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In the interim of his fourth and fifth visits to Cumorah. Joseph had married Miss Emma Hale, daughter of Isaac Hale, of Harmony,
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Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. He had formed her acquaint- ance in the fall of 1825, while working for a Mr. Josiah Stoal, a resi- dent of Chenango County, New York, who had hired him to go with him to Pennsylvania and dig for a silver mine. While thus employed, Joseph boarded in the family of Mr. Hale, and became enamored of his daughter, who returned his affection. The silver mine proving an ignis fatuus, after a month's fruitless labor Joseph persuaded his employer to abandon the useless enterprise. Subsequently he made overtures for the hand of Miss Hale, but her parents withheld their consent to the union. Emma, however, was of age, and a girl of high mettle, and her lover no less spirited and determined. They acted without consent, and went elsewhere to be married; the nuptial knot being tied by one Esquire Tarbill, at his home in South Bainbridge, Chenango County, New York, on the 18th of January, 1827.
From these two incidents in his career,-his being employed to dig for a silver mine, and his marriage with Miss Hale away from her father's home,-arose the prevalent stories of "money-digging" and "wife-stealing," used against him by his enemies.
The anger of Emma's parents over the independent action of the young couple, now happily wed, evidently soon abated; for at the expiration of a few months after their marriage, we find them con- templating a removal to the home of the Hales in Pennsylvania. And this, owing to the annoyance and persecution to which they were sub- jected at Manchester. Too poor to pay the expenses of the trip,-a distance of about a hundred miles,-Joseph at this juncture received timely aid from a Mr. Martin Harris, a well-to-do farmer residing in Palmyra Township, a few miles from Manchester. Mr. Harris, who had previously become interested in Joseph, gave him fifty dollars to assist him on his journey. This enabled the young couple to reach their destination. They arrived at Harmony in December, 1827. On their way thither, the wagon in which they traveled was twice stopped by officers, or men claiming to be such, armed with search warrants, who ransacked the vehicle in quest of the golden plates. They were secreted, it is said, in a barrel of beans, and thus escaped discovery.
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These plates are thus described. They were of uniform size, about eight inches in width, each one a little thinner than ordinary tin. They were bound together by three rings running through one of the edges, forming a book about six inches in thickness, one-third of which was sealed. This part was not to be opened; the time not having come for its contents to be known. The unsealed two-thirds of the volume,-the plates of which could be turned like the leaves of a book, and were covered, both sides, with strange characters, “small and beautifully engraved,"-were left free to be translated by means of the Urim and Thummim.
This instrument consisted of two precious stones, set in the rims of a silver bow, and fastened to a breast-plate. The breast-plate, like the record plates, was of gold, the inside concave, the outside con- vex, and four golden bands attached served to fasten it to the person of the wearer.
In February, 1828. Martin Harris, the Palmyra farmer, visited his young friend at Harmony. Being shown certain mystical characters, which Joseph informed him he had copied from the golden plates and translated, Martin, by permission, took these characters to the city of New York, to exhibit them to the savants and linguists of the metropolis.
According to his account, he first submitted them to Professor Charles Anthon, of Columbia College, who stated that the translation was correct, and as to the characters, translated and untranslated, that they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Syriac and Arabic-true and gen- uine. Being asked for a certificate to that effect, he willingly gave one, addressing it to the people of Palmyra.
" How did the young man learn that there were gold plates there?" asked the Professor, as Harris, having folded the certificate and put it in his pocket, turned to go.
" An angel of God revealed it to him," answered the farmer.
A look of dismay, as if doubting the speaker's sanity, stole over the face of the Professor, who, as soon as he could regain himself, exclaimed "Let me see that certificate."
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Martin returned the paper, whereupon Professor Anthon tore it in pieces, remarking that there were no such things now as minister- ing of angels, but that if the plates were brought to him he would translate them.
Martin informed him that a portion of the golden book was sealed, and that he would not be permitted to bring it.
"'I cannot read a sealed book,"" replied the Professor, and the interview abruptly ended.
Harris next consulted Dr. Mitchell, another scholar, who sec- onded all that Professor Anthon had said concerning the characters and the translation.
Such was the report of his errand with which Martin Harris returned to Joseph Smith. So far was he now converted to the lat- ter's views, that he then and there offered to act as his scribe in the work of translation. As Joseph was a poor penman, this offer was gratefully accepted.
