Christian Standard =96 September 29, 1906
The Devil and Mormonism.
L. B. COGGINS.
As there us a reasonable amount of space in the columns of the
CHRISTIAN STANDARD devoted to the exposition of Mormonism, I feel that
it would not be out of place to relate a little incident which I
recently heard from the lips of one who was an eye-witness to an
exposure of its corruption in a miraculous or wonder working scene
attempted by Joseph Smith, the father and founder of Mormonism. The
incident is related by Uncle Billie Jackson, of Higginsville, Mo.,
whose record as a man of truth and honor is known all over this part
of the country. Uncle Billie states that when he was a boy his father
lived in the northeastern part of Clinton County, Mo., and that at a
little point called Farwest, in that part of the county, the Mormons
under Joseph Smith, had become quite numerous, and that a young man by
the name of Tom Parvin, who was working for his father, was paying his
respects to a young lady who had embraced the Mormon faith and
insisted that Tom attend their services in the hope of his being
converted to Mormonism. Tom was reluctant, for while he enjoyed going
to see the young lady, and had great respect for her as such, he was
rather suspicious that her religion was a counterfeit. Yet, as time
rolled on, and re****ts grow numerous of the wonderful things being
done by Smith (the great apostle), Tom became anxious to attend a
service and take a peep at the performances. So one Sunday morning, as
service was to be held at Smith Creek, about three miles distant from
Farwest, Tom and Uncle Billie (who was then a curious boy) went out to
the meeting. Great crowds came from all over the country. After the
usual service, a sermon and some songs, Smith called the attention of
the audience to an evidence of his apostle****p by walking to and fro
across the stream on the surface of the water, after which he
announced that divine service would be held in the same place in the
afternoon at three o'clock, stating that the miracle would he
performed again for the benefit of those who could not attend the
morning service. To Parvin the scene upon the water seemed too
wonderful to be genuine, so when the audience had all dispersed but he
and Uncle Billie, he goes to the stream to examine the mysterious
water path, and discovered that he could perform the same miracle, as
he found about three inches under the surface of the water a slab
about two inches thick and twelve inches wide extending across the
stream. So he hurries home and obtains a handsaw and proceeds to
weaken the path upon which the famous apostle had trod. His work being
accomplished, three o'clock soon rolls around and a great concourse of
people arrive on the ground to witness another exhibition of divine
power. The sermon, the songs and usual preliminaries having been held,
Smith, in royal robe, with bowed head and outstretched arms and solemn
tread, proceeds to walk upon the surface of the water, but greatly to
his surprise, the miracle was not so perfect as in the forenoon, as an
angel had come down and troubled the water. So, when he about reached
the middle of the stream, the ends of the slab came up and he went
down, but understanding the art of swimming, he soon managed to reach
the shore, muttering as he came out, "The devil did that." This was
too great a temptation for Tom, who immediately spoke up, "Yes, the
devil is the author of the whole business." There was considerable
excitement over the matter, and Tom, being suspected as the destroying
angel, decided to skip the country to save his life. This is a true
story, and no doubt many of the readers of the STANDARD will
[re]member the incident.
HIGGINSVILLE, Mo.
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