Even before publication of the Book of Mormon in March 1830, most people knew what to expect from â??that spindle shanked ignoramus Jo Smith,â? as Abner Cole would shortly describe him. And opinions didnâ??t change after it actually appeared.
When Samuel Smith placed a copy with him in the summer of 1830, the Methodist preacher John P. Greene quickly dismissed it as a â??nonsensical fable.â? It was a â??miserable production,â? sniffed the Ashtabula (Ohio) Journal in 1831.
Read Full Article »