[ 19 ]
II.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE BOOK.
THE first venture made by young Smith in the line of mystification was as a "Water Witch." Armed
with a forked hazel rod he moved from point to point over the country, successfully locating some hidden streams,
and gaining reputation thereby; and meeting with many failures, of which all mention was discreetly omitted by
himself and followers. His father had laid claim to a like power, and contented himself with its practice; but
the more ambitious boy soon discovered that a success equal to his expectations must come from enlarged claims
and more ample powers
From locating subterranean veins of water he advanced to the discovery of hidden riches, and was soon practicing
the new profession as actually as he had pursued the old. Of his career as a seeker after hidden wealth many
stories have been told, some of which no doubt are pure fabrications, while others may have a narrow foundation
in fact. Others are well authenticated. When the Smith family lived at Manchester, Joseph assisted his father in
well-digging. In September, 1819, they were engaged in such occupation upon the premises of Clark Chase, near
Palmyra, and the famous "Peek Stone" of ante-Mormon fame was brought to light. With the earth thrown to the surface,
there appeared a
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Early Days of Mormonism.
small stone, shaped something like a human foot, opaque, and of a clear, whitish appearance.
The children of Mr. Chase claimed it as a matter of natural possession, but young Joe advanced the claim of discovery,
and carried it home in his hands. Under the encouragement of his mother, in whose eyes all things took on a supernatural
tinge, the stone became a fossilized miracle that had been awaiting his coming for many years. With a bandage over his
eyes he would fall upon his knees and bury his face in the depths of an old white hat, where the stone was already
hidden. Out of these oracular depths he would tell his gaping audience where the treasures of Kidd and others lay
concealed; locate the trail of wandering flocks; point out the deposit of stolen goods; and perform other wonderful
things which only those of that faith which asked no questions could believe. His father and brothers accepted his
claims with a confidence suggestive of a charming simplicity of mind, or a purpose of making his cunning of substantial
benefit to the family. The cupidity of neighbors was excited, and they were determined that no fault of theirs should
compel the wealth of the old buccaneers to longer corrode and rust in the bosom of the earth.
Companies of diggers were organized, and the spade and lantern made nocturnal raids in company. Such faith had arisen,
in Joseph and the "Peek Stone" that in 1820 he was enabled to raise a small sum of money from his dupes to defray the
expense of reaching a vast deposit of wealth he had located during one of his explorations of the wonderful hat. At the
mid-hour of the chosen night the,
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21
little company, with Joseph in the lead, repaired to a small hill near his father's house. A mysterious ceremony was performed by Smith, and the spades were driven sharply into the earth, in the midst of profound silence, stirred only by the nervous excitement of those who were there in obedience to an actual faith. Not a word was spoken, else the magic of those with whom Joseph was in commune and by whose sufferance he was present, should whisk the treasure to some far corner of the earth.
The labor was carried on for two hours, Joseph standing by with a wand in band, directing along what line the shaft should be sent. As the crisis approached and it was felt that a few strokes more would crown the venture with success and place them all beyond the reach of want, the devil made an inopportune visit and prevailed upon some member of the party to speak. The riches that were so close at hand took unto themselves wings, and were beyond the reach of spade and peek stone forever.
There were those among the skeptical of Manchester who affirmed that one of the Smiths had spoken at the opportune moment, to relieve Joseph of an embarrassing dilemma, but those who had set out to be duped were consistent in their purpose and refuted all counter argument by declaring that there was a heavy odor of brimstone at the moment the speech was heard, and that the very earth vibrated under their feet, as the iron money-chests were magically hurled from beneath them.
One other occasion of like character has been placed on record. After Joseph had pointed out the position of the treasure, it was announced that a
22
Early Days of Mormonism.
sheep must be slain as a blood-offering, upon the spot, before work could be commenced with any hope of success. By a coincidence that would be remarkable to one who did not know the Smiths, a neighbor, William Stafford, who in early life had been a sailor, and never overcame the superstition of an ocean life, possessed a fine black ewe that he had been fattening for the market. The statement of conditions being made in his presence, he promptly offered the sacrifice, on condition that he should be a sharer in the spoils. , When the diggers reached the designated spot a circle was described, the sheep killed, and the blood sprinkled under Joseph's direction. The work went on in silence for some hours, when Satan. again made his appearance, and the scheme was frustrated. Stafford was compelled to console himself with the belief that the remains of his sheep had been taken by the Devil as a trophy of war, and the fact that one of the Smiths had disappeared with it some time after the work commenced, may have been suggested to him, although he was discreet enough to hold his peace.
This money-digging fraud of the Smiths was kept up at irregular intervals from 1820 to 1827. The experience Joseph gained in handling his dupes was of great aid to him in the larger operations of later years. He had a natural power over men, and could gain and hold an ascendancy in cases where most impostors would have failed. No story that he could invent seemed too wild for belief, and no failure of to-day stood in the way of a ready and willing obedience to-morrow. It was this success that led him on, by gradual stages, to schemes of audacious falsehood
The Evolution of the Book.
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that even he would have refused to sanction in the start.
Joseph's own statement as to how he came to turn his attention to spiritual things, widely differs from the facts furnished by those about him. His mind, he says, had been prepared by the incidental reading of a portion of the New -Testament during a great revival excitement; and he believed that to ask for heavenly wisdom was to make ertain of an answer. The Methodists had inaugurated the movement in the neighborhood, and had received the aid of the other denominations. When the converts that had been made by this union movement began to choose their future church homes, they were naturally con. fused and perplexed by the special claims of superior right and safety put forward by each. His mother gave a nominal adhesion to the Presbyterians, whither she was followed by two sons and one daughter. Joseph confesses to a leaning on his own side toward the Methodists.
Uncertain as to which way he should go, and tom by conflicting emotions, he was led to retire to a solitary place in the forest, for prayer and meditation. "After I had retired into the place," he writes, "where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so when I was seized u on by some,power which entirely overcame me, and had such astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were-doomed to
24
Early Days of Mormonism.
But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me,
and, at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction -- not to an imaginary
ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such a marvellous power as I had never
before felt in any being -- just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above
the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner approached than I found myself
delivered from the power of the enemy which had held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two personages whose
brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name,
and said, pointing to the other, 'This is my beloved Son -- hear him!'" *
Burdened with his difficulty as to which church he should join, he asked his heavenly visitor his duty in the premises,
and was told to attach himself to none, as all creeds were an abomination. Darkness then passed upon his vision, and
when he came once more to his normal condition he found himself prone upon his back, with his gaze turned heavenward.
Pursuing his narrative, Joseph states that he continued at his farm work, and in three years, on the 21st of
September, 1823, was granted another and far more important visit from the upper world. Upon retiring in the evening
of the day last mentioned, he betook himself to prayer, asking forgiveness for his
__________
* "The Rocky Mountain Saints." By T. B. H. Stenhouse, New York, 1873. p. 15.
