The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-15 00:00:00

THU SUN, LONDON, IVEDNESDAY,SkixTENII3ER
_l5, 1841.

within the last few months, attest to theasassing_ tra.
yeller the energy, industry, and "self-denial with which
the community is imbued. They have also obtained pos-
session of extensive lands on the opposite side of the
river, in that eleirming portion of lowa territory known
as the Half Bread Reservation ;' and there, upon the
rolling- and fertile prairies, they are rapidly selecting
their homes and opening their farms. As the traveller
now passes through those natural parks and fields of
flowers, which the hand of the Creator seems to have
originally planted there for the inspection of his own
eye, he beholds their cabins, dotted down in most en-
chanting'perspective, either on the borders of the tim-
bers, or beside the springs or streams of living water
which are interspersed on every hand."
The other portion that remain in Ohio, have erected a
stone temple in Kirtland, of splendid appearance and
singular construction. The first floor is a place of wor-
ship, with four pulpits at each end ; each pulpit calcu-
lated to hold three persons. These pulpits rise behind
and above one another, anf.l are designed fur different
grades of ministers accordihleto the rank in office. These
are the two principal settle/Dents of these eople, al-
though there are small societies of them found in almost
every part Of the United States:3'. In. some instances, not
only members, but ministers of .ortho.lox churches, have
been led to leave their own chureleas, and identify them-
selves with thVlormons.
ORIGIN AND. PISTORY.—It was!s, early in the autumn
of 1827 that Maiiin Harris called tit` my house in Pal-
myra, one mornikv-about sunrise. His whole appear-
ance- indicated more than usual excieknent, and he had
scarcely passed the threshold of my dwelling, before he
inquired whether he could see me alone, remarking that
he had a matter to communicate that he ,wished to be
strictly confidential. Previous to this, I had but very
slight acquaintance with Mr. Harris. • He had occasion-
ally attended divine service in our church. I had heard
him spoken of as a farmer in comfortable circumstances,
residing in the country a short distance from the village,
and distinguished by certain peculiarities in his charac-
ter. He had been, if I mistake not, at one period a
memLer of the Methodist Church, and subsequently had
identified himself with the Universalists. At this time,
however, in his religious views he seemed to be floating
upon the sea of uncertainty.
He had evidently quite an extensive knowledge of the
Scriptures, and possessed a manifest disputations turn of
mind. As I subsequently learned, Mr. Harris has al-
ways been a firm believer in dreams, and visions, and
supernatural appearances, such as apparitions and ghosts,
and therefore was a fit subject for such men as Smith
and his colleagues to operate upon. On the occasion '
just referred to, I invited him to accompany me to my
study, where, after having closed the door, he began to
dra,..- a package out of his pocket with great and mani-
fest'. caution. _ Suddenly, - however, he stopped, and
wished to know if there was any possibility of our being
interrupted or overheard. When answered in the nega-
tive, he proceeded to remark that he reposed great con-
fidence in me as a minister of Jesus Christ and that
what he had now to communicate, he wished me to
regard as strictly confidential. He said he verily
believed that an important epoch had arrived—
that a great flood of light was about to burst upon
the world, and that 'the scene of divine manifesta-
tion was to be immediately around us. In ex-
planation of what he meant he then proceeded to
remark that a golden Bible had recently been dug from
the earth, where it had been deposited for thousands of
years, and that this would be found to contain such dis-
closures as would settle all religious contrdversies, and
speedily bring on the glorious Millennium. That this
mysterious book, which no human eye of the present ge-
neration had yet seen, was in possession of Joseph Smith,
jun., ordinarily known in the neighbourhood under
the more familiar designation of Joe Smith ; that
there had been a revelation made to him by which he
had discovered this sacred deposit, and two transpa-
rent stones through which, as a sort of spectacles, he
could read the Bible, although the box or ark that
contained it, had not been opened ; and that by looking
through those mysterious stones he had transcribed from
one of the leaves of the book, the characters which
Harris had so carefully wrapped in the package he
was drawing from his pocket. The whole thing ap-
peared to ine so ludicrous and puerile, that I could
not refrain from telling Mr. Harris that I believed
it a mere hoax got to practice upon his credulity, or
an artifice to extort from him money; for I had already,
in the course of the conversation, learned that he had
advanced some twenty-five dollars to Joe Smith as a
sort of a premium for sharing with him in the glories
and profits of this new revelation. For at this time, his
mind seemed to be quite as intent upon the pecuniary
advantage that would arise from the possession of the
plates of solid gold of which this book was composed, as
upon the spiritual light it would diffuse over the world.
My intimations to him in reference to the possible im-
position that was being practiced upon him, however,
were indignantly repelled. He went on to relate the
particulars in regard to the discovery and possession
of this marvellous book. As far as .I can now recollect,
the following is an outline of the narrative which he
then communicated to me, and subsequently to scores of
people in the village, from Some of whom, in my late
visit to Palmyra, I have been Ale to recal several par-
ticulars that had quite glided from my memory.
