The Story of the Mormons | Page 6

to this collection, places within the
reach of the student all the material that is necessary for the formation
of the fairest judgment on the subject.
W. A. L. HACKENSACK, N. J., 1901.
CONTENTS
BOOK I. THE MORMON ORIGIN

CHAPTER I.
FACILITY OF HUMAN BELIEF: The Real Miracle of Mormon
Success--Effrontery of the Leaders' Professions--Attractiveness of
Religious Beliefs to Man--Wherein the World does not make
Progress--The Anglo-Saxon Appetite for Religious Novelties

CHAPTER II.
THE SMITH FAMILY: Solomon Mack and his Autobiography
--Religious Characteristics of the Prophet's Mother--The Family Life in
Vermont--Early Occupations in New York State--Pictures of the
Prophet as a Youth--Recollections of the Smiths by their New York
Neighbors

CHAPTER III.
HOW JOSEPH SMITH BECAME A MONEY-DIGGER: His Use of a
Divining Rod--His First Introduction to Crystal-gazing--Peeping after
Hidden Treasure--How Joseph obtained his own "Peek-stone"--
Methods of Midnight Money-digging

CHAPTER IV.
FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE GOLDEN BIBLE: Variations in
the Early Descriptions--Joseph's Acquaintance with the Hales--His
Elopement and Marriage--What he told a Neighbor about the Origin of
his Bible Discovery--Early Anecdotes about the Book

CHAPTER V.
THE DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS OF THE REVELATION OF THE
BIBLE: The Versions about the Spanish Guardian--Important
Statement by the Prophet's Father--The Later Account in the Prophet's
Autobiography--The Angel Visitor and the Acquisition of the
Plates--Mother Smith's Version

CHAPTER VI.
TRANSLATION AND PUBLICATION OF THE BIBLE: Martin
Harris's Connection with the Work--Smith's Removal to Pennsylvania
--How the Translation was carried on--Harris's Visit to Professor
Anthon--The Professor's Account of his Visit--The Lost Pages--The
Prophet's Predicament and his Method of Escape--Oliver Cowdery as
an Assistant Translator--Introduction of the Whitmers--The Printing
and Proof--reading of the New Bible--Recollections of Survivors

CHAPTER VII.
THE SPAULDING MANUSCRIPT: Solomon Spaulding's
Career--History of "The Manuscript Found"--Statements by Members
of the Author's Family--Testimony of Spaulding's Ohio Neighbors
about the Resemblance of his Story to the Book of Mormon--The
Manuscript found in the Sandwich Islands

CHAPTER VIII.
SIDNEY RIGDON: His Biography--Connection with the

Campbells--Efficient Church Work in Ohio--His Jealousy of his
Church Leaders--Disciples' Beliefs and Mormon Doctrines--
Intimations about a New Bible--Rigdon's First Connection with
Smith--The Rigdon-Smith Translation of the Scriptures--Rigdon's
Conversion to Mormonism

CHAPTER IX.
"THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL": Probable Origin of the Idea of a
Bible on Plates--Cyril's Gift from an Angel and Joachim's Use of
it--Where Rigdon could have obtained the Idea Prominence of the
"Everlasting Gospel" in Mormon Writings

CHAPTER X.
THE WITNESSES TO THE PLATES: Text of the Two
"Testimonies"--The Prophet's Explanation of the First--Early
Reputation and Subsequent History of the Signers--The Truth about the
Kinderhook Plates and Rafinesque's Glyphs

CHAPTER XI.
THE MORMON BIBLE: Some of its Errors and
Absurdities--Facsimile of the First Edition Title-page--The Historical
Narrative of the Book--Its Lack of Literary Style--Appropriated

Chapters
of the Scriptures--Specimen Anachronisms

CHAPTER XII.
ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH: Smith's Ordination by John the
Baptist--The First Baptisms--Early Branches of the Church--The
Revelation about Church Officers--Cowdery's Ambition and How it
was Repressed--Smith's Title as Seer, Translator, and Prophet--His
Arrest and Release--Arrival of Parley P. Platt and Rigdon in
Palmyra--The Command to remove to Ohio

CHAPTER XIII.
THE MORMONS' BELIEFS AND DOCTRINES--CHURCH
GOVERNMENT: Long Years of Apostasy--Origin of the Name
"Mormon" --Original Titles of the Church--Belief in a Speedy
Millennium-- The Future Possession of the Earth--Smith's Revelations
and how they were obtained--The First Published Editions--Counterfeit
Revealers--What is Taught of God--Brigham Young's Adam Sermon--
Baptism for the Dead--The Church Officers
BOOK II. IN OHIO

CHAPTER I.
THE FIRST CONVERTS AT KIRTLAND: Original Missionaries sent
out to the Lamanites--Organization of a Church in Ohio-- Effect of
Rigdon's Conversion--General Interest in the New Bible and
Prophet--How Men of Education came to believe in Mormonism--
Result of the Upturning of Religious Belief

CHAPTER II.
WILD VAGARIES OF THE CONVERTS: Convulsions and
Commissions--Common Religious Excitements of those Days--
Description of the "Jerks"--Smith's Repressing Influence

CHAPTER III.
GROWTH OF THE CHURCH: The Appointment of Elders--
Beginning of the Proselyting System--Smith's Power Entrenched-- His
Temporal Provision--Repression of Rigdon--The Tarring and
Feathering of Smith and Rigdon--Treatment of the Mormons and of
Other New Denominations compared--Rigdon's Punishment

CHAPTER IV.

GIFTS OF TONGUES AND MIRACLES: How Persons "Spoke in
Tongues"--Seeing the Lord Face to Face--Early Use of Miracles-- The
Story of the "Book of Abraham"--The Prophet as a Translator of Greek
and Egyptian.

CHAPTER V.
SMITH'S OHIO BUSINESS ENTERPRISES: Young's Picture of the
Prophet's Experience as a Retail Merchant--The Land
Speculation--Laying out of the City--Building of the Temple--
Consecration of Property--How the Leaders looked out for
themselves--Amusing Explanation of Section III of the "Doctrine and
Covenants"--The Story of the Kirtland Bank--The Church View of its
Responsibility for the Currency--The Business Crash and Smith's Flight
to Missouri

CHAPTER VI.
LAST DAYS AT KIRTLAND: Pictures of the Prophet-- Accusations
against Church Leaders in Missouri--Serious Charge against the
Prophet--W. W, Phelps's Rebellion--Smith's Description of Leading
Lights