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The Sumter Banner from Sumter, South Carolina • Page 1

Publication:
The Sumter Banneri
Location:
Sumter, South Carolina
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Page:
1
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

1 -9 T. -Et H- T'S -RC --E LITE AT So Co, NOVEARl.9R RISTORICAL. -Fm AAur' Hoe (Ga te TlE Ri M. LATTEWt-DAY SAINTS. The origin, rapid development.

4nd present prosperity of sect, is one of the most rertcable instructive historioal of tlie presentrcentury. That Smith, a native of Vermont. nobscuroindividual, without money, vdtication respectability, should, Under the influence of an Ing relhgious enthusiasm, successfullytidhe a belief in his immediate in-pirstion in1he minds of hundreds of itom4nda of people, and cause a book entitled the 'Book of to be conscientiously received by thsm as of equal.aAuthosity with the Scriptures, and a.continuation of the pagred revelations of Heaven, that, in twenty year's fitne the disciples of Joseph Smith should have increased from six to 100,000, should have founded a State in the distant wilderness, and compelled the govern. ment of the United States practically to recognise them as an independent people with the right of self government; that the emissaries of this re1igious sect should now be preaching its doctrines with success, in the inest enlightened nations in Europe, and in pagan countries, and that convers should ie continually flocking to the Mormons settlement. in the valley of the Great Salt Lake, from all parts of the earth; these are facts worthy the researches of the philoso.

ihei, the consideration of statesmen, a(A the pen of the historian. Such a revelation of the superstidon and filly of humanity in modern times, throws a bright light on similar events which hat'poccurred in former epochs of-thewvotd's history, the -revelatimo 1 nm0 the Gunrison, whose intereating book just utihd by. Lippiucott, Grambo the fact set forth in this article are of the origin of the Mormon sect The founder of the Mormon sect was Jeseph Smith, a native of Vermont, who emigiated when quite young in his father's family to Wes. tern New York. According to his a obiography, published in a series of letters, he was of a religious turn of mind, and, -when seventeen years of age, became greatly interested in the "revivals of religion," often occurring among the "denominations" in that section of country.

In one of these times his feelings were so powerfully wrought upon that he gave himself up to continued prayer for some days-and meditatiig still at night, he at length arose while all the family were hushed in sleep, and poured forth his soul "agonizing" to have made known to him the truth, among the conflicting opinions he heard by the various sects. His apartment became suddenly illbimiia-: ted, and-afi angel appeared and conversed familiarly with him, arid instructed him in the way of righiteousness; informing him also that there no true chuvfh upon earth. Trhe taught on this point is, that which was once establishLed, hadl fallen under the rule given the "prophet, and had "changed the ordinances," "broken the everlaisting covenant," and "coirrupted the faith;" for which cause it was re'moved from earth-or, in their figurative expression, "the man child was caught up into heaven," wvhich mneans that priesthood was taken away fifteen hundlred years ago.And Joseph was to-d that his prayers woe heard and registered in the books on high, and that, being dear. lv beloved of the Lord, lie should be immissioned a priest after the order df Melahisidek, and restore that line pinong men, organizing a church of' faithful ppersons, to receive the Lord in the Millennium, which time should hastened according to their of mnighaty faith, for lie was de-termined "to cut the work short ini righteonsness." In after visits lie further instructed dint "truth should spring out of the earth'' -and that, accordingly, he shtould be conducted to the hill Cumorah, in Palmyra, New Yoirk, andt recelve without the grouind holy andi rrophetic recorda concerning a faily of Jews that emigrated from Jlerusalem in the time of' Zedekiah, andi mir'aculously led to A mriica, aci'oss the Faisterni ocean. "On beingiw guidled to th' et.