The following is the reputed method of translation. The Pro- phet, scanning through the Urim and Thummim the golden pages, would see appear, in lieu of the strange characters engraved thereon, their equivalent in English words. These he would repeat, and the scribe, separated from him by a veil or curtain, would write them down. A peculiarity of the process was that until the writing was correct in every particular, the words last given would remain before the eyes of the translator, and not disappear. But on the necessary correction being made, they would immediately pass away and be succeeded by others. In this manner the Book of Mormon is said to have been translated. Hence the claim of the Latter-day Saints,- called "Mormons" for their belief in the book,-to its plenary inspiration.
From the 12th of April to the 14th of June, 1828, Joseph and Martin continued, with some intermissions, their joint labor of trans- lating. In that interim the latter copied by dictation one hundred
* The Latter-day Saints regard this as a literal fulfillment of Isaiah xxix-11.
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and sixteen pages of foolseap manuscript. These pages he much desired to show to his wife and other curious or skeptical persons, with a view to their conversion. After many entreaties and refusals, he obtained Joseph's permission to do so, on condition that they should be shown only to certain persons who were named. Martin, however, broke his pledge and permitted others to see them. The result was that the manuscript was stolen. Neither he nor Joseph ever again beheld it. A temporary estrangement ensued between them, and the Prophet, it is said, having angered the Almighty, lost his gift for a season. Martin, though eventually forgiven, never again acted as Joseph's scribe.
Oliver Cowdery next comes upon the scene. He is a school- teacher by profession ; by trade a blacksmith ; young in years, but a man of intelligence and education. Pursuing his vocation of peda- gogue at Manchester, New York, during the winter of 1828-9, while boarding in the family of Joseph Smith, senior, he hears of young Joseph, his visions and the golden plates, and is impressed with a belief in their genuineness. He is also imbued with the idea that his future destiny and that of the Prophet are in some manner interwoven. At Sabbath sunset, April 5th, 1829, he presents himself at Joseph's door in Harmony, and volunteers his services as a scribe and secretary. The proffered aid is eagerly accepted. Two days later the youthful twain .- who are yet to be known as the first and second Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,-continue the work of translating the Nephite record. The rendering into English progresses rapidly under their united and almost incessant labors, and by the middle of May the greater part of the translation is complete.
Joseph and Oliver testify that on a certain day they suspended their task and went out into the woods to pray and inquire of the Lord concerning the doctrine-then well nigh obsolete in Christen- dom-of baptism for the remission of sins, which they had found mentioned in the translation of the plates. While calling upon the Lord, they declare, a heavenly messenger descended in a cloud of
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light, and laying his hands upon their heads, spake these words : "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 immer- sion for the remission of sins; and this shall never again be taken from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness."
The angel who thus ordained them said that his name was John, the same who was anciently surnamed "the Baptist," and that he acted under the direction of Peter, James and John, who held the keys of the Melchisedek Priesthood; this, the higher authority, should in due time be conferred upon them, and Joseph should then be the first Elder and Oliver the second Elder in the Church of Christ. The Melchisedek Priesthood would authorize them to bestow the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, a power not conferred by the Priesthood of Aaron. They were then directed to baptize each other by immersion ; Joseph first to baptize Oliver, Oliver then to baptize Joseph ; after which, in the same order, they were to re-ordain each other to the Aaronic Priesthood. These instructions were carefully obeyed. The date given for these events is May 15th, 1829. Accord- ing to the record, it was soon after this that the Melchisedek Priest- hood was conferred upon Joseph and Oliver by the Apostles Peter, James and John.
In the latter part of May the mobocratic spirit, which till then had lain dormant in that locality, manifested itself at this place of peace- ful name, Harmony, where a violent assault upon the two young men was only prevented by the personal influence of Mr. Hale, Joseph's father-in-law. Joseph was now living in his own home, but the gaunt wolf of poverty still hovered round his door. Hearing of his strait- ened circumstances and having faith in his professions, an elderly man named Joseph Knight, residing at Colesville, Broome County, New York-thirty miles distant-came bringing supplies of food and other necessaries, to enable him and his scribe to continue their work with- out interruption. This act of beneficence was several times repeated. 3-VOL. 1.
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A family named Whitmer, friends of Oliver Cowdery, at Fayette, Seneca County, New York, had also been apprised of the situation. Early in June David Whitmer arrived at Harmony with a message from his father, Peter Whitmer, senior, inviting Joseph and Oliver to come to Fayette and make their home in his household. This offer was thankfully accepted.
