“More About the Mormon Bible.” Alton Telegraph (Alton, Illin
“More About the Mormon Bible.” Alton Telegraph (Alton, Illinois) 4, no. 23 (1 June
1839).
MORE ABOUT THE MORMON BIBLE.
We inserted in our last number a communication from Mrs. MATILDA DAVISON to
the Editor of the Boston Recorder, the object of which was to show, by a statement of
certain facts, attested by herself and a few other persons, that the principal part of the
celebrated “Book of Mormon,” or “Golden Bible,” was originally written by her first
husband, the late Rev. SOLOMON SPALDING, about twenty-six years ago, when compelled
by indisposition to suspend his labors as a preacher of the gospel; and that, consequently,
its claim to be a direct revelation from Heaven is a gross imposture. A subscriber has
since put into our hands a copy of the New York Evangelist of February 16, containing an
extract from a work entitled “Mormonism Unveiled,” recently published by G. D. HOWE,
of Painesville, Ohio, which strongly corroborates Mrs. DAVISON’S statement.—JOHN
SPALDING, the deceased Clergyman’s brother, and MARTHA his wife, of Crawford
county, Pa.; JOHN N. MILLER, of Springfield, Pa.; HENRY LAKE, AARON WRIGHT, and
OLIVER SMITH, of Conneaut, Ohio; severally declare that, having examined the “Book of
Mormon,” they are persuaded that the historical parts of it are taken chiefly, if not wholly,
from the “Manuscript Found,” of the late Rev. Mr. SPALDING, as read to them by the
latter in his life-time; and that the names of the principal persons mentioned in the said
work, as well as the most striking incidents recorded therein, have been brought fresh to
their recollection by the perusal of the “Golden Bible.”—We should have copied the
entire extract, had not the space allotted to such matters been otherwise appropriated
before it was pointed out to us.