The sun., 1889-11-10
SonrB VIEW BooKA


Ytss the story Of Utah and of the Mormons
,,,hinh A reoountpd in the tWenty-nrst volume
~ the Hstoyv Of Gls REcifo StatSs By HuBERF
How BANCROFT New York. y. N. Derbyl The
NSian Of this book ditIers somswhss from that
cfIts companion volumsA It tinyolves not only
N account Of the early discovery OF the terri
Corr now called Utah By the spaniards and OF
che subsequent exploration OF II by travellers
and trnppors, but also. inasmuch as the
community ultimately established there
Esa pure theocracy. OF the foundation
And yicissitudes OF the Mormon sect The
IattaT purposo compels the author to de-
vote moro than two hundred pages TO de-
scriptlon OF the rise Of Mormonism In the
Middle and Western States, and OF the persecu-
tions TO which its adherents we're subjected be-
fore their migration to Salt Lake City. In the
composition of this narrative Mr. Bancroft has
ondeavored to exhibit complete impartiality,
relying In the teXt largely upon the statements
OF the Mormons themselves. and In foot notes
presentinR the comments OF their critics and
opponents. It 10 this record OF the earlier and
neglected years OF Mormonism
20 which. in the present notice, We would par
AicuIarly direct attention. We will only pre-
mise that the name Utah is derived from the
collective appellation OF the Indian tribes In
habitinc the region In which the followers OF
Joseph Smith were to eventually find an
asylum. ..,..... ..- ....
|. Joseph Smith, the founder OF the sect organ
rHzed under the name Of the Church OF Jesus
Christ Of Latter Day Saints. was born in
Sharon, Windsor county, Vt, Dec. Is. 1905.
when he was 10 years old his father, who was
A poor farmer, moved with his family to Pal
myra. Wayne county, N. Y. and four years
afterWard took up his abode some six miles
south. at Manchester. Ontario county. There
was much religious excitement at the time In
this region, whose settlers included Baptists
Methodists, and Presbyterlans. It was in the
woods near his fathers farm that young Joseph
IN 1890 beheld vision and received the charge
to Join none OF the sects that he saw around
him. Three years later he had another vision,
in which an angel appeared to him and told
him that tho Lord had great work for
him to do; that his name should be known to
all people. and that OF him should be spoken
both good and evil. The angel told him further
OF book written on plates Of gold. and con-
tanning an account Of the early inhabitants OF
the American continent and ofthe Gospel deltv-,
cred to them by Christ. He said that deposited
with those plates were two stones. sometimes
described as large crystals. which being set In
silver rims resembled huge pair OF ofspectacles.
According to the angel these stones fastened to
q breast plate constituted the Urim and Thum-
min, and the possession and use Of them con-
stituted q seer. and rendered possible the
translation OF tho characters engraved on the
gold plates In the place indicated the gold
plates and silver-rimmed crystals are alleged
to have been found. but in third vision Jo-
seph was ordered not to remove them until
four years had elapsed. 1t was, not conse-
quently. until 1927 that he is said to have
taken possession Of the plates and to have
begun tho translation Of the Book Of Nor
mon whose tenor Is summarized by Mr.. Ban
croft as follows:
Following the confusion OF tongues:at the
Tower Of Babel the peoples Of the earth were
scattered abroad, one colony being led by the
Lord across the ocean to America. Fifteen
hundred years after. or 600 years before Christ.
they were DESTROYED for their wickedness. OF
the original number was Jared. among whose
descendants was the prophet Ether, who was
their historian. Ether lived to witness the ex-
tinction OF his nation. and under Divine direc-
tion he deposited his history in q locality where
It was found by a second colony, Israelites of
tho tribe OF Joseph. who came from Jerusalem
about the time OF the destruction OF the first
colony. namely. 900 years before Christ Thus
was America repeopled. The second colony
occupied the site Of the first. multiplied. and
became rich. and in time divided into two ma
tions. the Nephites and the Lamanites. SO called
from their respective founders, Nephi and
Lamar. The former advanced in civilization.
but the Lamanites lapsed into barbarism and
were the immediate progenitors Of the Ameri-
can aboriginalR The Nephites were the be-
loved Of tho Lord. To them were given visions
and angels visits; to them the Christ ap-
peared latter his resurrection in Pales-
tinel with gifts of gospel and prophecy. It |
was. indeed. the golden age OF favored peo-
pie: but In O time of temptation, some three or |
four centuries after Christ. they fell and We're
destroyed by the wicked Lamanites. The |
greatest prophet Of the Nephites In tho period |
Of their declension was Mormon. their his
torisn. who after having completed his abridg- |
ment Of the records Of his nation. committed |
It to his son Moroni. and he. that It might not |
lall into the hands Of the Lamanites, deposited
II in the hill Of Cumorah tnear Manchester.
New York;. where 1t was found by Joseph
Smith"
To the actual existence of the plates on |
which this history is alleged to have been In
scTibed the Mormons produce. in addition to
Joseph Smith. three special witnesses" name
y. Oliver CoWdery. David Whitmer. and Martin
Harris, to whom the original records are said
10 have been shown BY an angel. OF these the
lrst two were RfterWard described by Smith
himself as murderers at heart and as having
,onsciences scared with o hot iron. while of
he third he wrote that there are negroes
gno nave Wnlto eRlnS as we'll as Dlnck ones.
uch as Martin Harris" The Mormons also
'ring forward eight corroDorative witnesses
Who testify that the plates were shown to them
" Joseph Smith. that they handled them with
heir hands and saw the characters engraven
hereon. 1t Is. however. to bo noticed that
'ach OF these eight Witnesses belonged to the
antilles OF Smith or Whitmer. It was Harris,
" the way. one of the three special witnesses.
Who furnished the $1,000 needed to pay for
'rinting 5000 copies OF the Book OF Mormon
SO far We have followed the account given by
he Mormons themselves and reproduced In
he text Of the volume now before US. In a
ootnote. however. MIR. Bancroft outlines the
heory Of the origin of the Mormon Bible,
1hich Ia now commonly accepted by GENTLE
According to this theory the
uthor OF the book was one Solomon spauld-
az. clergyman and graduate of Yale College.
rho about 1909 settled In Ashtabula county,
'hio. The mounds and earth Notifications !
nth which the neiRhborhood Rbounds at
facted his attention and led him to believe
nat the American continent was peopled by q 1
olony OF Israelites. he proceeded to compose I
1 Scriptural language . fictitious history OF I