The Book of Mormon contains five hundred and eighty-eight duodecimo
pages, consisting of fifteen different books, purporting to be written
at different times, and by different authors, whose names they
respectively bear. The period of time covered by these spurious records
is about a thousand years, commencing with the time of Zedekiah, and
terminating with the year of our Lord 420. It professes to trace the
history of the American aborigines, from the time of their leaving
Jerusalem in the reign of Zedekiah, under one Lehi, down to their final
disaster near the hill Camorah, in the state of New York, in which
contest, according to "the prophet Moroni," about 230,000 were slain in
a single battle, and he alone escaped to tell the tale. These records,
with which various prophecies and sermons are intermingled, are declared
by Smith to have been written on golden plates, in "the reformed
Egyptian character," and discovered to him by an angel in the year 1823.
An English edition of the Book of Mormon, _revised and corrected_, has
been published at Manchester, for the benefit of British "Saints."
PAGE 4. "a large portion of whom are natives of Christian and
enlightened England."
I am permitted by a clergyman of the diocese of Chester to give the
following extracts from a letter, addressed by him to me, February 4th,
1842.
"For your very kind and satisfactory information as to that
arch-impostor, Joe Smith, I most cordially thank you. Mormonism is a
heresy of a very dangerous and disgraceful tendency; and I am sorry
to add, it has produced effects already in some parishes in England
which, in this enlightened age, one could scarcely imagine possible.
They first of all laid their blasphemous scheme at Preston, in
Lancashire, after taking out a licence at the quarter sessions. This
occurred about the year 1836 or 37; and they soon numbered in that
locality nearly 500 converts. In 1838, they extended their
iniquitous operations to various villages on each side of the
Ribble. At Ribchester, the famous Roman station of Ribcunium, they
seduced many; and the same results followed in other places nearer
Clitheroe. Since that time, itinerant preachers among the Methodists
and Calvinists have joined the unholy compact; and even farmers,
labourers, mechanics, and others,--in short, whoever among them
could supply the _needful_,--have been persuaded to sell their
property, and emigrate to Nauvoo. In 1838, every Mormon in one
village, and in other villages probably the same, received a
certificate, or passport, of which the following is a copy:
"We do hereby certify that A. B., the bearer of this, is a regular
member, and in good standing and fellowship, in the Church of the
Latter-day Saints in Waddington, and is a worthy member of the same;
and as a token also of our love and good will, we give unto him this
letter of commendation to the esteem and fellowship of the Saints,
in any land or country to which he may be pleased to remove.
"_March 29,
1838._
"H. C. KIMBALL,
"ORSON HYDE,
"Presiding Elders of said Church.
"This will be called for."
Three hundred of these certificates were printed at Clitheroe, by which
speculation about L15 were realized.
The way in which a Mormon prophecy is given to produce effect on the
converts, is artfully designing. A young man, for instance, is immersed.
After his immersion, the elders write a letter, unknown to the proselyte
himself. As long as he remains faithful, all is right; the letter
remains carefully sealed, and is kept by third parties. If he leaves
them, a meeting of all the Mormons in the neighbourhood takes place, the
letter is brought out with solemn pomp, the seal is broken, and the
contents are read publicly. The following will serve for an example of
these prophetic letters:
"Liverpool, _April 13, 1838_.
"DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN PRESTON,--It seemeth good unto us, and
also unto the Holy Ghost, to write to you a few words, which cause
pain in our hearts, and will also pain you when they are fulfilled
before you; yet you shall have joy in the end. Brother Webster will
not abide in the Spirit of the Lord, but will reject the truth, and
become the enemy of the people of God, and expose the mysteries
which have been committed to him, that a righteous judgment may be
executed upon him, unless he speedily repent. When this sorrowful
prediction shall be fulfilled, this letter shall be read to the
church, and it shall prove a solemn warning to all to beware.
"Farewell in the Lord,
"ORSON HYDE,
"H. C. KIMBALL."
In England, the preachers of Mormonism generally begin by insinuating
among the astonished natives of rural villages, or the weak and wavering
classes in larger towns, that our Bible has suffered by translation, and
that it is deficient and incomplete in many particulars. They next
declare that the Book of Mormon and the revelations bestowed on Smith
and Rigdon are additional favours from the Deity, designed to explain
the obscurities and supply the deficiencies of our Scriptures. It never
enters into the minds of their dupes to inquire as to the _credentials_
of these preachers. They are the eye-witnesses of no miracle: they see
no dead raised to life, no dumb qualified to speak, no blind enabled to
see.
One night the Mormon elder commences by observing to his congregation
that he does not know what to say, but that he will say whatever the
Lord shall put into his mouth. On another night, he gravely announces
his intention to read a portion of the old Scriptures for edification;
invariably, however, taking care not to confine himself to any
particular subject, but to have as extensive a field as possible, in
order to weave in from time to time such portions of the "Book of
Mormon" as he knows to be best adapted to effect his object. The
American edition of this book had no index to guide its readers to any
particular passage or doctrine; it was not generally circulated in
England, even among the converts; and hence very few were able to know
precisely when the preacher's words were _Mormonic_, and when they were
not. This peculiarity was remarked upon at the time, and in an English
edition, printed at Manchester, an index was inserted.
For the continuance of the fraudulent scheme, they proceed to enact a
mock ordination, choosing out of the whole body of converts certain
individuals who are deemed most trustworthy. These assume their
blasphemous calling on the pretended sanction of the Deity, immerse
converts after dark, _confirm_ the parties next day, and administer, in
the course of two or three days at the farthest, a mock sacrament, to
individuals who in the bewildered state of their minds scarcely know
their right hand from their left.
It is under the very convenient cloak of night, however, that Mormonism
in England performs most of its operations. It is then in the zenith of
its glory, converting ignorance into the tool of delusion, chaining it
fast by iniquitous discipline, order, and system, and trying with all
its energy to make the worse appear the better cause. In such beguiling
hours, the secret "Church Meeting" is held, to the exclusion of every
individual except the initiated. High and mighty is the business
transacted on such occasions. It consists of exhortations to stand firm,
instructions given, explanations offered, visions and revelations
stated, gifts received for the "Bishop of Zion," confessions made,
threatenings held out, converts reprimanded, apostates excommunicated,
the successes of Mormonism described, and suggestions offered for
removing the difficulties in its way. Enquiries are made in reference to
other particulars: for example,--"What kind of people reside in this
neighbourhood? What places of worship do they frequent? What opinions
have you formed as to the natural bent of their respective dispositions?
Will they be disposed to join us, or will they exercise an influence
against us? Are they principally in the humble walks of life, or are
they of some knowledge and understanding?" If the answer to these and
other questions be apparently favourable, the necessary advice is given
to the first converts how they may prevail upon more. Suggestions are
thrown out how to persuade; and the next step is to urge in every
possible way the grievous sin of baptizing infants, and the absolute
necessity of _dipping_, as the very _sine qua non_, the only effectual
path to everlasting salvation.
It was the opinion of many of our clerical brethren in England, at
first, that the evil would upset itself. But system, order, and
discipline are powerful ingredients, even in a bad cause. Smith writes
to England as follows:--"The Nauvoo Legion embraces all our military
power." "The University of Nauvoo will enable us to teach our children
arts, sciences, and learned professions. The regents of the university
will supervise all matters of education, from common schools up to the
highest branches."