At the home of Father Whitmer, to which they at once repaired, they zealously prosecuted their labors. At intervals Joseph and Oliver would converse with the Whitmers and other people of the neighbor- hood upon the subject of religion, baptizing such as believed and desired to embrace their principles. During the month of June, Hyrum Smith, David Whitmer and Peter Whitmer, junior, were bap- tized in Seneca Lake; the first two by Joseph Smith, the last-named by Oliver Cowdery. Samuel H. Smith had been baptized by Oliver at Harmony some time before.
Among the predictions of the Book of Mormon is one to the effect that three special witnesses should be chosen to behold the plates from which it was translated. These plates were to be shown them by an angel. Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris were selected as these witnesses. The event is thus recorded in their own words, forming a portion of the preface to the Book of Mormon:
THE TESTIMONY OF THE 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 marvelous 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
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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.
1714325
OLIVER COWDERY,
DAVID WHITMER, MARTIN HARRIS.
Eight others also testify, as follows :
THE TESTIMONY OF THE 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 shewn 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 shewn 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 bear- ing witness of it.
CHRISTIAN WHITMER, HIRAM PAGE,
JACOB WHITMER,
JOSEPH SMITH, SEN ..
PETER WHITMER, JUN., HYRUM SMITH,
JOHN WHITMER,
SAMUEL H. SMITH.
Among the revelations recorded as "given through Joseph the Seer" during the month of June, 1829, is one making known the calling of the Twelve Apostles of the coming Church. The mission to "search out the Twelve" was given to Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer. In other revelations, addressed to various individuals, it is reiterated that "a great and marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men."
As the translation drew to a close, the Prophet and his friends visited Palmyra, the home of Martin Harris, to arrange for the pub- lication of the Book of Mormon. They secured the copy-right and contracted with Mr. Egbert B. Grandin to print five thousand copies for the sum of three thousand dollars. Martin Harris was to furnish the money. The copy-right was secured June 11th, 1829.
Respecting the final disposition of the plates and the Urim and Thammim, Joseph states that the same heavenly messenger who com-
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mitted them to his care, reclaimed them when the work of translation was over.
The manuscript of the Book of Mormon was carefully copied, the original retained by the translator, and the copy,-said to be in the writing of Oliver Cowdery,"-placed in the hands of the printer. Joseph then paid a visit to his home in Pennsylvania, leaving his more scholarly friend Cowdery to superintend the proof-reading and other details of publication. Early in the year 1830 the first edition of the Book of Mormon was given to the world.
* This manuscript is now in the possession of the family of the late David Whitmer, at Richmond, Ray County, Mo.
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CHAPTER III.
WHAT THE BOOK OF MORMON CLAIMS TO BE-THE NARRATIVE OF THE NEPHITE RECORD-HOW THE WORLD RECEIVED IT-THE SPAULDING STORY-"MORMONISM UNVEILED "-THE SID- NEY RIGDON ANACHRONISM-DISCOVERY OF THE ORIGINAL "MANUSCRIPT STORY "-ITS CONDENSED NARRATIVE-MORMON'S RECORD AND SPAULDING'S ROMANCE COMPARED- REYNOLDS' "MYTH OF THE MANUSCRIPT FOUND "-PRESIDENT FAIRCHILD'S OPINION- NUMEROUS EDITIONS OF THE TRANSLATED WORK.
HE Book of Mormon claims to be a record of two great races that flourished successively upon the American continent ages prior to its discovery by Columbus. Their combined histories, written by a succession of authors-prophets and kings-cover a period extending from the time of the Tower of Babel down to about the beginning of the fifth century of the Christian era. The records of these authors comprise fifteen books, named in their order as follows: 1. Nephi, 11. Nephi, Book of Jacob, Book of Enos, Book of Jaron, Book of Omni, The Words of Mormon, Book of Mosiah, including the Record of Zeniff, Book of Alma, Book of Helaman, I11. Nephi. Iv. Nephi, Book of Mormon, Book of Ether, and the Book of Moroni.
The first of the ancient races referred to, whose histories are briefly given in these records, were the Jaredites, who, in the disper- sion following the confusion of tongues, came across the great deep and peopled what is now North America. Their leaders were Jared and his brother, Mahonri Moriancumr, from the former of whom the nation derived its name. Their greatest national character, however, was this "brother of Jared,"-otherwise nameless in the record, *- under whose inspired leadership the colony left the land of Shinar, and crossing one of the great oceans in ships or "barges" of their own building, landed on these northern shores, made glorious during
* Joseph Smith supplied the proper name, Mahonri Moriancumr.
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the lapse of centuries by their power, wisdom, wealth and civiliza- tion.
