The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-04-09
Early history of Nsormonlsm.

a09 he emigrated West and settled Conneaut, ~ ~
shtabula county, Ohio Having a taste for u
literary work. he employed his leisure time in y!
repairing the manuscript fer historical ro- ''
nance Ell titled, Manuscript Found" treating "
f the first settlers of America. endeayoring to
how that the American Indians the de- y
cendants OF the Jews. the lost tribes 1t gave -
detailed account of their journey from Jeru-
salem by land aad by sea. till they arrived in
America, under the command Of Nephi and :
Lehi They afterwards quarreled and separated .
into two distinct nations, one of which he de-
Nephites and the other. Lamanites. q
They engaged in cruel. bloody wars, and buried ,
their dead in large heaps which he claimed ac-
counted tor the mounds SO common in this .
country This Mr.. Spaulding was very for d Of
reading to his neighbors and friends, especially :
those he thought would be likely to furnish him ,
with material aid to obtain its publication :
SPauldin2 claimed that such work would meet ,
with large sale. and would enable him to pay
off his debts. Frem Conneaut, Spaulding re-
moved to Pittsburg. Pa, in 1913. After about
two years ne removed to nifty. in the same
State. where he died in 1876 The testimony of
his widow was that while they resided in Pitts
burg. the Manuscript Found - was taken to
the printing oflice of Patterson & Lambdin ard
she had no knowledge OF its having been re-
turned; that her husband, in his life lime tried
very hard, but failed to raise the necessary
means for the publication of his book. 1t is
evident that the Spauiding manuscript remain
ed slowed away on the shelves of Patterson Il
Lambdin for years. until the death of Lambdin
the actuary and managing member of the firm
after which the accumulated manuscripts were
removed and disposed Of
Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, was |
| born in Sharon, VT, Dec 23rd 1885, ana remov- |
ed to Manchester. Ontario county, n. Y, about
the year 1915, early age. with his parents,
who were in INDECENT circumstances Joseph
was engaged as laborer in Palmyra, Wayne
county, n. when he could obtain work and
| bore the reputation of lazy and iguoranl young
| man. He commenced his career as the founder
of the new sect when about 10 years of age He
appointed a number CT meetings in Palmyra
for the purpose of decla ing the divine rcvela-
| tion' which he said were made to him Being
regarded by the people 81 semi-lunatfc very
few had sufficient curiosity to listen to him.
| Not having means to print his revelations he
| applied to Mr. Crane. Of the society of Friends,
declaring that he was moved by the Spirit to
| call upon him fer assistance. This gentleman
bid him go to work, or the state prison would
end his career. Smith had better success with
Martin Harris, well-to-do farmer, who ad-
vanced about S3 900, with which Smith obtained
| the printing Of 5000 copies of the so called
| Mormon Bible, of which great sale was antic-
ipated The book was duodecimo volume
containing 500 pages, and one of the strangest
productions ever attempted to be palmed of as
Divine revelation. 1t is mostly blind mass
of words. interw oven with scriptural language
and quotations, wi .hout much of leading plan
or de ign socn aft.r the publication of the
Mormon Bible Farley B. Pratt q resident of
Lorain county, Ohio, called on j o. eph Smith at
| Palmyra, and was soon converted. Pratt was
intimately acquainted with Sidney Rigdon, an
apestate Baptist minister of some literary pre-
tentions, who had obtained a small following in
his erratic notions. at Kirkland, o., miles from
Mentor. the late Garfeld's home. Rigdon Wis
tied the prophe. Smith at Palmyra. was soon
converted to Mo,monism, tarried about two
months preaching. receiving revelations, SC
After the appearance of the Mormon Bible, the
older citizens Of w ayne county soon recognized
it to be largely spauldit g's Found Manu-
script" bupglngly hashed up with Hebrew
scriptures. Smith. finding the people of Wayne
county too inc redulous and perVerse to make it
a profitable field of labor. fitted out expedi-
ton for the West under the command of man
5 named CoWdery, with the alleged purpose OF
converting the Lamanites, as they termed them.
