deceit, the several parts of which shall mutually strengthen each other!

But we have not yet done with the variations of the tale of the discovery of the book of Mormon. We add the highly embellished narrative given by Orson Pratt in his “Remarkable Visions.” After the vision of the Father and the Son, an account of which we inserted in our former article on Mormonism, Mr. Pratt says that Smith “was again entangled in the vanities of the world”—a rather awkward admission respecting the man who was to form anew the religious opinions of the world. The comparison with the Apostle Paul in this particular would not be very advantageous. Mr. Pratt goes on to say that “it pleased God, on the evening of the 21st of September, 1823, to again hear his prayer. It seemed as though the house was filled with consuming fire. . . A Personage stood before him who was a little above the common size in his age; his garment was perfectly white, and had the appearance of being without scam. . . He was informed that he was called and chosen to be an instrument in the hands of God to bring about some of his marvellous purposes in this glorious dispensation. It was also made manifest to him that the American Indians were a remnant of Israel; that when they first emigrated to America they were an enlightened people; that the prophets and inspired writers among them were required to keep a sacred history of the most important events transpiring among them . . . He was informed that these records were safely deposited; that they contained many sacred revelations pertaining to the Gospel of the kingdom, as well as prophecies relating to the great events of the last days. If faithful, he was to be the instrument who should be highly favoured in bringing these sacred writings before the world.” Smith was then informed that the records were deposited on a hill not far from the place where he lived, and was instructed, in a repetition of the vision the next morning, to go immediately and view them.

“After arriving at the repository,” continues Mr. Pratt, “a little exertion in removing the soil brought to his natural vision its contents . . . While he stood gazing and admiring, the angel of the Lord, who had previously visited him, appeared and said ‘Look!’ And as he thus spake, he beheld the Prince of Darkness, surrounded by his innumerable train of associates. The angel then told him—’you cannot at this time obtain this record.’ During the period of the four following years, he frequently received instruction from the mouth of the heavenly messenger; and on the morning of the 22nd of Sept. 1827, the angel of the Lord delivered the records into his hands. They were engraved on plates, which had the appearance of gold. Each plate was not far from seven by eight inches in width and length, being not quite as thick as common tin. They were filled on both sides with engravings in Egyptian characters, and bound together in a volume as the leaves of a book, and fastened at one edge with three rings running through the whole. This volume was something near six inches in thickness, part of which was sealed . . . With the records was found a curious instrument, called by the ancients the Urim and Thummim, which consisted of two transparent stones, clear as crystal, set in the two rims of a bow. Having provided himself with a home, he translated the unsealed part of the record, by the gift and power of God, through the means of the Urim and Thummim; but being a poor writer, he was under the necessity of employing a scribe to write the translation as it came from his mouth. The part translated is entitled the ‘Book of Mormon,’ which contains nearly as much, reading as the Old Testament.”

In the work of translating and publishing, Joe seems to have had associated with him three persons, of the names of Oliver Cowdry, Martin Harris, and Sidney Rigdon. Oliver Cowdry was the scribe spoken of by Orson Pratt; Martin Harris was a farmer who was persuaded to supply the necessary funds; Sidney Rigdon acted the part of assistant to Smith in a manner which will presently appear. Harris, after lending fifty dollars, asked to see the plates before he lent more money. Joe refused, on the pretence that Harris was not pure of heart enough to be allowed the sight of them; but he gave him a copy of a portion, which he told him to submit to any scholar he liked, if he wished to be satisfied. Harris took the paper to Professor Anthon of New York, which the learned professor afterwards described in the following manner. “The paper in question was in fact a singular scroll. It consisted of all kinds of crooked characters, disposed in columns, and have evidently been prepared by some person who had before him at the time a book containing various alphabets, Greek and Hebrew letters, crosses, flourishes; Roman letters inverted or placed sideways, were arranged and placed in perpendicular columns; and the whole ended in a rude delineation of a circle, divided into various compartments, decked with various strange marks, and evidently copied after the Mexican Calendar, given by Humboldt, but copied in such a way as not to betray the source whence it was derived. The paper contained anything else but Egyptian Hieroglyphics.” Professor Anthon warned Harris to beware of rogues, and advised him to go to a magistrate and have the trunk containing the plates and spectacles examined; but this advice was not followed. While the manuscript containing the translation was in the hands of the printer, whose name was Tucker, the following incident occurred, which is related in the words of the printer himself. “We have heard,” says Tucker, “much said by Martin Harris, about the wonderful wisdom of the translator of the mysterious plates, and resolved to test their wisdom. Accordingly, after putting one sheet in type, we laid it aside, and told Harris it was lost, and there would be a serious defect in the book in consequence, unless another sheet like the original could be produced. The announcement threw the old gentleman into quite an excitement; but after a few moments’ reflection, he said he would try to obtain another. After two or three weeks, another sheet was produced, but no more like the original than any other sheet of paper would have been, written over by a school-boy, after having read as they did the manuscripts preceding and succeeding the lost sheet.”

