| 575 candid and scriptural investigation. The scriptures, like the great ruler of the day shed forth their rays of light to direct the footsteps of the traveller [traveler] to eternity, and to enable him to shun the dark and winding ways of error and superstition until the day-star arise in his heart. They should be the test by which all religious matters should be tried, and the great regulator of our faith.
Rumor with her ten thousand poisonous tougues [tongues], though ever busy, should never be a criterian [criterion] by which we should justify or condemn any man or set of men. The Jews condemned Christ and his apostles from evil reports, and came to a conclusion that they were the worst of deceivers: and why did they come to such a conclusion? because they were bigots and refused to hear but one side of the question. In this respect we as a people have reason to complain of our cotemporaries [contemporaries]. Not that we think prejudice against us under present circumstances, is easily to be avoided; neither was it in the days of Christ, and his apostles: for there were more men in number to testify against them, than there was for them; but as they were judged rashly, so have we been; and the result has been that we have suffered much from the barbarous hand of persecution. No sooner had a few men, whose pecuniary means were small, (but who previously bore the character of respectable citizens) bore testimony of the truths we have embraced, than the people began to rage, and the cry of "delusion," "fanaticism," "false prophets," and "Mormonism," was heard from one end of our country to the other, and many have joined in the uproar who have scarcely heard the first sylable [syllable] on the part of the defensive-Editors have paraded before the public all kinds of tales and vulgar reports that men in their imaginations could invent concerning us, (a society of whose real principles most of them know nothing of, but from hearsay,) to decoy the public mind from the field of candid investigation, and like the Ephesians, to raise a tremendous uproar, and thus drown the voice of the innocent,-the vioce [voice] of defence [defense],-the voice of TRUTH!-this being the most effectual way to impede the progress of the work; but scripture and common sense are set aside as though they were useless. We court investigation; but we will never descend to traduce character in order to oppose doctrine; neither will we condemn from the hearing of one side of the question only: "A fool judgeth a matter before he heareth it."-Solomon. "Doth our law judge a man before it heareth him."-Nicodemus.
It is reported that Joseph Smith, who was the first in reformation or the commencement of this work which we have espoused, is of notorious bad character before he experienced religion was equally good with any other respectable citizen of the state of New York; since that time, if reports are to be credited, (which by the by we avowedly denounce as falsehoods,) he has become a very bad man. The Apostle Paul sustained a good character among the Jews, till be became a christian, then let his accusers tell the story, he became one of the worst men that was ever on the earth;-so notoriously bad that they brought an accusation against him for sedition or treason.
When we consider that religionists and non-professors anciently spoke all manner of evil falsely against Christ and the Apostles, we are not astonished that editors, priests, and people, should publish all manner of evil falsely against Mr. Smith, and others of the society, seeing that they have adopted the same faith, contended for the same spiritual blessings, and practiced the ordinances that primitive saints did.
It has been stated in public journals that we hold all things in common, or that we have a community of goods, also of wives. These charges we positively deny: for we hold to no such things nor never did; neither do those who become members of the society give up their property to the leading men of it. We raise money by subscription for the purpose of erecting public places for worship, and the support of the poor. The rules of the church forbid any thing like unvirtuous conduct, and they are rigorously enforced, when there is any occasion whatever for it. It has been said, that the whole society are a set of seditious persons, not willing to conform to the laws of the country. This is also false, for we highly esteem the laws of our country, and we chalenge [challenge] the world to prove by affidavit, or by other creditable testimony, that the society as a body, have ever been, for the first time, insubordinate.
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