and proving by the prophets that Mormonism was true, as he imagined. He then returned to Kirtland, Ohio, being followed in a few days after by the prophet and his connections. This being the "promised land," in it their long cherished hopes and anticipations of "living without work" were to be realized. Thus, from almost a state of beggary, the family of Smiths were immediately well furnished with the "fat of the land" by their fanatical followers, many of whom were wealthy.

CHAPTER IX.

On the return of Rigdon, many of his old friends called upon him to enquire about his new faith. The particulars of one of these interviews, we have on record by an eyewitness, which we shall give in his own words, with his remarks thereon:

"Feb. 1, 1831.—Mr. Rigdon just returned from the state of New York. His irascible temper only left him for a little season. Two friends went from Mentor to see himrequired of him a reason for his present hope, and for his belief in the Book of Mormon. He declined; saying he was weary, having just come off his journey, had lost much sleep, and the like. After a number of words had passed, by way of solicitation on one side, and refusal on the other, one of the friends from Mentor said he thought there was no more evidence to confirm the Book of Mormon, than the Koran of Mahomet. At this, Mr. R. seemed very angry, rose up and said, "Sir, you have insulted me in my own

house-I command silence-if people come to see us and cannot treat us with civility, they may walk out of the door as soon as they please." The person then made some apol ogy. Mr. R. said he had borne every thing; he had been insulted and trampled upon, by old and young, and he would hear it no longer. The two friends then departed. Two days after, I accompanied several friends to Mr. R.'s resi dence, and found him in conversation with a Methodist elder. That being soon broken off, one of my friends modestly approached Mr. R. and solicited him to give some reason for his present faith. Mr. R., with great show of good nature, commenced a lang detail of his researches after the character of Joseph Smith, he declared that even his enemies had nothing to say against his character; he had brought a transcript from the dockets of two magistrates, where Smith had been tried as a disturber of the peace, which testified that he was honorably acquitted. But this was no evidence to us that the Book of Mormon was divine. He then spoke of the supernatural gifts with which he said. Smith was endowed; he said he could translate the scriptures from any language in which they were now extant, and could lay his finger upon every interpolation in the sacred writings, adding that he had proven him in all these things. But my friend knowing that Mr. Rigdon had no knowledge of any language but his own vernacular tongue, asked him how he knew these things, to which Mr. R. made no direct reply.

"Mr. Smith arrived at Kirtland the next day, and being examined concerning his supernatural gifts, by a scholar, who was capable of testing his knowledge, he confessed he knew nothing of any language, save the king's English.

"Mr. R. asserted that our revelation came to us upon testimony-this we denied, and gave him reasons, which he himself formerly urged against deists, He then said the

old revelations were confirmed by miracles, but the Book of Mormon would not be; it was not designed to be thus confirmed. (And Mahomet said, nearly twelve centuries ago, "Moses and Jesus were empowered to work miracles, yet the people did not receive them, wherefore, God had sent him without that attestation, to be the last and greatest prophet.') But in this Mr. R. contradicted his book, for that declares it is to be thus established.

"We then asked Mr. R. what object we could have, in receiving the Book of Mormon-whether it enjoined a single virtue that the Bible did not, or whether it mentioned or prohibited a single additional vice, or whether it exhibited a new attribute of Deity? He said it did not. The Book of Mormon, (said he) is to form and govern the Millennial Church; the old revelation was never calculated for that, nor would it accomplish that object; and without receiving the Book of Mormon there is no salvation for any one into whose hands it shall come.' He said faith in the Book of Mormon was only to be obtained by asking the Lord concerning it. To this, scriptural objections were made. He then said, if we have not familiarity enough with our Creator to ask of him a sign, we were no Christians; and that, if God would not condescend to his creatures, in this way, he was no better than Jugernaut !!!

"Thus I have given a simple statement of facts. They proclaim the ancient gospel, putting their own appendages to it. When they think it will best suit their purpose, they say nothing about the Book of Mormon, and at other times make it their chief topic. Mr. R. said it was no part of his religion to defend the Book of Mormon, he merely wished the people to give heed to the old revelation. Again, there is no salvation without believing the Book of Mormon.Mr. R. now blames Cowdery for attempting to work miracles, and said it was not intended to be confirmed in that

way. How then are we to obtain fatih? Dees the book offer any internal evidence of its divinity: It contains nothing but what might have been, and evidently was, borrowed from the sacred writings and from the history of the world. Was it so with the revelation that was from the beginning? Far otherwise. Respecting Smith and his followers, do they give any proof of their honesty? They can give none but their own assertions. They have no sacrifice to make-no loss of fortune or reputation to sustain. They are in a land of liberty-very different were the circumstances of those who first promulgated the faith "once delivered to the saints.". They had to forsake their friends and relations-leave their possessions, and forfeit their reputation. Twelve apostles sealed their testimony with their blood. So, whether their religion was true or false, they proved their honesty. But Mormonism is to bet proved, from beginning to end, by assertions, and this we have in whole numbers. But we know that they cannot more roundly and positively assert, than hundreds of im-. postures who have gone before them."

From this point in the history of this delusion, it began to spread with considerable rapidity. Nearly all of their male converts, however ignorant and worthless, were forthwith transformed into "Elders," and sent forth to proclaim, with all their wild enthusiasm, the wonders and mysteries of Mormonism. All those having a taste for the marvelous, and delighting in novelties, flocked to hear them.Many traveled fifty and an hundred miles to the throne of the prophet, in Kirtland, to hear from his own mouth the certainty of his excavating a bible and spectacles.Many, even in the New England States, after hearing the frantic story of some of these "elders," would forthwith place their all into a waggon, and wend their way to the "promised land," in order, as they supposed, to escape the

judgments of Heaven, which were soon to be poured out upon the land. The State of New York, they were privately told, would most probably be sunk, unless the people thereof believed in the pretensions of Smith.

On the arrival of Smith in Kirtland, he appeared astonished at the wild enthusiasm and scalping performances, of his proselytes there, as heretofore related. He told them that he had enquired of the Lord concerning the matter, and had been informed that it was all the work of the Devil. The disturbances, therefore, ceased. Thus we see that the devil, for the time being, held full sway in making converts to Mormonism. We must here stop to introduce another document, which belongs to this history. Soon after the return of Rigdon to Kirtland, in some of his eloquent harangues on the subject of his new faith, he gave a challenge to the world to disprove the new Bible, and the pretensions of its authors. Elder THOMAS CAMPBell, of Va. being in the neighborhood, addressed him the following Letter:

Mr. Sidney Rigdon:

MENTOR, February 4, 1831.

Dear Sir-It may seem strange, that instead of a confidential and friendly visit, after so long an absence, I should thus address, by letter, one of whom, for many years, I have considered not only as a courteous and benevolent friend, but as a beloved brother and fellow laborer in the gospel-but alas! how changed, how fallen! Nevertheless, I should now have visited you as formerly, could I conceive that my so doing would answer the important purpose both to ourselves, and to the public, to which we both stand pledged, from the conspicuous and important stations we occupy:-you, as a professed disciple and public teacher of the infernal book of Mormon; and I, as a professed disciple and public teacher of the supernal book of the Old