Polygamy; or, The mysteries and crimes of Mormonism, being a full and authentic history of this strange sect from its origin to the present time. . were at a loss what doc-trine to preach. They began with Anti-Masonry, then verypopular, but soon dropped that and took up Millenarianism—that the last days were at hand. This proved even more suc-cessful, for the country was full of disturbed intellects, thedebris of the religious excitement of the day, and the Millena-rian idea at all times has a strange fascination for visionaryminds. Nor is it confined to the ignorant; many intelligentmen in ev
Polygamy; or, The mysteries and crimes of Mormonism, being a full and authentic history of this strange sect from its origin to the present time. . were at a loss what doc-trine to preach. They began with Anti-Masonry, then verypopular, but soon dropped that and took up Millenarianism—that the last days were at hand. This proved even more suc-cessful, for the country was full of disturbed intellects, thedebris of the religious excitement of the day, and the Millena-rian idea at all times has a strange fascination for visionaryminds. Nor is it confined to the ignorant; many intelligentmen in every generation become impressed with the idea that in our day the world has become so corrupt, that GodAlmighty is going to make a great change, and in spite of theplain declarations of Scripture, fanatics will wrest the mildprecepts of the gospel, and force them to indicate that hell-fireand destruction are impending over everybody but their ownparticular sect. The speculators began as Millenarians, andthat of the maddest sort, and soon the queer and crazy, thecurious and the fanatic, even from a distance, flocked to hearthe new gospel. V. PORTRAITS OF THE ORIGINAI, MORMON AjSD CfilMES OF MOEMOiSISM. 33 CHAPTER II. ZION IN MISSOURI. The Mormon church organized—Conversion of the Pratts—Rapid growth—Sidney Eigdons disciples come in en masse—Kirtland headquarters—Foun-dation of Zion in Missouri—Threats against the Gentiles—Gentile resistance—War—Mormons expelled from Jack?on county. Tuesday, April 6th, 1830, tbe Church of Christ was or-ganized in Seneca county, New York, in the house of PeterWhitmer, township of Fayette. Such was the first designationof what is now called Mormonism ; even the name of Latter-daySaints was not adopted for some time after. The six originalmembers were: Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Hyrum Smith,Peter Whitmer, Jr., Samuel H. Smith, David Whitmer. Theprofane might have called it the church of Smith and Whitmer,though they
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