Mormon History
History of Mormonism to Date - 1836
The Ohio Respository – September 1, 1836
By a Correspondent of the
N. Y. Commercial Advertiser.
It appears
that Mormonism owes its origin to an individual named Solomon Spalding, who
wrote the historical part of the Book of Mormon, or, as it is sometimes called,
the Mormon Bible. But it was done more than twenty years ago, and without the
least intention, on the part of the author, of framing a system of delusion for
his fellow men. This Solomon Spalding was a native of Ashford, Connecticut,
where he was distinguished at an early age, for his devotion to study, and for
the superiority of his success over that of his schoolmates. At a proper age, he
received an academic education at Plainfield, and afterward commenced the study
of law at Windham. But his mind becoming inclined to religious subjects, he
abandoned the study of law, and went to Dartmouth College for the purpose of
preparing himself for the ministry. After receiving the degree of A. M., he was
regularly ordained, and continued in the ministry for about three years; but for
some reason not known, he abandoned that profession and established himself as a
merchant at Cherry [Valley], in the State of New York. Failing in trade, he
removed to Conneaut, in the State of Ohio, where he built a forge; but again
failed, and was reduced to great poverty. While in this condition he endeavored
to turn his education to account by writing a book, the sale of which he hoped
would enable him to pay his debts and support his family.
The subject selected for this purpose was one well suited to his religious
education. The work was to be a historical novel, containing a history of the
Aborigines of America, who, according to the notion of those who refer all
questions of history, science, and morals to the scriptures, were supposed to be
descended from the Jews.
The title adopted was 'The Manuscript Found,' and the history commenced with one
Lehi, who lived in the reign of Zedekiah, King of Judea, six hundred years
before the Christian era. Lehi being warned by God of the dreadful calamities
that were impending over Jerusalem, abandoned his possessions, and fled with his
family to the wilderness. After wandering about the desert for a considerable
time, they arrived upon the border of the Red Sea, and embarked on board a
vessel. In this they floated about a long time on the ocean, but at last reached
America, and landed upon the shores of Darien. From the different branches of
this family were made to spring the various aboriginal nations of this
continent. From time to time they rose to high degrees of civilization; but
desolating wars arose in turn, by which nations were overthrown, and reduced
again to barbarism. In this the condition of the Indians, at the time of
Columbus's discovery, was accounted for; and the ancient mounds, fortifications,
temples, and other vestiges of former civilization, found in North and South
America, were explained. The governments of these nations were represented as
theocratic, like that of the Jews, from whom they descended, and their national
transactions were consequently regulated by their prophets & priests who
received their commands directly from the Deity. In order, therefore, that the
style of the romance might be suited to the subject, and to the popular notions
of the people, the author of The Manuscript Found adopted that of the Bible --
the old English style of James the First.
When the work was ready for the press, Spalding endeavored to get the pecuniary
assistance necessary for its publication, but his affairs were in so low a
condition that he could not succeed. -- He then removed to Pittsburgh, and
afterward to Amity, Pennsylvania, where he died. -- The widow of Spalding,
states, that while at Pittsburg, she believes the manuscript was carried to the
printing house of Patterson and Lambdin; but how it afterwards fell into the
hands of Joseph Smith, junior, by whom the Golden Bible was published, cannot be
positively proved. Circumstances, however, have been traced, sufficiently strong
to convince any one, that this occurred through the agency of one Sidney Rigdon,
who was one of the first preachers of Mormon faith. The manner, however, in
which this occurred is of little importance. It has been positively proved,
since the Mormon Bible began to attract attention, that the historical part,
which is the frame work of the whole scheme, is the same as that contained in
The Manuscript Found of Solomon Spalding. Among the many respectable witnesses
who have certified to this fact, are a brother, and also a sister-in-law of the
author.
The next principal character in the humbug of Mormonism, is Joseph Smith,
junior, the great High Priest, Prophet and Founder of the religion. -- Joseph
Smith, the Father of the prophet, emigrated from Royalton in Vermont, with his
family, about the year 1820, and settled in Manchester, in the State of New
York. Young Joseph was at this time sixteen years of age. The family appears to
be very little respected by its neighbors, and remarkable for being lazy,
ignorant & superstitious. They believe firmly in the appearance of ghosts, the
power of witches, and telling of fortunes, and from time to time they were
engaged, in conformity with dreams and other signs and wonders, in digging in
solitary places for treasures, supposed to have been hidden by Kidd or the
Spaniards. Young Joseph became by degrees very much skilled in the arts of
necromancy and Juggling. He had the power of using the diving rod, and of
discovering wonders in a peep stone; and having had the address to collect about
him a gang of idle and credulous young men, he employed them in digging for
hidden treasures. It was afterwards pretended that in one of the excavations
thus made, the mysterious plates, from which the Golden Bible was copied, were
found. About the year 1825, it was said by the family that Joseph began to have
communication with angles and spirits, by which he learned many things that were
hidden to the senses and understandings of ordinary men. Among other things he
was informed by an angel of certain plates of unspeakable value, and of the
manner in which they might be obtained. But as is usual in such cases, he was
[thwarted and] opposed for a long time by an evil spirit, and it was not until
1827 that they were finally obtained. The discovery was then noised about the
neighborhood by the family, who said that the plates contained a history of the
aborigines of this country, written in "reformed Egyptian characters," which
could not be read by any one of the present day except by the powers of God.
