Mormonism Unvailed is a book published in 1834 by Eber D. Howe. The title page proclaims the book to be a contemporary exposé of Mormonism, and makes the claim that the historical portion of the Book of Mormon text was based upon a manuscript written by Solomon Spalding. "A faithful account of that singular imposition and delusion, from its rise to the present time. With sketches of the characters of its propagators, and a full detail of the manner in which the famous Golden Bible was brought before the world. To which are added, inquiries into the probability that the historical part of the said Bible was written by one Solomon Spalding, more than twenty years ago, and by him intended to have been published as a romance.".
The publication of Mormonism Unvailed is significant in Mormon history as it is considered to be the first anti-Mormon book.. The book represented the first significant opposition to Mormonism by an author who had actually addressed the contents of the Book of Mormon.
Of the many subjects discussed in the book, two had a significantly lasting impact. The first of these was the publication of a number of affidavits and other statements related to the character of Joseph Smith and Martin Harris. The second significant item was the introduction of a popular early authorship theory for the Book of Mormon known as the "Spalding–Rigdon theory of Book of Mormon authorship".
Overview The full title of the book is Mormonism Unvailed: Or, A Faithful Account of That Singular Imposition and Delusion from Its Rise to the Present Time. With Sketches of the Characters of Its Propagators, and a Full Detail of the Manner in Which the Famous Golden Bible Was Brought Before the World. To Which Are Added, Inquiries into the Probability That the Historical Part of the Said Bible Was Written by One Solomon Spalding, More Than Twenty Years Ago, and by Him Intended to Have Been Published As a Romance.
Chapter 1 discusses the character of Joseph Smith and his family as well as "some of the principal actors in the imposition." Howe presents "old Joseph and wife, the parents of the pretended Prophet, as lazy, indolent, ignorant and superstitious" and "not much disposed to obtain an honorable livelihood by labor".. Chapters 2 discusses the production of the Book of Mormon, or "Golden Bible".. Chapters 3 to 7 discuss the contents of the Book of Mormon itself. Howe begins with a comment regarding the style in which the book was written: "The whole work is written in a miserable attempt to imitate the style of King James the first.". Chapter 8 discusses the conversion and involvement of Sidney Rigdon. Howe remarks on reports that "Rigdon has been the Iago, the prime mover, of the whole conspiracy. Of this, however, we have no positive proof.". Chapter 9 deals more with Rigdon during his time in Kirkland. Included in the chapter is a lengthy letter to Rigdon from Thomas Campbell, who refers to Rigdon as "a professed disciple and public teacher of the infernal book of Mormon." Regarding the letter, Howe states, "after Rigdon had read a few lines of the above, he hastily committed it to the flames.". Unexplained is the ability of Howe to reproduce Campbell's letter in its entirety, covering a full seven-and-a-half pages in his book, after Rigdon burned it. Chapter 10 deals with alleged Mormon practices of healing and the execution of missionary work "by sending abroad every thing that could walk, no matter how ignorant".. Chapter 11 discusses the "gift of tongues". Howe comments: "This gibberish for several months was practiced almost daily".. Chapter 12 discusses the conflicts of the Mormons with the inhabitants of Jackson County, Missouri. Chapters 13 and 14 deal with the expedition of "Zion's Camp". Chapter 15 includes a number of letters written by Methodist clergyman Ezra Booth. Chapter 16 addresses the subject of Mormon revelations. Chapter 17 includes a set of affidavits collected by Doctor Philastus Hurlbut, which discuss the character of Joseph Smith and Martin Harris. Chapter 18 discusses the visit of Martin Harris to Charles Anthon. Chapter 19 introduces the claim that the Book of Mormon plagiarized from a manuscript written by Solomon Spalding.
Hurlbut affidavits Howe introduces the section containing the affidavits by stating: "We next present to the reader a few, among the many despositions which have been obtained from the neighborhood of the Smith family, and the scene where the far famed Gold Bible had its pretended origin.".
The affidavits attesting to the character of Joseph Smith were collected by Doctor Philastus Hurlbut. The affidavits themselves are not known to exist outside of their printing in Mormonism Unvailed.. One purpose of the affidavits was to discredit the Smith family by emphasizing their treasure-seeking activities as a negative reflection upon their character. In doing so, some of those providing the statements revealed their own involvement with treasure-seeking as well.. Martin Harris was also the subject of a number of these statements.
Hurlbut had previously been excommunicated on charges of immorality. A contemporary author discusses Hurlbut's background and noted that prior to joining the LDS church, he was a member of a Methodist congregation but was "expelled for unvirtuous conduct with a young lady".. As a member, Hurlbut "immediately commenced his old practices, in attempting to seduce a young female ... for this crime he was immediately expelled from the church." In response to his expulsion from the church, Hurlbut "now determined to demolish, as far as practicable, what he had once endeavoured to build up"..
Hurlbut traveled to Palmyra and the surrounding regions at the request of an Ohio anti-Mormon committee for the purpose of "collecting statements disparaging to the Smith name"..
