USA > Ohio > Historical collections of Ohio, containing a collection of the most interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes, etc., relating to its general and local history : with descriptions of its counties, principal towns, and villages > Part 41
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The village of Willoughby contains 4 stores, 2 churches, 18 me- chanic shops, 1 fulling mill, and in 1840, had 390 inhabitants. The engraving shows, on the right, the Presbyterian church, on the left, the Methodist church, and in the centre, on a pleasant green, the Med- ical University, a spacious brick edifice. This flourishing and well conducted institution, was founded in 1834 : its number of pupils has
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been gradually increasing, and in 1846, its annual circular showed 174 students in attendance. The moderate expenses of the institute, the low price of board-from $1.25 to $1.50 per week-give it ad- vantages to those of moderate means. Its president is Amasa Trow- bridge, who, with seven other professors, and an anatomical demon- strator, form an ample corps of instructors .*
Kirtland is 9 miles southwest from Painesville, in a fine country, on an elevation on the southern side of a branch of Chagrin river, which here runs in a deep and romantic valley, interspersed with dwellings, cultivated farms and woodland. The village, at this time, contains about 250 inhabitants. The Western Reserve Teacher's Seminary, situated here, has 216 pupils of both sexes, is under the charge of Asa D. Lord, with several assistants, and is exerting a beneficial influence upon the cause of education in this region.
This village is widely known, from having formerly been the head quarters of the Mormons. While here, in the height of their prosperity, they numbered nearly 3000 persons. On their abandon- ing it, most of the dwellings went to decay, and it now has some- what the appearance of a depopulated and broken down place. The view taken, shows the most prominent buildings in the village. In the center, is seen the Mormon Temple ; on the right, the Teach- er's Seminary, and on the left, on a line with the front of the temple, the old banking house of the Mormons. The temple, the main point of attraction, is 60 by 80 feet, and measures from its base to the top of the spire, 142 feet. It is of rough stone, plastered over, colored blue, and marked to imitate regular courses of masonry. It cost about $40,000. In front, over the large window, is a tablet, bearing the inscription : "House of the Lord, built by the church of the Latter Day Saints, A. D. 1834." The first and second stories are divided into two "grand rooms" for public worship. The attic is partitioned off into about a dozen small apartments. The lower grand room is fitted up with seats as an ordinary church, with can- vas curtains hanging from the ceiling, which, on the occasion of prayer meetings, are let down to the tops of the slips, dividing the room into several different apartments, for the use of the separate collections of worshipers. At each end of the room is a set of pulpits, four in number, rising behind each other. Each pulpit is calculated for three persons, so that when they are full, twelve per- sons occupy each set, or twenty-four persons the two sets. These pulpits were for the officers of the priesthood. The set at the farther end of the room, are for the Melchisedek priesthood, or those who minister in spiritual concerns. The set opposite, near the entrance to the room, are for the Aaronic priesthood, whose duty it is to simply attend to the temporal affairs of the society. These pulpits all bear initials, signifying the rank of their occupants.
On the Melchisedek side, are the initials P. E., i. e. President of the Elders; M. P. H., President of the High Priests ; P. M. H., Pres. of the High Council, and M. P. C., Pres. of the Full Church. On the Aaronic pulpits, are the initials P. D., i. e. President of Dea-
* Removed to Columbus.
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cons ; P. T. A., President of the Teachers ; P. A. P., Pres. of the Aaronic Priesthood, and B. P. A., Bishop of the Aaronic Priesthood. The Aaronic priesthood were rarely allowed to preach, that being the especial duty of the higher order, the Melchisedek.
Mormon Temple, at Kirtland.
We have received a communication from a resident of Kirtland, dated in the autumn of 1846. It contains some facts of value, and is of interest as coming from an honest man, who has been a sub- ject of the Mormon delusion, but whose faith, we are of opinion, is of late somewhat shaken.
The Mormons derive their name from their belief in the book of Mormon, which is said to have been translated from gold plates found in a hill, in Palmyra, N. Y. They came to this place in 1832, and commenced building their temple, which they finished in 1835. When they commenced building the temple, they were few in number, but before hey had finished it, they had increased to two thousand.
