"Benjamin
Winchester and Elder Barnes were preaching at that time in Philadelphia, and
Mr. Smith and Mr. Higbee went there and did some preaching, leaving myself in
the city of Washington to take care of Mr. Rigdon, and also to wait upon every
preacher in the city, irrespective of his church organization, and particularly
to declare unto them the tidings of the Latter Day Saints, committed to this
generation through Joseph Smith, Jr., and to warn them against the danger
consequent upon its rejection. I commenced my duties as soon as I had any time,
and called upon all the leaders of the different organizations of religion in
the city. As a general thing I was pretty well received and very kindly
treated. Mr. Spicer, of one branch of the Methodist persuasion, was extremely
courteous, and I thought that they manifested a kind spirit; although some were
apparently treating this strange doctrine with rather too much levity. I
thought that my report would be uniformly favorable, but I had one more visit to
make; that was to Geo. C. Cookman, the chief preacher and elder of the other
branch of the Methodist Church; and he was then chaplain of the United States
Senate. On my introduction he was rigid as marble and cold as an icicle. He was
proud, tonguey and arrogant in the extreme. I endeavored to show him all I
could of the doctrine and convince him of its importance; and asked him to lay
the matter before his people, or allow me or one of our company to do so in his
church at some time that he might appoint when his pulpit would be at liberty.
He told me to call again at a time that he set for that purpose, as he said he
would like to see me in the presence of some of his pious friends. I went and
there met some six or eight gentlemen and ladies, as well as the members of his
own family. He was very unkind, and treated me and the subject very cavalierly;
quoting some scriptures to put me and my strong [strange?] doctrines, as he
thought, to confusion. I was only a neophite in the business and trembled
before this goliath; but it so happened that while he was quoting scripture to
put me down, his quotations were the strongest evidences of the truth I tried
to impress upon him. He found he had got a bigger job on hand than he first
anticipated, and then began to tell the meaning of the scriptures as he quoted
in the Greek and Hebrew. I had a little knowledge in this department which I
found very valuable, and on this score he made no headway. He then began
denouncing Joseph Smith as an impostor, and his followers as dupes or knaves;
and said he thought it strange that a man with as keen an eye as he said I had,
with a fair share of miscellaneous capacity and intelligence, should be so
deceived, and concluded that I was not a dupe but as big a knave as Smith.
I
thanked him for the cross compliment, and told him he could find scholars
attached to the Church that were able to read as many languages as himself, yet
I believed them to be truthful and sincere servants of God; and that they would
be very willing to measure their strength with him or any other opposer. I
begged him to take time and consider the matter; not to decide hastily; that it
was unwise to give a decision until both sides were fairly and fully before
him. I asked him for his church, and told him that either Mr. Smith or Mr.
Rigdon would be glad to illustrate the subject any time before him and his
congregation. He said that my impudence could only be attributed to one of two
causes, and he was constrained to believe it was not from ignorance, but was
intended as an insult; that he would neither let me have his church nor hear
anything further on the subject, and should take good care to warn his brethren
and sisters against listening to any such blasphemy. With this he opened his
library door, conducted me to the outer hall, and refused to give me his hand.
I reported this to Mr. Rigdon, and wrote to Philadelphia to Mr. Smith the
result of my labors. On the following Sunday this same George C. Cookman
preached in his church, and told some strange tales; that he had had an
interview with Jo Smith, that arch impostor, and that the doctrines he taught
were very irreligious and inconsistent with Bible truth; that he, Smith did not
believe in the Bible, but had got a new one, dug up in Palmyra, New York; and
that it was nothing but an irreligious romance, and that Smith had obtained it
from the widow of one Spaulding, who wrote it for his own amusement. I wrote
this to Mr. Smith, and he said there must be some preaching in Washington to
counteract these statements, as he was sure God had some people in that city.
