CHAPTER XIV.

The Josephites-Epitome of the faith and doctrines of the reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints--David Whitmer -The debate at Kirtland, Ohio, in 1884, concerning the "Book of Mormon The revelation on celestial marriage, given to Joseph Smith in 1843.

THE branch of Mormons calling themselves" Josephites" and "Latter-Day Saints of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ" number twenty thousand at the present time. Their spiritual leader is Joseph Smith, Jr. He is the son of Joseph Smith, the first Mormon prophet, and Emma," the elect." Until within two years he has resided at Plano, Ill., but has removed to Laomi, Decatur Co., Iowa, where he edits two journals in the interests of his followers, called respectively Zion's Hope and Saints' Herald. He is a man of ability, is well educated, and a law-abiding citizen, as the Josephites are generally considered to be in their residence in several States of the Union, principally in Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois, but scattered throughout New England and the Middle States. When Brigham Young led the great body of Mormons to Utah, a few remained in the neighborhood of Nauvoo, and others, and in greater numbers, in Iowa. These were disaffected spirits, who would not yield to the rule of Brigham, and who naturally clustered about the young Joseph as the successor to the Prophet. The distinction between the Utah Mormons and the Josephites is, that the latter profess to be bitterly opposed to polygamy. In other particulars their creed

bears a remarkable resemblance to that of the Mormons, although the Josephites contend that the Utah Mormons have departed from the original faith, and no longer live in agreement to its doctrines; that they are treasonable to the government, full of wiles and treachery, and a stain and blot on the history of our country. Brigham Young was the very consummation of evil, in their estimation, and his followers in office not a whit better. There is, in short, a deadly enmity between the Saints of Zion and the Josephites; yet both profess to believe the "Book of Mormon" divine, and that Joseph was " called of God to do the work, however he may have been led away in his latter years." This "led away" is a convenient expression to cover a multitude of sins in the Prophet's career toward its close. Joseph was fond of Emma, but his affections wandered to younger and fairer saints during the residence of the Mormons in Ohio, and he there began to talk of "celestial marriage," to the surprise, and, it is affirmed, "horror" of some of the brethren. His "revelation" on this subject, he said, was given to him at Nauvoo, July 12th, 1843. The Prophet's sons and his legal wife, Emma, have declared since his death that polygamy is a stain put upon his memory by Brigham Young and his followers.

Some attempts have been made (according to the written observations of several chroniclers of Mormonism) to heal the breach between the Utah Saints and the Josephites, which have only ended in a more open and active enmity on the part of either. Elder Smith attends the conferences, which are held quarterly or annually at some one of the appointed colonies of Josephites, where his preaching inspires his adherents, and makes new converts of those who gather through curiosity to see the show. The next great conference will be at Indepen

dence, Mo., beginning the 6th of April, 1885. Independence is closely connected with the early history of Mormonism. Josephite conferences have been held in Boston (where the Saints have had a place of worship for twelve or fourteen years), sometimes at Providence, Rhode Island, and at Dennisport, Cape Cod, where they have a flourishing colony.

David Whitmer, one of the original "witnesses," is still living at Richmond, Mo. He was asked not long ago if his testimony was the same now as it was originally published, regarding "the plates and the angel" alluding to the golden plates and the angel Moroni, at the time "the word" was given to Joseph. "He rose to his feet, stretched out his hands, and said : 'These handled the plates, these eyes saw the angel, these ears heard the voice-I know it was of God," " wrote one of the inquirers.

