"If I had the Book, Sir, I would burn it!" — Nancy Towle1
In Kirtland, Elizabeth Marsh hosted Nancy Towle, a renowned preacher known for her fervent convictions and educational background. Towle, critical of the Saints, wanted to learn more about them to dissuade others from joining them.2
Despite Elizabeth's disagreement with Towle's mission, she attended a confirmation meeting with her, where Towle openly challenged the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith's prophetic claims. Joseph refused to swear an oath that he had seen an angel; however, he and Elizabeth testified of their spiritual experiences. Towle remained unswayed, dismissing Joseph as an "ignorant plowboy" and rejecting the legitimacy of his revelations.2
Towle later wrote Vicissitudes Illustrated in the Experience of Nancy Towle in Europe and America, which included an account of her experience with the Saints.1
