The History of the Saints; Or An Expose of Joe Smith and Mor

The impulse to believe the absurd when presented with the unknowable is called religion. Whether this is wise or unwise is the domain of doctrine. Once you understand someone's doctrine, you understand their rationale for believing the absurd. At that point, it may no longer seem absurd. You can get to both sides of this conondrum from here.

Re: The History of the Saints; Or An Expose of Joe Smith and

Postby admin » Wed Jun 13, 2018 5:47 am

VOTE OF THANKS

New Election of Mayor and Vice-Mayor of the City of Nauvoo on the Resignation of General Bennett.

"On the 17th instant, General John C. Bennett resigned the office of Mayor of the City of Nauvoo, and on the 19th, General Joseph Smith, the former Vice-Mayor, was duly elected to fill the vacancy; and on the same day, General Hyrum Smith was elected Vice-Mayor in place of General Joseph Smith, elected Mayor.

"The following vote of thanks was then unanimously voted to the Ex-Mayor, General Bennett, by the City Council, to wit: Resolved by the City Council of the City of Nauvoo, that this Council tender a vote of thanks to General John C. Bennett, for his great zeal in haying good and wholesome laws adopted for the government of this city, and for the faithful discharge of his duty while Mayor of the same.

"Passed May 19, 1842. Joseph Smith, Mayor.

"James Sloan, Recorder.''

-- From ''The (Nauvoo) Wasp," of May 21, 1842, Vol. I., No. 6.


It will be seen by the foregoing documents, that I was in perfectly good odor with the saints and their rulers, in the Holy City, up to the time of my withdrawal from the Church, and even afterwards. So it appears, from the Prophet's own showing, that the Lord was remarkably well pleased with his servant John C. Bennett so long as he was an advocate of the Mormon creed; but when he came out on the pretended man of God, the Lord's Anointed Old White Hat Prophet, Joe contended that he always knew Bennett was a scoundrel. It appears, therefore, that either the Lord, or Joe, was mistaken. Which do you think it was, Christian reader?

I will now conclude by giving my Patriarchal Blessing, from the Holy Hyrum Smith, the Patriarch of the whole Mormon Church, and Heir-Apparent to the Throne.

A Blessing pronounced on the Head of J. C, Bennett., son of J. and N. Bennett, born in the Town of Fair Haven, Bristol County, Massachusetts, August 3, A. D. 1804, by Hyrum Smith, Patriarch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, September 21, 1840.

"John C. Bennett — I lay my hands upon your head in the name of Jesus Christ, and inasmuch as thou art a son of Abraham, I bless you with the holy priesthood, with all its graces, and gifts, and with wisdom in all the mysteries of God. Thou shalt have knowledge given thee, and shalt understand the keys by which all mysteries shall be unlocked. Thou shalt have great power among the children of men, and shalt have influence among the great and the noble, even to prevail on many, and bring them to the knowledge of the truth. Thou shalt prevail over thy enemies; and shalt know when thou hast gained power over them, and in this thine heart shall Rejoice. Many souls shall believe, because of the proclamation which thou shalt make. The Holy Spirit shall rest upon thee, insomuch, that thy voice shall make the foundation on which thou standest to shake, — so great shall be the power of God.

"His favor shall rest upon thee in dreams and visions, which shall manifest the glory of God. Beloved brother, if thou art faithful, thou shalt have power to heal the sick; cause the lame to leap like an hart; the deaf to hear; and the dumb to speak, and their voice shall salute thine ears; thy soul shall be made glad and thy heart shall rejoice in God. Thou shalt be like unto Paul, who, according to his own words, was like 'one born out of due time,' and shalt have the visions of heaven open, even as they were to him.

"Thy name shall be known in many nations, and thy voice shall be heard among many people. Yea, unto many of the remnants of Israel shalt thou be known, and when they shall hear of thy coming they shall rejoice, and thou shalt proclaim the gospel unto many tribes of the house of Israel.

"If thou shouldst step aside from the path of rectitude at any time because of temptation, the Lord shall call after thee, because of the integrity of thine heart, and thou shalt return to the path from whence thou hast strayed, for God shall illume the path by the light of his everlasting covenant, and with its light thou shalt keep the way.

"God is with thee, and has wrought upon thy heart to come up to this place, that thou mayest be satisfied that the servants of God dwell here. God shall reward thee for thy kindness, and thou shalt be fully satisfied hereafter. Thy soul shall be enlarged, thy mind shall be clear, and thy judgment informed, and the knowledge of all these things shall be made clear to thy understanding. Thou wilt have to pass through tribulation, but thou shalt remember the promises of the Lord, and shalt be comforted, and shalt have the greater manifestations of the power of God.

