,diane ,evans4 ,,new ,,witnesses ,,for ,,god ,,ii4 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,mormon ,by ,b4 ,h4 ,roberts1 ,author of ,the ,gospel1 ,outlines of ,ecclesiastical ,history1 ,mormon ,doctrine of ,deity1 ,defense of the ,faith and the ,saints1 ,the ,prophet-,teacher1 etc41 etc4 ,,in ,,three ,,volumes ,,vol4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,deseret ,,news ,salt ,lake ,city #aiji ,,table ,,of ,,contents4 ,,part ,,iii4 7,continued74 ,,the ,,evidences ,,of ,,the ,,truth ,,of ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,mormon1 7,,continued7 ,,chapter ,,xxx4 ,indirect ,external ,evidences 7,continued74--,american ,traditions #c ,i4 ,the ,signs of ,messiah's ,birth ,,ii4 ,the ,signs of ,messiah's ,death ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,indirect ,external ,evidences--,american ,traditions 7,continued7 ,i4 ,messiah in the ,western ,hemisphere ,,ii4 ,the ,culture-,heroes of ,america ,,iii4 ,the ,peruvian ,tradition of the ,messiah ,,iv4 ,topilitzen ,quetzalcohuatl ,,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,external ,evidences--,the ,hebrew ,origin of the ,native ,american ,races--,hebrew ,relics ,i4 ,garcia ,,ii4 ,lord ,kingsborough's ,views ,,iii4 ,adair's ,evidences ,the ,discovery of ,hebrew ,relics ,i4 ,the ,pittsfield ,hebrew ,parchment #aa4 ,the ,newark ,hebrew ,tablet ,,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,the ,discovery of ,relics ,other ,than ,hebrew ,i4 ,cincinnati ,gold ,plate ,,ii4 ,the ,kinderhook ,plates ,,iii4 ,the ,tuccabatchey ,plates ,,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,external ,evidence--,minor ,coincidences--,race ,unity ,i4 ,central and ,western ,new ,york an ,ancient ,battle ,field ,,ii4 ,miscellaneous ,book of ,mormon ,historical ,incidents and ,nephite ,customs ,found in the ,native ,american ,traditions ,,iii4 ,human ,sacrifices4 ,cannibalism ,,iv4 ,burying the ,hatchet ,v4 ,hagoth's ,marine ,migrations ,preserved in ,native ,legends ,,vi4 ,native ,american ,race ,unity ,,vii4 ,did the ,book of ,mormon ,antedate ,works in ,english on ,american ,antiquities ,accessible to ,joseph ,smith and ,his ,associates ,,viii4 ,the ,value of the ,evidence ,supplied by ,american ,antiquities ,,chapter ,,xxxv4 ,external ,evidences 7,continued74--,evidence of the ,bible ,i4 ,the ,place of the ,patriarch ,joseph in ,israel4--,the ,promises to ,him and ,his ,seed ,,ii4 ,the ,prophecies of ,isaiah on the ,coming ,forth of the ,book of ,mormon #aji ,,iii4 ,the ,prophecy of ,messiah in ,relation to ,other ,sheep than ,those in ,palestine that ,must ,hear ,his ,voice ,,chapter ,,xxxvi4 ,external ,evidences 7,continued47--,the ,evidence of the ,church to the ,book ,,chapter ,,xxxvii4 ,internal ,evidences--,the ,book of ,mormon1 in ,style and ,language1 is ,consistent with the ,theory of its ,construction ,i4 ,of the ,unity and ,diversity of ,style ,,ii4 ,characteristics of an ,abridgement ,,iii4 ,originality in ,book of ,mormon ,names ,,iv4 ,of the ,nephite ,custom in ,naming ,cities and ,provinces ,being ,ancient #aci ,v4 ,of the ,nephites1 ,like the ,jews1 ,being a ,mononymous ,people ,,chapter ,,xxxviii4 ,internal ,evidences 7,continued74--,the ,book of ,mormon ,forms of ,government ,consistent with the ,times and ,circumstances under which they ,existed ,i4 ,monarchies ,,ii4 ,reign of the ,judges--,republic ,,iii4 ,ecclesiastical ,government ,,iv4 ,the ,events to which ,importance is ,given in the ,book of ,mormon are in ,harmony with the ,character of the ,writers ,v4 ,complexity in the ,structure of the ,book of ,mormon in ,harmony with the ,theory of its ,origin ,,chapter ,,xxxix4 ,internal ,evidences 7,continued74--,the ,originality of the ,book of ,mormon an ,evidence in ,support of its ,claims ,i4 ,originality of ,structure ,,ii4 ,originality in ,names ,,iii4 ,in the ,manner of its ,coming ,forth ,,iv4 ,its ,accounting for the ,peopling of ,america ,v4 ,the ,nativity of ,ancient ,american ,peoples ,,vi4 ,accounting for the ,existence of ,christian ,ideas in ,america ,,chapter ,,xl4 ,internal ,evidences 7,continued74--,the ,originality of the ,book of ,mormon an ,evidence in ,support of its ,claims4 7,continued7 ,,vii4 ,the ,fall of ,adam--,the ,purpose of ,man's ,earth ,existence--,adam fell that men might be2 ,man an ,immortal ,spirit2 ,men are that they might have joy444 ,,viii4 ,the ,agency of ,man ,,ix4 ,the ,atonement ,x4 ,the ,doctrine of ,opposite ,existences ,,chapter ,,xli4 ,internal ,evidences 7,continued74--,the ,evidence of ,prophecy3 ,i4 ,a ,testimony ,shall be ,given by the ,holy ,ghost4444 ,,ii4 ,they ,shall ,have the ,gift and ,power of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,,iii4 ,three ,witnesses ,shall ,behold the ,book ,by the ,gift and ,power of ,god4 ,,iv4 ,the ,blood of ,saints ,shall ,cry from the ,ground ,v ,because ,my ,word ,shall ,hiss ,forth1 ,many ,shall say ',a ,bible6 ,a ,bible' #aec ,,vi4 ,the ,lost ,books of the ,bible ,,vii4 ,no ,gentile ,kings in ,america ,,chapter ,,xlii4 ,internal ,evidences 7,continued47--,the ,evidence of ,prophecy 7,continued7 #bha ,i4 ,many ,shall ,believe the ,words of the ,book ,,ii4 ,the ,book of ,mormon to be ,taken to the ,american ,indians ,,iii4 ,the ,jews ,shall ,begin to ,believe in ,christ1 and to ,gather to ,their ,lands ,,iv4 ,the ,work of the ,lord to ,commence ,among all ,nations to ,bring ,about 'the ,restoration of ,his ,people ,israel1 and a ,universal ,reign of ,peace and ,righteousness ,v4 ,the ,sign of the ,modern ,world's ,awakening ,,vi4 ,conditional ,prophecies--,the ,evidence of ,things ,worthy of ,god to ,reveal ,,chapter ,,xliii ,internal ,evidences 7,continued74--,the ,spirit of the ,book ,i4 ,the ,poetry the ,book of ,mormon has ,inspired ,,ii4 ,summary of ,internal ,evidences ,,part ,,iv4 ,,objections ,,to ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,mormon4 ,,chapter ,,xliv4 ,counter ,theories of ,origin ,i4 ,alexander ,campbell's ,theory ,,ii4 ,the ,spaulding ,theory of ,origin ,,iii4 ,the ,sidney ,rigdon ,theory ,,iv4 ,i4 ,woodbridge ,riley's ,theory of the ,origin of the ,book of ,mormon ,,chapter ,,xlvi4 7,erratum4--,the numeral ,,ii is repeated in this chapter1 as also in this table in order to correspond with the number in the chapter47 ,objections to the ,book of ,mormon ,i4 ,errors in ,style and ,grammar ,,ii4 ,objections ,based ,upon the ,existence of ,passages in the ,book of ,mormon ,which ,follow ,king ,james' ,translation ,,ii4 ,miscellaneous ,objections ,based on ,literary ,style and ,language ,,iii4 ,the ,difficulty of ,passages from ,isaiah ,being ,quoted by ,nephite ,writers1 that ,modern ,bible ,criticism ,holds were not ,written ,until the ,time of the ,babylonian ,captivity--and not ,written by ,isaiah at all ,,chapter ,,xlvii4 7,erratum4--,after using numerals in this chapter from ,,iv to ,,vii1 by an error1 the printer began again at ,v and ran to ,x4 ,there is no break in the order of the subjects1 however1 in the chapter1 and the numerals in this table are made to correspond with those in the text47 ,objections to the ,book of ,mormon 7,continued7 ,,iv4 ,pre-,christian ,era ,knowledge of the ,gospel ,v4 ,the ,unlawfulness of ,establishing the ,priesthood with ,others than the ,tribe of ,levi ,,vi4 ,nephite ,knowledge of the ,call of the ,gentiles4 ,,vii4 ,the ,difficulty of the ,three ,days of ,darkness ,v4 ,the ,birth of ,jesus at ,jerusalem4 ,,vi4 ,the ,settlement of ,modern ,controversies ,,vii4 ,the ,book ,contains ,nothing ,new ,,viii4 ,modern ,astronomy in the ,book ,,ix4 ,the ,geography of the ,book ,x4 ,of the ,objection that the ,transcript of ,characters ,made from the ,nephite ,plates by ,joseph ,smith1 ,bear no ,resemblance to the ,hieroglyphics and ,language ,characters ,discovered in ,central ,america on ,stone ,tablets1 ,maya ,books and ,mexican ,picture ,writing ,,chapter ,,xlviii ,objections to the ,book of ,mormon 7,continued7 ,i4 ,alleged ,plagiarisms of ,historical and ,biblical ,events4 ,,ii4 ,the ,absence of ,book of ,mormon ,names ,both of ,places and ,persons in ,native ,american ,language ,,iii4 ,nephi's ,temple ,,iv4 ,the ,difficulty of ,iron and ,steel ,among the ,nephites ,v4 ,the ,horse and ,other ,domestic ,animals of the ,book of ,mormon ,,vi4 ,the ,barges of the ,jaredite ,colony ,,vii4 ,the ,marvels of ,liahona--,compass4 ,,viii4 ,the ,weight of the ,plates ,,viii4 ,the ,death of ,shiz ,,ix4 ,concluding ,reflections ,,part ,,iii4 ,the ,evidences of the ,truth of the ,book of ,mormon1 ,continued4 ,,new ,,witnesses ,,for ,,god ,,ii4 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,mormon4 ,,chapter ,,xxx ,,indirect ,,external ,,evidences 7,continued7--,,american ,,traditions4 ,i4 ,the ,signs of ,messiah's ,birth4 ,the impressive signs given in the western world1 according to the ,book of ,mormon1 of the birth and death of ,messiah were of such a character that they would doubtless obtain a fixed place in the traditions of the native ,american people1 though1 as in the case of all legends1 the events are more or less distorted4 ,the signs of ,messiah's birth1 both as prophetically promised and historically described1 are as follows3 ,and behold1 this will ,i give unto you for a sign at the time of his 7,messiah's7 coming2 for behold1 there shall be great lights in heaven insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness1 insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it were day1 therefore there shall be one day and a night1 and a day as if it were one day1 and there were no night2 and this shall be unto you for a sign2 for ye shall know of the rising of the sun1 and also if its setting2 therefore they shall know of a surety that there shall be two days and a night2 nevertheless the night shall not be darkened2 and it shall be the night before he is born4 ,and behold there shall a new star arise1 such an one as ye never have beheld2 and this also shall be a sign unto you4 #a ,and it came to pass that the words which came unto ,nephi were fulfilled1 according as they had been spoken2 for behold at the going down of the sun1 there was no darkness2 and the people began to be astonished1 because there was no darkness when the night came4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and it came to pass also1 that a new star did appear1 according to the word4 #b ,and now the native legends on this subject4 ,from the native ,central ,american documents compiled and followed by ,fuentes y ,guzman1 quoted by ,juarrors1 whom ,bancroft follows1 it is learned that a certain ,quiche prince1 ,acxopil1 the son of ,nimaquiche1 observing that his people had greatly increased in number and influence1 divided his empire into three kingdoms4 ,and now ,bancroft1 who is quoting ,juarrors3 ,retaining for himself the first1 he gave the second to his oldest son1 ,jiutemal1 and the third to his second son1 ,acxiquat2 and this division was made on a day when three suns were seen1 which has caused some to think that it took place on the day of the birth of our ,redeemer1 a day on which it is commonly believed that such a meteor was observed4 #c ,the day when three suns were seen--the day of the birth of our ,redeemer--easily accords with the two days and a night of the continuous light of the ,book of ,mormon1 especially when considered in connection with the appearance of a new star 7the meteor of the quotation7 as a sign to the ,nephites of the birth of ,messiah4 ,referring to the traditions of the primitive ,nahua period1 after dealing with the events of the first age1 which treats of the creation1 flood1 dispersion of mankind1 the migration of a colony of seven families to a new land1 etc41 ,bancroft1 following the native writer ,ixtilxochiti1 deals with the second ,nahua age1 as follows3 ,the second age1 the sun and air1 terminated with a great hurricane which swept away trees1 rocks1 houses and people1 although many men and women escaped1 chiefly such as took refuge in caves which the hurricane could not reach4 ,after several days the survivors came out to find a multitude of apes living in the land2 and all this time they were in darkness1 seeing neither the sun nor the moon4 ,the next event recorded1 although ,veytia makes it precede the hurricane1 is the stopping of the sun for a whole day in his course1 as at the command of ,joshua as recorded in the ,old ,testament1 #d ,let no one confound these cataclysms attended with darkness to the flood period of the first ,nahua age--which is identical with ,noah's flood2 they relate to disasters subsequent to that period2 they correspond in time and character to the disasters described in the ,book of ,mormon as taking place in the western hemisphere during the time of the crucifixion and interment of ,messiah in ,judea4 ,this1 ,i believe1 will be established as reasonably clear as we proceed4 ,concerning the foregoing passage1 ,i also call attention to the fact that ,veytia is said to place before the tempest and the darkness of the tradition the stopping of the sun for a whole day in his course1 as at the command of ,joshua4 ,instead of having reference to the ,joshua incident1 however1 may not the incident of the ,american tradition have reference to the ,book of ,mormon sign of ,messiah's birth1 these two days and a night through which there was continuous light8 #e ,the apparent stopping of the sun a whole day in his course would certainly give the period of uninterrupted light required by the ,book of ,mormon sign of ,messiah's birth2 and the fact that so noted an authority as ,veytia #f places that singular event before the fierce tempest attended by darkness1 restores the order of the events required by the ,book of ,mormon account of those matters4 ,de ,roo1 quoting ,bastian1 #g says3 ,another circumstance of the ,savior's death seems to be remembered in ,mexico1 for it is related in its traditions that1 at the disappearance of ,topiltzin or ,quetzalcohuatl1 a native culture hero most nearly resembling1 as we shall see1 the appearance and character of ,messiah in the western world1 both sun and moon were covered in darkness1 while a single star appeared in the heavens4 #h ,here1 clear enough1 is allusion to the darkness that covered the land at ,messiah's death2 may not the star1 which here appears out of order1 according to ,book of ,mormon statements1 really have been the one which appeared to the ,nephites as the sign of ,messiah's birth8 ,,ii4 ,the ,signs of ,messiah's ,death4 ,the signs which were to be given to the inhabitants of the western hemisphere of ,messiah's death were foretold by a ,lamanite prophet as follows3 ,behold1 in that day that he shall suffer death1 the sun shall be darkened and refuse to give his light unto you2 and also the moon1 and the stars2 and there shall be no light upon the face of this land1 even from the time that he shall suffer death1 for the space of three days1 to the time that he shall rise again from the dead2 yea1 at the time that he shall yield up the ghost1 there shall be thunderings and lightnings for the space of many hours1 and the earth shall shake and tremble1 and the rocks which are upon the face of this earth2 which are both above the earth and beneath1 which ye know at this time are solid1 or the more part of it is one solid mass1 shall be broken up2 yea1 they shall be rent in twain1 and shall ever after be found in seams and in cracks1 and in broken fragments upon the face of the whole earth2 yea1 both above the earth and beneath4 ,and behold1 there shall be great tempests1 and there shall be many mountains laid low1 like unto a valley1 and there shall be many places which are now called valleys1 which shall become mountains1 whose height is great4 ,and many highways shall be broken up1 and many cities shall become desolate1 and many graves shall be opened1 and shall yield up many of their dead2 and many saints shall appear unto many4 ,and behold thus hath the angel spoken unto me2 for he said unto me1 that there should be thunderings and lightnings for the space of many hours2 and he said unto me that while the thunder and the lightning lasted and the tempest1 that these things should be1 and that darkness should cover the face of the whole earth #i for the space of three days4 #aj ,this prediction was literally and awfully fulfilled4 ,mormon's condensed account of it being as follows3 ,and it came to pass in the thirty and fourth year1 in the first month1 in the fourth day of the month1 there arose a great storm1 such an one as never had been known in all the land2 and there was also a great and terrible tempest2 and there was terrible thunder1 insomuch that it did shake the whole earth as if it was about to divide asunder2 and there were exceeding sharp lightnings1 such as never had been known in all the land4 ,and the city of ,zarahemla did take fire2 and the city of ,moroni did sink into the depths of the sea1 and the inhabitants thereof were drowned2 and the earth was carried up upon the city of ,moronihah1 that in the place of the city there became a great mountain2 and there was a great and terrible destruction in the land southward4 ,but behold1 there was a more great and terrible destruction in the land northward2 for behold1 the whole face of the land was changed1 because of the tempest1 and the whirlwinds1 and the thunderings1 and the lightnings1 and the exceeding great quaking of the whole earth2 and the highways were broken up1 and the level roads were spoiled1 and many smooth places became rough1 and many great and notable cities were sunk1 and many were burned1 and many were shaken till the buildings thereof had fallen to the earth1 and the inhabitants thereof were slain2 and the places were left desolate2 and there were some cities which remained2 but the damage thereof was exceeding great1 and there were many in them who were slain2 and there was some who were carried away in the whirlwind2 and whither they went1 no man knoweth1 save they know that they were carried away2 and thus the face of the whole earth became deformed1 because of the tempests1 and the thunderings1 and the lightnings1 and the quaking of the earth4 ,and behold1 the rocks were rent in twain2 they were broken up upon the face of the whole earth1 insomuch1 that they were found in broken fragments1 and in seams1 and in cracks1 upon all the face of the land4 ,and it came to pass that when the thunderings1 and the lightnings1 and the storm1 and the tempest1 and the quakings of the earth did cease--for behold1 they did last for about the space of three hours2 and it was said by some that the time was greater2 nevertheless1 all these great and terrible things were done in about the space of three hours2 and then behold1 there was darkness upon the face of the land4 ,and it came to pass that there was thick darkness upon all the face of the land1 insomuch1 that the inhabitants thereof who had not fallen1 could feel the vapour of darkness2 and there could be no light because of the darkness2 neither candles1 neither torches2 neither could there be fire kindled with their fine and exceedingly dry wood1 so that there could not be any light at all2 and there was not any light seen1 neither fire1 nor glimmer1 neither the sun1 nor the moon1 nor the stars1 so great were the mists of darkness which were upon the face of the land4 ,and it came to pass that it did last for the space of three days1 that there was no light seen2 and there was great mourning1 and howling1 and weeping among all the people continually2 yea1 great were the groanings of the people1 because of the darkness and the great destruction which had come upon them4 #aa ,from the ,book of ,mormon we learn that it was in the morning that these terrible cataclysms began1 and then were followed by the three days of darkness3 for in giving an account of the passing away of this terrible calamity1 ,mormon says3 ,thus did the the three days pass away4 ,and it was in the morning1 and the darkness dispersed from all the face of the earth and the earth did cease to tremble4 #ab ,on this matter of the signs of ,messiah's crucifixion taking place in the morning1 according to ,american time1 the late ,orson ,pratt made the following valuable comment3 ,this book1 the ,book of ,mormon1 informs us that the time of day at which ,jesus was crucified1 ,i mean the time of day here in ,america1 was in the morning2 the ,new ,testament tells us that ,jesus was crucified in ,asia in the afternoon1 between the sixth and ninth hour according to the ,jews' reckoning4 ,they commenced their reckoning at six o'clock in the morning1 and consequently the sixth hour would be twelve o'clock at noon1 and the ninth hour three o'clock in the afternoon4 ,jesus1 from the sixth to the ninth hour1 in other words from twelve o'clock to three1 was hanging on the cross4 ,now the ,book of ,mormon1 or the historians whose records it contains1 when relating the incidents that transpired at the time of the crucifixion--the darkness that was spread over the face of the land1 the earthquakes1 the rending of rocks1 the sinking of cities and the whirlwinds--say these events occurred in the morning2 they also say that darkness was spread over the face of the land for the space of three days4 ,in ,jerusalem it was only three hours4 ,but the ,lord gave them a special sign in this country and the darkness lasted three days1 and at the expiration of three days1 and three nights of darkness1 it cleared off1 and it was in the morning4 ,that shows that1 according to the time of this country1 ,america the crucifixion must have taken place in the morning4 ,says one1 ,is not this a contradiction between the ,book of ,mormon and the ,new ,testament8 ,to an unlearned person it would really be a contradiction1 for the four ,evangelists place it the time during which ,jesus was on the cross from twelve to three in the afternoon1 while the ,book of ,mormon says in the morning4 ,an unlearned person1 seeing this discrepancy1 would say1 of course1 that both books cannot be true4 ,if the ,book of ,mormon be true the ,bible cannot be2 and if the ,bible be true the ,book of ,mormon cannot be4 ,i do not known that anybody ever brought up this objection1 for ,i do not think they ever thought of it4 ,i do not think that the ,prophet ,joseph1 who translated the book1 ever thought of this apparent discrepancy4 ,but1 says one1 how do you account for it being in the morning in ,america and in the afternoon in ,jerusalem8 ,simply by the difference in longitude4 ,this would make a difference of time of several hours2 for when it would be twelve at noon in ,jerusalem it would only be half-past four in the morning in the north-west part of ,south ,america1 where the ,book of ,mormon was then being written4 ,seven and a half hours difference in longitude would account for this apparent discrepancy2 and if the ,book of ,mormon had said the crucifixion took place in the afternoon we should have known at once that it could not be true4 ,this is incidental proof to learned or scientific men that they cannot very well reason away1 and especially when the instrument i4 e4 ,joseph ,smith who brought forth the ,book of ,mormon is considered4 ,it must be remembered that he was but a youth1 and unlearned2 and1 when he translated this work1 ,i presume that he was unaware that there was any difference in the time of day1 according to the longitude1 in different parts of the earth4 ,i do not suppose that ,joseph ever thought about it to the day of his death4 ,i never heard him or any other person bring forth this as confirmatory evidence of the divine authenticity of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,i never thought of it myself until years after ,joseph's death2 but when ,i did reflect upon it1 ,i could see the reason why the ,lord1 through his servants1 has said in the ,book of ,mormon1 that the crucifixion took place in the morning4 #ac ,in addition to the passages already quoted1 giving the native traditions which1 doubtless contain references to the cataclysms at the death of ,messiah1 as well as to the signs of his birth1 ,bancroft gives a ,toltec tradition directly bearing on the subject1 as follows3 ,the sun and moon were eclipsed1 the earth shook1 and the rocks were rent asunder1 and many other things and signs happened1 though there was no loss of life4 ,this was in the year ,ce ,calli1 which1 the chronology being reduced to our system1 proves to be the same date when ,christ our ,lord suffered1 #cc ,a4 ,d4 #ad ,the statement in the foregoing that there was no loss of life resulting from this cataclysm is the only item that mars its perfect agreement with the ,book of ,mormon incident4 ,bouturini1 commending the exact chronology of the ancient ,mexicans says3 ,no pagan nation refers primitive events to fixed creation of the world1 of the deluge1 of the confusion of tongues at the time of the ,tower of ,babel1 of the other epochs and ages of the world1 of their ancestors' long travel in ,asia1 with the years precisely distinguished by their corresponding characters4 ,they record in the year of ,seven ,rabbits the great eclipse which happened at the crucifixion of ,christ our ,lord4 #ae ,the date assigned for this eclipse of sun and moon 7darkness71 and the attendant earthquakes in the foregoing quotations1 is corroborated in a very remarkable manner by the native ,peruvian historian ,montesinos1 quoted by ,rivero and ,tschudi4 ,in giving a list of the ,peruvian monarchs1 when reaching the sixtieth1 ,manco-,capac ,,iii41 our authors say3 ,according to the ,amautas ,peruvian wise men1 or philosophers this prince reigned in the year two thousand nine hundred and fifty after the deluge1 and consequently at the birth of ,jesus ,christ1 an epoch when ,peru had reached her highest elevation and extension4 #af ,following this sixtieth monarch came ,cayo-,manco-,capec ,,iii41 who reigned twenty years4 ,he was followed by ,sinchi-,ayar-,manco1 who reigned seven years4 ,he1 by ,huamantaco-,amauta1 who reigned five years2 which brings us to the year thirty-two ,a4 ,d41 and then follows this statement by our authors1 which corroborates the date cited by ,bancroft for the cataclysm under consideration1 viz3 ,during his reign thirty-two or thirty-three ,a4 ,d41 #ag they experienced earthquakes that lasted several months4 #ah ,brasseur de ,bourbourg1 #ai to whom ,bancroft gives high praise as an authority on the languages and traditions of ,central ,america1 speaks of physical cataclysms which1 according to the native traditions1 took place in that part of ,america1 and which are undoubtedly the imperfect accounts of those cataclysms which occurred at the death of ,messiah1 as recorded in the ,book of ,mormon4 ,brasseur became infatuated with the ,atlantis theory1 and regarded the native ,american traditions concerning the physical convulsions in nature as describing the submergence of the ancient ,atlantis4 ,with the theory of the learned ,frenchman ,i have nothing to do4 ,he may have made a wrong application of the facts of the native traditions4 ,i think he did4 ,but what ,i am interested in is the fact that so highly commended an authority draws from native sources the tradition of physical cataclysms which so nearly accord with the statements of fact in the ,book of ,mormon4 #bj ,after relating ,brasseur's connection with the ,atlantis theory1 ,baldwin says3 ,in the first place1 ,brasseur de ,bourbourg claims that there is in the old ,central ,american books a constant tradition of an immense catastrophe of the character supposed i4 e41 the convulsions which submerged ,atlantis2 that this tradition existed every where among the people when they first became known to ,europeans2 and that recollections of the catastrophe were preserved in some of their festivals1 especially in one celebrated in the month of ,izcalli1 which was instituted to commemorate this frightful destruction of land and people1 and in which princes and people humbled themselves before the divinity1 and besought him to withhold a return of such terrible calamities4 ,this tradition affirms that a part of the continent extending into the ,atlantic was destroyed in the manner supposed1 submerged and appear to indicate that the destruction was accomplished by a succession of frightful convulsions4 ,three are constantly mentioned1 and sometimes there is mention of one or two others4 ,the land was shaken by frightful earthquakes1 and the waves of the sea combined with volcanic fires to overwhelm and ingulf it4 ,each convulsion swept away portions of the land1 until the whole disappeared1 leaving the line of the coast as it is now4 ,most of the inhabitants1 overtaken amid their regular employments1 were destroyed2 but some escaped in ships1 and some fled for safety to the summits of high mountains1 or to portions of the land which1 for the time1 escaped immediate destruction4 ,quotations are made from the old books in which this tradition is recorded which appear to verify his report of what is found in them4 ,to criticise intelligently his interpretation of their significance1 one needs to have a knowledge of those books and tradition equal at least to his own4 #ba ,nadaillac also refers to the native traditions collected by ,brasseur on this subject and quotes him as follows3 ,if ,i may judge from allusions in the documents that ,i have been fortunate enough to collect1 there were in these regions1 at that remote date1 convulsions of nature1 deluges1 terrible inundations1 followed by the upheaval of mountains1 accompanied by volcanic eruptions4 ,these traditions1 traces of which are also met with in ,mexico1 ,central ,america1 ,peru1 and ,bolivia1 point to the conclusion that man existed in these various countries at the time of the upheaval of the ,cordilleras1 and that the memory of that upheaval has been preserved3 #bb ,treating of a number of old ,central ,american traditions on his own account1 ,nadaillac says3 ,other traditions allude to convulsions of nature1 to inundations1 and profound disturbances1 to terrible deluges1 in the midst of which mountains and volcanoes suddenly rose up4 #bc ,nothing1 perhaps1 connected with the signs of ,messiah's death would be more impressive than the awful fact of the three days' darkness1 and nothing would be more likely to be preserved in the traditions of the people than this singular fact4 ,from generation to generation it would be remembered with terror4 ,it is beyond question the traditional remembrance of that event which so terrorized the native ,americans at every recurrence of an eclipse of the sun4 ,of this fact ,bancroft remarks3 ,the ,mexicans were much troubled and distressed by an eclipse of the sun4 ,they thought that he was much disturbed and tossed about by something1 and that he was becoming seriously jaundiced4 ,this was the occasion of a general panic1 women weeping aloud1 and men howling and shouting and striking the hand upon the mouth4 ,there was an immediate search for men with white hair and white faces1 and these were sacrificed to the sun1 amid the din and tumult of singing and musical instruments4 ,it was thought that should the eclipse become once total1 there would be an end of the light1 and that in the darkness the demons would come down to the devouring of the people4 #bd ,it was also the traditional remembrance of the terror of darkness1 connected with the death of ,messiah1 which undoubtedly created the anxiety concerning the renewal of fire at the conclusion of each cycle of fifty-two years recognized in the ,mexican chronology4 ,the ,mexicans1 as represented in some of the notes we have quoted from different authors1 hold the tradition of the destruction of the world at four successive epochs4 ,and1 says1 ,prescott3 ,they looked forward confidently to another such catastrophy1 to take place like the preceding1 at the close of a cycle1 when the sun was to be effaced from the heavens1 the human race from the earth1 and when darkness of chaos was to settle on the habitable globe4 ,the cycle would end in the latter part of ,december1 and1 as the dreary season of the winter solstice approached1 and the diminished light of day gave melancholy presage of its speedy extinction their apprehensions increased2 and on the arrival of the five unlucky days which close the year1 they abandoned themselves to despair4 ,they broke in pieces the little images of their household gods1 in whom they no longer trusted4 ,the holy fires were suffered to go out in the temples1 and none were lighted in their own dwellings4 ,their furniture and domestic utensils were destroyed2 their garments torn in pieces2 and everything was thrown into disorder1 for the coming of the evil genii who were to descend on the desolate earth4 ,on the evening of the last day1 a procession of priests1 assuming the dress and ornaments of their gods1 moved from the capital towards a lofty mountain1 about two leagues distant4 ,they carried with them a noble victim1 the flower of their captivities1 and an apparatus for kindling the new fire1 the success of which was an augury of the renewal of the cycle4 ,on reaching the summit of the mountain1 the procession paused till midnight2 when1 as the constellation of the ,pleiades approached the zenith1 the new fire was kindled by the friction of the sticks placed on the wounded breast of the victim4 ,the flame was soon communicated to a funeral pile1 on which the body of the slaughtered captive was thrown4 ,as the light streamed up towards heaven1 shouts of joy and triumph burst forth from the countless multitudes who covered the hills1 the terraces of the temples and the house-tops1 with eyes anxiously bent on the mount of sacrifice4 ,couriers1 with torches lighted at the blazing beacon1 rapidly bore them over every part of the country2 and the cheering element was seen brightening on altar and hearthstone1 for the circuit of many a league1 long before the sun1 rising on his accustomed track1 gave assurance that a new cycle had commenced its march1 and that the laws of nature were not to be reversed for the ,aztecs4 ,the following thirteen days were given up to festivity4 #be ,whence this terror of the darkness8 ,whence this rejoicing at the assurance of continued light1 unless back of both terror and rejoicing somewhere in the history of the people there was some such circumstance as described in the ,book of ,mormon which gave cause for this terror of darkness on the one hand1 and the rejoicing at the assurance of a continuation of light on the other8 ,footnotes #a4 ,helaman xiv3 #c1 #e4 #b4 ,,iii4 ,nephi i3 #ae1 #ba4 #c4 ,native ,races1 ,bancroft1 ,vol4 ,v41 p4 #eff4 #d4 ,native ,races1 ,bancroft1 ,vol4 ,v41 pp4 #bji1 #baj4 #e4 ,see ,helaman xiv3 #c1 #d1 #e2 and ,,iii4 ,nephi #a3 #ae-ba4 #f4 ,don ,mariano ,veytia was born of an ancient and highly respected family at ,puebli1 ,mexico1 #agah4 ,after finishing his academic education he went to ,spain where he was kindly received at court4 ,he visited several other countries of ,europe1 made himself acquainted with their languages and returned home and devoted the rest of his life chiefly to the illustration of the national history and antiquities of his country4 ,he composed various works1 but his ,antiquities of ,mexico is the only one which went to press4 ,his history covers the whole period from the first occupation of ,aauhuac to the middle of the fifteenth century1 at which time his labors were unfortunately terminated by his death1 which occurred in #aghj4 ,in the early portion of his ,antiquities he endeavored to trace the migratory movements and historic annals of the race who entered the country4 ,every page1 remarks ,prescott1 bears testimony of the extent and fidelity of his researches4 7,conquest of ,mexico1 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #dj47 ,the author of the history of the ,antiquities of ,mexico1 tom4 ,i41 chapter ii1 dates the first migration of the ,nahuas from the year #b1bcg1 after the creation quoted by ,nadaillac ,prehistoric ,america1 p4 #bfa4 ,this date is somewhat in agreement with the time at which the ,book of ,mormon represents the ,jaredites as arriving in the western world4 #g4 ,adolf ,bastian was born in ,june1 #ahbf4 ,he was a ,prussian ethnologist of note1 being professor of that science at ,berlin1 and demonstrator of the ethnological museum4 ,he succeeded ,virchow as president of the ,berlin ,anthropological society4 ,he traveled in ,peru1 ,columbia and ,central ,america in #ahea-ff4 ,it is from his works that ,de ,roo quotes the above tradition4 #h4 ,history of ,america ,before ,columbus1 p4 #dca4 #i4 ,darkness cover the face of the whole earth1 etc4 ,this expression should be understood as limited by one that precedes it in the quotation1 viz41 there should be no light upon the face of this land1 meaning ,america4 ,nothwithstanding the face of the whole earth the darkness was limited to the western hemisphere4 #aj4 ,helaman xiv3 #bj-bg4 #aa4 ,,iii4 ,nephi viii3 #e-bc4 #ab4 ,,iii4 ,nephi x3 #i and note 'f4' #ac4 ,orson ,pratt1 ,journal of ,discourses1 ,vol4 ,,xiii41 pp4 #abh1 #abi4 #ad4 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,v41 p4 #baj4 #ae4 ,kingsborough's ,mexican ,antiquities1 ,vol4 ,,vi41 p4 #agf1 note4 ,bouturini is an authority frequently quoted by ,prescott1 who has an extended note upon the valuable collection of native memorials of primitive civilization of ,america made by ,bouturini4 7,see ,conquest of ,mexico ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #abf74 ,he was a ,milanese by birth1 and came to ,america in #agce on some business of the ,countess ,santibanez1 a lineal descendant of ,montezuma4 ,while in ,america he traveled extensively in ,mexico and ,central ,america1 and made the before mentioned collection of memorials4 ,baldwin also mentions him with approval4 7,see ,ancient ,america1 p4 #aie47 #af4 ,peruvian ,antiquities1 ,tschudi1 p4 #ei4 #ag4 ,peruvian ,antiquities1 ,tschudi1 p4 #fj4 ,compare ,,iii4 ,nephi1 chap4 viii4 #ah4 ,i say the year ,a4 ,d4 #cb1 or #cc1 for the reason that we do not know how long the reign of ,manco-,capac ,,iii--who is represented in the foregoing quotation as reigning at the time of the birth of ,christ--continued after the birth of ,messiah2 not long evidently2 but sufficiently long to make up the difference between ,a4 ,d4 #cb and the time of ,messiah's death4 ,baldwin also refers to the same event1 ,ancient ,america1 p4 #bff4 #ai4 ,born in ,france1 #ahad4 ,died at ,nice1 #ahgd4 ,a ,french clergyman1 ethnologist and author4 ,he was teacher and priest in ,canada and the ,united ,states #ahde-dh4 ,from #ahed-ahfc he traveled extensively in ,mexico and ,central ,america studying ,indian antiquities and ancient manuscripts4 #bj4 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,v41 pp4 #abg1 #abi4 #ba4 ,ancient ,america1 pp4 #agf1 #agg4 #bb4 ,pre-,historic ,america1 pp4 #af1 #ag4 #bc4 ,pre-,historic ,america1 p4 #ebg4 #bd4 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,,iii41 p4 #aaj4 #be4 ,conquest of ,mexico1 ,vol4 ,i41 pp4 #aje1 #ajf4 ,,chapter ,,xxxi ,,indirect ,,external ,,evidences--,,american ,,traditions4 7,continued47 ,i4 ,messiah in the ,western ,hemisphere4 ,the appearance of ,messiah in the western hemisphere1 no less than the signs of his birth and death1 is a circumstance that would undoubtedly find lodgment in the tradition of the native ,americans4 ,the manner of it1 as described in the ,book of ,mormon1 was as follows3 ,it appears that a short time after the cataclysms which were the sign to the western world of ,messiah's death1 a number of people in the land ,bountiful--a district of country in ,south ,america where the isthmus of ,panama joins the south continent1 and most likely including some part of that isthmus--were in the vicinity of a temple that had escaped destruction1 and were conversing upon the many physical changes which had taken place in the land1 and also of this same ,jesus1 of whose death they had received such appalling evidences1 when--but let me quote the account of the event from the ,book of ,mormon3 ,and it came to pass that while they were conversing one with another1 they heard a voice as it came out of heaven2 and they cast their eyes round about1 for they understood not the voice which they heard2 and it was not a harsh voice1 neither was it a loud voice2 and notwithstanding it being a small voice1 it did pierce them that did hear to the centre1 insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake2 yea1 it did pierce them to the very soul and did cause their hearts to burn4 ,and it came to pass that again they heard the voice1 and they understood it not2 and again the third time they did hear the voice1 and did open their ears to hear it2 and their eyes were towards the sound thereof2 and they did look steadfastly towards heaven1 from whence the sound came2 and behold the third time they did understand the voice which they heard2 and it said unto them1 ,behold my beloved son1 in whom ,i am well pleased1 in whom ,i have glorified my name3 hear ye him4 ,and it came to pass as they understood1 they cast their eyes up again towards heaven2 and behold1 they saw a man descending out of heaven2 and he was clothed in a white robe1 and he came down and stood in the midst of them1 and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him1 and they durst not open their mouths1 even one to another1 and wist not what it meant1 for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them4 ,and it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people1 saying1 ,behold1 ,i am ,jesus ,christ1 whom the prophets testified should come into the world2 and behold1 ,i am the light and the life of the world2 and ,i have drunk out of that bitter cup which the ,father hath given me1 and have glorified the ,father in taking upon me the sins of the world1 in the which ,i have suffered the will of the ,father in all things from the beginning4 ,and it came to pass that when ,jesus had spoken these words1 the whole multitude fell to the earth1 for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that ,christ should shew himself unto them after his ascension into heaven4 #a ,the task before us now is to ascertain if there is anything in the native ,american traditions which sustain the probability of this historical incident4 ,of course the reader must not be surprised if he finds the native traditions on such a subject very much confused4 ,all such traditions1 as ,i have before remarked1 are so confused4 ,besides it must be remembered that there were several great characters among the inhabitants of the western world1 according to the ,book of ,mormon1 who would likely be confounded with ,messiah in the native traditions2 such as ,moriancumr and ,coriantumr among the ,jaredites1 the first and the last great leaders1 respectively1 of that ancient people4 ,then there is the first ,nephi1 ,mulek1 the first ,mosiah1 and several of the ,lord's apostles chosen from among the ,nephites that are likely to be confounded with ,messiah and their mission with his ministry among the people4 ,but notwithstanding this confusion1 ,i think evidences of this advent of ,messiah in the western world are traceable in the native traditions2 and ,i should be much disappointed if ,i had found it otherwise1 for of all incidents in ,book of ,mormon history1 the advent of ,messiah is the most important4 ,,ii4 ,of the ,culture-,heroes of ,america4 ,speaking of ,american culture-heroes in general1 ,bancroft says3 ,although bearing various names and appearing in different countries1 the ,american culture-heroes all present the same general characteristics4 ,they are all described as white1 bearded men1 generally clad in long robes2 appearing suddenly and mysteriously upon the scene of their labors1 they at once set about improving the people by instructing them in useful and ornamental arts1 giving them laws1 exhorting them to practice brotherly love and other ,christian virtues1 and introducing a milder and better form of religion2 having accomplished their mission1 they disappear as mysteriously and unexpectedly as they came2 and finally1 they are apotheosized and held in great reverence by a grateful posterity4 ,in such guise or on such mission did ,quetzalcohuatl appear in ,cholula1 ,votan in ,chiapas1 ,wixepecocha in ,ojaca1 ,zamna1 and ,cukulcan with his nineteen disciples1 in ,yucatan1 ,gucumatz in ,guatemala1 ,viracocha in ,peru1 ,sume and ,paye-,tome in ,brazil1 the mysterious apostle mentioned by ,rosales1 in ,chili1 and ,bochica in ,colombia4 ,peruvian legends speak of a nation of giants who came by sea1 waged war with the natives1 and erected splendid edifices1 the ruins of many of which still remain4 ,besides these1 there are numerous vague traditions of settlements or nations of white men1 who lived apart from the other people of the country1 and were possessed of an advanced civilization4 #b ,i suggest1 in passing1 that the part of the tradition which relates to the existence of settlements or nations of white men who lived apart from the other people of the country1 and were possessed of an advanced civilization1 refers to those conditions that prevailed when the ,nephites and ,lamanites occupied the land2 the former an industrious1 civilized race1 the latter an idle1 savage race1 conditions frequently referred to in the ,book of ,mormon1 in describing the status of the ,nephites and ,lamanites1 respectively4 ,observe also that ,bancroft1 in the foregoing statement1 says of some of the characters that1 having accomplished their mission1 they mysteriously disappeared4 ,there are several such characters spoken of in the ,book of ,mormon4 ,such was the case with the second ,alma1 a noted ,nephite character of the first half of the century immediately preceding the advent of ,messiah4 ,he was the first president or judge of the ,nephite republic1 also high priest of the ,church1 uniting in his person the two offices--a thing not unusual among the ,nephites1 #c nor among the native ,americans1 if their annals may be trusted4 #d ,after completing his life's mission1 and making a remarkable prediction concerning the destruction of the ,nephite people1 ,alma departed out of the land1 and it came to pass that he was never heard of more2 as to his death or burial we know not of4 ,behold1 this we know1 that he was a righteous man2 and the saying went abroad in the church that he was taken by the ,spirit1 or buried by the hand of the ,lord4 #e ,in a similar manner1 ,nephi1 the father of ,nephi1 the apostle1 a very noted ,nephite leader and prophet1 departed out of the land in the same mysterious manner4 #f ,the quotation just made from ,bancroft on the culture-heroes of ,america represents them as quite numerous2 we shall see1 however1 as we proceed1 that a number of them are the same person remembered in different countries under different names and titles1 and that in the character and mission of each there is much similarity4 ,because of this similarity1 however1 it must not be supposed that it is my intention to claim each of these culture heroes as a more or less tradition-distorted representation of ,messiah2 and the life and mission of the culture-hero a distorted account of ,messiah's advent and mission among the ,nephites4 ,quite to the contrary1 ,i believe that the traditions concerning some of these culture-heroes more nearly represent other ,book of ,mormon characters than they do ,messiah4 ,such1 for instance1 is ,votan1 the supposed founder of the ,maya confederation4 ,some things in his character and career make him more nearly resemble ,moriancumr1 the leader of the ,jaredite colony1 than ,messiah4 ,bancroft1 in one summary of the legends respecting him1 says3 ,votan1 another mysterious personage1 closely resembling ,quetzalcohuatl in many points1 was the supposed founder of the ,maya civilization4 ,he is said to have been a descendant of ,noah and to have assisted at the building of the ,tower of ,babel4 ,after the confusion of tongues he led a portion of the dispersed people to ,america4 ,there he established the kingdom of ,xibalba and built the city of ,palenque4 #g ,then again1 in some respects1 ,votan resembles the first ,nephi4 ,he is said to have come to ,america one thousand years ,b4 ,c42 #h ,nephi came early in the sixth century ,b4 ,c42 ,votan brought with him seven families2 the ,nephite colony1 as nearly as may be estimated1 on reaching ,america1 consisted of eight families4 #i ,votan came to ,america by divine commandment2 so1 too1 did the ,nephite colony4 #aj ,votan wrote a book1 in which he inscribed a complete record of all he had done2 #aa so1 also1 did ,nephi4 #ab ,votan united in his person the qualities of high priest and king2 so1 also1 did ,nephi4 ,after saying all this1 however1 it has to be admitted that there are some things in the legends concerning ,votan which do not run parallel with the career of ,nephi4 ,such1 for instance1 as his alleged visit to ,spain1 ,rome1 ,jerusalem1 where1 in the latter place1 he saw the temple of ,solomon building2 also his visit to the ,euphrates valley1 where he saw the unfinished ,tower of ,babel4 ,the part of his story which describes his finding in ,america a colony of the same race as his own people1 reminds one of the first ,mosiah1 who found the people of ,zarahemla1 in the valley of the ,sidon4 ,it will be remembered that these people came from ,jerusalem1 were ,jews1 and are known as the colony of ,mulek4 ,these varied legends concerning ,votan resembling in the respects here pointed out the several ,book of ,mormon characters1 lead one to regard as reasonable the supposition advanced by nearly all writers who speak of him1 that ,votan is a generic name2 and that the legends which center about this name represent the exploits of several of ,america's culture-heroes1 #ac and1 as ,i believe1 of several ,book of ,mormon characters4 ,,iii4 ,the ,peruvian ,tradition of the ,messiah4 ,the natives of ,chili have the following tradition concerning one of their culture-heroes1 which closely resembles ,messiah as he was revealed to the ,nephites3 ,rosales1 in his inedited 7i4 e4 unpublished7 ,history of ,chili1 declares that the inhabitants of that extremely southern portion of ,america1 situated at the distance of so many thousand miles from ,new ,spain1 and who did not employ paintings to record events1 accounted for their knowledge of some of the doctrines of ,christianity by saying1 that in former times1 as they had heard their fathers say1 a wonderful man had come to that country1 wearing a long beard1 with shoes1 and a mantle such as the ,indians carry on their shoulders1 who performed many miracles1 cured the sick with water1 caused it to rain1 and their crops and grain to grow1 kindled fire at a breath1 and wrought other marvels1 healing at once the sick1 and giving sight to the blind2 and that he spoke with as much propriety and elegance in the language of their country as if he had always resided in it1 addressing them in words very sweet and new to them1 telling them that the ,creator of the universe resided in the highest place of heaven1 and that many men and women who were resplendent as the sun dwelt with him4 ,they say that he shortly afterwards went to ,peru1 and that many1 in imitation of the habit and shoes which that man used1 introduced among themselves the fashion of wearing shoes1 and the loose mantle over the shoulders1 either fastened with a clasp at the breast1 or knotted at the corners1 whence it may be inferred that this man was some apostle whose name they do not know4 #ad ,the points of comparison between the character referred to in the foregoing quotation and the ,messiah in his ministry among the ,nephites1 are3 ,first3 ,in personal appearance1 if due allowance be made for the imperfect description in the legend4 ,second3 ,in the character of the work performed1 especially in the matter of healing of the sick4 ,while in their midst ,jesus is represented as saying to the ,nephites3 ,have ye any that are sick among you1 bring them hither4 ,have ye any that are lame1 or blind1 or halt1 or maimed1 or leprous1 or that are withered1 or that are deaf1 or that are afflicted in any manner8 ,bring them hither and ,i will heal them1 for ,i have compassion upon you2 my bowels are filled with mercy2 for ,i perceive that ye desire that ,i shew unto you what ,i have done unto your brethren at ,jerusalem1 for ,i see that your faith is sufficient that ,i should heal you4 ,and it came to pass that when he had thus spoken1 all the multitude1 with one accord1 did go forth with their sick1 and their afflicted1 and their lame1 and with their blind1 and with their dumb1 and with all them that were afflicted in any manner2 and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him4 #ae ,third3 ,in relation to the graciousness of his language1 the third ,nephi represents the ,savior as praying for the ,nephites in this manner3 ,and the things which he prayed cannot be written1 and the multitude did bear record who heard him4 ,and after this manner did they bear record3 ,the eye hath never seen1 neither hath the ear heard before1 so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard ,jesus speak unto the ,father1 and no tongue can speak1 neither can there be written by any man1 neither can the heart of man conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard ,jesus speak2 and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the ,father4 #af ,fourth3 ,relative to teaching the people1 that many men and women were resplendent in their glory and were already dwelling with ,god1 the ,book of ,mormon mentions the circumstance of ,jesus taking very great pains to have recorded in the ,nephite annals the fact that many of the ancient ,saints arose from the dead and appeared unto many and ministered unto them2 #ag and from the whole tenor of his instructions to the ,nephites1 as found in ,,iii4 ,nephi1 it is clear that there was ever present in his thought the fact of redeemed and glorified immortals dwelling with ,god in his kingdom4 ,fifth3 ,the reference in the quotation to the departure of the man-,god for another land is paralleled in the ,book of ,mormon account of ,jesus1 where he is represented as declaring the existence of the lost tribes of the house of ,israel1 and the declaration of his intention to visit them4 ,now1 said he1 ,i go unto the ,father1 and also to show myself unto the lost tribes of ,israel1 for they are not lost unto the ,father1 for he knoweth whither he hath taken them4 #ah ,,iv4 ,topilitzen ,quetzalcohuatl4 ,this personage appears under different names in the native traditions of various countries of ,america4 ,in the ,popol ,vuh of the ,quiches he is known under the title of ,gucumatz2 #ai in ,yucatan he appears under the name of ,cukulcan2 #bj in ,oajaca 7despite some difficulties and contradictions7 as ,huemac2 and in ,mexico1 par excellence1 as ,toplitzin ,quetzalcohuatl4 ,respecting this character1 various opinions are held4 ,by some he is regarded as the ,apostle ,st4 ,thomas1 whom they credit with coming to ,america and preaching the ,christian religion4 ,in support of their opinion1 says ,bancroft1 that he ,quetzalcohuatl was no other than the apostle1 they allege that the hero-god's proper name1 ,topilitzen ,quetzalcohuatl1 closely resembles in sound and signification that of ',thomas1 surnamed ,didymus2' for 'to' in the ,mexican name1 is an abbreviation of ,thomas1 to which 'pilcin1' meaning 'son' or 'disciple1' is added2 while the meaning of ,quetzalcohuatl 7in the ,aztec language7 is exactly the same as that of the ,greek name ',didymus1' 'a twin1' being compounded of 'quetzalli1' a 'plume of green feathers1' metaphorically signifying anything precious1 and 'coatl1' a serpent1 metaphorically meaning one of two twins4 #ba ,lord ,kingsborough1 it is well known1 is the foremost among those who have identified this traditionary personage 7,quetzalcohuatl7 with the ,hebrew ,messiah--,jesus of ,nazareth2 and to this subject he devoted an incredible amount of labor and research4 #bb ,as ,kingsborough's interpretation of the name1 ,topilitzin ,quetzalcohuatl1 as also the substance of his argument will appear in quotations from his works1 it is not necessary to make a statement of them here4 ,let it suffice1 at this point1 to say that native ,american traditions assign too many of the qualities of ,deity to ,quetzalcohuatl to regard him merely as a man2 and while many things are ascribed to him that are not in harmony with the character and mission of ,messiah as set forth in the ,book of ,mormon1 still one may trace the outlines of ,messiah's advent and labors among the ,nephites in the career of ,quetzalcohuatl1 as also the qualities of his divinity in what tradition ascribes to the ,aztec deity4 ,as for those adventures and human qualities found in ,quetzalcohuatl not properly ascribable to ,messiah1 they arise1 doubtless1 out of the fact that the native traditions have confounded some of the exploits and characteristics of other great personages who have figured in their history with those of ,messiah4 ,in order that the reader may have a fairly full account of what is said of this ,american man-divinity1 ,i shall quote what several reliable authorities have said of him1 beginning with ,prescott3 ,a far more interesting personage in their i4 e4 the ,mexicans mythology was ,quetzalcohuatl1 god of the air1 a divinity1 during his residence on earth1 instructed the natives in the use of metals1 in agriculture1 and in the arts of government4 ,he was one of those benefactors of their species1 doubtless1 who have been deified by gratitude of posterity4 ,under him1 the earth teemed with fruits and flowers1 without the pains of culture4 ,an ear of ,indian corn was as much as a single man could carry4 ,the cotton1 as it grew took of its own accord1 the rich dyes of human art4 ,the air was filled with intoxicating perfumes and the sweet melody of birds4 ,in short1 these were the halcyon days1 which find a place in the mythic systems of so many nations in the ,old ,world4 ,it was the golden age of ,anahuac4 ,from some cause1 not explained1 ,quetzalcohuatl1 incurred the wrath of one of the principal gods1 and was compelled to abandon the country4 ,on his way1 he stopped at the city of ,cholula1 where a temple was dedicated to his worship1 the massy ruins of which still form one of the most interesting relics of antiquity in ,mexico4 ,when he reached the shores of the ,mexican ,gulf1 he took leave of his followers1 promising that he and his descendants would visit them hereafter1 and then1 entering his wizard skiff1 made of serpents' skins1 embarked on the great ocean for the fabled land of ,tlapallan4 ,he was said to have been tall in stature1 with a white skin1 long1 dark hair1 and a flowing beard4 ,the ,mexicans looked confidently to the return of the benevolent deity2 and this remarkable tradition1 deeply cherished in their hearts1 prepared the way4 99 99 99 99 99 99 for the future success of the ,spaniards4 #bc ,after referring to the numerous1 lengthy1 intricate and even contradictory legendary statements of the ,american aborigines which in full may only be learned from the elaborate works of ,brasseur de ,bourbourg1 ,lord ,kingsborough1 and ,h4 ,h4 ,bancroft--,p4 ,de ,roo remarks3 ,it is the universal opinion of the learned that ,quetzalcohuatl is identically the same personage with the contemporary religious and civil reformer whom various nations have deified under different names2 that he is the same with ,huemac or ,vemac1 as the ,mexicans also called him2 with ,topilitzin1 as he was more anciently known in ,tulla by the ,toltecs2 with ,wixipecocha1 under whose name he was venerated by the ,zapotecs2 with ,zamna1 ,cozas1 or ,cukulcan1 the theocratic ruler of ,yucatan2 nay1 with ,bochica1 the civilizer of ,cundinamarca of ,new ,granada1 and with ,viracocha of ,peru4 ,in the remainder of the quotation from our author1 he speaks of this one person under his various names and titles3 ,quetzalcohuatl arrived at ,tulla1 the ,toltec capital1 from ,panuco1 a small place on the ,gulf of ,mexico1 where he had first landed4 ,duran likewise relates that ,topilitzin was a foreigner1 but could not learn from what parts he had come4 ,his name1 given him by the natives1 signified ,beautiful feathered serpent4 ,culkulcan1 his ,maya or ,yucatec appellation1 had exactly the same meaning4 ,it was the name of princes and ,toltec kings1 and probably designates some honorable title1 which1 if we should make a few learned considerations1 might be found to be the ,great or the ,glorious man of the country4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,indians remembered well that their god ,quetzalcohuatl had not been like one of themselves4 ,they described him as a white or pale faced man1 of portly person1 with broad forehead1 great eyes1 long black hair1 and a heavy rounded beard4 ,the ,zapotecan ,wixipecocha was also a white-skinned apostle1 and the ,toltecan ,topilitzin is described as having all the same features1 to which ,duran adds that his beard was of a fair color and his nose rather large4 ,he was very reserved in his manners1 plain and meek with those who approached him1 passing most of his time in meditation and prayer in his cell1 and showing himself but seldom to the people4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,very abstemious at all times1 ,topilitzen often observed long and rigorous fasts1 practicing severe penances and even bloody self-chastisements1 as is likewise stated of the homologous ,quetzalcohuatl4 ,de las ,casas testifies that ,quetzalcohuatl lived a most honest and chaste life2 ,sahagun1 that he never married nor ever was in the company of a woman1 except in the act of auricular confession4 ,while1 according to traditional report1 he was born of a virgin mother4 ,herrea states that he remained a virgin himself4 ,the ,yucatec legends also notice the celibacy of ,cukulcan and his general purity of morals4 99 99 99 ,quetzalcohuatl is described as having worn during life1 for the sake of modesty1 a garment that reached down to his feet4 99 99 99 99 99 ,for shoes1 ,cukulcan wore sandals1 walked along bare-headed2 nor is it said that his mantle was1 like that of his equivalent ,wexipecocha1 provided with a monk's cowl for head-gear4 ,from the ,mexican traditions we learn that ,quetzalcohuatl1 also1 wore a cloak1 which ,bancroft calls a blanket over all1 in one place1 and a long white robe1 in another2 adding that1 according to ,gormara1 it was decorated with crosses4 #bd ,it would be impossible within the proposed limits of this work to quote at length what has been written of this mysterious personage of the western world2 whose character and career in so many respects are like that of the ,hebrew ,messiah1 as he appeared in the western world4 ,from this point ,i can only summarize and quote briefly respecting him1 leaving the reader interested in the subject to make larger research in the works cited in the margins4 #be ,and now first as to the personal appearance of ,quetzalcohuatl3 ,he was a white man1 of portly person1 broad brow1 great eyes1 long black hair1 and large round head1 or exceedingly chaste1 and quiet life1 and of great moderation in all things4 #bf 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,quetzalcohuatl is said to be a white man 7some gave him a bright1 red face71 with a strong formation of body1 broad forehead1 large eyes1 black hair1 and a heavy beard4 ,he always wore a long white robe2 which1 according to ,gomara1 was decorated with crosses4 7,j4 ,g4 ,muller quoted by ,bancroft1 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,,iii41 pp4 #bgc1 #bgd47 ,in the ,book of ,mormon account of the advent of ,messiah among the ,nephites there is no description given of his features or person4 ,this1 upon first thought1 may seem singular2 and yet it is in strictest harmony with human conduct in the presence of such an event4 ,over-awed by the fact of the presence of a heavenly personage men are liable to take no note of features or color of the eyes or hair or any details of personal appearance4 ,it is not until men are removed from the awe-inspiring circumstance itself that they begin to think of details connected with a heavenly apparition4 ,i think it probable1 therefore1 that not until after the ,nephite accounts were written of the personal ministrations of ,jesus did those who beheld him begin to think out the details of his personal appearance2 hence we have no description of him in their written annals1 but we find it preserved--but perhaps with more or less of error in it--in the traditions of the people4 ,as to his general character while on earth the following is of importance3 ,this ,quetzalcohuatl was god of the air1 and as such had his temple1 of a round shape and very magnificent4 ,he was made god of the air for the mildness and gentleness of all his ways1 not liking the sharp and harsh measures to which the other gods were so strongly inclined4 ,it is to be said further that his life on earth was marked by intensely religious characteristics2 not only was he devoted to the careful observance of all the old customary forms of worship1 but he himself ordained and appointed many new rites1 ceremonies1 and festivals #bg for the adoration of the gods2 #bh and it is held for certain that he made the calendar4 #bi ,he had priests who were called ,quequetzalcohua1 that is to say priests of the order of ,quetzalcohuatl4 #cj ,the memory of him was engraved deeply upon the minds of the people1 and it is said that when barren women prayed and made sacrifices to him1 children were given them4 #ca ,he was1 as we have said1 god of the winds1 and the power of causing them to blow was attributed to him as well as the power of calming or causing their fury to cease4 ,it was said further that he swept the road1 so that the gods called ,tlaloques could rain2 this the people imagined because ordinarily a month or more before the rains began there blew strong winds throughout all ,new ,spain4 ,quetzalcohuatl is described as having worn during life1 for the sake of modesty1 garments that reached down to the feet1 with a blanket over all1 sown with red crosses4 ,the ,cholulans preserved certain green stones that had belonged to him1 regarding them with great veneration and esteeming them as relics4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,he also arranged the calendar1 and taught his subjects fit religious ceremonies2 preaching specially against human sacrifices1 and ordering offerings of fruits and flowers only4 ,he would have nothing to do with the wars1 even covering his ears when the subject was mentioned4 ,his was a veritable golden age1 as in the time of ,saturn2 animals and even men lived in peace1 the soil produced the richest harvests without cultivation1 and the grain grew so large that a man found it trouble enough to carry one ear2 no cotton was dyed1 as it grew of all colors1 and fruits of all kinds abounded4 ,everybody was rich and ,quetzalcohuatl owned whole palaces of gold1 silver and precious stones4 ,the air was filled with the most pleasant aromas1 and a host of finely feathered birds filled the world with melody4 #cb ,so1 too1 the following3 ,only ,quetzalcohuatl among all the gods was pre-eminently called ,lord2 in such sort1 that when any one swore1 saying1 ,by our ,lord1 he meant ,quetzalcohuatl and no other2 though there were many other highly esteemed gods4 ,for indeed the service of this god was gentle1 neither did he demand hard things1 but light2 and he taught only virtue1 abhorring all evil and hurt4 ,twenty years this good deity remained in ,cholula1 then he passed away by the road he had come1 carrying with him four of the principal and most virtuous youths of that city4 ,he journeyed for a hundred and fifty leagues1 till he came to the sea1 in a distant province called ,goatzacoalco4 ,here he took leave of his companions and sent them back to their city1 instructing them to tell their fellow citizens that a day should come in which the white men would land upon their coasts1 by the way of the sea in which the sun rises2 brethren of his and having beards like his2 and that they should rule that land4 #cc ,the ,mexicans always waited for the accomplishment of this prophecy1 and when the ,spaniards came they took them for the descendants of their meek and gentle prophet1 although1 as ,mendieta remarks with some sarcasm1 when they came to know them and to experience their works1 they thought otherwise4 #cd ,relative to ,quetzalcohuatl in his capacity of ,deity ,i shall quote the following passage from ,lord ,kingsborough's great work as representing the sum of his extensive research upon the subject and its elaborate presentation3 ,how truly surprising it is to find the ,mexicans1 who seem to have been quite unacquainted with the doctrines of the migration of the soul and the metempsychosis1 should have believed in the incarnation of the only son of their supreme god ,tonacatecutle4 ,for ,mexican mythology speaking of no other son of that ,god except ,quetzalcohuatl1 who was born of ,chimalman1 the virgin of ,tula1 without connection with man1 and by his breath alone1 7by which may be signified his word or his will1 announced to ,chimalman by word of mouth of the celestial messenger1 whom he dispatched to inform her that she should conceive a son71 it must be presumed that ,quetzalcohuatl was his only son4 #ce ,other arguments might be adduced to show1 that the ,mexicans believed that ,quetzalcohuatl was both god and man1 that he had previously to his incarnation1 existed from all eternity1 #cf that he had created both the world and man1 #cg that he descended from heaven to reform the world by penance1 that he was born with the perfect use of reason1 that he preached a new law1 and1 being king of ,tula1 was crucified for the sins of mankind1 as is obscurely insinuated by the interpreter of the ,vatican ,codex1 plainly declared in the traditions of ,yucatan1 and mysteriously represented in the ,mexican paintings4 #ch ,it would be a useless repetition of facts already stated in the preceding pages of the present volume1 to undertake separately to prove all these points2 and we shall confine ourselves in this place to the three first very important articles4 ,the reflection must have suggested itself to those who have perused the ,new ,testament1 that ,christ is as frequently distinguished there by the appellation of the ,son of ,man1 as by that of the ,son of ,god1 in reference no doubt to his humanity1 and to the famous prophecy contained in the ninth verse of the ninth chapter of ,isaiah3 ,for unto us a child is born1 unto us a son is given3 which ,christians1 on the authority of many passages in the four ,gospels1 apply to ,christ1 although the ,jews some times interpret it of the ,messiah1 and some times of ,king ,hezekiah4 ,the ,mexicans bestowed the appellation of ,topilitzin on ,quetzalcohuatl1 the literal signification of which is our son1 or our child1 the proper name being compounded of to1 our1 and piltzin1 defined by ,alonso de ,molina in his rare and copious vocabulary of the ,mexican and ,spanish languages to be mino o nina1 a boy or a girl1 and associated by him with the cognate terms of piltontli and pilzintia2 and it may not be unreasonably assumed1 since analogies1 which are numerous and not isolated1 as their number increases1 increase also their ratio of probability1 not only that the ,mexicans were acquainted with ,isaiah's famous prophecy1 but to mark their belief of the accomplishment of that prophecy1 in the person of ,quetzalcohuatl1 that they named him ,topiltzin2 no less account of his having been born from a virgin of the daughters of men1 then because another equally celebrated prediction of the same prophet declared that he should receive a name from that very circumstance3 ,therefore the ,lord himself shall give you a sign1 ,behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son1 and shall call his name ,immanuel4 ,and the proper name ,topilitzin does in fact bear a signification corresponding1 if not literally1 yet entirely in substance with that of ,immanuel3 since ,god with us1 which is the interpretation of the ,hebrew name1 means ,god domiciliated amongst men2 and the full force of the expression is preserved in the term ,topilitzin1 which might be interpreted the ,son of ,man1 or ,god on a level with men2 for the ,mexicans believed that ,quetzalcohuatl took human nature upon him1 partaking of all infirmities of man1 and was not exempt from sorrow1 pain1 or death1 and that he suffered voluntarily to atone for the sins of mankind4 #ci ,as already remarked1 there is much attributed to this ,deity of native ,american tradition that seems incompatible with the character of ,messiah1 and with his labors while in the western hemisphere2 but for all that one may see in outline here the leading truths respecting the ,son of ,god as made known to the ,nephites through prophecies and the ,christ's advent among them1 all of which is set forth in the ,book of ,mormon2 while that which is not congruous to ,messiah and his mission to the ,nephites1 results--as already pointed out--from the confusion of a number of traditions concerning several other great characters who have figured in native ,american history1 and of whom the ,book of ,mormon speaks4 ,but1 in the foregoing excerpts from the works of those skilled in the lore of ancient ,america1 we have the account of ,the great or the glorious ,man of the country1 #dj that can be no other than the ,hebrew ,messiah--the ,jesus ,christ of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,there are the signs of his birth3 the signs of his death2 his sudden advent among the people2 his personal appearance--not incompatible with the personal appearance of ,messiah1 but rather in harmony with it2 his birth of a virgin2 his being the only son of ,god2 his name signifying ,god with man2 his being the creator of heaven and earth2 his crucifixion for the sins of the world2 his being peculiarly the ,lord to whom men prayed2 his love of peace1 his hatred of war2 his respect for existing religion1 yet his enlargement of it and the addition of religious rites and ceremonies2 his teaching the people perfectly in their own tongue1 yet also in new and honied words2 his compassion for the sick1 and healing them2 his choosing special disciples to teach his religion and making them priests of the same order as himself2 the beauty and gentleness of his religion that stands in such marked contrast to the subsequent harsh and sanguinary superstition that darkened the lives of the natives2 his instructions as to historical records2 his taking with him on his departure from the country four of the principal and most virtuous youths of the city of ,cholula to the sea where he separated from them and sent back messages to his followers by them1 promising to return2 #da his prediction of other and white races to come and occupy the western world and rule it2 his mysterious departure from the land1 and his promise to return4 ,all this1 which so perfectly agrees both with the character and ministry of ,messiah among the ,nephites1 as described in the ,book of ,mormon1 is set forth in such clearness that it cannot be discredited because of some evident fantasies and incongruities in other parts of the traditions4 ,footnotes #a4 ,,iii4 ,nephi xi3 #c-ab4 #b4 ,native ,races1 ,bancroft1 ,vol4 ,v41 pp4 #bc1 #bd4 #c4 ,such was the case with ,i ,nephi and also ,mosiah ,,ii4 7,omni v3 #ab-bb74 ,also ,king ,benjamin1 7,mosiah i3 #b74 ,in fact all the ,nephite kings seem to have performed priestly functions2 while under the ,republic ,alma was made president of the state and high priest of the ,church1 7,mosiah xxix3 #db71 and in the fifty-third year of the ,republic ,nephi1 the son of ,helaman1 was1 for a time1 both president of the ,republic and high priest of the ,church4 7,helaman iii3 #cg and chapter iv47 #d4 ,the ,mexicans believed that ,quetzalcohuatl united in his own person the character of king1 priest and prophet4 7,kingsborough1 ,vol4 ,,vi41 p4 #bac74 ,prescott speaking of ,montezuma says3 ,he had been elected to the regal dignity in preference to his brothers for his several qualification both as a ruler and a priest1 a combination of offices sometimes found in the ,mexican candidates1 as it was1 more frequently1 in the ,egyptian4 7,conquest of ,mexico1 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #bae74 ,the same author speaking of the ,incas of ,peru says3 ,as the representative of the sun he stood at the head of the priesthood and presided at the most important of the religious festivals4 7,conquest of ,peru1 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #da74 ,in a note on this passage ,mr4 ,prescott takes exception to what he calls the sweeping assertion of ,carli to the effect that the royal and sacerdotal authority were blended together in ,peru2 yet in another passage ,prescott himself compares the ancient ,peruvian government with that of the ,jews and says3 ,the ,inca was both the law giver and the law4 ,he was not merely the representative of divinity1 or like the pope1 its vicegerant1 but he was divinity itself4 7,conquest of ,peru1 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #ace74 ,tschudi emphatically states the union of king and priest in the ,incas as follows3 ,moreover1 the monarchs of ,peru1 as children of the sun1 and descendants1 in a direct line1 from ,manco-,capac1 were the high priests and oracles in religious matters4 ,thus uniting the legislative and executive power1 the supreme command in war1 absolute sovereignity in peace1 and a venerated high priesthood in religious feasts1 they exercised the highest power ever known to man--realized in their persons the famous union of the pope and the emperor1 and more reasonably than ,louis ,,xiv41 might have exclaimed3 ,i am the state6 7,peruvian ,antiquities1 ,tschudi1 pp4 #gd1 #ge74 #e4 ,alma xlv3 #ah1 #ai4 #f4 ,,iii4 ,nephi i3 #a-c4 #g4 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,v41 pp4 #bg1 #bh4 ,our author here follows ,claviergo4 #h4 ,the chronology of legends1 or even traditions1 is very uncertain2 and the variation of a few hundred years or so is not serious4 ,the main point in the above case is that ,votan came to ,america some hundreds of years ,b4 ,c4 #i4 ,of ,lehi's family there were himself and wife1 and four sons4 ,zoram1 the servant of ,laban2 he married one of the daughters of ,ishmael4 ,of ,ishmael's family there was himself and wife1 two married sons and five daughters4 ,if1 as it is supposed1 the four sons of ,lehi married the four daughters of ,ishmael then there were nine families that formed the colony4 ,ishmael1 however1 died during the colony's wanderings in ,arabia1 and hence there were eight families that reached ,america in the ,nephite colony4 7,for above facts see ,i4 ,nephi ii1 vi1 vii1 xvi3 #cd74 #aj4 ,i4 ,nephi ii4 #aa4 ,bancroft1 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,v41 p4 #aff4 #ab4 ,i4 ,nephi i1 and ,i4 ,nephi ii4 #ac4 ,those who would have further information concerning ,votan are referred to ,bancroft's ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,,iii41 pp4 #dej1 #dee4 ,also ,vol4 ,v41 pp4 #aei1 #afj4 ,also to ,donnelley's ,atlantis1 chapter iv1 and the past notes in these several works4 #ad4 ,mexican ,antiquities1 ,kingsborough1 ,vol4 ,,vi41 p4 #dai4 #ae4 ,,iii4 ,nephi xvii3 #g1 #i4 #af4 ,,iii4 ,nephi xvii3 #ae-ag4 #ag4 ,,iii4 ,nephi xxiii4 #ah4 ,,iii4 ,nephi xvii3 #d1 see also chapter xvi3 #a-c4 #ai4 ,bancroft1 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,v41 p4 #fba4 #bj4 ,bancroft1 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,,iii41 pp4 #ace1 #bfj1 #dea #ba4 ,bancroft1 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,v41 p4 #be #bb4 ,those who desire to follow the researches of the noble author on this point can do so by consulting ,vol4 ,,viii4 of his elaborate work1 pp4 #e-ea2 also his explanations of plates #c1 #aj1 #da of the ,vatican ,codex with accompanying notes1 ,vol4 ,,vi4 ,this is by no means all that his lordship writes upon the subject1 but from these passages one may learn the substance of his theory1 and the argument by which he sustains it4 #bc4 ,conquest of ,mexico1 ,prescott1 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #fd4 #bd4 ,history of ,america ,before ,columbus1 ,p4 ,de ,roo1 ,vol4 ,i41 pp4 #edj-edd4 #be4 ,perhaps the fullest and most accessible work on the subject is ,bancroft's ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,,iii41 pp4 #bdh1 #bhg2 and ,p4 ,de ,roo's ,america ,before ,columbus1 ,vol4 ,i41 chapters xxii1 xxiii4 #bf4 ,native ,races1 ,bancroft1 ,vol4 ,,iii41 p4 #bej4 #bg4 ,see ,,ii4 ,nephi xv3 #b1 #aj4 #bh4 ,see ,,iii4 ,nephi xi3 #ba1 #bh1 also ,,iii4 ,nephi xviii3 #a1 #be4 ,compare these several passages from ,nephi with the statement in the text4 #bi4 ,this may simply be the traditional remembrance of the fact that the sign of the birth of ,jesus was made an epoch from which the ,nephites thenceforward reckoned their time4 ,see ,,iii4 ,nephi ii3 #d-h4 #cj4 ,priests after the order of ,quetzalcohuatl4 ,the ,book of ,mormon teaches that the ,nephites had the high ,melchizedek priesthood among them4 ,that is to say1 the priesthood of their high priests was after the same order of priesthood as that held by the son of ,god4 ,hence we have ,alma saying3 ,i am called to speak after this manner he was preaching obedience to the people according to the holy order of ,god1 which is in ,christ ,jesus4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and now ,i say unto you that this is the order after which ,i am called1 yea to preach unto my beloved brethren4 7,alma v3 #dd1 #di74 ,i would that ye should remember that the ,lord ,god ordained priests after his holy order1 which was after the order of his ,son1 to teach these things unto the people4 7,alma xii3 #a74 ,the whole chapter deals with this subject of the priesthood1 and should be considered as part of the reference4 ,jesus when instructing the twelve he had chosen from among the ,nephites1 said to them3 ,ye shall be judges of this people according to the judgement which ,i shall give unto you1 which shall be just2 therefore what manner of men ought ye to be8 ,verily ,i say unto you1 even as ,i am4 7,,iii4 ,nephi xxvii3 #bg74 ,it is fairly clear1 that ,jesus appointed priests after his own order even as the traditions of the ,mexicans teach that their deity ,quetzalcohuatl appointed priests after his own order4 ,the coincident of the tradition and the ,nephite record is remarkable1 and affords an item of incidental evidence of considerable importance4 #ca4 ,compare this statement with the following passage3 ,behold1 verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ye must watch and pray always1 lest ye enter into temptation4 99 99 99 99 99 ,therefore ye must always pray unto the ,father in my name2 and whatsoever ye shall ask the ,father in my name1 which is right1 believing that ye shall receive1 behold it shall be given unto you4 ,pray in your families unto the ,father1 always in my name1 that your wives and your children may be blessed4 7,,iii4 ,nephi xviii3 #ab1 #ba74 #cb4 ,native ,races1 ,bancroft1 ,vol4 ,,iii41 pp4 #bei1 #bfj1 #bgd4 ,for a description of the ,nephite golden age1 whence comes this golden age of the tradition1 see ,,iii4 ,nephi1 chapter xxiv1 xxviii4 #cc4 ,with this statement compare ,,iii4 ,nephi xvi3 #f1 #af2 also ,,iii4 ,nephi xx3 #ad1 #bj1 #bg1 #bh2 also ,,iii4 ,nephi xxi3 #ab1 #be4 ,where the ,savior predicts the coming of the ,gentiles to the promised land1 and their privileges and responsibilities respecting it4 #cd4 ,bancroft1 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,,iii41 p4 #bea4 #ce4 ,compare ,i4 ,nephi xi3 #ab-ba2 ,i4 ,nephi x3 #d-f4 ,also ,i4 ,nephi xi3 #ba2 ,ether iii3 #f-af4 #cf4 ,mosiah iii3 #d1 #e4 #cg4 ,helaman xiv3 #ab2 ,ether iii3 #ad-af4 #ch4 ,,iii ,nephi xi3 #f-ab4 #ci4 ,kingsborough's ,mexican ,antiquities1 ,vol4 ,,vi41 p4 #ejg4 #dj4 ,the happy suggestion of title is ,de ,roo's ,ante1 p4 #bih4 #da4 ,readers of the ,book of ,mormon will find in this circumstance a resemblance to the fact of ,jesus granting to three of the twelve disciples chosen from among the ,nephites the privilege of remaining on earth without tasting death until he should return in glory4 ,and when it is remembered that in granting this request to the three ,nephites ,jesus coupled the name of ,john1 the beloved disciple1 in ,judea1 to whom had been granted the same privilege 7,st4 ,john xxi71 sufficient ground work was laid for the tradition of the four most virtuous youths who were given a special mission by ,quetzalcohuatl to his followers4 ,the incident concerning the three ,nephite disciples and the mention of ,john in connection with them will be found in ,,iii4 ,nephi xxviii4 ,,chapter ,,xxxii ,,external ,,evidences--,,the ,,hebrew ,,origin ,,of ,,the ,,native ,,american ,,races--,,hebrew ,,relics4 ,i next call attention to the evidences of the ,hebrew origin of the native ,americans1 which origin1 of course1 if established beyond reasonable doubt1 will be one more item of evidence--one1 too1 of very great weight in the volume of cumulative evidence here being compiled1 since the ,hebrew origin of the native ,american races is fundamental as testimony to the truth of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,the ,hebrew origin of those races in our book is so unequivocally stated and so emphasized that if the said ,american races could be proven beyond doubt to be of other than ,hebrew origin1 the claims of the ,book of ,mormon would be shattered4 ,the chief sources of information on this subject are the writings of ,gregoria ,garcia1 ,edward ,king 7,lord ,kingsborough71 and ,james ,adair4 ,the first is a ,spanish ,dominican author1 born about #aefj2 he died #afbg4 ,he spent some twelve years in ,central ,american countries as a missionary among the natives1 during which time he gathered his materials for his chiefest work1 ,origin de los ,indios4 ,while contending for the theory that the ,indians are descendants of the ,ten ,tribes1 ,garcia collected evidences on both sides of the question1 though both his evidences and arguments tend to prove the theory of ,hebrew origin4 ,lord ,kingsborough was born in #agie1 and died at ,dublin in #ahcg4 ,his ,antiquities of ,mexico1 ten volumes1 imperial folio1 were published in ,london between #ahcj-dh1 consequently1 since he died in #ahcg1 some of the volumes were issued after his death4 ,his theory is that the ,indians are descendants of the ,lost ,tribes of ,israel1 and to the establishment of this view he bends all his energies4 ,he is open to the charge of being over zealous for his theory1 and doubtless has been somewhat extravagant in his assumptions of proofs--in matters of detail1 at least2 but1 after all proper discount is made for the over-zeal of an enthusiast--fanatic1 if you will1--there remains a body of evidence in his works for the ,hebrew origin of native ,american races which has never been successfully disposed of by those who dispute his theory4 ,even ,bancroft1 who holds his theory in contempt1 is forced to admit that his enthusiasm is never offensive1 and further says of him1 ,there is a scholarly dignity about his work which has never been attained by those who have jeered and railed at him4 #a ,adair's work1 ,history of the ,north ,american ,indians1 is included in the eighth volume of ,kingsborough's works4 ,james ,adair was an ,english trader among the ,north ,american ,indians from #agce to #agge--;forty years4 ,it was in #agge that his work was published4 ,his observations were confined to the ,north ,american ,indians2 hence these three authors may be said to cover the entire field of our investigation4 ,i shall give extracts from all these writers1 making use of ,bancroft's abridgment of their works as being at once accurate and most accessible to the reader4 ,i4 ,garcia4 ,i begin with ,garcia3 ,the opinion that the ,americans are of ,hebrew origin is supported by similarities in character1 dress1 religion1 physical peculiarities1 condition1 and customs4 ,the ,americans are at heart cowardly1 and so are the ,jews2 the history of both nations proves this4 ,the ,jews did not believe in the miracles of ,christ1 and for their unbelief were scattered over the face of the earth1 and despised of all men2 in like manner the people of the ,new ,world did not readily receive the true faith as preached by ,christ's ,catholic disciples1 and are therefore persecuted and being rapidly exterminated4 ,another analogy presents itself in the ingratitude of the ,jews for the many blessings and special favors bestowed on them by ,god4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,both ,jews and ,americans are noted for their want of charity and kindness to the poor1 sick and unfortunate2 both are naturally given to idolatry2 many customs are common to both such as raising the hands to heaven when making a solemn affirmation1 calling all near relatives brothers1 showing great respect and humility before superiors1 burying their dead on hills and high places without the city1 tearing their clothing on the reception of bad tidings1 giving a kiss on the cheek as a token of peace1 celebrating a victory with songs and dances1 casting out of the place of worship women who are barren1 drowning dogs in a well1 practicing crucifixion4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,the dress of the ,hebrew was in many points like that of the ,americans4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,jews preferred the flesh-pots of ,egypt and a life of bondage to heavenly manna and the promised land2 the ,americans liked a life of freedom and a diet of roots and herbs1 better than the service of the ,spaniards with good food4 ,the ,jews were famous for fine work in stone1 as is shown by the buildings of ,jerusalem1 and a similar excellence in this art is seen in the ,american ruins4 ,the ,mexicans have a tradition of a journey undertaken at the command of a god1 and continued for a long time under the direction of certain high priests1 who miraculously obtained supplies for their support1 this bears a striking resemblance to the ,hebrew story of the wandering in the desert4 #b 99 99 99 99 ,moreover1 many traces of their old laws and ceremonies are to be found among them at the present day4 ,for instance1 both ,jews and ,americans gave their temple into the charge of priests1 burned incense1 anointed the body1 practiced circumcision1 kept perpetual fires on their altars1 forbade women to enter the temple immediately after giving birth1 and husbands to sleep with their wives for seven days during the period of menstruation1 prohibiting marriage or sexual intercourse between relatives within the second degree1 made fornication with a slave punishable1 slew the adulterer1 made it unlawful for a man to dress like a woman1 or a woman like a man1 put away their brides if they prove to have lost their virginity1 kept the ten commandments4 ,answering the objection that the ,american ,indians do not speak ,hebrew1 ,garcia says3 ,but the reason for this is that the language has gradually changed1 as has been the case with all tongues4 ,witness the ,hebrew spoken by the ,jews at the present time1 which is much corrupted and very different from what is originally was4 ,there do actually exist1 besides1 many ,hebraic traces in the ,american languages4 #c ,,ii4 ,lord ,kingsborough's ,views4 ,the main items of ,lord ,kingsborough's evidences and arguments are thus summarized by ,bancroft3 ,the religion of the ,mexicans strongly resembled that of the ,jews1 in many minor details1 as will be presently seen1 and the two were practically alike1 to a certain extent in their very foundation2 for1 as the ,jews acknowledged a multitude of angels1 arch-angels1 principalities1 thrones1 dominions1 and powers1 as the subordinate personages of their hierarchy1 so did the ,mexicans acknowledge the unity of the deity in the person of ,tezcatlipoca1 and at the same time worship a great number of other imaginary beings4 ,both believed in a plurality of devils subordinate to one head1 who was called by the ,mexicans ,mictlantecutli1 and by the ,jews ,satan4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is probable that the ,toltecs were acquainted with the sin of the first man committed at the suggestion of the woman1 herself deceived by the serpent1 who tempted her with the fruit of the forbidden tree1 who was the origin of all our calamities1 and by whom death came into the world4 ,we have seen in this chapter that ,kingsborough supposes the ,messiah and his story to have been familiar to the ,mexicans4 ,there is reason to believe that the ,mexicans1 like the ,jews1 offered meat and drink offerings to stones4 ,there are striking similarities between the ,babel1 flood1 and creation myths of the ,hebrews and the ,americans4 ,both ,jews and ,mexicans were fond of appealing in their adjurations to the heaven and the earth4 ,both were extremely superstitious1 and firm believers in prodigies4 99 99 99 99 ,it is very probable that the ,sabbath of the seventh day was known in some parts of ,america4 ,the ,mexicans applied the blood of sacrifices to the same uses as the ,jews2 they poured it upon the earth1 they sprinkled it1 they marked persons with it1 and they smeared it upon walls and other inanimate things4 ,no one but the ,jewish high priest might enter the ,holy of ,holies4 ,a similar custom obtained in ,peru4 ,both ,mexicans and ,jews regarded certain animals as unclean and unfit for food4 ,some of the ,americans believed with some of the ,talmudists in a plurality of souls4 ,that man was created in the image of ,god was a part of the ,mexican belief4 ,it was customary among the ,mexicans to eat the flesh of sacrifices of atonement4 ,there are many points of resemblance between ,tezcatlipoca and ,jehovah4 ,ablutions formed an essential part of the ceremonial law of the ,jews and ,mexicans4 ,the opinions of the ,mexicans with regard to the resurrection of the body1 accorded with those of the ,jews4 ,the ,mexican temple1 like the ,jewish1 faced the east4 ,as amongst the ,jews the ark was a sort of portable temple in which the deity was supposed to be continually present1 and which was accordingly borne on the shoulders of the priests as a sure refuge and defense from their enemies1 so amongst the ,mexicans and the ,indians of ,michoacan and ,honduras an ark was held in the highest veneration1 and was considered an object too sacred to be touched by any but the priests4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,yucatec conception of a trinity resembles the ,hebrews4 ,it is probable that ,quetzalcohuatl whose proper name signifies feathered serpent1 was so called after the brazen serpent which ,moses lifted up in the wilderness1 the feathers perhaps alluding to the rabbinical tradition that the fiery serpents which god sent against the ,israelites were of a winged species4 ,the ,mexicans1 like the ,jews1 saluted the four cardinal points1 in their worship4 ,there was much in connection with sacrifices that was common to ,mexicans and ,jews4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,in various religious rites and observances1 such as circumcision1 confession1 and communion1 there was much similarity4 ,salt was an article highly esteemed by the ,mexicans1 and the ,jews always offered it in their oblations4 ,among the ,jews1 the firstling of an ass had to be redeemed with a lamb1 or if unredeemed1 its neck was broken4 ,this command of ,moses should be considered in reference to the custom of sacrificing children which existed in ,mexico and ,peru4 ,the spectacle of a king performing a dance as an act of religion was witnessed by the ,jews as well as by ,mexicans4 ,as the ,israelites were conducted from ,egypt by ,moses and ,aaron who were accompanied by their sister ,miriam1 so the ,aztecs departed from ,astlan under the guidance of ,huitziton and ,tecpatzin1 the former of whom is named by ,acosta and ,herrera1 ,mexi1 attended likewise by their sister ,quilaztli1 or1 as she is otherwise named1 ,chimalman or ,malinalli1 both of which latter names have some resemblance to ,miriam1 as ,mexi has to ,moses4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is impossible1 on reading what ,mexican mythology records of the war in heaven and of the fall of ,tzontemoc and the other rebellious spirits2 of the creation of light by the word of ,tonacatecutli1 and of the division of the waters2 of the sin of ,ytztlacoliuhqui1 and his blindness and nakedness2 of the temptation of ,suchiquecal1 and her disobedience in gathering roses from a tree1 and the consequent misery and disgrace of herself and her posterity--not to recognize scriptural analogies4 ,other ,hebrew analogies ,lord ,kingsborough finds in ,america1 in the dress1 insignia1 and duties of priests2 in innumerable superstitions concerning dreams1 apparitions1 eclipses1 and other more common-place events2 in certain festivals for rain2 in burial and mourning ceremonies2 in the diseases most common among the people2 in certain regularly observed festivals2 in the dress of certain nations2 in established laws2 in physical features2 in architecture2 in various minor observances1 such as offering water to a stranger that he might wash his feet1 eating dust in token of humility1 anointing with oil1 and so forth2 in the sacrifice of prisoners2 in manner and style of oratory2 in the stories of giants2 in respect paid to ,god's name2 in games of chance2 in marriage relations2 in childbirth ceremonies2 in religious ideas of all sorts2 in respect paid to kings2 in uses of metals2 in treatment of criminals1 and punishment of crimes2 in charitable practices2 in social customs2 and in a vast number of other particulars4 #d ,,iii4 ,adair's ,evidences4 ,following is the summary of ,adair's evidences and arguments3 ,the ,israelites were divided into tribes and had chiefs over them1 so the ,indians divided themselves3 each tribe forming a little community within the nation4 ,and as the nation hath its particular symbol1 so from nation to nation among them we shall not find one individual who doth not distinguish himself by his family name4 ,every town has a state house or synedrion1 the same as the ,jewish ,sanhedrim1 where almost every night the head men meet to discuss public business4 ,the ,hebrew nation were ordered to worship ,jehovah the true and living ,god1 who by the ,indians is styled ,yohewah4 ,the ancient heathens1 it is well known worshiped a plurality of gods3 but these ,american ,indians pay their religious devoir to ,loak ,ishtohoollo ,aba1 ,the ,great ,beneficent ,supreme ,holy ,spirit of ,fire4 ,they do not pay the least perceptible adoration to images4 ,their ceremonies in their religious worship accord more nearly with the ,mosaic institutions1 which could not be if they were of heathen descent4 99 99 99 99 99 ,their opinion that ,god chose them out of all the rest of mankind as his peculiar and beloved people1 fills both the white ,jew and the red ,american1 with that steady hatred against all the world1 which renders them hated and despised by all4 ,we have abundant evidence of the ,jews believing in the ministration of angels1 during the ,old ,testament dispensation1 their frequent appearances and their services on earth1 are recorded in the oracles1 which the ,jews themselves receive as given by divine inspiration1 and ,st4 ,paul in his epistle addressed to the ,hebrews speaks of it as their general opinion that angels are ministering spirits to the good and righteous on earth4 ,the ,indian sentiments and traditions are the same4 ,they believe the higher regions to be inhabited by good spirits1 relations to the ,great ,holy ,one1 and that these spirits attend and favor the virtuous4 ,the ,indian language and dialects appear to have the very idiom and genius of the ,hebrew4 ,their words and sentences are expressive1 concise1 emphatical1 sonorous1 and bold1 and often both in letters and signification synonymous with the ,hebrew language4 ,they count time after the manner of the ,hebrews1 reckoning years by lunar months like the ,israelites who counted by moons4 ,the religious ceremonies of the ,indian ,americans are in conformity with those of the ,jews1 they having their prophets1 high priest1 and others of religious order4 ,as the ,jews had a sanctorum or most holy place1 so have all the ,indian nations4 ,the dress also of their high priests is similar in character to that of the ,hebrews4 ,the festivals1 feasts1 and religious rites of the ,indian ,americans have also great resemblance to that of the ,hebrews4 ,the ,indian imitates the ,israelite in his religious offerings4 ,the ,hebrews had various ablutions and anointings according to the ,mosaic ritual--and all the ,indian nations constantly observe similar customs from religious motives4 ,their frequent bathing1 or dipping themselves and their children in rivers1 even in the severest weather1 seems to be as truly ,jewish as the other rites and ceremonies which have been mentioned4 ,the ,indian laws of uncleanliness and purification1 and also the abstaining from things deemed unclean are the same as those of the ,hebrews4 ,the ,indian marriages1 divorces and punishments of adultery1 still retain a strong likeness to the ,jewish laws and customs on these points4 ,many of the ,indian punishments resemble those of the ,jews4 ,whoever attentively views the features of the ,indian1 and his eye and reflects on his fickle1 obstinate1 and cruel disposition will naturally think of the ,jews4 ,the ceremonies performed by the ,indians before going to war1 such as purification and fasting1 are similar to those of the ,hebrew nation4 ,the ,israelites were fond of wearing beads and other ornaments1 even as early as the patriarchal age and in resemblance to these customs the ,indian females continually wear the same1 believing it to be a preventive against many evils4 ,the ,indian manner of curing the sick is very similar to that of the ,jews4 ,like the ,hebrews1 they firmly believe that diseases and wounds are occasioned by divine anger1 in proportion to some violation of the old beloved speech4 ,the ,hebrews carefully buried their dead1 so on any accident they gathered their bones1 and laid them in tombs of their forefathers2 thus all the numerous nations of ,indians perform the like friendly office to every deceased person of their respective tribes4 ,the ,jewish records tell us that the women mourned for the loss of their deceased husbands1 and were reckoned vile by the civil law if they married in the space of at least ten months after their death4 ,in the same manner all the ,indian widows1 by an established strict penal law1 mourn for the loss of their deceased husbands2 and among some tribes for the space of three or four years4 ,the surviving brother by the ,mosaic law1 was to raise seed to a deceased brother1 who left a widow childless1 to perpetuate his name and family4 ,the ,american law enforces the same rule4 ,when the ,israelites gave names to their children or others they chose such appellatives as suited best their circumstances and the times4 ,this custom is a standing rule with the ,indians4 #e ,there are writers upon the subject of ,american ,antiquities who hold1 first3 that not all the foregoing points of comparison between native ,american races and the ,hebrews are clearly established2 and second3 that if they were all clearly established it would not necessarily prove identity of race4 ,this much1 however1 can be insisted upon by those who accept the ,book of ,mormon as true2 namely1 that since no counter theory of origin for our native ,american races has yet been conclusively proven1 7and as matters now stand1 seems impossible of being proven71 and as the ,book of ,mormon makes bold to so definitely announce the ,hebrew origin of the people whose history in outline it gives1 so much in the foregoing summary of points of comparison between the ,american races and the ,hebrews as may not be successfully contradicted stands as evidence of no mean order for the truth of our ,nephite record4 ,the ,discovery of ,hebrew ,relics4 ,in addition to these summaries of evidence on the ,hebrew origin of the native ,american races there are several special discoveries bearing on the subject that ,i think should be mentioned4 ,one is related by ,ethan ,smith1 author of ,views of the ,hebrews1 a work in which he undertakes to prove that the ,american ,indians are descendants of the ,ten ,lost ,tribes of ,israel4 ,while preparing his work for a second edition1 he heard of the discovery in ,pittsfield1 ,massachusetts1 of a parchment1 supposed to be of native ,american origin1 covered with ,hebrew characters4 ,mr4 ,smith went to ,pittsfield to investigate the matter1 and found the facts to be as follows1 the information being given by the man who found the parchment3 ,i4 ,the ,pittsfield ,hebrew ,parchment4 ,this the discoverer of the parchment was ,joseph ,merrick1 ,esq41 a highly respectable character in the church of ,pittsfield1 and in the county1 as the minister of the place informed me4 ,mr4 ,merrick gave the following account2 that in #ahae1 he was leveling some ground under and near an old wood shed standing on a place of his1 situated on ,indian ,hill1 7a place in ,pittsfield1 so called1 and lying1 as the writer was afterward informed1 at some distance from the middle of the town where ,mr4 ,merrick is now about #ahbe living74 ,he ploughed and conveyed away old chips and earth1 to some depth1 as the surface of the earth appeared uneven4 ,after the work was done1 walking over the place1 he discovered1 near where the earth had been dug the deepest1 a kind of black strap1 about six inches in length1 and one and a half in breadth1 and something thicker than a draw leather tug of a harness4 ,he perceived it had at each end a loop of some hard substance1 probably for the purpose of carrying it4 ,he conveyed it into his house1 and threw it in an old tool box4 ,he afterward found it thrown out of doors1 and again conveyed it to the box4 ,he attempted to cut it open1 and found it was formed of pieces of thick raw hide1 sewed and made water tight with the sinews of some animal2 and in the fold it contained four folded leaves of old parchment4 ,these leaves were of a dark yellow1 and contained some kind of writing4 ,some of the neighbors saw and examined them4 ,one of these parchments they tore in pieces2 the other three he saved1 and delivered them to ,mr4 ,sylvester ,larned1 a graduate then in town1 who took them to ,cambridge1 and had them examined4 ,they were written in ,hebrew with a pen1 in plain and intelligible writing4 ,the following is an extract of a letter sent to ,mr4 ,merrick by ,mr4 ,larned1 upon this subject3 ,sir3--,i have examined the parchment manuscript1 which you had the goodnesss to give me4 ,after some time and with much difficulty and assistance ,i have ascertained their meaning1 which is as follows3 7,i have numbered the manuscripts47 ,no4 #a1 is translated by ,duet4 vi3 #d-i verses inclusive4 ,no4 #b1 by ,deut1 xi3 #ac-ba verses inclusive4 ,no4 #c1 ,exod4 xiii3 #aa-af verses inclusive4 ,i am1 etc4 ,signed ,,sylvester ,,larned4 #f ,,ii4 ,the ,newark ,hebrew ,tablet4 ,another discovery of ,hebrew writing--the ,ten ,commandments engraved on a stone tablet--was made in ,ohio2 and was seen by ,mr4 ,a4 ,a4 ,bancroft1 the father of ,h4 ,h4 ,bancroft1 author of ,native ,races4 ,the latter relates the circumstances of finding this relic as follows3 ,about eight miles southeast of ,newark there was formerly a large mound composed of masses of free stone1 which had been brought from some distance and thrown into a heap without much placing or care4 ,in early days1 stone being scarce in that region1 the settlers carried away the mound piece by piece to use for building purposes1 so that in a few years there was little more than a large flattened heap of rubbish remaining4 ,some fifteen years ago1 the county surveyor 7,i have forgotten his name71 who had for some time been searching ancient works1 turned his attention to this particular pile4 ,he employed a number of men and proceeded at once to open it4 ,before long he was rewarded by finding in the centre and near the surface a bed of the tough clay generally known as pipe-clay1 which must have been brought from a distance of some twelve miles4 ,imbedded in the clay was a coffin1 dug out of a burr-oak log1 and in a pretty good state of preservation4 ,in the coffin was a skeleton1 with quite a number of stone ornaments and emblems1 and some open brass rings1 suitable for bracelets or anklets4 ,these being removed1 they dug down deeper1 and soon discovered a stone dressed to an oblong shape1 about eighteen inches long and twelve wide1 which proved to be a casket1 neatly fitted and completely water-tight1 containing a slab of stone of hard and fine quality1 and an inch and a half thick1 eight inches long1 four inches wide at one end1 and tapering to three inches at the other4 ,upon the face of the slab was the figure of a man1 apparently a priest with a long flowing beard1 and a robe reaching to his feet4 ,over his head was a curved line of characters1 and upon the edges and back of the stone closely and neatly carved letters4 ,the slab1 which ,i saw myself1 was shown to the ,episcopalian clergyman of ,newark1 and he pronounced the writings to be the ,ten ,commandments in ancient ,hebrew4 #g ,mr4 ,bancroft1 referring to these circumstances1 says that in neither of them is it certain or even probable that the relic existed in ,america before the conquest1 though he gives no reason for the rather dogmatic statement4 ,for my own part1 and especially in the latter case1 ,i see no reason to doubt the existence of these relics in ,america before the advent of the ,spaniards4 ,according to the ,book of ,mormon the ancient inhabitants of ,america1 the ,nephites1 had the writings of ,moses4 ,the ,ten ,commandments were regarded as the summing up1 the crystallization of the law of ,god #h to the people1 pending the advent of ,messiah with the more perfect law of the gospel4 ,what could be more natural than that they should multiply copies of these scriptures1 or parts of them1 especially such parts as related to particular promises or warnings to ,israelites1 as do the passages on the parchment found in ,pittsfield1 ,massachusetts8 ,or such summaries of the law of ,moses as the ,ten ,commandments constitute8 ,that the ,nephites did multiply copies of the scriptures they had in their possession 7and doubtless also copies of striking passages of those scriptures7 is evident from what is said upon the subject by ,mormon when giving an account of the transfer of the ,nephite records from one ,shiblon to ,helaman1 the son of ,helaman3 ,now1 behold1 all those engravings which were in the possession of ,helaman1 were written and sent forth among the children of men throughout all the land1 save it were those parts which had been commanded by ,alma should not go forth4 #i ,the part here prohibited transcription and circulation related to the oaths and constitutions of the secret societies from the record of the ,jaredites2 #aj but for the rest1 there was perfect liberty to multiply copies of the scriptures1 and that it was done is further evidenced from the fact that missionaries from the ,nephites to the ,lamanites are found to be in possession of copies of the scriptures which ,lehi's colony brought with them from ,jerusalem1 and from which they read for the instruction of their hearers4 #aa ,it is not difficult to believe1 in the light of these facts1 that noted personages among native ,americans should have engraved on stone or parchment in ,hebrew or in other characters passages of the holy scriptures2 nor is it incredible that these should be buried with them--since to bury one's personal effects with him was a custom of the natives--and that afterwards the relics should be discovered as in the two instances cited4 ,the fact of the discoveries is beyond question3 the nature of them is strong incidental proof of the claims of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,of this ,newark discovery1 the late ,orson ,pratt1 who examined the engraved stone in the city of ,new ,york1 and which at the time was in possession of the ,ethnological ,society of that city1 makes the following very valuable and convincing statement and argument respecting the find4 ,it should also be remembered that ,elder ,pratt's knowledge of the ,hebrew language makes his comments all the more conclusive2 while the fact that he points out in his statement that there is in this ,newark ,tablet none of the modern points and characters that have been introduced into the ,hebrew during the last two thousand four hundred years1 proves conclusively that the ,newark ,tablet is an ancient1 not a modern production4 ,thirty years after the ,book of ,mormon was put in print1 giving the history of the settlement of this country1 one of the great mounds south of the great lakes near ,newark1 in ,ohio1 was opened4 ,what was found in it8 ,a great many curiosities1 among which were some copper pieces1 supposed to be money4 ,after digging down many feet1 and carrying off many thousand loads of stone1 they at length found a coffin in the midst of a hard kind of fire clay4 ,underneath this they found a large stone that appeared to be hollow2 something seemed to rattle inside of it4 ,the stone was cemented together in the middle1 but with some little exertion they broke it open1 when another stone was found inside of it1 of a different nature entirely from its covering4 ,on the stone taken from the inside was carved the figure of a man with a priestly robe flowing from his shoulders2 and over the head of this man were the ,hebrew characters for ,moshe1 the ancient name of ,moses2 while on each side of this likeness1 and on different sides of the stone1 above1 beneath1 and around about were the ,ten ,commandments that were received on ,mount ,sinai1 written in the ancient ,hebrew characters4 ,now recollect that the ,book of ,mormon had been in print thirty years before this discovery4 ,and what does this discovery prove8 ,it proves that the builders of these mounds1 south of the great lakes in the great ,mississippi ,valley in ,ohio1 ,indiana1 ,illinois1 ,new ,york1 etc41 must have understood the ,hebrew characters2 #ab and not only that1 but they must also have understood the law of ,moses4 ,otherwise how happened it that they should write on this stone the ,ten ,commandments almost verbatim as they are now contained in ,king ,james's translation of the ,bible4 ,it proves that the builders of these mounds were ,israelites1 and that their illustrious dead1 buried in these mounds1 had these commandments buried with them in accordance with the custom of many of the ancient nations1 especially the ,egyptians1 who were in the habit of consigning their written sacred papyrus to their great tombs4 ,in ,egypt many of these ancient manuscripts have been exhumed and1 in many instances1 pretended to be translated4 ,so the ,israelites followed the customs of these ,eastern nations1 and buried that which they considered most sacred1 namely1 the ,ten ,commandments1 thundered by the voice of the ,almighty in the midst of flaming fire on ,mount ,sinai in the ears of all the congregation of ,israel4 ,i have seen that sacred stone4 ,it is not a hatched up story4 ,i heard tell of it the stone as being in the ,antiquarian ,society1 or rather1 as it is now called1 the ,ethnological ,society1 in the ,city of ,new ,york4 ,i went to the ,secretary of that ,society1 and he kindly showed me this stone1 of which ,i have been speaking1 and being acquainted with modern ,hebrew1 ,i could form some kind of an estimate of the ancient ,hebrew1 for some of the modern ,hebrew characters do not vary much in form from the ancient ,hebrew4 ,at any rate we have enough of ancient ,hebrew1 that has been dug up in ,palestine and taken from among the ruins of the ,israelites east of the ,miditerranean ,sea1 to form some kind of an estimate of the characters1 and comparing them1 ,i could see and understand the nature of the writings upon these records4 ,they were also taken to the most learned men of our country1 who1 as soon as they looked at them1 were able to pronounce them to be not only ancient ,hebrew1 but they were also able to translate them and pronounced them to be the ,ten ,commandments4 ,this1 then1 is external proof1 independent of the ,scriptural proofs to which ,i have alluded1 in testimony of the divine authenticity of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,now1 our modern ,hebrew has many points2 it has also many additional characters that have been made since these colonies left ,jerusalem4 ,do you find on these ancient writings any of these modern characters that have been introduced during the last two thousand four hundred years8 ,not one4 ,do you find any ,hebrew points representing vowels8 ,not one2 and all the new consonants that have been introduced during the last two thousand four hundred years were not found upon this stone to which ,i have referred1 showing plainly that it must have been of very ancient date4 #ac ,in connection with his comments on this ,newark ,tablet ,elder ,pratt also makes the following statement3 ,,have ,,mercy ,,on ,,me ,a ,,nephite4 ,five years after the discovery of this remarkable memento of the ancient ,israelites on the ,american continent1 the ,newark ,tablet1 and thirty-five years after the ,book of ,mormon was in print1 several other mounds in the same vicinity of ,newark were opened1 in several of which ,hebrew characters were found4 ,among them was this beautiful expression1 buried with one of their ancient dead1 ,may the ,lord have mercy on me a ,nephite4 ,it was translated a little differently1 viz41 ,nephel4 ,now we well know that ,nephi1 who came out of ,jerusalem six hundred years before ,christ1 was the leader of the first ,jewish ,israelitish--,lehi's colony was made up of families from the tribes of ,manasseh and ,ephraim4 ,see ,vol4 ,i41 pages #afg-h4 colony across to this land1 and the people1 ever afterwards1 were called ,nephites1 after their inspired prophet and leader4 ,the ,nephites were a righteous people and had many prophets among them2 and when they were burying one of their brethren in these ancient mounds1 they introduced the ,hebrew characters signifying ,may the ,lord have mercy on me1 a ,nephite4 ,this is another direct evidence of the divine authenticity of the ,book of ,mormon1 which was brought forth and translated by inspiration some thirty-five years before this inscription was found4 #ad ,footnotes #a4 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,v41 p4 #hd4 #b4 ,but1 it might be suggested1 more closely resembles the story of ,lehi's colony at its departure from ,jerusalem and its journey to ,america4 #c4 ,bancroft1 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,v41 pp4 #gi-hc4 #d4 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,v41 pp4 #hd1 #he1 #hf1 #hg1 #hh1 #ij1 #ia4 #e4 ,bancroft1 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,v41 pp4 #ia1 #ib1 #ic and notes4 #f4 ,view of the ,hebrews2 or the ,tribes of ,israel in ,america1 pp4 #bai1 #bbj4 ,the above account is also quoted by ,josiah ,priest1 ,american ,antiquities1 pp4 #fh1 #fi4 ,also by ,bancroft1 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,v41 pp4 #ic1 #id4 #g4 ,bancroft1 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,v41 pp4 #id1 #ie4 #h4 ,see especially the teachings of the prophet ,abinadi in ,mosiah1 chapter xii and xiii1 where the ,ten ,commandments are expounded as the sum of the law of ,moses1 and its relation to the whole plan of ,god for the salvation of men defined4 #i4 ,alma lxiii3 #ab4 ,orson ,pratt in a foot note on the passage suggests3 ,those innumerous copies of sacred books were undoubtedly transcribed directly from or compared with1 the records on the original metallic plates4 #aj4 ,see ,alma xxxvii4 #aa4 ,alma xii3 #ab-ae2 xxiii3 #d-e2 xxxiii3 #ab-ae4 #ab4 ,it may be objected that this ,newark ,tablet with the ,ten ,commandments written upon it in ancient ,hebrew1 can be of no value as evidence for the ,book of ,mormon1 since that book was engraved in characters called reformed ,egyptian4 ,that is to say1 it was written in ,egyptian characters somewhat altered by the ,nephites in the course of time--such changes take place in all written languages4 ,but the ,nephites also wrote1 to a limited extent1 at least 7and it would most probably be in such cases as making a transcript of the ,ten ,commandments71 in ,hebrew 7,see ,mormon ix1 #cb1 #cc74 ,hence the importance of the ,newark ,tablet as an ancient ,nephite relic4 #ac4 ,journal of ,discourses1 ,vol4 ,,xiii41 p4 #aca1 the discourse was delivered ,april #ajth1 #ahgj1 ,salt ,lake ,city4 #ad4 ,journal of ,discourses1 ,vol4 ,,xiii41 p4 #aca4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiii ,,of ,,the ,,discovery ,,of ,,relics ,,other ,,than ,,hebrew4 ,i4 ,the ,cincinnati ,gold ,plate4 ,other discoveries of ancient ,american records1 though evidently not of ,hebrew origin1 should also be recorded1 since they bear important testimony to the fact that the ancient ,americans did engrave records on metallic plates4 ,one of these records was found in the state of ,ohio1 the other in ,illinois4 ,the first is the discovery of a gold plate with raised characters engraven upon it1 near ,cincinnati1 under the following circumstances3 ,mr4 ,benjamin ,e4 ,styles of ,cincinnati1 ,ohio1 while excavating the earth for a cistern1 in the year #ahdg1 found1 a few feet above high water mark on the ,ohio river1 a gold plate4 ,it was thrown out with the loose earth while excavating about nine feet beneath the surface4 ,said plate is of fine gold1 three or four inches in length1 averaging about three-fourths of an inch in width1 about one-eighth of an inch in thickness1 with the edges scolloped4 ,in the face of which was beautifully set another plate of the same material1 and fastened together by two pins1 running through both4 ,this latter plate is full of ancient raised characters1 beautifully engraved upon its surface2 the whole exhibiting fine workmanship4 ,the plate was examined by ,dr4 ,wise1 a very learned ,rabbi of the ,jewish synagogue in ,cincinnati1 and editor of a ,hebrew paper there1 who pronounced the characters to be mostly ancient ,egyptian4 ,such was the description of the circumstances under which the discovery was made1 and of the plate itself1 by ,elder ,parley ,p4 ,pratt1 to whom ,mr4 ,styles exhibited the plate1 and related the circumstances of its discovery4 ,elder ,pratt communicated the facts to the ,mormon1 published in ,new ,york1 in a letter bearing date of ,january #ast1 #aheg4 #a ,a cut of the relic was afterwards made and published by ,drake and ,co41 of ,st4 ,louis1 printers1 and with it the following certificate was given3 ,we do hereby certify that we did print from a gold plate1 the above fac-simile1 handed to us by ,mr4 ,benjamin ,styles1 which he said he found while digging for a cistern in ,cincinnati1 ,ohio4 ,no4 #a is a frame of gold containing a thin plate1 ,no4 #b1 and appears to have been executed by a very superior workman4 ,,drake ,,and ,,co41 ,,printers1 ,saint ,louis1 ,missouri4 #b ,,ii4 ,the ,kinderhook ,plates4 ,the ,illinois discovery is summarized as follows from the ,quincy ,whig1 a paper published in ,quincy1 ,illinois3 ,,singular ,,discovery4 ,,material ,,for ,,another ,,mormon ,,book4 ,a young man by the name of ,wiley1 a resident in ,kinderhook1 ,pike county1 went by himself and labored diligently one day in pursuit of a supposed treasure1 by sinking a hole in the centre of a mound4 ,finding it quite laborious1 he invited others to assist him4 ,a company of ten or twelve repaired to the mound and assisted in digging out the shaft commenced by ,wiley4 ,after penetrating the mound about eleven feet1 they came to a bed of limestone that had been subjected to the action of fire4 ,they removed the stones1 which were small and easy to handle1 to the depth of two feet more1 when they found six brass plates1 secured and fastened together by two iron wires1 but which were so decayed that they readily crumbled to dust upon being handled4 ,the plates were so completely covered with rust as almost to obliterate the characters inscribed upon them1 but1 after undergoing a chemical process1 the inscriptions were brought out plain and distinct4 ,there were six plates1 four inches in length1 one inch and three-quarters wide at the top and two inches and three-quarters wide at the bottom1 flaring out to points4 ,there are four lines of characters or hieroglyphics on each4 ,on one side of the plates are parallel lines running lengthways4 ,by whom these plates were deposited there must ever remain a secret1 unless some one skilled in deciphering hieroglyphics may be found to unravel the mystery4 ,some pretend to say that ,smith1 the ,mormon leader1 has the ability to read them4 ,if he has1 he will confer a great favor on the public by removing the mystery which hangs over them4 ,a person present when the plates were found remarked that it would go to prove the authenticity of the ,book of ,mormon1 which it undoubtedly will4 ,in the place where these plates were deposited were also found human bones in the last stage of decomposition4 ,there were but a few bones found2 and it is believed that it was but the burial place of a person or family of distinction in ages long gone by1 and that these plates contain the history of the times1 or of a people that existed far1 far beyond the memory of the present race4 ,but we will not conjecture anything about discovery1 as it is one which the plates alone can reveal4 ,the plates above alluded