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

wishing to see the gold plates, which
,oas the prophets privilege only.
The Book of Mormon was Issued
in 1880, and on the 4th Of April, of
the same year, the first Mormon
church was organized, consisting of
only six members-the father of
Smith, his two brothers, and Oliver
Cowdery, q schoolmaster, being
amongst the number. 1t is said
that Cowdery first baptized the
prophet, and, to render the act le.
gitimate, there was present as spon.
sors, Moses and Elias, together
with Peter, James and John. The
prophet now pabtized and commits.
stoned elders, who began their enthu-
siastic preaching, and converted sev.
eral visionary characters, persons
without any settled opinions in Christ
ianity, Of q weak Interpretations
turn of mind, and liable to be imme.
diately carried away by the first elo-
quent harangue in favor ofMillerism,
Mormonism, or any other religious
dclusion. In this manner, the Nor
mon church gradually increased in
numbers.
In the following August, Farley
P. Pratt, Campbellite preacher in
Ohio, who was preaching notions on
prophecy, the restoration Of the
Children Of Israel and the Millenni.
um, met with the Book Of Mormon,
and became a convert, whilst on a
visit to the State of New York. On
his return, he presented the new Bi-
BILE to another still more enthusiastic
person, named Sidney Rgdon. He
too adopted the now system. These
we're important additionst to the Nor.
man Society. Both were men en-
dowed with talents, learning and elo.
quence. We would remark here,
that Rigdon had for three years
taught the literal Interpretation of
Scripture ?roplFE=-..1>'s ~ :
Of the the Is. elite: 70 raft
ond coming, the literal reign of the
Saints on earth, and the1use Of mi
raculous gifts in the church.
It vii! be readily allowed, that
there are passages in Scripture
which are hard to be understood,
and about the exact meaning Of
which the learned disagree. Expe-
iience shows that men may pore over
the hidden meaning of such passages
until they become religiously insane,
and are thus led to 'wrest the Scrip.
lures to their own destruction. -
When we find the most mysterious
parts of the Bible, including the
prophecies and revelations invariably
quoted to sustain their peculiar views
by the N1ormonite and Millerite
preachers, and this with degree of
positivencss of assertion which will
admit of no consideration, common
sense as we'll as Christianity plainly
shows such preachers to be nothing
but religious fanatics or impostors.
Fools rush in where angels fear to
tread
The first Mormon settlement was
formed at kirkland, in Ohio, in Jan
uary, 1881. To this place the
Sprophet and his people removed,
where Pratt and Rigdon had already
4 society of over q thousand to re.
#eile them. In the month of June,
ltoscph Smith professed to have re.
ceived a revelation, which resulted
III the sending forth of a mission of
hers into Missouri. The site for
&ity was selected, which was called
I'm. and there was soon collected,
in Nackson county, Missouri, over
10 Mormons, buying lands and
culi'eting them peaceably. Two
years Shus passed away in peace,
butNinN834, the people in Jackson
couA collected and drove them out.
This, a,&ck appears to have been al
toget theH unjust, and without any
motiS SGT Ahe fear of the Mormons
gaining political ascendency in the
county and . dislike to their fanatic
al doc Grimes and institutions. The
Mormens again gathered rapidly to.
gether in Clay and the adjoining
counties, aud prosperity again ac-
companfd them in all their efforts.
In 1887 Mormon bank was estab-
lished at Kn,land, and public credit
obtained 70 a considerable amount
This bank failed in 1888, and its
managers were prosecuted for swim.
ding. The Mormons in Missouri
and Ohio we're now driven out of
these States, and 10000 of them
arrived on the banks Of the Mississip-
pi, in a destitute condition. Their
tale of distress touched the hearts of
the Illinoisi$ns, and they received
them Hospitality, furnishing them
| with both food and clthing and a
place on which'to effect settlement.