Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-06
JOSEPH SMITH AND HIS WORK
Of chureb Defesa- Prophet
frsm CRITICISMS 81 Unisarisn
Minister.

OMAHA, March b-ro the Bditor Of The
bee: with your permission I would like
to answer what seems 10 be q report Of a
lecture delivered by Rev. Newton Mann at
Unity church last Sunday.
1t seems a little surprising that an intel
ligent minister I'm these DAYS Of learning
ana research would be willing TO present
for the consideration Of an intelligent audi
ence = rehash Of the old. worn-out and Oft
exploded theories Of the origin and contents
Of the book Of Mormon The fact that the
original manuscript written by Solomon
spauldins is now at Oberlin college, Ohio.
and as stated by Profs. James H. Fairchild,
and l. l. Rice themselves. that Il bears no
resemblance whatever to the book Of Nor
mon taken In consideration with the fur
Their fact that no evidence has been
advanced that Solomon spaulding ever
wrote a second manuscript should
forever settle this question in the
minds OF q reading public. Is this poor,
weak. WORKOUT and untrue theory the best
thing that these reverend gentlemen can
produce and present against the claim made
that the book Of Mormon In Of divine
uriEinY
1t can be shown by good and reliable
evidence that Joseph Smith and Sidney Rig
don were 30 located and engaged In work
ana the discharge Of their duties that It
was not possible that they could have
met ans worked together until some time
after the book Of Mormon was published.
To say that Sidney Rigdon connived with
Joseph Smith and was the real author Of
the book Of Mormon while he was acting
~ a pastor IN q Baptist church or while
he was an active and highly respected
minister OF the Christian church il TO lag
n grtevous charge at the door Of those
churches as well as TO cast opprobrium at
the Latter Day Saints. Is n not a little
strange that Rev. Newton Mann should
wade through 5ss pages OF the book of
Mormon TO prepare himself for his lecture
and then never read or quote a single
passage to show that the book iE corrupt or
unreliable IN its teaching? Al least the
reporter hiss failed to mention Il IL he did.
Was he afraid Of such passages as the
following: Wherefore, my brethren. hear
me, and bearken to the word OF the Lord.
For there shall not any man among you
have save 1t be one wife; and ooncubines
he shall have none. For /, the Lord God,
0elighteth IN the chastity Of women"
And it came to pass that / was three DAYS
and three nights in the most bitter pain
and anguish of soul; and never, until did
cry out unto the Lord Jesus Christ for
mercy, aid I receive a remission of my
sis@."
II the book of Mormon is not the stick OF
Joseph in the hands ~ Ephrim (Esek. 81 To-
22) and the sealed book OF isaiah, the
twenty-ninth chapter, viii Rev. Mann
please show us how these prophecies were
fulfilled? Historical facts show that there
was no curtain between Joseph Smith and
his scribe while the work Of TRANSMITTING
was going On. but that they sat side BIZ
side. More than that, after other duties
had engaged Joseph Smith for days ana
even weeks. he would return ana com
mence the work Of translating without ask
ing The scribe where he had left Of. a
thing which no man could DO unless as
sisted by the light and power Of the spirit.
Why object TO the Book Of Mormon, when
It is q second witness testifying IN the most
plain terms that Jesus Christ is the son Of
God and the gospel the power of COD unto
salvation The morals taught in the Book
OF Mormon are both high and pure and its
religious teaching Is pertssszAkrmony with
the bible in every pnfea HSslFShisf6rfcRffy
its statements are borne out by the facts
recorded by Rntiuuarians ana archaeological
as the best works on those subjects will
show. The fact that the leading men OF the
church and many others were mobbed,
whipped. driven from their homes and some
killed IN this free land OF America only
shows that history has repeated itself and
that as the people Of many years ago mis-
represented and flltreated Jesus Christ and
His disciples. erucifying the Lord of Glory
and putting many Of His ablest ministers to
death. so do men inspired by the same
power fIltreat and persecute His followers
in our Own DAY and age Of the world.
The bible calls fer just such a book as
the Book OF Mormon and a work like unto
that which Joseph Smith was instrumental
in the hands Of God Of establishing in these
last days. This being true, as we view It,
we are ever wiling that our work, or re-
Iigion. should be thoroughly tested from a
biblical. scientific, religious. spiritual and
moral standpoint. holding that neither Jo-
seph Smith. the Book Of Mormon nor the
revelations submitted 10 the church dur
ing his lifetime are responsible for polyg-
amy OF It's kindred evils, as taught and
practiced by Brigham Young and his fol
lowers in the west.
CHARLES BUTTERwoRTH.
President of the Reorganized Church Of
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