among the credulous part of the community, that I ordered the stone to be returned to me again.  He had it in his possession about two years.  I believe, some time in 1825, Hiram Smith (Joe’s brother) came to me, and wished to borrow the same stone, alleging that they wanted to accomplish some business of importance, which ’could not very well be done without the aid of the stone.’  I told him it was of no particular worth to me, but I merely wished to keep it as a curiosity, and if he would pledge me his word and honour that I should have it when called for, he Might have it; which he did, and took the stone.  I thought I could rely on his word at this time, as he had made a profession of religion; but in this I was disappointed, for he disregarded both his word and honour.

“In the fall of 1826, a friend called upon me, and wished to see that stone about which so much had been said; and I told him, if he would go with me to Smith’s (a distance of about half a mile), he might see it.  To my surprise, however, on asking Smith for the stone, he said, ‘You cannot have it.’  I told him it belonged to me; repeated to him the promise he had made me at the time of obtaining the stone; upon which he faced me with a malignant look, and said, ’I don’t care who the devil it belongs to; you shall not have it.’

     “Col.  NAHUM HOWARD.”

CHAPTER XXXIX.

I must pass over many details interesting in themselves, but too long to insert in this work.  It must suffice to say, that after a time Joe Smith stated that he had possession of the golden plates, and had received from heaven a pair of spectacles by means of which the unknown characters could be decyphered by him.  It may appear strange that such absurd assertions should be credited, but the reader must call to mind the credence given in this country to Joanna Southcote, and the infatuation displayed by her proselytes to the very last.

The origin of Mormonism deserves peculiar examination from the success which has attended the imposture, and the prospects which it has of becoming firmly established as a new creed.  At its first organization, which took place at the time that the golden plates were translating, which the reader may suppose was nothing more than the contents of the book that Rigdon had obtained possession of, and which had been originally written by S. Spalding, there were but six members of the new creed.

These first members, consisting mostly of persons who were engaged with Smith in the translation of the plates, forthwith applied themselves with great zeal to building up the church Their first efforts were confined to Western New York and Pennsylvania, where they met with considerable success.  Alter a number of converts had been made, Smith received a revelation that he and all his followers should go to Kirkland, in Ohio, and there take up their abode.