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Show lets, in defense of Mormonism, including Lucy Smith's "Life of the Prophet Joseph." <br><br> The Writer Has No Axe to Grind. <br> The writer, therefore, cannot be accused of not knowing what Mormonism is, both theoretically and practically. Furthermore, he has no axe to grind, he seeks votes for no office, and is independent of all trade patronage. He has nothing to gain by misrepresenting facts. He is in sympathy with the masses of the Mormon people, and desires to be of service to them by setting forth important facts which the priesthood seek to withhold from them, and which the members of the priesthood constantly evade or deny. And that these articles may be judged on their merits, apart from the personality of the writer, he uses the assumed name of Robert Maxwell. But from this point on, he will speak in the first person because it is more direct and convenient. Now the way is open for discussing the important question: "Why the Mormon People Should Drop Joseph Smith as a Prophet." <br><br> First Reason For Dropping Joseph Smith. <br> First and foremost, he should be dropped for the sound and safe reason that he never was a prophet of God. He was nothing but a false prophet. If he were a true prophet, there is no reason why I should not accept him, for I believe in God's true prophets, such noble, God-loving men as Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Daniel. But in those days there were false prophets as well as true, against whom it was necessary to warn the people, lest they should be deceived. In connection with the four or five groups of true prophets of God mentioned in the Old Testament from Samuel to Malachi, there were also counterfeit, or false prophets, who tried, by deceiving the people, to secure, for themselves the honor and the influence which belonged to the true prophets. For example, through the faithful prophet Jeremiah, the Lord warned the people against the false prophets, "who cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting; yet I sent them not nor commanded them." (Jer. 23:32.) So in our times, there are false prophets like Dowie, Joseph Smith and others, who "cause the people to err by their lies," as in the days of Jeremiah. <br><br> Why Classed With False Prophets. <br> Now, why are we compelled to rank Joseph Smith, who died in 1844, with the false prophets, with men like Mohammed, Dowie and other deceiving prophets, against whom the Bible warns us? Just because he was all the marks of a false prophet, and not one of the marks of a true prophet. One of the most absurd things in the religious history of the world is the attempt to lift up and honor as a prophet of God a man with the well-known unworthy character and bad record of Joseph Smith. <br> One might just as well attempt, in the face of all the evidence, to lift up and honor Benedict Arnold as a true and loyal patriot, as to lift up Joseph Smith as a prophet of God, in the face of the evidence against him, which will be taken up presently. And I say again to every honest Mormon reader, that men in the priesthood have deceived you, by withholding the facts from you, in order that they might retain their official positions of power and influence. There is no reason whatever why I should not accept Joseph Smith as a prophet of God if he was a prophet, because I believe that God has sent prophets into the world. But to me and millions of others the evidence that Joseph Smith was a false prophet and a wicked man is just as overwhelming as that Benedict Arnold was a mercenary traitor to his country, and I cannot be honest with myself and ignore that evidence. <br><br> Useless to Deceive the People Longer. <br> What is the use of members of the priesthood trying any longer to deceive people about the true character of Joseph Smith? Certainly he did not live so far back in the past that there is any halo of mystery about him. He died only sixty-five years ago last June. And during the past twenty-five years there have been a great number of men and women living who, during a part of their life, lived in some of the many communities where Joseph Smith lived, and knew him personally-knew all about his life and character. I have talked by the hour with such persons about the kind of man Joseph Smith was. Thousands of others have done the same, and are familiar with the bottom facts about the unworthy life and character of Joseph Smith. <br> And, therefore, I say it is most unreasonable and foolish to try and impose upon intelligent, thinking people, as a prophet of God so dishonest and <br> [Continues on next page.] <br><br> |