to were exhibited in this city last week1 and are now1 we understand1 in ,nauvoo1 subject to the inspection of the ,mormon ,prophet4 ,the public curiosity is greatly excited2 and if ,smith can decipher the hieroglyphics on the plates1 he will do more towards throwing light on the early history of this continent than any man now living4 #c ,in a communication to the ,times and ,seasons 7,nauvoo1 ,illinois71 the following testimony concerning the discovery was given3 ,on the #afth of ,april last1 a respectable merchant1 by the name of ,robert ,wiley1 commenced digging in a large mound near this place3 ,he excavated to the depth of ten feet and came to rock4 ,about that time the rain began to fall1 and he abandoned the work4 ,on the #bcrd1 he and quite a number of the citizens1 with myself1 repaired to the mound2 and after making ample opening1 we found plenty of rock the most of which appeared as though it had been strongly burned2 and after removing full two feet of said rock1 we found plenty of charcoal and ashes2 also human bones that appeared as though they had been burned2 and near the encophalon a bundle was found that consisted of six plates of brass of a bell shape1 each having a hole near the small end1 and a ring through them all1 and clasped with two clasps4 ,the rings and clasps appeared to be iron very much oxydated4 ,the plates appeared first to be copper1 and had the appearance of being covered with characters4 ,it was agreed by the company that ,i should cleanse the plates4 ,accordingly ,i took them to my house washed them with soap and water and a woolen cloth1 but1 finding them not yet cleansed1 ,i treated them with dilute sulphuric acid1 which made them perfectly clean1 on which it appeared that they were completely covered with hieroglyphics that none as yet have been able to read4 ,wishing that the world might know the hidden things as fast as they come to light1 ,i was induced to state the facts1 hoping that you would give it an insertion in your excellent paper2 we feel anxious to know the true meaning of the plates1 and publishing the facts might lead to the true translation4 ,they were found1 ,i judged1 more than twelve feet below the surface of the top of the mound4 ,i am1 most respectfully1 a citizen of ,kinderhook4 ,w4 ,p4 ,,harris1 ,m4 ,d4 ,we the citizens of ,kinderhook1 whose names are annexed1 do certify and declare that on the #bcrd of ,april1 #ahdc1 while excavating a large mound in this vicinity1 ,mr4 ,r4 ,wiley took from said mound six brass plates of a bell shape1 covered with ancient characters4 ,said plates were very much oxydated4 ,the bands and rings on said plates mouldered into dust on a slight pressure4 ,,robert ,,wiley1 ,,george ,,deckenson1 ,w4 ,,longnecker1 ,g4 ,w4 ,f4 ,,ward1 ,j4 ,r4 ,,sharp1 ,,ira ,a4 ,,curtis1 ,,fayette ,,grubb1 ,w4 ,p4 ,,harris1 ,w4 ,,fugate4 #d ,since these plates were sent to ,nauvoo for the inspection of the ,prophet ,joseph1 it will be of interest to know what view he took of them4 ,the following occurs in his journal under date of ,monday1 ,may #ast1 #ahdc3 ,i insert fac-simile of the six brass plates found near ,kinderhook1 in ,pike county1 ,illinois1 on ,april #bc1 by ,mr4 ,r4 ,wiley and others1 while excavating a large mound4 ,they found a skeleton about six feet from the surface of the earth1 which must have stood nine feet high4 ,the plates were found on the breast of the skeleton1 and were covered on both sides with ancient characters4 ,i have translated a portion of them1 and find they contain the history of the person with whom they were found4 ,he was a descendant of ,ham1 through the loins of ,pharaoh1 king of ,egypt1 and that he received his kingdom from the ruler of heaven and earth4 #e ,it is proper here to call attention to the fact that the genuineness of this discovery of the ,kinderhook plates is questioned by some anti-,mormon writers1 among them ,professor ,william ,a4 ,linn1 in his late work1 ,the ,story of ,mormonism1 where he says3 ,but the true story of the ,kinderhook plates was disclosed by an affidavit made by ,w4 ,fugate of ,mound station1 ,brown county1 ,illinois1 before ,jay ,brown justice of the peace1 on ,june #cj1 #ahgi4 ,in this he stated that the plates were a humbug1 gotten up by ,robert ,wiley1 ,bridge ,whitton1 and myself4 ,whitton 7who was a blacksmith7 cut the plates out of some pieces of copper2 ,wiley and ,i made the hieroglyphics by making impressions on beeswax and filling them with acid1 and putting it on the plates4 ,when they were finished1 we put them together with rust made of nitric acid1 old iron and lead1 and bound them with a piece of hoop iron1 covering them completely with rust4 ,he describes the burial of the plates and the digging up1 among the spectators of the latter being two ,mormon ,elders1 ,marsh and ,sharp4 ,sharp declared that the ,lord had directed them to witness the digging4 ,the plates were borrowed and shown to ,smith1 and were finally given to one ,professor ,mc,dowell of ,st4 ,louis1 for his museum4 #f ,of this presentation of the matter it is only necessary to say that it is a little singular that ,mr4 ,fugate alone out of the three said to be in collusion in perpetrating the fraud should disclose it1 and that he should wait from #ahdc to #ahgi--;a period of thirty-six years--before doing so1 when he and those said to be associated with him had such an excellent opportunity to expose the vain pretensions of the ,prophet-- if ,fugate's tale be true8 ,for while the statement in the text of the ,prophet's ,journal to the effect that the find was genuine1 and that he had translated some of the characters and learned certain historical facts concerning the person with whose remains the plates were found1 may not have been known at the time to the alleged conspirators to deceive him1 still the editor of the ,times and ,seasons--,john ,taylor1 the close personal friend of the ,prophet--took the find seriously1 and expressed at once explicit confidence in an editorial in the ,times and ,seasons1 of ,may #ast1 #ahdc1 that the ,prophet could give a translation of the plates4 ,and this attitude the ,church1 continued to maintain2 for in ,the ,prophet1 7a ,mormon weekly periodical1 published in ,new ,york7 of the #aeth of ,february1 #ahde1 there was published a fac-simile of the ,kinderhook plates1 together with the ,times and ,seasons editorial and all the above matter of the text4 ,how easy to have covered ,joseph ,smith and his followers with ridicule by proclaiming the hoax as soon as they accepted the ,kinderhook plates as genuine6 ,why was it not done8 ,the fact that ,fugate's story was not told until thirty-six years after the event1 and that he alone of all those who were connected with the event gives that version of it1 is rather strong evidence that his story is the hoax1 not the discovery of the plates1 nor the engravings upon them4 ,,iii4 ,the ,tuccabatchey ,plates4 ,in further evidence that the native ,americans engraved records on metallic plates ,i quote the following from ,adair's ,history of the ,north ,american ,indians4 ,the passage is a footnote on the custom of the ,indians burying a dead person's treasures with him3 ,in the ,tuccabatches on the ,tallapoose river1 thirty miles above the ,allabahamah garrison are two brazen tables1 and five of copper4 ,they 7the ,indians7 esteem them so sacred as to keep them constantly in their holy of holies1 without touching them in the least1 only in the time of their compounded first-fruit offering1 and annual expiation of sins2 at which season1 their magus carries one under his arm1 ahead of the people1 dancing round in sacred armor2 next to him their head warrior carries another2 and those warriors who choose it carry the rest after the manner of the high priest2 all the other carry white canes with swan-feathers at the top4 ,hearing accidentally of these important monuments of antiquity1 and inquiring pretty much about them1 ,i was certified of the truth of the report by four of the southern traders1 at the most eminent ,indian trading house of all ,english ,america4 ,one of the gentlemen informed me1 that at my request he endeavored to get the liberty of viewing the aforesaid tables1 but it could not possibly be obtained1 only in the time of the yearly grand sacrifice1 for fear of polluting their holy things1 at which time gentlemen of curiosity may see them4 ,old ,bracket1 an ,indian1 of perhaps one hundred years old1 lives in that old beloved town1 who gave the following description of them3 ,the shape of the five copper plates3 ,one is a foot and a half long and seven inches wide1 the other four are shorter and narrower4 ,the shape of the two brass plates was circular1 about a foot and a half in diameter4 ,he ,bracket said that he was told by his forefathers that those plates were given to them by the man we call ,god2 that there had been many more of other shapes1 some as long as he could stretch with both his arms1 and some had writing upon them which are buried with particular men2 and that they had instructions given with them1 viz41 they must only be handled by particular people1 and those feasting fasting82 and no unclean woman must be suffered to come near them or the place1 where they are deposited4 ,he said none but his own town's people had any such plates given them1 and that they were a different people from the ,creeks4 ,he only remembered three more which were buried with three of his family and he was the only man of the family now left4 ,he said1 there were two copper plates under the king's cabin which laid there from the first settling of the town4 ,this account was taken in the ,tuccabatchey square1 #bgth ,july1 #agei1 per ,will4 ,bolsover4 #g ,the foregoing account of engraven records on gold and copper plates is important as evidence to the truth of the ,book of ,mormon only this far2 the ,book of ,mormon repeatedly declares that such was the manner of keeping records among the ,nephites and the ,jaredites1 ,mormon's abridgment of the larger ,nephite records being engraven in this manner on plates of gold4 ,and the discoveries related above1 all of which were unknown to ,joseph ,smith1 prove that in ancient ,america records were so kept1 and constitutes at least important incidental evidence to the truth of that part of the ,book of ,mormon statement4 ,footnotes #a4 ,mill4 ,star1 ,vol4 ,,xix41 p4 #ajc4 #b4 ,a fac-simile of the plate is to be found in ,mill4 ,star1 ,vol4 ,,xix41 p4 #fcb4 #c4 ,mill4 ,star1 ,vol4 ,,xxi41 p4 #dd4 #d4 ,mill4 ,star1 ,vol4 ,,xxi41 p4 #dd4 #e4 ,mill4 ,star1 ,vol4 ,,xxi41 p4 #dj4 #f4 ,the ,story of the ,mormons1 ,linn1 p4 #hg4 #g4 ,lord ,kingsborough's ,mexican ,antiquities1 ,vol4 ,,viii41 pp4 #cef1 #ceh4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiv ,,external ,,evidence--,,minor ,,coincidences--,,race ,,unity ,i4 ,central and ,western ,new ,york an ,ancient ,battle ,field4 ,according to the ,book of ,mormon the ,hill ,cumorah of the ,nephites--the ,ramah of the ,jaredites--must be regarded as a natural monument overlooking ancient and extensive battle fields4 ,around it early in the sixth century ,b4 ,c41 the ,jaredites were destroyed4 ,here1 also1 a thousand years later1 at the close of the fourth century ,a4 ,d41 the ,nephites met with practical annihilation in a battle which1 whether judged by the importance of the changes it wrought in the affairs of one of the world's continents1 or the number slain1 #a ranks as one of the world's great battles4 ,in view of these ,book of ,mormon facts one would naturally expect to find some evidences in this section of the country for such wonderful historical events4 ,here one has a right to expect the evidences of military fortifications2 for1 though a thousand years had elapsed between the destruction of the ,nephites and the discovery of ,america by the ,europeans1 still some military monuments would doubtless survive that length of time4 ,fortunately we are not without kind of evidences that may be reasonably expected4 ,we find such historical monuments described in the ,american ,antiquities of ,josiah ,priest1 published in ,albany1 ,new ,york4 ,before quoting1 however1 ,i call attention to the fact that ,mr4 ,priest regarded the fortifications and other evidences of great battles fought south of lake ,ontario as marking the struggle between the descendants of ,tartar races 7our ,american ,indians1 in his view7 and ,scandinavians1 whom he assumes had penetrated into middle ,new ,york during the first half of the tenth century ,a4 ,d4 ,of course1 ,i am of the opinion that both the ,tartar theory of the origin of some of our ,american ,indians1 and ,mr4 ,priest's assumption that ,scandinavians had pushed their way into the interior of ,new ,york1 are both improbable2 but his theories do not vitiate the facts of which he is the compiler and witness2 but these facts1 ,i am sure1 better fit the statements of the ,book of ,mormon than they do his speculations4 ,the reader will therefore bear in mind that it is the facts of ,mr4 ,priest that are of value to us1 not his theories2 and here are the facts3 #b ,there are the remains of one of those efforts of ,scandinavian defense1 situated on a hill of singular form1 on the great sandplain between the ,susquehannah and ,chemung rivers1 near their junction4 ,the hill is entirely isolated1 about three-fourths of a mile in circumference1 and more than one hundred feet high4 ,it has been supposed to be artificial1 and to belong to the ancient nations to which all works of this sort generally belong4 ,in the surrounding plain are many deep holes1 of twenty or thirty rods in circumference1 and twenty feet deep--favoring a belief that from these the earth was scooped out1 to form the hill with4 ,it is four acres large on its top1 and perfectly level1 beautifully situated to overlook the country to a great distance1 up and down both rivers2 there is on its top the remains of a wall1 formed of earth1 stone and wood1 which runs round the whole1 exactly on the brow4 ,the wood is decayed and turned to mould1 yet it is traceable1 and easily distinguished from the natural earth3 within is a deep ditch or entrenchment1 running around the whole summit4 #c ,from this it is evident that a war was once waged here2 and were we to conjecture between whom1 we should say between the ,indians and ,scandinavians1 and that this fortification1 so advantageously chosen1 is of the same class of defensive works with those about ,onondaga1 #d ,auburn1 #e and the lakes ,ontario1 ,cayuga1 ,seneca1 ,oneida #f and ,erie4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,in ,pompey1 ,onondaga county #g on lot ,no4 #ad1 is the site of an ancient burying ground1 upon which1 when the country was first settled1 was found timber growing1 apparently of the second growth1 judging from the old timber reduced to mould1 lying round1 which was one hundred years old1 ascertained by counting the concentric grains4 ,in one of these graves was found a glass bottle about the size of a common junk bottle1 having a stopple in its nozzle1 and in the bottle was a liquid of some sort1 but was tasteless4 ,but is it possible that the ,scandinavians could have had glass in their possession at so early a period as the year #iej and thereabout1 so as to have brought it with them from ,europe when their first settlements were made in this country8 ,we see no good reason why not1 as glass had been known three hundred years in ,europe before the northern ,europeans are reputed to have found this country1 the art of making glass having been discovered in ,a4 ,d4 #ffd4 ,but in other parts of the world1 glass had been known from time immemorial1 even from the flood1 as it has been found in the ,tower of ,babel #h 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the same grave with the bottle was found an iron hatchet1 edged with steel4 ,the eye1 or place for the helve1 was round1 and extended or projected out1 like the ancient ,swiss or ,german axe4 ,on lot ,no4 #i1 in the same town1 ,pompey was another aboriginal burying ground1 covered with forest trees1 as the other4 ,in the same town1 on lot ,no4 #ag1 were found the remains of a blacksmith's forge2 at this spot have been ploughed up crucibles1 such as mineralogists use in refining metals4 ,these axes are similar1 and correspond in character with those found in the nitrous caves on the ,gasconade river1 which empties into the ,missouri1 as mentioned by ,professor ,beck's ,gazetteer of that country4 ,in the same town ,pompey are the remains of two ancient forts or fortifications1 with redoubts of a very extensive and formidable character4 ,within the range of these works have been found pieces of cast iron1 broken from some vessel of considerable thickness4 ,these articles cannot well be ascribed to the era of the ,french war1 as time enough since1 then1 till the region round about ,onondaga was commenced to be cultivated1 had not elapsed to give the growth of timber found on the spot1 of the age above noticed2 and1 added to this1 it is said that the ,indians occupying that tract of country had no tradition of their authors4 #i 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,the hatchets or iron axes found here were likely of the same origin with the pieces of cast iron4 ,in ploughing the earth1 digging wells1 canals1 or excavating for salt waters1 about the lakes1 new discoveries are frequently made1 which as clearly show the operations of ancient civilization here1 as the works of the present race would do1 were they left to the operations of time for five or six hundred years2 especially were this country totally to be overrun by the whole consolidated savage tribes of the west1 exterminating both the worker and his works1 as appears to have been done in ages past4 ,in ,scipio1 #aj on ,salmon creek1 a ,mr4 ,halsted has1 from time to time during ten years past1 ploughed up1 on a certain extent of land on his farm1 seven or eight hundred pounds of brass1 which appeared to have once been formed into various implements1 both of husbandry and war2 helmets and working utensils mingled together4 ,the finder of this brass1 we are informed as he discovered it carried it to ,auburn1 and sold it by the pound1 where it was worked up1 with as little curiosity attending as though it had been but an ordinary article of the country's produce3 when1 if it had been announced in some public manner1 the finder would have doubtless been highly rewarded by some scientific individual or society1 and preserved it in the cabinets of the antiquarian1 as a relic of by-gone ages of the highest interest4 ,on this field1 where it was found1 the forest timber was growing as abundantly1 and had attained to as great age and size1 as elsewhere in the heavy timbered country of the lakes4 #aa 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,in ,pompey1 #ab ,onondago county1 are the remains1 or outlines1 of a town1 including more than #ejj acres4 ,it appeared protected by three circular or eliptical forts1 eight miles distant from each other2 placed in such relative positions as to form a triangle round about the town1 at those distances4 ,it is thought1 from appearances1 that this stronghold was stormed and taken on the line of the north side4 ,in ,camillus1 #ac in the same county1 are the remains of two forts1 one covering about three acres1 on a very high hill2 it had gateways1 one opening to the east1 and the other to the west1 toward a spring1 some rods from the works4 ,its shape is eliptical2 it has a wall1 in some places ten feet high1 with a deep ditch4 ,not far from this is another1 exactly like it1 only half as large4 ,there are many of these ancient works hereabouts2 one in ,scipio1 two near ,auburn1 three near ,canandaigua1 #ad and several between the ,seneca and ,cayuga lakes4 #ae ,a number of such fortifications and burial places have been discovered in ,ridgeway1 #af on the southern shore of lake ,ontraio4 ,there is evidence enough that long bloody wars were waged among the inhabitants4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,from the known ferocity of the ancient ,scandinavians1 who with other ,europeans of ancient times we suppose to be the authors of the vast works about the region of ,onondaga1 dreadful wars with infinite butcheries1 must have crimsoned every hill and dale of this now happy country4 #ag 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the fourteenth township2 fourth range of the ,holland ,company's lands in the state of ,new ,york1 near the ,ridge road leading from ,buffalo to ,niagara ,falls #ah is an ancient fort1 situated in a large swamp2 it covers about five acres of ground2 large trees are standing upon it4 ,the earth which forms this fort was evidently brought from a distance1 as the soil of the marsh is quite another kind1 wet and miry1 while the site of the fort is dry gravel and loam4 ,the site of this fortification is singular1 unless we suppose it to have been a last resort or hiding place from an enemy4 ,the distance to the margin of the marsh is about half a mile1 where large quantities of human bones have been found1 on opening the earth1 of an extraordinary size3 the thigh bones1 about two inches longer than a common sized man's2 the jaw or chin bone will cover a large man's face2 the skull bones are of an enormous thickness2 the breast and hip bones are also very large4 ,on being exposed to the air they soon moulder away1 which denotes the great length of time since their interment4 ,the disorderly manner in which these bones were found to lie1 being crosswise1 commixed and mingled with every trait of confusion1 show them to have been deposited by a conquering enemy1 and not by friends1 who would have laid them1 as the custom of all nations always has been1 in a more deferential mode4 ,there was no appearance of a bullet having been the instrument of their destruction1 the evidence of which would have been broken limbs4 ,smaller works of the same kind abound in the country about lake ,ontraio4 #ai ,but the one of which we have just spoken is the most remarkable4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,north of the mountain1 or great slope towards the lake1 ,ontraio1 there are no remains of ancient works or tumuli1 which strongly argues1 that the mountain or ridgeway once was the southern boundary or shore of lake ,ontario2 the waters having receded from three to seven miles from its ancient shore1 nearly the whole length of the lake1 occasioned by some strange convulsion in nature1 #bj redeeming much of the lands of the west from the water that had covered it from the time of the deluge4 #ba ,these described fortifications and burial mounds make it clear that ,central and ,western ,new ,york at some time have been the scenes of destructive battles2 and the fact constitutes strong presumptive evidence of the statements of the ,book of ,mormon that great battles were fought there4 ,the only thing which leads modern writers to ascribe a comparatively recent date to the wars whereof central and western ,new ,york was the battlefields is the discovery of glass1 iron and brass within these fortifications4 ,it is assumed that these metals and glass were unknown to the ancient ,americans1 hence ,mr4 ,priest sets forth the theory that the battles were fought between wild tribes of ,indians and ,scandinavians4 ,instead of taking this view of the case1 however1 ,i shall rely in part upon the finding of these implements made of iron and brass as sustaining the statement of the ,book of ,mormon that the ,nephites were acquainted with and used these metals2 but of this ,i shall have more to say later1 when considering the objections urged against the ,book of ,mormon4 ,meantime ,i merely call attention to the fact which here concerns me1 namely1 that central and western ,new ,york constitute the great battle fields described in the ,book of ,mormon as being the place where two nations met practical annihilation1 the ,jaredites and ,nephites2 and of which the military fortifications and monuments described by ,mr4 ,priest are the silent witnesses4 ,,ii4 ,miscellaneous ,book of ,mormon ,historical ,incidents and ,nephite ,customs ,found in the ,native ,american ,traditions4 ,besides what has already been set forth on the confirmation of ,nephite historical incidents in native ,american traditions and mythologies1 there remains several other ,lamanite and ,nephite historical incidents and customs1 mentioned in the ,book of ,mormon1 that are preserved in the traditions of the native ,americans1 and which ought to receive consideration here4 ,blood ,drinking4 ,one of the customs of the ,lamanites1 in the matter of eating raw flesh and drinking the blood of animals1 is mentioned in the book of ,enos1 where a description is given of the barbarity of the ,lamanites as follows3 ,and ,i bear record that the people of ,nephi did seek diligently to restore the ,lamanites unto the true faith in ,god4 ,but our labors were vain2 their hatred was fixed1 and they were led by their evil nature that they became wild1 and ferocious1 and a bloodthirsty people2 full of idolatry and filthiness3 feeding upon beasts of prey2 dwelling in tents1 and wandering about in the wilderness with a short skin girdle about their loins and their heads shaven1 and their skill was in the bow1 and in the cimeter1 and the axe4 ,and many of them did eat nothing save it were raw meat4 #bb ,jarom mentions substantially the same thing3 ,and they were scattered upon much of the face of the land2 and the ,lamanites also4 ,and they were exceeding more numerous than were they of the ,nephites2 and they loved murder and would drink the blood of beasts4 #bc ,such the statement of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,and now the native ,american tradition bearing on this from ,bancroft4 ,speaking of the ,toltecs as an enlightened race of native ,americans1 who are credited with the first introduction of agriculture in ,america1 our author says3 ,but even during this ,toltec period hunting tribes1 both of ,nahua and other blood1 were pursuing their game in the forests and mountains1 especially in the northern region4 ,despised by their more civilized1 corn-eating brethren1 they were known as barbarians1 dogs1 ,chichimecs1 suckers of blood1 from the custom attributed to them of drinking blood and eating raw flesh4 #bd ,,iii4 ,human ,sacrifices4 ,cannibalism4 ,another statement in the ,book of ,mormon with reference to a ,lamanite custom concerning their treatment of prisoners taken in war is as follows4 ,speaking of an invasion of the ,lamanites into ,nephite territory the ,book of ,mormon says3 ,and they did also march forward against the city of ,teancum1 and did drive the inhabitants forth out of her1 and did take many prisoners both women and children1 and did offer them up as sacrifices unto their idol gods4 ,and it came to pass that in the three hundred and sixty and seventh years1 ,a4 ,d41 the ,nephites being angry because the ,lamanites had scattered their women and their children1 that they did go against the ,lamanites with exceeding great anger1 insomuch that they did beat again the ,lamanites1 and drive them out of their lands4 #be ,later1 referring to a second invasion of the ,nephite lands1 ,mormon also says3 ,and when they had come the second time1 the ,nephites were driven and slaughtered with an exceeding great slaughter2 their women and their children were again sacrificed unto idols4 #bf ,some years later1 ,mormon1 in an epistle to his son ,moroni1 speaking of the awful depravity which characterized both ,nephites and ,lamanites1 says of them3 ,they thirst after blood and revenge continually4 #bg ,of the treatment of certain prisoners taken from one of the cities he also says3 ,and the husbands and fathers of those women and children they have slain2 and they feed the women upon the flesh of their husbands1 and the children upon the flesh of their fathers2 and no water1 save a little1 do they give unto them4 #bh ,he describes how the ,nephites defiled the daughters of ,lamanite prisoners1 and then continues3 ,and after they had done this thing1 they did murder them in a most cruel manner1 torturing their bodies1 even unto death2 and after they have done this1 they devour their flesh like unto wild beasts1 because of the hardness of their hearts2 and they do it for a token of bravery4 #bi ,this1 doubtless1 was the beginning--in the later part of the fourth century ,a4 ,d41 not early in the fourteenth century1 as held by ,prescott #cj--of those horrible human sacrifices and acts of cannibalism found among the ,aztecs at the time of the ,spanish invasion of ,mexico1 and which so shocked even the cruel ,spaniards4 ,bancroft1 in telling of the treatment of prisoners taken in war among the ,aztecs1 describes an unequal battle for life that was sometimes accorded the male prisoners1 and then adds3 ,those who were too faint-hearted to attempt this hopless combat1 had their hearts torn out at once1 whilst the others were sacrificed only after having been subdued by the braves4 ,the bleeding and quivering heart was held up to the sun and then thrown into a bowl1 prepared for its reception4 ,an assistant priest sucked the blood from the gash in the chest through a hollow cane1 the end of which he elevated towards the sun1 and then discharged its contents into a plume-bordered cup held by the captor of the prisoner just slain4 ,this cup was carried round to all the idols in the temples and chapels1 before whom another blood-filled tube was held up as if to give them a taste of the contents2 this ceremony performed1 the cup was left at the ,palace4 ,the corpse was taken to the chapel where the captive had watched and there flayed1 the flesh being consumed at a banquet as before4 ,the skin was given to certain priests1 or college youths1 who went from house to house dressed in the ghastly garb1 with the arms swinging1 singing1 dancing1 and asking for contributions2 those who refused to give anything received a stroke in the face from the dangling arm4 #ca ,prescott1 referring to the chief object of war among the ,aztecs1 and the treatment of prisoners taken1 says3 ,the tutelary deity of the ,aztecs was the god of war4 ,a great object of their military expeditions was1 to gather hecatombs of captives for his altars4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,at the head of all1 i4 e41 all the ,aztec deities stood the terrible ,huitzilopotchli4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,this was the patron deity of the nation4 ,his fantastic image was loaded with costly ornaments4 ,his temples were the most stately and august of the public edifices2 and his altars reeked with the blood of human hecatombs in every city of the empire4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the most loathsome part of the story--the manner in which the body of the sacrificed captive was disposed of--remains yet to be told4 ,it was delivered to the warrior who had taken him in battle1 and by him1 after being dressed1 was served up in an entertainment to his friends4 ,this was not the coarse repast of famished cannibals1 but a banquet teeming with delicious beverages and delicate viands1 prepared with art1 and attended by both sexes1 who1 as we shall see hereafter1 conducted themselves with all the decorum of civilized life4 ,surely1 never were refinement and the extreme of barbarism brought so closely in contact with each other4 #cb ,such are the depths of depravity to which a people may sink when once the ,spirit of ,god is withdrawn from them4 ,it is not to excite reflections upon this condition of refined barbarism1 however1 that these quotations are made4 ,i am interested here only in pointing out the fact that these revolting customs found among the native ,americans confirms the statement made in the ,book of ,mormon1 that such horrible customs had their origin among their ,nephite and ,lamanite ancestors4 ,,iv4 ,burying the ,hatchet4 ,doubtless the native ,american custom of burying the hatchet 7that is1 in concluding a war1 it is the native custom1 as a testimony that hostilities have ceased1 and as a sign of peace1 to bury the war-hatchet or other weapons of war71 had its origin in the following ,book of ,mormon incident3 ,early in the first century ,b4 ,c41 a number of ,nephites1 sons of ,king ,mosiah ,,ii41 succeeded in converting a number of ,lamanites to the ,christian religion2 and such became their abhorrence of war1 which aforetime had been one of their chief delights1 that they entered into a covenant of peace and determined no more to shed the blood of their fellow men4 ,in token of this covenant they buried their weapons of war1 their leader saying3 ,and now1 my brethren1 if our brethren seek to destroy us1 behold1 we will hide away our swords1 yea1 even we will bury them deep in the earth1 that they may be kept bright4 99 99 99 99 ,and now it came to pass that when the king had made an end of these sayings1 and all the people were assembled together1 they took their swords1 and all the weapons which were used for the shedding of man's blood1 and they did bury them up deep in the earth2 and this they did1 it being in their view a testimony to ,god1 and also to men1 that they never would use weapons again for shedding a man's blood4 #cc ,this circumstance of burying weapons of war in token of peace is several times afterwards alluded to in the ,book of ,mormon4 ,v4 ,hagoth's ,marine ,migrations ,preserved in ,native ,legend4 ,another historical event very apt to live in the native traditions is the first ,nephite migration in ships after their landing in the western hemisphere4 ,this event took place in the latter half of the century immediately preceding the birth of ,christ4 ,one ,hagoth1 described in the ,book of ,mormon as an exceedingly curious man1 ,went forth and built a large ship on the borders of the land ,bountiful1 by the land ,desolation1 and launched it forth in the west sea1 by the narrow neck which led into the land northward4 ,and behold1 there were many of the ,nephites who did enter therein and did sail forth with much provisions1 and also many women and children2 and they took their course northward4 #cd ,subsequently other ships were built and the first returned1 and migration by this method of travel was kept up for some time4 ,finally two of the vessels conducting this migration by the way of the west sea1 were lost2 and the ,nephites supposed them to have been wrecked in the depths of the sea4 #ce ,so marked a circumstance as this1 ,i repeat1 occurring as it did among a people that can not be considered as a sea-faring people1 would be apt to live in the traditions of their descendants4 ,such a tradition1 ,i believe1 exists4 ,bancroft1 speaking of a war of conquest waged by the ,miztec and ,zapotec kings against a people inhabiting the southern shores of ,tehuantepec1 called the ,huaves1 says3 ,the ,huaves are said to have come from the south1 from ,nicaragua1 or ,peru1 say some authors4 ,the causes that led to their migrations are unknown2 but the story goes that after coasting northward1 and attempting to disembark at several places1 they finally effected a landing at ,tehuantepec4 ,here they found the ,mijes1 the original possessors of the country2 but these they drove out1 or1 as some say1 mingled with them1 and soon made themselves masters of the soil4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,but the easy life they led in this beautiful and fertile region soon destroyed their ancient energy1 and they subsequently fell an unresisting prey to the ,zapotec kings4 #cf ,a tradition which locates the landing of a similar maritime expedition still further north is related by ,nadaillac4 ,speaking of the ,kitchen-,middens or shell-heaps found here and there on the ,pacific coast1 and which our author takes as indicating the location of the former homes of numerous tribes1 says3 ,when the ,indians were questioned about them the shell-heaps they generally answered that they are very old1 and are the work of people unknown to them or to their fathers4 ,as an exception to this rule1 however1 the ,californians attributed a large shell heap formed of mussel shells and the bones of animals1 on ,point ,st4 ,george1 near ,san ,francisco1 to the ,hohgates1 the name they give to seven mythical strangers who arrived in the country from the sea1 and who were the first to build and live in houses4 ,the ,hohgates killed deer1 sea-lions1 and seals2 they collected the mussels which were very abundant on the neighboring rocks1 and the refuse of their meals became piled up about their homes4 ,one day when fishing1 they saw a gigantic seal2 they managed to drive a harpoon into it1 but the wounded animal fled seaward1 dragging the boat rapidly with it toward the fathomless abysses of the ,charekwin4 ,at the moment when the ,hohgates were about to be engulfed in the depths1 where those go who are to endure eternal cold1 the rope broke the seal disappeared1 and the boat was flung up into the air4 ,since then the ,hohgates1 changed into brilliant stars1 return no more to earth1 where the shell heaps remain as witness of their former residence4 #cg ,the word ,hohgates1 ,i believe is but a variation of the word ,hagoth1 the name of the man who started these maritime expeditions1 and it would be altogether in keeping with ,nephite customs #ch for those who sailed away in his vessels to be called ,hagothites or ,hohgates4 ,the vessel of this tradition may be one of those lost to the ,nephites1 which finally found its way to the ,californian coast where its occupants landed with their ideas of ,nephite civilization1 and lived as described in the tradition4 ,one is tempted to smile at the childish ending of the tradition2 but under it may not one see that it is but the legendary account of the fact that the vessel sailed away from the ,california shores and was lost1 or1 at least1 was heard of no more by the natives of those shores4 ,,vi4 ,native ,american ,race ,unity4 ,the subject of ,american antiquities should not be closed without a brief reference1 at least1 to the unity of the ,american race4 ,barring such migrations of other races to ,america as may have taken place since the fall of the ,nephites at ,cumorah1 at the close of the fourth century ,a4 ,d41 and such as to a limited extent may have been going on in the extreme north via ,behring ,strait at an earlier date1 the ,book of ,mormon requires substantial unity of race in the later native ,american people4 ,that is to say1 they ought to be of ,israelitish descent1 a mixture of the tribes of ,ephraim1 ,manasseh and ,judah--but chiefly1 if not all1 of ,hebrew descent2 and even the ,jaredites were but a more ancient branch of the same stock4 #ci ,on this subject1 as upon all others pertaining to ,american antiquities and peoples1 writers are divided2 yet it is not difficult to marshal in support of race unity for native ,americans the very highest authority2 and what is of most importance is the facts are beyond question behind their theory4 ,citing the facts on which certain authors rely to establish the unity of the ,american race1 ,bancroft says3 ,it was obvious to the ,europeans when they first beheld the natives of ,america1 that these were unlike the intellectual white-skinned race of ,europe1 the barbarous blacks of ,africa1 or any nation or people which they had hitherto encountered1 yet were strikingly like each other4 ,into whatsoever part of the newly discovered lands they penetrated1 they found a people seemingly one in color1 physiognomy1 customs1 and in mental and social traits4 ,their vestiges of antiquity and their languages presented a coincidence which was generally observed by early travelers4 ,hence physical and psychological comparisons are advanced to prove ethnological resemblances among all the peoples of ,america4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,morton and his confreres1 the originators of the ,american homogeneity theory1 even go so far as to claim for the ,american man an origin as indigenous as that of the fauna and flora4 ,they classify all the tribes of ,america1 excepting only the ,esquimaux who wandered over from ,asia1 as the ,american race1 and divided it into the ,american family and the ,toltecan family4 ,blumenbach classifies the ,americans as a distinct species4 ,the ,american ,mongolidae of ,dr4 ,latham are divided into ,esquimaux and ,american ,indians4 ,dr4 ,morton perceives the same characteristic lineaments on the face of the ,fuegian and the ,mexican1 and in tribes inhabiting the ,rocky mountains1 the ,mississippi valley1 and ,florida4 ,the same osteological structure1 swarthy color1 straight hair1 meagre beard1 obliquely cornered eyes1 prominent cheek bones1 and thick lips1 are common to them all4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,humboldt characterizes the nations of ,america as one race1 by their straight glossy hair1 thin beard1 swarthy complexion and cranial formation4 #dj ,dr4 ,daniel ,g4 ,brinton1 professor of ,american archaeology and linguistics in the ,university of ,pennsylvania--than whom no higher authority upon the subject can be quoted--says3 ,on the whole1 the race is singularly uniform in its physical traits1 and individuals taken from any part of the continent could easily be mistaken for inhabitants of numerous other parts4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,the culture of the native ,americans strongly attests the ethnic unity of the race4 ,this applies equally to the ruins and relics of its vanished nations1 as to the institutions of existing tribes4 ,nowhere do we find any trace of foreign influence or instruction1 nowhere any arts or social systems to explain which we must evoke the aid of teachers from the eastern hemisphere4 99 99 99 99 ,american culture1 wherever examined1 presents a family likeness which the more careful observers of late years have taken pains to put in a strong light4 ,this was accomplished for governmental institutions and domestic architecture by ,lewis ,h4 ,morgan1 for property rights and the laws of war by ,a4 ,f4 ,bandelier1 for the social condition of ,mexico and ,peru by ,dr4 ,gustav ,bruhl1 and ,i may add for the myths and other expressions of the religious sentiment by myself4 99 99 99 ,the psychic identity of the ,americans is well illustrated in their languages4 ,there are indeed indefinite discrepancies in their lexicography and in their surface marphology2 but in their logical sub-structure1 in what ,willhelm von ,humboldt called the inner form1 they are strikingly like4 ,the points in which this is especially apparent are in the development of pronominal forms1 in the abundance of generic particles1 in the overweening preference for concepts of action 7verbs7 rather than concepts of existence 7nouns71 and in the consequent subordination of the latter to the former in the proposition4 #da ,following the same general line of thought ,nadaillac says3 ,the ,indians1 who were successively conquered by foreign invaders1 spoke hundreds of different dialects4 ,bancroft estimates that there were six hundred between ,alaska and ,panama4 ,ameghino speaks of eight hundred in ,south ,america4 ,most of these1 however1 are mere derivatives from a single mother tongue like the ,aymara and the ,guarani4 ,we quote these figures for what they are worth4 ,philology has no precise definition of what constitutes a language1 and any one can add to or deduct from the numbers given according to the point of view from which he considers the matter4 ,as an illustration of this1 it may be mentioned that some philologists estimate the languages of ,north ,america at no less than thirteen hundred1 whilst ,squier would reduce those of both continents to four hundred4 ,these dialects present a complete disparity in their vocabulary side by side with great similarity of structure4 ,in ,america1 says ,humboldt1 from the country of the ,esquimaux to the banks of the ,orinoco1 and thence to the frozen shores of the ,straits of ,magellan1 languages differing entirely in their derivation have1 if we may use the expression1 the same physiognomy4 ,striking analogies in grammatical construction have been recognized1 not only in the more perfect languages1 such as those of the ,incas1 the ,aymara1 the ,guarani1 and the ,mexicans1 but also in languages which are extremely crude4 ,dialects1 the roots of which do not resemble each other more than the roots of the ,slavonian and ,biscayan1 show resemblances in structure similar to those which are found between the ,sanscrit1 the ,persian1 the ,greek1 and the ,germanic languages4 #db ,the fact that the different dialects1 or languages1 as some call them1 are mere derivatives from a single mother tongue1 argues strongly1 of course1 for ultimate race unity4 ,the following summary of evidences on the substantial unity of race in ,american peoples is from ,marcus ,wilson1 and will be found valuable3 ,nor indeed is there any proof that the semi-civilized inhabitants of ,mexico1 ,yucatan1 and ,central ,america1 were a race different from the more savage tribes by which they were surrounded2 but1 on the contrary1 there is much evidence in favor of their common origin1 and in proof that the present tribes1 or at least many of them1 are but the dismembered fragments of former nations4 ,the present natives of ,yucatan and ,central ,america1 after a remove of only three centuries from their more civilized ancestors1 present no diversities1 in their natural capacities1 to distinguish them from the race of the common ,indian4 ,and if the ,mexicans and the ,peruvians could have arisen from the savage state1 it is not impossible that the present rude tribes may have remained in it2 or1 if the latter were once more civilized than at present1 as they have relapsed into barbarism1 so others may have done4 ,the anatomical structure of the skeletons found within the ancient mounds of the ,united ,states1 does not differ more from that of the present ,indians than tribes of the latter1 admitted to be of the same race1 differ from each other4 ,in the physical appearance of all the ,american aborigines1 embracing the semi-civilized ,mexicans1 the ,peruvians1 and the wandering savage tribes1 there is a striking uniformity2 nor can any distinction of races here be made4 ,in their languages there is a general unity of structure1 and a great similarity in grammatical forms1 which prove their common origin2 while the great diversity in the words of the different languages1 shows the great antiquity of the period of peopling ,america4 ,in the generally uniform character of their religious opinions and rites1 we discover original unity and an identity of origin2 while the diversities here found1 likewise indicate the very early period of the separation and dispersion of the tribes4 ,throughout most of the ,american tribes have been found traces of the pictorial delineations1 and hieroglyphical symbols1 by which the ,mexicans and the ,peruvians communicated ideas1 and preserved the memory of events4 ,the mythological traditions of the savage tribes1 and the semi-civilized nations1 have general features of resemblance--generally implying a migration from some other country--containing distinct allusions to a deluge--and attributing their knowledge of the arts to some fabulous teacher in remote ages4 ,throughout nearly the whole continent1 the dead were buried in a sitting posture2 the smoking of tobacco was a prevalent custom1 and the calumet1 or pipe of peace1 was everywhere deemed sacred4 ,and1 in fine1 the numerous and striking analogies between the barbarous and the cultivated tribes1 are sufficient to justify the belief in their primitive relationship and common origin4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,with regard to the opinion entertained by some1 that colonies from different ,european nations1 and at different times1 have been established here1 we remark1 #dc that1 if so1 no distinctive traces of them have ever been discovered2 and there is a uniformity in the physical appearance of all the ,american tribes1 which forbids the supposition of a mingling of different races4 #dd ,the well established fact1 of race unity1 is one more evidence for the truth of the ,book of ,mormon to be added to that cumulative mass of evidence we are here compiling1 since unity of race is what the ,book of ,mormon requires for the peoples of ,america4 ,,vii4 ,did the ,book of ,mormon ,antedate ,works in ,english on ,american ,antiquities1 ,accessible to ,joseph ,smith and ,his ,associates4 ,in the presence of so many resemblances between native ,american traditions and ,book of ,mormon historical incidents and ,nephite customs1 ,i can understand how the question naturally arises in some minds whether the ancient historical incidents1 and the customs of ,american peoples--purported to be recorded in the ,book of ,mormon1--whence the traditions come1 or is it from the native ,american traditions that the alleged historical incidents and customs of the ,book of ,mormon come4 ,that is to say1 was it possible for ,joseph ,smith or those associated with him in bringing forth the ,book of ,mormon to have possessed such a knowledge of ,american antiquities and traditions that they could make their book's alleged historical incidents1 and the customs of its peoples1 conform to the antiquities and traditions of the native ,americans8 ,the question may appear foolish to those acquainted with the character and environment of the ,prophet2 but to those not acquainted with him or his environment the question may be of some force1 and for that reason it is considered here4 ,in the first place1 then1 it must be remembered how great the task would be to become sufficiently acquainted with ,american antiquities and traditions to make the ,book of ,mormon story and the alleged customs of its people agree with the antiquities and traditions of the ,american natives1 in the striking manner in which we have found them to agree4 ,in the second place the youthfulness of the ,prophet must be taken into account--he was but twenty-five years of age when the ,book of ,mormon was published1 and it is the concensus of opinion on the part of all those competent to speak upon the subject1 that he was not a student of books4 ,but what is most important of all1 and what settles the question on this point 7whether ,joseph ,smith1 ,solomon ,spaulding1 or ,sidney ,rigdon be regarded as the author7 is the fact that the means through which to obtain the necessary knowledge of ,american antiquities1 the body of literature in ,english now at one's command on the subject1 was not then 7#ahbc-ahcj7 in existence4 ,the ,spanish and native ,american writers previous to #ahcj may be dismissed from consideration at once1 since their works could not be available to ,joseph ,smith and his associates because written in a language unknown to them1 and such fragmentary translations of them as existed were so rare as to be inaccessible to men of western ,new ,york and ,ohio4 ,about the only works to which ,joseph ,smith could possibly have had access before the publication of the ,book of ,mormon would have been3 ,first1 the publications of the ,american ,antiquarian ,society1 ,translations and ,collections1 published in the ,archaeoligia ,americana1 ,worcester1 ,massachusetts1 #ahbj2 but this information was so fragmentary in character that it could not possibly have supplied the historical incidents of the ,book of ,mormon1 or the customs of its peoples1 even could it be proven that ,joseph ,smith had been familiar with that collection4 ,second1 the little work of ,ethan ,smith1 published in ,vermont--second edition #ahbe--;in which the author holds the native ,american ,indian tribes to be descendants of the ten lost tribes of ,israel4 ,in fact his work bears the title1 ,view of the ,hebrews2 or the ,tribes of ,israel in ,america4 ,third1 ,the ,history of the ,american ,indians1 by ,james ,adair1 published in ,england1 #agge4 ,mr4 ,adair confines the scope of his work to the ,north ,american ,indians4 ,fourth4 ,the translation of some parts of ,humboldt's works on ,new ,spain1 published first in ,america and ,england between the years #ahjf and #ahji1 and later ,black's enlarged translation of them in ,new ,york1 #ahaa4 ,these are the only works1 so far as ,i can ascertain1 that could at all be accessible to ,joseph ,smith or any of his associates2 and there is no evidence that the ,prophet or his associates ever saw any one of them4 ,moreover1 notwithstanding some of these writers advance the theory that the native ,americans are descendants of the ten lost tribes of ,israel1 and their books contain fragmentary and disconnected information concerning ,american antiquities--no one acquainted with these works could possibly regard them as being the source whence ,book of ,mormon incidents or customs of ,book of ,mormon peoples were drawn1 a fact which will be more apparent after we have considered--as we shall later consider--the originality of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,since1 therefore1 from the very nature of all the circumstances surrounding the coming forth of the ,book of ,mormon1 neither ,joseph ,smith nor his associates could possibly have become acquainted with the location of the chief centers of ancient ,american civilizations1 nor with native ,american traditions and customs1 it must be evident that ,book of ,mormon historical incidents and the customs of ,book of ,mormon peoples were not derived from works on ,american antiquities and traditions4 ,,viii4 ,the ,value of the ,evidence ,supplied by ,american ,antiquities ,the evidence ,i have to offer from ,american antiquities is now before the reader4 ,not all the evidence that could be massed upon the subject1 but all that my space in this work will permit me to present4 ,i do not claim that the evidence is either as full or perfect as one could wish it to be1 nor that it is free from what some will regard as serious difficulties2 but this much ,i feel can be insisted upon3 ,the evidence establishes the fact of the existence of ancient civilizations in ,america2 that the said civilizations are successive2 that their monuments1 overlay each other1 and are confused by a subsequent period of barbarism2 that the monuments of the chief centers of ,american civilizations are found where the ,book of ,mormon requires them to be located2 that the traditions of the native ,americans concerning ancient ,bible facts1 such as relate to the creation1 the flood1 the ,tower of ,babel1 and the dispersion of mankind1 etc41 sustain the likelihood of the forefathers of our ,american aborigines1 in very ancient times1 being cognizant of such facts either by personal contact with them1 or by having a knowledge of them through the ,hebrew scriptures1 or perhaps through both means4 ,all this is in harmony with what the ,book of ,mormon makes known concerning the ,jaredite and ,nephite peoples2 for the forefathers of the former people were in personal contact with the building of ,babel1 the confusion of languages and the dispersion of mankind2 while the ,nephites had knowledge of these and many other ancient historical facts through the ,hebrew scriptures which they brought with them to ,america4 ,the evidences presented also disclose the fact that the native ,american traditions preserve the leading historical events of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,that is1 the facts of the ,jaredite and ,nephite migrations2 of the intercontinental movements of ,book of ,mormon peoples2 of the advent and character of ,messiah1 and his ministrations among the people2 of the signs of his birth and of his death2 of the fact of the ,hebrew origin and unity of the race4 ,all these facts so strong in the support of the claims of the ,book of ,mormon--whatever else of confusion may exist in ,american antiquities--,i feel sure can not be moved4 ,it should be remembered1 in this connection1 that it is not insisted upon in these pages that the evidences which ,american antiquities afford are absolute proofs of the claims of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,i go no further than to say there is a tendency of external proof in them2 and when this tendency of proof is united with the positive1 direct external testimony which ,god has provided in those ,witnesses that he himself has ordained to establish the truth of the ,book of ,mormon1 the ,three ,witnesses and the ,eight1 this tendency of proof becomes very strong1 and is worthy of most serious attention on the part of those who would investigate the claims of this ,american volume of scripture4 ,footnotes #a4 ,there were slain of the ,nephites alone #bcj1jjj2 see ,mosiah vi3 #aj-ae4 #b4 ,i quote from the #ahch edition4 ,mr4 ,josiah ,priest's work1 ,american ,antiquities1 first edition1 was published ,a4 ,d4 #ahcc1 three years after the publication of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,see ,charles ,tompson's ,evidence and ,proof of the ,book of ,mormon1 also ,i4 ,woodbridge ,riley's ,founder of ,mormonism1 page #abf1 where in foot note #cb he says of ,priest's work3 the first edition appeared in #ahcc1 two other editions followed in that year4 #c4 ,the hill here described near the junction of the ,susquehannah and ,chemung river is about ninety-five miles in a direct line southeast of ,cumorah4 #d4 ,onondaga1 about fifty-five miles due east of ,cumorah4 #e4 ,auburn1 thirty miles east of ,cumorah4 #f4 ,the lakes ,cayuga1 ,seneca and ,oneida1 as is well known1 lie a little to the south and east of ,cumorah4 ,ontraio is a short distance to the north and ,erie to the west4 #g4 ,sixty miles east of ,cumorah4 #h4 ,from this showing1 then1 there can be no objection to saying that the glass vessel was of ,jaredite origin4 ,in describing how the brother of ,jared melted from the rock sixteen small stones it is said they were white and clear even as transparent glass of which the late ,orson ,pratt in a foot note says3 ,from this it is evident that the art of making glass was known at that early period4 ,ether iii3 #a1 and note a4 #i4 ,the absence of traditions among the natives concerning these monuments rather inclines one to the belief that they must have been earlier than any possible ,scandinavian occupancy of the country4 #aj4 ,scipio in ,cayuga country1 about forty-five miles east of ,cumorah4 #aa4 ,american ,antiquities1 pp4 #bei1 #bfj1 #bfa1 #bfb4 #ab4 ,pompey between sixty and seventy miles east of ,cumorah4 #ac4 ,less than fifty miles east of ,cumorah4 #ad4 ,canandaigua1 some ten or twelve miles south of ,cumorah4 #ae4 ,both bodies of water but a short distance from ,cumorah4 #af4 ,less than seventy miles northwest from ,cumorah4 #ag4 ,the desperate ferocity of ,nephite and ,lamanite as described in the ,book of ,mormon is as good and even better explanation of the infinite butcheries here alluded to4 ,see this volume1 pp4 #gd-gf1 for description of this ferocity4 #ah4 ,less than one hundred miles due west from ,cumorah4 #ai4 ,the southern shore of lake ,ontario runs due east and west about ten to twelve miles north of ,cumorah for a distance of one hundred miles4 #bj4 ,was this convulsion in nature which changed the shore along lake ,ontraio connected with those mighty cataclysms which shook the continent during the crucifixion of ,messiah8 #ba4 ,american ,antiquities1 ,josiah ,priest1 pp4 #cbd1 #cbg1 #cbh4 #bb4 ,enos i3 #bj4 #bc4 ,jarom i3 #f4 #bd4 ,native ,races1 ,bancroft1 ,vol4 ,,ii41 p4 #cdd4 #be4 ,mormon iv3 #ad1 #ae4 #bf4 ,mormon iv3 #ba4 #bg4 ,moroni ix3 #e4 #bh4 ,moroni ix3 #h4 #bi4 ,moroni ix3 #aj4 #cj4 ,conquest of ,mexico1 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #gc4 #ca4 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,,ii41 pp4 #caj1 #caa4 #cb4 ,conquest of ,mexico1 ,prescott1 ,vol4 ,i41 pp4 #ed1 #fc1 #ge1 #gf4 #cc4 ,alma xxiv3 #af-ah4 #cd4 ,alma lxiii3 #e1 #f4 #ce4 ,alma lxiii3 #h4 #cf4 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,v41 pp4 #ebi1 #ecj4 #cg4 ,pre-,historic ,america1 pp4 #fd1 #fe4 #ch4 ,those who followed ,nephi were called ,nephites2 those who followed ,laman1 ,lamanites2 ,zoram1 ,zoramites1 the people of ,jared1 ,jaredites2 and so on throughout the ,book of ,mormon4 #ci4 ,see ,vol4 ,i41 pp4 #afg1 #afh and note4 #dj4 ,bancroft1 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,i41 pp4 #bj-ba4 #da4 ,the ,american ,race1 ,daniel ,g4 ,brinton1 pp4 #da1 #dc1 #dd1 #de1 #ee1 #ef4 #db4 ,pre-,historic ,america1 pp4 #e1 #f4 #dc4 ,the remark of ,mr4 ,wilson against the probability of colonies from different ,european nations at different times having established colonies in ,america may raise the question for a moment1 ,is not such a contention against the ,book of ,mormon theory of the origin of ,american peoples1 since that book distinctly accounts for the peopling of ,america by migration of colonies1 from the eastern hemisphere8 ,the seeming difficulty is overcome at once when it is remembered that the several colonies of the ,book of ,mormon migrations are all of one race4 ,lehi's colony was made up of two families and the man ,zoram1 servant of ,laban4 ,lehi1 it is well know1 was an ,israelite of the tribe of ,manasseh2 ,ishmael1 the head of the other family1 was an ,israelite of the tribe of ,ephraim4 ,zoram was an ,israelite1 but his tribe is unknown4 ,mulek's colony were undoubtedly ,jews4 ,so that from the repeopling of ,america after the destruction of the ,jaredites early in the sixth century ,b4 ,c4--so far as ,book of ,mormon migrations are concerned--the colonies were all of one race4 ,and we have also seen that even the ,jaredites were an earlier branch of the same race4 #dd4 ,history of the ,united ,states 7,marcus ,wilson7 ,book ,i chapter iii4 ,,chapter ,,xxxv ,,external ,,evidences 7,,continued47--,,evidence ,,of ,,the ,,bible4 ,i4 ,the ,place of the ,patriarch ,joseph in ,israel4--,the ,promises to ,him and ,his ,seed4 ,it is no part of my purpose to deal at length with any argument that may be based upon ,bible evidences to the truth of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,that field is already occupied by others4 ,indeed from the commencement it has been one of the chief sources drawn upon by the ,elders of the ,church in proof of the claims of the ,book of ,mormon4 #a ,i shall treat that evidence1 however1 in merely an incidental way1 and as deriving its importance chiefly from the circumstances of its blending in with the enlarged and general scheme of things pertaining to ,israel1 and the work of ,messiah brought to light by the ,book of ,mormon4 ,in pursuance of this treatment ,i call attention to the blessing of ,jacob upon the head of his grand sons1 ,ephraim and ,manasseh4 ,it should be remembered that to ,joseph1 the son of ,jacob1 a double portion of honor was granted in ,israel4 ,while no tribe is especially called by his name1 yet two tribes are his through his sons1 viz41 the tribe of ,ephraim and the tribe of ,manasseh4 ,this came about in the following manner3 ,reuben1 the first born of ,jacob1 defiled his father's wife1 ,bilhah4 ,for which awful crime he lost his place as a prince in the house of ,israel1 which place was given indirectly to ,joseph4 ,why ,i say indirectly1 is because ,ephraim1 ,joseph's younger son1 was the one who received the blessing of the first born1 and was placed as the first of the tribes of ,israel4 ,it is for this reason that the ,lord was wont to say1 ,i am a ,father to ,israel1 and ,ephraim is my first born4 #b ,in proof of the things here set forth ,i quote the following3 ,now the sons of ,reuben1 the first born of ,israel1 7for he was the firstborn2 but1 forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed1 his birthright was given unto the sons of ,joseph1 the son of ,israel3 and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright4 ,for ,judah prevailed above his brethren1 and of him came the chief ruler1 but the birthright was ,joseph's4 #c ,that is1 not after the natural birthright1 but after the birthright appointment made by the patriarch ,jacob to ,ephraim4 ,ephraim1 then1 will take the place of ,reuben--the place of the firstborn4 ,but there was also a tribe of ,manasseh in ,israel1 as well as of ,ephraim1 and thus was a double portion given unto ,joseph in that from him are two tribes in ,israel4 ,and now as to further blessings conferred upon ,joseph and his sons4 ,when ,jacob and his son ,joseph were restored to each other in ,egypt1 the old patriarch rejoiced to see the two sons of ,joseph1 ,ephraim and ,manasseh--and now the ,bible narrative3 ,and ,joseph brought them out from between his knees1 and he bowed himself with his face to the earth4 ,and ,joseph took them both1 ,ephraim in his right hand toward ,israel's left hand1 and ,manasseh in his left hand towards ,israel's right hand1 and brought them near unto him4 ,and ,israel stretched out his right hand1 and laid it upon ,ephraim's head1 who was the younger1 and his left hand upon ,manasseh's head1 guiding his hands wittingly2 for ,manasseh was the firstborn4 ,and he blessed ,joseph1 and said1 ,god1 before whom my fathers ,abraham and ,isaac did walk1 the ,god which fed me all my life long unto this day1 the angel which redeemed me from all evil1 bless the lads and let my name be named on them1 and the name of my fathers ,abraham and ,isaac2 and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth4 ,and when ,joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of ,ephraim1 it displeased him2 and he held up his father's hand1 to remove it from ,ephraim's head unto ,manasseh's head4 ,and ,joseph said unto his father1 ,not so1 my father2 for this is the firstborn2 put thy right hand upon his head4 ,and his father refused1 and said1 ,i know it1 my son1 ,i know it2 he also shall become a people1 and he also shall be great3 but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he1 and his seed shall become a multitude of nations4 ,and he blessed them that day1 saying1 ,in thee shall ,israel bless1 saying1 ,god make thee as ,ephraim and as ,manasseh3 and he set ,ephraim before ,manasseh4 #d ,again when the patriarch ,jacob gave his final blessing to his sons1 of ,joseph he said3 ,joseph is a fruitful bough1 even a fruitful bough by a well2 whose branches run over the wall3 ,the archers have sorely grieved him1 and shot at him1 and hated him3 but his bow abode in strength1 and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mightily ,god of ,jacob2 7from thence is the shepherd1 the stone of ,israel73 ,even by the ,god of thy father1 who shall help thee2 and by the ,almighty1 who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above1 blessings of the deep that lieth under1 blessings of the breasts1 and of the womb2 the blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills3 they shall be on the head of ,joseph1 and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren4 #e ,moses also seems to have been impressed with the idea that ,joseph was to receive a portion above his brethren2 for in blessing the tribes of ,israel1 when coming to ,joseph1 he said3 ,blessed of the ,lord be his land1 for the precious things of heaven1 for the dew1 and for the deep that coucheth beneath1 and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun1 and for the precious things put forth by the moon1 and for the chief things of the ancient mountains1 and for the precious things of the lasting hills1 and for the precious things of the earth and fullness thereof1 and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush3 let the blessing come upon the head of ,joseph1 and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren4 ,his glory is like the firstling of his bullock1 and his horns are like the horns of unicorns3 with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth3 and they are the ten thousands of ,ephraim1 and they are the thousands of ,manasseh4 #f ,a comparison of the blessings of the other tribes with the blessings of ,joseph's will convince him who makes it how much greater are to be the blessings of ,joseph than those of his brethren1 especially in respect of the extent and the fruitfulness of the lands that his descendants shall occupy4 ,furthermore1 in view of all that is said in these prophetic utterances1 there can be no question but what the descendants of ,joseph1 the tribes of ,ephraim and ,manasseh1 are to be very prominent in the affairs of ,israel and take an important part in ,god's great drama in which he will work out the restoration of his people1 ,israel1 and the redemption of the world4 ,summarizing these prophetic blessings we may say1 that to the tribe of ,ephraim is given the place and honor of the first born in ,israel2 that to him pertains the pushing of the people together--,ephraim's part in the gathering of ,israel in the last days2 that the seed of ,manasseh is to become a great people1 while ,ephraim is to become a multitude of nations--greater than ,manasseh1 as is becoming to the tribe of the first born--they are the ten thousands of ,ephraim1 and they are the thousands of ,manasseh2 that the land possessed by ,joseph's posterity is to be peculiarly great and fruitful1 blessed with the precious things of heaven1 with the precious fruits brought forth by the sun1 for the chief things of the ancient mountains1 for the precious things of the lasting hills1 and for the precious things of the earth and the fullness thereof2 that ,joseph is as a fruitful bough whose branches run over the wall 7i4 e41 his possessions extend in some way beyond the recognized boundaries of ,israel's ,palestine inheritance72 that ,joseph's arms and hands shall be made strong by the hands of the mighty ,god of ,jacob2 that the ,god of ,israel shall help ,joseph and bless him with the blessings of heaven above1 of the deep1 of the breasts1 and of the womb 7i4 e41 he shall be blessed in his posterity72 that the blessings of ,jacob had prevailed above the blessings of his progenitors1 unto the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills1 7perhaps a greater territorial inheritance72 that these blessings of ,jacob which had prevailed above 7i4 e41 exceeded7 the blessings of his progenitors1 should be realized by ,joseph4 ,these are the promises of ,god to ,joseph4 ,but where are the evidences either from the ,bible history or from secular history that the descendants of ,joseph have ever attained to the fulfillment of these very gracious and very remarkable promises8 ,as a matter of fact are not ,joseph's tribes and descendants practically lost in ,israel1 so far as any knowledge is obtainable from the ,bible1 or other ,hebrew literature1 or general history8 ,the tribe of ,judah became the dominating power in the history of ,israel in ,palestine1 and is the only tribe in ,israel that has retained any distinctive existence in modern times4 ,what1 then1 have the promises of ,god to ,joseph1 uttered by ,jacob1 in his inspired patriarchal blessings1 and solemnly repeated by the great prophet ,moses1 failed of their fulfillment8 ,if not1 where is the evidence of their fulfillment8 ,it is not to be found unless men turn to and receive it from ,joseph's record1 the ,book of ,mormon4 ,but the ,book of ,mormon once accepted--a book that is a history1 in the main1 of the descendants of ,joseph1 #g behold what a fulfilment of the prophetic blessings upon ,joseph's seed is there revealed6 ,here in ,america ,joseph's descendants indeed became a multitude of nations2 here1 indeed1 they possessed a land blessed with the precious things of heaven1 for through ,nephite prophets was made known the mind and will of ,god1 the coming of ,messiah1 and the redemption of man that should be wrought out by ,him2 nay1 the ,son of ,god1 in person1 came in his glorious resurrected state and taught them at first hand and face to face the great things concerning man's salvation2 inspired apostles took up the same great theme and for centuries held a great people closely to the path of both truth and righteousness1 until the harvest of souls in ,america exceeded such harvests among any other people whatsoever4 ,in ,america ,joseph's descendants indeed possessed a land noted for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun1 and for the chief things of the ancient mountains1 and for the precious things of the lasting hills--the gold1 the silver1 the iron1 the coal fields1 the oil fields1 and all things else of which the mountains and hills of ,america yield their rich store2 a land noted for the precious things of the earth and the fullness thereof--a land embracing all the climates from earth's torrid equatorial regions1 thence shading off both toward the north and the south through temperate climates into the frigid zones2 a land of wonderous wealth in fertile plains and valleys1 and extensive forest tracts2 a land that produces all vegetables and fruits and fiberous growths essential to the feeding and clothing of man2 a land whose grandeur and very beauty holds the senses entranced with its magnificence2 a land sufficient for empires surrounded by fruitful seas2 a land consecrated to free institutions and to righteousness--in a word1 the land of ,joseph4 ,by the descendants of ,joseph migrating to this land1 ,joseph is truly a fruitful bough1 even a fruitful bough by a well whose branches run over the wall2 and while his descendants in this land had their varied fortunes1 dark days in which sin1 both individual and national1 made dark their annals1 still they had also remarkable periods of righteousness1 during which periods there were added many names to the world's great list of warriors1 statesmen and prophets1 that deserve to be remembered with the world's greatest and best characters4 ,of warriors1 such names as ,alma1 #h ,moroni1 the hero of the ,nephite republic #i 7#ajj ,b4 ,c4 #ef ,b4 ,c471 ,mormon1 ,helaman1 ,teancum2 and though engaged in a bad cause1 ,amlici and ,amalickiah1 and many others among the ,lamanites4 ,of statesmen such names as the first ,nephi1 ,king ,benjamin1 ,mosiah ,,ii1 ,alma the younger1 ,nephihah1 and ,pahoran4 ,of the prophets1 ,lehi1 the first ,nephi1 ,jacob1 ,mosiah ,i1 ,abinadi1 ,ammon1 the son of ,mosiah1 ,alma the elder1 also ,alma the younger1 ,samuel1 the ,lamanite1 ,nephi1 the son of ,helaman 7last half of the century preceding the ,christian era71 ,nephi1 the chief of ,messiah's apostles1 ,mormon1 the author of the abridged record known as the ,book of ,mormon1 ,moroni1 the son of ,mormon1 and others4 ,joseph's descendants in ,america established and maintained for a thousand years what may be properly called a ,christian civilization2 for1 instructed by their prophets during the six hundred years that they occupied the land of ,america1 preceding the coming of ,messiah1 they believed implicitly in the ,christ that was to come1 and looked forward to the redemption of the human race through his atonement1 holding the reasonable view that there was as much virtue in looking forward to the atonement of ,christ and accepting in their faith his redeeming power1 as looking back upon it would have after it had become an accomplished fact #aj ,for four centuries following the advent of ,christ the ,nephites had1 of course1 the evidence of his appearing among them and his personal instructions in the gospel1 which affected the character of their civilization4 ,during the time range mentioned1 kingdoms1 republics and ,christian ecclesiastical governments obtained4 ,such science and arts as might naturally develop from a colony of enlightened ,hebrews migrating from ,palestine to ,america six hundred years ,b4 ,c41 flourished2 and the ruined monuments of civilization seen in ,america were reared in part by their hands2 the extent of these monuments of civilization1 and the degree of civilization they represent are questions that have already been considered4 #aa ,the ,book of ,mormon is also big with the promise of future events concerning the redemption and glorification of the descendants of ,joseph in this promised land of ,america--the land of ,joseph1 for so it is declared to be by the ,lord ,jesus himself4 ,addressing the twelve disciples whom he had called to the ministry in the western world he said3 ,ye are my disciples2 and ye are a light unto this people1 who are a remnant of the house of ,joseph4 ,and behold1 this is the land of your inheritance2 and the ,father hath given it unto you4 #ab ,the ,book of ,mormon makes known the fact that upon this land of ,joseph is to be founded a great city called ,zion1 or a ,new ,jerusalem4 ,the risen ,messiah1 while still teaching the gospel in person to the ,nephites1 and speaking upon this subject1 said3 ,and it shall come to pass that ,i will establish my people1 ,o house of ,israel4 ,and behold1 this people will ,i establish in this land1 referring to the continents of ,america1 unto the fulfilling of the covenant which ,i made with your father ,jacob2 and it shall be a ,new ,jerusalem4 ,and the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people2 yea1 even ,i will be in the midst of you4 #ac ,continuing his discourse he said3 ,for it shall come to pass1 saith the ,father1 that at that day whosoever will not repent and come unto my beloved ,son1 them will ,i cut off from among my people1 ,o house of ,israel2 and ,i will execute vengeance and fury upon them1 even as upon the heathen1 such as they have not heard4 ,but if they repent1 and hearken unto my words1 they shall come in unto the covenant1 and be numbered among this the remnant of ,jacob1 unto whom ,i have given this land for their inheritance1 and they shall assist my people1 the remnant of ,jacob1 and also1 as many of the house of ,israel as shall come1 that they may build a city1 which shall be called the ,new ,jerusalem2 and then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in1 who are scattered upon all the face of the land1 in unto the ,new ,jerusalem4 ,and then shall the power of heaven come down among them2 and ,i will also be in their midst4 #ad ,moroni1 however1 is still more explicit4 ,he represents that the ,jaredite prophet ,ether saw the days of ,christ1 and he spake concerning a new ,jerusalem upon the land of ,america4 ,and he spake also concerning the house of ,israel1 and the ,jerusalem from whence ,lehi should come2 after it should be destroyed1 it should be built up again a holy city unto the ,lord1 wherefore it could not be a ,new ,jerusalem1 for it had been in a time of old1 but it should be built up again1 and become a holy city of the ,lord2 and it should be built unto the house of ,israel2 and that a ,new ,jerusalem should be built up upon this land1 unto the remnant of the seed of ,joseph1 for which things there has been a type2 for as ,joseph brought his father down into the land of ,egypt1 even so he died there2 wherefore the ,lord brought a remnant of the seed of ,joseph out of the land of ,jerusalem1 that he might be merciful unto the seed of ,joseph1 that they should perish not1 even as he was merciful unto the father of ,joseph1 that he should perish not2 wherefore the remnant of the house of ,joseph shall be built upon this land2 and it shall be a land of their inheritance2 and they shall build up a holy city unto the ,lord1 like unto the ,jerusalem of old2 and they shall no more be confounded1 until the end come1 when the earth shall pass away4 #ae ,the continents of ,america1 then1 according to this passage1 are the inheritance of ,joseph1 and here a holy city is to be built unto the ,lord that shall be the capital of the western world1 a ,new ,jerusalem--,zion4 ,this city is to be founded and glorified by the multitudinous descendants of ,joseph1 who will be gathered into the land1 and also those who will unite with them in righteousness--in so great a work--especially the ,gentile races2 and together they shall be established in peaceful possession of the land to the end of the world4 ,the exaltation and glory of this predicted future empire for the descendants of ,joseph and the ,gentile races--the grandeur of its civilization and the security of its righteousness2 the brilliancy of its achievements2 the excellence of its physical comforts and the beauty and simplicity of both its individual and community life1 may not yet be apprehended1 though they may be partly seen in the light of modern civilized life2 sufficiently seen by aid of that light to establish confidence that realization will outrun the dreams of the ancient prophets1 all glorious as they seem4 ,the ,book of ,mormon throughout is true to this ,josephic idea2 it is impregnated with it4 ,joseph is the central figure throughout4 ,his spirit runs through the whole scheme of the book4 ,we learn from the ,book of ,mormon of a great ,seer that is to arise from among the descendants of this ,patriarch ,joseph1 to bring forth the word of the ,lord to them1 a thing quite in keeping with the important part to be taken by ,joseph and his seed in the affairs of the western world in the last days4 ,the matter is mentioned by ,lehi in connection with a blessing he was giving his own son ,joseph1 born to him while in the wilderness1 enroute from ,palestine to ,america3 ,and now1 ,joseph1 my last born1 whom ,i have brought out of the wilderness of mine afflictions1 may the ,lord bless thee forever1 for thy seed shall not utterly be destroyed4 ,for behold1 thou art the fruit of my loins2 and ,i am a descendant of ,joseph1 who was carried captive into ,egypt4 ,and great were the covenants of the ,lord1 which he made unto ,joseph2 wherefore1 ,joseph truly saw our day4 ,and he obtained a promise of the ,lord1 that out of the fruit of his loins1 the ,lord ,god would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of ,israel2 not the ,messiah1 but a branch which was to be broken off2 nevertheless to be remembered in the covenants of the ,lord1 that the ,messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days1 in the spirit of power1 unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light2 yea1 out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto freedom4 ,for ,joseph truly testified1 saying3 a ,seer shall the ,lord my ,god raise up1 who shall be a choice ,seer unto the fruit of my loins4 ,yea1 ,joseph truly said1 ,thus saith the ,lord unto me3 ,a choice ,seer will ,i raise up out of the fruit of thy loins2 and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins4 ,and unto him will ,i give commandment1 that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins1 his brethren1 which shall be of great worth unto them1 even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which ,i have made with thy fathers4 ,and ,i will give unto him a commandment1 that he shall do none other work1 save the work which ,i shall command him4 ,and ,i will make him great in mine eyes2 for he shall do my work4 ,and he shall be great like unto ,moses1 whom ,i have said ,i would raise up unto you1 to deliver my people1 ,o house of ,israel4 ,and ,moses will ,i raise up out of the fruit of thy loins2 and unto him will ,i give power to bring forth my word unto the seed of thy loins2 and not to the bringing forth my word only1 saith the ,lord1 but to the convincing them of my word1 which shall have already gone forth among them4 ,wherefore1 the fruit of thy loins shall write2 and the fruit of the loins of ,judah shall write2 and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins1 and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of ,judah1 shall grow together1 unto the confounding of false doctrines1 and laying down of contentions1 and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins1 and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days2 and also to the knowledge of my covenants1 saith the ,lord4 ,and out of weakness he shall be made strong1 in that day when my work shall commence among all my people1 unto the restoring thee1 ,o house of ,israel1 saith the ,lord4 ,and thus prophesied ,joseph1 saying3 ,behold1 that ,seer will the ,lord bless2 and they1 that seek to destroy him1 shall be confounded2 for this promise1 which ,i have obtained of the ,lord1 of the fruit of my loins1 shall be fulfilled4 ,behold1 ,i am sure of the fulfilling of this promise4 ,and his name shall be called after me2 and it shall be after the name of his father4 ,and he shall be like unto me2 for the things which the ,lord shall bring forth by his hand1 by the power of the ,lord shall bring forth my people unto salvation4 #af ,the reader will observe that this ancient prophecy is fulfilled in the person of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 who1 both in his name1 his character and his work1 meets completely the terms of the prophecy4 #ag ,one other matter in connection with the ,patriarch ,joseph ,i would mention1 insignificant perhaps in comparison of the greater things we have been considering1 yet really important for that it is made up of those details so apt to be overlooked by an imposter who would attempt to palm off upon the world1 as a revelation1 such a work as the ,book of ,mormon4 ,it will be remembered that after ,lehi's colony had journeyed some days in the wilderness1 the prophet-leader sent his sons back to ,jerusalem to obtain a copy of the ,hebrew scriptures1 and the genealogies of his fathers4 ,this copy of the scriptures and genealogies the sons of ,lehi obtained from one ,laban1 a man evidently of some considerable influence in ,jerusalem4 ,this record was written in ,egyptian characters4 ,and now to the point where these facts touch the ,josephic idea of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,joseph1 it must be remembered1 attained the position of a prince in ,egypt1 when that nation was doubtless the first political power of the world1 and in the kingdom was made second only to the ,pharaoh himself1 so that he was a man of very high dignity1 a fact not likely to be forgotten by his posterity4 ,he unquestionably was deeply learned in all things ,egyptian1 including the written language1 most likely that form of it called the hieratic1--which1 as well as the old hieroglyphics1 was used in the ,egyptian sacerdotal style of writing4 ,i think ,i am justified in the conclusion that ,joseph was learned in this writing since he took to wife ,asenath1 daughter of the high priest of ,heliopolis1 or ,on1 and thus became closely associated with1 if not actually identified with1 the priestly caste of ,egypt4 ,the deeply religious character of the ,patriarch and of his race would also naturally interest him in the religious lore of so profoundly a religious country as ,egypt4 ,is it not possible that these facts would be an incentive to his posterity to keep alive among them this ,egyptian learning of their great ancestor8 ,to ,joseph1 be it remembered1 was given the birthright in ,israel1 through ,ephraim4 ,laban1 of whom the sons of ,lehi obtained the ,egyptian records1 was a descendant of ,joseph1 #ah doubtless in line of the elder sons since he kept the genealogies and also this ,egyptian copy of the holy writings4 ,lehi was an ,egyptian scholar #ai and was enabled to read this version of the ,hebrew scriptures and his genealogy recorded in ,egyptian characters4 ,this ,egyptian record became the foundation of ,nephite sacred literature1 that is1 for the most part1 their sacred records were engraven in ,egyptian characters1 modified somewhat by them and called the reformed ,egyptian4 #bj ,let us consider these facts in condensed and succinct form3-- 7#a7 ,joseph1 son of ,jacob1 he becomes a prince in ,egypt1 marries a daughter of the prince ,on1 doubtless becomes learned in ,egyptian lore4 7#b7 ,undoubtedly these facts would prove an incentive to his posterity to perpetuate among them the ,egyptian learning of their great ancestor4 7#c7 ,to ,joseph is given the birthright in ,israel through his younger son1 ,ephraim4 7#d7 ,laban1 of whom the sons of ,lehi obtained the ,egyptian copy of the ,hebrew scriptures and genealogies was a descendant of ,joseph1 doubtless in the line of the elder sons since he kept the genealogies and the ,egyptian copy of the holy writings4 7#e7 ,lehi is an ,egyptian scholar and is able to read this version of the ,hebrew scriptures4 7#f7 ,this ,egyptian copy of the ,hebrew scriptures becomes the foundation of the ,nephite literature4 ,thus we have a series of facts that coalesce remarkably with the claims made for the ,nephite record1 that it was written in reformed1 that is1 changed1 ,egyptian character1 yet these circumstances are only mentioned in an obscure1 incidental way4 ,they would never be worked out by an imposter2 and were never referred to by ,joseph ,smith or any of his immediate associates as being valuable evidences in support of the claims of the book4 ,i cannot help thinking1 however1 that they are so1 and for that reason call attention to them here4 ,,ii4 ,the prophecies of ,isaiah on the ,coming ,forth of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,in the ,book of ,isaiah's prophecy is found the following remarkable prediction3 ,stay yourselves1 and wonder2 cry ye out1 and cry3 they are drunken but not with wine2 they stagger1 but not with strong drink4 ,for the ,lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep1 and hath closed your eyes3 the prophets and your rulers1 the seers hath he covered4 ,and the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed1 which men deliver to one that is learned1 saying1 ,read this1 ,i pray thee3 and he saith1 ,i cannot2 for it is sealed3 and the book is delivered to him that is not leaned1 saying1 ,read this1 ,i pray thee2 and he saith1 ,i am not learned4 ,wherefore the ,lord said1 ,forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth1 and with their lips do honor me1 but have removed their hearts far from me1 and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men3 therefore1 behold1 ,i will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people1 even a marvelous work and a wonder3 for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish1 and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid4 ,woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the ,lord1 and their works are in the dark1 and they say1 ,who seeth us8 and who knoweth us8 ,surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay3 for shall the work say of him that made it1 ,he made me not8 or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it1 ,he had not understanding8 ,is it not yet a very little while1 and ,lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field1 and the fruitful field shall be a forest8 ,and in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book1 and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity1 and out of darkness4 ,the meek also shall increase their joy in the ,lord1 and the poor among men shall rejoice in the ,holy ,one of ,israel4 ,for the terrible one is brought to naught1 and the scorner is consumed1 and all that watch for iniquity are cut off3 that make a man an offender for a word1 and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate1 and turn aside the just for a thing of naught4 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord1 who redeemed ,abraham1 concerning the house of ,jacob1 ,jacob shall not now be ashamed1 neither shall his face now wax pale4 ,but when he seeth his children1 the work of mine hands1 in the midst of him1 they shall sanctify my name1 and sanctify the ,holy ,one of ,jacob1 and shall fear the ,god of ,israel4 ,they also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding1 and they that murmured shall learn doctrine4 #ba ,in the ,book of ,mormon we have a ,nephite version of this prophecy taken from the writings of ,isaiah which1 it will be remembered1 were included in those scriptures which ,lehi's colony brought from ,jerusalem4 ,the first ,nephi applies this prophecy to the record of his own people1 the ,book of ,mormon1 and the circumstance attendant upon its coming forth in the last days2 all of which will be found in the #bgth chapter of second ,nephi4 ,in the ,nephite version of the prophecy it is made clear that the reasons for keeping the original book from the world is the fact that a portion of it was sealed4 ,the opening verses of the #bgth chapter of ,,ii ,nephi shift the scene of this prophecy to the land inhabited by the ,nephites1 that is1 to ,america1 and describes the spiritual darkness both in that land and in all the nations of the earth1 after which the record says3 ,and it shall come to pass1 that the ,lord shall bring forth unto you the words of a book1 and they shall be the words of them which have slumbered4 ,and behold the book shall be sealed3 and in the book shall be a revelation from ,god1 from the beginning of the world to the end thereof4 ,wherefore1 because of the things which are sealed up1 the things which are sealed shall not be delivered in the day of the wickedness and abominations of the people4 ,wherefore the book shall be kept from them4 ,but the book shall be delivered unto a man1 and he shall deliver the words of the book1 which are the words of those who have slumbered in the dust2 and he shall deliver these words unto another2 but the words which are sealed he shall not deliver1 neither shall he deliver the book4 ,for the book shall be sealed by the power of ,god1 and the revelation which was sealed shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the ,lord1 that they may come forth2 for behold1 they reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof4 ,and the day cometh that the words of the book which are sealed shall be read upon the house tops2 and they shall be read by the power of ,christ3 and all things shall be revealed unto the children of men1 and which ever will be1 even unto the end of the earth4 #bb ,then follows the declaration that there shall be ,three ,special ,witnesses to behold the book by the power of ,god1 and a ,few other ,witnesses that shall view it according to the will of ,god4 ,following the description of the coming forth of this book is a description also of the spiritual awakening among men in much the same order and phraseology as the latter part of ,isaiah's prophecy4 ,of course this prophecy was fulfilled in the several events we have already noted which resulted in the coming forth of the ,book of ,mormon and the accompanying testimony of the ,witnesses thereof4 #bc ,that is to say1 it was fulfilled in the ,nephite record being brought forth1 after so many ages1 and becoming1 to those who receive it1 as the words of those who have slumbered--the speech out of the ground--the familiar voice from the dust2 by ,joseph ,smith and ,martin ,harris delivering the transcript of characters from the ,nephite record to ,dr4 ,samuel ,mitchell and ,professor ,anthon1 the words of the book that was sealed were delivered by men to those that were learned1 saying1 read this1 ,i pray you2 by the answer of these learned men to the effect--mockingly1 on incidentally learning that the book was sealed--that they could not read a sealed book2 by the book being delivered to the one that was not learned1 ,joseph ,smith1 who marveled that one not learned should be required to translate the book2 by the ,lord disdaining those who draw near to him with their mouths1 and with their lips honored him1 while their hearts were far removed from him1 and their fear toward him was taught by the precepts of men2 by the ,lord proceeding to do a marvelous work and a wonder1 by which the wisdom of the world's wise men became as naught2 by exalting the wisdom of ,god above the wisdom of men2 by making the deaf to hear the words of the book1 and the eyes of the blind to see out of obscurity2 by increasing the joy of the meek in the ,lord1 and making the poor among men to rejoice in the ,holy ,one of ,israel2 by expressing his scorn for those who make a man an offender for a word--7does he have in mind those who would reject the ,book of ,mormon because of the imperfections of its language872 by declaring the speedy redemption of the ,house of ,israel--by the return of the favor of the ,lord to ,jacob1 whose face shall no more wax pale2 by making those who erred in spirit come to understanding1 and they that murmured to learning doctrine--all of which events have followed or are in process of developing as a sequence to the coming forth of this ,american volume of scripture1 the record of ,joseph1 by which the world is being enlightened upon the enlarged glory of ,israel1 both passed and that which is yet to be4 ,the great difficulty concerning this prophecy being made to apply to the ,nephite record and its coming forth will be in the transference of its scenes from ,palestine to ,america4 ,the opening verse of the chapter begins with a reference to ,jerusalem3 ,woe to ,ariel1 to ,ariel1 the city where ,david dwelt6 add ye year to year2 let them kill sacrifices4 ,yet ,i will distress ,ariel1 and there shall be heaviness and sorrow4 #bd ,ariel1 the city where ,david dwelt1 too plainly designates ,jerusalem to admit of any doubt2 and it would seem that all that immediately follows would be related to ,david's city1 ,jerusalem1 that is1 the siege--the destruction--the humiliation--the speaking low out of the dust--the terrible ones that shall become as chaff--and the destruction that shall come upon those nations that fight against ,ariel--all this1 ,i say1 at first glance seems to relate to ,jerusalem1 or ,ariel1 and makes the transference of the remaining prophetic parts of the chapter to ,america and the coming forth of the ,nephite record somewhat difficult4 ,still1 in the second verse of the chapter there is a sudden transition from ,ariel to another place that shall be unto the ,lord as ,ariel2 and on this point the late ,orson ,pratt was wont to say3 ,the prophet ,isaiah predicts1 first1 the distress that should come upon ,ariel1 and1 secondly1 predicts another event that should be unto the ,lord as ,ariel4 ,this last event is expressed in these words1 ,and it shall be unto me ,,as ,ariel4 ,how was it with ,ariel8 ,her people was to be distressed and afflicted with heaviness and sorrow4 ,how was it to be with the people or nations who should be as ,ariel1 is clearly portrayed in the #crd and #dth verses3 ,and ,i will camp against thee round about1 and will lay siege against thee with a mount1 and ,i will raise forts against thee2 and thou shalt be brought down1 and shalt speak out of the ground1 and thy speech shall be low out of the dust1 and thy voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar spirit1 out of the ground1 and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust4 ,now1 we ask1 ,what nation upon the earth has been visited with a distress resembling that of ,ariel or ,jerusalem8 ,we answer that the ,book of ,mormon informs us that the nation of ,nephites who were a remnant of ,joseph inhabited ancient ,america1 were brought down to the ground by their enemies4 ,hundreds of thousands were slaughtered in their terrible wars4 ,their distress truly may be said to be as ,ariel4 ,ariel was sorely distressed from time to time1 and forts and other fortifications raised against her--similar judgments happened to the remnant of ,joseph4 ,isaiah does not say that ,ariel shall speak out of the ground1 but he clearly shows that the nation which should be distressed as ,ariel1 after being brought down1 should speak out of the ground4 ,the words of the prophets of ,jerusalem or ,ariel1 never spoke from the ground1 their speech was never low out of the dust4 ,but the words of the prophets among the remnant of ,joseph have spoken from the ground1 and their written speech has whispered out of the dust4 #be ,to this also may be added the further reflection that the coming forth of the ,nephite record1 the circumstances attendant upon that event1 the results of enlarged knowledge concerning doctrine and the enlightenment of the world concerning ,israel in ,america1 and the future glory that will attend upon the restoration of that ancient people--all this blends with the remaining prophecies of ,issiah's #bith chapter1 and of which1 nowhere else1 have we any account of their fulfillment4 ,we must1 therefore1 say either that these remarkable prophecies of ,isaiah have not yet been fulfilled1 or that they are fulfilled in connection with the experiences of the ,nephites in ,america1 and the coming forth of their abridged scriptures1 the ,book of ,mormon4 ,,iii4 ,the ,prophecy of ,messiah in ,relation to the ,other ,sheep than ,those in ,palestine that ,must ,hear ,his ,voice4 ,in ,st4 ,john's gospel we have the following statement and prophecy from the lips of ,messiah himself3 ,i am the good shepherd1 and know my sheep1 and am known of mine4 ,as the ,father knoweth me1 even so know ,i the ,father2 and ,i lay down my life for the sheep4 ,and other sheep ,i have1 which are not of this fold3 them also ,i must bring1 and they shall hear my voice2 and there shall be one fold1 and one shepherd4 #bf ,the usual explanation of the prophetic part of this passage is that ,jesus here makes reference to the ,gentiles as being the other sheep4 ,one great commentary says3 ,he means the perishing gentiles already his sheep in the love of his heart and the purpose of his grace to bring them in due time4 ,then again the phrase they shall hear my voice is explained to mean3 ,this is not the language of mere foresight that they the ,gentiles would believe1 but the expression of a purpose to draw them to himself by an inward and efficacious call1 which would infallibly issue in their spontaneous accession to him4 #bg ,against this exposition1 however1 there stands out the fact that when ,jesus was importuned by his apostles to heed the prayers of the ,cananitish woman1 in the coasts of ,tyre1 he said to them3 ,i am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the ,house of ,israel4 #bh ,therefore1 when he says in ,john1 ,other sheep ,i have which are not of this fold2 them also ,i must bring and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepherd1 he certainly had reference to some branch of the ,house of ,israel and not to the ,gentiles4 ,when the ,messiah appeared among the ,nephites who1 it will be remembered1 were a branch of the ,house of ,israel1 and a very great branch1 too1 as we have seen since they are descendants of ,joseph1--,messiah declared that it was in that visit to the ,nephites that the terms of his ,new ,testament prophecy were fulfilled4 ,the occasion of his making known this truth to the ,nephites was when he chose the ,twelve ,disciples in the western world1 and gave them their commission4 ,the passage follows3 ,and now it came to pass that when ,jesus had spoken these words1 he said unto those twelve whom he had chosen1 ye are my disciples2 and ye are a light unto this people1 who are a remnant of the house of ,joseph4 ,and behold1 this is the land of your inheritance2 and the ,father hath given it unto you4 ,and not at any time hath the ,father given me commandment that ,i should tell it unto your brethren at ,jerusalem2 neither at any time hath the ,father given me commandment1 that ,i should tell unto them concerning the other tribes of the house of ,israel1 whom the ,father hath led away out of the land4 ,this much did the ,father command me1 that ,i should tell unto them1 that other sheep ,i have1 which are not of this fold2 them also ,i must bring1 and they shall hear my voice2 and there shall be one fold1 and one shepherd4 ,and now because of stiffneckedness and unbelief1 they understood not my word3 therefore ,i was commanded to say no more of the ,father concerning this thing unto them4 ,but1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 that the ,father hath commanded me1 and ,i tell it unto you1 that ye were separated from among them because of their iniquity2 therefore it is because of their iniquity1 that they know not of you4 ,and verily1 ,i say unto you again1 that the other tribes hath the ,father separated from them2 and it is because of their the ,jews' iniquity1 that they knew not of them4 ,and verily1 ,i say unto you1 that ye are they of whom ,i said1 other sheep ,i have which are not of this fold2 them also ,i must bring1 and they shall hear my voice2 and there shall be one fold1 and one shepherd4 #bi ,in view of the fact already pointed out that ,jesus could not have had reference to the ,gentiles in this prophecy concerning other sheep1 ,i may say of this prophecy as ,i did of those in the #bith chapter of ,isaiah1 that either we must say that we have no knowledge of the fulfillment of this very remarkable ,new ,testament prediction1 or else we must say that it had its fulfillment as the ,book of ,mormon teaches1 in the advent and ministry of ,jesus to the branch of the ,house of ,israel in ,america4 ,i have pursued the matter of evidence and argument from the ,jewish scriptures to the truth of the ,book of ,mormon as far as it was my original purpose to do so1 referring those who care to enter more minutely into this branch of the subject to the treatment of other ,elders who have devoted their works to it4 #cj ,footnotes #a4 ,one of the earliest writers in the ,church in support of the claims of the ,book of ,mormon was ,elder ,charles ,thompson4 ,he published a work at ,batavia1 ,n4 ,y41 in #ahda consisting of #bej pages4 ,the title of the book was ,evidences in ,proof of the ,book of ,mormon ,being a ,divinely ,inspired ,record1 ,written by the ,forefathers of the ,natives ,whom we ,call ,indians4 ,it dwells at length on the scripture proofs of the divine authenticity of the book1 the nature of which may be judged from the following statement of what the author expects to prove3 ,in treating on this subject1 ,i shall observe the following order1 viz3 ,i shall first prove by the ,prophets1 that ,god will literally gather ,israel1 the literal seed of ,jacob1 from all nations1 unto their own land1 which ,god gave unto their fathers1 by promise4 ,second3 ,when he shall set his hand to bring to pass this gathering1 he will first lift up an ensign on the mountains for the nations--set up his standard to the people1 and set a sign among them4 ,and then immediately he will commission officers and send them to the nations1 bearing this ensign1 to declare his glory among the ,gentiles1 and to fish out and hunt up ,israel1 and bring them to their own land for an offering unto the ,lord4 ,third3 ,the ensign1 standard1 and sign1 consists of a book--a record of the tribe of ,joseph1 taken by the ,lord and put with the ,bible 7that is1 published to the nations as the ,bible now is74 ,fourth3 ,this record of ,joseph is to come out of the earth in ,america because ,ephraim's seed dwell there4 ,fifth3 ,america is a promised land to ,joseph1 and ,god brought a remnant of his seed here to possess it4 ,sixth3 ,god will make use of men as instruments in bringing this book forth4 ,seventh3 ,this generation is the time when this gathering is to take place2 consequently the time when this book is to come forth4 ,eighth3 ,the ,book of ,mormon is this book1 and the ,elders of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints are the officers commissioned to bear this sign to the nations1 and to declare ,god's glory among the gentiles and gather ,israel4 7,evidences in ,proof of the ,book of ,mormon1 pp4 #g1 #h74 ,the writings of ,elders ,parley ,p4 ,pratt 7who preceded ,elder ,thompson in this field by three or four years71 and ,orson ,pratt upon this subject1 the first in the ,voice of ,warning1 #ahcg2 the second in his work on ,divine ,authenticity of the ,book of ,mormon1 ,england1 #ahej-a1 are too well known to require any summary as their works are still current4 #b4 ,jeremiah xxxi3 #i4 #c4 ,i4 ,chronicles v3 #a1 #b4 #d4 ,genesis xlviii3 #ab-bj4 #e4 ,genesis xlix3 #bb-bf4 #f4 ,deut4 xxxiii3 #ac-ah4 #g4 ,i have already1 at pages #afg-h1 and note1 called attention to the fact that the colony of ,lehi was made up of families from the tribes of ,ephraim and ,manasseh respectively4 ,orson ,pratt also says1 ,the ,american ,indians are partly of the children of ,manasseh though many of them are of ,ephraim through the two sons of ,ishmael who came out of ,jerusalem #fjj ,b4 ,c41 and some of ,judah through the loins of ,david and the kings that reigned over ,jerusalem4 ,pratt's ,works1 pp4 #ib2 see also chapter ,,xxxix and footnotes4 #h4 ,the reason that ,alma1 born late in the second century ,b4 ,c41 is the first one mentioned of the ,nephite warriors is not because he was the first distinguished member of that class among the ,nephites1 but because the secular history of the ,nephites for the first four centuries of their annals was lost through the criminal carelessness of ,martin ,harris when he lost the #aaf pages of manuscript which was the translation of the first part of ,mormon's abridgment of that ,nephite secular history4 ,we have its place occupied by the translation of the ,smaller ,plates of ,nephi which record gives prominence to spiritual things and to spiritual characters4 7,i4 ,nephi xix3 #c1 #d74 ,but as there were brave men before ,aggamemnon1 so also doubtless there were warriors among the ,nephites before ,alma1 but in consequence of not having a translation of the part of the record which dealt with the affairs of government and of wars1 they remain for the present1 unknown to us4 #i4 ,not ,moroni1 the son of ,mormon4 #aj4 ,alma xxxix3 #ag-ai1 ,i4 ,nephi xxv3 #bc-bf1 ,mosiah iii3 #ac4 #aa4 ,chapters xxvi and xxvii4 #ab4 ,,iii4 ,nephi xv3 #ab1 #ac4 #ac4 ,,iii4 ,nephi xx3 #ba1 #bb4 #ad4 ,,iii4 ,nephi xxi3 #bj-be4 #ae4 ,ether xiii3 #e-h4 #af4 ,,ii4 ,nephi iii3 #c-ae4 ,i am not unmindful of the fact that the objector1 with some show of reason1 could say that it would be an easy matter for an imposter to set down such a prophecy as this--one that would coalesce with the facts of his own life and claim it as a fulfillment of prophecy1 and hence an evidence of his calling4 ,the shallowness of such a position is1 of course1 apparent1 but it is not in this way that ,i refer to the circumstance1 but to call attention to the fact that it is in harmony with this ,josephic idea of the ,book of ,mormon1 and ,i am not at all relying upon it in my argument as being a fulfillment of prophecy4 #ag4 ,compare ,i4 ,nephi i3 #a-b4 ,mosiah i3 #a-d4 ,mormon ix3 #cb-cc4 #ah4 ,and thus my father1 ,lehi1 did discover the genealogy of his fathers2 and ,laban also was a descendant of ,joseph1 wherefore he and his fathers had kept the records4 ,i4 ,nephi v3 #af4 #ai4 ,i4 ,nephi i3 #b4 ,mosiah i3 #d4 #bj4 ,mormon ix3 #cb1 #cc4 #ba4 ,isaiah xxix3 #i-bd4 #bb4 ,,ii4 ,nephi xxvii3 #f-aa4 #bc4 ,see ,vol4 ,,ii1 chapters iv and v4 #bd4 ,isaiah xxix3 #a-b4 #be4 ,orson ,pratt's ,works1 p4 #aa4 #bf4 ,st4 ,john x3 #ad-af4 #bg4 ,commentary1 ,critical and ,explanatory of the ,old and ,new ,testaments1 by ,rev4 ,jamieson1 ,fausett and ,brown1 on ,st4 ,john1 ch4 x4 ,see also ,eidersheim's ,life of ,jesus1 ,vol4 ,,ii41 p4 #aib1 where substantially the same view is held4 #bh4 ,matt4 xv3 #bd4 #bi4 ,,iii4 ,nephi xv3 #aa-ba4 #cj4 ,for reference to such works see footnote1 pp4 #ic-id4 ,,chapter ,,xxxvi ,,external ,,evidences4--,,the ,,evidence ,,of ,,the ,,church4 ,the evidence of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints to the ,book of ,mormon grows out of the relation of the book to the ,church4 ,that is to say1 the ,church is a sequence of the coming forth of the book4 ,not that a description of the ,church organization as we known it is found in the book1 or that its officers or their functions are named in it1 much less that the extent and limitations of their authority are pointed out in it4 ,all that pertains to the ,church organization1 and largely to the development of its doctrines1 all that pertains to the ,church1 in fact1 comes of a series of direct revelations to ,joseph ,smith subsequent to the coming forth of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,these revelations were given for the specific purpose of bringing into existence the ,church as it now exists1 the depository of the divine authority1 in the new dispensation1 and the instrumentality for proclaiming the truth to the world1 and perfecting the lives of those who receive it4 ,the ,church1 in other words1 is the after-work of the inspired ,prophet who translated the ,nephite record into the ,english language4 ,bringing into existence the ,church and developing its doctrines was the continuation of the work that began with the first vision of ,joseph ,smith1 the visitation of the angel ,moroni1 and the translation and publication of the ,nephite record4 ,does this continuation of the work as seen in the organization of the ,church and the development of its doctrines justify the expectations awakened by the ,book of ,mormon1 and the manner of its coming forth8 ,has anything worth while come because of the revelation of the ,book of ,mormon8 ,the principle1 ,by their fruits ye shall know them may have a wider application than making it a mere test of ethical systems or of religious teachers4 ,it may be applied as a test to anything claiming to be a truth4 ,so that what has resulted from the coming forth of the ,book of ,mormon1 is a question of importance4 ,the answer to that question may do much either for the book's vindication or its condemnation2 may establish its truth or prove it to be utterly unworthy of its claim to divine origin4 ,i hold it to be a self-evident truth that a revelation from ,god must not only contain matter within itself that concerns men to know and that is worthy of ,god to reveal1 but it must lead to results worthy of revelation and worthy of ,god4 ,it is here therefore that the ,church becomes a witness to the truth of the ,book of ,mormon2 for while neither the ,church organization nor all its doctrines come immediately from a description of either of these in the book's pages1 yet the ,church is an outgrowth of that movement of which the ,book of ,mormon may be said to be an important factor4 ,the ,book of ,mormon cannot be true and the ,church of ,christ fail to come into existence as an accompanying fact4 ,indeed1 several predictions in the ,book of ,mormon clearly indicate the establishment of the ,church as a sequence to the coming forth of that record1 as witness the following3 ,and it shall come to pass that the ,lord ,god shall commence his work among all nations1 kindred1 tongues and people1 to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth4 #a ,the ,savior1 also1 in predicting the accomplishment of his work in the last days1 when the ,nephite record should come forth1 in speaking of the ,gentiles among whom it should be brought forth1 says3 ,if they will repent1 and hearken unto my words1 ,i will establish my church among them1 and they shall come in unto the covenant1 and be numbered among this the remnant of ,jacob1 unto whom ,i have given this land for their inheritance4 #b ,to the first ,nephi1 also1 it was given to behold the establishment of the church of ,christ in the last days1 for he said3 ,i beheld the church of the ,lamp of ,god1 and its numbers were few4 99 99 99 99 nevertheless1 ,i beheld that the church of the ,lamb1 who were the ,saints of ,god1 were also upon all the face of the earth2 and their dominions were small1 because of the wickedness of the great whore whom ,i saw4 #c ,moreover1 side by side with the unfolding of the successive facts which brought the ,book of ,mormon into existence1 there was a series of revelations given predicting and making for the establishment of a ,church organization4 ,in evidence of which statement ,i refer to the first visions of ,joseph ,smith as described by the ,prophet himself in the first volume of the ,church ,history1 #d and especially as related by him in the letter written to ,mr4 ,john ,wentworth in #ahdb2 also the ,prophet's account of the several visits of ,moroni to him1 and the prophecies of that angel concerning the coming forth of the work of the ,lord1 and how and in what manner his kingdom was to be conducted in the last days2 #e also the eighteen sections of the ,doctrine and ,covenants from the #bnd section to the #bjth1 inclusive1 being those revelations given between ,september1 #ahbc1 to the fore part of ,april1 #ahcj--the period during which the ,book of ,mormon was being revealed and translated--and in which prophetic declarations concerning the coming forth of the ,church are frequently made4 ,the last revelation of the series--section twenty--is the one in which the first practical directions are given towards effecting the organization of the ,church4 ,who ever will look through these writings1 to say nothing of frequent allusions to the same matter throughout the ,book of ,mormon itself1 will be convinced that the coming forth of the book must result in bringing into existence the ,church4 ,the ,church so brought into existence1 cannot be true and the ,book of ,mormon false4 ,if the book be not true1 ,joseph ,smith is an imposter1 a false prophet1 and an imposter and false prophet cannot found a true ,church of ,christ2 therefore1 if the ,church be the true ,church of ,christ1 it is evidence quite conclusive that the book so inseparably connected with it1 so vitally related to it1 is also true4 ,of course1 the conception is possible that both the ,church and the book may be false1 but it is inconceivable that one could be true and the other false4 ,it follows therefore that whatever facts exist in the organization and doctrines of the ,church which tend to establish it as being of divine origin1 tend also to establish the divine authenticity of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,here we have a field of evidence and argument well nigh inexhaustible2 but much of it1 ,i may say all of it with which ,i care to deal1 has already been used in volume one of ,new ,witnesses1 as follows3 ,chapter ,,xiv3 ,fitness in the ,development of the ,new ,dispensation4 ,chapter ,,xv3 ,the ,evidence of ,scriptural and ,perfect ,doctrine4 ,chapter ,,xxiv3 ,the ,church ,founded by ,joseph ,smith1 a ,monument to ,his ,inspiration4 ,chapters ,,xxv-,,xxvi3 ,testimony of the ,inspiration and ,divine ,calling of ,joseph ,smith1 ,derived from the ,comprehensiveness of the ,work ,he ,introduced4 ,chapter ,,xxvii3 ,evidence of ,inspiration ,derived from the ,wisdom in the ,plan ,proposed for the ,betterment of the ,temporal ,condition of ,mankind4 ,chapters ,,xxviii1 ,,xxix1 ,,xxx3 ,evidence of ,divine ,inspiration in ,joseph ,smith ,derived from the ,prophet's ,doctrines in ,regard to the ,extent of the ,universe1 ,man's ,place in ,it1 and ,his ,doctrine ,respecting ,god4 ,the evidences and the arguments in all these chapters1 then1 must be considered as appropriated here1 and made part of my argument for the truth of the ,book of ,mormon1 as well as for the divine origin of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints4 ,after thus appropriating all this body of evidence and argument from these chapters in the first volume of ,new ,witnesses1 ,i feel justified in saying3 ,it is the ,church that bears witness to the truth of the ,book of ,mormon rather than the ,book of ,mormon which bears witness to the ,church4 ,nor is this said in disparagement of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,it is only saying that what comes of the book is greater than the book itself1 that the stately oak is greater than the acorn from which it grew--a giant tree2 that the whole is greater than a part2 that the work in all its fullness is greater than one of the incidents in which that work had its origin4 ,footnotes #a4 ,,ii4 ,nephi xxx3 #h4 #b4 ,,iii4 ,nephi xxi3 #bb4 #c4 ,i4 ,nephi xiv3 #ab4 #d4 ,chapter i4 #e4 ,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,i41 ch4 ii4 ,,chapter ,,xxxvii ,,internal ,,evidences4--,,the ,,book ,,of ,,mormon1 ,,in ,,style ,,and ,,language1 ,,is ,,consistent ,,with ,,the ,,theory ,,of ,,its ,,construction4 ,i4 ,of the ,unity and ,diversity of ,style4 ,as already set forth in previous pages1 the ,book of ,mormon1 with reference to the original documents from which it was translated1 is made up of two classes of writings3 #a4 ,original1 unabridged ,nephite records2 #b4 ,mormon and ,moroni's abridgment of ,nephite and ,jaredite records4 ,the translation of the unabridged ,nephite records comprises the first #aeg pages of current editions of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,the rest of the #fbc pages--except where we have the words of ,mormon and ,moroni at first hand1 or here and there direct quotations by them from older records--are ,mormon's abridgment of other ,nephite records1 and ,moroni's abridgment of a ,jaredite record4 ,it is quite evident that there would be a marked difference in the construction of these two divisions of the book4 ,how there came to be unabridged and abridged records in ,mormon's collection of plates has been explained at length in previous pages1 #a so that it is now only necessary to say that when ,joseph ,smith lost his translation of the first part of ,mormon's abridgment of the ,nephite records1 comprised in the #aaf pages of manuscript which he entrusted to ,martin ,harris1 he replaced the lost part by translating the smaller plates of ,nephi which make up the first #aeg pages of the ,book of ,mormon before referred to4 ,now1 if there is no difference in the style between this part of the ,book of ,mormon translated from the small plates of ,nephi1 and ,mormon's abridgment of the larger plates1 that fact would constitute very strong evidence against the claims of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,on the other hand1 if one finds the necessary change in style between these two divisions of the book1 it will be important incidental evidence in its support4 ,especially will this be conceded when the likelihood that neither ,joseph ,smith nor his associates would have sufficient knowledge of things literary to appreciate the importance of the difference of style demanded in the two parts of the record4 ,fortunately the evidence on this point is all that can be desired4 ,the writers whose works were engraven on the smaller plates of ,nephi employ the most direct style1 and state what they have to say in the first person1 without explanation or interpolations by editors or commentators or any evidence of abridgment whatsoever1 though1 of course1 they now and then make quotations from the ,hebrew scriptures which the ,nephite colony brought with them from ,jerusalem4 ,the following passages illustrate their style4 ,,the ,,first ,,book ,,of ,,nephi4 ,,chapter ,i4 #a4 ,i1 ,nephi1 having been born of goodly parents1 therefore ,i was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father2 and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days--nevertheless1 having been highly favored of the ,lord in all my days2 yea1 having a great knowledge of the goodnesss and the mysteries of ,god1 therefore ,i make a record of my proceedings in my days4 #b4 ,yea1 ,i make a record in the language of my father1 which consists of the learning of the ,jews1 and the language of the ,egyptians4 #c4 ,and ,i know that the record which ,i make is true2 and ,i make it with mine own hand2 and ,i make it according to my knowledge4 etc4 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,jacob4 ,the brother of ,nephi4 ,,chapter ,i4 #a4 ,for behold1 it came to pass that fifty and five years had passed away1 from the time that ,lehi left ,jerusalem2 wherefore1 ,nephi gave me1 ,jacob1 a commandment concerning the small plates1 upon which these things are engraven4 #b4 ,and he gave me1 ,jacob1 a commandment that ,i should write upon these plates1 a few of the things which ,i considered to be most precious2 that ,i should not touch1 save it were lightly1 concerning the history of this people which are called the people of ,nephi1 etc4 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,enos4 ,,chapter ,i4 #a4 ,behold1 it came to pass that ,i1 ,enos1 knowing my father that he was a just man3 for he taught me in his language1 and also in the nurture and admonition of the ,lord4 ,and blessed be the name of ,god for it4 #b4 ,and ,i will tell you of the wrestle which ,i had before ,god1 before ,i received a remission of my sins3 #c4 ,behold1 ,i went to hunt beasts in the forest2 and the words which ,i had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life1 and the joy of the saints1 sunk deep into my heart1 etc4 ,and so it continues with each of the nine writers in this division of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,but now note how marked the difference is when we come to ,mormon's abridgment of the ,nephite record which begins with the book of ,mosiah3 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,mosiah4 ,,chapter ,i4 #a4 ,and now there was no more contention in all the land of ,zarahemla1 among all the people who belonged to ,king ,benjamin1 so that king ,benjamin had continual peace all the remainder of his days4 #b4 ,and it came to pass that he had three sons2 and he called their names ,mosiah1 and ,helorum1 and ,helaman4 ,and he caused that they should be taught in all the language of his fathers1 that thereby they might become men of understanding2 and that they might know concerning the prophecies which had been spoken by the mouths of their fathers1 which were delivered them by the hand of the ,lord4 ,so also in the abridgment of the book of ,alma3 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,alma4 ,,chapter ,i4 #a4 ,now it came to pass that in the first year of the reign of the judges over the people of ,nephi1 from this time forward1 king ,mosiah having gone the way of all the earth1 having warred a good warfare1 walking uprightly before ,god1 leaving none to reign in his stead2 nevertheless he established laws1 and they were acknowledged by the people2 therefore they were obliged to abide by the laws he had made4 #b4 ,and it came to pass that in the first year of the reign