Why the Mormon People Should Drop Joseph Smith as a Prophet

Why the Mormon People Should Drop Joseph Smith as a Prophet_p01

Why the Mormon People Should Drop Joseph Smith as a Prophet <br> By Robert Maxwell, a Friend of the People <br> From The Salt Lake Tribune, August 22, 1909. <br><br><br> Editor of The Tribune: <br> Just a few explanatory words of introduction. The writer has a philanthropic object in publishing three articles that will be of special interest to intelligent Mormons: The first on Joseph Smith as a prophet, the second on the Book of Mormon, and the third on the Mormon Priesthood. His main object is to set those in Mormon ranks to thinking for themselves, by directing their attention to certain important facts which it is for the interest of the chief men in the priesthood to suppress, misrepresent, or deny. He, therefore, writes as a friend of the Mormon people, believing the most of them sincere and honest in their belief. The difficulty, however, with their belief is that it does not rest on personal investigation of facts and evidence, but rather on the repeated assertions of the priesthood which are constantly dinged into their ears. The leaders of the priesthood do not want the people to think for themselves, but simply to accept, without question, their statements and directions. <br><br> No Freedom of Thought. <br> Said an official high in the priesthood, at a meeting, some years ago in the old Thirteenth ward meeting house: "There goes a load of hay. Now we want all the people to be so loyal to the priesthood that if I say that load of hay is a load of wood, you will all say, ‘Amen! That is a load of wood.' Now the object of these articles is to set those in the Mormon ranks to thinking for themselves, and not allow the priesthood or anybody else to lead them by the nose. <br><br> Lament of The News. <br> The Deseret News constantly laments that people do not investigate the facts about Mormonism and hence do not know about its merits. No such charge can be brought against the writer, for he has lived in Utah for over thirty years and has used his ample opportunity to test its merits upon its chosen ground. During all this time, he has been a diligent student of Mormon history, literature, teachings and practices. He has followed the system from its first beginning, prior to its public organization in Seneca county, N. Y., 1830, down to the present time. He has visited various Mormon communities from Franklin, Idaho, to St. George in the Southwest corner of Utah. <br> He has heard Mormon doctrines preached in various tabernacles by its chief apostles, including Orson Pratt, the ablest of them all, and by Presidents Young,, Taylor, Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow and Joseph F. Smith. He has also heard very frequently such other special champions of Mormonism as George Q. Cannon, Bishop Whitney and Elder B. H. Roberts. He has carefully studied the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, the Doctrine and Covenants, the works of Orson Pratt, Roberts's [sic] "New Witness For God" in two volumes; Professor Talmage's "Lectures on the Articles of Faith," and many other books, tracts, pamph- <br> [Continues on next page.] <br><br>