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25
many sins and follies, and also for a manifestation, that he might know of his religious standing. He felt "full
confidence" in receiving a response, and while thus in the act of calling upon God, discovered a light in the room,
"which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday."
A person appeared at his bedside, "standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor. He had on a loose
robe of most exquisite whiteness." His hands and feet were naked; his head and neck bare. The youth felt no fear.
The visitor called him by name, and said that he was a messenger from God; that God had a work for him to do, and
that his name should be had for good or evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues. He said there was a book
deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent and the source
from whence they sprung. That the fullness of the everlasting gospel was contained in it as delivered by the Saviour
to the ancient races of the world.
Also that "there were two stones in silver bows (and these stones fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is
called the Urim and Thummim) deposited with the plates, and the possession and use of these stones was what
constituted seers in ancient or former times, and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book."
After relating these things the angel quoted many prophecies of the Old Testament, declaring that they were not yet
fulfilled. He afterward told Joseph that when he was given the plates he should mot show them, nor the breastplate,
to any person
26
Early Days of Mormonism.
those to whom he should be commanded to show them. If he did he should be destroyed. Twice more during the night the messenger approached in the same manner, rehearsing the same thing, and on the third visit added a caution that Satan, on account of the poverty of the Smiths, would tempt Joseph to get the plates for mercenary uses, but that he must be influenced by no other purpose than a desire to build up a kingdom.
The mental excitement attendant upon this inter. view was such that when Joseph went to his labor on the following day he was so exhausted that his father insisted upon his returning home. In doing so he attempted to cross a fence, but his strength failed him, and he fell to the ground in an unconscious condition. The first thing he recollected was hearing his name called, and when he looked up he beheld the same messenger standing over his head and surrounded by light. All that had been related during the night was again told him, and he was instructed to tell his father of the visions and the commandments he had received. He returned and did so, and his, father replied that it was of God, and bade him go and do as directed. Joseph immediately repaired to the locality where he had been told the plates were deposited, and at once recognized it.
Smith's statement continues: "On the west side of this hill, not far from the top, under a stone of considerable size, lay the plates, deposited in a stone box. This stone was thick and rounded in the middle on the upper side, and thinner toward the edges, so that the middle part of it was visible above the ground, but the edge all around was covered with
The Evolution of the Book.
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earth. Having removed the earth and obtained a lever which I got fixed under the edge of the stone, and with a little exertion, raised it up, I looked in and there, indeed, did I behold the plates; the Urim and Thummim and breastplate as stated by the messenger.
"The box in which they lay, was formed by laying stones together in some kind of cement. In the bottom of the box were laid two stones crossways of the box, and on these stones laid the plates, and the other things with them. I made an attempt to take them out, but was forbidden by the messenger. I was again informed that the time for bringing them out had not yet arrived, neither would until four years from that time; but he told me that I should come to that place precisely in one year from that time, and that he would there meet with me, and that I should continue to do so until the time should come for obtaining the plates." *
Joseph obeyed the command of the angel, and every year met him at the appointed spot to receive his instructions
as to what the Lord wished done, as well as revelations as to the manner in which His kingdom was tg be governed
in the latter days.
Joseph's father attempted to describe the beginning
__________
* One mile from the Smith residence was the farm of Alonzo Saunders, four miles south of Palmyra. It includes the
now famous hill, which rises abruptly to the height of one hundred and fifty feet; the ridge runs almost due north
and south, and from the summit thereof beautiful views of the hills surrounding Canandaigua and Seneca Lakes may be
obtained. It is known to the present generation as "Gold Bible Hill." To Joseph it was the Hill Cumorah.
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Early Days of Mormonism.
of these things, in an interview in 1830, * when the claims of the young man had begun to be noised abroad. He
declared that when the son was fourteen years of age, and yet very illiterate, he happened one day to be present
when a man was "looking" into a dark stone, and informing people where money and other buried treasures could be
found. Joseph asked permission to look also, and when the request was granted, placed his face in the hat where
the stone was deposited. It did not prove to be the special seer-stone gauged to his vision, but he was enabled to
discern a few things, and among them was the stone that was meant for him, and its location at the time. The place
was not far from their house, and under pretence of digging a well, they reached it at the, depth of some twenty feet.
After this, the father added, Joseph made use of it, and spent a couple of years in the money-searching adventures
already described.
Despite the attractive ingenuity of these stories, there is substantial grounds for the belief that the whole
fabrication of the golden plates grew out of an impromptu jest on the part of young Smith, which was received in
such earnest, that his subtle cunning saw in it a new way to distinction and possible gain. The story is told
plainly and fully by Peter Ingersol, † a near neighbor to the Smiths, and at that time one of Joseph's most
intimate friends. He declares that one day the future Prophet of Mormonism called
__________
* "Interview with the father of Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet, forty years ago," by Fayette Lapham. -- The
Historical Magazine, 1870, p. 305.
† "Mormonism and the Mormons," p. 22.
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29
upon him, and that his countenance and manner betrayed evident enjoyment of some hidden jest. Upon being questioned, he made the following statement: "As I was passing yesterday across the woods after a heavy shower of rain, I found in a hollow some beautiful white sand that had been washed up by the water. I took off my frock and tied up several quarts of it and then went home.
On mv entering the house, I found the family at the table eating dinner. They were all anxious to know the contents of my frock. At that moment I happened to think of what I had heard about a history found in Canada called the Golden Bible, so I very gravely told them it was the Golden Bible. To my surprise, they were credulous enough to believe what I said. Accordingly, I told them I had received a commandment to let no one see it; for,' says I, I no man can see it with the naked eye and live.' However, I offered to take out the book and 'show it to them, but they refused to see it, and left the room. Now," said Jo., "I have got the d---d fools fixed, and will carry out the fun."
And carry it out he did, with results far beyond his own expectations or the imaginings of others. His family may have continued their belief in his story, or discovered its falsity, but in either case the result was the same. They professed their adherence be. fore others, and aided Joseph in the advancement of his claims.. Neighbors heard of the wonderful discover, and came to verify rumor by investigation. Smith was equal to the emergency. He gravely reiterated his declaration that no man but himself could look upon the Golden Book and live. And he saw the
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Early Days of Mormonism.
impression his invention had made, he took steps to keep it alive. Willard Chase, a neighbor, in after years made affidavit to the following effect: * "In the fore-part of September, I believe 1827, the Prophet requested me to make him a chest, informing me that he designed to move back to Pennsylvania, and, expecting soon to get his Gold Book, be wanted a chest to lock it up, giving me to understand at the same time that if I would make the chest, he would give me a share in the book. I told him that my business was such that I could not make it, but if he Would bring the book to me I would lock it up for him. He said that would not do, as he was commanded to keep it two years without letting it come to the eye of any one but himself. I told him to get it and convince me of its existence and I would make him a chest; but he said that would not do, as he must have a chest to lock the book in as soon as he took it out of the ground. I saw him a few days after, when he told me that I must make the chest. I told him plainly that I could not, upon which he told me that I could have no share in the book."
