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Marryat, Frederick, 1792-1848

"Monsieur Violet"

"
The above were the exact words of Smith, to which he adds, somewhere in
his translation of the book, that had it not been for the supernatural
virtues of the stone he carried with him, virtues which endowed him with
divine strength and courage, he would never have been able to undergo
the fatigues and conquer the obstacles he encountered during that
frightful night.
Thus Smith gets possession of his precious manuscript. But, alas! 'tis
written in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Joe calls to his assistance the
wonderful stone, "the gift of God," and peeping hastily through it, he
sees an angel pointing somewhere towards _a miraculous pair of
spectacles!!!_ Yes, two polished pieces of crystal were the humble means
by which the golden plates were to be rendered comprehensible. By the
bye, the said spectacles are a heavy, ugly piece of workmanship of the
last century; they are silver-mounted, and bear the maker's name,
plainly engraved, "Schneider, Zurich."
The Book of Mormon was published in the year 1830, Since that period its
believers and advocates have propagated its doctrines and absurdities
with a zeal worthy of a better cause. Through every State of the Union,
and in Canada, the apostles of this wild delusion have disseminated its
principles and duped thousands to believe it true.


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