/ In October, 1880. this mission. consisting OF
Cowdery, Pratt Peterson and W hitmer arrived
, at Mentor, the residence of klgdon, well
, supplied with new Bibles. Five miles from
this place. in Kirkland, there were few fami-
f lies belonging TO Rigdon's congregation who
were soon converted TO Mormoni>m. With the
, aid of Rigdon, more than 100 converts were
speedily added. thus from state of almost
: begga1y, the family of Smith were furnished
with the " fat CT the land - by their disciples
many of VI HON were wealthy. A that date
al,,,l ,l.n
church. with renewal CT the gifts exercised by
the ancient apostles. such as prophesy ing
healing 81 eaking in unknown tongues, &c
In 1892. Brigham oung was converted, ar6
located at Birtland In 1893 the temple wa:
t begun and completed. and coHseera ed witt
frantic ceremonies, in 1886. The Mormons made
all uIsUcce: Sful attempt to obtain from the Ohit
S Legislature chartec ior a bank. Not dis
! couraged by their failure, they at once proceed
ed to engage 10 private u chartered banking
and so indu.triously circulated their currenc!
= that soon after the panic Of 1887, their omise
: to pay became valueiess as the issue OF tht
D late confederacy. Z he bubble finally burst ant
; most Of the sect. with tho oir leader. removed tt
Missouri. where they were i'll constant trouble
. | with the in1idels, they called them Te
# | MoIRons raised an armed force, but were final
;. ly compelled to leave the State Tie last stan'
o C46y LOOK was at NEuNOO, 1il Il DSdulllui lOCd
# tioa the Mississippi river where they erecte,
y a lendid TEN e around which they bull
their city of 1900 inhab. ANS, II ON which the.
d finally emigrated to Salt Lake Utah BY som
pro cess of law Joseph Smith fthe propheD ant
his brother Il yram were confined in the dc btor'
apartment in the jail at Carthage. in the yiGin
:. ity of Nauvoo. " hile here. mob of about G.
men in disg uise fired into the prison and kilet
: both Joseph ana his brother Hyram, Jule 9th
1s4i The Morm roiision las they style it
:. seems to be u very pr gressive one. constant!
receiving additional neutrality-suspicious. d. wife
ry,' in 1szO A., poll, amy in 1913 blood atone
ment in 1854. and so on. After the Mormon
lett Kirkland, the temple was used for variou
purposes-a long time for wheat ware house
: later Cor pork packing house. few year
ago, some OF tn. faithful returned and privaiei!
bought tte temple. renovated aLd thorough.
u repaired it, anu strong congregation i
maintained. ignoring polygamy and some othe
Of the more Objectionable features of the sect
The MoImors ignore all laws except those o
their own making. and ON small beginnin 6
Mormonism has grown to such elephantin,
proportions that the wisdom of the nation i
puzz.ed to know how 10 get lid OF it,
Portage County can claim the honor of fur
nishing the prophet Brigham Young the favor
Il fte among his score of " ives Many OF he
u E, p. B.
= Ravenna, ., prii. i %.
Sunday night. george +. Douihit and wifi
had a very arrow escape from beirg rendered
: home.ess. They had retired for the night in al
= upper room, when Mrs. D. detected the odor o
something burning and awakened her husband
t who sprang out OF bed and hurried to the parol
waeIe 81. 4 .irv II ii been Il ia gr"ta, I.i
surprise and alarm may be imagined on discov
;. ering that a large portion CT the carpet haC
been burned. and number of chairs and othe
articles o. furniture destroyed The ere origi
+ mated from defective tlue in the chimney
n which failed to protect the wooden manteI
through one cad of which q circular hole haf
i been burned, the fire communicating to tht
t drapery portions which fell to the carpet. Th,
mantel was ruined and the ceilings nearly so
The loss was about $3.50. covered by insurance
e Fortunately, Eir. D. was enabled to extinguisf
the flames. 1t was an experience they do not
j. care 10 realize again. The smou!dering char