Editing New Israelites (section)

==Possible connection to Mormonism==

Members of the New Israelites may have included [[Joseph Smith, Sr.]], the father of [[Joseph Smith, Jr.]], and William Cowdery, father of [[Book of Mormon]] witness [[Oliver Cowdery]].  The best case exists for connecting Cowdery family, as they are known to have lived near the Woods in the early 19th century, and later attended a [[Congregationalist churches|Congregationalist church]] in [[Poultney, Vermont]] after the Wood Scrape. Oliver Cowdery, who was not born at the time of the Wood Scrape, was later known as a [[dowser]], and was the second highest ranking early leader of the [[Latter Day Saint movement]], next to Joseph Smith, Jr. Witnesses from Vermont connected William Cowdery to the sect, before these witnesses could have known from media reports that his son Oliver was a dowser.<ref>{{Harvnb|Quinn|1998|pp=25–26}}; {{Harvnb|Brooke|1994|p=133}}
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Vermont residents who were interviewed by a local historian said that [[Joseph Smith, Sr.]] was also part of the New Israelites, and was one of its "leading rods-men".<ref>{{Harvnb|Quinn|1998|pp=35–36}}; {{Harvnb|Brooke|1994|pp=133}}.</ref> However, there is no historical consensus linking Smith to the New Israelites because of the difficulty in placing Joseph Smith, Sr. in [[Rutland County, Vermont]] during that time period. Although residents said that he lived in [[Poultney, Vermont]] "at the time of the Wood movement here",<ref>{{Harvnb|Quinn|1998|pp=25–26}}; {{Harvnb|Brooke|1994|p=133}}.</ref> there are no other records placing Smith closer than about 50 miles away. On the other hand, Smith's involvement with the New Israelites would be consistent with his links to [[Congregational church|Congregationalism]] and his reported admission in 1837 that he entered the money digging business "more than thirty years" ago.<ref>{{Harvnb|Brooke|1994|pp=133, 39}}. [[James C. Brewster]] claimed that in 1837, Smith, Sr. boasted that "I know more about money-digging than any man in this generation for I have been in the business for more than thirty years!"</ref>