Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-09-15

Editor of the rNening Argus. m ac-
cepiing space To- answer the article Of
SEPT 2. entitled Monument 20 Joseph
smith" copied from the Boston Travel
ier. We are reminded of the saying OF
Gamaiiel.
For " the work hc Of men. it will
come 10 naught
But n II be of God. We cannot over
throw it
Concerning the proposed Visit NJ
governor and stan Nc know nothiue,
but we DO know that thousands Of the
best citizens Of New England have Wis
tied the monument. among them the
ex-governor and an have left impressed
with the wondrous beauty of the place
and the kindness extended them while
there
Truly AZ the article says. THE pres
ent generation know nttle % Joseph
smith or what he did'
He was born Of God-fearinE parents.
His father was one Of the selectmcn Of
the township also teacher Of the village
school. and his mother Lucy Mack
was "a descendant OF Ebenezer Mack,
was founded the first Baptist church at
Lyman. Conn Had his father been ig
norant shiftlcss or dishonest. he would
not have held these positions
The writer has personally Interviewed
two residents Of Sharon. AGED S5 and So
respectively neither OF whom knew
anything but good OF the family while
residents TIA Vermont
IN 1915 the family moved 60 Ontario
county. y. y and In three years had
sixty acres Of heavy tim'oer cleared on
their farm. which speaks well for their
industry. refuting the insinuation OF
lazinoss
In 1919 an unusual religious excite
ment moved New York and Vermont
His fathers family belonged to the
Presbyterian faith. but Joseph inclined
to the Methodist owing TO much con-
tentions az each claimed Ia be tho true
church, Joseph WIS undecided lie
thought on tho words of James "If any
~ yon back wisdom. let him ask of
God that giveth 10 all men literally
etc He put the promise TO the test
and while ia humble prayer. two heav-
enly beings appeared, ihstructing him
10 Join none as IN due time the Cos
pei in its purity and authority as Of
old would be restored 20 earth
Here ] would say that numbers Of
affidsvits testify 20 tho excellent char
acter Of Joseph Smith and his family up
To the time OF this visitation, and not
TN then. as one affidavit says, did We
hear that the Smiths had been or we're
bad people
a period Of four years elapsc. when,
while engaged in prayer Joseph re-
ceivcd the visitation of Moroni who
said he was a resurrected being sent
by God TO deliver the record 81 great
people who had lived on this continent
- stalts laftA
been favored OF God, but falling into
sin, had been cut of. That they were
the ''other sheep" referred TO by Jesus,
John 1915 and that he. Moroni. under
command Of God while In the flesh
made an Arrangement OF their history
on gold plates and hid them up and
was now sent 20 deliver them, that they
might go forth 10 all people. Joseph re-
ceived them and BY the power ~ God
translated and published them to the
world This Is the Book of Mormon
Ia 1927 Joseph Smith nor anyone else
knew aught Of the signs Of vast civil
lzation now being found IN the west
and south. substantiating the Book Of
Mormon. Tho theory connecting IL with
solomon Spaulding Is obsolete. as that
story was exploded years ago. by Pres.
James II. Fairchiid OF Oberlin college,
Ohio. where the manuscript Is now
kept. and who SAYS, Tho manuscript
Of solomon spaulding is not the origin
al Of the Book Of Mormon.
The angel Moroni also appeared to
and showed the plates 20 oliver Cow
derry ian honorable sou Of Vermont,
Martin Harris and David Whitmer. The
latter died few years ago tout % the
church, one of the most respected citl-
zens u Richmond Mo- and to the last
maintained that he saw the angel
Eight other witnesses saw tho plates.