Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-03-19
THE MORMON pRopHET

THE MORMON PROPHET.
1t is but few months since the death
of Joe Smith was announced. Ais body
now sleeps, and his spirit has gone to its
reward. Various are the opinions of men
concerning this singular parsonage; but
whatevpr may be the views of any in re-
ference to his principles, object, or moral
character, all must admit that he was one
of the most remarkable men Of the age.
Not fifteen years have elapsed since a
band composed of six persons, was form
ed in Palmyra, New York, Of which Joseph
Smith, jr. was the presiding genius. Most
Of these were connected with the family
Of Smith, the Senior. They were notorl-
GUS for breach Of contracts, and for refus.
ing to pay their honest debts. All of them
were addicted to vice. They obtained
their living, not by honorable labor, but
by ceceiying their neighbors with their
marvellous tales Of money digging. Not
withstanding the low origin, poverty, and
prohigacy of the members of that band of
mountebanks, they have augmented their
members till more than 100000 persons
are numbered among the followers of the
Mormon prophet, and they were never in
creasing SO rapidly as at the time Of his
death. Joe Smith arose from the very
lowest grade of society to the head of this
large body, without any of those aids by
which most other men have assembled to
their high stations. He is represented by
those unacquainted with him, as uneduca-
ted, uncouth in bis manners, dissipated in
his habits, and disgusting in his personal
appearance ane' yet, unaided by the in
fluence Of literatlre,-Rr the patronage of
the great, he induced thousands to ysGey
his mandates, and ~ rally around his
standard. He fought bis way through all
these adverse circumstances, and left the
impress Of his depraved genius upon the
age, and his name will not be- forgotten
when that of many statesman will be
buried in oblivion. Born in the very low
est walks of life, reared in poverty, educa-
ted in vice, having no claims TO even COM
mon intelligence, coarse and vulgar in
department, fhe prophet Smith succeeded
in establishg a religious creed the tenets
Of which have been taught throughout the
length and breadth of America. The pro-
phel's virtues have been rehearsed and
admired in Europe; the ministers Of Maui
VOC have even found welcome in Asia,
and Africa has listened TO the grave say
ings of the seer Of modern Palmyra
The standard of the Latter Day Saints has
been reared on the banks Of the Nile, and
even the Holy Land has been entered by
the emissaries Of the wicked impostor.-
He founded city of no mean pretension
in one Of the finest situations in the world,
in a curve Of the "lather of waters" and
in it he has collected population of
$4,000 from every part of the earth. He
planned the architecture of magnifcen!
temple, and reared its walls nearly fifty
feet, which if completed will be the most
beautiful, most costly, and the most noble
building in America. Its walls are Of So
lid stone, four feet in thickness; supported
by thirty stone pillars. That building is a
monument pointing the traveller to the ge-
MUS of its founder.
The acts of his life exhibit character
as incongruous as it is remarkable. If
we can credit his own words, and the tes-
timony Of eye Witnesses, he was at the
same time the vicegerent of God, and a
tayernkeeper--a prophet of Jehovah, and
q base libertine-a minister of the reli-
gion Of peace, and lieutenant general
Ia ruler Of tens Of thousands, and slave
to al his base unbrided passions - a
preacher Of righteousness, and profane
swearer-a worshipper Of the God of Is
rael, and devotee Of Bacchus--mayor of
Va city, and a miserable bar-room fiddler
Ia Judge upon the judicial bench, and an
invader of the social, moral, and civil re-
aiions of men. And notwithstanding all
these inconsistencies Of character, there
are not wanting thousands who are will
ling to stake their souls eternal salvation
upon his vefacity. For aught we know,
time and distance will embellish his life
with some new and rare virtues which his
most intimate friends failed 10 discover
while living with him.
Reasoning from effect TO cause, we must
conclude that the Mormon prophet was Of
no common genius; few are able to COM
mence and carry out an imposition like
his, so long, and TO such an extent. And
we see, in The history Of his labors and
success, most striking proofs Of the gulld-
billy OF urge portion Of the human Ia
mily. What may not men be induced to
believe and follow. [Chrisiian Reflector.
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