New History of the Mormon Church

EDITOR'S TABLE. 833

wide prohibition. That is the procedure. Let us paraphrase our correspondent's sentence and say: "There is only one hope, and that is for state-wide temperance and prohibition, brought about by the sovereign will of the people." Joseph F. Smith.

NEW "HISTORY OF THE MORMON CHURCH." The Americana for July, 1909, formerly the American Histori- cal Magazine, a monthly devoted to history genealogy and literature, ,

issued in New York City, comes to hand with the first instalment of "The History of the Mormon Church," by Brigham H. Roberts,

assistant historian of the Church. The first article of the series covers twenty- seven pages of the magazine, including a beautiful steel engraving of the prophet, as a frontispiece, and a page steel

illustration of the memorial monument at Sharon, Vermont. The

history will be continued monthly in serial form, covering a period of perhaps two years, and judging from the first pages, will be one ever written of the of the most attractive literary productions Latter-day Saints. Under the general title, "The Ancestry of Joseph on "The Smiths of Smith, the Prophet," the first chapter treats Topsfield, Massachusetts," and contains some very interesting data prophet, from Robert on the paternal side of the ancestry of the came from England to America in 1638. The second Smith who chapter treats of the "Macks of New England," and presents im- documents and facts relating to the prophet's ancestry portant some of which are found in a newly discov- on his mother's side,

ered volume on the history of the town of Gilsum, New Hampshire. forth, would appear that the common From the matter set it

the ancestors of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, charges against "credulity," are logi- namely: "restlessness," "illiteracy," and refuted by the facts drawn from trust- cally and convincingly and relating both to the prophet's worthy sources of information ancestry. In an editorial announcement paternal and maternal editor calls attention to this "most for the August number, the on the history of the "Mormon" important series" of articles

Church, and says: "As dealing with the foundations of thought and life of a large and important class of American citizens, but little known hitherto, and perhaps on that account much mis- judged by their eastern brethren, this group of articles has a weight that will probably secure for it serious attention. Fine steel plate illustrations add to the value of this series." In connection with this history and leading up to its writing, there is a very interesting story. Several years ago there ap- peared in the Salt Lake Tribune, some articles that had originally been written for the American Historical Magazine. These arti- cles were written by a man named Schroeder who, it will be re- membered, had formerly published in Salt Lake City a blatant infidel magazine which he called Lucifer's Lantern. Observing these articles, Elder B. H. Roberts requested to know whether he would be permitted to answer them in the Tribune. He was in- formed that the articles in the Tribune were published by courtesy of the American Magazine, and that its publishers would likely be glad to print a reply which if found worth while would probably appear in the Tribune. Whereupon Elder Roberts took up the matter with the editors of the American Magazine, and his answer appeared in four articles in four successive numbers of the magazine, which was at that time printed bi-monthly. These arti- cles were written in the author's strong, characteristic style de- fending, against the sophistry of Schroeder, the origin of the Book of Mormon. At the conclusion of these articles the pub- lishers proposed to Elder Roberts that he write "a detailed, ex- haustive history of the 'Mormon' Church," which history has now begun and will be continued serially until the whole shall have ap- peared in the magazine. All Latter-day Saints as well as true lovers of fair play and a square deal, will desire to read this history of the Church as it is now set forth for the first time by an eastern publishing house, and written by a man who is among the best authorities on Church history now living. This handsome magazine, which contains 119 pages of choice matter, is devoted entirely to historical, genealogical, social and scientific problems, as well as biography and general literature, is printed monthly, and sold at a subscription price of $4 per annum. The plates are reproduced and for sale separately on heavy paper, 11x16, suitable for fram-