Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1858-02-13
2f(otmol1 Ne(os.
MORMCNISM.

We make the following extracts from the
speech of Mr.. John Thompson Of this State,
delivered in the House of Representatives Jan.
%:
"Mormonism, as a relIgons system, had its
origin in romance written about the year
1910 by Solomon Spaldlng q native of Con-
necticut, who had been educated for the min
istry, but followed merchantile employment
removed to Cherry Valley, \. Y. where he
amused his leisure hours by weaving into
book entitled by him The MSS. Found,' the
notion entertained or suggested by some
writers that the American Indians are the
descendants Of the lost ten tribes of Israel
Hence he starts them from Palestine, invents
for them various fortunes by blood and field,
wars, quarrels, turmoils, strifes, separations,
until they people this continent, and leave be-
bind them the vestiges of mounds, tumuli,
Notifications, sculpture, and cities diapidated,
which are discovered in Northern aud Cen
tral America. 1t is written somewhat in
Scripture style, and uses the machinery Of
the Jewish economy throughout. lie read
his manuscript to vorious persons, who yet
remember it, but was not successful in pro-
curing its publication. Somewhere about the
year 1923 this manuscript fell into the hands
Of 10 Smith, native Of Windsor county Ver-
mont. Smith was about twenty years of age
aud already exhibited that singular compound
Of genius of folly of cunning and absurdity
Of incidence and energy, Of craft and earn
estness, which distinguished him to the end
of his career.
"Under the new-light preacher OF that day,
Smith became imbued with all the wild and
extravagsnt notions Of seeing sights, hearing
voices, receiving revelations, meeting and
lighting the devil in bodily form, which indi-
tn a ;r,o o0in 10 nd nt ,,f N
solid instruction and fixed principles on relig-
ious subjects. Enthusiasm ran mad through
the whole region where he dwelt, and Smith
was one Of its most brilliant empliiicatons,
ultimately having revelation that all exls-
ting systems ofreligion were wrong, aud that
he should be made the prophet of new faith.
For more than five years he vibgated between
his caution and his enthusiasm, giving out oc-
easionaly dark hints about certain mysterious
plates to be dug up by him, containing a new
revelation. Part Of his time was spent in
lying swndling and debauchery, aud the re-
maiuder in visions and repentance-the vul-
gar habits Of the brute coutending with The
higher functions Of the prophet. At length
he pretended to dig out the plates from the
side Of a bin in Palmira, Wayne County ~
Y, placed himself behind curtain permitting
no one to enter from which sanctum he trans
lated from the plates the book of Mormon TO
an amanuensis, reading it all from Spading's
manuscript in his possession, one hundred and
! eighteen pages of it having been stolen by
! Martin Harris. With this new Koran our
modern Mohammed started upon his career
'Ou the 9th of May 1929, ohm the Baptist
came back TO earth to baptise Smith and on
the 9th Of April, 1890, the first church Of
Latter-Day Saints was organized at Manches-
| ter, New-Y ork, consisting Of four Smiths aud
! two converts out of the lamily-PTatt, Rig
don, kimball, and Young joining aiterward.
| This Bible, unlike that Of the Christian or
! Mussulman, purports to be chiefly historical
and does not enunciate or enforce system ol
moral aud religious truth in philosophic or
! diaactic form all its incidental lessons upon
| life or manners being derived from current
| doctrines of this day. 1t is consequently IN
capable of comparison with any other extant
| form Of religious faith. One might as well
compare the Christian religion With Ienelon's
| Telemachus, or one of jones novels.
The history Of this fanatieism is soon
| told. The church was organized in 1880. In
| August 1881, they commenced settlement
at Independence, Jackson County Missouri
revealed TO Smith MS the site OF New Jeru-
| salem.' Smith wavered long between TINS
place aud Kirkland Ohio, where in lo3S, they
commenced building their first temple, which
was finished in 1886, at a cost OF about hity
| thousand dollars. In 1889 they relald the
| foundations of their temple in Missouri. They
left this region again for Nauyoo, in Illinois,
where another temple was soon erected. 80
Smiths life and labors ended together in Car.
| tbage Jail, where, on the 2lth Of June, le44