Thursday, October 9, 2014

M´Chesney and the Antidote to Mormonism

In the pamphlet Antidote to Mormonism, M´Chesney for 1838 gave the same sequence of arguments that we had earlier reconstructed from John Corrill´s reminiscences.
We will relate a circumstance, that will show their presumption, and the plans they introduce to throw into disrepute, and trample under foot the word of God. We attended one of their meetings, when, by appointment, they were to prove by the scriptures that the book of Mormon was of divine authority; or, if not, there must be such a book found. The speaker, after labouring with the 28th chapter Genesis, where Jacob blessed both the sons of Joseph [actually. Gen 48, RCK]; then proceeded to the 29th of Isaiah.—Here he strove to make his hearers believe that the prophet had this book in view. He next went to the 37th chapter of Ezekiel, where he made a great handle of the prophet’s “Sticks,” and, indeed he strove hard to cause the scriptures to speak to his advantage. Truly we were much disappointed with the weakness of his arguments. (p.21)
M´Chesney also mentions the pamphlet by Parley Pratt from 1838, Mormonism Unveiled, in which the anti-Mormon pamphlet of LaRoy Sunderland is refuted (which is unfortunately not available online in any significant portion).

M´Chesney claimed to have bills from the Kirtland [anti-]banking Society in his possession (p.22).

M´Chesney cites (p.50) a professor Roy of Oriental languages who claims Mormons comes from the Hebrew and means with "the rebels" (e.g. Numbers 20:10), but the Hebrew text has hamorim.

In the appendix, M´Chesney makes his dependence on Eber D. Howe and LaRoy Sunderland explicit, and closes with a riff against Martin Harris´ claim of doom regarding the US:

Martin Harris’ Prophecy.—“Within four years from September, 1832, there will not be one wicked person in the United States; the righteous will be gathered to Zion, [Missouri;] there will be no President of the United States after that time; every sectarian and religious denomination in the United States shall be broken down; every Christian shall be gathered unto the Mormonites; and the rest of the human race shall perish.” (p.59) 
See also the discussion in Max H Perkin´s master thesis at BYU from 1960 on the nature and causes of conflict, both internally and externally, in Ohio, esp. p.54.

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