"Thou must travel and labor for Zion, for this is the mind and will of God. Let thy voice be heard, and thy prayers and supplications and thy rejoicings be known. Turn not aside from the truth for the popularity of the world; but be like Paul. Let God be thy shield and buckler, and he shall shield thee forever. Angels shall guide thee, and shall lift thee out of many dangers, and difficulties; and after thou art delivered, thou shalt know they have done it, and thy heart shall be comforted.

"Thou shalt have power over many of thy friends, and relations, and shalt prevail with them, and when thou shalt reason with them, it shall be like Paul reasoning with Felix, and they shall tremble when they hear thy words. Thou shalt be blessed with the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and if thou art faithful, thou shalt yet be a Patriarch, and the blessings thou shalt pronounce shall be sealed in heaven. Thou shalt have an inheritance among the Saints in time and in eternity, for this is the will of God. If thou continue faithful and steadfast in the Everlasting Covenant, thou shalt have power over the winds and the waves, and they shall obey thy voice when thou shalt speak in the name of Jesus Christ.

"The power of God shall shield thee while thou art laboring for Zion. Thou shalt outride the storm of adversity with patience, and shalt be crowned with immortality in the Celestial Kingdom, when Christ shall descend. Even so, Amen.

"R. B. Thompson, Scribe."
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Re: The History of the Saints; Or An Expose of Joe Smith and

Postby admin » Wed Jun 13, 2018 5:51 am

CORRESPONDENCE.

"La Harpe, Hancock County, Illinois,

June 18, 1842.

"To Major-GENERAL J. C. Bennett:

"Sir,—

"By your solicitation, I raised the 3d Company of Cavalry of the 2d Regiment and 1st Cohort, of the Nauvoo Legion, and accepted the office of Captain. It is now rumored, that you are about to resign the command of the Legion, which induces me to tender to you my resignation.

"Yours, respectfully,

"John F. Olney,

"Capt. 3d C. 2d R. 1st C. N. L.

"Accepted, June 20, A. D. 1842.

"John C. Bennett, Major-General.'


"Nauvoo, June 20, A. D. 1843.

"Major-General Bennett:

"Dear Sir,—

"I would respectfully tender you my resignation of the offices of Brevet Major-General, and Cornet of the Nauvoo Legion, which offices I was pleased to accept at your instance, and yours only, believing then, as I now do, that you were the only man in our city, capable and qualified to hold the office of Major-General in, or to command, said Legion. Be assured, sir, that nothing more or less would tempt me to resign, than the fact of your intention of doing the same.

"Very respectfully, yours, &c.

"Geo. W. Robinson,

"Brevet Maj. Gen. and Cor. N. L.

"Accepted, July 1, A. D. 1842.

"John C. Bennett, Major-General."


"Nauvoo, July 3, A. D. 1842.

"General Bennett:

"Sir,—

"The Sangamo Journal came in to-day. I expected something from you, but was disappointed; but presumed you knew nothing of the new arrangement of the mails. I just saw Col. C. L. Higbee, and saw the affidavit of Mrs. Schindle. Good! The letter to N ___, [Nancy, ___ Miss Nancy Rigdon,] C. L. H. [Col. Chauncy L. Higbee,] will get. F. M. H. [Col. Francis M. Higbee] has it, and I told him to get it. I will leave this for the present, and await the return of our folks from meeting, before I seal it, unless the mail should come before they return.

"2 o'clock. Our folks have returned from meeting, and the way Joe took back what he said about us, was a caution. He said he had agreed to take back what was said, but, on thinking it over, he could not do it, for any man that would suffer Bennett to come into their houses, was just as bad as he; and he would, however, say this much, that one continued course of rascality in Mr. Rigdon and myself, for some time back, was the cause of his coming out on us, and if that would be any satisfactory confession, we could have that much, and do what we pleased. He said, that whenever he exposed iniquity, the persons chastised would turn round and endeavor to injure him. 'Now,' says he, 'look out! look out!! These men, I will venture to say, will come out on me, with all their power, and say and do all they can to put me down; but do not believe one word of their cursed lies, FOR I KNOW I AM A PROPHET! ! !' Joe soaped over Messrs. Ivins, Hunter, and Pierce, and I think some have already consecrated, and quite likely the balance will. Joe did not say much about Higbee. He stated that a young man came down to see him the other day, and wanted to know why he came out on him; but, says he, 'I have settled all matters with him, and shall not mention his name, for he confessed his sins to me, and begged I would not mention him.' Francis will roar.

Yours, respectfully,

"Geo. W. Robinson."