There are in the church two Priesthoods-the Melchisedek and the Aaronic, including
: Levitical, from which they derive their officers. This place, which they hold to be a stake of' Zion, was laid off in half acres for a space of one square mile. When it was mostly sold, they bought a number of farms in this vicinity, at a very high price, and were deeply in debt for goods in New York, which were the causes of their eventually leaving for Mis- souri. They established a bank at Kirtland, from which they issued a number of thousand more dollars than they had specie, which gave their enemies power over them, and those billa became useless.
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They adhered to their prophet, Smith, in all things, and left here in 1837, seven hun- dred in one day. They still hold this place to be a stake of Zion, to be eventually a place . of gathering. There is a president with his two counsellors, to preside over this stake, The president is the highest officer ; next is the high priest, below whom are the elders,- all of the Melchisedek priesthood. The lesser priesthood are composed of priests, teachers and deacons. They have twelve apostles, whose duty it is to travel and preach the gospel. There are seventy elders or seventies, a number of whom are travelling preachers : seven of the seventies preside over them. There were two seventies organi- zed in Kirtland. They ordain most of the male members to some office. They have a bishop with two counsellors, to conduct the affairs of the church in temporal things, and set in judgment upon difficulties which may arise between members ; but there is a higher court to which they can appeal, called the high council, which consists of twelve high priests. The president and his council set as judges over either of these courts. There are, how- ever, three presidents who preside over the whole in all the world-so termed.
The method of conducting worship among the Mormons is similar to other denomina- tions. The first ordinance is baptism for the remission of sins; they lay on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and to heal the sick ; anoint with oil; administer the sacrament ; take little children and bless them ; they hold to all the gifts of the Apostolic church, be- lieving there is no true church without them, and have the gift of speaking in different tongues ; they sometimes interpret for themselves, but commonly there is some one to inter- pret for them.
A prophet has lately risen among the Mormons, viz. : James J. Strang, of Wisconsin, who claims to be the successor of Joseph Smith. He has been with them only about two years, and was a young lawyer of western New York. He claims to have received com- munications from Heaven, at the very hour of Smith's death, commissioning him to lead the people. He has established a stake in Walworth county, Wisconsin, called the city of Voree, by interpretation, signifying " Garden of Peace," to which they are gathering, from Nauvoo and other places. He has lately visited Kirtland and re-established it as a stake of Zion, and organized the church with all its officers. There are now here about 100 members, who are daily increasing, and it is thought the place will be built up.
Strang is said to have found plates of brass or some other metal. He was directed by an angel, who gave him a stone to look through, by which he made the discovery. They were found three feet under ground, beneath an oak of a foot in diameter. These he has translated : they give an account of a race who once inhabited that land, and became a fallen people. Strang preaches pure bible doctrine, and receives only those who walk humbly before their God.
The Mormons still use the temple at Kirtland. This sect is now divided into three factions, viz. : the Rigdonites, the Twelveites, and the Strangites. The Rigdonites are the followers of Sidney Rig- don, and are but a few in number. The Twelveites-so named after their twelve apostles-are very fanatical, and hold to the spirit- ual wife system and the plurality of Gods. The Strangites main- tain the original doctrines of Mormonism, and are located at this place and Voree.
We derive, from a published source, a brief historical sketch of Mormonism.
Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, was born in Sharon, Vermont, Dec. 23d, 1805, and removed to Manchester, Ontario county, N. Y., about the year 1815, at an early age, with his parents, who were in quite humble circumstances. He was occasionally em- ployed in Palmyra as a laborer, and bore the reputation of a lazy and ignorant young man. According to the testimony of respectable individuals in that place, Smith and his father were persons of doubtful moral character, addicted to disreputable habits, and moreover, extremely superstitious, believing in the existence of witchcraft. They at one time procu- red a mineral rod, and dug in various places for money. Smith testified that when digging he had seen the pot or chest containing the treasure, but never was fortunate enough to get it into his hands. He placed a singular looking stone in his hat, and pretended by the light of it to make many wonderful discoveries of gold, silver and other treasures, deposited in the earth. He commenced his career as the founder of the new sect, when about the age of 18 or 19, and appointed a number of meetings in Palmyra, for the purpose of declaring the divine revelations which he said were made to him. He was, however, unable to pro-
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duce any excitement in the village ; but very few had curiosity sufficient to listen to him. Not having means to print his revelations he applied to Mr. Crane, of the society of Friends, declaring that he was moved by the Spirit to call upon him for assistance. This gentle- man bid him go to work, or the state-prison would end his career. Smith had better suc- cess with Martin Harris, an industrious and thrifty farmer of Palmyra, who was worth about $10,000, and who became one of his leading disciples. By his assistance, 5,000 copies of the Mormon bible (so called) were published, at an expense of about $3,000. It is possible that Harris might have made the advances with the expectation of a profita- ble speculation, as a great sale was anticipated. This work is a duodecimo volume con- taining 590 pages, and is, perhaps, one of the weakest productions ever attempted to be palmed off as a divine revelation. It is mostly a blind mass of words, interwoven with scriptural language and quotations, without much of a leading plan or design.
Soon after the publication of the Mormon bible, one Parley B. Pratt, a resident of Lor- rain county, Ohio, happening to pass through Palmyra, on the canal, and hearing of the new religion, called on the prophet, and was soon converted. Pratt was intimate with Sidney Rigdon, a very popular preacher of the denomination called " Reformers," or " Dis- ciples." About the time of the arrival of Pratt at Manchester, the Smiths were fitting out an expedition for the western country, under the command of Cowdery, in order to convert the Indians, or Lamanites, as they termed them. In October, 1830, this mission, consist- ing of Cowdery, Pratt, Peterson and Whitmer, arrived at Mentor, Ohio, the residence of Rigdon, well supplied with the new bibles. Near this place, in Kirtland, there were a few families belonging to Rigdon's congregation, who, having become extremely fanatical, were daily looking for some wonderful event to take place in the world: 17 of these persons readily believed in Mormonism, and were all re-immersed in one night by Cowdery. By the conversion of Rigdon soon after, Mormonism received a powerful impetus, and more than 100 converts were speedily added. Rigdon visited Smith at Palmyra, where he tar- ried about two months, receiving revelations, preaching, &c. He then returned to Kirt- land, Ohio, and was followed a few days after by the prophet, Smith, and his connexions. Thus, from a state of almost beggary, the family of Smith were furnished with the " fat of the land" by their disciples, many of whom were wealthy.
A Mormon temple was erected at Kirtland, at an expense of about $40,000. In this building there was a sacred apartment, a kind of holy of holies, in which none but the priests were allowed to enter. An unsuccessful application was made to the legislature for the charter of a bank. Upon the refusal, they established an unchartered institution, com- menced their banking operations, issued their notes, and made extensive loans. The society now rapidly increased in wealth and numbers, of whom many were doubtless drawn thither by mercenary motives. But the bubble at last burst. The bank being an unchar- tered institution, the debts due were not legally collectable. With the failure of this in- stitution, the society rapidly declined, and Smith was obliged to leave the state to avoid the sheriff. Most of the sect, with their leader, removed to Missouri, where many outrages were perpetrated against them. The Mormons raised an armed force to " drive off the infidels," but were finally obliged to leave the state.
The last stand taken by the Mormons was at Nauvoo, Ill., a beautiful location on the Mississippi river. Here they erected a splendid temple, 120 feet, in length by 80 in width, around which they built their city, which at one time contained about 10,000 inhabitants. Being determined to have their own laws and regulations, the difficulties which attended their sojourn in other places followed them here, and there was constant collision between them and the surrounding inhabitants. By some process of law, Joseph Smith (the pro- phet) and his brother Hyram were confined in the debtor's apartment in the jail at Car- thage, in the vicinity of Nauvoo, and a guard of 8 or 10 men were stationed at the jail for their protection. While here, it appears a mob of about 60 men, in disguise, broke through the guard, and firing into the prison, killed both Joseph Smith and brother, Hyram, June 27th, 1844. Their difficulties still continued, and they determined to remove once more.
