Show MORMONISM VINDICATED BY PREST M J BALLARD The Tho Idaho Statesman ot of date gives place In its columns for tor 3 strong ot of the tho truth made by Elder Eider Melvin J Ballard presIdent or of the tho Northwestern Staten mIssIon in reply to an attack made by Rw Rev L I of BoIse Un der the tho caption Boise Minister Chal to Debate Debato by Representative ot of Mormon Church the tho Statesman the tho following TO DEBATE lIL BRIEF RESPONSE I am willing to aId this gen on Rev R Charles L Chalfant In exposIng Mormonism which ho thinks Is such lIuch a fraud and I prOT propose to meet mout I him In pUblic dIscussIon in hIs church Z c I and divIde tho th time wIth him say for tor two Live or three nights while he exposes I what ho he calls call the most stupendous fraud ever perpetrated I strait shall content myself In a defense or of the Church of Jesus Christ of Saints arid prove that Its doctrines are arc scrIptural Ann And I AUg st that we then spend another two or three I can have an opportunity to look Into some of the tho frauds taught and pine practised lJ by the Preb Presbyterian terlan church pro destination Infant damnation etc test Its doctrines b by the Scrip ture From statement or of J Ballard president ot of Northwestern States Mormon lormon mission Portland My I article before tire tho as sedation on MormonIsm was not n a matter mattel In nn any respect It was a paper whIch I 1 was not nt at all anxious to get Into tire the columns of tire tho press I rio do not desire to got get Into a newspaper controversy anyone anone I 1 have nothing to sa say about the tho clad chal b by Rev C L Chal ChalI fant whoso whose paper before the tion last week Iran has aroused the tho president pros dent of tire the Northwestern States mis mission missIon sion o of thE th Mormon Church Rev Charles L pastor ot of the Pr church ot of BoIse has been to mortal combat but birt to meet on tire tho forum of his own church a missionary president of tire the I Mormon lormon Church J Ballard or of Portland Or who h has been aroused I and apparently deeply b by the tho Boise ministers flagellation of In it a paper Impel h by him before a recent meeting of th tire Boise assocIation Tire The local divine stigma stigmatized stigmatized nl as a Mr 11 Bid Dal lard dEsires to debate tire the Issue tAking tire the affirmative of the question In In ef ct feet Are 1 tire the Doctrines of Mormon Scriptural He suggests a debate In which he would as assail assail sail sonio somo of the tho creeds of Calvinism Tire The challenge e of the tho Boise minister was sent to Heber Q Hale head of the local Mormon Church wIth the request t that Inasmuch as The Tho Statesman liar had Ro Rev Chalfants strictures on It publish the tho communication tion of th the lormon missionary Tire The Statesman advised tire the Presbyterian minister ot of the receipt ot of tiro tho hotter arid and asked hIm irim for a statement Ho dis dismissed dismissed missed the subject at least for the time wIth tire the few words quoted In the tho foregoing TEXT OF Tire The following Is 15 tire the full ull text of Mr Ballards letter leUer Editor Statesman Your ot of November 10 has just been hAnded mo and my attention called to an article appearing entitled Mormon Mormonism Ism Is Described as Fraud Then follows a synopsis of the tho remarks made before tire the Boise Ministerial as by Do Dor Charles L Having confidence In youe out of ofa II a square deal to all I beg for a little space In whIch to poInt out some of tire the misstatements arid absurdities of thIs reverends speech and to offer him an to expo expose De what no ho terms tire the most stupendous fraud ever perpetrated and volunteer ray In exploiting this theme I do not In Intond Intend tend to ask you ou Mr Editor for fOl the theus us urso of your our In to tin do this but asic only space for thIs ono orro letter Tire hc reverend reerend legins lW by relating what hrat ho calls Mormon lormon history when hr reality ho he refers to some events which happened over oel years ears before and has to do with tire the coming comins or of Lehi arid and his from Jerusa Jerusalem lemn lem to tire the shores of America Is the tho t misrepresentation as these events have nothing to do with Mor mon history The Tho next error errol Is made mado when ho states stales that tins this Lehi hl gathered together a company of the tho sons of Judah Judth arid tire the daughters of Israel The facts are there were only two Loins and and neither were de descendants of Judah There Is no such made In theIr story as stat stated ed ad by the reverend that the they went Into a desert but they thoy frequently spoke or of goIng Into a wilderness There Is a avast avast vast dIfference between a desert desort and anda a Then rhen he speaks wIth all tire tho ribaldry and jest of Toni Tom Pa Payne no or Bob Inger soil soli about theIr 10 years journey journe to tiro tho promised land and compares thorn to arm army He Hc surely has for fOI forgotten gotten gollen the tho olD 40 cars journey journe of Israel under Moses to the promised land and If Ire ho wIll be honest he will lind it as caW carry to believe the stouT story ot of Louis corn com to America ns as to believe that ot of Moses journeyIng with Israel to 0 the promIsed land wIth Its wonderful miracles Now If thIs reverend does docs not like tire the story or of tho early earh settle settlement orent ment of America as given glon In the tho Book Dook