"You must remember, my friend, that the signs were only given in order to establish the church in the day of the apostles, but now they are abrogated and are no longer needed."
"'To the law and to the testimony,'" replied Durant "and give me chapter and verse to substantiate the assertion you have just made."
"If you will read the 13th chapter of the 1st Corinthians, you will learn that 'whether there be prophecies they shall fail, and whether there be tongues they shall cease.'"
"If you will take pains to read the two verses following, you will see that 'we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.' My friend, instead of this quotation proving that these things are done away, it establishes the assertion that they shall remain until perfection shall come. Surely no sane man will say that we have come to perfection."
"I have understood that these gifts were no longer needed. This certainly is the conclusion the ministers of the day have come to."
"But this is not surprising to me, for this good old Bible declares that the time will come when the people will turn from sound doctrine to fables." (II. Tim. iv: 4.)
"I must admit that you have convinced me that baptism is a necessity, and when I am baptized, the ordinance will be performed in the proper manner," said the doctor.
"I am pleased to learn that, but I may have another surprise for you yet. May I ask, who do you intend shall baptize you?"
"My minister, I suppose; why?"
"If the words of the Bible be true, there may be a doubt as to whether your minister is authorized to baptize you."
"Do you mean to prove that these men, ministers of the gospel, have no authority to officiate in that ordinance? I wonder what you will undertake next, but proceed, for I am now prepared for surprises."
"I assure you, my dear sir, I only wish to refer to a few doctrines from the Bible which are necessary to be understood by you in order that you may obtain eternal life. Thus far we have only examined the first principles of the gospel, but now we will speak of the officers whom Christ placed in His Church, and learn by what means men receive authority to act in the name of God. Paul tells us that God has placed 'first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after which gifts of healing,' etc. (I. Cor. xii: 28), and says the work is built upon the foundation of apostles. (Eph. ii: 20.) He furthermore declares that these officers have been placed in the Church for the work of the ministry, and to remain until we all come to a knowledge of the truth. (Eph. iv: 11-13). Have all mankind come to a knowledge of the truth? If not, why has the church dispensed with the officers that God placed in it for the purpose of bringing all to a unity of the faith? Paul tells us that these officers were placed in the Church to keep us from being tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine which is taught by man. (Eph. iv: 12-14.) At the present time, when men declare that they have no need of apostles or prophets, they are divided, and subdivided, and in fact carried about by every doctrine that is promulgated—as Paul saw that they would be, if inspired apostles and prophets were not found to lead them. In losing these officers, the Church lost her authority, together with all her gifts and graces, and the so-called Christian churches today are disrobed of all her beautiful garments; and even those who pretend to defend her are crying out that her gifts, graces and ordinances are useless in this age of the world. Did Christ establish the true order or did He not? We say He did, and would ask, has any man a right to change it? And if any man or even an angel from heaven should alter it in the least, will he not come under the condemnation that Paul uttered when he said: 'Though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed?' (Gal. i: 8.) Christ placed these officers and the ordinances in the Church for the perfection of the Saints; and any one teaching contrary to this is a perverter of the gospel, and an anti-Christ in the full meaning of the word. The difference between the true Church of Christ on the one hand, and the Catholic Church, with all her posterity composing the whole protestant world on the other hand, amounts to this: one had apostles, prophets, etc., who led the Church by inspiration or by divine revelation; while the others have learned men to preach learned men's opinions; have colleges to teach divinity instead of the Holy Ghost; instead of preaching the gospel without hire, their ministers must have large salaries each year, and they are not certain of the doctrines which they teach, when they should be in possession of the gifts of knowledge, prophecy and revelation. Now then in what church do we find apostles and prophets?"
The doctor replied, "There are none; but you must remember there must be a preacher, for 'how shall they hear without a preacher?'" (Rom. x: 14.)
"And in the next verse he asks, 'How shall they preach except they be sent?' This same apostle says that no man is to take the honor unto himself, but he that is called of God as was Aaron. (Heb. v: 4.) Aaron was called by revelation (Ex. iv: 14-17); hence we see that no man is to preach the gospel except he be called by revelation from God. As I said, instead of men being called by revelation as the Bible declares they should be in our day they argue that God has not revealed Himself for almost eighteen hundred years. Go and ask your minister if he has been called by revelation, and he will tell you that such manifestations are not needed now, which assertion I think will prove to you that he has no authority to baptize for the remission of sins."
"But did not Jesus say, 'Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel?'"
"He did; but was He talking to modern ministers then? When He gave His apostles authority to preach, did that give all men who feel disposed to take the honor unto themselves, the same authority? He gave His apostles to understand that they had not chosen Him, but He had chosen them (John xv: 16); but in this day men reverse the condition. Then again, He sent His servants into the world to preach His gospel without purse or scrip. (Luke x: 4.) Paul says his reward is this, 'That when I preach the gospel I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.' (I. Cor. ix: 18.) Now, go and ask your minister if he does the same, and I think you will find that he must have a salary."
"Then what has become of the gospel?" said the lawyer.
"Paul says that the coming of Jesus Christ will not be, save there be 'a falling away' (II. Thess. ii: 3), and that 'in the last days perilous times shall come.' (II. Tim. iii: 1.) People 'will not endure sound doctrine,' but will 'heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and shall turn from the truth to fables (II. Tim. iv: 3, 4), and will have a form of godliness but will deny the power thereof. (II. Tim. iii: 5.) Peter also says these false teachers will make merchandise of the souls of men. (II. Peter ii: 1-3.) They are doing so by demanding a salary for preparing sermons to tickle the people's itching ears. (Micah iii: 11) says, their heads judge for reward, their priests teach for hire, and their prophets divine for money, yet they lean upon the Lord and say, is not the Lord among us? Now, my friends, do not the different sects of the day present us with a literal fulfillment of all these sayings? Have they not transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance and broken the everlasting covenant? (Isaiah xxiv: 5.) John Wesley in his 94th sermon, referring to the condition of the church after it had departed from the right way and lost the gifts, says: 'The real cause why the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were no longer to be found in the Christian Church was because the Christians were turned heathens again and had only a dead form left."
"It would appear, then, that God has forsaken mankind and left us without any hope," said Mr. Marshall.
"No, he has not; but this falling away, is the result of mankind forsaking God, by changing His gospel and departing from its teachings, as I have already shown. But He has promised, through his servants, that there would be a dispensation when He would gather together all things in Christ (Eph. i: 10), and would restore all things which He has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. (Acts iii: 20, 21.) This dispensation was called the dispensation of the fullness of times. (Eph. i: 10.) Daniel, who received, by revelation, the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, saw what would take place in the latter times, when the God of heaven would set up a kingdom. (Dan ii: 44.) John, the revelator, while on that desolate island, Patmos (some ninety years after Christ), saw how this gospel would be restored: namely, that an angel would bring it from heaven (Rev. xiv: 6), and Christ says it 'shall be preached in all the world as a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.' (Matt. xxiv: 14.) As God is always the same, and has but one plan for the redemption of the human family, we may expect to see the same gospel with like promises preached in a similar way. Where do we find it as it existed anciently? But as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the coming of the Son of Man. (Matt. xxiv: 37; Luke xvii: 26, 27.) Noah was sent by the Lord to foretell the coming of the flood, but the people rejected his testimony, in fact, whenever God has revealed His mind and will to man in days gone by, the world, instead of receiving the same, have rejected the message and said all manner of evil concerning the prophets, and in many instances have killed them, as was the case with Christ Himself. Now then, my friends, we are living in the dispensation of the fullness of times, when God is gathering together all things in Christ. An angel has come from the heavens and brought the everlasting gospel, and on the 6th day of April, 1830, God—through revelation to man organized the kingdom spoken of by Daniel, in the exact pattern of the kingdom as it existed in the days of Christ, with apostles and prophets, and since that day the servants of God have been traveling through the world preaching the same, as a witness that the end will soon come. They call upon mankind to exercise faith in God our eternal Father, and in His Son Jesus Christ, also to repent of, and turn from their sins, and be baptized by one who has been called of God by revelation, and receive the laying on of hands for the bestowal of the Holy Ghost. As servants of God they then promise that the convert shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or man (John vii: 17); and, furthermore, that the signs which followed the believers in the days of the ancient apostles will follow the believer at the present time, for the same cause will always produce the same effect. My friends, as a servant of God, I call upon you to obey these principles and you shall have the promised blessings."
