Letter to Oliver Cowdery, 24 September 1834
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Source Note
JS, Letter, , Geauga Co., OH, to , [, Geauga Co., OH], 24 Sept. 1834. Featured version published in The Evening and the Morning Star, Sept. 1834, p. 192. For more complete source information on The Evening and the Morning Star, see the source note for Letter, 30 Oct. 1833.
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Historical Introduction
The September 1834 issue of The Evening and the Morning Star includes a letter to editor from JS, who, for the first time in print, addressed disparaging writings of against JS and the church. Campbell, a Scottish-born restorationist who commanded a sizable following by 1834, first criticized JS soon after and many other Campbellites in northeastern converted to Mormonism in late 1830. Rigdon and Campbell had been close associates in Campbell’s reformed Baptist movement during the 1820s. According to Campbell, Rigdon fell “into the snare of the Devil in joining the Mormonites” and “led away a number of disciples with him.” Considering JS a charlatan prophet attempting to usurp the role of restoring primitive Christianity, Campbell published an article titled “Delusions” in the 7 February 1831 issue of his newspaper, the Millennial Harbinger. In the article, Campbell gave an extended synopsis of the Book of Mormon, attacked the book’s authenticity, and labeled JS an impostor. The following year, one of Campbell’s associates, Joshua Himes, reprinted “Delusions” as a sixteen-page tract. Campbell continued to use the Millennial Harbinger to disparage JS, Oliver Cowdery, and Sidney Rigdon. The Painesville Telegraph also reprinted some of Campbell’s anti-Mormon polemics.Despite occasional barbs in these publications, was not saying much about JS or the church by September 1834. It is therefore unclear why JS suddenly broke his previous silence concerning Campbell. He wrote in the letter that he had “of late, been perusing Mr. A Campbell’s ‘Millennial Harbinger,’” perhaps a reference to the August 1834 issue, which does mention JS. However, the mention is brief and passing; “Joe Smith” is listed along with other religious reformers whom Campbell identified as impostors. Another possibility is that JS was reading some of Campbell’s earlier attacks in the Harbinger. Whatever the case, JS’s response expressed his opinions of Campbell and his publications.
Footnotes
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1
Kennedy, Early Days of Mormonism, 67; “Sidney Rigdon,” Millennial Harbinger, 7 Feb. 1831, 100.
Kennedy, James H. Early Days of Mormonism: Palmyra, Kirtland, and Nauvoo. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1888.
Millennial Harbinger. Bethany, VA. Jan. 1830–Dec. 1870.
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2
“Delusions,” Millennial Harbinger, 7 Feb. 1831, 85–96.
Millennial Harbinger. Bethany, VA. Jan. 1830–Dec. 1870.
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3
For instance, Campbell’s “Delusions” was reprinted in the 8 and 15 March 1831 issues of the Telegraph. (“Delusions,” Painesville [OH] Telegraph, 8 Mar. 1831, [1]–[2]; “Mormonism,” Painesville Telegraph, 15 Mar. 1831, [1]–[2].)
Painesville Telegraph. Painesville, OH. 1822–1986.
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4
“Christendom in Its Dotage,” Millennial Harbinger, Aug. 1834, 374.
Millennial Harbinger. Bethany, VA. Jan. 1830–Dec. 1870.
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