Let us now turn from the bold and coarse fictions of Smith and his disciples to the real facts of the case. The alleged translation of the Golden Bible will appear from the following facts to be a romance written by a clergyman of the name of Spaulding, altered and added to by Smith and Rigdon to suit their purposes. Solomon Spaulding was a graduate of Dartmouth College, and had been a regularly ordained clergyman. After a short term of years spent in preaching, he relinquished the ministry, and removed first to Cherry Valley, New York, and in 1809, to Conneaut, Ohio, and engaged in mercantile business. “In the town of New Salem, Conneaut,” says the widow of Mr. Spaulding, “there are numerous mounds and forts supposed by many to be the dilapidated dwellings and fortifications of a race now extinct. Numerous implements were found, and other articles evincing great skill in the arts. Mr. Spaulding being passionately fond of history, took a lively interest in these developments of antiquity; and in order to beguile the hours of retirement, he conceived the idea of giving an historical sketch of this long-lost race. Their extreme antiquity led him to write in the most ancient style, and as the old testament is the most ancient book in the world, he imitated its style as nearly as possible. This was about the year 1812. As he progressed in the narrative, the neighbours would come in from time to time to hear portions read, and a great interest in the work was excited among them. It claimed to have been written by one of the lost nation, and to have been recovered from the earth, and assumed the title of the ‘Manuscript found.’ 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. Mr. Solomon Spaulding had a brother, Mr. John Spaulding, residing in the place at the time, who was perfectly familiar with the work, and repeatedly heard the whole read.”

From New Salem the family removed to Pittsburg in Pensylvania, where Mr. Spaulding lent his manuscript to a Mr. Patterson, editor of a newspaper. Sidney Rigdon was at that time connected with the printing-office of Mr. Patterson, and became acquainted with the manuscript and copied it, as all knew who were connected with the office and as he himself frequently stated. The manuscript subsequently fell into the hands of Mrs. Spaulding and was carefully preserved. After the book of Mormon came out, a woman preacher appointed a meeting at New Salem, and in the meeting read and repeated copious extracts from the book. The historical part was immediately recognized by all the older people, as the identical work of Mr. Spaulding. Mr. John Spaulding was present, and his grief found vent in a flood of tears, and he arose on the spot, and expressed to the meeting his sorrow and regret that the writings of his deceased brother should be used for a purpose so vile and shocking.

The book of Mormon was afterwards carefully compared with the manuscript in Mrs. Spaulding’s possession, and it was found, “that with the addition of a few pious expressions, and extracts from the sacred Scriptures, an historical romance had been construed into a new Bible, and palmed off upon a company of poor deluded fanatics as Divine.” This was in the year 1884. Dr. Hurlbut, who made the comparison, had been a believer in Joseph Smith, and a member of the church; but he seceded at once from them, because, as he said, “his eyes were opened to the imposture and delusion of which he had been the victim.” A Dr. Bennett, who was at one time in the most important offices among the Mormons, says, that he was informed by them that the book was taken from the office of Patterson and Lambdin, printers in Pittsburgh, by a distinguished Mormon Divine, understood to be Rigdon, and remodelled by adding the religious portion; placed in Smith’s possession, and by him published to the world. John Spaulding and seven others declared upon oath that “his brother’s book was an historical romance of the first settlers in America, endeavouring to show that the American Indians are the descendants of the lost ten tribes; that he recently read the Book of Mormon, and, to his great surprise, he found nearly the same historical matter and names as in his brother’s writings.” Mormon, it seems, is one of the principal characters in Mr. Spaulding’s romance.

W. H.

Welsh Calvinist Methodist Record, December 1853, pp. 269–74

Mormonism

advance of the sect up to the death of smith.

