Elkander, Iowa,
                                                  Jan. 4, 1872.
Dear Joseph:

My letter written under date of Dec. 22, 1871, has been delayed on account of the storm that at that time was in full blast; the wind helping to pile the snow into drifts, with a fury that seemed to say to invalids that they had better stay in doors. Next came New Year's, when I thought of going out to the post office. Then came a stranger from Strawberry Point, a distance of twenty miles, requesting me to go home with him for the purpose of preaching a funeral sermon on the death of a brother by the name of Ephraim Hart. This brother, as it appears from the account of him, was a native of the State of New York, and at an early time emigrated to Illinois, where he became acquainted with the gospel as preached by the Latter Day Saints. He also became a member of the church of that profession, and soon after emigrated to this State, Iowa, where he has resided for the last few years near Strawberry Point, Clayton Co., with very poor health.

Having lingered long in this condition, he took his last leave of his family on the morning of the New Year, at half-past two o'clock, making the request that his friends would send for me to attend his funeral obsequies, which I accordingly did, speaking from John 11:24, 25.

Had this brother lived until the 18th of March next, he would have been fifty years of age. He leaves a wife and four children to mourn his loss, three of them small boys, and one daughter. The daughter is married, and lives some distance from her father's burial place. By request, I report the death of this brother to the Herald, and his friends near Plano. It is due to him and his friends to say that he died strong in the faith of the latter day work.
                                Respectfully,
                                              WILLIAM B. SMITH.


Note: The above communication marks the first appearance of a message written by William B. Smith, last living brother of Joseph Smith, Jr., in the pages of the Saints' Herald since   January, 1869. Historical evidence points to William's tendency to write letters to both his enemies and his friends at certain intervals and it seems that the old Mormon annoyed his nephew, Joseph Smith III, with a number of these messages during the early 1870s. The nephew did not publish such communications, however, and it seems likely that William took advantage of the passing of Ephraim Hart, in order to get at least a small personal mention into the columns of the Herald. When, on Nov. 11, 1872, William finally extended his unequivocal support for the Reorganization, his nephew relented and published one of William's "religious" messages.

                              PRINCEVILLE, ILL.,
                                   March 14th, 1872.
Br. Joseph:
I learn of late that some of the opposers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are resorting to an old story, that the Book of Mormon was manufactured from a romance of one Solomon Spaulding, and was accomplished by one Sidney Rigdon. Being somewhat acquainted with Elder Rigdon, in the early history of the Church, and have heard him interrogated both in public and in private concerning his knowledge of the Book of Mormon, and the Spaulding Romance, made at one particular time and place while preaching to a large congregation, here his testimony with such power in the Spirit of God that scores were soon after baptized, and joined the Church. I submit the following testimony from two others and myself: --

We, the undersigned, feel it our duty, and are willing to bear our testimony concerning the Book of Mormon at any reasonable time and place, and especially concerning the following incident in relation to Elder Rigdon.

In the spring of 1833 or 1834 at the house of Samuel Baker, near New Portage Medina County, Ohio, we whose signatures are affixed, did hear Elder Sidney Rigdon, in the presence of a large congregation, say he had been informed that some in the neighborhood had accused him of being the instigator of the Book of Mormon, Standing in the door way, there being many standing in the door yard, he, holding up the Book of Mormon, said "I testify in the presence of this congregation, and before God and all the Holy Angels up yonder, (pointing towards Heaven), before whom I expect to give account at the judgment day, that I never saw a sentence of the Book of Mormon, I never penned a sentence of the Book of Mormon, I never knew that there was such a book in existence as the Book of Mormon, until it was presented to me by Parley P. Pratt, in the form that it now is."
                    PHINEAS BRONSON.
                    HIEL BRONSON.
                    MARY D. BRONSON.

Brother Hiel thinks it was in 1834, but sister Mary, his wife, and I think is was in 1833, so we have put it 1833 or 1834.
                    PHINEAS BRONSON.



Note: LDS biographer Richard Van Wagoner makes use of the Bronsons' forty year old memories as a chief example of "Rigdon's stance" in response to non-Mormon accusations linking him to the origin of the Book of Mormon (Sidney Rigdon..., p. 133, n. 5.). Whether the Bronsons' recollections can be relied upon as representing Rigdon's exact words in 1833 or 1834 (in the midst of the initial outbreak of the Spalding authorship claims) remains questionable, but there is no reason to suppose that he did not make similar oral statements from time to time. Probably a more reliable report on Rigdon's "stance" in this regard is recorded in a contemporary court trial record, published in June 9, 1837 in the Painesville Telegraph. Rigdon supplemented this testimony in a letter published June 8, 1839 in the Quincy Whig; in his biography, as printed in the Aug. 15, 1843 issue of the Times & Seasons, and in his interview with Austin W. Cowles (see Cowles' 3-part article in Moore's Rural New Yorker, 1869). Interestingly enough, Rigdon nowhere positively states that he was totally unacquainted with Mormonism and Joseph Smith prior to the fall of 1830.

ELDER ISAAC SHEEN in a discourse on the gathering of Israel, delivered in Plano, the evening of August 4th, said: "Let the scientific men continue their researches for Sir John Franklin, and the North Pole, or open sea; and if they should discover any traces of the Lost Tribes, or the people themselves; either on the outer or inner surface of the earth; as, speaking for myself and not for the church, I believe the earth to be a hollow sphere; let them understand that years before this, and now, the general outlines of the fact of the Lost Tribes being in the north country have been testified of; both in the Bible, Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants; by ancient and by modern prophets, and I take the opportunity now of presenting these things, that before any discoveries are made, our faith in the word of God, as revealed to these prophets, may be set forth."


Note 1: Although Elder Sheen was here speaking for himself, it must be remembered that his learned (?) opinions carried great weight in the early RLDS Church. Sheen makes it sound as though the Bible and the Book of Mormon both place the location of the "lost tribes" of Israel at or near the north pole. However, his exegesis of these texts was conducted with the understanding that the RLDS Doctrine and Covenants offered critical insights, necessary for a good understanding of the earlier scriptures. It might be said that Sheen was viewing the Bible and the Book of Mormon through the magnifying lens of the D&C. Thus, any references found in the earlier works to a seeming northward movement of those tribes in ancient times, he took to mean a mutual agreement in scriptures that the tribes were then living somewhere beyond the Arctic ice and snows. The general RLDS membership would not have been at all inclined to dispute Sheen on such an interpretation of "the facts." Nor would have too many voiced any opposition to his view, that the tribes were then living beyond the polar region, inside the hollow earth. Although Sheen is not here quoted as saying the missing tribes had entered the Inner World through an opening at the north pole, his address implies as much, and he must have derived his conclusions either directly or indirectly from the earlier writings of Captain John C. Symmes. Such pseudo-scientific claims were being seriously advocated in the Herald as late as 1906 and 1909.

Note 2: The editors of the Saints' Herald felt it necessary to offer further space to an exposition upon some of these same subjects in the issue of Sept. 15th. Both of these 1872 reports acknowledge the Earth as being a globe (whether hollow or not). During 1871-72 the Herald was also running a series of articles which described the planet as being a relatively flat plane, (not being a globe at all). While this latter notion appears to satisfy a certain literalistic view of some Bible passages (four corners of the earth, etc.), it was considered a fantasy among most thoughtful Latter Day Saints, even in those days. In publishing other explanations, wherein the earth was described as a globe, (with missing Israelites living in its north polar region) the editors attempted to offer some balance of ideas, against the series of flat-earth inanities.

Note 3: The Herald briefly took up the Symmes theory, once again, in its issue of July 1, 1878, when it reprinted a letter written by the son of the infamous hollow-earth advocate, Captain John C. Symmes. The Herald of Feb. 15, 1881 reprinted a another letter written by the same son. In his 1881 letter the son makes a brief reference to reports then in circulation, that the planet was hollow and that a Hebrew-speaking people lived within its subterranean depths. Perhaps it was Elder Sheen's familiarity with such reports that led Sheen to postulate that the Hebrew-speaking "lost tribes" might be hidden away within the vacuous earth. Captain Symmes lived not too far from Cincinnati in his later years and his geographic innovations were frequently mentioned in that city's press during the first half of the 19th century. The first issues of the Saints' Herald were also published at Cincinnati, which was for many years the home of Isaac Sheen. Elder Sheen would have naturally heard something of Symmes' theories, just by being in the news business in that city. However, the Elder's advocacy for "traces" of the "lost tribes" being discoverable near "the North Pole, or open sea... either on the outer or inner surface of the earth," probably reflects Mormon beliefs dating back to the teachings of Joseph Smith, jr., first published during the Kirtland period of LDS history. See LDS author Frank Culmer's 1886 booklet, The Inner World for a Utah Mormon view on the topic. Whether or not Smith himself had heard of Symmes' theories at an early date remains unknown, certainly they were being discussed in the newspapers as late as 1831 -- some of his first followers were, no doubt, familiar with the well publicized hollow-earth idea.

FACTS  AND  THEORIES  CONCERNING
THE  NORTH  COUNTRY.

BY ELDER S. F. WALKER.

The earth is a globe, whirling in its orbit through space. As it whirls on its axis it wobbles much like a top or balloon. This wobbling motion of the earth is quite slow and perfectly regular, and is completed once in 21,000 years. The motion is said to be caused by the sun's attractive influence on the equatorial protuberances of the earth...

During the long period of cold at the north [produced by the wobble], the ice accumulated at the pole in such vast quantities as to change the center of gravity of the earth, and attract the sea mostly into the northern hemisphere, and cover the northern lands with water...

Among the facts encountered with this theory are some that have a real bearing on the fate of the ten tribes of Israel. They, according to Esdras, went north by a long journey into a country where never man dwelt. There was no land so likely to have been unknown and uninhabited as the extreme north. The time of their journey was about twenty-five hundred years ago, and about five hundred years subsequent to the period of greatest warmth in that region... it is possible that access to the north was more feasible formerly than at present, and migrations may have been possible without miraculous intervention...

Concerning the future the Doctrine and Covenants contains the following passage:

He shall command the great deep and it shall be driven back into the north countries, and the islands shall become one land, and the land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion shall be turned back into their own place, and the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided.

About fifty years ago a gentleman of Cincinnati, named Syms, identified himself with a theory that became famous as Syms' hole. It was that the earth was "not a globe," but a series of concentric spheres, and that at the north pole was an opening into the nether spheres.

There are brethren in the church who favor this theory, supporting it by the passage in the Book of Mormon, that says a part of Israel was sent to the nethermost parts of the earth.

