The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-27

In our report of the sermon delivered
by Elder Brigham II. Roberts in the
Tabernacle a week ago last Sunday we
find the following:
After reading many quotations from
the prophet Joseph's Journal, while he
was on q mission In Canada. ana e%-
tracts from other records 10 Illustrate
the prayerful spirit of the prophet, Mr.
In which this man labored evil or good?
Is this the course OF a llhertine and a
liar. or is It the course of righteous
man ?"
Applying the rule of Judgment which
Mr. Roberts seems to accept-that OF
recorded repute-let us present the
other side of the matter. 1t is not
with intent to belittle the good acts or
the good traits of character of Joseph
Smith that The Tribune does this, but
merely to have all OF the evidence from
which to Judge. Taking the queries
as Mr.. Roberts publicly propounded
them it will be proper to give tho pub
lie all the testimony TO which il is en-
titled in order that it may come to in
telligent conclusion.
Joseph had personal acquaintances
and close friends, Probably the nearest
OF these associated friends may be
counted in the witnesses to the Book of
Mormon, Ont of the eleven witnesses
to the supposed divinity of that work
six apostatized and denounced Joseph
as being either a fraud or finally
'ffallen prophet" OF the three first
witnesses, Oliver Cowdery and David
Whitmer apostatized-a majority of
the three. Out of the total Of eleven
witnesses Oliver Cowdery, David Whit
mer, Hiram Page, Jacob Whitmer,
John Whitmer and Peter Whitmer, six
in number, apostatized-a majority OF
the eleven. If not as reputation and
denunciation of the man and his
methods, it is difficult to determine how
this wholesale apostacy may be re-
garded.
There were other close associates of
Joseph, and men who held high ec-
clesiastical authority, who apostatized
and thereby denounced the man and his
objects, They were Sidney Rigdon,
counselor to Joseph and his most high
ly regarded confidant and adviser; John
c. Bennett, chief political henchman of
the prophet; William Marks, president
of the high council at Nauvoo and
president of the Nauvoo stake; William
Law. counselor to Joseph and one of
his bosom friends; William f. McLellin,
an apostle; Luke S. johnson, an
apostle; William Smith. an apostle, and
own brother to Joseph; John Farnum
Boynton, an apostle; Lyman e. John
son, an apostle; Amasa M, Lyman, an
apostle; Hazen Aldrich, one of the first
seven presidents of the seventies; Al.
bert Darlington, an apostle; Benjamin
l.. Clapp, one Of the first seven
presidents of the seventies; John Cor
ril, second counselor to Presiding
Bishop Edward Partridge, who was
called to his Office by special revela-
tion Robert D. Foster, Charles A.
Foster, Francis M. Higbee, Chauncey L.
Higbee, Joseph II. Jackson, and Syl-
vester Simmons, elders in the church
at Nauvoo and close acquaintance of
Joseph and faithful observers Of his
doings. The Reputation Of Joseph thus
exhibited by the action of these, his
personal acquaintance. The Tribune
concedcs is better evidence thar this
paper or Mr.. Roberts can furnish TO
the contrary, because neither The Trib-
une nor Mr.. Roberts has been
favored with activity contemporary
with that of Joseph Smith
Again, (and this is merely cited as
one incident out of hundreds of
similar character) on page 1914 of the
Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclo-
pedia we find the following;
Henry Hartman was one of the elders
who were present at Adam ondi Amman.
In 1888. when the prophet Joseph de-
found on the top Of the hill. near Grand
river, We're what was left OF the identi
cal altar upon which Father Adam Of
Tered sacrifice,
The spirit which prompted the man.
Joseph Smith, to utter that absurdity
may be Judged from recital of the
facts. In the State of Missouri al
that time the farmers and ranchmen
nsed to let their pigs run free to feed
upon the plentiful roots and grasses
that covered the level plains. Per-
nitted to thus run wild, the swine
were ninlble of foot and extremely
hard to catch. So in the fall of the |
year the farmers used TO 60 out pig. |
and shot their swine on the
plains. instead of attempting to catch
hem. In the round-ups the farmers
dressed the captured animals on the
spot, and in heating their water they
used to gather from the river beds a
pile of stones and heat them to redness