1843-09-02-New York Tribune-Messrs Editors
Messrs Editors
Source: New York Tribune, 2 September 1843, page 3
MESSRS. EDITORS:�Having seen an advertisement in the parer, inviting the people to go and hear a Mormon, peaching at Columbian Hall, last Sabbath, I attended, and after service they asked the people to purchase their books. I then went up to their six Apostles and told them I wished to purchase their Book of Doctrine and Covenants, but they gave one of their old excuses, which had been given for several years past, that they had not any left, but were going to print some. And yet they tell the people it is not kept as a secret book, and they can have it when they want it by paying for it; and as I want to purchase one to replace an old, torn, worn and loose one that I borrowed from a man that got the loan of it reluctantly from a Mormon, and when it was returned he said there were some of the leaves wanting, and as I did not wish the man that I borrowed it from to be at any loss or blame by it, or yet the Mormon to lose any thing but gain by his book, therefore I took the whole of it on my shoulders and paid the Mormon ten shillings for his old book, which was the full price of a new one. He took up the money, and also took the old book away with him; and I will leave ten shillings at the office of this paper, one month, for any person that will bring to that place the Mormon Book of Doctrine and Covenants, complete, either new or partly worn. And if there is none produced during that time, it will prove sufficiently that it is kept a secret book, and also the falsity of their statements concerning it; and in order that the people may not be deceived by them, I will give you a few of its principles out of a great number which it contains:
1st. On page 214, Revelation to Joseph Smith, Jr.,given March, 1833�Thus saith the Lord: verily, verily, I say unto you, my son thy sins are forgiven thee, according to thy petitition�thou art blessed from henceforth that bear the keys of the Kingdom given unto you, which Kingdom is coming forth for the last time; the keys of this Kingdom shall never be taken from you while thou art in the world, neither in the world to come. Page 143�Wherefore the land of Zion shall not be obtained but by purchase or by Blood. Page 92�Verily, verily I say, you who now have my words, which is my voice, and as I said unto mine Apostles, even do I say unto you, for you are mine Apostles, even God's High Priests. Ye are they whom my Father hath given me, and every soul who believeth on your words, and is baptized, shall receive the Holy Ghost: and these signs shall follow them, &c. Page 90�And this greater priesthood administereth the Gospel and holdeth the Key of the mysteries of the Kingdom, even the Key of the Knowledge of God. Page 92�Verily, verily I say unto you, they who believe not on you words shall be damned, and shall not come into my Father's Kingdom; and this Revelation unto you and commandment is in force from this very hour upon all the world.
If any person chooses their delusion after they are warned, then it is the fault of their own will and not a lack of knowledge. Though some of these Mormon preachers can play off the hypocrite to the greatest extent of any other preacher I ever saw, first by putting on their long faces and then coming out upon their stage with such an air of sanctity before the people, and then to presume to address the Throne of Grace and to administer the Sacrament, and at the same time hold a book as a secret and precious rule of faith and practice, that is filled up with such like principles as the above. Surely those Mormon teachers must take all the people of New-York to be very ignorant, when they imagine that they cannot see into these things. And since these six men, who have set themselves up to be God's Inspired Apostles and Infallible Judges, have come here to instruct us, I hope they will lake a little instruction from me, who claims no infallibility, and am only a poor laboring man. In what we call the days of ignorance, the Children of Israel knew sufficient to put away their idols and all other evil things before they expected that God would accept of their prayers; and I hope they will take a lesson from them and go and do like-wise, by putting away that Mormon Bible and all those evil principles out of their secret and precious Book of Doctrine and Covenants, the next they print as one of them told me that he would have a great number printed as soon as he got to Nauvoo, and then all people could have them that wanted. I asked him if I could depend upon his word for the future, as they had told so many falsehoods concerning them in the past, which they took as an insult and pushed me out of the room. But we will see how far their word can be depended upon and how much of this instruction they will comply with, before they presume to come to New York again and invite people to go and hear them spin out their long yarns about their doctrines and principles, and at the same time ashamed of them themselves and keep them in the dark and afraid to bring them out to the light, that the people may see and know what they are, before they presume to ask people to support them. Do they think the people of New York choose things in the dark or buy pigs in bags? and is this the spirit that Christ and his Apostles were led by or the principles they acted upon? I will leave it for the people to judge for themselves, for a tree may be known by its fruits; and as they have made some threats concerning me, I do not care if they attempt to make me out as black as Bennet makes themselves. If I can only be an instrument in saving one single soul from their delusion. I shall count myself rewarded; and I consider that I have discharged my duty to the full extent of all the means within my power, through the help of God.
- Yours, very respectfully,
- New-York, Sept. 1, 1843
