252 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 



sack of beans, bundled them into a Jersey waggon, and 

 made tracks for the West. Here he completed the 

 great work of translation, and not long after gave to 

 the world the " Book of Mormon," a work as bulky as 

 the Bible, and called "of Mormon," for so was the 

 prophet named by whose hand the history of the lost 

 tribes had been handed down in the plates of brass 

 thus miraculously preserved for thousands of years, and 

 brought to light through the agency of Joseph Smith. 



The fame of the Book of Mormon spread over all 

 America, and even to Great Britain and Ireland. 

 Hundreds of proselytes flocked to Joe, to hear from his 

 lips the doctrine of Mormonism ; and in a very brief 

 period the Mormons became a numerous and recog- 

 nised sect, and Joe was at once, and by universal 

 acclamation, installed as the head of the Mormon 

 church, and was ever after known by the name of the 

 "Prophet Joseph." 



However, from certain peculiarities in their social 

 system, the Mormons became rather unpopular in the 

 settled States, and at length moved bodily into Missouri, 

 where they purchased several tracts of land in the 

 neighbourhood of Independence. Here they erected 

 a large building, which they called the Lord's Store, 

 where goods were collected on the common account, 

 and retailed to members of the church at moderate 

 prices. All this time their numbers increased in a 

 wonderful manner, and immigrants from all parts of 

 the States, as well as Europe, continually joined them. 

 As they became stronger, they grew bolder and more 