Mr. Syms supported the theory by certain facts... Syms' credit is that he first collected the facts that it has taken the world so long to harmonize...

So much is fact. Soon another fact will be transferred from the realm of faith to that of demonstration; that God's covenant people, driven out of his sight for their sins, hidden from the sight of men -- "lost tribes" -- haunting the centuries by the mystery of their fate, but reserved by God for the fulfilling of his repeated oath to the fathers; have somewhere in that undiscovered bourne, beyond the ice-world -- a home...


Note 1: No record has come down from the early years of the Reorganization as to what percentage of its members believed in the "lost tribes" having gone down into the hollow earth through the northern "Symms' hole," but their numbers may have been substantial.

Note 2: Among the Utah Mormons, during about this same period, the idea of the hollow earth was also being considered. For example, see Elder Frederick Culmer's 1886 pamphlet, The Inner World. Elder George Reynolds, long the personal secretary of Brigham Young, wrote in in the Deseret News in 1878 (republished in 1883): "Mormons believe "the literal gathering of Israel," will bring the "ten lost tribes," and Book of Mormon "Lamanites," together in America... They also believe when the "lost ten tribes" of Israel left the land of their captivity they went to an undisclosed location in the "frozen north," from whence they will return to Zion in America" (Are We of Israel? pp. 10-11).

                                                  Elkander, Clay[ton] Co., Iowa,
                                                  November 11th, 1872.
Respected Nephew:

Joseph, you are well aware that since the organization of the church in 1830, many who were the first elders have gone to pass through untold scenes of afflictions, adversities, and trial; and having myself, with others of my brethren, shared abundantly in all the changes incident to the history of the church thus far, I feel it a duty that I owe to old time saints, and for the good of the cause of Zion abroad, to say to you, and to all whom it may concern, that I am not a leader of any class of Mormons whatever; and that I do most cordially endorse the Reorganization; and further state now, as I have always done from the time of the great apostasy in 1844 and 1845, that the legal presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, belongs of right, to the oldest son of the martyred prophet, Joseph Smith, who was the first prophet of the church, and the called of God.

I hope that this may answer the inquiries of many of my friends, who continue to write to me on the subject of the rights of presidency and the legitimacy of the church over which my nephew, Joseph Smith, presides. I hope that this declaration of my faith and belief may find a favorable place in the columns of the Herald.

Go on then, ye swift messengers of peace. "Let Zion in her beauty rise," while the errors of the past shall be forgotten; charity and love fill every heart, is the prayer of your brother in Christ. Where love is there is the spirit of forgiveness; and long may this good spirit, which is the spirit of the gospel, abide with those who have named the name of Christ.

Much love and esteem I subscribe to all saints to whom these lines may come greeting, with charity for all and hatred to none.
                                                  WILLIAM B. SMITH,
                                                        Patriarch.


Note 1: There appears to be a steady progression in the religious profession of William B. Smith, from 1857, when he declared: "I am not a Mormon... I left the heaven-defying traitors, as every honest man should do," to 1869, when he admitted: "I can see no reason why I should become the advocate of any particular sect, or class of Mormons," to early 1872, when he speaks favorably of Mormonism in an oblique way, to late 1872, when he finally admits: "I do most cordially endorse the Reorganization... the legal presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, belongs of right, to the oldest son of the martyred prophet, Joseph Smith." Clearly, by 1872, William was "swinging for a place in the New Organization," however, certain old members among the RLDS were probably not so enthusastic as William was, about the prospect of his return. Were William then admitted to the Reorganization, the would be the problem of his having been ordained to the office of a high priest under the leadership of Joseph Smith, Jr. Isaac Sheen, a man whom William had sorely offended in earlier years, was then the President of the RLDS High Priests Quorum, and Isaac would not have been interested in seeing William there. Neither would have several of the "old member" RLDS Apostles been very keen on the prospect of William assuming a seat at their table. William's signing himself as "Patriarch" may have been his way of suggesting that he could come into the Reorganization without assuming the rank of Apostle or taking on the administrative privileges and duties of a high priest.

Note 2: It is no wonder that in later years some LDS historians, looking on from a distance, would mistakenly conclude that William B. Smith served as the Patriarch over the RLDS Church -- he probably signed many a letter with that title attached to his name. But William was never made Patriarch over the RLDS, nor Patriarch to the RLDS, nor even a lesser patriarch in a stake or branch in the church. It was an unordained, honorific title which William applied to himself, perhaps in hopes that the RLDS leadership would one day make it official. They did not.

THE  MORMON  CHURCH.
________

(The following article was written by Bro. Kelley, in answer to some misrepresenting statements, published in the Detroit (Mich.) Tribune, of the date referred to; and as he has presented the matter in an excellent light, and frank, manly manner, we insert it, commending it to the readers of the HERALD as a fair answer to the oft repeated "Spaulding Story." -- ED.)

Editor Detroit Tribune: In your weekly issue of February 1, 1872, there appeared an article headed, "THE MORMON CHURCH," written by J. F. D., of East Saginaw, which contains many misrepresentations, concerning the rise of what is known as "Mormonism;" which, through your courtesy and the columns of your paper, I hope to correct; believing that truth should stand in the front, and error take the back ground; while justice should be done to all. For certainly it is not even politic, much less religious, to unjustly malign the character of any.

Mr. J. F. D. writes, "I thought a few facts relating to the early history of the Church of Latter Day Saints might be interesting to your readers. The paragraph referred to, states that Mr. Spaulding, at his leisure, and simply for amusement, wrote the fictitious narrative, which, after having been shown to a 'Mr. Redon,' was ultimately altered and changed into the book of faith under which teaching the Mormon Church was founded."

Mr. J. F. D. says, "The writer of this was present, and attended the celebrated discussion on Mormonism, in the city of New York, 1836 or 7, between Origin Bachelor and Parley P. Pratt  *   *   *  Mr. Bachelor proved the following points:"

1. "That a Mr. Solomon Spaulding, an unsuccessful merchant, but a man of refinement and literary abilities, with a view of retrieving his losses in trade, conceived the idea of writing a historical novel, and entitled the same the 'Aborigines of America, or the Lost Manuscript Found,'"

In this Statement, Mr. Spaulding is represented as writing a novel, for the purpose of retrieving his losses in trade; while the writer of the previous article which appeared in the Tribune, from which Mr. J. F. D. quotes, says, "Mr. Spaulding wrote "at his leisure, and simply for amusement." These two writers disagree in their affirmations, and to an unbiased mind, one, or both, stands upon the record as false.

Mr. J. F. D. further says, "It was also shown that Mr. Spaulding had taken much interest in reading and investigating the discoveries made by Stephens and others in Central America, and that the remains of ancient cities there discovered led him to select the subject of the ancient inhabitants of America as the foundation of his novel."

In this, Mr. J. F. D. affirms, that at the celebrated discussion held in New York City, 1836 or 7, he being witness. "It was also shown that Mr. Spaulding from reading the discoveries made by Stephens and others in Central America," was led to select the subject of his novel.

Referring to the history of Mr. Spaulding, by his wife, we learn that Mr. Spaulding deceased in Amity, Washington County, Pennsylvania, A. D. 1816. Mr. Stephens' discoveries of ancient cities in Central America were not published until 1841, twenty-five years after the death of Solomon Spaulding. Indeed Mr. Stephens was not sent out to make his discoveries until 1839. See the first volume of his discoveries in Central America, chapter 1, page 9, "Being intrusted by the President with a special confidential mission to Central America, on Wednesday, the 3rd of October, 1839, I embarked on board the British brig Mary Ann, Hampton, master, for the Bay of Honduras." Yet Mr. J. F. D. says "It was shown in the discussion of 1836 or 7, at New York, that it was the reading of Mr. Stephens' works which led Mr. Spaulding to select the subject of his novel;" when up to the time of the said discussion, Mr. Stephens had not embarked to the land where he made his discoveries.

This shows the value of Mr. J. F. D.'s statement of "facts," as to what took place at the discussion between P. P. Pratt and O. Bachelor in New York.

The Book of Mormon was published in 1829, and the earliest history published in English, revealing the ancient cities of Central America was published by Josiah Priest, in 1833; seventeen years after the death of S. Spaulding, and four years after the publication of the Book of Mormon. So neither of these works could have furnished the subject matter for the writing of a novel, or anything else, by Mr. Spaulding, as claimed by J. F. D., in 1836 or 7.

2. Mr. J. F. D. states,

"The fact was established beyond a doubt, in the minds of all rational hearers, that Mr. Spaulding being poor, and unable to publish his novel when finished, applied to one Sidney Rigdon, (afterwards a prominent elder in the church(, who was a friend of Spaulding's, and a printer in Pennsylvania, to assist him in the publication of his work. Rigdon examined the manuscript and consented, having discovered in it great literary merit, and an interesting theme calculated to make the copyright in which he was to share, very valuable."

In the "History of Mormonism," published by E. D. Howe, of Painesville, Ohio, page 282, we find the certificate of one Mr. Henry Lake, saying, "Spaulding left here (Conneaut) in 1812 for Pittsburgh." On page 287, Mrs. Matilda Davidson, formerly the wife of S, Spaulding, says, "They resided in Pittsburgh about two years;" that is, 1813 and 1814. They then moved to Amity, Pennsylvania, where Mr. Spaulding deceased in 1816. Mr. Spaulding's manuscripts then fell into the hands of his wife, as she positively states in a letter which was published in the Boston Recorder, 1839, and copied in the New Era.

From these testimonies it is shown that Mr. Spaulding resided in Pittsburgh only about two years. He then moved to Amity, Pa., where he died in 1816, when his writings fell into the hands of his wife, now Matilda Davidson. By this two years only are given for Sidney Rigdon to transcribe his manuscript, while Mr. Spaulding was at Pittsburgh; and that, too, when Mr. Rigdon was in the twentieth year of his age, for he was born in 1793, even if it could be proven that he was a printer, which cannot be done.