of ,alma in the judgment seat1 there was a man brought before him to be judged2 a man who was large1 and was noted for his much strength1 etc4 ,and so throughout the abridgment this style continues as pointed out in chapter ,,ix of this work4 ,had the style which is followed in the abridgment found its way into the translation of the unabridged part of the record1 the reader can readily see how strong an objection it would have constituted against the claims of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,as to style in other respects there is marked uniformity in the translation4 ,i have already pointed out the fact that the style of the translation of the ,book of ,mormon is influenced1 of course1 by the translator2 the statements and ideas of the ,nephite writers being set forth in such ,english and in such literary style as ,joseph ,smith1 with his limited knowledge of language1 could command2 he1 in his turn1 of course1 being influenced in his expressions by the facts and ideas made known to him from the ,nephite record through ,urim and ,thummim1 and the inspiration of ,god under which he worked4 ,it is useless to assert a diversity of style where it does not exist1 and that it does not exist in the ,book of ,mormon except as to the matter of a distinction between ,jaredite and ,nephite proper names1 hereafter to be noted1 and the distinction between the abridged records and those unabridged--to the extent just pointed out--it would be easy1 though unnecessary1 to demonstrate2 since any one may satisfy himself by even a casual inspection of the ,book of ,mormon itself4 ,the demand for diversity of style in the various parts of the translation of the ,book of ,mormon is urged too strongly4 ,it is sometimes represented1 even by believers in the ,book of ,mormon1 that the volume contains the compiled writings of a long line of inspired scribes extending through a thousand years1 written not only at different times but under varying conditions1 and that unity of style under such circumstances is not to be expected1 and did it occur it would be fatal to the claims made for the ,book of ,mormon6 ,now1 as a matter of fact1 there is great unity of style in the translation of the ,book of ,mormon which any one can verify who will read it2 and properly so1 ,i insist2 for the reason that general unity of style is not incompatible with the theory of the work's construction and translation4 ,first of all this long line of inspired writers that should give to us diversity of style in their writings is reduced really to a very small matter when the facts in the case are considered4 ,we have already seen1 in chapter ,,ix1 that all told there are but eleven writers in the ,book of ,mormon4 ,the work of nine of these runs through only #djj years of ,nephite history--from the time ,lehi's colony left ,jerusalem to the time when the ,nephites1 under ,mosiah ,i41 joined the people of ,mulek1 some #bjj years ,b4 ,c4 ,then we have the works of no ,nephite writer until we come to ,mormon1 who makes his abridgment of the ,nephite records in the closing years of the #dth century ,a4 ,d4 ,so that #fjj years of the #a1jjj through which the long line of ,nephite writers is supposed to run is lifted bodily from the time range4 ,i say we have no ,nephite writings between the works of the first group of nine ,nephite writers 7#fjj-bjj ,b4 ,c47 to the writings of ,mormon 7#djj ,a4 ,d47 ,i should say1 we have no such writings except where here and there ,mormon1 in his abridgment1 makes a direct quotation from some intervening writer between those two periods4 ,such quotations1 however1 are neither numerous nor long1 and in many instances one is left in doubt as to whether supposed quotations are verbatim or merely the substance of the original documents given by ,mormon4 ,what has led to confusion in these matters is that the books of ,mosiah1 ,alma1 ,helaman1 ,,iii ,nephi1 etc41 are not really the books of these men whose names respectively they bear1 but are ,mormon's abridgment of those books to which abridgment he has given the name of the book he abridged4 ,then1 again1 of these eleven writers we have already shown 7chapter ,,ix7 that the first group of nine writers supplied but #aeg pages of the book4 ,of these ,nephi writes #abg #a_/b pages2 and his brother1 ,jacob1 #ba #a_/b2 making in all #adi of the #aeg2 leaving but #h pages for the other seven writers2 and as ,enos1 who follows ,jacob1 writes #b #a_/b pages of the remaining #h1 there is left but #e #a_/b pages for the remaining six writers4 ,it should be kept in mind1 too1 that the whole nine authors were writing in the first #djj years of ,nephite times2 that ,jacob and ,nephi lived much of their lives together1 therefore1 in the same period of time1 under similar conditions1 with the same little colony of people4 ,hence there was not much to give diversity of style to their writings1 and the few paragraphs left for the remaining seven writers could not be sufficient to develop very much diversity of style in composition4 ,so that the diversity of style clamored for1 so far as this group of nine writers is concerned1 is not very insistent4 ,turning now to the writers of the ,book of ,mormon who come six hundred years later1 ,mormon and ,moroni1 they are contemporaries1 father and son4 ,they lived in the same age4 ,one abridged the history of the ,nephites1 the other a brief history of the ,jaredites4 ,so that their work is similar in character1 is wrought in the same age1 and hence great diversity of style is not to be expected4 ,another factor in the question of style is that in the time range of #a1jjj years through which it is assumed the ,book of ,mormon is being composed1 there is not much change in the manners or customs of the people--not very widely varying conditions4 ,it must be remembered that the colonies which came to ,america in the sixth century ,b4 ,c4 were made up of men and women who were civilized4 ,they brought with them a knowledge of the civilization in the midst of which they had lived4 ,they also had some ,hebrew literature with them1 although written in ,egyptian characters2 also the ,hebrews ideas of government and law1 and these ideas were promulgated among the people as they increased in numbers and grew into a nation4 ,the before mentioned time range of #a1jjj years was a period in the world's history when there was no such revolutions taking place in manners1 customs1 and progress in civilization as is known to our own age4 ,in the western world1 as in the eastern1 in the period under consideration1 human affairs in the matter of developing civilization1 were well nigh stationary4 ,the same methods and implements of warfare were employed at the close of the period as were used at its beginning4 ,so in agriculture1 commerce1 and in the sciences and arts4 ,not nearly so many changes took place in that thousand years as have taken place within the last hundred years4 ,hence1 so far as changing conditions affecting style of composition during the time limit of #a1jjj years is concerned1 there is nothing which demands great diversity of style4 ,another item at this point should be considered with reference to a misapprehension of the character of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,it has been frequently urged by writers against the ,book of ,mormon that it pretends to be the national or racial literature of the peoples of the western hemisphere1 and that in the light of such pretentions it is utterly contemptible4 ,such a conception of the ,book of ,mormon1 however1 is entirely unwarranted1 since no such claims are made for it by those at all acquainted with its character4 ,no one acquainted with the book could for a moment hold it up as the national literature of either the ,jaredite empire or of the ,nephite monarchy or republic1 any more than he could regard the single work of ,josephus on the ,antiquities of the ,jews as the national literature of the ,hebrew race or nation2 or ,doctor ,william ,smith's ,condensed ,history of ,england 7less than four hundred pages7 as the national literature of the ,british empire4 ,the ,book of ,mormon was constructed in this manner3 ,let us suppose that a writer has before him the national literature of the old ,roman empire2 the works of ,livy1 ,sallust1 ,virgil1 ,caesar1 ,terrance1 ,cicero1 and the rest4 ,the account of the chief events mentioned in these several volumes he condenses in his own style into a single volume4 ,coming to the annals of ,tacitus1 however1 he is so well pleased with some portions of them that notwithstanding the events ,tacitus narrates parallel some parts of his own abridgment of the history1 he places them1 without editing or changing them in the least1 with his own writings4 ,this work1 upon his death1 falls into the hands of his son1 who is also a writer4 ,in the course of the second writer's researches he accidentally1 or providentially1 as you will1 discovers the works of the ,greek historian1 ,xenophon4 ,he considers this writer's history of ,greece of such importance--especially his history of the ,retreat of the ,ten ,thousand--that he condenses into a few pages the events related by ,xenophon and binds them in with his father's work1 with such comments of his own as he considers necessary4 ,as the first writer's abridgment of some of the ,roman books would not be the national literature of ,rome1 so also the abridgment of ,xenophon's writings would not be the national literature of ,greece2 and as this supposed case exactly illustrates the manner in which the ,book of ,mormon was constructed by ,mormon and ,moroni1 the absurdity of regarding the book so produced as the national or racial literature of the peoples who have inhabited the western world1 will be apparent4 ,,ii4 ,characteristics of an ,abridgment4 ,in addition to the changes from the first to the third person already noted between the first group of ,nephite authors1 whose writings are unabridged1 and ,mormon and ,moroni's abridgment1 there is one other item which further exhibits the consistency between the style and language of the book with the theory of its construction1 viz3 ,the style of ,mormon and ,moroni's part of the work is pronouncedly the style of an abridgment4 ,its general characteristics have already been considered in chapter ix41 and it only remains here to say that the body of the work is ,mormon's abridgment of the chief events from the ,nephite annals1 with occasional verbatim quotations from those works1 and his own running comments upon the same4 ,in the progress of the work one may almost see the writer with a number of the ,nephite records about him engaged at his task4 ,he has just recorded the thrilling events of a few years rich in historical instances1 and in closing says3 ,and thus endeth the #eth year of the reign of the ,judges4 ,then he strikes a period where there are but few important events in the annals1 so he passes over them lightly in this manner3 ,now it came to pass in the sixth year of the reign of the ,judges over the people of ,nephi1 there were no contentions nor wars in the land of ,zarahemla4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and it came to pass in the seventh year of the reign of the ,judges1 there were about three thousand five hundred souls that united themselves to the ,church of ,god1 and were baptized4 ,and thus endeth the seventh year of the reign of the ,judges over the people of ,nephi2 and there was continual peace in all that time4 #b ,he closes another eventful period1 in a similar manner3 ,but behold there never was a happier time among the people of ,nephi1 since the days of ,nephi1 than in the days of ,moroni2 yea1 even at this time1 in the twenty and first year of the reign of the ,judges4 ,and it came to pass that the twenty and second year of the reign of the ,judges also ended in peace2 yea1 and also the twenty and third year4 #c ,the following is a similar example3 ,and it came to pass that there was peace and exceeding great joy in the remainder of the forty and ninth year2 yea1 and also there was continual peace and great joy in the fiftieth year of the reign of the ,judges4 ,and in the fifty and first year of the reign of the ,judges there was peace also1 save it were the pride which began to enter into the church4 #d ,again in ,helaman3 ,and it came to pass that the seventy and sixth year did end in peace4 ,and the seventy and seventh year began in peace2 and the church did spread throughout the face of all the land2 and the more part of the people1 both the ,nephites and the ,lamanites1 did belong to the church2 and they did have exceeding great peace in the land1 and thus ended the seventy and seventh year4 ,and also they had peace in the seventy and eighth year1 save it were a few contentions concerning the points of doctrine which had been laid down by the prophets4 #e 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and thus ended the eighty and first year of the reign of the ,judges4 ,and in the eighty and second year1 they began again to forget the ,lord their ,god4 ,and in the eighty and third year they began to wax strong in iniquity4 ,and the eighty and fourth year1 they did not mend their ways4 ,and it came to pass in the eighty and fifth year1 they did wax stronger and stronger in their pride1 and in their wickedness2 and thus they were ripened again for destruction4 ,and thus ended the eighty and fifth year4 #f ,moroni's abridgment of the ,jaredite record--the ,book of ,ether--fails to exhibit this particular characteristic of an abridgment1 owing doubtless to the brevity of the original record he abridged--there were but twenty-four plates in the record of ,ether1 and the hundredth part1 says ,moroni1 ,i have not written2 #g but otherwise that book of ,ether bears all the marks of being an abridgment that the work of ,mormon does1 except perhaps that the running comments of ,moroni are more frequent than ,mormon's4 ,,iii4 ,originality in ,book of ,mormon ,names4 ,there is another gratifying distinction between ,mormon's abridgment of the ,nephite record and ,moroni's abridgment of the ,jaredite record that is also of first rate importance as an evidence of consistency in the work4 ,that is the quite marked distinction between ,nephite and ,jaredite proper names as given in these respective parts of the record4 ,take for instance the list of names of ,jaredite leaders and kings and compare it with a list of prominent ,nephite leaders4 ,,jaredite ,,names4 ,jared ,pagag ,jacom ,gilgah ,mahah ,oriah ,esrom ,corihor ,shim ,cohor ,corom ,noah ,nimrah ,nimrod ,kib ,shule ,omer ,coriantumr ,emer ,com ,heth ,shez ,lib ,hearthom ,aaron ,amnigaddah ,shiblom ,seth ,ahah ,ethem ,moron ,coriantor ,shared ,gilead ,shiz ,ether ,riplakish ,morianton ,kim ,levi ,corum ,kish ,,nephite ,,names4 ,nephi ,lehi ,laman ,zoram ,chemish ,abinadom ,amaleki ,mosiah ,benjamin ,ammon ,alma ,amlici ,nephihah ,gideon ,amulek ,giddonali ,giddianhi ,aminadi ,zeniff ,zeezrom ,lamoni ,aaron ,helaman ,limhi ,heloram ,mormon ,moroni ,aminadab ,moronihah ,ammoron ,pacumeni ,gadianton ,kishkumen ,shiblon ,pahoran ,paanchi ,pachus ,cezoram ,limher ,limhah ,mathoni ,mathonihah ,lehonti ,gidgiddonah ,muloki ,abinadi ,corihor ,gidgiddon ,amalickiah ,zemnarihah ,hagoth ,helam ,hearthom ,sherrizah ,an inspection of these two lists of names discloses the fact that the ,jaredite names1 with the single exception of ,shule and ,levi1 end in consonants1 while very many of the ,nephite names end in a vowel2 and while many of the ,nephite names also end in consonants1 yet the preponderance of ,nephite names that end in vowels over ,jaredite names is considerable4 ,i am not able to say what value attaches to this distinction1 ,i can only point it out as a marked distinction1 and it may be an important one4 ,another distinction may be discerned in the fact that there are more simple1 and evidently root-words among the ,jaredite names than among the ,nephite names2 that is1 there are not so many derivatives in the former as in the latter1 though in the former there are a few4 ,corihor1 may have come from ,cohor2 ,coriantumr1 from ,coriantor1 though it may be merely a variation of the more ancient name ,moriancumer4 ,nimarah may have come from ,nimrod2 and ,akish from ,kish4 ,but this about exhausts the derivatives among the ,jaredite names4 ,as illustrations merely of the ,nephite derivatives1 and not with a view of exhausting the list1 ,i give the following3 ,nephihah1 evidently comes from ,nephi1 ,amalickiah1 from ,amaleki1 ,gidgiddoni1 ,gidgiddonah1 ,giddonah1 and ,gideon1 from ,gid1 ,helaman from ,helam2 ,ammoron1 from ,ammon2 ,moronihah1 from ,moroni2 ,mathonihah1 from ,mathoni4 ,this is enough for illustration1 and inspection will show the percentage of derivatives in the ,nephite names of the ,book of ,mormon to be not only greatly but very greatly in excess of derivatives in the ,jaredite names4 ,and this is what consistency demands of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,the more ancient people the simpler and fewer compound names--more root names1 fewer derivatives4 ,william ,a4 ,wright1 ,m4 ,a41 ,librarian of ,trinity ,college1 ,cambridge1 writing for the ,hackett edition of ,smith's ,dictionary of the ,bible1 says3 ,glancing a moment at the history of names and name-giving among the ,hebrews1 we readily distinguish many of those changes which characterize popular customs and habits in this particular among all peoples4 ,in their first or ruder age their names are simple and smell of nature4 ,in the period of their highest national and religious development we find more compound and more allusions to artificial refinements4 #h ,that law is found operating at least between the more ancient people of the ,book of ,mormon1 the ,jaredites1 and the more modern people1 the ,nephites4 ,while the list of names obtainable from the abridgment of the very small fragment of a ,jaredite record of the ,book of ,mormon does not give sufficient data to warrant a positive conclusion1 yet ,i think there is discernable a tendency even in that list from the more simple to derivative names2 #i while as between the earlier and later ,nephite times the translation from the simple to an increase of compound names is quite marked4 #aj ,i do not mean by this that the simpler names are not found throughout the whole ,nephite period1 but that the percentage of derivative names greatly increase in the latter times4 ,referring again to the marked distinction between ,jaredite and ,nephite names1 ,i desire to call attention to the fact that the demands for this distinction are imperative1 since these peoples though they occupied the same continent did so successively and at periods of time widely separated4 ,the ,jaredites occupied the north continent from soon after the dispersion of mankind from ,babel until the opening of the #fth century ,b4 ,c4 ,about the time the ,jaredites were destroyed the ,nephite colony arrived in ,south ,america1 and ,mulek's colony in ,north ,america4 ,but the only person connecting the two peoples was ,coriantumr 7the last of the ,jaredites7 through some nine months of association with the colony of ,mulek4 ,whether or not his race was perpetuated by marriage into ,mulek's colony is merely a matter of conjecture4 #aa ,so far as the ,nephite connection with the ,jaredites is concerned it exists only through the ,jaredite records discovered by the people of ,zeniff 7,b4 ,c4 #abc71 and translated soon afterwards by ,mosiah ,,ii4 ,this translation of the ,jaredite record making known1 in outline merely1 the history of the ,jaredites to the ,nephites1 might give to the ,nephites some ,jaredite names1 as in the case of the noted warrior among the ,nephites bearing the name ,coriantumr4 #ab ,still from the fact that the connection between the ,nephites and the ,jaredites is so slight2 and the occupancy of the ,north ,continent by the respective peoples separated by so long a period of time1 it could not be otherwise than that there would be a marked distinction in proper names between the two peoples1 a distinction that will be quite apparent to the reader when he compares the respective lists of ,jaredite and ,nephite names here presented at radom2 and which1 had it been wanting1 would have been a serious objection to the consistency1 and consequently to the claims1 of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,when the general unity of style found in the ,book of ,mormon is taken into account1 this distinction in proper names becomes all the more remarkable4 ,but it is a case where the circumstances emphatically demand a distinction2 just as the circumstances emphatically demand a marked distinction at the transition from the unabridged writings of the ,nephite authors--written in the first person1 and in so simple and direct a style--to the abridged record of ,mormon--written in the third person and in so complex1 not to say confusing1 a style4 ,had the ,prophet ,joseph's translation of the ,book of ,mormon failed to have shown the distinctions at these points where such distinctions are so imperatively demanded--in a word1 had the style and language of the book failed to be consistent with the theory of its construction--how serious an objection the failure would have been considered6 ,but since the consistency of the style and language of the book with the theory of the work's construction is established1 how strong the evidence is which that fact constitutes6 ,and more especially when it is remembered that neither ,joseph ,smith nor his associates had sufficient knowledge of literature1 to cause them to appreciate the importance of such a consistency4 ,the evidence that they were unconscious of the point here made is to be found in the fact that they never alluded to it in their life time1 nor was the foregoing argument ever made by any one else within their life time4 ,,iv4 ,of the ,nephite ,custom in ,naming ,cities and ,provinces ,being ,ancient4 ,it should be remarked that both ,jaredites and ,nephites named cities1 plains1 valleys1 mountains and provinces after the names of prominent men1 especially the men who were identified in some way with the settlement or history of said places2 so that it often happens that names of places take on the names of men or some variation of their names2 and hence the frequent identity and more frequently the likeness between the names of places and the names of men4 ,both people also followed the custom of ancient nations1 not only in naming cities after the men who founded them or who were prominently connected with their history1 but also in giving the district of country surrounding a city the same name as the city4 ,thus among the ,jaredites there is ,nehor the city1 and the land or province of ,nehor1 meaning the district of country surrounding the city of ,nehor4 #ac ,i believe also that there was a ,jaredite city of ,moron1 as well as a land of ,moron1 although there is no specific reference to a city of that name1 but frequent references to the land of ,moron1 #ad which ,i take to mean the district of country surrounding the city of ,moron4 #ae ,that this custom obtained among the ,nephites is so commonly understood that illustration is scarcely necessary1 yet by way of illustration ,i instance the following3 ,the city of ,bountiful1 #af and the land of ,bountiful2 #ag the city of ,zarahemla1 #ah and the land of ,zarahemla2 #ai the city of ,moroni2 #bj and the land of ,moroni2 #ba the city of ,nephihah1 #bb and the land of ,nephihah2 #bc the city of ,manti1 and the land of ,manti4 #bd ,that the customs here referred to are in harmony with the customs of ancient nations ,i cite the following as illustrations of my statement3 ,nineveh takes its name from ,ninus1 the son of ,nimrod4 ,nimrod founded the city and gave to it a variation of his son's name4 #be ,m4 ,rollin also identifies ,nimrod with ,belus1 the first king whom the people deified for his great actions1 and after whom1 some authorities affirm1 the noted temple of ,belus within the city of ,babylon was named2 and from which the city itself1 as some affirm1 took its name4 #bf ,of course we have the statement of holy writ that ,babylon received its name from the circumstances of the ,lord confounding the language of the builders of the city1 #bg ,babel in the ,hebrew meaning confusion4 ,professor ,hackett1 however1 in his contribution on the subject to ,smith's ,dictionary of the ,bible1 while nothing the statement in ,genesis1 says3 ,but the native 7i4 e4 ,chaldean7 etymology is ,ba-il 'the gate of the god ',il2' or perhaps more simple1 'the gate of god2' and this no doubt was the original intention of the appellation as given by ,nimrod1 though the other sense 7i4 e4 the ,bible sense7 came to be attached to it after the confusion of tongues4 ,hence one may say that ,babylon has taken its name from both circumstances4 ,that is1 from the ,nimrod of the ,chaldeans it takes its name from its founder1 ,belus1 who is ,nimrod1 while to the ,hebrew mind it owes its name to the circumstance of the confusion of languages4 ,professor ,campbell1 according to ,osborn1 thinks that the name ,jebez1 of ,chronicles ii3 #ee1 is ,thebes2 which originally was ,tei ,jabez1 the city named from ,jabez1 and which is written without the ,t in the hieroglyphics1 that letter being only the article4 #bh ,plato in his ,timaeus1 where he introduces the story of ,atlantis1 says3 ,at the head of the ,egyptian ,delta1 where the river ,nile divides1 there is a certain district which is called the district of ,sais1 and the great city of the district is also called ,sais1 and is the city from which ,amasis the king was sprung4 #bi ,this is an incident where the district of country takes its name from the city4 ,other instances in support of the ancient custom here referred to will be found in the case of ,rome1 so called after ,romulus2 ,alexandria2 after ,alexander2 ,constantinople1 after ,constantine4 ,the names of countries and sections of country1 says ,professor ,w4 ,a4 ,wright1 are almost universally derived from the name of their first settlers or earliest historic populations4 #cj ,v4 ,of the ,nephites1 ,like the ,jews ,being a ,mononymous ,people4 ,still another singular and fortunate circumstance for the claims of the ,book of ,mormon with reference to names should be noted4 ,unlike the ,romans1 says ,professor ,wright1 already quoted1 but like the ,greeks1 the ,hebrews were a mononymous people4 ,that is1 each person received but a single name4 #ca ,the ,nephites1 it must be remembered1 were ,hebrews1 and therefore would very likely follow the custom of their race with reference to this practice of giving but one name to a person4 ,this they did2 for throughout the ,nephite part of the ,book of ,mormon1 there is not a single instance where a person receives more than one name4 ,in other words1 the ,nephites1 like the whole ,hebrew race1 were a mononymous people4 ,so1 too1 the ,jaredites1 a more ancient branch of the same race1 are a mononymous people4 ,now1 as neither ,joseph ,smith nor his associates would likely be acquainted with this singular custom of the ,hebrew race1 ,i take the fact of agreement of ,nephite practice with this ,hebrew custom1 as an incidental evidence of some weight in favor of the claims of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,to appreciate the value of it1 ,i will ask the reader to think what importance would be given to an objection based upon the violation of this custom by a branch of the ,hebrew race4 ,that is1 suppose the ,book of ,mormon had been full of double names1 applied to the same person1 what then8 ,could it not be claimed with some force that here would be the violation of a very universal custom of the ,hebrew people8 ,i think such a claim1 if the facts warranted it1 would be both forceful and consistent4 ,instead of the violation of the ,hebrew custom1 however1 there is a singular accordance with it2 and the fact of agreement1 ,i suggest1 is entitled to as much weight in favor of the book as the supposed disagreement would have been against it4 ,this circumstance also sustains the claims of the ,book of ,mormon to being an ancient record2 for if it was of modern origin1 having for its authors ,joseph ,smith and his associates1 it would not very likely have followed so absolutely this ancient ,hebrew custom1 since ,joseph ,smith and his associates lived in a time and among a people where it was common at least1 if not actually customary1 to give to persons double names1 a custom that would likely have influenced them in any creation of names which they would have attempted4 ,but very few ,jaredite and ,nephite proper names with their interpretation1 and but few original common names1 with their interpretation have found their way into the translation of the ,jaredite and ,nephite records4 ,of the first class--proper names with interpretations--,i instance the ,jaredite word ,ripliancum1 #cb which by interpretation means large1 or to exceed all4 ,it is employed in connection with describing the arrival of the army of ,coriantumr in the region of the great lakes1 between the present countries of ,canada and the ,united ,states4 ,it is most probably a proper name carrying with it the signification equivalent to the phrase we use in describing the same waters1 viz3 the ,great ,lakes1 or1 as the implied ,book of ,mormon interpretation stands1 bodies of water that exceed in size all others of their kind4 ,then there is the ,jaredite common name deseret1 meaning honey bee4 #cc ,in passing ,i call attention to the fact that the ,hebrew proper name1 ,deborah also means bee1 that is1 honey bee2 #cd and it is quite likely that the proper name ,deborah is derived from the same root whence comes ,deseret4 ,the only other common names from the ,jaredites are the words cureloms and cumoms4 #ce ,these are the names of domestic animals said to have been especially useful to the ,jaredites1 hence most likely used either for draft or pack animals1 or perhaps both4 ,turning to the ,nephite record we have the name of ,irreantum1 #cf meaning the sea1 or many waters4 ,also the word ,liahona1 #cg meaning compass1 or perhaps more properly1 director1 since1 unlike the modern compass1 it indicated a variant direction rather than a permanent one2 and was made useful to the person possessing it through the principle of faith rather than the magnetic polar force2 hence it could only be explained by the term compass in that it was an indicator1 or director4 ,the word ,gazelem is also a ,nephite word1 meaning a stone1 that is1 a seer stone1 since it is spoken of as a means of ascertaining knowledge through it by revelation4 #ch ,in addition to these words we have also a number of names of ,nephite coins and the names of fractional values of coins1 as follows3 ,the names of the gold coins1 commencing with the one of lowest value1 are3 a senine1 a seon1 a shum and a limnah4 ,a seon was twice the value of a senine2 a shum was twice the value of a seon2 and a limnah was equal to the value of all the other gold coins4 ,the silver coins were1 a senum1 an amnor1 an ezrom and an onti4 ,their relative value is stated as follows3 an amnor of silver was twice the value of a senum2 an ezrom four times the value of a senum2 an onti was equal in value to all the other silver coins4 ,the fractional values are represented as follows3 ,a shiblom is half a senum2 a shiblum is one half a shiblom2 a leah is one half of a shiblum4 ,we have no means of obtaining specifically the value of these coins in modern terms1 nor am ,i interested in that matter here4 ,i only desire to call attention to the fact that these are ,nephite names brought over into our language by the translation of the ,nephite records1 though reference to the passage #ci where the tables are given will plainly indicate to the interested enquirer that there is stated a system of relative values in these coins that bears evidence of its being genuine4 ,alluding to this matter of names in a general way ,i suggest that there is nothing more difficult in literature than to originate new names4 ,as a matter of fact names do not suggest things1 but things suggest names4 ,men do not bring into existence names and then fasten them upon things1 but they see an object1 they hear a sound1 or become acquainted with an idea1 and the object1 the sound or the idea suggests a name4 ,so that names1 speaking generally1 arise from things already existing and are not formed arbitrarily4 ,the names in the ,book of ,mormon could come into existence in one of two ways only4 ,either ,joseph ,smith arbitrarily created them1 or else he found them in the ,nephite record4 ,since originating new names is so extremely difficult1 the probability in the case lies on the side of ,joseph ,smith finding them in the ,nephite record4 ,if any one should doubt of the difficulty of originating new names ,i would invite him to make the experiment4 ,in this connection ,i remember with what ease an old teacher of mine in ,english put down a somewhat presumptuous class mate4 ,the teacher had expatiated on the excellence of the ,proverbs of ,solomon1 when the aforesaid class mate expressed his contempt of things so simple4 ,proverbs1 exclaimed he1 to those sitting near him1 why1 it's easy enough to write proverbs4 ,the good ,doctor who was our teacher happened to overhear the remark and said to the speaker1 ,suppose you write us a few4 ,my class mate tried3 and the more he tried the farther from proverbs he got4 ,he had not learned that proverbs were the pure literature of reason3 the statement of absolute truths without qualification2 the sanctuary of the intuitions of humanity4 ,and so with this matter of originating names4 ,it may seem a simple thing1 but those who entertain such an idea let them give us a few new names4 ,now1 the ,book of ,mormon has a number of proper names that are not new4 ,these are chiefly ,bible names and are found in ,nephite writings because the ,nephites brought with them to the western hemisphere copies of so many of the sacred books of the ,jews as were in existence at the time of their departure from ,judea1 #fjj ,b4 ,c41 parts of which were multiplied by copying and helped form part of the ,nephite literature2 hence they sometimes used ,bible names4 ,but the ,book of ,mormon also gives us a long list of absolutely new names1 both of men and of places1 though in many in stances1 as already pointed out1 the names of cities and the districts or country surrounding them took the name of some noted person in some way or other prominently connected with the history of the place4 ,i have already pointed out that a marked distinction exists between ,nephite names and ,jaredite names1 so that we may see that the ,book of ,mormon gives us two lists of new names1 one ,jaredite1 the other ,nephite1 which fact1 when coupled with the well recognized difficulty of originating names1 renders the performance all the more remarkable4 ,it not only demonstrates the originality of the ,book of ,mormon1 but must be admitted to be either a striking demonstration of wonderful genius on the part of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 or else a very strong evidence in support of the claims of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,and since the list of new names is quite too large to refer to the genius of one single writer for their origin1 ,i think the latter conclusion represents the truth in the case4 ,footnotes #a4 ,vol4 ,,ii41 chapter viii4 #b4 ,alma iv3 #a-e4 #c4 ,alma i3 #bc1 #bd4 #d4 ,helaman iii3 #cb1 #cc4 #e4 ,helaman iii3 #cb1 #cc4 #f4 ,helaman xi3 #ba-bd #g4 ,ether xiv3 #cc4 #h4 ,smith's ,dictionary of the ,bible1 ,hackett edition ,vol4 ,,iii41 p4 #bjfb4 #i4 ,in the first chapter of ,ether there is given a list of names of ,jaredite kings1 twenty-six in all4 ,in the first thirteen names--half of the number--representing the most ancient ,jaredite times1 there are only four that could possibly be derivatives2 these are ,oriah1 ,coriantumr1 ,riplakish1 ,morianton1 while in the latter half of the list of names there are at least six derivatives4 ,beginning with the most ancient they are--,hearthom1 ,amnigaddah1 ,coriantumr1 ,shiblon1 ,ethem1 ,coriantor4 #aj4 ,it is not until we reach the middle and later period of ,nephite times that we meet with such names as ,amlici1 ,antiomno1 ,amalickiah1 ,nephiah1 ,moronihah1 ,kishkuman1 ,pecumeni1 ,lachoneus1 ,giddianhi1 ,gidgiddoni1 ,zemnarihah1 ,ammaron1 ,ammonihah1 and many others that are plainly derivative names4 #aa4 ,while there can be no more than conjecture upon this point the likelihood of the thing1 ,i am inclined to believe1 is all on the side of his marriage and the perpetuation of his race4 ,coriantumr had doubtless every reason to believe that he was the sole survivor of his people1 and he could have no greater anxiety than that his race should be perpetuated4 ,in support of this theory it may be urged that in the ,nephite history1 about #da ,b4 ,c41 we learn of a very strong and mighty leader in war1 bearing the name ,coriantumr1 who was a descendant of ,zarahemla 7,helaman i3 #ae3 #cb71 the leader of the descendants of ,mulek's colony when discovered by ,mosiah ,i1 about #bjj ,b4 ,c4 ,it was ,mulek's colony1 it will be remembered1 who found ,coriantumr1 the ,jaredite1 and with whom he lived some nine months4 ,may it not be reasonably supposed that this noted man among the ,nephites1 bearing the name of the old ,jaredite chieftain was a descendant of his1 since we find that chieftain's name strangely appearing among the ,nephites8 ,and may it not be urged that here we have one of those obscure instances in the history of a great people unlikely to be provided for by conspirators constructing a book to be imposed up the world as a revelation from ,god8 #ab4 ,it is quite possible also that the word ,shiblon among the ,nephites came from the ,jaredites4 ,unfortunately the orthography of this name is given in two ways in the translation of the ,jaredite abridgment1 ,shiblom and ,shiblon2 but if the ,jaredite name is ,shiblon1 it may be that the name among the ,nephites was taken from the ,jaredites as suggested4 #ac4 ,ether vii3 #d-i4 #ad4 ,ether vii3 #f1 #af1 #ag2 also xiv3 #f-aa4 #ae4 ,helaman v3 #ad4 #af4 ,alma li3 #cj4 #ag4 ,helaman i3 #bb4 #ah4 ,helaman i3 #bc4 #ai4 ,alma l3 #ad4 #bj4 ,alma lxii3 #cb4 #ba4 ,alma lxii3 #cj4 #bb4 ,alma lxii3 #cj4 #bc4 ,alma lvi3 #ad4 #bd4 ,alma lvi3 #ad4 #be4 ,rollin's ,ancient ,history1 ,vol4 ,i41 pp4 #bff1 #bbg4 #bf4 ,ibid4 #bg4 ,genesis xi3 #i4 #bh4 ,osborn1 ,ancient ,egypt and the light of ,modern ,discoveries1 p4 #bje4 #bi4 ,plato 7,jowett71 ,vol4 ,,ii41 p4 #eag4 #cj4 ,smith's ,dictionary of the ,bible1 ,hackett ,ed41 ,vol4 ,,iii41 p4 #bjfj4 #ca4 ,ibid4 #cb4 ,ether xv3 #h4 #cc4 ,ether ii3 #c4 #cd4 ,smith's ,dictionary of the ,bible1 article ,names1 ,vol4 ,,iii41 p4 #bjfa4 #ce4 ,ether ix3 #ai4 #cf4 ,i4 ,nephi xvii3 #e4 #cg4 ,alma xxxvii3 #ch-dj4 ,i4 ,nephi xvi3 #aj-cj4 ,i4 ,nephi xviii3 #ab-ba4 ,,ii4 ,nephi v3 #ab4 #ch4 ,alma xxxvii3 #bc4 #ci4 ,alma xi4 ,,chapter ,,xxxviii ,,internal ,,evidences--,,the ,,book ,,of ,,mormon ,,forms ,,of ,,government ,,consistent ,,with ,,the ,,times ,,and ,,circumstances ,,under ,,which ,,they ,,existed4 ,in the ,book of ,mormon three forms of government are said to have existed among the various peoples inhabiting the western world4 ,these are1 first1 a ,monarchial form2 second1 a sort of ,republic or rule of ,judges2 third1 an ,ecclesiastical government1 or rule of priests1 ending finally in the rule of military chieftains4 ,the ,book of ,mormon giving as it does1 though only in an incidental way1 a description of these several forms of government1 presents a crucial test of its claims to being a translation of an ancient record4 ,for if in describing any one of these forms of government it should be out of harmony with well known facts concerning ancient forms of government1 or if it ascribes to them qualities or powers out of harmony with the times or circumstances under which they existed1 then doubt is thrown upon the claims of the book to being a translation of an ancient record4 ,to illustrate the proposition now laid down3 ,it is well known that to the ancients the only form of monarchy was what we call a simple or absolute monarchy2 that is1 a form of government in which all powers of government are centered in one person4 ,such a thing as a division of the powers of government into co-ordinate branches1 relegating several functions to distinct persons or groups of persons1 was unknown to the ancients4 ,the ideas prevailing in modern times which have brought into existence our mixed or constitutional monarchies had not as yet been discovered by the ancients2 hence if such modern ideas concerning monarchy should be found in the ,book of ,mormon governments1 involving the existence of cabinets1 parliaments or distinct judiciary departments it would at least be very prejudical to the claims of the book to being an ancient record4 ,again in respect of democratic forms of government3 the only form known to the ancient was simple democracy4 ,the form of government by which the people acted directly upon governmental affairs4 ,the principle of representation in democracies was not as yet discovered in times contemporary with the ,book of ,mormon republic1 therefore if in the ,nephite republic1 or the reign of the ,judges1 as that form of government is sometimes called in the ,book of ,mormon1 there should be found the representative principle1 which is really a modern refinement in government1 that fact too would be prejudicial to its claims being an ancient record4 ,per contra1 if these modern ideas respecting monarchial and democratic forms of government are absent from the kingdoms and republics described in the book1 then it would be at least presumptive evidence of the genuineness of its claims2 for if the ,book of ,mormon had been the product of a modern author1 or authors1 there would very likely be found in it some of the modern ideas of government1 both in its monarchies and in its republics1 and especially would this be probable if its authors were illiterate men and not acquainted with these facts concerning government among ancient peoples4 ,under those circumstances the ancient and modern forms would inevitably be confounded because modern illiterate authors would not possess sufficient discretion to keep them separated4 ,monarchies4 ,i am aware that the ,book of ,mormon account of the ,jaredite monarchy is so very limited that we can form but little idea as to its nature2 but the little there is said of it is strictly in harmony with the ancient forms of monarchy4 ,that is1 the kings were absolute1 the source of all law and the center of all political power4 ,they were inducted into their office by formal anointing1 according to ancient custom4 #a ,they are sometimes associated with them on the throne the son who had been selected to succeed in the kingly authority1 which is also in accordance with ancient custom4 #b ,respecting the nature of the ,nephite kingdom also but little can be learned from the ,book of ,mormon because matters concerning government are only mentioned in an incidental way1 but from what little is said we are justified in forming the same conclusions regarding it as in regard to the ,jaredite ,monarchy4 ,that is1 it was simple or absolute monarchy4 ,the remarks of ,mosiah ,,ii in relation to the power of a king for good or evil leads to the conclusion that the power of a ,nephite king was most absolute2 and that with the ,nephite monarch as with the ,jaredite1 the king was the source of all laws and the center of all political authority4 ,the remarks referred to are as follows3 ,and behold1 now ,i say unto you1 ye cannot dethrone an iniquitous king1 save it be through much contention1 and the shedding of much blood4 ,for behold1 he has his friends in iniquity1 and he keepeth his guards about him2 and he teareth up the laws of those who have reigned in righteousness before him2 and he trampleth under his feet the commandments of ,god2 and he enacteth laws1 and sendeth them forth among his people2 yea1 laws after the manner of his own wickedness2 and whosoever does not obey his laws1 he causeth to be destroyed2 and whosoever doth rebel against him1 he will send his armies against them to war1 and if he can he will destroy them2 and thus an unrighteous king doth pervert the ways of all righteousness4 #c ,this certainly is a description of arbitrary powers vested in the king4 ,and what is true of the ,nephite monarchy is equally true of the ,lamanite kingdoms--judging from those rare and brief glimpses one gets of ,lamanite governments in the ,book of ,mormon4 ,among all three peoples--,jaredites1 ,nephites1 ,lamanites--wherever kingly government is described it is the same--it is simple1 absolute1 ancient monarchy4 #d ,there is no indication anywhere of the existence of cabinets or parliaments2 or of the division of political authority into executive1 legislative or judicial co-ordinate branches4 ,nor is there any indication that there was ever an attempt to blend the various primary forms of government--monarchy1 aristocracy1 democracy--into a mixed government1 a government embracing elements from all three of these recognized primary forms4 ,such mixed governments are modern creations2 refinements in the science of government unattempted by the ancients4 ,the ancients1 in fact1 held them to be impossible1 mere visionary whims1 solecisms4 ,even a man of the excellent understanding of ,tacitus declared that if such a government were formed it could never be lasting or secure4 ,reign of the ,judges--,republic4 ,it is however in the matter of the ,nephite reign of the ,judges or the ,nephite ,republic that an illiterate1 modern writer would most likely have betrayed himself4 ,especially an ,american writer strongly imbued with the excellence1 to say nothing of the sanctity1 of the ,american form of government4 ,that ,joseph ,smith1 as also his early and later associates1 were imbued with such opinions concerning the ,american system of government is notorious4 ,joseph ,smith declared the constitution of the ,united ,states to have resulted from the inspiration of ,god3 ,and again ,i say unto you1 those who have been scattered by their enemies1 it is my will that they should continue to importune for redress1 and redemption1 by the hands of those who are placed as rulers1 and are in authority over you1 according to the laws and constitution of the people which ,i have suffered to be established1 and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh1 according to just and holy principles1 that every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity1 according to the moral agency which ,i have given unto them1 that every man be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment4 ,therefore1 it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another4 ,and for this purpose have ,i established the constitution of this land1 by the hands of wise men whom ,i raised up unto this very purpose1 and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood4 #e ,on another occasion the ,prophet said3 ,hence we say1 that the constitution of the ,united ,states is a glorious standard2 it is founded in the wisdom of ,god4 ,it is a heavenly banner2 it is to all those who are privileged with the sweets of its liberty1 like the cooling shades and refreshing waters of a great rock in a thirsty and weary land4 ,it is like a great tree under whose branches men from every clime can be shielded from the burning rays of oppression's sun4 #f ,still more especially would an illiterate modern writer be likely to betray himself if the ,american system of government was practically the only one of which he had any definite knowledge4 ,if then his description of a reign of judges1 based upon democratic principles1 among an ancient people1 escape not only some but all modern refinements of democratic government--some of which were unknown until employed in the establishment of the republic of the ,united ,states #g--then indeed are we well within the realm of the marvelous4 ,and this we may claim for the ,book of ,mormon description of the reign of the judges1 viz4 that while it outlines a government based upon the central principle of democracy--government by the people #h--yet there is nothing modern in that republic4 ,the principle of representation no where appears2 a division of the political power into co-ordinate and independent departments no where appears2 there is no indication of a federation even1 much less any of those modern refinements which distinguish modern federated republics from more ancient federated republics4 ,of course democratic government existed from very ancient times and there have also been from of old confederated republics1 but the government of the ,united ,states rests upon some principles that are recognized as entirely modern4 ,the principal differences between the modern republics and the ancient are these3 first1 the modern republics recognize the principle of representation3 that is1 masses of the people delegate authority to act for them to selected representatives2 second1 the powers of government are lodged in three distinct co-ordinate departments1 the law making1 the law executing1 and the law determining departments2 third1 the federal government has the same division of political power as the respective states1 viz41 legislative1 executive and judicial2 and also has conferred upon it power1 within the limits prescribed by the constitution1 to act directly through its own instrumentalities upon the citizens of the respective states4 ,the last item the ,french philosopher ,de ,tocqueville1 in speaking of the republic of the ,united ,states1 declared to be a wholly novel theory which he characterizes as a great discovery in modern political science4 ,in all the confederations which precede the ,american constitution of #aghi1 he says1 the allied states1 for a common object1 agree to obey the injunctions of a federal government2 but they the respective states reserve to themselves the right of ordaining and enforcing the execution of the laws of the union4 ,the ,american states which combined in #aghi1 agreed that the federal government should not only dictate but should execute its own enactments4 ,in both cases the right is the same but the exercise of the right is different2 and this difference produced the most momentous consequences4 ,the new word which ought to express this novel thing does not yet exist4 7,de ,tocqueville1 ,u4 ,s4 ,constitution1 ,vol4 ,i47 ,ecclesiastical ,government4 ,the government which obtained in the era following the advent of ,messiah in the western world was also in harmony with the conditions prevailing in those days4 ,that is1 the ecclesiastical government supplied by the ,church founded by ,messiah appears to have superseded all other form of government through the two hundred years which succeeded that event2 nor1 indeed1 up to the close of the ,book of ,mormon period1 #dbj ,a4 ,d41 except here and there a reference made to kings among that division of the people who styled themselves ,lamanites2 but ,i take it that even these kings among the ,lamanites more nearly resembled military chieftains than monarchs at the head of settled governments4 ,in the division of the people called ,nephites there is no reference either to a reign of judges or of kings or other form of government than this ,church or ,ecclesiastical government1 so that what ,i have previously said upon this subject #i will be found correct1 viz41 the people after the establishment of the ,church of ,christ among them found its institutions and authority sufficient1 as well in secular as in spiritual affairs4 ,that such a government as this should take the place of governments formerly existing1 ,i repeat1 was in harmony with conditions that obtained after the advent of ,messiah4 ,i have already called attention to the fact that government becomes necessary because of the vices and injustice of men4 ,that its chief function is to restrain men from injuring one another and thus give security to society4 ,when all the people are righteous government becomes well nigh unnecessary1 or operates at least in a very limited sphere1 and the form of government becomes a matter of more or less indifference4 ,now it will be remembered that in the awful judgments of ,god which had swept over the western world at ,messiah's crucifixion the more ungodly part of the people were destroyed1 and those who survived were afterwards thoroughly converted to the gospel of ,jesus ,christ by his advent and the ministry of his servants1 so that there was inaugurated an era of peace and perfect righteousness4 ,for two centuries at least there was a veritable golden age in the ,american continents1 during which time the simple laws of righteousness promulgated by the gospel were all sufficient as a rule of conduct1 and men practically forgot the reign of kings and the reign of judges4 ,when wickedness once more began to stalk through the land it may be that the hitherto prevailing ecclesiastical governments gave way to the rule of military chieftains1 both among the ,nephites and ,lamanites1 though among the later such chieftains were sometimes called kings4 ,that the monarchial and republican forms of government described in the ,book of ,mormon should be in harmony with the principles of those ancient political systems1 and that the kind of government which obtained after the advent of ,messiah among the ,nephites should be in such perfect harmony with the conditions that obtained in that period1 is internal evidence of marked significance in support of the claims of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,to see it in its full strength one should ask himself what would be the state of the case if the descriptions of monarchial and democratic government were not in harmony with the restricted ideas of ancient governments1 but were full of modern ideas and refinements of government2 and if the facts existing after the advent of ,messiah and the introduction of the ,nephite golden age were utterly at variance with the kind of government that we are ready to believe then obtained4 ,it should be remembered that if inconsistencies in the ,book of ,mormon forms of government would be so damaging against its claims to being an ancient record1 then consistency in its forms of government should be allowed equal weight in support of its claims to being an ancient record4 ,the ,events to which ,importance is ,given in the ,book of ,mormon are in ,harmony with the ,character of the ,writers4 ,in considering this subject we must bear in mind the purposes for which the ,book of ,mormon was written4 ,the purposes are set forth in detail in chapter ,,iii4 ,here it will be sufficient to say that the main purpose of the ,book of ,mormon is to be a witness for ,jesus1 the ,christ2 for the truth of the ,gospel as the power of ,god unto salvation4 ,notwithstanding these purposes are adhered to throughout the work it is very noticeable1 and indeed one cause of complaint against the book1 that it gives great prominence1 at least in the parts made up of ,mormon and ,moroni's abridgments1 to wars2 to minute descriptions of battles1 the construction of fortifications1 and the affairs of war in general4 ,this doubtless arises from the fact that ,mormon and ,moroni were both military chieftains1 and notwithstanding their general purpose was to make prominent the religious events which happened among the ,nephites and ,jaredites1 and the hand-dealings of ,god with those peoples1 yet when these writers came to give an account of wars1 it is but to be expected1 by the very nature of things1 that they could not refrain from recording those events which would have such a powerful attraction for them4 ,involuntarily they were drawn into a description of those events1 and unconsciously gave them prominence in their narratives4 ,so ,i say the events to which importance is given in the ,book of ,mormon are in harmony with the character of the writers1 a fact which is still further emphasized by the nature of the first part of the volume4 ,we have seen that #adi of the #aeg pages constituting that first part is written by the first ,nephi and his brother ,jacob1 prophets and priests of ,god4 ,in their writings wars are mentioned only in the most incidental way1 but there is an abundance of religious teaching1 and prominence is given to visions1 dreams and revelations1 and that because those writers were1 in the main1 prophets and priests of ,god4 ,it should also be noted1 of course1 that the time in which these earlier writers lived was not so much a period of warfare as subsequent centuries among the ,nephites4 ,it is to be observed1 then1 in conclusion upon this point1 that the very prominence given to wars and battle-movements in ,mormon's and ,moroni's part of the volume is but in keeping with the nature of things--an additional evidence of consistency in the work--the events to which importance is given are in harmony with the character of the writers4 ,complexity in the ,structure of the ,book of ,mormon in ,harmony with the ,theory of its ,origin4 ,i hesitated some time before adopting the above as a heading for this division of the subject1 because ,i was aware1 and am still aware of the fact that it scarcely presents the thought ,i would have considered2 and ,i know how easily1 by a slight variation1 it could be made subject to the smart retort that the complexity of the structure of the ,book of ,mormon is in harmony with the theory of its merely human origin since it is simplicity1 not complexity1 which is the sign manual of things divine4 ,still1 for all that1 ,i have concluded to make use of this faulty title1 for want of a better1 confident that when my whole thought under it is developed it will result in producing evidence for the truth of the claims of the book4 ,that the structure of the ,book of ,mormon is complex all who read it know4 ,the first part of it is made up of the translation of unabridged records1 the small plates of ,nephi4 ,the second part is made up of the translation of abridged books 7,mormon's abridgment71 ,mormon1 however1 retaining for the several parts of his abridgment the title of the respective books he abridged4 ,i have already pointed out the fact #aj that ,mormon's condensed narrative from the original ,nephite records makes up the body of his work2 with occasional direct quotations from the original records1 and the whole more or less confused by his running comments1 unseparated from the body of his work save by the sense of the text4 ,all this is complex enough surely1 but the end is not yet2 for within the old ,nephite records ,mormon had at hand while doing the work of abridgment1 there were still other books4 ,that is1 books within books2 as1 for instance1 the ,book of ,zeniff within the ,book of ,mosiah1 which see4 #aa ,also the account of the church founded by the first ,alma1 likewise within the book of ,mosiah4 ,also the account of the missionary expedition to the ,lamanites by the young ,nephite princes1 sons of ,king ,mosiah ,,ii41 within the book of ,alma1 which see4 #ab ,mormon1 coming to these books within books1 followed that order also in his abridgment2 so that as in the original ,nephite records1 we have books within books1 so within ,mormon's abridgment we have abridged records within abridged records4 ,then1 as if to cap the climax of complexity in structure1 ,mormon writes a book of his own to which he gives his own name4 ,that is1 calls it the ,book of ,mormon2 the last two chapters of which1 however1 are written by ,moroni4 ,then follows what may be called the third part of the ,book of ,mormon--,moroni's abridgment of the twenty-four plates of ,ether1 which gives us so much of the history as we have of the ,jaredites4 ,by this arrangement the history of the first people to occupy the western hemisphere1 7after the flood71 comes last in the ,book of ,mormon2 and ,moroni's abridgment of the ,jaredite record has much of the complexity of his father's abridgment of the ,nephite records4 ,now1 with all this before the mind of the reader--whether he regards ,joseph ,smith1 ,solomon ,spaulding1 or ,sidney ,rigdon as the author of the ,book of ,mormon--,i submit to him the question3 ,would either ingenuity or stupidity in a modern author suggest such complexity in the structure of a book as this8 ,can a parallel case be pointed to in the modern making of books8 ,if the ,book of ,mormon were modern in structure and its author or authors had the conception that this western world was peopled by a colony coming from the ,euphrates valley1 in very ancient times1 and subsequently by two other colonies from ,judea1 one leaving #fjj ,b4 ,c4 and the other shortly afterwards1 in giving the history of those people1 would not the modern author have begun with the most ancient colony and treated the history of the respective peoples in the order of their occupancy of the western continents8 ,then1 again3 ,if the ,book of ,mormon is mere fiction1 the idle coinage of an inventive1 modern author1 why three migrations8 ,if the object of the modern author was merely to convey an idea how a civilized race in ancient times occupied the western world1 why would not the first migration--the ,jaredite--have answered all his purposes8 ,or why not take the second migration--the ,nephite--for the accomplishment of such a purpose8 ,why complicate it by bringing in the migration of ,mulek's colony1 when the simple treatment of developing the ,nephite colony into national proportions would have been sufficient for the purpose of a work of fiction8 ,one other question ,i would submit relative to the ,jaredite record and the strange place it occupies in the ,book of ,mormon4 ,the plates of ,ether were found by an expedition sent out from ,zeniff's colony about #abc ,b4 ,c41 and were translated shortly afterwards by ,mosiah ,,ii41 who was a seer2 that is1 he was able to use ,urim and ,thummim in the translation of strange languages4 ,now1 why did not ,mormon include an abridgment of ,mosiah's translation of the plates of ,ether in his abridgment of ,nephite records1 allowing it to stand in his collection of plates as his abridgment of the ,book of ,zeniff stands within his abridgment of the ,book of ,mosiah1 instead of passing the matter by and leaving it for his son ,moroni to make a translation direct from the ,book of ,ether1 thus throwing the history of the first inhabitants of the western world1 after the flood1 to the very last part of the record8 ,candidly1 does the complex structure of the ,book of ,mormon appeal to one as at all modern in its arrangement8 ,are modern books so constructed8 ,and yet1 notwithstanding all the complexity in the structure of the book1 each part is so in harmony with every other part1 and with the whole1 that really1 after all1 it is a very simple book1 and one readily understood4 ,it is clear that the very peculiar circumstances under which the ,book of ,mormon was compiled by the original ,nephite writers1 and that neither the ingenuity nor the stupidity of ,joseph ,smith1 nor of any other modern writer1 is responsible for this peculiar structure of the book4 ,and1 moreover1 since the book in its details retains harmonious consistency with the plan of its structure1 must not such a fact be conceded to be an incidental evidence in favor of its claims8 ,footnotes #a4 ,ether vi3 #bg4 ,ibid4 ix3 #ae-bb4 ,ibid4 x3 #aj et4 seq4 #b4 ,ether ix3 #ad1 #ae1 #ba1 #bb4 ,ibid4 x3 #ac4 #c4 ,mosiah xxix3 #ba-bc4 ,see also remarks1 chapters x1 and xiii4 #d4 ,perhaps it may be thought that an exception should be made in the matter of ,lamanite kingdoms1 of which ,i have spoken 7chapter xiii7 as constituting at one period of ,lamanite history1 a sort of confederacy of kingdoms2 but this does not affect the statement of the text which is dealing with the form of government4 ,i believe myself justified in saying that whether reference is made to the petty ,lamanite kingdoms or the central kingdom to which they were tributary1 the principle in government will be found the same--the king is the source of all political power1 the monarchy is simple1 the kingly power absolute4 #e4 ,doc4 ,cov41 ,sec4 ci3 #gf-hj4 #f4 ,letters of ,joseph ,smith1 from ,liberty ,prison1 under date of ,march #be1 #ahci--to the ,church of the ,latter-day ,saints4 ,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iii41 p4 #cjd4 #g4 ,see ,de ,tocqueville's ,constitution of the ,u4 ,s41 ,vol4 ,i4 #h4 ,see ,chapter xiii4 #i4 ,ante pp4 #baf-g4 #aj4 ,see ,ante ,chapter xxxvii4 #aa4 ,book of ,mosiah1 p4 #aha 7current edition74 #ab4 ,book of ,mormon1 p #bhc 7current edition74 ,,chapter ,,xxxix ,,internal ,,evidences--,,the ,,originality ,,of ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,mormon ,,an ,,evidence ,,in ,,support ,,of ,,its ,,claims4 ,how far originality may be insisted upon as a necessary element in a book avowedly containing a revelation from ,god is an open question2 just as how far originality in a prophet may be insisted upon is4 ,in both cases1 however1 it cannot be doubted but that originality would be regarded as evidence of considerable weight in favor of the divinity of the message of either prophet or book4 ,somehow men look for originality in any thing that purports to be a revelation from ,god1 come how it will4 ,they look for a word from the inner fact of things in a revelation4 ,a new word that shall add somewhat to the sum of known things1 and spoken in a way to attract anew the attention of men4 ,and yet it must not be forgotten that every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven 99 99 99 bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old #a--the old1 mark you1 as well as the new--and one of olden time doubted even if there really was any new thing under the sun4 ,the thing that hath been1 it is that which shall be2 and that which is done is that which shall be done3 and there is no new thing under the sun4 ,is there any thing whereof it may be said1 see1 this is new8 ,it hath been already of old time1 which was before us4 #b ,from all which ,i conclude that while in a way originality may be regarded as affording some evidence in favor of the claims of a prophet and his message1 or of a book and its revelation1 still originality is not an indispensable quality in either prophet or book4 ,contemporary prophets1 or prophets living in succession1 may come burdened with the same word of the ,lord1 with the same divine message2 but the one who speaks secondly or thirdly1 and hence with all claim to originality gone1 is none the less ,god's messenger2 and the word he speaks may not with safety be rejected for that it lacks the quality of originality4 ,so1 too1 with books4 ,it would be a senseless manner of handling the scriptures to reject the books called first and second ,chronicles because they chiefly duplicate the matter of the books called first and second ,kings1 and have little originality to commend them to our acceptance4 ,so with the books of the ,new ,testament4 ,accepting for our purpose here the order in which they stand in the commonly received versions of the ,new ,testament1 as the order in which the books were written1 shall the book of ,mark be rejected because in the main it deals with the same matter that engages the attention of ,matthew1 and there is but little on the score of its originality of matter to commend it as an inspired book8 ,the same question could be asked in relation to the book of ,luke4 ,the truth is that ,god in books as in prophets sometimes requires more than one for a witness to his message1 and hence repeats the revelation in a number of inspired books1 in which case the books merely repeating the revelation are as truly inspired1 as truly scripture as the one in which the message first appeared1 although it could be said that the quality of originality is wholly wanting4 ,since the ,book of ,mormon feigns the introduction of no new religion1 but gives merely an account of the introduction of the ,christian religion in the western hemisphere1 by inspired teachers1 both before and after the coming of ,messiah1 and by the personal ministry of ,messiah after his resurrection2 and as the ,christian religion is always the same1 in all times and in all lands1 it must have been the same when introduced into ,america as when taught in ,judea--where is room for originality8 ,is not originality by the very nature of the claims of the ,book of ,mormon excluded8 ,the reader1 ,i believe1 will recognize the force of the question2 and ,i take occasion here to remark that the point in the question exhibits the weakness of those objections that are sometimes urged against the ,book of ,mormon on the score of sameness of matter in it and the ,new ,testament2 and also it exhibits how senseless is the clamor for the existence of some new moral or religious truth #c in the ,book of ,mormon1 not to be found in the ,old or ,new ,testaments4 ,since1 then1 the ,book of ,mormon1 so far as it treats of religion1 treats of the ,christian religion1 it is comparison not contrast that should be made2 sameness1 not difference that should be looked for2 identity of moral and religious truths1 not differences2 accordance with old truths1 rather than the existence of new ones4 ,the ,christian religion may not be contrasted with itself2 and as the fullness of the gospel was revealed in the proclamation of it in ,judea1 it would be sufficient if a dispensation of the same gospel proclaimed in ,america is in strict accordance with that taught in ,judea4 ,in fact this is all that the nature of the case strictly requires4 ,still1 after the reasonableness of all this is established1 there may be claimed for the ,book of ,mormon an originality in the fact of the existence of new and important ,christian truths in its pages2 as1 also an originality of emphasis placed on certain other ,christian truths4 ,this much that a proper estimate may be formed of the value of originality as an evidence of the divine authenticity or inspiration of a book2 neither giving an exaggerated value to it on the one hand1 nor accounting it of little or no importance on the other4 ,i4 ,originality of ,structure4 ,in enumerating the several particulars in which the ,book of ,mormon manifests originality1 ,i would name its peculiar structure--so at variance with all modern ideas of book making--pointed out in the treatment of the last subdivision of chapter xxxviii1 and ask the reader to consider that treatise brought over into this subdivision1 and the peculiar structure of the ,book of ,mormon made one1 and the first1 of the evidences of its originality4 ,,ii4 ,originality in ,names4 ,so also as to names2 so far as they are original1 ,i would have that fact considered as another1 the second1 evidence of the originality of the ,book of ,mormon2 and so much of that treatise as deals with the originality of the names1 7see chapter xxxvii7 considered as brought over into this subdivision4 ,,iii4 ,in the ,manner of its ,coming ,forth4 ,in the manner of its coming forth no less than in its structure and its names1 the ,book of ,mormon is original4 ,it must be remembered that at the time of the coming forth of the ,book of ,mormon such a thing as a new revelation from ,god was utterly unlooked for4 ,indeed it was the consensus of ,christian opinion and teaching that the time of revelation had passed2 that the days of miracles were over2 that ,god in the ,christian dispensation to mankind 7the dispensation in which ,messiah ministered in person7 spoke the final word2 that no more divine communication would be given4 ,speculating upon this very subject in connection with the desirability for knowledge respecting the ancient inhabitants of ,america1 ,ethan ,smith1 in his ,view of the ,hebrews2 or the ,tribes of ,israel in ,america1 says1 most emphatically3 ,we are to expect no new revelation from heaven1 and the days of miracles are thought to be past4 ,we probably must look for just such evidence to exhibit to the world that people so long lost as the ten ,tribes of ,israel1 as is in fact exhibited by the natives of ,america4 #d ,it is well to remember that this was said some years before the ,book of ,mormon was published1 and ,i repeat that it represents the generally accepted ,christian idea concerning revelation and miracles4 ,furthermore1 it is notorious that the prime objection urged against the ,book of ,mormon was the fact that it claimed to be a new revelation from ,god2 and the arguments found in the discourses and writings of the early ,elders of the ,church clearly prove that the chief contention over the ,book of ,mormon in those early days was on this point4 #e ,it follows1 therefore1 that ,joseph ,smith's account of the manner in which the ,book of ,mormon was brought forth and translated was a very original one2 for it involved a revelation from ,god to make known its existence1 and what men call a miracle to secure its translation4 ,here1 then1 was not only originality1 but a bold contradiction of what was supposed to be the most completely settled doctrine of modern ,christendom1 viz4 that the age of revelations and miracles had forever passed away4 ,it is scarcely probable that imposters would move along such lines as these4 ,the proclamation of a new revelation making known the existence of a new volume of scripture was the most remarkable innovation upon ,christian opinion that the world had ever witnessed4 ,orthodoxy stood aghast at the presumption as they called it2 and seemed for a time to forget all other points of controversy in order to concentrate their attack upon this innovation of their most cherished idea4 ,they thought the very claim that the ,book of ,mormon involved a new revelation from ,god was sufficient to justify its rejection4 ,yet never was opposition so completely demolished in controversy as this sectarian argument against new and continual revelation4 ,so completely was it overthrown that we to-day scarcely ever hear it mentioned4 ,with this1 however1 ,i have nothing further to do4 ,my only point at present is that there was a bold originality in ,joseph ,smith's account of the coming forth and translation of the ,book of ,mormon1 which1 in addition to contravening the accepted ,christian opinion of the times on the subject of revelation and miracles1 carried with it much weight in support of the claims made for this ,american volume of scripture2 for surely imposters seeking to foist a book upon the world either for obtaining fame or money would never be found moving along lines so diametrically opposite to accepted opinions4 ,,iv4 ,its ,accounting for the ,peopling of ,america4 ,in its account of peopling ,america no less than in its structure and the manner in which its existence was made known and its translation accomplished1 the ,book of ,mormon is original4 ,all the books on ,american antiquities that could possibly have been accessible to ,joseph ,smith and his associates favored the theory of migrations from northeastern ,asia by way of ,behring ,straits where the ,asiatic and ,american continents approach each other4 ,see ,josiah ,priest's ,american ,antiquities1 preface4 ,ethan ,smith1 referring to the authorities that he was acquainted with on this subject1 says3 ,all seem to agree that the ,indians came from the northwest1 and overspread the continent to the south4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i forbear to offer any further remarks upon these testimonies incidentally afforded by this most celebrated author1 meaning ,humboldt4 ,let them be duly weighed by the judicious reader2 and he surely cannot doubt but that the natives of ,america came from the north over ,behring's ,straits2 and descended from a people of as great mental cultivation1 as were the ancient family of ,israel4 #f ,not only were such the prevailing views at the time ,ethan ,smith wrote1 #ahbe1 but even to this day the same general opinion prevails among authorities2 #g that is1 that ,america was peopled from ,asia by way of ,behring ,straits4 ,the migrations of the ,book of ,mormon1 however1 contravene this quite generally accepted theory4 ,while it is supposed that the ,jaredites passed out of the ,euphrates valley and wandered several years eastwardly through ,asia1 they crossed the ,pacific and landed in the south part of the north continent of ,america and settled in a district of country they afterwards called ,moron1 near what was afterwards the ,nephite province called ,desolation1 which was in the region of country known to us as the ,central ,american ,states4 #h ,the ,nephite colony1 as we have seen #i1 landed on the west coast of ,south ,america about thirty degrees south latitude2 and ,mulek's colony is supposed to have landed somewhere in the south part of the ,north ,american continent4 ,these ,book of ,mormon accounts of migrations to the ,american continents constitute the widest possible departure from usually accepted theories upon the subject4 ,v4 ,the ,nativity of ,ancient ,american ,peoples4 ,the ,book of ,mormon is original with reference to the facts it presents respecting the nativity of its peoples4 ,on this point1 more is sometimes claimed by believers in the ,book of ,mormon than is warranted by the facts in the case4 ,for example1 it is sometimes stated that the ,israelitish origin of the native ,americans was first asserted by the ,book of ,mormon4 ,that is not true4 ,long before the advent of the ,book of ,mormon ,james ,adair1 whose work was published in #agge1 advanced the theory that the native ,american ,indians were the ,lost ,ten ,tribes of ,israel1 and argued for the truth of his theory at great length4 #aj ,ethan ,smith1 in his work we have several times quoted1 advances the theory that the native ,indians were the ,ten ,lost ,tribes of ,israel1 the very title of his book--,view of the ,hebrews2 or the ,tribes of ,israel in ,america--is the evidence of his holding that theory4 ,it is therefore a mistake to say that the idea of ,israelitish descent of the native ,american ,indians originated with the ,book of ,mormon4 ,indeed the theory that the native ,americans were the ,ten ,lost ,tribes of ,israel found many advocates both in ,europe and the ,united ,states1 especially1 ,i may say1 in the ,new ,england states1 before #ahcj4 ,wherein the ,book of ,mormon is original in respect of this matter is that while declaring the ,israelitish descent of the ancient people of ,america1 it directly contravenes the idea that the native ,americans1 are the ,ten ,lost ,tribes of ,israel1 by incidentally declaring those tribes to be in another part of the world1 and ,jesus announcing to the ,nephites his intention to appear unto them1 and administer among them4 #aa ,of course reference to ,israelitish descent is here made to the two last migrations only1 that is1 to the colony of ,lehi1 and the colony of ,mulek4 ,the colony of ,jared were doubtless of the same race1 but of earlier ancestors1 among whom the patriarch ,shem4 ,the ,book of ,mormon refers to ,lehi's colony as made up of descendants of ,manasseh ,lehi and ,ephraim ,ishmael #ab while the colony of ,mulek were ,jews4 ,from this it appears that the ,book of ,mormon is as boldly original in declaring the nativity of these colonies that peopled ,america with teeming millions of their descendants1 as it is in its account of the course of their migrations or the manner in which the ,book of ,mormon came forth4 ,for1 in limiting the nativity of these colonies to the descendants of ,joseph and of ,judah1 it as radically contravenes existing opinions upon the subject as it does in respect of the manner in which the book came forth1 and the course of migration4 ,,vi4 ,accounting for the ,existence of ,christian ,ideas in ,america4 ,the ,book of ,mormon is original in the matter of accounting for the existence of ,christian ideas and doctrines among the native ,americans4 ,i would have this statement so understood as to include all ,bible ideas1 since right conceptions of ,christianity in its fullness includes the ,old ,testament and the dispensation of ,god to the children of men described therein as part of the ,christian heritage1 as well as the specific ,christian dispensation which is described in the ,new ,testament4 ,the manner in which the ,book of ,mormon accounts for ,christian ideas and doctrines among native ,americans is1 first1 by detailing the facts of direct revelation of ,christian truths to the ancient inhabitants of ,america1 as1 for instance1 in the case of the ,prophet ,moriancumer among the ,jaredites1 where that great prophet is represented as being permitted to stand in the revealed presence of the preexisting spirit of ,jesus ,christ1 and to hear the proclamation that in him should all mankind have life and that eternally2 and that as he appeared unto that prophet in the spirit1 so would he appear unto his people in the flesh2 and that those who would believe on his name should become his sons and daughters4 #ac ,also the revelation of ,christian truths vouchsafed to the first ,nephi2 who1 in vision1 some hundreds of years before the advent of ,christ1 was permitted to foresee the birth of the ,redeemer1 the labors of his forerunner1 ,john the ,baptist1 who prepared the way before him1 and much of the ,judean ministry of ,christ1 including his crucifixion1 his resurrection1 and the establishment of his ministry through twelve ,apostles2 so also his advent and ministry among the inhabitants of the western world1 #ad ending in the establishment of the ,christian sacraments1 and of the ,christian ,church1 as the sacred depository of ,christian truths4 ,secondly1 the ,book of ,mormon accounts for the existence of ,christian ideas and doctrines among native ,american races by declaring the ,nephites to be in possession of the ,hebrew scriptures extant among that people from the beginning up to #fjj ,b4 ,c41 including the five books of ,moses1 some of the writings of ,isaiah and ,jeremiah4 #ae ,and also ascribing to the ,jaredites the knowledge of most ancient events through scriptures in their possession1 dealing with events from the ,tower of ,babel back to the very days of ,adam4 #af ,it is1 then1 by most direct means of the revelations of ,god to the ancient inhabitants of ,america and the personal ministration of ,jesus ,christ among them and the knowledge imparted by these several volumes of very ancient scripture that the ,book of ,mormon accounts for the existence of ,christian ideas and ,christian truths among the native ,americans4 ,there is nothing like this in the theories of men to account for the existence of these truths in ,america4 ,in the first place let the reader be assured that it is quite generally conceded by the very best authorities that ideas closely analogous to ,christian truths are found in the traditions of the native ,americans4 ,most ancient and modern authors1 says ,de ,roo1 agree in saying that the ,christian religion has been taught on our the ,american continent at an epoch not so very much anterior to the ,columbian discovery4 ,bastian establishes the latter opinion by the numerous analogies he points out between the religious belief and practices of the ,christians and those of ,american aborigines4 ,von ,humboldt admits the parity to be so striking as to have given the ,spanish missionaries a fine opportunity to deceive the natives by making them believe that their own was none other than the ,christian religion4 ',not a single ,american missionary who has1 until this day1 left any writing has forgotten to notice the evident vestiges of ,christianity which has in former time penetrated even among the most savage tribes1' says ,dr4 de ,mier1 commenting on ,sahagun's ,history4 ,quite a number of ancient writers1 such as ,garcilasso de la ,vega1 ,solorzano1 ,acosta1 and others are equally explicit in asserting that several ,christian tenets and practices were found among our aborigines2 but they deny their introduction by ,christian teachers1 giving1 strange to say1 to the devil the honor of spreading the light of ,christianity1 in spite of his hatred of it4 #ag ,later he says3 ,no modern student of ,american antiquity fails to notice the close and striking resemblances between several leading particulars of ,christian faith1 morals1 and ceremonies and those of ancient ,american religions4 ,sahagun1 who wrote in ,mexico about the middle of the sixteenth century1 and took such great pains to be correctly informed in regard to all religious rites of our aborigines1 states already that all the ,spanish missionaries who wrote in ,america before him had pointed out the numerous vestiges of ,christianity to be found even among the savage ,indian tribes4 #ah ,devil propaganda of ,christianity was quite a favorite theory with many of the early ,spanish writers1 while others advanced the theory that ,christian apostles had evangelized the western hemisphere4 ,among the latter was the ,archbishop of ,san ,domingo1 ,davilla ,padilli1 a royal chronicler who wrote a book to prove that ,christian apostles had formerly preached in the ,west ,indies4 ,so also ,torquemada holds the same opinion1 although he admits of the possibility of the devil teaching ,christianity4 ,more modern writers seek to account for the existence of these ,christian analogies in other ways4 ,prescott for instance1 in his ,conquest of ,peru1 says3 ,in the distribution of bread and wine at this high festival1 the feast of ,raymi the orthodox ,spaniards who first came into the country saw a striking resemblance to the ,christian communion2 as in the practice of confession and penance1 which1 in a most irregular form indeed1 seems to have been used by the ,peruvians1 they discerned a coincidence with another of the sacraments of the ,church4 ,the good fathers were fond of tracing such coincidences1 which they considered as the contrivance of ,satan1 who thus endeavored to delude his victims by counterfeiting the blessed rites of ,christianity4 ,others1 in a different vein1 imagined that they saw in such analogies the evidence that some of the primitive teachers of the gospel1 perhaps an apostle himself1 had paid a visit to these distant regions and scattered over them the seeds of religious truth4 ,but it seems hardly necessary to invoke the ,prince of ,darkness1 or the intervention of the blessed saints to account for coincidences which have existed in countries far removed from the light of ,christianity1 and in ages1 indeed1 when its light had not yet risen on the world4 ,it is much more reasonable to refer such casual points of resemblance to the general constitution of man and the necessities of his moral nature4 #ai ,of which ,i think ,de ,roo very justly remarks3 ,the ,christian mysteries admitted by the ancient ,peruvians and ,mexicans could hardly find their origin in man's constitution2 nor are religious practices1 like baptism1 fasting1 celibacy1 and a cloistered life1 to be considered as necessities of man's moral1 yet corrupt nature4 ,more reasonable and better historical causes should be found to account for the presence of ,christian faith and ,christian rites in ancient ,america4 #bj ,h4 ,h4 ,bancroft also concedes the existence of rites among native ,americans analogous to those existing among ,jews and ,christians1 but regards them as mere coincidences4 ,he says3 ,many rites and ceremonies were found to exist among the civilized nations of ,america that were very similar to certain others observed by the ,jews and ,christians in the old world4 ,the innumerable speculators on the origin of the aboriginal inhabitants of the new world1 or at least on the origin of their civilization1 have not neglected to bring forward these coincidences--there is no good reason to suppose them anything else--in support of their various theories4 #ba ,on which ,de ,roo remarks3 ,coincidences1 so many1 so striking1 in faith1 in morals1 and liturgy6 ,coincidences1 indeed1 little short of wonders6 ,nadaillac also would refer these coincidences to natural causes4 ,he says ,no dissemination of merely ,christian ideas1 since the conquest by the ,spaniards is sufficient to account for these myths having in mind the traditions of the creation1 flood1 migrations1 ,christian analogies1 etc41 which appear to have their root in the natural tendencies of the human mind in its evolution from a savage state4 #bb ,and so in these various ways men would account for the existence of ,christian ideas and doctrines2 but it was reserved for ,joseph ,smith1 the ,prophet of the dispensation of the fullness of times1 through the ,book of ,mormon1 to announce the boldly original idea that knowledge of ,christian truths and doctrines had their origin among native ,american peoples in direct revelation to them from ,god2 in the personal ministration of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 after his resurrection from the dead2 and from being in possession of ancient scriptures which to the ,nephites1 no less than to the ,jews1 made known ,god's plan of redemption for mankind through the personal suffering and resurrection of his ,son ,jesus ,christ4 ,i hold that the very originality and boldness of these assertions respecting the direct means by which the people of ,america in ancient times received their knowledge of ,christian truths1 and which so far transcend the timid and tentative speculations of men1 even of the most intelligent and courageous1 have about them an atmosphere of truth that is most convincing2 moreover1 ,i cannot help but believe that originality in respect of such things as are here set down2 structure1 names1 the manner of coming forth1 in its account of peopling ,america1 the nativity of ,american people1 and lastly this accounting for the existence of ,christian ideas among native ,american races1 is of a vastly greater importance than originality in mere phraseology or style of composition4 ,footnotes #a4 ,matt4 xiii3 #eb4 #b4 ,ecclesiastes i3 #i1 #aj4 #c4 ,for this clamor see a brief discussion on the ,book of ,mormon between the writer and an ,unknown writer in ,the ,salt ,lake ,tribune1 impressions of ,nov4 #bb1 #bi2 and ,december #f1 #ac1 #aijc4 ,see also ,the ,golden ,bible 7,lamb71 ,edition of #ahhg1 p4 #bjg-bac4 ,also the views of the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,wm4 ,m4 ,paden1 of the ,first ,presbyterian ,church2 ,salt ,lake ,city1 quoted by the writer in a discourse on ,the ,fifth ,gospel--,third ,nephi--,defense of the ,faith and the ,saints1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #cgc-cii4 #d4 ,view of the ,hebrews1 #bnd ,edition1 7#ahbe7 pp4 #afh1 #afi4 #e4 ,see the works of ,orson and ,parley ,p4 ,pratt2 ,john ,taylor's ,discussion with three ministers in ,france2 early volumes of ,millennial ,star1 ,spencer's ,letters--in fact all the early ,church literature4 ,of late opponents of the ,book of ,mormon have not pressed this point of controversy1 since the sectarian arguments respecting it have been utterly demolished4 ,for a brief consideration of the various points of that argument see ,new ,witnesses for ,god1 ,vol4 ,i41 ,ch4 viii4 #f4 ,view of the ,hebrews1 pp4 #ahg1 #ahh #g4 ,see chapter xxix1 especially taking account of foot note references4 #h4 ,dictionary of the ,book of ,mormon1 ,reynolds1 p4 #afh4 ,and ,vol4 ,,ii1 pp4 #aci-dj4 #i4 ,vol4 ,,ii1 pp4 #aeg-h4 #aj4 ,see this volume1 pp4 #df-dh4 #aa4 ,see ,,iii4 ,nephi xv1 xvi1 xvii4 #ab4 ,the statement here that ,ishmael was of ,ephraim is set down upon the authority1 first1 of inference4 ,the inference is based upon the fact as already stated that there are promises in the ,hebrew scriptures respecting ,ephraim which cannot be realized so far as we know1 except through the seed of ,ephraim dwelling upon the land of ,america1 as we have seen in considering the evidence of the ,bible for the truth of the ,book of ,mormon2 and as ,lehi and his family were of the tribe of ,manasseh1 and ,mulek's colony being ,jews1 it leaves the family of ,ishmael1 and perhaps ,zoram1 the servant of ,laban to introduce the descendants of ,ephraim into the western world4 ,second1 a number of ,latter-day ,saints1 familiarly acquainted with the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 declare that in conversation they had known him to say that in ,mormon's abridgment of the book of ,lehi 7which supplied the #aaf pages of manuscript lost by ,martin ,harris7 it was plainly stated that ,ishmael was of the tribe of ,ephraim4 ,among those who heard such remarks was the late ,elder ,franklin ,d4 ,richards1 of the ,council of the ,apostles and ,church ,historian1 who records his recollection of the ,prophet's statement in the following manner3 ,one day in the autumn of that year1 7#ahdc7 as ,i was passing near1 7the ,nauvoo ,mansion7 it being in warm weather1 ,i observed the door standing open and the ,prophet ,joseph inside conversing with one of the brethren1 leaning against the counter4 ,it being a public house1 ,i ventured to walk in1 and scarcely had more than time to exchange usual civilities1 when this brother said3 ',brother ,joseph1 how is it that we call the ,book of ,mormon the ,stick of ,joseph1 in the hands of ,ephraim1 when the book itself tells us that ,lehi was of the lineage of ,manasseh8 ,i cannot find in it about the seed of ,ephraim dwelling on this land at all4' ,joseph replied3 ',you will recollect that when ,lehi and his family had gone from ,jerusalem out into the wilderness1 he sent his son ,nephi back to the city to get the plates which contained the law of ,moses and many prophecies of the prophets1 and that he also brought out ,ishmael and his family1 which were mostly daughters4 ,this ,ishmael and his family were of the lineage of ,ephraim1 and ,lehi's sons took ,ishmael's daughters for wives1 and this is how they have grown together1 'a multitude of nations in the midst of the earth4' ',if we had those one hundred and sixteen pages of manuscript which ,martin ,harris got away with1 you would know all about it1 for ,ishmael's ancestry is made very plain therein4 ,the ,lord told me not to translate it over again1 but to take from ,nephi's other plates until ,i came to the period of time where the other translation was broken off1 and then go on with ,mormon's abridgment again4 ,that is how it came about that ,ishmael's lineage was not given in the ,book of ,mormon1 as well as ,lehi's4'--,frankling ,d4 ,richards1 ,the ,contributor1 ,vol4 ,,xvii1 p4 #dbe4 #ac4 ,ether iii4 #ad4 ,i4 ,nephi x3 #aa1 #ab4 #ae4 ,see ,i4 ,nephi v3 #aa4 #af4 ,ether i3 #c-f4 #ag4 ,history of ,america ,before ,columbus1 ,p4 ,de ,roo1 ,vol4 ,i41 #dbc1 #dbd4 #ah4 ,ibid4 p4 #eag4 #ai4 ,conquest of ,peru1 ,vol4 ,i41 pp4 #if1 #ig4 #bj4 ,history of ,america ,before ,columbus1 ,vol4 ,i41 pp4 #ebc-d4 #ba4 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,,iii41 pp4 #dch-i #bb4 ,prehistoric ,america1 p4#eca4 ,,chapter ,,xl ,,internal ,,evidences4--,,the ,,originality ,,of ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,mormon ,,an ,,evidence ,,in ,,support ,,of ,,its ,,claims4 7,continued47 ,,vii4 ,the ,fall of ,adam--,the ,purpose of ,man's ,earth ,existence4 ,in the matter of some ,christian truths1 it sets forth1 as well as in some it emphasizes1 the ,book of ,mormon is original2 and in none more so than in dealing with the doctrine of ,adam's fall1 and the purpose of man's existence4 ,in the second book of ,nephi1 chapter ii1 occurs the following direct1 explicit statement3 ,adam fell that men might be3 and men are that they might have joy4 ,this sentence is the summing up of a somewhat lengthy discussion on the atonement1 by the prophet ,lehi4 ,it is a most excellent and important generalization1 and is worthy to be classed with the great generalizations of the ,jewish scriptures1 such for instance as that in the closing chapter of ,ecclesiastes1 ,fear ,god and keep his commandments1 for this is the whole duty of man2 ,paul's famous generalization3 ,as in ,adam all die1 even so in ,christ shall all be made alive3 or the ,apostle ,james' summing up of religion3 ,pure religion1 and undefiled before ,god and the ,father1 is this1 ,to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction1 and to keep one's self unspotted from the world4 ,or of ,messiah's great summing up of the whole law and gospel2 ,thou shalt love the ,lord thy ,god1 with all thy heart1 and with all thy soul1 and with all thy mind4 ,this is the first and great commandment1 and the second is like unto it1 ,thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself4 ,on these two commandments hang all the law and all the prophets4 ,i care not whether you regard the literary excellence of this ,book of ,mormon generalization or the importance of the great truths which it announces1 ,i repeat1 it is worthy in every way to stand with the great generalizations quoted above4 ,it deals with two of the mightiest problems of theology3 #ast1 ,the reason for ,adam's fall2 #bnd1 ,the purpose of man's existence4 ,before entering into a consideration of these doctrines1 however1 ,i must establish the fact of their ,book of ,mormon originality2 for ,i fancy there will be many who at first glance will be disposed to question their being original with that book4 ,it must be conceded1 of course1 that the fact of man's fall is frequently mentioned in the ,bible4 ,the story of it is told at length in ,genesis4 #a ,it is the subject of some of ,paul's discourses2 #b and1 indeed1 it underlies the whole ,christian scheme for the redemption and salvation of mankind4 ,yet1 strange to say1 there is not to be found a direct1 explicit1 and adequate statement in all the ,jewish scriptures as to why ,adam fell4 ,the same may be said with reference to the second part of this passage4 ,that is1 there is nowhere in ,jewish scriptures a direct1 explicit1 adequate statement as to the object of man's existence4 ,these statements with reference to the absence of anything in ,holy scripture on these two important points1 will1 ,i know1 be regarded as extremely bold2 and especially when made with reference to so large a body of literature as is comprised in the ,bible4 ,yet ,i make them with confidence2 and am helped to that conclusion from the fact that nowhere in the creeds of men1 based upon ,jewish and ,christian scripture1 is there to be found a direct statement upon these two subjects that has in it the warrant of explicit1 scriptural authority4 ,nowhere in the creeds of men--the creeds of men6 those generalizations of ,christian truths as men have conceived those truths to be2 those deductions from the teachings of ,holy scripture--nowhere in them1 ,i repeat are these two great theological questions disposed of on scriptural authority4 ,the ,westminister ,confession of ,faith1 which embodies the accepted doctrine of one of the largest sects of ,protestant ,christendom1 while it indeed has a word1 in fact several sections on the subject of ,adam's fall and its consequences1 it contents itself with stating the fact of it1 the manner of it1 as also1 that ,god permitted it1 having purposed to order it to his own glory1 yet in such manner as himself not to be chargeable with the responsibility of the sin2 but nowhere is there an explanation of why ,adam fell4 ,with reference to the purpose of man's creation--included in the treatment of the purpose of creation in general--the creed ascribes the purpose of all the creative acts of ,god to be ,the manifestation of the glory of his eternal power1 wisdom and goodness4 #c and in an authoritative explanation of this part of the creed it is said1 ,the design of ,god in creation was the manifestation of his own glory4 ,and again3 ,our confession very explicitly takes the position that the chief end of ,god in his eternal purposes and in their temporal execution in creation and providence is the manifestation of his own glory4 ,the scriptures explicity assert that this is the chief end of ,god in creation4 #d4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the manifestation of his own glory is intrinsically the highest and worthiest end that ,god could purpose to ,himself4 #e ,the only business ,i have here with this declaration of the purpose of ,god in creation--including the creation of man1 of course--is simply to call attention to the fact that it nowhere has the direct warrant of scripture4 ,the creed of the ,episcopalian ,church1 whose chief doctrines are embodied in ,the ,book of ,common ,prayer1 is silent upon the two subjects in question1 viz41 why ,adam fell2 the object of man's existence4 ,the ,articles of ,faith1 it is true1 speak of the fall of ,adam1 and its effects upon the human race1 but nowhere is it said why ,adam fell2 or a reason given for man's existence4 ,the creed proclaims faith in ,god1 the ,maker and ,preserver of all things1 both visible and invisible2 but nowhere declares the purpose of that creation1 and consequently has no word as to the object of man's existence4 ,the exposition of the ,catholic creed on the same points1 as set forth in the ,douay ,catechism is as follows--and first as to the fall3 ,man was created in the state of original justice1 and perfection of all natural gifts2 this original justice was lost by ,adam's disobedience to ,god in eating the for-bidden fruit2 but nowhere is there anything said as to the reason for this fall from the state of original justice4 ,as to the purpose of man's creation1 the ,catechism has the following3 ,ques4 ,what signify the words creation of heaven and earth8 ,ans4 ,they signify that ,god made heaven and earth and all creatures in them of nothing1 by his word only4 ,ques4 ,what moved ,god to make them8 ,ans4 ,his own goodnesss1 so that he may communicate himself to angels and to man for whom he made all other creatures4 #f ,speaking of the creation of the angels1 the same work continues3 ,ques4 ,for what end did ,god create them 7the angels74 ,ans4 ,to be partakers of his glory and to be our guardians4 ,referring again to man's creation the following occurs3 ,ques4 ,do we owe much to ,god for creation8 ,ans4 ,very much1 because he made us in such a perfect state1 creating us for himself1 and all things else for us4 #g ,from all which it may be summarized that the purposes of ,god in the creation of man and angels1 according to ,catholic theology1 is-- ,first1 that ,god might communicate himself to them2 ,second1 that they might be partakers of his glory4 ,third1 that he created them for himself1 and all things else for them4 ,while this may be in part the truth1 and so far excellent1 it has no higher warrant of authority than human deduction1 based on conjecture1 not scripture2 and it certainly falls far short of giving to man--as we shall see--that pride of place in existence to which his higher nature and his dignity as a son of ,god entitles him4 ,if in these creeds of the greater divisions of ,christendom there is found no clear and adequate explanation of the reason of ,adam's fall1 or the purpose of man's existence1 it may be taken for granted that none of the minor divisions of ,christendom have succeeded where these have failed1 since these larger divisions of ,christendom embody in their creeds the hived theological wisdom and the highest scholarship of the ,christian ages4 ,the originality of these two ,book of ,mormon ,doctrines established1 let us now consider if they are true and of what value they are1 and what effect they will probably have upon the ideas of men4 ,i shall treat them separately first1 and in relation afterwards4 ,adam fell that men might be4 ,i think it cannot be doubted when the whole story of man's fall is taken into account that in some way--however hidden it may be under allegory--his fall was closely associated with the propagation of the race4 ,before the fall we are told that ,adam and ,eve were in a state of innocence2 #h but after the fall ,the eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked1 and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons1 #i and also hid from the presence of the ,lord4 ,in an incidental way ,paul gives us to understand that ,adam in the matter of the first transgression was not deceived1 but that the woman was4 #aj ,it therefore follows that ,adam must have sinned knowingly1 and perhaps deliberately2 making choice of obedience between two laws pressing upon him4 ,with his spouse1 ,eve1 he had received a commandment from ,god to be fruitful1 to perpetuate his race in the earth4 ,he had also been told not to partake of a certain fruit of the ,garden of ,eden2 but according to the story of ,genesis1 as also according to the assertion of ,paul1 ,eve1 who with ,adam received the commandment to multiply in the earth1 was deceived1 and by the persuasion of ,lucifer induced to partake of the forbidden fruit4 ,she1 therefore1 was in transgression1 and subject to the penalty of that law which from the scriptures we learn included banishment from ,eden1 banishment from the presence of ,god1 and also the death of the body4 ,this meant1 if ,eve were permitted to stand alone in her transgression1 that she must be alone also in suffering the penalty4 ,in that event she would have been separated from ,adam1 which necessarily would have prevented obedience to the commandment given to them conjointly to multiply in the earth4 ,in the presence of this situation1 therefore1 it is to be believed that ,adam was not deceived1 either by the cunning of ,lucifer or the blandishments of the woman1 deliberately1 and with a full knowledge of his act and its consequences1 and in order to carry out the purpose of ,god in the existence of man in the earth1 shared alike the woman's transgression and its effects1 and this in order that the first great commandment he had received from ,god1 viz4--,be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth1 and subdue it--might not fail of fulfillment4 ,hence ,adam fell that man might be4 ,the effect of this doctrine upon the ideas of men concerning the great ,patriarch of our race will be revolutionary4 ,it seems to be the fashion of those who assume to teach the ,christian religion to denounce ,adam in unmeasured terms2 as if the fall of man had surprised1 if1 indeed1 it did altogether thwart1 the original plan of ,god respecting the existence of man in the earth4 ,the creeds of the churches generally fail to consider the fall as part of ,god's purpose regarding this world1 and1 in its way1 as essential to the accomplishment of that purpose as the redemption through ,jesus ,christ4 ,certainly there would have been no occasion for the redemption had there been no fall2 and hence no occasion for the display of all that wealth of grace and mercy and justice and love--all that richness of experience involved in the gospel of ,jesus ,christ1 had there been no fall4 ,it cannot be but that it was part of ,god's purpose to display these qualities in their true relation1 for the benefit and blessing and experience and enlargement and ultimate uplifting of man2 and since there would have been no occasion for displaying them but for the fall1 it logically follows that the fall1 no less than the redemption1 must have been part of ,god's original plan respecting the earth-probation of man4 ,the fall1 undoubtedly was a fact as much present to the fore-knowledge of ,god as was the redemption2 and the act which encompassed it must be regarded as more praise-worthy than blame-worthy1 since it was essential to the accomplishment of the divine purpose4 ,yet1 as ,i say1 those who assume to teach ,christianity roundly denounce ,adam for his transgression4 ,an accepted teacher of ,catholic doctrine says3 ,the ,catholic ,church teaches that ,adam1 by his sin1 has not only caused harm to himself1 but to the whole human race2 that by it he lost the supernatural justice and holiness which he received gratuitously from ,god1 and lost it1 not only for himself1 but also for all of us2 and that he1 having stained himself with the sin of disobedience1 has transmitted not only death and other bodily pains and infirmities to the whole human race1 but also sin1 which is the death of the soul4 #aa ,and again3 ,unhappily1 ,adam1 by his sin of disobedience1 which was also a sin of pride1 disbelief1 and ambition1 forfeited1 or1 more properly speaking1 rejected that original justice2 and we1 as members of the human family1 of which he was the head1 are also implicated in that guilt of self-spoliation1 or rejection and deprivation of those supernatural gifts2 not1 indeed1 on account of our having willed it with our personal will1 but by having willed it with the will of our first parent1 to whom we are linked by nature as members to their head4 #ab ,still again1 and this from the ,catholic ,douay ,catechism3 ,q4 ,how did we lose original justice8 ,a4 ,by ,adam's disobedience to ,god in eating the forbidden fruit4 ,q4 ,how do you prove that8 ,a4 ,out of ,rom4 v3 #ab1 ,by one man sin entered into the world1 and by sin death2 and so into all men death did pass1 in whom all have sinned4 ,q4 ,had man ever died if he had never sinned8 ,a4 ,he would not1 but would live in a state of justice and at length would be translated alive to the fellowship of the angels4 #ac ,from a ,protestant source ,i quote the following3 ,in the fall of man we may observe3 7#a7 ,the greatest infidelity4 7#b7 ,prodigious pride4 7#c7 ,horrid ingratitude4 7#d7 ,visible contempt of ,god's majesty and justice4 7#e7 ,unaccountable folly4 7#f7 ,a cruelty to himself and to all his posterity4 #ad ,another ,protestant authority says3 ,the tree of knowledge of good and evil revealed to those who ate its fruit secrets of which they had better have remained ignorant2 for the purity of man's happiness consisted in doing and loving good without even knowing evil4 #ae ,from these several passages as also indeed from the whole tenor of ,christian writings upon this subject1 the fall of ,adam is quite generally deplored and upon him is laid a very heavy burden of responsibility4 ,it was he1 they complain1 who1 ,brought death into the world1 and all our woe4 ,one great division of ,christendom in its creed1 it is true1 in dealing with the fall1 concedes that ,god was pleased according to his wise and holy counsel1 to permit the fall having purposed to order it to his own glory4 #af ,and in an authoritative explanation of this section they say1 ,that this sin the fall was permissively embraced in the sovereign purpose of ,god4 ,and still further in explanation3 ,its purpose i4 e41 of the fall being ,god's general plan1 and one eminently wise and righteous1 to introduce all the new created subjects of moral government into a state of probation for a time in which he makes their permanent character and destiny depend upon their own action4 ,still1 this sin1 described as being permissively embraced in the sovereign purpose of ,deity1 ,god designed to order it to his own glory2 but it nowhere appears according to this confession of faith that the results of the fall are to be of any benefit to man4 ,the only thing consulted in the theory of this creed seems to be the manifestation of the glory of ,god--a thing which represents ,god as a most selfish being--but just how the glory of ,god can be manifested by the fall which1 according to this creed1 results in the eternal damnation of the overwhelming majority of his creatures1 is not quite apparent4 ,those who made this ,westminister ,confession1 as also the large following which accept it1 concede that their theory involves them at least in two difficulties which they confess it is impossible for them to overcome4 ,these are1 respectively3 ,first1 ,how could sinful desires or volitions originate in the soul of mortal agents created holy like ,adam and ,eve2 and1 second1 how can sin be permissively embraced in the eternal purpose of ,god and not involve him as responsible for the sin8 ,if it be asked1 say they1 why ,god1 who abhors sin1 and who benevolently desires the excellence and happiness of his creatures1 should sovereignly determine to permit such a fountain of pollution1 degradation1 and misery to be opened1 we can only say1 with profound reverence1 ',even so1 ,father1 for so it seemed good in thy sight4' #ag ,these difficulties1 however1 are the creed's and those who accept it1 not ours1 and do not further concern our discussion at this point4 ,infidels--under which general term 7and ,i do not use it offensively7 ,i mean all those who do not accept the ,christian creeds1 nor believe the ,bible to be a revelation--infidels1 ,i say1 quite generally deride the fall of man as represented both in the creeds of ,christendom and in the ,bible4 ,they regard the tremendous consequences attendant upon eating the forbidden fruit as altogether out of proportion with the act itself1 and universally hold that a moral economy which would either design or permit such a calamity as the fall is generally supposed to be1 as altogether unworthy of an all-merciful and just ,deity4 ,thomas ,paine referring to it says3 ,putting aside everything that might excite laughter by its absurdity1 or detestation by its profaneness1 and confining ourselves merely to an examination of the parts1 it is impossible to conceive a story more derogatory to the ,almighty1 more inconsistent with his wisdom1 more contradictory to his power1 than this story is4 #ah ,in their contentions against the story of ,genesis1 no less than in their war upon the fall and original sin in the men made creeds of ,christendom1 infidels have denounced ,god in most blasphemous terms as the author of all the evil in this world by permitting1 through not preventing1 the fall2 and they as soundly ridicule and abuse ,adam for the part he took in the affair4 ,he has been held up by them as weak and cowardly1 because he referred his partaking of the forbidden fruit to the fact that the woman gave to him and he did eat2 a circumstance into which they read an effort on the part of the man to escape censure1 perhaps punishment1 and to cast the blame for his transgression upon the woman4 ,these scoffers proclaim their preference for the variations of this story of a fall of man as found in the mythologies of various peoples1 say those of ,greece or ,india4 #ai ,but all this aside4 ,the truth is that nothing could be more courageous1 sympathetic1 or nobly honorable than the course of our world's great ,patriarch in his relations to his wife ,eve and the fall4 ,the woman by deception is led into transgression1 and stands under the penalty of a broken law4 ,banishment from the presence of ,god2 banishment from the presence of her husband1 if he partakes not with her in the transgression2 dissolution of spirit and body--physical death--all await her6 ,thereupon1 the man1 not deceived1 but knowingly 7as we are assured by ,paul71 also transgresses4 ,why8 ,in one aspect of the case in order that he might share the woman's banishment from the dear presence of ,god1 and with her die--than which no higher proof of love could be given--no nobler act of chivalry performed4 ,but primarily he transgressed that ,man might be4 ,he transgressed a less important law that he might comply with one more important1 if one may so speak of any of ,god's laws4 ,the facts are1 as we shall presently see1 that the conditions which confronted ,adam in his earth-life were afore time known to him2 that of his own volition he accepted them1 and came to earth to meet them4 ,man an ,immortal ,spirit4 ,man is an immortal spirit4 ,by saying that1 ,i mean not only a never ending existence for the soul of man in the future1 through the resurrection1 but a proper immortality that means the eternal existence of the ego--interchangeably called mind1 spirit1 soul1 intelligence4 ,i mean existence before birth as well as existence after death4 ,i believe that an immortality which refers to continued existence after death only is but half a truth4 ,a real immortality is forever immortal1 and includes an existence before life on earth as surely as an existence after death4 #bj ,this view of the intelligence or spirit of man is supported by the ,bible4 ,without going into the subject at length ,i call attention to the fact that ,jesus himself had very clear conceptions of his own spirit-existence before his birth into this world2 a fact which is evident from the declaration he made to the ,jews when he said1 ,verily1 ,i say unto you1 before ,abraham was1 ,i am4 #ba 7i4 e4 existed74 ,and again1 in his prayer in ,gethsemane1 ,o ,father1 glorify thou me with thine own self1 with the glory which ,i had with thee before the world was4 #bb ,this spirit pre-existence extends also to all the children of men2 who1 in their physical structure and even in faculties of mind1 so nearly resembled ,jesus1 though1 of course1 immeasurably below him in the developed excellence of those qualities4 ,we read of the sons of ,god shouting for joy in heaven when the foundations of the earth were laid2 #bc of the war in heaven when ,michael and his angels fought against the dragon 7,satan71 and the dragon and his angels fought1 and he with them was cast out into the earth4 #bd ,these were the angels which kept not their first estate1 but left their own habitation1 and who are reserved in everlasting chains unto the judgment of the last days4 #be ,before ,i formed thee in the belly ,i knew thee1 said the ,lord to ,jeremiah1 and sanctified thee and ordained thee a prophet unto the nations2 #bf ,we have had fathers of the flesh1 and we give them reverence1 said ,paul to the ,hebrews1 ,shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the father of spirits and live8 #bg ,all of which passages tend to prove that not only ,jesus but the spirits of all men existed before they tabernacled in the flesh4 ,this of course is but a brief glance at the question as supported by the ,jewish scriptures4 #bh ,the ,book of ,mormon while not in any formal manner teaching this doctrine of the pre-existence of the spirits of men1 does so very effectually in an incidental way4 ,for example3 the ,lord ,jesus1 long ages before his advent into earth-life1 revealed himself to the ,book of ,mormon character known as the ,brother of ,jared1 and in doing so he said3 ,behold ,i am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people2 99 99 99 and never have ,i showed myself unto man whom ,i have created1 for never has man believed in me as thou hast4 ,seest thou that ye are created after mine own image likeness8 ,yea1 even all men were created in the beginning after mine own image4 ,behold this body which ye now behold1 is the body of my spirit2 and man have ,i created after the body of my spirit2 and even as ,i appear unto thee to be in the spirit1 will ,i appear unto my people in the flesh4 #bi ,here a great doctrine is revealed4 ,not only the fact of the pre-existence of the spirit of ,jesus1 the ,christ1 that is1 the existence of his spirit in tangible1 human form before his earthly existence1 but a like existence for the spirits of all men is proclaimed4 ,moreover1 it is made known that as ,jesus appeared in the spirit to this ,jaredite prophet1 so would he appear unto his people in the flesh4 ,that is to say1 the bodily form of flesh and bone would conform in appearance to the spirit form2 the earthly would be like unto the heavenly1 the human1 to the divine4 ,and so with all men4 ,christian theologians are thought to have discovered a great truth when in the preface of ,st4 ,john's ,gospel they found the doctrine of the co-eternity and co-divinity of the ,father and the ,son in the holy trinity2 namely1 ,in the beginning was the ,word1 and the ,word was with ,god1 and the ,word was ,god4 ,the same was in the beginning with ,god4 99 99 99 ,and the ,word was made flesh1 and dwelt among us1 7and we beheld his glory1 the glory as of the only begotten of the ,father7 full of grace and truth4 #cj ,the identity between the ,word of this passage and ,jesus--the ,word made flesh is complete4 ,and he was in the beginning with ,god--co-eternal with him2 and the ,word was ,god4--that is1 he was divine1 he was more1 he was ,divinity--he was ,deity4 ,in a revelation to ,joseph ,smith this same truth is repeated and more is added to it1 as follows3 ,verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,i was in the beginning with the ,father1 and am the first-born4 99 99 99 ,ye referring to the ,elders in whose presence the revelation was given were also in the beginning with the ,father2 that which is spirit that is1 that part of man which is spirit1 that was in the beginning with the ,father4 99 99 ,man i4 e41 the race1 the term is generic was also in the beginning with ,god4 ,intelligence1 or the light of truth1 was not created or made1 neither indeed can be4 #ca ,the doctrine in the foregoing quotation is in harmony with the ,book of ,mormon and with the ,bible2 but goes beyond them in that it gives us the understanding that intelligence was not created or made1 neither indeed can be4 ,that is to say1 the individual intelligence in all men was not created1 or made1 neither indeed can be--it is not only not created but is uncreatable4 ,there is something in man1 then1 that is eternal1 uncreate4 ,just what that is1 the form of it1 or the mode of its existence1 we may not know1 since it has not pleased ,god so far to reveal these aspects of it4 ,but he has revealed the fact of its existence1 the fact of its eternity1 the fact that it is an intelligence4 ,one must needs think1 too1 that the name of this eternal entity--what ,god calls him--conveys to the mind some idea of his nature4 ,he is called an ,intelligence2 and this ,i believe is descriptive of him4 ,that is1 intelligence is the entity's chief characteristic4 ,if this be a true deduction1 then the entity must be conscious2 conscious of self and of other things than self4 ,he must have the power to distinguish himself from other things--the me from the not me4 ,he must have power of deliberation1 by which he sets over one thing against another2 with power also to form a judgment that this or that is a better thing or state than some other thing or state4 ,also there goes with this idea of intelligence a power of choosing one thing instead of another1 one state rather than another--the power to will to do this or that1 else existence is meaningless1 worthless1 mockery4 ,these powers are inseparably connected with any idea that may be formed of an intelligence4 ,one cannot conceive of an intelligence existing without these qualities any more than he can conceive of an object existing in space without dimensions4 ,the phrase1 the light of truth4 is given in the revelation above quoted as the equivalent of an ,intelligence here discussed2 by which it is meant to be understood1 as ,i think1 that intelligent entities perceive truth1 are conscious of truth1 they know that which is1 hence the light of truth1 that which cognizes truth--intelligences4 ,these intelligences are begotten #cb spirits that exist in human form4 ,they exist so before they tabernacle in the flesh4 ,in this manner1 first1 and eternally1 as an individual intelligence1 and secondly as a begotten spirit in human form1 ,jesus existed2 so the spirits of all men existed2 so ,adam existed1 a ,son of ,god1 for so the scriptures declare him to be4 #cc ,in addition to teaching the doctrine of the pre-existence of man's spirit1 the ,book of ,mormon teaches also the indestructibility of the spirit4 ,the prophet ,alma expressly says1 that the soul would never die2 #cd which1 according to ,orson ,pratt1 in a foot note on the passage1 means that the soul could never be dissolved1 or its parts be separated so as to disorganize the spiritual personage2 and since the ,book of ,mormon teaches the pre-existence of this soul1 or spirit1 and also teaches its continued existence between death and the resurrection1 #ce as also its indestructibility after the resurrection1 #cf it is very clear that the ,book of ,mormon teaches what ,i have called proper immortality of the soul2 an immortality that extends pastward as well as foreward in time2 or1 in other words1 declares its essential1 its eternal existence2 hence its necessary existence1 hence that it is a self-existing entity4 ,in thinking then upon this earth career of ,adam's1 it must be thought of in connection with that pre-existence of his1 of that eternal existence of his1 and of his knowledge of what would befall him when he came to the earth4 ,he came on no fool's errand1 to be betrayed by chance happenings4 ,if redemption through ,jesus ,christ was a foreknown circumstance1--and it was--and he was appointed as the ,lamb slain from the foundation of the world1 #cg to bring to pass man's redemption1 then surely the circumstance of man's fall was known1 doubtless pre-determined upon1 and in some way essential to the accomplishment of the purposes of ,god2 not an accidental or even a temporary thwarting of them2 but as much a part of ,god's plan with reference to man's earth-existence1 as any circumstance whatsoever connected with that existence4 ,let us now consider the second part of ,lehi's ,generalization3 ,men are that they might have joy4 ,that is to say1 the purpose of man's earth-life is in some way to be made to contribute to his joy1 which is but another way of saying1 that man's earth-life is to eventuate in his advantage4 ,men are that they might have joy6 ,what is meant by that8 ,have we here the reappearance of the old ,epicurean doctrine1 pleasure is the supreme good1 and chief end of life8 ,no1 verily6 ,nor any other form of old hedonism #ch--the ,greek ethics of gross self-interest4 ,for mark1 in the first place1 the different words joy and pleasure4 ,they are not synonymous4 ,the first does not necessarily arise from the second1 joy may arise from quite other sources than pleasure1 from pain1 even1 when the endurance of