We first got an upper room of an engine house to speak in, but half, no, not a
quarter of the people could get in. We had speaking then in the open air, on
Pennsylvania Avenue, near that place, and gave out that there would be further
services as soon as a room could be obtained. Before night some people secured
the use of Carusi's saloon, one of the largest and most comfortable rooms in
the city, outside the capital building, and at night there was held service. A
great many of the members of Congress and the heads of departments were
present, as well as Martin Van Buren . We, of the committee from Illinois, all
took the speaker's desk. And when near the close, who should come into the hall
but Joseph Smith himself. We speedily got him on the stand, and I had the honor
of introducing him to that vast audience. He had just come in on the train from
Philadelphia, and was tired, but he arose by the invitation of many who called
for him, and on that occasion he uttered a prophecy, one of the most wonderful
predictions of his life. He advanced to the statements made by this George C.
Cookman, declaring them to be willfully and wickedly false, and that if he,
Cookman, did not take it back and acknowledge that he had dealt falsely of him,
his people, and his own congregation, also that he must turn and preach the
truth and quit deceiving the people with fables, he should be cut off from the
face of the earth, both he and his posterity. And he said that this should be
so plainly manifest that all should know it. At this, many gentlemen took out
of their pockets their tablets and began to take notes of the prophecy; and Mr.
Smith noticing them, "Yes," said he, "write it on your tablets;
write it in a book; write it in your memory; for as sure as God ever spoke by
my mouth, all these things shall come to pass."
Henry
Clay, Felix Grundy, Tom Benton, John Q. Adams and many other celebrated
characters were present at this time. Now, instead of Cookman doing according
to justice and truth, he became more virulent than ever, and laid all the
obstacles in our way the he could during our stay in the city. The matter
appeared to be forgotten by many, and I thought often upon the subject, having
taken notes also. Soon after this there was an extraordinary excitement in the
religious world, and they appointed a conference of all orthodox religions to
assemble in England, at a certain time, to adopt measures of harmony between
all the sects; the United States were invited and accepted a part in these
proceedings to break down the partition wall that separated the various
churches. George C. Cookman was elected or appointed as a delegate for the
District of Columbia to represent his views on the subject, standing, as he
did, at the very head of the church, and Chaplain of the United States Senate.
Now he, being an Englishman by birth, and his family in suitable circumstances
for a pleasure trip, at the appointed time he, Cookman, thought it would be
very pleasant to take his whole family with him, and this he did. Both he, his
wife, and all his children went on board the steamship President, and neither
the ship nor a soul is left to tell what was their sad end. But the prophecy is
fulfilled to the letter, and the words uttered on that occasion have never been
forgotten by me, nor I presume by hundreds of others. Had Cookman gone alone,
it might be charged to chance, but why was it that his whole family were
suddenly cut off, both root and branch.
This
sir, is one of many wonderful evidences that Joseph Smith was as much a prophet
as Jonah, who foretold the destruction of Nineveh; or Nahum, who prophesied
concerning the present locomotion for traveling; both of them took centuries
and one of them thousands of years for their fulfillment, but the prophecy by
Joseph Smith on George C. Cookman has been literally fulfilled in the shortest
possible period; and that too in its fullness, beyond the possibility of
question from any source.
On
my return from Washington, I moved to Nauvoo, and there I was able to learn
more fully of the doctrine and the people who belonged to the Church. I have
many records of prophecies, and the doings and teachings I heard at that city
that are marvelous to me; and I have no means of ascribing many of them to any
other sources than the power that holds all things by His sovereign will, and
makes known his purposes through His servants the Prophets.
I
will mention that /i was the accepted physician of the Church; was at the
bedside of the aged Patriarch Joseph Smith, Senior, at his death; received his
nearly last blessing, taken down by a scribe at the time, and have it yet. I
was also present at the death of Don Carlos Smith; was intimate in the families
of all, and was recommended by Joseph Smith very highly; and on one occasion,
when Brigham Young came home from England, I was sent for in great haste to
administer to him, as he was very sick and in great danger of dying. I was
successful in getting him through that terrible prostrate situation in which I
found him. Joseph Smith was present on the occasion, and told him to take what
I prescribed, and he did so. After this, in talking with Mr. Smith on the
subject and telling him what I considered his disease, he said I was right; and
remarked in the presence of Mr. Law, Bishop Knight, John P, Green, Reynolds
Cahoon, and some others, that "if Brigham Young became the leader of the
Church, he would lead them down to hell." I little thought that he would
ever occupy that position, but he has it over one branch of the Church at
least; and from all accounts he is filling the letter of the prophecy.
