Sidney B. Sperry challenges proponents of the second Spaulding manuscript theory to produce the manuscript.

Date
1967
Type
Book
Source
Sidney B. Sperry
LDS
Hearsay
Direct
Secondary
Reference

Sidney B. Sperry, "Some Miscellaneous Problems Involving the Book of Mormon: The Spaulding Theories, Alleged Anachronisms, Did Joseph Smith Obtain His Ideas for the Book of Mormon from Contemporary Books?" Answers to Book of Mormon Questions (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1967), 167-169

Scribe/Publisher
Bookcraft
People
Sidney Rigdon, L. L. Rice, Doctor Philastus Hurlbut, Joseph Smith, Jr., Sidney B. Sperry, E. D. Howe, Solomon Spaulding
Audience
General Public, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
PDF
Transcription

Of the many theories of the origin of the Book of Mormon, none has survived critical examination except the one that Joseph Smith himself tells about, namely, that he brought it forth by the gift and power of God. Even those critics who deny the divine origin of the Nephite record generally credit the book to Joseph Smith. We shall take notice here of none of the theories of human origin except two which credit the book in part to Solomon Spaulding, a graduate of Darthmouth College (B.A., 1785). The only reason we take notice of these is that they have been so often spoken of (particularly the first one). Spaulding left off as a preacher about 1800, went into merchandising, at which he failed, and then moved to New Salem, Ashtabula County, Ohio, in 1807 or 1808. New Salem was located on the banks of Conneaut Creek and was sometimes known as "Conneaut." Here Spaulding failed also in the iron foundry business. About 1809 he started to write a religious romance which "he called the 'Manuscript Found,' from the circumstance of his romance being based upon the pretended finding of a manuscript in a cave in the vicinity of New Salem. It feigned also to give an account of the migration of a colonyy to America in ancient times." To make a long story short, years after the death of Solomon Spualding in 1816, the nortorious "Doctor" Philastus Hurlburt, an excommunicated member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, secured the Spaulding manuscript and collected stories about its alleged connection with the Book of Mormon. These materials were purchased by E.D. Howe of Painesville, Ohio, and used by him in his anti-Mormon book, Mormonism Unveiled (1834), in which it is alleged that Sidney Rigdon was responsible for the religious parts of the Book of Mormon and that the manuscript of Solomon Spaulding supplied the historical materials. Howe seems to have suppressed vital facts, leaving the impression that the manuscript in his possession bore no resemblance to the true "Manuscript Found." By Howe's suppression of the truth he really had the "Manuscript Found," he made it possible for critics to get by with the false thesis for many years that the Book of Mormon was based on a Spaulding manuscript not as yet located. About the year 1840 Howe sold his paper, the Painesville Telegraph, together with a large collection of books and manuscripts, (including "Manuscript Found") to Mr. L. L. Rice. In later years Mr. Rice sold his business interests in Paineville and made his home in Honolulu in the Hawaiian Islands. There he was visited by President James H. Fairchild of Oberline College, Ohio, in 1884. President Fairchild suggested that Mr. Rice look through his numerous collection of old paper for anti-slavery documents. In his search, Mr. Rice came across the "Manuscript Found" of Solomon Spualding, completely unaware, heretofore, that it was in his possession. At last the real truth came to light; the Spaulding manuscirpt bore no resemblance to the Book of Mormon. President Fairchild said these words:

The theory of the origin of the Book of Mormon in the traditional manuscript of Solomon Spaulding will probably have to be relinquished... Mr. Rice himself and others compared it with the Book of Mormon and could detect no resemblance between the two, in general or in detail. There seems to be no name or incident common to the two...

Mr. Rice was even more emphatic than President Fairchild:

I should as soon think the Book of Revelation was written by the author of "Don Quixote," as that the writer of this manuscript was the author of the Book of Mormon.

Mr. Rice presented the original Spaulding manuscript to Oberlin College, where it now lies free for public inspection. So died the main Spaulding theory which had done yeoman service against the Book of Mormon for so many years.

Despite the fact that the one and only Spaulding manuscript was found, we occasionally hear of some critic who claims that the Book of Mormon is based, at least in part, on another Spaulding manuscript, more antique in style than the other, but now lost. This theory, or a variation of it, was made possible, of course, by E. D. Howe's implying that there was a second Spaulding manuscript. We need pay little attention to those persons who use this theory. Let them first produce the manuscript in question; then we shall be glad to consider their claims.

Copyright © B. H. Roberts Foundation
The B. H. Roberts Foundation is not owned by, operated by, or affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.