pain is to eventuate in the achievement of some good3 such as the travail of a mother in bringing forth her offspring2 the weariness and pain and danger of toil by a father1 to secure comforts for loved ones4 ,moreover1 whatever apologists may say1 it is very clear that the pleasure of the ,epicurean philosophy1 hailed as the supreme good and chief end in life1 was to arise from agreeable sensations1 or what ever gratified the senses1 and hence was1 in the last analysis of it--in its roots and branches--in its theory and in its practice--sensualism4 ,it was to result in physical ease and comfort1 and mental inactivity--other than a conscious1 self-complacence--being regarded as the supreme good and chief end of life4 ,i judge this to be the net result of this philosophy since these are the very conditions in which ,epicureans describe even the gods to exist2 #ci and surely men could not hope for more pleasure1 or greater happiness than that possessed by their gods4 ,cicero even charges that the sensualism of ,epicurus was so gross that he represents him as blaming his brother1 ,timocrates1 because he would not allow that everything which had any reference to a happy life was to be measured by the belly2 nor has he1 continues ,cicero1 said this once only1 but often4 ,this is not the joy1 it is needles to say1 contemplated in the ,book of ,mormon4 ,nor is the joy there contemplated the joy of mere innocence--mere innocence1 which say what you will of it1 is but a negative sort of virtue4 ,a virtue that is colorless1 never quite sure of itself1 always more or less uncertain1 because untried4 #dj ,such a virtue--if mere absence of vice may be called virtue--would be unproductive of that joy the attainment of which is set forth in the ,book of ,mormon as the purpose of man's existence2 for in the context it is written1 ,they ,adam and ,eve would have remained in a state of 'innocence4' ,having no joy1 for they knew no misery2 doing no good1 for they knew no sin4 ,from which it appears that the joy contemplated in our ,book of ,mormon passage is to arise from something more than mere innocence1 which is1 impliedly1 unproductive of joy4 ,the joy contemplated in the ,book of ,mormon passage is to arise out of man's rough and thorough knowledge of evil1 of sin2 through knowing misery1 sorrow1 pain and suffering2 through seeing good and evil locked in awful conflict2 through a consciousness of having chosen in that conflict the better part1 the good2 and not only in having chosen it1 but in having wedded it by eternal compact2 made it his by right of conquest over evil4 ,it is a joy that will arise from a consciousness of having fought the good fight1 of having kept the faith4 ,it will arise from a consciousness of moral1 spiritual and physical strength4 ,of strength gained in conflict4 ,the strength that comes from experience2 from having sounded the depths of the soul2 from experiencing all emotions of which mind is susceptible2 from testing all the qualities and strength of the intellect4 ,a joy that will come to man from a contemplation of the universe1 and a consciousness that he is an heir to all that is--a joint heir with ,jesus ,christ and ,god2 from knowing that he is an essential part of all that is4 ,it is a joy that will be born of the consciousness of existence itself--that will revel in existence--in thoughts of and realizations of existence's limitless possibilities4 ,a joy born of the consciousness of the power of eternal increase4 ,a joy arising from association with the ,intelligences of innumerable heavens--the ,gods of all eternities4 ,a joy1 born of a consciousness of being1 of intelligence1 of faith1 knowledge1 light1 truth1 mercy1 justice1 love1 glory1 dominion1 wisdom1 power2 all feelings1 affections1 emotions1 passions2 all heights and all depths6 ,men are that they might have joy2 and that joy is based upon and contemplates all that is here set down4 ,we may now consider the fall of man and the purpose of his existence as related subjects--as standing somewhat in the relationship of means to an end4 ,we shall now be able to regard the fall of man1 not as an accident1 not as surprising1 and all but thwarting1 ,god's purposes1 but as part of the divinely appointed program of man's earth-existence4 ,here1 then1 stands the truth so far as it may be gathered from ,god's word and the nature of things3 ,there is in man an eternal1 uncreate1 self-existing entity1 call it intelligence1 mind1 spirit1 soul--what you will1 so long as you recognize it1 and regard its nature as eternal4 ,there came a time when in the progress of things1 7which is only another way of saying in the nature of things7 an earth career1 or earth existence1 because of the things it has to teach1 was necessary to the enlargement1 to the advancement of these intelligences1 these spirits1 souls4 ,hence an earth is prepared2 and one sufficiently advanced and able1 by the nature of him to bring to pass the events1 is chosen1 through whom this earth-existence1 with all its train of events--its mingled miseries and comforts1 its sorrows and joys1 its pains and pleasures1 its good1 and its evil--may be brought to pass4 ,he comes to earth with his appointed spouse4 ,he comes primarily to bring to pass man's earth life4 ,he comes to the earth with the solemn injunction upon him3 ,be fruitful and multiply1 and replenish the earth1 and subdue it4 ,but he comes with the knowledge that this earth-existence of eternal ,intelligences is to be lived under circumstances that will contribute to their enlargement1 to their advancement4 ,they are to experience joy and sorrow1 pain and pleasure2 witness the effect of good and evil1 and exercise their agency in the choice of good or of evil4 ,to accomplish this end1 the local1 or earth harmony of things must be broken4 ,evil to be seen1 and experienced1 must enter the world1 which can only come to pass through the violation of law4 ,the law is given--of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil1 thou shalt not eat of it3 for in the day thou eatest of it thou shalt surely die4 ,the woman forgetful of the purpose of the earth mission of herself and spouse is led by flattery and deceit into the violation of that law1 and becomes subject to its penalties--merely another name for its effect4 ,but the man1 not deceived1 but discerning clearly the path of duty1 and in order that earth-existence may be provided for the great hosts of spirits to come to earth under the conditions prescribed--he also transgresses the law1 not only that men might be1 but that they might have that being under the very circumstances deemed essential to the enlargement1 to the progress of eternal ,intelligences4 ,adam did not sin because deceived by another4 ,he did not sin maliciously1 or with evil intent2 or to gratify an inclination to rebellion against ,god1 or to thwart the ,divine purposes1 or to manifest his own pride4 ,had his act of sin involved the taking of life rather than eating a forbidden fruit1 it would be regarded as a sacrifice rather than a murder4 ,this to show the nature of ,adam's transgression4 ,it was a transgression of the law--for sin is the transgression of the law #da--that conditions deemed necessary to the progress of eternal ,intelligences might obtain4 ,adam sinned that men might be1 and not only be1 but be under conditions essential to progress4 ,but ,adam did sin4 ,he did break the law2 and violation of law involves the violator in its penalties1 as surely as effect follows cause4 ,upon this principle depends the dignity and majesty of law4 ,take this fact away from moral government and your moral laws become mere nullities4 ,therefore1 notwithstanding ,adam fell that men might be1 in his transgression there was at bottom a really exalted motive--a motive that contemplated nothing less than bringing to pass the highly necessary purposes of ,god with respect to man's existence in the earth--yet his transgression of law was followed by certain moral effects in the nature of men and in the world4 ,the harmony of things was broken2 discord ruled2 changed relations between ,god and men took place1 darkness1 sin and death stalked through the world1 and conditions were brought to pass in the midst of which the eternal ,intelligences might gain those experiences that such conditions have to teach4 ,now as to the second part of the great truth--men are that they might have joy--viewed also in the light of the ,intelligence or spirit in man being an eternal1 uncreated1 self-existing entity4 ,remembering what ,i have already said in these pages as to the nature of this joy which it is the purpose of earth-existence to secure1 remembering from what it is to arise--from the highest possible development--the highest conceivable enlargement of physical1 intellectual1 moral and spiritual power--what other conceivable purpose for existence in earth-life could there be for eternal ,intelligences than this attainment of joy springing from progress8 ,man's existence for the manifestation alone of ,god's glory1 as taught by the creeds of men1 is not equal to it4 ,that view represents man as but a thing created1 and ,god as selfish and vain of glory4 ,true1 the ,book of ,mormon idea of the purpose of man's existence1 is accompanied by a manifestation of ,god's glory2 for with the progress of ,intelligences there must be an ever widening manifestation of the glory of ,god4 ,it is written that the glory of ,god is ,intelligence2 and it must follow1 as clearly as the day follows night1 that with the enlargement1 with the progress of ,intelligences1 there must ever be a constantly increasing splendor in the manifestation of the glory of ,god4 ,but in the ,book of ,mormon doctrine1 the manifestation of that glory is incidental4 ,the primary purpose is not in that manifestation1 but in the joy arising from the progress of ,intelligences4 ,and yet that fact adds to the glory of ,god1 but our book represents the ,lord as seeking the enlargement and joy of kindred ,intelligences1 rather than the mere selfish manifestation of his own1 personal glory4 ,this is my work and my glory1 says the ,lord1 in another ,mormon scripture1 to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man1 as man2 #db and therein is ,god's joy4 ,a joy that grows from the progress of others2 from bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man4 ,not the immortality of the spirit of man1 mark you1 for that immortality already exists1 but to bring to pass the immortality of the spirit and body in their united condition1 and which together constitutes man4 #dc ,and the purpose for which man is1 is that he might have joy2 that joy which1 in the last analysis of things1 should be even as ,god's joy1 and ,god's glory1 namely1 the bringing to pass the progress1 enlargement1 and joy of others4 ,it is gratifying to know that this ,book of ,mormon definition of life and its purpose1 so far as it affects the human race1 is receiving unconscious support from some of the first philosophers of modern days1 among whom ,i may mention ,lester ,f4 ,ward1 author of ,outlines of ,sociology and other scientific and philosophical works2 a ,lecturer in the ,school of ,sociology of the ,hartford ,society for ,education ,extension4 ,his ,outlines of ,sociology was published in #aijd1 and in the chapter of that work1 in which he discusses the relation of sociology to psychology1 7chapter v71 he deals with the question of life and its object4 ,for the purpose of clearly setting forth his thought1 he says3 ,the biological i4 e4 that which pertains merely to the life must be clearly marked off from the psychological i4 e4 as here used1 that which pertains to feeling standpoint4 ,the former1 he continues1 is that of function1 the latter that of feeling4 ,it is convenient1 and almost necessary1 in order to gain a correct conception of these relations to personify ,nature1 as it were1 and bring her into strong contrast with the sentient one capable of perception is here meant creature4 ,thus viewed1 each may be conceived to have its own special end4 ,the end of ,nature is function1 i4 e4 life4 ,it is biological4 ,the end of the creature is feeling1 i4 e4 it is psychic4 ,from the standpoint of ,nature1 feeling is a means to function4 ,from the standpoint of the organism1 function is a means to feeling4 ,pleasure and pain came into existence in order that a certain class of beings might live1 but those beings1 having been given existence1 now live in order to enjoy4 ,throughout the chapter he maintains that the purpose of man's existence is for pleasure1 but of course1 holds that this pleasure is that of the highest order1 and not merely sensual pleasure4 ,finally1 applying the principles he lays down to the human race1 its existence1 the purpose of that existence1 and the means through which the end is to be obtained--he adopts the following formula3 ,the object of nature is function i4 e41 life4 ,the object of man is happiness4 ,the object of society is effort4 ,now1 with very slight modifications1 this formula may be made to express the doctrine of ,lehi in the ,book of ,mormon1 as representing the divine economy respecting man3 ,earth-life became essential to the progress of intelligences4 ,adam fell that man's earth-life might be realized4 ,the purpose of man's existence is that he might have joy4 ,the purpose of the gospel is to bring to pass that joy4 ,in condensed form it may be made to stand as follows3 ,the object of ,god in man's earth-life is progress4 ,the object of man's existence is joy4 ,the object of the gospel and the church is effort4 ,a formula which so closely resembles this philosopher's--and his philosophy is that of many other advanced modern thinkers--that it justifies me in making the claim that the trend of the best modern thought on these lines is coming into harmony with the truths stated in the ,book of ,mormon4 ,,viii4 ,the ,agency of ,man4 ,respecting the free agency of man the ,book of ,mormon is quite pronounced as to the fact of it1 as the following quotations attest3 ,i know that he granteth unto men according to their desire1 whether it be unto death or unto life2 yea1 ,i know that he allotteth unto men1 according to their wills2 whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction4 #dd ,again1 ,the ,lord ,god gave unto man that he should act for himself4 ,men are free according to the flesh2 and all things are given them which are expedient unto man4 ,and they are free to chose liberty and eternal life1 through the great mediation of all men1 or to choose captivity and death1 according to the captivity and power of the devil2 for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself4 #de ,the doctrine of the free agency of man could scarcely be more strongly set forth than it is in these passages4 ,a word in relation to this question of free agency4 ,of course it is recognized as one of the great theological questions that has puzzled mankind4 ,by the phrase1 free agency is here meant to represent that power or capacity of the mind or spirit to act freely and of its own volition1 with reference to these matters1 that are within the power of its achievement4 ,that is to say1 it is not meant that by an act of will man may overcome the force we call gravitation1 and leave the earth at his pleasure2 or that he can pluck down the moon by an act of will2 or influence a mass of people at his will and against theirs2 or create two mountains without a valley between them2 but what is meant is1 that man possesses the quality of determining his own actions1 his own course with reference to things that are within the realm of the possibility of his achievement1 and more especially1 with reference to moral questions2 that man has the power to take a course in harmony with those moral ideals that he has created by his own intellectual force or that have been created for him by his education1 or the environment in which he has lived2 that he can decide for himself to walk in harmony with these ideals1 or that wontingly1 and against all that he conceives to be to his best interest1 he can violate them and walk contrary to what in his heart he knows to be right and true4 ,this constitutes his freedom1 his agency1 and it is because of this fact that he is morally responsible for his conduct4 ,i have nowhere else found a statement of the facts involved in free agency so clearly set forth as in ,guizot's ,history of ,civilization1 from which ,i summarize the following3 #a4 ,power of ,deliberation--,the mind is conscious of a power of deliberation4 ,before the intellect passes the different motives of action1 interests1 passions1 opinions1 etc4 ,the intellect considers1 compares1 estimates1 and finally judges them4 ,this is a preparatory work which precedes the act of will4 #b4 ,liberty1 ,free ,agency or ,will--,when deliberation has taken place--when man has taken full cognizance of the motives which present themselves to him1 he takes a resolution1 of which he looks upon himself as the author1 which arises because he wishes it and which would not arise unless he did wish it--here the fact of agency is shown2 it resides in the resolution which man makes after deliberation2 it is the resolution which is the proper act of man1 which subsists by him alone2 a simple fact independent of all the facts which precede it or surround it4 #c4 ,free ,will1 or ,agency ,modified--,at the same time that man feels himself free1 he recognizes the fact that his freedom is not arbitrary1 that it is placed under the dominion of a law which will preside over it and influence it4 ,what that law is will depend upon the education of each individual1 upon his surroundings1 etc4 ,to act in harmony with that law is what man recognizes as his duty2 it will be the task of his liberty4 ,he will soon see1 however1 that he never fully acquits himself of his task1 never acts in full harmony with his moral law4 ,morally capable of conforming himself to his law1 he falls short of doing it4 ,he does not accomplish all that he ought1 nor all that he can4 ,this fact is evident1 one of which all may give witness2 and it often happens that the best men1 that is1 those who have best conformed their will to reason1 have often been the most struck with their insufficience4 #d4 ,necessity of ,external ,assistance--,this weakness in man leads him to feel the necessity of an external support to operate as a fulcrum for the human will1 a power that may be added to its present power and sustain it at need4 ,man seeks this fulcrum on all sides2 he demands it in the encouragement of friends1 in the councils of the wise2 but as the visible world1 the human society1 do not always answer to his desires1 the soul goes beyond the visible world1 above human relations1 to seek this fulcrum of which it has need4 ,hence the religious sentiment develops itself2 man addresses himself to ,god1 and invokes his aid through prayer4 #e4 ,man ,finds the ,help ,he ,seeks--,such is the nature of man that when he sincerely asks this support he obtains it2 that is1 seeking it is almost sufficient to secure it4 ,whosoever1 feeling his will weak1 invokes the encouragement of a friend1 the influence of wise councils1 the support of public opinion1 or who addresses himself to ,god by prayer1 soon feels his will fortified in a certain measure and for a certain time4 #f4 ,influence of the ,spiritual ,world on ,liberty--,there are spiritual influences at work on man--the empire of the spiritual world upon liberty4 ,there are certain changes1 certain moral events which manifest themselves in man without his being able to refer their origin to an act of his will1 or being able to recognize the author4 ,certain facts occur in the interior of the human soul which it does not refer to itself1 which it does not recognize as the work of its own will4 ,there are certain days1 certain moments in which it finds itself in a different moral state from that which it was last conscious of under the operations of its own will4 ,in other words1 the moral man does not wholly create himself2 he is conscious that causes1 that powers external to himself1 act upon and modify him imperceptibly--this fact has been called the grace of ,god1 which helps the will of man4 ,after giving full weight to all the facts here set forth--and certainly each one enters as a factor into the question of man's freedom--the ,book of ,mormon doctrine stands true4 ,there is such a quality of man's mind4 ,he is conscious of it4 ,conscious of the power of deliberation2 conscious of the existence of moral obligation pressing upon him2 conscious of his own weakness that makes him feel unable to rise to the high level of his full duty2 conscious of his need of external assistance2 conscious of his will being made stronger by appealing to the counsel of his friends1 and appealing to ,god for help through prayer2 conscious of the fact that he is in different states of moral feeling at different times1 owing1 doubtless1 to this appeal that he makes to external aids--yet1 in the last analysis of it all1 he remains conscious of the fact that what he does1 not only can be1 but is1 a self-determining act1 and he remains conscious of the power that he could do otherwise if he would4 ,this consciousness and this freedom are the most stupendous facts in human existence1 and upon their reality--upon their truth--depends all the glory of that existence4 ,arriving here the outlook concerning man's possibilities for the future is immense4 ,sir ,oliver ,lodge speaking of man1 after arriving at this point in his development1 the attainment of consciousness and free will1 recently said3 ,on this planet man is the highest outcome of the process so far 7i4 e41 the process of development71 and is1 therefore1 the highest representation of ,deity that here exists4 ,terribly imperfect as yet1 because so recently evolved1 he is nevertheless a being which has at length attained to consciousness and free-will1 a being unable to be coerced by the whole force of the universe1 against his will2 a spark of the divine ,spirit1 therefore1 never more to be quenched4 ,open still to awful horrors1 to agonies of remorse1 but to floods of joy also1 he persists1 and his destiny is largely in his own hands2 he may proceed up or down1 he may advance towards a magnificent ascendency1 he may recede towards depths of infamy4 ,he is not coerced3 he is guided and influenced1 but he is free to choose4 ,the evil and the good are necessary correlatives2 freedom to choose the one involves freedom to choose the other4 #df ,this is the doctrine then of the ,book of ,mormon3 the existence in man as a quality of his mind or spirit freedom and power to will1 to determine for himself his course4 ,he may choose good or evil4 ,the freedom of righteousness1 or the bondage of sin4 ,if man finds his will strengthened in favor of choosing the good by appealing for help to external aids1 to ,god through prayer1 and that help comes in the form of the grace of ,god1 and becomes a factor in helping man into a state of righteousness1 it should be remembered that the act of appealing for external help was the exercise of man's free agency4 ,he willed to do good and sought help to carry out his determination2 and the assistance of the grace of ,god so obtained in no way operates to destroy the freedom of man's will4 ,in concluding this subject1 it may be said that the ,book of ,mormon in an authoritative way settles conclusively the great theological question of the free agency of man4 ,w4 ,h4 ,mallack1 in his work on ,the ,reconstruction of ,religious ,belief 7#aije71 has a most fascinating chapter on human freedom #dg in which he illustrates on broad lines the universal though unconscious assumption of the fact of human freedom in both literature and history4 ,of the characters created by the great poets1 he remarks3 ,they interest us as born to freedom1 and not naturally slaves1 and they pass before us like kings in a ,roman triumph4 ,once let us suppose these characters to be mere puppets of heredity and circumstance1 and they and the works that deal with them lose all intelligible content1 and we find ourselves confused and wearied with the fury of an idiot's tale4 ,on the criticism of historical characters he says3 ,all this praising and blaming is based on the assumption that the person praised or blamed is the originator of his own actions1 and not a mere transmitter of forces4 ,and further1 all debating on the value of historical characters would be meaningless1 if it were not for the inveterate belief that a man's significance for men resides primarily in what he makes of himself1 not in what he has been made by an organism derived from his parents1 and the various external stimuli to which it has automatically responded4 ,our author also points out the truth that forgiveness itself among men 7and he might well have extended his argument to the forgiveness ,god imparts to men also7 assumes the fact of human freedom--else what is there to be forgiven6 ,the believer in freedom says to the offending party1 ,i forgive you for the offense of not having done your best4 ,the assumption is that the offender could have refrained from giving one offense--he had freedom and power to have done otherwise4 ,one not believing in human freedom would say to the offending party3 ,i neither forgive nor blame you2 for1 although you have done your worst1 your worst was your best also having no freedom1 he was under no obligation2 his action was indifferent1 neither good nor bad2 there was no blame or praise possible2 he is neither a subject for mercy nor justice to act upon4 ,in the course of the discussion to which attention is called1 our author has contributed an idea worthy of all acceptation and is valuable for the reason that it goes outside the beaten paths followed in the free will controversy3 ,when most people talk of believing in moral freedom1 they mean by freedom a power which exhausts itself in acts of choice between a series of alternative courses2 but1 important though such choice1 as a function of freedom is1 the root idea of freedom lies deeper still4 ,it consists in the idea1 not that a man is1 as a personality1 the first and the sole cause of his choice between alternative courses1 but that he is1 in a true1 even if in a qualified sense1 the first cause of what he does1 or feels1 or is1 whether this involves an act of choice1 or consists of an unimpeded impulse4 ,freedom of choice between alternatives is the consequence of this primary faculty4 ,it is the form in which the faculty is most noticeably manifested2 but it is not the primary faculty of personal freedom itself4 ,i believe this fact in relation to man's freedom2 that it is a quality capable of manifesting itself in other modes than choice between alternatives2 that it may project an unimpeded line of conduct1 and yet in this world its chief manifestations are in a choice between things opposite and we shall see later1 according to the ,book of ,mormon1 that conditions in this world are so ordained in the existence of opposites--antinomies--that man may exercise this quality of freedom in the choice of alternatives4 ,,ix4 ,the ,atonement4 ,after giving an account of the fall of man1 substantially as found in ,genesis1 the ,nephite prophet ,alma1 is represented in the ,book of ,mormon as teaching his son ,corianton the doctrine of the atonement1 as follows3 ,alma's ,doctrine of ,atonement4 ,and now we see by this1 that our first parents were cut off1 both temporally and spiritually1 from the presence of the ,lord2 and thus we see they became subjects to follow after their own will4 ,now1 behold1 it was not expedient that man should be reclaimed from this temporal death1 for that would destroy the great plan of happiness2 ,therefore1 as the soul could never die1 and the fall had brought upon all mankind a spiritual death as well as a temporal2 that is1 they were cut off from the presence of the ,lord1 it was expedient that mankind should be reclaimed from this spiritual death2 ,therefore1 as they had become carnal1 sensual1 and devilish1 by nature1 this probationary state became a state for them in which to prepare2 it became a preparatory state4 ,and now remember1 my son1 if it were not for the plan of redemption 7laying it aside71 as soon as they were dead1 their souls were miserable1 being cut off from the presence of the ,lord4 ,and now there was no means to reclaim men from this fallen state which man had brought upon himself1 because of his own disobedience2 ,therefore1 according to justice1 the plan of redemption could not be brought about1 only on conditions1 of repentance of men in this probationary state2 yea1 this preparatory state2 for except it were for these conditions1 mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice4 ,now the work of justice could not be destroyed2 if so1 ,god would cease to be ,god4 ,and thus we see that all mankind were fallen1 and they were in the grasp of justice2 yea1 the justice of ,god1 which consigned them forever to be cut off from his presence4 ,and now the plan of mercy could not be brought about1 except an atonement should be made2 therefore ,god himself atoneth for the sins of the world1 to bring about the plan of mercy1 to appease the demands of justice1 that ,god might be a perfect1 just ,god1 and a merciful ,god also4 ,now repentance could not come unto men1 except there were a punishment1 which also was eternal as the life of the soul should be1 affixed opposite to the plan of happiness1 which was as eternal also as the life of the soul4 ,now1 how could a man repent1 except he should sin8 ,how could he sin1 if there was no law1 how could there be a law1 save there was a punishment8 ,now there was a punishment affixed1 and a just law given1 which brought remorse of conscience unto man4 ,now1 if there was no law given--if a man murdered he should die1 would he be afraid he would die if he should murder8 ,and also1 if there was no law given against sin1 men would not be afraid to sin4 ,and if there was no law given if men sinned1 what could justice do1 or mercy either2 for they would have no claim upon the creature8 ,but there is a law given1 and a punishment affixed1 and a repentance granted2 which repentance1 mercy claimeth2 otherwise justice claimeth the creature1 and executeth the law1 and the law inflicteth the punishment2 if not so1 the works of justice would be destroyed1 and ,god would cease to be ,god4 ,but ,god ceaseth not to be ,god1 and mercy claimeth the penitent1 and mercy cometh because of the atonement2 and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead2 and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of ,god2 and thus they are restored into his presence1 to be judged according to their works2 according to the law and justice2 ,for1 behold1 justice exerciseth all his demands1 and also mercy claimeth all which is her own2 and thus1 none but the truly penitent are saved4 ,what6 do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice8 ,i say unto you1 nay6 ,not one whit4 ,if so1 ,god would cease to be ,god4 ,and thus ,god bringeth about his great and eternal purposes1 which were prepared from the foundation of the world4 ,and thus cometh about the salvation and the redemption of men1 and also their destruction and misery2 ,therefore1 ,o my son1 whosoever will come1 may come1 and partake of the waters of life freely2 and whosoever will not come1 the same is not compelled to come2 but in the last day1 it shall be restored unto him1 according to his deeds4 #dh ,summarizing the foregoing we have the following as the result3 ,the effect of ,adam's transgression was to destroy the harmony of things in this world4 ,as a consequence of his fall man is banished from the presence of ,god--a spiritual death takes place and man becomes sensual1 devilish1 unholy1 is cursed1 we say1 with a strong inclination to sinfulness4 ,man is also made subject to a temporal death1 a separation of the spirit and body4 ,much might have been gained by this union of his spirit with his body of flesh and bone could it have been immortal1 but that is now lost1 by this temporal death1 this separation of spirit and body4 ,these conditions would have remained eternally fixed as the result of the operation of law--inexorable law1 called the justice of ,god1 admitting of nothing else2 for the law was given to eternal beings and by them violated1 and man is left in the grasp of eternal justice1 with all its consequences upon his head and the head of his progeny4 ,and the justice of the law admitted the conditions1 admitted that the penalties affixed should be effective1 but this is justice--stern1 unrelenting justice2 justice untempered by mercy4 ,but mercy must in some way be made to reach man1 yet in a way also that will not destroy justice2 for justice must be maintained1 else all is confusion--ruin4 ,if justice be destroyed--if justice be not maintained--4 ,god will cease to be ,god4 ,hence mercy may not be introduced into the divine economy of this world without a vindication of the broken law by some means or other1 for divine laws as well as human ones are mere nullities if their penalties be not in force4 ,the penalty of the law then1 transgressed by ,adam1 must be executed1 or else an adequate atonement must be made for man's transgression4 ,this the work of the ,christ4 ,he makes the atonement4 ,he comes to earth and assumes responsibility for this transgression of law1 and gathers up into his own soul all the suffering due to the transgression of the law by ,adam4 ,all the suffering due to individual transgression of law--the direct consequences of the original transgression--from ,adam to the end of the world4 ,the burden of us all is laid upon him4 ,he will bear our griefs and carry our sorrows4 ,he will be wounded for our transgressions1 and be bruised for our iniquities4 ,the chastisement of our peace will be upon him2 on him is laid the iniquity of us all2 by his stripes shall we be healed4 #di ,that is to say1 having gathered into himself all the suffering and sorrows due to all the sinning that shall be in the world1 he is able to dictate the terms upon which man may lay hold of mercy--by which mercy may heal his wounds--and these terms he names in the conditions of the gospel1 the acceptance of which brings complete redemption4 ,the ,christ brings to pass the resurrection of the dead4 ,the spirit and the body are eternally re-united2 the temporal death--one of the effects of ,adam's trangression--is overcome4 ,there is no more physical death2 the soul #ej--the eternally united spirit and body are now to be immortal as spirit alone before was immortal4 ,the man so immortal is brought back into the presence of ,god1 and if he has accepted the terms of the gospel by which he is redeemed from the effects of his own1 as well as from ,adam's transgression1 his spiritual death is ended1 and henceforth he may be spiritually immortal as well as physically immortal--eternally with ,god in an atmosphere of righteousness--the spiritual death is overcome4 ,such ,i make out to be the ,book of ,mormon doctrine of the atonement1 and the redemption of man through the gospel4 ,x4 ,the ,doctrine of ,opposite ,existences4 ,closely connected with the doctrine of the agency of man1 the purpose of his existence and his redemption from the fallen state1 is what ,i shall call the ,book of ,mormon doctrine of opposite existences1 what the scholastics would call antinomies4 ,the doctrine as stated in the ,book of ,mormon--the time of its publication--#ahcj--remembered1 especially when taken in connection with the consequences it supposes in the event of abolishing the existence of evil1 is strikingly original and philosophically profound2 and reaches a depth of thought beyond all that could be imagined as possible with ,joseph ,smith or any of those associated with him in bringing forth the ,book of ,mormon4 ,the statement of the doctrine in question occurs in a discourse of ,lehi's on the subject of the atonement4 ,the aged prophet represents happiness or misery as growing out of the acceptance or rejection of the atonement of the ,christ1 and adds that the misery consequent upon its rejection is in opposition to the happiness which is affixed to its acceptance3 ,for it must needs be he continues that there is an opposition in all things4 ,if it were not so 99 99 99 righteousness could not be brought to pass2 neither wickedness2 neither holiness nor misery2 neither good nor bad4 ,wherefore that is1 if this fact of opposites did not exist all things must needs be a compound in one2 wherefore1 if it the sum of things should be one body1 it must needs remain as dead1 having no life1 neither death1 nor corruption nor incorruption1 happiness nor misery1 neither sense nor insensibility4 ,wherefore1 it must needs have been created for a thing of naught2 wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation4 ,wherefore1 this thing i4 e41 the absence of opposite existences which ,lehi is supposing must needs destroy the wisdom of ,god1 and his eternal purposes2 and also the power1 and the mercy1 and the justice of ,god4 #ea ,the inspired man even goes beyond this1 and makes existences themselves depend upon this law of opposites3 ,and if ye shall say there is no law1 ye shall also say there is no sin4 ,if ye shall say there is no sin1 ye shall also say there is no righteousness4 ,and if there be no righteousness1 there is no happiness4 ,and if there be no righteousness nor happiness1 there be no punishment nor misery4 ,and if these things are not there is no ,god4 ,and if there is no ,god1 we are not1 neither the earth3 for there could have been no creation of things2 neither to act nor to be acted upon1 wherefore1 all things must have vanished away4 #eb ,this may be regarded as a very bold setting forth of the doctrine of antinomies1 and yet ,i think the logic of it1 and the inevitableness of the conclusion unassailable4 ,in his work1 ,origin and ,development of ,religious ,beliefs ,s4 ,baring-,gould says3 ,the world presents us with a picture of unity and distinction2 unity without uniformity1 and distinction without antagonism4 99 99 99 ,everywhere1 around us and within us1 we see that radical antinomy4 ,the whole astronomic order resolves itself into attraction and repulsion--a centripetal and a centrifugal force2 the chemical order into the antinomy of positive and negative electricity1 decomposing substances and recomposing them4 ,the whole visible universe presents the antinomy of light and darkness1 movement and repose1 force and matter1 heat and cold1 the one and the multiple4 ,the order of life is resumed in the antinomy of the individual and the species1 the particular and the general2 the order of our sentiments in that of happiness and sorrow1 pleasure and pain2 that of our conceptions in the antinomy of the ideal and the real2 that of our will in the conditions of activity and passivity4 #ec ,the existence of evil in the world has ever been a vexed problem for both theologians and philosophers1 and has led to the wildest speculations imaginable4 ,it will be sufficient here1 however1 if ,i note the recognition by high authority of the difficulties involved in the problem4 ,of those who have felt and expressed these difficulties1 ,i know of no one who has done so in better terms than ,henry ,l4 ,mansel in his contribution to the celebrated course of ,bampton ,lecturers1 in ,the ,limits of ,religious ,thought 7#aheh71 in the course of which he says3 ,the real riddle of existence--the problem which confounds all philosophy1 aye1 and all religion1 too1 so far as religion is a thing of man's reason1 is the fact that evil exists at all2 not that it exists for a longer or a shorter duration4 ,is not ,god infinitely wise and holy and powerful now8 and does not sin exist along with that infinite holiness and wisdom and power8 ,is ,god to become more holy1 more wise1 more powerful hereafter2 and must evil be annihilated to make room for his perfections to expand8 ,does the infinity of his eternal nature ebb and flow with every increase or diminution in the sum of human guilt and misery8 ,against this immovable barrier of the existence of evil1 the waves of philosophy have dashed themselves unceasingly since the birthday of human thought1 and have retired broken and powerless1 without displacing the minutest fragment of the stubborn rock1 without softening one feature of its dark and rugged surface4 #ed ,this writer then proceeds by plain implication to make it clear that religion no more than philosophy has solved the problem of the existence of evil3 ,but this mystery i4 e41 the existence of evil1 vast and inscrutable as it is1 is but one aspect of a more general problem2 it is but the moral form of the ever-recurring secret of the ,infinite4 ,how the ,infinite and the finite1 in any form of antagonism or other relation1 can exist together2 how infinite power can coexist with finite activity2 how infinite wisdom can coexist with finite contingency2 how infinite goodnesss can coexist with finite evil2 how the ,infinite can exist in any manner without exhausting the universe of reality--this is the riddle which ,infinite ,wisdom alone can solve1 the problem whose very conception belongs only to that ,universal ,knowledge which fills and embraces the ,universe of ,being4 #ee ,in the presence of these reflections it cannot be doubted1 then1 that the existence of moral evil is one of the world's serious difficulties2 and any solution which the ,book of ,mormon may give of it that is really helpful1 will be a valuable contribution to the world's enlightenment1 a real revelation--a ray of light from the inner fact of things4 ,let us consider if it does this4 ,in view of the utterances of the ,book of ,mormon already quoted ,i am justified in saying that evil as well as good is among the eternal things4 ,its existence did not begin with its appearance on our earth4 ,evil existed even in heaven2 for ,lucifer and many other spirits sinned there2 rebelled against heaven's matchless ,king1 waged war1 and were thrust out into the earth for their transgression4 #ef ,evil is not a created quality4 #eg ,it has always existed as the back ground of good4 ,it is as eternal as goodnesss2 it is as eternal as law2 it is as eternal as the agency of intelligence4 ,sin1 which is evil active1 is transgression of law2 #eh and so long as the agency of intelligences and law have existed1 the possibility of the transgression of law has existed2 and as the agency of intelligences and law have eternally existed1 so1 too1 evil has existed eternally1 either potentially or active and will always so exist4 ,evil may not be referred to ,god for its origin4 ,he is not its creator1 it is one of those independent existences that is uncreate1 and stands in the category of qualities of eternal things4 ,while not prepared to accept the doctrine of some philosophers that good and evil are two sides of one thing4 #ei ,i am prepared to believe that evil is a necessary antithesis to good1 and essential to the realization of the harmony of the universe4 ,the good cannot exist without the antithesis of the evil--the foil on which it produces itself and becomes known4 #fj ,as remarked by ,orlando ,j4 ,smith1 ,evil exists in the balance of natural forces4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is also the background of good1 the incentive to good1 and the trial of good1 without which good could not be4 ,as the virtue of courage could not exist without the evil of danger1 and as the virtue of sympathy could not exist without the evil of suffering1 so no other virtue could exist without its corresponding evil4 ,in a world without evil--if such a world be really conceivable1 all men would have perfect health1 perfect intelligence1 and perfect morals4 ,no one could gain or impart information1 each one's cup of knowledge being full4 ,the temperature would stand forever at seventy degrees1 both heat and cold being evil4 ,there could be no progress1 since progress is the overcoming of evil4 ,a world without evil would be as toil without exertion1 as light without darkness1 as a battle with no antagonist4 ,it would be a world without meaning4 #fa ,or1 as ,lehi puts it1 in still stronger terms--after describing what conditions would be without the existence of opposites3-- ,wherefore1 all things must needs be a compound in one2 wherefore1 if it i4 e4 the sum of things should be one body i4 e41 of one character--so called good without evil it must needs remain as dead1 having no life1 neither death1 nor corruption1 nor incorruption1 happiness nor misery1 neither sense nor insensibility4 ,wherefore1 it the sum of things must needs have been created for a thing of naught2 wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation4 ,wherefore1 this thing the absence of opposites must needs destroy the wisdom of ,god1 and his eternal purposes2 and also1 the power1 and the mercy1 and the justice of ,god4 #fb ,as there can be no good without the antinomy of evil1 so there can be no evil without its antinomy1 or antithesis--good4 ,the existence of one implies the existence of the other2 and1 conversely1 the non-existence of the latter would imply the non-existence of the former4 ,it is from this basis that ,lehi reached the conclusion that either his doctrine of antinomies1 or the existence of opposites1 is true1 or else there are no existences4 ,that is to say--to use his own words-- ,if ye shall say there is no law1 ye shall also say there is no sin4 ,if ye shall say there is no sin1 ye shall also say there is no righteousness4 ,and if there be no righteousness1 there be no happiness4 ,and if there be no righteousness nor happiness1 there be no punishment nor misery4 ,and if these things are not1 there is no ,god1 and if there is no ,god1 we are not1 neither the earth2 for there could have been no creation of things1 neither to act nor to be acted upon3 wherefore1 all things must have vanished away4 #fc ,but as things have not vanished away1 as there are real existences1 the whole series of things for which he contends are verities4 ,for there is a ,god1 he declares1 and he hath created all things1 both the heavens and the earth1 and all things that in them is2 both things to act1 and things to be acted upon4 #fd ,after arriving at this conclusion1 ,lehi1 proceeding from the general to the particular1 deals with the introduction of this universal antinomy into our world as follows3 ,to bring about his ,god's eternal purposes in the end of man1 after he had created our first parents 99 99 99 it must needs be that there was an opposition2 even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life2 the one being sweet and the other bitter2 ,wherefore1 the ,lord ,god gave unto man that he should act for himself4 ,wherefore man could not act for himself1 save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other4 #fe ,and ,i1 ,lehi1 according to the things which ,i have read1 must needs suppose that an angel of ,god1 according to that which is written1 had fallen from heaven2 wherefore he became a devil1 having sought that which was evil before ,god4 ,and because he had fallen from heaven1 and had become miserable forever1 he said unto ,eve1 yea1 even that old serpent1 who is the devil1 who is the father of all lies2 wherefore he said1 ,partake of the forbidden fruit1 and ye shall not die1 but ye shall be as ,god1 knowing good and evil4 ,and after ,adam and ,eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit they were driven out of the garden of ,eden1 to till the earth4 ,and they have brought forth children2 yea1 even the family of all the earth4 ,then follows ,lehi's treatise upon the reason for the fall1 the purpose of man's existence1 which have already been noticed4 ,summary of the ,foregoing ,doctrines4 ,this then is the order of things--7though in this summary the order in which the various doctrines have been presented is not strictly followed1 but one more in harmony with the proper order of the related things2 but which order could not well be set forth until the foregoing discussion of them was had73-- #a4 ,the intelligent ,ego in man1 which we have called an ,intelligence1 meaning1 however1 not a quality but the ,ego itself1 is an eternal entity2 uncreate and uncreatable--an essential1 a necessary1 self-existent being4 #b4 ,these ,intelligences the begotten of ,god1 spirits2 so that men are of the same race with ,god1 are of the same essence or substance1 and are the sons of ,god by virtue of an actual relationship4 #c4 ,there came a time in the course of the existence of these spiritual personages when an earth-existence1 a union of the spiritual personage with a body of flesh and bone1 became necessary for his further development1 for his enlargement2 an existence where good and evil were in actual conflict1 where the mighty and perhaps awful lessons which such conditions have to teach could be learned4 #d4 ,there are eternal opposites in existences1 light--darkness2 joy--sorrow2 pleasure--pain2 sweet--bitter2 good--evil2 and so following4 ,evil is an eternal existence1 the necessary co-relative of the good1 uncreate and may not be referred to ,god for its origin4 #e4 ,the spirits of men came to earth primarily to obtain bodies through which their spirits may act through all eternity4 ,they came to effect a union of spirit and element essential to all their future development and their joy and their glory2 #ff secondly they came to obtain such experiences as this earth-life has to give--to be taught by the things which they suffer2 learning the lessons that sorrow and sin and death have to teach1 finding both the strength and weakness of their own natures--proving the fidelity1 valor and honor of their own spirits2 making proof of their worthiness for that exceeding great and eternal weight of glory which ,god has designed for those who overcome and in all things prove faithful4 #f4 ,to lead the way in this great work1 one sufficiently developed for such a task--,adam--is appointed to come to earth to open the series of dispensations designed of ,god for man in his earth-probation4 ,he introduced those changes in the harmony of things necessary to the accomplishment of the purposes of ,god in the earth-life of man--he fell that man might be2 and not only be1 but have that being1 under the very conditions that have since prevailed4 #g4 ,evil was introduced into this world through the transgression of ,adam1 and man falls under the censure of eternal and inexorable justice4 #h4 ,through the ,atonement of ,christ1 however1 man is freed from the effects of ,adam's trangression4 ,the resurrection redeems him from the temporal death--the separation of the spirit and body1 and he is brought back into the presence of ,god4 #i4 ,through the ,atonement of ,christ mercy also has been brought into the world's moral economy2 and1 as well as justice1 operates upon man4 ,god's righteous law has been given to man4 ,man is a free moral agent and may choose to obey the law1 or may choose to follow after wickedness4 ,if he choose the latter1 he falls under the justice of the law4 #aj4 ,through the ,atonement the privilege of repentance is granted1 and mercy claims the truly penitent1 rescuing him from the otherwise inexhorable claims of the law1 and setting him in the way of salvation through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel4 ,such1 in brief is the outline of the gospel of ,christ in the ,book of ,mormon so far as it relates to the nature and eternal existence of man1 the purpose of his earth-existence1 the fall1 the atonement1 the existence of good and evil1 and the development that shall come of contact with these forces4 ,in concluding this chapter1 apart from the matter of originality in the doctrines set forth1 which originality1 be it remembered is one of the evidences here sought to be established as a sort of proof for the divinity of the book1 ,i desire to call attention to another argument which these doctrines are capable of bearing2 namely the nature of the doctrines themselves1 the order in which they are set forth1 and their deep philosophical character2 and to the candid reader ,i submit this question3 ,was the unaided native intelligence of ,joseph ,smith1 or the intelligence or learning of any of those associated with him in bringing forth the ,book of ,mormon1 equal to the task of formulating the principles of moral philosophy and theology that are found in that book and discussed in this chapter8 ,was the intelligence or learning of ,solomon ,spaulding1 or any other person to whom the origin of the book is ascribed1 equal to such a task8 ,there can be but one answer to that question1 and the nature of it is obvious4 ,beyond controversy neither the native intelligence nor learning of ,joseph ,smith can possibly be regarded as equal to such a performance as bringing forth the knowledge which the ,book of ,mormon imparts upon these profound subjects2 nor can the intelligence or learning of those who assisted him in translating the book be regarded as sufficient for such a task4 ,nor was the intelligence and learning of any one to whom the origin of the book has ever been ascribed equal to such an achievement4 ,indeed the book sounds depths on these subjects not only beyond the intelligence and learning of this small group of men referred to1 but beyond the intelligence and learning of the age itself in which it came forth4 ,therefore it is useless to ascribe the knowledge it imparts on these subjects to human intelligence or learning at all4 ,what is said by it on these subjects1 so full of interest to mankind1 is a word truly from the inner fact of things--a message written by ancient prophets of ,america inspired of ,god to bear witness to the truth of these great things which it most concerns man to know4 ,footnotes #a4 ,genesis iii4 #b4 ,i4 ,cor4 xv3 #ba1 #bb2 ,romans v3 #ab-ag4 #c4 ,westminster ,confession1 chapter iv--of ,creation--,section i4 #d4 ,in proof of this last declaration the expounder cites ,col4 i3 #af3 ,all things were created by him ,christ and for him4 ,also ,proverbs xvi3 #d3 ',the ,lord hath made all things for himself2 yea1 even the wicked for the day of evil4' ,also ,rev4 iv3 #aa3 ,for thou the ,lord hast created all things1 and for thy pleasure they are and were created2 and ,rom4 xi3 #cf3 ,for of him1 and through him1 and to him are all things4 ,see ,commentary on the ,confession of ,faith1 with questions for theological students and ,bible classes1 by the ,reverend ,a4 ,a4 ,hodge1 ,d4 ,d41 ,chapter iv4 ,the reading of the passages will convince any one that if this is all the scripture proof that may be adduced in the way of an explanation of the purposes of ,god in creation1 that what ,i have said in the text1 that there is no direct1 explicit1 and adequate statement of the object of man's existence in holy writ is sufficiently vindicated4 #e4 ,commentary on the ,confession 7,hodge71 chapter iv4 #f4 ,douay ,catechism1 chapter iii4 #g4 ,ibid4 #h4 ,gen4 ii3 #be4 #i4 ,ibid iii3 #g4 #aj4 ,adam was not deceived1 but the woman1 being deceived1 was in the transgression4--,tim4 ii3 #ad4 #aa4 ,catholic ,belief1 p4 #f4 7,joseph ,faa ,di ,bruno is the author47 #ab4 ,catholic ,belief1 p4 #ccj4 #ac4 ,douay ,catechism1 p4 #ac4 #ad4 ,buck's ,theological ,dictionary1 p4 #ahb4 #ae4 ,old ,testament ,history 7,william ,smith1 ,,ll4 ,d471 chapter ii4 #af4 ,westminster ,confession1 chapter vi1 section #a4 #ag4 ,commentary on the ,confession of ,faith 7,a4 ,a4 ,hodge71 pp4 #aje-ajh4 #ah4 ,paine's ,theological ,works1 ,age of ,reason1 p4 #ab4 #ai4 ,see ,ingersoll's ,lectures1 ,liberty of ,man1 ,woman and ,child1 where the great orator1 contrasts the story of the ,fall given in the ,bible with that of ,brahma in the ,hindoo mythology1 and extravagantly praises the latter to the disparagement of the former4 #bj4 ,see ,a ,short ,view of ,great ,questions 7,orlando ,j4 ,smith71 chapter #aj2 also his work on ,eternalism4 #ba4 ,john viii3 #eh4 #bb4 ,john xvii4 #bc4 ,job xxxiii3 #d-g4 #bd4 ,revelation xii4 #be4 ,jude vi4 #bf4 ,jeremiah i3 #e4 #bg4 ,heb4 xii4 #bh4 ,those who wish to extend their investigation on the subject are referred to the author's work on ,the ,gospel1 especially the section of ,man's ,relationship to ,deity1 found in both the second and third edition4 #bi4 ,ether iii4 #cj4 ,john i3 #b-ad4 #ca4 ,doc4 ,cov41 section xciii4 #cb4 ,i use the term begotten instead of create advisedly4 ,i do not believe the spirit of man is created by ,god2 ,i believe it is begotten of him1 and in addition to its own native1 underived inherent qualities1 partakes also somewhat of the qualities or nature of him who begets it1 hence an intelligence begotten of a spirit is a son of ,god by being begotten by a divine parent2 by the nature of it also1 since somewhat of the nature of the parent has been imparted to it4 ,the distinction between a created thing and a being begotten is thus very clearly set forth by the ,christian ,father ,athanasius3 ,let it be repeated that a created thing is external to the nature of the being who creates2 but a generation 7a begetting1 as a ,father begets a son7 is the proper offspring of the nature4 7,footnote1 ,shedd's ,history of ,christian ,doctrine1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cbb47 #cc4 ,luke iii3 #ch4 #cd4 ,alma xiii3 #i4 #ce4 ,alma xi4 #cf4 ,alma xi3 #i4 #cg4 ,rev4 viii3 #hj4 ,what means the scripture here3 ,the ,lamb slain from the foundations of the world--if it does not mean that the ,savior's mission and work of atonement1 and the mode of it1 were known before the foundation of the world8 #ch4 ,hedonism is the form of eudemonism that regards pleasure 7including avoidance of pain7 as the only conceivable object in life1 and teaches that as between the lower pleasures of sense and the higher enjoyments of reason1 or satisfied self-respect1 there is no difference except in degree1 duration1 and hedonic value of the experience1 there being in strictness1 no such thing as ethical or moral value4--,standard ,dictionary4 #ci4 ,in ,cicero's description of the ,epicurean conception of the gods he says3 ,that which is truly happy cannot be burdened with any labor itself1 nor can it impose any labor on another1 nor can it be influenced by resentment or favor1 because things which are liable to such failings must be weak and frail4 99 99 99 ,their life i4 e41 of the gods is most happy and the most abounding with all kinds of blessings which can be conceived4 ,they do nothing4 ,they are embarrassed with no business2 nor do they perform any work4 ,they rejoice in the possession of their own wisdom and virtue4 ,they are satisfied that they shall ever enjoy the fulness of eternal pleasure4 99 99 99 ,nothing can be happy that is not at ease4 7,tusculan ,disputations1 ,the ,nature of the ,gods47 #dj4 ,,ii4 ,nephi ii3 #bc4 #da4 ,i4 ,john iii3 #d4 #db4 ,pearl of ,great ,price1 ,book of ,moses1 ch4 i3 #ci4 #dc4 ,or the soul2 for1 in the revelations of ,god in this last dispensation1 the spirit and the body are called the soul4 ,through the redemption which is made for you is brought to pass the resurrection from the dead4 ,and the spirit and the body is the soul of man4 ,and the resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the soul4 7,doc4 ,cov4 ,sec4 #hh3 #ad-af47 #dd4 ,alma xxix3 #d4 #de4 ,,ii4 ,nephi4 ii3 #bg4 #df4 ,hibbert ,journal1 ,april1 #aijf1 p4 #fef4 #dg4 ,chapter iv4 #dh4 ,alma #db4 ,the same subject is treated in ,,ii4 ,nephi ii4 #di4 ,isaiah liii4 #ej4 ,doc4 ,cov41 ,sec4 xxxviii3 #ae4 #ea4 ,,ii4 ,nephi ii4 ,it is a pleasure to note that this process of reasoning1 remarkable as it is1 and startling as it is in its conclusion1 is in harmony with modern thought4 ,mr4 ,lester ,f4 ,ward1 whose works ,i have already quoted in this chapter1 by a closely analogous order of reasoning1 reaches the same conclusion4 ,this the passage3 ,the pleasure of 'doing good' is among the most delicious of which the human faculties are capable1 and becomes the permanent stimulus to thousands of worthy lives4 ,it is usually looked upon as the highest of all motives1 and by some as the ultimate goal toward which all action should aspire4 ,it should first be observed that the very act of doing good presupposes evil1 i4 e41 pain4 ,doing good is necessarily either increasing pleasure or diminishing pain4 ,now1 if all devoted themselves to doing good1 it is maintained that the sufferings of the world would be chiefly abolished4 ,admitting that there are some evils that no human efforts could remove1 and supposing that by united altruism all removable evils were done away1 there would be nothing left for altruists to do4 ,by their own acts they would have deprived themselves of a calling4 ,they must be miserable since the only enjoyment they deemed worthy of experiencing could be no longer possible1 and this suffering from ennui would be among those which lie beyond human power to alleviate4 ,an altruistic act would then alone consist in inflicting pain on one's self for the sole purpose of affording others an opportunity to derive pleasure from the act of relieving it4 ,i do not put the matter in this light for the purpose of discouraging altruism1 but simply to show how short sighted most ethical reasoning is4 #eb4 ,,ii4 ,nephi ii4 #ec4 ,origin and ,development of ,religious ,belief1 ,vol4 ,,ii41 pp4 #bb1 #bc4 #ed4 ,limits of ,religious ,thought1 ,mansel1 p4 #aig4 #ee4 ,ibid4 pp4 #aig-h4 #ef4 ,see ,rev4 xii3 #g4 ,jude #f4 #eg4 ,lest some text-proofer should retort upon me and cite the words of ,isaiah--,i make peace and create evil--the only text of scripture ascribing the creation of evil to ,god--,i will anticipate so far as to say that it is quite generally agreed that no reference is made in the words of ,isaiah to moral evil2 but to such evils as may come as judgments upon people for their correction1 such as famine or tempest or war2 such an evil as would stand in natural antithesis to peace1 which word precedes1 ,i create evil1 in the text--,i make peace and create--the opposite to peace1 ,the evil of afflictions and punishments1 but not the evil of sin 7,catholic ,comment on ,isaiah #de3g74 ,meantime we have the clearest scriptural evidence that moral evil is not a product of ,god's3 ,let no man say when he is tempted1 ,i am tempted of ,god2 for ,god cannot be tempted with evil1 neither tempteth he any man4 ,that is to say1 ,god has nothing to do with the creation of moral evil2 ,but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust1 and enticed4 ,then when lust hath conceived1 it bringeth forth sin3 and sin1 when it is finished1 bringeth forth death4 7,james i3 #ac-ae74 ,the evil and the good are necessary co-relatives4 7,sir ,oliver ,lodge in ,hibbert ,journal1 ,april1 #aijf1 p4 #feg47 #eh4 ,i4 ,john iii3 #d4 #ei4 ,eternalism1 ,orlando ,j4 ,smith1 p4 #bje-f4 #fj4 ,scotus ,erigena1 quoted by ,neander1 ,hist4 ,christian ,religion and ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iii4 p4 #dfe4 #fa4 ,eternalism1 pp4 #cj1 #ca4 #fb4 ,,ii4 ,nephi ii3 #aa4 #fc4 ,,ii4 ,nephi ii3 #ac4 #fd4 ,ibid4 ii3 #ad4 #fe4 ,on such a proposition ,dr4 ,jacob ,cooper1 of ,rutgers ,college1 at the head of an article on ,theodicy 7the justification of the divine providence by the attempt to reconcile the existence of evil with the goodnesss and sovereignty of ,god71 says 7,august1 #aijc71 ,there must be an alternative to any line of conduct1 in order to give it a moral quality4 ,we have to deal with1 not an imaginary1 but a real world2 not with a state of things wholly different from those by which character is developed4 ,if there are to be such qualities as righteousness1 virtue1 merit1 as the result of good action1 there must be a condition by which these things are possible4 ,and this can only be where there is an alternative which may be embraced by a free choice4 ,if the work of man on earth is to build up character1 if his experience is disciplinary1 by which he constantly becomes better fitted for greater good and a wider sphere of action1 then he must have the responsibility of choosing for himself a course different from one which appeals to the lower qualities in his nature4 #ff4 ,doc4 ,cov41 ,sec4 xciii3 #cc1 #ce4 ,,chapter ,,xli4 ,,internal ,,evidences1--,,the ,,evidence ,,of ,,prophecy4 ,i have already1 in volume one of the ,new ,witnesses1 called attention to the value of fulfilled prophecies as evidence of a prophet's being divinely commissioned with a message to the world4 #a ,it is there pointed out that fulfilled prophecy has ever been regarded as a species of miracle2 that the ,lord himself refers to it as a test by which true prophets may be distinguished from false ones2 that1 therefore1 the power to foresee and foretell future events is a power that ,god has reserved to himself and to those whom he especially inspires--hence the power of prophecy is the surest sign of divine inspiration--of divine authority4 #b ,consequently it is only necessary here to say that such evidence is equally strong in support of a book claiming a divine origin2 provided1 of course1 that it contains prophecies by which it may be tested4 ,the ,book of ,mormon contains such prophecies4 ,here it is necessary to explain1 however1 that many of the prophetic parts of the ,book of ,mormon are not available as such a test1 for the reason that very many of its prophecies relate to matters that had their fulfillment in ancient times4 ,for example3 the ,jaredites1 who preceded the ,nephites in occupying ,north ,america1 were told by their prophets that except they repented the ,lord would bring another people1 as he had their fathers1 to occupy the land in their stead4 ,the ,jaredites did not repent2 and in due time the colony of ,lehi was brought to ,america much as the original ,jaredite colony had been2 and thus the prophecy was fulfilled2 but such is the nature of the prophecy and its fulfillment that it affords us no means by which we can test the divine inspiration of the book containing it1 the prediction and the account of its fulfillment being found within the book itself2 and we are in possession of no outside means independent of the ,book of ,mormon by which to test this prophecy or its fulfillment4 ,of like nature is the prediction that ,ether made to ,coriantumr1 to the effect that except he repented his people should be destroyed and he alone should survive them1 but only to see another people come upon the goodly land to possess it4 #c ,all this came to pass in due time #d--since ,coriantumr did not repent2 but this affords us no means by which we may test the prophetic claims of the book containing such a prophecy1 because both prophecy and the account of its fulfillment are within the book itself4 ,so also with the prediction concerning the advent of the ,messiah on the ,american continent2 the signs at his birth and death and his ministry1 all of which events were foretold in great clearness to the ,nephites2 but these like the other prophecies alluded to1 are of such a nature that they afford us no means of testing the prophetic claims of the book4 ,only those prophecies in the ,book of ,mormon which have had their fulfillment since the book was published1 or that are yet to be fulfilled1 are available--at least they are the only ones that will appeal to unbelievers--as evidence of the book's claims to a divine authenticity4 ,of these1 fortunately1 there are enough for a test such as is proposed2 a test1 which as it is among the most crucial that can be applied1 so also is it among the most valuable of the internal evidences of the book's divine origin4 ,here the reader should be reminded #e that several conditions should exist respecting prophecies to be used as evidence of divine inspiration either in book or prophet3 first1 that prediction antedates the events which fulfill it2 second1 that the events must be of a nature that no merely human foresight1 or judgment1 unaided by divine inspiration or revelation1 could have foretold them2 third1 the events that fulfill the prophecy must be of a nature that they cannot be brought about by the natural powers of the prophet himself1 or agencies under his control4 ,such conditions unquestionably prevail in respect of all the prophecies here adduced in evidence4 ,i begin by reference to two prophetic passages in which the ,holy ,ghost must necessarily be the agency through which the fulfillment is realized4 ,i start with these because it must be evident that if the predictions are fulfilled through the agency of the ,holy ,ghost there can be no deception charged or doubt remain either of the genuineness of the prophecies or of the reality of their fulfillment4 ,i4 ,a ,testimony ,shall be ,given by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,first1 then1 the prophecy that a testimony to the truth of the ,book of ,mormon shall be given by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,in closing up the ,nephite record which had been given into his charge by his father ,mormon1 ,moroni in a final word to those to whom the work in after ages would come1 says3 ,and when ye shall receive these things1 ,i would exhort you that ye would ask ,god1 the eternal ,father1 in the name of ,christ1 if these things are not true2 and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart1 with real intent1 having faith in ,christ1 he will manifest the truth of them unto you1 by the power of the ,holy ,ghost2 and by the power of the ,holy ,ghost ye may know the truth of all things4 #f ,i do not hesitate to pronounce this one of the boldest prophecies of ,holy ,writ1 and certainly one which no imposter would dare place in a book he was palming off upon the world as a revelation from ,god1 since it affords such immediate means of testing the truth of his pretentions4 ,it is the same character of test as that boldly supplied by the ,son of ,god himself for testing the truth of the whole ,christian scheme when he said3 ,my doctrine is not mine1 but his that sent me4 ,if any man will do his will1 he shall know of the doctrine1 whether it be of ,god or whether ,i speak of myself4 #g ,there can be no question as to the prophetic character of the passage from the ,book of ,mormon--,when you receive this record1 ask ,god in the name of ,christ1 if it be true1 and he will manifest the truth of it unto you by the power of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the only question to be considered after this is1 has the prophecy of a promised testimony been fulfilled4 ,hundreds of thousands are ready to answer in the affirmative2 scores of thousands who have died in the faith have left on record their testimony that the prophecy has been fulfilled in their experience2 and back of the testimony of these thousands is their life of sacrifice1 toil1 suffering2 together with the contumely and persecution which they have endured for that testimony4 ,some of the witnesses to the fulfillment of this prophecy have even sealed their testimony with their blood--can evidence of a higher or more solemn character be pointed to in attestation of any truth8 #h ,in passing it may be well to call attention to the fact that the ,book of ,mormon in this prophetic promise that its truth shall be made known by the power of the ,holy ,ghost1 as also its assertion that by the power of the ,holy ,ghost ye may know the truth of all things--hits upon a great general1 spiritual truth1 viz41 that the ,holy ,ghost is ,god's especial witness of revealed truth4 ,it was the ,holy ,ghost in its beautiful sign of a dove that bore witness to ,john that the peasant ,nazarene was indeed the ,christ4 #i ,paul says that no man speaking by the ,spirit of ,god calleth ,jesus accursed1 and that no man can say that ,jesus is the ,lord but by the ,holy ,ghost4 #aj ,john represents ,jesus as saying1 ,but when the ,comforter is come1 whom ,i will send unto you from the ,father1 even the ,spirit of ,truth1 which proceedeth from the ,father1 he shall testify of me4 #aa ,again1 the ,comforter is called the very ,spirit of ,truth1 and of it ,jesus says3 ,the ,comforter1 which is the ,holy ,ghost1 whom the ,father will send in my name1 he shall teach you all things4 #ab ,also3 ,when the ,spirit of ,truth the ,holy ,ghost is come1 he will guide you into all truth4 #ac ,and so one might continue to multiply passages to the same effect1 but enough is here set1 down to establish the point suggested1 viz41 that the ,book of ,mormon hits upon a very beautiful and universal principle to establish its own truth by a ,divine ,witness1 viz41 the ,holy ,ghost4 ,observe also that this great doctrine is not introduced by way of argument nor as a deduction4 ,it is mentioned1 one might say1 in a purely incidental manner4 ,nothing especially is made of it by ,moroni who sets it down4 ,no appeal is made to its strength or reasonableness4 ,one feels that it is the statement of a great truth purely as a matter of fact that has been verified in the experience of ,moroni1 without any special consciousness of how it interlocks with and is supported by all the scriptures that treat of the same subject4 ,on the theory of the ,book of ,mormon not being what it claims to be1 but regarding it for a moment as the work of imposters1 ,i ask the upholders of that theory this question3 ,how comes it that in speaking of the chief source of evidence for its truth1 the imposters hit upon this universal principle by which revealed truths can be known8 ,and1 indeed1 desiring to cover the whole subject involved in this prophetic promise of a ,divine ,witness to the truth of the ,book of ,mormon1 ,i ask how dare they promise a ,divine ,witness to an imposture at all8 ,,ii4 ,they ,shall ,have the ,gift and ,power of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the second prophecy to which reference has been made1 and which must necessarily be filled through the agency of the ,holy ,spirit1 was given under these circumstances3 ,the ,lord made it known to the first ,nephi that many precious truths of the gospel would be subverted by the wickedness of men-made churches in the last days1 but the ,lord gives a promise that he would manifest himself unto the descendants of ,nephi1 and that they should write many things which he1 the ,lord1 would minister unto them4 ,things which would be plain and precious3 ,and after thy seed shall be destroyed and dwindle in unbelief1 said the ,lord1 behold these things shall be hid up to come forth unto the ,gentiles by the gift and power of the ,lamb2 and in them shall be written my gospel1 saith the ,lamb1 and my rock and my salvation3-- ,and blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my ,zion at that day1 for they shall have the gift and power of the ,holy ,ghost4 #ad ,in the presence of this prophecy ,i stand perplexed1 not however for want of material to prove the prophecy true4 ,a volume might be compiled of instances from the experiences of ,elders who have sought to bring forth the ,zion of ,god in the last days1 who have clearly worked under the power and influence of the ,holy ,ghost2 but this is out of the question here4 ,all that can be done is to select instances of a typical character that will illustrate what is meant by the prophecy1 and also prove its fulfillment4 ,i shall select these quite at random1 beginning with some related by the late ,president ,wilford ,woodruff1 describing the circumstances under which he first heard of ,mormonism1 #ahcc4 ,the whisperings of the ,spirit of the ,lord for a space of three years taught me that the ,lord was about to set up his ,church and ,kingdom in the earth in the last days1 in fulfillment of promises made by ancient prophets1 and apostles1 who spoke as they were moved upon by the inspiration of ,almighty ,god4 ,while in this state of mind ,i went with my brother ,azmon to ,richland1 ,oswego county1 ,new ,york4 ,we bought a farm and commenced business4 ,in ,december1 #ahcc1 two ,mormon ,elders1 viz41 ,ezra ,pulsipher and ,elijah ,cheney1 came into our town and stopped at our house4 ,elder ,pulsipher said he was commanded by the spirit of the ,lord to go into the north country1 and he and ,elder ,cheney had walked from ,favins1 via ,syracuse1 nearly sixty miles1 through deep snows1 and our house was the first place he felt impelled to stop at4 ,he appointed a meeting at the school house which ,i attended1 and on hearing him preach ,i felt that his sermon was the first gospel sermon ,i had ever heard in my life4 ,i invited these ,elders home and spent the night in conversation and in reading the ,book of ,mormon4 ,i was thoroughly convinced it was a true record of the word of ,god4 ,my brother ,azmon and myself offered ourselves for baptism1 and on the thirty-first day of ,december1 #ahcc1 ,elder ,pulsipher went with us to the creek and baptized us4 ,the circumstances under which he was called to the ministry he gives as follows3 ,i was still holding the office of a ,teacher1 and knowing for myself that the fulness of the ,gospel of ,christ1 which ,god had revealed to ,joseph ,smith1 was true1 ,i had a great desire to preach it to the inhabitants of the earth1 but as a ,teacher ,i had no authority to preach the gospel to the world4 ,i went into the forest near ,lyman ,wight's in ,daviess county1 ,missouri1 to which place ,brother ,woodruff had meantime removed one ,sunday morning1 aside from the abodes of men1 and made my desire known unto the ,lord4 ,i prayed that the ,lord would open my way and give me the privilege of preaching the gospel4 ,i did not make my request expecting any honor from man1 for ,i knew that the preaching of the gospel was attended with hard labor and persecution4 ,while ,i was praying1 the ,spirit of the ,lord rested upon me1 and testified to me that my prayer was heard1 and that my request would be granted4 ,i arose to my feet and walked some three hundred yards into a broad road1 rejoicing4 ,as ,i came into the road ,i saw ,judge ,elias ,higbee standing before me4 ,as ,i walked up to him he said1 ,wilford1 the ,lord has revealed to me that it is your duty to go into the vineyard of the ,lord and preach the gospel4 ,i told him if that was the will of the ,lord ,i was ready to go4 ,i did not tell him that ,i had been praying for that privilege4 ,i had been boarding at ,lyman ,wight's with ,judge ,higbee for months1 and it was the first time he had ever named such a thing to me4 ,soon after this ,elder ,woodruff was ordained a ,priest1 and sent on a mission to ,arkansas and ,tennessee4 ,during the ministry of ,elder ,woodruff in ,england1 after he had become an ,apostle in the ,church1 he records the following item of his experience1 which was published by him in a little work called ,leaves from ,my ,journal3 ,march #ast1 #ahdj1 was my birthday anniversary1 when ,i was thirty-three years of age4 ,it being ,sunday1 ,i preached twice through the day to a large assembly in the ,city ,hall1 in the town of ,hanley1 and administered the sacrament unto the ,saints4 ,in the evening ,i again met with a large assembly of the ,saints and strangers1 and while singing the first hymn the ,spirit of the ,lord rested upon me1 and the voice of ,god said to me3 ,this is the last meeting that you will hold with people for many days4 ,i was astonished at this1 as ,i had many appointments out in that district4 ,when ,i arose to speak to the people1 ,i told them that it was the last meeting ,i should hold with them for many days4 ,they were as much astonished as ,i was4 ,at the close of the meeting four persons came forward for baptism1 and we went down into the water and baptized them4 ,in the morning ,i went in secret before the ,lord1 and asked him what his will was concerning me4 ,the answer ,i got was1 that ,i should go to the south1 for the ,lord had a great work for me to perform there1 as many souls were awaiting for the word of the ,lord4 #ae ,obedient to the instructions of the ,spirit1 ,elder ,woodruff went south into ,herefordshire1 where he found a society called ',united ,brethren1' numbering about six hundred members and fifty preachers4 ,they were prepared for the reception of the ,gospel1 so that upon hearing ,elder ,woodruff's testimony1 they came forward and in thirty days he baptized one hundred and sixty persons1 forty-eight of whom were preachers1 including their presiding ,elder1 ,thomas ,kingston4 ,three clerks of the ,church of ,england were sent by their ministers to see what he was doing1 and he baptized them2 also a constable who came to arrest him4 #af ,subsequently the field of labor widened and through the blessings of ,god ,elder ,woodruff was enabled in the course of eight months to bring into the ,church over eight hundred souls1 including all of the six hundred ,united ,brethren2 also some two hundred preachers of various denominations4 #ag ,elder ,woodruff also relates the following incident1 among many others1 as illustrating the operations of the ,spirit of the ,lord upon his mind for his bodily preservation3 ,in #ahdh1 after my return to ,winter ,quarters from our pioneer journey1 ,i was appointed by the ,presidency of the ,church to take my family and go to ,boston to gather up the remnant of the ,latter-day ,saints and lead them to the valleys of the mountains4 ,while on my way east ,i put my carriage into the yard of one of the brethren in ,indiana1 and ,brother ,orson ,hyde set his wagon by the side of mine1 and not more than two feet from it4 ,dominicus ,carter1 of ,provo1 and my wife and four children were with me4 ,my wife1 one child and ,i went to bed in the carriage1 the rest sleeping in the house4 ,i had been in bed but a short time when a voice said to me3 ,get up1 and move your carriage4 ,it was not thunder1 lightning nor an earthquake1 but the still1 small voice of the ,spirit of ,god--the ,holy ,ghost4 ,i told my wife ,i must get up and move my carriage4 ,she asked1 ,what for8 ,i told her ,i did not know1 only the ,spirit told me to do it4 ,i got up and moved my carriage several rods1 and set it by the side of the house4 ,as ,i was returning to bed the same ,spirit said to me1 ,go and move your mules away from that oak tree1 which was about one hundred yards1 north of our carriage4 ,i moved them to a young hickory grove and tied them up4 ,i then went to bed4 ,in thirty minutes a whirlwind caught the tree to which my mules had been fastened1 broke it off near the ground1 and carried it one hundred yards1 sweeping away two fences in its course1 and laid it prostrate through that yard where my carriage stood1 and the top limbs hit my carriage as it was4 ,in the morning ,i measured the trunk of the tree which fell where my carriage had stood1 and found it five feet in diameter4 ,it came within a foot of ,brother ,hyde's wagon1 but did not touch it4 ,thus1 by obeying the revelation of the ,spirit of ,god to me ,i saved my life and the lives of my wife and child1 as well as my animals4 ,in the morning ,i went on my way rejoicing4 #ah ,the following is a statement from the biography of ,elder ,heber ,c4 ,kimball1 one of the members of the first quorum of the ,twelve in this latter-day dispensation1 and afterwards for some years ,counselor to ,president ,brigham ,young1 speaking of the time when he first heard the gospel preached1 in #ahca3 ,the glorious news of a restored gospel and a living priesthood1 commissioned of and communicating with the heavens2 the promise of the ,holy ,ghost1 with signs following the believer1 as in days of old2 the wondrous declaration of angels revisiting the earth1 breaking the silence of ages1 bringing messages from another world--all this fell upon the heart of this ,god-fearing man1 and on the hearts of his friends and companions1 like dew upon thirsty ground4 ,as the voice of a familiar spirit1 it seemed an echo from the far past--something they had known before4 ,both ,heber ,c4 ,kimball and ,brigham ,young received the word gladly1 and were impelled to testify of its divinity4 ,then the power of ,god fell upon them4 ,on one occasion1 says ,heber1 ,father ,john ,young1 ,brigham ,young1 ,joseph ,young and myself had come together to get up some wood for ,phineas ,h4 ,young4 ,while we were thus engaged we were pondering upon those things which had been told us by the ,elders1 and upon the ,saints gathering to ,zion1 when the glory of ,god shone upon us1 and we saw the gathering of the ,saints to ,zion1 and the glory that would rest upon them2 and many more things connected with the great event1 such as the sufferings and persecutions that would come upon the people of ,god1 and the calamities and judgments that would come upon the world4 #ai ,the year #ahdh in ,utah--the year following the advent of the pioneers into ,salt ,lake ,valley--was a very trying one4 ,the people were threatened with famine1 and it was only by the exercise of the most rigid economy and putting the people on scant rations that they could hope to make the meager supplies of provisions last until the next harvest4 ,the settlers were but half clad as well as half fed1 and such clothing as they had was in tatters1 and in many cases consisted of the skins of wild animals4 ,it was in the midst of these conditions that ,heber ,c4 ,kimball in a congregation of the saints made the following remarkable prophecy3 ,it will be but a little while1 brethren1 before you shall have food and raiment in abundance1 and shall buy it cheaper than it can be bought in the cities of the ,united ,states4 ,i do not believe a word of it1 said ,elder ,charles ,c4 ,rich1 a member of the ,council of the ,apostles2 and perhaps nine-tenths of those who had heard the astounding declaration were of the same opinion4 ,even the prophet ,heber himself was heard to say that he was afraid he had missed it this time4 ,his biographer1 however1 relates the fulfillment of the prophecy in the following passage3 ,the occasion for the fulfillment of this remarkable prediction was the unexpected advent of the gold-hunters1 on their way to ,california4 ,the discovery of gold in that land had set on fire1 as it were1 the civilized world1 and hundreds of richly laden trains now began pouring across the continent on their way to the new ,eldorado4 ,salt ,lake ,valley became the resting-place1 or halfway house of the nation1 and before the ,saints had had time to recover from their surprise at ,heber's temerity in making such a prophecy1 the still more wonderful fulfillment was brought to their very doors4 ,the gold-hunters were actuated by but one desire3 to reach the ,pacific ,coast2 the thirst for mammon having absorbed1 for the time1 all other sentiments and desires4 ,impatient at their slow progress1 in order to lighten their loads1 they threw away or sold for a song the valuable merchandise with which they had stored their wagons to cross the plains4 ,their choice1 blooded1 though now jaded stock1 they eagerly exchanged for the fresh mules and horses of the pioneers1 and bartered off1 at almost any sacrifice1 dry goods1 groceries1 provisions1 tools1 clothing1 etc41 for the most primitive outfits1 with barely enough provisions to enable them to reach their journey's end4 ,thus1 as the ,prophet ,heber had predicted1 ,states goods were actually sold in the streets of ,great ,salt ,lake ,city cheaper than they could have been purchased in the ,city of ,new ,york4 #bj ,it has already been pointed out that the gift of prophecy1 involving as it does the power to foresee future events1 is peculiarly the power of ,god's inspired servants4 ,it is the direct influence of the ,holy ,ghost upon the human mind that enables men to foretell future events4 ,how be it when he1 the ,spirit of ,truth1 is come i4 e4 the ,holy ,ghost1 he will guide you unto all truth4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,and he will show you things to come4 #ba ,so that man possessed of the spirit of prophecy as this man1 ,elder ,heber ,c4 ,kimball was possessed of it1 has1 in fulfillment of ,god's promise to his servants in the last days1 the gift and power of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the late ,elder ,george ,q4 ,cannon relates the following as his experience when on a mission to the ,hawaiian ,islands4 ,the company of missionaries of which he was a member had become disheartened in their labors1 but ,elder ,cannon had resolved to stay there1 master the language and warn the people of those ,islands if he had to do it alone4 ,and now his own account of the incident3 ,my desire to learn to speak the ,hawaiian language was very strong2 it was present with me night and day1 and ,i never permitted an opportunity of talking with the natives to pass without improving it4 ,i also tried to exercise faith before the ,lord to obtain the gift of talking and understanding the language4 ,one evening1 while sitting on the mat conversing with some neighbors who had dropped in1 ,i felt an uncommonly great desire to understand what they said4 ,all at once ,i felt a peculiar sensation in my ears2 ,i jumped to my feet1 with my hands at the side of my head1 and exclaimed to ,elders ,bigler and ,keeler who sat at the table1 that ,i believed ,i had received the gift of interpretation6 ,and it was so4 ,from that time forward ,i had but little1 if any1 difficulty in understanding what the people said4 ,i might not be able at once to separate every word which they spoke from every other word in the sentence2 but ,i could tell the general meaning of the whole4 ,this was a great aid to me in learning to speak the language1 and ,i felt very thankful for this gift from the ,lord4 #bb ,a similar instance is related by ,president ,joseph ,f4 ,smith1 also connected with the ,hawaiian mission1 to which he was called in #ahed4 ,the following is his own narrative3 ,i 99 99 99 was set apart 99 99 99 under the hands of ,parley ,p4 ,pratt and ,orson ,hyde1 ,parley being mouth4 ,he declared that ,i should obtain a knowledge of the ,hawaiian language by the gift of ,god1 as well as by study4 ,up to this time my schooling had been extremely limited4 ,my mother taught me to read and write1 by the camp fires1 and subsequently by the greater luxury of the primeval tallow-candle in the covered wagon and the old log cabin1 #ajx#ab feet in size1 when first the soles of our feet found rest1 after the weary months of travel across the plains4 ,when ,i say1 therefore1 that within four months after my arrival on the ,sandwich ,islands--two weeks of which time were consumed by the most severe sickness ,i had ever known--,i was prepared to enter upon the duties of my ministry1 and did so with a native companion1 with whom ,i made a tour of the ,island of ,maui1 visiting1 holding meetings1 blessing children1 administering the sacrament1 etc41 all in the ,hawaiian language1 it may be inferred that ,parley's promise upon my head was literally fulfilled4 ,as remarked at the outset of this subdivision it would be no difficult matter to compile a volume of incidents of such manifestations of the spirit and power of ,god from the experiences of ,elders of the ,church in illustration of1 and in proof of1 this ,book of ,mormon prophetic-promise2 but the foregoing must be relied upon as typical incidents1 and ,i shall trust to them also to indicate what the force would be of a very large volume of such evidence1 which1 ,i am sure1 from personal experience1 from observation and knowledge of our ,church annals1 could be compiled4 ,i shall ask the reader1 however1 to consider in this connection1 the very great body of religious truth which is developed in the revelations given in these latter days to the ,church of ,christ 7chiefly compiled in the book called ,the ,doctrine and ,covenants71 in which ,mormonism1 so called1 had its origin1 and all of which are the result of the inspired visions to ,joseph ,smith1 or due to the operations of the ,holy ,spirit upon the mind of that prophet4 ,i therefore invoke this body of doctrine as demonstrating the truth of the prophecy-promise-- ,blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my ,zion at that day1 for they shall have the gift and power of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,i invoke in its support the chapter on the ,manner of the ,prophet's ,teaching in volume ,i of the ,new ,witnesses2 #bc ,i invoke the chapter on ,miracles--the ,evidence of ,fulfilled ,promises2 #bd also the chapters on ,the ,evidence of ,prophecy2 #be as also the chapter on ,the ,church ,founded by ,joseph ,smith a ,monument to ,his ,inspiration2 #bf let all this in the mind of the reader1 be brought in at this point and made part of the argument in support of the fulfillment of the prophecy that those who seek to bring forth the ,zion of ,god in the last days1 shall have the gift and power of the ,holy ,ghost2 and he will begin to see how invincibly strong the argument must be upon this head4 ,in addition to all this1 however1 ,i also call attention to the evidence of inspiration that may be found in the operation of ,church leaders since the martyrdom of the first ,prophet of the ,church4 ,the evidence of inspiration in ,brigham ,young and his associates in the matter of conducting that marvelous ,exodus from ,nauvoo1 ,illinois1 through a thousand miles of wilderness to the ,rocky ,mountains4 ,the evidence of ,divine inspiration manifested also in the establishment of settlements in the inter-,rocky ,mountain region--which in time grew into commonwealths of the ,american ,union4 ,the evident inspiration in the policies adopted by these leaders--all essential to the preservation of the ,saints in their organized capacity--necessary to the preservation of the ,church of ,christ1 and now too universally recognized and applauded to need particularization4 ,men assign these achievements to the genius of ,brigham ,young2 they establish his reputation in the eyes of the world as a leader of men4 ,he is recognized as among the most remarkable men of the age1 and is ranked as being among the first ,americans4 ,but to the ,saints1 these achievements merely establish the truth of one of the predictions of the ,book of ,mormon1 viz41 ,blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my ,zion at that day1 for they shall have the gift and power of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,,iii4 ,three ,witnesses ,shall ,behold the ,book ,by the ,gift and ,power of ,god4 ,in the writings of the first ,nephi the following prediction with reference to ,three ,witnesses who should testify to the truth of the ,book of ,mormon is found3 ,wherefore1 at that day when the book shall be delivered unto the man of whom ,i have spoken1 the book shall be hid from the eyes of the world1 that the eyes of none shall behold it save it be that ,three ,witnesses shall behold it1 by the power of ,god1 besides him to whom the book shall be delivered2 and they shall testify to the truth of the book and the things therein4 ,and there is none other which shall view it1 save it be a few1 according to the will of ,god1 to bear testimony of his word unto the children of men4 #bg ,a similiar prediction is made in ,ether3 ,and unto three shall they the ,nephite plates be shown by the power of ,god2 wherefore they shall known of a surety that these things are true4 #bh ,of course ,i am prepared to hear it said that it would be an easy matter for an imposter to make such a prophecy as this with reference to a work which he was bringing forth2 but would it be within the power of an imposter to cause an angel to come from heaven and stand before these ,witnesses in the broad light of day and exhibit the ,nephite plates and the ,urim and ,thummim8 ,could he cause the glory of ,god more brilliant than the light of the sun at noon-day to shine about them8 ,could he cause the voice of ,god to be heard from the midst of the glory saying that the work was true1 the translation correct1 and commanding these witnesses to bear testimony to the world of its truth8 ,certainly all this would be beyond the power of an imposter to achieve however cunning he might be4 ,yet this is what the ,three ,witnesses declare was done4 ,of course it could still be urged that the ,three ,witnesses were in collusion with the ,prophet1 but all probabilities of that matter have been considered at great length in volume ,,ii41 chapters fourteen to twenty-two inclusive1 and the weight of evidence is against any such theory1 and therefore their testimony bears witness to the fulfillment of the remarkable prophecy here considered4 ,,iv4 ,the ,blood of ,saints ,shall ,cry ,from the ,ground to be ,avenged ,when the ,book of ,mormon ,shall ,come ,forth4 ,the first ,nephi1 fifth century ,b4 ,c41 writing of the conditions which would obtain when the ,nephite record should come forth to the world says3 ,the things which shall be written out of the book shall be of great worth unto the children of men and especially unto our seed1 which is a remnant of the house of ,israel4 ,for it shall come to pass in that day1 that the churches which are built up1 and not unto the ,lord1 when the one shall say unto the other1 ,behold ,i1 ,i am the ,lord's2 and the others shall say1 ,i1 ,i am the ,lord's4 ,and thus shall every one say that hath built up churches1 and not unto the ,lord4 ,and they shall contend one with another2 and their priests shall contend one with another1 and they shall teach with their learning1 and deny the ,holy ,ghost1 which giveth utterance4 ,and they deny the power of ,god1 the ,holy ,one of ,israel3 and they say unto the people1 ,hearken unto us1 and hear ye our precept2 for behold there is no ,god today for the ,lord and the ,redeemer hath done his work1 and he hath given his power unto men4 ,behold1 hearken ye unto my precept2 if they shall say1 ,there is a miracle wrought1 by the hand of the ,lord1 believe it not2 for this day he is not a ,god of miracles2 he hath done his work4 ,yea1 and there shall be many which shall say1 ,eat1 drink and be merry1 for tomorrow we die2 and it shall be well with us4 ,there shall also be many which shall say1 ,eat1 drink1 and be merry2 nevertheless1 fear ,god1 he will justify in committing a little sin1 yea1 lie a little1 take the advantage of one because of his words1 dig a pit for thy neighbor2 there is no harm in this4 ,and do all these things1 for tomorrow we die3 and if it so be that we are guilty1 ,god will beat us with a few stripes1 and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of ,god4 ,yea1 and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner1 false1 and vain1 and foolish doctrines1 and shall be puffed up in their hearts1 and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the ,lord2 and their works shall be in the dark1 and the blood of the ,saints shall cry from the ground against them4 #bi ,this prophecy in substance is repeated by ,mormon1 including the singular prediction that the ,book of ,mormon should come forth1 ,in a day when the blood of the saints shall cry unto the ,lord1 because of secret combinations and works of darkness4 #cj ,a more vivid description of ,christendom in the early part of the #aith century could scarcely be written than that given in these passages4 ,i shall be told1 however1 that it is a description which even an imposter could easily give circumstanced as was ,joseph ,smith4 ,his experience through announcing his first revelation was sufficient to test the manner in which ,christendom was prepared to receive an alleged new revelation1 and he was sufficiently familiar with the prevailing ,christian notion that the days of miracles were past1 to formulate the part of the foregoing arraignment dealing with that subject4 ,he also knew something of the pride and haughtiness of ,christian sects1 and with this knowledge as a foundation it can with some reason be urged that he could easily write the description of ,christendom found in these quotations from the ,book of ,mormon4 ,there is one item within the prophecy1 however1 both in the first ,nephi's writings and also ,mormon's that ,joseph ,smith could not know except through the inspiration of ,god1 viz41 that the blood of the ,saints shall cry from the ground against this corrupted ,christendom4 ,the people of the great ,american ,republic1 would as soon have been brought to believe in the return of the age of miracles as to believe that the time would come when the blood of ,saints would cry from their soil to the ,god of ,sabaoth for vengeance against any of them4 ,had not the day of religious persecution1 at least within the enlightened republic of the new world1 forever passed away8 ,had not the great government of the ,united ,states1 destined to dominate by its influence the ,american continents--had it not been founded upon the broad principles of religious and civil freedom8 ,were not the rights of conscience guaranteed by specific provisions both in the national constitution and in the state constitutions8 ,was not ,america in those days especially heralded as the asylum for the oppressed of every land8 ,was it not the boast of our statesmen that a nation had at last been founded where religious freedom was recognized as the chief corner stone in the temple of liberty8 ,how bold indeed must that man be who would--while the people were yet enjoying this very feast of liberty--rise up and say that the blood of ,saints should cry from ,american ground to ,god for vengeance6 ,yet such is the prediction of these old ,nephite writers1 whose words were translated into the ,english language by ,joseph ,smith4 ,and the only question to be considered here is--since the reality of the prophecy cannot be questioned--has the prophecy been fulfilled8 ,let the blood of those ,saints who were killed and who died from the effects of exposure during the expulsion from ,jackson county1 in #ahcc1 answer4 #ca ,let the blood of ,david ,w4 ,patten1 one of the twelve ,apostles in this last dispensation1 together with the blood of young ,patrick ,o',banion and ,gideon ,carter1 slain at ,crooked ,river1 ,missouri1 in #ahch1 answer4 #cb ,let the blood of the innocent men1 and children martyred at ,haun's ,mills1 in ,missouri1 answer2 #cc let the innocent blood of all those whose lives were sacrificed at ,de,witt and in and about ,far ,west and during the expulsion of some twelve thousand ,latter-day ,saints from the state of ,missouri in #ahci1 answer4 ,let the innocent blood of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith himself and that of his brother ,hyrum slain at ,carthage prison1 in ,june1 #ahdd--while under the plighted faith of the state of ,illinois for their protection--let their blood answer4 ,let the blood of many others that were slain in ,nauvoo and vicinity during the two years following1 and also the martyrdom of many who died from exposure and want in the enforced exodus from ,nauvoo to the ,rocky mountains--the victims of ,christian tolerance--answer4 ,let the blood of ,elder ,joseph ,standing1 killed by a mob in the state of ,georgia1 #ahgi1--;answer4 ,let the blood of ,elders ,john ,f4 ,gibbs and ,william ,berry who were murdered in ,tennessee while in the very act of opening a meeting for the preaching of the gospel1 answer2 as also the blood of their two friends1 the ,condor brothers1 who were shot down in their father's house while trying to protect these ,elders from their assailants4 ,let all these instances of martyrdom testify of the truth of this prophecy of the ,book of ,mormon2 for these martyrdoms were endured for the word of ,god which it contains1 and not for any crime alleged against those who suffered4 ,nay1 in nearly all these cases crime was not even alleged4 ,a singular thing connected with these martyrdoms is the fact that in no instance have the perpetrators of these murders been brought to justice4 ,perhaps it is fitting that it should be so4 ,it seems to make the martyrdom more complete2 and more fully meets the terms of the prophecy since1 according to that prophecy1 the blood of ,saints in the day when the ,nephite scriptures should be brought to light1 was to cry unto the ,lord from the ground for vengeance1 clearly foreshadowing the fact that man would not avenge it4 ,v4 ,because my ,word ,shall ,hiss ,forth1 ,many ,shall say ,a ,bible6 ,a ,bible6 ,another item of interest in the coming forth of the ,book of ,mormon is the predicted clamor that should be raised against it4 ,here follows the prophecy--the ,lord is speaking to the first ,nephi3 ,behold1 there shall be many at that day when ,i shall proceed to do a marvelous work among them2 99 99 99 when ,i shall remember the promises which ,i have made unto thee1 ,nephi2 99 99 99 that the words of your seed shall proceed forth out of my mouth unto your seed2 and because my words shall hiss forth many of the ,gentiles shall say1 ,a ,bible1 ,a ,bible1 we have got a ,bible1 and there cannot be any more ,bible4 #cd ,it is notorious that this cry was raised--and even now is raised at times--against the ,book of ,mormon4 ,it was relied upon not only as the chief but also the all-sufficient argument against accepting the book1 as is abundantly proved by reference to the arguments of the ,elders in answer to the objections urged against it4 #ce ,for example in ,orson ,pratt's most excellent work1 ,divine ,authenticity of the ,book of ,mormon1 there are such headings as these--and in the body of this work under the respective topics he meets and entirely overthrows all sectarian argument that the ,book of ,mormon ought to be rejected because it claims to be a new revelation3 ,to ,expect ,more ,revelation is not ,unscriptural2 ,to ,expect ,more ,revelation is not ,unreasonable2 ,more ,revelation is ,indispensably ,necessary4--7a7 for ,calling the ,officers of the ,church--7b7 ,to ,point out the ,duties of the ,officers in the ,church--7c7 ,to ,comfort1 ,reprove and ,teach the ,church--7d7 ,to ,unfold to the ,church the ,future2 ,the ,bible and ,traditions ,without ,further ,revelation an ,insufficient ,guide4 ,from these topics may be gathered the class of objections urged against the ,book of ,mormon2 and as ,elder ,pratt so admirably treats that subject1 ,i do not deem it necessary to enter into that field1 since all may inform themselves how complete the victory of the ,elders has been in that controversy by reference to ,elder ,pratt's works4 ,i am interested in the matter here only to the extent of pointing out the fact that the prophecy that the ,book of ,mormon would be met with the cry--,a ,bible1 a ,bible1 we have a ,bible and there cannot be any more ,bible1 has been fulfilled4 #cf ,closely associated with the sectarian notion of the cessation of revelation and miracles is also the idea that the ,hebrew scriptures comprised all the records in which ,god had vouchedsafed a revelation to man4 ,that is1 the ,hebrew volume comprised the whole of sacred scripture4 ,in #ahbi at the city of ,cincinnati1 during the very great debate which there took place between ,alexander ,campbell and ,robert ,owen--an unbeliever in the ,bible1--on the ,evidences of ,christianity1 the following very positive question was submitted in writing to ,mr4 ,campbell3 ,are the books composing the ,old and ,new ,testaments the only books of divine authority in the world8 ,to this question ,mr4 ,campbell gave this very emphatic answer--and up to that time at least1 ,i do not hesitate to say that he voiced the sentiments of all ,christendom2 and this was the answer of ,mr4 ,campbell3 ,i answer1 emphatically yes4 #cg ,the yes ,mr4 ,campbell writes in italics4 ,the foreging should be modified by this explanation1 viz3 all divisions of ,christendom are not agreed upon all the books that comprise what is called the ,bible4 ,it is well known that the ,catholics regard as canonical some books which the ,protestants hold to be apocryphal1 and in addition to the written word of ,god1 ,i am mindful that the great ,roman ,catholic church adds the unwritten word of ,god4 ,in other words1 the traditions of the church are regarded as the word of ,god4 ,the ,protestants generally accept the books of the ,english authorized version of the ,holy ,scriptures1 translated in #afaa1 and known as ,king ,james' ,translation1 pointing out by name those books which were regarded as of doubtful origin and which for that reason they call the apocrypha4 ,the ,roman ,catholic church accepts the books enumerated in what is known as the ,douay edition of the ,bible1 of #afji2 revised and corrected in #agej4 ,it would therefore be proper to say that each of these great divisions of ,christendom would claim that the list of books comprised within the respective editions of the ,bible which they accept are the only books of divine authority in the world4 ,the answer which the ,lord in the ,book of ,mormon is represented as making to this sectarian view of revelation2 as also to this clamor against the ,book of ,mormon1 is in every way worthy of him3 ,thou fool1 that shall say1 a ,bible1 we have got a ,bible1 and we need no more ,bible4 99 99 99 ,know ye not that there are more nations than one8 ,know ye not that ,i1 the ,lord your ,god1 have created all men1 and that ,i remember those who are upon the isles of the sea2 and that ,i rule in the heavens above1 and in the earth beneath2 and ,i bring forth my word unto the children of men1 yea1 even upon all the nations of the earth8 ,wherefore murmur ye1 because that ye shall receive more of my word8 ,know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that ,i am ,god1 that ,i remember one nation like unto another8 ,wherefore1 ,i speak the same words unto one nation like unto another4 ,and when the two nations shall run together1 the testimony of the two nations shall run together also4 ,and ,i do this that ,i may prove unto many that ,i am the same yesterday1 today1 and forever2 and that ,i speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure4 ,and because that ,i have spoken one word1 ye need not suppose that ,i cannot speak another2 for my work is not yet finished2 neither shall it be1 until the end of man2 neither from that time henceforth and forever4 ,wherefore1 because that ye have a ,bible1 ye need not suppose that it contains all my words2 neither need ye suppose that ,i have not caused more to be written2 for ,i command all men1 both in the east and in the west1 and in the north and in the south1 and in the islands of the sea1 that they shall write the words which ,i speak unto them3 for out of the books which shall be written1 ,i will judge the world1 every man according to his works1 according to that which is written4 ,for behold1 ,i shall speak unto the ,jews1 and they shall write it2 and ,i shall also speak unto the ,nephites1 and they shall write it2 and ,i shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of ,israel1 which ,i have led away1 and they shall write it2 and ,i shall also speak unto all nations of the earth1 and they shall write it4 ,and it shall come to pass that the ,jews shall have the words of the ,nephites1 and the ,nephites shall have the words of the ,jews2 and the ,nephites and the ,jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of ,israel2 and the lost tribes of ,israel shall have the words of the ,nephites and the ,jews4 ,and it shall come to pass that my people which are of the house of ,israel shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possession2 and my word also shall be gathered in one4 #ch ,i say this answer is worthy of ,god to utter1 and worthy of man to heed4 ,it lifts us entirely out of narrow1 sectarian views of revelation1 and breathes a universal spirit of interest and love for mankind4 ,it carries within itself the evidence of a divine inspiration4 ,its very worthiness of ,god is a testimony of its truth4 ,how petty and unworthy in contrast with it is that sectarian ,christian view that would limit ,god's revealed word to the few books contained in the ,bible6 ,how partial and unjust does that same sectarian view of revelation make ,god appear6 ,if there is one doctrine more emphasized in the teachings of the ,new ,testament that another1 it is that ,god is no respecter of persons2 but in every nation he that feareth him1 and worketh righteousness1 is accepted with him4 #ci ,with this fact in mind let us test the two conceptions of ,god's dealings with man in the matter of revelation4 ,the narrow1 sectarian1 ,christian view1 and the ,book of ,mormon view2 and this for the purpose of ascertaining which would be the more worthy of ,god1 which most like him4 ,we have learned in the previous chapters of this work that ,america was inhabited by highly civilized races before the discovery of it by ,europeans2 that in the western world there flourished civilizations equal to those of the same period in the eastern hemisphere2 cities that1 judging from their ruins1 equalled in greatness ,tyre and ,sidon and ,nineveh and ,babylon2 and empires that rivalled in power and extent1 ,egypt1 ,persia and ,macedonia4 ,millions of ,god's children through successive generations lived in them and died and were buried4 ,the sectarian view of revelation would ask us to believe that ,god sent prophets and holy men to teach and instruct his children in the eastern hemisphere2 that he revealed to them something of his own character and attributes2 that by revelation direct from heaven1 accompanied by demonstrations of his own marvelous power1 he made known to them something of the object of their existence1 and gave them the hope of eternal life2 that in the meridian of time he sent his ,only ,begotten ,son among them1 in order that life and immortality might be more clearly brought to light2 that the matchless ,son of ,god by example as well as by precept taught the inhabitants of the old world the way of life--the divine will--in a word1 taught the ,gospel--organized a ,church to perpetuate his doctrines--commissioned apostles and others to carry on the work of salvation2 and thus made ample provisions for carrying the ,gospel throughout ,asia1 ,africa and ,europe--for the ,church of ,christ in the ,east was organized where these natural divisions of the old world center--yet1 while the ,lord made all these efforts for the instruction and salvation of his children in the eastern hemisphere1 this sectarian idea that the ,bible contains all the revelation ,god has ever given would compel us to believe that he altogether neglected his children of the western world6 ,no prophet was sent to them with a message to explain the mystery of existence1 to let them know whence their origin1 the object of their existence1 or bid them indulge the pleasing hope of immortality4 ,no angel from the bright worlds on high came to reveal the splendor of heaven1 or show the path which leads to endless bliss2 no messenger came even from the wilderness crying repentance to them1 and making the announcement that the kingdom of heaven was at hand2 no ,messiah of gentle mien1 yet of serene majesty1 taught them the mystery of the divine love which works out man's redemption1 healed their sick1 raised their dead1 or even so much as blessed their children4 ,no2 according to the sectarian ,christian theory of the extent of revelation1 ,god neglected them entirely--left them to perish in darkness and ignorance and unbelief2 unknowing and unknown6 ,is such a view as this worthy of ,god8 ,does it comport with the attributes of impartial love towards his children8 ,is it not a travesty upon the qualities of justice and mercy as we believe those qualities to exist in ,god8 ,does it not smack rather of man's bigotry and narrowness1 and above all1 of human ignorance8 ,turn now to the ,book of ,mormon theory of revelation as set forth in the words just quoted from the writings of the first ,nephi1 and couple with them the words of another ,nephite prophet3 ,behold1 the ,lord doth grant upon all nations1 of their own nation and tongue1 to teach his word2 yea1 in wisdom1 all that he seeth fit that they should have2 therefore we see that the ,lord doth counsel in wisdom1 according to that which is just and true4 ,what a contrast in the sectarian and ,book of ,mormon view of revelation6 ,the one so narrow1 and so contracted to limits unworthy of ,god6 ,the other so world-embracing1 noble1 generous1 and worthy of ,god6 ,the one so exclusive as to limit divine inspiration to the prophets of the ,hebrew race2 the other so broad as to include all the great teachers of mankind-- ,the ,bactrian1 ,samian ,sage1 and all who taught the right4 ,in these ,book of ,mormon passages we have the grandest conception respecting ,god's dispensations of his word found in human speech4 ,they recognize ,god's obligation--born of his ,fatherhood and love--to make known his word and will in some form to all nations and races of men4 ,they recognize as constituting a noble brotherhood of ,god-inspired men1 the sages of all races and ages1 who have taught their fellow men better things than they knew before4 ,the wise men among ,assyrians and ,egyptians as well as the shepherd-patriarchs1 ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob1 are to be regarded as inspired of ,god4 ,jethro1 the priest of ,midian1 though not of ,israel1 as well as ,moses1 possessed divine wisdom2 and even counseled the ,hebrew prophet-prince1 to the latter's advantage4 ,the sages of ,greece1 from ,thales to ,socrates1 ,plato and ,aristotle1 belong to the same glorious band4 ,so also the great teacher of ,india1 ,siddhartha1 ,buddah--the enlightened2 ,kongfutse1 the teacher of ,god's children in ,china2 ,mohammed1 the prophet of ,arabia2 the teachers of philosophy and reformers of ,europe--some professed ,christians1 some not1 some even making war upon apostate ,christendom2 but ,i include all those within the honored band of the ,god-inspired who have come with some measure of the truth to bless mankind1 to alleviate somewhat the hard conditions in which men struggle1 and who have raised the thoughts and hopes of man to higher and better things4 ,the path of sensuality and darkness1 says a profound modern teacher of moral philosophy1 is that which most men tread2 a few have been led along the upward path2 a few in all countries and generations have been wisdom-seekers or seekers of ,god2 they have been so because the ,divine ,word of wisdom has looked upon them1 choosing them for the knowledge and service of himself4 #dj ,not that these teachers1 sages1 prophets have each come with a fullness of truth2 or that they possessed the gospel of ,jesus ,christ with divine authority to administer its sacred ordinances2 not so4 ,such truths as they possessed were often fragmentary1 and mingled with them was much that was human1 hence imperfect1 and confusing4 ,but so much of truth as they possessed was ,god-given1 and they but instruments of ,god to set it free that the truth might bless mankind4 ,our ,book of ,mormon passages only require us to believe concerning this world-band of inspired teachers1 that they come with that measure of ,god's word which in the divine wisdom it is fitting that men among whom they are called to labor should receive2 and this doctrine in relation to the dispensation of ,god's word to man is so generous and noble in its scope1 so far above the narrow1 sectarian conceptions of the age and vicinity where the ,book of ,mormon was brought forth1 that it constitutes a striking evidence in support of its claims4 ,,vi4 ,,the ,,lost ,,books ,,of ,,the ,,bible4 ,closely connected with this matter of the world's clamor against the ,book of ,mormon1 and their protestations in favor of the ,bible1 is the declaration of ,i ,nephi as to the treatment of that same ,bible by ,christendom4 ,in one of the great visions granted to this ,nephi1 and expounded by an angel1 he beholds a book1 the ,bible1 go forth from the ,jews to the ,gentiles4 ,now ,nephi's account of the matter3 ,and the angel of the ,lord said unto me1 ,thou hast beheld that the book proceeded forth from the mouth of a ,jew2 and when it proceeded forth from the mouth of a ,jew1 it contained the plainness of the gospel of the ,lord1 of whom the twelve apostles bear record2 and they bear record according to the truth which is in the ,lamb of ,god2 wherefore1 these things go forth from the ,jews in purity1 unto the ,gentiles1 according to the truth which is in ,god2 and after they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the ,lamb1 from the ,jews unto the ,gentiles1 thou seest the foundation of a great and abominable church1 which is most abominable above all other churches2 for behold1 they have taken away from the gospel of the ,lamb many parts which are plain and most precious2 and also many covenants of the ,lord have they taken away2 and all this have they done that they might pervert the right ways of the ,lord2 that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men2 wherefore1 thou seest that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church1 that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book1 which is the book of the ,lamb of ,god3 and after these plain and precious things were taken away1 it goeth forth unto all the nations of the ,gentiles1 yea1 even across the many waters which thou hast seen with the ,gentiles which have gone forth out of captivity3 thou seest because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book1 which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men1 according to the plainness which is in the ,lamb of ,god2 because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the ,lamb1 an exceeding great many do stumble1 yea1 insomuch that ,satan hath great power over them4 #da ,it is disputed1 by some1 that any such thing as here described has taken place with reference to the ,bible1 and labored arguments are made to prove that contention4 #db ,into that contention it is not necessary to enter at length4 ,it will be sufficient to show that there are many books referred to in the several books comprising the ,old and ,new ,testaments that are not to be found in that collection4 ,books that are spoken of as containing revelations2 books written by prophets and apostles1 and evidently as much entitled to a place in the canon of scriptures as those that are now there4 ,what has become of them8 ,who is responsible for their absence8 ,pointing to the excellence of those books we have is no compensation for the absence of those we have not4 ,so long as the books of scripture we hold in reverence1 as containing the word of ,god1 speak of other books and epistles that contained revelations from the ,spirit of ,god that are not in the ,bible1 it is useless to contend that our collection of sacred books1 called the ,bible1 contains the whole word of ,god4 ,these absent books may1 as ,nephi declares they do1 contain many precious and plain parts of ,god's truth1 which would have preserved the ,christian world from many of the doctrinal errors into which it has been plunged for want of knowledge4 ,again ,i ask1 who is responsible for the absence of these books8 ,nephi declares that a great and abominable church is responsible for their absence1 that that church took them away4 ,i do not believe that ,nephi here had reference to any one of the many divisions of ,christendom4 ,nephi1 in fact1 recognized the existence of two churches only4 ,one he styles1 the church of the ,lamb of ,god2 and the other he bluntly calls the church of the devil4 #dc ,and whoso belongeth not to the church of the ,lamb of ,god1 belongeth to that great church which is the mother of abominations2 the whore of all the earth4 #dd ,the church then that withheld from the world the part of the word of ,god1 as developed in the teachings and writings of the apostles1 was undoubtedly apostate ,christendom2 massed under the general title of the great and abominable church1 without reference to any of its divisions of sub-divisions2 and that is the power that withheld and destroyed some parts of the scriptures4 ,in proof of which ,i cite the following references to sacred books and writings both in the ,old and ,new ,testaments1 which are not to be found in it4 ,first1 books of the ,old ,testament3 ,the scriptures that existed in the days of ,abraham1 older than the five books of ,moses1 for ,abraham was before ,moses4 ,these scriptures are referred to by ,paul as follows3 ,and the scriptures foreseeing that ,god would justify the heathen through faith1 preached before the ,gospel unto ,abraham4 7,gal4 iii3 #h74 ,the book of the covenant1 through which ,moses instructed ,israel4 7,exo4 xxiv3 #g74 ,the book of the wars of the ,lord4 7,num4 xxi3 #ad74 ,the book of ,jasher4 7,josh4 x3 #ac1 and ,sam4 i3 #ah74 ,the book of the manner of the kingdom4 7,sam4 x3 #be74 ,books containing three thousand proverbs1 a thousand and five songs1 a treatise on natural history by ,solomon4 7,i4 ,kings iv3 #cb1 #cc74 ,the acts of ,solomon4 7,i4 ,kings xi3 #da74 ,the book of ,nathan the prophet4 7,i4 ,chron4 xxix3 #bi74 ,the book of ,gad the ,seer4 7,i4 ,chron4 xxix3 #bi74 ,the book of ,nathan the prophet4 7,i4 ,chron4 xxix3 #bi and ,,ii4 ,chron4 ix3 #bi74 ,the prophecy of ,ahijah1 the ,shilonite4 7,,ii4 ,chron4 ix3 #bi74 ,the visions of ,iddo the ,seer4 7,,ii4 ,chron4 ix3 #bi74 ,the book of ,shemaiah the prophet4 7,,ii4 ,chron4 xii3 #ae74 ,the story of the prophet ,iddo4 7,,ii4 ,chron4 xiii3 #bb74 ,the book of ,jehu4 7,chron4 xx3 #cd74 ,second1 books of the ,new ,testament4 ,it is evident from the preface of ,st4 ,luke's ,gospel1 that many who were eye witnesses of the things most surely believed among the ,christians1 took it in hand by means of writing books to set them forth in order4 7,luke #e3 #a-d74 ,but of the writings of those eye witnesses1 it can scarcely be said that we have the works of many of them4 ,jude1 speaking of some characters which he likens unto raging waves of the sea foaming out their own shame1 says1 ,and ,enoch1 the seventh from ,adam1 prophesied of these1 saying1 ,behold1 the ,lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints1 to execute judgment upon all1 and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed1 