The doctor said: "Much that you say is convincing, some of it excites curiosity, and all is entertaining. I will now announce that the Town Hall has been obtained for Saturday night and as that involves a little longer stay than you intended, I suggest that a collection be taken and turned over to you."
"I beg you, do nothing of that kind," said the missionary. "If the hall is free, the lecture shall be also; and I can doubtless spend the time pleasantly enough till then."
"Very well, if that is your pleasure. There will be such an attendance as this town has rarely seen, I promise you."
And then after a few pleasantries in the usual vein, and a general "good night," the party separated just as the clock struck twelve, each in the best humor.
In view of the coming lecture it was mutually agreed that the veranda gatherings should be discontinued for the present at least.
TRUTH AGAIN DEFEATS FALSEHOOD.
The meeting was to be held in the Town Hall on Saturday, and in the meantime our missionary busied himself variously, but devoted part of the time in getting his lecture arranged and in refreshing his memory on the topics upon which he wished to speak. When not thus employed he took strolls about the country, or engaged in pleasant bits of conversation with his acquaintances, and with others whom he happened to meet on the way. He was such a favorite at the Marshall mansion that the people there were always pleased to have him express a wish for anything, in order that it might at once be gratified; but such expressions were very rare and confined to the scope of his actual requirements.
On Friday afternoon he engaged in a pleasant discussion with Mrs. Marshall on some scriptural topic. Missionaries all understand the power of song, Mr. Durant was no exception, so at one point he sang one of his hymns:
"How the light from Zion's mountainClears the mists of error's age:Clarified in ray and fountain,How its truths our fears assuage!"Tempest-tossed, we still are certainLife is but a pleasant span.Hope has painted every curtainPictured in the gospel plan."Once again to every nation,Jesus opens wide the door;Here are truths that bring salvation,Preached and practiced as of yore."Joyful tidings to the peopleFrom the perfect courts on high;Sweetest chimes from tower and steepleRing: Redemption's drawing nigh."Shine, thou light, with doubled splendor,Spread thy soothing, restful rings,Till the sun of Zion, tenderRise, with healing in his wings!"
"How the light from Zion's mountainClears the mists of error's age:Clarified in ray and fountain,How its truths our fears assuage!
"Tempest-tossed, we still are certainLife is but a pleasant span.Hope has painted every curtainPictured in the gospel plan.
"Once again to every nation,Jesus opens wide the door;Here are truths that bring salvation,Preached and practiced as of yore.
"Joyful tidings to the peopleFrom the perfect courts on high;Sweetest chimes from tower and steepleRing: Redemption's drawing nigh.
"Shine, thou light, with doubled splendor,Spread thy soothing, restful rings,Till the sun of Zion, tenderRise, with healing in his wings!"
The daughter was an interested listener, and at the close broke in with—"It seems to me that there is no such thing as perfect happiness after all. We are always being disappointed in relation to some hope or desire, and when we engage in that which affords pastime or amusement, there is invariably a penalty following. Is not this true, Mr. Durant?"
"I could scarcely dispute with a lady, even if there were grounds for it," said he, gallantly.
"But I prefer you would," she said, "because you appear to know all about these things and I desire to learn. Why is it, for instance, that after enjoying myself greatly at a dance or other late entertainment, injured nature afterward cries out for revenge, and takes it? So with all things it seems to me. The pleasure experienced in meeting a dear friend is beclouded by the knowledge that there must be a parting soon; and death is ever near as if to remind us of the fact that life, happiness, honor, wealth, youth, are all fleeting and unsubstantial."
"Very true."
"Why Claire," said her mother, "you are becoming a regular pessimist. Surely at your age there is no need to borrow trouble about death or anything else."
"I do not borrow it, mamma, it comes. Pain follows pleasure, sorrow treads upon the heals of happiness, and misfortune is the constant attendant of fortune. There is, as I said, no perfect happiness, so it seems to me."
"Pardon me," said the missionary, "but you did not finish your sentence. Shall I do so for you?"
"O, by all means," replied the girl with eager delight.
"Well, then," he continued, "doubtless what you meant to say was that there is no such thing as perfect happiness in either the contemplation or realization of things which in themselves are fleeting and unsubstantial—that is, the things of the world. Every movement of the machinery of a steamer, for instance, creates friction, which in turn indicates an eventual breaking down, and so it is with all temporal things; thus we cannot rely upon them for permanent good, and in addition they are constantly subjecting us to peril.
"It is impossible to create perfect results out of imperfect conditions; therefore, there can be no complete or unbroken happiness come out of earthly surroundings, for the reason that all such things are changeable and fleeting. And yet there is such a state as perfect joy unclouded and endless."
"But not in this life, as you yourself have shown."
"Yes, in this life."
"I thought you referred to this life as uncertain and ephemeral and as such curtailed or extinguished its own joys."
"That is true, also. But yet endless and supreme delight is to be found in it."
"Where and how, pray?"
"In observing principles and practicing truths which lead to immortality, and which confer upon us the title-deeds to homes where pains and penalties are unknown, where all is peace, contentment and love."
"Oh, yes, I did not think of that."
"In such enjoyment there is no alloy. More than that; the more it is engaged in, the more enjoyable it becomes; it does not cloy, we cannot become surfeited; the more we devote our attention and effort to it the greater the desire we have to continue and to increase our experience. This is that perfect happiness with which nothing else can compare."
"But would you have us dispense with all pleasures—with the refined indulgences, the innocent pastimes and the intellectual recreations which lighten our burdens at least for the time being, and have us participate in sacred things only? Should there be no buoyancy of spirit, no diversion, no relaxation, in order that there might be no penalty as the result of indulgence?"
"Why, what an—pardon me—absurd idea! Of course you do not advance it seriously and should therefore be free from criticism. Rather than that such a rule of conduct as you have suggested is the proper one, it is almost as bad as that in which amusement alone prevails. The medium course, which enables us to enjoy all that is properly enjoyable in its appropriate season, and still does not cause us to loose sight of the great aim and end of existence, is the right one. We should let our pastimes be the incidents in our career, not the objects of it; thus they lighten our burdens, and, for the time being, dispel some of the shadows that cross our pathway, whereas, if made the purpose of living—the only things to be considered—they become burdensome and even sinful."
"Then the devout Christian may be happy and jovial without being less a Christian, on account of that?"
"Yes, indeed. More—it is pleasing to our Father for His children to be light-hearted, so long as their pleasures are proper and are enjoyed in moderation. The people from among whom I come enjoy themselves as much as other people do, but do not overlook their devotions, and above all they remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."
"That seems to me," said Mrs. Marshall, "to be a sensible form of Christianity. Why, a person, according to your faith, can be profoundly religious and yet deny himself no proper amusement."
"Most decidedly; that is our belief and practice."
"It seems to me I would like to be a member of your Church," said the girl, artlessly, at which interesting stage of the conversation, Rev. Fitzallan entered, who greeted the party stiffly, his brow having a distinct frown as he looked at the westerner.
"Pardon me," said the Clergyman, after a few commonplaces had passed, "but we 'gather wisdom by the wayside,' and I have just acquired some information from that source concerning our friend here from the wilds, and as it surprised me, I thought it might equally surprise the rest of you, himself included, perhaps."
Evidently the churchman had been engaged in the questionable calling of picking up stray scraps of gossip here and there, containing as usual some truth mixed with much error. There was obviously trouble ahead.
"Anything concerning me is not apt to be of sufficient consequence to be very interesting," said Mr. Durant, "and having already stated all I thought worth saying about myself and my errand, there can be little or nothing that is surprising, I am sure."
"Is it not a fact that you are from Salt Lake City?"
"It is."
"It is! Why you never informed us of this and yet you have been associated with us several days."
"Indeed! May I ask you, Mrs. Marshall, and you, Miss Marshall, what part of the country our friend here comes from?"
The ladies did not know.
"Indeed! Why sir, you have been associated with this family several weeks, and yet they do not know what particular point you came from. Perhaps like myself, you were never asked."
"This is evasion," said the now thoroughly excited churchman. "There is no place in my district possessed of such peculiar conditions as would place one of its inhabitants under suspicion because of them."
"Nor in mine either, that I know of," calmly rejoined Durant.
"Is not Salt Lake City the headquarters and residence of a class of people known as Mormons who hold exclusive sway there?"
"No, sir."
"That is what I have heard."
"Surely, I am not accountable for what you have heard. There are a great many Mormons in Salt Lake, and just as many that are not Mormons; it is the headquarters of the Church as you suggest, but its members are not in exclusive sway there."
