The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-11-12

want OF success was OWING 10 Ills u.s.
;ening to the suggestions, of Satan,
who had walked at his elbow on the
way, and had made him resolve to
make use of the golden plates on
which the records were engraved, as
we'll as the contents when published,
to advance his temporal fortunes
This was sin-to think he should be-
como famous, was unholy ambition;
that he should be rich and powerful
thereby, was avarlcc.
"But, on sincere repentance and
submission, four years after, the con-
tents Of the box were shown to him..
the angel opening it; which consisted
of the :. Sword Of Laban," brought
from Jerusalem, a brcastplate and
two stones ''bright and shining," and
golden plates engraved with charac-
tcrs, and united at the backs of rings.
A portion of the records was rcceiv-
ed, constituting the Book of Mormon,
in which are depicted, much i'll the
style of the Bible Chronicles, the
various fortunes Of the four brothers
Of the e,nisrating family, and of their
descendants how some tribes were
evil in their practices, despising re.
proof, and became cursed with a
dark skin and loathsome habits, and
were made scourges to others when
falling away from the truth the say
ings, teachings, teachings, and warn
ings of their prophets. who foretold
by name the advent of the Saviour
of the world the organization among
the purcr people on this continent, of
a church by Christ: who came down
to them after His ascension at Jaru.
salem, aud gave them His gospel
nearly in the words of the Sermon OH
the Mount, and how that for apostacy
these Christians were iinally destroy,
ell by the Galiant N robbers and The
red mcn-thc last prophet, NloTani
by name, scaling up the records, and
dcposi,iny 'he"., Mi,n ttreEzHswor0
Urim and Truunim, and brcastplate,
ut Cumorah, there to remain until
'the tullncss Of time" should demand
their exhun,ation; and which should
be brought forth, "by way Of Gen.
,ile," for the convincing Of both
Jew and Gentle that Jesus is the
Christ" (Sec Preface, b. Nor.
mon.)
"Thc restoring angel was the
spirit of this same Morani, the son of
Mormon the Seer, who had made a
compendium of the holy writings an
delivered them to him; and Joseph
now constituted the Seer, by means
Of the Urim and Thu,umun, placed
in bow and looked through upon
the plates, began their translation,
and preached the news Of his im-
portant mission -
Such is the account given by
Joseph Smith anil his followers of
the origin Of the Book Of Mormon.
Fanaticism will ever meet with op-
ponents i'll men whose minds are
enlightened by science, and where
Christian principles are firm and
settled. 1t is alleged by the op-
poncnt of Mormonism, that the Nor.
mon bible was fabric ated by Joseph
Smith, out of a manuscript written
by the late Rev. Mr.. Spaulding, at
Conneaut, Ohio; and of which he
became possessed. This manuscript
was written by Mr.. Sraulding, to
account for the ruined cities and
temples discovered in Central Am
erica. These remains of past civ
ilization, which antiquarians have not
yet been able to account for, we're
chosen by Mr.. Spaulding as the
subject Of his MS, which is a ro.
nance to show the manner in which
America was peopled by the Jews,
and the "lost ten tribes Of Israel"
together with the subsequent events
that occurred to their descendants,
and the origin OF the Indian nations
which overspreaa the continent of
America when it was discovered by
Columbus. A clear idea of the origin
of the Mormon bible can be had from
the affidavit of Mr.. Henry Lake, Civ.
en- at Conncaut, in 1888 Which is
crrroborated by an abundance of
other testimony.
"IIe affrms; 81 left the State of
New York in the year Of 1910, and
arrived in this place about the first
of January following. Soon after
my arrival formed copartnership
with Solomon Spaulding He
frequently read to me from man
uscript which he was writing, and
which he entitled the "Manuscrip,
Found" which he represented as
being found III this town. | spent