Unable to swindle his neighbor, he fashioned for himself a box of clapboards, in which he deposited whatever he made fill the mission of the golden plates. His mother's memoirs declare that there was not enough money in the family purse to pay for a fitting receptacle, and that Joseph went to well. digging in order to supply the lacking sum.
The excitement created in the neighborhood by the alleged discovery of the young man caused investigation
__________
* "Mormonism and the Mormons," p. 23.
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31
on the part of some who had no faith in Smith or his claims. The account of a visit paid Smith by two young men * possesses a touch of such genuine human nature, that one cannot hesitate to accept it as true in every detail. It aptly illustrates the crude and clumsy character of the whole swindle. William T. Hussey and Asel Van Druver, young fellows well known for their waggish habits, and intimates of Smith, made their appearance and strongly importuned for at least one glance at the famous and mysterious book. Joseph declared that he could not yield, as even one look would be the end of earth for both.
Their pleading was in vain, as was also their offer to take upon themselves all responsibility for what might occur.
Smith offered them what was in his power -- they might go with him to the hiding-place of the treasure and look upon
its shape through the canvas in which it was wrapped. They accepted and were led to a remote corner of the garret,
where Smith solemnly opened the box and showed them a bag hidden within it. As he still persisted in his refusal,
Hussey dexterously whipped off the cover with the exclamation, "By ---- , I will see the critter, live or die!" and
exposed to view a large brick.
Most men would have been abashed when confronted with this ridiculous conclusion. But Joseph was made of readier stuff.
He was equal to the emergency. He declared that the supernatural power with which he was endowed had enabled him to
see the daring purpose in their minds, and that he
__________
* "Origin, Rise, and Progress of Mormonism," p. 31.
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Early Days of Mormonism.
had purposely misled them. But he was of sufficient worldly-mindedness to understand the effect of an exposure before the people, and when the trio had passed down-stairs, he treated his guests liberally to whiskey, and asked them to make no mention of what had occured,
According to Joseph's narration, it was on September 22, 1827, that the plates and the instrument by which they were
to be deciphered were delivered to him by the angel who had them in charge. They were yielded only upon condition
that he would preserve them with the greatest care until their return should be demanded at his hands. His account
of the final surrender of the book on the part of its angelic custodian, as related to Willard Chase, was as
follows: † "On the 22d of September he arose early in the morning and took a one-horse wagon of some one that
had stayed overnight at their house, without leave or license, and together with his wife, repaired to the hill
which contained the book. He left his wife in the wagon by the road, and went alone to the hill, a distance of thirty
or forty rods from the road. He said he then took the book out of the ground and hid it ia a tree-top, and returned
home. He then went to the town of Macedon to work.
"After about ten days' time, it having been suggested that some one had got his book, his wife went after him. He hired a horse and went home in the afternoon. Stayed long enough to drink one
__________
* This was subsequent to his removal to Pennsylvania, and marriage, as related hereafter.
† A continuation of Chase's statement, related above.
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33
cup of tea, and then went for his. book, Found it safe. Took off his frock and wrapped it around it, put it under his arm and ran all the way home, a distance of about two miles. He said he should think it would weigh sixty pounds, and was sure it would weigh forty. On his return home he said he was attacked by two men in the woods, and knocked them both down and made his escape. Arrived safe and secured his treasure."
To this narration Mr. Chase somewhat bitterly adds this choice portion of personal biography: "A few days afterward he told one of my neighbors that he had not got any such book, and never had, but that he had told the story to deceive the d___d fool (meaning me), to get him to make a chest."
The Prophet's mother* has left an elaborate description of the' Urim and Thummim, † by aid of
__________
* In that unique book, "Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and his progenitors for many generations."
By Lucy Smith, mother of the Prophet.
† "'Urim' means 'light,' and 'Thummim perfection.' The mysterious words meet us for the first time, as if they needed
no explanation, in the description of the high-priest's apparel.... Inside the breastplate, as the tables of the
covenant were placed inside the ark, are to be placed 'the Urim and the Thummim'.... and they, too, are to be on
Aaron's heart when he goes in before the Lord. Not a word describes them. They are mentioned as things already familiar
both to Moses and the people, connected naturally with the functions of the high-priest, as mediating between Jehovah
and his people.... In what way the Urim and Thummim were consulted is quite uncertain. Josephus and the rabbis
supposed that the stones gave out the oracular answer by preternatural illumination; but it seems to be far simpler....
to suppose that the answer was given simply by the word of the Lord to the high-priest.... when, clothed with the ephod
and the breastplate, he had enquired of the Lord."
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Early Days of Mormonism.
which the translation of the golden plates was to be made, and also of the book itself. The former consisted of two
transparent stones, clear as crystal, and set in rims of silver. "The plates had the appearance of gold. They were
about seven inches wide by eight long, and their thickness was not quite that of an ordinary sheet of tin. Egyptian
characters were engraved on both sides of each plate, and the whole was bound in one volume, like the leaves of a
book, closed by three clasps. Its thickness was six inches. One portion of the plate was sealed up. On those which
were not sealed there were small characters skilfully cut. The breastplate was of bright gold. It had four golden
straps, of which two were intended to attach it to the shoulders, and the other two to fix it onto the hips.
These straps were exactly the breadth of two female fingers, and were pierced with several holes at the ends, by
which to fasten them." This article, the mother declares, was worth at least five hundred dollars.
The chief object had in mind by the Smiths in the early days of the Gold Bible delusion was the making of money,
to which was doubtless added a desire for local notoriety. The foundation of a new sect was an after-thought. When
speculation had worked itself to a point where the possibilities of the future began to foreshadow themselves,
and the popular belief in his new Bible had so grown that he was filled with the belief that a pretended translation
of the plates
__________
"Smith's Bible Dictionary," p. 723. Many of the Jews believe that since the captivity of Babylon, God has ceased to
make known His will by this means, and that the instrument has disappeared forever. Some look for its reappearance,
but others do not.
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35
would sell, Joseph naturally cast about for some one who would furnish the needed capital. Other help he could command in abundance. He seemed to have already been placed in quiet communication with Sidney Rigdon, or some one who had the means of furnishing him with the basis for this great fraud, in the book of Solomon Spaulding, of whom more anon, or in some other manner supplied the literary skill and scholarship he lacked. Other help was at hand in the person of Oliver Cowdery, a schoolmaster of the neighborhood, who was prepared to listen to such overtures as Smith was likely to make. *
How many men of means were approached before the victim was finally secured has not been placed on record by any confession of those concerned. In one case the rebuff was of a character that would have cooled the ardor of a less vehement man than Smith. Calling upon a Mr. Crane, a prominent Quaker, Joseph asked him for the needed assistance, and declared that he was "moved by the Spirit" to make the call. The response was prompt, and to the point. Smith was advised to cease his money-digging and golden Bible schemes, and to make a living in some honest way, lest the doors of a prison should open to receive him.
