The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-01-16
Sidney RIGDOg.
Death or tho Man who Copied the
Mormon Bfble.

The death Of Sidney Rigdou, one OF
Joe Smiths associates in the establish
ment OF Mormonism, is announced.
He was born in St. Clslr township, Ale
legheny county, Pennsylvania, Febru>
ary l9, 1898. THE Book Of Mormon
which Smith pretends to have discov.
cred through Divine revelation, WAS
claimed Immediately after its publica-
ton as the work of Rev. Solomon
Spalding, written by him during q resi-
dence in Ohio in lSl0-ll-l2. Nj.
Spalding's widow, in a statement pub
lished in Boston in 1889, declared that
10 1912 the manuscript was placed in q
printing office in Pittsburgh with which
Sidney Rigdon was connected. Rigdon,
she charged, copied the manuscript, and
the fact Of his having such q copy was
known to many persons in the office.
Subsequently the original manuscript
was returned to her. Spalding, who
died in 1916, leaving it in the possession
OF bis widow, bv whom it was preserved
until after the publication Of "The Book
of Mormon" when she sent il to Con-
necticut where it was publicly com pared
with Joe Smiths pretended revelation.
Soon after getting possession OF bis
copy, Rigdon Quilted the printing Office
and began to preach certain new doc
trines peculiar to himself, and very
similar to those afterwsrd in
corporated in "Ths Book OF
Mormon" He did not make much
progress, however, until 1929, when be
became acquainted with Joe Smith. 1t
is asserted that Smith obtained Q copy
of Spalding's manuscript through Rig
don's agency, and that he read it from
behind the blanket to his arosnuensis,
Oliver Cowdery making such additions
and alterations ss suited the purposes
of Rigdon and himself. Immediately
after the publication Of "The Book OF
Mormon" the fraud was detected, and
the true nature of the work made known
by Mr.. Spaldings widow and many OF
his relatives and friends. Ia spite Of
this disclosure, however, Smith
and Rigdon had the impudence
to stick to the story OF revela-
ton, and succeeded in getting converts
TO the new religion. At first they had
rather hszv ideas as to the nature and
design OF the church they were about
to establish, and were rather inclined to
teach that the millennium was close at
hand, that the Indians were to be
speedily converted; and that America
was to be the final gathering place Of
the Saints, who were TO assemble at
New Zion or New Jerusalem, some
where in the interior Of the continent.
They soon managed to surround them"
selves with enough converts to consti-
tute the Mormon Church, which was
first regularly organized at Manchester,
n. Y, April 6, 1880. Smith, directed by
a revelation, led the whole body OF be.
LEVERS to Kirkland, Ohio, in January.
1881. Here converts were rapidly
made, and wider field being necessary,
Smith and Rigdon went out in search OF
a suitable locality upon which to estab'
lish themselves. They fixed upon In
dependence, Jackson county, Missouri,
and Smith dedicated cite for q new
temple. Rigdon continued to act with
Smith, and to follow all the fortunes
al d mis- 'ortunes OF the Mormon Church
until the death OF the Prophet,
when he aspired TO be bis sue
cessor. Upon Brigham Youug, how
ever, descended the mantle Of Joe
Smith, and Rigdon becoming contuma-
cious. was cut off from the communion
Of the faithful, was cursed, and was
solennly delivered over to the devil, TO
be buffeted in the flesh for thousand
years" This ended Rigdon's connec-
ton with Mormonism; and after thus
being driven out of the church which
be did 10 much 10 found, he fell out OF
the public notice and was heard OF no
more.