working power together they could not give a demonstration of a single genuine miracle, if it was to save them from the infernal regions. Some time back I was in a neighborhood where Smith and his associates spent considerable time. An elderly gentleman whose word was at par with all that knew him, told me of his associations with Smith. Upon a certain occasion Smith was to preach, and there was to be an exhibition of their power to speak with tongues. Although Smith was out of humor on account of some things that had occurred in the neighborhood, he preached, but language he used I would not dare give. It could only be relished by the vulgar in the lowest circles. After the sermon Smith and other leading ones stood up before the crowd to show their gift of tongues. As their utterances were not rapid, a gentleman present wrote them, so as to examine them afterwards, and it was shown that they had repeated a certain chapter in the book of Genesis backwards! That gentleman did not need inspiration in order to interpret their tongues! Neither does any thinking man need inspiration in order to tell from what source the inspiration of Smith & Co. came. My informant was not in sympathy with what I taught. There was, however, a company there that believed in Smith. Among the questions that were given us to answer during our series of meetings there, was the following: "Do the signs mentioned in the latter part of the sixteenth chapter of Mark follow today?" My reply was: "It is not necessary for me to answer that question, for my answer would not, doubtless be satisfactory to those who propounded the question. You can settle that question. It will not cost you much to do so. Just get all in the Mormon family that claim miraculous power together, set them a dinner, and give each a dose of "Rough on Rats," and if it don't hurt them you may know that those signs follow, but if the dose hurts them you will know that they don't follow. I can give you my opinion and it is just what you are doubtful it would be. You would have an entire new set of officials to select. The apostles of Christ were poison