bc found a square stone box, eight inches high, covered with a slab, cemented upon it. He was struck back by an invisible blow, and informed, in answer to his earnest prayer, that the want of success was owing to his listening to the suggestions, of Satan, who had walked at his elbow on the way, and had inado him resolve to make use of the golden plates on which the records were engraved, as well as the contents when published, to advance his temporal fortunes.This was sin-to think lie should be. come famous, was unholy ambition; that he should he rich and powerful thereby, was avarice. "But, on sincere repentance and submission, four years after, the contents of the box were shown to him, the angel opening it; which consisted of the Sword of Laban," brought from Jerusalem, a breastplate and two stones "bright and shining," and golden plates engraved with characters, and united at the hacks of rings. A portion of the records was received, constituting the Book of Mormon, in which are depicted, much in the style of the Biie Chronicles, the various fortunes of the four brothers of the emigrating family, and of their descendants -how some tribes were evil in their practices, despising reproof, and became cursed with a dark skin and loathsome habits, and were made scourges to others when falling away from the truth- the sayings, teachings, teachings, and warnings of their prophets, who foretold by name the advent of the Saviour of the world- the organization among the purer people on this continent, of a church by Christ, who came down to them after His ascension at Jarusalem, and gave them His gospel nearly in the words of the Serms.n on the Mount, and how that for apostacy these Christians were fiially destroyed by the Gadin in rubbers'and the red men-the last prophet, Morani by sealing tip the records, and Urin and Truuiusim, and breastplate, at Cuniorah, there to renain until fulliess of time" should denand their exhumation; and which should he brought forth, "by way of Gentile," for the "convincing of both Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ." (See Preface, 1.

Mormon.) "The restoring angel was the spirit of this Fame Morani, the son of Mormon the Seer, who had made a compendium of the holy writings an I delivered them to him; and Joseph now constituted the Seer, by means of the Urim and Thummun, placed in a bow and looked through upon the plates, began their translation, and preached the news of his importa Such is the account given by Joseph Smith andi his followers of the origin of the Book of Mormon. Fanaticism will ever meet with opponents in mnci whose minds are enlighiteined by science, and where Christian principles are firumi and settled. It is alleged by the opponent of Mormoniism, that the Mormon bible was fabri 1ated by Joseph Smrith, out of a manuscript written by the late R1ev. Mr. Spaulding, at Conneaut, Ohio; and of which lie became possessed.

This manuscript was wuitten by7 Mr. Spatulding, to account for the ruiuned cities anid temples discovered in Central America. T1hese remains of a past civilization, wvhich antiquarians have not yet been able to account for, were chosen by Mr. Spaulding as the subject of his which is a romnance to show the manner in which America was peopled by the Jews, anid the "lost ten tribes of Israel," together with the subsequent events that occurred to their descendants, and the origin of the Indian nations which overspread the continent of Amerca when it was discovered by Columbus. A clear idea of the origin of thme Mormon bible can be had from the affidavit of Mr.

Henry Lake, given at Conneaut, in 1833 is by an abundance of other testimony. "Hie affirms; "I left the State of New York in the year of 1810, and arrived in this place abiout the first of January following. Soon after arrival I formed a copartnership with Solomon Spaulding frequently mead to mec from a manuscript wnuich he was writing, and which lhe entitled the "Manuscript which lie represented as beiing thund in this town a I spmnt many hours in hearing him read said writings, and became acquainted with their contents. He wished me to assist him in getting it printed, alleging that a book of that kind would meet with a rapid sale. This book represented the American Indians as the lost tribes, gave an account of their leaving Jerusalem, their contentions and wars, which were many and great.

One time-when Ie was reading to me the tragic' account of Laban, I pointed out to him what I considered an inconsistency, which he to correct; but by referring to the Book of Mormon, I find to my surprise it stands there, just as he read it to (no then. Some months ago I borrowed a golden Bible, had not read twenty minutes befoie I was astonished find the same pas-. sages in it that Spaulding had read to me, more than twenty years before, from his "Manuscript Found." Since then, I have more fully examined the said golden bible, and have no hesitation in saying that the historical part of it is principally, if not wholly, taken from the "Manuscript Found." I well recollect telling Mr. Spaulding that the too frequent use of the words, "Now it came to pass." "And it came to pass," rendered it ridiculous. Spaulding left here in 1812, and I furnished him with the means to- carry him to Pittsburg, where he said he would get the book printed and pay me.