"Nauvoo, July 4, A. D. 1842.

"General John C. Bennett:

"Dear Sir,—

"I received your favor by Mr. Hamilton, to-day, and have done all in my power to accomplish your business, according to your request. *************** I have talked with Mrs. G**, and labored hard to show her the necessity of coming out to befriend the innocent, and defend her own character from Joe's foul aspersions; but she says that she will not give her affidavit now, but thinks that she will in the course of two or three days. She wants to have a talk with O. Pratt before she gives it. I have seen Pratt, and he says, if she comes to talk with him, he will tell her, that if she knows any thing, to tell it, let it hit where it will. There were a great many out to meeting yesterday. Smith preached — said considerable against you, and stated that Messrs. Robinson and Rigdon had requested him to recall what he had said against them; but instead of doing it, according to promise, he vilified them worse than ever, if it were possible to do it — no other names mentioned; but he insinuated very hard on Francis in the forenoon, and on myself in the afternoon, by saying that those who had resigned, were no better than yourself, after placing you at the lowest grade he possibly could, in his awkward way of doing it. I have seen Nancy, [Nancy Rigdon,] — she told me to say to you, 'go ahead, and make of her name as much as you please, in relating the circumstance which happened between Smith and herself.' Mr. Pratt and his wife say, that if ever Smith renews the attack on them, they will come out against him, and stand it no longer.

"Yours, with respect,

"C. L. Higbee."


"Nauvoo, July 6, 1842.

"General John C. Bennett:

"Dear Sir,—

"Joseph Smith is yet thrashing about, tearing up the D****, and slandering every body. He has not lit on Rigdon and Robinson very severely as yet, but touched them slightly on Sunday, also myself; and we must keep things right side up. Mrs. Schindle's affidavit is a good one, and Mrs. G**, I have understood, was going to give hers. Mrs. Pratt, I think, will also give hers — also, Miss Nancy Rigdon. Joe is operating with Mrs. White, and it is reported, that he is to settle upon her a fine sum soon, or return the money he and Sherman took from Bill White some time ago. You ought to see Mrs. White, and labor with her, as soon as possible, and secure her testimony, because it would he great. As it respects my affidavit, sir, for God's sake, my sake, and the sake of my people, do not show it to any one on earth, as yet, never, until I give you liberty. Stiles has seen it, and you must swear him that he will keep dark as h***. I am yet true as death, and intend to stick or die, but you must keep my name back, because I am not ready as yet to leave; and as soon as you bring my name out, they are certain to take my life— they go it like h***, yet. I am likely to sell my property here, and as soon as I do, I will emigrate like lightning. Scorch them with the Missouri writ — that is what scares them like the d****, Porter not excepted.

"Your dear friend,

Francis M. Higbee.

"P. S. I think I will be out to Carthage to see you soon: come in as soon as you can, but do not stay here long, or over night. Pratt is true — Rigdon is good.

 F. M. H."


"Nauvoo, July 5, 1843.

"Doctor Bennett:

"Dear Friend, —

"Orissa's health is yet in a very critical situation, and we are very anxious to have your professional advice, for we do not know what to do without it. I will give you as accurate a description of the case as possible. *************. We wish you to write your prescription in full, and send it to Sarah's, [Prof. Orson Pratt's, — Sarah M. Pratt being the sister of Mrs. Orissa A. Allred.] where we shall remain until Orissa recovers. We all, with one accord, send you our best respects. Mr. Pratt would write, but he is afraid to. He wishes to be perfectly still, until your second letter comes out — then you may hear.

"Yours, respectfully,

"William M. Allred."


From W. F. Parrish, Esq., Attorney at Law.

"Massilon, July 31, 1842.

"Dear Sir,—

"Prof. Wm. M. Smith, M.D., informed me, that you passed through this place on Friday last, on your way to New York, to make an exposition of that infamous scoundrel, Joe Smith, and others connected with him, in their piracy upon the human family. I am exceedingly sorry, sir, that I could not have had an interview with you upon this subject, for, be assured, I consider any means which can be adopted to bring such a ruthless ruffian to justice, as most laudable, and not only worthy the attention, but imperatively demanded at the hands of him who may be in possession of facts that will enable him to accomplish that object. I am, however, aware, that the man who attempts it, puts his life in competition with a secret influence of the most dangerous, dark, and damning kind, that may be brought to bear upon him, at times and places, and under circumstances least anticipated, — an influence that can be known only by those who have had the means of knowing that we have, and which it is hard to make others believe exists in an enlightened community.