In this portion of the history of the Mormons, we shall see the growth of the love of power in the mind of the false prophet, leading to the practice of deceit on a larger scale and with more audacity as well as more tact than ever. The Millenial Star gives the following account of the laying of the foundation of the sect. It represents Joseph Smith as saying:—“While we, (Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery,) were employed in the work of translation, praying and calling upon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light, and having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us, saying into us,—’Upon you, my fellow-servants, in the name of the Messiah, I confer the priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering to the Lord in righteousness.’—He said this Aaronic priesthood had not the power of laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that this should be conferred upon us hereafter; and he commanded us to go and be baptized, and gave us directions that I should baptize Oliver Cowdery, and afterwards that he should baptize me. Accordingly we went and were baptized. I baptized him first, and afterwards he baptized me. After which I laid my hands upon his head, and ordained him to the Aaronic priesthood; afterwards he laid his hands on me, and ordained me to the same priesthood; afterwards he laid his hands on me, and ordained me to the same priesthood, for so we were commanded. The messenger who visited us on this occasion, and conferred this priesthood upon us, said that his name was John, the same that is called John the Baptist in the New Testament, and that he acted under the direction of Peter, James, and John, who held the keys of the priesthood of Melchizedek, which priesthood, he said, should in due time be conferred on us, and that I should be called the first elder, and he the second. It was on the 15^th of May, 1829, that we were baptized and ordained under the hand of the messenger.”

We have thus, at the starting of the new sect, a presumed heaven-sent revelation, a heaven-inspired prophet, and a heaven-ordained priesthood. All that seemed wanting, at that time, was the power of performing miracles through the gift of the Holy Ghost, in order to the confirmation of the allegation that Mormonism was altogether from above. The bestowment of that power was promised in due time. On the 1st of June, 1830, the day on which the first conference of the sect was held at Fayette, in the state of New York, the number of members, including Joe Smith’s family, was thirty. In consequence of the threats of a mob after Joseph had constructed a dam across a stream for the purpose of baptizing his disciples, he and his family removed to Kirtland, Ohio, in 1831. Soon after his arrival at Kirtland, Joe and some of his disciples went as an exploring party to the state of Missouri, and after his return he made known the following “revelation:”—“Thus saith the Lord your God; if you will receive wisdom, here is wisdom. Behold, the place which is called Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, is the centre place, and a spot for the temple is lying westward, upon a lot which is not far from the court-house: wherefore it is wisdom that the land should be purchased by the saints.” By the same revelation a saint called Sidney Gilbert was nominated to receive monies for the purchase of the land, and Edward Partridge “to divide the saints their inheritance.” A party of the saints, whose numbers rapidly increased, then proceeded to clear the wilderness in Missouri and to build the temple. Joseph remained at Kirtland and established a mill, a store, and a bank. He also preached in various parts of the United States and made a great many converts. His extraordinary doctrines and practices, together with the charges brought against him by persons who had been in his confidence, excited so much enmity against him, that in the early part of the year 1832, a mob dragged him out of his bed at midnight, stripped him naked, and tarred and feathered him. They also served Sidney Rigdon in the same manner. In consequence of this treatment, he secretly departed for Independence, where a large congregation of thriving “saints” solemnly acknowledged him as prophet and seer, and president of the high priesthood of the church. He found also a flourishing printing establishment, which issued a monthly magazine entitled the Evening and Morning Star—and a weekly paper called the Upper Missouri Advertiser. The “saints” at this time numbered nearly 3,000.

In January, 1833, there were some desertions from the saints at Independence; and the reports spread by seceders, together with the haughty conduct of the Mormons towards the people of their neighbourhood, finally led to the expulsion of the whole body from the state of Missouri. At Kirtland, also, about the same time, Sidney Rigdon and another saint named Williams aimed at positions in the church which were incompatible with the supremacy of Joe. Rigdon and Williams, however, were speedily quieted by a “revelation” dated the 8th of March, 1833, which declared the sins of the rebels forgiven, and “that they were thenceforth to be accounted as equal with Joseph Smith, jun. in holding the keys of the Lord’s last kingdom.” These revelations were found very convenient in extricating the prophet out of many of his difficulties. One of them, dated March 1826, at the time Martin Harris refused to advance money until he should see the plates, says—“I the Lord am God, . . . . . . and I have caused you that you should enter into a covenant with me that you should not show them [the plates] except to those persons that I commanded you.” Another of February, 1831, says—“It is meet that my servant Joseph Smith jun. should have a house built, in which to live and translate.” Again, in the same month—“If ye desire the mysteries of my kingdom, provide for him food and raiment and whatsoever thing he needeth.”

