Solomon Spalding

[noel00]

There is an interesting lecture on Youtube on the Spalding theory

Robert Hancock was kind enough to send me a copy of his power point presentation.

Spalding-Rigdon Theory

Spaldings submitted his manuscript to Pittsburghs R& J Pattersons

bookstore & publishing firm

American epic story of the origins of the Mound Builders

Publication on-hold pending financial backing

Remained on shelf and unpublished until Spaldings death

Sidney Rigdon acquired manuscript & incorporated Cambellism and

personal theology

Rigdon associated with said Pittsburgh printing firm

Rigdon surreptitiously acquired manuscript from the printing firm

Rigdon later added theology after Spaldings death

Rigdon first met Joseph Smith sometime between 1826 1827

Conspired with Smith to be the front man in producing Book of Mormon

Smith was to be the Translator

Rigdon was to be the Spokesman and Gatherer of Israel

Manuscript is missing

One Spalding manuscript survives, but is not the manuscript used by Rigdon

Summary of Mormon Defense

Conneaut citizen statements unreliable

Hearsay

Prejudicial - Hurlbut had vendetta to destroy Mormonism

Hurlbut led, prompted, coached, cajoled witnesses

per critic Fawn Brodie consistency suggests judicial prompting

Later witness statements unreliable

Faulty, prejudiced, or conflated memories

Evidence unreliableâ?¦gathered by anti-Mormons

Solomon Spalding only wrote one manuscript

Oberlin Colleges Manuscript Story Conneaut Creek

bears little resemblance to the Book of Mormon

many parallels do existâ?¦..just not the Conneaut witness specifics

Sidney Rigdon was never in Pittsburgh before 1822

had no connection with a print shop before 1822

had no connection with Solomon Spalding

Sidney Rigdons first contact with Joseph Smith was Dec 1830

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

Spalding-Rigdon Theory

â?¢ Rigdon first met Joseph Smith sometime between 1826 â?? 1827

Summary of Mormon Defense

â?¢ Sidney Rigdonâ??s first contact with Joseph Smith was Dec 1830

This alone does it for me (among other things) for the Spaulding/Rgdon theroy.

I don't remember ever seeing good evidence for Rigdon meeting JS before that date.

I love to speculate on things though.

[noel00]

Robert Hanock's comments

Rigdon Met Smith Earlier Than Claimed

----- New Information ----

â?¢ Letter from C. E. Henry, Geauga Lake, OH to a Cleveland newspaper conveying his

recollections of George Wilber (1805-1881), who taught school very near Rigdon in

Bainbridge, Ohio around 1826-27.

â?¢ Recently discovered in â??The Cleveland Leader And Morning Heraldâ?? Vol. 39. Cleveland,

Ohio, March 14, 1886. No. 73.

â?¢ Rigdon was working on a strange religious work during that same time

â?¢ Rigdon first met Joseph Smith in Geauga County during that same time

â?¢ "...Rigdon did not preach that winter, but was almost constantly engaged upon a

manuscript that he was writing or revisingâ?¦.â?

â?¢ "...The following spring Smith appeared and he and Rigdon went off together and were

gone some months�� Soon after their return the Book of Mormon was announced. Smith

was mysterious and silentâ?¦â?

â?¢ "...Rigdon believed that his own attainments would put him at the head of the new church.

It did not take long, however, to see that he had failed to measure properly those masterly

powers of his companion in acting the part of the prophet. "

[wenglund]

Robert Hanock's comments

Rigdon Met Smith Earlier Than Claimed

----- New Information ----

Letter from C. E. Henry, Geauga Lake, OH to a Cleveland newspaper conveying his

recollections of George Wilber (1805-1881), who taught school very near Rigdon in

Bainbridge, Ohio around 1826-27.

Recently discovered in The Cleveland Leader And Morning Herald Vol. 39. Cleveland,

Ohio, March 14, 1886. No. 73.

Rigdon was working on a strange religious work during that same time

Rigdon first met Joseph Smith in Geauga County during that same time

"...Rigdon did not preach that winter, but was almost constantly engaged upon a

manuscript that he was writing or revisingâ?¦.

"...The following spring Smith appeared and he and Rigdon went off together and were

gone some months�� Soon after their return the Book of Mormon was announced. Smith

was mysterious and silentâ?¦

"...Rigdon believed that his own attainments would put him at the head of the new church.

It did not take long, however, to see that he had failed to measure properly those masterly

powers of his companion in acting the part of the prophet. "

What we have here is a second-hand account given years after the fact which not only conflicts significantly in parts with empirical historical data (see the Rigdon and Smith Timelines), but is negated by the very person who would know best--Rigdon, himself.

And, this is typical of the low quality of "evidence" trotted out by the Spalding theorists.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

[Glenn101]

Hi Glenn, I've been out a couple days, if you are even still reading this thread, I am very familiar with the Spaulding theory and I am still confused about what the point was of your original post to me. You stated that Spaulding died in 1816, but I am not sure of why that matters since proponents believe that Rigdon had gotten a copy or the original MS. Then you asked me where the second manuscript was, I said I don't know that there is one which sounds like you agree.

My point was that Spaulding is identified as the most probable author of 52 chapters of the Book of Mormon. All of those chapters are not in one block, but are scattered throughout the book. For Spaulding to have been the author, he would either have to have been an active collaborator, or those chapters incorporated pretty much wholesale into the text. (I also wonder just why Longfellow chose to author two of the chapters of the Book of Mormon.)

I do not think that there ever was a second manuscript, based upon the information gleaned from Spaulding's widow.

Glenn