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John C. Bennett (1804-1867) History of the Saints (Boston: Leland & Whiting, 1842) pp. 005-132 | pp. 133-256 | pp. 257-341 |
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Bennett's first letter to Sangamo Journal | his first letter to Louisville Journal
(this web-document is still under construction)
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HISTORY OF THE MORMONS. 133 HISTORY OF THE MORMONS. Mr. Harris observes, --"An account of the origin of Smith, the discovery of the plates and their translation, will be found in another portion of this work; I shall therefore confine myself more particularly, in this chapter, to the history of the Mormon Church, with a view thereby more fully to illustrate its character. Its first organization, with only six members, was shortly after the publication of the Book of Mormon, in 1830. These first members, consisting mostly of persons who were engaged with Smith in the translation of the plates, forthwith set themselves with great zeal to building up the Church. Their first efforts were confined to Western New York and Pennsylvania, where they met with considerable success. After a number of converts had been made, Smith received a revelation, that he and all his followers should go to Kirtland, Ohio, and there take up their abode. Many obeyed this command, selling their possessions, and helping each other to settle on the spot designated. This place was the head-quarters of the Church and the residence of the Prophet until 1838; but it does not appear that they ever regarded it as a place of permanent settlement; for, in the Book of Covenants, it is said, in speaking of Kirtland, 'I consecrate this land unto them for a little season, until I the Lord provide for them to go hence.' "In the spring of 1831, Smith, Rigdon, and others were directed by revelation, (see Book of Covenants, page 193,) to go on a journey to Missouri, and there the Lord was to show them the place of the New Jerusalem. This journey was accordingly taken, and when they arrived, a revelation was received, (see B. C., p. 154) pointing out the town of Independence, Jackson county, as the central spot of the Land of Promise, where they were directed to build a temple, &c. Shortly after their return to Kirtland, a number of revelations were received, commanding the Saints throughout the country to purchase and settle in this Land of Promise. Accordingly, many went and began to build up Zion, as they called it. "In the mean time, Smith, Rigdon, &c., devoted their labors in Kirtland to building up themselves and the Church. "In 1831, a consecration law was established in the church by revelation. It was first published in the Book of Covenants, page 93, and in the Evening and Morning Star, 1st. ed, No. 3, Vol. I. It reads thus: 'If thou lovest me, thou shalt keep my commandments, and thou shalt consecrate all thy properties unto me with a covenant and deed which cannot be broken.' This law, however, has been republished, in the Book of Covenants, page 122, and in the republication, has been altered. As modified, it reads thus: 'If thou lovest me thou shalt serve me and keep all of my commandments, and, behold, thou shalt remember the poor, and consecrate of thy properties for their support that which thou hast to impart unto them with a covenant and deed, which cannot be broken.' Let me digress for one moment, and ask why this alteration. It does appear 134 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. to have been done by command of God, but purports to be the same revelation as was first published. This is demonstration that Smith makes and alters revelations, to suit his own purposes. "The details of this consecration law will be found in the Book of Covenants, page 159, and reads thus: 'Hearken unto me, saith the Lord your God, and I will speak unto my servant Edward Partridge, and give unto him directions; for it must needs be that he have directions how to organize the people; for it must needs be that they are organized according to my laws. If otherwise, they will be cut off; wherefore let my servant Edward Partridge, and those whom he has chosen, in whom I am well pleased, appoint unto this people their portion, every man equal according to their families, according to circumstances, and their wants and needs; and let my servant Edward Partridge, when he shall appoint a man his portion, give unto him a writing, that shall secure unto him his portion, that he shall hold it, even this right and this inheritance in the Church, until he transgresses and is not accounted worthy by the voice of the Church, to belong to the Church, according to the laws and covenants of the Church; and if he shall transgress and is not accounted worthy to belong in the Church, he shall not have power to claim that portion which he has consecrated unto the Bishop, for the poor and the needy of my Church, therefore he shall not retain the gift, but shall only have claim on that portion that is deeded unto him. -- And thus, all things shall be made sure according to the laws of the land.' "'And let that which belongs to this people, be appointed unto this people, and the money which is left unto this people, let there be an agent appointed unto this people, to take the money to provide food and raiment according to the wants of this people. And let every man deal honestly and be alike amongst this people, and receive alike, that he may be even as I have commanded you.' "'And let that which belongeth to this people not be taken and given unto that of another church; wherefore if another church would receive money of this Church, let them pay unto this Church according as they shall agree, and this shall be done through the Bishop or the agent, which shall be appointed by the voice of the Church.' "And again, 'Let the Bishop appoint a storehouse unto this Church, and let all things both in money and in meat, which is more than is needful for the want of this people, be kept in the hands of the Bishop. And let him also reserve unto himself for the wants of his family, as he shall be employed in doing this business.' Again, speaking of this law, 'Behold, this shall be an example unto my servant Edward Partridge, in other places, in all churches, and whoso is found a faithful, a just and a wise steward, shall enter into the joy of his Lord, and shall inherit eternal life. Verily I say unto you, I am Jesus Christ, who cometh quickly, in an hour you think not; even so, Amen.' "The penalty attached to a breach of this law will be found in the Book of Covenants, page 241, thus: 'Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his HISTORY OF THE MORMONS. 135 portion, according to the law of the gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall with the wicked lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment.' "These were the provisions of the consecration laws, which, so far as I am informed, are yet unrepealed. They have never, however, been put in full operation; because the people would not suffer it. The whole scheme was evidently designed for the benefit of Smith & Co., as will more fully appear by what follows. "In April, 1832, a firm was established by revelation, ostensibly for the benefit of the Church, consisting of the principal members in Kirtland and Independence. (See B. C., page 219 and 220.) The members of this firm were bound together by an oath and covenant to 'manage the affairs of the poor, and all things pertaining to the bishopric, both in Zion (Missouri) and in Shinahar (Kirtland). According to the consecration law, above quoted, the Bishop was to have charge of all consecrated property, also to have charge of the storehouse of the Church; consequently, as this firm superseded the Bishop, it had charge of all the consecrated property. In June, 1833, a revelation was received to lay off Kirtland in lots, and the proceeds of the sale were to go to this firm. (B. C. p. 234.) In 1834 or 5, the firm was divided by revelation, (B. C., 240,) so that those in Kirtland continued as one firm, and those in Missouri as another. In the same revelation, they are commanded to divide the consecrated property between the individuals of the firm, which each separately were to manage as stewards. Previous to this, in 1833, a revelation was received to build a temple, (B. C., p. 213,) which was to be done by the consecrated funds in the management of the firm. In putting up this structure, the firm involved itself in debt to a large amount; wherefore, in the revelation last mentioned above, the following appears: 'Inasmuch as ye are humble and faithful, and call on my name, behold I will give you the victory; I give unto you a promise that you shall be delivered this once out of your bondage, inasmuch as you obtain a chance to loan money by hundreds and thousands, even till you have obtained enough to deliver yourselves out of bondage.' This was a command to borrow money, in order to free themselves from the debt that oppressed them. They made the attempt, but failed to get sufficient to satisfy their purposes. This led to another expedient. "In 1835, Smith, Rigdon, and others formed a mercantile house, and purchased goods in Cleveland and in Buffalo, to a very large amount, on a credit of six months. In the fall, other houses were formed, and goods purchased in the eastern cities to a still greater amount. A great part of the goods of these houses went to pay the workmen on the Temple, and many were sold on credit, so that when the notes came due the house was not able to meet them. Smith, Rigdon, & Co., then attempted to borrow money, by issuing their notes payable at different periods after date. This expedient not being effectual, the idea of a Bank suggested itself. Accordingly, in 1837, the far-famed Kirtland Bank was put into operation, without charter. This institution, by which so many have been swindled, was formed after the following manner. Subscribers for 136 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. stock were allowed to pay the amount of their subscriptions in town lots, at five or six times their real value; others paid in personal property at a high valuation; and some paid the cash. When the notes were first issued, they were current in the vicinity, and Smith took advantage of their credit to pay off with them the debts he and the brethren had contracted in the neighborhood, for land, &c. The eastern creditors, however, refused to take them. This led to the expedient of exchanging them for the notes of other banks. Accordingly, the elders were sent off the country to barter Kirtland money, which they did with great zeal, and continued the operation until the notes were not worth twelve and a half cents to the dollar. As might have been expected, this institution after a few months, exploded, involving Smith and his brethren in inextricable difficulties. The consequence was, that he and most of the members of the Church set off, in the spring of 1838, for Far West, Mo., being pursued by their creditors, but to no effect. "I will now go back for a short period. In 1836, an endowment meeting, or solemn assembly, was called, to be held in the temple at Kirtland. It was given out that those who were in attendance at the meeting should receive an endowment, or blessing, similar to that experienced by the disciples of Christ on the day of Pentecost. When the day arrived, great numbers convened from the different churches in the country. They spent the day in fasting and prayer, and in washing and perfuming their bodies; they also washed their feet and anointed their heads with what they called holy oil, and pronounced blessings. In the evening, they met for the endowment. The fast was then broken, by eating light wheat bread, and drinking as much wine as they saw proper. Smith knew well how to infuse the spirit which they expected to receive; so he encouraged the brethren to drink freely, telling them that the wine was consecrated, and would not make them drunk. As may be supposed, they drank to the purpose. After this, they began to prophesy, pronouncing blessings upon their friends, and curses upon their enemies. If I should be so unhappy as to go to the regions of the damned, I never expect to hear language more awful, or more becoming the infernal pit, than was uttered that night. The curses were pronounced principally upon the clergy of the present day, and upon the Jackson county mobs in Missouri. After spending the night in alternate blessings and cursings, the meeting adjourned. "I now return to Missouri. The Mormons who had settled in and about Independence, having become very arrogant, claiming the land as their own, -- saying, the Lord had given it to them, -- and making the most haughty assumptions, so exasperated the old citizens, that a mob was raised in 1833, and expelled the whole Mormon body from the county. They fled to Clay county, where the citizens permitted them to live in quiet till 1836, when a mob spirit began to manifest itself, and the Mormons retired to a very thinly settled district of the country, where they began to make improvements. This district was, at the session of 1836-7 of the Missouri Legislature, erected into a county, by the name of Caldwell, with Far West for its county seat. Here the Mormons remained in HISTORY OF THE MORMONS. 137 quiet, until after the Bank explosion in Kirtland, in 1838, when Smith, Rigdon, &c. arrived. Shortly after this, the Danite Society was organized, -- the object of which, at first, was to drive the dissenters out of the county. The members of this society were bound together by an oath and covenant, with the penalty of death attached to a breach, to defend the Presidency, and each other, unto death, -- right or wrong. They had their secret signs, by which they knew each other, either by day or night; and were divided into bands of tens and fifties, with a captain over each band, and a general over the whole. After this body was formed, notice was given to several of the dissenters to leave the county, and they were threatened severely, in case of disobedience. The effect of this was, that many of the dissenters left; amongst these were David Whitmer, John Whitmer, Hiram Page, and Oliver Cowdery, all witnesses to the Book of Mormon; also Lyman Johnson, one of the Twelve Apostles. "The day after John Whitmer left his house in Far West, it was taken possession of by Sidney Rigdon. About this time, Rigdon preached his famous 'salt sermon.' The text was -- 'Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted; it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.' He informed the Mormons that the Church was the salt, that dissenters were the salt that had lost its savor, and that they were literally to be trodden under the foot of the Church, until their bowels should be gushed out. In order to give weight to this interpretation, he attempted to sustain position from the Bible! He referred to the case of Judas, informing the people that he did not fall headlong and his bowels gush out, without assistance, but that the apostles threw him, and with their feet trampled them out! He also said that Ananias and Sapphira, his wife, did not fall down dead, as translated; but that Peter and Jogn slew them, and the young men, or deacons, carried them out and buried them. "In one of the meetings of the Danite band, one of the leaders informed them that the time was not far distant, when the elders of the Church should go forth to the world with swords at their sides, and that they would soon have to go through the state of Missouri, and slay every man, woman, and child! They had it in contemplation at one time to prophesy a dreadful pestilence in Missouri, and then to poison the waters of the state, to bring it about, and thus to destroy the inhabitants. "In the early part of the fall of the year 1838, the last disturbance between the Mormons and the Missourians commenced. It had its origin at an election in Daviess county, where some of the Mormons had located. A citizen of Daviess, in a conversation with a Mormon, remarked that the Mormons all voted one way: this was with warmth denied; a violent contest ensued; when, at last, the Mormon called the Missourian a liar. Upon this the Missourian struck him. A row between the Mormons and Missourians followed. "A day or two after this, Smith, with a company of men from Far West, went into Daviess county, for the purpose, as they said, 138 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. to quell the mob; but when they arrived, there was no mob there. This excited the citizens of Daviess, and they gathered in turn. But the Mormons soon collected a force to the amount of three or four hundred, and compelled the citizens to retire. They fled, leaving the country deserted for a number of miles around. At this time they killed between one and two hundred hogs, a number of cattle, took at least forty or fifty stands of honey, and at the same time destroyed several fields of corn. The word was out, that the Lord had consecrated, through the Bishop, the spoils unto his host. All this was done when they had plenty of their own, and previous to the citizens in that section of the country taking aught of theirs. They continued these depredations for near a week, when the Clay county militia were ordered out. The history of what followed will be found in another chapter. Suffice it to say, here, that, Smith, Rigdon, and many others were finally taken, and, at a court of inquiry were remanded over for trial. Rigdon was afterwards discharged on habeas corpus, and Smith and his comrades, after being in prison several months, escaped from their guards, and reached Quincy, Illinois. The Mormons had been before ordered to leave the State, by direction of the Governor; and many had retired to Illinois previous to Smith’s arrival. "Of this Missouri war, as it has been called, a great deal has been said, and public opinion, at the time, generally censured the conduct of Missouri. That the Missourians carried the matter too far, and treated the Mormons with an unnecessary degree of cruelty, in many instances, there can be no doubt; but that there was great cause of aggravation, there can be just as little. The truth is, that while the Mormon body, as a church, interfere with the pecuniary and political acts of its members, assuming the sole direction of both, it will be impossible for them to live in peace in any community. The necessary consequence of their regarding the words of Smith, as the words of the Lord, is, that he can unite them whenever it may be necessary to effect his purposes. This, probably, would produce no jealousy, if his acts were confined to ecclesiastical government; but when they extend to controlling the political and pecuniary interests of his followers, it must inevitably produce distrust and emity. Such a community, thus united, hold the rights of the neighboring citizens in their own hands; and in every contest they must come off victors. They have a capacity for secrecy, which enables them to commit any act of depredation, without the fear of detection; and when a crime has been committed by one of them, they are so united to each other's interests, as to render it almost impossible, through a legal formula, to obtain a conviction. Is it any wonder, then, that a body thus controlled -- their interest confirmed within themselves, and inimical in its nature to that of the other citizens -- should excite jealousy? And when we consider the materials of which the Church is made, the amount of ignorance, bigotry, and arrogance, that is displayed by its members, is it at all surprising that an explosion should take place between them and those by whom they are surrounded? Now, even admitting that the Mormons were honest, yet, taking all things into consideration, HISTORY OF THE MORMONS. 