The part played by Martin Harris in the Mormon scheme was one of great importance, and had he failed in supplying the funds needed at an important crisis of affairs, Mormonism would probably have found an end in its very beginning. He was a
__________
* Oliver Cowdery was born on October 3d, 1806; and the best authority I can discover gives his birth-place as Wells, Rutland County, Vermont.
36
Early Days of Mormonism.
farmer of Palmyra, and bore the reputation of an honest, hard-working man, who loved money a little too well, and inclined to be too easily moved by any form of religious frenzy that took possession of his mind. He was at first a Quaker, then in turn a Universalist, Restrictionist, Baptist, and Presbyterian. He owned a good farm, and had never been involved in any questionable transaction. He has been described as proverbially peaceful, and it was said of him that he lived as closely to his religion as the conditions about him would allow. This illustration of his character has been placed on record: when he was fully committed to the Mormon Bible scheme he was di urging the sale of the book with great confidence in the genuineness of its revelations, and fell into' a debate about its character with a neighbor of hasty temperament. His opponent became angry and struck him a severe blow on the side of his face. Instantly turning toward his assailant his other cheek, he quoted the Christian maxim, reading it from the book in his hand, 'If thine enemy shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."'
There were those who gave him a reputation less favorable than that suggested above. One of his neighbors, Jesse Townsend, * speaks of him as a visionary fanatic," although it an industrious farmer…. who had been unfortunate in the choice of a wife, or she had been in that of a husband." 44 He had whipped his wife," Mr. Townsend adds, "and beaten her so cruelly and frequently that she was
__________
* In a letter written by Jesse Townsend, under date of Palmyra, K. Y., Dec. 24, 1833.
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37
obliged to seek refuge in separation…. He is considered here to this day a brute in his domestic relations, a fool and a dupe to Smith in religion, and an unlearned, conceited hypocrite generally. He paid for printing the Book of Mormon, which exhausted all of his money and most of his property. Since he went to Ohio he has attempted to get another wife, though it is believed he was frustrated in this design by the discovery of his having a wife living here." This was written after the hegira to Kirtland.
Smith seems to have known his man thoroughly, and to have planned the attack with a strategy sure to win. Harris prided himself upon his unassailable honesty, and when Smith approached him with a declaration that the Lord had revealed the fact that Harris and himself were the only two honest men in the world, the battle was half won. By that subtle influence which Joseph exerted to an almost unlimited degree over men of a certain mould, he soon had Harris fully committed to the Gold Bible scheme. Harris was at that time considered wealthy, while the Smith family possessed practically nothing at all.
When young Joseph was near sixteen years of age, he accompanied his father and a number of others to the village of Harmony, on the north bank of the Susquehanna River, in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Their object was to locate and open a mine which they affirmed had once belonged to Spanish adventurers, and long since abandoned. His stay in this neighborhood was extended from 1821 to 1829, varied by occasional visits to his old home in Northern New York. His reputation among his new associates
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Early Days of Mormonism.
tallied in a remarkable manner with that he had won in the old home, and we hear him graphically described as "an idle, plausible schemer, who made his living by his wits, was a general favorite with the women, and had considerable influence over a certain class of men."
Upon his first appearance he was compelled perforce to engage in manual labor to a certain extent, but the time was not long distant before he sought an easier road to a maintenance. As he discovered dupes he began the old practice of the Manchester days. He set up as a revelator of hidden riches, and once more brought the famous peek stone into use. He occasionally blessed a neighbor's crops in return for the cash in hand; and when one piece which he had contracted to insure was the only one in the vicinity laid under blight, he adroitly turned the exception to his own advantage by declaring that he had made a mistake and placed the field under a curse rather than a blessing. Men were actually found who believed his professions and made it worth his while to put them into practice.
While here the Smiths and their accomplices in the search for hidden riches, boarded for a time with Isaac Hale, whose daughter Emma afterward became Joseph's wife, and played a part of no small importance in the early days of Mormonism. Mr. Hale, against whose bitter protest the marriage occurred, made a statement under date of March 20, 1834, in which he used the following language, in description of young Smith and the occurrences of which he was a part:
"I first became acquainted with Joseph Smith, Jr., in November, 1825. He was at that time in the employ
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of a set of men who were called money-diggers; and his occupation was that of seeing, or pretending to see, by means of a stone placed in his hat, and his hat closed over his face. In this way he pretended to discover minerals and hidden treasure. His appearance at this time was that of a careless young man, not very well educated, and very saucy and insolent to his father. Smith and his father, with several other money-diggers, boarded at my house while they were employed in digging for a mine that they supposed bad been opened and worked by the Spaniards many years since. Young Smith gave the money-diggers great encouragement at first, but when they had arrived in digging to near the place where he had stated an immense treasure would be found, he said the enchantment was so powerful that he could not see. They then became discouraged, and soon after dispersed.... [Here follows an account of Smith's marriage, related below.]
Smith stated to me that he had given up what he called glass-looking, and that he expected to work hard for a living, and was willing to do so. Soon after this, I was informed they had brought a wonderful book of plates down with them. I was shown a box, in which it is said they were contained, which had, to all appearance, been used as a glass box, of the common-sized window-glass. I was al. lowed to feel the weight of the box, and they gave me to understand that the book of plates was then in the box, into which, however, I was not allowed to look. I inquired of Joseph Smith, Jr., who was to be the first that would be allowed to see the book of plates? He said it was a young child. After this I
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Early Days of Mormonism.
became dissatisfied and informed him that if there was anything in my house of that description, which I could not be allowed to see, he must take it away; if he did not, I was determined to see it. After that the plates were said to be hid in the woods.
" About this time Martin Harris made his appearance upon the stage, and Smith began to interpret the characters or hieroglyphics, which he said were en. graven upon the plates, while Harris wrote down the interpretation, It was said that Harris wrote down one hundred and sixteen pages, and lost them. Soon after this happened, Martin Harris informed me that he must have a greater witness, and said that he had talked with Joseph about it; Joseph informed him that he could not or durst not show him the plates, but that he (Joseph) would go into the woods where the book of plates was, and that after he came back, Harris should follow his track in the snow, and find the book, and examine it for himself. Harris in. formed me afterward that he followed Smith's directions, and could not find the plates, and was still dissatisfied. The next day after this happened, I went to the house where Joseph Smith, Jr., lived, and where he and Harris were engaged in their translation of the book. Each of them had a written piece of paper which they were comparing, and some of the words were: My servant seeketh a greater witness, but no greater witness can be given to him. There was also something said about Three that were to see the thing -- meaning, I suppose, the book of plates; and that if the three did not go exactly according to orders, the thing would be taken from them. I inquired whose words they were, and was informed by Joseph or
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41
Emma (I rather think it was the former) that they were the words of Jesus Christ. I told them then that I considered
the whole of it a delusion, and advised them to abandon it.