"I have known you by reputation for some time, but have not the pleasure of your acquaintance personally; have said but little upon the subject of your connection with the Prophet, but have thought much, and am not disappointed in the issue.

"You, no doubt, have learned, in your close connection with Joe, the position I occupied in his cabinet; and let me inquire what his present feelings are toward me? My life was sought for a time; how is it now? I was once a peculiar favorite of the Prophet and rulers in Israel, called to be his scribe by revelation, wrote his early history, kept his daily journal, superintended his mercantile, land, and banking speculations, under his directions.

"I joined the Church in 1833, and withdrew in 1837, at the head of some forty others, and shortly after was excommunicated by a Bull from his Holiness; and not long after that, I made Kirtland, the stake of Zion, so exceedingly unpleasant to him, that he got a revelation to leave between two days, and has not been there since.

"I lectured against them in the Temple, twice a week, during the season; once his lickskillets attempted to expel me by force from the sanctum sanctorum, but did not succeed. At about that time, their printing-office fell into our hands, which, if they had not consumed by fire, would soon have been speaking the truth as an atonement for an ill-spent life. Before I left them, those that were disaffected, met frequently, and consulted upon the matter, and many of the first in official stations of the Church, were convinced of the abominations of our leader, as well as myself, and so expressed themselves in our private councils, to wit, Bishop Whitney, Orson Hyde, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, Doctor Williams, Cahoon, and others, but had not the moral courage to come out publicly. By the by, have Orson Pratt and Rigdon left them, as you intimated in your communications.? Please write me who among the leaders have left, and what the prospects are for breaking them up. Can it be done? Be assured, sir, I would most cheerfully assist you in this laudable undertaking, were I situated so that I could. But I do not see how I can possibly, at this time, come to New York.

"My professional business, I suppose, I might leave, as I have a partner in Canton; but I am concerned in a mercantile establishment in this place also, and my partner is absent, and will be for a month at least.

"At the time I left the Church, I wrote, by way of exposition, several newspaper articles; and the expectations of the public were highly raised, in anticipation that I intended to publish a book, although I did not so pledge myself, but intended to publish a weekly periodical of that character, and should have done so, had not our printing-office been burnt.

''I am, no doubt, in possession of some facts that you are not; and were I so situated that I could, I would join you in New York, and assist in your publication.

"Your obedient servant,

"W. F. Parrish.

"General J. C. Bennett, New York."


From Erastus Webb, M.D. of Circleville, Ohio.

"Circleville, June 23, 1842.

"Dr. Bennett:

"Dear Sir,—

"Your letter of the 7th ult. was duly received. I have conversed with the Master and Secretary of Pickaway Lodge. The Secretary is at this moment making out a certificate under the seal of this Lodge, in answer to a letter received some time ago, from your Deputy-Grand-Master, making inquiries respecting your standing in this Lodge. The result will be favorable, it appearing on record that you were a member of this Lodge about fourteen years ago, and left it in peace and friendship. This will, of course, satisfy your calumniators.

"Dear sir,

"I remain, very respectfully,

"Your friend,

"E. Webb."


From S. Francis, Esq, Editor of the Sangamo Journal.

"Springfield, Illinois, July 6, 1842.

"Major-General Bennett:

"Dear Sir,—

"Yours of the 2d came safe to hand last night. Your first number appears in our paper sent to you by the mail which brings you this. These publications must produce intense excitement, and, notwithstanding every effort will be made to discredit them by Smith and his friends, the people will believe them. You certainly have undertaken an arduous duty; but, judging from your success so far, the friends of morality, of truth, of true religion, have strong confidence that you will succeed in tearing away the veil that has hitherto concealed the 'polluted' Monster, who styles himself the Prophet of God.

"Go on with the good work. You will have the best wishes of the good. Obtain all the documentary evidence possible. Affidavits from Miss Rigdon, and other ladies mentioned, would produce mighty results. We hope to hear from you, in reference to the Boggs affair, more fully, before next paper. Should you succeed in strangling the Monster with whom you are now grappled, you will have high claims to rank with those who have achieved the highest good for their species. ''  
"Respectfully yours,

"S. Francis."


"Springfield, July 10, 1842

"Dear Sir,—

****************************

We will give all your letters designed for publication. Joe flounders, but your statements are believed by all — rest assured of this fact.

"I wrote you four or five days since. Furnish all the documentary evidence possible, all the affidavits possible, and send us your disclosures at St. Louis. Every body is now looking to the Journal for your publications. We should be glad to have from your own pen an account of the Danites, their obligations to each other, and the design of their society. Joe must come down. Governor Reynolds will be obliged to demand him, and innocent individuals must not be implicated with him. This last matter is important. A hair of the heads of those who were employed by him should not be injured, provided they will sustain you and tell the truth.