LDS scholars have challenged the Hurlbut affidavits, claiming that they appear to contain "selected rather than random comments" and that they "appear to be hearsay and gossip rather than a reflection of firsthand knowledge"..
Manchester residents Eleven residents of the Manchester area signed the following statement: "We, the undersigned, being personally acquainted with the family of Joseph Smith, sen. with whom the celebrated Gold Bible, so called, originated, state: that they were not only a lazy, indolent set of men, but also intemperate; and their word was not to be depended upon; and that we are truly glad to dispense with their society"..
One LDS scholar points out the contradiction: "the large household of ten Smiths survived a dozen years without seriously working but spent days and nights in seeking treasures and finding none.". Smith himself wrote in his journal: "At the age of about ten years my Father Joseph Smith, Siegnior [Senior], moved to Palmyra, Ontario County in the State of New York. And being in indigent circumstances [we] were obliged to labour hard for the support of a large Family having nine Chilldren. As it required the exertions of all that were able to render any assistance for the support of the Family, therefore we were deprived of the bennifit of an education. Suffice it to say I was merely instructed in reading, writing, and the ground rule of Arithmatic which const[it]uted my whole literary acquirements."."A History of the Life of Joseph Smith, Jr.," 1832 (from Scott H. Faulring, ed., An American Prophet's Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith [Salt Lake City: Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, 1987], pp. 3-8)
Affidavit of Willard Chase Willard Chase was a friend of Joseph Smith. According to one author, ordinary people at the time had "no difficulty blending Christianity with magic" and described Chase as "the most vigorous of the Manchester treasure-seekers" as well as a Methodist class leader..
Discovery of a "seer" stone
The Willard Chase affidavit discusses the joint discovery that he and Joseph Smith made of a "seer" stone while digging a well together. Chase states that Smith claimed to be able to see things in the stone and allowed it to remain in Smith's possession for several years. Chase describes how he wanted the stone back and sent a friend to the Smiths' house to view it. The response related by Chase is that his friend said that Smith said, "I don't care who in the Devil it belongs to, you shall not have it.".
LDS scholars note that Chase's statements all represent second or third-hand accounts. They also note that Chase was just as involved in treasure-seeking as Joseph Smith and so perhaps envied the seer stone once he became aware of its purported abilities.
Toad as a treasure guardian The Chase affidavit relates a conversation that he had with Joseph Smith's father in June 1827. The story relates to Smith's claim to have seen an angel named Moroni at the time that he was attempting to retrieve from a stone box the Golden Plates from which the Book of Mormon is said to have been translated. According to Chase, there were certain requirements related to treasure-seeking that Smith had to fulfill so that he would be able to obtain the plates.. One statement attributed by Chase to Joseph Smith, Sr., is that Smith, Jr., "saw in the box something like a toad, which soon assumed the appearance of a man, and struck him on the side of his head".. Years later, Chase's brother-in-law, Benjamin Saunders, claimed that he heard the story directly from Joseph Smith. By 1893, Saunders's nephew was "quoting" Joseph Smith as having said that the animal was an "enormous toad" which turned into a "flaming monster with glittering eyes".. According to the author D. Michael Quinn, early American folk traditions associate the toad with "Satanism, black magic, sorcery, and witchcraft. ... If anything changed from the appearance of a toad to the appearance of a person, that thing was an evil spirit, or a witch, or a bewitched person"..
LDS scholars suggest that Chase and others "intentionally portrayed Moroni as a particular type of treasure guardian incompatible with an angel"..
Affidavit of Isaac Hale Isaac Hale was the father-in-law of Joseph Smith Jr. Hale's affidavit concerns his belief that the story of the translation of the gold plates was a delusion on the part of Smith and his associates. Hale states: "I told them, that I considered the whole of it a delusion, and advised them to abandon it. The manner in which he pretended to read and interpret, was the same as when he looked for the money-diggers, with the stone in his hat, and his hat over his face, while the Book of Plates were at the same time hid in the woods!"
One author suggests that Hurlbut did not obtain the Isaac Hale affidavit but was instead published first in a local newspaper, the Susquehanna Register, on 1 May 1834 and that Howe simply reprinted the letter in Mormonism Unvailed.. Howe does not single out the source of Hale's statement other than to state that it was "[a]ffirmed to and subscribed before me, March 20, 1834. Charles Dimon, J. Peace" of Susquehanna County, approximately one-and-a-half months before its publication in the Susquehanna Register. Howe's introduction to the affidavit section of his book implies that all statements (including Hale's) contained therein were obtained as "depositions".
Affidavit of Lucy Harris Lucy Harris was the former wife of Martin Harris. While married to Martin Harris, Lucy Harris once claimed to have a dream in which she said that she saw the gold plates. She thus offered Joseph Smith a gift of $28 to help finance the Book of Mormon translation.. She was also involved in the lost 116 pages incident.