"The manner in which he pretended to read and interpret, was the same as when he looked for the money-diggers, with
the stone in his hat and his hat over his face, while the book of plates was at the same time hid in the woods!
After this Martin Harris went away, and Oliver Cowdery came and wrote for Smith,' while he interpreted, as above
described. This is the same Oliver Cowdery whose name may be found in the Book of Mormon. Cowdery continued a scribe
for Smith until the Book of Mormon was completed, as I supposed and understood. Joseph Smith, Jr., resided near me
for some time after this, and I had a good opportunity of becoming acquainted with him, and somewhat acquainted with
his associates; and I conscientiously believe, from the facts I have detailed, and from many other circumstances
which I do not deem it necessary to relate, that the whole Book of Mormon (So-called) is a silly fabrication of
falsehood and wickedness, got up for speculation, and with a design to dupe the credulous and unwary, and in order
that its fabricators might live upon the spoils of those who swallowed the deception.
ISAAC HALE." *
__________
* For this statement see "Gleanings by the Way," by Rev. John A. Clark, New York, 1842, p. 242. This is one of
the most reliable and interesting of the early publications on Mormonism, and is now quite rare. Mr. Clark was
rector of St. Andrew's Church, Philadelphia, in 1842, but had previously been a resident of Western New York.
Only a portion of his work is devoted to Mormonism, the greater part being given to his travels in various directions.
42
Early Days of Mormonism.
Smith was a frequent visitor at the Hale homestead, even after the abandonment of the money-digging above described.
He found ready acceptance on the part of Emma, the second-born of three daughters, and the only one yet unmarried.
When the father was approached by Smith with a request for the hand of his daughter, he answered with a prompt and
stern refusal, giving as a reason the fact that Smith was a stranger, and that his methods of earning a living were
such as no honest man could approve. Joseph departed, but only to return in secret and accompany the willing young
woman across the line into New York State, where they were married at Windsor in February, 1826.
From Palmyra, to which they had proceeded, Emma addressed her father by letter, and, although his anger had been such
that he had threatened to shoot
__________
The degree of reliance which maybe placed upon Mr. Hale's statement can be learned from the following, which precedes
it in Mr. Clark's book: "While at Palmyra, I met with a respectable clergyman of the Episcopal Church, who had formerly
belonged to the Methodist connection, that was acquainted with Mr. Hale. He represented him to be a distinguished
hunter, living near Great Bend, in Pennsylvania. He was professedly a religious man and a very zealous member of the
Methodist Church. The letter to which I have referred is accompanied with a statement declaring that Mr. Hale resides
in Harmony, Penn. Appended to the letter also is Mr. Hale's affirmation or affidavit of the truth of the statement
there made, taken before Charles Damon, justice of the Peace; and there is also subjoined the certificate of William
Thompson and Davis Dimock, Associate judges of the Court of Common Pleas, in the County of Susquehanna, declaring that
they have for many years been personally acquainted with Isaac Hale, of Harmony township, who has attested the foregoing
statement, or letter, and that he is a man of excellent moral character, and of undoubted veracity."
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43
his half-vagrant son-in-law on sight, he decided to make the best of a bad bargain, and met the couple on their return to Pennsylvania upon a basis of outward peace, They took possession of a small place near the Hale residence, and Joseph made solemn assertion that he had abandoned his days of idleness forever, and intended to settle down and work for a living. Hale's son was sent to Palmyra after such effects as Joseph and his wife possessed, and, for a while, the future Mormon leader seems to have given his time and physical strength to a manly use, and raised in the minds of his new friends the hope that he intended to make a man of himself at last.
But the poison that had entered his veins was not to be thus lightly driven out. The hoe and the axe became heavy in his unwonted hands, as he dreamed still of the fortune that might come could he but command the publication of the Golden Bible of which he had said so much. For by this time a book had actually taken some sort of shape. * The impromptu lie, of which he had boasted to Peter Ingersol, had been transformed into a fact. Over that book and its origin there hangs yet a mystery which many able men and women have sought to solve, which some have solved to their own satisfaction, but which none have removed altogether from the region of doubt. The box in which the golden plates were claimed to have been hidden came to Pennsylvania with the other household goods, and hints concerning it began to be heard in greater numbers as the scheme, which
__________
* See Appendix K.
44
Early Days of Mormonism.
was soon fully under way, developed. The designs upon the credulity and cupidity of Martin Harris had already been
accomplished, and he stood ready to furnish the needed means. *
It was upon September 22, 1827, that Smith claims to have received the plates from the hands of the angel. When the work of transcribing was fully decided upon, Harris for a time wrote as Smith dictated. The latter still insisted that no one could see the plates but himself, which was a convenient method of keeping up his romance as to there being any plates at all. Smith would hang a curtain between Harris and himself, and from behind it dictate the words
__________
* A newspaper writer under date of October 2, 1883, in the Cincinnati Enquier, describes the scene of these
events in the following language: "I paid a visit to the old home of Joe Smith. The house stands at the north bank
of the Susquehanna, two miles west of the Twin River, and is distant about sixty feet from the New York, Lake Erie
& Western Railroad. The house is one, story high, and, with its kitchen, is about twenty-four by fourteen feet. At
present it is occupied by ex-Sheriff McCune, who was born in the room in which the Book of Mormon was transcribed.
Mr. McCune's father bought the house and farm from Joe Smith, and to the former he built a two-story addition. The
buildings are very rickety at present, and look as though they would tumble down from rot and age in a few years.
They are often visited by tourists from abroad, who generally ask Mr. McCune for a small bit of wood or shingle as
a memento of their visit. The money-holes Smith had made in his search for the buried treasure are about half a mile
from the house. Though their sides have caved in, they are still visible, and 'one of them is filled with water;
an end. less spring having been tapped during the excavations. Not many rods from the house is a country graveyard,
in which are interred the remains of one of Joe Smith's children. No slab or headstone marks it, and its precise
location is known to only a few of the older people. Many of Smith's wife's kinsfolk still reside in and about this
county."
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45
that Martin was to write. He claimed to accomplish his translation by means of the Urim and Thummim, but it is needless to say that they were also hidden from the secretary's view. After a time Harris gave way to Cowdery, who remained with Smith until the task was at an end. The use of the curtain must be regarded only as a dramatic accessory for the purpose of duping Harris; and, as Cowdery was beyond question in the confidence of Smith, it is reasonable to suppose that this mysterious method of work was by no means employed when the accomplices were by themselves.