139 the Missourians acted, in the commencement of the difficulties, as would almost any community in the country. I do not justify their mobs; on the contrary, I say that a mob is in no case justifiable; but I do say, as society is now constituted, mobs will arise, under certain circumstances, in any community. Let then, those who have regarded the Missourians as a set of unprincipled desperadoes, because of their conduct towards the Mormons, bethink them, that the same scenes, under the same circumstances, would, in all probability, have been enacted in their own neighborhoods. It was not the mere religion of the Mormons, that exasperated the Missourians; it was their arrogance, -- their united purpose to protect each other, and to infringe on the rights of other citizens, -- their thefts, and their concealments of each other's crimes. These were all, under the circumstances, injuries without legal remedies; and, although this does not justify a mob, yet there are few communities in this country, that would not, if placed in the same situation, have been exasperated to violence. "The Mormons, as a body, arrived in Illinois in the early part of the year 1839. At this time they presented a spectacle of destitution and wretchedness almost unexampled. This, together with with their tales of persecutions and privation, wrought powerfully upon the sympathies of the citizens, and caused them to be received with the greatest hospitality and kindness. After the arrival of Smith, the greater part of them settled at Commerce, situated upon the Mississippi River, at the head of the Des Moines, or Lower Rapids, -- a site equal in beauty to any on the river. Here they began to build their habitations, and in the short space of two years have raised quite a city. At first, as was before said, on account of their former sufferings, and also from the great political power which they possessed, they were treated by the citizens of Illinois with great respect; but subsequent events have served to turn the tide of feeling against them. In the winter of 1840, they applied to the Legislature of the State for several charters -- one for the city of Nauvoo, the name Smith had given to the town of Commerce, -- one for the Nauvoo Legion, a military body, -- one for manufacturing purposes, -- and one for a University. The privileges which they asked for were very extensive; and such was the desire to secure their political favor, that all were granted for the mere asking. Indeed, the great ones of our Legislature seemed to vie with each other in sycophancy to this set of fanatical strangers, -- so anxious was each party to do some act that would secure their gratitude. This, together with the syncophancy of office-seekers, tended to produce jealousy in the minds of the neighboring citizens, and fears were expressed, lest a body so united, both religiously and politically, would become dangerous to our free institutions. The Mormons had nearly all voted at every election with their leaders, and evidently under their direction; this alone made them formidable. The Legion had got under its direction a great portion of the arms of the state, and the whole body was placed under the strictest military discipline. These things, together with complaints similar to those which were made in Missouri, tended to arouse a strong feeling against them; when at last, in the early part of the summer of |
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140 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. 1841, a political move was made by them, and the citizens organized a party in opposition. The Mormons were beaten in the contest. The disposition now manifested by the citizens, appears to be, to act on the defensive, but to maintain their rights at all hazzards. If the Mormons consent to act as other citizens, they will not be molested on account of their religion; but freemen will not submit to be trampled on by an organized body of men, no matter by what name they are called, or whose standard they follow. "As regards the pecuniary transactions of the Mormons, since they have been in Illinois, -- Smith still uses his power for his own benefit. His present operations are to purchase land at a low rate, lay it off into town lots, and sell them at a high price to his followers. Thus lots that scarcely cost him a dollar, are frequently sold for a thousand. He has raised several towns in this manner, both in Iowa and in Illinois. "During the last year, he has made two proclamations to his followers abroad, to settle in the county of Hancock. These proclamations have been to a great extent obeyed, and hundreds are now flocking in, from the Eastern States, and from England. What is to be the result of all this, I am not able to tell; but one thing is certain, -- that, in a political point of view, the Mormons are already dangerous, and as a consequence, they will be watched with jealousy by their neighbors. Mormonism Portrayed, by William Harris, pp. 28-36, THE DESIGNS OF MORMONISM. Mr. Harris remarks, --"The designs of Smith and his coadjutors, at the time of the first publication of the Book of Mormon, was, doubtlessly, nothing more than pecuniary aggrandizement. I do not believe, at that time, they expected at that time that so many could ever be duped to admit it true. When, however, the delusion began to spread, the publishers saw the door opened not only for wealth, but also for extensive power; and their history throughout shows that they have not been remiss in their efforts to acquire both. The extent of their desires is now by no means limited, for their writings and actions show a design to pursue the same path, and attain the same end by the same means, as did Mahomet. The idea of a second Mahomet arising in the nineteenth century, may excite a smile; but when we consider the steps now taking by the Mormons to concentrate their numbers, and their ultimate design to unite themselves with the Indians, it will not be at all surprising, if scenes unheard of since the days of feudalism should soon be reenacted. "In the first place, Smith, by proclamations and by revelations, has called all his followers to settle immediately around him. The THE DESIGNS OF MORMONISM. 141 last revelation on this subject is published in the Times and Seasons, dated June 1, 1841, from which I extract the following: 'Awake! O! Kings of the Earth! Come ye, O! Come ye, with your gold and your silver, to the help of my people, to the house of the Daughter of Zion, * * * And again, verily I say unto you, let all my Saints come from afar; and send ye swift messengers, yea, chosen messengers, and say unto them, come ye with all your gold, and your silver, and your precious stones, and with your antiquites,' &c. They are further informed, in the course of this revelation, that after sufficient time has been allowed to build a baptismal font at Nauvoo, their baptisms for the dead shall not be acceptable in other places. The object of Smith, in all this, is evidently to collect all his followers into one place, and thus to concentrate all his power, and enable him the better to secure wealth. "These quotations and statements are introduced to show that they are concentrating all their energies at one point, and that they teach their proselytes that it is the will of God that they should thus concentrate themselves. In accordance with this, I wish to make a few remarks. First, it is a notorious fact that they (the Mormons) are gathering from every part of the world, and all their teachers are instructed, by revelation, to gather them together at Nauvoo. Secondly, they have obtained an act of the Legislature, organizing the 'Nauvoo Legion,' (which may be increased to an indefinite number,) have obtained arms of the government, and are at this time more than one thousand strong, and increasing continually. Now, I ask, why all this gathering, so different from every other denomination, unless they have designs against the rights and liberties of others? Why are they using their best exertions for, and actually raising up, a large, well-drilled, well-armed, standing army? There can be no religion in this, every one knows; and hence it follows that they are not only contemplating, but actually preparing for, the execution of some murderous design. But as an illustration of what they intend to do, I will make the following extracts from Rigdon's oration, delivered at Far West, July 4, 1838, and from their standard writings. "In his oration, Mr. Rigdon said, 'We take God and all the holy angels to witness this day, that we warn all men in the name of Jesus Christ, to come on us no more forever, * * * The man or the set of men, who attempts it, does it at the expense of their lives. And that mob that comes on us to disturb us, it shall be between us and them a war of extermination, for we will follow them, till the last drop of their blood is spilled, or else they will have to exterminate us. For we will carry the seat of war to their own houses, and their own families, and one party or the other shall be utterly destroyed. Remember it then all men. * * * No man shall be at liberty to come into our streets, to threaten us with mobs; for if he does, he shall atone for it before he leaves the place; neither shall he be at liberty, to villify and slander any of us, for suffer it we will not in this place. We therefore, take all men to record this day, * * * as did our fathers. And we pledge this day to one another, our fortunes, our lives, and our sacred honors, to be delivered from the persecutions which we have had to endure, for the last 142 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. nine years, or nearly that. Neither will we indulge any man, or set of men, in instituting vexatious law suits against us, to cheat us out of our just rights, if they attempt it we say wo be unto them. We this day then proclaim ourselves free, with a purpose and a determination, that never can be broken, -- No Never! NO NEVER!! NO NEVER"!!!' "What gives this testimony the more importance is this -- it was uttered some time previous to the disturbance in Missouri, in which they were driven away, and hence shows, conclusively, that Rigdon & Co. expected a disturbance, which could only have arisen from an intention to act in such a manner, that the Missourians would not bear with them. But, further: -- "Book of Covenants, page 191. 'Wherefore, I say unto you, that I have sent unto you mine everlasting Covenant, (namely, the Book of Mormon,) even that which was from the beginning, and that which I have promised I have so fulfilled, and the nations of the earth shall bow to it; and if not of themselves, they shall come down; for that which is now exalted of itself shall be laid low of power. Also, on page 76, 'Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may [hear]; prepare ye, prepare ye, for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh; and the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is [un]sheathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth; and the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the [voice of the Lord, neither the] voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people.' Also, on page 95, (perhaps it ought to be remarked here, that in all their revelations, and by all their declaimers, they represent themselves and Indians as the instruments by which these desolations are to be brought about,) 'Go ye forth, as your circumstances shall permit, in your several callings, unto the great and notable cities and villages, reproving the world in righteousness of all their unrighteous and ungodly deeds, setting forth clearly and understandingly, the desolation of abomination in the last days; for with you, saith the Lord Almighty, I will rend their kingdoms.' Also, page 117, 'Wherefore, I have called upon the weak things of the world, those who are unlearned and dispised, to thrash the nations by the power of my spirit; and their arm shall be my arm, and I will be their shield and their buckler, and I will gird up their loins, and they shall fight manfully for me; and their enemies shall be under their feet; and I will let fall the sword in their behalf; and by the fire of mine indignation will I preserve them.' "Voice of Warning, by Parley P. Pratt, one of the Twelve Apostles, page 186: 'The government of the United States has been engaged, for upwards of seven years, in gathering the remnant of Joseph, (the Indians) to the very place where they will finally build a New Jerusalem; a city of Zion, with the [acquisition] of the believing Gentiles, who will gather with them from all the nations of the earth; and this gathering is clearly predicted in the Book of Mormon, and other revelations, and the place before appointed, and the time set for its fulfillment; and except the Gentiles repent of all their abominations, and embrace the same Covenant, (namely, the THE DESIGNS OF MORMONISM. 143 Book of Mormon,) and come into the same place of gathering, they will soon be destroyed, from off the face of the land; as it is written by Isaiah, 'The nation and kingdom that will not serve thee, shall perish. Yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.' It is further stated in the same work, that the Indians shall be gathered, and that they, in connection with the Mormons, shall be among the Gentiles as 'a young lion among the flock of sheep, and none can deliver,' and that the Gentiles (all Anti-Mormons) shall be 'as a thing long since passed away, and the remembrance of it almost gone from the earth." "But, to cap the climax, read the following: 'All who will not hearken to the Book of Mormon, shall be cut off from among the people; and that too, in the day it comes forth to the Gentiles and is rejected by them.' And not only does this page set the time for the overthrow of our government, and all other Gentile governments on the AMERICAN CONTINENT, but the way and means of this utter destruction are clearly foretold; namely the remnant of Jacob (or Indians) will go through among the Gentiles and tear them in pieces like a lion among the flocks of sheep. Their hand shall be lifted up upon their adversaries, and all their enemies shall be cut off. This destruction includes an utter overthrow, and desolation of all our cities, forts and strong holds -- an entire annihilation of our race, except such as embrace the Covenant, and are numbered with Israel!!! 'And I will state, as a prophecy, that there will not be an unbelieving Gentile on the face of this continent fifty years hence; and if they are not greatly scourged and in a great measure overthrown within five or ten years from this date (1838,) then the Book of Mormon will have proved itself false.' This last quotation comes from Pratt's 'Mormonism Unvailed, or Truth Vindicated,' a work, by the way, so popular among them that it has already passed through several editions. Comment is unnecessary here; the fact stands proved, clearly and incontrovertibly proved, that they contemplate nothing less than the butchery! murder!! and entire annihilation!!! of all who will not subscribe to their ridiculous teachings. And what adds injury to insult is this -- that they raise a long and loud cry of 'PERSECUTION,' when people are only defending themselves against their unlawful aggressions. In conclusion, permit me to ask my countrymen whether they are prepared to allow these 'wolves in sheep's clothing' to impose upon them by false cry of peace, when it is evident that they have only 'religion on their tongues,' at the same time "holding a dagger in their hands, and murder in their hearts.'" Mormonism Portrayed, by William Harris, pp. 44-47. The Rev. L. Sunderland, in his Mormonism Exposed, in speaking on this subject, remarks, -- "MORMONS SAY THAT GOD HAS SENT DOWN FROM HEAVEN A CITY CALLED THE 'NEW JERUSALEM,' AND LOCATED IT IN THE WESTERN BOUNDARIES OF MISSOURI, WHERE HE REQUIRES ALL HIS FOLLOWERS TO GO, UNDER THE PAIN OF HIS WRATH. 