I quote from the family record of Mr. Rigdon, as kept by his father.
"He (Mr. R.) was born on his father's farm. Piney Fork of Peter's Creek, St. Clair town, Alleghany County, Pennsylvania, February, 19th, 1793, where he lived till the winter of 1818 and 19, and followed farming, and received a common English education. In the fall of 1817 he professed religion, and joined the Regular Baptist Church of that place; and in the winter of 1818 and 19 went to Beaver County, Pennsylvania, where he studied divinity with a Baptist preacher by the name of Clark, and was licensed to preach by the Conoquenessing Church. From there he went to Warren, Ohio, and was ordained a regular Baptist preacher, and returned to Pittsburgh in the winter of 1821 and 1822, and took the care of the First Regular Baptist Church  *   *   *  till the winter of 1827 and 28, when he (Sidney Rigdon) moved somewhere in the Western Reserve, in Ohio, and there continued to preach till the Latter Day Saints came to that part of the country, and he joined them, and continues to be an elder in that church, (Latter Day Saints, called Mormons)."
This history is signed by seven witnesses, the most of them Baptists, and was published to the world in 1843.

From this is shown by the most reliable testimony, that while Mr. Spaulding was a resident in Pittsburgh in 1813 and 1814, Mr. Rigdon was residing with his father, about twelve miles from Pittsburgh, and was laboring on his farm, and attending school; and was not, as claimed, a printer in Pittsburgh, and that he never resided in Pittsburgh until 1821, after he was ordained a Baptist preacher.

3. "Just at this period," says Mr. J. F. D., "Spaulding died, and Rigdon, who was a friend of Joseph Smith the juggler, and a 'Micawber' who was waiting for something to turn up," showed it to Smith. Smith being an unscrupulous genius, having read the manuscript, declared it to be the greatest production of the age, and immediately communicated to Rigdon the idea of converting Spaulding's novel into a Bible or book of faith for a new church.  *   *   *  Rigdon consented, and immediately the two commenced the preparation of the stone plates."

In this statement Joseph Smith is made the real instigator in projecting a scheme for founding a new church, who was at this time, when Spaulding died, but eleven years of age, for he was born in 1805. Notwithstanding his youth, rumor says, he was able to convince Sidney Rigdon, (?) the printer, that the copied manuscript of Spaulding was the greatest production of the age. Was both "a juggler," and was "waiting for something to turn up," What wonderful capacity this boy, but eleven years old, must have had! To be able to select the "greatest production of the age," and set on foot a religious society, in its great outlines, opposed to the whole religious world. How farseeing! The greatest miracle in the whole thing is, that men will believe it. Less credulity than this will believe in the ministration of angels.

The facts are these: Sidney Rigdon was never a printer, and never so much as saw Mr. Spaulding, much less his manuscript; neither did Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon ever see each other until the Book of Mormon was published to the world. For S. Rigdon lived in the western part of Pennsylvania, and Joseph Smith in northern New York -- hundreds of miles apart -- in those days of hard travel -- and at the time of Spaulding's death they were both at home working on the farms of their respective fathers.

4. "That on a certain day appointed, as in his vision directed, Smith, accompanied by certain witnesses, proceeded to Mt. Moriah and disinterred the plates; but according to his story, just as he was about to raise them from the ground, Satan appeared and violently hurled Smith from the spot. *   *   *  That he had been directed to a neighboring brook, where he would find an all-seeing stone, through which, if he looked, the mysterious characters upon the plates would appear as plain and as easily understood as the letters of the alphabet."

"This curious stone having been discovered by Smith, he declared that the book was to be revealed to him by chapters, and that Sidney Rigdon had been designated as his scribe. Smith then  *   *   *  retired for stated periods and when he had committed the first chapter of Spaulding's novel (which had been altered to suit his purpose) to memory, he looked through the stone in the presence of witnesses, and interpreted the first chapter, while Rigdon wrote the same down *   *   *   These facts, by much labor and investigation, Mr. Bachelor established."

Now it is a notorious fact, that Smith never claimed that "witnesses" accompanied him when he procured the plates; but that he went alone. Yet J. F. D. says Smith claimed he was thus "directed;" the falsity of which may be seen from Mr. Smith's published account of the manner of the discovery of the Book of Mormon, as given in his history by himself.

"But according to his story, just as he was about to raise them from the ground, Satan appeared and violently hurled Smith from the spot." This is also false. Mr. Smith has never made such a statement, neither can it be found in any of his writings. Yet Mr. J. F. D.., the relator of facts, says "this is his (Smith's) story." "That he had been directed to a neighboring brook where he would find an all-seeing stone." This is another glaring misrepresentation of J. F. D.'s, for Mr. Smith never claimed any such thing. The instrument which aided in the translation of the Book of Mormon, called by him "Urim and Thummim," was found in the box with the gold (not "stone,") plates, and this has ever been his testimony.

Instead of witnesses being present when he commenced translating, the record, there were none present at all save the one aiding in writing, which at one time was his wife, Emma; at another, Martin Harris, and lastly, Oliver Cowdery; and not S. Rigdon, as stated by J. F. D.

This man of "facts" again says, "Smith retired for stated periods and when he had committed portions of the book, and then appeared, looked through the stone, and revealed it to his scribes, and this process continued until the book was complete."

The Book of Mormon contains nearly as much reading matter as the Old Testament, and the idea that a man could commit to memory such a volume, and appear in disguise and communicate it to others, is of itself sufficiently marvelous to give the lie to the whole thing. But the beauty of this is still more apparent, when it is made known that the only person to hear this was the scribe; (which J. F. D. says was Rigdon). the man who read the story years before.

"Mr. Bachelor referred to the fact, that Prof. Anthon, of Columbia college, to whom the Mormon plates were submitted for an opinion as to the characters thereon, had declared the same to be of Greek, Hebrew, Persian, and other characters engraved upside down, and so interwoven with each other as to mean nothing, and to convey no intelligible thought, evidentually having been so arranged and engraved for the purpose of deception and confusion" Instead of this statement of Professor Anthon, making against the production of Mr. Smith, it rather testifies in his favor. Where did Smith learn the Greek, Hebrew and Persian languages, so as to write them upside down and intermingle them for the purpose of deception?

Is there an American youth, or youths anywhere, that can set to work and write Hebrew, Greek and Persian characters upside down, or downside up, without a long course of preparation? It would take years of studious labor, with an extensive knowledge of things, to qualify one for such a task; much less to attribute it to Joseph Smith, called indolent, idle and ignorant. But to the extreme matter: "And with very much learning, he showed that the twelve tribes, in passing from Scotland to America were said to have glass in the windows of their ships, before glass was discovered or used; and that hundreds of names and expressions in the Mormon Bible were purely modern and unknown to the ancients."

The Book of Mormon does not claim to give a history of the twelve tribes of Israel, as you affirm it does in your article; hence it is no crime to say you have willfully perverted it; but

it is a history of a branch of the tribe of Joseph, and a people who came to the land of America soon after the destruction of the tower of Babel. Neither does it claim that they emigrated from the "western coast of Scotland to the northwestern coast of America." But that they left Jerusalem in a south easterly direction, and afterwards went east, to the shore of India, from which they embarked and ultimately landed upon the coast of Central or South America.

It is not stated in the Book of Mormon that they had glass in the windows of their vessels. And if the statement was made, it would be no argument against the book at all, fir recent discoveries reveal that glass was manufactured in Egypt at the time of the building of the pyramids. That modern names and expressions appear in the book, is true; for it is a translation into the English language, and of necessity there must be English words used to express ideas in the English language.

"But great was his influence over the primitive church and ingenious as was the novel upon which it was founded, it could not have been kept together without the institution of polygamy." It is a historical fact that the church, which Mr. Smith was an instrument in founding, did stand for fourteen years during his lifetime, without the institution of polygamy in it. And if fourteen years, why not longer. Joseph Smith never received any revelation authorizing polygamy. Such a thought is not expressed in any of his writings.

The Book of Mormon says, page 116, "Hearken unto the word of the Lord, for there shall not any man among you have, save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none," In the Book of Covenants which contain revelations to Smith, the reading is, "A man shall cleave unto his wife and none else." It was the apostate, Brigham Young, with his adherents, that introduced polygamy, the first publication of which was made in 1852, eight years after Mr. Smith's death. In order to have his followers receive his doctrine, he told them that Joseph Smith received a revelation authorizing it before his death, which was given to him, (B. Y.), who had secretly preserved it until 1852, when it was published to the world. Neither has B. Young ever been able to bring evidence to the effect, that J. Smith ever had anything to do with his polygamy, either as authorizing or sanctioning it.

To show how utterly barefaced is the assertion, "That Mrs. Spaulding could repeat chapters of the Book of Mormon," I submit a letter of a correspondent of the Quincy (Ill.), Whig, a bitter anti-Mormon journal, which was published May, [sic] 1839. The writer says,

"I saw Mrs. Davidson, and her daughter, Mrs. McKinstry, and also Dr. Ely, and spent several hours with them; during which time I asked them the following questions, viz:
  Did you, Mrs. Davidson, write a letter to John Storrs, giving an account of the origin of the Book of Mormon?
  A. I did not.
  Q. Did you sign your name to it?
&;nbsp; A. I did not; neither did I ever see the letter till I saw it in the Boston Recorder; the letter was never brought to me to sign.
  Q. What agency had you in having this letter sent to Mr. Storrs?
  A. D. R. Austin came to my house and asked me some questions; took some minutes on paper, and from these wrote that letter.
  Q. Is what is written in the letter true?
  A. In the main it is.
  Q. Have you read the book of Mormon?
  A. I have read some in it;
  Q. Does Mr. Spaulding's manuscript, and the Book of Mormon agree?
  A. I think some of the names are alike.
  Q. Does the manuscript describe an idolatrous or a religious people?
  A. An idolatrous people.
  Q. Where is the manuscript?
  A. Dr. P. Hulbert came here and took it, said he would get it printed, and let me have one half the profits.
  Q. Has Dr. P. H. got the manuscript printed?
  A. I received a letter stating it did not read as they expected, and they should not print it.
  Q. How large is Mr. Spaulding's manuscript?
  A. About one third as large as the Book of Mormon.
Ques. To Mrs. McKinstry, How old were you when your father wrote the manuscript?
  A. About five years of age.
  Q. Did you ever read the manuscript?
  A. When I was about twelve years old, I used to read it for diversion.
  Q. Did the manuscript describe an idolatrous or a religious people?
  A. An idolatrous people.
  Q. Does the manuscript and the Book of Mormon agree?
  A. I think some of the names agree.
  Q. Are you certain that some of the names agree?
  A. I am not.

                       WM. H. KELLEY.
                 Elder of the Church of J. C. of L. D. S.
   COLDWATER, Mich., July 11, 1872.

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DEATH OF SIDNEY RIGDON.
________

The Philadelphia Telegraph announces the death of Elder Sidney Rigdon, date not given, under the caption of "Death of the man who copied the Mormon Bible." The article is copied by the Inter-Ocean, of Chicago, from which paper we quote it.

