History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

THE SPAULDING THEORY. 61
Who Wrote the Book of Morrron? is the title of a 4to pamphlet of 16
pages by Robert Patterson of Pittsburgh. Reprinted from the illustrated
history of Washington county, Philadelphia, 1S82. This Patterson is the
son of printer Patterson, to whose office the Spaulding MS. is said to have
been sent. Little new information is brought out by this inquisition. First
he extracts passages from Howe's Mormonism Unveiled, quoting at secondhand
from Kidder's Mormonism aid the Mormons, in the absence of the original,
stating erroneously that Howe's book was first printed in 1835. I give
elsewhere an epitome of the contents of Howe's work. Ballantyne in his
Reply to a Tract, by T. Richards, What is Mormonism? wherein is advanced
the Spaulding theory, asserts in answer that Spaulding's manuscript was not
known to Smith or Rigdon until after the publication of the Book of Mormon,
and that the two were not the same, the latter being about three times
larger than the former. 'Dr Hurl hurt,' he says, 'and certain other noted
enemies of this cause, having heard that such a manuscript existed, determined
to publish it to the world in order to destroy the book of Mormon, but
after examining it, found that it did not read as they expected, consequently
declined its publication.' The Spaulding theory is advanced and supported
by the following, in addition to the eight witnesses whose testimony was given
by Howe in his Mormonism Unveiled. Mrs Matilda Spaulding Davidson, once
wife of Solomon Spaulding, said to Rev. D. R. Austin, who had the statement
printed in the Boston Recorder, May 1839, that Spaulding was in the habit
of reading portions of his romance to his friends and neighbors. When John
Spaulding heard read for the first time passages from the book of Mormon
he ' recognized perfectly the work of his brother. He was amazed and afflicted
that it should have been perverted to so wicked a purpose. His grief
found vent in a flood of tears, and he arose on the spot and expressed to the
meeting his sorrow and regret that the writings of his deceased brother should
be used for a purpose so vile and shocking.' Statements to the same effect
are given as coming from Mrs McKinstry, daughter of Spaulding, printed in
Scribner's Monthly, August 1880; W. H. Sabine, brother of Mrs Spaulding;
Joseph Miller, whose statements were printed in the Pittsburgh Telegraph,
Feb. 6, 1879; Redick McKee in the Washington Reporter, April 21, 1869;
Rev. Abner Jackson in a communication to the Washington County Historical
Society, printed in the Washington Reporter, Jan. 7, 1881, and others.
See also Kidder's Mormonism, 37-49; California— Its Past History, 198-9;
Ferris' Utah and Mormons, 50-1; Gunnison's Mormons, 93-7; Bertrand's
Mimoires d'un Mormon, 33^14; Hist, of Mormons, 41-50; Bennett's Mormonism,
115-24; Howe's Mormonism, 289-90.
Robert Patterson, in his pamphlet entitled Who Wrote the Book of Mormon?
thus discusses the case of Sidney Rigdon: 'It was satisfactorily proven
that Spaulding was the author of the book of Mormon; but how did Joseph
Smith obtain a copy of it ? The theory hitherto most widely published,' says
Patterson, 'and perhaps generally accepted, has been that Rigdon was a
printer in Patterson's printing-office when the Spaulding manuscript was
brought there in 1812-14, and that he either copied or purloined it. Having
it thus in his possession, the use made of it was an after thought suggested
by circumstances many years later. More recently another theory has been
advanced, that Rigdon obtained possession of the Spaulding manuscript during
his pastorate of the first baptist church or soon thereafter, 1822-4, without
any necessary impropriety on his part, but rather through the courtesy
of some friend, in whose possession it remained unclaimed, and who regarded
it as a literary curiosity. The friends of Rigdon, in response to the first
charge, deny that he ever resided in Pittsburgh previous to 1822, or that he
ever was a printer, and in general answer to both charges affirm that he
never at any time had access to Spaulding's manuscript.' Rigdon denies emphatically
that he ever worked in Patterson's printing-office or knew of such
an establishment; and the testimony, produced by Patterson, of Carvil Rigdon,
Sidney's brother, Peter Boyer, his brother-in-law, Isaac King, Samuel
Cooper, Robert Dubois, and Mrs Lambdin points in the same direction. On