The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1899-08-23
Historical Sketch OF Mormonism
Rev. d. j. MCMILLAN, ID. ID.
fC.yfl.,,e,g er,v, L,.f .eetA


continued Jrom iosi Heetl
Joseph Smith concealed himself
behind a curtain, which was a bed
blanket, stretched diagonally across
one corner Of his mothers kitchen,
and there read what he claims was a
translation Of the engravings on the
plates, 10 a scribe who sat out side the
blanket and wrote what he read.
Thus was the Book of Mormon pro-
duced. Eleven men testified that
they saw the plates, but none OF them
were able 10 read anything that was
on them, so we have only Joseph's
word for what they contained. Thus
was the foundation OF the Mormon
church laid. Immediately after the
translation Of the Book OF Mormon
the church was organized. At the
first their doctrines were simple,
vague, and apparently harmless. In
deed II was a matter OF but little i'm
portance with them, what a man be-
lieyed, 80 long as he became an adj
herant, and promised submission to
the priesthood. Joseph Smith was
baptised and ordained by Oliver Cow
derry, then Oliver Cowdery was bap-
tised and ordained by Joseph Smith.
Thus was gospel authority, which
Joseph says was taken from the
earth in the early history of the
Christian Church because Of its wick
edness, restored through this latter
day prophet. In October the num-
Der had inceased to about seventy
Eve. During this month Farley p.
Pratt, with three other elders who
had been admitted TO the church,
started on a mission to the Indians.
On their way westward they visited
Sidney Rigdon, who at once became
IN enthusiastic convert. He said il
was that light which he had long ex.
pected TO break forth from the divine
mind. OF course the whole of Mr..
Regions peculiar church at Mentor
was at once absorbed. Proceeding
westward, these elders reached Kirt-
land, Ohio, where they baptised 100
in four weeks, and before the next
spring the number increased to about
1000.
When the Mormon church was or
ganized, only five of the eleven wit
nesses joined it, Oliver Cowdery, one
Of these, and the one that acted as
scribe part of the time, was cut off
from the church a few year after,
and turned over to the buffetings Of
Satin, for lying, theft and living in
open adultery with a servant girl.
He afterwards died miserable
drunkard Martin Harris, another of
the five who acted also as scribe part
Of the time, was cut off for wicked
ness, and Joseph Smith, the prophet,
said that Harris was not fit for de-
cent people to notice. Two others of
the original five, and witnesses of the
plates, were, years afterwards, sent
to Jail for immortality and crime and
then shot by mob who broke into
the Jail.
II is a significant fact that in New
York, where the church original ed,
where the Smiths lived, the church
made little progress nor did il attain
respectable standing, but in the re-
gion where Rigdon had been prepar-
ing the way, the progress was rapid
and the growth permanent.
Kirkland became headquarters of
the church, where a temple was
erected at the cost of $4,000. But
the establishment of q fraudulent
bank led to their being driven from
the community by the indignant
citizens. According to Smiths own
testimony he and Rigdon had to fly
from justice at midnight.
Three kinds of charges followed
Smith everywhere and to his dearh;
viz, immortality, to cover up which
the doctrine Of spiritual marriages
and the practice of polygamy began
TO be justified under certain restric-
tions as early as 1886. A second
charge invariably followed him was
dial Onesty in the matter of money,
as the Kirkland bank scandal shows.
A third was theft. To justify his
acts he asserted that the Mormons
we're Gods peculiar people, to whom
il was Gods purpose TO give the
whole world and all that is therein,
"for the meek shall inherit the earth"
and the Mormons we're the only meek
people. II was not stealing, there
fore, to take what belongs to ones
self Any one who associated with
the Mormons as late as twenty years
ago, heard this justification Of theft
urged again and from the pulpit as
well as in private life.
Ito No oORtiRuetiD