A N A R R A T I V E
OF THE
ADVENTURES AND EXPERIENCE
OF
JOSEPH H. JACKSON
I N N A U V O O,
DISCLOSING THE DEPTHS OF MORMON VILLAINY.
Warsaw, Illinois, August, 1844.
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INTRODUCTION.
_
The following narrative of my experience in Nauvoo, is submitted to the public in hopes that it may call attention to the character of the iniquities practiced in that city, in the name of religion. I am aware, that such is the nature of the disclosures made in the following pages -- such the blackness of the record, that it will be difficult to induce men to believe that such depravity could possibly exist. By what follows, however, it will be perceived that my motives in going to Nauvoo, were to gain the confidence of the Prophet, that I might discover and disclose to the world his real designs and the nature of his operations. To do this. I was obliged to practice dissimulation and to seem to be a fit tool for him to work with. Some may say that such conduct on my part was not excusable; but let such bethink them that the secret designs and workings of this Heaven daring wretch could never have been made public only by such means as I employed. The end, justified the means. Many are the instances on record, In which bands of robbers or counterfeiters. had so organized themselves that they were enabled to baffle the closest scrutiny of the law, and in such instances, it has been a common practice, especially in Europe, to employ men to become seeming accomplices, that they might thus be enabled to disclose the information necessary for a conviction. This was my object, and the inducement that prompted my action. will be found in what follows.
I tell nothing more than what I have seen and heard in Nauvoo. I have colored nothing, nor set down aught in malice. Many of my statements can be corroborated by abundance of testimony. I am content however, at present, to give my story and if contradicted, I can follow it up by proof, such as no reasonable man will doubt,
The question may be asked, how is it possible for so corrupt a man as Joe Smith is represented to be, could ever have attained so complete control as he unquestionably had, over the minds of the honest portion of his followers? I confess the question puzzles me. No man, who has never seen the influence of blind fanaticism over the human mind, can imagine the effect it will produce. There were hundreds of men in Nauvoo, who, I believe, from what I have seen, had Joe Smith commanded them to commit murder in the name of the Lord, they would have believed that they were doing God's service in obeying him. I will leave the philosophy of this, for the consideration of moralists; my business is to state facts.
There is one thing peculiar, that will be observed by the attentive reader, and that is that all Joe Smith's commands whether in public or private were delivered 'in the name of the Lord.' In public, before his people, he spoke 'in the name of the Lord,' and in his secret councils, if he desired the assassination of his enemy, it was 'the will of the Lord', that the persecutors of the Church of Jesus Christ, should be put out of the way, and
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then in 'the name of the Lord' he concocted the vilest plans for murder. Thus assassination, robbery and seduction were carried on by this blasphemous wretch, 'in the name of the Most High.'
The writing of the following pages, was commenced previous to the late disturbances in Hancock County, which resulted in the death of the two Smiths. I regret that the publication was not made while they were alive. As it is however. I trust that what is said, will convince the world, that whatever may be thought of the manner of their death, nevertheless, they richly deserved to die. My experience with the Mormons was but for a short period, yet much corruption and depravity as I witnessed, I did not before believe existed on the face of the Earth.
N A R R A T I V E.
Before visiting Nauvoo, I had heard much of this famous city, and the character of its inhabitants. Such was the contrariety of reports afloat, that it seemed difficult to form any settled opinion concerning the Prophet or his followers. Where I had been however, the opinion seemed to prevail, that they were a pack of abandoned scoundrels, leagued together for the basest of purposes.
In passing down the Mississippi in the fall of 1842, I determined to stop In Nauvoo. My object was partly to find business and partly to gravity curiosity. With the location of the city I was delighted; but as frequent descriptions have already gone abroad, I will not stop here to expatiate either on its beauties, or the advantages of its position.
