rld's goods, asks me have I seen
the hermit. "Hermit?" I say, and she replies, "Didn't you know there
was a hermit? He lives on a mountain, in a cave, and never has
anything to do with the world. He has no books; he contemplates
spiritually." I picture my friend with her large limousine, a rolling
palace full of ladies, drawing up at the door of this hermit's cave.
"He received you?" I ask. "Yes, he was quite polite." "And what was
your impression of him?" "Oh, how he stank!" I answer that this is the
odor of sanctity, and my friend thinks that I am enormously witty; I
have to explain to her that I am not jesting, but that there are
definite physiological phenomena incidental to the ecstatic life.

#The Book of Mormon#

Or let us take a trip to Salt Lake City, the headquarters of a still
stranger cult.

On the morning of the 22nd of September, 1827, the Angel of the Lord
delivered unto Joseph Smith, Jr., an ignorant farmer-youth in a
"backwoods" part of New York State, some plates which had "the
appearance of gold". As we know from the scriptures, it is the habit
of the Angel of the Lord to appear in unexpected places and to make
miraculous revelations to men in humble walks of life; so, as devout
believers, we hold ourselves in readiness. In this case the plates
were written in "reformed Egyptian"; but the Angel thoughtfully
provided Joseph Smith, Jr., with Urim and Thummim, two magic stones
with which to read the records. They proved to deal with a mystery
which has haunted the minds of Bible students for centuries--the fate
of the "lost ten tribes of Israel", who were now revealed to have been
the ancestors of the American Indians. The Angel told Smith to found a
new religion, and gave him prophecies concerning things in general;
so, on the 6th of April, 1830, in the town of Manchester, N.Y., there
was formally launched the "Church of the Latter Day Saints." Smith
turned over to his followers his translation of the miraculous plates,
called "The Book of Mormon"; obviously genuine, for it read precisely
like the books which we already know are the revealed word of God.
But, on chance that this might not be sufficient, we were offered in
the preface two documents, the "Testimony of Three Witnesses", and the
"Further Testimony of Eight Witnesses". The latter being the shorter,
may be quoted:

Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues and people,
unto whom this work shall come: That Joseph Smith Jr.,