, Letter, Pittsburg, OH, to JS and , [, Hancock Co., IL], 16 Apr. 1844; handwriting of ; docket in handwriting of ; four pages; JS Collection, CHL.
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observed the facts of antiquity as set forth in the Book of Mormon and then sustained by the exact corespondence of those gentlemen antiquarians above mentioned is more than common sense will allow; therefore the last and only alternative is to say that he (Smith) was must have been aided by some agency higher than man and that is to humbleing for this Proud money made <generation of> Priests and a Priest riden generation <to acknowledge—>
There is one thing in which I do regoice and that is this I am able to set forth more certain tangeble evidence of the divinity of the Book of Mormon than any other man out of the church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints can of the divinity of the old and new testament,— thank God!!
Therefore there is only the two ways in this one is matter, after hearing the evidence of the divinity of the Book of Mormon— one is this the people can humble themselves before God and embrace the truth proved to be such and thus come in to the fold of Christ and be saved— The second is the people can <hear> the truth and the Positive proof thereof unto their confounding and <they can> mutter and well say well we had rather be damed by a popular error than to be saved by an unpopular truth— If you can glean any thing from the above remark worthy of a Place in the “times and seasons” you a[re] at liberty to do so