THE DAILY TRIBUNE: SALT LAKE CITY, TUESDAY, JULY 3, 1887;
“THE MORMONS IN NAUVOO – Three Letters from William Law on Mormonism.
I saw nothing wrong until after the city charter was obtained. A change was soon apparent; the laws of the country were set at defiance and although outwardly everything was smooth, the under current was most vile and obnoxious. Time revealed to me and to many others much that we had not even suspected. We were kept in the dark as long as possible and held up before the public as examples of the Mormon people. Well, you know what followed.
The great mistake of my [life was my] having anything to do with Mormonism. I feel [it to] be a deep disgrace and never speak of it when I can avoid it…
She [Emma Smith] and the Smiths, as many as I knew, were infidels, if not atheists, at least I believe so.
As to the history of Joseph Smith, I have but little to add to your knowledge of him. One trait was his jealousy of his friends, lest any of them should be esteemed before him in the eyes of the Church or of the public.
He would destroy his best friend for the sake of a few hundred dollars. It was his policy to get away with a man’s money, first, because he wanted it, and second, because he believed that in getting a man’s money he deprived him of power and position, and left him in a measure helpless and dependent.
He was a tyrant; self-exaltation and gratification of his grosser passions with an entire disregard of others rights. [sic] And of all morality, led to his destruction at last.
Hyrum Smith was as evil as Joseph…”
1 Corinthians 10:21; “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.”
The insight we received from William Law was insightful was it not?
William Law was the owner of the Nauvoo Expositor. After realizing what was going on with the Smith’s and other corrupt people in their group, he and his brother wrote an expose` on the evils they witnessed. The end result as we all know was the destruction of the newspaper and the Smith brothers’ subsequent death in a shoot-out at the Carthage jail.
Not allowing anyone to interview him because of his shame being associated with the group [Wm. Law], he finally acquiesced and answered a few questions Dr. Wilhelm Wyl asked him about. In all, there were three letters exchanged between the two men you can read in full by clicking on the link provided in the heading above. Wyl wrote an expose on Smith called ‘Mormon Portraits’.
If there was any question about Smith’s ego or temperament, the answers can be put to rest by those who knew him then.
The line that got me was, “would destroy his own friend for a few hundred dollars.” Chilling.
I know, right?! The man was downright scary and I mean that literally. Makes a chill run down my spine…
“Mormon Portraits”… thanks for the link! Interesting information that answers a lot of questions on Jos. Smith and The Expositor Incident. Great research!