injure Jesus Christ." "With regard to the plates, Smith said God had deceived him—which was the reason he (Smith) did not show them."
Sophia Lewis, certifies that she "heard a conversation between Joseph Smith Jr., and the Rev. James B. Roach, in which Smith called Mr. R. a dd fool. Smith also said in the same conversation that he (Smith) was as good as Jesus Christ;" and that she has frequently heard Smith use profane language. She states that she heard Smith say "the Book of Plates could not be opened under penalty of death by any other person but his (Smith's) first-born, which was to be a male." She says she "was present at the birth of this child, and that it was still-born and very much deformed."
CHAPTER XVIII.
It is asserted in the Mormon Bible, that the engravings upon the plates, were in the "Reformed Egyptian." In conformity to this, the Mormonite preachers, and others of the sect, have frequently declared that the engravings upon the plates were, by some of our learned men, who had a specimen shown them, pronounced to be "reformed Egyptian hieroglyphics," or "ancient short hand Egyptian."—Among others, Professor Anthon, of New York, was frequently mentioned as giving such an opinion. This act of deception and falsehood is only one among hundreds of others, equally gross, which are resorted to by these im-
