THE ORIGIN OF THE BOOK OF MORMON.

The first edition of the Book of Mormon was made up mainly from a manuscript written by Rev. Solomon Spaulding, entitled "A Historical Romance." It gave a romantic account of the Cave Dwellers, and of the Mound Builders, and the wandering tribes that occupied the vast wild regions of America, who were thought by many to be the lost tribes of Israelites. And being a scholar in the languages, he gave Hebrew names to most of the races referred to. But he used the Greek word "Mormon" to designate that class of Indians who go out to war with horrid head-dresses, to frighten their enemies.

Mrs. Spaulding said, under oath, "That much of the history given in the first edition of the Book of Mormon was found in her husband's Historical Romance. His brother John Spaulding testifies the same, and Martha, John Spaulding's wife said "that the historical part of the Book of Mormon, she was sure, was the same as what she read and heard read so often from the manuscript of her brother-in-law." The following and many others testify, under oath, the same. Elder Lewis, William Thompson, Davis Dimock, Levi Lewis, Sophia Lewis and Alvah Hale.

While at Conneaut, Ohio, Rev. Solomon Spaulding is said to have opened a mound, and found skeletons, pottery and metals; and this, it is thought, inspired him to write the "Historical Romance." But he was a ready writer and left other manuscripts, as his poverty prevented their publication. One was taken to the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) but was brought back by President J. Fairchild, and is now in the college library at Oberlin, Ohio. But the subject was altogether different from the Historical Romance. It appears that Spaulding took the latter to Pittsburg to the office of Patterson & Lambdin and requested them to print it. But having no money for the expense, it was "pigeon-holed" until 1816, when the Rev. S. Spaulding died.

Sidney Rigdon was a printer, employed in the office at Pittsburg while the manuscript was there. He evidently thought well of the "Historical Romance," and believed it would pay to print it. After a time he left the office, and began to labor as a Campbellite preacher. After Spaulding's death he returned to the printing office and inquired for his manuscript. It was found; then he requested possession of it. But Patterson & Co. said it was not theirs: they kept it simply for the owners. And Rigdon said: "S. Spaulding is dead, and I will be responsible to his heirs," and so he took it.

Sidney Rigdon is not to be judged too severely. There is no probability that he designed to introduce a new religion: the "Historical Romance" was simply historical. So he designed to create a sensation by printing it, and to make money by selling it. And no doubt he excused himself for taking it by the thought "If I don't use the manuscript in this way, it will never be anything but waste paper."

As there must be, as he thought, something mysterious about the book to excite the public and make it sell (Ap. No. 1), Rigdon unwisely called in the aid of Joseph Smith, jr., who was a fortune-teller and conjuror, who could find lost things by looking into a peek stone which he carried about in his pocket, and he used a divining 'rod' to show him where to dig for money in the hills. So, he agreed to become a partner with Rigdon in publishing the Book, by pretending to read it off from metallic plates with his peek stone.

Sidney Rigdon prepared it for printing by re-writing some small portions in several places. And being an earnest preacher, he added some pages of religious doctrine and practice. But, under what title should they send this volume out into the world? Having looked over all the names found in it, they chose the sonorous Greek word, "Mormon," having no knowledge of its meaning: A horrid image made to frighten children.

So Joseph Smith, Jr., took the manuscript and went with his wife, Emma, to Harmony, Pa., where his father-in-law, Isaac Hale, resided. And having engaged the school teacher to write for him during his vacation, Smith sat in a corner behind a curtain, and pretended to read from metallic plates with the peek stone, and the teacher wrote as he called it off, word for word. In this way the handwriting of Spaulding and the corrections of Rigdon disappeared, and the Book of Mormon was ready for the printer. But the teacher testified that at one time he heard paper rattle, and he looked in and saw Smith's belle-crowned hat between his knees with paper in it, and he was reading it off for him to write down. Isaac Hale thought it was all a farce, got up for evil purposes by falsehood and lying. He never became a Mormon.

The Smith family, especially the mother of Joe, was imbued with the Wingate superstition, and he was strongly inclined to the supernatural. Vide ( Ap. No. 2.) And from the way in which he was brought up he was easily disposed to assume almost miraculous powers.

"He began to tell fortunes and where lost things were. This he did for a money consideration. The temptation was very strong to assume the miraculous, and inspiration. Why should he not be a Prophet and I have the honor and the reward: -- So he said that he was inspired to find the metallic plates, and also how to use (read) them.

Moreover, S. Spaulding having written his manuscript to some extent in the earlier English, which is sometimes called "Bible style," it opened the way for Smith to use expressions many times, such as, "And it came to pass," "Verily, verily, I say unto you," and "Lo! and behold," and many others.

When questioned by those who read the book, "Where did you find the plates from which you wrote this?" he took them to the hill where he had dug for money and declared that he found them there. But no metallic plates were there, and none were ever seen until Smith prepared and sent some at the request of the editor of one of the great daily papers of New York city. The editor, after a careful examination, reported "that the plates were of a yellow substance, mostly brass; and that there were scratches on them, but no letters, nor words, nor language." And this was what Smith named later, "The Golden Bible."

But the first edition is called, The Book of Mormon, and not the Mormon Bible. And if they had known the meaning of "Mormon," they never would have used that word on the title page. But having begun at first with it, they could not get rid of it. Smith having gained a dozen proselytes or so at Palmyra, N. Y., proposed that they should adopt the settlement plan of living in one community. Two well-to-do men among them concluded to consult Sidney Rigdon, who was preaching at that time in Ohio. So they set out, and Smith went with them.

In the evening after their arrival as they were eating supper, Joe Smith spoke of the miraculous finding of the plates, and the new revelation which they contained. Sidney Rigdon answered, "You are an infamous liar!" But Smith waived the matter, and got his disciples off to bed. Then he and Rigdon sat up and discussed things all night, and in the morning the subject was settled between them, and Smith had his own way. It would seem that financial reasons led Rigdon to yield a silent consent. And from this dirty hole of falsehood and lying, Smith took out his Golden Bible and assumed for himself the high office of a Prophet of God.