Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-10-14

without any connection with material
objects. nH was the case with Emanuel
Hwcodcnburr. then there would have
been room for Miss Dougnli'a theory,
but the fucts In which Mormonism had
~ origin had 20 do with quito "a differ
eut order uf things. THE ancient re-
cord Of America, revealed 90 Joseph
smith by an angel, and which was nm
ally given into his keeping 60 translate.
was no visionary bouk-no mere crea-
tiun uf an uycryrourht hrtlu-hut act
unl substance. sensible Co touch az %
siHht. consisting OF golden plates, with
length, breadth. and thickness. Each
plate was about seven By eight inches
In dimension, ana somewhat thinner
than common tin. the whole bound to-
Fcther By rings made a volume some six
inches Ia thickness. These plates jos
eph Smith claimed 90 have handled.
and during the time they were In his
puaaession-cum two ycnra-hc ffy-
quunuy removed them from place 10
place Ia the most mnttor.ufsinct way.
Others saw and handled them also, not
only the three men Co whom the angel
Moronl exhibited them. and whose tca-
tlmony accompanies every Rock OF
Mormon published, but ciEht other
men, whose testimony ~ also PUBLISH
cd iu every Book nf Mormon. testify that
Joseph Smith showed the plates TO
them. that they saw and handled them.
ana examined the characters cnRfavon
thereon. ~ cannot be said that Joseph
Smith and these men were aclf-dc-
crivcd In such things, not even tho
automatic freaks Of a vigorous but
undiscipliucd brain could drludc Itself
IN such matters. The Book Of Mormon
plates had an existence, and Joseph
Smith and others who testified 10 the
fact saw and handled them. or they
were conscious frauds and lied aud con-
nplrcd 20 deceive
30 with many other manIfoatlona
which the prophet claims 90 have re-
colNed. Many ~ them consisted N WIS.,
Ions ana conversations with rcHurrcctrf
! pcfaonngea- OF hoah and bone-who
! laid thclr hands upon the head u
/ Joseph Smith and others who were with
/ him. There was mo- chance fur self
/ dolualon or mistake 60 enter into such
/ transactions, and no theory based upon
/ the Idea u Joseph Smith being confirms
/ Cd iu tho hyateficnl temperament
can explain away these stubborn facts.
however well intcntionod or ahilfully
worked out,
II to b. regretted that Miss Dougaii
/ has not extended her studies OF Nor
monlsm" beyond the Nnuyou pcriodi
had she done 30 she would have cn-
/ capped some errors that now appear In
her work. such a. treating seriously tho
story OF the DANTE organization. which
never had any existence hy reason OF
| any sanction given u 10y church authuF-
tiles. Nor would she have assumed 70
largely the Ignorance NJ the early COM
vcrts of "MormOuism." upon which she
depends 90 strongly for the working out
| of her theory concerning Joseph Smith'a
character. Here In Utah IN the past We
have had with Va very many q those
early converts to "Mormonlam." some
OF them are utM with uu. ana could Miss
puurnn have mrt them she would have
found them pcuple ~ rather superior In
teliiEcncc and character, and not at all
the Ignorant ana aupenstitioun persons
they are generally supposed Go have
been. Nor would she have committed
the blunder OF saying that .Mormqns'
reycrrd but one prophet While u n
true that Joseph Smith viii always hold
q prc-eminence IN the Church, yet the
"Mormona' believe that all the men
who have succeeded him In the Presi-
dency OF the church have held tho
same keys OF authority ana exercised
the same prophetic powers that were
exercised by him.
In conclusion let mo say Il has been
suggested that certain claims made Tor
the carly followers OF Joseph. smith
We're later rrpudlated By mumbera Of
the sect" That ls not true, au fur rs
the church o. concerned What individ-
unl members scattered over the cnun-
Try formerly occupied by the Saints but
over whom the church has mo- iurisdic.
tion-what they may have repudIated
% Joseph Smiths early or even later
teachings we cannot Of course say; but
FOR the church Il can be- said that not
one % the early claims or teachings OF
the Prophet Joseph Smith has ever been
ropudiated. nor D. there any institution
or doctrine Of the Church, which has
not sprung from his teachings, and for
which he % not morally responsible
such changes as have taken place are
hut the natural developments OF that
which he founded
n. H. ROBERTS.
Congressman-elec from Utah.
Salt Lake City. Utah, Sept. .. 1893,