The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-11-15
JOB SMITHS BIBLE
Original Manuscript in a Kan
Sas City Safety Vault.
M0RM0NS WOULD BUY 1T
At any Price, to Sneak in a
PoIygamy Revelation"
MORMONS WOULD BUY 1T

Polygamy is not authorized in the Bool
Of Mormon as originally translated il
1929 by Joseph Smith from the gold plate,
alleged to have been found by him on the
hill of Mumorah, at Palmyra, N Y. TIC
obtain possession of this original transla
ton the Latter Day Saints have mad,
strenuous efforts, says the New Yorl
| World. They have offered $1,000 for it
but their overtures have been repulsed BY
those who have had custody of the docu,
ment, inasmuch as they believe the Sail
Lake Mormons desire the manuscript fol-
the purpose interpolating a passage that
would sanction or approve polygamy. The
| lives of the holders of the previous trans
| lation have been threatened by Destroy
| ing Angels" the terrible Dantes, but with
out avail
The Book of Mormon is law to all true
believers in MOrmonism. According to the
translation of the golden plates, all who
practice polygamy are without the law
of the church. There are three distinct
denominations who take the Book of Nor
mon to be the law of the gospel. The
first of these is called the Church of
Christ founded by the original followers
of Joseph Smith, the organizer of the
sect The others are the Reorganized
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints, and the Church of Jesus Christ Of
Latter Day Saints. This last is the
church in Utah, which advocated and
practiced polygamy, and to which belongs
Brigham H. Roberts, whom the Christian
women of the country are endeavoring to
keep out of the house of Representatives.
The two first named churches never have
believed in polygamy. Thir faith is found
ed upon the Book of Mormon, and poly
gamy is denoupced as being forbidden in
that book.
This remarkable document has been a
source of contention and hatred in the
Church of Latter Day Saints for many
years. Its possession has been desired by
the Saints of Salt Lake City that they
might repair the oversight Of Joseph
Smith in not putting into his book justifi
cation for the practice of polygamy. Da-
vid Whitmer was a comparatively poor
man, and the Salt Lake Saints repeatedly
offered him enormous sums Of money for
the manuscript He knew it was their
purpose to interpolate a revelation COM
handing polygamy, and as a matter of
principle he declined their tempting Of
fers. His life was repeatedly threatened
by the Dantes, known as the Destroying
Angels" This organization was formed
it Is affirmed, by the Mormons in Missouri
for the purpose of numbering Whitmer and
Oliver COwdery, another of the witnesses
to the translation of the plates Of Smith,
because they would not consent to the
Interpolation of the polygamy clause into
the Book of Mormon.
The first church of the Mormons was
established In independence, Mo-, the
founders of it having been driven out of
New York, and in obedience to a revela-
ton of Joseph Smith the believers moved
west to the Zion in Missouri. This was
in 1929 shortly after the first book OF Nor
mon had been printed. In 1888 the Nor
mons were driven out of the state, and
went to Nauvoo, Ill, whence they were
eventually. expelled and went to Utah. 1t
was not until fourteen years after the
founding of Mormonism by Joseph Smith
that he. who had gone to Salt Lake with
the bulk of the believers, purported to
have had a revelation from God demand
ing poygamy Smith at that time desired
to insert this revelation in the original
manuscript, but David Whitmer would not
permit it.
The manuscript of the Book Of Mormon
contains about 600 pages of linen paper,
foolscap size, written on both sides. The
l,,l-
faded to brown, but the manuscript is in
excellent condition. With it Is a copy OF
the characters which were engraved on
one Of the gold plates. The copy was
made by David Whitmer, and in 1877 he |
wrote the following about it:
The characters are the engravings on |
tho gold plates from which the Book Of
Mormon was translated. They were en-
eravcd thereon by the hand of a holy |
prophet OF God, whose name was Nor |
mon. and who lived in this land 400 years
after Christ. Mormon's son, Moroni, af- |
ter Witnessing the destruction Of the !
brethren. the Nephites, who were a white |
race-they being destroyed by the Lamar |
ties Undians)-deposited the golden plates !
in the ground, according to a command of |
God. An angel Of the Lord directed Jo- |
seph Smith to them. The language of the |
Nephites is called the reformed Egyptian |
language"
The original manuscript Of the Book of |
Mormon is still in existence, and is at |
present locked in the steel vault of a trust |
company in Kansas City. Mo. It is the |
property OF George W. Schweich, a re- !
tired banker Of Richmond. No Mr.. I
Schweich inherited the manuscript from /
David W-hitmer his maternal grandfather. /
who was one of the three witnesses TO the /
translating OF the golden plates by Jo- /
seph smith, and was one of those who /
wrote the manuscript at Smiths dicta- 4
ton The Book Of Mormon was first |
printed from this manuscript in 1879 by 4
+. Is. Grandin. Of Palmyra. y. Y. After /
the book was published the manuscript i
and the table on which Il was written be- (
came the property Of David Whitmer. who f.
took them 10 Missouri. and they remained F..
in his possession until his death in ISIS.
That the manuscript IS authentic there /
can be no doubt. Its geinuineneSs was re-
peatedly affirmed by Mr.. Whitmer and /
Oliver Cowdery. who wrote down the F,
translation - the golden plates at the /
dic;ation Of Joseph Smith. Mr. Schweich I
has in his possession a letter bearing on 4
the authenticity Of the manuscript written +
by Colonel J. T. Childs. who was United !
states Consul-General at Hankow. China. /
The letter is dated August =. 1SoS The /
Utah Mormons had repeatedly tried 70 set /
the manuscript OF The Book Of Mormon 4
Upon 1t being shown 70 them Elder Pratt /
recognized the handwriting % Oliver /
1oWdery and Mrs. Emma Smith tan
o'her OF Joseph Smiths scribes1 After !