But I never heard any thing more from ljm, or of his writings, till I saw them in the Book of Mormon." The same in effect is the evidence of the brother of Spaulding, that he heard much of the "Manuscript" read, and that, according to his best recollection, "The Book of Mormon is the samne as my brother. Solomon wrote, wilth th exceptionDt rine lii.ous. matter." All this iq copfirme I by mare tiaii half a dozen other gendemen-nd by t1he-midow and (laughter of the author of ''Manuscript Eound." It appears that Mr. Spaulding left Pittsburg in 1814. and that his widow, after his death, in 1816, removed to Onondaga county, New York, near to her early res'dence.

and carried a trunk thither, cantaining the writings of her deceashd husband. During a part nf the time from 1817 to 1820, when she again married and moved to Massachusetts, the trunk was a' her brother's in Onondaga Hollow, ear the residence of the Smith fami the Book of Mormon apil ared, and and its identity with the Spaulding MS. was discovered, trunk was hunted up, and scaich made for the Spaulding MS. It had mysteriously disappeared, and tlhe "Manuscript Found" has ever sine been the "Manuscript Lost." Frowi these circumstances it is thought that Jcseph Smith obtained possession of it, and mouluded it into the Book oid Mormon, arranging and( altering the matter so as to suit his own purposes. A copy of the Book of Mormon was placed in our hands a few dlays ago, when in the Philadelphia Library, and we have no hesitation in saying that a more successful attempt at the Scriptures, was perhaps never made.

Its leterary style and merits are, however, truly contemptible, its author having been plainly about as ignorant of thme rules of gframmar and composition as a the revelations in the Book of Mormon with the sublime beauty andu grandeur of the revelations of the unchanging laws of nature, in the "Prinicipa of Ne wton." How truly contemptible is superstition! The manner of writing the Book of Mormon was as follows: "Smith would place his pseudo gold plates in a hat, and take the stones, rim and Thummim, which he affirmed had been delivered to him at the hill Cumoorahi, in Palmyra, by an angel---and, arising a screen of cloth between himself and the scribe, proceed to look through the stones, and the words, in reformed Egyptian characters would change to his vernacular; and "pass before his eyes by the power and gift of He gives us a particular account of the first persecution by his neighbors, who tried to capture the "gold plates;" and to escape from this, he concealed them in a barrel of beans. Wec are also tol thamt Cowdery, the scribe, was sharply rebuked for impertinent curiosty, in wishing to see the gold plates, which was the prohet' pvilege only. The Book of Mormon was issued in 1880, and on the 4th of A of the same year, the fihst Mormon church was organized, consisting of only six members-the father of Smith, his two brothers, and Oliver Cowdery, a schoolmaster, being amongst the number. It is said that Cowdery first baptized the prophet, and, to 'render the act legitimate, there was present as sponsors, Moses and Elias, together with Peter, James and John. The prophet now pabtized and commissioned elders, who began their enthusiastic preaching, and converted several visionary characters, persons without any settled opinions in Christianity, of a weak and-euperatitious turn of mind, and liable be immuediately carried away by the first eloquent harangue in favor Millerism, Mormonism, or any other religious delusion.

In this manner, the Mormon church gradually ihcreased in numbers. In the following Augpst, Parley P. Pratt, a Campbellite greacher in Ohio, who was preaching notions on prophecy, the restoration of the Children of Israel and t0e Millenni. um, met with the Book Mormon, and became a convert, on a visit to the State of New'ork. On his return, he presentedithe new Bible to another still more nthusiastic person, named Sidney ftdon.

He too adopted the now syitm. These were important additiox; the Morman Society. Both men endowed with talents, lea: and eloquence. We would i ark here, that Rigdon had for taught the literal in a i ond coming, the literal reign of the Saints on earth, and the? use of mii-culouigifts icthe rh. It will be readily al- -ifnri there are passages in Scripture which are hard to be 'understood, and about the exact meaning of which the learned disagree.

