The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-03-02

| had spread far abroad more appioplia'c i'ioi-
vidual could hardly be found to aid IN getting up
an imposture. So he was the man 10 hho the
Golden Plates" -,
About the time of the ushering of the Golden
R;blon or the "Book of Mormon" into the world
crom the nress one Perley P Pratt, an intimate
ACQUAINTANCE and convert of Sidney Rigdon,
c6duced to come along that way, and very soon
became n convert to Mormonsm. BY his advice
several of the Mormon leaders paid visit with
him to Rigdon, who after some appearance Of
want of faith in Mormonism, at length embaaced
it. Soon after Rigdori made Smith visit and
was forthwith constituted Smiths amanuensis and
right hand man. And thus was the whole man.
euvre consummated. Let us now survey the
field over which we have travelled.
We have already discovered chain to this
concern, the links of which are Spalding, Lamb
din, Rigdon Pratt, and Smith whereby it is rem
dered highly probable, that Spalding's "Manu-
script Found" constituted the groundwork of the
Golden Bible" Let us now reduce this proba-
biity 10 certainty, by positive and ndsputabe tes-
hmonv, extracted from work entitled Mormon
ism Unveiled" published by G. D. Howe, of
Painsville Ohio.
John Spadng, of Crawford County, Pa. a
brother of Solomon Spading, says E,
"In the year 1909, Solomon Spalding removed
W SUHHedul OlIlO. L TIC lSdl lOllO"ihS' iOiiiOf
ed to Ohio, and found him engaged in build
ing forge | made him visit in about three
years after. He then told me he had been wri-
ting book, which he intended to have printed ;
the avails of which he thought would enable him
to pay all his debts. The book was entitled the
Manuscript Found of which he read to me many
passages. 1t was an historical romance of the
first settlers of America, endeavoring to show that
the American Indians are the descendants of the
Jews, or the lost tribes. 1t gave detailed account
of their Journey from jerusalem, by land and sea-
till they arrived in America, under the command
of NEPHI and LEHI. They afterwards had
quarres and contentious, and separated into two
distinct nations, one of which he denominated the
Nephites, and the other the Lamanites Cruel
and bloody wars ensued, in which great multi
tudes were slain. They buried their dead in
large heaps, which caused the mounds so COM
mon in this country. Their arts, Sciences and
civilization were brought into view, in order to
count for all the curious antiquities found in vari
GUS parts of North and South America | have
recently read the Book of Mormon and to my
gre at surprise, | find nearly the same historical
matter, names, &c. as they were in my brothers
writings"
Martha Spalding, the wife Of John Spalding,
have read the Book of Mormon, which has
brought fresh to my recollection the writings of
Solomon Spading; and have no manner of
doubt, that the historical part of it is the same
that | read and heard read more than twenty years
ago."
Henry Luke, of Conneaut, Ohio, a former part
ner in business of Solomon Spaldng says
"Some months ago, borrowed the Golden BIZ
bic, put it into my pocket carried it home, and
thought no more of it. About week after, my
wife found the book in my coat pocket, as it hung
up and commenced reading it aloud as lay upon
the bed, She had not read twenty minutes, till
astoniShed to fnd the same passages in it that
Spaldng had read to me more than twenty years
before, from his Manuscript Found Since that
| have more fully examined the said Golden BIZ
Bile; and have no hesitation in saying, that the
historical part of it is principally, if not wholly,
taken from the Manuscript Found
John n Miller, Of Springfield, Pa formerly in
the employ of Spalding and Luke, says
81 have recently examined the Book of Nor
mon, and find in it the writings of Solomon Spal-
ding, from beginning to end; but mixed up with
scripture and other religious matter which did
not meet with in the Manuscript Found. Many
of the passages in the Mormon Book are verbatim
from Spaldng, and others part. The names of
Nephi, Lehi, Moroni, and in fact, all the principal
names, are brought fresh to my recollection, by
the Golden Bible"
Aaron Wright Of Conneaut, Ohio, says
"The historical part of the Book of Mormon ]
know to be the same as read and head from the
writings of Spalding, more than twenty years ago;
the names more especially are the same without
any alteration"
Oliver Smith, of Conneaut, with whom Spald-
ing boarded for some time, says
"All his leisure hours were occupied in
writing historical novel, founded upon the first
settlers of this country. During the time he was
at my house, read and heard read one hundred
pages or more, Neph and Lehi were by him rep
resented as leading characters, when they first
started for America. When heard the historical
part Of the Book of Mormon related ! at once
said it was the writing Of old Solomon Spaldng
Soon after, obtained the book and on reading
it, found much of it the same as Spalding had
written twenty years before"
The foregoing settles the point positively, as to
the origin of the Book of Mormon" Improves
if any thing can be proved by disintercsted, cred
table witnesses, that that book is Solomon Spal.
1ing's "Manuscrpt Found" with. alterations and
additions, since made by another hand And
when we take into consideration, the circumstan-
,es of Sidney Rigdons three years retirement
rom preaching in Pittsburgh to study the Bible;
- L |. IL. i