The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-13
MORMON MIRACLES.
EFFECTS BROUGHT ABOUT WITH
THEATRICAL METHODS.


That Converted Many-Was Joseph
Smith Himself Deceived by His
Teachings:
Rev. NJ. T. Lamb in New York Mail and
Express.
Viewed In the large two impressions
survive a study of the history of the Nor
mon Church. 1t is record of misguided
enthusiasm and of gigantic imposture.
The two motives Intervene in the story
of this peculiar people, presenting a drama
of human nature, sometimes with the sor-
did, sometimes with the heroic upper
most. The epic flight of the Saints from
New York to Ohio, from Ohio to Missouri,
from Missouri to Illinois, and thence
across the unknown plains of the Great
West into the mountain strongholds of the
Rockies, will some day be set forth IN the
high lights which it demands. The tale
of that pilgrimage will resound with the
adjurations of crafty leaders, the curses
and blows of hostile mobs, the prayers of
multltudes toiling painfully through des-
ert wilderness. 1t will show designing
men plotting guile in secret chambers, and
with unabashed brows exploiting their
! and it will show the rude shock of disil-
lusionment with it's bitter fruit of aposta-
| sy and infidelity and a still more painful
| speetacle-the moral decay of a communi-
ty given over to religion of grossness.
Was Smith Deceived:
It Is not pleasant task to tear away the
! veil behind which stand the prophet and
his chiefs and expose to their hundreds of
/ thousands of followers the grim cynl-
4 1fsrsfN of
| the Latter Day Saints, as in many another
| false religion has been lodged a volume of
| human aspiration that one hesitates even
| to seem to assail. Sometimes one wonders
| if Joseph Smith himself was to himself
| the perfect fraud that he seems to others.
Elastic as was his nature, sensual as was
| his temperament, endless as were his de-
tected falsehoods, was there nothing of
sincerity about the men whom at one time
or another perhaps a million persons have
| protested to account a prophet of CODY
! Persecution, assault, insult met him again
and again A storm of abuse and ridicule
was heaped upon him. He was beaten,
stripped, tarred and ducked, and he met
his death at last fighting a mob with the
courage of a man, if not the conservation
of a saint Did the dreamer and fortune
| teller ever take seriously those astounding
claims of inspiration in behalf of which
| in a sense he laid down his life? Was
| he never more to nlmSelL imam the TRICKY
and plausible juggler in the superstitious
credulty of his fellowmen, laughing in his
sleeve the while they bowed down and
worshiped? One hesitates to condemn at
every point the man and those who sur
round him, although the evidence against
them is overwhelming.
The Great Conspiracy.
The history of the Mormon Church reads
| like a great conspiracy. Every step in its
progress, every stopping place in its pill
| grimage across the continent is marked
by some huge imposture. If one could
forget the suffering of its followers If
one could stop his ears to the cries of the
outcasts, wandering hungry and shelter
less along the Missourfs banks. to the
psalms of brave and CHEEKY people tent
| ing Westward in the wilderness, one would
call it only dismal, dreary and a
sickening recital But always In the
| background of the stage, where the trick
ster's red fire is blazing, one sees de-
vout faces gazing, rapt as II the vision
| of the burning bush was vouchsafed, and
| the columns of wandering religionists
marching steadfastly, as if a flaming pill
lar was moving before them. These pitt
full, duped, credulous men and women give
to the recital a deeper interest. They are
human documents telling the old lesson
that error sometimes takes upon itself the
| habiliments of truth.
The Book of Mormon was conceived In
| fraud brought forth in fraud, propagated
| by fraud It's paternity has been traced,
its contentious have been disallowed irs
fruit in a corrupt social system has been
identified Follow the progress of this
document that calls itself the Word OF
God and you see how it's original false
hood has cursed it forever with the neces-
sity of multiplying falsehoods. The para
phernalia of those falsehoods is revealed
The Proof of Fraud.
When Joseph Smith began his work as
| prophet he held little meetings in the
! modest dwelling of his parents in wood
| near Palmyra, n. Y, and sometimes his
| followers thought they heard laundering
overhead, as if the Lord was answering
| their PRAYERS from heaven. The family
moved to Ohio with the prophet, and when
| the building was torn down afterward sew
eral cannon balls were found concealed
under a. false roof over the rafters. They
could be moved by a string so as TO give
| forth a rolling sound as of thunder. what
| use did Joseph make of them?
The prophet removed to Kirkland, o.
and there a stake of Zion" was estab-
lshed Prior to that time missionaries on
their way to labor with the "Lamanites"-
| Indians-of the far West had halted al
| Kirkland and almost instantly had con-
| yerted Sidney Rigdon, whose part in The
| been related, but who had remained In
the background while the book was intro
duced to the world and the beginnings OF
the church were laid. A hourishing COM
nunity was established in Ohio, and its
center was a banking business conducted
by Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon. II
was in the days of wildcat banks, and the
two worthless put a great deal of doubt
full currency into circulation. But to all
who questioned their ability to redeem il
was shown in the vaults number Of huge
/ copper caldrons, each with a capacity OF
a barrel, and each apparently full Of gold
and silver coins.
Pretended Revelations.
A revelation came 10 Joseph Smith that
| induced him and Rigdon to fly on horse
back az midnight from Zion's stronghold
The Sheriff had secured a warrant foI
their arrest the preceding afternoon, and
the next morning he set out after them
with an armed posse. He pursued them
for 200 miles. clear 10 the western border
! Of the state III was found that the cal