"How can that be?"
"No matter about the means; the fact itself is what concerns us."
The churchman was discomfited and measurably confused; he was compelled to change his course.
"You told us," said he, "that you were an advocate of the Church of Jesus Christ; should there not be a suffix in these words—Latter-day Saints?"
"That is correct."
"And is not 'Mormonism' its other name?"
"No, it has no other name. It is called 'Mormonism' by nearly every one not connected with it, and yet that is not a proper designation."
"Then to yourself you are a 'Latter-day Saint,' and to the world you are a 'Mormon?'"
"That is it exactly."
"Strange that we should be kept in ignorance of it so long."
"I have answered every question fairly and in addition have stated everything necessary to a full explanation of my cause and myself. If the doctrine I teach be true—and it has stood all tests so far—can you find nothing more than a name to oppose it?"
"I hope sir, you do not accuse me of innuendo?"
"I accuse you of nothing."
"Come now," said Mrs. Marshall, "do not be too earnest."
"Well, madam," said Rev. Fitzallan, "I thought my services in this connection would be received graciously and thankfully. As they are not I occupy the position of an intruder and will take my leave."
"Not on my account, I hope," said Mr. Durant. "If there is an intruder here it is I, and it would be my duty to depart."
"You must not go under such circumstances," said Mrs. Marshall.
The girl's looks seconded her mother's words, and the irate churchman permitted his passion to overcome his judgment.
"Excuse me," he said, "but I will take my leave. Under the circumstances my presence must be altogether unwelcome. I have heard of the fascinating character of some of the features of Mormonism, and the persuasiveness of those who advocate it. Violation of the laws of God and man by practicing polygamy is one of the seductive usages of that creed, I believe."
"Your belief is erroneous, then," said Durant.
"Whatever my people may have believed in the past as to the correctness of doctrines taught by the Bible and the prophets of old, they now obey the laws of the land in which they live."
"Marvelous! I have heard otherwise. I have even taken the pains to bring with me a newspaper which I received from a traveler, and in which information of a different character is obtained. It is published in Salt Lake City and should be correct. Here is part of a sermon delivered by a Mormon Bishop; and here an account of several arrests for violating the law against polygamy and kindred offenses, while an editorial in the same paper comments strongly on the deception and falsity pervading the Mormon people. There must be a mistake somewhere."
"No, there is no mistake at all, but much falsehood and misrepresentation. It is true that since the law against polygamy was enacted there have been many prosecutions of members of our Church chiefly because of their inability instantly to sever the happy associations of a lifetime which had been formed before the law went into effect, or their lack of exact knowledge as to what the law required of them. It was a difficult, I may say an impossible matter, for them to break away entirely from a part of their families and never go near them, to give a word of counsel, or it may be hurriedly to embrace the little ones from whom the law had separated them. When thus found they have been apprehended, tried, convicted and punished, often without an effort to defend themselves. The Bishop named by the paper, does not, and never did exist, and the sermon referred to was never delivered, as the same paper has been compelled to admit on several occasions; and the editor's views, or rather sayings, are the words of a man whose chief interest in the community is to fan the flames of discord so that his nefarious business may prosper. His statements are utterly and entirely false."
After these remarks the reverend went to his room, and shortly afterward took his departure.
"I don't like the Mormons at all, and I'm just sorry you're one," said the girl.
"I too, am somewhat opposed to that peculiar religion, but it does seem to me, after hearing you, that my dislike arises more from prejudice than from anything else," said the mother.
"I have here a card containing the articles of our faith from which you may learn that we are not so evil as we are represented to be."
We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.We believe that, through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.We believe that these ordinances are: First, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of Hands for the Gift of the Holy Ghost.We believe that a man must be called of God, by "prophecy, and by the laying on of hands," by those who are in authority, to preach the gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.We believe in the same organization that existed in the primitive church, namely: apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc.We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, etc.We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes, That Zion will be built upon this continent. That Christ will reign personally upon the earth, and that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers and magistrates, in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law.We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul, "We believe all things, we hope all things," we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these, things.—Joseph Smith.
We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.
We believe that, through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
We believe that these ordinances are: First, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of Hands for the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
We believe that a man must be called of God, by "prophecy, and by the laying on of hands," by those who are in authority, to preach the gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
We believe in the same organization that existed in the primitive church, namely: apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc.
We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, etc.
We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes, That Zion will be built upon this continent. That Christ will reign personally upon the earth, and that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers and magistrates, in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law.
We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul, "We believe all things, we hope all things," we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these, things.—Joseph Smith.
With this Durant took from his pocket the card, and handing it to Mrs. Marshall, said:
"Examine it at your leisure." And without more adieu he was gone, leaving the ladies in reflective mood.
Mr. Marshall received the news regarding Durant, in silence; perhaps he had suspected, or even knew already, that the stranger was a "Mormon."
A TRIUMPH AND AN ESCAPE.
The afternoon preceding the night on which Charles Durant was to appear before the public in the Town Hall of Westminster to place the plan of salvation before the people, and bear his testimony to the eternal truth, was wearing slowly away. By this time his name was on everybody's lips, and nearly all knew him. As he walked abroad some would pass him with a frown, some with a gaze of curiosity, rarely one would smile, and less frequently still would he receive a pleasant "good-day." If he had delighted in notoriety, here was certainly a field in which he might enjoy that to the full limit of his desire; but he wanted nothing of the kind. He was filled with the spirit of his calling which was to spread the truth and labor unto the salvation of men; and neither the insults of the insolent nor the frowns of opponents could turn him aside from that purpose. He bore within his breast the realization of an upright purpose, together with the certainty of a reward to come. What were threats and annoyances to him? And yet he sought not persecution that a cheap martyrdom might be gained; perhaps if warned of a personal danger, in obedience to a natural impulse, he would have shunned or gone around it, but never to the sacrifice of one jot or tittle of principle.
His experience of less than a week in Westminster had been sufficient for a volume of much greater proportions than this little publication, and yet enough of it is noted here to give a fair idea of what transpired. In that time our hero, a comparative stranger, had become well-settled and was welcome in an honorable household, and this without deception or any special effort to please; he had dethroned the demon of infidelity in one good man's heart when a skilled churchman's efforts in that direction only threatened to perpetuate the evil; had caused another good man, indifferent to gospel measures, to become actively interested; had defeated the churchman spoken of, on his own ground, and had shown in an unmistakeable manner the fallacy of his doctrine, and finally, had brought this showy patron of religion to utter discomfiture without desiring, intending, or trying to annoy him in any way; had set the family named and several of their neighbors to thinking as they had never thought before; and now, as a special favor was to address the town people in their chief public building. The Town Hall was filled to overflowing, and when Durant entered and walked slowly up to the platform, it is perhaps needless to say he was the observed of all observers. There were some feelings of surprise when Mr. Brown, the (late) infidel, arose to introduce the speaker of the evening; he announced before doing so that the lecture would consist of an exposition of the groundwork, and some advanced principles of the gospel as laid down in the Bible. "Nothing will be left to be conjectured or surmised," he said; "the speaker is familiar with the subject and is capable of doing it justice. I speak advisedly, having heard him before. I ask your earnest and respectful attention, and now present to you Mr. Charles Durant, of Salt Lake City."
Notwithstanding the sacredness of the occasion, there was a burst of applause when the speaker arose. Before him, on a table, were the Bible and two or three other books. He entered upon his subject at once, first explaining the principles of faith, repentance and baptism, citing the Holy Book in support of his arguments, and making every principle plain and lucid as he proceeded. In as extended a manner as he could, within the time at his disposal, he developed the philosophy and practice of true Christianity from the beginning to the present time, leaving no salient point unmentioned, and no stone marking the way, unturned. He occupied two hours, and there was not a listener but gladly would have remained that much longer. The impression made was deep; as to whether or not it was lasting, that depended largely upon the individuals themselves.
The lawyer and the doctor and the Marshalls came forward and grasped the speaker's hand extending sincere congratulations. The preacher was absent. As they left the room, people could be heard making such remarks as—"Well, that is mighty sound reasoning no matter where it comes from;" a few asked to be introduced and one of these, an old lady, said in a low voice, "You spoke the truth, I know it; God bless you!"
As soon as he could make his way to Durant's side, the negro, Caesar, said hurriedly—"You want to look a little out as you go home; I heard a lot of fellers down the lane talking, and they said they would fix that Mormon."