Expe. rience shows that men may pore over the hidden meaning of such passages until they become religiously insane, and are thus led to 'wrest the Scr ip. tures to their own we find the most mysterious parts of the Bible, including the prophecies and revelations invariably quoted to sustain their peculiar views by the Mormonite and Millerite preachers, and this with a degree of positiveness of assertion which will admit of no consideration, common sense as well as Christianity plainly shows such preachers to be nothing but religious fanatics or impostors. 'Fools rush in where angels fear to i The first Mormon settlement was formed at Kirkland, in Ohio, in January, 1831. To this place the prophet andi his people removed, Pratt and Rigdon had already society of over a thousand to rncei ge them.

In the month of June, Smith professed to have ived a revelation, which resulted ib the sending forth of a mission of ers into Missouri. The site for a ity was selected, which was called there was soon collected, in. ackson county, Missouri, over 1- Mormons, buying lands and eu ting them peaceably. Two ye rrs hus passed away in peace, but in .834, the people in Jackson cou- ar llected and drove thoem out. Thie ek appears to have been altoge unjust, and without any nioti teo fear of the Mormons gailnih political ascendency in the count, dislike to their fanatical do4brirnes land institutions.

The Mormons again gathered rapidly together, ini Clay arnd the adjoining counties, and prosperity again in all their efforts. In 1837 a Marmen bank was established at Kmtland, and public credit obtained a considlerable amount.This baid, failed 'in 1888, and its managers were prosecuted for swindling. The Mormons in Missouri and Ohio wore now dr-iven out of these States, and 12,000 of them arrived on the banks of the Mississippi, in a destitute condition. Their tale of distress touched the hearts of the Illinoisidnsi, and ey received them hospitably, fur hing them with both fooj aind ckthing and a place on whichmt to effect a settlement. --The city of Nauvoo Was now built bq the Mormons, and the site for a temple chosen.

The State favored the exiles; charters were obtained for the city, with peculiarly favorable privileges; the Legion was incorporated, and the arms of the State loaned, in which they were well drilled, and became- a standing army, with the prophet as Lieutenant-General. Missionaries were now sent abroad to Palestine, Africa, and Europe. One of that band, still well affected towards Mormonism, though differing on one point from its teachings, related to Lieut. Gunnison some parts of the discourse of Joseph Smith to the Missiottaries. One r.ain point insisted on was, that 'spiritual wifery' was to be most pointedly denied; and that they taught that one man should live in chaste fidelity with one woman in conjugal relationship.

In the dark concerning the revelation allowing polygamy, he sincerely declared that but one wife was ever known to any of his brethren. While zealously preaching in the city of New York. he was thought worthy, by the Apostle Lyman, to be let into the secret of the 'blessings of the privileges of the Saints. Called aside one day by the President of the State, he was told that God had always rewarded His distinguished saints with special privileges, such as would be wrong for sinners, but by revelation made harmless to the good. As an instance he would cite Jacob, David, and had many wives allowed them.

In these last days, also, the like had been accorded to Joseph Smith and others, and having now full confidence in his ho he.p' have. the sa priest says he reflecti emble, and say he would consider the matter. In the evening he was invited. 'a sealing' of several couples, at a large boarding-house. In the front parlor the ceremony, like a marriage, was performed; and, as each pair was 'finished' by the priest, they retired through the folding doors, and thus to their own apartments.

