- Dale R. Broadhurst's  SPALDING  RESEARCH  PROJECT -


The Dale R. Broadhurst Spalding Papers

Paper #09: Early Statements Regarding the Spalding Theory

 





Note: This web-document will be rendered obsolete with the posting of
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Early Statements


Regarding the Spalding Theory


for the Origin of


The Book of Mormon


(1833 - 1842)






Spalding Research Project
Working Paper No. 09
by: Dale R.Broadhurst
Methodist Theological School in Ohio
May 1980
Rev. 3: January 1999 (e-text)






- 01 -




Early Statements Regarding the Spalding Theory

for the Origin of

The Book of Mormon

The following early statements regarding the Solomon Spalding Authorship Theory for the origin of the Book of Mormon are presented here as an anthology of all known pertinent remarks published during the earliest years of the popularizing of the theory. To the best of my knowledge this is the only attempt ever made to collect and present in one place an exhaustive reproduction of these materials. The cut-off date of 1842 was chosen for two major reasons. First: it is safe to assume that publications in circulation up to and including the year 1842 could have easily been brought to the attention of Joseph Smith, Jr., Sidney Rigdon, and other top Mormon leaders. Had they chosen to do so, these leaders could have responded in print to any of the claims and allegations contained in these statements. In only one or two cases did the Mormons leaders directly address the contents of these statements with their own personal answers. Generally the leaders were content to allow such responses to be made by lower ranking Elders associated with the Church newspapers or publishing activities in the missionary fields centered in major American cities. Secondly: after about 1842 the number of published references to the theory in popular American and British literature multiplied greatly. Although many of the books and articles published after 1842 relied only on already printed secondary sources, their appearance betokened a period of greater popular notice of Mormonism. They also marked a new phase in publicizing the Spalding theory and many are best considered somewhat apart from the initial statements and events surrounding their solicitation and publication

The transcripts which are presented here do not necessarily preserve the exact orthography of the original texts as first published. For the needs of detailed examination and scholarly reporting the originals themselves should be referred to. The e-texts collected here are meant only to serve the casual reader as a helpful introduction and index to the early literature on this subject.



Index of the Early Statements


Source

Austin, D.R.
Badlam, A.
Bacheler, O.
Campbell, A.
Chardon Spectator
Cowdery, O.
Cowdery, O.
Cunningham, A.
Davison, M.S.
Davison, M.S. & D.R. Austin
Davison, M.S. & J. Haven
Geauga County Court
Hall, J.
Howard, N.
Howe, E.D. & D.P. Hurlbut
Hyde, O.
Lake, H.
Livesay, R.
M'Chesney, J.
Miller, J.N.
Painesville Telegraph
Patterson, R., Sr.
Patterson, R., Sr.
Patterson, R., Sr.
Pratt, P.P.
Pratt, P.P.
Rigdon, S.
Robinson, E. & D.C. Smith
Rosa, S.
Smith, J., Jr.
Smith, J., Jr.
Smith, J., Jr.
Smith, O.
Spalding, J.
Spalding, M.
Storrs, J.
Storrs, J.
Sunderland, L.
Turner, J.B.
Wayne Sentinel
Winchester, B.
Wright, A.
 		Year

1841
1839
1838
1835
1834
1834
1835
1833
1833
1839
1842?
1834
1841
1833
1834
1834
1833
1838
1838
1833
1834
1834
1835
1842
1838
1839
1839
1840
1841
1834
1835
1838
1833
1833
1833
1839
1841
1838
1842
1833
1840
1833
 		Page

19
14
31
30
26
28
29
03
05
07
13
28
21
03
06
32
04
32
32
04
25
05
17
21
06
11
09
33
20
27
30
31
02
01
01
32
18
32
21
25
14
02







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