The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-02
THE ORIGINAL ACCESSORIES.

10 those who believe In the divine
authenticity of the Book of Mormon
1T ought to be of some Importance to
know of the men having to do with It's
production.
Mr.. j. L. Traughber, Jr, was once a
member of the Mormon church. He
joined the organization in perfect faith
He thought if there was any truth III
the world, he would discover it in Nor.
monism. He was an honest man, as are
thousands of men who have been de-
ceived by the story Of the Book of Nor
mon, the angel Moroni, the golden
plates, the urim and thummim, and
the sword of Laban. He apostatized
because he finally came TO see the evil
in the men who had cOncocted the story
upon which the Mormon church is
founded. He knew the Smiths intimate.
ly, and he was we'll acquainted with
most of tho Witnesses to the Book
of Mormon. Especially was he friend
of David Whltmer, upon whose ''testi-
mony" the Mormon priesthood depend
mostly for confirmation of the false.
h''' 'h'b PA'I'HN' w HldhH VI tndl
book "the word of the Lord" This
is what ne says concerning certain hap
pcniugs in early Mormon history:
Martin Harris. oliver Cowdery. David.
John and Jacob Whtmer and Hiram Page
Withdrew from j. Smith at Kirkland I'm
1887, The next year Smith and Rigdon
had to flee from Kirkland by night TO
keep from being imprisoned for banking
without charter. They went 10 Far
West Missouri. where David Whitmer
was president Of the stake. and soon
formed their DANTE band TO Kill dis
David Whitmer and others were dis
senters." David Patten 1.-THE DANTE cap
tain. officially designated as Captain
Fearnotl went TO them. and told them
that II was determined that they must
die. They went out one evening 10 hunt
their cows and did not go back again. In a
few days the Danites ordered the families
Of those men TO leave Far West with
nothing but the clothing they wore. But
when the mob" had captured the place
David Whitmer and the others went and
got their goods and property.
This not only gives the stamp of
truth to what The Tribune has said con-
cerning the Danites having been Nor
mon church gang Of thugs, but it gives
sway to line of thought as 10 the ma
ture of the fraud that was perpe-
trated upon the coniding of hu.
manity who have believed the story Of
the Book of Mormon AS foreword
to the Book Of Mormon is printed what
is alleged to be the testimony OF
eleven witnesses. There are two state.
ments, neither of which is signed by
Joseph Smith, "author and proprietor, -
as the first edition of the book an
nounced him to be. However, there are
the names of eleven men signed to
these-the first being underwritten by
Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and
Martin Harris, and the second being
subscribed TO by Christian Whitmer,
Jacob Whitmer. Peter Whitmer, Jr.,
John Whitmer, Hiram Page, Joseph
Smith, Sr., Hyrum Smith, and Samuel
II. Smith. Now, out of these eleven
witnesses seven are we'll known 10
have apostatized, namely. Oliver
Cowdery, David Whitmer Martin Har-
ris, Jacob Whitmer, John Whitmer,
Hiram Page and Samuel II. Smith. The
latter was a brother Of Joseph Smith
He undoubtedly knew of Joseph IS
ing scheme that the pretended prophet
had foisted upon the public. Samuel
II. could remember Joseph s chicken.
stealing cscapades, his laziness, his dis
inclination to do anything honest for
n living, his peepstone activities,
his stupid bluff at walking upon the
water, his immortality with women, and
his general worthlessncss. Whatever Of
honesty there happened to be in this
particular Smith family seemed TO have
centered IN Samuel II, The thing was
so unclean that finally he was driven
by his own conscience to denounce
it all. Hyrum Smith stayed by the swim
die to the end, and lost his life over il.
Joseph Smith, the elder, WAS father of
his son, and equally worthless, and he
remained faithful he got his living
by it. Christian Whitmer and Peter
Whitmer, Jr.. were phable and abso-
lutely inconsequent and their testi-
mony, either one way or the other.
amounted TO such value rs might at
tach TO that of any procured witness
who really had no mind of his own.
Martin Harris, it is true, later came out
to Utah and was rcbaptized into the
church. But he knew too much and the
hierarchs gave HIM no countenance.
They could not depend upon him, be-
cause they were afraid at any time he