The Face of Popular Excitement

[SolveMormonism]

Just for information:

I thought this had already gotten around, and just this week started receiving e-mails from people who seem to think www.thefaceofpopularexcitement.com is something new. It has been online for more than a year. It is a text of 350+ pages and an appendix of 140+ pages, updated with new details every few weeks. Yes, I am the author.

If you are an amateur sleuth (threw that in for those old enough to remember Adam West) interested in Mormon history puzzles, this would help.

[Dr. Shades]

Please give us a synopsis.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

Just for information:

I thought this had already gotten around, and just this week started receiving e-mails from people who seem to think www.thefaceofpopularexcitement.com is something new. It has been online for more than a year. It is a text of 350+ pages and an appendix of 140+ pages, updated with new details every few weeks. Yes, I am the author.

If you are an amateur sleuth (threw that in for those old enough to remember Adam West) interested in Mormon history puzzles, this would help.

Thanks for showing up and linking your research! I found Lucy Harris’ affidavit interesting:

Martin’s wife Lucy Harris, who was also Martin’s cousin, signed this affidavit at Palmyra, Nov. 29, 1833:

Being called upon to give a statement to the world of what I know respecting the Gold Bible speculation, and also of the conduct of Martin Harris, my husband, who is a leading character among the Mormons, I do it free from prejudice, realizing that I must give an account at the bar of God for what I say.

Martin Harris was once industrious attentive to his domestic concerns, and thought to be worth about ten thousand dollars. He is naturally quick in his temper and his mad-fits frequently abuses all who may dare to oppose him in his wishes. However strange it may seem, I have been a great sufferer by his unreasonable conduct. At different times while I lived with him, he has whipped, kicked, and turned me out of the house.

About a year previous to the report being raised that Smith had found gold plates, he became very intimate with the Smith family, and said he believed Joseph could see in his stone any thing he wished. After this he apparently became very sanguine in his belief, and frequently said he would have no one in his house that did not believe in Mormonism; and because I would not give credit to the report he made about the gold plates, he became more austere towards me.

In one of his fits of rage he struck me with the butt end of a whip, which I think had been used for driving oxen, and was about the size of my thumb, and three or four feet long. He beat me on the head four or five times, and the next day turned me out of doors twice, and beat me in a shameful manner. The next day I went to the town of Marion, and while there my flesh was black and blue in many places. His main complaint against me was, that I was always trying to hinder his making money.

When he found out that I was going to Mr. Putnam's, in Marion, he said he was going too, but they had sent for him to pay them a visit. On arriving at Mr. Putnam's, I asked them if they had sent for Mr. Harris; they replied, they knew nothing about it; he, however, came in the evening. Mrs. Putnam told him never to strike or abuse me any more; he then denied ever striking me; she was however convinced that he lied, as the marks of his beating me were plain to be seen, and remained more than two weeks.

Whether the Mormon religion be true or false, I leave the world to judge, for its effects upon Martin Harris have been to make him more cross, turbulent and abusive to me. His whole object was to make money by it. I will give one circumstance in proof of it.

One day, while at Peter Harris' house, I told him he had better leave the company of the Smiths, as their religion was false; to which he replied, if you would let me alone, I could make money by it. It is in vain for the Mormons to deny these facts; for they are all well known to most of his former neighbors. The man has now become rather an object of pity; he has spent most of his property, and lost the confidence of his former friends. If he had labored as hard on his farm as he has to make Mormons, he might now be one of the wealthiest farmers in the country. He now spends his time in travelling through the country spreading the delusion of Mormonism, and has no regard whatever for his family.

With regard to Mr. Harris' being intimate with Mrs. Haggard, as has been reported, it is but justice to myself to state what facts have come within my own observation, to show whether I had any grounds for jealousy or not. Mr. Harris was very intimate with this family, for some time previous to their going to Ohio. They lived a while in a house which he had built for their accommodation, and here he spent the most of his leisure hours; and made her presents of articles from the store and house. He carried these presents in a private manner, and frequently when he went there, he would pretend to be going to some of the neighbors, on an errand, or to be going into the fields.