The guest was so shocked, that he retired to his home, and though he never took any open part against the'church of new he was denounced as a deserter in their papers, and the public cautioned against him as a defamer. From 1838 to 1844, Mormonism appears to have been in a state of continuous prosperity at Nauvoo. It was during this peaceful interim, that the revelation, allowed to Joseph, and the high priests of the Mormon hierarchy, as many wives as they could support, was alleged to have been received from Heaven.In vain the wife of Joseph, styled by himself and followers, -The Elect La. dy threatened, by way of retaliation, to take another husband; the only consolation she received was that a prophet must obey the Lord- 'he would be obedient to the Ileavenly The Mormons now boasted of having 100,000 persons in the faith, throughout the States. In 1844, Joseph sent forth his -Views on Gov and was actually put forth by the infatuated votaries of his religious imposture as one of the candidates for the Presidency! Now it was that thoso who had treated them so hospitably, became incensed against them.

It was asserted, and with truth, that no Gentile could obtain justice in the Nauvoo courts.The property of the people of Illinois was stolen from them, and traces of it were obtainved at Nauvoo.Men of influence and talent now deserted the standard of tho prophet, denouncing him as an impostor, debauchiee, and Women impeached him of attempted terong, whilst the miserably subterfuge resorted to by him, that he did it just to see if they were virtuous, only exasperated those families which he had sought to dishonor. The Expositor having published a list of the prophets debaucheries, and those of his friends, a party of Mormons attacked the printing-office, broke the press to pieces, and scattered the typo in the streets. This attack was resented on the part of the people, and justice having been refused, the Gavcirnne of the State was an pealed to, and Joseph 1yp, his together Dr. IeWards and John Taylor, were lodged in Carthage jail. The citizens of OCarthdge how conspired together to attack the jail, and take justice into their own hands.Early on the morning of the 27th of June, 1844, they assaulted the tbbr of the room in which the prisoners were and Taylor, lying on the floor, madb a stretch across the room, thl fee of one against the shoulders of the other, and kept the door from fully opening.

Guns were thrust in and diecharged and Joseph, with a revolver returned two shots, hitting one man in. the elbow. A ball struck Hlyrum, the patriarch, and he fell, exclaiming, 'I am Joseph replied. 'Oh, brother The prophet tlhn1threw in thie act of leaping thiough, 'as klled by balls fired from the outside, saying, as he fell, '0 Lord, my The people in the hall forced into the room and wounded Taylor; the other escaped 'without a hole in his robes' Experience has shown that Mormonism cannot exist in these States. It must conquer or die.

The Mormon settlement is at present rendered harmless by its geographical position. The valley of the Great Balt Lakc, is situated midway between the Mississippi States and California, ahd is hemmed in on all sides by inhospitable tracts of country upwards of a thousand miles in extent. It is, in fact, a three months' journey, with the present conveniences for travelling, from the nearest civilized community to the Mormon settlement. We have given an outline of th )israter a siaio0pe Godhead. Ood the father is ani finitely perfect Christ is the Son of God by the Virgin Mary, and the Holy Spirit is thd ofie.mind possessing and acting in the Father and the Son.

Passages are quotted from their own works to show that such are in reality their views. First God himself, who site ei'throned in yonder heavens, is like a man unto one of yourselves, that is the great secret. If the. veil was A6bt.t6day, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and upholds all thing by his power, if you were to see Him to-day, you would see Him in all the persoh, image, and Vdrf form as a man; for Adam was cieaied in the very fashion and image of God; Adam received instruiction, walked, talked, and conversed with Ilim, as one man talks and communes with another." Therp is rL quttifftf tnn fr(in the author of the "Voice of Warning," to the effect that "we worship a God who hath both body and parts; who has eyes, mouth, and and speaks when, and Mb whom He pleases -who is just as good at mnechanical inventions as at any other business." liut we are referred by their teachers to the Apocalypse, where it is written of the "And huath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father;" and to the apostle that said, "there are gods imany and lords many," to prove that the Father had his Jftther," and they talk boldly of the grandfat her, great-grandfaither of God, thus traeing back almost ad infnitum to the "Ilead God, that called the gr-and council together, the worlds camne rolling into existence." Our antthor adds prophet has not left on record, to my knowledge, the manner in which the Head God originated." And, hence, amongst the Mormons, the mode his origt is a mere matter of' opin ion! The believe that the "head devil," as they term him, rettits inany of the qualities which he possessed when an archangel; that lhe is a "perfe.ct gentlenman," all the ineener temptations being resorted to by the sorts of imps. They entertain peculiar views on the resurrection.