"I have been writing to my friend Mr. Chambers, the editor of the St. Louis Republican, this evening, and I introduced your name, the object of your visit to St. Louis, and solicited for you his kindness, and all the assistance and counsel you may wish. Please call upon him, and mention your name — if not in his office, leave your address.

"Let me hear from you promptly, and I am respectfully, &c.

"S. Francis.

"General J. C. Bennett.'
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Re: The History of the Saints; Or An Expose of Joe Smith and

Postby admin » Wed Jun 13, 2018 5:54 am

OPINIONS OF THE NEWSPAPER PRESS.

From the Sangamo Journal of July 8, 1842 — a leading western paper, pubished at Springfield, the seat of government of the State of Illinois, by S, Francis, Esq., Editor.

"The public will be astounded at the statements made by General Bennett in the article which follows from under his own hand. — That in this day of light and intelligence such a man as Joe Smith should be able to collect around him a mass of people, and make them believe in his shallow and miserable scheme of imposture, is matter of astonishment now, and will be more so in after times.

"General Bennett is the individual appointed by Judge Douglass Master in Chancery for Hancock County — a most important and responsible office, from the fact that the Master in Chancery, in many cases, performs the duty of a Judge of the Supreme Court. We have, therefore, the official endorsement of Judge Douglass, which, however, is not needed,) in support of the character of General Bennett for truth, and all those qualities required of one who fills an office of high responsibility.

"We state these facts, that the public may duly appreciate the attacks of those men upon General Bennett, who are acting with Joe Smith, to decry and to destroy him."


From the Louisville Journal of July 23, 1842 — a periodical second to none in America, edited by George D. Prentice, Esq. and ____ Weisinger.

"General John C. Bennett was lately, next to Joe Smith, the most distinguished member of the Mormon Church. He was commander of the Mormon Legion; and he was, and still is, Master in Chancery for Hancock County — a county peopled principally by the Mormons. Some time ago a quarrel broke out between him and Joe Smith, which resulted in his abandoning the Mormon Church, and laying before the world an exposition of Smith's character and conduct. This exposition, as far as we have read it, is one of the most startling things of the kind we ever saw. Moreover, it is deeply interesting to the public. Joe Smith is generally regarded as a mere miserable fanatic; but, although he may be a fanatic, he is something more; he is the Prophet and the Commander-in-Chief of thirty thousand Mormons, all of whom regard him as a leader sent from Heaven, and look upon his commands as emanating from the Most High. Backed by his multitudinous and deluded host, he already attempts to control the politics of Illinois, and defies both the civil and military authorities of that State to call him to account for any thing that he has done or may do."


From the Sangamo Journal of July 15, 1842.

"The publications made by General Bennett are believed by all men."


From the Warsaw Signal of July 9, 1842 -—a paper printed in Hancock County, (the place of Smith's residence,) and edited by Thomas C. Sharp, Esq., Attorney at Law.

"We understand that General Bennett has commenced writing for the Sangamo Journal a series of communications, going to show the rascality of Joe Smith and his clan, and the dangerous designs which he is capable of forming and executing. The General asks not to be believed on his own assertions, but proves matters as he goes; he is a man of great energy and perseverance, and we should not be surprised if he made the Mormons feel like stuck hogs for a few months to come."


From the Cleveland Herald of July 19, 1842 — a paper edited by J. A. Harriss, Esq.

By the Sangamo Journal we have a portion of the promised disclosures touching the infamous conduct of the Prophet Joseph Smith, promised by General Bennett, but recently a Mormon high in office and enjoying Smith's unbounded confidence. The disclosures show corruption such as had rarely been developed before the days of the Latter Day Saints; and if the half Bennett states be true, Joe richly deserves the penitentiary instead of reverence and obedience from his deluded followers. Bennett gives names freely, and calls upon many witnesses to sustain the truth of his statements."


From the Chicago American of July 28, 1842 — a paper edited by William W. Brackett, Esq.  

"FROM NAUVOO.

"Two gentlemen, who passed through holy Joe's city on Thursday of last week, state, that soon after their arrival Joe made a speech in front of the Temple. The subject of his speech was — Bennett — the Sangamo Journal — Mrs. Pratt — and other matters. Joe swore like a pirate, and used the most obscene language. He appeared to be much excited, and it would be an act of charity to suppose that the holy debauchee was drunk as well as mad.

"Joe, it is said, anticipates a requisition for his person from the Governor of Missouri. He has the utmost horror of the idea of being given up. Joe thinks that Judge Ford will not give him up if he should be elected Governor.