and all of their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him4 7,jude #ae1 #af74 ,from this it appears that ,enoch1 the seventh from ,adam1 was favored with a vision even of the second coming of the ,son of ,god1 and prophesied of judgment overtaking the ungodly at that coming4 ,this prophecy of ,enoch's was in existence in the days of ,jude1 the servant of ,christ1 or else he would not be able to quote from it4 ,may not this prophecy of ,enoch's have been among the scripture with which ,abraham was acquainted1 mentioned above8 ,there should also be another epistle of ,jude4 ,that writer says1 ,when ,i gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation1 it was needful for me to write unto you1 and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints4 7,jude #c74 ,we have but one epistle of ,jude yet he wrote another epistle to the saints on a very important subject1 ,the common salvation1 and he gave all diligence in writing upon it4 ,would not the epistle on the common salvation be as important as that one we have from ,jude's pen8 ,paul1 in writing to the ,ephesians1 states that ,god made known unto him1 by revelation1 a certain mystery2 as1 says he1 ,i wrote afore in few words whereby when ye read ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of ,christ4 7,eph4 iii3 #c1 #d74 ,here ,paul evidently refers to another epistle which he had written to the ,ephesians1 but of which the world today has no knowledge4 ,this epistle contained a revelation from ,god4 ,when the great apostle to the ,gentiles wrote to the ,colossians1 he gave them these directions3 ,when this epistle is read among you1 cause that it be read also in the church of the ,laodiceans1 and that ye likewise read the epistle from ,loadicea4 7,col4 iv3 #af74 ,here1 then1 is another epistle of ,paul's1 the ,epistle to the ,laodiceans1 which he himself refers to1 but of which the world knows nothing1 except this reference to it--it is not in the ,bible4 ,in the first letter to the ,corinthians you find this statement3 ,i wrote unto you in an epistle1 not to keep company with fornicators4 7,cor4 v3 #i74 ,that book1 then1 which the world has so long regarded as the first epistle to the ,corinthians1 is not really the first epistle which ,paul wrote to the church at ,corinth1 for in the quotation given above1 taken from the so-called ,first ,epistle to the ,corinthians1 the writer speaks of an epistle which he previously had written to them1 in which he counseled them not to keep company with fornicators4 ,doubtless many other instructions and important principles were contained in this other ,epistle to the ,corinthians4 ,how many other books and epistles1 written by inspired men of those days1 were suppressed by the great and abominable church--apostate ,christendom--we may not know1 but these here incidentally mentioned have certainly been suppressed4 ,moreover1 ,i have not mentioned all that are spoken of4 ,i have carefully avoided referring to any about which doubts can be entertained1 or which could be said to form parts of the books we have4 ,deeming it better that the list of absent books should be shorter than to mention any of which it could be said they are to be found as fragments1 or portions of the books now in the ,bible1 but known by other names4 #de ,it may be urged1 with reference to the ,old ,testament at least1 that it came from the ,jews to the ,gentiles in its present form1 and that it was not the ,gentiles1 not the apostate church of the third and fourth century of the ,christian ,era that mutilated in any form the ,old ,testament scriptures4 ,but let us not take too narrow a view of ,nephi's vision-prophecy1 concerning the corruption of the word of ,god1 or the power which he saw corrupting it4 ,it may be that he had in mind in his vision as much the apostate ,jewish church as the apostate ,christian church1 and looking upon the question from that view point we know this3 that a century or two before the advent of ,christ the ,jews apparently had grown weary of the honorable mission which ,god had given to them2 namely1 that of being his witnesses among the nations of the earth2 and their leading teachers1 especially in the two centuries preceding the coming of the ,messiah1 were taking every step that their ingenuity could devise for harmonizing the truths which ,god had made known to them with the more fashionable conceptions of ,god as entertained by one or the other of the great sects of philosophy among the ,romans4 ,the way had been prepared for the achievement of this end1 in the first place1 by the translation of the ,hebrew scriptures into the ,greek language 7the first great instance of the ,book that proceedeth forth from the mouth of a ,jew going to the ,gentiles71 which version of the ,old ,testament is usually called the ,septuagint1 or the ,,lxx4 ,this latter name is given to it because of a tradition that the translation was accomplished by seventy1 or about seventy1 elders of the ,jews4 ,the most generally accepted theory concerning it1 however1 is that it was a work accomplished at various time between #bhj ,b4 ,c4 and #aej ,b4 ,c4 ,the books of ,moses being first translated as early as the time of ,ptolemy ,philadelphus1 #bhd-bfd ,b4 ,c41 while the ,prophets and ,psalms were translated somewhat later4 ,it is not1 however1 the time or manner in which the translation was accomplished that we are interested in1 but the character of the translation itself2 and of this1 ,alfred ,edersheim1 in his ,life and ,times of ,jesus1 the ,messiah1 in the division of his work which treats of the preparation for the ,gospel1 says of this ,greek translation3 ,putting aside clerical mistakes and misreadings1 and making allowance for errors of translation1 ignorance1 and haste1 we note certain outstanding facts as characteristic of the ,greek version4 ,it bears evident marks of its origin in ,egypt1 in its use of ,egyptian works and references1 and equally evident traces of its ,jewish composition4 ,by the side of slavish and false literalism there is great liberty1 if not license1 in handling the original2 gross mistakes occur along with happy renderings of very difficult passages1 suggesting the aid of some able scholars4 ,distinct ,jewish elements are undeniably there1 which can only be explained by reference to ,jewish tradition1 although they are much fewer than some critics have supposed4 ,this we can easily understand1 since only those traditions would find a place which at the early time were not only received1 but in general circulation4 ,the distinctly ,grecian elements1 however1 are at present of chief interest to us4 ,they consist of allusion to ,greek mythological terms1 and adaptations of ,greek philosophical ideas4 ,however few1 even one well-authenticated instance would lead us to suspect others1 and in general give to the version the character of ,jewish ,hellenising4 ,in the same class we reckon what constitutes the prominent characteristics of the ,,lxx version1 which1 for want of better terms1 we would designate as rationalistic and apologetic4 ,difficulties--or what seemed such--are removed by the most bold methods1 and by free handling of the text2 it need scarcely be said1 often very unsatisfactorily4 ,more especially1 a strenuous effort is made to banish all anthropomorphisms1 as inconsistent with their ideas of the ,deity4 #df ,later the same authority points out the fact that the ,septuagint version of the ,hebrew scriptures became really the people's ,bible to that large ,jewish world through which ,christianity was afterwards to address itself to mankind4 ,it was part of the case1 he adds1 that this translation should be regarded by the ,hellenists as inspired like the original4 ,otherwise it would have been impossible to make final appeal to the very words of the ,greek2 still less to find in them a mystical and allegorical meaning4 #dg ,the foundation thus laid for a superstructure of false philosophy there was not wanting builders who were anxious to place a pagan structure upon it4 ,about the middle of the second century ,b4 ,c41 one ,aristobulus1 a ,hellenist ,jew of ,alexandria1 sought to so explain the ,hebrew scriptures as to bring the ,peripatetic philosophy out of the law of ,moses1 and out of the other ,prophets4 ,following is a sample according to ,edersheim1 of his allegorizing3 ,thus1 when we read that ,god stood1 it meant the stable order of the world2 that he created the world in six days1 the orderly succession of time2 the rest of the ,sabbath1 the preservation of what was created4 ,and in such manner could the whole system of ,aristotle be found in the ,bible4 ,but how was this to be accounted for8 ,of course1 the ,bible had not learned of ,aristotle1 but he and all other philosophers had learned from the ,bible4 ,thus1 according to ,aristobulus1 ,phythagoras1 ,plato1 and all the other sages1 had really learned from ,moses1 and the broken rays found in their writings were united in all their glory in the ,torah4 #dh ,following ,aristobulus in the same kind of philosophy was ,philo1 the learned ,jew of ,alexandria1 born about the year #bj ,b4 ,c4 ,he was supposed to be a descendant of ,aaron1 and belonged to one of the wealthiest and most influential families among the merchant ,jews of ,egypt2 and he is said to have united a large share of ,greek learning with ,jewish enthusiasm4 ,he followed most earnestly in the footsteps of ,aristobulus4 ,according to him1 all the ,greek sages had learned their philosophy from ,moses1 in whom alone was all truth to be found4 ,not indeed1 in the letter1 says ,edersheim1 but under the letter of ,holy ,scripture4 ,if in ,numbers xxiii3 #ai we read ',god is not a man1' and in ,deut4 i3#ca that the ,lord was 'as a man1' did it not imply on the one hand revelation of absolute truth by ,god1 and on the other1 accommodation to those who were weak8 ,here then1 was the principle of a two-fold interpretation of the word of ,god--the literal and the allegorical4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,to begin with the former3 the literal sense must be wholly set aside1 when it implies anything unworthy of the ,deity--anything unmeaning1 impossible1 or contrary to reason4 ,manifestly this canon1 if strictly applied1 would do away not only with all anthropomorphisms1 but cut the knot where difficulties seemed insuperable4 ,again1 ,philo would find an allegorical1 along with the literal1 interpretation indicated in the reduplication of a word1 and in seemingly superfluous words1 particles1 or expressions4 ,these could1 of course1 only bear such a meaning on ,philo's assumption of the actual inspiration of the ,septuagint version4 ,when one thinks of the mischief that may arise from such perversions of scripture by the application of ,philo's principles of interpretation1 we do not marvel that some of the ,jews regarded the translation of the ,seventy to have been as great a calamity to ,israel as the making of the golden calf4 ,the ,jews who remained faithful to the traditions of their race1 says ,andrew ,d4 ,white1 regarded this ,greek version as profanation1 and therefore there grew up the legend that on the completion of the work there was darkness over the whole earth during three days4 ,this showed clearly ,jehovah's disapproval4 #di ,referring to the ,talmudic canon of interpretation of the ,greek versions1 ,edersheim says1 they were comparatively sober rules of exegesis4 ,but not so1 he remarks1 the license which ,philo claimed1 of freely altering the punctuation of sentences and his notion that1 if one from among several synonymous words was chosen in a passage1 this pointed to some special meaning attaching to it4 ,even more extravagant was the idea that a word which occurred in the ,septuagint might be interpreted according to every shade of meaning which it bore in the ,greek1 and that even another meaning might be given it by slightly altering the letters4 ,in all this one may see only too plainly the effort to harmonize ,jewish theology with ,greek philosophy--an effort to be rid of the plain anthropomorphism of the ,hebrew scriptures1 for the incomprehensible being of ,greek metaphysics4 ,thus not only is it evident that books are omitted from the ,hebrew scriptures1 but by faulty translations and by false interpretations the pure stream of ,god's revelation has been corrupted4 ,in pointing out the purposes for which the ,book of ,mormon was written1 ,i said1 among other things1 that its purpose was to restore to the knowledge of mankind plain and precious truths concerning the ,gospel which men have taken out of the ,jewish scriptures1 or obscured by their interpretations4 ,and this ,i insist it does1 and in proof of the assertion refer to the many great truths mentioned in the preceding chapter2 those truths concerning the purpose of ,adam's fall2 the object of man's earth-life1 the doctrine of opposite existences and the whole scheme of the ,gospel4 ,to these ,i may add1 also1 that the ,book of ,mormon reaffirms and by reaffirming authoritatively restores the great truth of the anthropomorphism of ,god4 ,that is1 it affirms that in form ,god is like man2 or1 in other words1 and in a better form of the comparison man was created in the image or likeness of ,god4 ,it restores also the great truth of the anthropopathy of ,god4 ,that is to say1 in mental1 moral1 and spiritual attributes ,god is like man2 or1 more correctly speaking1 man is the offspring of ,deity1 and possesses the mind attributes of ,god1 differing only in the degree of their development4 ,man is of the same race as ,god--the offspring of ,deity4 ,this is not taught in any formal manner1 but is to be learned from the whole tenor of the book4 ,with reference to the form of ,god1 the ,book of ,mormon has two very important and very emphatic passages on the subject4 ,the first ,nephi1 in a great vision given to him of the future1 was attended by a spirit who gave him explanations1 as the several parts of his vision passed before him4 ,and now ,nephi's account3 ,and it came to pass that the ,spirit said unto me1 ,look6 and ,i looked1 and beheld a tree2 99 99 99 and the beauty thereof was far beyond1 yea1 exceeding all beauty1 and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow4 ,and it came to pass after ,i had seen the tree1 ,i said unto the ,spirit1 ,i behold thou hast shown unto me the tree1 which is precious above all4 ,and he said unto me3 ,what desirest thou8 ,and ,i said unto him3 ,to know the interpretation thereof2 for ,i spake unto him as a man speaketh2 for ,i beheld that he was in the form of a man2 yet1 nevertheless1 ,i knew that it was the ,spirit of the ,lord2 and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another4 #ej ,the second passage alluded to is found in the book of ,ether4 ,the prophet ,moriancumr1 the brother of ,jared1 when about to depart with his colony in barges across the great deep1 had prepared certain stones which he prayed the ,lord to make luminous1 that they might have light in the barges while on their journey4 ,he had approached the ,lord with great faith1 and expressed full confidence in the power of ,god to do the thing for which he prayed2 and now the ,book of ,mormon statement of the matter3 ,and it came to pass that when the brother of ,jared had said these words1 behold the ,lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones1 one by one with his finger2 and the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of ,jared1 and he saw the finger of the ,lord2 and it was as the finger of a man1 like unto flesh and blood2 and the brother of ,jared fell down before the ,lord1 for he was struck with fear4 99 99 99 ,and the ,lord said unto him1 ,arise1 why hast thou fallen8 ,and he said unto the ,lord1 ,i saw the finger of the ,lord1 and ,i feared lest he should smite me2 for ,i knew not that the ,lord had flesh and blood4 ,and the ,lord said unto him1 ,because of thy faith thou hast seen that ,i shall take upon me flesh and blood2 and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast2 for were it not so1 you could not have seen my finger4 99 99 99 ,and when he had said these words1 behold1 the ,lord shewed himself unto him1 and said1 ,because thou knowest these things you are redeemed from the fall2 therefore you are brought back into my presence2 therefore ,i shew myself unto you4 ,behold1 ,i am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people4 ,behold1 ,i am ,jesus ,christ4 ,i am the ,father and the ,son4 ,in me shall all mankind have light1 and that eternally1 even they who shall believe on my name2 and they shall become my sons and my daughters4 ,and never have ,i shewed myself unto man whom ,i have created1 for never has man believed in me as thou hast4 ,seest thou that thou art created after mine own image8 ,yea1 even all men were created in the beginning1 after mine own image4 ,behold1 this body1 which you now behold1 is the body of my spirit2 and man have ,i created after the body of my spirit2 and even as ,i appear unto thee to be in the spirit1 will ,i appear unto my people in the flesh4 #ea ,the following passages1 when combined1 may be regarded as a further revelation of the truth here set forth3 ,,iii4 ,nephi xi3 #bd1 #be1 xxvii3 #bg1 xxviii3 #aj1 ,i4 ,nephi xi3 #h-aa1 and ,ether iii3 #f-af4 #eb ,,vii4 ,no ,gentile ,kings in ,america4 ,the prophet ,jacob1 brother of the first ,nephi1 addressing himself to the ,nephites1 said3 ,behold1 this land1 saith ,god1 shall be a land of thine inheritance1 and the ,gentiles shall be blessed upon the land4 ,and this land shall be a land of liberty unto the ,gentiles1 and there shall be no kings upon the land1 who shall raise up unto the ,gentiles2 and ,i will fortify this land against all other nations2 and he that fighteth against ,zion shall perish1 saith ,god2 for he that raiseth up a king against me shall perish1 for ,i1 the ,lord1 the ,king of heaven1 will be their king1 and ,i will be a light unto them forever1 that hear my words4 #ec ,there are many decrees of ,god concerning ,america as a choice land1 which will be noted in the place ,i have assigned for their consideration1 but here ,i am concerned only with this remarkable prophecy1 viz41 that the land of ,america 7both continents7 is consecrated to liberty1 and there shall be no kings upon the land who shall rise up unto the ,gentiles4 ,note the limits of the prophecy4 ,it is not extended to the native races of ,america1 but to the ,gentiles who shall inhabit the land4 ,that is to say1 there shall be no kings upon the land who shall rise up unto the ,gentiles4 ,a rather bold prediction this1 whether the utterances he accredited to ,jacob1 in the first half of the #eth century ,b4 ,c41 or to ,joseph ,smith in #ahcj4 ,in any event the prophecy1 so far1 has been fulfilled2 and today from the frozen north1 ,alaska1 to the straits of ,magellan in the south continent1 the new world under the consecration of ,god1 is blessed with freedom1 and republican1 not monarchial1 institutions1 obtain4 ,it may be objected that this prophecy has failed because of two notable attempts to establish monarchies in the ,new ,world by ,european governments1 one in ,brazil1 the other in ,mexico4 ,let us investigate these two attempts4 ,by an accidental discovery along the east shore of ,south ,america1 by ,cabral1 a ,portuguese navigator1 7#aejj ,a4 ,d417 that section of the south continent now known to us as ,brazil1 became a colony of the kingdom of ,portugal4 ,it remained so until #ahbb1 when ,dom ,pedro1 the son of ,king ,john ,,vi41 of ,portugal1 sided with the people of ,brazil in declaring the independence of the country1 and was crowned ,emperor under the title of ,dom ,pedro ,i4 ,his rule1 however1 was tyrranical1 and the people at length rose against him1 in #ahca1 dragged him to the public square of ,rio de ,janeiro and forced him to remove from his head the imperial crown1 and thus his reign ended in public disgrace4 ,his son became emperor under the title of ,dom ,pedro ,,ii4 ,as he was a child of but six years when his father abdicated in his favor1 ,brazil was governed by regents until #ahda1 when the ,prince1 having attained his majority1 was proclaimed emperor4 ,it is said of him that from the first he proved himself an intelligent1 liberal and humane ruler1 and during his reign ,brazil made great advancement in civilization and material prosperity4 ,he was so strongly attached to constitutional forms1 and governed so entirely through his ministers1 that he can scarcely be regarded as a monarch at all4 ,in ,november1 #ahhi1 he acquiesced in the wishes of the people1 abdicated his throne in favor of a republican form of government1 and retired to ,portugal4 ,since that time ,brazil has remained a republic4 ,the attempts to establish monarchy in ,mexico arose under the following circumstances3 ,in #ahfb1 ,france1 ,great ,britain1 and ,spain sent a joint military expedition to ,mexico to enforce payment of certain claims4 ,when their ostensible object was attained ,great ,britain and ,spain withdrew2 but ,napoleon ,,iii1 ,emperor of ,france1 confident that the war between the states of the ,american ,union would end in dissolution of the ,union1 regarded the conditions as favorable to the establishment of a ,latin empire in the ,western world which he hoped would be a counterpoise to the ,anglo ,saxon republics2 and invited ,archduke ,maximilian1 brother of the ,austrian ,emperor1 to accept the crown of the proposed new government1 ,napoleon promising to maintain an army of twenty-five thousand ,french soldiers for his protection4 ,this proposition the ,archduke accepted1 and was hailed emperor of ,mexico4 ,meantime the ,united ,states government refused to recognize any authority in ,mexico except that of the deposed ,president of the ,republic1 ,juarez2 but in consequence of the civil war then at its heighth was unable to resist this flagrant violation of the ,monroe ,doctrine4 #ed ,the civil war closed1 however1 notice was served upon the ,french emperor that his soldiers must be withdrawn from ,mexico1 and he judged it expedient to comply1 though it was a dastardly desertion of ,maximilian1 whose situation at once became precarious4 ,in vain his faithful consort1 ,carlotta1 journeyed from court to court in ,europe intreating assistance for her husband1 and denouncing ,napoleon's dissertion of him4 ,her successive disappointments finally overthrew her reason4 ,no hand in ,europe was raised to maintain monarchy in ,mexico4 ,juarez1 the deposed ,president of the republic of ,mexico1 made short work of the empire4 ,he captured ,maximilian1 and had him shot as a usurper1 ,june #ai1 #ahfg4 ,the event cast a gloom over all ,europe1 but no king nor potentate sought to avenge the execution4 ,may it not be that those nations were as much awed1 though unconsciously1 by the spirit of the decree of ,god concerning the land of ,america1 as by the policy of the government of the ,united ,states laid down in the ,monroe ,doctrine8 ,and1 indeed1 may not the ,monroe ,doctrine itself be regarded as a heaven-inspired decree by a competent national agency to make of effect the old ,nephite prophecy1 there shall be no kings on this land8 ,the ,french empire1 says ,ekwin ,a4 ,grosvenor1 professor of ,european ,history in ,amherst ,college1 and author of ,contemporary ,history of the ,world--,the ,french empire never recovered from the shock of this ,mexican failure4 ,the ,emperor1 ,napoleon ,,iii1 engaged in a war with ,germany in #ahgj1 in which himself and ,france suffered the most humiliating defeat ever inflicted on a modern state or its ruler4 ,he himself was captured at the surrender of ,sedan and imprisoned for sometime at ,wilhelmshohe1 near ,cassel4 ,meantime he was deposed by the ,french people who established a ,republican form of government1 in place of the ,empire4 ,some two years after his imprisonment he died an exile at ,chiselhurst1 ,england4 ,the ,empress1 ,eugenie1 was also forced into exile and was for same years the guest of ,england4 ,on ,june #a1 #ahgi1 ,napoleon's son1 ,imperial1 the only son of the ,emperor1 was killed by the ,zulus in south ,africa1 thus blotting out1 we may say1 the entire family of the ,french ,monarch1 and fulfilling in a marked manner the terms of this prophecy3 ,and he that raiseth up a ,king against me shall perish4 ,the foregoing attempts in ,brazil and ,mexico to found monarchies in the ,new ,world cannot properly be regarded as proving the failure of the ,book of ,mormon prophecy4 ,the monarchies existed for a short time only1 and were so precarious while they lasted1 and ended so disastrously for those making the attempt to establish them1 that they emphasize the force of the prophecy rather than prove its failure4 ,they are as slight exceptions tending to prove a rule4 ,it is not said in the ,book of ,mormon that attempts would not be made to set up kings1 but that such attempts should end disastrously for those making them2 and that no kings should be established1 that is permanently established1 in the new world4 ,surely no candid mind will read this prophecy and consider all the facts involved in the attempts to establish monarchies in ,america1 but will say that they have ended disastrously1 and that this prophecy has been verily fulfilled4 ,footnotes #a4 ,vol4 ,i1 ,chapter xx4 #b4 ,there is more solid proof in favor of a prophet being divinely sent when his words are fulfilled than in all the miracles he can work4 7,brigham ,young1 ,journal of ,discourses1 ,vol4 ,x41 #aid47 ,prophecies are permanent miracles1 whose authority is sufficiently confirmed by their completion1 and are therefore solid proofs of the supernatural origin of a religion1 of whose truth they were intended to testify3 such are those to be found in various parts of the scriptures relative to the coming of the ,messiah1 the destruction of ,jerusalem1 and the unexampled state in which the ,jews have ever since continued--all so circumstantially descriptive of the events that they seem rather histories of past than predictions of future transactions1 ,soame ,jenyns1 ,a ,view of the ,internal ,evidence of the ,christian ,religion1 p4 #cac4 #c4 ,ether xiii4 #d4 ,omni i3 #ai-bb4 #e4 ,the matter is dealt with more at length in ,volume ,i41 ,chapter xx4 #f4 ,moroni x3 #d1 #e4 #g4 ,john vii3 #af1 #ag4 #h4 ,so confident was ,president ,brigham ,young in the matter of the ,holy ,spirit bearing witness to the truth of the ,book of ,mormon that on one ocassion he said3 ,nothing short of the ,holy ,ghost will do us any lasting good4 ,i told you1 in the beginning of my remarks1 the truth as it is in heaven and on earth1 as it is with angels1 and with prophets1 with all good people1 and with every sinner that dwells upon the earth4 ,there is not a man or woman who on hearing the report of the ,book of ,mormon but the spirit of the ,almighty has testified to them of its truth2 neither have they heard the name of ,joseph ,smith but the spirit has whispered to them1 ',he is the true ,prophet4' ,it is the spirit which is invisible to the natural mind of man1 that produces effects apparently without causes1 and creates mysteries1 marvels1 and wonders in the earth4 ,these things we behold1 but we cannot with the natural mind account for them1 nor divine their ultimate end4 7,a discourse by ,president ,young1 delivered in the ,tabernacle1 ,salt ,lake ,city1 ,june #ac1 #aheb1 ,deseret ,news4 ,vol4 #d1 ,no4 #f47 #i4 ,matt4 iii3 #af2 ,john i3 #cb-cd4 #aj4 ,i4 ,cor4 xii3 #c4 #aa4 ,john xv3 #bf4 #ab4 ,john xiv4 #ac4 ,john xvi4 #ad4 ,i4 ,nephi xiii3 #ce-cg4 #ae4 ,leaves from ,my ,journal1 ,edition of #aiji1 pp4 #hd1 #he4 #af4 ,f4 ,d4 ,richards1 ,church ,historian1 in a sketch of the life of ,wilford ,woodruff1 ,improvement ,era1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #hga4 #ag4 ,leaves from ,my ,journal1 ,edition of #aiji1 pp4 #hh1 #hi4 #ah4 ,leaves from ,my ,journal1 ,edition of #aiji1 pp4 #ie1 #if4 #ai4 ,life of ,heber ,c4 ,kimball1 ,orson ,f4 ,whitney1 p4 #djb1 #djc4 #bj4 ,life of ,heber ,c4 ,kimball 7,whitney71 pp4 #cd1 #ce4 #ba4 ,st4 ,john xvi3 #ac4 #bb4 ,my ,first ,mission1 p4 #bc4 #bc4 ,chapter xvi4 #bd4 ,ibid1 chapter xviii4 #be4 ,ibid1 chapters xx1 xxi1 xxii1 xxiii of ,new ,witnesses1 ,vol4 ,i4 #bf4 ,ibid1 chapter xxiv4 #bg4 ,,ii4 ,nephi xxvii3 #ab1 #ac4 #bh4 ,ether v3 #c4 #bi4 ,,ii4 ,nephi xxviii3 #b-ad4 #cj4 ,mormon viii4 #ca4 ,church ,history1 ,vol4 ,i1 chapter xxxi4 #cb4 ,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iii1 chapter xii4 #cc4 ,ibid1 chapter xiii4 ,seventeen were killed outright1 twelve were savagely wounded4 ,all that were killed had to be hurriedly thrown into an old well and buried without ceremony4 #cd4 ,,ii4 ,nephi xxix3 #a-c4 #ce4 ,see ,new ,witnesses1 ,vol4 ,i1 chapter viii2 also ,vol4 ,,ii41 ch4 xxxvii1 and notes4 #cf4 ,those who would have further evidence upon the subject are referred to all the early controversial literature of the ,church1 and especially to a ,public ,discussion between ,elder ,john ,taylor and three sectarian ministers in ,france1 which ,discussion is published with the early editions of ,orson ,pratt's works1 and in which1 among other similar passages occurs the following3 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,carter4 ,but the great consideration is1 that these persons 7,mormon ,elders7 pretend to add to2 and supercede the ,word of ,god4 ,now the ,bible is the sheet-anchor of ,christians1 and it neither needs the ,book of ,mormon nor any other book1 nor the assistance of ,joe ,smith or any other ,joe4 ,the awful voice of prophecy has spoken for the last time1 and the cause of inspiration is closed4 #cg4 ,evidences of ,christianity1 p4 #ceb4 #ch4 ,,ii4 ,nephi xxix3 #g-ad4 #ci4 ,acts x3 #cd1 #ce4 #dj4 ,the teacher alluded to is ,frederick ,denison ,maurice1 ,professor of ,modern ,philosophy in the ,university of ,cambridge4 ,i feel much indebted to this teacher myself1 and cannot recommend too highly1 ,i am sure1 his ,history of ,moral and ,metaphysical ,philosophy1 two volumes1 ,london1 ,macmillan ,co41 #ahgb4 #da4 ,i4 ,nephi xiii3 #bd-bi4 #db4 ,see ,golden ,bible 7,lamb71 ,appendix ,a1 pp4 #cbc-cdj4 #dc4 ,i4 ,nephi xiv3 #aj4 #dd4 ,upon this subject ,i have elsewhere said3 ,the church of the devil here alluded to1 ,i understand to mean not any particular church among men1 or any one sect of religion1 but something larger than that--something that includes within its boundaries all evil wherever it may be found2 as well in schools of philosophy as in ,christian sects2 as well in systems of ethics as in systems of religion--something that includes the whole empire of ,satan--what ,i shall call ,the ,kingdom of ,evil4 99 99 ,the question was once submitted to me1 ,is the ,catholic church the church here referred to--the church of the devil8 ,well1 said ,i1 in answer1 ,i would not like to take that position1 because it would leave me with a lot of churches on my hands that ,i might not then be able to classify4 ,so far as the ,catholic church is concerned1 ,i believe that there is just as much truth1 nay1 personally ,i believe she has retained even more truth than other divisions of so-called ,christendom2 and there is just as much virtue in the ,roman ,catholic church as there is in ,protestant ,christendom2 and ,i am sure there is more strength4 ,i would not like1 therefore1 to designate the ,catholic church as the church of the devil4 ,neither would ,i like to designate any one or all of the various divisions and subdivisions of ,protestant ,christendom combined as such church2 nor the ,greek ,catholic church2 nor the ,buddhist sects2 nor the followers of ,confucius2 nor the followers of ,mohammed2 nor would ,i like to designate even the societies formed by deists and atheists as constituting the church of the devil4 ,the ,book of ,mormon text ought to be read in connection with its context--with the chapter that precedes it and the remaining portions of the chapter in which the expression is found--then1 ,i think1 those who study it in that manner will be forced to the conclusion that the prophet here has in mind no particular church1 no particular division of ,christendom1 but he has in mind1 as just stated1 the whole empire of ,satan1 and perhaps the thought of the passage would be more nearly expressed if we use the term the ,kingdom of ,evil as constituting the church of the devil4 7,defense of the ,faith and the ,saints1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #cj-ca47 #de4 ,such is ,lamb's argument on this point4 ,golden ,bible1 p4 #cbe4 #df4 ,jesus1 the ,messiah1 ,by ,edersheim1 ,vol4 ,i41 pp4 #bg-h1 eighth edition4 #dg4 ,ibid1 p4 #bi4 #dh4 ,ibid1 p4 #cf4 #di4 ,a ,history of the ,warfare of ,science with ,theology1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 pp4 #bhi1 #bij4 ,by the way1 may not this tradition about the three days' darkness over the whole earth at the completion of this regarded profanation of the ,jewish scriptures1 when they thus went forth for the first time to the ,gentiles1 be a misapplication of the prediction which ,nephi declares was spoken of by the old ,jewish prophet ,zenos--whose works ,lehi's colony carried with them into the wilderness--whom ,nephi declares spake concerning the three days of darkness which should be a sign of his ,messiah's death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea 7,i4 ,nephi xix3 #aj78 ,may not the matter referred to by ,professor ,white be an interpretation of this old ,jewish prophecy concerning the three days of darkness8 #ej4 ,i4 ,nephi xi3 #h-aa4 #ea4 ,ether iii3 #f-af4 #eb4 ,see collection of passages in the author's ,mormon ,doctrine of ,deity1 pp4 #bac-bag4 #ec4 ,,ii4 ,nephi x3 #aj-ad4 #ed4 ,this ,monroe ,doctrine derives its name from a message sent to ,congress by ,president ,james ,monroe1 in #ahbc1 in the course of which he said3 ,the ,american continents1 by the free and independent condition which they had assumed and maintained1 are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any ,european power4 ,he further declared that any attempt by a ,european power to oppress or control an independent ,american nation would be regarded as the manifestation of an unfriendly disposition towards the ,united states4 ,,chapter ,,xlii4 ,,internal ,,evidences--,,the ,,evidence ,,of ,,prophecy1 7,continued47 ,the first ,nephi1 speaking of his people in the fifth century ,b4 ,c41 makes a number of prophecies respecting things that shall take place in the last days1 following the coming forth of the scriptures of his people i4 e4 the ,book of ,mormon to the ,gentiles4 ,these predictions are found on one page of the ,book of ,mormon2 and are at once so numerous and of such high import as to make that page unique in prophetic literature4 ,with one exception1 viz41 the vision of ,daniel1 recorded in the second chapter of his prophecies1 which deals with the succession of the several great earth-empires1 ,i do not believe an equal number of prophecies of such high importance can be found within the whole range of prophetic literature in the same amount of space1 and ,i here reproduce that page as it stands in the current editions of the ,book of ,mormon3 ,,ii ,,nephi4 #c4 ,and now1 ,i would prophesy somewhat more concerning the ,jews and the ,gentiles4 ,for after the book of which ,i have spoken shall come forth1 and be written unto the ,gentiles and sealed up again unto the ,lord1 there shall be many which shall believe the words which are written2 and they shall carry them forth unto the remnant of our seed4 #d4 ,and then shall the remnant of our seed know concerning us1 how that we came out from ,jerusalem1 and that they are descendants of the ,jews4 #e4 ,and the gospel of ,jesus ,christ shall be declared among them2 wherefore1 they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers1 and also to the knowledge of ,jesus ,christ1 which was had among their fathers4 #f4 ,and then shall they rejoice2 for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of ,god2 and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes2 and not many generations shall pass away among them1 save they shall be a white and a delightsome people4 #g4 ,and it shall come to pass that the ,jews which are scattered1 also shall begin to believe in ,christ2 and they shall begin to gather in upon the face of the land2 and as many as shall believe in ,christ shall also become a delightsome people4 #h4 ,and it shall come to pass that the ,lord ,god shall commence his work among all nations1 kindreds1 tongues1 and peoples1 to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth4 #i4 ,and with righteousness shall the ,lord ,god judge the poor1 and reprove with equity1 for the meek of the earth4 ,and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth2 and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked2 #aj4 ,for the time speedily cometh1 that the ,lord ,god shall cause a great division among the people2 and the wicked will he destroy3 and he will spare his people1 yea1 even if it so be that he must destroy the wicked by fire4 #aa4 ,and righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins1 and faithfulness the girdle of his reins4 #a ,a few lines extending on the next page completes the picture of peace and happiness that shall ultimately be diffused over the earth in that day3 #ab4 ,and then shall the wolf dwell with the lamb1 and the leopard shall lie down with the kid2 and the calf1 and the young lion1 and the fatling1 together2 and a little child shall lead them4 #ac4 ,and the cow and the bear shall feed2 their young ones shall lie down together1 and the lion shall eat straw like the ox4 #ad4 ,and the suckling child shall play on the hole of the asp1 and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den4 #ae4 ,they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain2 for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the ,lord1 as the waters cover the sea4 #b ,let us now consider this prophetic page item by item4 ,i4 ,many ,shall ,believe the ,words of the ,book4 ,for after the book of which ,i have spoken i4 e4 the ,book of ,mormon shall come forth and be written unto the ,gentiles and sealed up again unto the ,lord1 there shall be many which shall believe the words which are written4 ,whether this declaration be accredited to the first ,nephi1 five hundred years ,b4 ,c41 or allowed no other authorship than ,joseph ,smith1 and no greater antiquity than #ahcj1 when the ,book of ,mormon was published1 it is equally prophetic in character4 ,and if it be insisted upon that it had no earlier origin than ,joseph ,smith's utterance of it1 then it becomes all the more remarkable as a prophecy2 for by the time it was put forth by him1 he had very good reason--human reason--to doubt if the ,book of ,mormon would be extensively believed1 or believed in at all2 for by this time such opposition had appeared against it1 and such ridicule and derision heaped upon himself and associates2 and everywhere there had been such a manifestation of opposition to the forth-coming book1 that naturally one would wonder if it would be overwhelmed by a universal ignoring of it4 ,still there stands the prediction3 ,there shall be many which shall believe the words which are written4 ,the only question is1 ,has it been fulfilled8 ,in answer we have only to point to the present membership of the ,church in all the world1 say three hundred thousand people4 ,but to the number of those who now believe it1 and hold it to be a volume of sacred scripture1 there must be added all those who have died in the faith2 and again those who once accepted it in their faith and afterwards1 by transgression1 lost the spirit of the work and departed from the ,church2 but who1 singularly enough1 in the majority of cases1 still continued to assert their faith in the truth of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,and then to all those numbers there must be added that still greater number of people who have been brought to a belief in the ,book of ,mormon1 but who have not had sufficient moral courage to forfeit their good standing among their fellows1 and make other sacrifices involved in a public profession of their faith4 ,let the numbers of these several classes be added together and beyond question the prophecy has been fulfilled4 ,many have believed in the ,nephite scriptures4 ,as a further instance of the wide acceptation of the ,book of ,mormon1 it should be mentioned that it has passed through many editions in the ,english language1 both in ,america and ,england2 and has also been translated into and published in the following languages3 ,french1 ,german1 ,danish1 ,italian1 ,dutch1 ,welch1 ,swedish1 ,spanish1 ,hawaiian1 ,maori1 ,greek and ,japanese4 ,,ii4 ,the ,book of ,mormon to be ,taken to the ,american ,indians--and ,they ,shall ,rejoice4 ,following the declaration that many shall believe the words which are written is the statement1 and they shall carry them forth the words of the ancient ,nephites unto the remnant of our seed4 ,that is to the remnant of the seed of ,lehi1 the ,american ,indians4 ,and then follows this3 ,and then shall the remnant of our seed know concerning us1 how that we came out from ,jerusalem1 and that they are descendants of the ,jews4 #c ,and the gospel of ,jesus ,christ1 shall be declared among them1 wherefore1 they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers1 and also to the knowledge of ,jesus ,christ1 which was had among their fathers4 ,and then shall they rejoice2 for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of ,god2 and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes2 and many generations shall not pass away among them1 save they shall be a white and delightsome people4 ,here we stand in the midst of prophecies4 ,by which ,i mean that some of the predictions have been fulfilled1 and others are yet to be fulfilled in the future1 and involve the coming to pass of very remarkable events4 ,before calling attention to the parts that have been fulfilled ,i cite the prophecies under this subdivision as evidence against the claim that is sometimes made against the ,book of ,mormon1 that all its prophetic parts end about the time the ,book of ,mormon came forth1 viz41 in #ahcj4 ,the prophecies that many shall believe the book2 that they shall carry its messages to the ,american ,indians2 that the ,indians shall rejoice in the things the book makes known to them2 that not many generations from that time the ,indians shall become a white and delightsome people--as also indeed the prophecies relating to the ,jews--all concern events that are to take place subsequent to the year #ahcj4 ,but now to take up the several prophecies being treated together under this sub-title ,,ii4 ,the many who believe the ,book of ,mormon1 according to the prophecy1 are to carry it forth unto the remnant of ,lehi's people1 the ,american ,indians4 ,it is notorious that they have done so4 ,the ,church had been organized but six months when in fulfillment of a divine appointment #d a mission was sent to the ,lamanites consisting of ,oliver ,cowdery1 ,peter ,whitmer1 ,jun41 ,parley ,p4 ,pratt1 and ,ziba ,peterson4 ,on returning from that mission ,elder ,pratt1 after recounting their travels through the western states of the ,american ,union1 gives the following summary of what was done3 ,thus ended our first mission in which we had preached the ,gospel in its fulness and distributed the records of their forefathers among three tribes1 viz41 the ,catteraugus ,indians1 near ,buffalo1 ,n4 ,y42 the ,wyandots1 of ,ohio2 and the ,delawares1 west of the ,missouri4 #e ,since that time numerous missions have been undertaken among the ,indians which have met with more or less success4 ,since the ,church has been located in the ,rocky ,mountains various tribes have been visited by the ,apostles and other ,elders1 and some success has been attained in colonizing ,indians and teaching them the ways and arts of civilization4 ,some success has also attended the preaching of the ,gospel among the natives in ,mexico2 and similar efforts1 though as yet unfruitful1 have been made in some of the states of ,central ,america4 ,it is more than likely that the ,sandwich ,islanders are descendants of ,nephite colonists who went from ,america to the ,hawaiian ,islands1 about the time of ,hagoth's migrations in ships from the shores of the land ,bountiful--near where the isthmus of ,panama joins the ,south ,american continent4 ,their traditions and racial peculiarities all favor this view2 and if our supposition be true1 then the success of preaching the gospel to the descendants of the ,nephites has been considerably augmented1 for a number of thousands of these islanders have embraced the gospel1 some of whom have gathered to the stakes of ,zion1 and others have been established in a prosperous colony in their own land4 ,while success in bringing the native ,american race to a knowledge of their forefathers and an acceptance of the written work of ,god revealed to their forefathers has been limited1 yet it has been sufficiently extensive to fulfill the terms of the ,book of ,mormon prophecies1 and certainly sufficient to create the most sanguine belief in a further fulfillment of it4 ,then shall they rejoice4 ,this declaration1 of course1 indicates that the native ,american races would believe the message of the ,book of ,mormon2 and so indeed they have1 as is witnessed by the fact of many of them joining the ,church of the ,latter-day ,saints4 ,in his account of the first mission to the ,indians1 ,elder ,parley ,p4 ,pratt gives the substance of an address of ,oliver ,cowdery's to the chief of the ,delaware tribe of ,indians1 and the leading men of the tribe1 who had assembled to hear the message which the missionaries had to deliver2 ,elder ,pratt also gives the substance of the chief's reply1 in which the latter especially expresses his gladness #f at the message delivered to them4 ,elder ,pratt represents the ,chief as saying3 ,we feel truly thankful to our white friends who have come so far and been at such pains to tell us good news1 and especially this new news concerning the ,book of our forefathers2 it makes us glad in here--placing his hand on his heart4 ,it is now winter2 we are new settlers in this place2 the snow is deep2 our cattle and horses are dying2 our wigwams are poor2 we have much to do in the spring--to build houses and fence and make farms2 but we will build a council house and meet together1 and you shall read to us and teach us more concerning the ,book of our fathers1 and the will of the ,great ,spirit4 #g ,during the sojourn of the ,church at ,nauvoo representatives of several tribes of ,indians called upon the ,prophet ,joseph from time to time4 ,one notable instance was the visit of a number of ,pottawatamie chiefs in the summer of #ahdc1 of which visit the ,prophet in his journal gives the following brief account3 ,i had an interview with several ,pottawatamie chiefs1 who came to see me during my absence4 #h ,elder ,woodruff's journal gives the following more elaborate account of this event3 ,the ,indian chiefs remained at ,nauvoo until the ,prophet returned and had his trial4 ,during their stay they had a talk with ,hyrum ,smith1 in the basement of the ,nauvoo ,house4 ,wilford ,woodruff and some others were present4 ,they were not free to talk1 and did not wish to communicate their feelings until they could see the great ,prophet4 ,at length1 on the #bnd day of ,july1 #ahdc1 ,president ,joseph ,smith and several of the ,twelve met those chiefs in the courtroom with about thirty of the ,elders4 ,the following is a synopsis of the conversation which took place as given by the interpreter3 ,the ,indian orator arose and asked the ,prophet if the men who were present were all his friends4 ,answer1 ,yes4 ,he then said3 ,as a people we have long been distressed and oppressed4 ,we have been driven from our lands many times4 ,we have been wasted away by wars1 until there are but few of us left4 ,the white man has hated us and shed our blood1 until it has appeared as though there would soon be no ,indians left4 ,we have talked with the ,great ,spirit1 and the ,great ,spirit has talked with us4 ,we have asked the ,great ,spirit to save us and let us live1 and the ,great ,spirit has told us that he had raised up a great ,prophet1 chief1 and friend1 who would do us great good and tell us what to do2 and the ,great ,spirit has told us that you are the man 7pointing to the ,prophet ,joseph74 ,we have now come a great way to see you1 and hear your words1 and to have you tell us what to do4 ,our horses have become poor traveling1 and we are hungry4 ,we will now wait and hear your words4 ,the ,spirit of ,god rested upon the ,lamanites1 especially upon the orator4 ,joseph was much affected and shed tears4 ,he arose and said unto them3 ,i have heard your words4 ,they are true4 ,the ,great ,spirit has told you the truth4 ,i am your friend and brother1 and ,i wish to do you good4 ,your fathers were once a great people4 ,they worshiped the ,great ,spirit4 ,the ,great ,spirit did them good4 ,he was their friend2 but they left the ,great ,spirit1 and would not hear his words or keep them4 ,the ,great ,spirit left them1 and they began to kill one another1 and they have been poor and afflicted until now4 ,the ,great ,spirit has given me a book1 and told me that you will soon be blessed again4 ,the ,great ,spirit will soon begin to talk with you and your children4 ,this is the book which your fathers made4 ,i wrote upon it 7showing them the ,book of ,mormon74 ,this tells me what you will have to do4 ,i now want you to begin to pray to the ,great ,spirit4 ,i want you to make peace with one another1 and do not kill any more ,indians2 it is not good4 ,do not kill white men2 it is not good2 but ask the ,great ,spirit for what you want1 and it will not be long before the ,great ,spirit will bless you1 and you will cultivate the earth and build good houses1 like white men4 ,we will give you something to eat and something to take home with you4 ,when the ,prophet's words were interpreted to the chiefs1 they all said it was good4 ,the chief asked1 ,how many moons it would be before the ,great ,spirit would bless them8 ,he the ,prophet told them1 ,not a great many4 ,at the close of the interview1 ,joseph had an ox killed for them1 and they were furnished with some more horses1 and they went home satisfied and contented4 #i ,one other thing in these several prophecies should be observed1 the very emphatic implication that the native ,american race will persist4 ,the prevailing idea1 however1 is quite to the contrary4 ,i may say it is the universal opinion that the native ,american race is doomed to extinction2 and1 in fact1 that it is now on the high way to that finality4 ,against such general opinion1 however1 the ,book of ,mormon utters the surprising declaration not only that the ,american race shall not become extinct1 but that fallen as its fortunes are1 and degraded as it is1 yet shall it become1 and that before many generations pass away1 a white and delightsome people6 ,than this declaration ,i can think of nothing more boldly prophetic1 nor of any inspired utterance which so squarely sets itself against all that is accepted as the probabilities in the case4 ,but with complete confidence we await the time of the fulfillment of ,god's decree2 of its signal triumph over the opinions of men4 ,,iii4 ,the ,jews ,shall ,begin to ,believe in ,christ1 and to ,gather4 ,and it shall come to pass that the ,jews which are scattered also shall begin to believe in ,christ2 and they shall begin to gather in upon the face of the land2 and as many as shall believe in ,christ shall also become a delightsome people4 ,there was nothing in the affairs of the ,jews in the early decades of the #aith century that would lead any one to suppose that there was to be any marked change in the sentiments of that people towards ,jesus of ,nazareth2 or that the time had come when there would be any disposition on their part to assemble upon the land of their forefathers--which is evidently meant by part of the prophecy just quoted4 ,yet the prophecy immediately before us makes both these astounding predictions2 and1 what is more to the point1 both are now in progress of fulfillment4 ,first let us consider the change which the ,jewish mind is undergoing respecting ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,to show the sentiment quite prevalent among the ,jews during the life time of the ,prophet ,joseph1 and to show that he was quite aware of its existence1 ,i quote an entry from his journal under date of ,may1 #ahci4 ,tuesday1 ,may #ba1 #ahci4--,to show the feeling of that long scattered branch of the ,house of ,israel1 the ,jews1 ,i here quote a letter written by one of their number1 on hearing that his son had embraced ,christianity3 ,,rabbi ,,landau',s ,,letters ,,to ,,his ,,son4 ,breslau1 ,may #bast1 #ahci4 ,my ,dear ,son--,i received the letter of the ,berlin ,rabbi1 and when ,i read it there ran tears out of my eyes in torrents2 my inward parts shook1 my heart became as a stone6 ,now do you not know that the ,lord sent me already many hard tribulations8 ,that many sorrows do vex me8 ,but this new harm which you are about to inflict makes me forget all the former1 does horribly surpass them2 as well respecting its sharpness as its stings6 ,i write you lying on my bed1 because my body is embraced not less than my soul1 at the report that you were about to do something which ,i had not expected from you4 ,i fainted2 my nerves and feelings sank1 and only by the help of a physician1 for whom ,i sent immediately1 am ,i able to write these lines to you with a trembling hand4 ,alas6 you1 my son1 whom ,i have bred1 nourished and fostered2 whom ,i have strengthened spiritually as well as bodily1 you will commit a crime on me6 ,do not shed the innocent blood of your parents1 for no harm have we inflicted upon you2 we are not conscious of any guilt against you1 but at all times we thought it our duty to show to you1 our first born1 all love and goodnesss4 ,i though ,i should have some cheering account of you1 but1 alas6 how terribly ,i have been disappointed6 ,but to be short2 your outward circumstances are such that you may finish your study or suffer pain4 ,do you think that the ,christians1 to whom you will go over by changing your religion1 will support you and fill up the place of our fellow believers8 ,do not imagine that your outward reasons1 therefore1 if you have any1 are nothing4 ,but out of true persuasion1 you will1 as ,i think1 not change our true and holy doctrine1 for that deceitful1 untrue and perverse doctrine of ,christianity4 ,what6 will you give us a pearl for that which is nothing1 which is of no value in itself8 ,but you are light-minded2 think of the last judgment2 of that day when the books will be opened and hidden things will be made manifest2 of that day when death will approach you in a narrow pass2 when you cannot go out of the way6 ,think of your death bed1 from which you will not rise any more1 but from which you be called before the judgment seat of the ,lord6 ,do you not know1 have you not heard1 that there is over you an all-hearing ear and an all-seeing eye8 ,that all your deeds will be written in a book and judged hereafter8 ,who shall then assist you when the ,lord will ask you with a thundering voice1 ,why hast thou forsaken that holy law which shall have an eternal value2 which was given by my servant ,moses1 and no man shall change it8 ,why hast thou forsaken that law1 and accepted instead of it lying and vanity8 ,come1 therefore1 again to yourself1 my son6 remove your bad and wicked counselors2 follow my advice1 and the ,lord will be with you6 ,your tender father must conclude because of weeping4 ,a4 ,l4 ,,landau1 ,rabbi4 ,that the sentiments of this letter respecting ,jesus and ,christianity are not peculiar to ,rabbi ,landau1 but are representative of the sentiments of the ,hebrew race at that time1 ,i may quote the words of ,dr4 ,isadore ,singer1 editor of the ,jewish ,encyclopaedia1 written in a letter to ,george ,croly1 author of ,tarry ,thou ,till ,i ,come--a version really of the legend of the ,wandering ,jew published in #aija4 ,the letter here quoted was received from ,dr4 ,singer in reply to one from the author of ,tarry ,thou1 asking the question1 ,what is the ,jewish thought today of ,jesus of ,nazareth8 ,dr4 ,singer1 answered3 ,i regard ,jesus of ,nazareth as a ,jew of the ,jews1 one whom all ,jewish people are learning to love4 ,his teaching has been an immense service to the world in bringing ,israel's ,god to the knowledge of hundreds of millions of mankind4 ,the great change in ,jewish thought concerning ,jesus of ,nazareth1 ,i cannot better illustrate than by this fact3 ,when ,i was a boy1 had my father1 who was a very pious man1 heard the name of ,jesus uttered from the pulpit of our synagogue1 he and every other man in the congregation would have left the building1 and the rabbi would have been dismissed at once4 ,now1 it is not strange1 in many synagogues1 to hear sermons preached eulogistic of this ,jesus1 and nobody thinks of protesting--in fact1 we are all glad to claim ,jesus as one of our people4 ,,isadore ,,singer4 ,new ,york1 ,march #be1 #aija4 ,the question submitted by ,mr4 ,croly to ,jewish theologians1 historians and orientalists resulted in quite a large collection of ,jewish opinions of ,christ1 all of which are published in the appendix of ,tarry ,thou2 and of which the following communications are thoroughly characteristic3 ,the ,jew of today beholds in ,jesus an inspiring ideal of matchless beauty4 ,while he lacks the element of stern justice expressed so forcibly in the law and in the ,old ,testament characters1 the firmness of self-assertion so necessary to the full development of manhood1 all those social qualities which build up the home and society1 industry and worldly progress1 he is the unique exponent of the principle of redeeming love4 ,his name as helper of the poor1 as sympathizing friend of the fallen1 as brother of every fellow sufferer1 as lover of man and redeemer of woman1 has become the inspiration1 the symbol and the watchword for the world's greatest achievements in the field of benevolence4 ,while continuing the work of the synagogue1 the ,christian church with the larger means at her disposal created those institutions of charity and redeeming love that accomplished wondrous things4 ,the very sign of the cross has lent a new meaning1 a holier pathos to suffering1 sickness and sin1 so as to offer new practical solutions for the great problems of evil which fill the human heart with new joys of self-sacrificing love4 ,,kaufman ,,kohler1 ,ph4 ,d41 ,rabbi of ,temple ,beth-,el4 ,if the ,jews up to the present time have not publicly rendered homage to the sublime beauty of the figure of ,jesus1 it is because their tormentors have always persecuted1 tortured1 assassinated them in his name4 ,the ,jews have drawn their conclusions from the disciples as to the ,master1 which was wrong1 a wrong pardonable in the eternal victims of the implacable1 cruel hatred of those who called themselves ,christians4 ,every time that a ,jew mounted to the sources and contemplated ,christ alone1 without his pretended faithful1 he cried with tenderness and admiration3 ,putting aside the ,messianic mission1 this man is ours4 ,he honors our race and we claim him as we claim the gospels--flowers of ,jewish literature and only ,jewish4 ,,max ,,nordau1 ,m4 ,d41 ,critic and ,philosopher4 ,paris1 ,france4 ,the ,jews of every shade of religious belief do not regard ,jesus in the light of ,paul's theology4 ,but the gospel of ,jesus1 the ,jesus who teaches so superbly the principles of ,jewish ethics1 is revered by all the expounders of ,judaism4 ,his words are studied2 the ,new ,testament forms a part of ,jewish literature4 ,among the great preceptors that have worded the truths of which ,judaism is the historical guardian1 none1 in our estimation and esteem1 takes precedence of the rabbi of ,nazareth4 ,to impute to us suspicious sentiments concerning him does us gross injustice4 ,we know him to be among our greatest and purest4 ,,emil ,g4 ,,hirsch1 ,ph4 ,d41 ,,ll4 ,d41 ,l4 ,h4 ,d4 ,rabbi of ,sinai ,congregation1 ,professor of ,rabbinical ,literature in ,chicago ,university1 ,chicago1 ,ill41 ,january #bf1 #aija4 ,later1 viz4 #aije1 ,dr4 ,isadore ,singer1 himself made such a collection of ,jewish opinions on ,jesus1 which were published by the ,new ,york ,sun1 and of which the following are typical3 ,it is commonly said that the ,jews reject ,jesus4 ,they did so in the sense in which they rejected the teachings of their earlier prophets1 but the question may be pertinently asked1 ,has ,christianity accepted ,jesus8 ,the long hoped-for reconciliation between ,judaism and ,christianity will come when once the teachings of ,jesus shall have become the axioms of human conduct4 ,,dr4 ,,morris ,,jastrow1 ,professor of ,semitic ,languages in the ,university of ,pennsylvania4 ,i look upon him as a great teacher and reformer1 one who aimed at the uplifting of suffering humanity1 whose every motive was kindness1 mercy1 charity1 and justice1 and if his wise teaching and example have not always been followed the blame should not be his1 but rather those who have claimed to be his followers4 ,,simon ,,wolf1 ,president of the ,independent ,order ,b'nia ,b'rith4 ,if he had added to their the ,jewish prophets' spiritual bequests new jewels of religious truth1 and spoken words which are words of life because they touch the deepest springs of the human heart1 why should we ,jews not glory in him8 ,the crown of thorns on his head makes him only the more our brother1 for to this day it is borne by his people4 ,were he alive today who1 think you1 would be nearer his heart--the persecuted or the persecutors8 ,,dr4 ,,gustav ,,gottheil ,the foregoing sentiments do not indicate the acceptance of ,jesus by the ,jews at his full value as the ,messiah1 or as the express revelation of ,god to man1 or as ,god manifested in the flesh2 but they do give evidence of a very marked change of sentiment among the ,jews toward ,jesus of ,nazareth--and surely mark a beginning of belief in ,christ1 which has but to enlarge to become an acceptance of him as ,messiah1 so long expected by their race2 and surely they indicate in quite a remarkable manner the beginning of the fulfillment of the part of the prophecy here being considered1 that declares that the ,jews which are scattered shall also begin to believe in ,christ4 ,moreover some few families of ,jews have believed the gospel as presented by the elders of the ,church in this dispensation1 and are identified with the ,latter-day ,saints2 among them ,alexander ,neibaur1 who joined the ,church in ,england in #ahdj4 ,he afterwards emigrated to ,nauvoo1 and the family came with the saints to ,utah4 ,several of his sons and grand-sons have filled honorable missions for the ,church in preaching the gospel4 ,he is the author of the following well known hymn1 published in the ,times and ,seasons1 in ,may1 #ahda3 ,come1 thou glorious day of promise1 ,come and spread thy cheerful ray2 ,when the scattered sheep of ,israel ,shall no longer go astray2 ,when ,hosannas ,with united voice they cry4 ,lord1 how long wilt thou be angry8 ,shall thy wrath for ever burn8 ,rise1 redeem thine ancient people1 ,their transgressions from them turn4 ,king of ,israel1 ,come and set thy people free4 ,o that soon thou would'st to ,jacob ,thine enliv'ning spirit send2 ,of their unbelief and misery ,make1 ,o ,lord1 a speedy end4 ,lord1 ,messiah1 ,prince of ,peace1 o'er ,israel reign4 ,glory1 honour1 praise and power1 ,be unto the ,lamb for ever2 ,jesus ,christ is our ,redeemer1 ,hallelujah6 ,hallelujah6 ,praise ye the ,lord6 ,hallelujah6 ,praise the ,lord4 ,again3 ,and the ,jews which are scattered 99 99 99 shall begin to gather in upon the face of the land4 ,of course the idea that the ,jews will sometime be gathered to the lands possessed by their forefathers is no new thought4 ,it is not presented here as such4 ,the ,old ,testament scriptures are full of predictions concerning the return of the ,jews to ,palestine of which the following are samples3 ,and ,i will bring again the captivity of my people of ,israel1 and they shall build the waste cities1 and inhabit them4 #aj ,the house of ,jacob shall possess their possessions4 #aa ,for thou art an holy people unto the ,lord thy ,god2 the ,lord they ,god hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself1 above all people that are upon the face of the earth4 #ab ,the ,lord shall inherit ,judah his portion in the holy land1 and shall choose ,jerusalem again4 #ac ,for the ,lord will have mercy on ,jacob and will yet choose ,israel1 and set them in their own land4 #ad ,thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,behold ,i will take the children of ,israel from among the heathen1 whither they be gone1 and will gather them on every side1 and bring them into their own land2 and ,i will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of ,israel2 and one king shall be king to them all3 and they shall be no more two nations1 neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all3 99 99 99 and ,david1 my servant1 shall be king over them2 and they all shall have one shepherd3 they shall also walk in my judgments1 and observe my statutes1 and do them4 99 99 99 ,moreover ,i will make a covenant of peace with them2 it shall be an everlasting covenant with them3 and ,i will place them and multiply them1 and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore4 ,my tabernacle also shall be with them3 yea1 ,i will be their ,god1 and they shall be my people4 #ae ,the fulfillment of these predictions has been the hope of scattered ,israel1 and from time to time societies have been formed to keep alive such hope as the promises inspired4 ,it may be thought that said ,jewish societies have accomplished but little4 ,but really that little was much4 ,they nourished in secret and through ages of darkness that spark of hope1 the fire of which1 when touched by the breath of ,god shall burst forth into a flame that not all the world shall be able to stay4 ,these efforts in the past have made possible a larger movement which is now attracting the attention of the world1 known as the ,zionite ,movement4 ,in reality this is but the federation of all ,jewish societies that have had for their purpose the realization of the hopes of scattered ,israel4 ,the ,zionite movement proper1 however1 may be said to have arisen within very recent years1 since it was in #ahif that it held its first general conference4 ,this at ,basel1 ,switzerland1 in ,august #ahif4 ,since then its conferences have been held annually and have steadily increased both in interest and the number of delegates representing various ,jewish societies until now 7#aije7 it takes on the appearance of one of the world's great movements4 ,it is not so much a religious movement as a racial one2 for prominent ,jews of all shades of both political and religious opinions have participated in it4 ,after saying through so many centuries at the feast of the ,pass ,over1 ,may we celebrate the next ,pass ,over in ,jerusalem1 the thought seemed to have occurred to some ,jewish minds that if that hope was ever to be realized some practical steps must be taken looking to the actual achievement of the possibility--hence the ,zionite ,movement4 ,the keynotes of that movement are heard in the following utterances of some of the ,jewish leaders in explanation of it3 ,we want to resume the broken thread of our national existence2 we want to show to the world the moral strength1 the intellectual power of the ,jewish people4 ,we want a place where the race can be centralized4 ,,leon ,,zoltokoff4 ,it tries to restore the old solidarity1 the old unity1 of ,israel2 not with a view to any mere monetary aggrandizement1 but for the purpose of securing the right and the opportunity for the ,jews to live and to develop4 ,it believes that this is possible only if there is some spot on earth which the ,jews can call their own1 and which can be a place of refuge1 legally secured by international obligations1 to which the oppressed of ,israel may flee whenever necessity arises4 ,,richard ,j4 ,h4 ,,gottheil4 ,it is for these ,jews 7of ,russia1 ,roumania and ,galicia7 that the name of their country 7,palestine7 spells ,hope4 ,i should not be a man if ,i did not realize that for these persecuted ,jews1 ,jerusalem spells reason1 justice1 manhood and liberty4 ,,rabbi ,,emil ,g4 ,,hirsch4 ,jewish nationalism on a modern basis in ,palestine1 the old home of the people4 ,,max ,,nordau4 ,palestine needs a people2 ,israel needs a country4 ,give the country without a people to the people without a country4 ,,israel ,,zangwill4 ,to find for the ,jews a legally established home in ,palestine4 ,,basel ,,platform4 ,in a word1 it is the purpose of ,zionism to redeem ,palestine1 and give it back to ,jewish control1 create1 in fact1 a ,jewish state in the land promised to their fathers4 ,a few years ago negotiations were entered into with the ,sultan of ,turkey1 within whose political dominions ,palestine is included1 for the purchase of the ,holy ,land for the ,jews1 and some announcements in the press by ,dr4 ,herzel1 of ,austria1 just previous to the assembling of the ,zion conference in #aijb1 for a time justified the high hopes that were entertained of securing the promised land by purchase4 ,these hopes1 however1 were doomed to disappointment by reason of a sudden change coming over the ruler of ,turkey with reference to the matter4 ,it is more than likely that his advisors persuaded him that the establishment of a ,jewish state under his suzerainty would be adding one more perplexing feature in the administration of that heterogeneous collection of such states which already constitute the loose-jointed empire over which the ,sultan presides1 by the sufferance of the ,european powers4 ,the matter of the ,sultan's present refusal to grant1 or sell ,palestine to ,jews is not a serious difficulty in the progress of such a wide spread movement as ,zionism1 however1 for ere now the ,lord has changed the hearts of rulers in order to bring to pass his great purposes1 and may do so again4 ,so ,israel ,zangwill1 one of the most enthusiastic leaders in the movement1 views that subject2 and in like spirit also he views the difficulty of obtaining the necessary millions to purchase the land4 ,on this subject he says3 ,it matters little that the ,zionists could not pay the millions1 if suddenly called upon4 ,they have collected not two and a half million dollars4 ,but there are millions enough to come to the rescue once the charter was dangled before the ,zionists4 ,it is not likely that the ,rothschilds would see themselves ousted from their family headship in authority and well-doing4 ,nor would the millions left by ,baron ,hirsch be altogether withheld4 ,the sultan's present refusal is equally unimportant1 because a national policy is independent of transcient moods and transcient rulers4 ,the only aspect that really matters is whether ,israel's face be or be not set steadily ,zionward--for decades1 and even for centuries4 ,an interesting feature at the last ,zion conference held in ,august of #aijd1 was the tender by the ,british foreign minister1 ,lord ,landsdowne1 on behalf of the ,british government of a tract of fertile territory in ,uganda1 ,british ,east ,africa1 for the establishment of the ,jewish colony4 ,it is an elevated tract of country extending some two hundred miles along the ,uganda railway1 between ,man and ,nairobi4 ,it is said to be well watered1 fertile1 cool1 covered with noble forests1 almost uninhabited and as healthful for ,europeans as ,great ,britain4 ,this tender on the part of the ,british government was a cause of some confusion in the ,basle conference1 and is now a cause of great anxiety to the ,zionists4 ,it is a ,jewish state in ,palestine1 not a colony in ,east ,africa that the great body of ,zionists are looking forward to2 and when it was moved in the conference that a commission of nine be appointed to look into details and decide upon the advisability of sending an expedition to investigate the proposed site of the colony1 even this preliminary step was so opposed by the ,russian delegates that they arose en masse and left the conference hall1 in protest against such a movement4 ,the commission1 however1 was appointed and the investigation is in progress4 ,since the close of the ,basel conference many of those interested in the proposition have been searching their scriptures and some claim to have found prophetic warrant for such a movement and come to regard the settlement in ,africa as a preliminary to the final movement into ,palestine4 ,the prophecies supposed to justify this view are to be found in the following from ,isaiah3 ,in that day shall five cities in the land of ,egypt speak the language of ,canaan1 and swear to the ,lord of ,hosts2 and shall be called1 the city of destruction4 ,in that day shall there be an altar to the ,lord in the midst of the land of ,egypt1 and a pillar at the border thereof to the ,lord4 ,and it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the ,lord of hosts in the land of ,egypt2 for they shall cry unto the ,lord because of the oppressors1 and he shall send them a savior1 and a great one1 and he shall deliver them4 ,and the ,lord shall be known to ,egypt1 and the ,egyptians shall know the ,lord in that day1 and shall do sacrifice and oblation2 yea1 they shall vow a vow unto the ,lord1 and perform it4 #af ,whatever many come of this proposed colony scheme in ,africa it can never be regarded as more than an incident in progress of this great movement among the ,jews4 #ag ,the land of their final inheritance is ,palestine1 not ,africa1 nor ,egypt2 and if the ,jews shall halt for a time in the land of ,uganda1 under the benign protection of the ,british government1 it will be only a temporary abiding place1 where1 however1 they may obtain a very necessary experience in controlling a state and bringing their people to a unity of faith and practice under the old law of ,israel4 ,what ,i am concerned with in this strange movement among the ,jews1 however1 is not the details of it1 but the fact of it2 and the further fact that ,zionism is doubtless the inauguration of a series of movements that shall culminate in the complete fulfillment of this great ,book of ,mormon prophecy4 ,in addition to the prediction of the ,book of ,mormon which brought the subject of the gathering of the ,jews to their land vividly before the ,prophet ,joseph's mind1 he claims that in the ,kirtland ,temple1 in #ahcf1 ,moses1 the great ,hebrew prophet1 appeared to himself and ,oliver ,cowdery and conferred upon them the keys of the gathering of ,israel1 and the power of restoring the tribes to the lands of their fathers4 #ah ,acting under the divine authority thus received1 ,joseph ,smith sent an apostle of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ to the land of ,palestine to bless it and dedicate it to the ,lord for the return of his people4 ,this apostle was ,orson ,hyde1 and he performed his mission in #ahdj-b4 ,again in #ahgb an apostolic delegation consisting of the late ,president ,george ,a4 ,smith 7cousin of the ,prophet7 and the late ,president ,lorenzo ,snow were sent to ,palestine4 ,the purpose of their mission in part is thus stated in ,president ,young's letter of appointment to ,george ,a4 ,smith4 ,when you get to the land of ,palestine we wish you to dedicate and consecrate that land to the ,lord that it may be blessed with fruitfulness preparatory to the return of the ,jews in fulfillment of prophecy and the accomplishment of the purposes of our heavenly ,father4 #ai ,acting1 then1 under the divine authority restored to earth by the ,prophet ,moses1 this ,apostolic delegation--as well as the ,apostle first sent--from the summit of ,mount ,olivet blessed the land1 and dedicated it for the return of the ,jews4 ,it is not strange1 therefore1 to those who look upon such a movement as ,zionism with faith in ,god's great latter-day work to see the spirit now moving upon the minds of the ,jews prompting their return to the land of their fathers4 ,to them it is but the operation of the ,spirit of ,god in their souls1 turning their hearts to the promises made to the fathers4 ,meantime1 and quite apart from the ,zionite movement1 changes are taking place in the promised land that augur well for the fulfillment of this ,book of ,mormon prophecy4 ,for instance1 the ,british ,consul reports for #ahgf give the number of ,jews in ,judea at from fifteen to twenty thousand4 ,twenty years later1 viz4 in #ahif1 the same authority gives the number of ,jews at from sixty to seventy thousand2 and what was more promising for the future both for the people and the country inhabited1 this new ,jewish population was turning its attention to the cultivation of the soil1 which but requires the blessings of ,god unto it to restore it to its ancient fruitfulness1 and which will make it possible for it to sustain once more a numerous population4 #bj ,thus in the preparations evidently being made for the return of the ,jews to the land of their forefathers1 and their beginning to believe in ,jesus1 this remarkable ,book of ,mormon prophecy is in the way of fulfillment4 ,,iv4 ,the ,work of the ,lord to ,commence ,among all ,nations to ,bring ,about the ,restoration of ,his ,people ,israel1 and a ,universal ,reign of ,peace and ,righteousness4 ,and it shall come to pass that the ,lord ,god shall commence his work among all nations1 kindreds1 tongues1 and people1 to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth4 ,the #aith century of the ,christian era1 especially the last three quarters of it1 will be regarded as a most wonderful period of human progress4 #ba ,an age of inventions and discoveries in all departments of human knowledge and human activities4 ,during that time1 through human invention1 machinery was so multiplied and made to serve the industrial requirements of man that we may say that the race was emancipated from the drudgery under which it had sweltered for ages4 ,in field and factory machinery was made to perform the labor which in ages hitherto had been done by human hands4 ,husbandry1 by reason of so much machinery being applied to agricultural pursuits1 became a gentlemanly occupation as compared with the farm drudgery of former years4 ,the increased product in all lines of manufactures multiplied comforts and placed them within the reach of all1 so that the standard of living among the common people was immensely improved4 ,this period also witnessed great advancement in the matter of transportation4 ,on land it developed from the ox team and horse carriage to the automobile and lightning express train1 capable of covering from fifty to seventy and now ninety miles per hour4 ,it saw ,europe and ,america converted into a net work of railroads1 binding all parts of the respective continents together with easy1 safe1 and swift means of traffic1 and carried to the markets of every city the various products of all the countries of the globe4 ,water transportation within the same period developed from the slow sailing vessel1 dependent on the winds and ocean currents to the modern ocean greyhound capable of making its way against both ocean current and winds at a speed never realized by the sailing vessel with both wind and ocean currents in its favor4 ,the stormy ,atlantic1 to cross which in the early years of the century was a tedious and dangerous journey of many weeks1 by the close of the #aith century was a matter of five days pleasure trip4 ,all mystery and dread of old ocean had disappeared1 and men no longer mourned the fate of those who go down to the sea in ships1 since ocean travel is far less dangerous than overland travel1 and the oceans so far from being regarded any longer with the old time awe and mystery are now looked upon as merely convenient highways for the commerce of the world4 ,by the speed of ocean travel we may say that all the continents and islands of the globe are married4 ,running parallel with this development of transportation on land and sea1 is what may be called the growth of our instantaneous means of communication4 ,at the opening of the period we are considering the pony express and mail coach were our most rapid means of communication1 and looking back to those days such means of communication seem marvellously inadequate to civilized life4 ,at the close of the century1 however1 by means of ocean cables and telegraph lines1 and telephone instrumentalities--to say nothing of the more wonderful wireless telegraphy now coming into use--we are in instant communication with all the great centers of civilization1 and each morning may read the world's daily history gathered by these agencies for our instruction4 ,in the same period1 in the matter of illumination1 we went from the tallow dip and farthing rush light to gas and electricity4 ,from the slow working hand press to the lightning ,hoe multicolor printing press1 capable of printing1 in different colors1 folding1 pasting and counting from twenty-four thousand to one hundred thousand impressions per hour6 ,within our period improvements in telescopes have revealed new wonders of the universe4 ,improvement in microscopes have revealed wonders undreamed of in former times both in organic and inorganic nature4 ,in the laboratories of the world new mysteries of light and heat and other elementary forces of nature were revealed4 ,substances which aforetime had been regarded as opaque were found in some lights to be transparent4 ,indeed in all the arts and sciences such progress was made as had not before been made in a period of a thousand years4 #bb ,there seemed to have come an awakening of intellectual power in men1 and the whole world was transformed by means of it4 ,political liberties were enlarged1 old tyrannies were rendered for the present and future impossible in many countries1 because of the consciousness of inherent power in the people4 ,our period witnessed also the rise and progress of the peace movement4 ,a movement whose chief purpose is to substitute peaceful arbitration as a method of settling international differences for the dreadful arbitrament of war4 ,the first peace society was formed in ,america early in the century--#ahae--;and while not attracting much attention at first1 the movement gradually increased in importance until at last it arose from a merely national movement to an international one1 as is evidenced from the fact that at its great conference at the ,hague in #ahii there were accredited representatives from the following nations3 ,united ,states1 ,great ,britain1 ,russia1 ,germany1 ,france1 ,austria-,hungary1 ,belgium1 ,china1 ,denmark1 ,holland1 ,italy1 ,japan1 ,sweden1 ,norway1 ,persia1 ,portugal1 ,roumania1 ,servia1 ,siam1 ,switzerland1 and ,turkey4 ,it was this conference of #ahii that finally established the world's permanent court of arbitration at the ,hague1 to which several important international questions have already been referred and settled4 ,and while the peace movement and arbitration has not yet relieved the world from recurrence of dreadful wars1 still the establishment of the permanent court for international arbitration is a mighty stride in the interest of the world's peace4 ,it gives more than hope4 ,it establishes confidence that the time will come when there will be a disarmament of the nations1 and the old prophet's dream figured forth in his vision of the nations beating their spears into pruning hooks and their swords into plow shares will be realized1 and the nations shall learn war no more4 ,it cannot be that this wonderful transformation of the world within our period has no significance4 ,a new era has certainly dawned upon the world4 ,old things are passing away4 ,all things are becoming new4 ,surely such changing conditions in material things prophesy corresponding changes in men as individuals and in their community life4 ,these material improvements will doubtless be met by corresponding improvements in moral and spiritual wellbeing4 ,there is undoubtedly a close connection between this influx of intellectual light and the splendid opening of the great new dispensation of the gospel of ,jesus ,christ4 ,when the ,lord renewed divine communication to man in the visions and revelations granted to ,joseph ,smith1 there seemed to have accompanied this influx of spiritual light the intellectual light of which ,i have been speaking1 and which has accomplished such transformations in the affairs of men and nations as are here noted4 ,to the spirit which is in man the ,spirit of the ,lord has given inspiration to some purpose4 ,it is not difficult to believe--nay to conceive the contrary seems impossible--that the ,lord1 according to the ,book of ,mormon prophecy1 has commenced to bring about the restoration of his people ,israel upon the earth1 and to usher into the world that blessed reign of truth1 peace and righteousness so long hoped for2 so long the theme of poets1 sages1 statesmen and prophets2 when with righteousness the ,lord shall judge the pure and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth2 when the wolf shall dwell with the lamb1 and the leopard shall lie down with the kid1 and the calf and the young lion1 and the fatling together1 and a little child shall lead them2 when the cow and the bear shall feed1 and their young ones shall lie down together2 when the lion shall eat straw like the ox1 and the suckling child shall play on the hole of the cockatrice's den2 when they shall not hurt nor destroy in all ,god's holy mountain2 when the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the ,lord as the waters cover the sea2 when man shall know how sweet and pleasant it is for men to dwell together in unity and peace2 and when1 to correspond with these moral and spiritual conditions of the world1 the material forces and resources of the earth shall be developed2 distance annihilated2 all the ends of the earth brought together in instant communication2 poverty and crime banished2 when labor shall have its own and the idler shall not sit in the lap of luxury1 a burden to labor1 but all shall contribute by intelligent industry to an enlightened world's necessities4 ,the realization of the dream has long been deferred1 but we are taught by scripture that if the vision tarry1 wait for it1 for it will come4 ,surely we may wait in confidence when in such a marked manner as here indicated the hand of ,god is to be seen fashioning and directing those events which shall culminate in the perfect realization of all the good that has been decreed for the earth and the inhabitants thereof4 ,v4 ,the ,sign of the ,modern ,world's ,awakening4 ,an interesting feature in the awakening of the world1 considered in the last subdivision of this chapter1 is the fact that not only did this awakening begin about the time the ,book of ,mormon was published to the world1 but it is one of the prophecies of the book that it should be so4 ,that is to say1 the spiritual and intellectual awakening of the modern world1 and the coming forth of the ,book of ,mormon were to be contemporaneous events4 ,in the course of his ministry among the ,nephites1 the ,messiah directed especial attention to1 and laid great stress upon one of the prophecies of ,isaiah1 which follows3 ,thy watchmen shall lift up the voice2 with the voice together shall they sing1 for they shall see eye to eye1 when the ,lord shall bring again ,zion4 ,break forth into joy1 sing together1 ye waste places of ,jerusalem1 for the ,lord hath comforted his people1 he hath redeemed ,jerusalem4 ,the ,lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations1 and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of ,god4 ,later in ,messiah's ministry1 when referring again to this prophecy1 he remarked3 ,when they the foregoing words of ,isaiah shall be fulfilled1 then is the fulfilling of the covenant which the ,father hath made unto his people1 ,o house of ,israel4 ,and then shall the remnants which shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth1 be gathered in from the east1 and from the west1 and from the south1 and from the north2 and they shall be brought to the knowledge of the ,lord their ,god1 who hath redeemed them4 99 99 99 ,and behold1 this people will ,i establish in this land1 unto the fulfilling of the covenant which ,i made with your father ,jacob2 and it shall be a ,new ,jerusalem4 ,and the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people2 yea1 even ,i will be in the midst of you4 ,behold1 ,i am he of whom ,moses spake1 saying1 ,a prophet shall the ,lord your ,god raise up unto you of your brethren1 like unto me1 him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you4 ,and it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people4 99 99 99 ,and ,i will remember the covenant which ,i have made with my people1 and ,i have covenanted with them that ,i would gather them together in mine own due time1 that ,i would give unto them again the land of their fathers1 for their inheritance1 which is the land of ,jerusalem1 which is the promised land unto them forever1 saith the ,father4 ,and it shall come to pass that the time cometh when the fulness of my gospel shall be preached unto them4 ,and they shall believe in me1 that ,i am ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 and shall pray unto the ,father in my name4 ,then referring to ,isaiah shall their watchmen lift up their voice1 and with the voice together shall they sing2 for they shall see eye to eye4 #bc ,and now as to the sign which he gave by which the branch of the house of ,israel in the ,american continents might know that this work of restoring the house of ,israel to the land of their inheritance1 together with the spiritual and intellectual awakening that should attend upon that event--of this ,jesus said3 ,and1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,i give unto you a sign1 that ye may know the time when these things shall be about to take place1 that ,i shall gather in from their long dispersion my people1 ,o house of ,israel1 and shall establish again among them my ,zion4 ,and behold1 this is the thing which ,i will give unto you for a sign1 for verily ,i say unto you1 that when these things which ,i declare unto you1 and which ,i shall declare unto you hereafter of myself1 and by the power of the ,holy ,ghost1 which shall be given unto you of the ,father--when these things shall be made known unto the ,gentiles1 that they may know concerning this people who are a remnant of the house of ,jacob1 and concerning this my people who shall be scattered by them4--,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 when these things shall be made known unto them of the ,father1 and shall come forth of the ,father1 from them unto you--99 99 when these works1 and the works which shall be wrought among you hereafter1 shall come forth from the ,gentiles1 unto your seed through publishing the ,book of ,mormon 99 99 99 it shall be a sign unto them that they may know that the work of the ,father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he ,god hath made unto the people who are of the house of ,israel4 99 99 99 ,and then shall the work of the ,father commence at that day1 even when this gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people--verily ,i say unto you1 at that day shall the work of the ,father commence among all the dispersed of my people2 yea1 even the tribes which have been lost1 which the ,father hath led away out of ,jerusalem4 ,yea1 the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people 99 99 99 to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me1 that they may call on the ,father in my name2 yea1 and then shall the work commence1 with the ,father1 among all nations1 in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance4 #bd ,that is to say1 the coming forth of the ,book of ,mormon was to be the signal for this modern world awakening2 and the sign of the commencement of the work of the ,lord among all nations1 kindreds1 tongues1 and people1 to bring to pass the restoration of his people and the accomplishment of his purposes in all the earth4 ,the facts already set forth establish the fulfillment of this no less venturesome--i4 e4 venturesome for an imposter to make--than remarkable prophecy4 ,,vi4 ,conditional ,prophecies--,the ,evidence of ,things ,worthy of ,god to ,reveal4 ,in closing these chapters on the prophecies of the ,book of ,mormon1 ,i direct attention to what ,i shall call conditional prophecies4 ,not for the purpose of referring to their fulfillment1 either accomplished or prospective1 as evidence of the truth of the book1 but as exhibiting the fact that the ,book of ,mormon has a prophetic message for the present generation worthy of ,god to reveal1 and one that it concerns the ,gentile races now occupying the continents of ,america to know4 ,these prophecies deal with the terms upon which the ,gentile races may maintain for themselves and perpetuate to their posterity the inheritance they have secured in the goodly land of ,joseph--the ,american continents4 ,first let it be remembered that these continents1 according to the ,book of ,mormon1 are a promised land1 especially to the seed of ,joseph1 son of the ,patriarch ,jacob1 and also to the ,gentiles whom ,god shall lead hither4 ,to the leader of the ,nephite colony the ,lord said3 ,and in as much as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper1 and shall be led to the land of promise4 ,yea1 even a land which ,i have prepared for you2 yea1 a land which is choice above all other lands4 ,subsequently1 as is well known1 the ,nephite colony arrived in ,america1 repeatedly referred to by them and their descendants as the land of promise4 ,before his demise the prophet ,lehi1 who lived to arrive with his colony upon the promised land1 made the following prophecy concerning the occupancy of the land by his people3 ,notwithstanding our afflictions1 we have obtained a land of promise1 a land which is choice above all other lands2 a land which the ,lord ,god hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed4 ,yea1 the ,lord hath covenanted this land unto me1 and to my children forever2 and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the ,lord4 ,wherefore1 ,i1 ,lehi1 prophesy according to the workings of the ,spirit which is in me1 that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the ,lord4 ,wherefore1 this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring4 ,and if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given1 it shall be a land of liberty unto them2 wherefore1 they shall never be brought down into captivity2 if so1 it shall be because of iniquity2 for if iniquity shall abound1 cursed shall be the land for their sakes2 but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever4 ,and behold1 it is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations2 for behold1 many nations would overrun the land1 that there would be no place for an inheritance4 ,wherefore1 ,i1 ,lehi1 have obtained a promise1 that inasmuch as those whom the ,lord ,god shall bring out of the land of ,jerusalem shall keep his commandments they shall prosper upon the face of this land2 and they shall be kept from all other nations1 that they may possess this land unto themselves4 ,and if it so be that they shall keep his commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land1 and there shall be none to molest them1 nor to take away the land of their inheritance2 and they shall dwell safely forever4 ,but1 behold1 when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in unbelief1 after they have received so great blessings from the hand of the ,lord2 having a knowledge of the creation of the earth1 and all men1 knowing the great and marvelous works of the ,lord from the creation of the world2 having power given them to do all things by faith2 having all the commandments from the beginning1 and having been brought by his infinite goodnesss into this precious land of promise2 behold1 ,i say1 if the day shall come that they will reject the ,holy ,one of ,israel1 the true ,messiah1 their ,redeemer and their ,god1 behold the judgment of him that is just shall rest upon them2 yea1 he will bring other nations unto them1 and he will give unto them the incoming nations power1 and he will take away from them the remnants of the ,nephites the lands of their possessions2 and he will cause them to be scattered and smitten4 ,yea1 as one generation passeth to another1 there shall be bloodshed1 and great visitations among them4 #be ,this prophecy was fulfilled in the experiences of ,lehi's descendants4 ,though in the course of their history they had some long periods1 and some intermittent seasons of righteousness1 they eventually1 even after the personal ministrations of the ,son of ,god among them1 departed from righteousness1 rejected ,jesus ,christ1 and the decreed judgment fell upon them to the uttermost4 ,the ,gentile races finally came to the land1 and took possession of it1 while the descendants of the once favored race that occupied it were dispossessed and broken1 and scattered4 ,the promises made to the ,nephites had also been given to the ,jaredites who preceded them in possession of the land4 ,to the brother of ,jared1 the leader of the ,jaredite colony1 the ,lord said3 ,i will go before thee into a land which is choice above all the lands of the earth4 #bf ,moroni1 while abridging the records of the ,jaredites1 which give an account of that people's migration to ,america1 refers to the decrees of ,god concerning the land in the following passage3 ,and the ,lord would not suffer that they should stop beyond the sea in the wilderness1 but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise1 which was choice above all other lands1 which the ,lord ,god had preserved for a righteous people2 and he had sworn in his wrath unto the brother of ,jared1 that whoso should possess this land of promise1 from that time henceforth and forever1 should serve him1 the true and only ,god1 or they should be swept off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them4 ,and now we can behold the decrees of ,god concerning this land1 that it is a land of promise1 and whatsoever nation shall possess it1 shall serve ,god1 or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them4 ,and the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity2 for1 behold1 this is a land which is choice above all other lands2 wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve ,god1 or they shall be swept off2 for it is the everlasting decree of ,god4 ,and it is not until the fulness of iniquity among the children of the land1 that they are swept off4 ,and this cometh unto you1 ,o ye ,gentiles1 that ye may know the decrees of ,god1 that ye may repent1 and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come1 that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of ,god upon you1 as the inhabitants of the land hath hitherto done4 ,behold1 this is a choice land1 and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage1 and from captivity1 and from all other nations under heaven1 if they will but serve the ,god of the land1 who is ,jesus ,christ1 who hath been manifested by the things which we have written4 ,jesus also in the course of his ministry among the ,nephites refers to these same decrees concerning the land2 or1 better say1 makes them1 since he is the ,god of the land4 ,his words follow3 ,the ,father hath commanded me that ,i should give unto you the ,nephites this land1 for your inheritance4 ,and ,i say unto you that if the ,gentiles do not repent1 after the blessing which they shall receive after they have scattered my people1 then shall ye who are a remnant of the house of ,jacob go forth among them2 and ye shall be in the midst of them1 who shall be many2 and ye shall be among them1 as a lion among the beasts of the forest1 and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep1 who1 if he goeth through1 both treadeth down and teareth in pieces1 and none can deliver4 ,thy hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries1 and all thine enemies shall be cut off4 ,and ,i will gather my people together1 as a man gathereth his sheaves into the floor1 for ,i will make my people with whom the ,father hath covenanted1 yea1 ,i will make thy horn iron1 and ,i will make thy hoofs brass4 ,and thou shalt beat in pieces many people2 and ,i will consecrate their gain unto the ,lord1 and their substance unto the ,lord of the whole earth4 ,and behold1 ,i am he who doeth it4 ,and it shall come to pass1 saith the ,father1 that the sword of my justice shall hang over them at that day2 and except they repent1 it shall fall upon them1 saith the ,father1 yea1 even upon all the nations of the ,gentiles4 #bg ,then follows an explanation of how1 through the seed of ,abraham1 all the kindreds of the earth are blessed3 ,unto the pouring out of the ,holy ,ghost through me ,jesus ,christ upon the ,gentiles1 which blessing upon the ,gentiles shall make them mighty above all1 unto the scattering of my people1 ,o house of ,israel2 and they shall be a scourge unto the people of this land4 ,nevertheless1 when they shall have received the fulness of my gospel1 then if they shall harden their hearts against me1 ,i will return their iniquities upon their own heads1 saith the ,father4 #bh ,speaking further of the great and marvelous work which the ,lord should bring forth in the last days1 he again refers to the ,gentiles upon the promised land1 in the following words3 ,therefore it shall come to pass that whosoever will not believe in my words1 who am ,jesus ,christ1 whom the ,father shall cause him to bring forth unto the ,gentiles1 and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the ,gentiles1 7it shall be done even as ,moses said71 they shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant4 ,and my people who are a remnant of ,jacob shall be among the ,gentiles1 yea1 in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the forest1 as the young lion among the flock of sheep1 who1 if he go through both treadeth down and teareth to pieces1 and none can deliver4 ,their hand shall be lifted up upon their adversaries1 and all their enemies shall be cut off4 ,yea1 wo be unto the ,gentiles1 except they repent1 for it shall come to pass in that day1 saith the ,father1 that ,i will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee1 and ,i will destroy thy chariots1 and ,i will cut off the cities of thy land1 and throw down all thy strongholds2 and ,i will cut off witchcrafts out of thy hand1 and thou shalt have no more soothsayers2 thy graven images ,i will also cut off1 and thy standing images out of the midst of thee1 and thou shalt no more worship the works of thy hands2 and ,i will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee2 so will ,i destroy thy cities4 ,and it shall come to pass that all lying1 and deceiving1 and envying1 and strifes1 and priestcrafts1 and whoredoms1 shall be done away4 ,for it shall come to pass1 saith the ,father1 that at that day whosoever will not repent and come unto my beloved ,son1 them will ,i cut off from among my people4 ,o house of ,israel2 and ,i will execute vengeance and fury upon them1 even as upon the heathen1 such as they have not heard4 ,but if they the ,gentiles will repent1 and hearken unto my words1 and harden not their hearts1 ,i will establish my church among them and they shall come in unto the covenant1 and be numbered among this remnant of ,jacob1 unto whom ,i have given this land for their inheritance4 ,and they shall assist my people1 the remnant of ,jacob1 and also1 as many of the house of ,israel as shall come1 that they may build a city1 which shall be called the ,new ,jerusalem2 and then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in1 who are scattered upon all the face of the land1 in unto the ,new ,jerusalem4 ,and then shall the power of heaven come down among them2 and ,i also will be in the midst4 #bi ,here then is the conditional prophecy that it concerns the proud ,gentile races now inhabiting the ,american continents to know4 ,these continents are a promised land2 they are given primarily to the descendants of the ,patriarch ,joseph as an inheritance1 but the ,gentile races are also given an inheritance in them with the descendants of ,joseph4 ,the whole land1 however1 is dedicated to righteousness and liberty1 and the people who possess it1 whether of the house of ,israel or ,gentiles1 must be a righteous people1 and worship the ,god of the land1 who is ,jesus ,christ4 ,in that event ,god stands pledged to preserve the land and the people thereof from all other nations1 and to bless them with very great and peculiar blessings guaranteeing to them freedom and peaceful possession of the land forever4 ,if the ,gentile races shall observe these conditions they and their children are to share in the blessings of the land in connection with the descendants of the ,patriarch ,joseph4 ,if they depart from justice1 reject righteousness and ,jesus ,christ1 then the judgments decreed will overtake them until they are wasted away4 ,this is the decree of ,god respecting the ,western hemisphere1 and is one of the important messages that the ,book of ,mormon has to deliver to the present generation4 ,nor is it the ,book of ,mormon alone that bears this message4 ,so far as the people of the ,united ,states are concerned1 ,i might say1 if not one of their own prophets1 at least their greatest statesman1 gave substantially the same warning to the people of that nation1 and ,i believe his utterances are equally applicable to the people occupying the other parts of the ,american continents4 ,read the following quotation from the speech delivered a few months before its author's death1 and tell me if the ,american statesman1 ,daniel ,webster1 did not catch the same glow of inspiration when predicting the terms upon which the people now occupying our country may hold their heritage1 as that which warmed the hearts of the ,book of ,mormon writers and speakers1 whose words are quoted in the preceding passages4 ,mr4 ,webster's speech was delivered before the ,new ,york ,historical ,society1 on ,february #bbnd--,washington's birthday--#aheb2 as the great ,american died in ,october following1 the address was one of his last speeches4 ,unborn ages and visions of glory crowd upon my soul1 the realization of all which1 however1 is in the hands and good pleasure of ,almighty ,god2 but1 under his divine blessing1 it will be dependent on the character and the virtues of ourselves1 and of our posterity4 ,if classical history has been found to be1 is now1 and shall continue to be1 the concomitant of free institutions1 and of popular eloquence1 what a field is opening to us for another ,herodotus1 another ,thucydides1 and another ,livy6 ,and let me say1 gentlemen1 that if we and our posterity shall be true to the ,christian religion--if we and they shall live always in the fear of ,god1 and shall respect his commandments1 if we and they shall maintain just1 moral sentiments1 and such conscientious convictions of duty as shall control the heart and life--we may have the highest hopes of the future fortunes of our country2 and if we maintain those institutions of government and that political union1 exceeding all praise as much as it exceeds all former examples of political associations1 we may be sure of one thing--that1 while our country furnishing materials for a thousand masters of the historic art1 it will afford no topic for a ,gibbon4 ,it will have no ,decline and ,fall4 ,it will go on prospering and to prosper4 ,but1 if we and our posterity reject religious instruction and authority1 violate the rules of eternal justice1 trifle with the injunctions of morality1 and recklessly destroy the political constitution which holds us together1 no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us1 that shall bury all our glory in profound obscurity4 ,should that catastrophe happen1 let it have no history6 ,let the horrible narrative never be written6 ,let its fate be like that of the lost books of ,livy1 which no human eye shall ever read2 or the missing ,pleiad1 of which no man can ever know more1 than that it is lost1 and lost forever6 ,i think my statement will be within reasonable limits when ,i say that this sublime doctrine and warning of ,mr4 ,webster's has the same source of inspiration as the utterances of the ,book of ,mormon writers4 ,i believe that all who read and compare these passages will conclude there is something more than mere coincidence in their agreement4 ,as before stated1 it is not my purpose in calling attention to these conditional prophecies to point to their fulfillment1 either accomplished or prospective1 in evidence of the truth of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,their worth as evidence to the truth of the book rests solely upon the importance of the matter with which they deal4 ,the demand of the world is1 and it is a reasonable one1 that a book purporting to be a revelation from ,god should deal with subjects that it is important for men to know1 and ,i regard the terms that constitute the conditions upon which the ,american continents may be securely held by the people who possess them1 as a matter of the highest importance for the people to know1 and hence worthy to be found in a book purporting to be a revelation from ,god4 ,such knowledge is no less important than to know the source whence the continents of ,america are peopled2 the providences of ,god in dealing with them2 and the fact that the ,son of ,god visited the western hemisphere1 and taught to the inhabitants thereof the gospel1 and established here his church for the perpetuation of the truth and for the salvation of men4 ,all this is revealed in the ,book of ,mormon1 and makes up a mass of knowledge that it concerns mankind to know1 and hence is worthy of ,god to reveal4 ,had the ,book of ,mormon dealt with light or trivial things--things unworthy of ,god to reveal1 mankind would require no further evidence that its claims to a divine origin were baseless2 and conversely3 if the book reveals a mass of knowledge--worthy of ,god to reveal and important for man to know--then it is evidence of considerable weight that the book is of ,god4 ,footnotes #a4 ,,ii4 ,nephi xxx3 #c-aa4 #b4 ,,ii4 ,nephi xxx3 #ab-ae4 #c4 ,descendants of the ,jews4 ,this expression1 ,i believe1 is used in this instance as equivalent to ,descendants of the house of ,israel4 ,that is1 the ,american ,indians will know they are ,israelites4 ,this sense of the phrase the ,jews is used in other parts of the ,book of ,mormon3 for instance1 ,that the father may bring about 99 99 99 his great and eternal purposes1 in restoring the ,jews1 or all the ,house of ,israel1 to the land of their inheritance4 ,we have already pointed out in previous foot notes that according to the ,book of ,mormon the ,american ,indians are a mixture of the tribes of ,manasseh1 ,ephraim and ,judah 7see pp4 #ie1 #cbe-f72 and therefore we think the phrase descendants of the ,jews1 does not mean to confine native ,american race descent to the ,jews alone1 but merely to say that they are descendants of the ,house of ,israel1 for which ,jews here stands as equivalent4 #d4 ,see ,doc4 ,cov4 ,section xxix and ,section xxxii4 #e4 ,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ahe1 note4 ,aut4 ,p4 ,p4 ,pratt1 pp4 #ef-fa4 #f4 ,it may be suspected that ,elder ,pratt colored his account of this speech to fit the prophecy of the ,book of ,mormon1 but if that were so some reference to its fulfillment of the prediction--then shall they rejoice--would naturally be looked for2 but it is a singular thing that nowhere in the early literature of the ,church is reference made to this prophetic page4 ,the full account of this first ,indian mission will be found in the ,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #aaa-abj1 and pages #ahb-ahe4 #g4 ,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #ahd-e4 #h4 ,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,v41 ,chapters xxiv and xxv4 ,the prophet had been visiting relatives in ,dixon1 and while there fell into the hands of his enemies1 who sought to take him to ,missouri4 ,he escaped them1 however1 by a writ of habeas corpus1 on which he was tried and acquitted at ,nauvoo4 #i4 ,millennial ,star1 ,vol4 ,,xxi1 pp4 #fcd-e4 #aj4 ,amos ix3 #ad4 #aa4 ,obadiah i3 #ag4 #ab4 ,deut4 vii3 #f4 #ac4 ,zechariah ii3 #ab4 #ad4 ,isaiah xiv3 #a4 #ae4 ,ezekiel xxxvii3 #ba-bg4 #af4 ,isaiah xix3 #ba4 #ag4 ,in the opinion of some1 it may become a training-ground for those who are eventually to go to ,zion4 99 99 99 ,whatever solution the ,east ,african scheme may find1 it can be but a temporary one4 ,the eye of the people's soul cannot be turned from the object upon which it has rested for centuries and centuries4 99 99 99 ,the soul of ,israel has always felt1 and when occasion offered has always said1 that such a concentration at such a rallying-point1 can be induced only in the ancient home of the children of ,israel1 in ,palestine4--,richard ,j4 ,h4 ,gottheil4 #ah4 ,see ,doc4 ,cov41 ,sec4 #aaj4 #ai4 ,biography of ,lorenzo ,snow1 p4 #dif4 #bj4 ,since the foregoing was written the following press dispatch from ,jerusalem1 under date of ,july #bhth1 #aijf1 appeared in the daily papers of the ,united ,states3 ,jerusalem1 ,july #bh--,the ,zionist movement--the return of the ,jews to ,palestine--is being carried actively on1 and during the last few months there has been a remarkable influx of ,israelites into the ,holy ,land4 ,a fertile region1 east of the ,jordan1 toward ,kerak1 has been inspected by a party of ,jewish financiers1 with the idea of colonizing it4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,the intending colonists are negotiating with the government for the purchase of land and for guarantees of protection against the ,bedouins4 ,five thousand ,jewish emigrants from ,russia and the ,balkan ,states recently landed at ,jaffa4 ,they will be distributed among the various ,jewish colonies1 which are to be found in all the fertile districts of ,palestine4 ,it looks as if the ,chosen ,people are literally coming to their own again4 #ba4 ,a mighty dawn of ideas is peculiar to our own age 7nineteenth century74--,victor ,hugo4 #bb4 ,no previous century ever saw anything approaching to the increase in social complexity which has been wrought in ,america and ,europe since #aghi4 ,in science and in the industrial arts the change has been greater than in the ten preceding centuries taken together4 ,contrast the seventeen centuries which it took to remodel the astronomy of ,hipparchus with the forty years which it has taken to remodel the chemistry of ,berzelius and the biology of ,cuvier4 99 99 99 ,how small the difference between the clumsy wagons of the ,tudor period and the mailcoach in which our grandfathers rode1 compared to the difference between the mail-coach and the railway train6 ,how rapid the changes in philosophic thinking since the time of the ,encyclopedistes1 in comparison with the slow though important changes which occurred between the epoch of ,aristotle and the epoch of ,descartes6 ,in morality1 both individual and national1 and in general humanity of disposition and refinement of manners1 the increased rapidity of change has been no less marked4--,cosmic ,philosophy 7,fiske71 ,vol4 ,,iv41 p4 #ed1 #ee4 #bc4 ,,iii4 ,nephi #bj4 #bd4 ,,iii4 ,nephi1 chapter #ba4 #be4 ,,ii4 ,nephi i3 #e-ab4 #bf4 ,ether i3 #db4 #bg4 ,,iii4 ,nephi #bj3 #ad-bj4 #bh4 ,,iii4 ,nephi #bj3 #bg1 #bh4 #bi4 ,,iii4 ,nephi xxi3 #aa-be4 ,,chapter ,,xliii4 ,,internal ,,evidences4--,,the ,,spirit ,,of ,,the ,,book4 ,i can no more remember the books ,i have read than the meals ,i have eaten1 said ,emerson1 but they have made me4 ,in this way the ,american philosopher recognizes the simple truth that the reading of books has something to do with the making of a man--that they affect the mind4 ,a book has a spirit as distinctly as a painting or of a piece of sculpture has feeling--of course ,i mean a real work of art into which something from the soul of the artist has passed4 ,the best thing about a painting or piece of sculpture is said to be that which cannot be described2 so also the best part of a book is the spirit of it1 which may not always be describable4 ,and that elusive1 mysterious quality we call its spirit may arise from something quite apart from its rhetoric1 or logic or diction4 ,it may be even as the voice of ,god3 not in the strong wind1 that rends the mountains and breaks in pieces the rocks before the ,lord2 not in the earthquake nor in the fire2 but in the still1 small voice which follows the wind and earthquake and fire4 #a ,so with a book3 its spirit may owe its existence to its simple truth--to the spirit of truth in them that made it4 ,do you ever think1 said a writer in one of our popular magazines--,do you ever think what is the effect of a book on your mind8 99 99 99 99 ,is your mind purer for it1 or clearer8 ,has it filled your mind with good or bad images8 ,has it raised your standard or lowered it8 99 99 99 99 99 ,every book you read and understand affects you for better or worse4 ,it has some effect upon you1 and if you are sane you are bound to find out what that is4 ,in common with all books the ,book of ,mormon has its spirit1 produces its effects upon the minds of men2 and as it claims to be a work originally written and also translated through the inspiration of ,god1 and deals primarily with sacred things1 it is to be expected that the spirit of this book will have not only a good1 but even a divine influence2 that it will be of a faith-promoting1 doubt-dispersing1 comfort-bringing character4 ,its effects upon the minds of men1 therefore1 may be another test of its claims to a divine origin2 and to that test ,i now submit it4 ,in his work entitled ,my ,first ,mission1 the late ,president ,george ,q4 ,cannon makes the following statement respecting the influence exerted over his spirit by reading the ,book of ,mormon under the trying conditions in which he was placed while serving as a missionary in the ,hawaiian ,islands3 ,some of my readers may be placed in circumstances similar to those which surrounded me a part of the time on the ,sandwich ,islands1 and it may be profitable to tell them how ,i kept from losing courage and becoming home-sick4 ,my love for home is naturally very strong4 ,for the first year after ,i left home ,i could scarcely think about it without my feelings getting the better of me4 ,but here ,i was in a distant land1 among a people whose language and habits were strange to me4 ,their very food was foreign to me1 and unlike anything ,i had ever before seen or tasted4 ,i was much of the time separated from my companions1 the ,elders4 ,until ,i mastered the language and commenced preaching and baptizing the people1 ,i was indeed a stranger among them4 ,before ,i commenced holding regular meetings ,i had plenty of time for meditation and to review all the events of my short life1 and to think of the beloved home from which ,i was so far separated4 ,it was then ,i found the value of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,it was a book which ,i always loved4 ,if ,i felt inclined to be lonely1 to be low spirited1 or home-sick1 ,i had only to turn to its sacred pages to receive consolation1 new strength and a rich outpouring of the ,spirit4 ,scarcely a page that did not contain encouragement for such as ,i was4 ,the salvation of man was the great theme upon which its writers dwelt and for this they were willing to undergo every privation and make every sacrifice4 ,what were my petty difficulties compared with those afflictions which they had to endure8 ,if ,i expected to share the glory for which they contended1 ,i could see that ,i must labor in the same ,spirit4 ,if the sons of ,king ,mosiah could relinquish their high estate1 and go forth among the degraded ,lamanites to labor as they did1 should not ,i labor with patience and devoted zeal for the salvation of these poor red men1 heirs of the same promise8 ,let me recommend this book1 therefore1 to young and old1 if they need comfort and encouragement4 ,especially can ,i recommend it to those who are away from home on missions4 ,no man can read it1 partake of its spirit and obey its teachings1 without being filled with a deep love for the souls of men and a burning zeal to do all in his power to save them4 ,in the experience and sentiments expressed in the foregoing passage1 ,elder ,cannon but voices the experience and sentiments of very many ,latter-day ,saints1 including thousands of missionaries who have felt all that he has described with reference to the effects of the ,book of ,mormon upon his spirit4 ,the experiences of this host of believers may be properly appealed to as evidence for the effect of the book upon their minds2 and ,i cannot believe but that it is also an evidence of its truth4 ,men have gone to the ,book of ,mormon in despondency1 and have come away cheered2 they have gone to it in sorrow1 and have come away comforted2 they have gone to it at times when overwhelmed for the moment by the mists which the speculations of men sometimes throw over truth1 and have come away from it enlightened--with faith and hope and charity renewed4 ,it created for them a firmer faith in ,god4 ,in the presence of its spirit doubt took wings4 ,its moral and spiritual standards they find to be the highest and noblest4 ,indeed so perfect is its morality that no one has yet been able to bring a complaint against it on the ground of moral defect2 and it was doubtless a consciousness of its moral excellence that led the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith himself to declare on one occasion1 when in council with the ,twelve ,apostles1 that the ,book of ,mormon was the most correct of any book on earth1 and that a man could get nearer to ,god by abiding by its precepts than by following any other book whatsoever4 #b ,if in its historical parts believers find it dealing with events that exhibit selfishness1 unholy ambitions1 and all the follies and crimes common to all times and all nations and races of men1 they never find its treatment of such things of the kind that blazons evil deeds1 or consecrates crime1 much less of the kind that cannonizes the vicious4 ,in its pages they see things in their true light4 ,there is no shuffling1 but evil deeds receive their proper condemnation in the simple1 straightforward language of its inspired men4 ,for believers the ,book of ,mormon differs from the books of men1 as the works of nature differ from the works of men4 ,and with what relief men of deep spiritual natures turn from the works of men to the works of nature6 ,from artistic parks1 to nature's jumbled wilderness2 from well kept gardens1 to even desert plains or wild valleys2 from grass-lined1 men-made lakelets to some huge waterbody1 mountain rimmed1 of unknown depths and wonderous coloring2 from crowded cities with their din and strife to mountain tops1 or lonely ocean's shore1 where the freed soul in solitude can hold communion with his ,god--where deep may call to deep1 and inspiration gather for life's battles6 ,all this and more believers find in the pages of the ,book of ,mormon1 and the book that breathes such a spirit must surely have somewhat of divinity in it2 and the existence of the divine spirit in the book must be somewhat of evidence that its claims are honest1 and its contents true4 ,this1 or else we must believe that men gather grapes of thorns1 and figs of thistles2 that impure fountains send forth pure streams6 ,i shall be told1 however1 that the class of witnesses here appealed to1 viz41 those believers in the ,book of ,mormon who receive from its pages this spiritual comfort1 are for the most part simple folk1 who bring little or nothing in the way of scholarship to the examination of the book2 and few of them ever stop to consider it in a thoroughly analytical manner at all4 ,i shall not deny the charge1 in truth1 ,i rather rejoice in the fact2 and ,i think ,i am justified in such rejoicing since ,i must needs think it takes on some of the coloring of that joy which ,jesus expressed when he said1 on the occasion of some of his simple minded disciples exulting in the possession of certain spiritual graces--,i thank thee1 ,o ,father1 ,lord of heaven and earth1 that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent1 and hast revealed them unto babes3 even so1 ,father2 for so it seemed good in thy sight4 #c ,the fact that this spiritual grace and comfort from the volume of ,american scripture is enjoyed chiefly by people of humble spirit1 is an evidence to me that a certain truth expressed by ancient apostles is universal in its nature--good in all ages and among all people1 viz4 ,god resisteth the proud1 but giveth grace unto the humble4 #d ,when men speak of pride1 their hearers have in mind1 chiefly1 the purse-proud--the pride of the rich made haughty by the power which wealth gives2 or else they think of birth-pride--the distinction that comes from the accident of birth2 or of political-pride1 that comes from civic position2 or perhaps the pride of the brave and strong1 gratified by recognition in high martial stations4 ,but there is another pride more offensive to ,god perhaps1 than pride in any one of the forms mentioned4 ,i mean intellectual pride1 the pride of knowledge1 of opinion1 the pride which so often attends upon the worldly learned man