It was a serious trouble through which Harris passed before he arrived at a decision to bear the expense of publication, and incur all the financial risks of the enterprise. Had he not been spurred on by two powerful incentives, his faith in Mormonism and the belief that he would make money from the sale of the book, he would never have reached that conclusion. His natural caution in the expenditure of money was supplemented by the active opposition of his wife, a woman of sound sense and very positive views as to Smith's character and his designs upon her husband's property. * Doubt has been thrown
Extract from an affirmation made by Abigail Harris, a relative of Martin's, at Palmyra, November 28, 1883,
(Kidder P. 28):
"In the early part of the winter in 1828 I made a visit to Martin Harris's and was joined in
company by Joseph Smith, Sr., and his wife. The Gold Bible business, so called, was the topic
of conversation, to which I paid particular attention, that I might learn the truth of the whole
matter. They told me that the report that Joseph, Jr., had found golden plates was true, and that
he was in Harmony, Pa., translating them. The old lady said, also, that after the book was
translated, the plates were to be publicly exhibited --
46
Early Days of Mormonism.
upon the genuineness of Harris's profession of faith, by that answer to his wife's declaration as to the
lack of truth in Mormonism, "What if it is a lie! if you will let me alone I will make money out of it."
But his whole course in connection with Smith, and many positive acts upon his part, show him to have been a dupe
from the beginning to the end.
__________
admittance twenty-five cents. She calculated it would bring in annually an enormous sum of money -- that money would then be very plenty, and the book would also sell for a great price, as it was something entirely new. That they had been commanded to obtain all the money they could borrow for present necessity, and to repay with gold. The remainder was to be kept in store for the benefit of their family and children. This and the like conversation detained me till about eleven o'clock. Early the next morning the mystery of the Spirit (being myself one of the order called Friends) was revealed by the following circumstance. The old lady took me into another room, and after closing the door she said, 'Have you four or five dollars, in money that you can lend until our business is brought to a close ? The Spirit has said you shall receive fourfold.' I told her that when I gave I did it not expecting to receive again; as for money, I had none to lend. I then asked her what her particular want of money was; to which she replied, 'Joseph wants to take the stage and come home from Pennsylvania to see what we are all about. To which I replied he might look in his stone, and save his time and money. The old lady seemed confused and left the room, and thus ended the visit." Joseph Capron, a neighbor of good character, throws added light on this point. At length," says he, Joseph pretended to find the gold plates. This scheme, he believed, would relieve the family from all pecuniary embarrassment. His father told me that when the book was published they would be enabled, from the profits of the work, to carry into successful operation the money-digging business. He gave me no intimation, at that time, that the book was to be of a religious character. He declared it to be a speculation, and, said he, 'When it is completed my family will be placed on a level above the generality of mankind!"' This testimony strengthens the belief that the later developments of Smith's "speculations" were undreamed of in the beginning.
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When a number of the pages of manuscript had been prepared, Harris insisted that he should have a chance to prove the truth or falsity of Smith's claims before proceeding further. They were delivered to him, and he showed them to certain neighbors, all of whom told him that he was the victim of a swindle. He also exhibited them to his wife, who proceeded to prompt measures. While Martin slept she confided the paper to the flames. She made no confession as to her action, and thereby placed both Harris and Smith in a dilemma. The former could not account to Smith for the lost property, and naturally fell under suspicion of concealing it for purposes of his own.
A coolness between the two for a time was the result, but as Harris was too essential a part of the scheme to be offended, his story was accepted, and he was again taken into favor. Smith believed that if Harris did not still have the manuscript it must have been purloined by his wife. Should that portion be rewritten from memory, it could not of course be identical with the original draft. Should he print the new version, Mrs. Harris, a determined and energetic foe to his schemes and himself, might produce the old, and prove by comparison the juggling that had taken place. Smith pondered long over this serious problem, but that ingenuity which had never failed him, came to his relief. He boldly announced that the Lord had revealed his displeasure toward Smith for allowing the manuscript to pass into Harris's hands, and in punishment of that act had declared that so much of the golden plates should not again be translated. This left a clear track, and
48
Early Days of Mormonism.
Smith again hid himself behind the curtain and went to work. *
Doubt still worked its way up from the lower stratum of Harris's business sense, and showed itself
__________
* The following appeared as a preface to the first edition of the book, but was subsequently omitted. It proves the
clumsy character of the whole scheme:
"To the Reader.
"As many false reports have been circulated respecting the following work, and also many unlawful measures taken by evil designing persons to destroy me, and also the work, I would inform you that I translated, by the gift and power of God, and caused to be written, one hundred and sixteen pages, the which I took from the book of Lehi, which was an account abridged from the plates of Lehi, by the hand of Mormon; which said account, some person or persons have stolen and kept from me, notwithstanding my utmost efforts to recover it again -- and being commanded of the Lord that I should not translate the same over again, for Satan had put it into their hearts to tempt the Lord their God, by altering the words; that they did read contrary from that which I translated and caused to be written; and if I should bring forth the same words again, or, in other words, if I should translate the same over again, they would publish that which they had stolen, and Satan would stir up the hearts of this generation, that they might not receive this work, but behold, the Lord said unto me, I will not suffer that Satan shall accomplish his evil design in this thing; therefore thou shalt translate from the plates of Nephi until ye come to that which ye have translated, which ye have retained; and behold, ye shall publish it as the record of Nephi; and thus I will confound those who have altered my words. I will not suffer that they shall destroy my work; yea, I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the Devil. Wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, I have, through His grace and mercy accomplished that which He hath commanded me respecting this thing. I would also inform you that the plates of which hath been spoken, were found in the township of Manchester, Ontario County, New York. -- THE AUTHOR."
In the later editions Smith is not referred to as "The Author" of the book, but only as translator.
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49
again, to the vexation of Smith. A demand was made upon the latter for a copy of the characters upon the plates, in order that they might be submitted to the examination of learned men. Afraid to refuse, Joseph set himself to work, and evolved from his imagination certain crude and complex characters unlike any alphabet yet seen by man. These were set down upon a paper, with which Harris proceeded to New York City, where he exhibited it to several scientific gentlemen, who pronounced the whole thing a meaningless jumble of marks, that expressed no language of either ancient or modern times. * Yet such was the influence of Smith over him, that on Harris's return home, he was persuaded that the learned men were all in fault, and that once more to make use of his own version of Scripture." God had chosen the foolish things of the world to convince the wise."
It was in July, 1828, that the "translation" was suspended because of the prompt action of Mrs. Harris and the writing was not resumed until April 17, 1829. The Mormons claim that after this renewal Smith made use of a dark cave he had dug in a hillside near his home, but the fact doubtless is that the work was carried on in the same manner and at the same place as in the beginning.
The clerical work completed, the next need was a publisher. The negotiations that ensued have been carefully recorded
by Mr. Pomeroy Tucker, † who was connected with the printing house at Palmyra where the work was done. As early
as January,
__________
* See Appendix B.