You
are at perfect liberty to use any thing I write in any way you may deem best
for the purpose of benefiting the honest in heart; for what I write is nothing
but the truth, as it was uttered in my presence, and has often been spoken by
me since the death of Joseph Smith, your father.
I
will tell you also another prophecy that Joseph Smith uttered in my presence,
that has been proved true. This was in relation to Stephen A. Douglas. He said
he was a giant in intellect, but a dwarf in stature, that he would yet run for
President of the United States, but that he would never reach that station;
that he would occupy a conspicuous place in the counsels of the nation, and
have multitudes of admiring friends; and that in his place he would introduce
and carry out some of the most gigantic measures in the history of the nation.
This was said when Douglas was Judge in that district of Illinois, and before
he ever went to Congress. Has it not been fulfilled? Did he not get Andrew
Jackson's fine remitted by law, a thing that was by all considered impossible?
Did he not introduce the bills for the covering of Illinois with railroads,
without one cent's expense to the general government? Under his management,
were not the Illinois bonds raised from a condition nearly worthless to a value
nearly par with currency? Did he not rule in and through the State of Illinois,
work and carry out its destiny for twenty consecutive years, more than any and
all other men together? Was he not always one of the greatest men in the
Senate? Did he not do more for the line of compromise on slavery than any other
one man? Did he not say, 'and cursed be the ruthless hand that attempts to
remove it?' Did he not run for President and get defeated? Did he not take the
most active part in removing or breaking down that line of compromise? Let the
history of Kansas and Nebraska tell the story! Did he not fulfill his destiny,
and at last, on his dying bed, bequeath his children to his country, and
counsel them to obey the laws and the constitution? Did he not utter these
memorable words at the commencement of the rebellion, 'That there were only two
parties in all the land; the one called Patriots, the other Traitors?' Was it not
true? Did he not throw his adhesion to A. Lincoln at the time of deep trouble?
And does he not now occupy an honored spot in the memory of his many friends,
and a sacred spot in his own loved city of Chicago? Yes, this prophecy has been
literally fulfilled in my day, and I bear testimony to its truth, when compared
with history.
This
is enough for this time, I have many things yet to say, but will wait your
report on this, and perhaps you will scarcely be able to read my poor writing;
for I am a poor scribe, and in consequence of a cataract on my eyes, am nearly
blind.
I
know something about some of the leaders at Salt Lake City, and to my sorrow
too, as many of them forgot to settle claims that I still hold against them. I
and my whole family were driven from the city, (of Nauvoo, Author.) my property
confiscated, and thousands, yes, tens of thousands of dollars worth of my
property was taken and sold, and I was defrauded out of the whole by wicked and
corrupt men, aided by the head men that now live in Salt Lake City. The records
of my property were carried away, and never could be obtained, and I was
reduced from affluence and wealth to poverty by their means. And they claim to
have done all these things in obedience to the commands and will of God. (Robert
D. Foster, "A Testimony of the Past," Loda, Ill., Feb. 14th, 1874, in
The
True Latter Day Saints' Herald, 22, no. 8 [April 15, 1875]: 227-30; this
was reproduced in Rudolph Etzenhouser, From
Palmyra, New York, 1830, to Independence, Missouri, 1894 [Independence,
Miss.: Ensign Publishing House, 1894], 309-14)
Dale Broadhurst
provides the following notes concerning this prophecy, which shows that one
should not privilege it in comparison to other prophecies that are more easily
traced back to Joseph Smith:
Note 1: The Rev. George Grimston Cookman (1800-1841) served as the Chaplain of the United States
Senate from December 31, 1839 to June 11, 1841. As Dr. Foster points out in his
letter, Rev. Cookman sailed from New York City for Liverpool, England, March
11, 1841, on the steamship "President." The ship apparently sank
during its crossing of the Atlantic, as it was never heard from again. His
first son, Rev. Alfred Cookman was born Jan. 4, 1828 in Columbia, Lancaster,
Pennsylvania and died Nov. 13, 1871 in Newark, New Jersey. Another son, Rev.
