The Case Against Mormonism Author:Robert C. Webb Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: II JOSEPH SMITH, JR. MORMONISM stands united in the belief that Joseph Smith, the founder of the cult, was a Prophet of God. This, indeed, is the chief cor... more »ner-stone of this system of religion. Every institution is, in great measure, the lengthened shadow of the man, or men, who have founded it. The character of Mormonism as a religion cannot be fully understood apart from a knowledge of the character of its founder. That Joseph Smith was born and reared in an atmosphere of superstition is evident from the facts of his family history. His mother wrote a book in which she describes some experiences. She had dreams and her husband had visions, long before their son Joseph began to tell of his. About the month of March, 1811, she relates: "About this time, my husband's mind became much excited upon the subject of religion; yet he would not subscribe to any particular system offaith, but contended for the ancient order, as established by Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and his Apostles."1 As a result of this he had the following vision: "I seemed to be travelling in an open barren field, and as I was travelling, I turned my eyes toward the east, west, north, and south, but could see nothing save dead fallen timber. Not a vestige of life, either animal or vegetable could be seen; besides to render the scene still more dreary, the most deathlike silence prevailed; no sound of anything could be heard in all the field. I was alone in this gloomy desert, with the exception of an attendant spirit, who kept constantly by my side. Of him I enquired the meaning of what I saw, and why I was thus travelling in such a dismal place. He answered thus: 'This field is the world which now lieth inanimate and dumb in regard to the true religion or plan of salvation; but, travel on...« less