nt, U.S. At the age of 15 he declared himself to have seen
a vision of "two personages," who informed him that all existing
Christian sects were erroneous. According to his own account, this
vision was repeated three years afterwards, when he was informed
that the American Indians were a remnant of the Israelites, and
that certain prophetical writings of the Jews were buried in a
spot from which he was destined to rescue them. The absurd story
goes on to say that Joseph Smith accordingly found in a stone box,
just covered with earth, in Ontario, the "Record," consisting of
gold plates engraven with "Reformed Egyptian" characters. Although
discovered in 1823, the angel would not allow Smith to remove them
until 1827. Luckily he also discovered the Urim and Thummim in the
same box with the golden plates, and by its aid he was able to
translate a portion of the revelation, which, when complete,
composed a large volume. This volume he called the "Book of Mormon,"
"Mormon" meaning, as he explained, _more good_, from "mor," a
contraction for _more_, and "mon," the Egyptian for _good_.
_Mormon_, too, was the name of a supposed prophet living in the
fourth or fifth century. The golden plates, said to have been
discovered in the above extraordinary manner, were never publicly
produced, but three witnesses were found to testify that they had
actually seen the plates, an angel having exhibited them. These
three witnesses were the two brothers and the father of Smith.
Four other witnesses of the name of Whitmer also testified the
same. The "Book of Mormon" was succeeded by a "Book of Doctrine
and Covenants," being a collection of special revelations made
to Smith and his associates. Followers soon began to flock around
the new "prophet," as Smith called himself. But at the same time
much hostility was shown to the sect. They were expelled from
different States, until at last they settled in Illinois. An
altercation between the "Saints" and the county resulted in the
imprisonment of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum; but in 1844
a mob broke into the prison and the brothers were shot. Brigham
Young succeeded to the post of "prophet." Fresh troubles with the
State caused another migration of the "Saints" in 1846, who, after
much suffering, settled in the valley of the Great Salt Lake. There
they have prospered, and the settlement itself, by the name of
Utah, has been admitted to the United States Confederacy. They
send missionary ag