Many proselytes were made among the credulous; but none of them were permitted
at that time, to see the plates, for it was said by the prophet that no one
could look upon them and live. The translation was commenced by the prophet
himself, who was enabled to read the "reformed Egyptian" by the aid of the
"peep-stone." This was done by putting the stone in a hat or box, and then by
applying his face, the prophet was enabled to read one word at a time, which he
pronounced aloud to an amanuensis. After continuing in this manner for some
time, he was commanded by God to remove into Pennsylvania, for the purpose of
escaping from certain evil minded men, who were instigated by the devil to
destroy him. There the translation was completed, and the plates were buried
again in the earth, by the command of the Lord, in some place unknown to all.
In 1829, the Golden Bible, containing about six hundred pages, appeared in
print, having appended to it the testimony of eleven witnesses, to prove its
divine origin. The three most important of these witnesses are Martin Harris,
Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitman; [sic] the first two of whom acted as
amanuenses of Smith. These men declare upon oath, that the golden plates from
which the Mormon Bible has been translated, were shown to them by an angel, and
that they know the translation to have been made by the power of God, because it
was so declared to them by the Deity himself. Of the eight remaining witnesses,
four were brothers of Whitman and three of the family of Smith.
The Mormon Bible, as has been already stated, professes to furnish a history of
part of the Jewish nation. It is pretended that Lehi, who escaped from Jerusalem
600 years before the Christian era, took with him the plates which contained an
engraved record of his tribe; and that these plates being transmitted from
father to son, the records of the people were continued, until the fifth
century, when the tribe being nearly exterminated, the plates were sealed up and
hidden in the earth, where they were afterward found by Joseph the prophet.
According to these records, prophets & generals arose from time to time of
great renown among the people, and the various events which commonly took place
in the progress of nations occurred in their regular order. By the prophets the
most prominent coming events were foretold, especially the coming and
crucifixion of Christ, the early condition of the Christian church, the
reformation, and the coming of the prophet Joseph in later times. A great many
miracles were wrought, of course, to prove the divine authority of the
prophecies. The generals had occupation enough in the various wars which arose
among the nations descended from the family of Lehi. In one of their military
expeditions an army was led into a distant country, which they found entirely
desolated by the ravages of war, and filled with the bones of men and beasts.
Here, among the ruins, they found some golden plates, containing a record of the
people of Jared, who had escaped the confusion at Babel, and had been conducted
by the Lord through Asia to the sea, and finally to America. These people having
been entirely exterminated in wars, their records were preserved and sealed up
with the records of Lehi.
Before the publication of the Mormon Bible, many ignorant and credulous persons
had been prepared to receive it by the wonderful stories related by Smith. It
was accordingly received as soon as it issued from the press, by a sufficient
number to form the nucleus of a new community of devotees. The arguments
principally relied upon at first to increase the number of proselytes, were the
internal evidence of the book itself, and the striking exhibitions of the will
and power of God through Joseph Smith. In addition to the extraordinary
condescension of the Deity, in sending angels and spirits to hold communication
with him, it seemed marvelous in the eyes of the people, that a man who could
neither read nor write, and who was consequently unacquainted with the science
and literature of the world, should be able to produce such a work -- a work
wonderful in itself, and still more so from having been translated from a
language no longer understood by the world, and found engraved on plates which
had been buried for centuries in the earth. Smith is represented as a man
exceedingly well fitted for the task he had to perform. For although ignorant,
he possessed strong natural powers of mind, an inventive genius, easy address,
fascinating manners, a mild and sober exterior, and was withal an excellent
judge of human feelings and passions. -- Soon after the Mormon Bible was
published, a member of the congregation of fanatics in Ohio, called Campbellites,
happened to be travelling in the State of New York, where he heard of the golden
plates. -- Urged by curiosity, he called upon Smith to make inquires, and was
converted to the new faith. On his return he was accompanied by missionaries,
who had been commissioned by Smith to convert the Indians. And on arriving in
Ohio, the new religion, its missionaries, and its wonders, were presented to the
Campbellites. These people having been for a long time under the dominion of
enthusiasm, and [hoping] that the millennium or some other grand event was about
to happen, were, in the right condition to receive the new revelation. A great
many of them were converted, and with them, Sidney Rigdon, their preacher -- a
man of powerful eloquence and of great popularity among them.