Testimony of Lorenzo Dow Hickey - LDS

A "Strangite's" (partial) testimony about the Mormon Church:

TESTIMONY OF L. D. HICKEY AT TEMPLE LOT SUIT

L. D. Hickey, of lawful age, being produced, sworn, and examined on the part of the Defendants, testified as follows:

I am seventy-eight years old, I reside in Branch County, Michigan, at the city of Coldwater, have lived there twenty-four years. Before going to Coldwater, I lived in Wisconsin, in LaCrosse county, and in Jackson county. I lived in Wisconsin from 1856 to 1857. I went from Wisconsin to Beaver Island at the north end of Lake Michigan. I think I went to Beaver Island either in 1848 or 1849. Before going to Beaver Island I lived in Lapeer county, Michigan. I left Nauvoo in the spring of '45 and then went to Wisconsin. Staid there until I went to Beaver Island. Before I went to Nauvoo I lived in the town of Troy, in Oakland county, Michigan. I went there from York State, and lived there until I went to Nauvoo. Before I went to Nauvoo I had been a member of the Methodist church; but when I went to Nauvoo, I belonged to the Mormon church. I was baptised in the month of February 1842. I was tolerable well acquainted with the church. I understood the law of the church on the question of succession; I know what the law says on the subject. I know who the successor of Joseph Smith was in the Presidency of the church. I know it upon the same principle that I know Mr. Harrison is President of the United States. I know it by criticizing the constitution of the church, which made regulations for a successor, and how that successor shall be appointed and ordained, and James J. Strang filled that bill. The constitution of the church makes provision for a successor just as clearly as the Constitution of the United States makes provision for the succession in the Presidency of the United States, according to my way of looking at it. The book you now hand me is the "Diamond," and it is the work of Strang published at the time he claimed to be the successor of Joseph Smith. In it he sets forth his claims to be Joseph Smith's successor. I accepted Mr. Strang's.....[end of page]

From the Strangite Collection at the Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan (as was this).