144 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. "And, it is a fundamental principle with them, that if they cannot buy the land, they are to obtain it by the sword. "'America is a chosen land of the Lord, above every other land; it is the place of the New Jerusalem, which has come down from God out of heaven, upon the earth." -- Voice of Warning p. 179. "'This is the will of God concerning his saints, that they shall assemble themselves together unto the land of Zion. Behold the land of Zion, I the Lord holdeth it in my own hands; notwithstanding, I, the Lord, rendereth unto Caesar the things which are Cæsar's. Wherefore, I, the Lord, willeth that you shall purchase, the lands, that you may have advantage over the world, that you may have claim of the world, that they may not be stirred up unto anger; for Satan putteth it into their hearts to anger against yon, and to the shedding of blood. Wherefore the land of Zion shall not be obtained but by purchase, or by blood; otherwise there is none inheritance for you." -- Doc. and Cov. p. 143. "'A revelation of Jesus Christ unto his servant Joseph Smith, jr., and six elders, as they united their hearts and lifted up their voices on high, * * * for the gathering of his saints to stand on Mount Zion, which shall be the city of New Jerusalem; which shall be built, beginning at the Temple Lot, (In Independence,) appointed by the finger of the Lord, in the western boundaries of Missouri." -- Ib. p. 88. "'And that it was the place of the New Jerusalem which should come down out of heaven, and the Holy Sanctuary of the Lord." -- Book of Mormon, p. 566. "THE MORMON LEADERS HOLD THAT THEY, OR THEIR SECT, ARE JUSTLY ENTITLED TO THE TEMPORAL AND SPIRITUAL DOMINION OF THESE UNITED STATES, AND THAT IF THEY CANNOT OTHERWISE OBTAIN THIS DOMINION THEY ARE TO GAIN IT BY THE SWORD. "Wherefore the land of Zion shall not be obtained, but by purchase or by blood." -- Doc. and Cov. p. 143. "It is added, in connection with the above, 'as ye are forbidden to shed blood.' But how the Mormons are forbidden to shed blood we shall see in the sequel. "For behold, verily I say unto you, the Lord willeth that the disciples and the children of men should open their hearts even to purchase this whole region of country, as soon as time will permit. Behold, here is wisdom, let them do this, lest they receive none inheritance, save it be the shedding of blood." -- Ib. p. 139. The following is designed to signify the UTTER DESTRUCTION of this nation, except it submits to Mormonism. By the Gentiles, he means the people of these United States. "'A remnant of the house of Jacob (as he calls our American Indians) shall be among the Gentiles; yea, in the midst of them, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if be go through, both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Their hand shall be lifted up upon their adversaries, and all their enemies shall be cut off. Yea, wo be unto the Gentiles, except they repent: for it shall come THE DESIGNS OF MORMONISM. 145 to pass in that day, saith the Father, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots, and I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down thy strong holds," &c. -- Voice of Warning p. 188. "'And the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, (the Mormons) neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, (Mormons) shall be CUT OFF from among the people -- for they have broken mine everlasting covenant." -- Doc. and Cov. p. 76. "'Everlasting covenant" broken! "'Therefore having so great witnesses, (Jo. Smith and Oliver Cowdery) by them shall the world be judged, even as many as shall hereafter come to a knowledge of this work -- but those who harden their hearts in unbelief and reject it shall turn to their own condemnation," &c. -- Ib. p. 78. "'Wo, I say again, unto that house, or that village, or city that rejecteth you, (Mormons) or your words, or your testimony of me."-- Ib. p. 93. "'Let the bishop go unto the city of New York, and also to the city of Albany, and also to the city of Boston, and warn the people of those cities with the sound of the gospel, with a loud voice, of the DESOLATION and UTTER ABOLISHMENT which awaits them if they do reject these things," (Mormonism.) -- Ib. p. 95. "'Verily I say unto you (Mormons,) that in time, ye shall have no king nor ruler, for I will be your king and watch over you; and you shall be a free people, and ye shall have no laws but my laws when I come." -- Ib. p. 119. "Assemble yourselves together to rejoice upon the land of Missouri, which is the land of your inheritance, which is now in the hand of your enemies." -- Ib. p. 194. "'Therefore, get ye straightway unto my land; break down the walls of mine enemies, throw down their tower, and scatter their watchmen, avenge me of mine enemies, that by and by I may come and possess the land." -- Ib. p. 238. "MORMONISM DEMANDS MONEY AS THE CONDITION OF DISCIPLESHIP, UNDER THE PENALTY OF ETERNAL DAMNATION. "'Whoso receiveth you, receiveth me, and the same will feed you, and clothe you, and give you MONEY -- and he who doeth not these things is not my disciple." Doc. and Cov. p. 93. "Here it will, be seen that giving money to the Mormon leaders, is a condition of discipleship, and all who are not Mormon disciples are doomed to hell! "ONE GRAND DESIGN OF MORMONISM IS, TO FILL THE POCKETS OF ITS ADVOCATES WITH MONEY. "'It must needs be that ye save all the money that ye can, and that ye gain all ye can in righteousness." Doc. and Cov. p. 191. "It is wisdom in me, that my servant Martin Harris should be an example unto the church,in laying his moneys before the bishop of the church. And also this is a law unto every man that cometh unto this land, to receive an inheritance; and he shall do with his moneys according as the law directs." Ib. p. 138. 146 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. "From the next extract, which is addressed to one Titus Billings, the grand object of Mormonism appears in full view: -- "'And let all the moneys which can be spared; it mattereth not unto me whether it be little or much, be sent up unto the land of Zion, unto those I have appointed to receive it." Ib. p. 143. "Here it is again. Money, money, money! "'And let all those (preachers) who have no families, who receive moneys, send it up unto the bishop of Zion, or unto the bishop in Ohio, that it may be consecrated for the bringing forth of the revelations, and the printing thereof, and establishing Zion." "No 'revelations' can be brought forth without money. The 'new Jerusalem' cannot come down from heaven without money. Here it is again: -- "'Behold, this is my will, obtaining moneys even as I have directed.' -- Ib. p. 143, 4. "'He that sendeth up treasures unto the land of Zion, shall receive an inheritance in this world. And his work shall follow him. And also a reward in the world to come." -- Ib. p. 144. "And we must believe that the foregoing language is from the mouth of the infinite God, under the penalty of eternal damnation! "Look, also, to the following, said to be the words of the Most High: -- "'I command that thou shalt not covet thine own property, but impart it freely to the printing of the Book of Mormon, which contains the truths of the word of God." -- Ib. p. 175. "'Impart a portion of thy property; yea, even part of thy lands, and all save the support of thy family." -- Ib. p. 176. "The next extract is not only important, as it plainly shows the true Mormon solicitude about money, but it reveals an important fact with regard to Oliver Cowdery, one of the eleven witnesses upon whose ipse dixit we are commanded to believe the Book of Mormon. "'Hearken unto me, saith the Lord your God, for my servant Oliver Cowdery's sake. It is not wisdom in me that he should be entrusted with the commandments and the moneys, which he shall carry up unto the land of Zion, except one go with him who is true and faithful. Wherefore, I, the Lord, willeth that my servant, John Whitmar, shall go with my servant, Oliver Cowdery.' -- Ib. p. 138. "Does the reader still doubt as to the grand design of Smith and his associates? Read the following: -- "'It is meet that my servant, Joseph Smith, jun., should have a house built in which to live and translate. And, again, it is meet that my servant, Sidney Rigdon, should live as seemeth him good, inasmuch as he keepeth my commandments.' -- Ib. p. 189. "And from the following it will be seen, that Joe Smith excuses himself from work, and has provided himself with 'WHATSOEVER he needeth.' And this regulation is not only to last while he lives, but he is to hold his office in the world to come! "'Provide for him food and raiment, and whatsoever he needeth.' -- Ib. p. 126. THE DESIGNS OF MORMONISM. 147 "'And in temporal labor thou (Smith) shalt not have strength, for this is not thy calling.' -- Ib. p. 112. "Verily, I say unto you (Joseph Smith, Jr.) the keys of the kingdom shall never be taken from you, while thou art in this world, neither in the world to come.' -- Ib. p. 114. "Nor is this all. A new 'revelation' has recently 'come forth' from this impostor, in which he not only makes provision for himself during life, but, also, for his family connections after him, forever!! This revelation is dated January 19, 1841, and has appeared in the papers of the day. It orders the building of a boarding-house. "'And now, I say unto you, as pertaining to my boarding-house, which I commanded you to build for the boarding of strangers; let it be built unto my name, and let my name be named upon it, and let my servant Joseph and his house have places therein from generation to generation. For this anointing have I put upon his head, that his blessing shall also be put upon the heads of his posterity after him, and as I said unto Abraham concerning the kindreds of the earth, even so I say unto my servant Joseph, in thee and in thy seed shall the kindreds of the earth be blessed. "'Therefore, let my servant Joseph, and his seed after him, have place in that house from generation to generation for ever and ever, saith the Lord, and let the name of that house he called the Nauvoo House." "MORMONS PROFESS TO ACT UNDER THE INFALLIBLE INSPIRATION OF GOD, AND TO HAVE POWER TO WORK MIRACLES. "'Without these gifts (prophecy, miracles, healing, and all other gifts) the saints cannot be perfected; the work of the ministry cannot proceed; the body of Christ cannot be edified.' -- Voice of Warning, pp. 118, 119 "'And as I said unto mine apostles, even so I say unto you; for ye are mine apostles -- therefore, as I said unto mine apostles, I say unto you again, that every soul who believeth on your word, and is baptized with water for the remission of sins, shall receive the Holy Ghost, and these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shallcast out devils -- heal the sick -- open the eyes of the blind -- unstop the ears of the deaf -- and if any man shall administer poison unto them it shall not hurt them.' -- Doc. and Cov. p. 92. "MORMONS ARE PLEDGED TO WORK MIRACLES WHEN REQUIRED TO DO SO. "'Require not miracles, except I shall command you, except casting out devils, healing the sick, and against poisonous serpents, and against deadly poisons; and these things ye shall not do except it be required of you, by them who desire it, that the scriptures might be fulfilled.' -- Doc. and Cov. p. 112. "MORMONS AFFIRM, THAT THEIR BOOKS WERE WRITTEN, AND THAT THE BOOK OF MORMON WAS TRANSLATED BY THE INSPIRATION OF GOD; AND THAT THEY ARE OF EQUAL AUTHORITY WITH THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. "The book called 'Doctrines and Covenants,' it seems, received 148 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. the approbation of the Mormon General Assembly, August 17, 1835. -- Twelve Mormons bear the following testimony to his divine authority: -- "'We, therefore, feel willing to bear testimony to all the world of mankind, * * * that the Lord hath borne record to our souls, through the Holy Ghost shed forth upon us, that these commandments were given by inspiration of God, and are profitable for all men, and are verily true.' -- Doc.and Cov. p. 256. "'They shall speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and what they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, shall be SCRIPTURE.' -- Ib. p. 148. "MORMONS PRETEND TO HAVE POWER TO GIVE THE HOLY GHOST TO THOSE ON WHOM THEY LAY THEIR HANDS FOR THIS PURPOSE. "'Behold, verily, verily, I say unto my servant, Sidney Rigdon, * * * I give unto thee a commandment, that thou shalt baptize with water, and they shall receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, EVEN as the Apostles of old.' -- Doc. and Cov. p. 116. "MORMONISM AUTHORIZES THEFT. "'Behold it is said in my laws, or forbidden to get in debt to thine enemies; but, behold, it is not said, at any time, that the Lord should not take when he please, and pay as seemeth him good: wherefore, as ye are agents, and ye are on the Lord's errand, and whatsoever ye do according to the will of the Lord is the Lord's business, and he hath sent you to provide for his Saints,' &c. -- Doc. and Cov. p. 147. "A Mormon has only to imagine himself an agent of God, and, according to the above precept, he may steal or commit any other crime, and fancy himself doing the will of God all the while. And these very things the Mormons have done." From the Louisville Journal of July 27, 1842. "==> General John C. Bennett, the author of the expositions of Joe Smith's character and conduct, passed through this city on Saturday. In consequence of some conversation we had with him, he has since sent the following letter. The astounding facts that it sets forth are certainly worthy of the earnest consideration of the civil authorities of Illinois."'Steamer Importer. July 23, A. D. 1842. "'To the Editors of the Louisville Journal: -- "'As I promised to lay before you some of the strong points of objection to "the gathering of the Saints." or the congregating of THE MORMONS at one point, or general head-quarters, I now proceed to redeem the pledge. "'1st. Nine hundred and ninety-nine thousandths of all the faithful of the Mormon Church regard Joe Smith as God's vice-gerent on earth, and obey him accordingly; and all the Danites of THE DESIGNS OF MORMONISM. 149 that Church (and by the bye, they compose no very inconsiderable proportion of their mighty hosts) are sworn to receive him as the supreme head of the Church, and to obey him as the supreme God. If, therefore, any State officer, in the administration of public justice, happens to give offence to His Holiness the Prophet, it becomes the will of God, as spoken by the mouth of his Prophet, that that functionary should DIE; and his followers, the faithful Saints, immediately set about the work of assassination, in obedience, as they suppose, to their Divine Master; and for which NOBLE DEED, they expect to receive an excellent and superior glory in the celestial kingdom!!! It does not require Argus eyes to see the incalculable mischief growing out of such a state of society; and an intelligent community must look on with awful forebodings and fearful anticipations, where such a state of things is suffered. Great God! only look at the horrible picture! The lives of thousands of human beings depending upon the whim or caprice of the most corrupt, heaven-daring, and black-hearted Impostor that ever disgraced the earth! The whole community are in the most imminent danger, from the common citizen to the highest public functionary, unless they chain their fate to the car of Mormon despotism. "'2d. Where a large community, like the Mormons, are under the absolute dictation of a vacillating and capricious tyrant, like Joe Smith, who acts under the influence of reason, but is wholly governed by impulses and selfish motives, political demagogues will become fawning sycophants, and the best interests of the country will be sacrificed in the ambitious views of an ancient or modern Prophet -- a Mahomet or a Smith! This state of things is fraught with the most fearful consequences -- the subversion of governments; the fall of kingdoms and empires; the destruction of nations by the shedding of rivers of human blood; and, where consequences of a less serious nature accrue, it destroys natural affection, hardens the heart against the better feelings of our nature, and produces a state of savage barbarity, which causes a civilized man to shudder, and from which he turns with loathing and disgust. "'3d. The standard of morality and Christian excellence with them is quite unstable. Joe Smith has but to speak the word, and it becomes the LAW which they delight to obey -- BECAUSE IT COMES FROM GOD!! Acts, therefore, which but yesterday were cinsidered the most immoral, wicked, and devilish, to-day are the most moral, righteous, and God-like, because God, who makes right, has so declared it by the mouth of his anointed Prophet! "'4th. Joe Smith designs to abolish all human laws, and establish a Theocracy, in which the word of God, as spoken by his (Joe's) mouth, shall be the only law; and he now orders that his followers shall only obey such human laws as they are compelled to do, and declares that the time is at hand when all human institutions shall be abrogated! Joe's will is to become the law of right, and his power is to execute it. "'5th. Under the new order of things, all the property of the Saints, with their wives and little ones, is to be consecrated to Joe, 150 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. to subserve his purposes and gratify his passions! These are only SOME of the reasons which I shall hereafter, when time permits, consider more in detail; and, in the mean time, I should like your opinion on a matter of so much importance to all of our fellow-citizens. "'With high consideration of respect and esteem, suffer me to subscribe myself -- Yours, respectfully, "'JOHN C. BENNETT,'"
From the New York Herald of August 30, 1842.
