, 1884-09-09
TIE BOOK Of MORMON.
A True History Of Joe Srastl.'- fs-.
rnnrisabic Piece OF JuegIerH.

innrAabic Piece OF ~Juaslery.
Gst louis spoota.orl
How many people know anything nbunf ttt
origin OF the Mormon religion. or rather. of
the Book Of Mormon, which Il ~, authorityi
l knew precious little about il until TIL,
week. when 1 accidentally fell in with Mr..
Clark Braden, who has recently given the
subJect a most searching investigation. uia
story shows ~ what stuT a r.ifei maN lbs
made The MoIunon- numh-t probably
5)O.nO0 They mr divided intn inany
sect-, but the principal are the tpiyg
amous B~righnnites in Utah ana tbs
non roiygamous Josephites scattered in ynri
Gus place. The story may be given Ia a few
a.nl Ths Book OF Mormon was written
oy an Old broken down Presbyterian clergy
man named Solomon S%paulding Spauiding
VII bonn ia Connecticut in 1861. He gradu-
au-l at Dartmouth college, and settled rs
minister for "a Congregational church. He
made O bad failure at preaching, and went
into hu-incss with his brother in New York
state. di1 not succeed, and started mn iron
foundry IN a town in northern Ohio. He
COLL failed In that venture and became very
much discouraged. His wife supported the
family by taking boarders, and he spent his
time Ia writing, though what did not then
appear. The family moved TO F~ittsburg,
when he rewrote his book, adding Il second
part He afterwards rewrote the entire
L,ol. adding a third part. This is the origin
OF the manuscript
Now, what became Of til Spaulding made
arrangements 10 have it printed in Pitts
burg After IA part OF 1t had been set up the
whoir manuscript was stolen by n tanner
named Sidney kigdon. VIII was in the habit
OF luaing around the printing office. Rig
don kept il concealed for some years, until he
fell in with Joseph Smith, who evolved thu
plan OF producing it. Smith belonged to a
not over reputable family living near Pal
myIa, n. Y They lived in q house and
supported themselves by hunting and fishing
nnd other means suspected 20 be more ques-
tiunable. Joseph, one day, found a remark
ably clear crystal, shaped much like a child's
foot, and he declared it WINS n -petp-stone,"
in which Lee could read the future and dis
cover stninn goods, strayed cutie -.c-, and
un several occasions wa so successful in PR.
dieting the locality of goods and cat
H. that lac soon came TO have con-
siderable reputation. He then extended
his field OF operations by divining where
treasure was buried. md under his directions
q great many ~diggings were made, unsuc-
c~esstully however. These diggings extended
over Il large area, some fifty miles or more.
around Pnlmyra, and some OF them may be
seen now. He fell ia with Sidney Rigdon,
who told him Of the manuscript Smith soon
devised IA scheme for producing ii under
proper surroundings. Tn alleged book Of
copper plates was found under divine guild
ance, GA which characters OF reformed Egyp-
tinn were craven Tn book was accom-
panisd by a pair Of spectacles of wondrous
power. which enabled Smith to translate the
remarkable characters. This lac did from
lehind "a screen, while an amanuensis took
duNn his words. Tho Book OF Mormon wa
printed in 1880, at Palmyra. y. Y, a farmey,
MARTIN harris, putting up tAe cish 10 pay
the printer Thu Solomon SpauldiIgf
manuscript found It's way MO print With
such additions and alterations As Smith cha.e
10 make FOR his own benefit
\ book will soon be- PUBLISHED by the Clris-
tim Publishing company giving all the in
vestigntlons Of Mr.. Braden aud the complete
chain of evidence establishing the nufhcn
ITCHY OK his story. A manuscript Of the
Book Of Mormon is still in existenc, in the
possession OF Mr.. Withmer, Of Richnond,
No, and the compositor who st up most OF
the book at Palmyra, fifty years ago, is still
living. Mr.. j. II. Gilbert Mr.. Braden Is
now trying 20 arrange that Mr.. Gilbert shall
rec this manuscript u say whether 1t Is the
copy from which the book was originally set
M.