ot of iris his fertile brain could give the tho world something bettor beUer There Thero nero 1 ero a people mere here the they came caine from somewhere and the tho Book Bool or of I Monnon Is tire tho only effort worth worthy or of which pretends t to give tins this history and to eer every truth seeker I 1 commend tire the reading or of this story from rom the book itself and not bo be con content tent tont wIth untruthful crIticism olson cism such Rueh as that given gien by Reerend Chalfant He still holds to tire tho old fable which better bolleI Informed people know to bo be false that Solomon Spaulding wrote tire the stor story of the Book or of Mormon A little investigation on on tins this poInt will reveal the tho tact fact that Joseph Smith never did nor could coul mayo havo seen this stor story Tine rhe Is now In the tho Ober un college Ohio and competent per por persons sons have examined it and found not a single word or Instance that corre corresponds spends wIth tire the Book or of Mormon and that It could not have been or of any service serIco whatever to the tho author or of the Book of Mormon error stated b by him him Is that SIdney Rigdon helped to wrIte this book Tire The feet fact ot of history Ls Is that he never neer saw Joseph Smith until after tho Book of Mormon had been Issued and that he never heard or of It or saw It until a prInted copy cop us as It now Is was presented to mire hIm by ono one ot of the ciders alders of the Church His story of Joseph SmIths walkIng on the tho water otc etc Is absolute absolutely false made mado out of whole cloth eloth anti and has not ono one particle or of truth In It lie lIo reIter reIterates reiterates ates another abominable falsehood when ho he says tire the Mormon Church taught and practised the tho doctrine ot of blood atonement I challen challenge o mini him to I produce tho proof aird I 1 shall meet him him anywhere on an any platform and amid discuss tins thIs questIon wIth hIm No In tire tho world regret abhor and condemn the tho Mountain Meadow aims mas massacre sacro sacre more than do the Saints SMITH NOT A LAZY SCAMP He speaks of Joseph Smith being a alazy Iaz lazy scamp and that when he ro 10 tire tho visit o of In 1823 for forthe 01 the tho previous 17 years had lived lIed with withOut lout Out doIng an am honest days dars work et Joseph Smith was born In 1805 1605 and was but 18 15 yearn ear old when ho he received tire tho visIt ot of Moroni Still Ire ho was waI ox ex expected In the tho eyes or of this reverend to have hae been able to do an honest da days s work for tor the previous 17 years or 01 from the tho time ho he was 1 year old This but shows how hol absurd and flippant are the remarks of this reverend gentleman Let hInt hIm remember that tho enemies or of Jesus spoke ot of hIm In much tire the same manner but iris hIs frIends testified ot of him also while time has vIndicated their testimony and discredIted his traducers but thank God Joseph Smith also aso had friends who have or of hIm In the tho hIghest terms and theIr testimony Is oven even now being boIng believed b by the more enlightened and whilo only who hive In a narrow darkened and sectarian prejudice to be Influenced by their of the truth However bettor better than nil all monies either elthor for tor or against hIm is 18 the work ho did A lazy scamp dont become the founder or of v a work which even een a Presbyterian terIan minister has ad admitted admitted Is the most perfect system in inthe inthe the world except tire the Gorman German nor e lie ho become tile founder ot of ott t I I cities and communities cinch as Joseph Josoph Smith and have produced And so splendid Is their work tork that oven oen tins thIs reverend was compelled to say of them a wrIter In a recent of the Homiletic Review calls attention to the tho extreme ignorance ot of otI tire the dont believe bellevo this charge can be sustaIned ms as we mA may It Is a l fact that wherever tine tho Mormons Mormon have hoo genre ono the they have been blessed and have hao made macic tire tho desert to blossom ns as a garden and that Lieutenant GunnIson wrIting in 1840 1540 about tho Mormon town of Nau roe 00 rounded founded b by Joseph Smith lEI Is forced b by to praise tine the beautiful city where order orlIer and cleanliness pro pre prevailed railed These are aro not the of oC laziness anti and iy bY theIr fruits yo ye shall know them themAs As I have alread already suggested I am willing to aid thIs reverend In expos InS which inc he Is strom a fraud and I 1 propose to meet him In pUblic discussion sIon In his church and divide the tho with him him Ia say for tor two or three nights while ho what virat ho he calls the Ule most stupendous over ever perpetrated and I shall content myself In mu Ii defense defenso of tire the Church of Jesus ChrIst of SaInts and provo prove that Its doctrInes are aro Scriptural And I suggest that hat we wethen thorn then spend another two or nights when I 1 can have hae an opportunity to look Into some of tine the frauds taught and ann practised hy by tire tho Presh Presbyterian terlan church predestination Infant damnation otc etc and test Its doctrInes by tine tho ScrIptures I shall Hhall ho bo delighted to hear from rom my friend and assure hIm that I 1 Iam am moro more Interested than lie he possibly can bo be In the tho expose ot of Yours trul truly MELVIN J BALLARD BALLARDI PresIdent Northwestern States missIon I Portland Or |