"Among other items we have the following news, which was written on the outside of a letter received on Saturday, at one of the public offices, from Chicago, Illinois. 'A battle has been fought between the Mormons and Anti-Mormons. The extra says, thirty or forty were killed or wounded. The Governor has gone with 200 men.' "In connection with this we have the following from the headquarters of Joe Smith, the prophet, and second Mahomet himself: -- CITY OF NAUVOO, Aug. 4th, 1842. GENERAL ORDER. "'The requisition from the Executive of Missouri, on the Executive of Illinois, for the person of Lieutenant General (at the instance of their accomplice, Dr. John C. Bennett,) for the attempted assassination of Ex-Gov. Boggs, makes it necessary that the most able and experienced officers should be in the field, for if the demand is persisted in, blood must be shed. "'By order of Lt. Gen. JOSEPH SMITH, "'HUGH MCFALL, "'Adjutant General. "'This will be conveyed to New York by John Slade, Esq., who is just leaving the city for the East to watch Dr. Bennett's movements.' "In connection with the above, we have also received the following letter from Gen. John C. Bennett, now in this city, inclosing one from the brother of Governor Boggs, of Missouri; we give them both. -- THE DESIGNS OF MORMONISM. 151 New York, Aug. 27th, 1842. "'General James Gordon Bennett, LL. D. -- "'Dear Sir:-- "'As you have recently been presented with the appointment of, and commissioned as Aid-de-camp to His Imperial Holiness, Joseph Smith, Emperor of the Mormon Empire, with the rank and title of Brigadier-General, I presume that the perusal of the enclosed letter from Dr. Joseph O. Boggs will not be uninteresting to you. I have replied to the communication, and stand in readiness to obey the mandate of Missouri, to testify in the premises. The Mormon pontiff shall tremble at the sight of gathering hosts, in the days of his captivity, like an aspen leaf in the wilderness. "'Savitque animus ignobile vulgus; Jamque faceset saga volant: furor arma ministrat.' "'The rude rabble are enraged now the fire-brands and stones are seen to fly about; their fury supplies them with arms.' "'But the Mormon Autocrat should remember the old adage -- "'Sape intereunt aliss meditantes necem.' "'Those who plot the destruction of others, very often fall themselves the victims.' "'Though his touch be as deadly as that of the Bohan Upas, I will tear the ermine of sanctity from the shoulders of His Pomtifical Holiness, and dim the glory of his mitred head. It may justly be said of him, as a shawn-bawn once said once said to a stranger in Ireland, in speaking of two persons of the name of Pierce and Damer, (comparing the Mormon Mahomet to Damer,) -- "Damer," said he, "was worser than Pierce, and Pierce was worser than Damer, and Damer himself was worser than the Devil." "'In the face of High Heaven he has perpetrated the blackest deeds of felony, and in the curling flames of hell shall he drink the dregs of the culprit's cup "'Nothing short of an excision of the cancer of Mormonism will effect a cure of that absorbing delusion, and the strong arm of military power must perform the operation at the edge of the sword, point of the bayonet, and mouth of the cannon. "'Yours Respectfully, "'JOHN C. BENNETT. "'Independence, August 4, 1842. "'Gen. J. C. Bennett: -- "'Sir -- I write in behalf of my brother, L. W. Boggs, to say that Governor Reynolds has demanded Joe Smith and O. P. Rockwell, from the Governor of Illinois. The old indictments against Smith and others, for murder, arson, burglary, &c. were dismissed by the prosecuting attorney two years ago. Affidavits were made by my brother against both, Rockwell as principal, and Joe Smith as accessory, before the fact. It is to be regretted that you left St. Louis before the messenger despatched to Ilinois reached there; you could doubtless have advised him of the best means of securing Smith and Rockwell 152 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. (under construction) THE DESIGNS OF MORMONISM. 153 (under construction) 154 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. (under construction) THE DESIGNS OF MORMONISM. 155 (under construction) 156 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. (under construction) THE DESIGNS OF MORMONISM. 157 city, and adjacent territories, not far from 30,000 of these warlike fanatics, this place having been settled by them only three years ago. "'An OFFICER IN THE U. S. ARTILLERY. {"'From the Sangamo (Illinois) Journal.} "'Since the attempt upon the life of Governor Boggs, it has been feared that some emisaries might visit Nauvoo, for the purpose of retaliating upon the Mormon Prophet: and for that reason, it was rumored, a guard is now provided for the city. The official notices of the establishment of this guard, are given in the "Wasp." which are here copied:"'Mayor General's Office, Nauvoo Legion, "'City of Nauvoo, Ill., May 20th, 1842. "'To the citizens of the City of Nauvoo: -- "'I have this day received an order from Gen. Joseph Smith, Mayor of said city, to detail a regular night watch for the city which I have executed by selecting, and placing on duty, the following named persons: to wit: D. B. Huntington, W. D. Huntington, L. N. Scovil, C. Allen, A. P. Rockwood, N. Rogers, S. Roundy, and J. Arnold, who will hereafter be obeyed and respected, as such, until further orders. "'John C. Bennett, Major General." "'Mayor's Office, City of Nauvoo, May 20th, A. D. 1842. "'To the City Watch: -- "'You are hereby directed to appear at my office, daily, at 6 o'clock, P. M., to receive orders; and at 6 o'clock A. M., to make reports; until regularly disbanded by the Mayor General of the Legion, by my order. Joseph Smith, Mayor." "'From these official notices, it would appear that the Mormons have a government entirely of their own, an army of their own, portions of which are detached on the requisition of the Mayor of Nauvoo, when he pleases to make a requisition upon the commanding officer for their services. This is, indeed, a curious state of things. A Christian sect in Illinois keeping up a military organization for their own particular purposes! What would be thought if the Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, or Episcopalians of this State had seperate military organizations, and that their respective legions of troops were in constant practice of military discipline? These Mormon troops are said now to amount to 2000 men, and that they are as well drilled as regular soldiers. "'The laws of incorporation under which the Mormons are now enjoying exclusive privileges, have given rise, latterly, to some public discussions. We have now before us a communication from Mount Vernon, Jefferson county, in this State, which possesses much interest. It appears from this communication, that the laws in question were passed by our late locofoco legislature (a legislature, by the bye, which professed an utter aversion to monopolies in the shape 158 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. of incorporations,) for political purposes; that they were passed to secure the Mormon vote. There can now be no doubt of the fact, that the Proclamation issued by Lieutenant General Smith, to his people, requiring them to vote for Messrs. Snyder and Moore, was the result of the passage of these laws by the locofoco legislature. "'AN ORDINANCE IN RELATION TO RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES." "'Sec. 1. Be it ordained by the City Council of the city of Nauvoo, that the Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Latter-Day Saints, Quakers, Episcopalians, Universalists, Unitarians, Mohammedans, and all other religious sects, and denominations, whatever, shall have free toleration, and equal privileges, in this city, and should any person be guilty of ridiculing, abusing, or otherwise depreciating another, in consequence of his religion, or of disturbing, or interrupting, any religious meeting, within the limits of this city, he shall on conviction thereof before the Mayor, or Municipal Court be considered a disturber of the public peace, and fined in any sum not exceeding five hundred dollars, or imprisoned not exceeding six months, or both, at the discretion of said Mayor, or Court."'Sec. 3. This ordinance to take effect and be in force, from and after its passage. Passed, March 1, A. D. 1841 John C. Bennett, Mayor. James Sloan, Recorder." "'PUBLIC MEETING." "'According to previous notice, a very large and respectible meeting of the citizens of the city of Nauvoo convened at the Temple ground, on Thursday, the 26th day of May, at one o'clock, P. M."'The meeting was called to order by General Bennett, on whose motion the assembly was duly organized by the appointment of General Joseph Smith, Chairman, and Colnel James Sloan, Secretary. "'The object of the meeting was then stated, in a speech of considerable length, by General Smith, distinctly avowing his intention not to cooperate or vote with either the whig or democratic parties, as suc, "'The meeting then unanimously disapproved of the remarks of the Quincy Whig, in relation to the participation of Gen. Smith, in the violent death of Gov. Boggs ot Missouri, and unanimously concurring in the opinion that Gen. Smith had never made such a prediction. "'General Bennett, at the solicitation of the Chairman, then spoke at length on State and general policies, and nominated Sidney Rigdon and Orson Pratt, for representatives for the county of Hancock, at the approaching August election, which nominations were unanimously concurred in by the assembly. "'George Miller then made a speech, recommending the selection of a full ticket, which was concurred in; and George Miller put in nomination for the State Senate, from Hancock; Hiram Kimball, for County Commissioner; and William Backenstos, for Sheriff. THE DESIGNS OF MORMONISM. 159 A committee was then appointed to take the names of the legal voters in the Nauvoo precinct, and report to the next general meeting of the people, on two weeks from this day, at the same time and place. "'The meeting then adjourned for two weeks. Joseph Smith, Chairman. James Sloan, Secretary." The Sangamo Journal of July 8, 1842, in commenting upon the above article says, -- "The people of this State are well aware of the fact, that the Mormon College at Nauvoo have conferred on J. Gordon Bennett, the editor of the New York Herald, the degree of Doctor of Laws. The same paper has been selected by Joe Smith as his organ in New York city; and the City Council of Nauvoo, by resolutions, have recommended the Herald to the patronage of the Mormon Church throughout the country. These facts, with the additional one that Joe Smith, by some of his followers, carries on a CONFIDENTIAL CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD, stamp with authority the statements of that paper in relation to the policy and designs of Joe Smith." Yes, the New York Herald is the Mormon official organ in the eastern metropolis, and its ALIEN editor, the premonstration of the Prophet himself. This, together with his failing to obtain the printing of this Expose, as contemplated, will account for the gratitous vituperative editorial attacks of that "Napoleon" Editor on the author of this work. He is likely to be the CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER in the Cabinet of the Mormon Autocratic Emperor of the "WESTERN EMPIRE," and perhaps the DAUPHIN to the regal crown! Else why so opposed to every thing American? The Herald Editor is a MORMO-CATHOLIC, and sustains those two creeds against the Protestant Christian world. That able man could employ his fine editorial talents to much better advantage in the advocacy of unsophisticated truth. Remainder of p. 159 through p. 173 not yet transcribed. |
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CHARTERS, ORDINANCES, ETC., ETC. 213 of May and September, and the 4th day of July, (the 3d when the 4th comes on Sunday,) in, or near the City of Nauvoo; a battalion parade on the 3d Saturday of June, and October, in their respective precincts; a company parade on the 4th Saturday of April, June, and August, in their respective precincts; and an officer drill on the Thursday and Friday preceding each general parade, in the City of Nauvoo; & such other musters or parades as the Lieutenant General, and the Major General, may jointly direct; in each year: and any non-commissioned officer, musician, or private, who shall neglect or refuse to appear on said days, shall be fined in the sum of one dollar for each company, or battalion parade, and two dollars for each general parade -- and the commissioned officers neglecting or refusing to appear in their appropriate places on parade shall be fined in the following sums, to wit: the Lieutenant General, and the Major General -- thirty dollars; Brevet Major Generals, and Brigadier Generals -- twenty five dollars; Colonels -- fifteen dollars; Lieutenant Colonels, and Majors -- ten dollars; Captains -- six dollars; Lieutenants -- four dollars; and every commissioned officer, non-commissioned officer, musician, or private, who shall neglect or refuse to uniform himself in full, after the lapse of eight months from the passage of this act, shall be fined in the same sums, in addition, for each day of parade -- every commissioned officer, non-commissioned officer, or musician, who shall neglect or refuse to attend officer drills, shall be fined in half the sums aforesaid -- and any commissioned officer who shall neglect or refuse to attend their appropriate courts martial shall be fined in one half the sums aforesaid -- and any commissioned officer neglecting, or refusing, to discharge any duty devolving upon him shall, in addition, be cashired and disgraced, by a general court martial, detailed by the Major General by order of the Lieutenant General: Provided, always, That all members of this corporation, who are unable to attend parades on account of sickness in their families, or any other reasonable excuse, satisfactory to the court martial, shall, for the time being, be exempt from all such fines. "Sec. 4. That no person whatever, residing within the limits of the City of Nauvoo, of fifteen days' residence, between the ages of 18 and 45 years, excepting such as are exempted by the laws of the United States, shall be exempt from military duty, unless exempted by a special act of the Court Marital of the Legion; or a certificate of inability, under oath, signed by the Lieutenant General, countersigned by the Surgeon General, and recorded by the Major General's War Secretary. "Sec. 5. Each regimental court of assessment of fines shall be composed of the Colonel as President the Adjutant as Secretary -- and the Lieutenant Colonel and Major as members, -- the court of assessment shall sit on the Saturday succeeding each general parade, and the court of appeals on the second Saturday thereafter, at such places as the Colonel may direct. "Sec. 6. The regular court and law days of the court martial of the Legion, constituting the law making department of the corporation, 214 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. shall be the 1st Friday of March, June, September, and December, and such other days as may be appointed by the joint general orders of the Lieutenant General, and the Major General, within the City of Nauvoo, on a notice of ten days. "Sec. 7. The Staff of the Lieutenant General shall consist of an Inspector General with the rank of Major General, a Drill officer, a Judge Advocate, and four Aids-de-Camp, with the rank of Colonels; and a guard of twelve Aids-de-Camp, and a Herald and Armor Bearer, with the rank of Captain. "Sec. 8. The staff of the Major General shall consist of an Adjutant General, a Surgeon General, a Cornet, a Quarter Master General, a Commissary General, a Pay Master General, a Chaplain, two Assistant Inspectors General, four Aids-de Camp, and a War Secretary, with the rank of Colonel; a Quarter Master Sergeant, Sergeant Major, and Chief Musician, with the rank of Major: and four Musicians, and a Herald and Armor Bearer, with the rank of Captain. "Sec. 9. The staff of each Brigadier General shall consist of two Aids de Camp, an Assistant Quarter Master General, an Assistant Commissary General, and a Surgeon, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel; six Assistant Chaplains, with the rank of Major; and a Herald and Armor Bearer, with the rank of Captain. "Sec. 10. The staff of each Colonel shall consist of an Adjutant, a Quarter Master Sergeant, and a Sergeant Major, with the rank of Captain. "Sec. 11. Each Regiment shall be officered with a Captain, with a Colonel, a Lieutenant Colonel, a Major, and company officers. "Sec. 12. Each Company shall be officered with a Captain, three Lieutenants, five Sergeants, one Pioneer, and four Corporals. "Sec. 13. The Lieutenant General, and the Major General, may by their joint act, grant brevet commissions to such persons as may merit appointment and promotion at their hands. "Sec. 14. That all laws, and parts of laws, inconsistent with this ordinance, be and they hereby are repealed. Passed -- March 12th, 1842. "JOSEPH SMITH, Lieutenant General, and President of the Court Martial. "JOHN C. BENNETT, "Major General, and Secretary of the Court Martial." Times and Seasons, Vol. III, No. 10, pp. 733, 734. THE CALL. The Sangamo Journal, of July 1, 1842, says that the recent acts of the Prophet and the position of the Mormons have attracted:"...public attention to the movements of Joe Smith, -- THE CALL. 215 to the tyranny exercised by him over his followers, -- to the moral principles by which he is governed; and it is not likely that he will much longer deceive the mass of the people, however much he may deceive those who have surrendered all their interests -- spiritual and temporal -- into his hand. "There are individuals in his flock, possessed of talents and disposition to use them for the benefit of their sect and country. Among these individuals we reckon General Bennett, Sidney Rigdon, Esq., Mr. George Robinson, and others. But the Prophet will scarecely permit them to think or act except in entire subservience to his wishes. It is now understood, that, within a few days past, Smith has made a desperate, blackguard, and abusive public attack on Gen. Bennett, Mr. Rigdon, and Mr. Robinson -- and reports, and we place great reliance upon them, go so far as to say that the life of the former has been threatened, and that orders have been issued to the Danite Band to murder him in a clandestine manner on the first opportunity. Indeed, the report goes farther, and states that two of the Danites have been in hot pursuit of Gen. Bennett for several days, in order to accomplish the neferious purpose, and thus prevent a public exposition of the corruptions of the great Impostor. "We call upon the people of our State to have an eye upon this matter -- and, if either of the individuals mentioned should be missing, that there shall be no hesitation in placing the responsibility of the act upon its proper authors, and in making them feel in their own persons that murder shall be avenged. "We take no pleasure in placing these remarks upon paper. If a secret band of assassins shall prowl about among this community, who is safe? The fate of Gov. Boggs is an event not to be unheeded. But we should be unworthy of our position should we fail to meet this matter as it deserves. -- And we now call upon General Bennett, if the rumors we have stated have just foundation, to "take his life into his hands," if that be required, and with the true spirit of a soldier and a patriot, expose the crimes, if such exist, of the heaven-daring impostor. -- We call upon Gen. Bennett to come out NOW. We appeal to him to do this in behalf of his fellow-citizens, who claim this of him, by all the considerations which can be presented to him as a lover of his species and as the servant of his God. Such an exposure may save life -- may expose corruption -- may avert consequences which no man can contemplate without fearful apprehensions. We call upon Gen. Bennett to produce documentary evidence, that the public may form opinions that cannot be gainsayed -- that they may understand the entire character, as it stands naked before his God, of a long successful religious Impostor. "Among the subjects which we call upon Gen. Bennett, Messrs. S. Rigdon, G. W. Robinson, and others, to notice, are the rumors that Joe Smith, some short time before he applied for the benefits of the Bankrupt Law, was in possession of most valuable property -- a part of which he made over to himself as sole trustee for the use of the Mormon Church, and another part for the use of his wife and children. The records of Hancock county will show if these things are so. And if these rumors are true, we call upon Mr. Robinson to come here with his proof -- and let it be placed before the U. S. Circuit Court at its first session. We trust that there will be no 216 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. hesitation in doing this -- that there will be no compromise -- no efforts to injure the innocent, and no pains spared to expose the guilty. "Such is the opinion we hold of Gen. Bennett, that we shall expect he will respond to the calls made in this article. It appears to us, under all the circumstances of the case, he will not refuse to do so. While he will be upon his guard against midnight assassination -- while he will regard with contempt the "bulls of excommunication" issued against him -- he will proceed to make developments that will astonish the world." To this Call I have responded, and this Expose contains the evidence that I have been enabled to procure. The public can now judge for themselves. I will simply say that my motives have been impugned, and my conduct animadverted upon, by these persons and presses only who are either in the pay of the Prophet, or profoundly ignorant of the nature of the Mormon difficulties. The leading public journals of the country have sustained me, and the cause of truth, morality, and true religion, against knavery, corruption, and religious fraud and imposture. The truth of the disclosures in this Expose does not at all depend upon my testimony, but upon a concatenation of circumstances and events, substantiated by depositions, affidavits and statements, of so irresistible a character, as to carry conviction to the mind of every intelligent, honest individual. The truth is as clear as the sun in the firmament of noonday -- whatever may be said to the contrary, by the Prophet and his myrmidons in the Holy City, or their powerful, but mistaken, ally -- the able "Napoleon" Editor of the Herald, in the eastern metropolis. The public press has always been, and always will be, divided into two grand parties -- the one contends for GOLDEN LORE, and sustains the cause of truth and virtue, -- the other contends for GOLDEN ORE, and pleads the cause of falsehood, coruption, and fraud,; the former embraces the grand mass of leading journals; the latter, the scurrilous, egotistical, puff-ball sheets, which so often infest the community, and prove a serious annoyance to the moral commonwealth. "Truth is mighty, and will prevail," and the God of all truth will sustain it at the winding-up scene. Though the earth be dissolved, and the heavens fall, the truth of the disclosures in this Expose will appear brighter and brighter, until the great day of final retribution. THE MORMON SERAGLIO. 217
THE MORMON SERAGLIO.