"Joe, it is further said, is laboring to make up the breach with Rigdon, Pratt, and others, by offers of special favor. We trust that in this effort he will not succeed. Joe cannot now harm these men. He will not injure them. He dare not fulfil his threats, and his promises are not to be relied on. — We again call upon Messrs. Rigdon and Pratt, as they regard virtue, honor, and the reputation of their families, to come out from this Nauvoo 'Babylon, and Mother of Harlots,' the home of 'the whoremonger and the adulterer, and 'be not a partaker of her plagues.' The developments which have been made, must sink Joe Smith to the lowest depths of infamy in the eyes of all honest men. He must fall so certain as God punishes vice and rewards virtue.

"Miss Martha H. Brotherton has done herself honor, and the cause of virtue is greatly indebted to her for the publication she has made. We trust her example will be followed by Mrs. Pratt and Miss Rigdon. The holy cause of insulted virtue — of wronged innocence — of the honor and character of families — demand that the Impostor BE UNVEILED AND EXHIBITED TO THE WORLD IN ALL HIS DEFORMITY.

— Sangamo Joaurnal."


From the Chicago American of August 1, 1842.

"Orson Pratt. — We learn from the Warsaw Signal that this gentleman has gone from Nauvoo. He left a communication with his friends which stated that he had been induced to take this course on account of the treatment of his wife by Smith, and of the general management of the Church by him.

"We further learn from other sources that Smith, finding his attempts on Mrs. Pratt were matters of notoriety, went to her husband with a manufactured story that his wife was a base woman, and that the fact was well known to him. This communication had such an effect upon Mr. Pratt — at once blasting his happiness and the reputation of a virtuous woman — that the wretched husband left the city.

"It will be recollected that Mrs. Schindle, in her affidavit detailing the attempt of Smith upon her, said — 'He told her she must never tell his propositions to her, for he had all the influence in that place, and if she told he would ruin her character, and she would be under the necessity of leaving.'

"This same scheme has been carried out in reference to Mrs. Pratt. She 'told' on the Impostor, and was marked by him for destruction. In a public speech in Nauvoo on the 14th, Joe spoke of this lady — a woman whose reputation had been as fair as virtue could make it until she came in contact with him — in a manner only befitting the lowest and most degraded vagabond in existence.

"The reader can hence learn the state of society at Nauvoo. The facts furnished are presented by the holy Joe himself.

"We do not know what course will be pursued by Mr. Pratt. If he sinks under the denunciations and schemes of Joe Smith — if he fails to defend the reputation of himself and of the woman he has vowed before high Heaven to protect — he will fix a stain upon his character which he can never wash out, and carry to the grave the pangs caused by 'the gnawings of the worm that never dies.'

"We trust that he will secure for himself a more honorable position in life, and will come to the rescue of the fame of his lady, and expose the infamous course of the Prophet, as becomes a man, an honorable citizen, and a sincere Christian.

— Sangamo Journal."


"Joe Smith, in a speech in Nauvoo on Thursday the 14th inst., (and which was heard by two gentlemen of our city,) said — 'He wished Bennett was in Hell! — he had given him more trouble than any man he ever had to do with.' Joe was undoubtedly sincere in this expression of his wishes.

"In the same speech he declared that Mrs. Pratt, the wife of Mr. O. Pratt, 'had been a ____ from her mother's breast.' This was the lady whom Bennett says Joe attempted to seduce, and who resisted all his efforts with the heroism of insulted virtue.'

"In what a horrid and depraved condition society must be in Nauvoo!

— Sangamo Journal."


Mr. Pratt returned to Nauvoo the day after he left, and has since been nobly bearding the lion in his den. His voice is lifted like ten thousand thunders against the iniquities of the Mormon Prophet and his minions. Pratt is an honest man.

From the Cincinnati Republican of July 26, 1842 — a paper edited by C.C. Waller, Esq.

"General Bennett, the distinguished seceder from the Mormon faith, was in town on Sunday, and stopped at the Broadway Hotel. He has made so many startling disclosures of the iniquities practised by Joe Smith on the noodles congregated at Nauvoo that his life is considered in danger of the assassin's steel. He left yesterday morning on the Robert T. Lytle, for the east."


From the Circleville Herald of July 29, 1842 — a paper edited by T.J. Davis, Esq.

