This series looks back at how early critics of the church reacted to the rise of Mormonism. Some mocked it, others warned against it, and a few tried to make sense of it. Each post features a historical excerpt and some brief context to show how critics viewed the new faith as it was unfolding.
-The full series can be found here-
The article titled “Fanaticism” was published on February 11, 1831, in the United States Gazette, a Philadelphia paper with national circulation. It reprints material from the Painesville Gazette, reflecting local reports from northeastern Ohio rather than direct investigation by the Gazette itself.
The author is unnamed, consistent with early-19th-century newspaper practice, and the tone reflects mainstream Protestant skepticism toward emerging religious movements. The piece focuses on Kirtland and nearby areas in Geauga and Cuyahoga counties at a very early stage in Mormon development, less than a year after the Book of Mormon’s publication.
The article is an early hostile press account portraying the Mormon movement as a dangerous religious delusion rather than a legitimate faith. It frames belief in the Book of Mormon as self-evidently absurd and repeatedly emphasizes the rapid spread of the movement in northeastern Ohio as a social problem.
It reports growing numbers in Kirtland and nearby counties, presenting this expansion not as success but as evidence of how easily “ignorance” can be mobilized under a charismatic prophet. Joseph Smith is depicted as endlessly producing revelations to maintain authority and direction, including claims that Kirtland held special sacred status and should function as a gathering place ahead of a larger migration.
Much of the article focuses on alleged supernatural claims, treating them as proof of fanaticism. These include stories of divine letters written in gold, vanishing texts, visible and audible “white stones,” and physical feats attributed to spiritual power. The tone is openly mocking, yet the writers insist these stories are being told by believers with complete sincerity.
Communal living practices are presented as socially disruptive and irrational, with shared property, dismantled homes, and a rejection of ordinary domestic order used to reinforce the image of chaos and excess.
The piece closes by situating Mormonism within a n established pattern of religious extremism, arguing that such movements are not unique to any era. The criticism ultimately targets human susceptibility to authority, revelation, and collective belief, using Mormonism as a contemporary example of how fanaticism takes shape in a specific cultural moment.
FANATICISM.
Published by United States gazette vol. 29 no. 3182 on February 11, 1831
Minor spelling and formatting changes were made for readability here
We noticed some time since, the progress of a new religious order in the western part of Ohio. It would seem that good materials are found in that district for such a work. The Painsville (Ohio) Gazette contains the following additional particulars:
The Golden Bible, or the Book of Mormon.
The believers in the sacred authenticity of this miserable production, are known by the name of "Mormonites" and their book is commonly called "The Book of Mormon." It is asserted by them that their number in this vicinity is four hundred. In a conversation a few days since with a gentleman from Kirtland, well in-formed, and every way concerned to give us the truth, we are assured, that their numbers in the family in that town were two hundred souls. We doubt not then that their whole number in this county and Cuyahoga are at least four hundred.
They have recently received an additional revelation from the prolific prophet, Smith, which is generally understood to say that Kirtland is within the precincts of the holy land; but by others is said to mean only, that in that town will be a great gathering of mighty multitudes, preparatory to their westward general migration. They are therefore admonished to sell no more of their possessions but rather purchase, lest there shall not be room for the faithful. The admonition however arrived too late, as they have but fifty acres left, and the land holders refuse to sell to them.
They profess to receive sensible demonstrating of the presence of the Deity. A few days since, a young man gave information to some of his brethren that he was about to receive a message from heaven. They repaired to the spot designated, and there, as they solemnly assert, a letter descended from the skies and fell into the hands of the young man.—The purport was to strengthen his faith and in-form him that he would soon be called to the ministry. They declare their solemn belief that this letter was written in heaven by the finger of God. The style of writing was the round Italian, and the letters of gold. The favored youth immediately attempted to copy the communication, but as fast as he wrote, the letters of the original disappeared until it entirely vanished. It is alleged that some of them have received white stones promised in the 2nd chapter of the Revelations. Such of them as have “the spirit" will declare that they see a white stone moving about the upper part of the room, and will jump and spring for it, until one more fortunate than the others catches it, but he alone can see it. Others however profess to hear it roll across the floor. These two stories, and others of a similar character, are told by them with solemn asseverations of their truth.
Among them is a man of color, a chief man, who is sometimes seized with strange vagaries and odd conceits. The other day he is said to have jumped twenty five feet down a wash bank into a tree top without injury. He sometimes fancies he can fly.
In Chardon, one man has torn away all the partitions of the lower part of a good two story dwelling house. Here a large number live together. The food consisting of meat and vegetables, it is said, are placed on the table in a large pan, which is the whole table furniture. From this every inmate takes a piece of meat and a potato in his hand & devours them as he walks about the room. As to matters of apparel, and indeed other things, where any one wants what he has not, he takes it any where in the family where he can find it unoccupied. All things are common.
Our readers will probably smile at the miserable delusion of these ignorant creatures, and we know, indeed, nothing better that can be done in that respect. Let it, however, teach us humility; let it check our disposition to condemn a whole age in other countries, because it produced such visionaries. Ignorance is the same in all ages, though it may not show itself in exactly the same forms: the unballasted and unpiloted boat veers always from a direct course, but its aberrations are in conformity to the currents in which it drifts.
Check Your Understanding
Test what you remember about the claims and descriptions presented in the February 1831 newspaper article.
1. In which publication did the article titled “Fanaticism” appear?
2. When was the article published?
3. What term does the article use to describe believers in the Book of Mormon?
4. Approximately how many believers does the article claim lived in the Kirtland and Cuyahoga area?
5. What does the article say a recent revelation was understood to mean about Kirtland?
6. What event does the article describe involving a young man (Joseph Smith) and a heavenly message?
7. How does the article describe the appearance of this letter?
8. What experience involving white stones does the article report?
9. How does the article describe the living arrangement in one household?
10. What general reflection does the article make at the end?
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