"To the Editors of the Louisville Journal" "Cleveland, Ohio, July 30, 1842. "I wrote you from Cincinnati, according to promise, and I presume you are in receipt of that hurried production, which, however, may not be wholly uninteresting. This letter will, of necessity, be short and hurried as the former, as all communications written upon the wing, must necessarily be. "In the New York Herald, of the 26th, inst., the editor says, 'This presents a strange and curious state of things for the centre of the nineteenth century; and the developments are the most remarkable we ever heard of. The initiatory proceedings at Joe's "Order Lodge" resemble those practices by Matthias at Pearson's house, only his members were females, and they danced round a stone, while Matthias anointed them. But perhaps, after all, Joe Smith has a secret lodge of women! We shall see,' Yes, Joe has a secret lodge of women! and the editor will see. Joe's female lodge (the Mormon inquisition, and seraglio) is the most singular thing of its age. The anointing, A LA JOE, is a caution to David Crocket. The investment, the oath, the ceremonies, the lectures and the GRANDE FINALE, are all done up in such a manner, as to place Matthias in the shade, and to cover Mahomet, the Oriental prophet, in the rubbish of things that were. The 'History of the Saints' will give a full account of the nondescript lodge of the Mormon ladies of pleasure and the fine arts, including all their Cloistered, Chambered, and Cyprian maids and maidens!! "The elections will terminate next Monday, and I hope that Missouri will then demand Joe, and secure him. I will be ready to make good the charges; and politicians will then see whether the Mormon disclosures were made for political effect. Time will develop facts, and show the truth, the undeniable truth, of all the charges against Smith, as clear as the sun in the firmament at noon-day. The Roman pontiff never exercised the domination over the minds and property of the Catholic church, as Joe, the chief of the Mormon hierarchy, does over his subjects -- the faithful; and the pontifical bull is harmless in comparison with the Mormon bull, (Joe's letter of marque and reprisal,) as the latter terminates not in spiritual excommunication and damnation from all Mormon gospel privileges from off the face of God's earth, but in murder, cold-blooded, Danite murder! Joe is now making a desparate struggle to save himself from merited disgrace and condign punishment, by the forgeries and perjuries of his Cyprian girls, cloistered and chambered 218 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. mistresses and the Danites. If you will take the trouble to examine all the evidence, you will find that forgery, perjury, theft, robbery, burglary, arson, treason, and murder, are very little things in the eyes of the Mormons, so long as the Holy Joe can, by a 'Thus saith the Lord,' pardon iniquity, transgression, and sin!! Joe's father, the devil, was a liar from the beginning, and the world believed him not; neither will they believe Joe, the son, the delectable modern Prophet of the Latter Day Sinners; nor the sworn Danites, the grand-children, though covered with all the habiliments of latter day glory. "Joe's words are lies, and the affidavits of his followers and friends, PATENT LIES. They swear as they are moved upon by Joe's holy ghost, and say the things that gold, or interest, or the Prophet's mandate, dictates!! "In haste, yours, respectfully, "JOHN C. BENNETT." The remainder of page 218 through page 225 are not yet transcribed. 226 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS.
AMOURS AND ATTEMPTED SEDUCTIONS, AND
AMOURS AND ATTEMPTED SEDUCTIONS. AMOURS AND ATTEMPTED SEDUCTIONS. 227 to convert the heathen, under a solemn promise that his family should be honorably provided for by the Church; but, as Mrs. Pratt was a beautiful and charming woman, Joe's real object was to CONVERT HER in another way -- from virtue, unsophisticated virtue, to vice, soul-damning vice, -- from the path of innocence and peace, to the polluted way of the libertine, -- from the pure teachings of heaven's high King, to the loathsome caresses of the beast and the false prophet; but the fowler's snare was broken, and the intended victim saved. Mrs. Pratt is a Highly educated lady, and had always been used to living well; but no sooner had her husband crossed the ocean, than Joe ordered the Bishops to restrict her in her allowance, and reduce her to a state of absolute want and suffering, in order to make her a more easy prey. The mandate was obeyed, and in the drear of winter, without fuel or food, she found herself in a miserable hovel, with her darling child, exposed to storm and tempest, and dependent upon the tender mercies of a cold and unfeeling fraternity to supply her actual wants!!! The sufferings and privations through which she passed are indescribable; the blackest fiends of hell would shudder at the thought of such inhuman treatment; but, alas! she drank the bitter cup, and sipped the dregs. A public contribution was then taken up for her, and pocketed by the Bishop; but the venerable prelate Vinson Knight, was willing to see her provided for on one condition, and that was, the sacrifice of virtue! But she spurned his proffered mercies, and doffed the mitre from his reverend brow. Joe Smith and Vinson Knight -- par fratrum nobile! Emma, the Electa Syria of the Church, and wife of the Holy Joe, the male Cassandra of the Mormon Hierarchy, (who was very envious of Mrs. Pratt's superior intellectual endowments,) advised her to hire out as a servant to some Mormon nabob; but that base attempt at human degradation of one in every way superior to herself, became abortive; and Mrs. Pratt turned from the delectable Emma, the Lady Abbess of the Seraglio or "Mother of the Maids," as Lord Byron calls it, with loathing and ineffable contempt. Mrs. Pratt, however, by the assistance of a few humane individuals, and her persevering industry, was enabled to support herself 228 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. and little boy, until the return of her husband from a two years' mission, which was greeted with acclamations of joy. The cup of sorrow was broken, and she rejoiced once more in the society of a protector, a husband, and a friend. But she had a dreadful tale to tell. Joe Smith told me, confidentially, during the absence of her husband, that he intended to make Mrs. Pratt one of his spiritual wives, one of the Cloistered Saints, for the Lord had given her to him as a special favor for his faithfulness and zeal; and, as I had influence with her, he desired me to assist him in the consummation of his hellish purposes; but I refused compliance, and told him that she had been much neglected and abused by the Church, in order to cloister her, so far without success, and that, if the Lord had given her to him, he must attend to it himself, for I should never offer her an indignity. "Well," said he, "I shall approach her, for there is no harm in it if she submits to be cloistered, and if her husband should never find it out; and if she should expose me, as she did Bishop Knight, I will blast her character; so there is no material risk for so desirable a person." I then called upon Mrs. Pratt, and apprized her of Joe's contemplated attack on her virtue, in the name of the Lord, and that she must prepare to repulse him, in so infamous an assault, by opposing revelation to revelation. She replied, "Joseph cannot be such a man; I cannot believe it until I know it for myself, or have it from his own lips; he cannot be so corrupt." I told her that she would see, unless he changed his mind, for he was an unprincipled libertine, unequalled [sic] in the history of civilized man. Accordingly, in a few days, Joe proposed to me a visit to Ramus, which I accepted, and we started from his house, in an open carriage, about 4 o'clock, P. M., rode into the prairie a few miles, and returned to the house of Captain John T. Barnett, in Nauvoo, about dusk, where we put up the horse, with Barnett's permission. Joe pretended we were looking for thieves. After perambulating for an hour or two, we proceeded to the residence of Mrs. Pratt, and found her at home, and alone, with the exception of her little boy, who was then asleep in bed. We were hospitably received, and our situation rendered as AMOURS AND ATTEMPTED SEDUCTIONS. 229 comfortable and agreeable as the tenement would admit of. After considerable desultory conversation, Joe asked her if she would keep a secret for him; to which she assented. "Do you pledge me your honor," said he, "that you will never tell without my permission?" She replied in the affirmative. He then continued, "Sister Pratt, the Lord has given you to me as one of my spiritual wives. I have the blessings of Jacob granted me, as God granted holy men of old; and as I have long looked upon you with favor, and an earnest desire of connubial bliss, I hope you will not repulse or deny me." She replied, "And is that the great secret that I am not to utter? Am I called upon to break the marriage covenant, and prove recreant to my lawful husband! I never will. My sex shall not be disgraced, nor my honor sullied. I care not for the blessings of Jacob, and I believe no such revelations, neither will I consent, under any circumstances whatever. I have one good husband, and that is enough tor me." He then went off to see Miss Louisa Beeman, at the house of Mrs. Sherman, and remained with her about two hours, when we returned to Barnett's, harnessed our horse, started for Ramus, arrived at Carthage early in the morning, and took breakfast at Mr. Hamilton's. We then went to Ramus, transacted some business in relation to real estate, returned to Carthage that night, and put up at the house of Esquire Comer. Next day, we returned to Nauvoo. I then called upon Mrs. Pratt, and asked her if her opinion of Joseph, the Prophet, was the same as heretofore. She replied, "No; he is a bad man, beyond a doubt -- 'wicked, sensual, devilish;' but it will not do for me to express myself openly, or my life might atone for it. It becomes me to move in this matter with much circumspection; I must be as ' wise as a serpent, and harmless as a dove;' for I see plainly that Joseph is determined to transgress the laws, change the ordinance, and break the everlasting covenant of our heavenly Father, and to set at open defiance every principle of true godliness and mortal rectitude. I exceedingly fear and tremble for the weak and uneducated of my sex; for an unprincipled libertine, sensualist, arid debauchee, of such unbounded prophetic influence, in a community like this, may utterly 230 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. ruin hundreds of pious, unsuspecting females, under the potent dictum of a 'THUS SAITH THE LORD;' and all the proof they would require would be his simple ipse dixit. O, WHAT TOTAL DEPRAVITY!! What ignorance and impudence in a land of Bibles, where Christians ought to dwell, and worship the Great Ruler of the Universe in the beauty of Holiness! Surely God will not suffer it long! I remember when you told of his desiring you to procure the engraving of new plates of the Book of Mormon, for the further and more perfect binding of the people -- of his gross wickedness and perfidy -- of his fraud and corruption -- of his spiritual wickedness in high places, and his secret abominations, -- and so forth; but I could never realize it before. I had a better opinion of human nature; but, alas! I was deceived. The scales however, have fallen from my eyes, and 'whereas I was once blind, NOW I SEE.' I am in great trouble on another account. My husband is a good and pious, and a true believer in Mormonism, DEVOTEDLY attached to Joseph as the spiritual leader of the Church. He believes him to be a pure man, and a Prophet of the Lord. Now, if I should tell the true story of my sufferings, privations, and insults, and Joseph should circumvent or meet it with his infallable rebuff of 'VERILY, THUS SAITH THE LORD,' I fear that Orson would believe him in preference to me, unless his faith can be shaken. How shall I extricate myself from this fearful dilemma? As a confidential friend, I look to you for advice and protection, until the return of Mr. Pratt." "Be quiet," said I, "Sarah, under these circumstances, until some event transpires by which Orson can have ocular and auricular demonstration of the palpable imposture of the whole scheme of Mormonism, and of the infidelity and brutality of the Mormon Mountebank, that Sui Generis Prophet, who was constituted per se, and not by the appointment of ALMIGHTY GOD; and such an event must soon be consummated, unless there should be a manifest change in the Mormon Administration." Joe afterwards tried to convince Mrs. Pratt of the propriety of his spiritual wife doctrine, and she at last told him peremptorily, "Joseph, if you ever attempt any thing AMOURS AND ATTEMPTED SEDUCTIONS. 231 of the kind with me again, I will make a full disclosure to Mr. Pratt on his return home. Depend upon it, I will certainly do it." Joe replied, "Sister Pratt, I hope you will not expose me, for if I suffer, all must suffer; so do not expose me. Will you promise me that you will not do it?" "If," said she, "you will never insult me again, I will not expose you, unless strong circumstances should require it.'' "If you should tell," said he, ''I will ruin your reputation; remember that; and as you have repulsed me, it becomes sin, unless sacrifice is offered." He then desired that a lamb should be procured and slain, and the door-posts and the gate sprinkled with its blood, and the kidneys and entrails taken and offered upon an altar of twelve stones that had not been touched with a hammer, as a burnt offering, for the purpose of saving him and his priesthood. His desire was complied with, and the lamb procured from Captain Barnett, and slain by Lieutenant Stephen H. Goddard; and the kidneys and entrails were offered in sacrifice, as Joe desired; and he observed, "All is now safe; the Destroying Angel will pass over without harming any of us." About this time, Mrs. Pratt, in a conversation with Mrs. Goddard, observed, "Sister Goddard, Joseph is a corrupt man; I know it, for he made an attempt upon me, in the name of the Lord. I now detest the man." Time passed on without further molestation, until one day, after Mr. Pratt's return from Europe, Joe called at her new house, and, looking at Mrs. Pratt, thought, -- Which melting beamed like azure skies In dewy vernal weather -- How often have I raptured read The burning glance, that silent said, Now, love, we feel together," -- 232 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. low vituperation, calumny, and detraction. He lied to her in the name of Israel's God. Let the base blasphemer remember that, and weep! Let him look at his black catalogue of crimes -- his seductions and attempted seductions, in the name of the Lord -- his thefts -- his robberies -- and his murders! Why, Satan blushes to behold so corrupt and loathsome a mortal, -- one whose daring deeds of crime so far surpass hell's darkest counsels, as to hide the sable Prince of impenetrable darkness forever! If Joe Smith is not destined for the Devil, all I can say is, that the duties of a devil have not been clearly understood. Unto the Ho1y Brotherhood. can't be wrong, and I confess -- As far as it is right or lawful For one, no conjurer, to guess -- It seems to me extremely awful."
