The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1843-01-04

a community, the sooner it reaches its cri
sis. Thus a New Harmony may endure
longer than Nauyoo, and some other com
munities which adopt the forms OF sfrlc
| morality may be comparatively permanent
, but wherever the order of nature is dlsregar
> ded, especially as respects the family state
, the elements of destruction are combining
, and an explosion will be inevitable, to re-
, Iieve society from the blasting contagion.
Some twenty years ago, there resided in
the western part Of the state of New York
| family by the name of Smith. The ia.
ther, and three OF four sons, appear to have
had little employment besides digging for
money" As hidden treasures are always
supposed to be in charge of some departed
spirit for safe keeping, it became necessary
). to maintain frequent intercourse with the
spiritual world, to secure the successful pros
ecutioh of the business.
From time to time, they induced such of
their acquaintance as were indolent, ignoi :
ant, or credulous enough to be imposed up
on, TO Join in their nocturnal enterprises
and it usually fell to the lot of Joseph Smith,
Ijr., to propritate the favor of the spirit,or so
to divert him from the charge of his treasure,
that human hands could hold it.
Many marvellous encounters which &C.
Cured in the prosecution of their avocation
are related in the book before us. As a
specimen the following may suffice from
page sixty eight.
she repaired to the place of deposite and
demanded the book, which was in stone
box, and so near the top of the ground that
he could see one end of it, and raising it up
took out the book of gold; but fearing some
one might discover where he got it, he laid
it down to place back the top stone as he
found it; and turning round, to his surprise
there was no book in sight. He again O.
pened the box, and in it saw the book, and
attempted to take it out, but was hindered.
He saw in the box something like toad,
which soon assumed the appearance of a
man and struck him on the side of his head.
Not being discouraged at trifes, he again
stopped down and strovc to take the book,
when the spirit sruck him again and knock
ed him three or four rods. and hurt him pro.
digiously."
AS it was necessary that Joe Smith should
have much intercourse with such spirits, he
became the subject of frequent visions, and
often made wonderful discoveries by look
ing into stones in the dark, and other SUI.
per-human methods. His experience in
these matters let hin into the secret that
people may 5e easily gulled, and suggested
Inc idea of his distinguishing himself as
religionist 1t is hoped, there are no families
In the land, more notorious for dishonesty,
profanity, drunkenness, and vice, than were
the Smiths, at the time when Joe first be-
gan to receive communications from Heav.
en-
In 1880, Joe Smith published the book
OF Mormon, strange work, written much
IN the style of the old Testament, and Civ
/ ing an account of the departure Of the Lost
Tribes of Israel from Jerusalem under COM
mand of Nephi and Lehi-their journey by
land and sea, till they arrived in America
their quarrels and contentious until the Ne
phites were entirely destroyed by the chill
dren of Lehi, who afterward dwindled in
unbelief, and became dark, loathsome,
and filthy peopIe-to wit. the American
Indians.
This history, originally written on plates
of gold, in hiroglyphics of Egyptian char
acter. was found by Joe Smith about the
year 1924; who twas directed in the dis
covery by the Angel of the Lord - and
"being instructed by inspiration of God, he
proceeded TO translate them, and produced
the Golden Bible.
Now it so happens that one Solomon
Spaulding of Conneaut, Ohio, wrote this
historic romance in 1910, and read the
manuscript to several individuals who testi-
fly to its identity. (see pages lis to u.s.
He went to Pittsburg in 1912, with the pro-
fessed design of getting his book printed,
and was not afterwards heard from by his
friends, but being a man of eccentric habits,
and much embarrassed in his circumstan.
ces, his disappearance, was not accounted
strange. How Joe Smith came into the
possession of the manuscript found," is still
mystery.
Shortly after the publication of the Book
of Mormon, the Mormon church was orga-
nized, consisting of six members. Their
first efforts were confined to Western New
York and Pennsylvania, where they met
with considerable success. After number
of converts had been made, Joe Smith re.
ceived a revelation that he, and all his fol-
lowers should 60 to Kirkland in Ohio, and
there take up their abode. Many obeyed
the communicating their possessons,and
helping each other to settle in the spot des-
ignated. This place was the Head Quar-
tiers ofthe church, and the residences of the
/ Prophet till 1898
! The leaders in this community having be-
come deeply involved in debt, by trading,
and their efforts to erect a Temple, sin 1887
the far-famed Kirkland Bank was put into
! operation without a charter. When the
notes were first issued, they were current
in the vicinity, and Smith took advantage
of their credit to pay off with these the debts,
he, and the brethren, had contracted in the
neighborhood for land, &c. The eastern
crad;tors boua,ar -eftISed IN foEe thauo