Mormon History
Mormon Angel Uncovered - 1835
Soon after the notorious
impostor, Jo. Smith, of golden Bible memory, reached "the promised land" in
Ohio, with his deluded followers, and was getting along with such "swimming
success" in making proselytes and baptising them in Grand River, near
Painesville, ("though he himself baptised not, but his disciples" in the
instance at least which we are about to relate,) word was given out that an
angel would uniformly appear, dressed in white, standing in the edge of the
water on the opposite side of the river whenever the baptismal rite was
administered, to witness and approve the ordinance. To give the celestial
messenger a more imposing appearance, and withal, not to dazzle the
eyes of weak mortals with too much glory for their feeble organs to
behold, the rite was always very prudently administered in the night. The
angel was uniformly sen as above described on such occasions. At length three
young men of the place, resolved one night, when notice was given that a baptism
was to be administered and the angel was to appear, that they would see the
ghost nearer at hand than across the river, ah! and feel him too, if
tangible, and ascertain whether he were material or immaterial substance.
Accordingly these ghost-daring mortals secreted themselves in the bushes on the
side where the angel would appear, opposite the baptismal administration. The
ordinance proceeded, and behold!the angel was there, clothed in white, with a
luminous appearance, the wonder and admiration of the Mormon host. Our triune
guard now made a plunge -- the angel sprang to elude their grasp -- splash,
splash goes the water -- deeper and deeper plunge the pursued and the pursuers,
till behold! they had him fast -- it was surely material substance -- clear up
to the neck, chin, and eyes of the ghost, dragging him directly through the
river to the place of the ceremony, crying out, "we've got your angel -- his
wings are wet and dripping." And behold! on examination by the light, it was
the veritable Jo. Smith himself, with a sheet wrapped around him and a
dark lantern concealed underneath!
The above fact we had a few days since from the lips of one of the daring trio,
by the name of S____, now at work in the Frankfort furnace, only a few miles
from this city. We deemed it too good to be lost. Pur readers have it as cheap
as we had. D. S.