In 1840, a work was published at Painesville, by E. D. Howe, called a "History of Mormonism," which gives almost conclusive evidence that the historical part of the book of Mormons was writ- ten by one Solomon Spalding. From this work we derive the fol- lowing facts.
Mr. Spalding was born in Connecticut, in 1761, graduated at Dartmouth, and having failed in mercantile business, removed in 1809 to Conneaut, in the adjoining county of Ashtabula. About the year
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1312, his brother, John, visited him at that place. He gives the following testimony :
He then told me he had been writing a book, which he intended to have printed, the avails of which he thought would enable him to pay all his debts. The book was entitled the " Manuscript Found," of which he read to me many passages. It was an historical romance of the first settlers of America, endeavoring to show that the American Indians are the descendants of the Jews, or the lost tribes. It gave a detailed account of their journey from Jerusalem, by land and sea, till they arrived in America, under the command of NEPHI and LEHI. They afterwards had quarrels and contentions, and separated into two distinct nations, one of which he denominated Nephites, and the other Lamanites. Cruel and bloody wars ensued, in which great multitudes werc slain. They buried their dead in large heaps, which caused the mounds so common in this country. Their arts, sciences and civilization were brought into view, in order to account for all the curious antiquities found in various parts of North and South America. 'I have recently read the Book of Mormon, and to my great surprise, I find nearly the same historical matter, names, &c., as they were in my brother's writings. I well remember that he wrote in the old style, and commenced about every sentence with " and it came to pass," or "now it came to pass," the same as in the Book of Mormon, and according to the best of my recollection and belief, it is the same as my brother Solomon wrote, with the exception of the religious matter. By what means it has fallen into the hands of Joseph Smith, jr., I am unable to determine. JOHN SPALDING.
Mr. Henry Lake, of Conneaut, also states :
I left the state of New York, late in the year, 1810, and arrived at this place the 1st of January following. Soon after my arrival, I formed a co-partnership with Solomon Spald- ing, for the purpose of rebuilding a forge which he had commenced a year or two before. He very frequently read to me from a manuscript which he was writing, which he entitled the " Manuscript Found," and which he represented as being found in this town. I spent many hours in hearing him read said writings, and became well acquainted with its con- tents. He wished me to asist him in getting his production printed, alledging that a book of that kind would meet with a rapid sale. I designed doing so, but the forge not meeting our anticipations, we failed in business, when I declined having any thing to do with the publi- cation of the book. This book represented the American Indians as the descendants of the lost tribes, gave an account of their leaving Jerusalem, their contentions and wars, which were many and great. One time, when he was reading to me the tragic account of Laban, I pointed out to him what I considered an inconsistency, which he promised to cor- rect ; but by referring to the Book of Mormon, I find to my surprise that it stands there just as he read it to me then. Some months ago I borrowed the Golden Bible, put it into my pocket, carried it home, and thought no more of it. About a week after, my wife found the book in my coat pocket, as it hung up, and commenced reading it aloud as I lay upon the bed. She had not read twenty minutes till I was astonished to find the same passages in it that Spalding had read to me more than twenty years before, from his " Man- uscript Found." Since that, 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. Spalding, that the so frequent use of the words " And it came to pass," " Now it came to pass," rendered it ridiculous. Spalding left here in 1812, and I furnished him means to carry him to Pittsburgh, where he said he would get the book printed, and pay me. But I never heard any more from him or his writings, till I saw them in the Book of Mormon. HENRY LAKE.
The testimony of six other witnesses is produced in the work of Mr. Howe, all confirming the main facts as above given. As Mr. Spalding was vain of his writings, and was constantly showing them to his neighbors, reliable testimony to the same general facts might have been greatly multiplied.
The disposition Spalding made of his manuscripts is not known. From Conneaut, Spalding removed to Pittsburgh, about the year 1813, remained there a year or two, and from thence went to Amity, in the same state, where he died in 1816. His widow stated that while they resided at Pittsburgh, she thinks that the "Manuscript
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Found" was once taken to the printing office of Patterson & Lamb- din, but did not know whether it was ever returned. We again quote verbatim from the work of Mr. Howe.