who has not as yet progressed so far in learning as to bring to the mind that humility of spirit which rightly belongs to1 and will at last be found with1 profound learning4 ,for my own part ,i can think of nothing that could be a greater offense against the majesty of ,god than for a man with his limited intellectual power presuming to pass judgment upon and reject the things of ,god1 because1 forsooth1 these things do not conform to his opinion of what the things of ,god should be like2 or because the way in which they are revealed does not conform to the manner in which he thinks ,god should impart his truths4 ,such pride always has and always will separate men from receiving knowledge by divine communication4 ,while the meek and humble of spirit1 borne down with the sense of their own limitations1 find grace and spiritual enlightenment and comfort in the things which ,god reveals2 and often arrive at hidden treasures of knowledge1 and even of wisdom1 unknown to the intellectually proud whom ,god resisteth4 ,in this connection1 too1 it should be remembered the class of people for whom the ,book of ,mormon was especially prepared4 ,while a revelation to all the world1 and containing profound truths the depths of which man by human wisdom has not yet sounded1 it is primarily designed for the benighted1 native ,american races1 fallen from the high station their forefathers once held in ,god's favor2 and its simple plainness and faith-promoting power will yet constitute it a mighty instrumentality in bringing those races to a knowledge of ,god1 and a true understanding of their relationship to him4 ,hence ,i say1 it is pre-eminently fitting that this book should be of such character as to appeal to the understanding of the simple1 and those who are willing and happy to be taught of ,god4 ,and then1 in any event1 religion is and ought to be a simple business1 since among even highly civilized nations there are many unlearned people who can understand only that which is simple1 and religion concerns alike the ignorant and the learned1 the poor and the rich4 ,but plain to the point of being simple as the ,book of ,mormon is1 when men are made aware of its power to rest the mind1 to cheer the heart1 to uplift the soul1 they go to its pages for help as the lame and blind and sick were wont to go to old ,bethsaida's pool1 to whose waters an angel's touch had imparted healing virtues4 ,the spirit of the ,book of ,mormon1 then1 its beneficent influence upon men's minds1 are among the strongest evidences of its truth4 ,this will appear all the more if the reader will call to mind the fact that this influence does not arise from the cleverness of its construction2 for its structure1 as men view books1 is complex1 confusing and clumsy4 ,its spirit and influence do not arise from its strictly logical treatment of historical events1 much less from its philosophical treatment of them2 compared in these particulars with the works of ,hume1 ,macaulay1 ,gibbon1 ,hallan or ,george ,bancroft1 it could be esteemed contemptible4 ,nor do the beneficent effects of the book upon the minds of men arise from its rhetoric1 its beauty of diction1 or the pleasing correctness of its language2 in all these particulars it is admitted to be faulty2 it has few or none of these merely human excellencies for which it may be desired4 ,whatever power it possesses to cheer1 comfort and encourage men2 whatever power to build up hope1 create faith or promote charity1 exists not by virtue of its human excellencies1 but in spite of their absence2 therefore such influence for good as it possesses must be attributed to the ,spirit of ,god in which it was written1 and by which it is permeated2 and by reason of the presence of that spirit in it1 the book itself must be accorded a divine origin4 ,the ,poetry the ,book of ,mormon has ,inspired4 ,as might be expected1 the ,book of ,mormon has inspired considerable poetry among those who have accepted it as a revelation from ,god2 and as some idea of its influence upon minds of poetic temperament may be revealed by these effusions1 ,i present some of them4 ,i first quote ,parley ,p4 ,pratt1 one of the earliest poets of the ,new ,dispensation1 and one of its most zealous ,apostles4 ,in his ,key to ,theology1 one of the most luminous works yet published by the ,church1 when treating of the ,rise1 ,progress and ,decline of the ,science of ,theology in the ,western ,hemisphere--he opens that chapter with the following3 ,the spirit world is moved1 the silence broken1 ,the ancient ,seers from out the ground have spoken4 ,the appointed years on time's fleet wings have fled1 ,and voices whisper from the ancient dead4 ,volumes of truth the sacred archives yield1 ,the past1 the glorious future1 stand revealed4 ,it was the revelation of the ,book of ,mormon and the historical truths which it reveals respecting the blessings of the ,lord upon ,israel that inspired the following hymn3 ,the morning breaks1 the shadows flee2 ,lo6 ,zion's standard is unfurled6 ,the dawning of a brighter day ,majestic rises on the world4 ,the clouds of error disappear ,before the rays of truth divine2 ,the glory1 bursting from afar1 ,wide o'er the nations soon will shine4 ,the ,gentile fulness now comes in1 ,and ,israel's blessings are at hand2 ,lo6 ,judah's remnant1 cleansed from sin1 ,shall in their promised ,canaan stand4 ,jehovah speaks6 let earth give ear1 ,and ,gentile nations turn and live2 ,his mighty arm is making bare1 ,his cov'nant people to receive4 ,angels from heaven and truth from earth ,have met1 and both have record borne2 ,thus ,zion's light is bursting forth1 ,to cheer her children's glad return4 ,the following hymn was also inspired by the ,book of ,mormon3 ,an angel from on high1 ,the long1 long silence broke1 ,descending from the sky1 ,these gracious words he spoke3 ,lo6 in ,cumorah's lonely hill1 ,a sacred record lies concealed4 ,sealed by ,moroni's hand1 ,it has for ages lain1 ,to wait the ,lord's command1 ,from dust to speak again4 ,it shall again to light come forth1 ,to usher in ,christ's reign on earth4 ,it speaks of ,joseph's seed1 ,and makes the remnant known ,of nations long since dead1 ,who once had dwelt alone4 ,the fulness of the gospel1 too1 ,its pages will reveal to view4 ,the time is now fulfilled1 ,the long expected day2 ,let earth obedient yield4 ,and darkness flee away2 ,open the seals1 be wide unfurled ,its light and glory to the world4 ,lo1 ,israel filled with joy1 ,shall now be gathered home1 ,their wealth and means employ ,to build ,jerusalem2 ,while ,zion shall arise and shine1 ,and fill the earth with truth divine4 ,also the following on the destruction of the ,nephites and the glory that is yet to come to their posterity4 ,o1 who that has seen o'er the wide spreading plain1 ,and read o'er the last scenes of woe8 ,four-and-twenty with ,mormon were left to behold ,their nation lie mould'ring below4 ,the ,nephites destroyed1 the ,lamanites dwelt ,for ages in sorrow unknown1 ,generations have passed till the ,gentiles at last1 ,have divided their lands as their own4 ,o1 who that has seen o'er the wide spreading plain1 ,the ,lamanites wander forlorn1 ,while the ,gentiles in pride and oppression divide ,the land they could once call their own2 ,and who that believes does not long for the hour ,when sin and oppression shall cease1 ,and truth1 like the rainbow1 display through the shower1 ,that bright written promise of peace8 ,o1 thou sore afflicted and sorrowful race1 ,the days of thy sorrow shall end6 ,the ,lord has pronounced you a remnant of ,his1 ,descended from ,abra'm ,his friend4 ,thy stones with fair colors most glorious shall stand4 ,and sapphires all shining around1 ,thy windows of agates1 in this glorious land1 ,and thy gates with carbuncles abound4 ,with songs of rejoicing to ,zion return1 ,and sorrow and sighing shall flee1 ,the powers of heaven among you come down1 ,and ,christ in the centre will be4 ,and then all the watchmen shall see eye to eye1 ,when the ,lord shall bring ,zion again1 ,the wolf and the kid down together shall lie1 ,and the lion shall dwell with the lamb4 ,the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of ,god1 ,and nothing shall hurt nor destroy1 ,and these are the tidings we have to proclaim1 ,glad tidings abounding with joy4 ,after ,elder ,pratt the most prolific of the early poets in the ,church1 and one who perhaps caught most truly the genius of the work and reduced it to poetic expression1 was ,w4 ,w4 ,phelps4 ,he contributes the following inspired by the ,book of ,mormon4 ,o1 stop and tell me1 ,red ,man1 ,who are you1 why you roam1 ,and how you get your living2 ,have you no ,god1 no home8 ,with stature straight and portly1 ,and decked in native pride1 ,with feathers1 paints and brooches1 ,he willingly replied3 ,i once was pleasant ,ephraim1 ,when ,jacob for me prayed1 ,but ,o1 how blessings vanish1 ,when man from ,god has strayed6 ,before your nation knew us1 ,some thousand moons ago1 ,our fathers fell in darkness1 ,and wandered to and fro4 ,and long they've lived by hunting ,instead of work and arts1 ,and so our race has dwindled ,to idle ,indian hearts4 ,yet hope within us lingers1 ,as if the ,spirit spoke1 ,he'll come for your redemption1 ,and break your ,gentile yoke1 ,and all your captive brothers1 ,from every clime shall come1 ,and quit their savage customs1 ,to live with ,god at home4 ,then joy will fill our bosoms1 ,and blessings crown our days1 ,to live in pure religion1 ,and sing our ,maker's praise4 ,of our later poets ,elder ,orson ,f4 ,whitney1 of the ,council of the ,twelve1 has most celebrated the ,nephite volume of scripture in his great poem ,elias4 ,one canto 7,,vi7 is wholly devoted to the ,book of ,mormon under the caption ,from ,out the ,dust4 ,in this ,canto ,elder ,whitney treats the whole theme of ,america as a land of promise-- ,the ,old ,world1 not the ,new1--this soil misnamed2 ,cradle of man and grave of nations vast1 ,whose glory1 wealth1 and wisdom had outfamed ,the mightiest of known empires1 present1 past2 ,the land where ,adam dwelt1 where ,eden cast ,forth from her flaming gate the fateful pair ,who fell that man might be2 a fall still chaste1 ,albeit they sinned1 descending death's dread stair ,to fling life's ladder down1 ,love's work and way prepare4 ,of the decrees of ,god respecting the land1 he writes4 ,the ,god of freedom1 ,god of justice1 swore ,no tyrant should this chosen land defile2 ,and nations here1 that for a season bore ,the palm of power1 must righteous be the while1 ,or ruin's avalanche ruin on ruin pile4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,race upon race has perished in its pride1 ,and nations lustrous as the lights of heaven ,have sinned and sunk1 in reckless suicide1 ,upon this soil1 since that dread word was given4 ,realms battle-rent and regions tempest-riven2 ,the wrath-swept land for ages desolate2 ,a wretched remnant blasted1 crust1 and driven ,forth by the furies of revengeful fate2 ,till wonder asks in vain1 ,what of their former state8 ,wouldst know the cause1 the upas-tree that bore ,the blight of desolation8 ',tis a theme ,to melt ,earth's heart1 and move all ,heaven to pour ,with sorrow's heaving flood1 as when supreme ,o'er fallen ,lucifer1 the generous stream ,of grief half quenched the joy of victory4 ,mark how the annals of the ages teem ,with repetition8 ,time1 eternity1 ,the same have taught2 but1 few1 alas6 the moral see4 ,there is a sin called self1 which binds the world ,in fetters fell1 than all save truth more strong2 ,a sin most serpentine1 round all men curled1 ,and in its fatal fold earth writhes full long2 ,crime's great first cause1 the primal root of wrong1 ,parent of pride and tree of tyranny4 ,to lay the axe doth unto thee belong4 ,strike1 that the world may know of liberty1 ,and ,zion's land indeed a land of ,zion be6 ,the poet treats successively the ,jaredite and ,nephite occupancy of the western world in the same noble strain of poetry4 ,he closes the ,jaredite period with these verses1 celebrating the last acts of the two survivors of the ,jaredite nation1 ,ether the ,prophet1 and ,coriantumr the last of the ,jaredite kings4 ,usurping treason seized the civic helm1 ,wrong trampled right1 and justice1 judgment1 fled4 ,then strife1 division1 hosts to battle led2 ,the prophets1 mocked1 lift warning voice in vain2 ,a blood-soaked continent1 a sea1 of dead1 ,and of that mighty nation1 fallen1 self-slain4 ,a prophet and a king1 a solitary twain4 ,that prophet saw the coming of the ,lord ,unto the ,old1 the ,new1 ,jerusalem2 ,saw ,israel returning at ,his word ,from wheresoever ,his will had scattered them2 ,the realm's wide ruin saw1 and strove to stem4 ,that king1 sole scion of a slaughtered race1 ,casting his blood-stained sword and diadem1 ,lived but to see another nation place ,firm foot upon the soil1 then vanished from its face4 ,the advent of the ,nephite colony is told in the following manner4 ,again athwart the wilderness of waves1 ,surging old ,east and older ,west between1 ,where the lone sea the flowery ,southland laves1 ,and crowns o'er many climes the ,chilean queen1 ,braving the swell1 a storm-tossed bark is seen4 ,from doomed ,jerusalem1 to ,jacob dear1 ,albeit a leper1 groping1 blind1 unclean1 ,goes forth ,manasseh's prophet pioneer1 ,predestined to unveil the hidden hemisphere4 ,his lot to reap and plant on this far shore ,the promise of his fathers4 ,joseph's bough1 ,from ,jacob's well1 the billowy wall runs o'er4 ,abides in strength the archer-stricken bow1 ,unto the utmost bound prevailing now1 ,of ,hesper's heaven-inviting hills4 ,bend sheaves ,of ,israel1 as branches bend with snow1 ,unto his sheaf as mightiest2 and as leaves ,for multitude1 the son the great sire's glory weaves4 ,the cataclysms which took place in this western world during the crucifixion and entombment of ,messiah and ,his subsequent advent in the western world1 ,his teaching the gospel here1 and the establishment of ,his ,church is told by our poet in the following strains4 ,all this and more the prescient monarch saw2 ,messiah's self1 ,jehovah1 ,him beheld2 ,the ,lamb of ,god1 in whom was found no flaw1 ,though ,hate's black billows round ,him surged and swelled2 ,life's deathless tree--deathless1 though demon-felled2 ,the crash resounding to this far-off shore1 ,whose winnowed remnant welcomed ,him revealed ,in risen glory1 when had ceased the roar ,and raging of the tempest heralds sent before4 ,at whose rebuke the haughty mountains bowed1 ,shorn by the whirlwind1 sunk1 or swept away1 ,no more their frown the lowly valleys cowed1 ,rising like billows 'mid the wrathful fray1 ,and dashing 'gainst the skies their dusty spray4 ,rocks1 boulders1 hills1 no ,titan strength could lift1 ,hurtle as pebbles in the storm-fiend's play4 ,earth opes her jaws1 and through the yawning rift1 ,cities1 peoples1 vanish1 of hope1 of life1 bereft4 ,three hours of tempest and three days of night2 ,thick darkness1 thunder-burst1 and lightning flash2 ,millions engulfed1 millions in prostrate plight1 ,grovelling as slaves that feel or fear the lash1 ,mingling their groans and cries with grind and crash ,of crags the cyclone's catapult impels1 ,whose shrieking flails the fields and forests thrash4 ,wild o'er the land roused ,ocean's anger swells2 ,fierce ,flame's prophetic tongue the final doom foretells4 ,three hours of stormful strife2--then all is still4 ,save for a ,voice that universe might hear1 ,proclaiming what hath happed as ,heaven's high will1 ,dispensing pardon and dispelling fear1 ,drawing the righteous nearer and more near4 ,anon ,he lifts the curtain of the sky6 ,the midday sun no more their minister2 ,greater hath arisen2 and glories multiply ,as angels in their gaze earthward and heavenward fly4 ,he greets them as a shepherd greets his flock2 ,shows them ,his wounded side1 ,his hands1 ,his feet2 ,then builds ,his ,church upon the stricken ,rock1 ,where flow life's healing waters1 limpid1 sweet1 ,as infant innocence1 that joys to meet ,its great ,original4 ,with holy hand ,he ministers1 bids death and hell retreat1 ,and singles twelve from out the sainted band ,to sow with gospel light the furrowed1 tear-worn land4 ,then follows the story of the ,nephite golden age1 and this by a period of apostasy from ,god and the final overthrow of the people1 concluding with the coming of the ,gentile races to the promised land and the advent of the ,seer1 ,joseph ,smith1 who shall make known through the ,book of ,mormon the otherwise unknown history of the western world4 ,the ,gentile comes1 as destiny decrees1 ,to ,joseph's land of wonders held in store4 ,freedom his watchword1 sons of ,freedom these1 ,like to the favored bands that long before ,a refuge found upon this sheltering shore4 ,but champions of right oft wrong the right2 ,oppressed become oppressors in an hour2 ,and now1 as day that pushes back the night1 ,the strong the weak assail1 enslave1 and put to flight4 ,nor yet can fate forsake them4 ,japheth's hand ',gainst ,jacob's wrath-doomed remnant still prevails4 ,tyrants oppress him from the motherland2 ,the ,lord of hosts a champion arms and mails1 ,to match whose might no human power avails2 ,nor grander cause or chieftain e'er came forth4 ,him as its sire a new-born nation hails1 ,and fain would crown him1 spite his will1 his birth1 ,did ,heaven vouchsafe such king to shame most kings of earth-- ,real though oft recreant sons of ,deity1 ,builders1 o'erthrowers1 of imperial thrones1 ,in wrongful act of rightful agency ,drenching with blood1 paving with human bones ,the path to power1 gruesome with tears and groans4 ,their lives a failure8 ,god a failure8 ,nay2 ,what'er betide1 the soul that sins atones2 ,and ,he who casts the parts all mortals play1 ,succeeds ,he ever1 ,his the night1 and ,his the day4 ,thine antecedents1 thy forerunners1 these1 ,prophet of ,ephraim1 ,joseph's namesake seer6 ,more than those ancient bridgers of the seas1 ,unveiler of the long-hid hemisphere1 ,whose secret 'tis lies booked and buried here4 ,bring forth that word of ,joseph1 now to join ,with ,judah's word1 ,messiah's throne to rear2 ,that high may rise and holily may shine ,god's house1 the pure-in-heart1 kingdom of ,king divine4 ,the whole ,canto1 and indeed the whole poem1 should be read in order to get the full beauty and power of the poet's theme1 in which the ,book of ,mormon is so large a factor of inspiration4 ,summary of ,internal ,evidences4 ,this is all ,i intend to say directly on the subject of the ,internal ,evidences of the truth of the ,book of ,mormon2 what else remains that could properly fall under this division of the subject will be said in connection with the answers to objections to the claims of the book4 ,before leaving the subject1 however1 ,i ask the reader to recall in one view the various internal evidences considered up to this time1 that it may be remembered how numerous they are1 and how strong and conclusive they are when massed4 ,the ,internal ,evidences of the ,book of ,mormon consist in the following facts3 ,the book in style and language is consistent with the theory of its construction2 ,it responds to the demands both of unity and diversity in its style1 under the theory of its structure2 ,it has all the characteristics of an abridgment2 ,it meets all the requirements of the circumstances in the matter of names1 originality in names1 differences between ,jaredite and ,nephite names1 and the custom of ,hebrew peoples with reference to names2 ,its governments are in harmony with the political principles of the age in which those governments are said to have existed2 ,the events to which importance is given are such as would be expected from the character of its writers2 ,the complexity of its structure is in harmony with the theory of its origin2 ,it meets the requirements in originality of structure1 manner of coming forth1 theory of peopling ,america1 the nativity of its peoples1 accounting for ,christian truths in ,america1 and in its doctrines2 ,its prophecies1 so many and important1 so far as the wheels of time have brought them due1 are fulfilled1 and others are in course of fulfillment2 ,it deals with subjects worthy of ,god to reveal1 and important for man to know2 ,it has an atmosphere about it1 a spirit1 that bears witness of its truth4 ,footnotes #a4 ,see ,i4 ,kings xix4 #b4 ,the ,prophet's ,journal1 ,november #bh1 #ahda4 #c4 ,luke x3 #ba4 #d4 ,james iv3 #f4 ,peter v3 #e4 ,,part ,,iv4 ,objections to the ,book of ,mormon ,,chapter ,,xliv4 ,,counter ,,theories ,,of ,,origin4 ,no sane man dreams of maintaining that a religion is true because of the difficulties which it involves2 the utmost that can reasonably be maintained is that it may be true in spite of them4 #a ,the necessity for a counter theory of the origin of the ,book of ,mormon was early recognized4 ,sectarian ,christendom felt that ,joseph ,smith's story of the book's origin must be overthrown1 else what would come of this new revelation1 this new dispensation of ,god's word8 ,joseph ,smith's account of the origin of the book was a direct challenge to the teachings of modern ,christendom that revelation had ceased2 that the awful voice of prophecy would no more be heard2 that the volume of scripture was completed and forever closed2 and that the ,bible was the only volume of scripture4 ,hence ,christendom must find some other origin for this book than that given by ,joseph ,smith4 ,the first objection then to be considered is the objection to the book's origin by examining the counter theories4 ,i4 ,alexander ,campbell's ,theory3 ,alexander ,campbell1 founder of the sect of the ,disciples1 or ,campbellites1 as they are more commonly called1 was the first who in any formal1 public manner assailed the ,book of ,mormon1 and proposed a counter theory of its origin than that given by ,joseph ,smith4 ,alexander ,campbell was born in ,ireland1 #aghh1 but educated at ,glasgow ,university1 ,scotland1 where he graduated with the title of ,doctor of ,divinity4 ,he came to the ,united ,states in #ahji1 settling in ,bethany1 ,virginia1 and for some time filled the position of pastor of the ,presbyterian church at that place4 ,he soon parted from this communion1 however1 and began religious work on independent lines2 and organized a society whose doctrine was that the ,bible should be the sole creed of the church4 ,this led to the establishment of a ,reformed ,baptist ,church1 which finally took the name of ,disciples or ,christians4 ,mr4 ,campbell has generally been accounted--and indeed was--one of the most learned divines of the country and century in which he lived4 ,he founded a college at ,bethany1 ,virginia2 and was also the founder of the ,christian ,baptist1 which finally merged 7#ahcj7 into the ,millennial ,harbinger1 both as their titles indicate being religious periodicals4 ,he was the author of a number of works on religious subjects1 but is generally remembered through his public debates with ,robert ,owen1 the celebrated ,english ,deist and social reformer2 ,archbishop ,purcell1 of the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 whose diocese was ,cincinnati and vicinity2 ,rev4 ,n4 ,l4 ,rice1 of the ,presbyterian ,church2 and the ,rev4 ,william ,mc,calla4 ,it will be seen from the foregoing sketch of this celebrated man1 that so far as scholarship and trained ability in religious controversy is concerned1 he was competent to analyze and make a severe criticism of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,before going into that1 however1 ,i think there is one other fact bearing on his career that should be noted4 ,it will perhaps be remembered that ,walter ,scott and ,sidney ,rigdon were associated with ,mr4 ,campbell in his reform operations in the state of ,pennsylvania and ,ohio4 ,up to #ahcj1 the last named gentleman was as energetic in the interests of the ,disciples as ,mr4 ,scott or ,mr4 ,campbell4 ,cardinal points in the reformation proposed by these gentlemen were1 first3 the recognition of the ,bible as the only creed of the church2 and after that faith in ,god and ,christ1 and the ,holy ,spirit2 repentance of sin1 and baptism in water by immersion for the remission of sins4 ,it will be seen at once that in these doctrines the reformers were really preaching a number of the first principles and ordinances of the gospel2 and when ,sidney ,rigdon became interested in ,mormonism and visited the ,prophet ,joseph in ,new ,york1 ,december1 #ahcj1 a revelation was given through the ,prophet to ,sidney ,rigdon1 in which the ,lord claimed this reform work1 in a way1 as his3 ,behold1 verily1 verily1 ,i say unto my servant ,sidney1 ,i have looked upon thee and thy works4 ,i have heard thy prayers and prepared thee for a greater work4 ,thou art blessed1 for thou shalt do great things4 ,behold1 thou wast sent forth1 even as ,john1 to prepare the way before me1 and before ,elijah which should come1 and thou knewest it not4 ,thou didst baptize by water unto repentance1 but they received not the ,holy ,ghost4 ,but now ,i give unto thee a commandment1 that thou shalt baptize by water1 and they shall receive the ,holy ,ghost by the laying on of hands1 even as the apostles of old4 #b ,from this it appears that ,sidney ,rigdon was unconsciously inspired of ,god in teaching faith1 repentance1 and baptism for the remission of sins4 ,in evidence that the work of these reformers was a preparatory work to the coming forth of the fullness of the gospel1 ,i may say that perhaps more people joined the ,church in an early day from this sect of ,disciples than from any other denomination whatsoever4 ,but if ,sidney ,rigdon was inspired of ,god in this work1 and was sent forth even as ,john the ,baptist to prepare the way for the incoming of a still greater work1 may it not also be true that ,alexander ,campbell was inspired of ,god1 and in like manner sent forth to prepare the way for the coming forth of the greater work8 ,undoubtedly2 for if ,sidney ,rigdon could be thus sent forth1 one could easily believe that ,alexander ,campbell1 with his larger knowledge and greater capacity1 would more likely be sent forth on such a mission4 ,when1 however1 the new dispensation of the gospel was brought to his attention1 and he came in contact with the ,book of ,mormon1 instead of accepting it1 as ,sidney ,rigdon did1 he rejected it2 pride of opinion1 pride of intellectual attainments1 pride as a leader of men1 and the founder of a sect are doubtless the causes which induced the spiritual darkness that prevented him from seeing the truth2 or1 if he saw it1 prevented him from accepting it2 and hence he chose to reject it1 and assail it1 and for a number of years was its most pronounced antagonist4 ,i have already remarked upon the educational and intellectual abilities of ,mr4 ,campbell as fitting him for the work of thorough analysis and criticism of the ,book of ,mormon2 but when one compares his criticism of the book with his debate with ,robert ,owen1 in which he makes a most masterful defense of historic ,christianity2 or with his debate with ,archbishop ,purcell which1 at the time it took place1 was called ,the ,battle of the ,giants--one can but feel that his performance with reference to the ,book of ,mormon was wholly unworthy of him4 ,unworthy both of his great intellect and high character4 ,in his assault upon that book there is a bitterness1 and even a vulgarity1 entirely absent from his other works1 and utterly unaccountable for1 unless one can think that in the background of his consciousness there was a realization that the work he assailed was true1 and hence his assault is tinged with a bitterness likely to result from such a circumstance4 ,i shall have occasion to refer to several1 in fact to all of ,mr4 ,campbell's objections1 in the course of this division of my treatise1 but at present ,i shall confine myself to his theory of the ,book of ,mormon's origin4 ,his theory respecting the origin of the book was that ,joseph ,smith was its author4 ,this he repeats at various places in his criticism4 ,smith1 he says1 its real author1 as ignorant and as impudent a knave as ever wrote a book1 betrays the cloven foot in basing his whole book upon a false fact1 or a pretended fact1 which makes ,god a lair1 etc4 ,again3 ,the book proposes to be written at intervals and by different persons during the long period of #ajbj years1 and yet for uniformity of style1 there never was a book more evidently written by one set of fingers1 nor more certainly conceived in one cranium since the first book appeared in human language1 than this same book4 ,if ,i could swear to any man's voice1 face1 or person1 assuming different names1 ,i could swear that this book was written by one man4 ,and as ,joseph ,smith is a very ignorant man1 and is called the author on the title page1 ,i cannot doubt for a single moment but that he is sole author and proprietor of it4 #c ,from this it appears that the reasons which induced ,alexander ,campbell to conclude that ,joseph ,smith was the sole author and proprietor of the ,book of ,mormon1 are1 ,first3 that he is called the ,author and ,proprietor of it on the title page1 #d and ,second3 that there is a uniformity of style throughout the book4 ,the reason for ,joseph ,smith calling himself ,author and ,proprietor of the ,book of ,mormon is easily accounted for4 ,the copyright law of the ,united ,states1 in force at the time of the publication of the ,book of ,mormon1 secured the rights to copies of maps1 charts1 and books1 to the authors and proprietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned1 but the law said nothing respecting the rights of translators of books1 hence ,joseph ,smith adopted the legal phraseology of the law1 and secured the copyright to the ,book of ,mormon as author and proprietor1 since he could not obtain the copyright as translator4 #e ,that ,joseph ,smith from the first claimed only to be the translator of the ,book of ,mormon is evident from the preface to the first edition1 where he says3 ,i would inform you that ,i 'translated' by the gift and power of ,god1 and caused to be written #aaf pages of manuscript which ,i took from the ,book of ,lehi1 which was an account abridged from the plates of ,lehi by the hand of ,mormon1 etc4 ,throughout the preface he speaks of his work as a translation4 ,so that it cannot be said that ,joseph ,smith claimed at any time to be other than a translator of the work1 hence any argument based upon ,joseph ,smith announcing himself as author and proprietor of the ,book of ,mormon merely to comply with the phraseology of the copyright law1 is technical and without force4 #f ,as to the argument based upon the uniformity of literary style throughout the book1 ,i have already called attention to the requirements both of unity and diversity of style1 resulting in the conclusion that the construction of the book does not require a wide diversity of literary style1 because of the fact that it is composed chiefly of four writers1 two living in the sixth century ,b4 ,c41 and the other two living #djj ,a4 ,d4 #g ,moreover1 it is conceded in these pages that the translation by ,joseph ,smith was made in such language and literary style as he was competent to execute1 and hence uniformity in literary style is to be looked for in the translation since the ,english is his4 #h ,campbell's theory of the origin of the ,book of ,mormon1 nothwithstanding his learning and acknowledged literary ability1 failed to be convincing2 the evidence of the fact is seen in this that his theory was soon abandoned for another1 hence it can be concluded that it was entirely unsatisfactory--that is1 failed4 ,indeed ,mr4 ,campbell himself1 as soon as the ,spaulding ,theory of the book's origin was launched1 abandoned his own and gave to that his support4 #i ,,ii4 ,the ,spaulding ,theory of the ,origin of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,taking its source in ,erie county1 ,pennsylvania1 and flowing generally in a north-westerly course into ,ohio1 thence northward through ,ashtabula county1 ,ohio1 until it empties into ,lake ,erie1 is ,conneaut ,creek4 ,it meanders through a country somewhat rich in mounds and other evidences of the existence of civilized races that anciently inhabited ,america4 ,very naturally the people inhabiting that section of the country were interested in these subjects4 ,here resided in the early years of the nineteenth century one ,solomon ,spaulding1 a graduate1 it is said1 of ,dartmouth ,college1 ,hanover1 ,new ,hampshire4 ,according to those who have recorded his history1 he was born in ,ashford1 ,connecticut1 #agfa1 and graduated at ,dartmouth in #aghe with the degree of ,a4 ,b4 ,he subsequently studied theology1 and began preaching in #ahjj1 but on account of failing health he went into the merchandise business at ,cherry ,valley1 ,new ,york4 ,he failed in merchandising1 and moved to ,new ,salem1 ,ashtabula county1 ,ohio1 #ahjg or #ahjh4 ,new ,salem is on the banks of the ,conneaut ,creek1 and sometimes is called ,conneaut4 ,here ,spaulding went into the iron foundry business1 but failed in that also4 ,in #ahji he began writing a religious romance1 incited to the undertaking by reason of the numerous evidences of the civilized races by which he was surrounded at ,conneaut4 ,this work1 from the concensus of the recollections of those who claimed to have heard portions of it read1 he called the ,manuscript ,found1 from the circumstance of his romance being based upon the pretended finding of the manuscript of it in a cave in the vicinity of ,new ,salem4 ,it feigned also to give an account of the migration of a colony to ,america in ancient times4 ,mr4 ,spaulding continued to live in ,new ,salem until #ahab1 when he removed from that place to ,pittsburg1 ,penn41 where it is supposed that he resided some two years4 ,it is claimed that while living here ,mr4 ,spaulding placed his manuscript story in the hands of a ,mr4 ,patterson1 a printer and publisher of ,pittsburg1 who retained it for some time2 read it and urged ,mr4 ,spaulding to write a title page and preface for it1 saying that he would publish it1 and that it might be a source of profit4 ,this1 for some unaccountable reason1 ,mr4 ,spaulding refused to do4 ,at length the manuscript was returned to its author1 and soon after1 said ,mrs4 ,spaulding in a narrative attributed to her1 we moved to ,amity1 ,washington county1 ,penn41 where ,mr4 ,spaulding in #ahaf died4 ,it is claimed1 by the advocates of this ,spaulding theory of the origin of the ,book of ,mormon1 that ,sidney ,rigdon1 through a ,mr4 ,lambdin1 an employe of ,patterson's publishing establishment1 became acquainted with this manuscript story2 borrowed it and copied it1 as some say2 stole it according to the theory of others4 ,afterwards by some means unexplained1 and as ,i think unexplainable1 ,sidney ,rigdon1 it is claimed1 became associated with ,joseph ,smith living in ,manchester ,township1 ,new ,york1 or in ,susquehanna county1 ,pennsylvania--from #bej to #cjj miles distant from any point where ,sidney ,rigdon resided during those years when the ,book of ,mormon was coming forth1--collaborated with him1 and published ,spaulding's romance1 with religious doctrinal matter added by ,rigdon1 as the ,book of ,mormon4 ,this is the theory most generally accepted by those who recognize the importance of overthrowing the account of the book's origin given by ,joseph ,smith4 ,i wish now to call attention to the circumstance under which this theory came to be substituted for the much more tenable1 though inadequate one1 advanced some years earlier by ,alexander ,campbell4 ,this settlement on ,conneaut ,creek1 called ,new ,salem1 was on the route usually traveled by the ,saints and ,elders in their journey from ,new ,york to ,kirtland1 ,ohio1 and from ,kirtland1 ,ohio1 to the branches of the ,church1 established in ,canada1 ,new ,york1 and ,pennsylvania1 hence the people of that neighborhood were frequently brought in contact with ,mormonism1 and the story of its origin was often before them4 ,in the fall of #ahcc1 a number of affidavits were taken from the former neighbors and friends of ,solomon ,spaulding1 and one was given by his brother1 ,john ,spaulding1 and one by the latter's wife1 ,martha ,spaulding4 ,they at the time were residing at ,crawford1 ,pennsylvania1 and both testified they had recently read the ,book of ,mormon1 and recognized in it the general outlines of ,solomon ,spaulding's story1 claiming especially to remember the names ,nephi and ,lehi2 the words ,nephites and ,lamanites2 and also the ancient scriptural style and the frequent use of the phrase and it came to pass2 and that the ,american ,indians are descendants of the ,jews1 or lost tribes of ,israel4 ,mr4 ,henry ,lake1 an associate in business with ,mr4 ,spaulding1 living at ,conneaut in the fall of #ahcc1 in connection with others that will be named1 living in the same neighborhood1 testified that ,solomon ,spaulding read to him the ,manuscript ,found2 that it represented the ,american ,indians as the descendants of the lost tribes of ,israel1 and that he suggested to ,mr4 ,spaulding that the frequent use of the phrase and it came to pass rendered the book ridiculous4 ,john ,n4 ,miller testified substantially to the same things saying in addition that ,spaulding's story landed his colony near the ,straits of ,darien1 which he was confident he called ,zarahemla4 ,aaron ,wright testified to substantially the same things as the foregoing4 ,that the ,american ,indians1 according to ,spaulding's story1 were descendants of the lost tribes of ,israel1 and claims especially that the historical part of the ,book of ,mormon is substantially what he heard read from the ,manuscript ,found1 though he excepts out of the work1 as not being ,spaulding's1 the religious matter4 ,oliver ,smith testified substantially to the same things1 saying in effect that on reading the ,book of ,mormon he at once recognized it as the writings of ,solomon ,spaulding4 ,nahum ,howard1 testified that he had recently read the ,book of ,mormon1 and believed that all but the religious part of it was the same as that written by ,spaulding4 ,artemas ,cunningham1 living in ,perry1 ,geauga county1 ,ohio1 testified that in #ahaa he waited upon ,solomon ,spaulding at his home in ,new ,salem1 to collect debts1 and that the latter read to him on that occasion some parts of his manuscript story1 partially examining the ,book of ,mormon he became convinced that ,spaulding had written its outlines before he left ,conneaut4 #aj ,it is upon the testimony of these parties that the ,spaulding theory rests4 ,subsequently many others claimed to have information upon the subject1 and gave statements to newspapers almost ad infinitum1 constantly varying the claims and adding items that so burdened the theory with inconsistencies and contradictions that it breaks down1 as we shall see1 under the accumulation4 ,but now as to the manner in which this theory came to be exploited4 ,as in former dispensations of the gospel1 so in this last dispensation1 the gospel net gathers of all kinds4 ,some are fit for the ,master's use1 and some fit only to be cast back into the world1 as worthless fish are cast back into the sea4 ,of such was one ,doctor ,philastus ,hurlburt4 ,he made his first appearance in ,kirtland in the early spring of #ahcc1 where1 after investigating ,mormonism1 he accepted it1 and on the #ahth of ,march of that year was ordained an ,elder4 ,soon afterwards he went on a brief mission to the east1 where he was guilty of unchristianlike conduct in his deportment with women4 ,on his return to ,kirtland he was confronted with this charge1 and at a conference of ,high ,priests was deprived of his license as an ,elder1 and excommunicated from the ,church4 ,from this decision he appealed to the ,council of the ,first ,presidency1 and because of his confession and apparent repentance he was restored4 ,shortly afterwards1 however1 he boasted of having deceived both the ,prophet and the council1 and he was again excommunicated from the ,church1 after which he avowed himself the enemy of the ,prophet ,joseph and of ,mormonism1 and sought by all means within his power to destroy both4 ,his threats against the ,prophet's life became so violent that he was arraigned before the court in ,chardon1 the county seat of ,geauga county1 and bound over in the sum of two hundred dollar bonds1 to keep the peace1 and to pay the cost of the proceedings4 #aa ,the title of ,doctor given to this man1 and which when rightfully held gives evidence of respectability as well as of professional standing1 did not grow out of the fact that he was a physician1 nor was it a little of honor at all with him1 but was given to him because he was the seventh son in his family1 who1 according to the old folklore1 should be made a physician1 hence he was called ,doc or ,doctor4 ,according to the statement of ,joseph ,e4 ,johnson1 who was acquainted with him at ,kirtland1 ,hurlburt was a man of fine physique1 very good looking but pompous and ambitious1 which lead him to seek position in the ,church and solicit marriage with the first families2 but his evil character thwarted all such efforts4 ,it is this man who is chiefly responsible for the ,spaulding theory of the origin of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,having heard of ,spaulding's ,manuscript ,found on ,conneaut ,creek1 he immediately entered into negotiations with the ,prophet's enemies in and about ,kirtland1 and by them was employed to gather up the statements to which reference has been made1 as also1 if possible1 to secure the ,spaulding manuscript for the purpose of comparing it with the ,book of ,mormon4 ,he also went to the former home of the ,prophet1 for the purpose of collecting all the scandal and rumors that could be gathered up or manufactured against the ,smith family2 as also all the stories and neighborhood gossip which became current about the coming forth of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,meantime1 however1 the true character of ,hurlburt became so generally known and was so unsavory1 that those who had employed him to gather this material for the contemplated anti-,mormon book found it necessary to drop ,hurlburt1 and leave the publication in the hands of others4 ,among those who had interested themselves in these plans for the destruction of the ,book of ,mormon and the ,church1 was ,e4 ,d4 ,howe1 of ,painsville1 ,ohio4 ,painsville is but a few miles distant northwest of ,kirtland4 ,one of ,mr4 ,howe's reasons for anger against the ,church was the fact that both his wife and sister had become converts to the new faith4 ,he purchased the materials that had been gathered for ,hurlburt's ,anti-,mormon book1 and published them under the title of ,mormonism ,unveiled1 7#ahcd74 ,it is the first ,anti-,mormon book of any pretentions1 and has been the chief source of information for all the ,anti-,mormon publications which have followed it1 that pretend to relate at all the early events connected with the coming forth of the great latter-day work4 ,it took some six years to dispose of the first edition1 as the second edition was not issued until #ahdj4 ,so little influence1 however1 did ,mormonism ,unveiled have that many people in the very region of its origin continued to accept the ,book of ,mormon1 and became members of the ,church of the ,latter-day ,saints4 ,after the publication of ,howe's book in #ahcd1 there were no further developments in the ,spaulding ,theory until ,may1 #ahci1 when attention was again called to it through the publication of what purported to be either an affidavit or signed statement #ab by ,mrs4 ,matilda ,davison4 ,this lady was formerly ,solomon ,spaulding's wife1 and lived with him until his death in #ahaf4 ,four years later she married ,mr4 ,davison1 and at the time of the publication of the signed statement here referred to1 was living with her daughter1 ,mrs4 ,m',kenstry1 at ,monson1 ,massachusetts4 ,her statement follows3 ,,alleged ,,statement ,,of ,,mrs4 ,,davison1 ,,formerly ,,the ,,wife ,,of ,,solomon ,,spaulding4 ,as the ,book of ,mormon1 or ,golden ,bible 7as it was originally called7 has excited much attention1 and is deemed by a certain new sect of equal authority with the ,sacred ,scriptures1 ,i think it a duty which ,i owe to the public to state what ,i know touching its origin4 ,that its claims to a divine origin are wholly unfounded needs no proof to a mind unperverted by the grossest illusions4 ,that any sane person should rank it higher than any other merely human composition is a matter of the greatest astonishment2 yet it is received as divine by some who dwell in enlightened ,new ,england1 and even by those who have sustained the character of devoted ,christians4 ,learning recently that ,mormonism had found its way into a church in ,massachusetts1 and has impregnated some with its gross delusions1 so that excommunication has been necessary1 ,i am determined to delay no longer in doing what ,i can to strip the mask from this mother of sin1 and to lay open this pit of abominations4 ,solomon ,spaulding1 to whom ,i was united in marriage in early life1 was a graduate of ,dartmouth ,college1 and was distinguished for a lively imagination1 and a great fondness for history4 ,at the time of our marriage he resided in ,cherry ,valley1 ,new ,york4 ,from this place we removed to ,new ,salem1 ,ashtabula county1 ,ohio1 sometimes called ,conneaut1 as it is situated on ,conneaut ,creek4 ,shortly after our removal to this place1 his health sunk1 and he was laid aside from active labors4 ,in the town of ,new ,salem there are numerous mounds and forts supposed by many to be the dilapidated dwellings and fortifications of a race now extinct4 ,these ancient relics arrest the attention of the new settlers1 and become objects of research for the curious4 ,numerous implements were found1 and other articles evincing great skill in the arts4 ,mr4 ,spaulding being an educated man1 and passionately fond of history1 took a lively interest in these developments of antiquity2 and in order to beguile the hours of retirement and furnish employment for his lively imagination1 he conceived the idea of giving an historical sketch of this long lost race4 ,their extreme antiquity led him to write in the most ancient style1 and as the ,old ,testament is the most ancient book in the world1 he imitated its style as nearly as possible4 ,his sole object in writing this imaginary history was to amuse himself and his neighbors4 ,this was about the year #ahab4 ,hull's surrender at ,detroit occurred near the same time1 and ,i recollect the date well from that circumstance4 ,as he progressed in his narrative the neighbors would come in from time to time to hear portions read1 and a great interest in the work was excited among them4 ,it claimed to have been written by one of the lost nation1 and to have been recovered from the earth1 and assumed the title of ,manuscript ,found4 ,the neighbors would often inquire how ,mr4 ,spaulding progressed in deciphering the manuscript2 and when he had sufficient portion prepared1 he would inform them1 and they would assemble to hear it read4 ,he was enabled1 from his acquaintance with the classics and ancient history1 to introduce many singular names1 which were particularly noticed by the people1 and could be easily recognized by them4 ,mr4 ,solomon ,spaulding had a brother1 ,mr4 ,john ,spaulding1 residing in the place at the time1 who was perfectly familiar with the work1 and repeatedly heard the whole of it read4 ,from ,new ,salem we removed to ,pittsburg1 in ,pennsylvania4 ,here ,mr4 ,spaulding found a friend and acquaintance1 in the person of ,mr4 ,patterson1 an editor of a newspaper4 ,he exhibited his manuscript to ,mr4 ,patterson1 who was very much pleased with it1 and borrowed it for perusal4 ,he retained it for a long time1 and informed ,mr4 ,spaulding that if he would make out a title page and preface1 he would publish it1 and it might be a source of profit4 ,this ,mr4 ,spaulding refused to do4 ,sidney ,rigdon1 who has figured so largely in the history of the ,mormons1 was at that time connected with the printing office of ,mr4 ,patterson1 as is well known in that region1 and as ,rigdon himself has frequently stated1 became acquainted with ,mr4 ,spaulding's manuscript1 and copied it4 ,it was a matter of notoriety and interest to all connected with the printing establishment4 ,at length the manuscript was returned to its author1 and soon after we removed to ,amity1 ,washington county1 etc41 where ,mr4 ,spaulding deceased in #ahaf4 ,the manuscript then fell into my hands1 and was carefully preserved4 ,it has frequently been examined by my daughter1 ,mrs4 ,m',kenstry1 of ,monson1 ,mass41 with whom ,i now reside1 and by other friends4 ,after the ,book of ,mormon came out1 a copy of it was taken to ,new ,salem1 the place of ,mr4 ,spaulding's former residence1 and the very place where the ,manuscript ,found was written4 ,a woman preacher appointed a meeting there2 and in the meeting read and repeated copious extracts from the ,book of ,mormon4 ,the historical part was immediately recognized by all the older inhabitants1 as the identical work of ,mr4 ,spaulding1 in which they had all been so deeply interested years before4 ,mr4 ,john ,spaulding was present and recognized perfectly the work of his brother4 ,he was amazed and afflicted that it should have been perverted to so wicked a purpose4 ,his grief found vent in a flood of tears1 and he arose on the spot1 and expressed to the meeting his sorrow and regret that the writings of his deceased brother should be used for a purpose so vile and shocking4 ,the excitement in ,new ,salem became so great that the inhabitants had a meeting and deputed ,dr4 ,philastus ,hurlburt1 one of their number1 to repair to this place and to obtain from me the original manuscript of ,mr4 ,spaulding1 for the purpose of comparing it with the ,mormon ,bible1 to satisfy their own minds1 and to prevent their friends from embracing an error so delusive4 ,this was in the year #ahcd4 ,dr4 ,hurlburt brought with him an introduction and request for the manuscript1 which was signed by ,messrs4 ,henry ,lake1 ,aaron ,wright1 and others1 with all of whom ,i was acquainted1 as they were my neighbors when ,i resided at ,new ,salem4 ,i am sure that nothing would grieve my husband more1 were he living1 than the use which has been made of his work4 ,the air of antiquity which was thrown about the composition1 doubtless suggested the idea of converting it to the purposes of delusion4 ,thus an historical romance1 with the addition of a few pious expressions1 and extracts from the sacred ,scriptures1 has been construed into a new ,bible1 and palmed off upon a company of poor deluded fanatics as divine4 ,i have given the previous brief narration that this work of deep deception and wickedness may be searched to the foundation and the authors exposed to the contempt and execration they so justly deserve4 7,signed7 ,,matilda ,,davison4 ,this statement was published at the instance of ,dr4 ,john ,storrs1 a ,congregational minister of ,holliston1 ,massachusetts4 ,the incentive for his action was the fact that a number of his congregation had become converts to the ,mormon faith and he was angry4 #ac ,mrs4 ,davison1 however1 denied ever having given such a signed statement1 as appears from the following communication published in the ,quincy ,whig1 at ,quincy1 ,illinois4 ,it was published in the ,illinois paper shortly after the ,davison ,statement appeared in the ,boston ,recorder1 under the following title3 ,a ,,cunning ,,device ,,detected4 ,it will be recollected that a few months since an article appeared in several of the papers1 purporting to give an account of the origin of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,how far the writer of that piece has effected his purposes1 or what his purposes were in pursuing the course he has1 ,i shall not attempt to say at this time1 but shall call upon every candid man to judge in this matter for himself1 and shall content myself by presenting before the public the other side of the question in the form of a letter1 as follows3 ,copy of a letter written by ,mr4 ,john ,haven1 of ,holliston1 ,middlesex ,co41 ,massachusetts1 to his daughter1 ,elizabeth ,haven1 of ,quincy1 ,adams ,co41 ,illinois4 ,your brother ,jesse passed through ,monson where he saw ,mrs4 ,davison and her daughter ,mrs4 ,mc,kenstry and also ,dr4 ,ely and spent several hours with them1 during which time he asked them the following questions1 viz43 ,question4--,did you1 ,mrs4 ,davison1 write a letter to ,john ,storrs1 giving an account of the origin of the ,book of ,mormon8 ,answer4--,i did not4 ,q4--,did you sign your name to it8 ,a4--,i did not1 neither did ,i ever see the letter until ,i saw it in the ,boston ,recorder1 the letter was never brought to me to sign4 ,q4--,what agency had you in having this letter sent to ,mr4 ,storrs8 ,a4--,d4 ,r4 ,austin came to my house and asked me some questions1 took some minutes on paper1 and from these minutes wrote that letter4 ,q4--,is what is written in the letter true8 ,a4--,in the main it is4 ,q4 ,have you read the ,book of ,mormon8 ,a4--,i have read some in it4 ,q4--,does ,mr4 ,spaulding's manuscript and the ,book of ,mormon agree8 ,a4--,i think some few of the names are alike4 ,q4--,does the manuscript describe an idolatrous or a religious people8 ,a4--,an idolatrous people8 ,q4--,where is the manuscript8 ,a4--,d4 ,p4 ,hurlburt came here and took it1 said he would get it printed and let me have one-half the profits4 ,q4--,has ,d4 ,p4 ,hurlburt got the manuscript printed8 ,a4--,i received a letter stating that it did not read as he expected1 and he should not print it4 ,q4--,how large is ,mr4 ,spaulding's manuscript8 ,a4--,about one-third as large as the ,book of ,mormon4 ,q4--,to ,mrs4 ,mc,kinstry3 ,how old were you when your father wrote the manuscript8 ,a4--,about five years of age4 ,q4--,did you ever read the manuscript8 ,a4--,when ,i was about twelve years old ,i used to read it for diversion4 ,q4--,did the manuscript describe an idolatrous or a religious people8 ,a4--,an idolatrous people4 ,q4--,does the manuscript and the ,book of ,mormon agree8 ,a4--,i think some of the names agree4 ,q4--,are you certain that some of the names agree8 ,a4--,i am not4 ,q4--,have you read any in the ,book of ,mormon8 ,a4--,i have not4 ,q4--,was your name attached to that letter1 which was sent to ,mr4 ,john ,storrs1 by your order8 ,a4--,no1 ,i never meant that my name should be there4 ,you see by the above questions and answers1 that ,mr4 ,austin1 in his great zeal to destroy the ,latter-day ,saints1 has asked ,mrs4 ,davison a few questions1 then wrote a letter to ,mr4 ,storrs1 in his own language4 ,i do not say that the above questions and answers were given in the form that ,i have written them1 but these questions were asked1 and these answers given4 ,mrs4 ,davison is about seventy years of age1 and somewhat broke4 ,this may certify that ,i am personally acquainted with ,mr4 ,haven1 his son and daughter1 and am satisfied they are persons of truth4 ,i have also read ,mr4 ,haven's letter to his daughter1 which has induced me to copy it for publication1 and ,i further say1 the above is a correct copy of ,mr4 ,haven's letter4 7,signed7 ,a4 ,,badlam4 #ad ,the foregoing statement from the ,quincy ,whig is considerably strengthened by a work published by ,funk ,wagnalls 7#ahhe71 by ,mrs4 ,ellen ,e4 ,dickinson1 a grand daughter of ,willian ,h4 ,sabine1 a brother of ,mrs4 7,spaulding7 ,davison4 ,mrs4 ,dickenson1 whose work is called ,new ,light on ,mormonism1 devotes a number of her chapters to the elaboration of the ,spaulding theory1 and in an appendix publishes twenty-seven documents bearing upon the subject of the ,spaulding manuscript2 but nowhere1 either in the body of her work or in this appendix1 publishes the alleged statement of ,mrs4 ,davison1 which is pretty clear evidence that the statement was never given by ,mrs4 ,davison nor authorized by her4 ,mrs4 ,dickinson from the amount of research she devoted to the subject could not have been ignorant of its existence1 and more especially as she was a relative of ,mrs4 ,davison--grand-niece--and wrote her book as the representative of the ,spaulding relatives to set forth the ,spaulding theory in its proper light4 #ae ,of course had ,mrs4 ,davison done her full duty in the premises as an author1 she would have made reference to this forged statement credited to her grand-aunt and repudiated it in her name2 but this she failed to do4 ,however1 her silence with reference to this statement and her failure to place it in her collection of documents on the subject1 amounts to the same thing--a repudiation of it4 ,but even if ,mrs4 ,davison's repudiation of the article1 to which her name was attached by others1 did not exist1 and if the repudiation of it by her grand-niece by refusing it admission into her collection of documents on the ,spaulding theory did not exist1 there is enough in the statement itself to establish its utter unreliability4 ,these are3 ,first3 ,the description of the manner in which ,john ,spaulding1 brother of ,solomon ,spaulding1 learned of the identity between the ,book of ,mormon and his brother's ,manuscript ,found4 ,according to the ,davison statement1 he was at ,new ,salem when a public speaker read excerpts from the ,book of ,mormon1 and immediately recognized the work of his brother4 ,whereupon1 his amazement and grief found vent in a flood of tears1 and he rose on the spot and expressed his sorrow and regrets that his brother's writings should be used for a purpose so vile and shocking4 ,in the statement of ,john ,spaulding1 published in ,howe's ,mormonism ,unveiled1 there is nothing of all this dramatic circumstance4 ,in that statement #af there is no agony of grief2 no flood of tears2 no denunciation on the spot2 no reference to a purpose vile and shocking2 just a plain statement that he had recently read the ,book of ,mormon2 and the claim that he found nearly the same historical matter in it as in his brother's writings2 some names that were alike1 and that the ,manuscript ,found held to the theory that the ,american ,indians were descendants of the lost tribes2 and evidently supposes that the ,book of ,mormon held the same theory4 ,had any such circumstance as described in the ,davison ,statement occurred1 it would undoubtedly have appeared in ,john ,spaulding's statement published by ,howe five years before this second version was put forth4 ,had such incidents really taken place1 they would have been too rich in dramatic incident to have escaped the publishers of ,mormonism ,unveiled4 ,second3 ,the ,davison ,statement represents that it was through a woman preacher that the ,book of ,mormon was represented at the public meeting at ,new ,salem1 where ,john ,spaulding denounced it on the spot4 ,it is well known that the ,church of the ,latter-day ,saints at that time had no woman preacher1 hence no such circumstance could have occurred4 #ag ,third3 ,the ,davison ,statement represents ,sidney ,rigdon as being connected with the printing office of ,mr4 ,patterson1 of ,pittsburg1 but strangest of all it represents that gentleman as having frequently admitted that connection1 whereas1 as we shall see later1 ,sidney ,rigdon every where and at all times expressly denied any such connection4 ,these inconsistencies of the ,davison ,statement with the well known facts in the case reveal its utterly fraudulent character2 and here we may pause just long enough to remark the desperate straits the opponents of the ,book of ,mormon were driven to in those days1 when they must needs resort to such methods of opposition as are apparent in this bogus statement4 ,does it not cast suspicion upon the whole ,spaulding theory8 ,a suspicion which not all the supposed respectability that goes with titles of ,doctor of ,divinity1 ,reverend1 ,ministers of the ,gospel1 etc41 can remove8 ,after this attempt to galvanize into life the ,spaulding theory by the ,reverend ,john ,storrs1--by methods1 as we have seen1 that were infamous6--it slumbered until the year #ahhj1 when ,mrs4 ,ellen ,e4 ,dickinson1 the grand-niece of ,mrs4 ,davison1 again revived it by the publication of an article in ,scribner's ,magazine for ,august of that year4 ,the chief item of interest in ,mrs4 ,dickenson's publication was an affidavit by ,mrs4 ,m4 ,s4 ,mc,kenstry1 the daughter of ,solomon ,spaulding1 who claimed to have some childhood recollections of her father's manuscript story4 ,her affidavit follows3 ,,mrs4 ,,matilda 7,,spaulding7 ,m',,kenstry',s ,,statement ,,regarding ,,the ,,manuscript ,,found4 ,washington1 ,d4 ,c41 ,april #c1 #ahhj4 ,so much has been published that is erroneous concerning ,the ,manuscript ,found1 written by my father1 the ,rev4 ,solomon ,spaulding1 and its supposed connection with the book called the ,mormon ,bible1 ,i have willingly consented to make the following statement regarding it1 repeating all that ,i remember personally of this manuscript1 and all that is of importance which my mother related to me in connection with it1 at the same time affirming that ,i am in tolerable health and vigor1 and that my memory1 in common with elderly people1 is clearer in regard to the events of my earlier years rather than those of my maturer life4 ,during the war of #ahab ,i was residing with my parents in a little town in ,ohio called ,conneaut4 ,i was then in my sixth year4 ,my father was in business there1 and ,i remember his iron foundry and the men he had at work1 but that he remained at home most of the time1 and was reading and writing a great deal4 ,he frequently wrote little stories1 which he read to me4 ,there were some round mounds of earth near our house which greatly interested him1 and he said a tree on the top of one of them was a thousand years old4 ,he set some of his men to work digging into one of these mounds1 and ,i vividly remember how excited he became when he heard that they had exhumed some human bones1 portions of gigantic skeletons1 and various relics4 ,he talked with my mother of these discoveries in the mound1 and was writing every day as the work progressed4 ,afterwards he read the manuscript which ,i had seen him writing1 to the neighbors1 and to the clergyman1 a friend of his who came to see him4 ,some of the names that he mentioned while reading to these people ,i have never forgotten4 ,they are as fresh to me today as though ,i heard them yesterday4 ,they were ,mormon1 ,maroni1 ,lamenite1 #ah ,nephi4 ,we removed from ,conneaut to ,pittsburg while ,i was still very young1 but every circumstance of this removal is distinct in my memory4 ,in that city my father had an intimate friend named ,patterson1 and ,i frequently visited ,mr4 ,patterson's library with him1 and heard my father talk about books with him4 ,in #ahaf my father died at ,amity1 ,penn41 and directly after his death my mother and myself went to visit at the residence of my mother's brother1 ,william ,h4 ,sabine1 at ,onondaga ,valley1 ,onondaga ,co41 ,n4 ,y4 ,mr4 ,sabine was a lawyer of distinction and wealth1 and greatly respected4 ,we carried all our personal effects with us1 and one of these was an old trunk1 in which my mother had placed all my father's writings which had been preserved4 ,i perfectly remember the appearance of this trunk1 and of looking at its contents4 ,there were sermons and other papers1 and ,i saw a manuscript about an inch thick1 closely written1 tied with some of the stories my father had written for me1 one of which he called ,the ,frogs of ,wyndham4 ,on the outside of this manuscript were written the words1 ,manuscript ,found4 ,i did not read it1 but looked through it1 and had it in my hands many times1 and saw the names ,i had heard at ,conneaut1 when my father read it to his friends4 ,i was about eleven years of age at this time4 ,after we had been at my uncle's for some time my mother left me there and went to her father's house at ,pomfret1 ,conn41 but did not take her furniture nor the old trunk of manuscripts with her4 ,in #ahbj she married ,mr4 ,davison1 of ,hartwicks1 a village near ,cooperstown1 ,n4 ,y41 and sent for the things she had left at ,onondaga ,valley1 and ,i remember that the old trunk with its contents1 reached her in safety4 ,in #ahbh ,i was married to ,dr4 ,a4 ,mc,kinstry1 of ,monson1 ,hampden ,co41 ,mass41 and went there to reside4 ,very soon after my mother joined me there1 and was with me most of the time until her death1 in #ahdd4 ,we heard1 not long after she came to live with me--,i do not remember just how long--something of ,mormonism1 and the report that it had been taken from my father's ,manuscript ,found2 and then came to us direct an account of the ,mormon meeting at ,conneaut1 ,ohio1 and that1 on one occasion1 when the ,mormon ,bible was read there in public1 my father's brother1 ,john ,spaulding1 ,mr4 ,lake and many other persons who were present1 at once recognized its similarity to ,the ,manuscript ,found1 which they had heard read years before by my father in the same town4 ,there was a great deal of talk and a great deal published at this time about ,mormonism all over the country4 ,i believe it was in #ahcd that a man named ,hurlburt came to my house at ,monson to see my mother1 who told us that he had been sent by a committee to procure ,the ,manuscript ,found1 written by the ,rev4 ,solomon ,spaulding1 so as to compare it with the ,mormon ,bible4 ,he presented a letter to my mother from my uncle1 ,william ,h4 ,sabine1 of ,onondaga ,valley1 in which he requested her to loan this manuscript to ,hurlburt1 as he 7my uncle7 was desirous to uproot 7as he expressed it7 this ,mormon fraud4 ,hurlburt represented that he had been a convert to ,mormonism1 but had given it up1 and through ,the ,manuscript ,found wished to expose its wickedness4 ,my mother was careful to have me with her in all the conversations she had with ,hurlburt1 who spent a day at my house4 ,she did not like his appearance1 and mistrusted his motives2 but having great respect for her brother's wishes and opinions1 she reluctantly consented to his request4 ,the old trunk1 containing the desired ,manuscript ,found1 she had placed in the care of ,mr4 ,jerome ,clark1 of ,hartwicks1 when she came to ,monson1 intending to send for it4 ,on the repeated promise of ,hurlburt to return the manuscript to us1 she gave him a letter to ,mr4 ,clark to open the trunk and deliver it to him4 ,we afterwards heard that he did receive it from ,mr4 ,clark at ,hartwicks1 but from that time we have never had it in our possession1 and ,i have no present knowledge of its existence1 ,hurlburt never returning it or answering letters requesting him to do so4 ,two years ago ,i heard he was still living in ,ohio1 and with my consent he was asked for ,the ,manuscript ,found4 ,he made no response1 although we have evidence that he received the letter containing the request4 ,so far ,i have stated facts within my own knowledge4 ,my mother mentioned many other circumstances to me in connection with this subject which are interesting1 of my father's literary tastes1 his fine education1 and peculiar temperament4 ,she stated to me that she had heard the manuscript alluded to read by my father1 was familiar with its contents1 and she deeply regretted that her husband1 as she believed1 had innocently been the means of furnishing matter for a religious delusion4 ,she said that my father loaned this ,manuscript ,found to ,mr4 ,patterson1 of ,pittsburg1 and that1 when he returned it to my father1 he said3 ,polish it up1 finish it1 and you will make money out of it4 ,my mother confirmed my remembrances of my father's fondness for history1 and told me of his frequent conversations regarding a theory which he had of a prehistoric race which had inhabited this continent1 etc41 all showing that his mind dwelt on this subject4 ,the ,manuscript ,found1 she said1 was a romance written in ,biblical style1 and that while she heard it read she had no especial admiration for it more than for other romances he wrote and read to her4 ,we never1 either of us1 ever saw1 or in any way communicated with the ,mormons1 save ,hurlburt1 as above described2 and while we had no personal knowledge that the ,mormon ,bible was taken from ,the ,manuscript ,found1 there were many evidences to us that it was1 and that ,hurlburt and others at the time thought so4 ,a convincing proof to us of this belief was that my uncle1 ,william ,h4 ,sabine1 had undoubtedly read the manuscript which was in his house1 and his faith that its production would show to the world that the ,mormon ,bible had been taken from it1 or was the same with slight alterations4 ,i have frequently answered questions which have been asked me by different persons regarding ,the ,manuscript ,found1 but until now have never made a statement at length for publication4 7,signed7 ,m4 ,s4 ,mc,k,e,n,s,t,r,y4 ,sworn and subscribed to before me this #crd day of ,april1 ,a4 ,d4 #ahhj1 at the city of ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,,charles ,,walter1 ,notary ,public4 ,the items to be noted in this affidavit are3 ,first3 ,that ,mrs4 ,mc,kenstry was in her sixth year 7i4 e41 five years old7 in #ahab1 the year that the ,spaulding family left ,conneaut1 ,ohio1 for ,pennsylvania4 ,four years later1 in #ahaf1 her father died1 so that she was in her tenth year when that event took place1 hence all her recollections concerning the matter were those of a child between the ages of five and nine years4 ,when it is remembered how the half recollections of childhood blend in with1 and are modified by--or half made up--of things that one hears about such days1 no very great importance can be attached to the statements she makes from personal knowledge of what ,manuscript ,found contained4 ,second3 ,when about eleven years of age1 when living at her uncle's in ,onondaga ,valley1 ,new ,york1 7to which place she had removed with her mother7 she finds in an old trunk the writings of her father1 and among them a manucript about an inch thick1 closely written1 and entitled ,manuscript ,found4 ,she did not read it1 but had it in her hands many times1 and saw the names she claims to have heard at ,conneaut4 ,third3 ,the visit of ,hurlburt many years later1 #ahcd1 to herself and mother then residing at ,monson1 ,massachusetts1 who presented a letter from her uncle1 ,w4 ,h4 ,sabine1 in which he requested ,mrs4 ,davison 7formerly wife of ,spaulding1 it will be remembered7 to loan the manuscript of ,spaulding's to ,hurlburt for the purpose of uprooting ,mormonism4 ,fourth3 ,that ,mrs4 ,davison gave an order to ,hurlburt on ,mr4 ,jerome ,clark of ,hartwicks1 ,new ,york1 with whom she had left the trunk containing the manuscript4 ,fifth3 ,that ,hurlburt obtained ,manuscript ,found upon this order1 and that ,mrs4 ,davison could never afterwards obtain any information from him concerning it4 ,the interest created by ,mrs4 ,dickenson's article in ,scribner's1 lead to her making a more ambitious effort1 and in #ahhe she published a book of some #bge pages under the title1 ,new ,light on ,mormonism1 7which by the way1 is a sad misnomer1 since it is but a rehash of all the stale1 ,anti-,mormon stories in existence7 which failed of making any great stir in the world1 just as all ,anti-,mormon books up to date1 by the way1 have failed4 ,the last phase in the development of the ,spaulding theory is a denouement2 namely1 the discovery and publication of ,spaulding's ,manucript ,found1 which determines forever the fact that it was not the source whence the ,book of ,mormon was derived4 ,in #ahci or #ahdj1 a ,mr4 ,l4 ,l4 ,rice purchased the ,painesville ,telegraph1 a newspaper1 of ,mr4 ,e4 ,d4 ,howe1 the publisher of ,mormonism ,unveiled4 ,the transfer of the printing department1 types1 press1 etc41 was accompanied with a large collection of books and manuscripts1 and undoubtedly the ,spaulding manuscript1 which ,hurlburt had delivered to ,howe1 was with the rest4 ,some years afterwards1 ,mr4 ,rice closed up his business affairs in ,painesville and finally made his home in ,honolulu1 ,sandwich ,islands1 taking with him his books1 papers1 etc4 ,in #ahhd ,mr4 ,james ,h4 ,fairchild1 ,president of ,oberlin ,college1 ,ohio1 visited ,mr4 ,rice1 and suggested that the latter look through his numerous papers for the purpose of finding among them anti-slavery documents 7slavery being a subject in which ,mr4 ,rice had been much interested when living in ,ohio7 that might be of value4 ,mr4 ,rice accepted the suggestions and1 in his search discovered a package marked in pencil on the outside ,manuscript ,story1 ,conneaut ,creek2 and on the last page of the manuscript the following inscription3 ,the ,writings of ,solomon ,spaulding ,proved by ,aaron ,wright1 ,oliver ,smith1 ,john ,miller and ,others1 the ,testimonies of the ,above ,gentlemen are ,now in ,my ,possession4 ,d4 ,p4 ,,hurlburt4 ,this document proved to be the long lost romance of ,solomon ,spaulding4 ,president ,fairchild gave the following account of the document and its discovery in the ,january number1 #ahhe1 of the ,bibliotheca ,sacra1 published at ,oberlin1 ,ohio3 ,the theory of the origin of the ,book of ,mormon in the traditional manuscript of ,solomon ,spaulding will probably have to be relinquished4 ,that manuscript is doubtless now in the possession of ,mr4 ,l4 ,l4 ,rice1 of ,honolulu1 ,hawaiian ,islands1 formerly an anti-slavery editor in ,ohio1 and for many years state printer at ,columbus4 ,during a recent visit to ,honolulu1 ,i suggested to ,mr4 ,rice that he might have valuable anti-slavery documents in his possession which he would be willing to contribute to the rich collection already in the ,oberlin ,college library4 ,in pursuance of this suggestion ,mr4 ,rice began looking over his old pamphlets and papers1 and at length came upon an old1 worn1 and faded manuscript of about one hundred and seventy-five pages1 small quarto1 purporting to be a history of the migrations and conflicts of the ancient ,indian tribes which occupied the territory now belonging to the states of ,new ,york1 ,ohio1 and ,kentucky4 ,on the last page of this manuscript is a certificate and signature giving the names of several persons known to the signer1 who have assured him that1 to their personal knowledge1 the manuscript was the writing of ,solomon ,spaulding4 ,mr4 ,rice has no recollection how or when this manuscript came into his possession4 ,it was enveloped in a coarse piece of wrapping paper and endorsed in ,mr4 ,rice's handwriting1 ,a ,manuscript ,story4 ,there seems to be no reason to doubt that this is the long-lost story4 ,mr4 ,rice himself and others compared it with the ,book of ,mormon and could detect no resemblance between the two1 in general or in detail4 ,there seems to be no name or incident common to the two4 ,the solemn style of the ,book of ,mormon1 in imitation of the ,english scriptures1 does not appear in the manuscript4 ,the only resemblance is the fact that both profess to set forth the history of lost tribes4 ,some other explanation of the origin of the ,book of ,mormon must be found if any explanation is required4 ,,james ,h4 ,,fairchild4 ,the means now of ascertaining whether the ,book of ,mormon came from ,spaulding's manuscript was completed4 ,a verbatim et literatim transcript was obtained from ,mr4 ,l4 ,l4 ,rice by ,president ,joseph ,f4 ,smith1 who in #ahhd and #ahhe was residing in the ,sandwich ,islands4 ,this1 in #ahhf1 was published by the ,deseret ,news exactly according to the transcript1 with all its errors of grammar and orthography1 as also with all the alterations1 erasures1 etc41 made by its author1 indicated4 ,after a careful examination of it1 ,i think everybody will come to the same conclusion that ,president ,fairchild did3 namely1 that there is no resemblance between the two1 in general or in detail4 ,there seems to be no name or incident common to the two--a fact that completely explodes the theory that ,spaulding's manuscript was the origin of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,mr4 ,rice is of the same opinion as ,president ,fairchild1 though more emphatic in the expression of it4 ,he says3 ,i should as soon think the ,book of ,revelation was written by the author of ,don ,quixote1 as that the writer of this manuscript was the author of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,then in a postscript to the letter from which the above is a quotation1 he says3 ,upon reflection1 since writing the foregoing1 ,i am of the opinion that no one who reads this manuscript will give credit to the story that ,solomon ,spaulding was in any wise the author of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,it is unlikely that any one who wrote so elaborate a work as the ,mormon ,bible would spend his time in getting up so shallow a story as this1 which at best is but a feeble imitation of the other4 ,finally ,i am more than half convinced that this is his only writing of the sort1 and that any pretense that ,spaulding was in any sense the author of the other is a sheer fabrication4 ,it was easy for anybody who may have seen this1 or heard anything of its contents1 to get up the story that they were identical4 ,subsequently and in another letter he said3 ,my opinion is1 from all ,i have seen and learned1 that this is the only writing of ,spaulding1 and there is no foundation for the statement of ,deming and others that ,spaulding made another story1 more elaborate1 of which several copies were written1 one of which ,rigdon stole from a printing office in ,pittsburg1 etc4 #ai ,mr4 ,rice finally deposited the original ,spaulding manuscript with the ,oberlin ,college1 where it now lies secure for the inspection of the curious1 and a standing refutation to the extravagant claims that have been made respecting the part it played in the origin of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,let us now review the course of those who originated this ,spaulding theory1 and foister it upon the world4 ,it was evidently conceived by ,doctor ,philastus ,hurlburt1 the enemy of the ,prophet ,joseph and of ,mormonism4 ,he had heard of ,spaulding's writings in ,pennsylvania1 also at ,conneaut1 ,ohio1 and in his hatred of ,mormonism determined to show some connection between the writings of ,spaulding and the ,book of ,mormon1 in the hope of destroying faith in the divine origin of the latter4 ,he appealed to other enemies of the ,prophet1 and with their financial assistance started out to collect affidavits and statements that would prove his theory4 ,hurlburt1 under ,mrs4 ,davison's order1 as already seen1 obtained ,spaulding's story ,the ,manuscript ,found1 undoubtedly the identical story which ,spaulding had read to his neighbors on ,conneaut ,creek4 ,this is proved by the fact that the document which ,hurlburt turned over to ,howe #bj corresponds with every description that is given concerning the size and character of the manuscript4 ,mrs4 ,davison1 in her conversation with ,jesse ,haven1 declares that the manuscript would be about one-third as large as the ,book of ,mormon #ba 7that is1 would produce about one-third of the printed matter in that book47 ,mrs4 ,mc,kinstry1 in describing ,manuscript ,found which she had in her hands many times1 says that the manuscript was about one inch thick1 and closely written4 ,this agrees closely with the statement of ,mrs4 ,davison on the subject4 ,mr4 ,howe1 in his book1 declares that the ,manuscript ,found in ,mrs4 ,spaulding ,davison's trunk was in ,spaulding's hand writing1 containing about one quire of paper4 #bb ,all witnesses who came in contact with this manuscript story declare that the title of it was ,the ,manuscript ,found2 or ,manuscript ,found4 ,this is the statement of nearly all the witnesses on ,conneaut ,creek1 whose testimony appears in ,howe's ,mormonism1 and that it contained the names of ,nephi1 ,lehi1 ,mormon1 ,lamanites1 etc41 and was based on the theory that the ,american ,indians were the ,lost tribes of ,israel4 ,but when ,hurlburt returned to ,conneaut with this precious ,manuscript ,found1 according to ,howe's own statement1 it was not at all what it had been represented to be4 ,howe says of the manuscript3 ,this is a romance purporting to have been translated from the ,latin found on #bd rolls of parchment in a cave on the banks of ,conneaut ,creek1 but written in modern style1 and giving a fabulous account of a ship's being driven upon the ,american coast while proceeding from ,rome to ,britain a short time previous to the ,christian era2 this country then being inhabited by the ,indians4 ,this old manuscript has been shown to several of the foregoing witnesses1 #bc who recognize it as ,spaulding's4 ,the foregoing accurately describes the ,manuscript ,found1 since obtained of ,mr4 ,l4 ,l4 ,rice and published2 and by both its title and its size is identified to be the manuscript read by ,spaulding to his neighbors4 ,this manuscript must have been a very great disappointment to the conspirators against the ,book of ,mormon4 ,they had staked their all on the fact of ,spaulding's ,manuscript ,found being the foundation matter of the ,book of ,mormon1 but when found it proved to be so dissimilar that they could not1 with any face1 undertake to maintain that this manuscript was the source whence the ,book of ,mormon was derived4 ,what must be done to meet this dilemma8 ,that those who had gone this far in opposing the work of ,god would repent of their folly1 and admit their defeat would be too much to expect4 ,no2 instead of doing that they resorted to the following subterfuge4 ,i quote ,howe3 ,this manuscript has been shown to several of the foregoing witnesses who recognize it as ,spaulding's1 he having told them that he had altered his first plan of writing1 by going farther back with dates1 and writing in the old scripture style1 in order that it might appear more ancient4 ,they say that it bears no resemblance to the ,manuscript ,found4 #bd ,two things1 in this statement1 are extremely unfortunate for the reputation of ,mr4 ,howe1 and those who have been beguiled into accepting the theory of his book respecting the origin of the ,book of ,mormon3 ,first3 ,the fact that in none of the statements of the witnesses who heard ,mr4 ,spaulding read his manuscript is there any account of his having made two drafts of his story1 one which he found too modern to suit the antiquities of ,america1 and written in modern style2 and the other going farther back in time and written in the old scripture style1 in order to make it appear more ancient4 ,all this seems to have been an after thought1 a subterfuge1 when it was learned that ,the ,manuscript ,found did not warrant the theory that it was the foundation of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,the things it is here claimed were said by these ,conneaut witnesses concerning a second ,spaulding ,manuscript on ,american antiquities1 are not said by them1 but for them by ,mr4 ,howe4 ,second3 ,that ,mr4 ,howe himself wickedly conceals the fact that this old ,roman story of ,spaulding's was labeled ,manuscript ,found2 and in addition to concealing that fact declares that the witnesses say that it bears no resemblance to the ,manuscript ,found1 when1 as a matter of fact1 this ,roman story itself was the ,manuscript ,found4 ,comment is unnecessary2 a bare statement of the facts expose the villainy of these conspirators4 #be ,relative to the manner in which it is supposed the ,spaulding manuscript came into the hands of ,joseph ,smith1 the theories differ4 ,howe supposes that ,lambdin1 alleged partner of ,patterson in the printing business at ,pittsburg1 placed in the hands of ,sidney ,rigdon the ,manuscript ,found1 to be embellished1 altered1 and added to as he might think expedient to transform it into what is now the ,book of ,mormon4 #bf ,when ,howe put forth this theory1 ,lambdin had been dead some eight years4 #bg ,query3 ,did ,howe select this dead man as the medium through which the ,spaulding manuscript reached the hands of ,sidney ,rigdon1 and thence to ,joseph ,smith1 for the reason that the dead man could not arise to contradict it8 ,we shall see that ,patterson contradicted it when that gentleman was appealed to in order to confirm his connection with ,sidney ,rigdon4 ,the ,rev4 ,john ,storrs1 in the bogus signed statement he put forth as coming from ,mrs4 ,davison1 represents her as saying that ,rigdon became acquainted with ,spaulding's manuscript and copied it1 and that this was a matter of notoriety and interest to all connected with the printing establishment4 ,according to this ,davison ,statement1 the manuscript was returned to ,mr4 ,spaulding before he left ,pittsburg for ,amity 7where he died71 and that the manuscript after this was carefully preserved by ,mrs4 ,spaulding1 until delivered to ,hurlburt1 in #ahcd4 ,rev4 ,clark ,braden1 a ,campbellite minister1 in a protracted debate on the ,book of ,mormon in ,kirtland1 #ahhd1 declares that ,sidney ,rigdon stole the ,spaulding manuscript and that ,mrs4 7,spaulding7 ,davison--he should have said rather the ,rev4 ,john ,storrs1 the real author of the ,davison ,statement--was mistaken in saying that ,rigdon copied it and returned the original to ,mr4 ,spaulding4 #bh ,mrs4 ,mc,kenstry's affidavit on the subject1 published in ,scribner's for ,august1 #ahhj1 says he 7,solomon ,spaulding7 loaned the manuscript to ,mr4 ,patterson2 that he read it and returned it to its author1 with the suggestion that he polish it up and finish it1 and that he might make money out of it2 but when ,mr4 ,patterson was appealed to for information on the subject he said he had no recollection of any such manuscript being brought there 7i4 e41 to his establishment in ,pittsburg7 for publication4 #bi ,mrs4 ,ellen ,e4 ,dickinson1 grand-niece of ,solomon ,spaulding and the author of ,new ,light on ,mormonism1 holds that the ,spaulding manuscript remained safely in the hands of the family until turned over to ,hurlburt4 ,at this point she thinks several things may have befallen the manuscript4 ,one1 that ,hurlburt sold the manuscript to the ,mormons for a sum of money which he used in purchasing a farm near ,gibonsburg1 ,ohio1 where he now #ahhj resides2 and that the ,mormons burned the manuscript at ,conneaut4 ,another1 that ,hurlburt sold it with a sworn agreement that it should not be given to the world until after his death4 ,then she concludes3 ,there are circumstances which support both theories2 but the author's opinion1 after a careful study of the matter1 is1 that ,hurlburt made a copy of the original manuscript1 which he sold to ,e4 ,d4 ,howe1 of ,painsville1 to use in writing the book ,mormonism ,unveiled1 and sold the original to the ,mormons1 who destroyed it4 ,the life of ,hurlburt since his return from his errand of duplicity to ,munson shows conclusively that he wishes to hide himself from the world1 and that he is burdened with a secret which he does not intend shall come to light through any act or revelation of his own4 #cj 99 99 99 ,beyond a shadow of doubt ,hurlburt1 after getting the genuine ,spaulding romance at ,munson1 destroyed it or saw it destroyed by the ,mormons at ,conneaut1 in #ahcd1 after his being paid for his share of this transaction4 #ca ,this theory ,mrs4 ,davison maintains throughout her book with something more than a half hysterical style meant to be very sensational4 ,thus these originators and promulgators of the ,spaulding theory1 having started with conjecture and falsehood1 go on varying1 changing1 and patching up their story until they are involved in innumerable inconsistencies and contradictions1 which constantly makes more apparent the absurdity of this attempt to construct a counter theory for the origin of the ,book of ,mormon to that given by ,joseph ,smith4 ,the theory1 however1 fails by dint of its own inconsistencies1 and by the discovery and publication of the manuscript with which the theory started2 and that in another way1 and in addition to the fact that there is no incident1 or name1 or set of ideas1 common to the two productions4 ,the publication of the ,manuscript ,found not only demonstrates that this particular manuscript was not the foundation of the ,book of ,mormon1 but it demonstrates1 also1 that no other writings of ,solomon ,spaulding's could possibly be the ,book of ,mormon4 ,spaulding's manuscript1 as published1 makes a pamphlet of some #aab pages1 of about #cej words to the page1 enough matter to give a clear idea of his literary style4 ,i am sure that no person1 having any literary judgment will think it possible for the author of ,manuscript ,found to be the author of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,composition in writers becomes individualized as distinctly as the looks1 or appearance1 or character1 of separate individuals2 and they can no more write in several styles than individuals can impersonate different characters4 ,true1 by special efforts this latter may be done to a limited extent by a change of tone1 costume and the like1 but underneath these impersonations is to be seen the real individual2 and so with authors4 ,one may sometimes affect a light1 and sometimes a serious vein1 in prose and poetry4 ,he may imitate a solemn scriptural style or the diction of some ,greek or ,roman author1 but underneath it all will be seen the individuality of the writer from which he cannot separate himself any more than he can separate himself from his true form1 features1 or character4 ,since we have in this ,manuscript ,found enough of ,mr4 ,spaulding's style to determine its nature1 if this manuscript of his was used either as the foundation or the complete work of the ,book of ,mormon1 we should be able to detect ,spauldingisms in it2 identity of style would be apparent2 but these things are entirely absent from every page of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,mr4 ,rice does not overstate the matter when he says3 ,i should as soon think the ,book of ,revelation was written by the author of ,don ,quixote1 as that the writer of this manuscript was the author of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,and again1 he is right when he says3 ,it is unlikely that any one who wrote so elaborate a work as the ,mormon ,bible would spend his time in getting up so shallow a story as this--the ,spaulding ,story4 ,another point at which the ,spaulding theory goes to pieces is in the utter inability of its advocates to bring together the parties to the conspiracy in which the ,book of ,mormon is supposed to have had its origin4 ,they fail even to bring ,joseph ,smith in contact with the ,spaulding manuscript2 they also fail to connect ,sidney ,rigdon with the manuscript2 they fail to bring together ,joseph ,smith and ,sidney ,rigdon1 previous to the publication of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,in all these things1 vital to the maintenance of their theory1 they fail4 ,joseph ,smith and ,sidney ,rigdon1 until after the publication of the ,book of ,mormon1 are from #bjj to #cjj miles apart1 with no means of communication or of collaboration1 which would be necessary if the ,spaulding theory were correct4 ,of the necessary extent and greatness of this conspiracy1 ,elder ,george ,reynolds justly remarks3 ,whole families must have been engaged in it4 ,men of all ages and various conditions in life1 and living in widely separate portions of the country must have been connected with it4 ,first1 we must include in the catalogue of conspirators the whole of the ,smith family1 then the ,whitmers1 ,martin ,harris and ,oliver ,cowdery2 further1 to carry out this absurd idea1 ,sidney ,rigdon and ,parley ,p4 ,pratt must have been their active fellow-conspirators in arranging1 carrying out and consummating their iniquitous fraud4 ,to do this they must have traveled thousands of miles and spent months1 perhaps years1 to accomplish--what8 ,that is the unsolved problem4 ,was it for the purpose of duping the world8 ,they1 at any rate the great majority of them1 were of all men most unlikely to be engaged in such a folly4 ,their habits1 surroundings1 station in life1 youth and inexperience all forbid such a thought4 ,what could they gain1 in any light that could be then presented to their minds1 by palming such a deception upon the world8 ,this is another unanswerable question4 ,then comes the staggering fact1 if the book be a falsity1 that all these families1 all these diverse characters1 in all the trouble1 perplexity1 persecution and suffering through which they passed1 never wavered in their testimony1 never changed their statements1 never went back on their original declarations1 but continued unto death1 and they have all passed away 7save a very few71 proclaiming that the ,book of ,mormon was a divine revelation1 and that its record was true4 ,was there ever such an exhibition in the history of the world of such continued1 such unabating1 such undeviating falsehood if falsehood it was8 ,we cannot find a place in the annals of their lives where they wavered1 and what makes the matter more remarkable is that it can be said of most of them1 as is elsewhere said of the three witnesses1 they became offended with the ,prophet ,joseph1 and a number of them openly rebelled against him2 but they never retracted one word with regard to the genuineness of ,mormon's inspired record4 ,whether they were friends or foes to ,joseph1 whether they regarded him as ,god's continued mouthpiece or as a fallen ,prophet1 they still persisted in their statements with regard to the book and the veracity of their earlier testimonies4 ,how can we possibly1 with our knowledge of human nature1 make this undeviating1 unchanging1 unwavering course1 continuing over fifty years consistent with a deliberate1 premeditated and cunningly-devised and executed fraud6 #cb ,,iii4 ,the ,sidney ,rigdon ,theory4 ,it will be seen1 by those who have followed us through the treatise on the ,spaulding ,theory1 that ,sidney ,rigdon is considered a factor in that supposed scheme4 ,it is generally thought that it was he who supplied the religious matter of the book1 and who determined the parts of the ,hebrew scripture that should be interwoven in its alleged historical parts4 ,such prominence1 in fact1 is given to ,sidney ,rigdon in bringing forth the ,book of ,mormon that ,i decided to consider his connection with it under this separate heading4 ,mr4 ,sidney ,rigdon always1 and most emphatically1 denied the story of his connection with ,patterson and his printing establishment4 ,in the ,january number 7#ahcf7 of the ,latter-day ,saints ,messenger and ,advocate he denounces ,howe's book and those who advocated it4 ,referring to ,mr4 ,scott1 ,mr4 ,campbell and other professed ministers of the gospel1 he said3 ,in order to avoid investigation this brotherhood will condescend to mean1 low subterfuges1 to which a noble-minded man would never condescend2 no1 he would suffer martyrdom first4 ,witness ,mr4 ,campbell's recommendation of ,howe's book1 while he knows1 as well as every person who reads it1 that it is a batch of falsehoods4 ,later1 in a letter to ,messrs4 ,bartlett and ,sullivan1 written from ,commerce 7afterwards ,nauvoo71 ,may #bg1 #ahci1 in a communication called forth by the publication of the bogus statement purporting to come from ,mrs4 ,davison and published by the ,rev4 ,john ,storrs1 ,elder ,rigdon said3 ,commerce1 ,may #bg1 #ahci4 ,messrs4 ,bartlett and ,sullivan3--,in your paper of the #ahth instant1 ,i see a letter signed my somebody calling herself ,matilda ,davison1 pretending to give the origin of ,mormonism1 as she is pleased to call it1 by relating a moonshine story about a certain ,solomon ,spaulding1 a creature with the knowledge of whose earthly existence ,i am entirely indebted to this production2 for1 surely1 until ,dr4 ,philastus ,hurlburt informed me that such a being lived1 at some former period1 ,i had not the most distant knowledge of his existence2 and all ,i know about his character is the opinion ,i form from what is attributed to his wife in obtruding my name upon the public in the manner in which she is said to have done1 by trying to make the public believe that ,i had knowledge of the ignorant1 and1 according to her own testimony1 the lying scribblings of her deceased husband2 for if her testimony is to be credited1 her pious husband1 in his lifetime1 wrote a bundle of lies for the righteous purpose of getting money4 ,how many lies he had told for the same purpose1 while he was preaching1 she has not so kindly informed us2 but we are at liberty to draw our own conclusions1 for he that would write lies to get money1 would also preach lies for the same object4 ,this being the only information which ,i have1 or ever had1 of the said ,rev4 ,solomon ,spaulding1 ,i1 of necessity1 have but a very light opinion of him as a gentleman1 a scholar1 or a man of piety1 for had he been either1 he certainly would have taught his pious wife not to lie1 nor unite herself with adulterers1 liars1 and the basest of mankind4 ,it is only necessary to say1 in relation to the whole story about ,spaulding's writings being in the hands of ,mr4 ,patterson1 who was in ,pittsburg1 and who is said to have kept a printing office1 and my saying that ,i was concerned in the said office1 etc41 is the most base of lies1 without even a shadow of truth4 ,there was no man by the name of ,patterson1 during my residence at ,pittsburg1 who had a printing office2 what might have been before ,i lived there ,i know not4 ,mr4 ,robert ,patterson1 ,i was told1 had owned a printing office before ,i lived in that city1 but had been unfortunate in business1 and failed before my residence there4 ,this ,mr4 ,patterson1 who was a ,presbyterian preacher1 ,i had a very slight acquaintance with during my residence in ,pittsburg4 ,he was then acting under an agency1 in the book and stationery business1 and was the owner of no property of any kind1 printing office or anything else1 during the time ,i resided in the city4 #cc ,one can but regret the tone and coarseness of this letter of ,sidney ,rigdon's1 but it cannot be denied but that it is a very emphatic contradiction of the charge that he was connected with the ,spaulding manuscript theory of the ,book of ,mormon's origin1 and it is very natural that a man of the nervous1 irritable temperament of ,sidney ,rigdon would be very much vexed at connecting him with such a theory4 ,on the matter of ,sidney ,rigdon not being connected with the origin of the ,book of ,mormon we have also the statement of ,oliver ,cowdery1 made on his return to the ,church at ,kanesville 7now ,council ,bluffs71 in ,october1 #ahdh1 a statement that was made in the presence of #b1jjj ,saints4 ,in the course of his remarks1 ,oliver ,cowdery then said3 ,i wrote1 with my own pen1 the entire ,book of ,mormon 7save a few pages7 as it fell from the lips of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 as he translated it by the gift and power of ,god1 by means of the ,urim and ,thummim1 or1 as it is called by that book1 ,holy ,interpreters4 ,i beheld with my eyes1 and handled with my hands the gold plates from which it was transcribed4 ,i also saw with my eyes and handled with my hands the holy interpreters4 ,that book is true4 ,sidney ,rigdon did not write it4 ,mr4 ,spaulding did not write it4 ,i wrote it myself as it fell from the lips of the ,prophet4 #cd ,parley ,p4 ,pratt1 who1 with ,oliver ,cowdery1 was the first to present the ,book of ,mormon to ,sidney ,rigdon some six months after its publication1 is also on record as denying the story of ,sidney ,rigdon's connection with the origin of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,when the ,davison ,statement was copied from the ,boston ,recorder into the ,new ,york ,era1 ,elder ,pratt promptly denied the falsehood4 ,the ,era published the ,davison ,statement on the #bjth1 and in its issue of the #bgth ,elder ,pratt published a somewhat exhaustive treatise in which the following occurs3 ,the piece in your paper states that ,sidney ,rigdon was connected in the printing office of ,mr4 ,patterson 7in ,pittsburg71 and that this is a fact well known in that region1 and as ,rigdon himself has frequently stated4 ,here he had ample opportunity to become acquainted with ,mr4 ,spaulding's manuscript 7romance7 and to copy it if he chose4 ,this statement is utterly and entirely false4 ,mr4 ,rigdon was never connected with the said printing establishment1 either directly or indirectly1 and we defy the world to bring proof of any such connection4 99 99 ,the statement that ,sidney ,rigdon is one of the founders of the said religious sect is also incorrect4 ,the sect was founded in the state of ,new ,york1 while ,mr4 ,rigdon resided in ,ohio1 several hundred miles distant4 ,mr4 ,rigdon embraced the doctrine through my instrumentality4 ,i first presented the ,book of ,mormon to him4 ,i stood upon the bank of the stream while he was baptized1 and assisted to officiate in his ordination1 and ,i myself was unacquainted with the system until some months after its organization1 which was on the #fth of ,april1 #ahcj1 and ,i embraced it in ,september following4 ,again1 in #ahdj1 in a work entitled ,late ,persecutions of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,later-day ,saints1 referring to the persecutions in ,missouri1 in the course of which he also gave an account of the rise and progress of the doctrine of the ,church1 ,elder ,pratt says1 relative to this ,spaulding story3 ,there is one story1 however1 which ,i will notice1 because some religious journals have given some credit to it4 ,it is the story of ,solomon ,spaulding writing a romance of the ancient inhabitants of ,america which is said to be converted by ,mr4 ,sidney ,rigdon into the ,book of ,mormon4 ,this is another base fabrication got up by the devil and his servants to deceive the world4 ,mr4 ,sidney ,rigdon never saw the ,book of ,mormon until it had been published more than six months2 it was then presented to him by the author of this history4 #ce ,from another source there is also an emphatic denial of ,sidney ,rigdon's connection with the coming forth of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,this is the statement of ,mr4 ,rigdon's son1 ,john ,w4 ,rigdon4 ,this gentleman wrote a somewhat extended biography of his father1 ,sidney ,rigdon1 which he placed in its manuscript form in the ,church ,historian's office1 at ,salt ,lake ,city1 where it is now on file4 ,mr4 ,john ,w4 ,rigdon's account of his father's connection with the ,book of ,mormon agrees with the statement of ,elder ,pratt2 and then1 near the close of his narrative1 he relates his own experience in connection with ,mormonism1 and his attempt to learn the truth from his father respecting the latter's early connection with the ,book of ,mormon4 ,john ,w4 ,rigdon tells of his own visit to ,utah1 in #ahfc1 where he spent the winter among the ,mormon people4 ,he was not favorably impressed with their religious life1 and came to the conclusion that the ,book of ,mormon itself was a fraud4 ,he determined in his own heart that if ever he returned home and found his father1 ,sidney ,rigdon1 alive1 he would try and find out what he knew of the origin of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,although1 he adds1 he had never told but one story about it1 and that was that ,parley ,p4 ,pratt and ,oliver ,cowdery presented him with a bound volume of that book in the year #ahcj1 while he 7,sidney ,rigdon7 was preaching ,campbellism at ,mentor1 ,ohio4 ,what ,john ,w4 ,rigdon claims to have seen in ,utah1 however1 together with the fact that ,sidney ,rigdon had been charged with writing the ,book of ,mormon1 made him suspicious2 and he remarks3 ,i concluded ,i would make an investigation for my own satisfaction and find out1 if ,i could1 if he had all these years been deceiving his family and the world1 by telling that which was not true1 and ,i was in earnest about it4 ,if ,sidney ,rigdon1 my father1 had thrown his life away by telling a falsehood and bringing sorrow and disgrace upon his family1 ,i wanted to know it and was determined to find out the facts1 no matter what the consequences might be4 ,i reached home in the fall of #ahfe1 found my father in good health and 7he7 was very much pleased to see me4 ,as he had not heard anything from me for some time1 he was afraid that ,i had been killed by the ,indians4 ,shortly after ,i had arrived home1 ,i went to my father's room2 he was there and alone1 and now was the time for me to commence my inquiries in regard to the origin of the ,book of ,mormon1 and as to the truth of the ,mormon religion4 ,i told him what ,i had seen at ,salt ,lake ,city1 and ,i said to him that what ,i had seen at ,salt ,lake had not impressed me very favorably toward the ,mormon ,church1 and as to the origin of the ,book of ,mormon ,i had some doubts4 ,you have been charged with writing that book and giving it to ,joseph ,smith to introduce to the world4 ,you have always told me one story2 that you never saw the book until it was presented to you by ,parley ,p4 ,pratt and ,oliver ,cowdery2 and all you ever knew of the origin of that book was what they told you and what ,joseph ,smith and the witnesses who claimed to have seen the plates had told you4 ,is this true8 ,if so1 all right2 if it is not1 you owe it to me and to your family to tell it4 ,you are an old man and you will soon pass away1 and ,i wish to know if ,joseph ,smith1 in your intimacy with him for fourteen years1 has not said something to you that led you to believe he obtained that book in some other way than what he had told you4 ,give me all you know about it1 that ,i may know the truth4 ,my father1 after ,i had finished saying what ,i have repeated above1 looked at me a moment1 raised his hand above his head and slowly said1 with tears glistening in his eyes3 ,my son1 ,i can swear before high heaven that what ,i have told you about the origin of that book is true4 ,your mother and sister1 ,mrs4 ,athalia ,robinson1 were present when that book was handed to me in ,mentor1 ,ohio1 and all ,i ever knew about the origin of that book was what ,parley ,p4 ,pratt1 ,oliver ,cowdery1 ,joseph ,smith and the witnesses who claimed they saw the plates have told me1 and in all of my intimacy with ,joseph ,smith he never told me but the one story1 and that was that he found it engraved upon gold plates in a hill near ,palmyra1 ,new ,york1 and that an angel had appeared to him and directed him where to find it2 and ,i have never1 to you or to any one else1 told but the one story1 and that ,i now repeat to you4 ,i believed him1 and now believe he told me the truth4 ,he also said to me after that that ,mormonism was true2 that ,joseph ,smith was a ,prophet1 and this world would find it out some day4 #cf ,in addition to these solemn denials of ,sidney ,rigdon's connection with this ,spaulding theory1 we have another means of testing whether or not ,sidney ,rigdon was the author of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,that test is the one already referred to when considering the difference of style between ,spaulding's manuscript story1 and the ,book of ,mormon4 ,we have enough of ,sidney ,rigdon's writings before us to determine his literary style2 namely1 in the ,historian's office we have in manuscript his description of the land of ,zion1 ,jackson ,county1 which he was commanded of the ,lord to write4 ,we have a number of his communications published in the ,evening and ,morning ,star1 and also the ,messenger and ,advocate4 ,in these two publications also there are thirteen articles on the subject of the ,millennium from his pen1 and after careful comparison of his style with that of the ,book of ,mormon1 ,i do not hesitate to say that ,sidney ,rigdon1 not only never did1 but never could have written the ,book of ,mormon4 ,there are no phrases or conceptions in the ,book of ,mormon that are ,sidney ,rigdon's4 ,there is nothing in common between his style and that of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,there can be no doubt about it2 ,sidney ,rigdon as the author of the ,book of ,mormon is impossible4 ,,iv4 ,the ,joachim fragment of the ,spaulding-,rigdon ,theory4 ,it was reserved for ,william ,linn1 author of the ,story of the ,mormons1 #cg a pretentious work of nearly #fej pages1 to go a far way for an additional item which1 in the full pride of an author who has made a new discovery1 he adds to the ,spaulding-,rigdon theory of the ,book of ,mormon's origin4 ,this new item ,i have called the ,joachim ,fragment of the ,spaulding-,rigdon ,theory4 ,mr4 ,linn1 with evident pride1 makes this mention of it in the preface of his book3 ,the probable service of ,joachim's ',everlasting ,gospel1' as suggesting the story of the revelation of the plates1 has been hitherto overlooked4 #ch ,in the body of his work he thus sets forth his idea of the part played by the ,everlasting ,gospel1 sometimes called by other writers1 ,the ,eternal ,gospel1 and in the thirteenth century1 when it was supposed to be in circulation among the ,franciscan order of monks1 it is spoken of as ,the ,book of ,joachim4 ,that the idea of the revelation 7i4 e41 of the existence of the ,book of ,mormon7 as described by ,smith in his autobiography was not original is shown by the fact that a similar divine message1 engraved on plates1 was announced to have been received from an angel nearly six hundred years before the alleged visit of an angel to ,smith4 ,these original plates were described as a copper1 and the recipient was a monk named ,cyril1 from whom their contents passed into the possession of the ,abbot ,joachim1 whose ,everlasting ,gospel1 founded thereon1 was offered to the church as supplanting the ,new ,testament1 just as the ,new ,testament had supplanted the ,old1 and caused so serious a schism that ,pope ,alexander ,,iv took the severest measures against it4 #ci ,this description of the origin of ,joachim's ,everlasting ,gospel rests upon the respectable authority of ,draper1 in his ,intellectual ,development of ,europe4 #dj ,linn's argument is to the effect that this origin of the ,everlasting ,gospel suggested the origin of the ,book of ,mormon because of the resemblance between the celestial announcement of both1 and also because that both1 according to his idea of them1 were declared to have the same purport--each was to be a forerunner of the end of the world4 ,he also urges the frequent use of the phrase1 ,everlasting ,gospel1 in the discourses of the early ,elders of the ,church as evidence that there was some connection between these two things1 the ,book of ,mormon and ,the ,book of ,joachim4 ,he further holds that ,sidney ,rigdon1 in the course of his ecclesiastical reading would come in contact with the story of ,joachim's ,everlasting ,gospel2 that it would be just such a story as would be attractive to one of ,sidney ,rigdon's temperament4 ,linn throughout his work assumes a connection and collaboration between ,joseph ,smith and ,sidney ,rigdon1 and claims that the latter suggested the story of the ,book of ,joachim1 as the ground-work of ,joseph ,smith's account of the origin of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,our author thinks that ,rigdon may even have found sufficient matter in relation to ,joachim's ,everlasting ,gospel1 in ,mosheim's ,ecclesiastical ,history1 to suggest the account he induced ,joseph ,smith to give of the origin of the ,book of ,mormon1 and makes the following quotation from ,mosheim in proof of his contention3 ,about the commencement of this the thirteenth century there were handed about in ,italy several pretended prophecies of the famous ,joachim1 ,abbot of ,sora1 in ,calabria1 whom the multitude revered as a person divinely inspired1 and equal to the most illustrious prophets of ancient times4 ,the greatest part of these predictions were contained in a certain book entitled1 ,the ,everlasting ,gospel1 and which was also commonly called the ,book of ,joachim4 ,this ,joachim1 whether a real or fictitious person we shall not pretend to determine1 among many other future events1 foretold the destruction of the ,church of ,rome1 whose corruptions he censured with the greatest severity1 and the promulgation of a new and more perfect gospel in the age of the ,holy ,ghost1 by the set of poor and austere ministers1 whom ,god was to raise up and employ for that purpose ,it is to be observed of this passage1 as indeed of all that is said by ,mosheim upon the subject1 that there is no account here of an angel revealing the existence of the ,book of ,joachim to ,cyril1 or to any one else1 which is the chief item of resemblance between ,joseph ,smith's story of the origin of the ,book of ,mormon and the alleged origin of ,the ,everlasting ,gospel1 as related by ,draper and ,linn4 ,indeed1 in the closing lines of the very paragraph from ,mosheim which ,linn quotes as being the possible source of ,sidney ,rigdon's knowledge of the ,book of ,joachim1 it is stated that the ,franciscans who accepted ,joachim's book maintained that ,saint ,francis1 the founder of their ,order1 had spoken to mankind the true gospel1 and that he was the angel whom ,saint ,john saw flying in the midst of heaven2 which is quite a different account of this matter than that given by ,draper4 ,whether or not ,sidney ,rigdon had access to the same source of information as ,draper had1 is1 of course1 not known2 but certainly ,draper did not obtain the account of the angel appearing to ,cyril from ,mosheim4 ,as a matter of fact1 there is much confusion and uncertainty among authorities respecting the origin of this ,everlasting ,gospel1 and some question whether such a book was ever put forth by ,joachim4 ,the work used at the time it was current in the thirteenth century was very often confounded with an introduction to the so-called ,everlasting ,gospel1 written1 as ,draper says1 by ,john of ,parma2 and as others say by ,gerhard1 a ,franciscan friar4 ,the celebrated ,dr4 ,augustus ,neander1 in his ,general ,history of the ,christian ,religion and ,church1 holds to this same theory4 ,he says3 ,a great sensation was now created by a commentary on the eternal gospel1 which after the middle of the thirteenth century the ,franciscan ,gerhard1 who1 by his zeal for ,joachim's doctrines1 involved himself in many persecutions and incurred an eighteen years' imprisonment1 published under the title of ,introduction to the ,eternal ,gospel4 ,many vague notions were entertained about the eternal gospel of the ,franciscans1 arising from superficial views1 or a superficial understanding of ,joachim's writings1 and the offspring of mere rumor of the heresy-hunting spirit4 ,men spoke of the eternal gospel as of a book composed under this title1 and circulated among the ,franciscans4 ,occasionally1 also1 this eternal gospel was confounded perhaps with the above-mentioned ,introduction4 ,in reality1 there was no book existing under this title of the ,eternal ,gospel2 but all that is said about it relates simply to the writings of ,joachim4 99 99 99 ,the whole matter of this work also seems to have consisted in an explanation of the fundamental ideas of the ,abbot ,joachim1 and in the application of them to the genuine ,franciscan order4 #da ,this exhibits much confusion and uncertainty concerning the story of ,joachim and his book4 ,of course1 it may be argued that this story of the ,book of ,joachim1 as told by ,draper and repeated by ,linn1 would furnish equally well the suggestion of the origin of the ,book of ,mormon1 whether it was the statement of an historical fact or only the wild invention of a fanatical ,franciscan1 but it would be incumbent upon those who make such an argument to prove that ,sidney ,rigdon had knowledge of such a story4 ,another suggestion may be argued that would tend to break down the probability of the origin of the ,everlasting ,gospel suggesting the origin of the ,book of ,mormon2 and that is3 ,had ,sidney ,rigdon or any one else taken the story of the revelation of the ,book of ,joachim to ,cyril and from it invented the account of the coming forth of the ,book of ,mormon1 he would very likely have taken other ideas attributed to this very worthy but over-zealous and weak-minded man of the thirteenth century4 ,as1 for example1 ,linn himself declares that the ,everlasting ,gospel was offered to the ,church as supplanting the ,new ,testament1 just as the ,new ,testament had supplanted the ,old1 etc41 a theory that would very likely have caught the fancy of such a man as ,linn conceives ,rigdon to have been4 ,yet ,mormonism is as far removed from any such conception as this1 as the east is from the west2 for ,mormonism gives full force to the present authority of both the ,old and ,new ,testaments as containing the word of ,god1 and the ,book of ,mormon nowhere supplants these existing scriptures4 ,neander presents a more elaborate view of some of the theories of this same ,joachim1 and represents him as teaching the following3 ,the times of the ,old ,testament belong especially to ,god the ,father2 in it1 ,god revealed himself as the ,almighty1 by signs and wonders2 next1 followed the times of the ,new ,testament1 in which ,god1 as the ,word1 revealed himself in his wisdom1 where the striving after a comprehensible knowledge of mysteries predominates2 the last times belong to the ,holy ,spirit1 when the first of love in contemplation will predominate4 ,as the letter of the ,old ,testament answers to ,god the ,father1 the letter of the ,new ,testament more especially to the ,son1 so the spiritual understanding1 which proceeds from both1 answers to the ,holy ,spirit4 ,as all things were created by the ,father through the ,son2 so in the ,holy ,spirit1 as love1 all were to find their completion4 ,to the working of the ,father--power1 fear1 faith1 more especially correspond2 to the working of the ,son--humility1 truth1 and wisdom2 to the working of the ,holy ,spirit--love1 joy1 and freedom4 #db ,in like manner he takes up the ,apostles ,peter1 ,james1 and ,john as in a way representing in the earth1 respectively1 the three periods in the process of the development of the ,church4 ,i insist that if ,sidney ,rigdon had become acquainted with that story of the ,everlasting ,gospel1 as it is told by ,draper1 he would unquestionably also have come to the knowledge of these theories of ,joachim's2 and if ,sidney ,rigdon was the kind of character that ,linn represents him to be1 he would unquestionably have taken up some of these vagaries and exploited them1 either in the ,book of ,mormon or in the subsequent development of the ,church and its system of doctrine4 ,it is scarcely necessary to say that none of these ideas of the thirteenth century man is to be found in ,mormonism1 nor are any other of ,joachim's ideas found in the ,latter-day dispensation of the ,gospel4 ,the mere matter of using the phrase1 ,everlasting ,gospel1 by the early ,elders of the ,church--and for matter of that by the present ministry of the ,church--in their discourses and books1 scarcely rises to dignity of a coincidence1 since we have the phrase suggested in the remarkable prophecy on the restoration of the ,gospel in the ,revelations of ,st4 ,john1 #dc without referring to any circumstance of the thirteenth century and the obscure literature concerning the ,book of ,joachim4 ,this whole theory of the suggested origin of the ,book of ,mormon from the story of the ,book of ,joachim1 however ingenious it may be regarded1 breaks down as the ,spaulding-,rigdon theory does1 under the absolute inability of all these speculators to show any connection1 or collaboration1 between ,joseph ,smith and ,sidney ,rigdon previous to the publication of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,their inventions fail2 their speculations amount to nothing4 ,it is impossible to show any contact between ,joseph ,smith and ,sidney ,rigdon before the ,book of ,mormon was published1 therefore1 whatever opportunity ,sidney ,rigdon may have had to become acquainted with the story of ,joachim's ,everlasting ,gospel1 that knowledge could play no part whatever in the coming forth of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,v4 ,woodbridge ,riley's ,theory of the ,origin of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,this theory may be said1 in a way1 to be a reversion to that of ,alexander ,campbell's2 that is1 a return to the theory that ,joseph ,smith was the author of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,mr4 ,riley's book1 of #ddf pages1 is a well written thesis on the ,founder of ,mormonism4 ,it was published by ,dodd1 ,mead ,company1 #aijb4 ,it is a psychological study of ,joseph ,smith the ,prophet4 ,the purpose of the work is set forth in the author's preface1 as follows3 ,the aim of this work is to examine ,joseph ,smith's character and achievements from the standpoint of recent psychology4 ,sectarians and phrenologists1 spiritualists and mesmerists have variously interpreted his more or less abnormal performances--it now remains for the psychologist to have a try at them4 ,the work also has an introductory preface by ,professor ,george ,trumbull ,ladd1 of ,yale ,university1 in which ,mr4 ,riley's essay is very highly praised4 ,indeed the work was offered to the ,philosophical ,faculty of ,yale ,university as a thesis for the degree of ,doctor of ,philosophy1 and before this the matter of the essay had been utilized in #ahih for a ,master of ,arts thesis1 under the title of ,metaphysics of ,mormonism1 so that from these circumstances we may venture the remark that ,mr4 ,riley's book is of highly scientific character1 at least in its literary structure1 and has already attracted some considerable notice in the world4 ,to the ,latter-day ,saints it will be interesting1 and of value at least in this1 that they may accept it as one of many manifestations that the other theories accounting for the origin of the ,book of ,mormon are regarded as inadequate1 if not exploded1 since the learned find it necessary to set forth now a new theory1 both for the origin of the ,book of ,mormon1 and the life work of the ,prophet ,joseph4 ,mr4 ,riley's conclusions1 after patient consideration of what he regards as the elements entering into the composition of the ,book of ,mormon1 are thus stated3 ,in spite of a continuous stream of conjectural literature1 it is as yet impossible to pick out any special document as an original source of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,in particular the commonly-accepted ,spaulding theory is insoluble from external evidence and disproved by internal evidence4 ,joseph ,smith's ,record of the ,indians is a product indigenous to the ,new ,york ,wilderness1 and the authentic work of its author and proprietor4 ,outwardly1 it reflects the local color of ,palmyra and ,manchester1 inwardly1 its complexity of thought is a replica of ,smith's muddled brain4 ,this monument of misplaced energy was possible to the impressionable youth constituted and circumstanced as he was4 #dd ,as for the process by which the book was produced1 our author conceives it thus3 ,it was in western ,new ,york that the son of an obscure farmer gazed in his magic crystal1 automatically wrote a transcription of gold plates1 dictated the ,book of ,mormon1 and after strange signs and wonders1 started his communistic sect4 #de ,our author makes an extended pathological study of the prophet's ancestry1 and arrives at the conclusion that their mental peculiarities and defects1 culminate in epilepsy in ,joseph ,smith the ,prophet4 ,so that we may say1 roughly speaking1 that ,mr4 ,riley's explanation of the origin of the ,book of ,mormon1 and ,mormonism1 is that it has its source in an epileptic1 whose-hallucinations are honestly mistaken for inspired visions1 and who possesses partly conscious and partly unconscious hypnotic power over others4 ,and this theory is presented seriously to one of the first institutions of learning in ,america as a rational explanation of ,mormonism6 ,unfortunately for ,mr4 ,riley's theory1 however1 another writer1 an authority in his chosen field of investigation1 a writer of text books for higher institutions of learning on this very subject1 has spoken with marked emphasis not only with reference to epilepsy in general and the milder forms of its manifestation under the head of ,paranoia1 but has spoken of it with special reference to ,joseph ,smith1 and distinctly separates him from such class of persons4 ,following are passages from ,mr4 ,dana's works upon the subject3 ,a certain rather small per centage of epileptics become either demented or insane4 ,true epilepsy is not compatible with extraordinary intellectual endowments4 ,caesar1 ,napoleon1 ,peter the ,great and other geniuses may have had some symptomatic fits1 but not idispathic primary epilepsy4 #df ,again3 ,paranoia is a chronic psychosis characterized by the development gradually and soon after maturity of systematized delusion1 without other serious disturbances of the mind and without much tendency to dementia4 99 99 99 ,with some the systematized idea takes a religious turn1 and the patient thinks he has some divine mission1 or has received some inspiration from ,god2 or the idea may take a devotional turn and the patient become an acetic4 ,it is not1 however1 to be assumed that all promoters of new religious and novel social ideas are paranoics4 ,many of these are simply the natural developments of ignorance and a somewhat emotional and unbalanced temperament4 ,the characteristics of the paranoic is that his work is ineffective1 his influence brief and trivial1 his ideas really too absurd and impractical for even ignorant men to receive4 ,i do not class successful prophets and organizers like ,joseph ,smith1 or great apostles of