Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-04-03
Origin Of the Mormon Bible.
Sunday Afternoon for April.

The real author of this book of Nor.
mon was Rev. Solomon Spaulding, a
graduate of Dartmouth College in 1885
His health failing he engaged in busi.
ness, and in 1909 was living at Conneaut
o., where there are numerous Indian
mounds, He then wrote a romance, set
ting forth the not new theory that the
North American Indians were represen-
tatives of the lost tribes or Israel. Mr.
Spaulding took advantage of his sur
roundings and connected his story with
the relics which were found in the
mounds. In fictitious introduction to
his novel which he entitled 'The Manu-
script Found" he speaks of the book as
one of the exhumed relics of past age.
He makes use of the Scripture style of
expression. He tells of the departure
from Palestine of Jewish father, Lehi,
and his four sons, Laman, Samuel, Lem
uel and Nephi, of the various journeys
and of their voyage to this Western Con-
tinent. Dissension and division are fire.
quent. The defendants of the brothers
Leyelop into hostile tribes. Then came
Quarrels and wars and finally a decisive
battle, and in short the substance of all
that is found in the Golden Bible" of
Joseph Smith Indeed the Book of Nor
mon seems to be only modified but mu-
tilated edition of Rev. Mr.. Spaulding's
Manuscript Found" There is abundant
internal evidence that the later is a re-
production of the earlier work. Spauld-
ing used to read the chapters of his
story to his neighhors, who were deeply
interested in its progress and were great
ly entertained by the ingenuity of the
author. He worked upon it three years
or until 1912, when he moved to Pitts
burg, Pa. There he put his manuscript
into the hands of printer by the name
of Patterson. He expected to publish
the book and it was announced in the pa
pers in 1918 as forthcoming. 1t never
was published, however, probably be-
cause Spaulding had not the money to
pay the bills. Spaulding died in 1916.
The original copy was returned to his
widow who kept it until the Book of
Mormon was published, and then she
produced it in proof of the assertion that
JoSephs pretended revelation was a
fraud. In the Boston Journal of May IS,
1888, she told the story of the Manu-
script. The evidence is complete that
S nth discovered only what he and some
associate had hidden in a box of their
O yn making in hole of their own dig
ging. Smith came into possession of a
copy of the work of Spaulding made 10y
S Sdney Rigdon, a workman in Patterson S
printing office. Rigdon confessed the fact
dfterward when he was cut off from the
Mormon Church by Brigham Young. The
t lree witnesses also quarreled with JO-
..eph and RigdOn and confessed to hav-
Ing sworn falsely. RigdOn on leaving
t le work of printer became preacher of
d ,culiar doctrines. Smith had quite a
large following in certain views peculi-
arly his, and these two religious Ishmae
lites coming together set to work to give
the world a new Bible. Smith, adding
what was suited to his purpose, dictated
Spaulding's story to Oliver COwdrey from
behind a screen and the work was done,
'and palmed off upon company of poor
deluded fanatics as divine"
The new prophet seems to have had
but vague notions of what doctrines the
new church should hold. RigdOn held to
some doctrines which Smith did not. |
But they both agreed on the question of
the Second Advent, then exciting their
section of country. They made that doc
trine prominent in their Bible. The idea
was "the end is at hand, the Indians are
to be speedily converted; America is the
final gathering place of the saints, who
were to assemble as near the center of the |
continent as possible" This was doc
trine and this they preached and this
chiefly at first. 1t be said in brief
that the religious teachings of the Book
of Mormon relates to very modern ques-
tions. The dicussiOn in 1880 and there
abouts seem to furnish the new leaders
with themes. Millinarianism is the
main question. Infant Baptism, how
ever, quite an ancient institution, is de-
nounced and wonderful Ia relate poly |
gang, much more ancient and for this
country a very modern institution, is en-
ghaticdtly and repeatedly condemned. |
Polygamy as duty was proclaimed by |
a revelation much later in the prophets
life,