A spontaneous exclamation of surprise and disgust came from the little party of which Durant was the center. However, it was left to the lawyer to engage in explosiveness, and he did it in a manner which left no doubt of what he would do in an emergency. It was finally decided that he and the doctor should lead the way homeward, with the Marshall family, our guest, a neighbor and the negro, following leisurely after. The improvised mob was soon encountered and the interview was stormy for awhile, but before the party in the rear reached the spot, the tumult was quieted down considerably. The lawyer knew every one in the party and if any violence was offered to the stranger, he would make it his personal business to see that every one of them answered to the law. This, coupled with milder and more persuasive methods, had its effect, and one by one the rioters dispersed, at least for the present. Mr. Durant and his friends walked home without being assaulted by so much as an unpleasant exclamation though he fully expected trouble from the first; but he determined to continue his labor as he had begun, leaving the result to Providence.
THE PROPHET JOSEPH'S STATEMENT.
Perhaps it was the force of habit as well as the impelling power of desire that caused the group, with whom we are now so familiar, again to assemble at the place made somewhat memorable by recent events—the verandah fronting the Marshall mansion. All the persons hitherto named, excepting, of course, the minister, were present; that gentleman had not only taken his departure from the house, but doubtless from the town also.
It was Sunday evening, the weather was perfect, all things seemed conducive to harmony, and a most pleasurable occasion, it being perhaps the last they would enjoy together. The doctor and lawyer were so anxious to begin the conversation that they could scarcely wait for all to be seated; they desired to improve the opportunity, and learn what they could of other principles of the missionary's faith.
"Mr. Durant," finally said the doctor, "we have listened with much pleasure to different conversations with you since your arrival and these have awakened a lively interest within us, and as there is nothing to prevent this evening, we thought it would not be at all unpleasant to you to spend an hour or so in answering what to us appears to be some very important questions concerning the faith of the so-called Mormons."
"I assure you it will be pleasant to me, indeed. I am here for that purpose, and the more questions I have an opportunity to answer, the better and more successfully will I perform my duty. Could I read your thoughts and know what you desire explained, I assure you nothing would be left untold; but this not being the case, I rely upon you to make enquiries and will request that you keep nothing back, and I will be honest in giving any information that I am capable of imparting."
"I am now inclined to believe," said the doctor, "after our experience with you, that, like most of the good people of this nation we have been in possession of only one side of the question regarding your people. Never having heard, from your standpoint, the claims of Mr. Joseph Smith, the founder of your Church, in regard to his being a prophet, we would be pleased to learn what he said on this question."
"This is a frankness which I appreciate very much. As a general thing, the majority of the people, when desirous of knowing anything concerning us, are prone to ask any other person on earth than a Mormon. They do not seem to think for a moment that we ourselves might be able to place them in possession of the most reliable information on the subject. Joseph Smith's claim to being divinely inspired to open up a new dispensation of the gospel, is here given in his own statement so that you will be getting it direct from the fountain head."
"By all means, read it," said two or three in concert; "there will then be no room for misrepresentation."
"Joseph Smith has made the following statement regarding the subject," continued Durant:
"Owing to the many reports which have been put in circulation by evil designing persons in relation to the rise and progress of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, all of which have been designed by the authors thereof to militate against its character as a Church, and its progress in the world, I have been induced to write this history, so as to disabuse the public mind, and put all inquirers after truth in possession of the facts as they have transpired in relation both to myself and the Church so far as I have such facts in possession."In this history I will present the various events in relation to this Church, in truth and righteousness, as they have transpired, or as they at present exist, being now the eighth year since the organization of the said Church."I was born in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and five, on the twenty-third day of December, in the town of Sharon, Windsor County, State of Vermont. My father, Joseph Smith, senior, left the State of Vermont, and moved to Palmyra, Ontario (now Wayne) County, in the State of New York, when I was in my tenth year. In about four years after my father's arrival at Palmyra, he moved with his family into Manchester, in the same County of Ontario. His family consisted of eleven souls, namely: my father, Joseph Smith, my mother, Lucy Smith (whose name previous to her marriage was Mack, daughter of Solomon Mack), my brothers Alvin (who is now dead), Hyrum, myself, Samuel Harrison, William, Don Carlos, and my sisters Sophronia, Catherine, and Lucy,"Some time in the second year after our removal to Manchester, there was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion. It commenced with the Methodists, but soon became general among all the sects in that region of country; indeed the whole district of country seemed affected by it, and great multitude united themselves to the different religious parties, which created no small stir and division amongst the people, some crying, Lo, here, and some, Lo there; some were contending for the Methodist faith, some for the Presbyterian, and some for the Baptists'. For notwithstanding the great love which the converts for these different faiths expressed at the time of their conversion, and the great zeal manifested by their respected clergy, who were active in getting up and promoting this extraordinary scene of religious feeling, in order to have everybody converted, as they were pleased to call it, let them join what sect they pleased: yet when the converts began to file off, some to one party, and some to another, it was seen that the seemingly good feelings of both the priests and the converts were more pretended than real, for a scene of great confusion and bad feeling ensued priest contending against priest, and convert against convert, so that all the good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words, and a contest about opinions."I was at this time in my fifteenth year. My father's family was proselyted to the Presbyterian faith, and four of them joined that church, namely, my mother, Lucy, my brothers Hyrum, Samuel Harrison, and my sister Sophronia."During this time of great excitement, my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often pungent, still I kept myself aloof from all those parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit; but in process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united with them, but so great was the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person, young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right, and who was wrong. My mind at different times was greatly excited, the cry and tumult was so great and incessant. The Presbyterians were most decided against the Baptists and Methodists, and used all their powers of either reason or sophistry to prove their errors, or, at least, to make the people think they were in error. On the other hand the Baptists and Methodists, in their turn, were equally zealous to establish their own tenets and disprove all others."In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself, What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right? Or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?"While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties, caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter, and fifth verse, which reads, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth unto all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passage so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible. At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to ask of God, concluding that if He gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally and not upbraid, I might venture. So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally."After I had retired into the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction, not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such a marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being. Just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me, I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said (pointing to the other), 'THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, HEAR HIM.'"My object in going to enquire of the Lord, was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong), and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong, and the personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt. They draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; they teach for doctrine the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof."He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven."Some few days after I had this vision, I happened to be in company with one of the Methodist preachers who was very active in the before mentioned religious excitement, and conversing with him on the subject of religion, I took occasion to give him an account of the vision which I had had. I was greatly surprised at his behavior; he treated my communication not only lightly, but with great contempt, saying it was all of the devil, that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days; that all such things had ceased with the apostles, and that there never would be any more of them."I soon found, however, that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a hot persecution, and this was common among all sects; all united to persecute me."It has often caused me serious reflection, both then and since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy of a little over fourteen years of age, and one, too, who was doomed to the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance by his daily labor, should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of the day, so as to create in them a spirit of the hottest persecution and reviling. But strange or not, so it was, and was often a cause of great sorrow to myself. However it was nevertheless, a fact that I had had a vision. I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light and heard a voice, but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad, and he was ridiculed and reviled: but all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew and would know unto his latest breath that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking to him, and all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise."So it was with me; I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two personages, and they did in reality speak unto me, or one of them did; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me and speaking all manner of evil against me, falsely, for so saying, I was led to say in my heart, Why persecute for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision, and who am I that I can withstand God? Or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision. I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dare I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God and come under condemnation."I had now got my mind satisfied so far as the sectarian world was concerned, that it was not my duty to join with any of them, but continue as I was until further directed; I had found the testimony of James to be true, that a man who lacked wisdom might ask of God, and obtain and not be upbraided. I continued to pursue my common avocations in life until the twenty-first of September, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-three, all the time suffering severe persecution at the hands of all classes of men, both religious and irreligious, because I continued to affirm that I had seen a vision."During the space of time which intervened between the time I had the vision, and the year eighteen hundred and twenty-three (having been forbidden to join any of the religious sects of the day, and being of very tender years, and persecuted by those who ought to have been my friends, and to have treated me kindly, and if they supposed me to be deluded to have endeavored, in a proper and affectionate manner, to have reclaimed me), I was left to all kinds of temptations, and mingling with all kinds of society, I frequently fell into many foolish errors, and displayed the weakness of youth, and the corruption of human nature, which I am sorry to say led me into divers temptations, to the gratification of many appetites offensive in the sight of God. In consequence of these things I often felt condemned for my weakness and imperfections; when on the evening of the above mentioned twenty-first of September, after I had retired to my bed for the night, I betook myself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God, for forgiveness of all my sins and follies, and also for a manifestation to me, that I might know of my state and standing before him; for I had full confidence in obtaining a divine manifestation, as I had previously had one."While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in the room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor. He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant; his hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the wrist; so also were his feet naked, as were his legs, a little above the ankles. His head and neck were also bare. I could discover that he had no other clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into his bosom."Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him I was afraid, but the fear soon left me. He called me by name and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni. That God had a work for me to do, and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues; or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people. He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fullness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants. Also that there were two stones in silver bows (and these stones, fastened to a breast plate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim,) deposited with the plates, and the possession and use of these stones was what constituted Seers in ancient or former times, and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book."After telling me these things, he commenced quoting the prophecies of the Old Testament. He first quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi, and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy, though with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bibles. Instead of quoting the first verse as it reads in our books, he quoted it thus: 'For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall burn as stubble, for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.' And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: 'Behold I will reveal unto you the priesthood by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.' He also quoted the next verse differently: 'And he shall plant in the hearts of the children, the promises made to the fathers, and the of hearts the children shall turn to their fathers; if it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at His coming.'"In addition to these, he quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, saying that it was about to be fulfilled. He quoted also the third chapter of Acts, twenty-second and twenty-third verses, precisely as they stand in our New Testament. He said that prophet was Christ, but the day had not yet come when they who would not hear His voice should be cut off from among the people, but soon would come."He also quoted the second chapter of Joel, from the twenty-eighth to the last verse. He also said that this was not yet fulfilled, but was soon to be. And he further stated, the fullness of the Gentiles was soon to come in. He quoted many other passages of scripture, and offered many explanations which cannot be mentioned here. Again, he told me that when I got those plates of which he had spoken (for the time that they should be obtained was not yet fulfilled) I should not show them to any person, neither the breastplate with the Urim and Thummim, only to those to whom I should be commanded to show them; if I did I should be destroyed. While he was conversing with me about the plates, the vision was opened to my mind that I could see the place where the plates were deposited, and that so clearly and distinctly, that I knew the place again when I visited it."After this communication, I saw the light in the room begin to gather immediately around the person of him who had been speaking to me, and it continued to do so, until the room was again left dark, except just around him, when instantly I saw, as it were, a conduit open right up into heaven, and he ascended up till he entirely disappeared, and the room was left as it had been before this heavenly light had made its appearance."I lay musing on the singularity of the scene, and marveling greatly at what had been told me by this extraordinary messenger, when, in the midst of my meditation, I suddenly discovered that my room was again beginning to get lighted, and in an instant, as it were, the same heavenly messenger was again by my bedside. He commenced, and again related the very same things which he had done at his first visit, without the least variation, which having done, he informed me of great judgments which were coming upon the earth, with great desolations by famine, sword, and pestilence, and that these grievous judgments would come on the earth in this generation. Having related these things, he again ascended as he had done before."By this time, so deep were the impressions made on my mind, that sleep had fled from my eyes, and I lay overwhelmed in astonishment at what I had both seen and heard; but what was my surprise when again I beheld the same messenger at my bedside, and heard him rehearse or repeat over again to me the same things as before, and added a caution to me, telling me that Satan would try to tempt me (in consequence of the indigent circumstances of my father's family) to get the plates for the purpose of getting rich. This he forbade me, saying that I must have no other object in view in getting the plates but to glorify God, and must not be influenced by any other motive but that of building his kingdom, otherwise I could not get them. After this third visit, he again ascended up into heaven as before, and I was again left to ponder on the strangeness of what I had just experienced, when almost immediately after the heavenly messenger had ascended from me the third time, the cock crew, and I found that day was approaching, so that our interviews must have occupied the whole of that night, I shortly after arose from my bed, and, as usual, went to the necessary labors of the day, but, in attempting to labor as at other times, I found my strength so exhausted as rendered me entirely unable. My father, who was laboring along with me, discovered something to be wrong with me, and told me to go home. I started with the intention of going to the house, but, in attempting to cross the fence out of the field where we were, my strength entirely failed me, and I fell helpless on the ground, and for a time was quite unconscious of anything. The first thing that I can recollect, was a voice speaking unto me, calling me by name; I looked up and beheld the same messenger standing over my head, surrounded by light, as before. He then again related unto me all that he had related to me the previous night, and commanded me to go to my father, and tell him of the vision and commandment which I had received."I obeyed, I returned back to my father in the field and rehearsed the whole matter to him. He replied to me that it was of God, and to go and do as commanded by the messenger. I left the field and went to the place where the messenger had told me the plates were deposited, and owing to the distinctness of the vision which I had had concerning it, I knew the place the instant that I arrived there. Convenient to the village of Manchester, Ontario County, New York, stands a hill of considerable size, and the most elevated of any in the neighborhood. On the west side of this hill, not far from the top, under a stone of considerable size, lay the plates, deposited in a stone box; this stone was thick and rounding in the middle on the upper side, and thinner towards the edges, so that the middle part of it was visible above the ground, but the edge all round was covered with earth. Having removed the earth and obtained a lever, which I got fixed under the edge of the stone, and with a little exertion raised it up; I looked in, and there indeed did I behold the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate as stated by the messenger. The box in which they lay was formed by laying stones together in some kind of cement. In the bottom of the box were laid two stones crossways of the box, and on these stones lay the plates and the other things with them. I made an attempt to take them out, but was forbidden by the messenger, and was again informed that the time for bringing them forth had not yet arrived, neither would arrive until four years from that time; but he told me that I should come to that place precisely in one year from that time, and that he would there meet with me, and that I should continue to do so, until the time should come for obtaining the plates."Accordingly as I had been commanded, I went at the end of each year, and at each time I found the same messenger there, and received instruction and intelligence from him at each of our interviews, respecting what the Lord was going to do, and how and in what manner his kingdom was to be conducted in the last days."As my father's worldly circumstances were very limited, we were under the necessity of laboring with our hands, hiring by day's work and otherwise as we could get opportunity; sometimes we were at home and sometimes abroad, and by continued labor were enabled to get a comfortable maintenance."In the year 1824, my father's family met with a great affliction, by the death of my eldest brother, Alvin. In the month of October, 1825, I hired with an old gentleman, by the name of Josiah Stoal, who lived in Chenango County, State of New York. He had heard something of a silver mine having been opened by the Spaniards, in Harmony, Susquehanna County, State of Pennsylvania, and had, previous to my hiring with him, been digging, in order, if possible, to discover the mine. After I went to live with him he took me among the rest of his hands to dig for the silver mine, at which I continued to work for nearly a month without success in our undertaking, and finally I prevailed with the old gentleman to cease digging after it. Hence arose the very prevalent story of my having been a money digger."During the time that I was thus employed, I was put to board with a Mr. Isaac Hale, of that place; it was there that I first saw my wife (his daughter) Emma Hale. On the 18th of January, 1827, we were married, while yet I was employed in the service of Mr. Stoal."Owing to my still continuing to assert that I had seen a vision, persecution still followed me, and my wife's father's family were very much opposed to our being married. I was therefore under the necessity of taking her elsewhere, so we went and were married at the house of Squire Tarbill, in South Bainbridge, Chenango County, New York. Immediately after my marriage, I left Mr. Stoal's and went to my father's and farmed with him that season."At length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the Breastplate. On the 22nd day of September, 1827, having gone, as usual, at the end of another year, to the place where they were deposited, the same heavenly messenger delivered them up to me with this charge, that I should be responsible for them; that if I should let them go carelessly or through any neglect of mine, I should be cut off; but that if I would use all my endeavors to preserve them, until he, the messenger, should call for them, they should be protected."I soon found out the reason why I had received such strict charges to keep them safe, and why it was that the messenger had said, that when I had done what was required at my hand, he would call for them; for no sooner was it known that I had them, than the most strenuous exertions were used to get them from me; every stratagem that could be invented was resorted to for that purpose; the persecution became more bitter and severe than before, and multitudes were on the alert continually to get them from me if possible; but, by the wisdom of God, they remained safe in my hands, until I had accomplished by them what was required at my hand; when according to arrangements, the messenger called for them, I delivered them up to him, and he has them in his charge until this day, being the 2nd of May, 1838."The excitement, however, still continued, and rumor, with her thousand tongues, was all the time employed in circulating many tales about my father's family and about myself. If I were to relate a thousandth part of them, it would fill up volumes. The persecution, however, became so intolerable that I was under the necessity of leaving Manchester, and going with my wife to Susquehanna County, in the State of Pennsylvania; while preparing to start (being very poor, and the persecution so heavy upon us, that there was no probability that we would ever be otherwise), in the midst of our afflictions we found a friend in a gentleman by the name of Martin Harris, who came to