social reforms like ,rousseau as paranoics4 ,insane minds are not creative1 but are weak and lack persistence in purpose or power of execution4 #dg ,it is not possible in this writing to enter into an extended consideration of this theory4 ,neither indeed is it necessary4 ,one consideration alone is sufficient to overthrow these fanciful speculations of ,mr4 ,riley4 ,hitherto1 says ,renan in his ,life of ,christ1 it has never been given to aberration of mind to produce a serious effect upon the progress of humanity4 #dh ,as stated by ,dana1 the work of the paranoic is ineffective1 his influence brief and trivial1 his ideas impractical and absurd4 ,i believe that doctrine4 ,the dreams and hallucinations of the epileptic end in mere dreams and hallucinations2 they never crystallize into great systems of philosophy or into rational religious institutions4 ,they never result in great organizations capable of perpetuating that philosophy and that religion in the world4 ,no matter how nearly genius may be allied to madness1 it must remain genius and not degenerate to madness if it exercises any permanent influence over the minds of men1 such as ,mormonism has done over a large body of people1 and resulted in permanent institutions4 ,there is much glamor of sophistry1 which may be taken by some for profound reason and argument1 in ,mr4 ,riley's book1 but one word answers this so called philosophical accounting for our ,prophet3 ,the work accomplished by him1 the institutions he founded1 destroy the whole fabric of premises and argument on which this theory is based4 ,great as was the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith--and he was great2 to him more than to any other man of modern times was it given to look deep into the things that are2 to comprehend the heavens1 and the laws that obtain there2 to understand the earth1 its history1 and its mission4 ,he looked into the deep things of ,god1 and out of the rich treasure of divine knowledge there1 he brought forth things both new and old for the instruction of our race1 the like of which1 in some respects1 had not been known in previous dispensations4 ,but great as ,joseph ,smith was1 rising up and towering far above him is the work that he accomplished through divine guidance2 that work is infinitely greater than the ,prophet1 greater than all the prophets connected with it4 ,its consistency1 its permanency1 its institutions1 contradict the hallucination theory advanced to account for its origin4 #di ,this theory of ,mr4 ,riley's may be said to now occupy the attention of men1 but as the theories of ,campbell1 the ,spaulding theory1 and the ,rigdon theory of origin have one by one been discarded as untenable1 and inadequate for the purposes for which they were invoked1 so1 too1 will this epilepsy and hallucination theory of ,mr4 ,riley's be discarded1 since it will fail to give an adequate accounting for the ,book of ,mormon1 which1 so long as the truth respecting it is unbelieved1 will remain to the world an enigma1 a veritable literary ,sphinx1 challenging the inquiry and speculations of the learned4 ,but to those who in simple faith will accept it for what it is1 a revelation from ,god1 it will minister spiritual consolation1 and by its plainness and truth draw men into closer communion with ,god4 ,footnotes #a4 ,limits of ,religious ,thought1 ,mansel1 ,preface4 #b4 ,doctrine and ,covenants1 ,sec4 #ce4 #c4 ,mr4 ,campbell's criticism of the ,book of ,mormon was published in the ,millennial ,harbinger1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 pp4 #hf-if1 ,february1 #ahca4 #d4 ,the same phrase appears in the testimony of the ,eight ,witnesses1 as published in the first edition of the ,book of ,mormon1 and the preface published in the first edition1 but omitted in all other editions1 is signed ,the ,author4 #e4 ,see announcement of copyright privileges in first edition of the ,book of ,mormon #ahcj4 ,it is also copied into the ,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #eh1 #ei4 #f4 ,yet1 in a work as late as #aijb1 on the subject of ,mormonism1 published by ,dodd1 ,mead ,co41 great importance is attached to this author and proprietor phrase1 and indeed much of the force of the author's argument is based upon it4 ,see ,founder of ,mormonism ,i1 ,woodbridge ,riley1 chapter iv4 #g4 ,see ,vol4 ,,ii41 chapter ix4 #h4 ,see ,vol4 ,,ii41 chapter vii4 #i4 ,see ,latter-day ,saints ,messenger and ,advocate1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #bdb1 where ,mr4 ,campbell is represented as recommending ,howe's ,mormonism ,unveiled1 which first set forth and was mainly devoted to the ,spaulding theory of the origin of the ,book of ,mormon4 #aj4 ,mormonism ,unveiled1 7,howe71 pp4 #bgh-bhg4 #aa4 ,see ,church ,history1 ,vol4 ,i41 chapter xxv2 ,vol4 ,,ii41 chapter iv4 #ab4 ,by some1 it is claimed that ,mrs4 ,davison's statement was put forth in the ,boston ,recorder as an affidavit1 but ,i have never seen it in the form of an affidavit4 ,all versions of it that have fallen into my hands are merely in the form of a signed statement4 #ac4 ,see ,thompson's ,evidences1 pp4 #agf-g4 #ad4 ,times and ,seasons1 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #dg4 #ae4 ,see ,preface to ,new ,light on ,mormonism4 #af4 ,see ,mormonism ,unveiled1 pp4 #bgh-bhj4 #ag4 ,when this fact was brought to light in the early controversy over the subject1 it was claimed by ,messrs4 ,austin--,storrs--,clark1 who were responsible for this forgery1 that ,woman in the text was a typographical error and should be ,mormon4 ,see ,clark's ,gleanings ,by the ,way4 #ah4 ,the orthography is the affidavit's4 #ai4 ,see letters of ,mr4 ,rice to ,mr4 ,joseph ,smith1 ,president of the ,reorganized ,church1 ,history of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ1 ,reorganized ,vol4 ,,iv41 pp4 #dga-dgc4 #bj4 ,this is confirmed by a letter written by ,hurlburt himself1 in #ahha1 at the request of ,mrs4 ,ellen ,e4 ,dickenson1 as follows3 ,gibsonburg1 ,ohio1 ,january #aj1 #ahha4 ,to all whom it may concern3 ,in the year eighteen hundred and thirty-four 7#ahcd7 ,i went from ,geauga ,co41 ,ohio1 to ,munson1 ,hampden ,co41 ,mass41 where ,i found ,mrs4 ,davison1 late widow of the ,rev4 ,solomon ,spaulding1 late of ,conneaut1 ,ashtabula ,co41 ,ohio4 ,of her ,i obtained a manuscript1 supposing it to be the manuscript of the romance written by the said ,solomon ,spaulding1 called ,the ,manuscript ,found1 which was reported to be the foundation of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,i did not examine the manuscript until ,i got home1 when1 upon examination1 ,i found it to contain nothing of the kind1 but being a manuscript upon an entirely different subject4 ,this manuscript ,i left with ,e4 ,d4 ,howe1 of ,painsville1 ,geauga ,co41 ,ohio1 now ,lake ,co41 ,ohio41 with the understanding that when he had examined it he should return it to the widow4 ,said ,howe says the manuscript was destroyed by fire1 and further the deponent saith not4 7,signed7 ,d4 ,p4 ,,hurlburt4 #ba4 ,new ,light on ,mormonism1 p4 #bde4 #bb4 ,howe's ,mormonism1 p4 #bhh4 #bc4 ,he refers to the witnesses living at ,conneaut ,creek1 the substance of whose testimony is previously quoted in his book1 pp4 #ceg-h4 #bd4 ,howe's ,mormonism1 p4 #bhh1 7first edition1 #ahcd74 #be4 ,howe's ,mormonism1 pp4 #bhi1 #bij4 ,this manuscript received by ,hurlburt and by him given to ,howe is the only ,spaulding manuscript written by ,spaulding1 making any reference to the antiquities of ,america4 ,it is the simon-pure and only ,manuscript ,found4 ,against this it is urged by our opponents that no such title is discoverable anywhere upon or in the body of the manuscript in the ,oberlin library4 7,american ,historical ,magazine1 ,sept4 #aijf1 p4 #chf74 ,and yet with strange inconsistency the writer himself a few pages further on admits--,it is even possible that this first manuscript meaning the one now at ,oberlin1 may at sometime have been labeled ,manuscript ,found4 ,but what is better than any label on the manuscript inside or outside2 better than any admission of our opponent1 is the fact that this manuscript is the one ,mr4 ,spaulding feigned to have found1 and that he pretended to translate into ,english4 ,it is the found manuscript1 and the only one that ,spaulding pretended or feigned to have found4 ,it is the one that ,mrs4 ,mc,kenstry says she had in her hands many times at ,sabine's after #ahaf2 and that on the outside of this manuscript were written the words1 ,manuscript ,found4 7,american ,historical ,magazine1 ,march1 #aiji1 pp4 #aij1 #aia47 #bf4 ,howe's ,mormonism1 pp4 #bhi-bij4 #bg4 ,ibid p4 #bhi4 ,lambdin died #ahbf4 #bh4 ,braden and ,kelly ,debate1 p4 #dd4 #bi4 ,howe's ,mormonism1 p4 #bhi4 #cj4 ,new ,light on ,mormonism1 p4 #fb4 #ca4 ,ibid p4 #ga4 #cb4 ,myth of the ,manuscript ,found 7#ahhc71 pp4 #ce1 #cf4 ,see also an exhaustive treatise on the ,origin of the ,book of ,mormon1 in the ,american ,historical ,magazine1 published in ,new ,york by the ,american ,historical ,society1 during the years #aijf-g2 #aijh-i4 ,the articles in support of the ,spaulding theory are by ,mr4 ,theodore ,schroeder2 and the answer to these papers are by the author of this work1 who hopes to publish the discussion in his second volume on the ,defense of the ,faith and the ,saints1 now in course of preparation4 #cc4 ,boston ,journal4 ,see also ,smucker's ,history of the ,mormons1 where the letter is given in full1 pp4 #de-h4 #cd4 ,new ,witnesses1 ,vol4 ,,ii41 pp4 #bej1 #bea4 #ce4 ,late ,persecutions1 etc41 ,introduction1 p4 xi1 xii4 #cf4 ,church ,history1 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #abb1 #abc4 #cg4 ,published by ,mc,millan ,co41 #aijb4 #ch4 ,the ,story of the ,mormons1 ,preface1 p4 vi4 #ci4 ,story of the ,mormons1 ,chapter ix1 p4 #gd4 #dj4 ,vol4 ,,ii1 chapter iii4 #da4 ,neander's ,general ,history of the ,christian ,religion and ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iv1 pp4 #fah-bj4 #db4 ,neander's ,general ,history of the ,christian ,religion and ,church1 ,vol4 ,,iv1 p4 #bbg4 #dc4 ,revelations xiv3 #f1g4 #dd4 ,the ,founder of ,mormonism1 p4 #agb4 #de4 ,ibid1 p4 #aa4 #df4 ,nervous ,diseases1 ,text ,book on 7third edition71 p4 #djh4 #dg4 ,text ,book of ,nervous ,diseases and ,psychiatry 7sixth edition71 pp4 #fdi-ej4 #dh4 ,life of ,christ1 p4 #aje4 #di4 ,during the ,october conference of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints1 held in ,salt ,lake ,city1 ,october1 #aijc1 this writer then made some remarks in criticism of ,mr4 ,riley's book1 at the close of which remarks ,president ,joseph ,f4 ,smith said3 ,i have been delighted with the most excellent discourse that we have listened to2 but ,i desire to say that it is a wonderful revelation to the ,latter-day ,saints1 and especially to those who were familiar with the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 to learn in these latter days that he was an epileptic6 ,i will simply remark1 ,god be praised1 that there are so many still living who knew the ,prophet ,joseph well1 and who are in a position to bear testimony to the truth that no such condition ever existed in the man4 ,see also ,defense of the ,faith and the ,saints4 pp4 #db-fa4 ,,chapter ,,xlvi4 ,,objections ,,to ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,mormon 7,continued74 ,i4 ,errors of ,style and ,grammar4 ,one of the chief objections to the ,book of ,mormon from the first has been the uniformity of its literary style1 and the defects in its language--errors in grammar1 ,new ,york ,yankee localisms1 and the use of modern words--unwarranted1 it is claimed1 in the translation of an ancient record4 ,alexander ,campbell1 in his attack upon the ,book of ,mormon1 #ahca1 on this subject1 said3 ,the book proposes to be written at intervals and by different persons during the long period of #ajbj years1 and yet for uniformity of style there never was a book more evidently written by one set of fingers1 nor more certainly conceived in one cranium since the first book appeared in human language1 than this same book4 ,if ,i could swear to any man's voice1 face1 or person1 assuming different names1 ,i could swear that this book was written by one man4 ,and as ,joseph ,smith is a very ignorant man and is called the ,author1 on the title page1 ,i cannot doubt for a single moment but that he is sole ,author and ,proprietor of it4 ,he then proceeds to point out the same idioms of speech in the preface to the first edition--the ,prophet's own composition1 of course--in the testimony of the witnesses1 and in various parts of the ,book of ,mormon proving1 as he claims1 unity of style and identity of authorship for the various books that make up the volume4 ,he points out a large number of errors in grammar1 also1 a number of supposed anachronisms1 modernism1 etc41 giving the pages where the defects occur4 ,indeed1 so ample was ,mr4 ,campbell's criticism on this point1 that he has furnished the materials for this argument against the ,book of ,mormon which has been repeated by nearly all subsequent writers4 ,howe1 for instance1 takes up the refrain in this manner3 ,the style of the ,book of ,mormon is sui generis1 and whoever peruses it will not have doubt but that the whole was framed and written by the same individual hand4 #a ,then follows quotations which he regards as justifying the conclusion4 ,professor ,j4 ,b4 ,turner of ,illinois ,college1 ,jacksonville1 ,illinois1 in his ,mormonism in ,all ,ages follows in the same strain and uses like illustrations4 #b ,so also ,john ,hyde in his ,mormonism4 ,he perhaps is more elaborate in his criticism on this point than any other ,anti-,mormon writer excepting ,campbell4 #c ,samuel ,m4 ,smucker1 also criticises in the same kind4 #d ,so also ,rev4 ,m4 ,t4 ,lamb devotes a chapter to the same kind of criticism4 #e ,linn1 adopts the same argument1 and with some manifestations of glee1 quite unbecoming in a sober historian who professes to write at least a serious history of ,mormonism2 but who1 while he points to these defects in grammatical construction1 etc41 he nowhere considers in any spirit of fairness the evidences that tend to support the truth of the ,book of ,mormon4 #f ,the things to be considered in these objections1 are3 ,first3 does the uniformity of style exist3 do the errors in grammar exist2 are there modernisms and localisms in the book1 and more especially in the first edition1 since it was with this edition that this criticism began8 ,these questions must be answered in the affirmative4 ,the existence of uniformity of style1 errors in grammar1 modernisms and localisms cannot be denied1 as all know who have investigated the matter4 ,a comparison of current editions with the first edition will disclose the fact that many of the most flagrant verbal and grammatical errors have been corrected1 besides many unimportant changes1 such as which and that1 to who and whom1 and vice verse1 to conform to modern usage2 #g and many more such corrections1 without changing the slightest shade of statement or thought1 could still be made to advantage4 ,many of these changes1 perhaps most of them1 were effected under the supervision of the ,prophet ,joseph himself4 ,in the preface to the second edition published in ,kirtland1 #ahcg1 the following occurs3 ,individuals acquainted with book printing are aware of the numerous typographical errors which always occur in manuscript editions4 ,it is only necessary to say1 that the whole has been carefully re-examined and compared with the original manuscript by ,elder ,joseph ,smith1 ,jr41 the translator of the ,book of ,mormon1 assisted by the present printer1 ,brother ,cowdery1 who formerly wrote the greatest portion of the same as dictated by ,brother ,smith4 ,in the third edition published at ,nauvoo1 #ahdj1 this occurs on the title page3 ,carefully ,revised by the ,translator4 ,of course the fact that the ,book of ,mormon was published in a country town1 on a hand press1 and by persons unfamiliar with book making1 and the proofs read by ,oliver ,cowdery1 who was entirely without experience in such work1 will account for many errors verbal and grammatical4 ,the further fact that the employees at the printing establishment where the book was published1 where unfriendly to it1 and were more anxious to make it appear ridiculous than to turn out a good job1 may account for other errors that appear in the first edition4 ,but after due allowance is made for all these conditions1 the errors are too numerous1 and of such a constitutional nature1 that they cannot be explained away by these unfavorable conditions under which the work was published4 ,besides1 examination of the fragment of the original manuscript1 now 7#aiji7 in possession of ,president ,joseph ,f4 ,smith1 discloses the fact that many of the verbal errors in grammar are in the manuscript1 written as the ,prophet dictated it4 ,second3 ,how are these errors in language to be accounted for8 ,how is it that errors in grammar are found in a work said to be translated by the gift and power of ,god1 through the medium of the ,urim and ,thummim8 ,are these errors in language to be assigned to the ,urim and ,thummim1 or to ,god8 ,is it true1 as stated by ,professor ,turner1 that such is the description of the manner in which the ,book of ,mormon was translated1 that all accounts agree in making the ,lord responsible not only for the thought1 but also for the language of the book1 from the necessity of the case1 for they those who have described the manner of translation all claim that the words passed before ,smith's eyes while looking through the pellucid stones8 #h ,must we remember1 as the professor admonishes us to remember1 that according to ,smith's story the ,lord is responsible not only for the thought1 but also for the language of this new translation8 ,the words of the translation being read off through the stone spectacles8 #i ,for one1 ,i refuse to accept this statement of the case4 ,i do not believe that the ,lord is responsible for any defect of language that occurs in the ,book of ,mormon1 or any other revelation4 ,on the contrary1 ,i stand with ,moroni here3 ,and now1 if there be faults i4e4 in the ,nephite record1 they are the mistakes of men4 #aj ,also with ,mormon3 ,if there be faults1 they be the faults of a man4 #aa ,if the ,lord should speak directly to man without any intermediary whatsoever1 it is reasonable to conclude that his language would be perfect in whatever tongue he spoke4 ,if1 however1 he elected an intermediary through whom to communicate his message to the world1 the language in which that message would be couched might1 or might not1 be perfect1 according as the intermediary was learned or unlearned in the language through which the ,lord communicated the revelation4 ,third3 ,can these verbal errors1 and errors in grammar1 these modernisms and localisms arise from equivalent defects in the original ,nephite records8 ,that is to say1 can these errors have been transferred from the ancient ,nephite language into our ,english idioms8 ,i know how unreasonable such a proposition as that will seem to readers in any way familiar with translations4 ,i speak of it1 however1 because there are those friendly to the ,book of ,mormon who contend that such is the case4 ,those who take this view believe that because the ,prophet used ,urim and ,thummim in the translation of the ,nephite record1 therefore1 the process of translation was a word for word bringing over from the ,nephite language into the ,english2 that the instrument did the translating rather than the ,prophet1 the latter merely looking into ,urim and ,thummim as one may look into a mirror and tell what he sees there reflected2 and that1 therefore1 the translation was really an absolutely verbatim et literatim translation of the record4 ,they further believe that since the instrument was of divine appointing it could make no mistakes1 and therefore if errors in the translation into ,english occur it is because these errors were in the ,nephite language as recorded by ,mormon4 ,as already remarked1 to those at all acquainted with translation1 this will be recognized as impossible4 ,they know that such a thing as an absolute literal translation1 or word for word bringing over from one language into another is out of the question2 that for the most part such a literal translation would be meaningless1 ,i give as examples the following from the ,latin3 #a4 ,aversum hostem-videre--original4 ,turned away--foe--to see--word for word4 ,to see a foe in flight--translation4 #b4 ,non satis commode--original4 ,not--enough--conveniently--word for word4 ,not very conveniently--translation4 #c4 ,ad eas se applicant--original4 ,to--these--themselves--attach--word for word4 ,they lean up against these--translation4 #d4 ,impii est virtutem parvi estimare--original4 ,of an impious man--it is--virtue little--to value word for word4 ,it is the mark of an impious man to think little of virtue--translation4 #e4 ,christiani est quam plurimis prodesse--original4 ,of a ,christian--it is--as very many--to do good word for word4 ,it is the duty of a ,christian to do good to as many as possible--translation4 ,fourth3 ,granting1 as preforce we must1 that there are verbal and grammatical errors1 together with modernisms and localisms1 in the ,english translation of the ,nephite record2 that the thought is expressed not only in ,english idioms1 but also1 at times1 in ,western ,new ,york localisms2 that the whole body of phraseology is of the time and place where the work of translation was done2 and all the errors are such as would be made by one circumstanced as ,joseph ,smith was as to knowledge of the ,english language2 and that these local idioms and errors in grammar were not found in equivalent terms in the ,nephite language and brought over into ,english by a process of word for word bring over--granting all these things1 is there any way by which this criticism1 based upon the faulty ,english of the translation1 may be effectually met1 and the truth still maintained that the translation of the ,book of ,mormon was made by a man inspired of ,god1 and aided by an instrument of divine appointment8 ,i firmly believe that all these requirements can be met2 that1 as a matter of fact1 the defects in ,english in the ,book of ,mormon constitute no real difficulty2 that the difficulties1 so far as they exist1 are of our own creation 7,i speak of those who accept the ,book of ,mormon as a divine record72 that our trouble arises through having accepted too literally the necessarily second-hand accounting1 given by ,martin ,harris and ,david ,whitmer1 of the manner in which the translation was done4 ,because it has been said that the ,prophet saw the ,nephite characters in the ,urim and ,thummim2 that the translation would appear in ,english under these characters2 that the ,prophet would read the translation to the scribe and that both characters and translation would remain in ,urim and ,thummim until written--because of this description of the manner of translation1 our opponents have insisted--and we by our silence have conceded to some extent--that ,joseph ,smith had nothing to do with the translation except to see what the instrument revealed and parrot-like repeat it2 therefore it has been concluded by our opponents that the translation must be attributed entirely to the ,urim and ,thummim2 and as it is unreasonable to think that ,god1 or a divine instrument provided by him for the purpose of translating unknown languages--that is1 that ,god directly or indirectly could be charged with these errors in ,english--they have argued that the translation was not inspired2 that ,god had nothing to do with it2 that ,joseph ,smith's pretentions were blasphemous1 and the ,book of ,mormon untrue4 ,to this contention of our opponents we have either made no reply1 being quite generally of the opinion that there was little or no force in the argument 7a mistake in my judgment71 or else have lamely and vainly argued that the errors were in the original ,nephite records1 and were brought over bodily into the translation1 which is an absurdity4 ,the foundation for the answer to this objection and the argument by which it is sustained was laid in ,vol4 ,i1 chapter ,,vii of this work1 where it is argued that the translation of the ,book of ,mormon was not merely a mechanical process in which the instrument ,urim and ,thummim did all and the ,prophet nothing1 except to give out to the scribe the translation said to have appeared in the divine instrument4 ,the ,lord's description of the manner of translating1 by means of ,urim and ,thummim1 is cited there in proof that the translation was not mechanical2 that on the contrary it required deep thought1 the employment1 in fact1 of all the mental and spiritual powers of the translator2 that it was necessary for him to be in an exalted state of mind to get the meaning of the ,nephite characters at all4 ,the thought1 however1 and the ideas he obtained by concentrated mental effort1 under the inspiration of ,god2 but the language in which the translation was thought out was in such words and forms of expression as ,joseph ,smith could use2 and this mental translation in language was doubtless reflected in the ,urim and ,thummim1 where it remained until written by the scribe4 ,and now1 as the ,prophet ,joseph was uneducated at the time of translating the ,nephite record1 the language of his translation was in the faulty ,english of one circumstanced as he was1 and was of the period and place when and where the translation took place4 ,this ,i regard as a complete answer to all the objections that can be urged upon the score of the ,book of ,mormon's faulty ,english1 and it is the only answer that can be successfully made to it4 ,such faults as exist are the faults of men1 not of ,god4 ,such is the answer to this class of objections wherever made against the scriptures1 for this sort of objection is not confined to the ,book of ,mormon4 ,it has been urged with well nigh equal force against the ,bible4 ,in fact1 there are not wanting those who claim that human speech1 oral or written1 is inadequate to convey a revelation from ,god4 #ab ,the human language1 says one of these1 whether in speech or in print1 cannot be the vehicle of the word of ,god4 ,the word of ,god exists in something else4 ,did the book called the ,bible excel in purity of ideas and expression all the books now extant in the world1 ,i would not take it for my rule of faith1 as being the word of ,god1 because the possibility would nevertheless exist of my being imposed upon4 #ac ,again1 the same author says3 ,human language1 more especially as there is not an universal language1 is incapable of being used as an universal means of unchangeable and uniform information1 and therefore it is not the means that ,god useth in manifesting himself universally to man4 ,it is only in the ,creation that all our ideas and conceptions of a word of ,god can unite4 ,the creation speaketh an universal language1 independently of human speech or human language1 multiplied and various as they be4 ,it is an ever-existing original1 which every man can read4 #ad ,this writer may be objected to on account of the ribald nature of his criticism of the ,bible1 but nevertheless1 in the foregoing paragraph he represents the views of a very large class of people--a class that ,i fear is increasing rather than diminishing in numbers4 ,this author attacks the ,book of ,isaiah in the following fashion3 ,whoever will take the trouble of reading the book ascribed to ,isaiah will find it one of the most wild and disorderly compositions ever put together2 it has neither beginning1 middle1 nor end2 and1 except a short historical part1 and a few sketches of history in two or three of the first chapters1 is one continued1 incoherent1 bombastical rant1 full of extravagant metaphor without application1 and destitute of meaning2 a school-boy would scarcely have been excusable for writing such stuff2 it is 7at least in translation7 that kind of composition and false taste that is properly called prose run mad4 #ae ,referring to the entire volume of ,hebrew scripture our author says3 ,for my own part1 my belief in the perfection of the ,deity will not permit me to believe that a book so manifestly obscure1 disorderly1 and contradictory can be his work4 ,i can write a better book myself6 #af ,other authors of the same school1 and in like spirit attack the ,hebrew scriptures4 ,what is the reply to such attacks8 ,fortunately1 on this point1 ,i have at hand the views recently set forth of a very learned man1 and one of high character1 the ,reverend ,joseph ,armitage ,robinson1 ,d4 ,d41 ,dean of ,westminister and ,chaplain to ,king ,edward ,,vii of ,england4 ,in a recent lecture delivered in ,westminster ,abby on the subject1 ,how the ,bible ,was ,written1 he says3 ,the message of the ,old ,testament was not written by the ,divine hand1 nor dictated by an outward compulsion2 it was planted in the hearts of men1 and made to grow in a fruitful soil4 ,and then they were required to express it in their own language1 after their natural methods1 and in accordance with the stage of knowledge which their time had reached4 ,their human faculties were purified and quickened by the ,divine ,spirit2 but they spoke to their time in the language of their time2 they spoke a spiritual message1 accommodated to the experience of their age1 a message of faith in ,god1 and of righteousness as demanded by a righteous ,god4 #ag ,so1 also1 ,lyman ,abbot1 in a series of lectures on ,the ,bible as ,literature3 ,neither in ancient nor in modern theology is there a simpler1 a more comprehensive statement of the origin and character of the ,bible than in the single sentence with which the ,second ,epistle of ,peter describes it3 ,holy men of ,god spake1 moved by the ,holy ,ghost4 99 99 99 ,according to this definition the ,bible is written by good men1 and it is written by good men under the inspiration or on-breathing of the ,spirit of ,god4 99 99 99 99 ,these men are not amanuenses who write by dictation2 they embody in their writings their own experience1 their own thought1 their own life4 ,thus1 we should expect to find in the ,bible the personal equation of the writers strongly marked4 ,we should expect1 as the sunshine developes each seed after its kind1 so the shining of ,god on the human soul would develop each germinant soul after its kind 99 99 99 ,we see not men writing as clerks write1 embodying only the work of a dictator2 we find in each one the stream1 the current1 the color of his own personality4 ,we shall expect1 also1 to find all these men writing as ,paul says he wrote3 ,we know in part1 and we prophesy in part1 and ,we see in a glass darkly4 #ah ,views similar to those were entertained by the late ,henry ,drummond1 the author of ,natural ,law in the ,spiritual ,world4 ,referring to the writers of the ,hebrew scripture he said3 ,these men when they spoke were not typewriters4 ,they were authors4 ,they were not pens4 ,they were men2 and their individuality comes out in every page they wrote4 ,sometimes they write a better style than they do at other times4 ,sometimes their minds are clearer and their arguments more condensed and consecutive and logical4 #ai ,look at some of the envolved theological statements in the ,new ,testament1 and contrast them with the absolutely pellucid utterances of the same author written on a different occasion1 when he was in a different mood4 ,those men were not mere pens1 ,i repeat2 they were authors1 and it is not the book that is inspired1 so much as the men4 ,god inspired men to make an inspired book4 99 99 99 ,just as a scientific man in communication with nature reads its secrets1 drinks in its spirit1 and writes it down1 so a man who walks with ,god catches the mind of ,god and gets revelations from ,god and writes them down2 religion is not the result of this1 but the cause of it4 #bj ,jenyns in his treatise on the ,internal ,evidences of the ,christian ,religion says3 ,others there are who allow that a revelation from ,god may be both necessary and credible2 but allege that the ,scriptures1 that is1 the books of the ,old and ,new ,testament1 cannot be that revelation--because in them are to be found errors and inconsistencies1 fabulous stories1 false facts1 and false philosophy2 which can never be derived from the fountain of all wisdom and truth4 ,to this ,i reply that ,i readily acknowledge that the ,scriptures are not revelations from ,god1 but the history of them i4e41 the history of the revelations4 ,the revelation itself is derived from ,god2 but the history of it is the production of men1 and therefore the truth of it is not in the least affected by their fallibility1 but depends on the internal evidence of its own supernatural excellence4 ,if in these books such a religion as has been here described actually exists1 no seeming or even real defects to be found in them can disprove the divine origin of this revelation1 or invalidate my argument4 99 99 99 ,if any one could show that these books were never written by their pretended authors1 but were posterior impositions on illiterate and credulous ages--all these wonderful discoveries would prove no more than this1 that ,god1 for reasons to us unknown1 had thought proper to permit a revelation by him communicated to mankind1 to be mixed with their ignorance1 and corrupted by their frauds from its earliest infancy1 in the same manner in which he has visibly permitted it to be mixed and corrupted from that period to the present hour4 ,if in these books a religion superior to all human imagination actually exists1 it is of no consequence to the proof of its divine origin1 by what means it was there introduced1 or with what human errors and imperfections it is blended4 ,a diamond1 though found in a bed of mud1 is still a diamond1 nor can the dirt which surrounds it depreciate its value or destroy its lustre4 ,the point of ,jenyns' argument is1 that both in doctrine and ethics the ,new ,testament is so far superior1 so far surpasses in sublimity of idea and beauty of moral precept1 all that is known amongst men outside of the ,new ,testament1 and is so far removed from the uninspired utterances of men that he claims the conclusion to be irresistible that the ,christian ,scriptures derive their origin immediately from ,god2 that the knowledge which they teach is divine1 no matter what faults may be charged to the expression of this knowledge4 ,from this view point he becomes almost reckless in the admission of errors and defects in the writers of the ,new ,testament4 ,he has been much criticized1 in fact1 by the professional ,christian ministry--for he was a layman as to his relation with the church1 a member of the ,british parliament--for the admission of errors in the ,new ,testament in the passage ,i have quoted above1 but ,i think unjustly so4 ,what is needed1 both as to the ,new ,testament scriptures and the ,nephite scriptures1 is a thoroughgoing recognition of the fact that the truth is of more consequence than the form in which it is expressed4 ,the wheat is of more importance than the chaff in which it grows1 and which holds it until the thrashing and the winnowing4 ,the question is not so much is all the mine-ledge gold1 but is there gold in the ledge4 #ba ,the inspiration of ,god falls upon a prophet as a white ray of light may fall upon a prism1 which separates the white ray of which it is composed--blue1 orange1 red1 green1 etc4 ,the clearness of these several rays and the sharpness with which they are defined will depend upon the purity1 and perhaps the position1 of the prism through which the white ray passes4 ,so with the white ray of ,god's inspiration falling upon men4 ,it receives different colorings or expressions through them according to their personal characteristics4 ,while it is true that the inspiration of ,god may be so overwhelming in its force at times that the prophet may well nigh lose his individuality1 and become merely the mouth-piece of ,god1 the organ through which the ,divine speaks1 yet the personality of the prophet is not usually so overwhelmed2 hence each prophet preserves even under the inspiration of ,god his agency and his personal idiosyncrasies4 ,thus ,isaiah1 ,ezekiel1 ,daniel1 ,amos1 ,nephi1 ,mormon1 ,moroni1 all preserve their individuality in conception of ideas and in the expression of them1 though inspired by the same spirit4 ,so also ,joseph ,smith imparted certain characteristics to his translation of the ,nephite record1 notwithstanding the use of ,urim and ,thummim and the inspiration of the ,lord that rested upon him4 ,just in what manner the ,urim and ,thummim was of assistance to him may be beyond human power to at present explain1 but of this we may be certain1 it was by no means the principal factor in the work2 its place must forever be regarded as secondary2 it was an aid to the ,prophet1 not he an aid to it2 wonderful as it may be as a divine instrument it could not be so marvelous as the mind of man1 especially as the mind of this man1 ,joseph ,smith1 this ,seer1 by way of pre-eminence2 it is ,joseph the ,seer who translated the ,book of ,mormon aided by ,urim and ,thummim4 ,this his statement3 ,through the medium of the ,urim and ,thummim ,i translated the record by the gift and power of ,god4 #bb ,mark these words--,i translated the record1--not the ,urim and ,thummim4 ,of course the ,prophet recognizes in this1 as he did in all his prophetic work and his seership work1 his obligation to the inspiration of ,god1 and surely ,i do not wish to detract from the inspiration of ,god as a factor in his work4 ,i merely desire to emphasize here that it was the ,prophet under the inspiration of ,god that did the work1 and that the divine instrument1 ,urim and ,thummim1 however wonderful1 was merely an aid to the ,prophet1 as glasses may be an aid to the dim-sighted4 ,but notwithstanding this aid provided by man's ingenuity1 it is the eye after all that does the seeing1 though this contrivance called spectacles helps the vision1 and makes it more perfect4 ,so1 analogously1 but in some way unknown to us1 the ,urim and ,thummim aided the ,prophet in his work of translation4 ,the defense of written revelation then against the existence of human elements in it--evident limitations in the knowledge of prophets concerning things other than the immediate matters on which they are inspired of ,god2 unequal expression of ideas1 falling sometimes from the sublime to the commonplace2 lack of clearness and directness in expression1 circumlocution2 #bc grammatical blunders2 tautology2 sometimes long suspension of thought 7a frequent fault of both ,old and ,new ,testament writers71 and some thought never completed at all--all these and many other faults of mere construction1--disarrangement of the mere garments of thought--are to be attributed to the weaknesses of men and their limitations in knowledge1 rather than to any fault in the inspiration supplied of ,god4 ,it is the body that is defective1 not the soul2 the expression that is defective1 not the inspired truth struggling for utterance through the faulty diction of prophets1 ancient or modern--,if there be faults1 they are the faults of men2 therefore1 condemn not the things of ,god because of the faults of men1 will yet come to be regarded as a golden text in defense of written revelation4 ,,ii4 ,objections ,based ,upon the ,existence of ,passages in the ,book of ,mormon ,which ,follow ,king ,james' ,translation of the ,bible ,verbatim4 ,it is objected to the ,book of ,mormon that there are found in it whole chapters1 besides many minor quotations1 from ,king ,james' ,english translation of the ,bible4 ,since these chapters and passages in some cases follow the authorized ,english version verbatim1 and closely resemble it in others2 and as it is well known that in translating from one language into another almost infinite variety of expression is possible1 the question arises1 how is it that ,joseph ,smith in translating from the ,nephite plates by divine assistance follows so closely an independent translation made in the ordinary way1 by dint of scholarship and patient labor1 and by diligent comparison of former translations4 #bd ,this ,king ,james' translation was made by scholars of the sixteenth century4 ,it is well known that no two translations of the same matter from one language to another1 by different scholars1 would ever be alike1 hence these passages from the ,hebrew scriptures found in the ,book of ,mormon1 so closely resembling and in places following word for word the language of the ,king ,james' translation1 constitute a difficulty1 and what is regarded by some as an insurmountable objection to the claims of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,nearly all the ,anti-,mormon writers raise this objection1 though perhaps ,john ,hyde1 #be #aheg1 makes the most of it4 ,following him the ,rev4 ,m4 ,t4 ,lamb1 #bf #ahhg1 and last1 but not least1 ,linn1 #bg #aijb4 ,this objection was most carefully and intelligently stated recently 7,october #bb1 #aijc71 by ,mr4 ,h4 ,chamberlain1 of ,spencer1 ,iowa1 ,u4 ,s4 ,a41 in a letter of inquiry on the subject to ,president ,joseph ,f4 ,smith1 of ,salt ,lake ,city1 in the course of which he said3 ,i find that ,christ in quoting to the people on this side of the water1 the third and fourth chapters of ,malachi1 quotes1 according to the ,book of ,mormon1 in the identical text of ,king ,james' version1 not missing a word4 ,i find chapters of ,isaiah quoted practically in the same way4 ,i find that in many instances1 in his talks with the people1 and to his disciples here1 he used the identical language of ,king ,james' version1 not omitting the words supplied by the translators4 ,now1 ,i know that no two parties will take the same manuscript and make translations of a matter contained therein1 and the language of the two translators be alike2 indeed1 the language employed by the two parties will widely differ4 ,these translations are from different manuscripts1 and from different languages1 and still it appears in the ,book of ,mormon as ,king ,james' translation4 ,i can conceive of no other way in which such a coincidence could have occurred1 within the range of human experience1 except where one writing is copied from another1 and then it takes the utmost care to get them exactly alike1 word for word1 and letter for letter as this is4 99 99 99 ,now1 what ,i want to know is1 how do you as a ,church account for these things appearing in the ,book of ,mormon in the identical language of ,king ,james' version1 when we know his version is faulty1 and the same translators could not have made it twice alike themselves8 ,did ,joseph copy it from the ,bible1 or did the ,lord adopt this identical language in revealing it to ,joseph8 #bh ,this communication was referred to the writer by ,president ,smith for an answer1 which was written1 and from which ,i quote3 ,the difficulty which you point out of course has been recognized by believers in the ,book of ,mormon1 but ,i do not know that ,i can say that the ,church as yet has settled upon any explanation which could be regarded as an authoritative view on the subject4 ,each one has been left to settle the matter upon the lines which seem most reasonable to him4 ,as a matter of fact1 though our opponents have frequently called attention to the difficulty in question1 it has not occasioned any particular anxiety in the minds of our own people4 ,accepting the overwhelming evidences that exist for the truth of the ,book of ,mormon1 we have regarded that difficulty1 with some others1 as of minor importance1 which would in time be satisfactorily settled4 ,still1 ,i realize the reasonableness of the objection that may be urged against the ,book of ,mormon from the point of view from which you present the subject1 and realize that it constitutes a real difficulty2 and one1 too1 in which we have no word from the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 or those who were immediately associated with him in bringing forth the ,nephite record1 to aid us in a solution of the matter4 ,we are left1 therefore1 very largely to conjecture1 based on the facts in the case1 which facts are most tersely put in your esteemed communication1 viz3 ,first4 ,it is a fact that a number of passages in the ,book of ,mormon1 verses and whole chapters1 run closely parallel in matter and phraseology with passages in ,isaiah1 ,malachi1 and some parts of the ,new ,testament4 ,second4 ,it is a fact that no two persons will make translations of the same matter from one language into another1 and the language of the two translations be alike4 ,third4 ,it is a fact that the translations of the words of ,isaiah1 of ,malachi1 and the words of the ,savior1 in the ,book of ,mormon1 are generally supposed to be independent translations from different manuscripts or records and from different languages4 ,then1 of course1 comes your question3 how can the strange fact be accounted for1 viz41 that the translations in the ,book of ,mormon corresponding to ,isaiah1 ,malachi and the words of the ,savior1 are in the language of ,king ,james' translation8 ,of course1 you will remember that according to the ,book of ,mormon1 the ,nephite colony carried with them to ,america so much of the ,old ,testament as was in existence at the time of their departure from ,jerusalem 7#fjj years ,b4 ,c474 ,the prophecy of ,malachi1 chapters #c and #d quoted in the ,book of ,mormon was supplied by the ,savior4 ,the ,nephites engraved portions of these scriptures in their records1 and this both in the ,hebrew1 and what the ,nephites called the reformed--i4e41 altered--,egyptian4 ,i simply mention this in passing1 that you may remember afresh how these passages came to be in the ,nephite record1 and that you may remember that the ,nephites had the ,jewish scriptures in much the same form as they were to be found in ,judea1 #fjj ,b4 ,c4 ,when the ,savior came to the western world and appeared to the ,nephites1 he had the same message to present to them that he had presented in ,palestine2 the same ordinances of the gospel to establish1 a similar church organization to found1 and the same ethical principles to teach4 ,the manner of the ,savior's teaching would doubtless lead him to present these great truths in the same forms of expression he had used in teaching the ,jews1 so that in substance what he had taught as his doctrines in ,judea he would repeat in ,america4 ,this is mentioned also1 by the way1 that it may appear reasonable to you that in a general manner the ,savior must have taught the people in the western hemisphere substantially the same things that he taught the people in ,palestine4 ,with this remembered1 ,i think we find a solution of the difficulty you present in the following way3 ,when ,joseph ,smith saw that the ,nephite record was quoting the prophecies of ,isaiah1 of ,malachi1 or the words of the ,savior1 he took the ,english ,bible and compared these passages as far as they paralled each other1 and finding that in substance1 they were alike1 he adopted our ,english translation2 and hence1 we have the sameness to which you refer4 ,it should be understood also1 in this connection1 that while ,joseph ,smith obtained the facts and ideas from the ,nephite characters through the inspiration of ,god1 he was left to express those facts and ideas1 in the main1 in such language as he could command2 and when he found that parts of the ,nephite record closely parallel passages in the ,bible1 and being conscious that the language of our ,english ,bible was superior to his own1 he adopted it1 except for those differences indicated in the ,nephite original which here and there made the ,book of ,mormon version of passages superior in sense and clearness4 ,of course1 ,i recognize the fact that this is but a conjecture2 but ,i believe it to be a reasonable one2 and indeed the only one which satisfactorily disposes of the difficulty you point out4 ,there exists1 however1 another difficulty2 and that is1 while the foreging explanation may account for the sameness in phraseology between these ,book of ,mormon passages and ,king ,james' translation1 there remains to be accounted for the differences that exist between these ,book of ,mormon passages and those which parallel them in ,king ,james' translation4 ,i am led to believe that you have been so absorbed1 perhaps1 in tracing out the sameness in the expression that you have failed to note the differences to which ,i allude1 for you make the claim of strict identity between the ,book of ,mormon and ,king ,james' translation too strong when you say that there is used the identical language of ,king ,james' #bi version1 not even omitting the words supplied by the translators4 ,throughout the parallel passages1 there are here and there differences 7with the single exception1 perhaps1 in the chapters from ,malachi1 and even in these is a slight difference71 and a close comparison of these differences will show that in the matter of supplied words by ,king ,james' translators1 there are very frequent changes1 and in all the changes that appear1 the ,book of ,mormon passages are far superior in sense and clearness4 ,i quote you a few passages in illustration3 ,,book ,,of ,,mormon4 ,,bible4 ,thou hast multiplied the nation ,thou hast multiplied the nation and increased the joy2 and not increased the joy3 they joy before thee according they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest1 and to the joy in harvest1 and as men rejoice when they divide as men rejoice when they divide the spoils6--,,ii4 ,nephi xxix3 #c4 the spoil6--,isaiah ix3 #c4 ,here you will find the ,book of ,mormon passage more in harmony with the facts in the case4 ,how inconsistent the passage is in ,isaiah1 ,thou has multiplied the nation and not increased the joy6 ,and yet that statement is followed by this one--they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest1 and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil6 ,but in the ,book of ,mormon it is perfectly consistent1 for there it says ,thou hast multiplied the nation1 and increased the joy4 ,the following passages also indicate the superiority of the ,book of ,mormon version3 ,,book ,,of ,,mormon4 ,,bible4 ,and when they shall say unto ,and when they shall say unto you1 ,seek unto them that you1 ,seek unto them that have familiar spirits1 and unto have familiar spirits1 and unto wizards that peep and mutter2 wizards that peep and mutter2 should not a people seek unto should not a people seek unto their ,god1 for the living to their ,god8 for the living to hear from the the dead4--,isaiah viii3 #ai4 dead8--,,ii4 ,nephi xvii3 #ai4 ,as an illustration of my statement that ,book of ,mormon version of passages is sometimes markedly different from our common ,english version in the matter of supplied words1 ,i quote you the following passages4 ,the supplied words in the ,bible text are written in italics4 ,,book ,,of ,,mormon4 ,,bible4 ,say unto the righteous ,say unto the righteous that that it is well with them2 for it shall be well with him3 for they shall eat the fruit of their they shall eat the fruit of their doings4 doings4 ,woe unto the wicked6 for ,woe unto the wicked6 it shall they shall perish2 for the reward be well with him3 for the reward of their hands shall be upon of his hands shall be them4--,,ii4 ,nephi xxiii3 #aj1 #aa4 given him4--,isaiah iii3 #aj1 #aa4 ,if you will carefully compare the passages in the ,book of ,mormon1 and some of the chapters in ,matthew1 say the #abth chapter of ,,iii4 ,nephi1 with ,matthew v2 the #acth chapter of ,,iii4 ,nephi with ,matthew #fth chapter2 the #adth chapter of ,,iii4 ,nephi1 with ,matthew #gth chapter1 you will also find throughout that there are differences between the two1 as much so as between the ,catholic ,bible 7generally called the ,douay ,bible7 and ,king ,james' translation1 which1 of course1 are independent translations by different scholars4 ,i give the following passages by way of illustration3 ,,king ,,james' ,,bible4 ,,book ,,of ,,mormon4 ,,douay ,,bible4 ,matt4 ch4 v3 verse #c4 ,,iii4 ,nephi ch4 xii3 ,matt4 ch4 v3 verse #c4 verse #c4 ,blessed are the ,yea1 blessed are ,blessed are the poor in spirit3 for the poor in spirit poor in spirit2 for theirs is the kingdom who come unto me #cj theirs is the kingdom of heaven4 for theirs is the of heaven4 kingdom of heaven4 ,,king ,,james' ,,bible4 ,,book ,,of ,,mormon4 ,,douay ,,bible4 ,verse #d4 ,verse #d4 ,verse #e4 #ca ,blessed are they ,and again1 blessed ,blessed are they that mourn3 for they are they that mourn1 that mourn3 for shall be comforted4 for they shall be they shall be comforted4 comforted4 ,verse #f4 ,verse #f4 ,verse #f4 ,blessed are they ,and blessed are all ,blessed are they which do hunger and they who do hunger that hunger and thirst after and thirst after thirst after justice3 righteousness3 for righteousness1 for for they shall have they shall be filled4 they shall be filled their fill4 with the ,holy ,ghost4 #cb ,verse #g4 ,verse #g4 ,verse #g4 ,blessed are the ,and blessed are ,blessed are the merciful for they the merciful1 for merciful for they shall obtain mercy4 they shall obtain shall obtain mercy4 mercy4 ,verse #aj4 ,verse #aj4 ,verse #aj4 ,blessed are they ,and blessed are ,blessed are they which are persecuted all they who are that suffer persecution for righteousness persecuted for my for justice's sake3 for theirs is name's sake1 for sake3 for theirs is the kingdom of theirs is the the kingdom of heaven4 kingdom of heaven4 heaven4 ,,king ,,james' ,,bible4 ,,book ,,of ,,mormon4 ,,douay ,,bible4 ,verse #ab4 ,verse #ab4 ,verse #ab4 ,rejoice1 and be ,for ye shall have ,be glad and rejoice1 exceeding glad3 for great joy and be for your reward great is your reward exceeding glad1 for is very great in heaven3 for so great shall be your in heaven2 for so persecuted they the reward in heaven1 they persecuted the prophets which were for so persecuted prophets that were before you4 they the prophets before you4 who were before you4 ,chapter vi3 verse #be4 ,chapter xiii3 verse #be4 ,chapter vi3 verse #be4 ,therefore ,i say ,and now it came ,therefore ,i say unto you1 take no to pass that when unto you1 be not solicitous thought for your ,jesus had spoken for your life1 what ye shall these words1 he life1 what you shall eat1 or what ye shall looked upon the eat nor for your drink2 nor yet for twelve whom he had body what you shall your body1 what ye chosen1 and said unto put on4 ,is not the shall put on4 ,is them1 #cc ,remember life more than the not the life more the words which meat3 and the body than meat1 and the ,i have spoken4 ,for more than raiment8 body than raiment8 behold1 ye are they whom ,i have chosen to minister unto unto this people4 ,therefore ,i say unto you1 take no thought for your life1 what ye shall eat1 or what ye shall drink2 nor yet for your body1 what ye shall put on4 ,is not the life more than meat1 and the body than raiment8 ,,king ,,james' ,,bible4 ,,book ,,of ,,mormon4 ,,douay ,,bible4 ,verse #bf4 ,verse #bf4 ,verse #bf4 ,behold the fowls ,behold the fowls ,behold the birds of the air3 for they of the air1 for they of the air1 for they sow not1 neither do sow not1 neither do neither sow nor do they reap1 nor gather they reap1 nor gather they reap1 nor gather in barns2 yet your into barns2 yet into barns2 and heavenly ,father your heavenly ,father your heavenly ,father feedeth them4 ,are feedeth them4 ,are feedeth them4 ye not much better ye not much better ,are not you of than they8 than they8 much more value than they8 ,,king ,,james' ,,bible4 ,,book ,,of ,,mormon4 ,,douay ,,bible4 ,verse #bg4 ,verse #bg4 ,verse #bg4 ,which of you by ,which of you by ,which of you by taking thought can taking thought can taking thought can add one cubit unto add one cubit unto add to his stature his stature8 his stature8 one cubit8 ,verses #bh1 #bi4 ,verses #bh1 #bi4 ,verses #bh1 #bi4 ,and why take ye ,and why take ye ,and for raiment thought for raiment8 thought for raiment8 why are you solicitous ,consider the lilies ,consider the lilies ,consider the of the field1 how of the field1 how lilies of the field1 they grow2 they they grow2 they toil how they grow2 they toil not1 neither do not1 neither do they labor not1 neither they spin3 and yet spin2 and yet ,i say do they spin4 ,but ,i ,i say unto you1 that unto you1 that even say unto you1 that even ,solomon in all ,solomon1 in all his not even ,solomon1 his glory was not glory was not arrayed in all his glory1 was arrayed like one of like one of arrayed as one of these4 these4 these4 ,verse #cj4 ,verse #cj4 ,verse #cj4 ,wherefore1 if ,god ,wherefore1 if ,god ,and if the grass so clothe the grass so clothe the grass of the field1 which is of the field1 which of the field1 which today1 and tomorrow today is1 and tomorrow today is1 and tomorrow is cast into the is cast into the is cast into the oven1 ,god doth so oven1 shall he not oven1 even so will clothe3 how much much more clothe he clothe you1 if you more you1 ,o ye of you1 ,o ye of little are not of little little faith8 faith8 faith8 ,,king ,,james' ,,bible4 ,,book ,,of ,,mormon4 ,,douay ,,bible4 ,verses #ca1 #cb1 #cc4 ,verses #ca1 #cb1 #cc4 ,verses #ca1 #cb1 #cc4 ,therefore take no ,therefore1 take no ,be not solicitous thought1 saying thought1 saying therefore1 saying3 ,what shall we eat8 ,what shall we eat8 ,what shall we eat3 or1 what shall we or1 what shall we or what shall we drink8 or ,wherewith drink1 or wherewith drink1 or wherewith shall we be shall we be clothed8 shall we be clothed8 clothed8 for after ,for your heavenly ,for after all these all these things do ,father knoweth that things do the heathens the ,gentiles seek3 ye have need of all seek4 ,for your ,for your heavenly these things4 ,but ,father knoweth that ,father knoweth that seek ye first the you have need of all ye have need of all kingdom of ,god and these things4 ,seek these things4 ,but his righteousness1 ye therefore first the seek ye first the and all these things kingdom of ,god1 kingdom of ,god and shall be added unto and his justice3 and his righteousness1 you4 all these things shall and all these things be added unto you4 shall be added unto you4 ,verse #cd4 ,verse #cd4 ,verse #cd4 ,take therefore no ,take therefore no ,be not therefore thought for the thought for the solicitous for tomorrow4 morrow3 ,for the morrow1 for the ,for the morrow morrow shall take morrow shall take will be solicitous thought for the thought for the for itself2 sufficient things of itself4 things of itself4 for the day is ,sufficient unto the ,sufficient is the day the evil thereof4 day is the evil unto the evil thereof4 thereof4 #cd ,but how are these differences to be accounted for8 ,they unquestionably arise from the fact that the ,prophet compared the ,king ,james' translation with the parallel passages in the ,nephite records1 and when he found the sense of the passage of the ,nephite plates #ce superior to that in the ,english version he made such changes as would give the superior sense and clearness4 ,this view is sustained by the fact of uniform superiority of the ,book of ,mormon version wherever such differences occur4 ,it is also a significant fact that these changes occur quite generally in the case of supplied words of the ,english translators1 and which in order to indicate that they are supplied words1 are printed in ,italics4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i fancy to all this1 however1 another inquiry will arise in your mind and that is since ,joseph ,smith translated the ,book of ,mormon by means of the ,urim and ,thummim1 why is it that he did not give throughout a translation direct from the ,nephite plates1 instead of following our ,english ,bible1 where it paralleled passages on the plates1 since translation by means of the ,urim and ,thummim must have been so simple and so easy8 ,it is at this particular point where1 in my opinion1 a very great mistake is made1 both by our own people1 and our friends in the world4 ,that is1 translation by the ,urim and ,thummim is not so simple and easy a thing as it might at first glance appear4 ,many have supposed that the ,prophet ,joseph had merely to look into the ,urim and ,thummim1 and there see1 without any thought or effort on his part1 both the ,nephite characters and the translation in ,english4 ,in other words1 the instrument did everything and the ,prophet nothing1 except merely to look in the ,urim and ,thummim as one might look into a mirror1 and then give out what he saw there4 ,such a view of the work of the ,urim and ,thummim ,i believe to be altogether incorrect4 ,i think it caused the ,prophet the exercise of all his intellectual and spiritual forces to obtain the translation2 that it was an exhausting work1 one that taxed even his great powers to their uttermost limit2 and hence1 when he could ease himself of those labors by adopting a reasonably good translation already existing1 ,i think he was justified in doing so4 ,such was the answer made to ,mr4 ,chamberlain's inquiries1 and as the reader will doubtless be interested to know how this answer was received by this unprejudiced gentleman1 ,i quote the following from his letter in response to the explanation4 #cf ,of course1 ,i realize that if the ,book of ,mormon was not just what it purported to be1 the whole fabric of ,mormonism must fall to the ground1 so far as being an inspired religion1 and would then only be worth what good one could get out of it as the best organization or controlled religion on earth4 99 99 99 ,upon studying the ,book of ,mormon1 ,i1 of course1 found these portions of ,king ,james' version of our ,bible1 and judging it by the applied law of human experience1 as we lawyers learn to judge everything1 ,i could account for it in on other way1 than that ,joseph ,smith copied it therefrom1 and ,i am free to say that your reasons for his so doing are not only probable1 but the only solution that can be given4 99 99 99 ,i believe and think that your suggestion is the only theory upon which it is possible to advocate its divine character4 ,it seems to me that ,god1 so far as ,i know1 has never supplied man with what he already possessed1 and ,joseph ,smith already had language with which to express his ideas1 and all that was required in addition from ,god was1 that he furnish him with the thought1 and then let him express it in his own language4 ,i never could for a moment believe that ,god is interested in placing his approval on ,king ,james' translators' style of translating1 nor upon the composition of the ,english language therein adopted4 ,i do not see wherein your theory detracts in any manner from the value of the ,book of ,mormon1 as an inspired work acknowledged by ,god as authentic1 nor makes more impracticable the manner of its introduction4 ,,ii4 ,miscellaneous ,objections ,based on ,literary ,style and ,language4 ,the theory established that the language of the translation of the ,book of ,mormon is ,joseph ,smith's1 and that at least for extended quotations from ,isaiah and the ,new ,testament writers he turned to the common ,english version of the ,bible and adopted it1 the answer to all objections based upon errors in literary style and grammar1 and the finding of many passages from the ,hebrew prophets and ,new ,testament writers transcribed from ,king ,james' translation--is obvious3 7#a7 ,the language is ,joseph ,smith's2 the errors in style and grammar are due to his very limited education1 for which the lack of educational opportunities alone is responsible4 7#b7 ,to relieve himself somewhat of the mental strain in the work of translation when he came to matter transcribed from the ,hebrew prophets into the ,nephite record1 or to instructions of the ,messiah that paralled his teachings to the people of ,judea--of which there already existed a reasonably good ,english translation--the ,prophet adopted that translation4 #cg ,the ideas underlying this explanation once adopted1 it is equally easy to meet the objections to the ,book of ,mormon based on the existence of modern words and phraseology found in it2 of provincialisms of the time and place in which the translation was wrought2 of phrases and words from modern poets and religious exhorters4 ,these words and phrases made up the vocabulary of ,joseph ,smith2 and his mode of expressing his thought is that of the period and place in which he lived2 and hence the ideas obtained from the ,nephite plates he couched in those modern words1 phrases and modes of expression familiar to him4 ,sometimes1 however1 more is claimed for the existence of these modern words1 phrases and alleged quotations from modern poets than is warranted4 #ch ,for example3 ,campbell1 ,hyde1 ,lamb1 ,linn1 and many others1 sarcastically remark that the words of ,shakespeare are quoted in a passage in the ,book of ,mormon accredited to ,lehi1 #bbjj years before ,shakespeare was born6 ,linn puts it in this form3 ,shakespeare is proved a plagiarist by comparing his words with those of the second ,nephi1 who1 speaking twenty-two hundred years before ,shakespeare was born1 said1 ,hear the words of a trembling parent1 whose limbs you must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave1 from whence no traveler can return4 #ci ,the theory already advanced as an explanation of the existence of modern words and phraseology in ,joseph ,smith's translation of the ,nephite record is adequate as an explanation of such instances of modernisms as this4 #dj ,through school books extant1 or through listening to itinerant preachers1 the ,prophet might have become acquainted with such phraseology as this alleged quotation from ,shakespeare1 and employed it where it would express some ,nephite idea or thought found in the ,nephite record4 ,still1 this alleged quotation from the ,british poet1 at least1 is susceptible of another explanation4 ,in the book of ,job ,i find two passages either of which1 and surely both of them combined1 would furnish the complete thought1 and for that matter largely1 the phraseology to both ,lehi and ,shakespeare4 ,i quote ,job's language1 and afterwards that of ,lehi's and ,shakespeare's1 that the reader may compare them3 #a4 ,job1 ,let me alone that ,i may take comfort a little before ,i go whence ,i shall not return1 even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death4 #da ,when a few years are come1 then ,i shall go the way whence ,i shall not return4 #db #b4 ,lehi1 ,hear the words of a parent whose limbs you must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave1 from whence no traveler can return4 #c4 ,shakespeare1 ,that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns4 ,it will be observed that the passage from the ,book of ,mormon follows ,job more closely than it does ,shakespeare1 both in thought and diction2 and this for the reason1 doubtless1 that ,lehi had been impressed with ,job's idea #dc of going to a land whence he would not return2 and ,joseph ,smith being familiar with ,job1 and very likely not familiar with ,shakespeare1 when he came to ,lehi's thought he expressed it nearly in ,job's phraseology2 and undoubtedly ,shakespeare paraphrased his now celebrated passage from ,job4 ,it is also objected that many of the prophecies of the ,book of ,mormon respecting the earth-career of ,messiah1 especially the prophecies found in first ,nephi1 are given sometimes in the language of accomplished fact4 #dd ,lehi1 says ,campbell1 was a greater ,prophet than any of the ,jewish prophets1 and uttered all the events of the ,christian ,era and developed the records of ,matthew1 ,luke1 and ,john #fjj years before ,john the ,baptist was born4 ,he follows the general statement with a number of passages illustrative of it4 ,this circumstance of writing prophecy in the language of accomplished fact1 however1 ought not to appeal to orthodox ,christians as a very serious objection to the prophecies in the ,book of ,mormon1 since they have on their hands the fifty third chapter of ,isaiah to account for4 ,this chapter by a consensus of opinion of orthodox ,christian scholarship is regarded as a wonderful prophecy1 outlining the earth life1 character and redemptive mission of the ,christ2 and for the most part this prophecy is given in the language of accomplished fact4 ,i quote part of the chapter conceded to refer to the ,christ3 ,he hath no form nor comeliness2 and when we shall see him1 there is no beauty that we should desire him4 ,he is despised and rejected of men2 a man of sorrows1 and acquainted with grief1 and we hid as it were our faces from him2 he was despised1 and we esteemed him not4 ,surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows2 yet we did esteem him stricken1 smitten of ,god1 and afflicted4 ,but he was wounded for our transgressions1 he was bruised for our iniquities2 the chastisement of our peace was upon him2 and with his stripes we are healed4 ,all we like sheep have gone astray2 we have turned every one to his own way2 and the ,lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all4 ,he was oppressed1 and he was afflicted1 yet he opened not his mouth2 he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter1 and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb1 so he openeth not his mouth4 ,he was taken from prison and from judgment2 and who shall declare his generation8 for he was cut off out of the land of the living3 for the transgression of my people was he stricken4 ,and he made his grave with the wicked1 and with the rich in his death2 because he had done no violence1 neither was any deceit in his mouth4 7,isaiah1 ,,liii3 #b-aj47 ,surely after this it is not worth while for orthodox ,christians to be objecting to prophecies in the ,book of ,mormon on the ground that they are written in the language of accomplished fact4 ,so far from this peculiarity of ,isaiah's having brought him into disrepute as a prophet1 it seems to have added to his glory1 because so writing his prophecy1 it is claimed1 has given a vividness to his predictions1 an exactness that made the messianic prophecies all the more valuable4 ,the prophecies regarding the ,messiah's birth1 passion1 glory1 rejection by the ,jews1 and acceptance by the ,gentiles are so exact as to have earned him the name of the ',gospel ,prophet4' --7,oxford ,bible ,helps--,isaiah74 ,it should be remembered1 too1 in this connection1 that the ,book of ,isaiah's prophecies carried by the colony of ,lehi into the ,western hemisphere with them became a powerful influence among the ,nephite writers4 ,his book is quoted from more extensively than any other book of the ,jewish scriptures possessed by the ,nephites2 and that because of the plainness with which ,isaiah spoke of the coming and mission of ,messiah4 ,the first ,nephi1 commenting upon ,isaiah and the esteem in which he held his writing1 said3 ,and now ,i1 ,nephi1 write more of the words of ,isaiah1 for my soul delighteth in his words4 ,for ,i will liken apply his words unto my people1 and ,i will send them forth unto all my children1 for he verily saw my ,redeemer1 even as ,i have seen him4 ,and my brother ,jacob also has seen him as ,i have seen him1 wherefore ,i will send their words forth unto my children1 to prove unto them that my words are true4 ,small wonder then if a prophet held in such large esteem1 as was ,isaiah1 and so extensively quoted1 influenced prophetic ,nephite literature1 and led to the habit of writing prophecies referring to the ,christ in the language of accomplished fact4 ,the ,rev4 ,m4 ,t4 ,lamb1 in his ,golden ,bible makes practically the same charges as ,mr4 ,campbell1 saying1 in addition that many of the quotations from the ,jewish scriptures found in the ,book of ,mormon1 are written in the exact language of the ,new ,testament4 ,it is sufficient to say to this objection that ,joseph ,smith having a full knowledge of the facts of the ,christian story1 as related in the ,new ,testament1 clothed the ideas caught from the ,nephite record in ,new ,testament phraseology2 and it has been suggested that he may have done so in places in stronger terms than a rigidly strict translation might have warranted4 #de ,it is not necessary to go into detail in considering this objection1 #df or of objections of similar nature1 for the reason that this whole class of objections is met completely by the theory suggested in these pages concerning the translation of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,,iii4 ,the ,difficulty of ,passages from ,isaiah ,being ,quoted by ,nephite ,writers1 that ,modern ,bible ,criticism 7,higher ,criticism7 ,holds ,were ,not ,written ,until the ,time of the ,babylonian ,captivity--#ehf-ech ,b4 ,c41 and not ,written by ,isaiah at all4 ,it is held that ,isaiah's historical period--the period of his ministry--runs through the reign of four kings of ,judah--,uzziah1 ,jotham1 ,ahaz and ,hezekiah4 ,some extend his ministry over into the reign of ,manasseh1 by whose edict1 it is said1 he was sawn asunder4 ,in any event ,isaiah would be a very aged man at the close of the reign of ,hezekiah1 #fih ,b4 ,c42 and he would have been between eighty and ninety at the accession of ,manesseh4 ,so that it is safe to say that life ended soon after the close of ,hezekiah's reign4 ,now if it be true that the latter part of the ,book of ,isaiah1 from chapter forty to chapter sixty-six1 inclusive1 was not written until and during the ,babylonian ,captivity1 #ehf-ech ,b4 ,c4--as assumed by modern criticism--then of course the prophet ,isaiah did not write that part of the book which bears his name as author4 ,again3 ,if it be true that these chapters #dj-ff were not written until and during the ,babylonian captivity1 then ,lehi could not have taken that part of the book of ,isaiah with him into the wilderness and subsequently brought it with him to ,america1 where his son ,nephi copied passages and whole chapters into the record he engraved upon plates called the plates of ,nephi1 #dg since ,lehi left ,jerusalem #fjj years ,b4 ,c4 ,the difficulty presented by the ,higher ,criticism is obvious1 viz3 ,if ,joseph ,smith is representing the first ,nephi as transcribing into his ,nephite records passages and whole chapters purporting to have been written by ,isaiah1 when as a matter of fact those chapters were not written until a hundred and twenty-five or a hundred and fifty years after ,isaiah's death2 and not until fifty years after ,lehi's colony had departed from ,jerusalem1 then ,joseph ,smith is representing ,nephi as doing that which is impossible1 and throws the whole ,book of ,mormon under suspicion of being fraudulent4 ,this1 therefore1 becomes a very interesting as well as a very important objection2 and many among the ,higher ,critics will say a fatal one4 ,here it can only be treated in outline2 it is undoubtedly worthy of exhaustive analysis4 ,the ,book of ,isaiah divides into two parts3 first1 chapters #a-ci1 universally allowed to be the work of the prophet ,isaiah1 whose ministry extended through the reigns of the four kings mentioned in ,isaiah i3#a2 second1 chapters #dj-ff1 written by an unknown author1 nearly one hundred and fifty years after ,isaiah1 sometimes called ,isaiah ,,ii4 ,it is claimed that these chapters #dj-ff2 form a continuous prophecy1 dealing throughout with a common theme1 viz1 ,israel's restoration from exile in ,babylon4 99 99 ,jerusalem and the temple have been for long in ruins--the 'old waste places2' ,israel is in exile4 #dh ,it is to these conditions that the unknown prophet addresses himself4 ,his object is to awaken faith in the certainty of an approaching restoration4 ,three independent lines of argument are said to establish this theory of the authorship of chapters #dj-ff in the ,book of ,isaiah3 7#a7 ,the internal evidence supplied by the prophecy itself points to this period time of the captivity as that at which it was written4 ,it alludes repeatedly to ,jerusalem as ruined and deserted2 to the sufferings which the ,jews have experienced1 or are experiencing1 at the hands of the ,chaldaeans2 to the prospect of return1 which1 as the prophet speaks1 is imminent4 ,those whom the prophet addresses1 and1 moreover1 addresses in person--arguing with them1 appealing to them1 striving to win their assent by his warm and impassioned rhetoric--are not the men of ,jerusalem1 contemporaries of ,ahaz and ,hezekiah1 or even of ,manasseh1 they are the exiles in ,babylonia4 ,judged by the analogy of prophecy1 this constitutes the strongest possible presumption that the author actually lived in the period which he thus describes1 and is not merely 7as has been supposed7 ,isaiah immersed in spirit in the future1 and holding converse1 as it were1 with the generations yet unborn4 ,such an immersion1 in the future would be not only with parallel in the ,o4 ,t41 it would be contrary to the nature of prophecy4 ,the prophet speaks always1 in the first instance1 to his own contemporaries3 the message which he brings intimately related with the circumstances of his time2 his promises and predictions1 however far they reach into the future1 nevertheless rest upon the basis of the history of his own age1 and correspond to the needs which are then felt4 ,the prophet never abandons his own historical position1 but speaks from it4 #di 7#b7 ,the argument derived from the historic function of prophecy is confirmed by the literary style of c4 #dj-ff1 which is very different from that of ,isaiah #a-ci4 ,isaiah #a-ci shows strongly marked individualities of style2 he is fond of particular images and phrases1 many of which are used by no other writer of the ,o4 ,t4 ,now1 in the chapters which contain evident allusions to the age of ,isaiah himself1 these expressions occur repeatedly2 in the chapters which are without such allusions1 and which thus authorize prima facie the inference that they belong to a different1 age1 they are absent1 and new images and phrases appear instead4 ,this coincidence cannot be accidental4 ,the subject of c4 #dj-ff is not so different from that of ,isaiah's prophecies 7e4g47 against the ,assyrians1 as to necessitate a new phraseology and rhetorical form4 ,the differences can only be reasonably explained by the supposition of a change of author4 #ej 7#c7 ,the theological ideas of c4 #dj-ff 7in so far as they are not of that fundamental kind common to the prophets generally7 differ remarkably from those which appear1 from c4 #a-ci1 to be distinctive of ,isaiah4 ,thus1 on the nature of ,god generally1 the ideas expressed are much larger and fuller4 ,isaiah1 for instance1 depicts the majesty of ,jehovah3 in c4 #dj-ff the prophet emphasizes his infinitude2 ,he is the ,creator1 the ,sustainer of the universe1 the ,life-,giver1 the ,author of history1 the ,first and the ,last1 the ,incomparable ,one4 ,this is a real difference4 ,and yet it cannot be argued that opportunities for such assertions of ,jehovah's power and ,godhead would not have presented themselves naturally to ,isaiah whilst he was engaged in defying the armies of ,assyria4 ,but1 in truth1 c4 #dj-ff show an advance upon ,isaiah1 not only in the substance of their theology1 but also in the form in which it is presented2 truths which are merely affirmed in ,isaiah being here made the subject of reflection and argument4 #ea ,these arguments when expressed in these general terms seem quite formidable2 but they are much stronger in general statement than when one follows the advocates of them through all the references cited by them in support of the theory2 for then one is impressed with the very heavy weights which the ,higher ,criticism hangs on very slender threads4 ,as before remarked1 however1 ,i may not go beyond outline treatment of the matter here4 ,the first thing those of us who believe ,isaiah to be the author of the whole book through so many ages accredited to him1 both by ,jews and ,christians--the first thing we have a right to demand of these innovators is3 ,if ,isaiah the prophet is not the author of the last twenty-seven chapters of the book that bears his name1 who is the author8 ,confessedly chapters #dj-ff of ,isaiah are the most important part of the book4 ,how is it that chapters #a-ci can be assigned an author1 but the more important chapters #dj-ff have to be assigned to an unknown author8 ,was knowledge in those antique times so imperfect that the author of such a remarkable production as ,isaiah #dj-ff could not be ascertained8 ,second1 there is no heading to this second division of ,isaiah #dj-ff2 and it is not true that this second part is unconnected with the first part4 ,allowing something to the spirit of prophecy in ,isaiah1 by which ,i mean a power to foresee events1 which carries with it a power in the prophet to project himself into the midst of those things foreseen1 and to speak from the midst of them as if they were present--as indeed they were to his consciousness--and there is an immediate connection between the two parts4 ,chapter #ci predicts the ,babylonian captivity4 ,hezekiah has just been made to hear the word of the ,lord-- ,behold1 the days come1 that all that is in thine house1 and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day1 shall be carried to ,babylon2 nothing shall be left1 saith the ,lord4 ,and thy sons that shall issue from thee1 which thou shalt beget1 shall they take away2 and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of ,babylon4 7,isaiah #ci3f-g47 ,in the opening chapter of the supposed second division of ,isaiah1 chapter #dj1 the prophet launches out upon that series of prophecies that treat1 first1 of the deliverance of ,israel from this captivity just spoken of through ,cyrus1 king of ,persia2 and1 second1 a larger deliverance of ,israel through the redemption brought to pass by the ,christ4 ,because of this close and logical connection between the supposed divisions of the book1 one is justified in holding that the inscription of chapter i3#a1 applies to the whole book1 and implies that ,isaiah is the author of the second part1 #dj-ff1 as well as of the first part1 #a-ci4 ,nor do the words concerning ,judah and ,jerusalem1 says an eminent authority1 oppose the idea that the inscription applied to the whole2 for whatever he ,isaiah says against other nations1 he says on account of their relation to ,judah4 #eb ,second1 the ,higher ,critics must deal with some facts of history before their claims can be allowed4 ,according to ,josephus1 the ,jews showed the prophecies of ,isaiah 7chapter #dd3bh2 #de3a-ac7to ,cyrus the king1 to induce him to return the ,jews to ,jerusalem and order the building of the temple1 upon which ,cyrus issued the following decree3 ,thus saith ,cyrus the king1 ,since ,god ,almighty hath appointed me to be king of the habitable earth1 ,i believe that he is that ,god which the nation of the ,israelites worship1 for indeed he foretold my name by the prophets1 and that ,i should build him a house at ,jerusalem1 in the country of ,judea4 ,this was known to ,cyrus by his reading the book which ,isaiah left behind him of his prophecies2 for this prophet said1 that ,god had spoken thus to him in a secret vision2 ,my will is1 that ,cyrus1 whom ,i have appointed to be king over many and great nations1 send back my people to their own land1 and build my temple4 ,this was foretold by ,isaiah one hundred and forty years before the temple was demolished4 ,accordingly1 when ,cyrus read this1 and admired the divine power1 an earnest desire and ambition seized upon him1 to fulfill what was so written4 #ec ,the above is confirmed also by ,ezra i3#b4 ,now the value of this exhibition of the word of the ,lord to ,cyrus grew out of the circumstance that it was a prophecy uttered by ,isaiah one hundred and fifty years before it came to the knowledge of ,cyrus4 ,it was the fact that it was foreknowledge that caused ,cyrus to admire the divine power thus displayed2 it was this that stirred him with the ambition to fulfill what was so written4 ,now either we must believe that the pious ,jews1 anxious to return to the land of their fathers1 rebuild their temple and resume the thread of their national existence1 deceived by a wretched subterfuge the king of ,persia1 and induced him to make this proclamation by such means2 or else they really exhibited to him the writings of ,isaiah1 and this real prophecy respecting himself1 fraught with such mighty consequences to a people chosen of ,god to stand as his witness among the nations of the earth4 ,i cannot think that this action so important in the development of ,god's purposes respecting his people was founded in fraud2 nor do ,i believe such mighty results were brought about by disclosing the prognostications of some unknown contemporary whose eye had marked ,cyrus in the distance as the coming deliverer of his nation2 such cause would be inadequate to the results4 ,again1 ,luke represents the ,christ as reading a passage from this second division of ,isaiah 7chapter #fa3a1 #b71 and reading it as coming from ,isaiah2 and also as being fulfilled in his own person3 ,and he came to ,nazareth1 where he had been brought up2 and as his custom was1 he went into the synagogue on the ,sabbath day1 and stood up for to read4 ,and there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet ,esaias ,isaiah4 ,and when he had opened the book1 he found the place where it was written4 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord is upon me1 because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor2 he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted1 to preach deliverance to the captives1 and recovering of sight to the blind1 to set at liberty them that are bruised1 to preach the acceptable year of the ,lord4 ,and he closed the book1 and he gave it again to the minister1 and sat down4 ,and the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him4 ,and he began to say unto them1 ,this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears4 ,and all bare him witness1 and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth4 7,luke iv3 #af-bb74 ,one can scarcely think of ,jesus being mistaken in respect of the authorship of the scripture from which he read1 especially respecting a prophecy relating to himself4 ,furthermore1 whoever wrote ,isaiah #fa3 #a1 #b1 whether ,isaiah1 the admitted author of ,isaiah chapters #a-ci1 or some other author a hundred and fifty or two hundred years later1 and in the midst of the scenes of the ,babylonian captivity1 this much is true3 he projected himself forward some several hundreds of years into the times of the beginning of the ,christ's mission1 7if we may believe the ,christ when he applies the prophecy to himself and proclaims the fulfillment of it in the happenings of that day71 speaks in the present tense1 as if pleading with the men of his own day4 ,so that if this power is admitted as being possessed by the supposed unknown author of chapters #dj-ff1 it might as well be accorded to ,isaiah as to him2 and if that power be accorded to a prophetic writer1 then all the difficulties conjured up by our modern critics1 and to overcome which their theories were invoked1 meet with easy solution4 ,as to the difference of literary style between the first and second division of ,isaiah's book1 urging as necessary the belief in different authors for the two parts4 ,i am disposed to give considerable weight to such evidence1 since ,i know how strong the tendency in expression towards individuation is1 but those more competent to judge of that subject than ,i am1 hold that of all the prophetic writers1 ,isaiah possesses the widest range of literary style1 the largest richness in coloring and forms of expression4 ,and this when the view of his style is confined to that part of his book of which all allow he is the author4 ,as for example1 the one author most assured that ,isaiah did not write chapters #dj-ff of the book that bears his name1 the author of ,an ,introduction to the ,literature of the ,old ,testament1 speaking of ,isaiah1 and of course limiting his comment to the author of chapters #a-ci1 says3 ,isaiah's poetical genius is superb4 ,his characteristics are grandeur and beauty of conception1 wealth of imagination1 vividness of illustration1 compressed energy and splendor of diction4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,examples of picturesque and impressive imagery are indeed so abundant that selection is difficult4 ,these may be instanced1 however3 the banner raised aloft upon the mountains2 the restless roar of the sea2 the waters rising with irresistible might2 the forest consumed rapidly in the circling flames1 or stripped of its foliage by an unseen hand2 the raised way2 the rushing of many waters2 the storm driving or beating down all before it2 the monster funeral pyre2 ,jehovah's hand stretched out1 or swung1 over the earth1 and bearing consternation with it4 ,especially grand are the figures under which he conceives ,jehovah as rising up1 being exalted1 or otherwise asserting ,his majesty against those who would treat it with disregard or disdain4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the brilliancy and power of ,isaiah's genius appear further in the sudden contrasts1 and pointed antitheses and retorts1 in which he delights4 ,isaiah's literary style shows similar characteristics4 ,it is chaste and dignified3 the language is choice1 but devoid of all artificiality or stiffness1 every sentence is compact and forcible2 the rhythm is stately2 the periods are finely rounded2 ,isaiah indulges occasionally--in the manner of his people--in tone-painting1 and sometimes enforces his meaning by an effective assonance1 but never to excess1 or as a meretricious ornament4 ,his style is never diffuse3 even his longest discourses are not monotonous or prolix2 he knows how to treat his subject fruitfully1 and1 as he moves along1 to bring before his reader new and varied aspects of it2 thus he seizes a number of salient points1 and presents each singly in a vivid picture4 99 99 99 99 ,no prophet has ,isaiah's power either of conception or of expression2 none has the same command of noble thoughts1 or can present them in the same noble and attractive language4 ,immerse such a writer as this into the spirit of the future1 give him the theme of ,israel's deliverance from ,babylonian captivity1 or the larger deliverance of ,israel and the world from sin and death through the mission of the ,christ2 and what new coloring may he not give to his style8 ,what greater depths of truth respecting ,god and man may he not sound1 calling for new phraseology1 new words and combinations to express the deeper knowledge of the enlarged vision8 ,this ,i believe is what happened to the prophet4 ,he was so immersed2 and his style under the inspiration of ,god rose to meet the new environment and the enlarged views given by the wider vision4 ,one of the most forceful passages on this subject that ,i have yet found is one written by ,professor ,daniel ,smith ,talcott1 ,d4 ,d41 of the ,theological ,seminary1 ,bangor1 ,maine4 ,he contributes the ,article on ,isaiah to ,hackett's edition of ,smith's ,dictionary of the ,bible1 and in the course of his treatise1 referring to the diversity of style between the two alleged parts of ,isaiah1 says3 ,the array of linguistic evidence in proof of a diversity of authorship1 which has gradually grown within the last century into the formidable proportions in which it meets us in the pages of ,knobel and others1 rests very largely upon an assumption which none of these critics have the hardihood distinctly to vindicate1 namely1 that within the narrow compass of the ,hebrew literature that has come down to us from any given period1 we have the means for arriving at an accurate estimate of all the resources which the language at that time possessed4 ,when we have eliminated from the list of words and phrases relied upon to prove a later date than the time of ,isaiah1 everything the value of which to the argument must stand or fall with this assumption1 there remains absolutely nothing which may not be reasonably referred to the reign of ,hezekiah4 ,indeed1 considering all the circumstances of the times1 it might justly have been expected that the traces of foreign influence upon the language would be far more conspicuous in a writing of this date than they actually are in the controverted portions4 ,it is to be remembered that the ministry of the prophet must have extended through a period1 at the lowest calculation1 of nearly fifty years2 a period signalized1 especially during the reigns of ,ahaz and ,hezekiah1 by constant and growing intercourse with foreign nations1 thus involving continually new influences for the corruption of public morals and new dangers to the state1 and making it incumbent upon him who had been divinely constituted at once the political adviser of the nation and its religious guide1 to be habitually and intimately conversant among the people1 so as to descry upon the instant every additional step taken in their downward course and the first approach of each new peril from abroad1 and to be able to meet each successive phase of their necessities with forms of instruction1 admonition1 and warning1 not only in their general purport1 but in their very style and diction1 accommodated to conditions hitherto unknown1 and that were still perpetually changing4 ,now when we take all this into the account1 and then imagine to ourselves the prophet1 toward the close of this long period1 entering upon what was in some respects a novel kind of labor1 and writing out1 with a special view to the benefit of a remote posterity1 the suggestions of that mysterious ,theopneustia to which his lips had been for so many years the channel of communication with his contemporaries1 far from finding any difficulty in the diversities of style perceptible to the different portions of his prophecy1 we shall only see fresh occasion to admire that native strength and grandeur of intellect1 which have still left upon productions so widely remote from each other1 in the time and circumstances of their composition1 so plain an impress of one and the same overmastering individuality4--,smith's ,bible ,dictionary1 ,vol4 ,,ii41 p4 #aafe4 ,believers in the ,book of ,mormon have no occasion of uneasiness because passages from the latter part of ,isaiah's book are found transcribed into the ,nephite record4 ,the theories of modern critics have not destroyed the integrity and unity of the ,book of ,isaiah4 ,and after the overwhelming evidences for the truth of the ,book of ,mormon are taken into account2 and it is found that on the plates of ,nephi there were transcripts from the latter part of ,isaiah's writings1 taken from a copy of his prophecies carried by a colony of ,jews from ,jerusalem to the western hemisphere1 six hundred years before ,christ--men will discern in this discovery new evidence for the ,isaiah authorship of the whole book of ,isaiah4 ,footnotes #a4 ,howe's ,mormonism1 p4 #ef4 #b4 ,mormonism in ,all ,ages 7#ahdb71 p4 #bjj4 #c4 ,see ,hyde's ,mormonism 7#aheg71 chapters #i1 #aj4 #d4 ,smucker's ,history of the ,mormons 7#ahha edition71 p4 #di4 #e4 ,the ,golden ,bible 7#ahhg71 chapter #g4 #f4 ,the ,story of the ,mormons 7#aijb71 chapter #aa4 #g4 ,linn says that there are more than #c1jjj such changes4 ,this1 ,i think1 is an exaggeration4 ,story of the ,mormons1 p4 #hi4 ,in #ahhi1 ,lamoni ,call1 formerly a ,mormon1 published a treatise on the subject which he entitled ,two ,thousand ,changes in the ,book of ,mormon1 even this ,i think is an exaggeration2 but there have been many changes as conceded in the text4 #h4 ,mormonism in ,all ,ages1 p4 #ai4 #i4 ,ibid1 p4 #bjj4 #aj4 ,moroni's ,preface1 title page ,book of ,mormon4 #aa4 ,mormon viii3 #ag4 #ab4 ,there is some justification for such a view as this1 if we have in mind the idea of ,god making a full and perfect revelation to man4 ,when ,god gives a revelation it necessarily has to be such an one as man can comprehend1 and in terms with which he is familiar--in man's language2 and as man's language is inadequate to express truth in its perfection1 it follows that any revelation which ,god deigns to give to the children of men will fall somewhat below the perfect truth1 hence the ,apostle of the ,gentiles declared1 notwithstanding the existence of revelations in the scriptures which were extant in ,paul's time1 ,we know in part1 and we prophesy in part2 we see as through a glass1 darkly4 ,this condition arises not out of any lack of power on the part of ,god to make a perfect revelation of truth1 but out of man's inability to comprehend such a revelation2 and hence ,god graciously condescends to meet man's somewhat narrow limitations by giving such a revelation of truth in the scriptures1 as man by faith and diligence may comprehend4 #ac4 ,the ,age of ,reason1 ,paine1 p4 #ai4 #ad4 ,ibid1 p4 #be4 #ae4 ,the ,age of ,reason1 ,part ,,ii1 p4 #ih4 ,that ,joseph ,smith appreciated how inadequate human language is to express divine thought is evident from the following prayer of his1 uttered when writing to his friend1 ,w4 ,w4 ,phelps3 ,oh ,lord ,god1 deliver us in due time from the little1 narrow prison1 almost1 as it were1 total darkness of paper1 pen and ink--and a crooked1 broken1 scattered and imperfect language4--,history of the ,church1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #bbg-h4 #af4 ,ibid p4 #beb4 #ag4 ,the lecture was published in the ,st4 ,louis ,globe-,democrat1 of ,sunday1 ,march #ai1 #aije4 #ah4 ,dr4 ,abbott delivered these lectures in ,plymouth ,church1 ,brooklyn1 during the winter of #ahif4 #ai4 ,this is also true of the translation of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,some of its passages rise to heights of sublimity1 and then again descending to levels that are commonplace and labored4 #bj4 ,the ,evolution of ,bible ,study 7,henry ,drummond1 #aija74 #ba4 ,replying to this criticism of the ,book of ,mormon some time ago 7,june1 #aijd71 wherein the critic insisted that the question concerning the ,book of ,mormon was not where men say they got it1 but is it gold--he insisted that the assay test must be applied--to which the writer made the following reply3 ,i declare my willingness1 as one of the believers in the ,book of ,mormon to see it submitted1 as perforce it must be1 to the 'assay test4' ,is it gold8 ,are these important truths we have been considering this evening1 wherein the welfare of half the world is concerned1 gold or dross8 ,is the light which the ,book of ,mormon throws upon the word of ,god contained in the four 7,new ,testament7 ,gospels of importance8 7,see this ,vol4 ch4 #db3 vi for the items here referred to74 ,is the fact that ,jesus visited this western world and announced the saving power of his ,gospel in such a manner that millions finally came to the knowledge of salvation a golden truth8 ,is the solemn warning to the ,gentile nations inhabiting the western world 7,see chapter #db47 ,worth while considering8 ,may not these prophecies be golden1 especially if needed8 ,i shall leave you to answer that4 ,but ,i want to suggest an improvement on the gentleman's simile--to this 'assay test4' ,i think it could be improved4 ,the question is not so much as to whether in the four 7,new ,testament7 ,gospels or in the fifth 7i4e41 the ,book of ,,iii ,nephi in the ,book of ,mormon7 all is gold1 but is there gold in them4 ,i do not think the four ,gospels are without alloy4 ,in other words ,i do not think the four ,gospels are perfect4 ,i believe there are imperfections in them in forms of expressions and in the fact that they do not convey all that ,jesus both taught and did2 at best they are but fragmentary4 ,st4 ,john informs us in his ,gospel that if all the things that ,jesus had done were written1 the world itself would hardly contain the books4 ,we have not the full reports of ,messiah's discourses4 ,the full and absolutely pure world of ,god just as it fell from the lips of the ,savior1 is not in the four ,gospels4 ,for the most part we have but the recollections of the evangelists of what ,jesus said and did4 ,only those who read the ,greek1 and unfortunately they are very few1 may read even the four ,gospels in the language in which the ,apostles wrote them4 ,we have translations of these records1 and each time they are translated dilution takes place4 ,the force of what is said becomes in the translation somewhat abated4 99 99 99 ,so with the book of ,,iii ,nephi1 that comes to us in abridged form4 ,it is not the original book of ,nephi2 it is ,mormon's abridgment of that book4 ,he has condensed it1 and in doing so has doubtless given us less perfect accounts of ,christ's mission to the ,nephites than would have been found in the unabridged book of ,,iii ,nephi4 ,that is to say1 we have not all the surrounding circumstances or all the utterances of the ,savior1 or of the men the book represents as speaking4 ,then we have not even ,mormon's original abridgment of ,nephi's book--the real fifth ,gospel--but only the ,prophet ,joseph's translation of ,mormon's abridgment1 and that it is admitted in his imperfect ,english4 ,so that the whole five ,gospels are fragmentary and tainted with imperfections and limitations1 as all things are that pass through human hands2 but they contain nevertheless1 ,god's precious truths the gold of the mine2 and some of these are found in the fifth ,gospel as well as in the four ,hebrew ,gospels2 and to me the truths of the fifth or ,nephite ,gospel are as precious and important as are those of the other four ,gospels4 7,discourse by the writer1 ,the ,fifth ,gospel1 ,deseret ,evening ,news1 ,june #aa1 #aijd74 ,the whole discourse will be found in ,defense of the ,faith and the ,saints1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #cgc-cii4 #bb4 ,millennial ,star1 ,vol4 ,,xix1 p4 #aah4 #bc4 ,one ,anti-,mormon writer--the ,rev4 ,m4 ,t4 ,lamb--devotes two chapters to this subject of circumlocution alone--,the ,golden ,bible1 chapters i and ii4 ,he brings into contrast passages from the ,book of ,mormon1 lacking in directness of expression1 with passages from the ,bible celebrated for their directness1 and thereby is most unfair in his argument2 because he compares the best of the ,bible with the worst of the ,book of ,mormon1 a proceeding which might be reversed with disastrous results to the ,bible1 if the comparison were to end with this comparison of the worst in the one with the best in the other4 ,now let it be understood that ,i am not contending that the ,english translation of the ,book of ,mormon compares as literature with the ,english translation of the ,hebrew scriptures4 ,the latter is a translation by the most finished scholarship of the time in which it was accomplished--,i refer to the authorized version1 the translation completed #afaa ,a4 ,d4--while the ,book of ,mormon is translated by an unlearned youth limited in educational opportunities1 without even the advantage of a common school education4 ,true1 it is claimed for him that he was assisted by a divine inspiration4 ,that1 however1 insures only the accuracy of the facts1 the statement of the truth as contained in the ,nephite record1 not directness1 accuracy1 or charm of literary style4 ,as for circumlocution in the expression of thought1 that is but natural to one possessed of only a limited vocabulary4 ,the existence of circumlocution1 therefore1 in the ,book of ,mormon is in harmony with and helps to illustrate what in these pages has been contended for1 as to the manner in which the ,book of ,mormon was translated1 and the fact that the ,prophet ,joseph was left to express the thought he received from the ,nephite record in such language as he could command2 which theory of translation once accepted1 ,i here repeat1 makes easy an answer to all the objections urged upon the ground of literary defects in the ,book of ,mormon4 #bd4 ,see translator's preface and title page of the ,authorized ,english ,version4 #be4 ,hyde's ,mormonism1 chapters ix1 x1 xi4 #bf4 ,golden ,bible1 chapter vii4 #bg4 ,linn's ,story of the ,mormons1 chapter xi4 #bh4 ,improvement ,era1 ,vol4 ,,viii 7#aijd71 pp4 #ahj1 #aha4 #bi4 ,when the translators of our ,english ,bible found it necessary to supply words to make clear the meaning in ,english1 they printed those words in italics1 and it is to these words that reference is made in the above4 #cj4 ,the addition of the words in this verse1 who come unto me1 are important4 ,surely1 it is not enough for man to be merely poor in spirit4 ,not on that hinges salvation4 ,a man can be poor in spirit and still fail of salvation2 but blessed are the poor in spirit 'who come unto me1' for theirs is the kingdom of heaven1 is a reasonable doctrine4 #ca4 ,verses four and five in the ,douay version are transposed1 hence verse #e here4 #cb4 ,the addition of the words1 with the ,holy ,ghost are important to this passage1 for they make the statement of ,messiah more definite1 and take the passage out of all controversy as to what those who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled with4 ,they shall be filled with the ,holy ,ghost1 the spiritual power that makes for righteousness4 #cc4 ,observe that this and the remaining passages quoted from the ,book of ,mormon are addressed directly to the ,twelve ,apostles1 to whom especially they apply1 not to the multitude4 ,may it not be that when ,jesus gave the same instructions in ,judea he made a like distinction8 ,if so1 it was to the ,twelve that he said3 ,take no thought for the morrow2 for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself4 ,sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof4 ,that is a passage of scripture against which infidels have leveled their sarcasms ever since it was written4 ,they have denounced it as instruction utterly impractical2 as false in theory1 as it would be impossible to practice2 and as giving the evidence that ,jesus was a mere idle dreamer1 not a practical reformer4 ,for1 say they1 this doctrine of taking no thought of the morrow1 and taking no thought respecting food and raiment1 if applied to the world's affairs1 would turn the wheels of progress backward1 and plunge the world into a state of barbarism4 ,there could be no civilization under such conditions1 they argue2 and man would go back to the condition of the savage4 ,i have never heard a ,christian argument against that assault that has been an answer to it4 ,but ,i find the key to the situation in this ,book of ,mormon version of the passage4 ,it throws a flood of light upon this matter that makes the defense of the doctrine of ,christ not only possible but easy against the assaults of the infidel world4 ,this instruction about taking no thought for the morrow was not addressed to the multitude1 nor is it to be followed generally by the members of the ,church1 nor by the people of the world at large4 ,jesus confines his instructions on this head1 according to this ,book of ,mormon version1 to the twelve men whom he chose among his disciples1 and especially commissioned to go and preach the gospel2 he admonishes them to so completely dedicate themselves unto the ,lord that they would give no thought to these temporal things1 but put heart1 and soul into the work of their ministry2 and promises that their ,father in heaven1 who knew they had need of food and raiment1 would open the way for them2 and by his bounty and grace would clothe them even as he clothed the lilies of the field2 and care for them as he cared for the birds of the air4 ,thus limited to the twelve men especially dedicated to ,god's service1 the doctrine is reasonable and practical1 and subject to no objection that may not be successfully answered4 #cd4 ,sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof4 ,i suggest a comparison here to that found in the other two versions1 the ,protestant1 the ,catholic4 ,the ,protestant3 ,sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof2 the ,catholic3 ,sufficient for the day is the evil thereof4 ,in the ,protestant and ,catholic versions you will observe that the evil is made sufficient for the day2 in the ,book of ,mormon version the day is made sufficient for the evil4 ,three learned commentators in collaboration--,jamieson1 ,fausett1 ,brown--say of that sentence as it stands in the ,protestant version3 ,an admirable1 practical maxim1 better rendered in our version than in any other1 not excepting the preceding ,english ones4 ,every day brings its own cares1 and to anticipate is only to doubt them4 ,if these learned commentators can thus speak in high praise of the saying of the ,savior as it stands in ,matthew1 how much more reason they would have for praising it as it is found in the ,book of ,mormon6 #ce4 ,or it may be that the changes occurred to the inspired mind of the ,prophet when reading the ,english version1 without referring to the ,nephite plates4 ,in this connection it is to be remembered that the ,prophet1 #ahca-ahcc1 was engaged in such an inspired revision of the ,old and ,new ,testament1 sometimes miscalled a ,new ,translation of the ,bible4 ,it is more proper1 however1 to speak of it as a revision1 as the ,prophet did not at any time pretend to the knowledge of the ancient languages that would enable him to translate from the ,hebrew or ,greek1 as translation is commonly understood4 ,what he did was to revise the ,english text of the ,bible under the inspiration of ,god1 and that led him not only to give different renderings of various passages1 but also to supply missing parts made known to him by the inspiration of ,god4 ,the fact that he thus made a revision of the scriptures rather inclines one to the belief that when he turned from the ,nephite records1 to what must have been substantially parallel passages in the ,english version1 the changes were suggested to him in this manner2 that is1 by the inspiration of the ,lord operating in his mind when reading the ,english text4 ,and indeed1 may it not be possible that these changes suggested by the ,spirit when reading the ,english text1 during the translation of the ,book of ,mormon1 led him finally to attempt the revision of the whole body of the ,hebrew scriptures from the ,english text8 ,it is interesting to note that it was by such an inspiration in relation to the #bith verse of the #eth chapter of ,john's ,gospel1 that led not only to a different reading of the text1 but also to that marvelous vision of the future state of man1 and the different degrees of glory that he will inherit4 ,the text in the ,english version stands1 ,and shall come forth2 they that have done good1 unto the resurrection of life2 and they that have done evil1 unto the resurrection of damnation4 ,to the ,prophet it was given1 and shall come forth1 they who have done good in the resurrection of the just2 and they who have done evil in the resurrection of the unjust2 then followed the vision4 #cf4 ,the correspondence in full is to be found in the ,improvement ,era for ,january1 #aijd1 pp4 #agi-aif4 #cg4 ,for confirmation of the likelihood of his taking such a course1 see his letter to the saints in ,nauvoo on the subject of baptism for the dead 7,doc4 ,cov41 ,sec4 #abh3 #ag1 #ah74 ,he quotes the #eth and #fth verses of the last chapter of ,malachi1 precisely as it reads in the authorized ,english version1 and then adds3 ,i might have rendered a plainer translation to this1 but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands4 ,long before ,moroni had given him a different rendition as follows3 ,,bible4 ,,moroni4 ,behold ,i will send you ,elijah1 ,behold1 ,i will reveal unto the prophet1 before the you the ,priesthood by the hand coming of the great and terrible of ,elijah1 the prophet1 before day of the ,lord2 the coming of the great and dreadful day of the ,lord4 ,and he shall turn the heart ,and he shall plant in the of the fathers to the children1 hearts of the children the and the heart of the children promises made to the fathers1 to their fathers1 lest ,i come and and the hearts of the children smite the earth with a curse4 shall turn to their fathers2 if it were not so1 the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming4 ,and yet the prophet used the passage as it is found in ,malachi1 since it suited the prophet's purpose as it stood4 #ch4 ,the ,rev4 ,m4 ,t4 ,lamb1 author of the ,golden ,bible1 or the ,book of ,mormon4 ,is it from ,god1 delivering a lecture in the town of ,coalville1 ,utah1 had the following experience3 ,in the course of his remarks the reverend gentleman related how he had sat down to read the ,book of ,mormon for the purpose of really ascertaining for himself if it were true or false4 ,he related how he found on the very first page of the book the statement that ,lehi's family consisted of his wife ,sariah1 and his four sons1 ,laman1 ,lemuel1 ,sam and ,nephi4 ,sam1 ,sam1 said he1 that sounds familiar6 ,sam1 it occurs to me that ,i have heard that name somewhere before6 ,sam6 ,oh1 yes1 ,i remember1 ',sam' is the ,yankee nickname for ,samuel6 ,right then and there1 said the speaker1 ,i had my doubts as to this book being a genuine1 ancient record1 since ,i found a modern ,yankee contraction of a proper name given as the name of an ancient personage6 ,at the conclusion of his remarks the reverend gentleman gave opportunity for questions on the subject of his lecture4 ,whereupon1 ,elder ,w4 ,w4 ,cluff of the ,mormon faith1 arose1 and in the course of a good-natured and informal discussion he asked the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,lamb what he would think of a person who would sit down and begin an examination of the pentateuch--the books accredited to ,moses1 and the most ancient of the ,hebrew scriptures 7except1 perhaps1 the book of ,job71 to ascertain its truth1 and coming to the enumeration of the names of the sons of ,jacob finds one of them named ,dan4 ,dan1 ,dan1 says this supposed investigator1 ,dan1 why it seems to me that ,i have heard that name before6 sounds familiar6 ,oh1 ,i remember now1 ',dan' is the ,yankee nickname for ',daniel4' ,therefore the writings of ,moses cannot be genuine1 because here is a ,yankee nickname given as the name of a very ancient personage1 therefore these alleged writings of ,moses must be modern2 hence1 not what they have claimed to be1 ancient inspired scriptures6 ,it is needless to say that the ,rev4 ,m4 ,t4 ,lamb had nothing further to say on this point4 ,the simple parallel was too much for him4 #ci4 ,linn's ,story of the ,mormons1 p4 #if4 #dj4 ,through nature to nature's ,god is another instance referred to by many anti-,mormon writers as being in the ,book of ,mormon 7although this writer has failed to find it71 and is also in ,pope's ,essay on man4 ,the ,god of nature suffers 7,first ,nephi #ai3 #aa-ab71 an expression used by the first ,nephi1 quoting the words of the prophet ,zenos2 this1 be it remembered1 several hundred years before ,christ4 ,this expression is accredited to ,dionysius1 the areopagite1 supposed to be living at the time of the ,savior's death on the cross1 and who1 as he beheld the sun hide its face1 and witnessed the bursting of the rocks and felt the earth tremble1 exclaimed3 ,either the ,god of ,nature suffers or the universe is falling apart4 ,and it is sneeringly urged that ,nephi1 #bdjj years ago1 hears the saying of a pagan who lives #fcd years after him6 7,campbell47 #da4 ,job x3 #bj-ba4 #db4 ,job xvi3 #bb4 #dc4 ,it must be remembered that ,lehi's colony carried with them1 in their journey to the western hemisphere1 the ,jewish scriptures extant up to #fjj ,b4 ,c41 which scriptures doubtless included the book of ,job2 hence my remark that ,lehi was doubtless familiar with ,job's reflection concerning death--of his going whence he would not return4 #dd4 ,i ,nephi #bb3 #ba4 ,,ii ,nephi #ca3 #e-aj4 #de4 ,such1 substantially1 is a suggestion made by ,mr4 ,h4 ,chamberlain1 ,esq41 whom ,i have quoted before in this chapter4 #df4 ,in the course of a brief discussion of the ,book of ,mormon1 carried on through one of the leading journals of ,salt ,lake ,city1 with an ,unknown writer1 the following rule of criticism1 on the objection discussed in the text1 was laid down3 ,any book which professes to have been written in ancient times and yet quotes from authors not born until centuries afterwards1 is a spurious book4 ,to which the writer made the following reply3 ,this canon of criticism1 however serviceable when applied to books in general1 can in no sense be made to do service against the ,book of ,mormon4 ,when he formulated his canon of criticism1 as throughout the discussion1 the ',unknown' failed to recognize the fact that1 while the ,book of ,mormon is an ancient book1 it is largely a prophetic book2 and the strongest complaint that can be made against it along the line of the ',unknown's' criticism is that some of its prophecies are here and there translated in phraseology somewhat similar to that of writers living subsequent to the period in which it was written4 ,in explanation of this fact ,i have urged that the translator1 ,joseph ,smith1 being acquainted with the ,new ,testament and to a limited extent with the popular phrases of some modern writers and his diction being influenced by the phraseology of those writers1 sometimes expressed the thoughts and predictions of the ancient writers in the ,new ,testament phrases4 ,so that the question at issue at this point of the discussion is1 first1 whether the ancient writers in the ,book of ,mormon could have been acquainted with the events1 to them then future1 found recorded in the ,book of ,mormon1 and is the theory reasonable that in translating their statement of these events ,joseph ,smith's diction would be influenced by the phraseology of the ,new ,testament8 ,in dealing with the question of the ,new ,testament phraseology in the ,book of ,mormon it is ,joseph ,smith that has to be dealt with1 not ,nephi or other ,book of ,mormon writers1 the translator1 not the original writers4 ,the whole controversy1 consisting of four papers1 will be found in the writer's ,defense of the ,faith and the ,saints4 ,vol4 ,i4 pp4 #cac-ced4 #dg4 ,isaiah chapter #dh is found in ,i4 ,nephi1 chapter #bj2 ,isaiah #di in ,i4 ,nephi #ba2 ,isaiah #ej in ,,ii4 ,nephi1 #g2 ,isaiah #ea in ,,ii4 ,nephi1 #h2 ,isaiah #ec in ,mosiah #ad2 ,isaiah #eb3i1 #aj2 in ,,iii4 ,nephi #ah-bj2 ,isaiah #ed in ,,iii4 ,nephi #bb4 #dh4 ,driver's ,introduction to the ,literature of the ,old ,testament--,isaiah1 p4 #bcj4 #di4 ,driver's ,introduction1 pp4 #ccf1 #ccg4 #ej4 ,ibid4 p4 #bch4 #ea4 ,ibid41 p4 #bdb4 #eb4 ,jamieson-,faussett-,brown ,commentary1 ,introduction to ,isaiah4 #ec4 ,antiquities of the ,jews1 ,book ,,xi41 chapter ,i4 ,,chapter ,,xlvii4 ,,objections ,,to ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,mormon 7,continued74 ,,iv4 ,pre-,christian ,era ,knowledge of the ,gospel4 ,among the early objections to the ,book of ,mormon1 supposed to be unanswerable1 was that based upon the fact that the ,nephites hundreds of years before the birth of ,christ had knowledge of him and the redemption he would bring to pass for man1 and the means of grace through which salvation would be accomplished4 ,in fact1 that they had knowledge of the ,christian institution4 ,he1 7,joseph ,smith7 represents the ,christian institution1 says ,alexander ,campbell1 as practiced among his ,israelites before ,christ was born6 ,and his ,jews are called ',christians' while keeping the law of ,moses1 the ,holy ,sabbath1 and worship in their temple1 at their altars1 and by their ,high ,priest6 ,of late1 however1 not so much importance has been attached to this objection4 ,it is becoming more and more recognized as a truth that the gospel of ,christ was known from very ancient times1 from before the foundations of the world in fact4 ,jesus1 in scripture1 is known as the ,lamb slain from before the foundations of the world1 and certain ones are spoken of as having their names written in the ,book of ,life from the foundation of the world4 #a ,paul speaks of the hope of eternal life1 which ,god that cannot lie1 promised before the world began4 #b ,men were not left in ignorance of the plan of their redemption until the coming of the ,messiah in the flesh1 even in the old world4 ,our annals are imperfect on that head1 doubtless1 but enough evidence exists even in the ,jewish scriptures to indicate the existence of the knowledge of the fact of the ,atonement and of the redemption of man through that means4 ,abel1 the son of ,adam1 offered the firstlings of his flock as a sacrifice unto ,god4 ,how came he to make such an offering1 except that behind the sacrifice1 as behind similar offerings in subsequent ages1 stood the fact of the ,christ's ,atonement8 ,in such sacrifice1 was figured forth the means of man's redemption--through a sacrifice1 and that the sacrifice of the first-born4 ,paul also refers to the sacrifices and other things of the law of ,moses as having a shadow of good things to come4 #c ,but where learned ,abel to offer sacrifices if not from his father1 ,adam8 ,it is reasonably certain that ,adam as well as ,abel offered sacrifices1 in like manner and for the same intent4 ,paul bears unmistakable testimony to the fact that the gospel was preached unto ,abraham2 and also that it was offered to ,israel under ,moses before the law of carnal commandments was given4 ,i would not that ye should be ignorant1 he says1 how that all our fathers were under the cloud1 and all passed through the sea2 and were all baptized unto ,moses in the cloud and in the sea2 and did all eat the same spiritual meat2 and did all drink the same spiritual drink2 for they drank of that spiritual ,rock that followed them1 and that ,rock was ,christ4 #d ,paul's great controversy with the ,christian ,jews was in relation to the superiority of the gospel to the law of ,moses4 ,many of the ,christian ,jews1 while accepting ,jesus of ,nazareth as the promised ,messiah1 still held to the law with something like superstitious reverence1 and could not be persuaded that the gospel superseded the law1 and was1 in fact1 a fulfillment of all its types and symbols4 ,this controversy culminated in ,paul's now celebrated letter to the ,galatians1 wherein he says3 ,know ye therefore that they which are of faith1 the same are the children of ,abraham4 ,and the scriptures1 foreseeing that ,god would justify the heathen through faith1 preached before the gospel unto ,abraham1 saying1 ,in thee shall all nations be blessed4 ,now to ,abraham and his seed were the promises made4 ,he sayeth not ,and to seeds1 as of many2 but as of one1 ,and to thy seed1 which is ,christ4 ,and this ,i say1 that the covenant1 that was confirmed before of ,god in ,christ1 the law1 which was four hundred and thirty years after1 cannot disannul1 that it should make the promise of none effect4 ,wherefore then serveth the law8 ,it was added because of transgression1 till the seed should come to whom the promise was made2 and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator4 ,wherefore the law was our school-master to bring us unto ,christ1 that we might be justified by faith4 ,but after that faith is come1 we are no longer under a school-master4 ,for ye are all the children of ,god by faith in ,christ ,jesus4 ,after this testimony to the knowledge of the gospel existing among the ancients1 it is useless for modern critics of the ,book of ,mormon to complain of the knowledge of the ,christian institution possessed by the ,nephites1 and the fact that the ,book of ,mormon proclaims the existence of that knowledge4 ,if it shall be said that the ,nephites had clearer conceptions of it than the people inhabiting the old world1 that fact would arise not out of ,god's unwillingness to make known the great truth1 but to the fact that the ,nephites succeeded in living more nearly within his favor2 and hence their clearer knowledge of the truth4 ,it should be remembered that prophecy is but history reversed4 ,known unto ,god are all his works and words from the beginning to the end2 and at various times he has made known future events in the clearest manner to his prophets who1 under the inspiration of the ,holy ,ghost1 have recorded them4 ,the ,prophet ,isaiah1 #aej years before the birth of ,cyrus1 foretold his name2 declared that he should subdue kingdoms1 including ,babylon1 set free the people of ,god held in bondage there1 and rebuild the ,house of the ,lord at ,jerusalem4 ,and all this as clearly as the historians could write it after the events themselves took place4 ,to ,daniel he revealed the rise1 fall and succession of the leading empires and nations of the world1 even to the time of the establishment of ,god's ,kingdom in power to hold universal sway in the latter days1 an event not yet fulfilled4 ,it is clearer even from the ,hebrew scriptures that the ,lord has been willing1 and even anxious1 that a knowledge of the ,christian institution should be had among men from the beginning4 ,to the prophets of ,israel1 in fact1 nearly every important event in the life of the ,savior was made known4 ,they foretold that he would be born of a virgin2 that his name would signify ,god with us2 that ,bethlehem would be the place of his birth2 that he would sojourn in ,egypt with his parents2 that he would reside in ,nazareth1 for ,he shall be called a ,nazarene2 that a messenger would prepare the way before him2 that he should ride in triumph into ,jerusalem upon a colt1 the foal of an ass2 that he would be afflicted and despised2 that he would be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief2 that he would be despised and rejected of men2 that men would turn their faces from him in his affliction2 that he would be esteemed as stricken and smitten of ,god2 that he would be wounded for our transgressions1 bruised for our iniquities2 