Notwithstanding the revelation which declared that Independence was to be the “Zion” of the saints, they were not allowed to remain there. They had boasted that the whole country of Missouri was their destined inheritance, ad that all the “Gentiles,” or unbelievers in Joe Smith, were to be cut off in the Lord’s good time. A meeting of the citizens of Jackson County was therefore held on the 20th of July 1833, in which it was resolved to expel the Mormons by force, unless they could be induced to leave otherwise. In November of the same year they were driven from Jackson County, and their greater number took refuge in Clay County in the same State. The three next years were spent in fruitless endeavours to recover the possession of their lands in Independence. In 1837, Joseph’s bank at Kirtland stopped payment; and he had da “revelation” commanding him to depart for Missouri. Joseph obeyed by departing secretly in the night, and leaving his creditors to do the best they could. During the year 1838 Joe and his followers were subjected to a series of persecutions, as many as twenty of them having been shot on one occasion, and the prophet himself was cast into prison. Early in the year 1839, the main body of his disciples was driven out of Missouri by an armed mob, and found its next home in the state of Illinois, where he, having escaped from prison, soon joined it.

Their new settlement was on the Mississippi river, near a village called “Commerce,” where they immediately commenced the building of a city called “Nauvoo,” or “Beautiful.” In a year and a half they erected 2000 houses, besides schools and other public buildings. The most remarkable structure in the city was the Mormon Temple, which was built of polished whitelime stone, and was 138 feet in length by 88 in breadth. The tower was 170 feet from the ground, and the internal decorations were very costly. There was expended on the temple £200,000. The situation of the temple and city was very commanding. The Mormons who flocked to the settlement within a few months after it was first formed amounted to 15,000 souls. Many of these came from England, where a mission had been sent in the year 1837. The first two missionaries baptized about two thousand persons, chiefly in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow, and South Wales. In 1843 the sect numbered in England 10,000 persons. Their success emboldened them in the year 1844 to present the Queen and Prince Albert with a copy each of the Book of Mormon, with the hope that possibly they might become converts. In reference to her Majesty, a Mormon poet sung at the time—

“Oh! would she now her influence lend,
The influence of royalty,
Messiah’s kingdom to extend
And Zion’s nursing mother be,
Then with the glory of her name
Inscribed on Zion’s lofty spire,
She’d win a wreath of endless fame,
To last when other wreaths expire.”

At Nauvoo Smith especially manifested his craving for wordly [sic] luxury, splendour, and power, in connexion with ecclesiastical authority. He seems to have possessed some qualities fitting him for the acquisition of some power among a body of ignorant fanatics. “Joseph Smith,” writes one of his friends, “the president of the church, prophet, seer, and revelator, is thirty-six years of age, six feet high in his pumps, weighing two hundred and twelve pounds. He is a man of the highest talent and great independence of character, firm in his integrity, and devoted to his religion; as a public speaker, he is bold, powerful, and convincing; as a leader, wise and prudent, yet fearless; as a military commander, brave and determined; as a citizen, worthy, affable, and kind; bland in his manners, and of noble hearing.” An officer in the United States army describes him as a “noble-looking fellow.” One of his first cares seems to have been to get provided for himself and family a snug dwelling. He therefore had a “revelation” about a “boarding house,” which was to “be built in my (the Lord’s) name, and let my servant Joseph Smith and his house have place therein from generation to generation, for ever and ever; and let it be a delightful habitation for man, and a resting-place for the weary traveller.” He had at this time associated with himself in the government of the church, his brother, Hyrum Smith, “patriarch of the church;” “Sidney Rigdon, one of the councillors, prophet, seer, and revelator;” and “William Law, the other councillor.” He got himself elected Mayor of Nauvoo, the corporation of which assumed a jurisdiction independent of, and sometimes hostile to, that of the State of Illinois. They denied validity to the legal documents of the State unless countersigned by Joseph, as Mayor of Nauvoo, and they passed a law to punish any stranger in the city who should use disrespectful language of the prophet. Joe also assumed the command of the Nauvoo legion, forming a part of the militia of the state of Illinois, with the title of Lieutenant-General. In September, 1842, the appearance of the legion is thus described by an officer of the United States’ Artillery:—“Yesterday was a great day among the Mormons. Their legion to the number of two thousand men, was paraded by Generals Smith, Bennett, and others, and certainly made a very noble and imposing appearance. The evolutions of the troops directed by Major General Bennett, would do honour to any body of armed militia in any of the States.”

