ts were always discordant. The elder Joseph would say, that he
had seen the plates, and that he knew them to be gold; at other times he
would say they looked like gold; and at other times he asserted he had
not seen the plates at all.

"I have thus briefly stated a few of the facts, in relation to the
conduct and character of this family of Smiths; probably sufficient has
been stated without my going into detail.

"WILLIAM STAFFORD."

The following is a curious document from one of the very individuals who
printed the Mormon Bible:--

"Having noticed in a late number of the _Signs of the Times_, a notice
of a work entitled `Mormon Delusions and Monstrosities,' it occurred to
me that it might, perhaps, be of service to the cause of truth to state
one circumstance, relative to the authenticity of the Book of Mormon,
which occurred during its publication, at which time I was a practical
printer and engaged in the office where it was printed, and became
familiar with the men and their principles, through whose agency it was
`got up.'

"The circumstance alluded to was as follows:--We had heard much said by
Martin Harris, the man who paid for the printing, and the only one in
the concern worth any property, about the wonderful wisdom of the
translators of the mysterious plates, and we resolved to test their
wisdom. Accordingly, after putting one sheet in type, we laid it aside,
and told Harris it was lost, and there would be a serious defection in
the book in consequence, unless another sheet, like the original, could
be produced. The announcement threw the old gentleman into great
excitement; but, after few a moments' reflection, he said he would try
to obtain another. After two or three weeks, another sheet was
produced, but no more like the original than any other sheet of paper
would have been, written over by a common schoolboy, after having read,
as they had, the manuscript preceding and succeeding the lost sheet. As
might be expected, the disclosure of this trick greatly annoyed the
authors, and caused no little merriment among those who were acquainted
with the circumstance. As we were none of us _Christians_, and only
laboured for the `gold that perisheth,' we did not care for the
delusion, only so far as to be careful to avoid it ourselves and enjoy
the hoax. _Not one_ of the hands in the office where the wonderful book
was printed ever became a convert to the system, although the writer of
this was oft