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Show THE DEAD PROPHET. 599 idly in rank. The new church was now on the high tide of furious fanaticism. The accounts given by a score of eye- witnesses would be utterly incredible, did we not know from undoubted history, what such religious mania tends to. Visions, dreams, miracles, speaking in tongues and the interpretation of tongues followed in constant succession. In their " experience meetings " the rule was for each brother to rise and " utter whatsoever sounds came in his mind," the speaker being assured that " God will make it a language." Some men professed to see the Saviour and various holy persons; others ran through the woods shouting and praying; some fell into trances, and many recited rhapsodies or delivered prophecies. Through all this madness, Brigham, it - is generally agreed, carried a level head. It was then supposed that every Saint had the gift of prophecy, but Joe Smith soon returned from a preaching tour in Canada and the Eastern States and rectified that matter. It was announced that he alone held the true prophetic gift. The general madness subsided; several converts apostatized, and by their statements, published broadcast, brought great scandal on the Church. The Saints now established a cooperative mill, store and bank ; for, as some wealthy men had joined, they were able to collect some $ 20,000 in cash. Meanwhile the neighboring people held a meeting and deputized one of thejr number to go back to Joe Smith's old home in New York, and collect evidence as to his character. Sixty-six of his old neighbors joined in an affidavit that they " would not believe Joseph Smith or any of his gang under oath." It was also abundantly proved that the Book of Mormon was a weak rehash of a weak " historical novel," written by one Solomon Spaulding. But such evidence has no effect on the class of minds caught by Mor-monism. Troubles increased between the Saints and their neighbors ; finally mill, store and bank failed, and Smith and Rigdon ran away to Missouri to escape the sheriff. All this time Brigham labored in his steady way, and was known among the brethren as " hard- working Brigham Young." The Saints had made their first settlement in Missouri, at Independ-ence, in the spring of 1831, but were driven across to Clay County in the fall of 1833. The people of the latter county " requested" them to move again ; so they settled in Ray and Caldwell, built the town of Far West, and eventually got political control of that section. Then trouble arose, of course. When the Mormons elected the of-ficials there was no justice for Gentiles, and the latter commenced fight-ing. Brigham had meanwhile been advanced to the rank of an apostle, |