In 1844 the leading Mormonites had even the audacity to put Joseph forward as candidate for the Presidentship of the United States, and Sidney Rigdon as a candidate for the Vice-Presidentship, in an address from which the following is an extract:—“The question arises, whom shall the Mormons support? General Joseph Smith . . . . . . Honourable, fearless, and energetic, he would administer justice with an impartial hand, and magnify and dignify the office of chief magistrate of the land; and we feel assured that there is not a man in the United States more competent for the task . . . . . . Whatever, therefore, be the opinions of other men, our course is marked out, and our motto from henceforth will be General Joseph Smith.” Joe accordingly put forth an inflated address to the American people, in which he sought to catch the votes of the lawless by saying that if he were “the President of the United States, by the voices of a virtuous people,” he would “abolish the cruel customs of prisons (except in certain cases,) penitentiaries, and court-martials for desertion, and let reason and friendship reign over the ruins of ignorance and barbarity. “Thinking, however, that his own chance was but small, he wrote letters to Henry Clay and J. C. Calhoun, the two principal candidates, and lectured them about the duties of President in the coarsest and most impudent manner.

Of the more private life of Smith at this time we have not the means of ascertaining much. In 1843 he was described in a public paper, by a lecturer of the name of Newhall, as “very sociable, easy, cheerful, obliging, and kind, and very hospitable—in a word a jolly fellow—and one of the last persons whom he would have supposed God would have raised up as a prophet or a priest.” It also appears that he had “as great an inclination for a plurality of wives as Mahomet himself.” Sidney Rigdon was the author of what is called “the spiritual wife” doctrine, by which he sought to make it lawful for a Mormon to have as many wives as he pleased, provided that all but one were called spiritual wives. Rigdon had “revelations” of his own on this subject, and seems to have zealously obeyed them. In a paper called the Expositor, published in Nauvoo itself by Dr. Foster, a Mormon seceder, the affidavits of sixteen women were printed, to the effect that Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and others, had endeavoured to convert them to the “spiritual wife” doctrine, and to seduce them under the plea of having had special permission from Heaven. One of these was the wife of Dr. Foster. Newhall, the lecturer mentioned above, said that he was present at a grand review of the Nauvoo legion, in which Joseph was accompanied by “six ladies on horseback, who were dressed in black velvet, and wore waving plumes of white feathers, and rode up and down in front of the regiment.”

Meanwhile the settlement progressed rapidly. In the early part of the year 1844 it numbered 30,000 souls, and the city itself 10,000. Converts poured in from all parts of the United States and the world. The industry and temperate habits of the community in general were unquestionable. All the sciences were taught in their colleges, with Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, Italian, Spanish, etc. But in proportion to their success, they increased in insolence towards their neighbours and in dissensions among themselves.

Smith was much annoyed by the continued persecutions of his Missouri enemies, but he found a more formidable adversary in Dr. Foster, the publisher of the Expositor. The office of that newspaper was rased to the ground by a body of the prophet’s adherents after the publication of the number containing the exposure in the matter of the spiritual wives. Foster fled, and got a warrant served on the Mayor of Nauvoo for the destruction of the Expositor office. Smith refused to acknowledge its validity, and the constable who served it was marched out of Nauvoo by the city marshal. The authorities of the county, in consequence of this affront to the law, ordered out the militia. Governor Ford, desirous of preventing the shedding of blood, called upon the two Smiths to surrender peacably, assuring them that they should be protected. They did so and were taken to Carthage gaol. As the mob vowed vengeance against both prisoners, a guard was set over the gaol; but about six o’clock in the evening of June 27th 1844, a band of nearly two hundred men overpowered the small guard, rushed into the prison, and fired upon the brothers. Hyrum was shot first, and fell immediately, exclaiming—“I am a dead man.” Joseph endeavoured to leap from the window, and was shot in the attempt, exclaiming—“O Lord my God!” His inhuman murderers then raised his body against a wall in a sitting posture, and four of the mob advanced into the front and fired at him. Whether or not he was dead before they fired is not certified. The murderers were never discovered. Subsequent events proved that Joseph Smith assassinated was a greater prophet than Joseph Smith alive. It is supposed that his disciples numbered at least 100,000 at the time of his death.