From Mrs. Emeline White. "Respected friend, -- * * * * * * * "Your friends are anxiously awaiting your return to the west. If it is possible, be here by the 1st of September. You can avert AMOURS AND ATTEMPTED SEDUCTIONS. 233 a great calamity, and add greatly to the amount of human happiness by so doing. I dare not write you to what I allude, but would gladly tell you. I called on Mrs Pratt this morning, in order to learn where to address you; and she and Mr. Pratt dined at father's to-day. We had a long talk with them about the troubled waters, the present attitude in which they are placed, and the ultimate issue or final result of the expose. I was much pleased to see them so happy, and firm in the advocacy of truth. Mr. Pratt has publicly defended her, from the stand, against the foul aspersions attempted to be cast upon her irreproachable reputation by her interested persecutors. She is certainly one of the best of women, above reproach, of noble bearing, and great moral excellence; and Mr. Pratt will ever sustain her in exposing corruption and fraud. They are your unwavering friends, and cannot be driven from the truth by your enemies. Some here have dealt very treacherously with you, and they shall reap their reward hereafter; the curses of Heaven will fall upon their heads, for God will protect you in a virtuous cause. May all your undertakings prosper, and may God bless, and guardian angels watch over and hover around you, in this your time of danger and peril! Your friends here are firm as the adamantine rocks, and will ever sustain you in defending virtue and exposing vice. Father and mother join me in their respects to you. Please to write circumstantially at your earliest convenience. Respectfully, yours, "EMELINE WHITE." The following affidavit of Messrs. Carter, Whiting, and Leland, though unexpected by me, is quite opportune: -- "Boston, September 17, 1842. "TO THE PUBLIC: "Without solicitation or the previous knowledge of any one, we would respectfully state that we have seen letter from four individuals, residing in and near Nauvoo, addressed to and received by different gentlemen in the States of New York and Massachusetts, through the post-office department, tending fully and unequivocally to confirm the truth of the disclosures of General Bennett, in relation to Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet, and his followers, especially so far as regards the Seraglio and Order Lodge, and the cases of Mrs Sarah M. Pratt, Miss Nancy Rigdon, and Mrs Emeline White. The writers of these letters are persons of great respectability, holding high official stations. They request that their names shall not be made public, for fear of secret murder by the Mormon Destroying Angel, or the Daughter of Zion. "WILLARD J. WHITING, "EMERSON LELAND." 234 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. "SUFFOLK, ss. September 17, 1842. "Then personally appeared the above-named Robert Carter, Willard J. Whiting, and Emerson Leland, and made oath that the above affidavit, by them subscribed, is true. "Before me, BRADFORD SUMMER, "Justice of the Peace." The Sangamo Journal, of July 22, 1842, in commenting on the Prophet's amours and secret abominations, says, -- "In this community, we verily believe that there is not a man, disconnected with Mormons, who does not place implicit confidence in the disclosures of General Bennett. These disclosures show that the rulers of this Mormon confederacy are steeped in pollutions of the blackest dye -- pollutions and crimes violatory of all laws, human and divine -- and for which we can hardly find a parallel, without going back to the ingulfed 'cities of the plain.'" It will be seen that the affidavit of Messrs. Carter, Whiting, and Leland, unequivocally sustains various other matters disclosed in this Expose; and the whole testimony places Mrs. Pratt high on the vantage-ground, and far above reproach. Thus, by assistance of a most powerful intellect, and the great God, has this noble lady signally triumphed over her insidiously persecuting enemies, and placed her foot upon the neck of the Monster of Iniquity, the Beast and the False Prophet; and her noble husband, too, has done himself immortal honor in battering down the bulwarks of prophetic security, behind which the Mormon Pontiff screened himself from merited infamy and disgrace. The course of the Prophet has been very singular in its inception, its prosecution, and its termination. MRS. EMELINE WHITE. Mrs. White is no Mormon. Her father, General Davison Hibard, resided at Nauvoo before the Mormons located themselves there. She is, however, what is much better, one of the most beautiful and accomplished women in the Holy City. Her form is noble, yet exquisitely proportioned; her features regular, and glowing with a thousand charms, not the least attractive of which is the amiable gayety that beams from every line of her countenance. She possesses fine musical talent, and realizes, in every way, the description of the poet, --AMOURS AND ATTEMPTED SEDUCTIONS. 235 The rosy rays of evening fell, As if to feed with their soft fire The soul within that trembling shell. The same rich light hung o'er her cheek, And played around those lips that sung And spoke as flowers would sing and speak, If love could lend their leaves a tongue." The following letter was addressed to her by Joe, who was, when he wrote it, in Springfield, Illinois: -- "MY SWEET EMELINE: "You know that my love for you, as David said to Jonathan, is 'wonderful, passing the love of women.' And how can that be? You know it is only figurative. I mean you have my most supreme affections. O that I had yours as truly! May I not hope that it will be so? At all events, be my friend, my best friend. If you want any thing while I am gone, call upon either of the Bishops, -- Vinson Knight or Alanson Ripley, -- and show them the signature of 'Old White Hat,' and they will provide for you. Do not be afraid to receive any thing from me, and these men are confidential. You need not fear to write me; and I do assure you that a few lines would be very consoling on a journey. Sign it 'Rosanna.' "Your humble servant, "OLD WHITE HAT." This letter had no other effect upon this virtuous lady, than to excite her scorn and indignation. She saw through the Monster and his detestable doctrines, and could not be persuaded, by any offers, to participate in his vileness. I am informed by General Robinson and Colonel Higbee, that the brother of Dr. John F. Weld has in his possession two other letters from this Old White Hat Prophet to Mrs. White, which are said to be exceedingly rich specimens of rigmarole, abounding in the warmest protestations of love, interlarded with quotations from Scripture. The Mormon Don Juan failed again in the application of the "extreme unction," and virtue once more triumphed over the insidious arts and machinations of a malevolent 236 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. caliph. The unbound courage and inflexible moral purity of purpose of this beautiful lady, combined with a vigorous intellect, enabled her to hold the tyrant at bay, even in the Holy City of the Saints, until she could effectually present the shield and rapier. This she did, and vanquished. Noble woman! may the escutcheon of her honor ever remain as spotless as the album of Diana, and the God of virtue will be her Protector and her Friend. MISS. MARTHA H. BROTHERTON. Miss Brotherton is a very good-looking, amiable, and accomplished English lady, of highly respectable parentage, cultivated intellect, and spotless moral character. She was selected as one of the victims for the Cloister, in order to be consecrated to apostolic brutality. The Right Reverend Brigham Young, the President of the Mormon College of Apostles, (Collegium de Propaganda Fide,) it is well known regarded her with an evil eye, and she was also eagerly sought after by the Holy Prophet Joe, and by Apostle Heber C. Kimball. Gods! what triumvirate! These celestial gladiators, armed with the "sword of the Spirit," leaguing themselves in a Holy Alliance for the destruction of a defenceless and innocent woman, and urging on their work of sin and pollution with the most fiendish zeal and malignity! "Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon." These three Mormon demigods, these Prophets and Apostles, were completely foiled in their hopeful scheme, and utterly defeated by the determined resistance of their intended victim, as will be seen by the following graphic letter from her own pen: --"ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, July 13, A. D. 1842, "GENERAL JOHN C. BENNETT: "Dear Sir, -- "I left Warsaw a short time since for this city, and having been called upon by you, through the 'Sangamo Journal,' to come out and disclose to the world the facts of the case in relation to certain propositions made to me at Nauvoo, by some of the Mormon leaders, I now proceed to respond to the call, and discharge what I consider go be a duty devolving upon me as an innocent, but insulted and abused female. I had been at Nauvoo near three weeks, during AMOURS AND ATTEMPTED SEDUCTIONS. 237 which time my father's family received frequent visits from Elders Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, two of the Mormon Apostles; when, early one morning, they both came to my brother-in-law's (John Mellwrick's) house, at which place I then was on a visit, and particularly requested me to go and spend a few days with them. I told them I could not at that time, as my brother-in-law was not at home; however, they urged me to go the next day, and spend one day with them. The day being fine, I accordingly went. When I arrived at the foot of the hill, Young and Kimball were standing conversing together. They both came to me, and, after several flattering complements, Kimball wished me to go to his house first. I said it was immaterial to me, and accordingly went. We had not, however, gone many steps when Young suddenly stopped, and said he would go to that brother's, (pointing to a little log hut a few yards distant,) and tell him that you (speaking to Kimball) and brother Glover, or Grover, (I do not remember which,) will value this land. When he had gone, Kimball turned to me and said, 'Martha, I want you to say to my wife, when you go to my house, that you want to buy some things at Joseph's store, (Joseph Smith's,) and I will say I am going with you, to show you the way. You know you want to see the Prophet, and you will then have an opportunity.' I made no reply. Young again made his appearance, and the subject was dropped. We soon reached Kimball's house, where Young took his leave, saying, 'I shall see you again, Martha.' I remained at Kimball's near an hour, when Kimball, seeing that I would not tell the lies he wished me to, told them to his wife himself. He then went and whispered in her ear, and asked if that would please her. 'Yes,' said she, 'or I can go along with you and Martha.' 'No,' said he, 'I have some business to do, and I will call for you afterwards to go with me to the debate,' meaning the debate between yourself and Joseph. To this she consented. So Kimball and I went to the store together. As we were going along, he said, 'Sister Martha, are you willing to do all that the Prophet requires you to do?' I said I believed I was, thinking of course he would require nothing wrong. 'Then,' said he, 'are you ready to take counsel?' I answered in the affirmative, thinking of the great and glorious blessings that had been pronounced upon my head, if I adhered to the counsel of those placed over me in the Lord. 'Well,' said he, 'there are many things revealed in these last days that the world would laugh and scoff at; but unto us is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom.' He further observed, 'Martha, you must learn to hold your tongue, and it will be well with you. You will see Joseph, and very likely have some conversation with him, and he will tell you what you shall do.' When we reached the building, he led me up some stairs to a small room, the door of which was locked, and on it the following inscription: 'Positively no admittance.' He observed, 'Ah! brother Joseph must be sick, for strange to say, he is not here. Come down into the tithing-office, Martha.' He then left me in the tithing-office, and went out, I know not where. In this office were two men writing, one of whom, William Clayton, I had seen in England; the other I did not know. Young came in, and seated himself before me, and asked 238 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. where Kimball was. I said he had gone out. He said it was all right. Soon after, Joseph came in, and spoke to one of the clerks, and then went up stairs, followed by Young. Immediately after, Kimball came in. 'Now, Martha,' said he, 'the Prophet has come; come up stairs.' I went, and we found Young and the Prophet alone. I was introduced to the Prophet by Young. Joseph offered me his seat, and, to my astonishment, the moment I was seated, Joseph and Kimball walked out of the room, and left me with Young, who arose, locked the door, closed the window, and drew the curtain. He then came and sat before me, and said, 'This is our private room, Martha.' 'Indeed, sir,' said I, 'I must be highly honored to be permitted to enter it.' He smiled, and then proceeded -- 'Sister Martha, I want to ask you a few questions; will you answer them?' 'Yes, sir,' said I. 'And will you promise not to mention them to any one?' 'If it is your desire, sir,' said I, 'I will not.' 'And you will not think any the worse of me for it, will you, Martha?' said he. 'No sir,' I replied. 'Well,' said he, 'what are your feelings toward me?' I replied, 'My feelings are just the same towards you that they ever were, sir.' 'But, to come to the point more closely,' said he, 'have not you an affection for me, that, were it lawful and right, you could accept of me for your husband and companion?' My feelings at that moment were indescribable. God only knows them. What, thought I are these men, that I thought almost perfection itself, deceivers? and is all my fancied happiness but a dream? 'Twas even so; but my next thought was, which is the best way for me to act at this time? If I say no, they may do as they think proper; and to say yes, I never would. So I considered it best to ask for time to think and pray about it. I therefore said, 'If it was lawful and right, perhaps I might; but you know, sir, it is not.' 'Well, but,' said he, 'brother Joseph has had a revelation from God that it is lawful and right for a man to have two wives; for, as it was in the days of Abraham, so it shall be in these last days, and whoever is the first that is willing to take up the cross will receive the greatest blessings; and if you will accept of me, I will take you straight to the celestial kingdom; and if you will have me in this world, I will have you in that which is to come, and brother Joseph will marry us here to-day, and you can go home this evening, and your parents will not know any thing about it.' 'Sir,' said I, 'I should not like to do any thing of the kind without the permission of my parents,' 'Well, but,' said he, 'you are of age, are you not?' 'No, sir,' said I, 'I shall not be until the 24th of May.' 'Well,' said he, 'that does not make any difference. You will be of age before they know, and you need not fear. If you will take my counsel, it will be well with you, for I know it to be right before God, and if there is any sin in it, I will answer for it. But brother Joseph wishes to have some talk with you on the subject -- he will explain things -- will you hear him?' 'I do not mind,' said I. 'Well, but I want you to say something,' said he. 'I want time to think about it,' said I. 'Well,' said he, 'I will have a kiss, any how,['] and then rose, and said he would bring Joseph. He then unlocked the door, and took the key, and locked me up alone. He was absent about ten minutes, and then returned with Joseph. 'Well,' said Young, AMOURS AND ATTEMPTED SEDUCTIONS. 239 'sister Martha would be willing if she knew if was lawful and right before God.' 'Well, Martha,' said Joseph, 'it is lawful and right before God -- I know it is. Look here, sis; don't you believe in me?' I did not answer. 'Well Martha,' said Joseph, 'just go ahead, and do as Brigham wants you to -- he is the best man in the world, except me.' 'O!' said Brigham, 'then you are as good.' 'Yes,' said Joseph. 'Well,' said Young, 'we believe Joseph to be a Prophet. I have known him near eight years, and always found him the same.' 'Yes,' said Joseph, 'and I know that this is lawful and right before God, and if there is any sin in it, I will answer for it before God; and I have the keys of the kingdom, and whatever I bind on earth is bound in heaven, and whatever I loose on earth be loosed in heaven, and if you will accept of Brigham, you shall be blessed -- God shall bless you, and my blessing shall rest upon you; and if you will be led by him, you will do well; for I know Brigham will take care of you, and if he don't do his duty to you, come to me , and I will make him; and if you do not like it in a month or two, come to me, and I will make you free again; and if he turns you off, I will take you on.' 'Sir,' said I, rather warmly, 'it will be too late to think in a month or two after. I want time to think first.' 'Well, but,' said he, 'the old proverb is, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained;" and it would be the greatest blessing that was ever bestowed upon you.' 'Yes,' said Young, 'and you will never have reason to repent it -- that is, if I do not turn from righteousness, and that I trust I never shall; for I believe God, who has kept me so long, will continue to keep me faithful. Did you ever see me act in any way wrong in England, Martha?' "No, sir,' said I. 'No,' said he; 'neither can any one else lay any thing to my charge.' 'Well, then,' said Joseph, 'what are you afraid of, sis? Come, let me do the business for you.' 'Sir,' said I, 'do let me have a little time to think about it, and I will promise not to mention it to any one.' 'Well, but look here,' said he; 'you know a fellow will never be damned for doing the best he knows how.' 'When, then,' said I, 'the best way I know of, is to go home and think and pray about it.' 'Well,' said Young, 'I shall leave it with brother Joseph, whether it would be best for you to have time or not.' 'Well,' said Joseph, 'I see no harm in her having time to think, if she will not fall into temptation.' 'O, sir,' said I, 'there is no fear of my falling into temptation.' 'Well, but,' said Brigham, 'you must promise me you will never mention it to any one.' 'I do promise it,' said I. 'Well,' said Joseph, 'you must promise me the same.' I promised him the same. 'Upon your honor,' said he, 'you will not tell[?'] 'No, sir, I will lose my life first,' said I. 'Well, that will do,' said he; 'that is the principle we go upon. I think I can trust you, Martha,' said he. 'Yes,' said I, 'I think you ought.' Joseph said, 'She looks as if she could keep a secret.' I then rose to go, when Joseph commenced to beg of me again. He said it was the best opportunity they might have for months, for the room was often engaged. I, however, had determined what to do. 'Well,' said Young, 'I will see you to-morrow. I am going to preach at the school-house, opposite your house. I have never preached there yet; you will be there, I suppose.' 'Yes,' said I -- The next day being Sunday, I 240 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. sat down, instead of going to meeting, and wrote the conversation, and gave it to my sister, who was not a little surprised; but she said it would be best to go to meeting in the afternoon. We went, and Young administered the sacrament. After it was over, I was passing out, and Young stopped me, saying, 'Wait, Martha, I am coming.' I said, 'I cannot; my sister is waiting for me.' He then threw his coat over his shoulders, and followed me out, and whispered, 'Have you made up your mind, Martha?' 'Not exactly, sir,' said I; and we parted. I shall proceed to a justice of the peace, and make oath to the truth of these statements, and you are at liberty to make what use of them you may think best. "Yours, respectfully, "MARTHA H. BROTHERTON. "Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 13th day of July, A. D. "DU BOUFFAY FREMON, "Justice of the Peace for St. Louis County." What a tale of infamy! What a record of black-hearted villany and depravity! Well does this young lady deserve the praise of her sex and the world, for her courage and virtue in resisting and repulsing with such signal success the foul miscreants who were tempting her to crime by the most insidious and powerful arts. The North-Western Gazette and Galena Advertiser of July 23, 1842, a paper edited by H. H. Haughton, Esq., in speaking on this subject, says, -- "In our columns to-day will be found the affidavit of MARTHA H. BROTHERTON, who , it will be remembered, was called upon to make a public statement of her treatment while among the Mormons. Her story is told in an artless manner, and goes strongly to corroborate Bennett's statement. There is something peculiarly infamous in the practice of sending to England to induce simple hearted females to leave their homes, to be exposed to the arts of as shrewd a set of scamps as could well be congregated together." The Pittsburgh Morning Chronicle of July 26, 1842, a paper edited by J. Heron Foster, Esq., and Wm. H. Whitney, Esq., in alluding to the same circumstance, remarks, -- "The last Nauvoo Wasp, a Mormon paper, contains Joe Smith's phrenological chart, in which the organ of 'Amativeness' is set down as 'very large -- giving a controlling influence, and very liable to perversion.' We think the affidavit of Miss Brotherton, in another column, proves the truth of the science of phrenology conclusively." I should think as much. Joe's "Amativeness" is large, VERY LARGE, -- and perfectly unrestrained. There are eyes that see that he knows not of, and ears that hear that he understands not, and that Uncircumcised Philistine will AMOURS AND ATTEMPTED SEDUCTIONS. 241 find that Samson will be upon him in a day when he looks not for him, and in an hour when he thinks not. MISS NANCY RIGDON. Miss Rigdon is the eldest unmarried daughter of Sidney, Esq., and is a beautiful girl, of irreproachable fame, great moral excellence, and superior intellectual endowments. She is a young lady of many charms and varied attractions; but she, too, was marked out for the Cloister. Joe could not suffer a pretty woman to escape without a trial. The inquisitorial seraglio must swallow up most cases, and secure the beautiful birds of gaudy plumage or fascinating charms. If they fail to be insnared by the Cyprian Saints, they are liable to be taken in the net of the Chambered Sisters of Charity; if they pass that fiery ordeal, the poisoned arrows of the Consecratees of the Cloister await them: but this girl passed the Rubicon with heroic firmness. Knowing that I had much influence with Mr. Rigdon's family, Joe Smith said to me, one day last summer, when riding together over the lawn, in Nauvoo, "If you will assist me in procuring Nancy as one of my spiritual wives, I will give you five hundred dollars, or the best lot on Main Street." I replied, "I cannot agree to it. Elder Rigdon is one of my best friends, and his family are now pure and spotless, and it would be a great pity to approach the truly virtuous." "But," said Joe, "the Lord has given her to me to wife. I have the blessings of Jacob, (meaning thereby a plurality of wives,) and there is no wickedness in it. It would be wicked to approach her, unless I had permission of the Lord; but, as it is, it is as correct as to have a legal wife, in a moral point of view." I replied that it might be so, but that he must see her himself, as I could not approach her on a subject of that kind. There I supposed the matter had ended; but, at the funeral of Mr. Ephraim R. Marks, Mrs. Hyde told Miss Rigdon that Joseph desired to see her at the printing-office, where Mrs. Hyde and Dr. Richards resided, on special business. She said she would go, and accordingly did; but Joe was busily engaged at his store. Dr. Willard Richards, however, one242 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. of the holy twelve Mormon Apostles, and Spiritual High Priest, and Pander-General for Lust, whom I had long suspected as being up to his eyes in the business with Joe, came in, and said, "Miss Nancy, Joseph cannot be in to-day; please call again on Thursday." This she agreed to do; but she communicated the matter to Colonel Francis M. Higbee, who was addressing her, and asked his advice as to the second visit. I then came to a knowledge of the facts, and went immediately to Joe, and said to him, "Joseph, you are a Master Mason, and Nancy is a Master Mason's daughter, [so is Mrs. Pratt, the daughter of Mr. Bates;] so stay your hand, or you will get into trouble -- remember your obligation." Joe replied, "You are my enemy, and wish to oppose me." I then went to Colonel Higbee, and told him of Joe's designs, and requested him to go immediately and see Miss Rigdon, and tell her the infernal plot -- that Joe would approach her in the name of the Lord, by special revelation, &c., and to put her on her guard, but advise her to go and see for herself what Joe would do. He did so, and she went down. Joe was there, took her into a private room, (his favorite assignation room,) and LOCKED THE DOOR, undoubtedly thinking somewhat in the strain of the poet, -- But , trust me, all that Tully's zeal Expressed for Plato's glowing pages, All that, and more, for thee I feel! Whate'er the heartless world decree, Howe'er unfeeling prudes condemn, NANCY! I'd rather sin with thee, Than live and die a saint with them." AMOURS AND ATTEMPTED SEDUCTIONS. 243 and right before God. He then attempted to kiss her, and desired her to kiss him. -- But we must again quote the bard to express the scene; -- But a thousand temptations beset me; And I've thought as the dear little rubies you raised, How delicious 'twould be -- it you let me! "Then be not so angry for what I have done, Nor say that you've sworn to forget me; They were buds of temptation too pouting to shun, And I thought that -- you could not but let me! "When your lip with a whisper came close to my cheek, O, think how bewitching it met me! And plain as the eye of a Venus could speak, Your eye seemed to say -- you would let me! "Then forgive the transgression, and bid me remain, For, in truth, if I go you'll regret me; Or, O! -- let me try the transgression again, And I'll do all you wish -- will you let me?" "Happiness is the object and design of our existence, and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God; but we cannot keep ALL the commandments without first knowing them, and we cannot expect to KNOW ALL, or more than we now know, unless we comply with or keep those we 244 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. have ALREADY RECEIVED! That which is wrong under one circumstance, may be, and often is, right under another. God said, Thou shalt not kill; at another time he said, Thou shalt utterly destroy. This is the principle on which the government of Heaven is conducted, by REVELATION adapted to the circumstances in which the children of the kingdom are placed. Whatever God requires is right, NO MATTER WHAT IT IS, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire. If we seek first the kingdom of God, all good things will be added. So with Solomon; first he asked wisdom, and God gave it him, and with it EVERY DESIRE OF HIS HEART; even things which might be considered ABOMINABLE to all who understand the order of Heaven ONLY IN PART, but which, in reality, were right, because God gave and sanctioned BY SPECIAL REVELATION. A parent may whip a child, and justly too, because be stole an apple; whereas, if the child had asked for the apple, and the parent had given it, the child would have eaten it with a better appetite; there would have been no stripes; all the pleasures of the apple would have been secured, all the misery of stealing lost. This principle will justly apply to all of God's dealings with his children. Every thing that God gives us is lawful and right, and it is proper that we should ENJOY his gifts and blessings, WHENEVER AND WHEREVER he is disposed to bestow; but if we should seize upon those same blessings and enjoyments without law, without REVELATION, without COMMANDMENT, those blessings and enjoyments would prove cursings and vexations in the end, and we should have to lie down in sorrow and wailings of everlasting regret. But in obedience there is joy and peace unspotted, unalloyed; and as God has designed our happiness, the happiness of all his creatures, he never has, he never will, institute an ordinance or give a commandment to his people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which he has designed, and which will not end in the greatest amount of good and glory to those who become the recipients of his law and ordinances. Blessings offered, but rejected, are no longer blessings, but become like the talent hid in the earth BY THE WICKED AND SLOTHFUL SERVANT; the proffered good returns to the giver; the blessing is bestowed on those who will receive, and occupy; for unto him that hath shall be given, and he shall have ABUNDANTLY, but unto him that hath not, or will not receive, shall be taken away that which he hath, or might have had. Next day the fatal precedent may plead; Thus on till wisdom is pushed out of time,' into eternity. AMOURS AND ATTEMPTED SEDUCTIONS. 245 not your own, or which I have not give you, you shall be rewarded according to your deeds; but no good thing will I withhold from them who walk uprightly before me, and do my will in all things; who will listen to my voice and to the voice of MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE SENT; for I delight in those who seek diligently to know my precepts, and abide by the laws of my kingdom; for ALL THINGS SHALL BE MADE KNOWN UNTO THEM IN MINE OWN DUE TIME, and in the end THEY SHALL HAVE JOY." The original, of which the above is a literal copy, in the hand-writing of Dr. Richards, is now in my possession. It was handed me by Colonel F. M. Higbee, in the presence of General George W. Robinson. Here you have the doctrine, in bold relief, as taught in the upper sanctuary of the great Mormon Seraglio. On Tuesday, the 28th day of June last, Joe went to Mr. Rigdon's, accompanied by his High Priest, George Miller, of Sable Sister notoriety, for a witness for him that he had successfully confronted Miss Rigdon, and, by boisterous words, and violent gestures, tried to deny the attempted seduction and alarm the girl; but, with daring bravery, she met the Monster of Iniquity, and told him he was a "cursed liar;" that all that she had said of him was true to the letter, and dared him to face her to the contrary. Joe then made a full acknowledgment of the whole affair, in presence of the family, and several other persons who were present. The Demoniacal High Priest, George Miller, then groaned in the spirit, and cried aloud, "You must not harm the Lord's Anointed; the Lord will not suffer his Anointed to fall!!!" If Joe did not offer another lamb in sacrifice, as burnt sin-offering, on an altar of twelve stones, I fear the Destroying Angel will get him, for even the fiends of his father's kingdom have demurred to the spiritual doctrines of his seraglio. Extract of a letter from General George W. Robinson to General James Arlington Bennet, LL. D., which I take the responsibility of publishing, as it is a material document, and pertinent to the case under consideration. "NAUVOO, July 27, 1842. "Dear Sir, -- * * * * * * * "Smith and Bennett have always been on VERY friendly terms, and were together a great deal, and I have no doubt 246 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. but that Bennett was Smith's confidant in nearly all things. It appears from General Bennett's story, that Smith stated that the doctrine of a plurality of wives was correct, and that he intended to practice upon the principles, and that he enjoined secrecy on Bennett, as also on the females to whom he made known his desires and doctrine. Bennett says that he (Smith) succeeded admirably in many instances, and in others, he privately married the females who had any scruples of conscience about con------, &c. &c. General Bennett states that Smith offered him $500, or his choice in town lots on Main Street, if he would succeed in getting him Mr. Rigdon's eldest unmarried daughter for a spiritual wife. Bennett utterly refused to have any thing to do with the matter, and cautioned Smith against such an attempt. Smith says, 'You are my enemy,' &c. Bennett says to Smith, 'If you go there, you will get into trouble;' but Smith, it seems, persisted, and was determined to succeed in all his undertakings. Smith sent for Miss Ridgon to come to the house of Mrs. Hyde, who lived in the under rooms of the printing-office. Miss Rigdon, inquired of the messenger who came for her what was wanting, and the only reply was, that Smith wanted to see her. General Bennett came to Miss Rigdon, and cautioned her, and advised her not to place too much reliance on REVELATION; but did not enlighten her on the object of Smith, but advised her to go down to Mrs. Hyde's, and see Smith. She accordingly went, and Smith took her into another room, and LOCKED THE DOOR, and then stated to her that he had had an affection for her for several years, and wished that she should be his; that the Lord was well pleased with this matter, for he had got a REVELATION on the subject, and God had given him all the blessings of Jacob, &c. &c., and that there was no sin in it whatever; but, if she had any scruples of conscience about the matter, he would marry her PRIVATELY, and enjoined her to secrecy, &c. &c. She repulsed him, and was about to raise the neighbors if he did not unlock the door and let her out; and she left him with disgust, and came home and told her father of the transaction; upon which Smith was sent for. He came. She told the tale in the presence of all the family, and to Smith's face. I was present. Smith attempted to deny it at first, and face her down with the lie; but she told the facts with so much earnestness, and THE FACT OF A LETTER BEING PRESENT, WHICH HE HAD CAUSED TO BE WRITTEN TO HER, ON THE SAME SUBJECT, the day after the attempt made on her virtue, breathing the same spirit, and which he had fondly hoped was DESTROYED, -- all came with such force that he would not withstand the testimony; and he then and there acknowledge that every word of Miss Rigdon's testimony was true. Now for his excuse, which he made for such a base attempt, and for using the name of the Lord in vain, on that occasion. HE WISHED TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER SHE WAS VIRTUOUS OR NOT, AND TOOK THAT COURSE TO LEARN THE FACTS!!! I would say, sir, that I have reason to believe General Bennett's story in his disclosures of Smith's rascality; although I am not a witness to ALL of the facts, yet I am to SOME. I liked to have forgotten to state that the affair with Miss Rigdon was the CAUSE of Smith's coming out so on Bennett, he having AMOURS AND ATTEMPTED SEDUCTIONS. 