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
Spaulding commenced his writing about 1809, changing his plans while
still at Conneaut, that is, prior to 1812, [23] at which later date the
rewritten story of "The Manuscript Found" was still incomplete. [24]
In 1812 Spaulding borrowed some money with which to go to Pittsburg,
hoping there to get his novel published and thus make it possible
for him to pay his debts. [25] In Pittsburg Spaulding submitted his
manuscript to one Robert Patterson, then engaged in the publishing
business. [26] The exact date is not known but it is probable almost to
certainty that Spaulding would do this immediately upon his arrival
in Pittsburg in 1812, since that was one of his definite purposes in
going there. Spaulding's widow is reported as saying: "At length the
manuscript was returned to the author, and soon after we removed to
Amity, Washington County, Pa." [27] The return of the manuscript before
1814, the date of the removal to Amity, is made additionally certain
by the testimony of Redick McKee [28] and Joseph Miller. [29] This
additional evidence, especially that of the latter, makes it plain that
Spaulding had his rewritten manuscript at Amity, thus demonstrating its
return to Spaulding before the latter's removal from Pittsburg. The
evidences of identity between the manuscript testified about as being
at Amity, and Spaulding's rewritten story, leave no doubt. The review
of this evidence of identity will be postponed until we come to review
the other evidences of identity between "The Manuscript Found" and the
Book of Mormon.
[Footnote 23: Howe's "Mormonism Unveiled," 288.]
[Footnote 24: Howe's "Mormonism Unveiled," 283.]
[Footnote 25: Howe's "Mormonism Unveiled," 282-3.]
[Footnote 26: "New Light on Mormonism," 16-17; "History of the
Mormons," 43; "Who Wrote the Book of Mormon?" 7.]
[Footnote 27: "Gleanings by the Way," 252; "Mormons' Own Book," 29;
"Prophet of Palmyra," 419; "History of the Mormons," 43.]
[Footnote 28: Washington (Pa.) _Reporter_ of April 21, 1869; "Who Wrote
the Book of Mormon?" 6.]
It is said that Patterson returned the manuscript to Spaulding with
the advice to "polish it up, finish it, and you will make money out
of it." [30] On behalf of Patterson it has been said that he directed
its return unless the author would furnish ample security to guarantee
the expense of publishing, which we can readily believe to have been
impossible to the impecunious Spaulding. [31]
[Footnote 30: "New Light on Mormonism," 238; _Magazine American
History,_ June, 1882; _Scribner's Monthly,_ August, 1880; "Prophet of
Palmyra," 423.]
[Footnote 31: "Mormonism Exposed," by Williams, 16; "Prophet of
Palmyra," 455; "The Spaulding Story Examined and Exposed," by John E.
Page, 7.]
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