Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-05-31
From the New York Observer.
ORIGIN OF MoRMoNISM.

ORIGIN Oc IuOh"oIN'Sto'
The Book of Mormon. or Golden Bi.
ble," i, would see n, is the production of,he
Rev. Solomon Spauidirg, a gen1len an of
Dartmouth College. and formerly pastor OF
a PRESBYTERIAN church on the Western Re.
serve in Oaio. While suffering under dis.
ease, 20 amuse himself and his friends, he
wrote an imaginary history of the race OF
men who built the ancient mounds and 9th.
er works of art, which are scattered SO pro.
fusely over the valley of the Mississippi.
His manuscript falling into the hands OF
wicked and designing men, has been per-
vcrted into the means Of building up the
new sect of fanatics, who are making so
much noise in the West. The Rev. John
Slorrs, of Holliston, Mass, learning that
t..e widow of Mr.. Spaulding (now Mrs. Da.
vison, having. siuce the death Of Mr.. 5.
married a second husband) was still llv'
ing at Mons N, Mass, and could testify
10 This fact, addressed her letter, and OBJ
,aiued the following narrative, which we
CODY from the Boston Recorder.
AS this book has excited much attention
and has been put by a certain new sec', In
the place Of the sacred Scriptures, deem it
duty which owe to the public. TO state
what I know touching its origin. That its
claim to divine origin is wholly unfounded,
needs no proof to mind unperverted by
the grossest delusions. That any sane
person should rank /, higher than any other
merely human composition. is matter OF
the great+ st aslonishment yet 1t is received
as divine by some who dwell in enlightened
New England, and even by those who have
sustained the character Of devoted Christ.
,ans. Learning recently, that MormonIsm
has found its way into church IN Massa-
chusttts, and has impregnated some of It's
numbers with its gross dclusions, SO that
excommunication has become necessary,
am Jet TRIMMED to delay no long r doing
what can to strip The mask from this mol.
ster of sin, and to lay open this PIT OF abom'
in ,tions.
R,v. Solomon Spaulding, to whom | was
united in marriage in early life, was grad.
ua,e of Dartmouth College, and was distin.
gushed for lively imagination and great
fondness for History. AT the time of our
marriage, he resided in Cherry Valley, N.
Y. From his place we removed 10 New
Salem, Ashlabula county, Ohio sometimes
called Conneaut, as it is situated upon Con.
neau, Creek. Shortly after our removal to
this place, his health sunk, and he was laid
aside iIom active labors. In the town OF
New Salem, there are numerous mounds
and forts, supposed by many to be The d''
lapidaled DIV lings and for'ifcatlons OF q
race now extinct. These ancient relics ar
rest the attention of the new settlers and be.
come objects of research for the curious
Numerous implements were found, and
other articles evinclng great skill lnthe arts,
Mr.. Spaulding, being an educated man and
passionately fond of history took lively IN.
terest in these developments of antiquity {;
and IN order to beguile the hours of retire.
n,ent and furnish employment for his lively
imagination, he conceived the iGea OF giving
ain historical sketch of that long lost race
Their extreme antiquity Of course would
lead him to write in the most ancient style,
and as the Old Testament is the most an
cient book in the world, he initiated ITS style
as nearly as possible. His sole object IN
wiring this historical romance was to amuse
himself and his neighbors. This was about
the year 1912. Hull's surrender at Detroit
occurred near the same time, and | recollect
the date well from that circumstance. AS
he progressed IN his narrative, the neigh
bors would come in from time to time to
hear portions read, and great interest in
the work was excited among them. 1t
claimed to have been written by one of the
lost nation, and to have been recovered from
the earth and assumed the title of "Manu.
script Found" The neighbors would often
inquire how Mr.. S. progressed in decipher-
ing ''lhe manuscript" and when he had d
sufficient portion prepared he would inform
hem and they would assemble to hear It
read. He was enabled from his acquaint-
ance with the classics and ancient history,
o introduce many singular names which
were particularly noticed by the people and
could be easily recognized by them. Mr..
Solomon Spaulding had brother, Mr.. John
Spaulding, residing in the place at the time,
who was perfectly familiar with this work
and repeatedly heard the whole Off real.
From New Salem. We removed to Pitts.