Whitmer has what he calls the original translation of the golden plates in manuscript. The Josephites state that the Utah Mormons sent a delegation, headed by Orley Pratt, to purchase it; and that when Whitmer declined to part with it Pratt reminded him of his poverty and the large sum he was willing, as a representative of his church, to pay for this coveted possession, and that he replied: "You have not money enough in Utah to purchase it. One of the most notable events among the Josephites was the recent debate at Kirtland, Ohio, concerning the "Book of Mormon." It lasted ten or twelve days. The discussion was carried on between Elder E. L. Kelly, of Kirtland, and Clark Braden, a Campbellite preacher of Minnesota, who has since published his arguments against the verity of the book. Mr. Kelly has also had his points of defence printed for circulation among the Josephites. The debate was an ex

haustive one, apparently, every published article of the slightest importance on the subject being brought under the examination of the two men, both of whom are considered exceptionally intelligent. Whatever the present result of this controversy may be, its ultimate influence may lead to a still more serious inquiry into the Mormon delusion.

In the January number of a small monthly published at Laomi, Iowa, there is an editorial to prove that Joseph, the Seer, predicted that if Brigham Young ever became the head of the church, he "would lead it to hell." There is also a letter in the same number, which is interesting in connection with the evidence that Smith was a polygamist, as follows:

"MRS. MARY RALPH, being duly sworn, deposes and says: Ilived in Nauvoo, Illinois, close to the house of Joseph Smith, just across the road, some time. I also was present at a public meeting, and heard the Prophet Joseph Smith say while preaching, ‘Here is Brother Brigham; if he ever leads this church, he will lead it to hell;' and I believe he was a true prophet of God. I was well acquainted with the two Partridge girls and the two Walker girls and their two brothers, William and Lorin Walker; they were orphans, and all lived in the family of Joseph Smith; but I never knew they were any of them his wives; but I saw Susy Walker in 1847, and she had a young baby in her arms; she told me she had been sealed to Joseph for eternity and to Heber C. Kimball for time, and Brother Heber was acting proxy for Brother Joseph. Dianthy Farr, daughter of Aaron Farr, told me she was sealed in the same way, and William Clayton was acting proxy for Brother Joseph with her. The first I ever heard of the proxy and sealing business was in 1846. Bathsheba Smith, wife of George A., told me of it then.

"MARY RALPH.

"Sworn to before me, this 31st day of December, 1883, W. J. Curtis, Notary Public in and for San Bernardino County, State of California."

An article in the same paper, headed "Constitutional Law," is by "President Joseph Smith." After giving an extract from the editorial columns of the Deseret News of December 5th, 1884, he makes the following comments:

THE PERSECUTIONS IN ARIZONA.

"Another conviction has been obtained in Howard's Court in Arizona, for polygamy. Peter J. Christofferson is the victim. The evidence, it is stated, was as incomplete as in the case of Mr. Tenney. A despatch to the San Francisco Chronicle says: The Mormons threaten vengeance against the court.' That, of course, is a falsehood. The Prescott press despatcher has taken a leaf out of his Salt Lake confrère's book. The Mormons' will naturally feel indignant at the course pursued, in committing without bail, pending an appeal, prisoners who have been convicted on hearsay. But they will neither threaten nor injure the court.

"Submission to the law is and has been one of the characteristics of the Latter-Day Saints, and they have not changed their principles nor their policy by moving over the line into another territory. Their non-obedience to the anti-polygamy enactments is well known to spring from their belief in the invalidity of those statutes, and it is acknowledged that with those exceptions the Mormons' are exemplary in their submission to the laws of the land.

"Whatever opposition may proceed from our friends in Arizona to the verdicts of juries and the rulings of courts, no matter how unjust and arbitrary they may be, will be taken on legal grounds and pursued by lawful measures. Such proceedings as have been inaugurated may give temporary comfort to bigots, but patience is a 'Mormon' virtue, and the end is not yet.""

He says there are three points in the foregoing editorial worth a notice: 1, persecution in Arizona; 2, constitutional law; 3, submission to law. With an elaborate argument on these points, he adds:

"The church from 1830 to 1844 was law-abiding. Its utterances in theory, principle, dogma, faith, and practice were in keeping with the teaching of the Constitution. It was the claim of the elders that the discovery of America was foreseen and provided for by God, as