Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 beta 3/9/83; site beesvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!harpo!utah-cs!beesvax!dennis From: dennis@beesvax.UUCP Newsgroups: net.religion Subject: Re: The case against the Book of Mormon Message-ID: <149@beesvax.UUCP> Date: Thu, 4-Aug-83 09:28:08 EDT Article-I.D.: beesvax.149 Posted: Thu Aug 4 09:28:08 1983 Date-Received: Fri, 5-Aug-83 22:34:10 EDT Organization: Beehive International, SLC, UT Lines: 91 I don't wish to argue, but simply present the facts concerning the Prophet Joseph Smith and his character. Imagine you are walking thru a park and you come upon a group of people gathered around a pompus looking man in a plaid suit. As you get closer you hear what the man is saying. Says he: "These Smiths while living in Palmyra and Manchester are said to have been lazy, shiftless, intemperate, and untruthful. They opened a shop in Palmyra where they sold cakes, pies, root beer, and the like; and that on public occasions, such as the 4th of July, militia training days, and election days, the elder Smith would load a rude hand cart, made by himself, with these wares and SALLY FORTH (!) to find such patronage as might come to hand. They have been dishonest and guilty of stealing from their neighbors!" (At this point, the ladies gasp and the men mumble and nod their heads at each other.) This scenario was first espoused by an author named Pomeroy Tucker in his book "Origin, Rise and Progress of Mormonism". The basis for his argument were the affidavits mentioned by Mr. White that were gathered from some eighty neihbors of the Smith family. Lets consider the origins if these so-called affidavits. In June of 1833 a "Dr." Philastus Hurlburt was expelled from the "Mormon" church for immoral conduct. About a year later, this same Hurlburt was arrested and jailed because he threatened to kill Joseph Smith. Before his arrest, he was asked by a group of anti-"Mormons" to go to Palmyra, N.Y. and Harmony, PA. and gather all he could about the Smith family. These affidavits where the result. A number of authors (non-mormon) have discredited these affidavits. Riley, author of "Founder of Mormonism" says: "No reliance is to be placed in the mulitiple affidavits of jealous neighbors, . . people in those days had the affidavit habit." Another non-mormon author said: Some portion of this may have been dictacted by envy, malice or that form of righteousness which controls men at times when their neighbors have been more successful than themselves." Even Hurlburt discredits himself because of his extreme hatred of the church and Joseph Smith. How objective could he possibly be in gaining these affidavits? But the ulimate comes from Tucker himself in his book when he says that the Smith family "secured a scanty but honest living" and on the very next page accuses them of being thieves and dishonest. I believe this says something obvious about their credibility. Concerning the trial of N.Y. vs Joseph Smith there were actually two. The first trial came about when the Prohpet was accused by some local ministers of "disorderly conduct and preaching the Book of Mormon, and setting the country in an uproar." The charges were totally dismissed by the judge (Joseph Chamberlain J.P.) but other irrelevent charges sprang forth. These included using prophetic gifts (magic stones, etc.) for material gain. A Josiah Stoal was put on the stand concerning the purchase of a horse. The transcript is as follows: "Did not he [Joseph Smith] go to you an tell you that an angel had appeared unto him and authorized him to get the horse from you?" "NO, HE TOLD ME NO SUCH STORY." "Well, how had he the horse of you?" "HE BOUGHT HIM OF ME AS ANY OTHER MAN WOULD." "Have you had your pay?" "I HOLD HIS NOTE FOR THE PRICE OF THE HORSE, WHICH I CONSIDER AS GOOD AS THE PAY; FOR I KNOW HIM TO BE AN HONEST MAN." The judge dimissed the fabricated charges and the Prophet was set free. No sooner did this happen when he was arrested again by an officer from Coleville about 15 miles away. The charges were "being possesed of an evil spirit" (witch trials?) and "money digging". He was again brought to trial (#2) where he was found "NOT GUILTY" (!!). Walter R. Martin in his book "The Kingdom of the Cults" was in total error. Demosthenes, in his oration on "The Duties of the State", said: "It can never be that your spirit is generous and noble while you are engaged in petty, mean employments; no more than you can be abject and meanspirited while your actions are honorable and glorious. Whatever be the pursuits of men, their sentiments must necessarily be similar." If you were "lazy, shifless, and untruthful" could you endure more that 30 years of torment, trials on trumpted up charges, tar and featherings, beatings, and every other inhumanity man can inflict on another man including death? Because of time constraints (gotta go to work) I won't get into the incredibly ridiculous charges on Book of Mormon falsehoods. Besides, Russ (dadla-a!russ) can better do that since he has obviously studied it in great depth. I will simply say, to close, that before you accept a lot of half-baked falsehoods about the Prophet or his family, get the whole story and keep an open mind. Don't get into it with a lot of pre-conceived notions that it is going to be true or false before you begin. You won't get anywhere. >From the worked-over keyboard of Dennis McCurdy =============================================== (..beesvax!dennis)