† Origin, Rise, and Progress of Mormonism," p. 50.
50
Early Days of Mormonism.
1829, before the whole of the manuscript was prepared, a call was made at the office of the Sentinel, at Palmyra, by Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and Martin Harris. A few sheets were shown Mr. Egbert B. Grandin, the publisher, and he was asked the price at which he would print three thousand copies. Harris offered himself as security for the payment.
Mr. Grandin hesitated, as he believed that Harris was being used by designing men. As Martin was his friend he quietly took him aside and advised him to that effect. But persuasion was of no avail; and after a number of interviews of the same tenor, and fruitless negotiations with other publishers, the contract was made. Five thousand copies were to be printed for three thousand dollars, Harris giving his bond, and a mortgage on his farm, for that amount. As Mrs. Harris refused to be a party to the transaction, an agreement of separation between herself and husband was arranged. She received her share of the estate, some eighty acres of land and the farm-house; and the two who had lived so long together, became as strangers, and the breach thus made remained through life. The dismemberment of this family was the first-fruit of the new creed that Joe Smith had given to the world.
The book was completed and offered to the public in the early summer of 1830 -- "In the beginning of the printing,"
says Mr. Tucker, who read a portion of the proof, * "the Mormons professed to hold their manuscripts as sacred, and
insisted upon maintaining
__________
* "Origin, Rise, and Progress of Mormonism," p. 53.
[ facing p. 50 ]
[ facing p. 51 ]
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51
constant vigilance for their safety during the progress of the work, each morning carrying to the printing- office the installment required for the day, and withdrawing the same at evening. No alteration from copy in any manner was to be made. These things were I strictly commanded, as they said. Mr. John H. Gilbert, as printer, had the chief operative trust of the type-setting and presswork of the job. After the first day's trial he found the manuscript in so very imperfect a condition, especially in regard to grammar, that he became unwilling further to obey the I command,' and so announced to Smith and his party; when, finally, upon much friendly expostulation, he was given a limited discretion in correcting, which was exercised in the particulars of syntax, orthography, punctuating, capitalizing, paragraphing, etc. Many errors under these heads, nevertheless, escaped correction, as appear in the first edition of the printed book. Very soon, too -- after some ten days -- the constant vigilance by the Mormons over the manuscripts was relaxed by reason of the confidence they came to repose in the printers."
The great desire of Smith's heart was at last accomplished. He had a new bible as the foundation for the new creed he had formulated and was about to preach to men. With a deep knowledge of the weak side of human nature, he had not declared a gospel in opposition to that of Christendom, nor one that should make war upon it, but, emulating the ex. ample of Mother Ann Lee, and the Shakers, declared the Book of Mormon supplemental to Holy Writ, and a later revelation of the same grand truths. In that manner he could win converts without taking
52
Early Days of Mormonism.
them from the strong moorings of the old faith. He could give them range in new pastures without asking them to forsake the church homes they had known and loved so long. One need not repudiate David and John in order to accept Nephi and his brethren. To the other sides of human weakness through which he sought access to their hearts and purses, he added also that of novelty, and the natural desire of men to go out after strange gods.
Smith was now twenty-five years of age, with his natural cunning so sharpened by experience and so encouraged by successful trading on the credulity of his fellows, that he had little difficulty in meeting any emergency that might arise, and shaping it to the desired ends. He had taken the leadership in the small coterie of accomplices and dupes that had gathered about him, and anything he might propose was sure to be. seconded by his father and. all his brothers. His mastery of men was ever one of his strong points of character, and his facility and adapt ability were such that he would have won success as a lawyer or in any minor post of diplomatic responsibility. In later days he would have made his mark in the world of politics.
He had used such opportunities for education as had fallen in his way in the latter years of enlarged ambition, had read such books as could be of special use to him, and made a marked improvement both in the manner and matter of literary composition. Claim what one may as to the aid or suggestions he received from Sidney Rigdon or Oliver Cowdery, Smith owed the greater share of such success as life awarded him, to his own force of character and
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the Scotch-American shrewdness with which he had been endowed. By this time he had decided upon a definite plan and assumed the risk of its operation, and nothing was to be allowed to stand in the way. How far that purpose then outran the primal desire to live well and in idleness at the expense of others, no one can ever know.
Of the character and purport of this Book of Mormon, * fresh from the press of Grandin I need say little. The world has already had many descriptions thereof, and the book itself, in this, or later editions, is open to inspection in almost every public library of the land. That it can be of divine origin is proved impossible upon an examination of its errors, crudities, stupid imitations of scriptural language, and its betrayal of ignorance upon many facts of history,
If, as many believe, it is but the unpublished romance of Solomon Spaulding, put to a use of which its author never dreamed, the impress of Smith has been placed
__________
* Smith's own definition of the word Mormon, as given in after years, in The Times and Seasons, was as follows:
"I may safely say that the word Mormon stands independent of the learning and wisdom of this generation.
Before I give a definition, however, to the word, let me say that the Bible in its widest sense, means
'good,' for the Saviour says, according to the Gospel of St. John, 'I am the good shepherd,' and it will
not be beyond the common use of terms to say that good is amongst the most important in use and, though
known by various names in different languages, still its meaning is the same, and is ever in opposition
to bad. We say from the Saxon, Good; the Dane, Ged; the Goth, Goala; the Ger. man, Gut; the Dutch, Goed;
the Latin, Bonus; the Greek, Kales; the Hebrew, Tob; the Egyptian, Mon; hence with the addition of more,
or the contraction, mor, we have the word Mormon, which means literally, more good." Notwithstanding all
this, learned parade, scholars have expressed the opinion that the word was derived from the Greek;
meaning a spectre, or hideous shape.
54
Early Days of Mormonism.
upon it with a freedom and to a purpose that hall added atrocity to the meanness of the original theft, This first edition consisted of 588 pages, divided into fourteen separate books, of one hundred and fifteen chapters, as follows: The first book of Nephi; the second book of Nephi; the book of Jacob, the brother of Nephi; the book of Enos; the book of Jarom; the book of Omni; the Words of Mormon; the book of Mosiah; the book of Alma; the book of Helaman; the book of Nephi, the son of Nephi, which was the son of Helaman; book of Mormon; book of Ether; the book of Moroni. It would be profitless to undertake a compilation of the long and very tedious narratives found in these several hundreds of pages, but a brief synopsis from the pen of no less a person than Joseph Smith himself, would not be out of place. In "An Original History of the Religious Denominations at present Existing in the United States," by I. Daniel Rupp, Philadelphia, 1844, p. 404, may be found an article on "The Latter. Day Saints," prepared by Smith, in which he speaks as follows of the historical portion of the book:
"In this important and interesting book the history of Ancient America is unfolded, from its first settlement by a colony that came from the Tower of Babel, at the confusion of languages, to the beginning of the fifth, century of the Christian Era. We are informed by these records that America in ancient times has been inhabited by two distinct races of people. The first were Jaredites, and came directly from the Tower of Babel. The second race came directly from the city of Jerusalem, about six hundred years before Christ. They were principally Israelites, of the descendants
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of Joseph. The Jaredites were destroyed about the time that the Israelites came from Jerusalem, who succeeded them in the inheritance of the country.