Having established the fact, therefore, that most of the names and leading incidents con- tained in the Mormon bible, originated with Solomon Spalding, it is not very material, as we conceive, to show the way and manner by which they fell into the hands of the Smith family. To do this, however, we have made some inquiries.
It was inferred at once that some light might be shed upon the subject, and the mystery revealed, by applying to Patterson & Lambdin, in Pittsburgh. But here again death had interposed a barrier. That establishment was dissolved and broken up many years since, and Lambdin died about eight years ago. Mr. Patterson says he has no recollection of any such manuscript being brought there for publication, neither would he have been likely to have seen it, as the business of printing was conducted wholly by Lambdin at that time. He says, however, that many MS. books and pamphlets were brought to the office about that time, which remained upon their shelves for years, without being printed or even exam- ined. Now, as Spalding's book can no where be found, or any thing heard of it after being carried to this establishment, there is the strongest presumption that it remained there in se- clusion, till about the year 1823 or '24, at which time Sidney Rigdon located himself in that city. We have been credibly informed that he was on terms of intimacy with Lamb- din, being seen frequently in his shop. Rigdon resided in Pittsburgh about three years, and during the whole of that time, as he has since frequently asserted, abandoned preaching and all other employment, for the purpose of studying the bible. He left there, and came into the county where he now resides, about the time Lambdin died, and commenced preaching some new points of doctrine, which were afterwards found to be inculcated in the Mormon bible. He resided in this vicinity about four years previous to the appearance of the book, during which time he made several long visits to Pittsburgh, and perhaps to the Susquehan- nah, where Smith was then digging for money, or pretending to be translating plates. It may be observed, also, that about the time Rigdon left Pittsburgh, the Smith family began to tell about finding a book that would contain a history of the first inhabitants of America, and that two years elapsed before they finally got possession of it.
We are, then, irresistibly led to this conclusion :- that Lambdin, after having failed in bu- siness, had recourse to the old manuscripts then in his possession, in order to raise the wind, by a book speculation, and placed the " Manuscript Found," of Solomon Spalding, in the hands of Rigdon, to be embellished, altered, and added to, as he might think expedient ; and three years' study of the bible we should deem little time enough to garble it, as it is transferred to the Mormon book. The former dying, left the latter the sole proprietor, who was obliged to resort to his wits, and in a miraculous way to bring it before the world ; for in no other manner could such a book be published without great sacrifice. And where could a more suitable character be found than Jo Smith, whose necromantic fame of arts and of deception, had already extended to a considerable distance ? That Lambdin was a person every way qualified and fitted for such an enterprise, we have the testimony of his partner in business, and others of his acquaintance. Add to all these circumstances, the facts, that Rigdon had prepared the minds in a great measure, of nearly a hundred of those who had attended his ministration, to be in readiness to embrace the first mysterious ism that should be presented-the appearance of Cowdery at his residence as soon as the book was printed-his sudden conversion, after many pretensions to disbelieve it-his immedi- ately repairing to the residence of Smith, 300 miles distant, where he was forthwith appoint- ed an elder, high priest, and a scribe to the prophet-the pretended vision that his residence in Ohio was the " promised land,"-the immediate removal of the whole Smith family thither, where they were soon raised from a state of poverty to comparative affluence. Wc, therefore, must hold out Sidney Rigdon to the world, as being the original "author and proprietor" of the whole Mormon conspiracy, until further light is elicited upon the lost writings of Solomon Spalding.
Seven miles southerly from Painesville, is a small and abrupt emi- nence, of about 200 feet in height, called " Little Mountain." A hotel is kept on the summit, and it commands a beautiful prospect of the adjacent country and Lake Erie, distant 10 miles. It is much visited, and is a favorite resort from the heats of summer. A cool breeze generally blows from the lake, to brace the nerves of the vis- itor, while around and below, the earth is clothed in beauty. Center- ยท
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ville, 12 miles east of the county seat, has 3 stores, 2 churches, and about 80 dwellings, scattered along the road for about a mile. Two and a half miles E. of the above, on the line of Ashtabula, is Union- ville, which contains 4 stores, 2 churches, and about 100 dwellings, scattered along the road.
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