By Jerald and Sandra Tanner
After we found serious problems with the Utah Mormon Church, we joined a group known as the Church of Christ—sometimes called the “Lukites.” This is a small group which is not to be confused with the large Church of Christ nor the Church of Christ—Temple Lot. Although this group rejected Joseph Smith’s revelations as printed in the Doctrine and Covenants, it still accepted the Book of Mormon. At any rate, these people had discovered the true message of Christ, and the love of God certainly showed forth in their lives. Their lives were so strikingly different that it pointed out our own need of Christ.
When we decided that the Book of Mormon was not true, it was very hard to let this group know. Fortunately, these people did not become bitter towards us, and in all of their correspondence with us they continued to show the love of Christ. We, of course, wanted to see them come to a knowledge of the truth concerning the Book of Mormon. We prayed concerning this matter, but we could hardly believe that a Church so committed to the Book of Mormon could give it up as a group. We are now happy to report that a miracle has happened! On November 24, 1973, this group published an advertisement telling that they had repudiated the Book of Mormon. In this document we find these interesting statements:
Do you know that on July 28, 1971, among some old Chenango County bills, the bills of Justice Neely and Constable Philip DeZeng for the year 1826 were found and among the items listed on them were the costs for the arrest and trial of “Joseph Smith, The Glass Looker,” as the case is listed on Justice Neely’s bill? . . .
Many anti-Mormon authors have written about this March 20, 1826 trial, using it to prove that the Book of Mormon was not of divine origin, but a product of Joseph Smith’s fraud and deceit—a continuation of the principles manifested in his money-digging activities. . . .
When Fawn Brodie published her book, No Man Knows My History (this was before these documents were found by Mr. Wesley P. Walters, a Presbyterian minister from Marissa, Illinois and Mr. Fred Poffarl, of Ardsley, Pennsylvania), she wrote of Joseph Smith’s money digging activities and his 1826 trial. This was answered by Mormon writers with statements like, “This alleged court record . . . seems to be a literary attempt of an enemy to ridicule Joseph Smith . . . no existing proof that such a trial was ever held” (Apostle John A. Widtsoe of the Utah Church). . . . “If this court record is authentic it is the most damning evidence in existence against Joseph Smith” (Dr. Hugh Nibley). Book of Mormon believers, do you realize proof of the 1826 trial has now been found, so what about the claim that the Book of Mormon is of divine origin????
Until recently we were believers in the Book of Mormon and felt that the 1826 trial was just a fabrication of anti-Mormon origin to discredit the Book of Mormon. But after we learned of the discovery of these two original county bills, we realized that our beliefs needed examination. In the investigation and search for the truth which followed we found that we were the ones who had been deceived. After several letters and a trip to Norwich, Chenango County, New York, we knew that the bills were authentic. We have obtained photo copies both from the County Historian and the County’s acting Deputy Clerk. . . . God in mercy has let the bills be preserved and finally found, so we, one hundred and forty-five years later, can determine the true facts . . . as a group of believers in Jesus Christ and His glorious salvation, we can no longer accept the claim that the Book of Mormon is of divine origin. In the future the Bible alone will be our scriptures. . . . (The Examiner, Independence, Mo., November 24, 1973)
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