id not translate according to that which you ed of me, and did commence again to write y servant, Joseph Smith, jun., even so I I that ye should continue until you have ed this record, which I have entrusted unto and then, behold, other records have I, that give unto you power that you may assist nslate. e patient, my son, for it is wisdom in me, is not expedient that you should translate s present time. Behold, the work which you alled to do, is to write for my servant Joseph; ehold, it is because that you did not continue u commenced, when you began to translate, I have taken away this privilege from you. Ot murmur, my son, for it is wisdom in me have dealt with you after this manner. -ehold, you have not understood; you have osed that I would give it unto you, when you no thought, save it was to ask me; but, beI say unto you, that you must study it out our mind; then you must ask me if it be and if it is right I will cause that your bohall burn within you; therefore, you shall hat it is right; but if it be not right, you have no such feelings, but you shall have oor of thought, that shall cause you to forhe thing which is wrong: therefore you canwrite that which is sacred, save it be given Tom me. Tow if you had known this, you could have ated; nevertheless, it is not expedient that hould translate now. Behold, it was expedihen you commenced, but you feared and the is past, and it is not expedient now: for, do t behold that I have given unto my servant h sufficient strength, whereby it is made up; either of you have I condemned." he work was now resumed, Harris and lery acting as assistants; and in the time "revelations" were given to varither parties, several of whom appear wards among the first founders and leadthe sect. They are much of the same cter, partly almost in the same words, sting of announcements of the "great narvelous work" about to come forth, of promises of spiritual endowments to ersons addressed, if they have a desire sist in "bringing forth and establishing" d faith to believe in the word of the by his prophet. Revelations were also to "David Whitmer," who, with Mararris and Oliver Cowdery, was chosen up the number of three witnesses mend in Section xxxii., above quoted. ortly after, in the same month of June, , the minds of the three witnesses were ed to be ripe for the operation of attest at of that which they had not "Behold, I say unto you, that you must rely upon my word, which if you do, with full purpose of heart, you shall have a view of the plates, and also of the breastplate, the sword of Laban, the Urim and Thummim, which were given to the brother of Jared upon the mount, when he talked with the Lord face to face, and the miraculous directors which were given to Lehi while in the wilderness, on the borders of the Red Sea; and it is by your faith that you shall obtain a view of them, even by that faith which was had by the prophets of old. "And after that you have obtained faith, and have seen them with your eyes, you shall testify of them, by the power of God; and this you shall do that my servant Joseph Smith, jun., may not be destroyed, that I may bring about my righteous purposes unto the children of men in this work. And ye shall testify that you have seen them, EVEN AS MY SERVANT JOSEPH SMITH, JUN., HAS SEEN THEM, for it is by my power that he hath seen them, and it is because he had faith; and he has translated the book, even that part which I have commanded him, and as your Lord and your God liveth it is true. "Wherefore you have received the same power, and the same faith, and the same gift like unto him; and if you do these last commandments of mine, which I have given you, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; for my grace is sufficient for you, and you shall be lifted up at the last day. And I Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God, have spoken it unto you, that I might bring about my righteous purposes unto the children of Amen."-Covenants and Commandments, men. Sect. xlii. Upon the strength of this "revelation," the prophet obtained, as an endorsement of his work, the following "Testimony of three Witnesses," which is appended or prefixed to all the editions of the Book of Mormon. "Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people unto whom this work shall come, that we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken; and we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice (i. e. through Joseph Smith,) hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true. And we also testify that we have seen the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord we should bear record of it; wherefore, ient unto the commandments of God, stimony of these things. And we know are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our of the blood of all men, and be found efore the judgment-seat of Christ, and 1 with him eternally in the heavens. onor be to the Father, and to the Son, Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen. "OLIVER COWDERY, DAVID WHITMER, MARTIN HARRIS." s testimony that of eight other is added, who profess to have handates, and seen the engravings thereheir declaration is brought in withccount of the circumstances under ey were admitted to the sight of a o long and so mysteriously guarded, were one and all intimately conth Joseph Smith, and embarked in ne, which they hoped would have crative one. Besides, though their ntinue to appear in the successive of the Book of Mormon, of the itnesses, six apostatized from the oseph's lifetime; while of the other e died before him, and two were brothers. No weight whatever, can attach to this attestation of ence of the golden plates; on the it makes rather against the authore prophet, since, in his "revelane number of persons who should tted to see the plates is expressly -three. As regards the value of testimony, in particular, the followcote is conclusive : 6 66 ses. To stimulate his flagging zeal, he was favored, in March, 1830, with an alarming