The Nation - News from April 29, 1985
The Mormon Church has released the contents of a 155-year-old letter that some historians say could cast doubt on the official version of the way the church was founded. The Salt Lake City Tribune said that the letter, purportedly written by early church member Martin Harris to newspaper editor W. W. Phelps, mentioned certain magical events and told of how a spirit turned into a white salamander to temporarily prevent Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, from getting the golden plates, which church tradition says contained the Book of Mormon.
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