Show concerning THAT INTERVIEW riter utah sept 1898 A few days ago a friend called my attention to a letter froni from mr joseph luff of the reorganized church addressed to robert J parker packer a missionary from said church to utah with address at Spring springville ville utah as published inthe in the saints herald of sept 1898 in regard to the interview of ma march ch 1896 at independence mo between joseph smith mith and me in company of elders E B S hart haet wm win criddle A G young and also joseph luff of the reorganized church it was sug that a re reply ply from me might not bei be out of place I 1 accordingly at my earliest opportunity I 1 I 1 bruseo un mr bluffs statement and you mayIm may imagine gIne my surprise at iris attempts to deny the correctness of thie the questions and am ans wera as vu published in the deseret news what his object may be in such misrepresentation sen tation I 1 pr estane he better than I 1 cab say bay after looking over his letter and observing the spirit manifest in its contents I 1 am indeed surprised that he should admit that he even knew I 1 did write anything at all in his presence quite different with mr ruath he had no knowledge whatever of me writing luff admits he pretended to have some questions down in writing and would ask one at a time then begin writing when an answer was given and that too without hearing the answer in full who but a short hand hamd re reporter portee would wait for the end before he amiade Ms his beginning luff says mys surely those people who account president smith as a knave will not pretend to believe him to be a fool mr smith says saints herald july 1896 the questions were not adt written in my presence nor did I 1 see me them if written neither were the answers shown me nor written in my presence to my knowledge if mr smith could sit eit in the same room orn a room probably not larger than 14 by 16 where elder spencer Si pencer held his journal in one hand and fountain pen in the other and begin writing when an answer was given and that too without hearing the answer in full sa as mr luff admits surely saints and sinners will observe a defect son somewhere ethere if mr smith has no knowledge of the th fart fact of me writing he certainly can have but very little retained in his memory of what was said on that occasion the tact of the matter la Is that mr smith seemed to be perfectly dumbfounded when confronted by a few ot of the most mo st humble elders in mr smiths letter to J M of may 19 1896 he endeavors to remember taie entire dialogue of bardh 18 1896 and pretends to give it i t dovd for word after a lapse of two months but cannot remember me britan g strange although be Is said to ito his hia credit he inserts in hla his letter no leto than six or eight times time 1 I think 1 11 I dont think 1 I believe 1 I dont belleve believe 1 I dont know etc etc it la is with the full belief and tt tion of meeting the creator of heavert and earth to be judged for the deeds done in my body that I 1 cheit I 1 1 have ever said of the ithe every question given and every answer ans ww written as published in the Dei deseret seret news signed by myself and those 1 with me are in no instance altered or changed but buit are true and correct and though heaven and earth may paw away mr smith and mr luff as well as aa ourselves will have to face the fact whether the questions and ans answers please or displease them and as fax far as I 1 am concerned I 1 will nka mot accuse mr smith of either being a knave 0 or a f tool but I 1 am forced to san admit dt emt I 1 never met a man of standing to in any community talked with lose ims spirit of ease and confidence with leas expression of and kno knowledge than did he be in our presence I 1 do not record this butof out of disrespect butt but simply as a matter of 0 fact which I 1 can in no wise alter before meeting mr smith I 1 ud kaa longed and prayed for the privilege leire 6 of j conversing with him may god grant that the day may not be far distant t h hen en th those ose claiming clalvin g 46 0 o believe in the restoration of the go gospel may acknowledge dh house of bt take lord in the mountains and be one it us ua in ang fallen dad zi camuel G A |