"The principal nation of the second race fell in battle toward the close of the fourth century. The remnant are the Indians, who now inhabit this country. This book also tells us that our Saviour made His appearance upon this continent after His resurrection; that He planted the gospel here in all its fullness and richness, and power, and blessing; that they had apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists; the same order, the same priesthood, the same ordinances, gifts, powers, and blessing, as was enjoyed on the Eastern continent; that the people were cut off in consequence of the their transgressions; that the last of their prophets who existed among them was commanded to write an abridgment of their prophecies, history, etc., and to hide it up in the earth, and that it should come forth and be united with the Bible, for the accomplishment of the purposes of God in the last days. For a more particular account, I would refer to the Book of Mormon, which can be purchased at Nauvoo, or from any of our travelling elders." The manner in which Mormon came to be selected as the one whose name should be attached to a work in which so many eminent ancients had a hand, is thus explained by the Rev. Mr. Clark: *
"These records were engraven upon plates, and the plates handed down from one prophet to another, or from one king to another, or from one judge to another
__________
* "Gleanings by the Way," p. 285.
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Early Days of Mormonism.
the Lord always having raised up some one to receive these plates. When the person in whose hands they had been previously placed was about to die, Mormon, who lived about four hundred years after the coming of Christ, while yet a child, received a command in relation to these sacred deposits.
"The metallic plates which contained the record of all the generations of his fathers, from the flight of Lehi to Jerusalem, to his own time, ultimately came into his hands. From these plates he made an abridged record, which, taken together, in connection with the record of his own times, constitutes the Book of Mormon. Thus we see, why the book bears this title. For Mormon was a sort of Ezra who compiled the entire sacred canon contained in this volume. He lived at a very eventful period, when almost all his people had fallen into a fearful apostasy, and he lived to see them all destroyed, except twenty-four persons, Himself, and these sole survivors of his race, were afterward cut off, with a single exception. His son, Moroni, one of the survivors, lived to tell the mourn. ful tale, and deposit the plates under the hill where Jo. Smith found them."
When the books were delivered from the hands of the binder, Martin Harris promptly took possession of them, and proceeded to realize such portion as he might of that evangelization of the world and financial profit, of which he had dreamed. They cost him dearly enough, as he was compelled to sell his portion of the farm in 1831, to meet the bond he gave Grandin. * It had been a part of the agreement
__________
* The powers that were invoked to lead Harris into the scheme, were again resorted to in holding him to his contract. A special
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57
with Harris that he alone should have the right of sale; which was made doubly secure to him by a special revelation to Smith, in which was also found an added command that no copy should be sold for less than one dollar and twenty-five cents.
Despite all these commands, and that high mountain of expectation which the Smiths had aided poor Martin to pile up, the enterprise as a source of money-making was a dismal failure from the start. Harris himself went forth as a canvasser, and met more scoffers than purchasers. Ridicule was showered upon him from all sides, and he soon discovered that some other means must be taken to return even a small part of the outlay.
A new revelation was received by Joseph, which allowed his father also to act as salesman, retaining a commission
upon each copy sold. He met with a certain share of success, but went forth unmoved by any of the fears that had
held Martin to the express stipulation of the revelation. He bartered books for whatever he could get in return,
and cut prices with a lofty contempt for that death which Joseph had declared would befall any who should so offend.
He would load his books into the old cart that had carried root-beer and ginger-bread in the less ambitious days,
and start on a peddling tour through the country lying adjacent to Palmyra; returning home with side-pork, bacon,
corn, or such other goods as he could secure from farmers along
__________
revelation was directed to him in March, 1830:
"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. Pay the debt thou hast contracted with the printer.
Release thyself from bondage."
58
Early Days of Mormonism.
the route, He made the books for which Harris had so dearly paid, a source of income wherever they could be of avail. When he was preparing for his final removal to Ohio, after Joseph and Hyrum had set their first "stake of Zion" at Kirtland, he fell back upon the new gospel as his base of supplies. "' He took," says one narration, * "a basket of bibles in his hand and walked to Palmyra village, where sundry, unadjusted little scores were ready to confront him. By the then prevailing legal system for the collection of debts, residing as he did over the county line from Palmyra, he made himself liable to suit by warrant and also detention in imprisonment for non-payment. But necessity being his master, he had taken the incautious venture and soon found himself in the constable's custody at the suit of a creditor for a small book account.
"The parties appeared before a Justice of the Peace for Wayne County, by whom the warrant had been issued. After some preliminary parlaying by the debtor, he invited and enjoyed a private interview with the creditor in an adjoining room. The debt and costs had now reached the aggregate of $5.63. The embarrassments of the case, after some brief discussion, were found to be of a difficult nature. At last, laying the good-natured claimant under strict confidential injunction, and referring with solemn air to the command by which he was empowered to sell his Mormon work only at the price of $1.25 per copy, the crafty patriarch proposed, nevertheless, on the express condition that his perfidy should not be
__________
* "Origin, Rise, and Progress of Mormonism," p. 62.
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exposed, the offer of seven books 'in full for the demand, being a fraction more than eighty cents apiece. The joke was relished as too good to go unpatronized, and though the books were not regarded as possessing any value,* the claimant, more in a spirit of mischief than otherwise, accepted the com. promise willingly."
Smith delivered the books, and then made his exit from a side door, and shook the dust of Palmyra from his feet with such rapidity as his age would permit, lest some other creditor should spy him by the way. He was seen in Palmyra no more, but soon bade farewell to a neighborhood that lost him and his without regret, and that troubled itself concerning him only long enough to formulate the unique certificate of character that has already been quoted in these pages. †
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* Time and curiosity which deface and destroy much, will also accomplish much. A copy of this edition of the Book of Mormon cannot now be obtained for twenty times its original price. It has become one of the rare and unique things in American literature.
† "Gleanings by the Way," p. 346: "One thing, however, is distinctly to be noted in the history of this imposture.
There are no Mormons in Manchester or Palmyra, the place where this Book of Mormon was pretended to be found. You
might as well go down into the crater of Vesuvius and attempt to build an ice-house amid its molten and boiling
lava, as to convince any inhabitant in either of these towns, that Joe Smith's pretensions are not the most gross
and egregious falsehood. It was indeed a wise stroke of policy, for those who got up this imposture, and who
calculated to make their fortune by it, to emigrate to a place where they were wholly unknown."
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