"But, from his intimate and confidential relationship, J. C. Bennett, a Mormon leader, had so far become acquainted with the atrocious criminality of Smith's practices, and was known to stand so high in Smith's confidence, that the latter, in order to compel him to observe secrecy himself, and at the same time hush up the whisperings and murmurings of some of his deluded followers, who could not surrender all sense of virtue and propriety to his wicked and impious requisitions under the plea of revelations from heaven, compelled Bennett to make an affidavit, and make it public in the congregation, to the effect that Smith was not guilty of what had been charged against him in his intercourse with members of the society. Bennett subsequently withdrew from the Church. And now, disregarding the oath he had been compelled to take or die, as neither legally nor morally binding upon him, he has published a detailed exposure of Mormonism as now constituted."


From the Cincinnati Gazette of July 27, 1842 — a paper edited by the Hon. Judge John C. Wright and J. C. Vaughan, Esq.

"MORMONISM.

"The facts developed with regard to the conduct of Joe Smith, the leader and first of the sect, are startling in the extreme.

"The details are too disgusting almost for publication. They show Smith to be a monster who is using the power he possesses to gratify a brutal lust. The proof on this point is conclusive. Leading western papers speak of the fair character of the witnesses, and regard their testimony as conclusive. To give some idea of the conduct of Joe Smith, and of the manner in which he attempts to carry his points, we give the testimony of Mrs. Pratt."


From the Louisville Journal of July 25, 1842.

"We copy below, from the Sangamo Journal, the second letter of General Bennett, portraying the character and detailing the horrible and revolting conduct of Joe Smith, the Prophet and leader of the Mormons. The exposition, as our readers will see, does not rest at all upon the personal veracity of General Bennett himself, but is sustained by the affidavits of men and women who cannot be mistaken as to the facts stated, and who have no motive for misrepresenting them. Those facts are proved by testimony strong enough to send any man on earth, prophet or no prophet, to the penitentiary or the gallows."


From the Buffalo Patriot and Journal of July 18, 1842.

"The Mormons. — We have copied into another column the Mormon disclosures of General Bennett. The Sangamo Journal, in a postscript, says, —

"We have another communication from General Bennett. Its disclosures are horrible. We shall publish it in an extra as soon as possible.'

"Gen. B. evidently writes under high excitement, but there is much in his communication that deserves attention. He shows up, as we believe, in its true colors, one of the most stupendous schemes of villainy and religious fraud and imposture that the world ever saw. 'Errors of opinion,' said Jefferson, 'may be safely tolerated, so long as reason is left free to combat them.' The remark is true in its general sense, but the Mormons form an exception. Their errors of opinion may be tolerated, but to their religious errors they have superadded a military and political organization dangerous in the extreme, when wielded as it is by one so unscrupulous as Joe Smith."


From the New York Herald of August 12, 1842 — a rich and racy paper, edited by General James Gordon Bennett, LL. D.

"Arrival Extraordinary. — The celebrated General John Cooke Bennett arrived in this city yesterday. He is preparing to publish a book, which is to be a full and complete history of the Mormons, public and private — the secrets of their religion — their mode of life at Nauvoo — the celebrated Prophet Joe Smith's secret system of wives — their mode of warfare — tactics — civil and religious government — with various other curious and perfectly original matters. It will be one of the richest brochures that ever emanated from the press of any country."


From the Wabash Express — a paper published at Terre Haute.

"MORMON TROUBLES — EXPOSE.

"We publish a very singular document from Gen. John C Bennett, a distinguished Mormon, dated at Nauvoo, June 27. It appears that himself and the Prophet, Joe Smith, have had a regular separation. If half what Gen. Bennett states be true, the new teacher is a most hardened sinner, deserving a place in the Alton penitentiary, instead of a high rank in the community of Latter Day Saints.

"The writer speaks with great freedom, and in a spirit of daring bravery. Bennett has held a high rank in the Nauvoo Legion — a body of troops well disciplined; and he is spoken of, in some of the eastern papers, as a man of eminent military talents."


From the New York Sun of August 5, 1842 — a paper of very extensive circulation and great usefulness.

"The Mormon Revelations. — We watch the further movements of the Mormon expounded, and the Anti-Mormon expounder, with some degree of anxiety, as affording a thorough explanation to the philosophy of fanaticism, whose victims we so frequently find recorded in the history of civilization. This pretty family quarrel between the Mormon chiefs, whether it originated in motives of purity or in pitiable incentives to gain, will carry its salutary effects throughout the controversy. We doubt not that Joe Smith is a shrewd and cunning man, but John C. Bennett is more than a match for him even in these qualities of modern science. There was an almost inconceivable moral courage in a man of our age, who, uneducated in political sciences, could call together a mighty host of uncivilized human beings, and finally adopt the holy privileges of the ancient prophetic race.