revelation," which throws a singular light upon the footing on which Harris, the prophet, and, it would seem, the prophet's wife, were with each other at this time. We give the more important passages : "Behold, the mystery of Godliness, how great is it? for, behold, I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment, for endless is my name: wherefore- Eternal punishment is God's punishment. Endless punishment is God's punishment. Wherefore I command you to repent, and keep the commandments which you have received by the hand of my servant Joseph Smith, jun., in my name; and it is by my Almighty power that you have received them; therefore I command you to repent -repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore-how sore you know not! how exquisite you know not! yea, how hard to bear you know not! “And again, I command thee that thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife; nor seek thy neighbor's life. And again, I command thee that thou shalt not covet thine own property, but impart it freely to the printing of the Book of Mormon, which contains the truth and the word of God, which is my word to the Gentile, that soon it may go to the Jew, of whom the Lamanites are a remnant, that they may believe the gospel, and look not for a Messiah to come who has already come. 66 Behold, this is a great and the last commandment which I shall give unto you concerning this matter; for this shall suffice for thy daily walk, even unto the end of thy life. And misery thou shalt receive if thou wilt slight these counsels; yea, even the destruction of thyself and property. Impart a portion of thy property; yea, even part of thy lands, and all save the support of thy family. occasion, a sensible and religious gen-Pay the debt thou hast contracted with the printer. Palmyra put the following question to Did you see these plates?' Harris rehe did. But did you see the plates and ings on them with your bodily eyes? plied, Yes, I saw them with my eyes; shown unto me by the power of God, E man.' 'But did you see them with al, your bodily eyes, just as you see this in my hand? Now say no or yes to rris replied, I did not see them as I do -case, yet I saw them with the eye of w them just as distinctly as I see anyund me, though at the time they were ver with a cloth." Release thyself from bondage. Leave thy house and home, except when thou shalt desire to see thy family; and speak freely to all: yea, preach, exhort, declare the truth, even with a loud voice, with a sound of rejoicing, crying, Hosanna, hosanna! blessed be the name of the Lord God." Covenants and Commandments, Sect. xliv. 2, 3, 5. This admonition produced the desired effect. Harris became both paymaster and witness for the Book of Mormon, and an elder of the Church. This, however, was only a beginning of what awaited him; for in August, 1831, when the settlement in Missouri had ears, indeed, pretty plain that Har-been determined on, and community of goods his moneys before the bishop of the Church. also, this is a law unto every man that cometh this land, to receive an inheritance; and he do with his moneys according as the law Es. And it is wisdom also, that there should nds purchased in Independence, for the place -store-house, and also for the house of the ng. And other directions concerning my servant in Harris shall be given him of the spirit, that ay receive his inheritance as seemeth him And let him repent of his sins, for he seekhe praise of the world."-Covenants and andments, Sect. xviii. §§ 7, 8. great was the ascendancy which Joseph essed over the mind of Harris, that in of all his misgivings, and of all his losses disappointments, he continued with him the year 1837, when the failure of the ety Society Bank," established by the net at Kirtland in Ohio, having swallowed e remainder of his property, he returned eat disgust to Palmyra, and openly deced Joseph as "a complete wretch." ve must not anticipate. fore we proceed with our history, it will oper here to give a short account of With regard to the real origin of this book, we cannot do better than transcribe from the "Boston Weekly Messenger" of May 1st, 1839, the following document, which, with remarkable simplicity and manifest truthfulness, tells its own tale : ORIGIN OF THE "BOOK OF MORMON," OR "GOLDEN BIBLE." "As this book has excited much attention, and has been put by a certain new sect, in the place of the Sacred Scriptures, I deem it a duty which I owe to the public, to state what I know touching its origin. That its claims to a Divine origin are wholly unfounded, needs no proof to a mind unperverted by the grossest delusions. That any sane person should rank it higher than any other merely human composition, is a matter of the greatest who dwell in enlightened New England, and even astonishment; yet it is received as Divine by some by those who have sustained the character of devoted Christians. Learning recently that Mormonism has found its way into a church in Massachusetts, and has impregnated some of its members with its gross delusions, so that excommunidelay no longer doing what I can to strip the mask cation has become necessary, I am determined to from this monster of sin, and to lay open this pit of abominations. ontents of the book which has made so noise in the world, and of its probable 1. As regards its contents, it professes the history of the descendants of one of the tribe of Joseph, who emigrated Jerusalem in the days of Zedekiah, with our sons, one of whom, Nephi, was a to New Salem, Ashtabula county, Ohio; someprophet. After many perils by land times called Conneaut, as it is situated upon Conby sea, they reached the continent of neaut Creek. Shortly after our removal to this ica, where they divided into two great place, his health sunk, and he was laid aside from es, the Nephites, or white men, and the active labors. In the town of New Salem there nites, or red men. Besides the history are numerous mounds and forts, supposed by se tribes of the ancient stock of