Latter Day Saints; United States -- Description and travel
Mrs. Martha Spalding's testimony is very similar. She says, "I was
personally acquainted with Solomon Spalding, about twenty years ago. I was
at his house a short time before he left Conneaut; he was then writing a
historical novel founded upon the first settlers of America. He represented
them as an enlightened and warlike people. He had for many years contended
that the aborigines of America were the descendants of some of the lost
tribes of Israel, and this idea he carried out in the book in question. The
lapse of time which has intervened, prevents my recollecting but few of the
leading incidents of his writings; but the names of Nephi and Lehi are yet
fresh in my memory, as being the principal heroes of his tale. They were
officers of the company which first came off from Jerusalem. He gave a
particular account of their journey by land and sea, till they arrived in
America, after which, disputes arose between the chiefs, which caused them
to separate into different lands, one of which was called Lamanites and the
other Nephites. Between these were recounted tremendous battles, which
frequently covered the ground with the slain; and their being buried in
large heaps was the cause of the numerous mounds in the country. Some of
these people he represented as being very large. I have read the Book of
Mormon, which has brought fresh to my recollection the writings of Solomon
Spalding; and I have no manner of doubt that the historical part of it, is
the same that I read and heard read, more than twenty years ago."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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