us and gave me fifty dollars to assist us in our afflictions. Mr. Harris was a resident of Palmyra Township, Wayne County, in the State of New York, and a farmer of respectability. By this timely aid was I enabled to reach the place of my destination in Pennsylvania, and immediately after my arrival there I commenced copying the characters of the plates. I copied a considerable number of them, and by means of the Urim and Thummim I translated some of them, which I did between the time I arrived at the house of my wife's father in the month of December, and the February following."Some time in this month of February, the aforementioned Mr. Martin Harris came to our place, got the characters which I had drawn off the plates, and started with them to the city of New York. For what took place relative to him and the characters, I refer to his own account of the circumstances as he related them to me after his return, which was as follows—"'I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to Professor Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then showed him those which were not yet translated, and he said that they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyric, and Arabic, and he said that they were the true characters. He gave me a certificate certifying to the people of Palmyra that they were true characters, and that the translation of such of them as had been translated was also correct. I took the certificate and put it into my pocket, and was just leaving the house, when Mr. Anthon called me back, and asked me how the young man found out that there were gold plates in the place where he found them. I answered that an angel of God had revealed it to him."'He then said unto me, 'Let me see that certificate.' I accordingly took it out of my pocket and gave it to him, when he took it and tore it to pieces, saying that there was no such thing now as ministering of angels, and that if I would bring the plates to him, he would translate them. I informed him that part of the plates were sealed, and that I was forbidden to bring them; he replied, 'I cannot read a sealed book.' I left him and went to Dr. Mitchell, who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and the translation.'"On the 15th day of April, 1829, Oliver Cowdery came to my house, until when I had never seen him. He stated to me that having been teaching school in the neighborhood where my father resided, and my father being one of those who sent to the school, he went to board for a season at his house, and while there, the family related to him the circumstances of my having the plates, and accordingly he had come to make inquiries of me."Two days after the arrival of Mr. Cowdery, (being the 17th of April,) I commenced to translate the Book of Mormon, and he commenced to write for me."We still continued the work of translation, when, in the ensuing month, (May, 1829,) we on a certain day went into the woods to pray and inquire of the Lord respecting baptism for the remission of sins, as we found mentioned in the translation of the plates. While we were thus employed, praying and calling upon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light, and having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us, saying unto us, 'Upon you, my fellow-servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.' He said this Aaronic Priesthood had not the power of laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that this should be conferred on us hereafter; and he commanded us to go and be baptized, and gave us directions that I should baptize Oliver Cowdery, and afterwards that he should baptize me."Accordingly we went and were baptized—I baptized him first, and afterwards he baptized me—after which I laid my hands upon his head and ordained him to the Aaronic Priesthood, and afterwards he laid his hands on me and ordained me to the same Priesthood for so we were commanded."The messenger who visited us on this occasion, and conferred this Priesthood upon us, said his name was John, the same that is called John the Baptist in the New Testament, and that he acted under the direction of Peter, James, and John, who held the keys of the Priesthood of Melchisedec, which Priesthood, he said, should in due time be conferred on us, and that I should be called the first elder and he the second. It was on the 15th day of May, 1829, that we were baptized and ordained under the hand of the messenger."Immediately upon our coming up out of the water, after we had been baptized, we experienced great and glorious blessings from our Heavenly Father. No sooner had I baptized Oliver Cowdery than the Holy Ghost fell upon him, and he stood up and prophesied many things which would shortly come to pass. And again, so soon as I had been baptized by him, I also had the spirit of prophecy, when, standing up, I prophesied concerning the rise of the Church, and many other things connected with the Church and this generation of the children of men. We were filled with the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation."Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of. In the meantime we were forced to keep secret the circumstances of our having been baptized and having received the Priesthood, owing to a spirit of persecution which had already manifested itself in the neighborhood. We had been threatened with being mobbed, from time to time, and this, too, by professors of religion. And their intentions of mobbing us were only counteracted by the influence of my wife's father's family (under Divine Providence,) who had become very friendly to me, and who were opposed to mobs, and were willing that I should be allowed to continue the work of translation without interruption; and therefore offered and promised us protection from all unlawful proceedings as far as in them lay."
"Owing to the many reports which have been put in circulation by evil designing persons in relation to the rise and progress of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, all of which have been designed by the authors thereof to militate against its character as a Church, and its progress in the world, I have been induced to write this history, so as to disabuse the public mind, and put all inquirers after truth in possession of the facts as they have transpired in relation both to myself and the Church so far as I have such facts in possession.
"In this history I will present the various events in relation to this Church, in truth and righteousness, as they have transpired, or as they at present exist, being now the eighth year since the organization of the said Church.
"I was born in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and five, on the twenty-third day of December, in the town of Sharon, Windsor County, State of Vermont. My father, Joseph Smith, senior, left the State of Vermont, and moved to Palmyra, Ontario (now Wayne) County, in the State of New York, when I was in my tenth year. In about four years after my father's arrival at Palmyra, he moved with his family into Manchester, in the same County of Ontario. His family consisted of eleven souls, namely: my father, Joseph Smith, my mother, Lucy Smith (whose name previous to her marriage was Mack, daughter of Solomon Mack), my brothers Alvin (who is now dead), Hyrum, myself, Samuel Harrison, William, Don Carlos, and my sisters Sophronia, Catherine, and Lucy,
"Some time in the second year after our removal to Manchester, there was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion. It commenced with the Methodists, but soon became general among all the sects in that region of country; indeed the whole district of country seemed affected by it, and great multitude united themselves to the different religious parties, which created no small stir and division amongst the people, some crying, Lo, here, and some, Lo there; some were contending for the Methodist faith, some for the Presbyterian, and some for the Baptists'. For notwithstanding the great love which the converts for these different faiths expressed at the time of their conversion, and the great zeal manifested by their respected clergy, who were active in getting up and promoting this extraordinary scene of religious feeling, in order to have everybody converted, as they were pleased to call it, let them join what sect they pleased: yet when the converts began to file off, some to one party, and some to another, it was seen that the seemingly good feelings of both the priests and the converts were more pretended than real, for a scene of great confusion and bad feeling ensued priest contending against priest, and convert against convert, so that all the good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words, and a contest about opinions.
"I was at this time in my fifteenth year. My father's family was proselyted to the Presbyterian faith, and four of them joined that church, namely, my mother, Lucy, my brothers Hyrum, Samuel Harrison, and my sister Sophronia.
"During this time of great excitement, my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often pungent, still I kept myself aloof from all those parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit; but in process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united with them, but so great was the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person, young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right, and who was wrong. My mind at different times was greatly excited, the cry and tumult was so great and incessant. The Presbyterians were most decided against the Baptists and Methodists, and used all their powers of either reason or sophistry to prove their errors, or, at least, to make the people think they were in error. On the other hand the Baptists and Methodists, in their turn, were equally zealous to establish their own tenets and disprove all others.
"In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself, What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right? Or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?
"While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties, caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter, and fifth verse, which reads, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth unto all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passage so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible. At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to ask of God, concluding that if He gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally and not upbraid, I might venture. So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.
"After I had retired into the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction, not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such a marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being. Just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me, I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said (pointing to the other), 'THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, HEAR HIM.'
"My object in going to enquire of the Lord, was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong), and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong, and the personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt. They draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; they teach for doctrine the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.
"He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven.
"Some few days after I had this vision, I happened to be in company with one of the Methodist preachers who was very active in the before mentioned religious excitement, and conversing with him on the subject of religion, I took occasion to give him an account of the vision which I had had. I was greatly surprised at his behavior; he treated my communication not only lightly, but with great contempt, saying it was all of the devil, that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days; that all such things had ceased with the apostles, and that there never would be any more of them.
"I soon found, however, that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a hot persecution, and this was common among all sects; all united to persecute me.
"It has often caused me serious reflection, both then and since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy of a little over fourteen years of age, and one, too, who was doomed to the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance by his daily labor, should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of the day, so as to create in them a spirit of the hottest persecution and reviling. But strange or not, so it was, and was often a cause of great sorrow to myself. However it was nevertheless, a fact that I had had a vision. I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light and heard a voice, but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad, and he was ridiculed and reviled: but all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew and would know unto his latest breath that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking to him, and all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise.