The Jaredite leaders were democratic in their instincts, abhorring the idea of kings and monarchies, which they had been taught to believe could not long flourish upon this goodly land,-a land destined to be " free from bondage." But their people, like the Israelites of a later period in the far-off land of Canaan, desired a king, and besought them ere they died to anoint one of their sons to rule over them. The thought was repugnant to the great and good founders of the nation, who foresaw the inevitable result,-the captivity, perchance the destruction of their people. However, they yielded reluctant assent, and one of the sons of Jared-Orihah-his three brothers and all the sons of the brother of Jared having declined the proffered purple, was anointed king.
A short period of prosperity followed, for the people served God and were righteous. Then came wealth, class divisions, pride, tyranny, with their usual concomitants,-luxury, licentiousness and crime. The worship of God was neglected, then abandoned. Self- interest dethroned patriotism, and passion usurped the place of principle. Civil wars broke out, dismembering and dividing the nation. From civilization and refinement the race sank into brutal- ity and savagery, until finally, over the precipice of destruction, of utter annihilation, swept the awful torrent of a mighty people's ruin.
The last of many prophets who taught and warned the Jaredites, seeking in vain to avert their coming doom, was Ether their historian, who, having witnessed the destruction of his people, hid up their records for discovery in after ages, and disappeared from view.
A few passages from the Book of Ether*, as abridged by Moroni the Nephite, are here presented :
And now I. Moroni, proceed to finish my record concerning the destruction of the people of whom I have been writing.
For behold, they rejected the words of Ether; for he truly told them of all things, from the beginning of man ; and that after the waters had receded from off the face of this
* Chapter xiii. 1-14.
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land. it became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lord ; wherefore the Lord would have that all men should serve him who dwell upon the face thereof;
And that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the Holy Sanctuary of the Lord.
Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land ;
And he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and' the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come ; after it should be destroyed, it should be built up again a holy city unto the Lord, wherefore it could not be a New Jerusalem, for it had been in a time of old, but it should be built up again, and become a holy city of the Lord ; and it should be built unto the house of Israel ;
And that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type ;
For as Joseph brought his father down into the land of Egypt, even so he died there ; wherefore the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem, that he might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph, that they should perish not, even as he was merciful unto the father of Joseph, that he should perish not ;
Wherefore the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this land ; and it shall be a land of their inheritance ; and they shall build up a holy city unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old; and they shall no more be confounded, until the end comes when the earth shall pass away.
And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth ; and they shall be like unto the old, save the old have passed away, and all things have become new.
And then cometh the New Jerusalem ; and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb ; and they are they who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph, who were of the house of Israel.
And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old; and the inhabitants thereof, blessed are they, for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father Abraham.
And when these things come, bringeth to pass the scripture which saith, There are they who were first, who shall be last; and there are they who were last, who shall be first.
And I was about to write more, but am forbidden; but great and marvelous were the prophecies of Ether, but they esteemed him as nought, and cast him out, and he hid himself in the cavity of a rock by day, and by night he went forth viewing the things which should come upon the people.
And as he dwelt in the cavity of a rock, he made the remainder of this record, viewing the destructions which came upon the people by night.
The sole survivor of the final slaughter, which took place near the hill Ramah, between the two great contending factions of the
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fratricidal Jaredites, was Coriantumr, their king. Having slain Shiz, the leader of the opposing host, in a duel upon the bloody field, where all save this twain had fallen, Coriantumr lived long enough to tell the sad story of his people's ruin to their successors upon this northern land. These, the people of Mulek, were a colony led out from Jerusalem under Mulek, son of Zedekiah, king of Judah, about the time of the beginning of the Babylonian captivity. They did not remain a distinct nation, but coalesced with the Nephites, the second of the two great races mentioned.
The Nephites, with whose history the Book of Mormon begins, -the discovery of Mulek's colony and the finding and translating of the Jaredite Book of Ether being incidents in their career,-were likewise from Judea. They were mostly the descendants of Lehi, who, divinely guided, departed with his family from Jerusalem about the year 600 B. C.,-eleven years before Mulek's colony emigrated,- while the Prophet Jeremiah was pouring his solemn warnings in the ears of king, princes, priests and people of the sin-laden and doomed city. Lehi was descended from Joseph, through Manasseh. His wife's name was Sariah. Their children, when leaving Jerusalem, were four sons,-Laman, Lemuel, Sam and Nephi,-and several daughters whose names are not given. Subsequently were born to them two more sons,-Jacob and Joseph. The other members of Lehi's colony were Ishmael and his family, who were of Ephraim,* and a servant named Zoram. The sons and daughters of Lehi and Ishmael intermarried.
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