History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

64
THE STORY OF MORMONISM.
page is not a modern production, but a literal translation
from the last leaf of the plates, on the left-hand
side, and running like all Hebrew writing.
And now in a chamber of Whitmer's house Smith,
Cowdery, and David Whitmer meet, and earnestly ask
God to make good his promise, and confer on them
the Melchisedec priesthood, which authorizes the laying-on
of hands for the gift of the holy ghost. Their
prayer is answered; for presently the word of the
Lord comes to them, commanding that Joseph Smith
should ordain Oliver Cowdery to be an elder in the
church of Jesus Christ, and Oliver in like manner
should so ordain Joseph, and the two should ordain
others as from time to time the will of the Lord should
be made known to them. 21 But this ordination must
not take place until the baptized brethren assemble
and give to this act their sanction, and accept the
ordained as spiritual teachers, and then only after the
blessing and partaking of bread and wine. It is next
revealed that twelve shall be called to be the disciples
of Christ, the twelve apostles of these last clays, who
shall go into all the world preaching and baptizing.
John H. Gilbert, as printer, had the chief operative trust of the type-setting
and press-work of the job. After the first day's trial he found the manuscripts
in so very imperfect a condition, especially in regard to grammar,
that he became unwilling further to obey the "command," and so announced
to Smith and his party; when finally, upon much friendly expostulation, he
was given a limited discretion in correcting, which was exercised in the particulars
of syntax, orthography, punctuation, capitalizing, paragraphing, etc.
Many errors under these heads, nevertheless, escaped correction, as appear
in the first edition of the printed book. Very soon, too—after some ten
days—the constant vigilance by the Mormons over the manuscripts was relaxed
by reason of the confidence they came to repose in the printers. Mr
Gilbert has now (1867) in his possession a complete copy of the book in the
original sheets, as laid off by him from the press in working. . .Meanwhile,
Han-is and his wife had separated by mutual arrangement, on account of
her persistent unbelief in Mormonism and refusal to be a party to the mortgage.
The family estate was divided, Harris giving her about eighty acres
of °the farm, with a comfortable house and other property, as her share of the
assets; and she occupied this property until the time of her death.' Tucker's
Origin and Prog. Mor., 50-7.
'
n Speaking of the manner in which Smith delivered these revelations,
Howe says: 'In this operation he abandoned his spectacles, or peep-stone, and
merely delivered it with his eyes shut. In this manner he governs his followers,
by asking the Lord, as he says, from day to day.' Mormonism Unveiled,
102.