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

NTTGGftS III.
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
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 10 vice. They obtained
their living, not by honorable labor, but
by 6eceiving their neighbors with their
marvellous tales of money digging. Not
withstanding the low origin, poverty, and
profligacy 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. lie is represented by
those unacquainted with him, as uneducn-
ted, uncouth in his manners, dissipated in
his habits, and disgusting in his personal
appearance and yet, unaided by the in
fluence of literature, or the patronage of
the great, he induced thousands to obey
his mandates, and to rally around his
standard. He fought his 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 a 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, the prophet Smith succeeded
in establishg religious creed the tenets
of which have been Taught throughout the
length and breadth of America. The pro-
phet's virtues have been rehearsed and
admired in Europe; the ministers of Nau-
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 curve OF the father of waters" anc
in it he has collected population Of
$4,000 from every part of the earth. He
lplanned the architecture of magnificent
temple, and reared lis walls nearly fifty
feet, which if completed will be the mos
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 {
monument pointing the traveller to the ge
Mus Of its founder.
The acts of his life exhibit a.charactel
as incongruous as it is remarkable. |
les
timony of eye witnesses, he was at the
! same time the vicegerent of God, and
tavernkeeper-a prophet Of Jehovah, an
; base libertine-a minister of the reIi
gion of peace, and lieutenant genera
Ia ruler OF tens of thousands, and slav
to all his base unbridled passions -
preacher of righteousness, and profan
swearer-a worshipper of the God of Is
rael, and deyotee OF Bacchus-mayor G
city, and miserable bar-room fiddle
!. "a Judge upon the judicial bench, and al
!, invader Of the social, moral, and civil re
lations of men. And notwithstanding al
these inconsistencies of character, Their
are not wanting thousands who are viii
ling 10 stake their souls eternal salvation
upon his veracity. For aught we know
time and distance will embellish his lif
with some new and rare virtues which hi
most intimate friends failed to discove
while living with him.
Reasoning from effect to cause, we mus
conclude that the Mormon prophet was {
no common genius; few are able to com
! mence and carry out an imposition Xix
his, so long, and 10 such an extent. An
: we see, in the history of his labors an
success, most striking proofs of the gulI6
bility of a large portion Of the human fl
mily. What may not men be induced
) believe and follow. Christian Reflector.
. The reproaches of friend should !
2 strictly Just, and not too frequent.