Defense of the Faith and the Saints (Volume 2 of 2)Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Religion
Defense of the Faith and the Saints (Volume 2 of 2)
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Latter Day Saint churches
Third, Mr. Schroeder knows that the other theories by which an effort
is made to connect the Spaulding manuscript with Joseph Smith and the
consequent plagiarism of the Book of Mormon from it are untenable.
That is, he knows that the theory that Rigdon copied the Spaulding
manuscript while it was at Patterson-Lambdin's printing office,
the original being returned to Spaulding, cannot be established
by evidence. He knows equally well that the theory that Spaulding
himself made a copy of his story for the publisher while keeping the
duplicate at home to be cared for by his family, cannot be successfully
maintained. This copying a manuscript that makes a book of 600 pages,
of more than 500 words to the page (see first edition of Book of
Mormon), is not so easy a task, and the time necessary to such an
achievement, by either of these men, make the theories impossible.
Fourth, Mr. Schroeder also knows that the theory that Joseph Smith
himself stole the Spaulding manuscript from the house of Win. H. Sabine
of Onondaga Valley, in 1823, at which time it is alleged that Joseph
Smith worked for Mr. Sabine, cannot be established by evidence.
Fifth, Mr. Schroeder knows that the theory that Joseph Smith copied
the Spaulding manuscript while at Sabine's is not only incapable of
being established by evidence, but would be ridiculous, even if it
could be proven beyond reasonable doubt that Joseph Smith ever worked
for Sabine, in 1823, or at any other time, both on account of his
age, then eighteen, certainly unschooled, and by some said not to be
able then to write at all. [98] Yet this man working as a teamster
(for so it is said) copies a manuscript which afterwards makes a book
of six hundred pages of five hundred words to the page! No wonder
that Mr. Schroeder discredits this theory. With all these theories
discarded, however, what remains for Spaulding theorists? Nothing but
to charge the theft of Spaulding's manuscript to Sidney Rigdon, and to
stick to it. To do this, however, they must follow Mr. Schroeder in
discrediting the Davidson statement; and declare the incompetency of
the McKinstry affidavit, for reasons already considered. This destroys
for the Spaulding theorists what some regard as the two most valuable
documents, (contemptible as they are) on which the theory stands.
[Footnote 98: Mrs. Horace Eaton of Palmyra, "Hand Book of Mormonism."]
III.
THE CONNECTION OF SIDNEY RIGDON WITH THE SPAULDING MANUSCRIPT.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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