We cannot vouch for the truth of the statement that Mr. Rigdon is dead, as newspaper paragraphs of this description are not always to be relied on as correct.

Elder Rigdon was born in St. Clair township, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania, February 19th, 1793, which gives the time of his death as near the close of his seventy-ninth year.

His connection with the church began at an early date in its history; and continued till the death of Joseph and Hyrum, after which for a few years he led a portion of the saints into the Cumberland Valley. What there transpired is past; but the bond established over the minds of many was broken, and Elder Rigdon became apparently silent.

Since those events Elder Rigdon has had little or nothing to do with the church, or any part of its doctrines, until after the Reorganization began its forward movement; then one of the things rising up before it to dispute its right of way, was the claim made by Stephen Post, Dr. Joseph Younger, Joseph Newton and Wm. Hamilton, and others, who located at Attica, Marion Co., Iowa, and began missionary labors as "Zion's messengers."

We met Mr. Post at Nauvoo, where, in the Saints' Meeting Room, he presented the views he and his comrades held respecting Elder Rigdon, being the one who was to carry on the work left by Joseph, the Martyr, to its destined accomplishment. We then replied to Mr. Post in person, and invited him to stay and discuss with us all the possible points of difference between us; but Mr. Post could not stop at that time, nor has there been an opportunity since.

Eld. Ebenezer Page and a Mr. Boone called once at Plano, as they were on their way from Iowa to Canada. We also wished them to stop and talk to the people; but time would not permit them, and they passed on. Since their visit we learned by hearsay, a very unreliable source, that there had been some trouble among them at Attica, and that Messrs. Newton, Hamilton, and some others had been expelled [from] the society.

What the condition of these whilom [sic] saints will be, should Elder Rigdon be dead, we can only conjecture; but having no wish to injure their already wounded feelings in view of their loss, we will refrain from offering any speculation on the subject; and if they will permit us, we do offer them our condolence and sympathy in their distress, praying for their comforting after their days of mourning shall have ceased.

We will be glad to offer our columns for a biographical sketch of Elder Rigdon, his life and connection with the church, should any of his friends who are furnished with the data and information necessary to such a work, furnish us with one.

May he rest in peace, who so nobly and so ably aided in the work of the restoration in the early trials and sufferings of the church, and may the recollection of his virtues outlast the memory of his errors.


Note 1: This article was the first extensive piece the Herald ever carried on the Spalding authorship claims for the Book of Mormon. It appears that perhaps RLDS Elder William H. Kelley had been studying this issue and had a quantity of material at hand from which to draw information in refuting the Detroit Tribune reporter. Elder Kelley here gives the Haven-Davison conversation as originally printed. When RLDS Apostle Zenos H. Gurley, Jr., quoted the same material, in the July 15, 1875 Herald, he cut off the first portion of the potentially embarrassing 1839 Jesse Haven interview with Solomon Spalding's widow -- the part in which she is quoted as confirming her previous statement of 1839, in which she had claimed that her late husband had written a story much like the Book of Mormon.

Note 2: The RLDS of the 1870s were careful not to ruffle too many Rigdonite feathers, thus the soft-soap article in response to the erroneous report of Sidney Rigdon's death. Earlier articles on Rigdonism, in the Herald of the 1860s, were much less conciliatory. For the Herald's notice of Rigdon's actual death, see its issue of Aug. 15, 1876.

FARMINGTON, Graves Co., Ky.,    
Feb. 27, 1873.    

Dear Br. Banta:

According to your request I seat myself to let you know about the discussion. It closed to-day, after a four days' fight of four sessions each day. We had a tolerably pleasant time; however, my opponent got angry a few times, and flew the subject under examination.

While we were discussing the first proposition: "Is the word of God contained in the Old and New Testaments a sufficient rule, both of faith and practice, for the people of God," he would, every now and then, call over "Joe Smith," which was difficult for me to bear. He finally said that he had just as well end the matter at once; so he read Howe's letter purporting to be from the widow of Spaulding; in reply I soon read the extract from the Quincy, Illinois, Whig; and proved that the letter was a forged one.

He stated that Spaulding, after hearing Catherwood and Stephen's lectures on American Antiquities, was led to write his manuscript. I proved that Spaulding died in 1816, and Catherwood and Stephens did not start out on their exploring tour until 1820. He tried to prove that Elder Rigdon was one of the getters up of the Book of Mormon. I showed that the Book of Mormon was published two years before Elder Rigdon saw it. I called the attention of my opponent to the point, and told him before the congregation that I would debate the Book of Mormon under another proposition; but I could not get him to stick to the point...

J. C. CLAPP.   

Notes: (forthcoming)

OBITUARY.

It is with sorrow that we notice the departure from this life of Bro. Isaac Sheen.

A man so long known as a steadfast defender of the faith, and so intimately connected and acquainted with every step of the progress of the work, can but be seriously missed from his place by the Church. An able and discriminating collector of statistics, a careful compiler of facts, he was a strong man in the points upon which he had collated his proofs. A man of radical temperament, he was quite positive in debate, and what was to him right, he defended with all his powers; what was wrong, he opposed with vehemence, without fear of persons or consequences; he made some enemies and many friends.

Bro. W. W. Blair, in his discourse upon the occasion of the funeral, said of Bro. Sheen:

"Bro. Isaac Sheen was born at Littlethorpe, Leicestershire, England, December 22d, 1810. He emigrated to America in 1830, and for near ten years resided chiefly in Philadelphia and Germantown, Pennsylvania.

"He was raised under the influences of the Baptist Church, and drew thence, probably, his earliest thoughts concerning religion. On coming to America he associated largely with the Friends, for whom he formed a strong attachment. Like them, he took a deep interest in the cause of universal freedom; and he labored effectively for the abolition of American slavery, even periling his own life to secure to the colored man the sweets of human liberty that he himself enjoyed.

"In 1840, in the city of Philadelphia, he first heard the doctrines taught by the Latter Day Saints; and he received them with all readiness of mind, and in the same year was baptized and confirmed by Erastus Snow.

"In 1841 he was ordained at Kirtland, Ohio, by Elder Zebedee Coltrin, to the office of an Elder

"In August, 1842, he went to Nauvoo, Illinois, and thence to Macedonia, Hancock County Illinois, where himself and family remained until January, 1846.

"At the time of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, he took decided grounds against the usurpations of Brigham Young and the Twelve. He was always an uncompromising and outspoken opponent of polygamy and its kindred evils, and used his time and means freely in combatting them.

"In 1846 himself and family located in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he remained till 1863, when they removed to this place.

"In October, 1859, he first met with the Reorganized Church, at a semiannual conference, at the residence of Bro. Israel L. Rogers, where he readily embraced the work, and united with us. He was appointed by this same conference to edit and publish, with the aid of Elders Wm. Marks and W. W. Blair, The True Latter Day Saint' Herald. His connection with the Herald continued until 1872.

"On April 6th, 1860, he was selected as the president of the High Priests' Quorum, which office he filled with ability and acceptance till his death. He was appointed Church Recorder, and also held that office at the time of his decease."

"The sickness that terminated his life set in on Thursday, March 26th. From the first, many of his friends were premonished that his appointed hour of death was at hand. Medical skill, the most tender nursing, the prayers and tears of friends and loved ones, all were unavailing, -- he continued to fail from the first, and at four A. M. Friday, April 3d, his tried spirit fled the pulseless tenement of clay, to mingle with the spirits of the just, and with the holy angels in the glorious presence of our God and his Christ."

Bro Sheen was buried from the Saints' Meeting House [at Plano, Illinois] on Sunday, April 5th, his pall bearers bearing the corpse from his home to the church, thence by hearse to the grave....

Bro. Sheen stated a day or two before his death that he did not "desire to live longer in sickness and pain," and that he was prepared to go


Note: Additional information on the life of Elder Isaac Sheen was provided in a biographical sketch, written by his son and published in the Jan. 26, 1910 issue of the Saints' Herald. No proper biography of Elder Sheen has ever been published, but glimpses of his many interactions with other Reorganized Saints may be found in various old publications -- for example, see the RLDS Journal of History, Vol. 14 (1921) for numerous references to Isaac Sheen.

The Horse in Ancient America.

In the Book of Mormon it is stated that there were horses in America in the days of the Jaredites and the Nephites. This is regarded by not a few as conclusive evidence that the book is not true; for, say they, there were no horses in America till they were brought here by the Spaniards, at the conquests of Mexico and Peru by Cortez and Pizarro.

It is historically true that there were then no horses here; but it does not follow that there were none when the Nephites first came, B. C. 600, or 2,500 years ago; or in the times of the Jaredites, who lived here from 4,000, up to 2,000 years ago.

If any one had written the Book of Mormon in the light of history as known at the time it came forth -- in 1830 -- had written it in accordance with the views universally current then, and according to the wisdom of men only, they would have omitted mentioning the horse and various other large and small animals not known to exist here for the last 400 years, as having once lived on our continent.

If the learned Rev. Spalding had written the book as it was claimed he did, he would not have mentioned the horse, etc., for that would have brought him into contact with the statements of known history as he must have understood them. The school children of his day knew full well that the first horses of modern America were brought here by the Spaniards, much more persons educated and well informed

If O, Cowdery, who was an intelligent school-master, had written the book to deceive the people, and to palm off an imposture upon them, as a few claim he did, he, too, would have omitted mentioning the horse, etc., as having inhabited ancient America, for that idea was then repugnant to public sentiment, and contrary to accredited history. And what we have said in regard to Reverend Spalding and O. Cowdery, applies with similar force to S. Rigdon; for he, too, was an educated man, and was conversant with the current history of America and the general sentiment of the times in which the book came to hand....

... the real evidences, aside from the Book of Mormon, prove that the horse was once a native of America; and the probabilities are made strong and clear that he was so even during the times when the arts and sciences of civilized life flourished in the land. The evidences are largely in favor of the statements of the Book of Mormon, and are therefore important as proving its divine origin.     W. W. B.


