Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-05-15
JOSEPH SMITH, JR.
Appearance ofthe Leading Expound-
er oflhe Book Of Mormon.

Appearance ofthe Leading Expound-
er ofthe Book Of Mormon.
Globe Democrat.
On the third floor of building on
the northeast corner of Broad way and
O'Fallxn streets, in room that gave
every evidence of being lodge-room,
there met yesterday afternoon very
ecstatic congregation. The singing.
the praying aud the other features of
the afternoon services were marked
with the greatest feryor, and the
| Globe Democrat missionary, who
dropped in there in search of religious
consolation, was amply REWARDED. 1t
was an hour after his entrance before
the concluding hymn was sung, and
during that time a dozen or more of
the lay members arose and gave vent
to their belief in their Church, and
their love of their Lord, in feeling
speech. Facing the congregation
were several plain, honest-looklng
men, one of whom led, occasionally,
the singing, and at all times was the
cynosure of The congregation. The
little assemblabe represented the
integrity of the Church of the Latter
Day Saints in st. Louis, and the man
who was the observed of all was
Joseph Smith, Jr., prophet, priest
and king" of the reorganized branch
of that body.
81 am the eldest son of Joseph
Smith, the founder of our church, !"
said this gentleman to the missionary
from the great religious. daily, at the
conclusion of the services,
A bevy of ladies here assailxd the
prophet with invitations to visit their
homes, each pleasantly competing for
the honor of entertaining him at din
mar. Receiving these offers warmly
and courteously, and submitting at
almost every other moment to greet
ing from some member of the Church,
Mr.. Smith confessed he was in rather
a poor position to be interviewed.
II arrived in st. Louis Friday"
said he, ''and will leave in the morn
ing. I have been in attendance at
the conference of our church at indie
pendence, No, and am now on my
way to Alton, Ill. My home is in
Lamont. Ia, where our paper. The
Saints Herald, is published"
| How many members does your
church number2"
Between 16 900 to 10000. We
have over 500 regular congregations. !"
Inhabitants of what part of the
country2"
Scattered all over from Maine to
New Mexico and from Florida to AL
aska. We have members in all parts
of the world. In the Society Islands,
Australia, England, Wales, and so on,
all established by apostles or elders.
We have 800 or 1000 in Utah, these
are in charge of ElderJ r Anthony.
We have large missionary force at
work always"
THE DAWN OF LIGHT.
"When was the church establisheda"
SIN the year 1922 my father had
his visitation. An angel revealed to
him the theory of our doctrine and our
Church. All that is matter of his
tory and has been repeated so often
that it is hardly necessary for me to
say anything of it. On the 6 b of
April, 1880, the Church was organic :
ed by joseph Smith and six elders, at
Amherst 0. The FIRST conference was
held in June of that year. The mem
bers of the conference went forth into
the world and preached the word. In
the course of time they made converts,
and they then gathered together and
built temple. This was at Kirkland,
0. About this same time they settled
in Missouri, in the town of Independ-
ence. They prospered in both places
until, in the year 1881 a local feeling
arose against them ia Kirkland, result
ing finally III their expulsion from
that place. They concentrated at In
dependence, Mo-, after that, but en-
countered the same opposition in Mis-
souri, they met in Ohio, and in 1888
they were banished from this State.
They then emigrated to Illinois, set
Ting in Hancock County, at Nauvoo.
This was in 1889. l presume you are
familiar with the troubles at Nauvoo,
as nearly everybody is who has a
knowledge Of the history of the west.
In 1874 my father was killed at
Carthage The Church then num-
bered 100000 souls, 25, 900 of whom
were in Hancock County, Illinois
After my fathers death, or in 1916,
he mass of the church went west to
Utah. A large number, however, re-
manned behind. It was then that
the schism in the church began. My
mother, myself and nay brothers did
not go. Ia 1852 we reorganized the
church, the branch of which I am
now President originating them"
"What is the difference between the
two branches2"
Simply this. We do net believe
in polygamy. The church, as first
organized, was not q polygamic body.
1t was only later that it became So"
''The death of your father must
have caused great excitement"
''It did. / should like very much
to sit down and give you long story
about it, but there arc too many here
claiming my attention BOW. Those
were exciting times. My father had
been arrested by an excited body of
citizens. He could have taken advan
tage of an opportunity given him to
bail himself out. but chose to remain
in prison. He was placed in the
debtors side of the Jail. John Taylor
and my Uncle Hiram were with him.
A furious mob attacked the Jail, over
powered and butehered the guard, and
shot my father to death They put
four bullets into Uncle Hiram. who,
however did not die. John Taylor
escaped unharmed, and afterward led
the Church to Utah."
"Was Brigham Young with the
Church thenw
Eyes. But not at Nauvoo. lie
was in the East, preaching in New
York, I believe. He afterward left
and returned with the rest to Utah."
What, in short, is the belief of
your people"
CONFESSION OF FAITH
Here Mr.. Smith was carried off
bodily by friends, but before going he
handed the Globe d emocrat man an
"Epitome" the following paragraphs
are taken:
We believe in God the Eternal
Father, and in his Son Jesus Christ,
and in the Holy Ghost.
We believe that men will bs pun
ished for their own sins and not for
Adams transgrcssion.
We believe that through the atone
ment of Christ, all men may be saved
by obedience to the laws and ordin-
r