John Emory Cookman, was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, June 8, 1836, and died
in New York City some time after 1886. Given this documented survival of two of
Cookman's sons, it is difficult to understand why Dr. Foster says that
"his whole family were suddenly cut off, both root and branch."
During the early years of the 20th century, the Herald twice published an admission of the facts,
implying that Foster's memory had failed him when it came to the fate of
Cookman's family.
Note 2: Dr. Foster's recollection of a preaching and prophecy
session held by Joseph Smith, Jr., at Carusi's saloon in Washington, D. C. is
not otherwise documented. Smith left Washington for Philadelphia on Dec. 21,
1839 and apparently remained in the latter city until Jan. 27, 1840. Therefore,
if Joseph Smith, Jr. really did preach before a distinguished audience in
Carusi's saloon, it must have been on or about Jan. 27, 1840. On about Feb. 10,
1840 Smith left the nation's capital for Nauvoo. Therefore, if there is any record
of his preaching and prophecy in Carusi's saloon, it should be preserved as a
newspaper article, journal entry, mention in a letter, etc., from the short
period between Jan. 27 and Feb. 10. In fact, there are sketchy reports of Smith
having preached in Washington on Wed., Feb. 5, 1840, but that can hardly be the session held at
Carusi's saloon, when Joseph Smith, Jr. had "just come in on the train
from Philadelphia."
Note 3: Dr. Foster does not specify exactly when it was that
Rev. Cookman preached to his Washington congregation, telling them that Joseph
Smith's "new" Bible (the Book of Mormon) had been "dug up in
Palmyra, New York; and that it was nothing but an irreligious romance, and that
Smith had obtained it from the widow of one Spaulding, who wrote it for his own
amusement." Presumably this occurred on or about Jan. 5, 1840, in
Cookman's first Sunday sermon of the new year. Dr. Foster had time to write
about the matter to Smith, who was then in Philadelphia, and to obtain Smith's
reply by mail, telling him (Foster) to do "some preaching in Washington to
counteract these statements" of Cookman's. Thus, it is more than likely
that when elders Joseph Smith, Parley P. Pratt, Dr. Foster, Sidney Rigdon and
Benjamin Winchester sat down to hold a "special conference" in
Philadelphia on Jan. 13, 1840, that the subject of Rev. Cookman's repetition of
the Solomon Spalding authorship claims was a fresh matter of importance and
instantly became one of the important topics discussed by those same men at
their "special conference." Pratt was then able to inform the group
how he had counteracted similar claims about the Spalding authorship then being
made in the New York papers. Winchester subsequently consulted with Pratt at length in
Liverpool, and returned to Philadelphia to produce his 1840 pamphlet, the first major Mormon response to the Spalding
claims.
Note 4: Assuming that Joseph Smith, Jr. really did preach at
Carusi's saloon, on or about Jan. 27, 1840, he had plenty of time to prepare
himself for a public refutation of Rev. Cookman's allegations concerning the
origin of the Book of Mormon and the " irreligious romance... of one
Spaulding." Exact details are lacking, but this reported preaching session
may have marked Joseph Smith, Jr.'s first (and only known) formal, public disavowal
of the Spalding authorship claims. For a passing mention of Cookman's
disappearance at sea, see the Nauvoo Times and Seasons for July 1, 1841 In later years the editors of the Saints Herald distanced their church from Foster's report
of Joseph Smith's alleged curse upon Rev. Cookman. For another mention of the
episode, see the "Preface" to Wayne Cowdrey et al., 2005 edition of Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon?
Further Reading:
