The Story of the Mormons | Page 4

of
accurate information as concerning that which covers their moves to
Ohio, thence to Missouri, thence to Illinois, and thence to Utah. Their
own excuse for all these moves is covered by the one word
"persecution" (meaning persecution on account of their religious belief),
and so little has the non-Mormon world known about the subject that
this explanation has scarcely been challenged. Much space is given to
these early migrations, as in this way alone can a knowledge be
acquired of the real character of the constituency built up by Smith in
Ohio, and led by him from place to place until his death, and then to
Utah by Brigham Young.
Any study of the aims and objects of the Mormon leaders must rest on
the Mormon Bible ("Book of Mormon") and on the "Doctrine and
Covenants," the latter consisting principally of the "revelations" which
directed the organization of the church and its secular movements. In
these alone are spread out the original purpose of the migration to
Missouri and the instructions of Smith to his followers regarding their
assumed rights to the territory they were to occupy; and without a
knowledge of these "revelations" no fair judgment can be formed of the
justness of the objections of the people of Missouri and Illinois to their
new neighbors. If the fraudulent character of the alleged revelation to
Smith of golden plates can be established, the foundation of the whole
church scheme crumbles. If Rigdon's connection with Smith in the
preparation of the Bible by the use of the "Spaulding manuscript" can
be proved, the fraud itself is established. Considerable of the evidence
on this point herein brought together is presented at least in new shape,

and an adequate sketch of Sidney Rigdon is given for the first time. The
probable service of Joachim's "Everlasting Gospel," as suggesting the
story of the revelation of the plates, has been hitherto overlooked.
A few words with regard to some of the sources of information quoted:
"Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith and his Progenitors for Many
Generations" ("Mother Smith's History," as this book has been
generally called) was first published in 1853 by the Mormon press in
Liverpool, with a preface by Orson Pratt recommending it; and the
Millennial Star (Vol. XV, p. 682) said of it: "Being written by Lucy
Smith, the mother of the Prophet, and mostly under his inspiration, will
be ample guarantee for the authenticity of the narrative.... Altogether
the work is one of the most interesting that has appeared in this latter
dispensation." Brigham Young, however, saw how many of its
statements told against the church, and in a letter to the Millennial Star
(Vol. XVII, p. 298), dated January 31, 1858, he declared that it
contained "many mistakes," and said that "should it ever be deemed
best to publish these sketches, it will not be done until after they are
carefully corrected." The preface to the edition of 1890, published by
the Reorganized Church at Plano, Illinois, says that Young ordered the
suppression of the first edition, and that "under this order large numbers
were destroyed, few being preserved, some of which fell into the hands
of those now with the Reorganized Church. For this destruction we see
no adequate reason. "James J. Strang, in a note to his pamphlet,
"Prophetic Controversy," says that Mrs. Corey (to whom the pamphlet
is addressed) "wrote the history of the Smiths called 'Mother Smith's
History.'" Mrs. Smith was herself quite incapable of putting her
recollections into literary shape.
The autobiography of Joseph Smith, Jr., under the title "History of
Joseph Smith," began as a supplement to Volume XIV of the Millennial
Star, and ran through successive volumes to Volume XXIV. The matter
in the supplement and in the earlier numbers was revised and largely
written by Rigdon. The preparation of the work began after he and
Smith settled in Nauvoo, Illinois. In his last years Smith rid himself
almost entirely of Rigdon's counsel, and the part of the autobiography
then written takes the form of a diary which unmasks Smith's character
as no one else could do. Most of the correspondence and official
documents relating to the troubles in Missouri and Illinois are

incorporated in this work.
Of the greatest value to the historian are the volumes of the Mormon
publications issued at Kirtland, Ohio; Independence, Missouri; Nauvoo,
Illinois; and Liverpool, England. The first of these, Evening and
Morning Star (a monthly, twenty-four numbers), started at
Independence and transferred to Kirtland, covers the period from June,
1832, to September, 1834; its successor, the Latter Day Saints'
Messenger and Advocate, was issued at Kirtland from 1834 to 1837.
This was followed by the Elders' journal, which was transferred from
Kirtland to Far West, Missouri, and was discontinued when the Saints
were compelled to leave