Before I proceed to Martin's narrative, however, I
would remark, in passing, that Joe Smith, who has since
been the chief prophet of the Mormons, and was one of
the most prominent ostensible actors in the first scenes
of this drama, belonged to a very shiftless family near
Palmyra. They lived a sort of vagrant life, and were
principally known as money diggars. Joe from a boy
appeared dull, and utterly destitute of genius, but his father
claimed for him a sort of' second sight, a power to look
into the depths of the earth, and discover where its pre-
ciousstreasures were- hide- Consequently'long .before the
idea of a golden Bible entered their minds( in their ex-
cursions for money-digging, which I believe usually oc•
curred in the night, that they might conceal from others
the knowledge of the place where they struck upon the
treasures, Joe used to be usually their guide, putting
into their hat a peculiar stone he had through which he
looked, to decide where they should begin to dig.
According to Martin Harris, it was after one of these
night excursions that Joe, while he lay upon his bed,
had a remarkable dream. An angel of God seemed to
approach him, clad in celestial splendour. This divine
messenger assured him that he, Joseph Smith, was
chosen of the Lord to he a prophet of the Most High
God, and to bring to light hidden things, that would
.be of unspeakable benefit to the world. He then dis-
closed to him the existence of this golden Bible, and the
place where it was deposited, but at the same time told
him that he must follow implicitly the divine directions
or he ssould draw upon him the wrath of heaven. This
book, which was contained in a chest, or ark, and which
consisted of metallic plates covered with characters em-
bossed in gold, he must net presume to look into
'under three years. He must first go on a journey
into Pennsylvania, and there among the mountains
he would meet with a very lovely woman, belonging
to a highly respectable and pious family, whom he
was to take for his wife. As a proof that he was
sent on this mission by Jehovah, as soon as he saw this
designated person, lie would be smitten with her beauty,
and though he was a stranger to her, as she was far
above him in the walks of life, she would at once be
willing to marry hini and go with him to the ends of the
earth. After their marriage he was to return to his
former home, and remain quietly there until the birth of
his first child. When this child had completed his se-
cond year, he might then proceed to the hill beneath
which the mysterious chest was deposited, and draw it
thence, and publish the truth it contained to the world.
Smith awoke from this dream, and, according to Harris,
started off towards Pennsylvania, not knowing to what
point he should go. But the Lord directed him, and
gained him favour in the eyes of just such a person as
was described to him. He was married and had
returned. His first child was born, and was now
about six months old. But Joe had not been alto-
gether obedient to the heavenly vision. After his
marriage and return from Pennsylvania he became
so awfully impressed with the high destiny that
awaited him, that he communicated the secret to
his father and family. The money-digging propensity
of the old man operated so powerfully, that he insisted
upon it that they should go and dig and see if the chest
was there—not with any view to remove it till the ap-
pointed time, but merely to satisfy theMselves. Accord-
ingly they %vent forward in the middle of the night with
spades and mattocks to the spot where slumbered this
sacred deposit. They had proceeded but a little while
in the work of excavation,, before the mysterious chest
appeared ; but lo ! instantly it moved and glided along,
out of their sight. Directed, however, by the clair-
voyauce of Joe, they again penetrated to the spot where
it stood and succeeded in gaiaiug a partial view of its
dimensions. • Another divine communication was made
to him authorizing him to go alone by himself and
bring the chest and deposit it secretly under the hearth
of his dwelling, but by no means to attempt to look into
it. The reason assigned by the angel far this removal,
was some report in relation to the place where this sacred
book was deposited had gone forth, and there was danger
of its being disturbed. According to Harris, Smith now
followed the divine directions. He was already in pos-
session of the two transparent stones laid up with the
golden Bible, by looking through which he was enabled
to read the golden letters on the plates in the box. How
he obtained these spectacles without opening the chest,
Harris could not tell. But still he had them ; and by
means of there he could read all the 'book contained.
The book itself was not to be disclosed until Smith's
child had attained a certain age. Then it might be pub-
lished to the world. In the interim Smith was to pre-
pare the way for the conversion of the world to a new
system of faith, by transcribing the characters from the
plates, and giving translations of the same. This was
the substance of Martin Harris's communicution to me
upon our first interview. He then carefully unfolded a
slip of paper, which contained three or four lines of cha-
meters, as unlike letters or hieroglyphics of any sort, as
well could be produced were one to shut up his eyes and
play off the most antic movements with his pen upon pa-
er. The only thing that bore the slightest resemblance
to the letter of any language that I have ever seen, was
two upright marks joined by a horizontal line, that might
have been taken fur a Hebrew character. My igno-
rance of the characters in which this pretended an-
cient record was written, was to Martin Harris new proof
that Smith's whole account of the divine revelation made
to him was entirely to be relied upon.
One thing is here to be noticed, that the statements
anye impostureveblau tti o
threei: --vaaArnvi die
witnesses
were
modified from time to time according as their plans be-
y
came more matured. At first it was a gold Bible—then
of the originators of this
galden plates engraved—then metallic plates stereotyped
to be enriched by the solid gold of these plates, at an-
other they were to be religiously s. kept to convince the
or embossed with gold letters. At one time Harris was
pwloaitiersl then these
whom
the Lord should choose. How easy it would be, were
of
utlidien(t)it'ubtehof seent bh
there any such plates in existence to produce them, and
show that Mormonism is not a " cunningiy_devised fable."
Mow far Harris was duped by this imposture, or how far
he entered into it is a matter of speculation, I am unable to