The full title of the book is Mormonism Unvailed: Or, A Faithful Account of That Singular Imposition and Delusion from Its Rise to the Present Time.

To Which Are Added, Inquiries into the Probability That the Historical Part of the Said Bible Was Written by One Solomon Spalding, More Than Twenty Years Ago, and by Him Intended to Have Been Published As a Romance.

Howe introduces the section containing the affidavits by stating: "We next present to the reader a few, among the many despositions which have been obtained from the neighborhood of the Smith family, and the scene where the far famed Gold Bible had its pretended origin.

A contemporary author discusses Hurlbut's background and noted that prior to joining the LDS church, he was a member of a Methodist congregation but was "expelled for unvirtuous conduct with a young lady".

[14] Hurlbut traveled to Palmyra and the surrounding regions at the request of an Ohio anti-Mormon committee for the purpose of "collecting statements disparaging to the Smith name".

[16] Eleven residents of the Manchester area signed the following statement: "We, the undersigned, being personally acquainted with the family of Joseph Smith, sen. with whom the celebrated Gold Bible, so called, originated, state: that they were not only a lazy, indolent set of men, but also intemperate; and their word was not to be depended upon; and that we are truly glad to dispense with their society".

[17][c] One LDS scholar points out the contradiction that "the large household of ten Smiths survived a dozen years without seriously working but spent days and nights in seeking treasures and finding none.

According to one author, ordinary people at the time had "no difficulty blending Christianity with magic" and described Chase as "the most vigorous of the Manchester treasure-seekers" as well as a Methodist class leader.

The story relates to Smith's claim to have seen an angel named Moroni at the time that he was attempting to retrieve from a stone box the Golden Plates from which the Book of Mormon is said to have been translated.

By 1893, Saunders's nephew was "quoting" Joseph Smith as having said that the animal was an "enormous toad" which turned into a "flaming monster with glittering eyes".

[26] According to author D. Michael Quinn, early American folk traditions associate the toad with "Satanism, black magic, sorcery, and witchcraft.

"[29] One author suggests that the Isaac Hale affidavit was not obtained by Hurlbut but was instead published first in a local newspaper, the Susquehanna Register, on 1 May 1834 and that Howe simply reprinted the letter in Mormonism Unvailed.

[33] The Howe/Hurlbut affidavits have continued over the years to provide a source of information for authors skeptical of the origins of the Book of Mormon and of the Latter Day Saint movement.

Anderson states that the affidavits "must be granted permanent status as primary documents relating to Joseph Smith's early life and the origins of Mormonism".

[37] Author Dan Vogel repeatedly used the statements in the Hurlbut affidavits and Mormonism Unvailed in his 2004 biography Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet.

[38] LDS scholars respond that Vogel "fails to see how weak and vague these charges are" and point out that for the majority of the treasure hunting expeditions described, Smith is not even recorded as having been present.

Martha Spalding, John's wife, tells a similar story, and states that "the names of Nephi and Lehi are yet fresh in my memory, as being the principal heroes of his tale".

[45] Howe concluded that Joseph Smith and Sidney Ridgon plagiarized a Spalding manuscript and then produced the Book of Mormon to make money.

Howe was unable to find the alleged similarities with the Book of Mormon that were described in the statements and instead argued that there must be a second Spalding manuscript that was now lost.