Note: How Saints' Herald editorial writer Elder W. W. Blair conceived the existence of primitive, cat-sized Eocene horses in the ice-age Americas as somehow "proving" the "divine origin" of the Book of Mormon is difficult to explain. It may well be perfectly true that "the learned Rev. Spalding" and "the school children of his day knew full well that the first horses of modern America were brought here by the Spaniards." That much admitted, it does not explain why Spalding chose to introduce full-sized battle chargers and other modern horses into his one extant holographic story, the Spalding manuscript at Oberlin College. Far from "proving" the "divine origin" of the Book of Mormon, Spalding's anachronistic use of horses in the Oberlin manuscript might well be cited as a thematic parallel between its contents and those of the Book of Mormon. Why Oliver Cowdery allowed the Book of Mormon to go to the printer, containing numerous textual oddities, is anybody's guess. Perhaps he did not have the power to halt the book's being published just as it was written out in the manuscript made available to the Palmyra printer in 1829. Elder Blair might have done better to argue that, if Sidney Rigdon were the final editor of a Spalding Book of Mormon story, he would not have left mentions of horses in the text, and, therefore, he could not have served as such an editor. Of course Blair was the unaware of the horse mentions in Spalding's "other" writings.

[p. 225]

A Testimony of the Past

"LODA, Ill., Feb. 14th, 1874.          

Joseph Smith President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Plano, Illinois, dear sir: -- Accept my sincere thanks for the favors that came to hand this day, by mail, namely, a copy of the Book of Mormon and a copy of Parley P. Pratt's Voice of Warning, as well as your very welcome letter with your photograph enclosed; the same now occupies a place in my daughter's album and is very highly appreciated. Next in order comes many familiar names that you enumerate as co-workers in advancing the cause of gospel truth. While reading them over I was carried back some thirty odd years, and many incidents of, or about that period were made vivid in my memory; scenes that occurred when you was quite a little boy and I was in the prime of manhood. One particular circumstance I will mention, as it appears to me to be incontrovertible evidence of the fact that your father was no false pretender, but that he was a true prophet of the living God. I was practicing my profession in Kingston, Illinois, in the year 1837, and boarding with a Benjamin S. Wilber, a member of the Latter Day Saints' Church; his wife was also a member, and a most excellent little lady and very intelligent. In the fall of this year President Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Judge Elias Higbee and Porter Rockwell, came to this house on their way to the city of Washington, in accordance with a revelation given to the church at Commerce, (afterwards Nauvoo), through Joseph Smith, the prophet, to lay their grievances before the President of the United States,(Martin Van Buren), for the sufferings they underwent in Missouri, from which state the church had been driven by mob law, after many of them had been inhumanely murdered, and others driven from the lands they had purchased of the United States government in that state. On the arrival of this company at Mr. Wilber's I was told by Joseph Smith, the prophet, that if I was willing to obey the will of God, and, be obedient to his commandments, I must quit my practice and start the next day with them to the city of Washington, to aid them in their mission and minister to Elder Sydney Rigdon, who was very sick at that time. So, in obedience to this mandate, I suddenly closed my practice, and started the next morning, in company with these gentlemen, to visit the chief magistrate of the Union at the federal city.

I have many incidents, dottings and jottings, taken during our journey, one of which I will mention. After we got to Dayton, Ohio, we left our horses in care of a brother in the church, and proceeded by stage, part of us; and the same coach that conveyed us over the Allegheny Mountains also had on board, as passengers, Senator Aaron of Missouri, and a Mr. Ingersol, a member of congress, from New Jersey or Pennsylvania, I forget which and at the top of the mountain called Cumberland Ridge, the driver left the stage and his four horses drinking at the trough in the road, while he went into the tavern to take what is very common to stage drivers,
 

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a glass of spirits. While he was gone the horses took fright and ran away with the coach and passengers. There was also in the coach a lady with a small child, who was terribly frightened. Some of the passengers leaped from the coach, but in doing so none escaped more or less injury, as the horses were running at a fearful speed, and it was down the side of a very steep mountain. The woman was about to throw out the child, and said she intended to jump out herself, as she felt sure all would be dashed to pieces that remained, as there was quite a curve in the road, and on one side the mountain loomed up hundreds of feet above the horses, and the other side was a deep chasm or ravine, and the road only a very narrow cut on the side of the mountain, about midway between the highest and lowest parts. At the time the lady was going to throw out the child, Joseph Smith, your father, caught the woman and very imperiously told her to sit down; and that not a hair of her head or any one on the coach should be hurt. He did this in such confident manner that all on board seemed spell-bound; and after admonishing and encouraging the passengers he pushed open one of the doors, caught by the railing around the driver's seat with one hand, and with a spring and a bound he was in the seat of the driver. The lines were all coiled around the rail above, to hold them from falling while the driver was away; he loosened them, took them in his hands, and although those horses were running at their utmost speed, he, with more than herculean strength, brought them down to a moderate canter, a trot, a walk, and at the foot of Cumberland Ridge to a halt, without the least accident or injury to passenger, horse or coach, and the horses appeared as quiet and easy afterward as though they had never run away. One by one the passengers came along, some of them limping badly, others bruised; and some of them swearing about the driver and threatening to have him arrested, &c. At last the driver took his place and we were all going along nicely, when one of these members of Congress, after hearing the history of our ride, and escape from the lady on board, said it was a miracle, and if Jo Smith could perform such a miracle he would then believe he was a Prophet sent from God. This was Mr. Ingersol. Mr. Smith and Sydney Rigdon were both traveling incog., as if their real names had been made public on the way, especially that of Mr. Smith, we should have been very much annoyed by the inquisitive. Little did those gentlemen think that Joseph Smith was the identical man that was instrumental in the hands of God in saving that coach load of human beings from a terrible death.

"We made our first stop at Gadsby's hotel, in Washington City. Our board was seventeen dollars a week each, and we sought as soon as possible Senator Richard M. Young, our senator; and, after introducing our business to him, enquired if we could not get accommodations equally as well suited to our wants, for less money, in some private boarding house. We made arrangements at once with Mrs. Carlisle, mother of Counselor Carlisle, who lived at the corner of Third and Missouri Streets; and kept our illustrious travelers' names as yet incog.; which were, (Wallace and Bruce). Joseph Smith and S. Rigdon; but upon leaving, your father and S. Rigdon were asked for their cards, in exchange for those presented by our former fellow passengers in the stage, as this was the hotel where nearly all staid for a few days after arrival. When Mr. Smith presented his card, "Joseph Smith," the gentleman said, "Rather a notorious name. Are you any way related to the man they call the Mormon Prophet?" And your father replied, "I am he." He then introduced Sydney Rigdon, Judge Higbee and myself, and in less than two minutes it was known all over the hotel, and in an hour, all over the city; and although this was the latter part of the afternoon, it was in print and in two different papers that evening, that "Jo Smith, the Mormon Prophet, was in the city." And then cards began to roll in thick and fast, to have an interview with this wonderful man. We made the acquaintance of our Senator Young, and our members of the
 

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lower house as fast as possible, according to the instructions your father had received, and laid a history of the case before Martin Van Buren, the then President of the United States; who, after hearing the whole story, said he "could do nothing for us;" that he "had no power." He said we should appeal to the executive of the State, and the legislature and judiciary of the State of Missouri. Mr. Smith replied that all this had been done; and that he could get no relief nor even protection against further murder and molestation; that he and his people had been robbed, murdered, plundered, and driven from the very homes that they had bought and paid the United States government for, and still held the patents issued by them, which patents warranted and defended the soil, and guaranteed peaceable possession to the purchaser; and that in consequence of this very treatment he had laid his case before Almighty God, and he had received instruction to come to Washington and lay his case before the President of the United States; and if he refused to listen to him or regard the cries of the agents thus appointed, He would speedily proceed to vex the nation. Mr. Van Buren said he had no power; that we had better lay the case before Congress; and accordingly we shaped a paper with the advice and counsel of Senator Young and Mr. Stewart, of the House of Representatives. A memorial was drawn up and presented, with no better results than were found at any place that had been tried before. Henry Clay told us that we would never get any redress under that administration; that we had better do all we could to get a better administration, then we would get a chance. We staid there during the winter of 1839 and 1840 to testify before committees and attend to all we could in the premises and in the meantime to preach and talk to the heads of the nation upon the mission and calling of Mr. Smith in this latter day. Curiosity was on tip-toe, until many believed, and some were baptized and went back to Nauvoo, or Commerce, as it was then called.

"Benjamin Winchester and Elder Barnes were preaching at that time in Philadelphia, and Mr. Smith and Mr. Higbee went there and did some preaching, leaving myself in the city of Washington to take care of Mr. Rigdon, and also to wait upon every preacher in the city, irrespective of his church organization, and particularly to declare unto them the tidings of the Latter Day Saints, committed to this generation through Joseph Smith, Jr., and to warn them against the danger consequent upon its rejection. I commenced my duties as soon as I had any time, and called upon all the leaders of the different organizations of religion in the city. As a general thing I was pretty well received and very kindly treated. Mr. Spicer, of one branch of the Methodist persuasion, was extremely courteous, and I thought that they manifested a kind spirit; although some were apparently treating this strange doctrine with rather too much levity. I thought that my report would be uniformly favorable, but I had one ore visit to make; that was to Geo. C. Cookman, the chief preacher and elder of the other branch of the Methodist Church; and he was then chaplain of the United States Senate. On my introduction he was rigid as marble and cold as an icicle. He was proud, tonguey and arrogant in the extreme. I endeavored to show him all I could of the doctrine and convince him of its importance; and asked him to lay the matter before his people, or allow me or one of our company to do so in his church at some time that he might appoint when his pulpit would be at liberty. He told me to call again at a time that he set for that purpose, as he said he would like to see me in the presence of some of his pious friends. I went and there met some six or eight gentlemen and ladies, as well as the members of his own family. He was very unkind, and treated me and the subject very cavalierly; quoting some scriptures to put me and my strong [strange?] doctrines, as he thought, to confusion. I was only a neophite in the business and trembled before this goliath; but it so happened that while he was quoting scripture to put me down, his quotations were the strongest evidences of the truth I tried to impress upon him. He found
 

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he had got a bigger job on hand than he first anticipated, and then began to tell the meaning of the scriptures as he quoted in the Greek and Hebrew. I had a little knowledge in this department which I found very valuable, and on this score he made no headway. He then began denouncing Joseph Smith as an impostor, and his followers as dupes or knaves; and said he thought it strange that a man with as keen an eye as he said I had, with a fair share of miscellaneous capacity and intelligence, should be so deceived, and concluded that I was not a dupe but as big a knave as Smith.