believing that the same body will lbe raised, but that it will be without blood, which they consider to be the mortal part of our nature. This peculiarity in their fihith is thus espressed by apostle Pratt, one of their authorities in doctrinal matters. Jesus was the exact pattern of our resurrection. "And Jesus Christ camne forth tri'umphuant from the mansions of the dead, possessing the same body which had beeni born of a woman, which was crucified; but no blood flowed in his his veins; for blood wa the naatuiral life in which were the principles of mortality; and a man restored to fle.sh nd bilood would ho mort ys our Sa dde. tr he tol diiel 4d know that 19d will be the nodit resu rrevted-q fe: It.

is believed that a "moved by th spirit" of sounds in speaker kriweg-n expressed, and that of he congregtion nia to him, bythsani interprethtibih bf Wu cab explain gl. been said in iutirrigible aijh It is unnecesary to gti tracts from Qumnl We have hi ronism -becuse Wethn progress, presezft prosperit'y liarities ofthils religious set bt be more generally known; to call particular attentlon to tihioQ as a faitlih iid h1rtithfhil That ptilgimy is prabjsi the Mormons is undeniable, deed, the subject begins to be openly discussed thanu formeuysr) is anounced that a treatiso iis preparation tb prbe, by the the ight of all Christians tod ty of wives, if not to declaue thef practice of the same. We dissent frm many a in this volume. -Mormon is attributable to their idirpb teml of -combinihg -kbtu lu has his obff pirperty in lahdlk inbnts; and also to their indus Similar. results would fbllo, any other religious syster the laws were equitably ndr and.

therefore a-e not to be a to -the peculiarities its the 1o, theology, or priestly gvehtn The success of the otd is to. more to the ance aid superstition whibe abundontlyprralant I Wei to the skill and science withWfl communI; ces of so transparent a system uf posture, shows thatnmuch of the ness and styperstitibh of past present albuds the. understandi men, and that in religious mnttjI intellect of a large portion. fth tiht generaton are sbkt little I than thuso of their predecefoks rior to the Lutheran Reformatio4 After the death of Joseph, th le for the leadership food righuon tdiing perseenting spirit did not ceast. I the death of prophet.

Nothitig 6 satisfy the people of Illinois expulsion of the Mortntjfs foo voo and the surrounding conn was announced, by revelation, whole church must retire ifttd tI derness to grow into a multitude i froi the haunts of elvileiatibun id ValleY of the Great Salt Lane for a settlement, and ofi-theered of July, 1847, the pioneer. nved, and on the 24th the UnbreY Presidency, which latter dat trW their grand.epech, Since this time, the has contilamed to prosper. 'Wj IWgd by their idustry feirtilized a gion, and made two spireof to grow where only one And there they are bidding de their persecutors, and reAJ fa tfor their rtide rocks and sho lws They demand a recognition of dependence as a State, bn the that they, know better tlant allatkid world besides what is suited condition. They are a oljarpie. "They have fom on the model of a repib -e adopted a constitution, and tolerant of' conscience and have a criminal code plies to their peculiar afddk tfehngs;" sand it is not to be pd6IIa that lawyers and howdfer erninent their profession at hbYdig dar un: derstand or appreciate the this wild country.

Gerrtile jug arc, therefore, teddbt ilMdr. meons as an unjusst imposition, imnd they are resolv'ed on resrsting alsub foreign are "duiled puu.in" lg rate to whisper a secret to! they always keep dark. ('NSUs OF all hut two nounties shoj that'4s' present population 61 Staite ibout 240,000, an of 'vfdf There is an old toper In is making quito a fortnne Th anti-liquor ti'. Hegoes-ato New he 'charges his neighbors twelve-ahdsIbglf' cents for smelIirng- his breath..

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Years Available:
1846-1855