After getting out of sight of the house, he would steer a straight course for Haggard's house, especially if Haggard was from home. At times when Haggard was from home, he would go there in the manner above described, and stay till twelve or one o'clock at night, and sometimes until day light. If his intentions were evil, the Lord will judge him accordingly, but if good, he did not mean to let his left hand know what his right hand did.

The above statement of facts, I affirm to be true.

- Lucy Harris

Huh. According to Lucy Harris, Martin Harris would beat the crap out of her, was tom catting around with another man’s wife, and openly stated he was trying to make money from Mormonism. Also, from another section in the linked website it appears Martin Harris said he never saw the plates. God works in mysterious ways.

- Doc

[Philo Sofee]

That was interesting. I have never seen Harris's wife's affidavit before. More things to ponder.

[Gabriel]

Just for information:

I thought this had already gotten around, and just this week started receiving e-mails from people who seem to think www.thefaceofpopularexcitement.com is something new. It has been online for more than a year. It is a text of 350+ pages and an appendix of 140+ pages, updated with new details every few weeks. Yes, I am the author.

If you are an amateur sleuth (threw that in for those old enough to remember Adam West) interested in Mormon history puzzles, this would help.

Your page is very well-designed. Thank you for sharing.

[drumdude]

I love the layout of the website, bookmarked to read this in my spare time.

Great work and thank you for posting it!

[Everybody Wang Chung]

I loved these two apocryphal stories of Joseph Smith walking on water twice. I can totally imagine Joseph trying to do this.

When information was gathered in 1880 for History of Chenango County, someone contributed a purported ‘walking on water’ event in 1827. It was supposed to have taken place near the home of Joseph Knight on the south side of the Susquehanna River across from Colesville (‘near the Lobdell House in Broome County’). “To convince the unbelievers that he did possess supernatural powers he [Joseph Smith Jr.] announced that he would walk upon the water. The performance was to take place in the evening, and to the astonishment of unbelievers, he did walk upon the water where it was known to be several feet deep, only sinking a few inches below the surface. This proving a success, a second trial was announced which bid fair to be as successful as the first, but when he had proceeded some distance into the river he suddenly went down, greatly to the disgust of himself and proselytes, but to the great amusement of the unbelievers. It appeared on examination that planks were laid in the river a few inches below the surface, and some wicked boys had removed a plank which caused the prophet to go down like any other mortal.”

Circa 1933 an iron historic marker sign was placed along Route 7 near the Susquehanna River saying “Joseph Smith, Founder of Mormonism, Endeavored in 1827 to Walk on Water Nearby. The Venture Was Not a Success.”

The paperwork associated with this sign said, “In 1827 Joseph Smith endeavored to walk on the water near Nineveh, N.Y. (between Colesville and Afton). He had planks placed a little under the surface of the water. Some roguish boys removed one and when he reached this place his faith gave way and he went down. The demonstration was at evening time.” The sign was removed in 1935.

and

J.F. Goldsmith, Painesville, Ohio, May 8, 1885.12
John A. Eddy learned the carpenter trade with my father, and married my sister. He told me that Jo Smith announced in a Mormon meeting at such a time he would walk on the water.

Grandison Newell and your father paid me one dollar a night to watch and see what the Mormons did. The night before the walking was to be, Jo Smith, Rigdon, Brigham Young, and William Aldrich worked half the night and drove forked stakes in the river in the form of a horseshoe, the ends being on one bank and in deep water.13 They placed green sycamore slabs which would sink in the water on the crotched stakes which were eight or more inches under water, altogether between two and three hundred feet long.

After they left, I removed one of the slabs near the center.

According to appointment, prophet Jo Smith came with several hundred Mormons and Jo addressed them. He said they could walk on the water if they only had faith. Jo arrayed in a long white robe, walked some distance, turned and walked backward, and where the slab had been removed, went in all over. He got to shore by the aid of the limb of a tree.

Jo said at once to the audience, “Oh ye of little faith, if you had faith as large as a grain of mustard seed, I could remove mountains.”

[Philo Sofee]

That's hilarious! Jesus did it because he knew where the rock just below the surface was ya know.......