I thanked him for the cross compliment, and told him he could find scholars attached to the Church that were able to read as many languages as himself, yet I believed them to be truthful and sincere servants of God; and that they would be very willing to measure their strength with him or any other opposer. I begged him to take time and consider the matter; not to decide hastily; that it was unwise to give a decision until both sides were fairly and fully before him. I asked him for his church, and told him that either Mr. Smith or Mr. Rigdon would be glad to illustrate the subject any time before him and his congregation. He said that my impudence could only be attributed to one of two causes, and he was constrained to believe it was not from ignorance, but was intended as an insult; that he would neither let me have his church nor hear anything further on the subject, and should take good care to warn his brethren and sisters against listening to any such blasphemy. With this he opened his library door, conducted me to the outer hall, and refused to give me his hand. I reported this to Mr. Rigdon, and wrote to Philadelphia to Mr. Smith the result of my labors. On the following Sunday this same George C. Cookman preached in his church, and told some strange tales; that he had had an interview with Jo Smith, that arch impostor, and that the doctrines he taught were very irreligious and inconsistent with Bible truth; that he, Smith did not believe in the Bible, but had got a new one, dug up in Palmyra, New York; and that it was nothing but an irreligious romance, and that Smith had obtained it from the widow of one Spaulding, who wrote it for his own amusement. I wrote this to Mr. Smith, and he said there must be some preaching in Washington to counteract these statements, as he was sure God had some people in that city. We first got an upper room of an engine house to speak in, but half, no, not a quarter of the people could get in. We had speaking then in the open air, on Pennsylvania Avenue, near that place, and gave out that there would be further services as soon as a room could be obtained. Before night some people secured the use of Carusi's saloon, one of the largest and most comfortable rooms in the city, outside the capital building, and at night there was held service. A great many of the members of Congress and the heads of departments were present, as well as Martin Van Buren . We, of the committee from Illinois, all took the speaker's desk. And when near the close, who should come into the hall but Joseph Smith himself. We speedily got him on the stand, and I had the honor of introducing him to that vast audience. He had just come in on the train from Philadelphia, and was tired, but he arose by the invitation of many who called for him, and on that occasion he uttered a prophecy, one of the most wonderful predictions of his life. He advanced to the statements made by this George C. Cookman, declaring them to be willfully and wickedly false, and that if he, Cookman, did not take it back and acknowledge that he had dealt falsely of him, his people, and his own congregation, also that he must turn and preach the truth and quit deceiving the people with fables, he should be cut off from the face of the earth, both he and his posterity. And he said that this should be so plainly manifest that all should know it. At this, many gentlemen took out of their pockets their tablets and began to take notes of the prophecy; and Mr. Smith noticing them, "Yes," said he, "write it on your tablets; write it in a book; write it in your memory; for as sure as God ever spoke by my mouth, all these things shall come to pass."
 

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Henry Clay, Felix Grundy, Tom Benton, John Q. Adams and many other celebrated characters were present at this time. Now, instead of Cookman doing according to justice and truth, he became more virulent than ever, and laid all the obstacles in our way the he could during our stay in the city. The matter appeared to be forgotten by many, and I thought often upon the subject, having taken notes also. Soon after this there was an extraordinary excitement in the religious world, and they appointed a conference of all orthodox religions to assemble in England, at a certain time, to adopt measures of harmony between all the sects; the United States were invited and accepted a part in these proceedings to break down the partition wall that separated the various churches. George C. Cookman was elected or appointed as a delegate for the District of Columbia to represent his views on the subject, standing, as he did, at the very head of the church, and Chaplain of the United States Senate. Now he, being an Englishman by birth, and his family in suitable circumstances for a pleasure trip, at the appointed time he, Cookman, thought it would be very pleasant to take his whole family with him, and this he did. Both he, his wife, and all his children went on board the steamship President, and neither the ship nor a soul is left to tell what was their sad end. But the prophecy is fulfilled to the letter, and the words uttered on that occasion have never been forgotten by me, nor I presume by hundreds of others. Had Cookman gone alone, it might be charged to chance, but why was it that his whole family were suddenly cut off, both root and branch.

This sir, is one of many wonderful evidences that Joseph Smith was as much a prophet as Jonah, who foretold the destruction of Nineveh; or Nahum, who prophesied concerning the present locomotion for traveling; both of them took centuries and one of them thousands of years for their fulfillment, but the prophecy by Joseph Smith on George C. Cookman has been literally fulfilled in the shortest possible period; and that too in its fullness, beyond the possibility of question from any source.

On my return from Washington, I moved to Nauvoo, and there I was able to learn more fully of the doctrine and the people who belonged to the Church. I have many records of prophecies, and the doings and teachings I heard at that city that are marvelous to me; and I have no means of ascribing many of them to any other sources than the power that holds all things by His sovereign will, and makes known his purposes through His servants the Prophets.

I will mention that /i was the accepted physician of the Church; was at the bedside of the aged Patriarch Joseph Smith, Senior, at his death; received his nearly last blessing, taken down by a scribe at the time, and have it yet. I was also present at the death of Don Carlos Smith; was intimate in the families of all, and was recommended by Joseph Smith very highly; and on one occasion, when Brigham Young came home from England, I was sent for in great haste to administer to him, as he was very sick and in great danger of dying. I was successful in getting him through that terrible prostrate situation in which I found him. Joseph Smith was present on the occasion, and told him to take what I prescribed, and he did so. After this, in talking with Mr. Smith on the subject and telling him what I considered his disease, he said I was right; and remarked in the presence of Mr. Law, Bishop Knight, John P, Green, Reynolds Cahoon, and some others, that "if Brigham Young became the leader of the Church, he would lead them down to hell." I little thought that he would ever occupy that position, but he has it over one branch of the Church at least; and from all accounts he is filling the letter of the prophecy.

You are at perfect liberty to use any thing I write in any way you may deem best for the purpose of benefiting the honest in heart; for what I write is nothing but the truth, as it was uttered in my presence, and has often been spoken by me since the death of Joseph Smith, your father.
 

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230

TRUE  L.  D.  SAINTS'  HERALD.

Vol. 22

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I will tell you also another prophecy that Joseph Smith uttered in my presence, that has been proved true. This was in relation to Stephen A. Douglas. He said he was a giant in intellect, but a dwarf in stature, that he would yet run for President of the United States, but that he would never reach that station; that he would occupy a conspicuous place in the counsels of the nation, and have multitudes of admiring friends; and that in his place he would introduce and carry out some of the most gigantic measures in the history of the nation. This was said when Douglas was Judge in that district of Illinois, and before he ever went to Congress. Has it not been fulfilled? Did he not get Andrew Jackson's fine remitted by law, a thing that was by all considered impossible? Did he not introduce the bills for the covering of Illinois with railroads, without one cent's expense to the general government? Under his management, were not the Illinois bonds raised from a condition nearly worthless to a value nearly par with currency? Did he not rule in and through the State of Illinois, work and carry out its destiny for twenty consecutive years, more than any and all other men together? Was he not always one of the greatest men in the Senate? Did he not do more for the line of compromise on slavery than any other one man? Did he not say, 'and cursed be the ruthless hand that attempts to remove it?' Did he not run for President and get defeated? Did he not take the most active part in removing or breaking down that line of compromise? Let the history of Kansas and Nebraska tell the story! Did he not fulfill his destiny, and at last, on his dying bed, bequeath his children to his country, and counsel them to obey the laws and the constitution? Did he not utter these memorable words at the commencement of the rebellion, 'That there were only two parties in all the land; the one called Patriots, the other Traitors?' Was it not true? Did he not throw his adhesion to A. Lincoln at the time of deep trouble? And does he not now occupy an honored spot in the memory of his many friends, and a sacred spot in his own loved city of Chicago? Yes, this prophecy has been literally fulfilled in my day, and I bear testimony to its truth, when compared with history.

This is enough for this time, I have many things yet to say, but will wait your report on this, and perhaps you will scarcely be able to read my poor writing; for I am a poor scribe, and in consequence of a cataract on my eyes, am nearly blind.

I know something about some of the leaders at Salt Lake City, and to my sorrow too, as many of them forgot to settle claims that I still hold against them. I and my whole family were driven from the city, (of Nauvoo, Author.) my property confiscated, and thousands, yes, tens of thousands of dollars worth of my property was taken and sold, and I was defrauded out of the whole by wicked and corrupt men, aided by the head men that now live in Salt Lake City. The records of my property were carried away, and never could be obtained, and I was reduced from affluence and wealth to poverty by their means. And they claim to have done all these things in obedience to the commands and will of God.

With consideration of very kind regards, I am, sir, yours for the truth.

"ROBERT D. FOSTER."     

Note 1: The Rev. George Grimston Cookman (1800-1841) served as the Chaplain of the United States Senate from December 31, 1839 to June 11, 1841. As Dr. Foster points out in his letter, Rev. Cookman sailed from New York City for Liverpool, England, March 11, 1841, on the steamship "President." The ship apparently sank during its crossing of the Atlantic, as it was never heard from again. His first son, Rev. Alfred Cookman was born Jan. 4, 1828 in Columbia, Lancaster, Pennsylvania and died Nov. 13, 1871 in Newark, New Jersey. Another son, Rev. John Emory Cookman, was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, June 8, 1836, and died in New York City some time after 1886. Given this documented survival of two of Cookman's sons, it is difficult to understand why Dr. Foster says that "his whole family were suddenly cut off, both root and branch." During the early years of the 20th century, the Herald twice published an admission of the facts, implying that Foster's memory had failed him when it came to the fate of Cookman's family.

Note 2: Dr. Foster's recollection of a preaching and prophecy session held by Joseph Smith, Jr., at Carusi's saloon in Washington, D. C. is not otherwise documented. Smith left Washington for Philadelphia on Dec. 21, 1839 and apparently remained in the latter city until Jan. 27, 1840. Therefore, if Joseph Smith, Jr. really did preach before a distinguished audience in Carusi's saloon, it must have been on or about Jan. 27, 1840. On about Feb. 10, 1840 Smith left the nation's capital for Nauvoo. Therefore, if there is any record of his preaching and prophecy in Carusi's saloon, it should be preserved as a newspaper article, journal entry, mention in a letter, etc., from the short period between Jan. 27 and Feb. 10. In fact, there are sketchy reports of Smith having preached in Washington on Wed., Feb. 5, 1840, but that can hardly be the session held at Carusi's saloon, when Joseph Smith, Jr. had "just come in on the train from Philadelphia."