Israel, many to be the dilapidated dwellings and fortifications of a race now extinct. These ancient uding an alleged descent of Christ upon relics arrest the attention of the new settlers, and merican Continent, after his ascension become objects of research for the curious. NuMount Olivet,-the book contains a merous implements were found, and other articles y of prophetical matter. Nephi fore-evincing great skill in the arts. Mr. Spaulding with astonishing minuteness, not only being an educated man, and passionately fond of oming of the Messiah, but the history of history, took a lively interest in these develophristian Church during the first four ments of antiquity; and in order to beguile the hours of retirement, and furnish employment for ries. Another great prophet, Mormon his lively imagination, he conceived the idea of me, nearly a thousand years after Ne-giving an historical sketch of this long lost race. and four hundred years after Christ, he part of Ezra, by collecting the plates ich the records and documents of his re engraved, and completing the golden ; which is deposited after his death son Moroni under the hill, where, 1427 after, by direction of the Angel, it is by Joseph Smith, in fulfillment of the ture prophecy, that "truth shall spring the earth."* "Rev. Solomon Spaulding, to whom I was united in marriage in early life, was a graduate of Dartmouth College, and was distinguished for a At the time of our marriage, he resided in Cherry lively imagination and a great fondness for history. Valley, New York. From this place we removed Their extreme antiquity of course would lead him to write in the most ancient style, and as the Old Testament is the most ancient book in the world, he imitated its style as nearly as possible. His sole object in writing this historical romance was about the year 1812. Hull's surrender at Detroit to amuse himself and his neighbors. This was occurred near the same time, and I recollect the date well from that circumstance. As he pro All's Prophet of the Nineteenth century. En his narrative, the neighbors would from time to time to hear portions read, eat interest in the work was excited em. It claimed to have been written by e lost nation, and to have been recovered earth, and assumed the title of 'Manuand.' The neighbors would often inquire S. progressed in deciphering the manund when he had a sufficient portion he would inform them, and they would to hear it read. He was enabled, from intance with the classics and ancient o introduce many singular names, which ticularly noticed by the people, and could y recognized by them. Mr. Solomon had a brother, Mr. John Spaulding, In the place at the time, who was permiliar with this work, and repeatedly whole of it read. New Salem we removed to Pittsburgh, re Mr. S. found an acquaintance and the person of Mr. Patterson, an editor of aper. He exhibited his manuscript to who was very much pleased with it, and it for perusal. He retained it a long informed Mr. S. that, if he would make e-page and preface, he would publish it, ght be a source of profit. This Mr. S. to do, for reasons which I cannot now -idney Rigdon, who has figured so largely story of the Mormons, was at this time d with the printing-office of Mr. Patter= well known in that region, and as Rigelf has frequently stated. Here he had -portunity to become acquainted with Mr. g's manuscript, and to copy it if he chose. matter of notoriety and interest to all who nected with the printing establishment. the manuscript was returned to its ausoon after we removed to Amity, Washounty, Pa., where Mr. S. deceased in The manuscript then fell into my hands, carefully preserved. It has frequently mined by my daughter, Mrs. McKenstry, on, Massachusetts, with whom I now reby other friends. After the "Book of came out, a copy of it was taken to em, the place of Mr. Spaulding's former , and the very place where the " Manuund" was written. A woman preacher a meeting there, and in the meeting read ated copious extracts from the "Book of "The historical part was immediately ed by all the older inhabitants, as the work of Mr. S., in which they had been ly interested years before. Mr. John gwas present, who is an eminently pious d recognized perfectly the work of his He was amazed and afflicted, that it have been perverted to so wicked a purHis grief found vent in a flood of tears, 1 Hurlbut, one of their number, to repair to this place, and to obtain from me the original manuscript of Mr. Spaulding, for the purpose of comparing it with the Mormon Bible, to satisfy their own minds and to prevent their friends from embracing an error so delusive. This was in the year 1834. Dr. Hurlbut brought with him an introduction and request for the manuscript, signed by Messrs. Henry Lake, Aaron Wright, and others, with all whom I was acquainted, as they were my neighbors when I resided in New Salem. "I am sure that nothing could grieve my husband more, were he living, than the use which has been made of his work. The air of antiquity which was thrown about the composition, doubtless suggested the idea of converting it to purposes of delusion. Thus an historical romance, with the addition of a few pious expressions and extracts from the Sacred Scriptures, has been construed into a new Bible, and palmed off upon a company of poor deluded fanatics, as Divine. I have given the previous brief narration, that this work of deep deception and wickedness may be searched to the foundation, and its author exposed to the contempt and execration he so justly deserves. "MATILDA DAVISON. "Rev. Solomon Spaulding was the first husband of the narrator of the above history. Since his decease she has been married to a second husband by the name of Davison. She is now residing in this place; is a woman of irreproachable character, and an humble Christian, and her testimony is worthy of implicit confidence. "A. ELY, D.D., "Pastor Cong. Church in Monson. "Principal of Monson Academy. "Monson, Mass., April 1st, 1839." The story told