"So it was with me; I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two personages, and they did in reality speak unto me, or one of them did; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me and speaking all manner of evil against me, falsely, for so saying, I was led to say in my heart, Why persecute for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision, and who am I that I can withstand God? Or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision. I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dare I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God and come under condemnation.
"I had now got my mind satisfied so far as the sectarian world was concerned, that it was not my duty to join with any of them, but continue as I was until further directed; I had found the testimony of James to be true, that a man who lacked wisdom might ask of God, and obtain and not be upbraided. I continued to pursue my common avocations in life until the twenty-first of September, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-three, all the time suffering severe persecution at the hands of all classes of men, both religious and irreligious, because I continued to affirm that I had seen a vision.
"During the space of time which intervened between the time I had the vision, and the year eighteen hundred and twenty-three (having been forbidden to join any of the religious sects of the day, and being of very tender years, and persecuted by those who ought to have been my friends, and to have treated me kindly, and if they supposed me to be deluded to have endeavored, in a proper and affectionate manner, to have reclaimed me), I was left to all kinds of temptations, and mingling with all kinds of society, I frequently fell into many foolish errors, and displayed the weakness of youth, and the corruption of human nature, which I am sorry to say led me into divers temptations, to the gratification of many appetites offensive in the sight of God. In consequence of these things I often felt condemned for my weakness and imperfections; when on the evening of the above mentioned twenty-first of September, after I had retired to my bed for the night, I betook myself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God, for forgiveness of all my sins and follies, and also for a manifestation to me, that I might know of my state and standing before him; for I had full confidence in obtaining a divine manifestation, as I had previously had one.
"While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in the room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor. He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant; his hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the wrist; so also were his feet naked, as were his legs, a little above the ankles. His head and neck were also bare. I could discover that he had no other clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into his bosom.
"Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him I was afraid, but the fear soon left me. He called me by name and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni. That God had a work for me to do, and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues; or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people. He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fullness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants. Also that there were two stones in silver bows (and these stones, fastened to a breast plate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim,) deposited with the plates, and the possession and use of these stones was what constituted Seers in ancient or former times, and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book.
"After telling me these things, he commenced quoting the prophecies of the Old Testament. He first quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi, and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy, though with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bibles. Instead of quoting the first verse as it reads in our books, he quoted it thus: 'For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall burn as stubble, for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.' And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: 'Behold I will reveal unto you the priesthood by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.' He also quoted the next verse differently: 'And he shall plant in the hearts of the children, the promises made to the fathers, and the of hearts the children shall turn to their fathers; if it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at His coming.'
"In addition to these, he quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, saying that it was about to be fulfilled. He quoted also the third chapter of Acts, twenty-second and twenty-third verses, precisely as they stand in our New Testament. He said that prophet was Christ, but the day had not yet come when they who would not hear His voice should be cut off from among the people, but soon would come.
"He also quoted the second chapter of Joel, from the twenty-eighth to the last verse. He also said that this was not yet fulfilled, but was soon to be. And he further stated, the fullness of the Gentiles was soon to come in. He quoted many other passages of scripture, and offered many explanations which cannot be mentioned here. Again, he told me that when I got those plates of which he had spoken (for the time that they should be obtained was not yet fulfilled) I should not show them to any person, neither the breastplate with the Urim and Thummim, only to those to whom I should be commanded to show them; if I did I should be destroyed. While he was conversing with me about the plates, the vision was opened to my mind that I could see the place where the plates were deposited, and that so clearly and distinctly, that I knew the place again when I visited it.
"After this communication, I saw the light in the room begin to gather immediately around the person of him who had been speaking to me, and it continued to do so, until the room was again left dark, except just around him, when instantly I saw, as it were, a conduit open right up into heaven, and he ascended up till he entirely disappeared, and the room was left as it had been before this heavenly light had made its appearance.
"I lay musing on the singularity of the scene, and marveling greatly at what had been told me by this extraordinary messenger, when, in the midst of my meditation, I suddenly discovered that my room was again beginning to get lighted, and in an instant, as it were, the same heavenly messenger was again by my bedside. He commenced, and again related the very same things which he had done at his first visit, without the least variation, which having done, he informed me of great judgments which were coming upon the earth, with great desolations by famine, sword, and pestilence, and that these grievous judgments would come on the earth in this generation. Having related these things, he again ascended as he had done before.
"By this time, so deep were the impressions made on my mind, that sleep had fled from my eyes, and I lay overwhelmed in astonishment at what I had both seen and heard; but what was my surprise when again I beheld the same messenger at my bedside, and heard him rehearse or repeat over again to me the same things as before, and added a caution to me, telling me that Satan would try to tempt me (in consequence of the indigent circumstances of my father's family) to get the plates for the purpose of getting rich. This he forbade me, saying that I must have no other object in view in getting the plates but to glorify God, and must not be influenced by any other motive but that of building his kingdom, otherwise I could not get them. After this third visit, he again ascended up into heaven as before, and I was again left to ponder on the strangeness of what I had just experienced, when almost immediately after the heavenly messenger had ascended from me the third time, the cock crew, and I found that day was approaching, so that our interviews must have occupied the whole of that night, I shortly after arose from my bed, and, as usual, went to the necessary labors of the day, but, in attempting to labor as at other times, I found my strength so exhausted as rendered me entirely unable. My father, who was laboring along with me, discovered something to be wrong with me, and told me to go home. I started with the intention of going to the house, but, in attempting to cross the fence out of the field where we were, my strength entirely failed me, and I fell helpless on the ground, and for a time was quite unconscious of anything. The first thing that I can recollect, was a voice speaking unto me, calling me by name; I looked up and beheld the same messenger standing over my head, surrounded by light, as before. He then again related unto me all that he had related to me the previous night, and commanded me to go to my father, and tell him of the vision and commandment which I had received.
"I obeyed, I returned back to my father in the field and rehearsed the whole matter to him. He replied to me that it was of God, and to go and do as commanded by the messenger. I left the field and went to the place where the messenger had told me the plates were deposited, and owing to the distinctness of the vision which I had had concerning it, I knew the place the instant that I arrived there. Convenient to the village of Manchester, Ontario County, New York, stands a hill of considerable size, and the most elevated of any in the neighborhood. On the west side of this hill, not far from the top, under a stone of considerable size, lay the plates, deposited in a stone box; this stone was thick and rounding in the middle on the upper side, and thinner towards the edges, so that the middle part of it was visible above the ground, but the edge all round was covered with earth. Having removed the earth and obtained a lever, which I got fixed under the edge of the stone, and with a little exertion raised it up; I looked in, and there indeed did I behold the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate as stated by the messenger. The box in which they lay was formed by laying stones together in some kind of cement. In the bottom of the box were laid two stones crossways of the box, and on these stones lay the plates and the other things with them. I made an attempt to take them out, but was forbidden by the messenger, and was again informed that the time for bringing them forth had not yet arrived, neither would arrive until four years from that time; but he told me that I should come to that place precisely in one year from that time, and that he would there meet with me, and that I should continue to do so, until the time should come for obtaining the plates.
"Accordingly as I had been commanded, I went at the end of each year, and at each time I found the same messenger there, and received instruction and intelligence from him at each of our interviews, respecting what the Lord was going to do, and how and in what manner his kingdom was to be conducted in the last days.
"As my father's worldly circumstances were very limited, we were under the necessity of laboring with our hands, hiring by day's work and otherwise as we could get opportunity; sometimes we were at home and sometimes abroad, and by continued labor were enabled to get a comfortable maintenance.
"In the year 1824, my father's family met with a great affliction, by the death of my eldest brother, Alvin. In the month of October, 1825, I hired with an old gentleman, by the name of Josiah Stoal, who lived in Chenango County, State of New York. He had heard something of a silver mine having been opened by the Spaniards, in Harmony, Susquehanna County, State of Pennsylvania, and had, previous to my hiring with him, been digging, in order, if possible, to discover the mine. After I went to live with him he took me among the rest of his hands to dig for the silver mine, at which I continued to work for nearly a month without success in our undertaking, and finally I prevailed with the old gentleman to cease digging after it. Hence arose the very prevalent story of my having been a money digger.
