Uncouth Reflections

Glynn Marshes writes:

@Fenster–

Years ago I picked up a book, “The Development of Central and Western New York,” from Gutenberg Books on Monroe Ave. in Rochester.

It’s a collection of “contemporary accounts,” compiled by Clayton Mau, published in 1958 — and one of those accounts is about the Mormons in Upstate New York; it is taken from a book by Orsamus Turner, who claims to have known the Smiths when they lived in Palmyra, and seems to have formed a rather dim opinion of them 🙂

And happy day — the bits of Turner’s book that cover the Smiths are out there on the Interwebs:

Joseph Smith, the father of the prophet Joseph Smith, jr., was from the Merrimack river, N. H. He first settled in or near Palmyra village, but as early as 1819 was the occupant of some new land on “Stafford street,” in the town of Manchester, near the line of Palmyra. * “Mormon Hill ” is near the plank road about half-way between the villages of Palmyra and Manchester. The elder Smith had been a Universalist, and subsequently a Methodist; was a good deal of a smatterer in scriptural knowledge, but the seed of revelation was sown on weak ground; he was a great babbler, credulous, not especially industrious, a money-digger, prone to the marvellous; and, withal, a little given to difficulties with neighbors, and petty law-suits . . .

Mrs. Smith was a woman of strong, uncultivated intellect; artful and cunning; imbued with an ill-regulated religious enthusiasm. The incipient hints, the first givings out that a prophet was to spring from her humble household, came from her; and when matters were maturing for denouement, she gave out that such and such ones — always fixing upon those who had both money and credulity — were to be instruments in some great work of new revelation. The old man was rather her faithful co-worker, or executive exponent. Their son, Alvah, was originally intended or designated, by fireside consultations and solemn and mysterious out-door hints, as the forthcoming prophet. The mother and the father said he was the chosen one; but Alvah, however spiritual he may have been, had a carnal appetite; ate too many green turnips, sickened and died. Thus the world lost a prophet, and Mormonism a leader; the designs, impiously and wickedly attributed to Providence, were defeated; and all in consequence of a surfeit of raw turnips. Who will talk of the cackling geese of Rome, or any other small and innocent causes of mighty events after this? The mantle of the prophet which Mrs. and Mr. Joseph Smith and one Oliver Cowdery had wove themselves — every thread of it — fell upon their next eldest son, Joseph Smith, Jr.

Btw the title of the Turner book is:

History of the Pioneer Settlement of Phelps and Gorham’s Purchase, and Morris’ Reserve; Embracing the Counties of Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, Yates, Steuben, Most of Wayne and Allegany, and Parts of Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming. To Which is Added, A Supplement, or Extension of the Pioneer History of Monroe County. The Whole Preceded by Some Account of French and English Dominion—Border Wars of the Revolution—Indian Councils and Land Cessions—The Progress of Settlement Westward from the Valley of the Mohawk—Early Difficulties with the Indians—Our Immediate Predecessors the Senecas—with “A Glance at the Iroquois.”

Here’s a pic, which I wish I hadn’t seen because I now want a copy, and not only because it has such a mind-bogglingly gorgeous title.

Sadly $850 is a bit out of my Kindle-calibrated budget 😉