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From: jonw@tekmdp.UUCP (Jonathan White)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Re: The case against the Book of Mormon
Message-ID: <2118@tekmdp.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 8-Aug-83 16:23:41 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekmdp.2118
Posted: Mon Aug  8 16:23:41 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 9-Aug-83 06:43:49 EDT
Lines: 50

Dennis McCurdy has attempted to defend the good name of Joseph Smith, Jr. by
attacking the truthfulness of the many affidavits that have been collected
from Smith's former neighbors.  Granted that the motive for obtaining these
affidavits was not advance the cause of Mormonism, but the fact remains that
a total of "some eighty neighbors" testified as to the poor moral character
of the Smith family, whereas "THERE EXISTS NO CONTEMPORARY PRO-MORMON
STATEMENTS FROM RELIABLE AND INFORMED SOURCES WHO KNEW THE SMITH FAMILY AND
JOSEPH INTIMATELY." ("Kingdom of the Cults", by Walter R. Martin.)

These affidavits (some of which contain descriptions of detailed personal
encounters with the Smiths), along with other contemporary records (such as
personal correspondence and court records), plus statements from the Smith
family themselves, present a clear and consistent pattern.

Speaking of court records, there seems to be an inconsistency in the
information that Dennis presented.  (I have made no attempt to flag errors
in grammar or spelling.)

        Concerning  the  trial of N.Y.  vs Joseph Smith  there  were 
   actually  two.  The  first trial came about when the Prohpet  was 
   accused  by  some  local ministers  of  "disorderly  conduct  and 
   preaching  the  Book  of Mormon,  and setting the country  in  an 
   uproar." The charges were totally dismissed by the judge  (Joseph 
   Chamberlain  J.P.)  but  other irrelevent charges  sprang  forth. 
   These  included using prophetic gifts (magic  stones,  etc.)  for 
   material gain. 

       The  judge dimissed the fabricated charges and  the  Prophet 
   was  set  free.  No sooner did this happen when he  was  arrested 
   again  by  an  officer from Coleville about 15  miles  away.  The 
   charges  were "being possesed of an evil spirit" (witch  trials?) 
   and "money digging".  He was again brought to trial (#2) where he 
   was found "NOT GUILTY" (!!).  Walter R.  Martin in his book  "The 
   Kingdom of the Cults" was in total error.

How could Joseph be charged with "preaching the Book of Mormon" in trial #1
(which presumably occurred before trial #2 on March 20, 1826), months before 
Joseph even had the Golden Plates?  They weren't even fully translated until 
1829!

As far as Dennis' assertion that Joseph was acquitted in trial #2, I am curious
as to where Dennis got his information.  William Wise, in his book "Massacre at
Mountain Meadow", also mentions the same incident, and his account agrees with
Martin.  (By the way, "Massacre at Mountain Meadow" is a charming little story
about how the Mormons, under the direction of Brigham Young, murdered the
members of an entire wagon train -- 150 men, women, and children.)

						Jon White
						Tektronix
						Aloha, Ore