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THE STORY OF THE MORMONS:
FROM THE DATE OF THEIR ORIGIN TO THE YEAR 1901
by WILLIAM ALEXANDER LINN
(Click on the Chapter Title to go to that Chapter)


CONTENTS 

BOOK I. 

THE MORMON ORIGIN 

CHAPTER I. FACILITY OF HUMAN BELIEF: The Real Miracle of Mormon Success--Effrontery of the Leaders' Professions--Attractiveness of Religious Beliefs to Man--Wherein the World does not make Progress--The Anglo-Saxon Appetite for Religious Novelties 

CHAPTER II. THE SMITH FAMILY: Solomon Mack and his Autobiography --Religious Characteristics of the Prophet's Mother--The Family Life in Vermont--Early Occupations in New York State--Pictures of the Prophet as a Youth--Recollections of the Smiths by their New York Neighbors 

CHAPTER III. HOW JOSEPH SMITH BECAME A MONEY-DIGGER: His Use of a Divining Rod--His First Introduction to Crystal-gazing--Peeping after Hidden Treasure--How Joseph obtained his own "Peek-stone"-- Methods of Midnight Money-digging 

CHAPTER IV. FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE GOLDEN BIBLE: Variations in the Early Descriptions--Joseph's Acquaintance with the Hales--His Elopement and Marriage--What he told a Neighbor about the Origin of his Bible Discovery--Early Anecdotes about the Book 

CHAPTER V. THE DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS OF THE REVELATION OF THE BIBLE: The Versions about the Spanish Guardian--Important Statement by the Prophet's Father--The Later Account in the Prophet's Autobiography--The Angel Visitor and the Acquisition of the Plates--Mother Smith's Version 

CHAPTER VI. TRANSLATION AND PUBLICATION OF THE BIBLE: Martin Harris's Connection with the Work--Smith's Removal to Pennsylvania --How the Translation was carried on--Harris's Visit to Professor Anthon--The Professor's Account of his Visit--The Lost Pages--The Prophet's Predicament and his Method of Escape--Oliver Cowdery as an Assistant Translator--Introduction of the Whitmers--The Printing and Proof--reading of the New Bible--Recollections of Survivors 

CHAPTER VII. THE SPAULDING MANUSCRIPT: Solomon Spaulding's Career--History of "The Manuscript Found"--Statements by Members of the Author's Family--Testimony of Spaulding's Ohio Neighbors about the Resemblance of his Story to the Book of Mormon--The Manuscript found in the Sandwich Islands 

CHAPTER VIII. SIDNEY RIGDON: His Biography--Connection with the Campbells--Efficient Church Work in Ohio--His Jealousy of his Church Leaders--Disciples' Beliefs and Mormon Doctrines-- Intimations about a New Bible--Rigdon's First Connection with Smith--The Rigdon-Smith Translation of the Scriptures--Rigdon's Conversion to Mormonism 

CHAPTER IX. "THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL": Probable Origin of the Idea of a Bible on Plates--Cyril's Gift from an Angel and Joachim's Use of it--Where Rigdon could have obtained the Idea Prominence of the "Everlasting Gospel" in Mormon Writings 

CHAPTER X. THE WITNESSES TO THE PLATES: Text of the Two "Testimonies"--The Prophet's Explanation of the First--Early Reputation and Subsequent History of the Signers--The Truth about the Kinderhook Plates and Rafinesque's Glyphs 

CHAPTER XI. THE MORMON BIBLE: Some of its Errors and Absurdities--Facsimile of the First Edition Title-page--The Historical Narrative of the Book--Its Lack of Literary Style--Appropriated Chapters of the Scriptures--Specimen Anachronisms 

CHAPTER XII. ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH: Smith's Ordination by John the Baptist--The First Baptisms--Early Branches of the Church--The Revelation about Church Officers--Cowdery's Ambition and How it was Repressed--Smith's Title as Seer, Translator, and Prophet--His Arrest and Release--Arrival of Parley P. Platt and Rigdon in Palmyra--The Command to remove to Ohio 

CHAPTER XIII. THE MORMONS' BELIEFS AND DOCTRINES--CHURCH GOVERNMENT: Long Years of Apostasy--Origin of the Name "Mormon" --Original Titles of the Church--Belief in a Speedy Millennium-- The Future Possession of the Earth--Smith's Revelations and how they were obtained--The First Published Editions--Counterfeit Revealers--What is Taught of God--Brigham Young's Adam Sermon-- Baptism for the Dead--The Church Officers