by Mrs. Davison has since been the subject of careful investigation by other parties interested in unmasking the Mormonite imposture, and has not only been found correct, but has been confirmed by many circumstantial details, which those of our readers who may feel curious on the subject, will find briefly recorded in the second chapter of Mr. Caswell's "Prophet of the Nineteenth Century." For our present purpose it suffices to have authenticated the quarter from which Joseph Smith derived the materials of a work, which he was by no means qualified by his education to compose. Nor can there be much doubt left as to the medium through which the book found its way out of the printing-office at Pittsburgh into the hands of Joseph Smith. There is a name mentioned in Mrs. Davison's narrative, which figures conspicuously, as we shall pre ion as a money-digger pointed out as a and unto him will I give power to bring forth my per person for so audacious an attempt word unto the seed of thy loins; and not to the impose upon the public, only proves the bringing forth my word only, saith the Lord, but -p cunning with which the scheme was to the convincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them. Wherefore, trived. The pretended translation from the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of ind the curtain, of which Martin Harris the loins of Judah shall write; and that which s made the dupe, was nothing more than shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also ictation of Spaulding's romance, with such that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins =rations and embellishments as would suit of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confoundparticular purpose which the two con- ing of false doctrines, and laying down of contenerates-for such Sidney Rigdon and Jo-thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of tions, and establishing peace among the fruit of h Smith doubtless were at this early pe- their fathers in the latter days; and also to the -had in view. The fact that the pre-knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord. And ion of the discovery of the "golden out of weakness he shall be made strong, in that tes," by a prophet in the latter days oc- day when my work shall commence among all in the "books of Nephi," substituted for my people, unto the restoring thee, O house of 116 pages which had been abstracted, is Israel, saith the Lord. And thus prophesied Joritical circumstance. Joseph having in-bless; and they that seek to destroy him, shall be seph, saying: Behold, that seer will the Lord arded Spaulding's manuscript with his confounded; for this promise, of which I have dictions of himself in the character of a obtained of the Lord, of the fruit of my loins, at prophet, could not venture to reproduce shall be fulfilled. Behold, I am sure of the fulAnd his name shall be same matter, as the least discrepancy filling of this promise. ween his first and second "translation" called after me; and it shall be after the name of ld have proved fatal to his whole device. his father. And he shall be like unto me; for ce the delay of ten months, during which, the thing which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my l probability, Smith was not only engaged people unto salvation; yea, thus prophesied Jondeavoring to recover the lost manuscript, seph, I am sure of this thing, even as I am sure in secret communication with Rigdon, as of the promise of Moses; for the Lord hath said he best way of extricating himself from unto me, I will preserve thy seed for ever. dilemma in which he found himself so the Lord hath said, I will raise up a Moses; and xpectedly placed. I will give power unto him in a rod; and I will give judgment unto him in writing. Yet I will not loose his tongue, that he shall speak much; for I will not make him mighty in speaking. But I will write unto him my law, by the finger of mine own hand; and I will make a spokesman for him. And the Lord said unto me also, I will raise up unto the fruit of thy loins; and I will make for him a spokesman. And I, behold, I will the fruit of thy loins, unto the fruit of thy loins; give unto him, that he shall write the writing of and the spokesman of thy loins shall declare it. And the words which he shall write, shall be the words which are expedient in my wisdom should go forth unto the fruit of thy loins. And it shall be as if the fruit of thy loins had cried unto them from the dust; for I know their faith. And they shall cry from the dust; yea, even repentance unto thy brethren, even after many generations have gone by them. And it shall come to pass that their cry shall go, even according to the simpleness of their words. Because of their faith, their words shall proceed forth out of my mouth unto their brethren, who are the fruit of thy loins; and the weakness of their words will I make strong in their faith, unto the remembering of my covenant which I made unto thy fathers.' he prophecy, itself, which points to Jo- uns thus: And Joseph truly testified, saying: A seer shall Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice unto the fruit of my loins. Yea, Joseph said, thus saith the Lord unto me: A choice will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; e shall be esteemed highly among the fruit y loins. And unto him will I give command, that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy - his brethren, which shall be of great worth them, even to the bringing of them to the ledge of the covenants which I have made thy fathers. And I will give unto him a mandment, that he shall do none other work, the work which I shall command him. And 1 make him great in mine eyes; for he shall ny work. And he shall be great like unto The latter part of this "prophecy" seems es, whom I have said I would raise up to point to Sidney Rigdon, the position asyou, to deliver my people, O house of And Mioses will I raise to designed to him in it tallying exactly with that un |