Author's Preface

THIS study has been offered to the Philosophical Faculty of Yale University as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Materials I gathered at Salt Lake City in 1894 were utilized in 1898 for a Master of Arts thesis on the ' Metaphysics of Mormonism.' The sources employed in the present work, as given in the appended Bibliography, are, in the main, to be found in the Berrian collection of the New York Public Library.

Beside rare first editions and Church publications suppressed by the Utah Saints, use is here made of some hitherto unpublished manuscripts. For these I am indebted to various correspondents, and especially to Mr. William Evarts Benjamin of New York City. For suggestions and criticisms my thanks are also due to Prof. William H. Brewer, of the Sheffield Scientific School, and to Prof. Charles J. Bartlett of the Yale Medical School.

The aim of this work is to examine Joseph Smith's character and achievements from the standx

PREFACE

point of recent psychology. Sectarians and phrenologists, spiritualists and mesmerists have variously interpreted his more or less abnormal performances, — it now remains for the psychologist to have a try at them.

New Haven, Conn., May, igos.