Note 3: Dr. Foster does not specify exactly when it was that Rev. Cookman preached to his Washington congregation, telling them that Joseph Smith's "new" Bible (the Book of Mormon) had been "dug up in Palmyra, New York; and that it was nothing but an irreligious romance, and that Smith had obtained it from the widow of one Spaulding, who wrote it for his own amusement." Presumably this occurred on or about Jan. 5, 1840, in Cookman's first Sunday sermon of the new year. Dr. Foster had time to write about the matter to Smith, who was then in Philadelphia, and to obtain Smith's reply by mail, telling him (Foster) to do "some preaching in Washington to counteract these statements" of Cookman's. Thus, it is more than likely that when elders Joseph Smith, Parley P. Pratt, Dr. Foster, Sidney Rigdon and Benjamin Winchester sat down to hold a "special conference" in Philadelphia on Jan. 13, 1840, that the subject of Rev. Cookman's repetition of the Solomon Spalding authorship claims was a fresh matter of importance and instantly became one of the important topics discussed by those same men at their "special conference." Pratt was then able to inform the group how he had counteracted similar claims about the Spalding authorship then being made in the New York papers. Winchester subsequently consulted with Pratt at length in Liverpool, and returned to Philadelphia to produce his 1840 pamphlet, the first major Mormon response to the Spalding claims.

Note 4: Assuming that Joseph Smith, Jr. really did preach at Carusi's saloon, on or about Jan. 27, 1840, he had plenty of time to prepare himself for a public refutation of Rev. Cookman's allegations concerning the origin of the Book of Mormon and the " irreligious romance... of one Spaulding." Exact details are lacking, but this reported preaching session may have marked Joseph Smith, Jr.'s first (and only known) formal, public disavowal of the Spalding authorship claims. For a passing mention of Cookman's disappearance at sea, see the Nauvoo Times and Seasons for July 1, 1841 In later years the editors of the Saints Herald distanced their church from Foster's report of Joseph Smith's alleged curse upon Rev. Cookman. For another mention of the episode, see the "Preface" to Wayne Cowdrey et al., 2005 edition of Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon?

"Golden Tablets" Reviewed.

Editor Chicago Times: -- Being a subscriber to your valuable paper, permit me through its columns to correct some of the bungling false statements made by J. M. S., in his article dated Salt Lake City, Utah, May 3d, 1875.

It is claimed in that article that one "Rev. Solomon Spaulding, a classic scholar, in the year 1809, wrote a romantic and fabled history of the 'ten lost tribes of Israel.' The book was completed in 1813, but never published, having been stolen from the publishers." The foregoing statement will be not a little amusing to all conversant with the Book of Mormon, as it exposes largely the ignorance of its author. The Book of Mormon does not claim to be, neither is it a history of the "ten lost tribes," consequently, can not be the "manuscript" of the aforesaid Solomon Spaulding; and if J. M. S. will be good enough to read the account of the battle of "Cumorah," as described in the Book of Mormon, he will discover that they were not the "ten lost tribes," as asserted by him, who were slain there, nor any part thereof; but a "branch of the house of Israel which had been broken off."

J. M. S. tells us that the manuscript of Rev. Spaulding was "stolen from the publishers;" he fails to give us the date of this incident, (or accident), but we suppose it was sometime. I have before me a supposed copy of a letter, written by Mrs. Matilda Davison, of Monson, Massachusetts, the wife, formerly, of Rev. Solomon Spaulding, gotten up expressly to oppose, "Mormonism;" and in it we read that "during their stay in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Mr. Spaulding made the acquaintance of one Mr. Patterson, an editor of a newspaper. He exhibited this manuscript to Mr. Patterson, who was very much pleased with it, and borrowed it for perusal. He retained it a long time, but at length the manuscript was returned to the author; and soon after we removed to Amity, Washington Co., Pennsylvania, where Mr. deceased in 1816; (at this period Joseph Smith was eleven years old.) The manuscript then fell into my hands, (Mrs. Spaulding then), and was preserved carefully." In the same letter it is claimed that the manuscript was kept by the same lady until "1834, when Dr. Philastus Hulbert came to my house and obtained it," So if there be any truth in this letter, the manuscript was not stolen, as claimed by J. M. S.; but remained in the hands of Rev. Spaulding's widow, from A. D. 1816 to 1834, the latter period being four years subsequent to the time of publishing the Book of Mormon.

In a letter written by John Haven, of Holiston, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, to his daughter, Elizabeth Haven, of Quincy, Adams County, Illinois, and published in the Quincy Whig, (republished in Times and Seasons, January, 1840), we find the following: "Your brother Jesse passed through Monson, where he saw Mrs. Davison and her daughter, Mrs. McKinstry, and spent several hours with them; during which time, among other questions, he asked the following: Q. -- Have you read the Book of Mormon? A. -- I have read some of it. Q. -- Does Mr. Spaulding's manuscript and the Book of Mormon agree? A. -- I think some of the names are alike. Q. -- Does the manuscript describe an idolatrous or a religious people? A. -- An idolatrous people. Q. -- Where is the manuscript? A. -- Dr. P. Hulbert came here and took it, and said he would get it printed, and let me have one-half of the profits. Q. Has Dr. P. H. got the manuscript printed? A. -- I received a letter, stating that it DID NOT READ AS THEY EXPECTED, and they should not print it. Q. How large is Mr. Spaulding's manuscript? A. -- About one-third as large as the Book of Mormon. Questions to Mrs. McKinstry. Q. -- How old were you when your father wrote the manuscript? A. -- About five years of age. Q. -- Did you ever read the manuscript? A. -- When I was about twelve years old I used to read it for diversion. Q. -- Did the manuscript describe an idolatrous or a religious people? A. -- An idolatrous people. Q. -- Does the manuscript and Book of Mormon agree? A. -- I think some of the names agree. Q. -- Are you certain some of the names agree? A, -- I am not. Have you ever read any in the book of Mormon? A. -- I have not."

This evidence, coming from a purely outside source, and published in a "Gentile" paper, unsolicited by "Mormons." should, we think, give it caste and credibility among the "Gentile" world. Therefore, whatever duplicity may be charged to the former letter quoted, this one of Mr. Haven's puts a quietus to the common rut of error into which J. M. S. and others have fallen; viz., "stealing of the manuscript." and shows positively that the manuscript of Rev. Solomon Spaulding remained with him and his widow, (Mrs. Davison), until 1834; when Dr. P. Hulbert and others obtained the same, with the intent of refuting the Book of Mormon; but, finding "it did not read as they expected," concluded to hide it up and secrete the manuscript, knowing, as we have every reason to believe, that that was their only hope of hiding their folly and wickedness; as they, like others, had charged the publishers of the Book of Mormon with "plagiarism."

The manuscript, we notice, described an "idolatrous people," while the Book of Mormon is the history of a people who were cognizant of God and his laws, and believed in the principle of future rewards and punishments, in the which "God will reward all men according to their works." They accepted Jesus Christ as the Savior of men, and insisted that "no other name was, or should be given, whereby salvation can come unto the children of men."

Again, the manuscript was about "one-third the size of the Book of Mormon." We notice that eleven unimpeached witnesses testify to all the world, that they "saw, and (some) did handle with their hands," the "golden plates" from which the Book of Mormon was translated. Oliver Cowdery, one of the "three witnesses," who died a few years since, I am credibly informed bore a faithful testimony to the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon upon his death-bed. He was not a dupe of Brigham Young, nor an endorser of his deviltry. Martin Harris, also, who was living last winter in Cache Valley, Utah, bore testimony to the truth of the Book of Mormon that year, but did not endorse Brigham Young's misrule. David Whitmer, the other one of the "three," within the past year repeated his testimony concerning the same book, and never followed B. Young or his accursed practices. These witnesses, so far as we have any account, are respectable citizens of the land, whose testimony would be acceptable in any court; and before J. M. S. shall again attempt to impeach the Book of Mormon with twaddle, a few grains of common sense will, if he permit them, point to the internal evidence of the book, and the unimpeached witnesses to be first disposed of.

As regards Sydney Rigdon being the "founder of Mormonism," as frequently stated and strongly hinted at by J. M. S., we assert that it is entirely false. Mr. Rigdon was born in Alleghany County, Pennsylvania, February 19th, 1793. "In the fall of 1817 he professed religion, and joined the regular Baptist church. In 1818 or 1819 he went to Beaver County, Pennsylvania, where he studied divinity with a Baptist preacher by the name of Clark, and was licensed to preach by the Conoquenessing church, and went from there to Warren, Ohio, and was ordained a regular Baptist preacher, and returned to Pittsburg in the winter of 1821 or 1822, and took care of the first regular Baptist church." In "1824," it appears that Mr. Rigdon withdrew from the Baptist church in part, preferring to endorse, as he did, the views of Alexander Campbell. "In 1827 or 1828, he removed to the 'Western Reserve, in Ohio, and there continued to preach until the Latter Day Saints came to that part of the country," which did not occur until the fall of 1830, at which time the Book of Mormon was presented to Rigdon for the first time, who, after examination, endorsed the work, and was baptized.

From the foregoing testimony, it will be seen that the statement made by J. M. S., that "Sidney Rigdon was one of the publishers" of the Book of Mormon, and that from the lost manuscript Joseph Smith stole his idea of the Book of Mormon." &c., is one of those half-starved falsehoods, begotten, nurtured and admired by that class of animated toads who croak and hop like other toads of lesser length of limb....

... In conclusion, we advise J. M. S., and all others when convenient, to visit Plano, Illinois, on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, and inform themselves of the only true "Mormon organization" extant, by calling upon Joseph Smith, son of Joseph Smith, (who was killed at Carthage), who in company with his brethren in Christ, are endeavoring to rescue the truth from the reproach and shame brought upon it through the wicked acts of those professing to be Saints, and to reclaim the honest from the deadfalls of Brigham-Youngism, the practice of which is a stench in the nostrils of all good people; a blotch upon the fair escutcheon of our liberties; a fraud and imposition, and a shame to our government.

Asking the privilege of being heard, I remain with respect,     Z. H. GURLEY.
PLEASANTON, Decatur Co., Iowa,
    June 1, 1875.


Note 1: Apostle Zenos H. Gurley, Jr. (1842-1912) was the son of the co-founder of the RLDS movement, Apostle Zenos Hovey Gurley, Sr. (1801-1871). The younger Zenos eventually fell away from a strict belief in the RLDS dogma and cooperated with apostate Charles A. Shook in compiling embarrassing material for the latter author's anti-Mormon books.

Note 2: Gurley's account builds upon the one provided by Elder William H. Kelley in the Jan. 15, 1873 Herald. However, Gurley breaks new ground by excising the embarrassing admission in the 1839 Haven interview, that Spalding's widow admitted the veracity the letter reporting her first interview, held earlier that same year: "Q. Is what is written in the letter true? A. In the main it is."

