The New York herald., 1877-09-10
A HILL OF ZION.
"REMINISCENCES OF THE EARLY DAYS OF NOR
MoNIsM IN OHIO.

"REMINISCENCES OF THE EARLY DAYS OF NOR
MoNIsM IN OHIO.
HIRAM, Portage county, Ohio, Sept. z, 1877.
IN the midst of the revival OF interest in the Mormon
Church the present time, caused by the death o ITS
great leader II may be OF value to considerable CLASS
OF readers know that at time there was seiec'
tion mado through a pretended vision rom God OF
site Tor the Zion OF the Church OF the Latter Day
Saints in this township Having heard that such was
the your correspondent to The place yester
day and calling upon some OF oldest settlers gath.
cred all the facts in regard to the matter
About thirty miles southeast from Cleveland and
little than mile back from the Atlantic and
Great Western hallway rises one OF those picturesque
hills which 80 to form tho water shed dividing tho
owrg north INTO Lake Erie from those flowing
south into the Ohio River and the Gull From tho
summit OF this hill there is natural slope in every
direction. Even in the early days the pioneers de-
scribe II spot OF peculiar beauty and striking SUBJ
Unity. From its trec-cappcd summit magnificent
panorama is offered to vicw For many miles away
IN the neigh boring State OF Pennsylvania busy VII
lages and thriving farms may be minutely located,
with here and there strip Of woodland aud country
road stretching between. The summit Of the hill Is
row occupied by a wealthy farming community fru.
gal pious, happy, and by tho casua! eye, no ndIcs.
ons are TO be OF the delnslou OF half century
ago.
SIDNEY RiCDoN.
For some time previous TO 1880 the year Ia which
Mormonism was first announced to the world Thomas
and Alexander Campbell father and son. Scotch Bap-
tist preachors, of Western Virginia, been preach
ing what thoy termed reformation in the orthodoxy
Of the time. They protessod to have discovered new
light in the Scriptures OF divine truth, and the power
with which they emphasized their doctrines made Q
decided impression everywhere they went upon tho
pioneer mind. They claimed that the people had long
since iorakcn the teachings OF the Scriptures in their
simplicity that they had obscured the plain doctrines
by means Of strained Interpretations and manm made
crecds; that the Scriptures their OWE best inter-
prefers, and that II they studied in their simplicity
and with all sectariansm laid aside there almost
never be any difficulty in following out their mean-
ing and forming the creed for faith and practice.
The theories OF the Campbells took deep In this
section. The people Of Hiram Hill almost to in
divdua embraced their novel views upon baptism,
the Lords Supper the necessity OF implicit obedience
and the theory that everything commanded Ia the
Bible. under any circumstances Is thoroughly and
entirely essential to tho salvation OF the soul They
became notable as debaters, ana called themselves
learners 'Disciples; saying that they ready
TO accept anywhere everything which God or Christ
said and learn OF Him. Among the most ardent OF
the converts to tho religion was young man by
the name Of Sidney RIgdop, who immediately became
a preacher contemporary thus describes him:-
'sHc had obtained fair education FROM tho common
schools Of the East before coming tho country
Ho was somewhat stoutly built, though graceful;
with marked features, aquiIine nose large eyes and
mouth heavy brown beard and long, wayy black hair.
When he was warmed up to his subject no displayed
truly great powers OF oraory AMI for the large, out
door, plonecr congregations no one was more popular
than he among all the native preachers OF the time.
1t not necessary that language shouid be the most
natical, gestures the most appropriate illus.
ratons the apt in order TO satisfy the demands
Of the time II tho subject matter of discourse
responded to tho words OF divine record which lay
open upon tho knees OF every believer in the audience
and tho speaker wero mpass0ned In his denunciatlon
of and in his warning to fee tho wrath to come, il
was sufficient All these qualities young Rigdon en-
bodied in marked degree He had taken up his abode
on Hiram Hill, and IRON his cabin homo made long
preaching in every direction At length he be-
came SO much leader Of tho new movement that tho
Disciples called In certain quarters Rigdonea ~
SMITH.
But Egdon, Ike Caesar, was ambitious and am.
bltion makes men reckless He knew that lie was
not the prime in the reformation OF the Camp.
bes and he fe nctted that the true authors received
moro credit than he. Thcre is period when the
young evangelist Is supposed to have sulked in his
tent, DUt IN anOtuer aruco may taKe occasion 10
show that he engaged tho conspiracy from the
first, and then in consultation with
Joe smith. AT length the Mormons arrived in Mentor
and Kirkland, Lake county and began operations IN
to near the preaching for the FIRST time. and
verted. Ire returned told hts CONGREGATION In
Hiram that new light had been discovered by Latter
bay prophet that revelations constantly being
made, and that was their duty as the true followers
Of the Lord in all His appointed ways TO unite with
the rew movement. The discourse which he had
preached at large pioneer grove meeting just before
this had been from the text:-'If any man,
angel from heaven, preach any other doctrine than
that which have preached unto you let him be ac-
cursed aad the words OF the apostle wero empha-
the doctrine Of alormonism, or Sidney Rigdon
preaching his own damnaton" az pioneer expressed
II 10 Inc.
INVESTIGATING THE NEW DIsrExsArfox
AT Rigdons suggestion one OF tho leading men or
the disciples in Iliram by the Of John johnson,
sent 10 kitiand 10 investigate the movement and
report Some time during the month Of September,
ISL, JohnSon accordingly started horseback
ay c 10 q s
Immediately became convert TO Mormonism and
came back with glowing report Of the new religion.
From this others went on the samo pilgrimage, and
returning, Rigd0n himself with considerable band
went TO Kirkland tor The purpose Of getting the see.
ment removed 20 Hiram The prophet was only too
already Kirkland d!d not satisfy in every way his
Which toll him that Hiram ' Ml was the the % OF
Zon' for which he had been searching that Kirkland
only intended as branch establishment and that
the principal Office OF the church should be here. Upon
arriving he much pleased with the prospect. Ho said
that tho Lord had told him that there "a better
show for living here Than IN Kirkland, and on this
account desired to give II to the church. The Whit
and several other leading SIormons, including
oisnt witnesses OF the Book OF Mormon, arrived in
Hiram during tho winter Of 1852, and brought their
| families with them Smith took up his abode with
Johnson, and many cabins were erected, with this one
rs centre
CONVERSIONS
Meetings we're held in the school houses OF the vcin-
ty and such was the apparent piey and earnestncss
OF the speakers that the people were greatly i'm
pressed. Al length large congregat began 10
gather and as n result OF tho interest large number
Of converts were taken into the church. Every
vert who had any git In that direction
was set aside Tor tho work Of the ministry.
| In less than six months after Joseph Snith
first ca,nc here more than sixty persons had united
with his church and accepted him as tho Prophet Of
liz Lord "A In he III IL,