247 suspicions that BENNETT HAD CAUTIONED HER ON THE MATTER -- and he was further afraid that Bennett would make disclosures of OTHER MATTERS. * * * * * * * "Very respectfully, yours, &c., "GEORGE W. ROBINSON." From General Robinson to the Author. "NAUVOO, August 8, 1842."GENERAL JOHN C. BENNETT: "Dear Sir, -- * * * * * * * "I have written General James Arlington Bennet, and given him to understand the difficulties between yourself and Smith. I have not yet responded to the call in the Sangamo Journal, but intend to do so soon. Orson Pratt will respond, in part, this week; and then, when 'The Wasp' shall attack him, he will respond more at length. There has been a d**** of a stir here. They have encompassed sea and land to get a counter-statement out of every person you have mentioned in your published letters, or those you call upon to come out and state to the public what they know. They have tried me to the satisfaction, and have given me up as a reprobate. Frank has stated in 'The Wasp' that he knew nothing about the murder of a prisoner in Missouri; but be did not say he knew nothing about a prisoner's being shot, as was ordered by Smith, and who was shot, but afterwards recovered. Frank will come out soon; he is doing good work. Mrs. Pratt will come out, and so will Mr. Pratt. Mrs. White will come out. She was at Mr. Rigdon's yesterday. She said she would tell what she did know, but did not tell what it would be. Vinson Knight died last Sunday -- sick only two or three days. Mrs. Pratt will criminate Knight: he heard that she was telling on him, and he roared through the streets like a mad bull, and went to Alderman Marks to get a warrant for her. Marks could not make it out then, and before Knight had time to get it, he went whence he will not return. Mr. Rigdon will say something as soon as he is able to write. He has letters from all quarters, making inquiries about your accusations against Smith; he invariably answers them with regard to the case of Nancy as it was, but says he knows nothing of the balance, as he has been sick for some time, and did not know what was going on; but so eager were the worthies to get something from him, that they have taken an extract from a letter which he wrote to H. Smith, some time ago, and they have put it in the 'The Wasp,' as an answer to your call. Mr. Rigdon says, 'Drowning men catch at straws.' Nancy don't like to be called into the field, to say any thing about her case herself, but says I may mention it, which I shall most assuredly do. I have something new to communicate respecting ORDER LODGE, (though I do not expect it is new to you.) After they are initiated into the lodge, they have 248 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. oil poured on them, and then a mark or hole cut in the breast of their shirts, which shirts must not be worn any more, but laid up to keep the Destroying Angel from them and their families, and they should never die; but Knight's shirt would not save him. No one must have charge of their shirts but their wives. * * * * * * * "Respectfully yours, "GEORGE W. ROBINSON." From General Robinson to the Author. "NAUVOO, September 16, 1842."GENERAL BENNETT: "Dear Sir, -- Your letter of August 26, written from New York, was received yesterday. I was truly glad to hear from you once more. I am here on business, as you know I now reside at La Harpe. Joe keeps hid yet; he dare not show himself publicly. Hyrum Smith and William Law have gone east PREACHING!! as they say; that is all I know about it. Some three or four hundred Mormons have gone out, and are going, to put down the excitement which you have raised, and to rebut your statements. They have an extra 'Wasp' filled with affidavits to overflowing: SOME OF THE MOST CURSED LIES IN IT THAT WERE EVER PRINTED OR THOUGHT OF. They are kept secret from the people here, but are to be used when away, FOR A LIE IS JUST AS GOOD FOR THEIR USE AS ANYTHING ELSE, SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT TO THE CONTRARY. Stephen Markham swore that he saw improper conduct between you and Nancy in the post-office. The young men in the city came forward, and gave certificates against Markham, stating that they believed Markham wilfully and maliciously lied to injure the character of Miss Rigdon, and to help Smith out of his dilemma, and that they could not believe Markham under oath. You will see that Joe wants prodigiously to get around the affair with Nancy, and will try to do it at the expense of her character. Mr. Rigdon has employed a lawyer (Calvin A. Warren, Esq.) To prosecute Markham on his affidavit. Smith sent a letter to be read publicly in the congregation last Sunday, written to General James Arlington Bennet, of Flatbush, stating to him that he was sorry to inform him that they Nauvoo post-office was corrupt; and that he was sorry to inform him that John C. Bennett robbed the post-office, while he was here, of all the moneys and letters addressed to him; and that since you went away, it has been robbed regularly by your confederates, (Mr. Rigdon and myself, I suppose,) but called no names. Frank Higbee (Colonel Francis M. Higbee) has gone to Ohio. He did not intend to contradict you statements, but he know of no prisoner killed; yet he did not say that there were no prisoners ordered to be shot, neither did he say that there was no prisoner or prisoners SHOT, but not killed. Frank is true blue; but, I fear, like some others here, he lacks MORAL COURAGE!! I am writing another article for the Sangamo AMOURS AND ATTEMPTED SEDUCTIONS. 249 Journal, in obedience to the call, and I intend to give them 'JESSE'. Captain John F. Olney has, likewise, written an excellent article as a response to the call. Nancy stands firm in the cause of virtue, and opposes Joe to the last. I am going to try to get Mrs. White to come out with her 'Budget.' Can't she tell a tale on Joe, if she is disposed? You know. Orson Pratt has been EXPELLED!! And Amasa Lyman takes his place, as one of the Apostles, in the Quorum of the Twelve!!! * * * "In haste, "Yours, as ever, "GEORGE W. ROBINSON." The brave Captain Olney has spoken. Hear him. From the Sangamo Journal of September 14, 1842.
"MORE OF JOE SMITH'S VILLANIES! "Editor of the Sangamo Journal: "Dear Sir, -- "I wish to make, through the medium of your paper, a public withdrawal from the Church of Latter Day Saints, as I cannot longer consent to remain a member of said Church while polygamy, lasciviousness, and adultery, are practised [sic] by some of its leaders. That crimes of the deepest dye are tolerated and practised [sic] by them, cannot be doubted. "I have heard the circimstances of Smith's attack upon Miss Rigdon, from the family as well as herself; and knowing her to be a young lady who sustains a good moral character, and also of undoubted veracity, I must place implicit confidence in her statement, the foul insinuations of that miserable little insect, 'The Wasp,' to the contrary notwithstanding. "And having a personal knowledge of Smith's lying at different times in the name of the Lord, I cannot for a moment doubt but he did so in the case above alluded to. Smith is so fearful that his character (which is poorest where best known) is about to take a sudden flight to parts unknown, that he has lately, either by himself on public stand, or by his organ 'The Wasp' attacked the character of every person, who, he thinks, will demur, and proclaim against his conduct, or, which is still worse, REMAIN NEUTRAL, who have been referred to by General Bennett, as witnesses of said Smith's conduct, and been called upon by the public to state what they know about the matter, and who have thus far refrained from taking part with either side. These are they who feel the indignation and wrath of the Prophet Smith, and who suffer in the MORMON community by the foul calumny of these debauchees. "I know that Miss Rigdon has been greatly mortified by being obtruded before the public; nevertheless, it was unavoidable on her part, and if Smith succeeds in extricating himself from the awful dilemma in which he has placed himself, by obtaining her certificate 250 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. to the contrary, then I am much mistaken in the character of Miss Rigdon. It is true that Mr. Ridgon has endeavored to allay the excitement upon this subject, and has evaded a direct answer to the public, as far as he could consistently with truth; but the part which is true he has left untouched. The fact of Smith's wishing to marry Miss Rigdon as a spiritual wife, of his attack upon her virtue, his teachings about his having the blessings of Jacob, &c. &c., as stated in General Bennett's letters, ARE TRUE; and if I am called upon to prove it, I SHALL DO IT, to the satisfaction of the public, and to the chagrin and mortification of Smith and others. The letter published purporting to be from Smith to Miss Rigdon, was not in Smith's hand-writing, but in the hand-writing of Dr. Willard Richards, who officiated not only as scribe, but post boy, for the Prophet, and WHO DID say that he wrote the letter as dictated by Joseph Smith, and said Joseph Smith did say, on a certain occasion, that he did direct said Richards to write a letter to Miss Nancy Rigdon; and I now say I stand ready to prove these allegations by as respectable WITNESSES as can be produced in Hancock county, and if Smith has no other means by which he can extricate himself from this complexio argimenti bicornis, than by endeavoring to blast the characters of the innocent and unoffending, to shield himself from infamy and disgrace, then let him fire his Tormentum Murale -- and be gathered unto his Fathers. "GENERAL GEORGE W. ROBINSON. I have been acquainted with this gentleman upwards of ten years. I have only to say, where he is known, and in the community and circle in which he moves, he is far above the reach of the foul 'Wasp,' and is altogether above reproach. I was present when the transaction took place between this gentleman and H. S. Eldridge, who then and there expressed himself perfectly satisfied, and I presume that feeble effort would never have been made to injure the reputation of General Robinson, if he had not made public his withdrawal from the Church. Said Robinson was formerly Joseph Smith's Secretary, and was General Church Clerk, and Recorder for the Church; and I have heard Smith say that Robinson was the bravest man in the Mormon Band, and that he (Robinson) had not a drop of cowardly blood in his veins, and other eulogiums of the same nature. But alas, how fallen! -- how fallen!! "STEPHEN MARKHAM, who has favored the public with his affidavit,* with apparent design to help Smith out of his delimma __________ *Note by the Editor of the Journal. -- "As our readers are not acquainted with the facts in relation to Markham's affidavit, a few words of explanation seem to be necessary. It is well understood that when any of those ladies who are insulted by Joe, resent his insults, and make an exposure of his baseness, he at once, with his servile tools, attempts to destroy their character. Such was the case in the present instance. Unable to corrupt Miss Rigdon, the miserable man, Markham, was employed to make an affidavit against Miss Rigdon. But so well were the community of Nauvoo satisfied of the unsullied purity of Miss R., and the villany of Markham, that after the publication of Markham's affidavit, the editor of 'The Wasp,' by Joe Smith's directions, was made to say that he (Joe Smith) did not procure for publication the said affidavit of Markham! What a scene of villany is here disclosed! What putrid and corrupt wretches are acting in behalf of Joe Smith to further his infamous designs! AMOURS AND ATTEMPTED SEDUCTIONS. 251 in the extraordinary affair with Miss Rigdon, is a man of little or no reputation, and I could not believe his statement, although made under oath; and Smith it appears in 'The Wasp' of 3d inst., has already become disgusted with this worthy help-meet, and it certainly is a wonder that others of the same character should not share the same fate, for Smith must know they are an injury to his cause. The Mormon Elders are now scattering in every direction through our country, laden with lies to injure the innocent and oppressed. "Very respectfully, &c. "JOHN F. OLNEY. "P. S. Please publish the above, and you may hear from me again soon. My family sickness, as also my own, may be sufficient excuse for the long delay to respond to your call. "J. F. O. "N. B. Since writing the above, I have received several certificates, and many others proffered, to show to the public in what light they may look upon the certificate of Stephen Markham, against the character of Miss Rigdon. You will confer a favor by publishing them to the world, and requesting other periodicals to do the same; for Smith has just sent out about three hundred Elders from Nauvoo, and many others from other places, heavily laden with such certificates, to rebut the statements of General Bennett. I have not entertained the least doubt, but that the certificates of Miss Brotherton, Mrs. Schindle, and many others, are true to the very letter, concerning the conduct of Smith and others. "J. F. O. "Certificate of Colonel Carlos Gove. "NAUVOO, September 3, 1842."'Having been personally acquainted with Miss Nancy Rigdon for some time, I take pleasure in saying to the public, that I verily believe Miss Rigdon a lady who sustains a virtuous, chaste, moral, and upright character, and that she has never given reason for any one whereon to rest a suspicion to the contrary, -- and that the affidavit of Stephen Markham was procured for purposes well know to the public, -- and I also believe said Markham to be a liar, a disturber of the peace, and what may justly be termed a loafer. "'CARLOS GOVE.' "Certificate of Sidney Rigdon, Esq. "NAUVOO, September 3, 1842."'Personally appeared before me, E. Robinson, a Justice of the Peace, within and for the county of Hancock, and State of Illinois, Sidney Rigdon, who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that he 252 HISTORY OF THE SAINTS. is personally acquainted with Stephen Markham, of this city, and that said Markham is not to be believed; that his word for truth and veracity is not good; that he could not believe said Markham under oath, and that he did on a certain occasion testify under oath to that which deponent knows to be false, and he verily believes said Markham knew the same to be false while testifying; and further this deponent saith not. "'SIDNEY RIGDON.' "'SWORN to, this third day of September, A. D. 1842, before me, "'E. ROBINSON , J. P.' "Certificate of General W. Robinson. "NAUVOO, September 3, 1842."'Having been acquainted with Stephen Markham, of the city of Nauvoo, for many years, I can safely say that his character for truth and veracity is not good, and that I could not believe him under oath; and that I am personally knowing to his lying, and that his character in general is that of a loafer, disturber of the peace, liar, &c.; and that he did come into the house of Sidney Rigdon, as stated in his affidavit, and that Dr. Bennett and Miss Rigdon, were present, as well as myself, and that Miss Rigdon was then sick, and Dr. John C. Bennett was the attending physician; and I do further state that no such conversation or gestures as said Markham states, took place or came under my observation; and I do further believe that said Markham did invent, concoct, and put in circulation, said stories with a malicious design and intent to injure the character of Miss Rigdon, and more particularly for the use of the Elders, who are going out preaching to rebut Dr. Bennett's statements; and further this deponent saith not. "'GEORGE W. ROBINSON.' "'SWORN to before me, L. R. Chaffin, a Justice of the Peace, within and for the county of Hancock, and State of Illinois, this ninth day of September, 1842. 'LEWIS R. CHAFFIN , J.P.' "Certificate of Colonel Henry Marks. "'Having been acquainted with Miss Nancy Rigdon for nearly six years, I can say that she is a lady of virtuous, chaste, and upright moral character, and I do not believe she ever gave any occasion for the least suspicion to the contrary; and I do further believe the certificate of Stephen Markham to be false, and given with a malicious design and intent to injure the character of Miss Rigdon unjustly. HENRY MARKS."'LA HARPE, Illinois, September 10, 1842'" AMOURS AND ATTEMPTED SEDUCTIONS. 253
AMOURS AND CRIMINAL CONVERSATION CASES.
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