"During the time that I was thus employed, I was put to board with a Mr. Isaac Hale, of that place; it was there that I first saw my wife (his daughter) Emma Hale. On the 18th of January, 1827, we were married, while yet I was employed in the service of Mr. Stoal.
"Owing to my still continuing to assert that I had seen a vision, persecution still followed me, and my wife's father's family were very much opposed to our being married. I was therefore under the necessity of taking her elsewhere, so we went and were married at the house of Squire Tarbill, in South Bainbridge, Chenango County, New York. Immediately after my marriage, I left Mr. Stoal's and went to my father's and farmed with him that season.
"At length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the Breastplate. On the 22nd day of September, 1827, having gone, as usual, at the end of another year, to the place where they were deposited, the same heavenly messenger delivered them up to me with this charge, that I should be responsible for them; that if I should let them go carelessly or through any neglect of mine, I should be cut off; but that if I would use all my endeavors to preserve them, until he, the messenger, should call for them, they should be protected.
"I soon found out the reason why I had received such strict charges to keep them safe, and why it was that the messenger had said, that when I had done what was required at my hand, he would call for them; for no sooner was it known that I had them, than the most strenuous exertions were used to get them from me; every stratagem that could be invented was resorted to for that purpose; the persecution became more bitter and severe than before, and multitudes were on the alert continually to get them from me if possible; but, by the wisdom of God, they remained safe in my hands, until I had accomplished by them what was required at my hand; when according to arrangements, the messenger called for them, I delivered them up to him, and he has them in his charge until this day, being the 2nd of May, 1838.
"The excitement, however, still continued, and rumor, with her thousand tongues, was all the time employed in circulating many tales about my father's family and about myself. If I were to relate a thousandth part of them, it would fill up volumes. The persecution, however, became so intolerable that I was under the necessity of leaving Manchester, and going with my wife to Susquehanna County, in the State of Pennsylvania; while preparing to start (being very poor, and the persecution so heavy upon us, that there was no probability that we would ever be otherwise), in the midst of our afflictions we found a friend in a gentleman by the name of Martin Harris, who came to us and gave me fifty dollars to assist us in our afflictions. Mr. Harris was a resident of Palmyra Township, Wayne County, in the State of New York, and a farmer of respectability. By this timely aid was I enabled to reach the place of my destination in Pennsylvania, and immediately after my arrival there I commenced copying the characters of the plates. I copied a considerable number of them, and by means of the Urim and Thummim I translated some of them, which I did between the time I arrived at the house of my wife's father in the month of December, and the February following.
"Some time in this month of February, the aforementioned Mr. Martin Harris came to our place, got the characters which I had drawn off the plates, and started with them to the city of New York. For what took place relative to him and the characters, I refer to his own account of the circumstances as he related them to me after his return, which was as follows—
"'I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to Professor Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then showed him those which were not yet translated, and he said that they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyric, and Arabic, and he said that they were the true characters. He gave me a certificate certifying to the people of Palmyra that they were true characters, and that the translation of such of them as had been translated was also correct. I took the certificate and put it into my pocket, and was just leaving the house, when Mr. Anthon called me back, and asked me how the young man found out that there were gold plates in the place where he found them. I answered that an angel of God had revealed it to him.
"'He then said unto me, 'Let me see that certificate.' I accordingly took it out of my pocket and gave it to him, when he took it and tore it to pieces, saying that there was no such thing now as ministering of angels, and that if I would bring the plates to him, he would translate them. I informed him that part of the plates were sealed, and that I was forbidden to bring them; he replied, 'I cannot read a sealed book.' I left him and went to Dr. Mitchell, who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and the translation.'
"On the 15th day of April, 1829, Oliver Cowdery came to my house, until when I had never seen him. He stated to me that having been teaching school in the neighborhood where my father resided, and my father being one of those who sent to the school, he went to board for a season at his house, and while there, the family related to him the circumstances of my having the plates, and accordingly he had come to make inquiries of me.
"Two days after the arrival of Mr. Cowdery, (being the 17th of April,) I commenced to translate the Book of Mormon, and he commenced to write for me.
"We still continued the work of translation, when, in the ensuing month, (May, 1829,) we on a certain day went into the woods to pray and inquire of the Lord respecting baptism for the remission of sins, as we found mentioned in the translation of the plates. While we were thus employed, praying and calling upon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light, and having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us, saying unto us, 'Upon you, my fellow-servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.' He said this Aaronic Priesthood had not the power of laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that this should be conferred on us hereafter; and he commanded us to go and be baptized, and gave us directions that I should baptize Oliver Cowdery, and afterwards that he should baptize me.
"Accordingly we went and were baptized—I baptized him first, and afterwards he baptized me—after which I laid my hands upon his head and ordained him to the Aaronic Priesthood, and afterwards he laid his hands on me and ordained me to the same Priesthood for so we were commanded.
"The messenger who visited us on this occasion, and conferred this Priesthood upon us, said his name was John, the same that is called John the Baptist in the New Testament, and that he acted under the direction of Peter, James, and John, who held the keys of the Priesthood of Melchisedec, which Priesthood, he said, should in due time be conferred on us, and that I should be called the first elder and he the second. It was on the 15th day of May, 1829, that we were baptized and ordained under the hand of the messenger.
"Immediately upon our coming up out of the water, after we had been baptized, we experienced great and glorious blessings from our Heavenly Father. No sooner had I baptized Oliver Cowdery than the Holy Ghost fell upon him, and he stood up and prophesied many things which would shortly come to pass. And again, so soon as I had been baptized by him, I also had the spirit of prophecy, when, standing up, I prophesied concerning the rise of the Church, and many other things connected with the Church and this generation of the children of men. We were filled with the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation.
"Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of. In the meantime we were forced to keep secret the circumstances of our having been baptized and having received the Priesthood, owing to a spirit of persecution which had already manifested itself in the neighborhood. We had been threatened with being mobbed, from time to time, and this, too, by professors of religion. And their intentions of mobbing us were only counteracted by the influence of my wife's father's family (under Divine Providence,) who had become very friendly to me, and who were opposed to mobs, and were willing that I should be allowed to continue the work of translation without interruption; and therefore offered and promised us protection from all unlawful proceedings as far as in them lay."
"Have you any further proofs to offer respecting the divine authenticity of this book you refer to?"
"Yes, we have evidence sufficient to establish its divinity beyond doubt, before any impartial court on earth. I will read you from one of our books the voluntary testimony of witnesses who have not; been impeached, as follows:
THE TESTIMONY OF THREE WITNESSES."Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people unto whom this work shall come, that we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken; and we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true. And we also testify that we have seen the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shewn unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true; and it is marvellous in our eyes, nevertheless the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen.OLIVER COWDERY, DAVID WHITMER, MARTIN HARRIS.
THE TESTIMONY OF THREE WITNESSES.
"Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people unto whom this work shall come, that we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken; and we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true. And we also testify that we have seen the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shewn unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true; and it is marvellous in our eyes, nevertheless the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen.
OLIVER COWDERY, DAVID WHITMER, MARTIN HARRIS.
"Can you give us any other evidences respecting this record?"
"Yes, here is also the testimony of eight additional witnesses, who declare they saw the plates."
AND ALSO THE TESTIMONY OP EIGHT WITNESSES."Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people unto whom this work shall come, that Joseph Smith, Jun., the translator of this work, has shown unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which have the appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said Smith has translated, we did handle with our hands; and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient work, and of curious workmanship. And this we bear record with words of soberness, that the said Smith has shown unto us, for we have seen and hefted, and know of a surety that the said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken. And we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we have seen; and we lie not, God bearing witness of it.CHRISTIAN WHITMER, HIRAM PAGE, JACOB WHITMER, JOSEPH SMITH, SEN., PETER WHITMER, JUN., HYRUM SMITH, JOHN WHITMER, SAMUEL H. SMITH.
AND ALSO THE TESTIMONY OP EIGHT WITNESSES.
"Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people unto whom this work shall come, that Joseph Smith, Jun., the translator of this work, has shown unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which have the appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said Smith has translated, we did handle with our hands; and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient work, and of curious workmanship. And this we bear record with words of soberness, that the said Smith has shown unto us, for we have seen and hefted, and know of a surety that the said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken. And we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we have seen; and we lie not, God bearing witness of it.
CHRISTIAN WHITMER, HIRAM PAGE, JACOB WHITMER, JOSEPH SMITH, SEN., PETER WHITMER, JUN., HYRUM SMITH, JOHN WHITMER, SAMUEL H. SMITH.