"The rule of our male Cassandra, our modem Jacob — a combined prophet and patriarch — could not last forever. He has degenerated from the religious moralist and priest into the lowest grade of chicanery and vice; he stands before us a swindler of his community, an impious dictator over free will, and now in his most glaring, and even hideous, aspect — a libertine, unequalled in civilized life — a Giovanni of some dozens of mistresses, and these acquired under the garb of prophetic zeal. However unworthy may be the instrument of this exposition, he is deserving of thanks, and may be absolved from some taints of immorality by becoming an evidence for the moral commonwealth. The state of these revelations, although not contained in the 'Book of Mormon,' or viewed by the divine inspiration of Joe's stone spectacles, will soon assume the settled principles of truth, and must bear conviction to the misled and ill-treated sect.

"Bennett now has blasted the spiritual and temporal Joseph Smith with a charge of horrid crimes; and Joe, in return for these favors, will attempt to blast the temporal and mortal John G. Bennett with a charge of still more horrid gunpowder. Both explosions will make a noise in the world: the moral one from the mouth of fame, the igneous one from the mouth of a pistol. At all events, both combatants appear booked on the calendar of fate — one for punishment in the next world, the other for a still less agreeable infliction in this small sphere. Up to this time, however, the only murder committed, is that of the 'King's English.'

"We firmly trust that the punishment of Smith will be heavy in the extreme: his fate should be a warning to those itinerant mongers of religion, who, in every guise and form, infest the community; who steal away the dearest gifts of God, and render desolate firesides by their obscenity and lust. We have now an exponent of the modern philosophy of religious fanaticism; the rise of Mahomet is no longer a problem; his effigy of the nineteenth century has been destroyed. We have long expected this discovery, and now it comes; the wires are withdrawn from the animated puppet, and the excited Fantoceini twist and turn, without harmony or concord. The ruler and the sceptre have passed away; hypocrisy and error can no longer bear the powerful test of sincerity, truth, and morality.

"'Error,' observed a scholiast, 'begets a legion of followers,' and the Mormon fanaticism has fulfilled this prediction. It has conquered the Nauvoo Legion, but soon it will exist in name alone; its numbers are fast diminishing. Combination of societies, founded on religious and social basis, will be henceforth regarded with distrust, as weapons of misrule -- instruments placed in the hands of designing oligarchs. Charity, benevolence, sympathy, and pure religion, require no associations to forward their plans; they are the ingredients of every well-formed, cultivated mind."


From the St. Louis Bulletin of July 14, 1842 — a useful paper, edited by Vespasian Ellis, Esq. and Wm. T. Yeomans, Esq.

"MORMONISM. — The disclosures being made by Gen. Bennett in relation to this sect, are far from being void of interest. We publish to-day some matters from Bennett in relation to the attempted assassination of Gov. Boggs, which are at least of sufficient importance to be inquired into. One of their own papers, the Nauvoo Wasp, while defending Smith from any participation in the matter, gloried in the act, for it says, 'It remains to be known who did the noble deed.' Apart from the act of which he is accessory, there are now pending against him in this State indictments for crimes sufficient not only to predicate a demand upon, but to induce the Governor of Illinois to give him up."


From the New York Tattler of September 5, 1842 — an interesting and influential periodical issued by Dillon and Hooper.

"The exposures which General J. C. Bennett is making of the Mormon humbug in the west, are unique, rich, astonishing, and comical beyond precedent. It seems that there is a systematic course of carnal delight, for the especial behalf of Joe Smith and his favored few.

"We think the effect of making these scandalous things public will be to deter people from giving any credence to the Mormon fanatics."


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Lieut Gen. Joseph Smith, Mormon Prophet

From the New York Tribune of September 1, 1842 — a very popular and influential paper edited by Horace Greeley, Esq. and ____ McElrath.

"From Nauvoo. — We were yesterday favored with the perusal of several private letters from this metropolis of the modern False Prophet. All is in confusion there. Joe Smith and O. P. Rockwell were in hiding at the last accounts — of course, within or about the city — to avoid obeying the process from Missouri. It was given out that Joe would appear and stand a trial before the Nauvoo Court! but would not be carried off to Missouri. Every effort was being made to counteract the revelations of Gen. J. C. Bennett, and to induce those to whom he appeals in his published statements to come out against them. Thus far the success has been trifling. Several are preparing to leave Nauvoo and Mormonism; some of them will come out with statements sustaining Bennett. Among the females there is a very natural reluctance to publishing statements at all. We suspect the Prophet's 'spiritual' race is nearly run."


From the foregoing, documents and extracts, the public can judge of the character and standing of the author of this work, and of the opinion entertained of his disclosures by many of the principal leading journals of the country.  
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