The Spaulding Theory

The Spaulding Theory

By Elder Cecil E. McGavin

Author of “Mormonism and Masonry" and “Cumorah’s Gold Bible."

WHEN people began to read the Book of Mormon they were convinced that Joseph Smith could not possibly have written it. Eager to discount his story of its miraculous and divine translation, his bitter opponents attempted to show that Ethan Smith’s book, “Views of the Hebrews.” and other publications, were the basis of this strange book. Finally a theory was evolved which has been accepted by many people as the true explanation of the origin of the Book of Mormon. Briefly, it was this:

“Solomon Spaulding, a minister of the Congregational Church, had written a novel about ancient Indian life in America. He sent the completed manuscript to a firm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for publication. Sidney Rigdon must have stolen the document and encouraged Joseph Smith to use it as the basis text of the Book of Mormon.”

This puerile argument has been answered many times. We shall be content to show how the theological pattern of the Book of Mormon is completely at variance with the teaching of the Congregational Church. First, however, let us review the story which Rev. Spaulding named “The Manuscript Found,” which manuscript was found years after this theory had been advanced.

DRIFTED TO AMERICA

According to this story, Rev. Spaulding found twenty-eight sheets of parchment containing Latin inscriptions which he was able to read. As he read the ancient document he found that it told of a Roman sea captain, named Fabius, who with a few passengers set sail for “Britain.” There were thirteen men and six women on the ship. Contrary winds drove it from its course and it drifted to America.

This colony is not represented as being the ancestors of the American Indians, for the dark skinned natives are said to have been there when they arrived. The story is not written in biblical style, nor does it have any proper names found in the Book of Mormon. Two other popular names are Lillian and Trojanus.

“The Manuscript Found” is now preserved at Oberlin College, in Oberlin, Ohio. There are some critics, however, who have insisted since the finding of this manuscript, that perhaps the Rev. Spaulding wrote another novel which was used as the framework of the Book of Mormon. To this we make the following reply:

NO SIMILARITY

“There is no similarity at all in the theology, organization, ritual and general proceedure of the Congregational Church and that described in the Book of Mormon. It is thoroughly inconsistent to assume that a minister of that church after a life-long service in the ministry, should suddenly fling aside all the characteristic teachings of his denomination and write a story about a church being established among the ancient inhabitants of America, the resurrected Lord directing its organization and operation, yet the divinely instituted church was not at all similar to the religious pattern with which he had been familiar during his ministry.”

“The church in which the Rev. Spaulding was a minister for many years taught that baptism should be administered by sprinkling or washing, and that children should be admitted into the church by such a baptism, or as one of their ministers explained, ‘… being in the church by birth, children are entitled to this rite.’”—Albert E. Dunning, “Congregationalists in America,” p. 171.

No person who had taught these doctrines all his life could suddenly revise his theological teachings and declare, as the Book of Mormon does throughout, that baptism by immersion by one divinely endowed with authority, is the only acceptable mode of baptism. The Book of Mormon is emphatic in declaring that the Nephites did not “receive any unto baptism, save they came forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the Church that they truly repented of all their sins.”—Moroni 6:2.

When the resurrected Lord appeared to the Nephites, He called forth twelve men and established an organization like the one He had set up in Palestine.

The Congregational Church has never taught that it was a divinely established organization, the one true Church established under the personal direction of God. From their own writings we read:

“Congregationalism makes no exclusive claims. It is not ‘The Church.’ It has no monopolies, no copyrights, no barrier walls. It does not believe that the world is to be Congregationalized. It simply believes that certain great principles which it holds will under some form and name control the final shaping of organized Christianity. … It acknowledges that we are but one branch of Christ’s people. … From the beginning we have striven to co-operate with all branches of the Church so far as they would let us. … It is not too much to say that Congregationalism is willing to lose and often has lost members and prestige in order to be fraternal.”—F. M. Sheldon, “Pilgrim Deeds and Duties,” p. 92.

It would be difficult to find a religious philosophy as different to that set forth in the Book of Mormon as is that of the church which the Rev. Solomon Spaulding served as minister for many years. Had he or any other man the slightest influence on the Book of Mormon, it would have borne the errors due to the presence of frail human hands and minds. Imbued with the theological concepts represented in these quotations, no person connected with that church which endorses such a philosophy had had the faintest influence on this remarkable book.

His Son Jesus Christ was born in the flesh, that He was crucified and was raised from the dead with a body of flesh and bones, and sits today on the right hand of the Father as our Judge and Advocate, and that all those who will accept and live according to His teachings will not perish but will have everlasting life.

Thus also by the power of the Holy Ghost, all baptized members of the body of the Church may know the truth of. these things and that “Christ is risen as He has said.”

CONSIDER VOCABULARY

Every page of this remakable book bears.witness that neither Solomon Spaulding, Sidney Rigdon, nor any other man had anything to do with its origin and preparations. Furthermore, the theological pattern of the book is even more convincing that no man wrote this sublime literature. One critic rejected the book because it attempted to answer all the disputes on doctrine that were being discussed in western New York at the time, including the mode of baptism, infant baptism, the sacrament, death bed repentance, the validity of miracles, the personality of God, the hereafter, and many others.

DISCARD OLD BELIEFS

But the strange thing is that the answers so emphatically, and authoritatively given in this book of scripture were directly opposed to the teachings of the popular preachers in 1830. The answers to all these questions are unorthodox, radical and revolutionary as concerns the common interpretations at that time. There is no common ground to be shared. A convert to this way of life must completely discard his old beliefs if he is to accept this revealed record and give allegiance to the Church which sponsors it. He must be “born again,” a thing which no imposter would demand.

When Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon he had no friends in the ministry to please, no old established principles to maintain, no dogmas to defend. And thus he gave to the world a book that is different from all other books. Its originality of style and method of presentation demand our reverent attention.

It is simply the miraculous element associated with this book that causes people to treat it with disdain. If the gold plates had been accidentally found by workmen and translated by a group of scholars from the great institutions of learning, it would have received the welcome it deserves.

To us, it is the more marvellous and wonderful because it came forth as it did—an evidence that God is imminent in the world today and as much concerned about the welfare and salvation of His children as when He ministered among men and did not fail to see the sparrow’s fall.