Note 3: Gurley's claim that the 1839 published Haven interview was "a purely outside source, and published in a 'Gentile' paper" is a patent lie. Far from being "unsolicited by 'Mormons,'" the 1839 Haven interview was conducted covertly by a first cousin of Brigham Young, a Mormon missionary sent to do damage control for the Church in a carefully planned encounter with Spalding's widow. The publication of his interview "in a 'Gentile' paper" was an outright "plant" by the Mormon leadership -- so that the report might indeed appear to be "unsolicited by 'Mormons.'" Gurely is either grossly ignorant of the facts, or (more likely) continuing the old Mormon cover-up and whitewash methods of the previous generation, in regard to the origin and purpose of the 1839 Haven interview.

DEATH  OF  SIDNEY  RIGDON.
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The Pittsburg Gazette, and also the Pittsburg Telegraph contain notices of the death of Sidney Rigdon, at Friendship, Allegheny county, N. Y. on the 14th of July, as we understand. We are indebted to brethren C. G. Lanphear and E. W. Knight for the papers. Br. Blair also sent us a copy of a Pittsburg paper, containing a reply of his to certain statements in a previous issue, about Sidney's connection with the church, but we have mislaid the scrap since cutting it out.

The Telegraph attempts to tell the old tale of the association of Joseph and Sidney in the Spalding story inception of the "new doctrine;" but the Gazette gives the real facts in the case, saying that it was while he was zealously engaged in working for the "Christian" or "Disciple" Church, in Ohio, that he met elder P. P. Pratt in debate, and becoming worsted therein, he joined the Mormon Church, and many of his congregation with him. Both papers speak of his standing in the community as a conscientious and law abiding citizen, and one much respected. He is said to have been in the eighty-fourth year of his age, and for years past to have been a student of science and a lecturer on geology.


Note: The July 18, 1876 issue of the Pittsburg Telegraph contained a sort of obituary for Sidney Rigdon. In part, it reads: "The manuscript of the Book of Mormon was set up in a printing office in Pittsburg in 1812, with which young Rigdon was connected. Soon after getting possession of a copy of Spalding's manuscript he left the printing office and became a preacher of doctrines peculiar to himself and very similar to those afterward incorporated into the Book of Mormon." The Telegraph reporter does not specify exactly how Rigdon was "connected" with the "printing office in Pittsburg in 1812," nor exactly which of the "doctrines" he preached during his early years as a Baptist minister were later "incorporated into the Book of Mormon." Presumably the Pittsburgh paper "containing a reply" written by RLDS Elder W. W. Blair's letter was a late July issue of the Telegraph.

SPAULDING  STORY  REFUTED.
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We have received the following items from Br. William Small of Philadelphia, in relation to the "Spaulding Story" of the origin of the Book of Mormon. It was written by request of Br. Wm. W. Blair, while he was in Philadelphia this fall. Br. Small writes as follows:

"While I was living in Pittsburgh in 1841, at the time so much was said of the Book of Mormon, and in connection with the Solomon Spaulding Story. It was stated that the Spaulding manuscript was placed in Mr. Patterson's hands for publication, and that Sidney Rigdon was connected with him at the time. In connection with John E. Page I called upon General Patterson, the publisher, and asked him the following questions, and received his replies as given:

Q. -- Did Sidney Rigdon have any connection with your office at the time you had the Solomon Spaulding manuscript?
A. -- No.

Q. -- Did Sidney Rigdon obtain the Spaulding story at that office?
A. -- No.

He also stated to us that the Solomon Spaulding manuscript was brought to him by the widow of Solomon Spaulding to be published, and that she offered to give him half the profits for his pay, if he would publish it; but after it had laid there for some time, and after he had due time to consider it, he determined not to publish it. She then came and received the manuscript from his hands, and took it away. He also stated that Sidney Rigdon was not connected with the office for several years afterwards. Gen. Patterson also made affidavit to the above statement.
          Your brother in Christ,
                  WILLIAM SMALL."
   Philadelphia, Sept. 13th, 1876.


Note 1: Elder Small's testimony in regard to John E. Page's 1841 interview with Robert Patterson of Pittsburgh is an important document. Assuming that his testimony is fully accurate, it shows that "Sidney Rigdon was not connected with" Patterson's book and stationery business, until "several years" after the death of Solomon Spalding. And even that "connection" was probably much less direct and substantial than Rigdon's having actually served in Patterson's employment in the book and stationery selling business. Whatever "connection" Rigdon may have ever had with Patterson was most likely through the printing shop of Silas Engles or that of Butler and Lambdin. These shops were associated with Patterson's occasional book publishing ventures, but were apparently not under his full ownership or direct supervision.

Note 2: Small's account of the Widow Spalding making one last attempt to get her late husband's writings published by Patterson is elsewhere unattested and may not be relied upon as being totally accurate. For example, it is possible that Mrs. Spalding merely served as a courier between her husband and Patterson during the last months of Solomon Spalding's life at Amity, Pennsylvania. Whatever the details of their interaction may have been, according to Small, at least, the widow Spalding "received the manuscript from his hands, and took it away." This most likely happened in late 1816 or early 1817. Small's account of course conflicts with the one printed by E. D. Howe in 1834, and attributed to the widow as its source: "While they lived in Pittsburgh, she thinks it [i. e. Spalding's manuscript] was once taken to the printing office of Patterson & Lambdin; but whether it was ever brought back to the house again, she is quite uncertain," (Mormonism Unvailed, pp. 287-288. If Howe's account accurately reproduces the widow's statements in 1833, she either held back information or did not remember dealing with Patterson directly. The fact that "the printing office of Patterson & Lambdin" did not exist during her 1812-16 stay in the Pittsburgh region may indicate that the Howe report is flawed. Patterson & Lambdin's publishing venture began operations months after the widow had departed the area, and was never a "printing office," since the partnership's printing was done by Butler & Lambdin, a separate business in Pittsburgh. See also comments accompanying the text of John E. Page's 1843 pamphlet and Alexander Campbell's Aug. 1843 report in the Millennial Harbinger.

REPLY  TO  CHICAGO  INTER-OCEAN  ON
THE  SPAULDING  STORY.

The following is written in reply to an article published last fall in the Chicago Inter-Ocean, to which we thought to reply, but the press of office labor prevented, and the author of this article having also thought to reply it was so arranged, and we think he has presented an excellent argument. It is now published in the HERALD, having been offered to the Inter-Ocean and refused by that paper.

Editor Inter-Ocean, Dear Sir: -- In your issue of October 26th, Mr. J. L. B. of Clarinda, Iowa, has undertaken to enlighten the present generation on the origin of the Book of Mormon; and concludes his article with a very interesting "black cat" and "walking on the water" story.

In trying to prove that the Book of Mormon was a plagiarism or fabrication from the old "Romance" of Solomon Spaulding, he seems to have little idea of the extent of the task he has on hand; but we propose to introduce here a few items that may help him to a proper estimate of that work. And as he puts great stress upon sworn testimony of Mrs. Solomon Spaulding, and that of some of her old neighbors as evidence in the case, we shall examine that in connection with that of E. D. Howe, author of "Mormonism Unveiled," first and we may then, if time and space permit, give you a little Mormon testimony, and then let a candid public judge for themselves. We do not propose to insert this testimony in full any further than is necessary to get at the turning points of the matter.

First then, in 1833, or thereabouts, E. D. Howe and Dr. Rosa (alias Philastus Hulbert) of Painesville, Ohio, for reasons which we trust we will hereafter explain, undertook the work entitled, "Mormonism Unveiled." Having heard something of an old work of one Solomon Spaulding, an old Presbyterian preacher of Conneaut, Ohio, who undertook in 1810 or 1811 to write a fictitious account of the migration of some Jews to America, and their wars, settlements, and national affairs, so as to account in a plausible way for the tumuli, and other antiquities about Conneaut, Hulbert spent a whole year in tracing up the Spaulding family, in order, if possible, to get the old romance, compare it with the Book of Mormon which had then been three years published, and if possible use it for the purpose of destroying the credibility of the witnesses to the genuineness and real origin of the book

On this tour, Hulbert claims to have come in contact with many of Spaulding's old neighbors, in the different localities where he had formerly resided, and some thirty-seven pages of "Mormonism Unveiled," are made up of the affidavits and certificates of many of these persons, to prove that Joseph Smith and his associates were vagrants, money-diggers, and superstitious, ignorant and vicious persons, and that they got up the Book of Mormon as a speculation.

First among these is the affidavit of Peter Ingersol, "Dated Palmyra, Wayne county, New York, Dec. 2, 1833, certified by Thomas T. Baldwin, Judge of Wayne county court, to have been sworn before him, according to law, 9th day of Dec., 1833.

This same Peter Ingersol is now a resident of Lapeer county, Michigan, and solemnly denies that he ever signed or made oath to this affidavit, or any other affidavit on the subject. In 1833, moreover, there was in the State of New York no such office as Judge of the "County Court." Circuit Courts, Courts of Oyer and Terminer; Common Pleas, and General Sessions, were held for every county, but there was no "County Court."

Upon an examination of all these certificates, it will be perceived that not one of them is authenticated in legal form; some are not signed at all; they are often contradictory and much of them is upon hearsay. Not one of them is certified under the seal of any court.

When it is considered that religious animosity is the most bitter of all human hatred, and that these were got up on the ground where Joseph Smith commenced his ministry, among those most bitterly opposed to him, if these certificates were really genuine, the wonder would not be that though a righteous man, so much was said against him but too little.

Bunyan, Luther, Calvin, Knox, Wesley, Whitefield, if so judged upon the exclusive testimony of their enemies would come off worse, and Jesus and his Apostles far worse. But at this time, while most of the witnesses, whose testimony is recorded against him, are yet living, scattered through half the States and able to answer for themselves, the Saints know and continually assert that most of these certificates are forgeries, never sworn to signed, nor seen by those whose names are signed to them, and they perpetually challenge the world to investigation, assured that the cause which must be supported by perjury is rotten.

Hulbert finally arrived [in] Monson Middlesex county, Massachusetts, where he found the widow and daughter of Solomon Spaulding, and whether or not he obtained the grand object of his search and labor of love from the widow, that is the "Romance" written by her husband some twenty-three years before, took it and kept it safely in his possession, or destroyed it as he chose, so that afterward, when Sidney Rigdon was to be accused of stealing it, and manufacturing the Book of Mormon out of it, it might not be to be had by any one curious enough to make a comparison of it with the Book of Mormon, may be best determined from his own statements, and those of the widow Spaulding, her daughter Mrs. McKin