that the chastisement of us men would be laid upon him1 and by his stripes would be healed2 that upon him would ,god lay the iniquity of us all2 that for the transgressions of ,god's peoples would he be stricken2 that he would be oppressed and afflicted1 yet open not his mouth2 that as a sheep before her shearers is dumb1 so would he be silent before his judges2 that he would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver2 that men would divide his raiment and cast lots for his vesture2 that they would give to him gall and vinegar to drink2 that not a bone of him should be broken2 that he should be taken from prison and from judgment1 and be cut out of the land of the living2 that he would make his grave with the wicked and the rich in his death2 but notwithstanding this he should not see corruption 7i4 e41 his body decay71 and that on the third day following his death he should rise triumphant from the grave4 ,all this and much more was foretold by the ancient ,hebrew prophets concerning the ,messiah4 ,this is prophetic history4 ,in like manner to the ,nephites his prophetic history was made known1 and is found in the ,book of ,mormon in some instances in greater plainness than in the ,old ,testament1 because1 for one thing--in addition to the suggestion made that the ,nephites may have lived nearer to the ,lord than other branches of the house of ,israel--the ,nephite scriptures have not passed through the hands of an ,aristobulus1 a ,philo and other rabbis1 who by interpretation or elimination have taken away some of the plain and precious parts of the ,jewish scriptures4 ,surely if the ,lord revealed to the ,jewish prophets these leading events in the history of the ,savior ages before the ,messiah's birth1 it ought not to be thought a strange thing if ,god imparted the same knowledge to the ,nephite prophets4 ,nor can the fact that he did so1 and that in plainer terms than in the revelations to the ,jews1 be held as valid objections to the ,book of ,mormon4 ,v4 ,the ,unlawfulness of ,establishing the ,priesthood ,with ,other ,than the ,tribe of ,levi4 ,somewhat akin to the objections last considered is one based upon the claim that it would be unlawful to establish a ,priesthood other than that founded by ,moses1 when he chose the tribe of ,levi to officiate in holy ordinances4 ,in order that this objection1 however1 may be stated in its full force ,i quote it as set forth by ,alexander ,campbell1 not even omitting the unfortunate coarseness of his language which was so unworthy of his character1 and which ,i assign to the spirit of those times when coarseness was so often mistaken for forcefulness4 ,smith1 its real author i4 e41 of the ,book of ,mormon1 as ignorant and as impudent a knave as ever wrote a book1 betrays the cloven foot in basing his whole book upon a false fact1 or a pretended fact1 which makes ,god a liar4 ,it is this3 with the ,jews ,god made a covenant at ,mount ,sinai1 and instituted a priesthood1 he separated ,levi1 and covenanted to give him this office irrevocably while ever the temple stood1 or till the ,messiah came4 ,then1 says ,god1 ,moses shall appoint ,aaron and his sons and they shall wait on the priest's office1 and the stranger 7the person of another family7 who cometh nigh shall be put to death4 7,numbers iii3 #aj47 ,and the priests and sons of ,levi shall come near2 for them the ,lord thy ,god hath chosen to minister unto him1 and to bless in the name of the ,lord1 and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried4 7,deut4 xxi3 #e74 ,korah1 ,dathan1 and ,abiram1 with #bej men of renown1 rebelled against a part of the institution of the ,priesthood1 and the ,lord destroyed them in the presence of the whole congregation4 ,this was to be a memorial that no stranger invade any part of the office of the ,priesthood4 7,numbers xvi3 #dj74 ,fourteen thousand and seven hundred of the people were destroyed by a plague for murmuring against the memorial4 ,in the #ahth chapter of ,numbers the ,levites are again given to ,aaron and his sons1 and of the priesthood confirmed to them with this threat--,the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death4 ,even ,jesus1 says ,paul1 were he on earth1 could not be a priest2 for he was of a tribe concerning which ,moses spake nothing of priesthood4 7,heb4 vii3 #ac74 ,so irrevocable was the grant of the priesthood to ,levi1 and of the high priesthood to ,aaron1 that no stranger dare approach the altar of ,god which ,moses established4 ,hence ,jesus himself was excluded from officiating as priest on earth according to the law4 ,this ,joseph ,smith overlooked in his impious fraud1 and makes his hero1 ,lehi1 spring from ,joseph4 ,and just as soon as his sons return from the roll of his lineage1 ascertaining that he was of the tribe of ,joseph1 he and his sons acceptably offer sacrifices and burnt offerings to the ,lord4 7p4 #ae1 first edition47 #e ,also it is repeated 7p4 #ah7--,nephi became chief artificer1 shipbuilder1 and mariner2 was scribe1 prophet1 priest1 and king unto his own people1 and consecrated ,jacob and ,joseph1 the sons of his father1 priests to ,god and teachers--almost #fjj years before the fulness of the times of the ,jewish economy was completed4 7p4 #gb47 ,nephi represents himself withal as under the law of ,moses 7p4 #aje74 ,they built a new temple in the new world1 and in #ee years after they leave ,jerusalem1 make a new priesthood which ,god approbates4 ,a high priest is also consecrated and yet they are all the while teaching the law of ,moses1 and exhorting the people to keep it6 7pp4 #adf1 #bji47 ,thus ,god is represented as instituting1 approbating and blessing a new priesthood from the tribe of ,joseph1 concerning which ,moses gave no commandment concerning priesthood4 ,although ,god had promised in the law of ,moses that if any man1 not of the tribe and family of ,levi and ,aaron should approach the office of priest1 he would surely die2 he is represented by ,smith as blessing1 approbating1 and sustaining another family in this appropriated office4 ,the ,god of ,abraham or ,joseph ,smith must1 then1 be a liar6 ,and who will hesitate to pronounce him an imposter8 ,this lie runs through his record for the first #fjj years of his history4 ,i have stated this objection1 at length1 because much importance has been attached to it and many have regarded it as unanswerable4 ,i consider its importance has been exaggerated1 and the whole objection based upon conceptions of the right and power of ,god and his freedom of action1 as altogether too narrow and dogmatic4 ,it is to be observed1 first of all1 that the inhibitions against others being appointed to the priesthood that was given to ,aaron and the ,levites1 are inhibitions against men assuming the right to institute any other order of priesthood in ,israel1 or to grant the rights of this priesthood to any other tribe than that appointed by the ,lord4 ,because of these inhibitions against men presuming to change the order which ,god has established1 to therefore assume that ,god1 to meet other conditions--such as these1 for instance in the establishment of a branch of the house of ,israel in the new world--the case of ,lehi and his colony--that ,god cannot make such changes in the matter of establishing a priesthood as seemeth him good1 is preposterous4 ,i think the argument of this point might be closed here1 for surely no one would be so unreasonable as to contend that the inhibitions which ,god imposes upon men are to be made operative upon himself4 ,in the treatment of the objection preceding the one now under consideration ,i pointed out the fact of the antiquity of the gospel1 showing that even unto ,abraham the gospel had been preached1 and that the law of ,moses1 usually called the law of carnal commandments1 had been added to the gospel because of the transgressions of ,israel1 from which fact it is evident that the gospel was administered in those ancient1 patriarchial times4 ,it was a higher law than the law of ,moses4 ,it was the everlasting covenant of ,god with man and the blood of ,christ is spoken of as being the blood of that everlasting covenant4 #f ,there was a priesthood that administered the ordinances of that gospel1 and as the gospel was a higher law than the law of ,moses1 it is reasonable to conclude that the priesthood which administered in those ordinances was a higher order of priesthood than that conferred upon ,aaron and the tribe of ,levi1 and undoubtedly the higher priesthood could1 on occasion1 administer in the ordinances of the inferior law4 ,it was1 doubtless1 this higher order of ,priesthood that such characters as ,abraham1 ,melchizedek1 and other prophets in ,israel held1 and by which they administered in sacred things4 ,it was this order of priesthood that was held by ,lehi and ,nephi1 and which the latter conferred upon his brothers1 ,jacob1 and ,joseph4 #g ,the former referring to his priesthood says1 that he had been ordained after the manner of this 7the ,lord's7 holy order1 that being the way in which this higher priesthood1 of which ,i am speaking1 is designated throughout the ,book of ,mormon4 #h ,called also a priesthood after the order of the ,son of ,god4 ,it was this priesthood1 therefore1 that was conferred upon the ,nephites--not the ,aaronic priesthood--and by which they officiated in sacred things2 of things pertaining to the gospel as well as to the law given of ,moses4 ,the justification for administering in the things of the law by this priesthood consist in the fact that the superior authority includes all the rights and powers of the inferior authority1 and certainly possesses the power to do what the inferior authority could do4 ,it may be claimed that the inconsistency of the ,book of ,mormon1 relative to this matter1 consists in this3 ,it claims that the ,nephites were living according to the law of ,moses1 and the law of ,moses provided that the house of ,aaron and the tribe of ,levi alone should exercise the priesthood2 whereas1 among the ,nephites others than the ,levites held and exercised the priesthood2 technically1 that inconsistency exists1 but it is a technicality and is capable of bearing no such weight of argument as ,mr4 ,campbell puts upon it4 ,in ,lehi's colony there was no representative of the tribe of ,levi so far as known1 and hence others had to be chosen to officiate before the ,lord in the priest's office4 ,that the ,lord in making his covenant with the house of ,aaron and the tribe of ,levi concerning the priesthood reserved to himself the right on occasion to appoint others to perform priestly functions1 even in ,israel1 in ,palestine1 is evident from the case of ,gideon1 the fifth judge in ,israel after ,moses4 ,gideon was of the tribe of ,manasseh1 #i and when the ,lord would deliver ,israel from the oppression of the ,midianites he sent his angel to this man1 and though he was not of the tribe to whom the priesthood had been given by covenant1 nevertheless1 the ,lord commanded him to build an altar1 and he did so1 and called it ,jehovah-shalom4 ,he also threw down the altar of ,baal and built an altar unto the ,lord1 and offered burnt offerings1 all of which were priestly functions4 #aj ,shall these acts be denounced as a violation of the covenant of the ,lord with ,aaron and the tribe of ,levi8 ,shall the angel of the ,lord1 who commanded ,gideon in these priestly things1 be declared a spirit of evil1 a violator of ,god's covenant8 ,shall the book of ,judges be rejected as a spurious book1 and unworthy of being accepted as part of the scriptures because it relates these circumstances8 ,in a word1 shall we employ against it all the thunder of ,mr4 ,campbell's criticism of the ,book of ,mormon8 ,his criticism would be just as effective against the book of ,judges as it is against the ,book of ,mormon1 but as a matter of fact it would amount to nothing in either case1 since the action of ,gideon1 and also of ,lehi and ,nephi1 were of the ,lord's appointing1 and the ,lord had certainly reserved to himself the right to appoint men other than members of the tribe of ,levi when occasion should require1 though he had forbidden men to appoint priests other than from that tribe4 ,this was to avoid confusion and the bringing into existence rival priesthoods among ,god's people1 but certainly when the ,lord conferred a higher order of priesthood upon the ,nephites1 under which they were to operate in the ,new ,world1 there was no infringement of the rights of the tribe of ,levi4 ,it was no more a violation of the covenant the ,lord made with the tribe of ,levi1 than it would be for the ,lord to appoint an inhabitant of ,mars to that order of priesthood and give him the right of administration in that distant world4 ,the whole objection is captious1 and manifests the weakness of the objections urged against the ,book of ,mormon1 since so great stress must needs be laid upon this supposed contradiction of the ,bible covenant4 ,in his objections to the ,book of ,mormon1 in addition to those already noted1 ,mr4 ,campbell also lays stress upon the departure of ,lehi from ,jerusalem1 and also the establishment of a temple and its service in the ,new ,world1 as a great violation of ,god's covenant with ,israel4 ,to represent ,god1 he says1 as inspiring a devout ,jew ,lehi was not a ,jew1 by the way1 but of the tribe of ,manasseh and a prophet1 such as ,lehi and ,nephi are represented by ,smith1 with resolution to forsake ,jerusalem and ,god's own house1 and to depart from the land which ,god gave to their fathers so long as they were obedient2 and to guide by miracle and bless by prodigies a good man in forsaking ,god's covenant and worship1 is so monstrous an error that language fails to afford a name for it4 ,one can scarce refrain from characterizing this sort of criticism as nonsense4 ,nor does it represent the facts in the case4 ,lehi was not forsaking ,god's covenant nor worship2 he was leaving ,jerusalem by the ,lord's own commandment at a time when ,god's judgment was about to fall and shortly afterwards did fall upon the place1 so that it was no great calamity that was happening to ,lehi's righteous colony to be taken from such a place and brought to the great ,american continents1 agreeable to the covenants of the ,lord with the house of ,joseph1 ,lehi's ancestor4 #aa ,the establishment of a temple in the ,new ,world was a necessity to this colony1 but ,mr4 ,campbell1 together with all who have followed him in this and similar objections1 seem determined to so limit the power of ,god that they will not allow of him making provisions to meet such occasions4 ,,vi4 ,nephite ,knowledge of the ,call of the ,gentiles4 ,much stress is laid by ,mr ,campbell and others upon what ,paul says respecting the call of the ,gentiles to the grace of the gospel of ,christ1 which in other ages1 says ,paul1 was not made know unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the ,spirit3 that the ,gentiles should be fellow-heirs1 and of the same body1 and partakers of his promise in ,christ by the gospel4 #ab ,the making this truth known to the world1 according to ,mr4 ,campbell's views of ,paul's declaration was reserved to ,paul and his fellow apostles of that dispensation4 ,but ,smith1 remarks ,mr4 ,campbell1 makes his pious hero ,nephi #fjj years before the ,messiah began to preach1 disclose these secrets concerning the calling of the ,gentiles1 and blessings flowing through the ,messiah to ,jews and ,gentiles1 which ,paul says was hid from ages and generations4 #ac ,this objection could be disposed of in several ways4 ,first1 it could be held that when ,paul1 and the other apostles of the old world1 spoke concerning the development of the work of the ,lord in that land1 they were limited by their knowledge of the world4 ,they did not speak with reference to the people inhabiting the ,american continents who were unknown to them4 ,for example1 when ,paul said3 ,be not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye have heard1 and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven2 whereof ,i ,paul am made a minister4 #ad ,no one for a moment thinks ,paul had in mind the inhabitants of the western hemisphere when he said1 the ,gospel was preached to every creature which is under heaven4 ,he had reference to the world with which he was acquainted1 as he knew the world4 ,second1 it could be held that the knowledge of this mystery revealed to the ,nephites by no means interfered with the purposes of ,god in keeping that matter hidden from the ,gentiles and the world4 ,the fact made known to the ,nephites never reached the ,gentiles until after the publication of the ,book of ,mormon1 in #ahcj1 long ages after ,paul had published the fact to the ,gentile world4 ,what was revealed to the ,nephites in no way detracted from the glory of ,paul and the other apostles1 making known the mystery of ,god's grace to the ,gentiles4 ,third4 ,it could be held that ,paul meant that himself and fellow apostles knew in a different way that the ,gentiles were to be fellow heirs with the house of ,israel in the privileges of the gospel4 ,indeed1 ,i think this must be the solution of the matter1 for ,mr4 ,campbell's version of it would bring ,paul and ,isaiah into pronounced conflict with each other1 and prove that one or the other of them did not speak by the inspiration of ,god4 ,that it was revealed to the ancients that the ,gentiles were to partake of the advantages of ,christ's atonement1 and have part in the salvation that is possible though it is evident from the following passages1 which all allow makes direct reference to ,christ and his mission4 ,i the ,lord have called thee in righteousness1 and will hold thine hand1 and will keep thee1 and give thee for a covenant of the people1 for a light of the ,gentiles4 #ae ,again3 ,and he said1 ,it is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of ,jacob1 and to restore the preserved of ,israel2 ,i will also give thee for a light to the ,gentiles1 that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth4 #af ,in the light of these revelations1 concerning the part the ,gentiles were to have in the salvation that comes through ,christ1 it can scarcely be said that this mystery1 was not revealed in ages previous to the days of ,paul2 but it could be said1 and this ,i contend is what ,paul meant1 that it was not as fully known in former ages that the ,gentiles were to be fellow heirs and of the same body1 and partakers of his promise in ,christ by the gospel4 ,before ,paul's time it was only in prophecy that this was known2 but after his day it was known both in prophecy and as accomplished fact4 ,,vii4 ,the ,difficulty of the ,three ,days ,darkness4 ,an effort is sometimes made to bring the ,book of ,mormon into contradiction with the ,new ,testament in the matter of three days darkness1 connected with the death of ,jesus4 ,the objection was recently stated in these terms3 ,in ,helaman xiv3 #bj-bg1 and in ,i4 ,nephi xix3 #aj1 we read about three days of darkness which should cover all the earth1 and the isles of the sea at the crucifixion of the ,savior4 ,neither the ,bible nor history speaks of three days of darkness on the eastern hemisphere1 hence it did not cover all the earth as we understand it4 ,the objection as here stated1 and the argument to be inferred from it1 is3 the ,book of ,mormon says that at the crucifixion of ,messiah there will be three days of darkness that will cover all the face of the earth and the isles of the sea4 ,history and the ,bible are silent about such an event2 therefore1 the ,book of ,mormon makes a false statement and must itself be untrue1 and consequently uninspired1 and is not at all what it claims to be1 viz41 a record of the ancient inhabitants of ,america1 and brought forth by the power of ,god for the enlightenment and instruction of the world4 ,this statement of the objection differs a little from the ordinary manner in which the objection is made4 ,objectors usually try to make it appear that the ,book of ,mormon's statement that there were three days darkness in the ,western ,world during the time ,messiah was in the tomb is in conflict with the ,new ,testament's statement that there were three hours darkness during the crucifixion2 but the fact that the ,new ,testament refers to an event that took place while ,jesus hung upon the cross in ,judea1 and the ,book of ,mormon statement refers to an event that took place after his crucifixion1 while he was lying in the tomb1 and in the western hemisphere1 instead of at ,jerusalem1 it must be apparent that there is no conflict between the two accounts4 ,but now to meet the objection as here presented4 ,all that is necessary will be to present just exactly what the ,book of ,mormon does say with reference to the three days of darkness3 ,the ,god of our fathers 99 99 99 99 yieldeth himself1 according to the words of the angel1 as a man into the hands of wicked men to be lifted up according to the words of ,zenock1 and to be crucified according to the words of ,neum1 and to be buried in a sepulchre1 according to the words of ,zenos1 which he spake1 concerning the three days of darkness which should be a sign given of his death1 unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea1 more especially given unto those who are of the ,house of ,israel4 #ag ,this is one of the passages referred to in the objection1 but there is nothing here about the three days of darkness extending over the whole face of the earth4 ,it speaks of it as extending to the isles of the sea2 i4 e4 to lands distant from ,jerusalem beyond the seas--to those more especially inhabited by the house of ,israel4 ,in passing1 and merely by the way1 it may be interesting to call attention to the fact that here are three ,hebrew prophets referred to by ,nephi--,zenock1 ,neum1 and ,zenos--each of whom had recorded an important prophecy respecting the coming and mission of ,christ2 and had not the ,jews eliminated the books of these prophets from their collection of scriptures1 it could not have then been said1 as it is now said1 that the ,bible is silent respecting these three days of darkness1 which were to be a sign of the ,messiah's death2 for then they would have had the words of ,zenos that there was to be such a sign given in the isles of the sea1 inhabited by the house of ,israel4 ,behold1 as ,i said unto you concerning another sign1 a sign of his death1 behold in that day that he shall suffer death1 the sun shall be darkened and refuse to give his light unto you1 and also the moon1 and the stars also2 and there shall be no light upon the face of this land1 even from the time that he shall suffer death1 for the space of three days1 to the time that he shall rise again from the dead4 99 99 99 ,and behold thus hath the angel 99 99 said unto me1 that these things should be1 and that darkness shall cover the face of the whole earth for the space of three days4 ,and the angel said unto me1 that many shall see greater things than these1 to the intent that they might believe that these signs and these wonders come to pass upon all the face of this land4 7,helaman1 #bj3bh47 ,this is the other passage quoted1 and in it is found the phrase1 that darkness shall cover the face of the whole earth for the space of three days4 ,but it should be remembered that this is preceded by a statement concerning the three days darkness that limits this otherwise general statement1 namely1 and there shall be no light upon the face of this land--meaning ,america--for the space of three days4 ,this clearly limits the particular sign under consideration to ,america and the adjacent islands of the sea1 in other words1 to the western hemisphere4 ,moreover1 the phrase1 that darkness shall cover the face of the whole earth1 is followed as well as preceded by the limiting clause--these signs and these wonders--namely1 the three hours of tempest and of earthquake followed by the three days of darkness--shall come to pass upon all the face of this land--meaning of course1 ,america4 ,then again1 when the prophecy is left and you turn to the history of its fulfillment1 the whole of the thrilling narrative is clearly confined to the statement of events that occurred in the lands occupied by the ,nephites--that is1 to the western hemisphere4 ,yet in that narrative is found the same form of expression as in the prophecy of ,samuel1 the ,lamanite4 ,while describing events that are clearly confined to ,nephite lands1 ,mormon says3 and thus the face of the whole earth became deformed because of the tempests and the thunderings and the lightnings4 99 99 99 ,and behold the rocks were rent in twain2 they were broken up upon all the face of the whole earth4--7,,iii4 ,nephi1 #h3 #ag1 #ah74 ,now did the prophet really mean that the convulsions he was describing extended to ,europe and ,asia and ,africa because he said the rocks were broken upon the face of the whole earth8 ,no2 you limit the general expression here by the facts of the whole circumstance under consideration1 so that broken up upon the face of the whole earth1 means upon the face of the whole earth so far as the ,nephite lands are concerned--that is the limitation of the general phrase4 ,as an example of this kind of interpretation1 ,i introduce a passage or two from the ,bible4 ,daniel1 in giving the interpretation of the king of ,babylon's dream1 says3 ,thou1 ,o king1 art a king of kings3 for the ,god of heaven hath given thee a kingdom1 power1 and strength1 and glory4 ,and wheresoever the children of men dwell the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand1 and hath made thee ruler over them all4 ,thou art this head of gold4 ,does this prophecy really mean wheresoever the children of men dwell1 there1 too1 was the rule and dominion of ,nebuchadnezzar8 ,did he rule all of ,europe and ,africa8 ,did his dominion extend to the western hemisphere1 for there the children of men dwelt as well as in ,asia8 ,it is a matter of common information that ,nebuchadnezzar's dominion was not thus extended1 but really was quite limited4 ,what1 then8 ,shall we reject the prophecies of ,daniel because a strict and technical construction of his language does not meet the facts8 ,again he says1 speaking of the political powers that would succeed ,babylon3 ,and after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee1 and another third kingdom of brass1 which shall bear rule over all the earth4 ,this third kingdom is generally agreed to have reference to the kingdom of ,alexander2 but did ,alexander bear rule over all the earth8 ,did he bear rule over the western hemisphere8 ,no2 nor did he know of its existence4 ,what1 then1 shall we do with this inspired prophet who says he shall bear rule over all the earth8 ,shall we reject him and his book8 ,or say that his statements do not agree with the facts8 ,that would be absurd4 ,the particular phrase is limited by the general circumstances under which the prophet was speaking4 ,that is of course taken by all who believe the book of ,daniel1 and it is a course amply justified by reason4 ,again1 it is recorded in ,luke1 speaking of the events which happened during the crucifixion of the ,savior3 ,and it was about the sixth hour1 and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour4 ,did this inspired writer really have in mind the whole round earth1 or was he speaking with reference to what happened right there in ,judea where the main event occurred8 ,undoubtedly he had reference to what had been stated to him by the eye witnesses of the scene1 who merely related what appeared to them2 namely1 that a darkness settled down over the land1 but they were not thinking of the face of the whole earth when they told the story to ,luke1 nor was he when he wrote his statement of the event4 ,one other example3 ,be not moved away from the hope of the gospel1 which ye have heard1 and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven2 whereof ,i ,paul am made a minister4 7,col4 i3 #bc47 ,is this statement of ,paul's literally true8 ,had the gospel at that time1 or1 for matter of that1 has it at any time since then1 been preached unto every creature under heaven8 ,certainly not4 ,and when ,paul wrote his letter to the ,colossians there were millions of the children of men1 as there are to this day1 who never had heard of ,messiah or the gospel4 ,paul could only have meant by this over-statement of the matter1 that the gospel had been generally preached in the kingdoms and provinces with which himself and the ,colossians were acquainted2 and no one thinks of rejecting ,paul or his books because of such seeming inaccuracies4 ,his use of such broad-sweeping phrases are interpreted in the light of reason1 and limited by the well known circumstances under which he wrote4 ,it should be remembered in this connection1 that hyperbole is a habit of speech with oriental peoples1 to whom the ,jews belonged2 and indirectly1 too1 the ,nephites are descendents of the same people1 and have retained to a large extent the same habits of expression2 all of which should be taken into account in the interpretation of the ,nephite records as it always is in exegeses of the ,hebrew scriptures4 ,v4 ,the ,birth of ,jesus at ,jerusalem4 ,the following prediction concerning the birth place of ,jesus is found in the book of ,alma4 ,and behold he shall be born of ,mary1 at ,jerusalem1 which is the land of our forefathers4 ,jesus1 it is well known1 was born at ,bethlehem1 ,judea1 between four and five miles south of ,jerusalem1 really a suburb of the larger city4 ,nearly all objectors point to this prophecy as being in contradiction of the well attested historical fact of ,christ's birth at ,bethlehem4 ,the objection is seldom fairly stated4 ,it is charged that the ,book of ,mormon says that ,jesus was born at ,jerusalem1 and ,alexander ,campbell quotes it as being in ,jerusalem1 and all omit the qualifying clause the land of our fathers1 which clearly indicates that it is not the city which the ,nephite historian gives1 but the land in which ,jesus would be born4 ,this explanation of the supposed difficulty is further strengthened when it is remembered that it was a custom of the ,nephites to name large districts of country--such as might correspond to provinces and principalities in other nations--after the chief city of the land3 ,now it was the custom of the people of ,nephi1 to call their lands1 and their cities1 and their villages1 yea1 even all their small villages1 after the name of him who first possessed them2 and thus it was with the land of ,ammonihah4 #ah ,and hence1 too1 came the practice of calling large districts of country after the chief city therein4 ,in this same book of ,alma--as throughout the ,book of ,mormon--we have the city named after the man who founded it1 and the district of country named from the chief city1 thus3 ,the ,land of ,zarahemla1 the land of ,melek2 the land of ,ammonihah2 the land of ,gideon2 the land of ,lehi-,nephi1 or the city of ,lehi-,nephi2 and so on ad infinitum4 ,it became a habit of speech with them1 especially with reference to ,jerusalem1 whence their forefathers came1 as witness the following few out of many such quotations that could be given3 ,i shall give this people a name1 that thereby they may be distinguished above all the people which the ,lord ,god hath brought out of the land of ,jerusalem4 7,mosiah #a3 #aa47 ,that same ,god has brought our fathers out of the land of ,jerusalem4 7,mosiah #g3 #bj47 ,why will he not show himself in this land1 as well as in the land of ,jerusalem8 7,helaman #af3 #ai74 ,hence when it is said that ,jesus should be born at ,jerusalem1 which is the land of our forefathers1 the ,nephite writer merely conformed to a habit of speech1 and meant the land of ,jerusalem1 not the city4 ,,vi4 ,the ,settlement of ,modern ,controversies4 ,this prophet ,smith 99 99 99 99 wrote on the plates of ,nephi1 in his ,book of ,mormon1 every error and almost every truth discussed in ,new ,york for the last ten years4 ,he decides all the great controversies2--infant baptism1 ordination1 the trinity1 regeneration1 repentance1 justification1 the fall of man1 the atonement1 transubstantiation1 fasting1 penance1 church government1 religious experience1 the call to the ministry and general resurrection1 eternal punishment1 who may baptize1 and even the question of free masonry1 republican government1 and the rights of man4 ,all these topics are repeatedly alluded to4 ,then in mockery3 ,how much more benevolent and intelligent this ,american ,apostle than the ,holy ,twelve and ,paul to assist them6 ,he prophesied of all these topics1 and of the apostasy1 and infallibly decides by his authority every question4 ,how easy to prophecy of the past or of the present time6 ,such the statement of ,alexander ,campbell in the criticism so often quoted in these pages4 ,some critics of the ,book of ,mormon have charged that it contained nothing of importance on such matters2 #ai nothing that was really worth while considering1 but if it considers this long list of subjects enumerated by ,mr4 ,campbell1 the charge of not dealing with questions of importance must surely be set aside4 ,as a matter of fact1 the ,book of ,mormon deals with at least the most of the subjects enumerated1 not1 however1 as they were discussed in ,new ,york between #ahbj and #ahcj1 but as they arose in the experience of the ancient inhabitants of ,america1 or as the ,nephite prophets moved upon by the ,holy ,spirit saw what would arise within the experience of the ,gentiles who would inhabit the land4 ,the chief complaint against ,mr4 ,campbell's objection on these points consist in the spirit in which he makes it4 ,for example1 the ,book of ,mormon says nothing of free masonry1 but throughout the work it does discuss the question of secret societies that existed both among the ,jaredites and ,nephites1 which societies were factors in bringing about the overthrow of both these nations2 and it contains also prophetic warning to the ,gentiles against such secret combinations4 ,if in the treatment of theological questions and difficulties enumerated by ,mr4 ,campbell there appears in the ,book of ,mormon the same difficulties that have agitated the eastern world1 it must be remembered that the source of error is the same--the limitation of human knowledge1 reason and judgment2 the ever present inclination in man to follow after his own devices2 and that the same tempter to evil operated in the western hemisphere as in the eastern hemisphere1 and evidently has reproduced the same theological difficulties and led men into the same errors4 ,take for example the matter of infant baptism1 which ,mr4 ,campbell says the ,book of ,mormon settles1 and indeed it does1 by most emphatically pointing out the error and wickedness of it when the doctrine is made to teach the salvation of one innocent child because it is baptized1 and the eternal damnation of another innocent child because it was not baptized2 #bj but the ,book of ,mormon condemnation of that wicked doctrine was not recorded in its pages because of any controversy existing on the subject in ,new ,york1 as ,mr4 ,campbell pretends1 but because the ,nephite prophets were aroused against this doctrine by reason of their people running into the same error--the doctrine of eternal damnation of unbaptized infants--which burdened the teachings of so called ,christian ,churches4 ,the proof of this statement is in the fact that the native ,americans at the time of the ,spanish invasion of their country were practicing infant baptism4 ,the fact is related by all the authorities1 varying slightly in their description of it1 according as they get the tradition from this1 that1 or the other section of the country4 ,perhaps1 however1 ,sahagun's description is the most minute and covers the subject more completely than any other of the writers1 and hence ,i give at length the passage on the subject as quoted by ,prescott in his appendix to the ,conquest of ,mexico4 ,when every thing necessary for the baptism had been made ready1 all the relations of the child were assembled1 and the midwife1 who was the person that performed the rite of baptism1 was summoned4 ,at early dawn they met together in the court-yard of the house4 ,when the sun had arisen1 the midwife1 taking the child in her arms1 called for a little earthen vessel of water1 while those about her placed the ornaments which had been prepared for the baptism in the midst of the court4 ,to perform the rite of baptism1 she placed herself with her face towards the west1 and immediately began to go through certain ceremonies4 99 99 99 99 ,after this she sprinkled water on the head of the infant1 saying1 ,o1 my child6 take and receive the water of the ,lord of the world1 which is our life1 and is given for the increasing and renewing of our body4 ,it is to wash and purify4 ,i pray that these heavenly drops may enter into your body1 and dwell there2 that they may destroy and remove from you all the evil and sin which was given to you before the beginning of the world2 since all of us are under its power1 being all the children of ,chalchivitlycue 7the goddess of water71 ,she then washed the body of the child with water1 and spoke in this manner3 whencesoever thou comest1 thou that are hurtful to this child2 leave him and depart from him1 for he now liveth anew1 and is born anew2 now he is purified and cleansed afresh1 and our mother ,chalchivitycue again bringeth him into the world4 ,having thus prayed1 the midwife took the child in both hands1 and1 lifting him towards heaven1 said1 ,o ,lord1 thou seest here thy creature1 whom thou hast sent into this world1 this place of sorrow1 suffering1 and penitence4 ,grant him1 ,o ,lord1 thy gifts1 and thine inspiration1 for thou art the ,great ,god1 and with thee is the great goddess4 ,torches of pine were kept burning during the performance of these ceremonies4 ,when these things were ended1 they gave the child the name of some one of his ancestors1 in the hope that he might shed a new lustre over it4 ,the name was given by the same midwife1 or priestess1 who baptized him4 ,this is a perverted form of baptism preserved in the customs of the native ,americans4 ,the ,nephites1 in the days of ,mormon--and how much before that is not known--fell into this error of infant baptism and were evidently teaching the damnation of those infants who did not receive that ordinance4 ,when young ,moroni was called to the ministry1 his father1 ,mormon1 charged him strictly against this error and sharply proclaimed against the iniquity of it4 ,yet it seems to have persisted in the customs of the native ,americans until we see it in the form represented by ,sahagun1 though of course it may have received modifications--such for instance as being administered by women--since the period with which the ,book of ,mormon closes4 ,it is in this manner that the ,book of ,mormon settles the question of infant baptism1 not1 as ,mr4 ,campbell insinuates1 viz41 that the question of infant baptism being under discussion in western ,new ,york ,joseph ,smith inserted a decision on the controversy in the ,book of ,mormon4 ,further in relation to this matter of baptism in the ,book of ,mormon1 it does settle the question of the manner of baptism through the instructions which ,jesus is represented as giving to the ,nephites--and was there a subject in relation to the gospel on which ,christians needed instructions more than upon this8 ,and now ,jesus to the ,nephites3 ,verily ,i say unto you1 that whoso repenteth of his sins through your words1 and desireth to be baptized in my name1 on this wise shall ye baptize them2 behold1 ye shall go down and stand in the water1 and in my name ye shall baptize them4 ,and now behold2 these are the words which ye shall say1 calling them by name1 saying4 ,having authority given me of ,jesus ,christ1 ,i baptize you in the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,amen4 ,and then shall ye immerse them in the water and come forth again out of the water4 ,there can be no doubt as to the manner of ,christian baptism after these instructions from the ,master1 by those who accept the ,book of ,mormon as an authority4 ,how much wrangling and idle disputation would have been saved the ,christian world if something as definite as this had been found in the ,christian annals of the eastern world6 ,in passing1 and in proof of the divinity of this ceremonial1 ,i call attention to the simplicity and yet comprehensiveness of it2 to the directness of it4 ,place the simplicity and directness of this formula of baptism in contrast with ,sahagun's description of baptism among the native ,americans1 or contrast it with the same ceremony as practiced among the paganized ,christians of the old world1 #ba and the simplicity and dignity of the ordinance as given by the ,savior to the ,nephites will not only appear1 but will strongly plead for its divine origin4 ,i also call attention to the settlement of what ,mr4 ,campbell calls transubstantiation1 this is1 to the ,christian memorial known as the ,lord's supper1 about which gathers some of the most vexed questions of ,christian controversy4 ,for the manner in which this simple memorial of ,christ's atonement was changed to what was considered a magnificent spiritual1 yet real sacrifice1 the reader is referred to what is said in volume ,i of the ,new ,witness1 chapter v4 ,here ,i only wish to call attention to the simple beauty and comprehensiveness of the prayer which consecrated the emblems of the body and blood of ,christ1 found in the ,book of ,mormon4 ,trusting to the presence of qualities of simplicity and appropriateness to establish the divine origin of said formula1 which result1 if accomplished by the citation1 will tend also to prove the general claims of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,now the prayer of consecration3 ,o ,god1 the ,eternal ,father1 we ask thee in the name of thy ,son ,jesus ,christ1 to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it1 that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy ,son1 and witness unto thee1 ,o ,god1 the ,eternal ,father1 that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy ,son1 and always remember him1 and keep his commandments which he hath given them1 that they may always have his ,spirit to be with them4 ,amen4 ,the manner of administering the wine4 ,behold1 they took the cup1 and said3 ,o ,god1 the ,eternal ,father1 we ask thee1 in the name of thy ,son ,jesus ,christ1 to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it1 that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy ,son1 which was shed for them1 that they may witness unto thee1 ,o ,god1 the ,eternal ,father1 that they do always remember him1 that they may have his ,spirit to be with them4 ,amen4 ,of this formula ,i have already said what ,archdeacon ,paley has said of the ,lord's prayer1 when appealing to its excellence as evidence of its divine origin--,for a succession of solemn thoughts1 for fixing the attention on a few great points1 for suitableness1 for sufficiency1 for conciseness without obscurity1 for the weight and real importance of its petitions1 this prayer is without an equal4 ,its composition in excellence arises far above any performance that ,joseph ,smith could be considered equal to1 and1 in a word1 carries within itself the evidence of a divine authorship4 ,such passages as these need no argument in support of their divine origin4 ,we may trust entirely to the self-evidence which breathes through every sentence4 ,a ,campbell's mockery against such passages amounts to nothing4 ,,vii4 ,the ,book ,contains ,nothing ,new4 ,relative to the objections urged against the ,book of ,mormon that it reveals nothing new1 that it adds nothing to our ,christian treasury of knowledge1 in other words1 the charge that it contains no revelation--,i refer for answer to all that1 to what ,i have said concerning the knowledge which the ,book of ,mormon imparts on so many great and important subjects in chapters xxxix and xl4 ,moreover1 objections based upon this plea that the ,book of ,mormon reveals no new moral or religious truth1 is a position not well taken by ,christians at least4 ,it must be conceded that the things which ,christians would be compelled to allow as the important things for men to know--the existence of ,god the ,father2 the relationship of ,jesus ,christ to him1 and the latter's relationship to men in effecting their redemption2 the means by which that redemption is achieved2 the final coming and universal reign of ,god's kingdom on earth1 etc41--all these important truths are repeated in ,christ's ministry among the ,nephites4 ,when ,messiah came to the new world he had the same announcement to make concerning himself and his relations to the world1 the same ethical and spiritual doctrines to teach2 and as he had been accustomed to state these doctrines in brief1 aphoristic sentences while in ,judea1 it is not strange that the same things were given to the ,nephites in their language much in the same form4 ,in a word1 he not only had the same revelation to make to the inhabitants in the western hemisphere as to those in the eastern hemisphere1 the same religion to teach1 and therefore1 as ,i have already remarked1 it is sameness of doctrine1 identity of construction1 that should be looked for rather than something new in religion and ethics4 ,i would also remind the ,christian reader of the fact that this same alleged want of originality1 this alleged lacking of that which is new1 is charged against the ,lord ,jesus ,christ both by infidels and ,jews4 ,they demand to know what moral and religious truth ,jesus taught the world that was not already taught by ,buddha and the ,jewish ,rabbis4 ,not only is it claimed that ,christ's moral truths were borrowed from more ancient teachers1 but that the principle events of his life1 also1 from his birth of a virgin to his crucifixion and resurrection as a ,god1 were stolen from myths concerning old world heroes and teachers4 ,one writer devotes a volume to the subject in which he traces in the heathen mythologies sixteen crucified ,saviors2 the traditions concerning whom more or less bear some resemblance to chief events in the life of ,messiah4 ,perhaps one of the most elaborate and carefully prepared comparisons of the teachings of the ,messiah as recorded in the ,new ,testament1 and the ,rabbis in the ,talmud appear in ,the ,open ,court for ,october1 #aijc1 7,vol4 #ag74 ,of the long parallel ,i can only give samples3 ,new ,testament4 ,talmud4 ,more acceptable to the ,blessed are the poor in spirit4 ,lord than sacrifice is the humble spirit4 ,let this be thy short form ,thy kingdom come4 ,thy of prayer3 ,thy will be done will be done on earth as it is in in heaven1 and may peace of heaven4 heart be the reward of them that reverence thee on earth4 ,lead us not into temptation1 ,lead me not into sin1 even but deliver us from evil4 from its temptations deliver thou me4 ,for with what judgment ye ,whoso judges his neighbor judge1 ye shall be judged4 charitably1 shall himself be charitably judged4 ,how wilt thou say to thy ,do they say3 ,take the brother1 let me pull out the splinter out of thine eye8 ,he mote out of thine eye2 and behold will answer3 ,remove the beam a beam is in thine own out of thine own eye4 eye4 ,all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to ,what is hateful unto thee1 you1 do you even so to them1 that do not unto another4 ,this for this is the ,law and the is the whole ,law1 all the rest ,prophets4 is commentary4 ,freely ye have received1 ,as freely as ,god has taught freely give4 you1 so freely shall ye teach4 ,the ,sabbath was made for ,the ,sabbath has been delivered man1 not man for the ,sabbath4 into your power1 not you into the power of the ,sabbath4 ,it is enough for the disciple ,it is enough for the servant that he be as his master4 that he be as his master4 ,a parallel somewhat similar1 though neither so closely identical nor so extended1 can be drawn between the teachings of ,buddha and ,christ1 which any one may verify for himself by consulting ,max ,muller's lecture on ,dhammapada1 or ,the ,path of ,virtue4 #bb ,to a limited extent1 also1 a similar parallel might be drawn between the teachings of ,christ and ,confucius1 and even of other moral philosophers4 ,to illustrate what ,i mean1 take the ,golden ,rule1 for so long1 and even now1 by a great many people1 regarded as an exclusively ,christian utterance1 and you will find the substance of it in the utterance of many teachers before the time of ,christ3 #a4 ,golden ,rule by ,confucius1 #ejj ,b4 ,c4 ,do unto another what you would have him do unto you1 and do not to another what you would not have him do unto you4 ,thou needest this law alone4 ,it is the foundation of all the rest4 #b4 ,golden ,rule by ,aristotle1 #che ,b4 ,c4 ,we should conduct ourselves toward others as we would have them act toward us4 #c4 ,golden ,rule by ,pittacus1 #fej ,b4 ,c4 ,do not to your neighbor what you would take ill from him4 #d4 ,golden ,rule by ,thales1 #dfd ,b4 ,c4 ,avoid doing what you would blame others for doing4 #e4 ,golden ,rule by ,isocrates1 #cch ,b4 ,c4 ,act toward others as you desire them to act toward you4 #f4 ,golden ,rule by ,aristippus1 #cfe ,b4 ,c4 ,cherish reciprocal benevolence1 which will make you as anxious for another's welfare as your own4 #g4 ,golden ,rule by ,sextus1 a ,pithagorean1 #djf ,b4 ,c4 ,what you wish your neighbors to be to you1 such be also to them4 #h4 ,golden ,rule by ,hillel1 #ej ,b4 ,c4 ,do not to others what you would not like others to do to you4 #bc ,though perhaps not properly belonging to my treatment of this objection to the ,book of ,mormon1 ,i may say in passing--and to keep those who read these pages in the presence of the full truth--,i may say that the presence of ethical and religious truths1 in what we call heathen mythology1 is easily accounted for4 ,the gospel was taught in very ancient times1 in fact from the beginning--a dispensation of it was given to ,adam--and although men departed from it in large measure as a system of truth1 still fragments of it were preserved in the mythologies of all people4 ,so that as a matter of fact ,christianity1 as taught by ,jesus1 derived nothing from heathen mythology1 but heathen mythologies were made rich by fragmentary truths from the early dispensations of the gospel of ,jesus ,christ4 ,,viii4 ,modern ,astronomy in the ,book4 ,from a remark of the younger ,alma's 7first century ,b4 ,c471 and from one of ,mormon's 7fourth century ,a4 ,d471 it is evident that the ,nephites had knowledge of the movement of the earth and of the planets4 ,alma1 in his remark1 appeals to the earth's motion1 yea1 and also of the planets which move in their regular form1 as being evidence of the existence of the ,creator4 #bd ,mormon's remark comes in course of some reflections of his upon the power of ,god1 when abridging the ,book of ,helaman1 in which he says3 ,yea1 and if he say unto the earth1 move1 it is moved2 yea1 if he say unto the earth1 thou shalt go back1 that it lengthen out the day for many hours1 it is done2 and thus according to his word1 the earth goeth back1 and it appeareth unto man that the sun standeth still2 yea1 and behold1 this is so2 for sure it is the earth that moveth1 and not the sun4 #be ,both these passages are referred to by ,lamb #bf as evidence of the ,book of ,mormon being modern1 and the second passage he sarcastically refers to as a modern scientist attempting to explain ,joshua's miracle2 to which ,i might say3 ,why not an ancient ,nephite's explanation of ,joshua's miracle1 since the ,nephites were acquainted with that same miracle1 having with them the book of ,joshua with other ,hebrew scriptures8 ,moreover1 the knowledge of the movement of the earth and of the planets is not modern knowledge4 ,it is quite generally conceded that the ancients had the knowledge of these facts1 and that the discoveries by ,copernicus1 ,kepler and others are but a revival or restoration of ancient knowledge concerning the movement of the earth and planetary system4 #bg ,the ,holy ,inquisition in passing sentence on ,galileo took ocassion to say something of the ,copernican system1 teaching which was the philosopher's offense1 and denounced it as that false ,pythagorean doctrine utterly contrary to the ,holy ,scriptures4 7,intellectual ,development of ,europe1 ,draper1 ,vol4 ,,ii41 p4 #bfc74 ,again3 ,because the inhabitants of the eastern hemisphere were fallen into ignorance concerning the facts of astronomy1 it does not necessarily follow that the inhabitants of the western hemisphere were without correct knowledge on that subject4 ,indeed1 the authorities on ,american antiquities agree that the ancient native ,americans were well advanced in knowledge on that subject4 ,priest1 for instance1 has the following passage on the subject3 ,as it respects the scientific acquirements of the builders of the works in the west1 now in ruins1 the mounds1 ,mr4 ,atwater1 says1 when thoroughly examined1 have furnished matter of admiration to all intelligent persons who have attended to the subject4 ,nearly all the lines of ancient works found in the whole country1 where the form of the ground admits of it1 are right ones1 pointing to the four cardinal points4 ,where there are mounds enclosed1 the gateways are most frequently on the east side of the works1 towards the rising sun4 ,where the situation admits of it1 in their military works1 the openings are generally towards one or more of the cardinal points4 ,from which it is supposed they must have had some knowledge of astronomy1 or their structures would not1 it is imagined1 have been thus arranged4 ,from these circumstances also1 we draw the conclusion that the first inhabitants of ,america1 emigrated from ,asia1 at a period coeval with that of ,babylon1 for there it was that astronomical calculations were first made1 #b1bcd years before ,christ4 #bh ,these things could never have so happened1 with such invariable exactness1 in almost all cases1 without design4 ',on the whole4' says ,atwater1 ',i am convinced from an attention to many hundreds of these works1 in every part of the west which ,i have visited1 that their authors had a knowledge of astronomy4' ,baldwin has the following passage on what he regards as a telescopic device1 discovered in an ancient mound3 ,mr4 ,schoolcraft gives this account of a discovery made in ,west ,virginia3 ,antique tube3 telescopic device4 ,in the course of excavations made in #ahdb in the eastern-most of the three mounds of the ,elizabethtown group1 several tubes of stone were disclosed1 the precise object of which has been the subject of various opinions4 ,the longest measured twelve inches1 the shortest eight4 ,three of them were carved out of steatite1 being skilfully cut and polished4 ,the diameter of the tube externally was one inch and four tenths2 the bore1 eight tenths of an inch4 ,this calibre was continued till within three eighths of an inch of the sight end1 when it diminishes to two tenths of an inch4 ,by placing the eye at the diminished end1 the extraneous light is shut out from the pupil1 and distant objects are more clearly discerned4' ,he points out that the carving and workmanship generally are very superior to ,indian pipe carvings1 and adds1 if this article was a work of the ,mound-,builders1 'intended for a telescopic tube1 it is a most interesting relic4' ,an ancient ,peruvian relic1 found a few years since1 shows the figure of a man wrought in silver1 in the act of studying the heavens through such a tube4 ,similar tubes have been found among relics of the ,mound-,builders in ,ohio and elsewhere4 ,in ,mexico1 ,captain ,dupaix saw sculptured on a peculiar stone structure the figure of a man making use of one4 ,astronomical devices were sculptured below the figure4 ,this structure he supposed to have been used for observation of the stars4 #bi ,later1 referring to the ,dupaix ,mexican observatory1 ,baldwin says3 ,in this part of ,mexico ,captain ,dupaix examined a peculiar ruin1 of which he gave the following account3 ,near the road from the village of ,tlalmanalco to that called ,mecamecan1 about three miles east of the latter1 there is an isolated granite rock1 which was artificially formed into a kind of pyramid with six hewn steps facing the east4 ,the summit of this structure is a platform1 or horizontal plane1 well adapted to observation of the stars on every side of the hemisphere4 ,it is almost demonstratable that this very ancient monument was exclusively devoted to astronomical observations1 for on the south side of the rock are sculptured several hieroglyphical figures having relation to astronomy4 ,the most striking figure in the group is that of a man in profile1 standing erect1 and directing his view to the rising stars in the sky4 ,he holds to his eye a tube or optical instrument4 ,below his feet is a frieze divided into six compartments1 with as many celestial signs carved on its surface4 ,it has been already stated that finely-wrought telescopic tubes have been found among remains of the ,mound-,builders4 ,they were used1 it seems1 by the ancient people of ,mexico and ,central ,america1 and they were known also in ancient ,peru1 where a silver figure of a man in the act of using such a tube has been discovered in one of the old tombs4 #cj ,even ,prescott1 who is inclined to be sceptical of the statements made concerning astronomical instruments among the ,aztecs1 and ridicules ,dupaix's assertion of the existence of an astronomical observatory1 nevertheless says3 ,we know little further of the astronomical attainments of the ,aztecs4 ,that they were acquainted with the cause of eclipses is evident from the representation1 on their maps1 of the disk of the moon projecting on that of the sun4 ,whether they had arranged a system of constellations is uncertain2 though1 that they recognized some of the most obvious1 as the ,pleiades1 for example1 is evident from the fact that they regulated their festivals by them4 #ca ,nadaillac1 always conservative concerning the civilization and knowledge of the native ,americans1 on this point says3 ,the various races which occupied ,central ,america had some knowledge of astronomy4 ,they were acquainted with divisions of time founded on the motion of the sun1 and long before the conquest they possessed a regular system4 #cb ,bancroft1 on the same subject1 remarks3 ,perhaps the strongest proof of the advanced civilization of the ,nahuas was their method of computing time1 which1 for ingenuity and correctness1 equaled1 if it did not surpass1 the systems adopted by contemporaneous ,european and ,asiatic nations4 ,the ,nahuas were well acquainted with the movements of the sun and moon1 and even of some of the planets1 while celestial phenomena1 such as eclipses1 although attributed to unnatural causes1 were nevertheless carefully observed and recorded4 ,they had1 moreover1 an accurate system of dividing the day into fixed periods1 corresponding somewhat to our hours2 indeed1 as the learned ,sr4 ,leony ,gama has shown1 the ,aztec calendar-stone which was found in the plaza of the city of ,mexico1 was used not only as a durable register1 but also as a sundial4 #cc ,,ix4 ,the ,geography of the ,book4 ,it is objected to the ,book of ,mormon that it lacks local coloring and definiteness in respect of its geography2 and it is usually contrasted to its disadvantage with the ,bible in this respect4 ,i have not been able to find an edition of the ,book of ,mormon with maps in it1 says one objector1 nor have ,i been able to find with perfect surety the location of the land in which ,christ is supposed to have appeared to the ,nephites4 #cd ,we find almost nothing1 continues ,dr4 ,paden1 which would fit with the tropical climate2 in fact1 the general description would better coincide with ,pennsylvania or ,new ,york4 #ce ,the grandest mountains in the world1 and the highest table lands1 says another objector1 are as entirely ignored as is the general shape of the two continents and other physical facts4 ,while the physical characteristics of ,palestine are woven as a web into almost every page of ,bible history1 the ,book of ,mormon is unable to appeal to a single geographical fact in confirmation of its pretended histories1 except the general one that there was a 'land south' and a 'land north4' #cf ,this is an exaggerated statement of the supposed difficulty1 and so also is it an exaggerated statement concerning the geography of the ,bible4 ,suppose1 for instance1 you separate the ,book of ,isaiah from the rest of the library of books comprising the ,bible1 and how much of a figure does geography cut in that book8 ,the same may be said of the book of ,psalms1 the book of ,proverbs1 and1 separating the preface from it1 the same could be said of the book of ,deuteronomy4 ,mistakes in criticism of the ,book of ,mormon are continually made through entertaining the idea that the ,book of ,mormon in its structure is the same as the ,bible2 that it is the translation of a people's original literature1 and that the books of ,mosiah1 ,alma1 ,helaman1 etc41 are the books written by the men bearing those names4 ,whereas1 what we have is but ,mormon's abridgment of the writings of those men4 ,the ,book of ,mormon1 in other words1 save for the writings of ,nephi and ,jacob 7#adi pages71 and seven other writers #cg--whose entries upon the small plates of ,nephi make but about eight pages--is an abridged record throughout4 ,historical events1 doctrines1 prophecies1 not geographical descriptions1 the location of cities1 the course of rivers1 the grandeur of mountains or the extent of valleys1 will be the objective of ,mormon's research through the larger ,nephite records4 ,i may say1 therefore1 in answer to this criticism of the ,book of ,mormon1 while by no means granting all that is claimed in respect of its geographical defects--its imperfections in geography arise from the very nature of the book's construction4 ,in such a work you do not look for geographical knowledge4 ,i may say also that as these pages go to press the question of ,book of ,mormon geography is more than ever recognized as an open one by students of the book4 ,that is to say1 it is a question if ,mormon views hitherto entertained respecting ,book of ,mormon lands have not been a misconception by reason of premises forced upon its students by the declaration of an alleged revelation4 ,in a compendium of doctrinal subjects1 published by the late ,elders ,franklin ,d4 ,richards and ,james ,a4 ,little1 the following item appears3 ,lehi's ,travels4--,revelation to ,joseph the ,seer3 ,the course that ,lehi and his company traveled from ,jerusalem to the place of their destination3 ,they traveled nearly a south1 southeast direction until they came to the nineteenth degree of north latitude2 then1 nearly east of the ,sea of ,arabia1 then sailed in a southeast direction1 and landed on the continent of ,south ,america1 in ,chili1 thirty degrees south latitude4 #ch ,the only reason so far discovered for regarding the above as a revelation is that it is found written on a loose sheet of paper in the hand writing of ,frederick ,g4 ,williams1 for some years second ,counselor in the ,first ,presidency of the ,church in the ,kirtland period of its history2 and follows the body of the revelation contained in ,doctrine and ,covenants1 ,section vii41 relating to ,john the beloved disciple1 remaining on earth1 until the glorious coming of ,jesus to reign with his ,saints4 ,the hand-writing is certified to be that of ,frederick ,g4 ,williams1 by his son1 ,ezra ,g4 ,williams1 of ,ogden2 and endorsed on the back of the sheet of paper containing the above passage and the revelation pertaining to ,john4 ,the indorsement is dated ,april the #aath1 #ahfd4 ,the revelation pertaining to ,john has this introductory line3 ,a ,revelation ,concerning ,john1 the ,beloved ,disciple4 ,but there is no heading to the passage relating to the passage about ,lehi's travels4 ,the words ,lehi's ,travels2 and the words ,revelation to ,joseph the ,seer1 are added by the publishers1 justified as they supposed1 doubtless1 by the fact that the paragraph is in the hand writing of ,frederick ,g4 ,williams1 ,counselor to the ,prophet1 and on the same page with the body of an undoubted revelation1 which was published repeatedly as such in the life time of the ,prophet1 first in #ahcc1 at ,independence1 ,missouri1 in the ,book of ,commandments1 and subsequently in every edition of the ,doctrine and ,covenants until now4 ,but the one relating to ,lehi's travels was never published in the life-time of the ,prophet1 and was published no where else until published in the ,richards-,little's ,compendium as noted above4 ,now1 if no more evidence can be found to establish this passage in ,richards and ,little's ,compendium as a revelation to ,joseph1 the ,seer1 than the fact that it is found in the hand writing of ,frederick ,g4 ,williams1 and on the same sheet of paper with the body of the revelation about ,john1 the beloved disciple1 the evidence of its being a revelation to ,joseph1 the ,seer1 rests on a very unsatisfactory basis4 ,yet this alleged revelation has dominated all our thinking1 and influenced all our conclusions upon the subject of ,book of ,mormon geography4 ,whereas1 if this is not a revelation1 the physical description relative to the contour of the lands occupied by the ,jaredites and ,nephites1 that being principally that two large bodies of land were joined by a narrow neck of land--can be found between ,mexico and ,yucatan with the isthmus of ,tehuantepec between4 ,if the investigation now going on shall result in relieving us of the necessity of considering ourselves bound to uphold as a revelation the passage in ,richards and ,little's ,compendium1 here considered1 many of our difficulties as to the geography of the ,book of ,mormon--if not all of them in fact1 will have passed away4 ,in that event much found in this treatise of the ,book of ,mormon relative to the ,nephites being in ,south ,america--written under the impression that the passage in the above named ,compendium was1 as is there set forth1 a revelation--will have to be modified4 ,and let me here say a word in relation to new discoveries in our knowledge of the ,book of ,mormon1 and for matter of that in relation to all subjects connected with the work of the ,lord in the earth4 ,we need not follow our researches in any spirit of fear and trembling4 ,we desire only to ascertain the truth2 nothing but the truth will endure2 and the ascertainment of the truth and the proclamation of the truth in any given case1 or upon any subject1 will do no harm to the work of the ,lord which is itself truth4 ,nor need we be surprised if now and then we find our predecessors1 many of whom bear honored names and deserve our respect and gratitude for what they achieved in making clear the truth1 as they conceived it to be--we need not be surprised if we sometimes find them mistaken in their conceptions and deductions2 just as the generations who succeed us in unfolding in a larger way some of the yet unlearned truths of the ,gospel1 will find that we have had some misconceptions and made some wrong deductions in our day and time4 ,the book of knowledge is never a sealed book4 ,it is never completed and forever closed2 rather it is an eternally open book1 in which one may go on constantly discovering new truths and modifying our knowledge of old ones4 ,the generation which preceded us did not exhaust by their knowledge all the truth1 so that nothing was left for us in its unfolding2 no1 not even in respect of the ,book of ,mormon2 any more than we shall exhaust all discovery in relation to that book and leave nothing for the generation following us to develop4 ,all which is submitted1 especially to the membership of the ,church1 that they may be prepared to find and receive new truths both in the ,book of ,mormon itself and about it2 and that they may also rejoice in the fact that knowledge of truth is inexhaustible1 and will forever go on developing4 ,x4 ,of the ,objection that the ,transcript of ,characters ,made from the ,nephite ,plates by ,joseph ,smith1 a ,few ,lines of which have been ,preserved1 ,bear no ,resemblance to the ,hieroglyphics and ,language ,characters ,discovered in ,central ,america on ,stone ,tablets1 ,maya ,books and ,mexican ,picture ,writing4 ,this is an objection most vehemently urged by ,rev4 ,m4 ,t4 ,lamb1 author of ,the ,golden ,bible1 already several times quoted in this division of my treatise4 ,mr4 ,lamb takes the three lines of characters of ,joseph ,smith's transcript1 and confronts them with a fac simile of ,landa's ,maya ,alphabet1 and also engravings from some of the stone tablets from ,palenque and ,copan1 and then triumphantly invites comparison in the following passages3 ,we ask the candid reader carefully to examine these characters1 and then look back again to page #bfa4 ,those ,joseph's transcript from the plates are the characters ,joseph ,smith tells us were universally used in ,central ,america #a1ejj and #b1jjj years ago--while the ruins1 the engraved stones1 the chiselled marble1 tell us that these ,mr4 ,lamb's reproduction of ,landau's ,maya ,alphabet were the characters actually used in that locality1 and at that time4 ,look at the two attentively--see if you can discover any likeness whatever between them4 ,a woeful fatality1 is it not8 that there should not happen to be even one of ,mr4 ,smith's characters that bears a family likeness1 or the least particle of resemblance to the characters actually used by the ancient inhabitants of ,central ,america6 #ci ,commenting again upon the characters of ,joseph ,smith's transcript1 ,mr4 ,lamb says3 ,the longer you look at them the more modern and familiar they will become until ,professor ,anthon's designation1 a hoax will not seem at all surprising even to a candid ,mormon4 ,and if that word is not the proper one1 this certainly must be acknowledged1 that they are the most unfortunate specimen of ancient characters that have ever been exhibited2 for they have a fearfully suspicious look1 and it would take the clearest possible evidence to drive away that suspicion from any intelligent and unprejudiced mind4 #dj ,these are rather formidable conclusions to force upon us from a basis of comparison so narrow as that furnished by the three lines of ,joseph ,smith's transcript4 ,this preserved scrap1 published first in the ,prophet1 ,new ,york1 ,december #bast1 #ahdd #da of three lines1 or even that of seven lines preserved with the ,whitmer ,manuscript1 are evidently not all that were submitted to ,professor ,anthon #db by ,martin ,harris4 ,professor ,anthon in describing the characters submitted to him as a transcript from the plates1 says3 ,this paper in question was1 in fact1 a singular scroll4 ,it consisted of all kinds of singular characters disposed in columns1 and had evidently been prepared by some person who had before him at the time a book containing various alphabets1 ,greek and ,hebrew letters1 crosses and flourishes2 ,roman letters inverted or placed sideways were arranged and placed in perpendicular columns1 and the whole ended in a rude delineation of a circle1 divided into various compartments1 arched with various strange marks1 and evidently copied after the ,mexican calendar by ,humboldt1 but copied in such a way as not to betray the source whence it was derived4 ,neither the three lined transcript1 #dc nor the seven1 meets this description of ,anthon's though they may have constituted a part1 and doubtless were a part of what was submitted to ,professors ,anthon and ,mitchell4 ,but neither of the two transcripts furnishes data for the conclusions of ,mr4 ,lamb1 since we have in them so few of the ,nephite characters as a basis of comparison4 ,but even from data so meagre as that furnished by these transcripts1 it is possible to show that ,mr4 ,lamb and others who have made like objection are too hasty in their conclusions4 ,on a separate page1 ,i give a photographic reproduction of the ancient ,maya ,alphabet as engraved by ,dr4 ,augustus ,le ,plongeon1 from the mural inscriptions of the ,mayas1 and the ,egyptian ,hieratic ,alphabet according to ,messrs4 ,champollion1 ,le ,jeune and ,bunsen4 ,the whole page is a photograph reproduction of a page from the preface of ,le ,plongeon's ,work1 ,sacred ,mysteries ,among the ,mayas and the ,quiches1 page xii4 ,tables of characters captioned ,ancient ,maya ,hieratic alphabet according to mural inscriptions4 and ,egyptian ,hieratic alphabet according to ,messrs4 ,champollion1 ,le ,jeune and ,bunsen4 ,image captioned ,transcript of ,ancient ,egyptian characters from ,rawlinson's ,history of ,egypt4 ,image captioned ,transcript from ,nephite plates1 by ,joseph ,smith4 ,two things are to be observed with reference to these two alphabets3 ,first1 the strong resemblance between many of the ,american and ,egyptian characters2 second1 the resemblance of some of the characters in the transcript from the ,nephite plates to some of the characters in both the so-called ,maya and the ,egyptian ,alphabet4 ,and although the ,nephite characters are so few1 and some allowance must be made for unskilfulness in making the transcriptions1 yet there is to be seen a strong family likeness between the characters of all three productions here presented1 ,mr4 ,lamb and others to the contrary notwithstanding4 ,and that family likeness between the ,nephite characters and ,egyptian writing is made more impressive by the second page of fac similies herewith presented1 consisting first of a photographic reproduction of a transcript1 of the three kinds of writing employed by the ,egyptians in ancient times1 from the work of ,george ,rawlinson1 compared with ,joseph ,smith's transcript of ,nephite characters4 ,the first line from ,rawlinson's work is the ,hieroglyphic form of ,egyptian writing1 the second the ,hieratic1 the third the ,demotic4 #dd ,it will be observed1 as ,mr4 ,rawlinson himself points out1 that there is not much difference between the hieratic and the demotic4 ,the former is the earlier of the two4 ,and now1 notwithstanding the fact that the ,nephites wrote in characters that they called ,reformed ,egyptian--which ,i understand to mean1 in altered or changed ,egyptian characters yet1 ,i submit1 that when the transcript of ,nephite characters made by ,joseph ,smith is compared with the transcript from the works of ,mr4 ,rawlinson1 there is a strong family likeness very gratifying to believers in the ,book of ,mormon1 and the force of ,mr4 ,lamb's objection on this head is destroyed by these submitted facts1 viz41 the few ,nephite characters preserved from ,joseph ,smith's transcripts1 disclose a strong family resemblance to the ancient forms of ,egyptian writing1 and even some similarities to the ancient ,maya ,alphabet published by ,le ,plongeon4 ,footnotes #a4 ,i ,peter i3 #ah-be4 ,rev4 xiii3 #h4 #b4 ,titus i3 #a1 #b4 #c4 ,heb4 x3 #a4 #d4 ,i4 ,cor4 x3 #a-d4 #e4 ,mr4 ,campbell cites the first edition throughout4 #f4 ,heb4 xiii3 #bj4 #g4 ,,ii4 ,nephi v3 #bf4 ,,ii4 ,nephi vi3 #b4 #h4 ,alma v3 #dd4 ,alma xiii4 #i4 ,judges vi3 #ae4 #aj4 ,judges vi4 #aa4 ,see this ,vol4 chapter xxxv4 #ab4 ,ephesians iii3 #e1 #f4 #ac4 ,i4 ,nephi x2 also book of ,jacob1 chapter v4 #ad4 ,col4 i3 #b1 #c4 #ae4 ,isaiah xlii3 #f1 #g4 #af4 ,isaiah xlix3 #f-i et seq41 specially verses #bj-bb4 ,paul himself quotes ,isaiah xlix3 #f2 see ,acts xiii3 #dg4 ,simeon in the temple quotes ,isaiah2 see ,luke ii3 #cj1 #cb4 #ag4 ,i4 ,nephi xix3 #aj4 #ah4 ,alma viii3 #g4 #ai4 ,so ,hyde3 ,he ,joseph ,smith1 through the ,book of ,mormon determines none of the great questions pending in the world at large1 but only the minor difficulties that would have been likely to have reached a western village4 ,hyde's ,mormonism1 p4 #bha4 #bj4 ,moroni viii4 #ba4 ,following is ,mosheim's description of baptism in the third century3 ,baptism was publicly administered twice a year1 to such candidates as had gone through a long preparation and trial2 and none were present as spectators1 but such as had been themselves baptized4 99 99 99 ,none were admitted to the sacred font until the exorcist1 by a solemn menacing formula1 had declared them free from bondage to the prince of darkness and now servants of ,god4 99 99 99 ,the persons baptized returned home1 decorated with a crown and white robe2 the first being indicative of their victory over the world and their lusts1 the latter of their acquired innocence4 7,mosheim's ,institute1 ,century ,three1 chapter iv47 ,in describing baptism in the century previous--and the same things accompanied it in the third and fourth--he tells how the baptized were signed with the cross1 anointed1 commended to ,god by prayer and imposition of hands1 and finally directed to taste some milk and honey2 also how ,sponsors1 or ,godfathers1 were employed for adults1 and afterwards for children likewise4 ,all of which mummeries were additions to the sublimely beautiful and simple ordinance of the baptism of the gospel4 #bb4 ,see ,science of ,religion1 p4 #aic-cjj4 #bc4 ,the ,world's ,sixteen ,crucified ,saviors4 7,graves71 pp4 #cjc-d4 #bd4 ,alma xxx3 #dd4 #be4 ,helaman xii3 #ac-ae4 #bf4 ,golden ,bible1 p4 #ccf4 #bg4 ,in the sixth century before our era1 remarks ,andrew ,d4 ,white 7,history of the ,warfare of ,science with ,theology in ,christendom1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #abj1 #aba71 ,pythagoras1 and after him ,philolaus1 had suggested the movement of the earth and planets about a central fire2 and1 three centuries later1 ,aristarchus had restated the main truth with striking precision4 ,here comes in a proof that the antagonism between theological and scientific methods is not confined to ,christianity2 for this statement brought upon ,aristarchus the charge of blasphemy1 and drew after it a cloud of prejudice which hid the truth for six hundred years4 ,not until the fifth century of our era did it timidly appear in the thoughts of ,martianus ,capella2 then it was again lost to sight for a thousand years1 until in the fifteenth century1 distorted and imperfect1 it appeared in the writings of ,cardinal ,nicholas de ,cusa4 #bh4 ,american ,antiquities 7,priest71 p4 #bgb4 #bi4 ,ancient ,america1 7,baldwin71 p4 #db4 #cj4 ,ancient ,america1 7,baldwin71 pp4 #abb1 #abc4 #ca4 ,conquest of ,mexico1 7,prescott71 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #ajc4 #cb4 ,pre-,historic ,america1 7,nadaillac71 p4 #cje4 #cc4 ,bancroft's ,works1 ,vol4 ,,ii41 p4 #ejb4 #cd4 ,dr4 ,w4 ,m4 ,paden1 ,pastor of the first ,presbyterian ,church1 ,salt ,lake ,city1 ,utah1 in a ,discourse against the ,book of ,mormon1 ,march #ba1 #aijd4 #ce4 ,ibid4 #cf4 ,golden ,bible1 pp4 #cjh1 #cji4 #cg4 ,this work ,vol4 ,,ii41 p4 #ach4 #ch4 ,compendium1 p4 #bhi4 #ci4 ,the ,golden ,bible1 p4 #bfe4 ,i quote from the #ahhg edition1 which ,i understand to be the revised and enlarged one4 #de #dj4 ,ibid41 p4 #bfj4 #da4 ,the ,prophet was a ,mormon weekly periodical1 published by ,s4 ,brannan from ,may1 #ahdd1 to ,may #bd1 #ahde4 #db4 ,a fac simile of which is given in ,vol4 ,,ii41 p4 #gb4 #dc4 ,volume ,,ii41 this work p4 #gf4 ,this is from his letter to ,e4 ,d4 ,howe2 in a second letter to ,rev4 ,coit1 ,anthon gives a similar description4 7,ibid41 pp4 #gi1 #gh47 #dd4 ,boston #ahhb1 two volumes4 ,the photographed transcript will be found in ,vol4 ,i4 of ,rawlinson1 p4 #abj4 ,,chapter ,,xlviii4 ,,objections ,,to ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,mormon 7,continued74 ,i4 ,alleged ,plagiarisms of ,historical and ,biblical ,events4 ,it is charged against the ,book of ,mormon that many of its historical incidents are mere plagiarisms of historical and ,biblical events4 ,i shall only be able to indicate a few of these charges1 and point out the means by which they may be fairly met4 ,i call attention to the fact1 in the first place1 that some of the charges are absolutely false2 that they are based on misquotations and misstated incidents4 ,in other cases the comparison is very much strained to get the result of likeness1 and throughout the likelihood of similarity in human experience is entirely overlooked4 ,mr4 ,john ,hyde declares that ,nephi's description of the rise of a great and abominable church immediately after the days of the ,messiah on earth1 together with his description of her pride1 power1 and cruelty1 is a quotation from the book of ,revelations1 ,a description of the ,church of ,rome2 #a the abduction of the daughters of the ,lamanites by the ,priests of ,king ,noah2 #b the martyrdom of ,alma's converts in the land of ,ammonihah2 #c and the slaughter of the converts of ,ammon among the ,lamanites1 #d are events borrowed from the history of ,nero1 ,caligula1 and ,fox's book of ,martyrs4 ,in ,alma's conversion1 he sees an imitation of ,paul's miraculous conversion with this difference2 that ,paul was struck with blindness for three days1 and ,alma is struck dumb for two days6 #e ,in the remarks of ,king ,mosiah on the advantages of a government by the people as against the rule of absolute monarchs1 our author sees the doctrine of ,vox populi vox ,dei1 #f although that idea nowhere occurs in the passage to which he gives reference1 and in fact1 in no passage of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,these citations from the long list that our author makes out will perhaps be sufficient from him4 ,those who wish to trace out this class of objections1 as he makes them1 may consult his work4 #g ,a more recent writer enters into the same line of argument in greater detail4 #h ,his theory is that the author of the ,book of ,mormon set out to beat the ,bible in the matter of wonderful things recorded4 ,thus in the eight barges of the ,jaredites he sees an attempt to outdo the ,bible account of ,noah's one ark4 ,in a complete vision granted to the brother of ,jared of the pre-existent spirit-personage of the ,messiah1 he sees the partial view of the same personage granted to ,moses outdone4 ,in the fact that the ,nephite prophet1 ,abinadi1 interpreted certain writings upon the wall of a temple1 he sees an imitation of ,daniel's exploit of reading the writing on the wall of ,belshazzar's palace4 ,in ,ether's expressed doubt as to his own fate1 whether he would be granted the privilege of translation or be required to pass through the ordeal of death1 he sees the counterpart of the story of ,elijah's ascent into heaven4 ,in the retention of three of the ,nephite apostles on earth until ,messiah shall come in his glory1 he sees the ,new ,testament intimation and the early ,christian notion that the apostle ,john might be granted such a privilege--if such it could be regarded--outdone4 ,in the signs of ,messiah's birth1 granted to the ,nephites--the night of continuous light and the appearance of a new star in the heavens2 as also in the signs of his crucifixion and burial--three hours of tempest and earthquake while the ,son of ,man was on the cross1 and three days of darkness while he lay in the tomb #i--our author sees again an effort to outdo the ,bible signs accompanying ,messiah's birth and death4 ,in the account given in ,,iii ,nephi #aj of the multitude being permitted to come in personal contact with the ,savior one by one1 and touch the scars of the wounds he had received in crucifixion1 ,rev4 ,lamb sees an effort to outdo the ,new ,testament story of ,thomas thrusting his hands in the wounds of our ,savior1 that he might be convinced of the reality of his resurrection4 ,indeed1 the ,reverend gentleman makes very much of this circumstance4 ,he supposes the multitude granted this privilege numbered #b1ejj2 and allowing that five persons would pass the ,savior every minute1 giving each one twelve seconds to thrust his hand into ,messiah's side1 and feel the print of the nails1 would require eight hours and twenty minutes of time6 #aa ,the ,reverend ,gentleman1 however1 neglected to give the matter due consideration4 ,the number of the multitude1 #b1ejj1 is given at the close of the first day's visit of ,messiah to the ,nephites2 whereas1 the circumstance of the people being allowed to personally come in contact with the ,savior1 is an event that took place early in the day1 almost immediately upon the ,christ's appearance in fact1 and when the multitude was much smaller than at the close of the day4 ,two circumstances lead to the belief that the crowd was greatly augmented through the day4 ,for instance1 after some considerable time had elapsed after his appearing1 and after the multitude had gone forth and felt the wounds in his hands and feet1 ,jesus called for their sick and afflicted1 that he might heal them4 ,it is unreasonable to suppose that the blind and halt and sick were with the multitude when ,jesus first appeared1 as the latter were a party strolling about the temple viewing the changes wrought in the land by the recent cataclysms1 while the sick and maimed with their attendants would doubtless be at their homes4 ,therefore1 many of the people departed from the presence of ,jesus to bring to him these afflicted ones2 and as they went on this errand of mercy they doubtless spread the news of ,christ's presence among them1 with the result that the people were gathered together throughout the day4 ,again1 after blessing their afflicted ones1 the ,lord ,jesus caused their children to be gathered together1 that he might bless them2 which doubtless in many cases caused parents to hasten again to their homes and ever as they went the news spread further and further of the ,messiah's presence1 until finally1 at the close of the day's gathering1 #b1ejj were found to be present4 ,it by no means follows1 however1 that all this number thrust their hands into the wounds of ,messiah2 but only the very much smaller number that was gathered about the temple in the land of ,bountiful earlier in the day1 when ,messiah appeared to them4 ,our author sees in these things ,i have quoted and some others that he details1 plagiarisms of ,bible events2 and concludes that the ,book of ,mormon1 instead of being what it claims to be1 is largely but a collection of ,bible events distorted by ,joseph ,smith's inventions4 ,it places a ,christian minister1 believing as he does in the divinity of both the ,old and ,new ,testament1 at a very great disadvantage to make this kind of an argument4 ,suppose we were to apply it as a test of the ,new ,testament8 ,we could then say that the ascension of ,jesus1 recorded in the ,acts of the ,apostles1 is but an imitation of the glorious ascension of ,elijah into heaven in the presence of a host of angels4 #ab ,we could say that the special miracles wrought by the hands of ,paul so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs and aprons to the afflicted1 and the diseases departed from them and the evil spirits went out of them1 is but an imitation of what ,elijah did when he sent his staff by the hands of his servant1 commanding him to lay it on the face of the dead child of his ,shunammite friend to restore him to life4 #ac ,it might be said1 also1 that in the subsequent conduct of ,elijah in restoring this same child to life1 we have the original of the ,new ,testament story of ,jarius's daughter4 #ad ,in this same chapter of ,kings we have the following story of ,elisha's miraculously feeding a multitude3 ,and there came a man from ,baalshalisha1 and brought the man of ,god bread of the firstfruits1 twenty loaves of barley1 and full ears of corn in the husk thereof4 ,and he said1 ,give unto the people1 that they may eat4 ,and his servitor said1 ,what1 should ,i set this before an hundred men8 ,he said again1 ,give the people1 that they may eat3 for thus saith the ,lord1 ,they shall eat1 and shall leave thereof4 ,so he set before them1 and they did eat1 and left thereof1 according to the word of the ,lord4 ,who can doubt1 the ,biblical sceptic might ask1 but what this story inspired that of the ,evangelists concerning the miraculous feeding of five thousand people1 in a desert place1 from five loaves1 and two fishes4 #ae ,the excess of people mentioned in the ,new ,testament--five thousand thus miraculously fed as against ,elijah's one hundred--could be pointed to as an effort of the ,new ,testament writer to merely outdo in the marvelous the miracles of the ,old ,testament4 ,again1 it might be continued that the story of tenth ,revelations1 where a little book is given to ,john the apostle to eat1 one that should be bitter in his belly1 but in his mouth sweet as honey1 is but a plagiarism of a very similar story told in ,ezekiel where that prophet is commanded to eat the roll of the book1 and it was in his mouth as the honey for sweetness4 #af ,thus we might continue in drawing such parallels1 but there would be neither profit nor argument in doing so4 ,such procedure is scarcely worthy the name of criticism4 ,it reminds one of ,shakespeare's ,rosalind finding the doggerel verses of the love-sick swain1 ,orlando1 hanging upon the trees of the forest of ,arden1 and of ,rosalind reading them-- ,from the east to the western ,ind1 ,no ,jewel is like ,rosalind4 ,all the pictures fairest lined1 ,are but black to ,rosalind4 ,let no fair be kept in mind1 ,but the fair of ,rosalind4 ,which doggerel the more sensible ,touchstone1 listening to--and impatient at withal--finally breaks in upon the fair reader with3 ,i'll rhyme you so eight years together1 dinners and suppers and sleepin-hours excepted3--for a taste-- ,if a hart do lack a hind1 ,let him seek out ,rosalind4 ,if the cat will after kind1 ,so be sure will ,rosalind4 ,winter garments must be lined1 ,so must slendor ,rosalind4 ,they that reap must sheef and bind1 ,then to cart with ,rosalind4 ,sweetest nut hath sourest rind1 ,such a nut is ,rosalind4 ,so with like result one might run on with this kind of argument based upon the ,book of ,mormon's alleged plagiarisms from the ,hebrew scriptures4 ,,ii4 ,the ,absence of ,book of ,mormon ,names ,both of ,place and ,persons in ,native ,american ,language4 ,it is objected to the ,book of ,mormon that there nowhere appears in native ,american languages ,book of ,mormon names4 ,during the one thousand years of their recorded history1 says one1 as given in the ,book of ,mormon1 the old familiar names of ,lehi1 ,nephi1 ,laman1 ,lemuel and others are constantly recurring2 they held on to them with reverential pertinacity4 ,if the ,book of ,mormon were a true record we should find these names in abundance among various ,indian races scattered over both continents4 ,the absence of ,book of ,mormon names in the native language1 is held to be fatal testimony against the claims of the ,book of ,mormon by this writer4 #ag ,one recognizes here a real difficulty1 and one for which it is quite hard to account4 ,it must be remembered1 however1 that from the close of the ,nephite period1 #dbj ,a4 ,d41 to the coming of the ,spaniards in the sixteenth century1 we have a period of over one thousand years2 and we have the triumph also of the ,lamanites over the ,nephites bent on the destruction of every vestige of ,nephite traditions and institutions4 ,may it not be that they recognized as one of the means of achieving such destruction the abrogation of the old familiar names of things and persons8 ,besides there is the probable influx of other tribes and peoples into ,america in that one thousand years whose names may have largely taken the place of ,nephite and ,lamanite names4 ,i have already suggested that the name ,nahuas and the adjective derived from it1 ,nahuatl1 are probably variations of the names ,nephi and ,nephite1 derived1 it may be1 together with the ,bible names ,nepheg1 ,nephish1 ,nephishesim1 and ,naphtali from a common ,hebrew root4 #ah ,also1 that the name ,hohgates1 by which names the seven mythical strangers were called who in ancient times settled at ,point ,st4 ,george on the ,pacific coast near ,san ,francisco1 is a survival of the ,book of ,mormon name ,hagoth1 who is prominent in the ,book of ,mormon narrative as the man who first started maritime migrations from ,south ,america1 northward along the ,pacific coast of ,north ,america4 #ai ,mr4 ,priest1 the author of ,american ,antiquities1 declares that the word ,amazon1 the name of the chief river of ,south ,america1 is an ,indian word4 #bj ,early in the century in which ,messiah was born1 four of the sons of the ,nephite king1 ,mosiah ,,ii1 departed from ,zarahemla on a mission to the ,lamanites4 ,at that time the ,lamanites occupied the lands formerly possessed by the ,nephites1 previous to the migration of the more righteous part of that people to ,zarahemla--the old land of ,nephi4 ,this land1 so far as can be determined1 corresponds somewhat to the modern country of ,ecuador and perhaps the northern part of ,peru4 #ba ,in this region1 it will be remembered1 the river ,amazon takes its rise4 ,the leader of the ,nephite missionary expedition referred to was ,ammon1 doubtless the oldest son of ,king ,mosiah ,,ii4 #bb ,such were the achievements of this man2 such his rank1 and such his high character that it is not difficult or unreasonable to believe that his name was given by the people to the principal stream of the land1 and that it has survived under the modern variation of the name ,amazon4 ,again1 the word ,andes1 the name of the chief mountain range in ,south ,america1 is quite generally supposed1 if not conceded by the best authorities1 to come from the native ,peruvian word ,anti1 meaning copper4 #bc ,the ,peruvians1 in order to cultivate some mountainous parts of their country1 terraced the mountain sides1 facing the same with stone4 ,these terraces the ,spaniards called ,andenes1 whence some suppose the name ,andes4 ,but the name1 says ,prescott1 is older than the ,conquest1 according to ,varcilasso1 who traces it to ',anti1' the name of a province that lay east of ,cuzco4 ',anta1' the word for copper1 which was found abundant in certain quarters of the country1 may have suggested the name of the province1 if not immediately that of the mountains4 #bd ,in any event we have the words ,anti and ,anta established as native ,american words1 and the word ,anti is of frequent use in the ,book of ,mormon in a number of compound words1 such as ,anti-,nephi-,lehi1 the name of a ,lamanite king or chief about ,b4 ,c4 #hc4 #be ,the same name was given to his people1 that is1 they were called ,anti-,nephi-,lehi's1 #bf and possibly it may have been given to the land they occupied4 ,if so it accounts for the word ,anti surviving as the name of a province1 according to ,garcilasso1 lying east of ,cuzco4 ,we also have the word ,antiomno1 #bg the name of a ,lamanite king2 ,antionah1 the name of a chief2 ,antionum1 both the name of a man1 #bh and also the name of a city2 #bi also the word ,antiparah1 a ,nephite city2 #cj ,antipas1 the name of a mountain2 #ca and ,antipus1 the name of a ,nephite military leader4 #cb ,it is true these words in the ,book of ,mormon1 are written as simple words1 but they are susceptible of being regarded as compound words1 as follows3 ,anti-,omno1 ,anti-,pas1 ,anti-,parah1 and so following4 ,if the ,peruvian terraces derived their name from this native word ,anti1 then when applied to ,nephite lands ,anti-,onum would doubtless mean the terraced lands of ,onum1 and ,anti-,parah1 the name of a city1 would doubtless be the terraced city of ,parah1 and so following4 ,but after all this is said it is still a matter of regret that more of the ,nephite names1 both of men and countries1 have not survived in the native ,american languages4 ,still the field of knowledge of ,american antiquities has not yet been thoroughly explored1 and when its buried cities and monuments shall be more thoroughly known all the evidences that can be demanded along these lines will doubtless be produced4 ,,iii4 ,nephi's ,temple4 ,first ,nephi gives the following account of building a temple in the ,new ,world3 ,and ,i1 ,nephi1 did build a temple2 and ,i did construct it after the manner of the temple of ,solomon1 save it were not built of so many precious things2 for they were not to be found upon the land2 wherefore1 it could not be built like unto ,solomon's temple4 ,but the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of ,solomon2 and the workmanship thereof was exceeding fine4 #cc ,this statement is unfairly dealt with by objectors4 ,they generally represent it as saying that ,nephi1 in this description1 holds out the idea that he duplicated ,solomon's temple1 excepting as to the richness of the materials employed in its construction4 ,then an elaborate description of the greatness and architectural grandeur of ,solomon's temple is given4 ,attention is also called to the fact that the ,hebrew nation bent all their energies through seven years of activity in constructing the temple of ,solomon2 that they were aided by surrounding peoples1 notably by ,king ,hiram and the ,tyrians4 ,after all this is explained then comes what is supposed to be an insurmountable difficulty1 namely3 ,lehi's colony that came from ,jerusalem to ,america was a very small one1 consisting of two families only1 ,lehi's and ,ishmael's1 and in addition the man ,zoram1 perhaps not exceeding a score of adult persons on their arrival in the promised land4 ,then after some time this colony is divided2 the more righteous branch following ,nephi1 and the wicked following his elder brothers ,laman and ,lemuel4 ,so that it is safe to conclude that during the lifetime of the first ,nephi the colony remained a very small one2 and since this temple was built about thirty years after the colony departed from ,jerusalem1 the ,nephite division of it could not have included more than one hundred adults4 ,how1 then1 it is triumphantly asked1 could this small colony duplicate ,solomon's temple1 renowned for its architectural beauty and greatness1 and which required seven years for the nation of the ,hebrews to construct1 assisted by surrounding people and the great treasuries which ,david1 in his reign1 had accumulated for that sacred purpose8 ,the answer to the objection is to be found in a denial of the construction put upon ,nephi's description of his temple4 ,that description does not warrant the conclusion that ,nephi's temple was a duplicate of ,solomon's1 except as to the manner of the construction1 from which it is to be inferred that the general plan of the structure followed that of ,solomon's1 but it does not follow that it was anything like ,solomon's in the extent or largeness of it2 but in the arrangement of its courts2 its several divisions and subdivisions were built after the manner and for the purposes for which ,solomon's temple was constructed4 ,so that the labored argument as to the inability of so small a colony as ,lehi's duplicating ,solomon's temple is merely so much wasted energy1 since no one is bound to hold that in its dimensions and greatness the ,nephite ,temple equaled ,solomon's temple4 ,it was only like unto ,solomon's temple in its arrangement and uses1 but doubtless by this colony was regarded as a very great achievement1 as undoubtedly it was1 and they would likely speak of it in the superlative degree of admiration in describing it4 ,,iv4 ,the ,difficulty of ,iron and ,steel ,among the ,nephites4 ,the ,book of ,mormon repeatedly affirms the ,nephite knowledge of the fusion of metals1 and their knowledge and use of both iron and steel4 ,as many writers on ,american ,antiquities deny the knowledge and use of these metals by the ancient ,americans1 their alleged existence in the ,book of ,mormon is generally regarded as a capital objection to that record4 ,not all the influential writers1 however1 are on that side of the question4 ,there is no evidence1 says ,bancroft1 that the use of iron was known except the extreme difficulty of clearing forests and carving stone with implements of stone and soft copper4 #cd ,referring to some of the stones in the ruins of ,peruvian buildings1 ,prescott remarks3 ,many of these stones were of vast size2 some of them being full thirty-eight feet long1 by eighteen broad1 and six feet thick4 ,we are filled with astonishment when we consider that these enormous masses were hewn from their native bed and fashioned into shape by a people ignorant of the use of iron4 #ce ,but why could not the argument of ,wilkinson be followed when confronted with a similar problem respecting the ancient ,egyptian works in stone8 ,he allowed that the achievements of that ancient people in quarrying and shaping huge blocks of stone to be an evidence of their knowledge and use of iron1 but that its tendency to decomposition and oxidation prevented any specimens of it from being preserved4 #cf ,later1 notwithstanding ,prescott's disagreement with the argument1 some of the best authorities sustained the conclusions of ,wilkinson4 ,george ,rawlinson1 for instance1 in his ,history of ,ancient ,egypt1 says3 ,in metals ,egypt was deficient4 99 99 99 99 ,copper1 iron1 and lead do1 however1 exist in portions of the eastern desert1 and one iron mine shows signs of having been anciently worked4 ,then1 he remarks1 the metal is found in form of specular and red iron ore4 ,still1 none of these metals seem to have been obtained by the ,egyptians from their own land in any considerable quantity4 ,in a foot note he says this mine lies in the eastern desert between the ,nile and ,red ,sea1 at a place called ,hammami4 #cg ,later1 he says3 ,it has been much questioned whether iron was employed at all by the ,egyptians until the time of the ,greek conquest4 ,the weapons and implements and ornaments of iron which have been found in the ancient cities are so few1 while those of bronze are so numerous1 and the date of the few iron objects discovered is so uncertain that there is strong temptation to embrace the simple theory that iron was first introduced into ,egypt by the ,ptolemies4 ,difficulties1 however1 stand in the way of a complete adoption of this view4 ,a fragment of a thin plate of iron was found by ,col4 ,vyse imbedded in the masonry of the great pyramid4 #ch ,continuing1 he says3 ,some iron implements and ornaments have been found in the tombs with nothing about them indicative of their belonging to the late period4 ,the paucity of such instances is partially1 if not wholly accounted for1 by the rapid decay of iron in the nitrous earth of ,egypt1 or when oxidized by exposure to the air4 ,it seems very improbable that the ,hebrew and ,canaanites should for centuries have been well acquainted with the use of iron1 and their neighbors of ,egypt1 whose civilization was far more advanced1 have been ignorant of it4 ,on these grounds the most judicious of modern ,egyptologists seem to hold1 that while the use of iron by the ,egyptians in ,pharaonic times was at the best rare and occasional1 it was not wholely unknown1 though less appreciated than we should have expected4 ,iron spear-heads1 iron cycles1 iron gimlets1 iron bracelets1 iron keys1 iron wire were occasionally made use of1 but the ,egyptians on the whole were contented with their bronze implements and weapons1 which were more easily produced and which they found to answer every purpose4 #ci ,may it not be argued with equal reason1 that the ,lamanites1 after the conquest of the ,nephites1 found themselves in the same condition1 that is1 it was easier for them to convert copper into such implements as they desired than iron1 until finally the use of iron was discontinued and the art of manufacturing it lost4 ,baldwin says of the ,peruvians3 ,iron was unknown to them in the time of the ,incas1 although some maintain that they had it in the previous ages1 to which belong the ruins of ,lake ,titicaca4 ,iron ore was and still is very abundant in ,peru4 ,it is impossible to conceive how the ,peruvians were able to cut and work stone in such a masterly way1 or to construct their great roads and aqueducts without the use of iron tools4 ,some of the languages of the country1 and perhaps all1 had names for iron2 in official ,peruvian it was called quillay1 and in the old ,chilian tongue panilic4 ,it is remarkable1 observes ,molina1 that iron1 which has been thought unknown to the ancient ,americans1 has particular names in some of their tongues4 ,it is not easy to understand why they had names for this metal1 if they never at any time had knowledge of the metal itself4 ,in the ,mercurio ,peruano1 7tome i41 p4 #bja1 #agia71 it is stated that1 anciently1 the ,peruvian sovereigns1 worked magnificent iron mines at ,ancoriames1 on the west shore of ,lake ,titicaca2 but ,i can not give the evidence used in support of this statement4 #dj4 ,de,roo says3 ,iron seems to have been unknown in ,america at the time of the ,spanish discovery1 but the ,mound-,builders' graveyards1 afford proof that they not only knew it1 but manufactured it into tools and implements4 ,in the sepulchral mound at ,marietta 7,ohio7 there was found in the year #ahai a little lump of iron ore that had almost the specific gravity of pure iron1 and presented the appearance of being partially smelted1 while in the mound at ,circleville oxidized iron was unearthed in the shape of a plate4 #da ,referring again to what was found in the mound at ,marietta1 he says3 ,in ,june of #ahai1 upon opening a mound at ,marietta1 some very remarkable objects were discovered1 consisting of three large circular copper bosses thickly overlaid with silver1 and apparently intended as ornaments for a buckler or a sword-belt4 ,on the reverse were two plates fastened by a copper rivet or nail1 around which was a flaxen thread1 while between the plates were two small pieces of leather4 ,the copper showed much signs of decay2 it was almost reduced to an oxide2 but the silver1 though much corroded1 resumed its natural brilliancy on being burnished4 ,in the same tumulus was also found a hollow silver plate six inches long and two broad1 intended apparently as the upper part of a sword-scabbard4 ,the scabbard itself seems to have perished in the course of time1 as no other portion of it was found1 with the exception of a few broken1 rust-eaten pieces of a copper tube1 which was likely intended for the reception of the point of the weapon4 #db ,josiah ,priest has the following passages on the subject of the discoveries of iron in the mounds of ,america3 ,we have examined the blade of a sword found in ,philadelphia1 now in ,peel's ,museum1 in ,new ,york1 which was taken out of the ground something more than sixty feet below the surface4 ,the blade is about twenty inches in length1 is sharp on one edge1 with a thick back1 a little turned up at the point1 with a shank drawn out three or four inches long1 on which was doubtless1 inserted in the handle1 and clenched at the end4 ,it is known that the swords of all ancient nations were very short1 on which account1 their wars on the field of battle1 were but an immense number of single combats4 #dc ,describing what was found in one of the mounds at ,circleville1 in ,ohio1 upon the authority of ,mr4 ,atwater1 who was present when the mound was opened1 he says3 ,the handle1 either of a small sword1 or a large knife1 made of an elk's horn2 around the end where the blade had been inserted1 was a ferule of silver1 which1 though black1 was not much injured by time2 though the handle showed the hole where the blade had been inserted1 yet no iron was found1 but an oxide or rust remained1 of similiar shape and size4 ,the swords of the ancient nations of the old world1 it is known1 were very short4 ,charcoal1 and wood ashes1 on which these articles lay1 were surrounded by several bricks1 very well burnt4 ,the skeleton appeared to have been burnt in a large and very hot fire4 99 99 ,about twenty feet to the north of it 7i4 e4 the skeleton7 was another1 with which was found a large mirror4 99 99 99 ,on this mirror was a plate of iron1 which had become an oxide1 but before it was disturbed by the spade1 resembled a plate of cast iron4 ,the mirror answered the purpose very well for which it was intended4 #dd ,iron was known to the antediluvians2 it was also known to the ancients of the west4 ,copper ore is very abundant1 in many places of the west2 and1 therefore1 as they had a knowledge of it when they first came here they knew how to work it1 and form it into tools and ornaments4 ,this is the reason why so many articles of this metal are found in their works2 and even if they had a knowledge of iron ore1 and knew how to work it1 all articles made of it must have become oxidized as appears from what few specimens have been found1 while those of copper are more imperishable4 #de ,quoting ,mr4 ,atwater again1 ,priest says3 ,there is a tradition 7among the ,indians7 that ,florida had once been inhabited by white people1 who had the use of iron tools2 their oldest ,indians say1 when children1 they had often heard it spoken of by the old people of the tribe1 that anciently1 stumps of trees covered with earth1 were frequently found1 which had been cut down by edged tools4 ,whoever they were1 or from whatever country they may have originated1 the account1 as given by ,morse1 the geographer1 of the subterranean wall found in ,north ,carolina1 goes very far to show they had a knowledge of iron ore2 and consequently knew how to work it1 or they could not have had iron tools1 as the ,shawanese ,indians relate4 #df ,again3 ,on the river ,gasconade1 which empties into the ,missouri1 on the southern side1 7about #gj miles west of ,st4 ,louis7 are found the traces of ancient works1 similar to those in ,north ,carolina4 ,in the saltpetre caves of that region1 the ,gasconade country1 in particular1 were discovered1 when they were first visited1 axes and hammers made of iron2 which led to the belief that they had formerly worked those caves for the sake of the nitre4 ,dr4 ,beck1 from whose ,gazetteer of ,missouri and ,illinois1 7p4 #bcd71 we have this account1 remarks1 however1 that it is difficult to decide whether these tools were left there by the present race of ,indians1 or a more civilized race of people4 99 99 99 99 ,this author considers the circumstance of finding those tools in the nitre caves1 as furnishing a degree of evidence that the country of ,gasconade river was formerly settled by a race of men who were acquainted with the use of iron1 and exceeded the ,indians in civilization and a knowledge of the arts4 #dg ,in the town of ,pompey1 ,onondaga county1 ,new ,york1 in one of the mounds where ,mr4 ,priest describes the finding of glass1 he also says3 ,in the same grave with the bottle was found an iron hatchet1 edged with steel4 ,the eye1 or place for the helve1 was round1 and extended or projected out1 like the ancient ,swiss or ,german axe4 99 99 99 99 ,in the same town1 on lot ,no4 #ag1 were found the remains of a blacksmith's forge2 at this spot have been ploughed up crucibles1 such as mineralogists use in refining metals4 ,these axes are similar1 and correspond in character with those found in the nitrous caves on the ,gasconade river1 which empties into the ,missouri1 as mentioned in ,professor ,beck's ,gazatteer of that country4 99 99 99 99 99 ,within the range of these works have been found pieces of cast iron1 broken from some vessel of considerable thickness4 ,these articles cannot well be ascribed to the era of the ,french war1 as time enough since then till the region around about ,onondaga was commenced to be cultivated1 had not elapsed to give the growth of timber found on the spot1 of the age above noticed2 and1 added to this1 it is said that the ,indians occupying that tract of country had no tradition of their authors4 #dh ,again he states3 ,anv'ls of iron have been found in ,pompey1 7,onondaga county7 in the same quarter of the country with the other discoveries1 as above related2 which we should naturally expect to find1 or it might be inquired how could axes1 and the iron works of wagons1 be manufactured8 #di ,as ,i have before remarked1 it has been contended that the ancient ,americans knew nothing of the fusion of metals1 but the presence of these materials for such purpose goes far towards dispelling that opinion4 ,it is true that ,mr4 ,priest advances the opinion that this forge and these crucibles found in ,new ,york1 may have been of ,scandinavian origin2 still that is but a conjecture1 and here ,i wish to introduce the testimony of ,columbus1 quoted by ,nadaillac1 who says3 ,the ,mayas knew nothing of iron2 copper and gold were the only metals they used1 and it is doubtful whether they understood smelting metals4 ,christopher ,columbus is said1 however1 to have seen1 off the coast ,honduras1 a boat laden with crucibles1 filled with ingots of metal and hatchets made of copper which had been fetched from a distance4 7,prehistoric ,america1 p4 #bfi74 ,speaking again of discoveries in the ancient tumuli of ,america1 ,priest says3 ,a vast many instances of articles made of copper and sometimes plated with silver1 have been met with on opening their works4 ,circular pieces of copper1 intended either as medals or breast plates1 have been found1 several inches in diameter1 very much injured by time4 ,in several tumuli the remains of knives1 and even of swords1 in the form of rust1 have been discovered4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but besides1 there have been found very well manufactured swords and knives of iron1 and possibly steel1 says ,mr4 ,atwater2 from which we are to conclude that the primitive people of ,america1 either discovered the use of iron themselves1 as the ,greeks did1 99 99 99 99 or that they carried a knowledge of this ore with them at the time of their dispersion4 #ej ,speaking of the discovery of a skeleton of a man in one of the mounds of ,merrietta1 ,ohio1 he says3 ,two or three pieces of a copper tube were also found with this body1 filled with iron rust4 ,the pieces from their appearance composed the lower end of the scabbard near the point of the sword1 but no sign of the sword itself1 except a streak of rust its whole length4 #ea ,a4 ,j4 ,connant1 ,a4 ,m41 member of the ,st4 ,louis ,academy of ,science1 and of the ,american ,association for the ,advancement of ,science1 published the following1 in #ahgi3 ,from an interesting account of certain mounds in ,utah1 communicated by ,mr4 ,amasa ,potter to the ,eureka ,sentinel1 of ,nevada1 as copied by ,the ,western ,review of ,science and ,industry1 ,i make the following extracts3 ,the mounds are situated on what is known as the ,payson ,farm1 and are six in number1 covering twenty acres of ground4 ,they are from ten to eighteen feet in height1 and from #ejj to #a1jjj feet in circumference4 ,the explorations divulged no hidden treasure so far1 but have proved to us that there once undoubtedly existed here a more enlightened race of human beings that that of the ,indian who inhabited this country1 and whose records have been traced back hundreds of years4 ,while engaged in excavating one of the larger mounds1 we discovered the feet of a large skeleton1 and carefully removing the hardened earth in which it was embedded1 we succeeded in unearthing a large skeleton without injury4 ,the human framework measured six feet1 six inches in length1 and from appearances it was undoubtedly that of a male4 ,in the right hand was a large iron or steel weapon1 which had been buried with the body1 but which crumbled to pieces on handling4 ,near the skeleton we also found pieces of cedar wood1 cut in various fantastic shapes1 and in a state of perfect preservation2 the carving showing that the people of this unknown race were acquainted with the use of edged tools4 #eb ,mr4 ,conant also refers with approval to several passages ,i have already quoted from ,dr4 ,priest's works1 and adds on his own account3 ,there are certain facts which have been quoted from time to time1 which fit into none of the popular theories concerning the state of the arts of the ,mound-builders4 ,it has been stated1 and often repeated1 that they had no knowledge of smelting or casting metals1 yet the recent discoveries in ,wisconsin of implements of copper cast in molds--as well as the moulds themselves1 of various patterns1 and wrought with much skill--prove that the age of metallurgical arts had dawned in that region at least4 ,and again3 what shall be said concerning the traces of iron implements which have been discovered from time to time in the mounds1 but more frequently at great depths below the surface of the soil4 ,though accounts of such discoveries are generally from reliable sources1 they have latterly received no attention1 and always have been considered as so much perilous ware which no one cared to handle4 #ec ,after referring to their stupendous works in stone1 and their skill in the fine arts1 involving the most delicate carving1 ,mr4 ,conant remarks of the old ,american race who wrought them3 ,and it is difficult to conceive how1 without cutting implements equal1 at least1 to our own in hardness1 such delicate and such stupendous works could have been executed4 ,and to the question whether they possessed a knowledge of working iron1 the wise man will hesitate long before he answers in the negative4 ,it should be remembered1 too1 how quickly--unless under most favoring conditions--iron corrodes to dust and leaves scarcely a trace behind4 ,the piles of the ,swiss lake-dwellings1 the cedar posts of the mounds1 may endure for ages1 while iron--so hard1 and more precious than gold in the advancement of the world's civilization1--speedily melts away before the gentle dews and air of heaven4 #ed ,there is more to the same effect1 but our limits will admit of no further quotations4 ,v4 ,the ,horse and ,other ,domestic ,animals of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,it has to be conceded that the weight of assertion on the part of writers on ,american antiquities1 is against the existence of the horse1 cow1 ass1 goat1 sheep1 etc41 in ,america within historical times1 and before the advent of ,europeans4 ,there is no evidence developed so far that satisfactorily proves that any of the native races of ,america1 wild or civilized1 had any knowledge of the horse and other domestic animals named at the time of the discovery of ,america by the ,europeans4 ,the ,book of ,mormon1 however1 repeatedly and most positively declares that all these animals existed in great numbers4 ,the first ,nephi1 for instance1 says3 ,we did find upon the land of promise1 as we journeyed in the wilderness1 that there were beasts in the forest of every kind1 both the cow and the ox1 and the ass and the horse1 and the goat and the wild goat1 and all manner of wild animals1 which were for the use of men4 #ee ,the same animals1 with others1 are enumerated as existing also in ,jaredite times1 and in the reign of ,king ,emer--the fifth of the ,jaredite line of kings--that people are said to have had-- ,all manner of cattle1 of oxen1 and cows1 and of sheep1 and of swine1 and of goats1 and also many other kind of animals which were useful for the food of man2 and they also had horses1 and asses1 and there were elephants and cureloms1 and cummoms2 all of which were useful unto man1 and more especially the elephants1 and cureloms1 and cummoms4 #ef ,it is to be observed1 curiously enough1 that elephants are spoken of as being in use for domestic purposes in connection with the horse and cattle1 etc41 and it is rather a striking circumstance that the remains of these animals1 together with those of man1 have been unearthed in various parts of the ,american continent1 though their existence is accredited to very ancient times--to ages long prior to either ,nephite or ,jaredite times4 #eg ,it is held1 of course1 by opponents of the ,book of ,mormon that this apparent conflict between the book and the supposed facts1 as they are declared to be by the writers on such subjects1 constitutes a grave objection to the claims of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,and1 indeed1 in the present state of our knowledge upon the subject1 it has to be admitted that it constitutes one of our most embarrassing difficulties4 ,still it should be remembered that there is a wide difference between a difficulty for which one has not at hand an adequate explanation1 and one that would be fatal to the claims made for the ,book of ,mormon4 ,the fact has to be admitted that the native ,americans seemed to have had no knowledge of the horse at the time of the discovery of ,america1 but that does not necessarily carry with it the conclusion that he did not exist and was not used a thousand years before that time4 ,his apparent extinction may be and is sarcastically referred to as a very strange thing1 still1 strange things do sometimes happen2 and the extinction of species of animals is not an unknown thing in the history of our earth4 ,indeed our scientists are confronted by just such--nay1 with the identical strange occurrence2 namely1 the sudden and complete disappearance of the horse from the ,american continents4 ,first let me explain that the result of recent long continued investigation upon the subject leads our scientists to the conclusion that ,north ,america was the original home of the horse--the place of his evolution4 ,in the ,century ,magazine1 for ,november1 #aijd1 is a very elaborate and very able article on ,the ,evolution of the ,horse in ,america1 really a study of the ,fossil ,wonders of the ,west1 by ,henry ,fairfield ,osborn1 ,professor of ,zoology in ,columbia ,university1 and ,curator in the ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history4 ,speaking of the migration of the horse from ,america to ,europe1 he says3 ,about the early or mid-,pliocene period there apparently occurred the long journey of the true ,american breed horses into ,asia and ,europe and over the newly made land-bridge of ,panama or of the ,antilles into ,south ,america4 ,that the true ,old ,world horse actually came from ,america is inferred because of the sudden appearance in the ,upper ,pliocene of the ,siwalik ,hills of northern ,india1 in northern ,italy1 and in ,england1 of five species of the true horse1 of which no ancestors have been found in either ,europe or ,asia4 ,another strong argument for their ,american origin is found in the simultaneous appearance in the same countries of the camel1 which we positively know to have been an exclusively ,american-bred animal4 ,it is possible1 however1 that in unexplored portions of northern ,asia the evolution of true horses may have been progressing4 ,i am sanguine that traces of this great exodus and migration of the horses will be discovered in the rocks of northern ,asia1 and that this great problem in the history of the horse will be solved in favor of ,america4 ,speaking further of the horse in ,america in very ancient times1 our author says3 ,the preglacial or earliest ,plieistocene times in ,america1 as in ,europe were of temperate climate with increasing coldness4 ,the country was covered from north to south with three noble species of elephants1 namely1 the northern mammoth1 the ,columbian mammoth1 and the imperial mammoth or elephant of ,texas2 there were also large and small camels1 and a variety of large ground-sloths which had recently made their way over the new land bridge from ,south ,america4 ,the great number and variety of our preglacial horses speak for favorable conditions1 and constitute an additional proof of the ,american-origin theory4 ,in #ahbf ,mitchell aroused wide-spread interest by the discovery of the first true fossil horse of ,america1 found near the ,navesink ,highlands of ,new ,jersey4 ,this was seventy-eight years ago2 it antedated by a quarter of a century ,leidy's discoveries in ,nebraska4 ,the wide geographical range1 as well as the great variety in size and breed of the ,american preglacial horses1 is indicated by the following facts4 ,one animal 7,equus complicatus71 about the size of a small western broncho1 originally found near ,natchez1 has been traced all over the ,southern ,states from the isles of the ,gulf of ,mexico to ,south ,carolina4 ,a larger horse with very elaborate grinding teeth has been found in the ,northeastern and ,middle ,states4 ,on the extreme western coasts of ,california and in ,oregon occurs the large ,pacific horse perhaps closest to the existing species of horse4 ,in ,nebraska we quarried a whole season1 securing remains of hundreds of horses belonging to another species4 ,in a portion of this quarry all the larger limb bones were found broken in two4 ,this suggested to me the possibility that these larger bones1 the only ones known to have contained marrow1 had been broken by man1 who was primitively a great marrow eater1 but we searched in vain for any collateral evidence of this hypothesis4 ,to my knowledge1 no human remains have been found associated with those of the fossil horse in ,north ,america2 but ,i confidently expect that such association will be discovered1 as it has been in ,south ,america4 ,by far the largest species of either wild or domesticated horse known has been determined by ,mr4 ,gidley in ,texas1 and has appropriately been called the giant horse4 ,the grinding teeth exceed those of the ,percheron draft-horse by one third4 ,at the other extreme is a diminutive horse1 discovered both in ,florida and in the valley of ,mexico499 99 99 99 99 99 ,a more welcome discovery could hardly be imagined1 therefore1 than that by our party1 in #ahii1 on the eastern edge of the ,llana ,estacado of ,texas4 ,it was no less than a small herd of six or seven preglacial horses4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,this true ,american horse was certainly rather ungainly-looking1 proportioned like the larger primitive horses of ,europe1 with long body1 short limbs1 sloping sides1 and quarters like those of some of the zebras4 ,like the early cave-horses of ,europe1 it had a large head1 convex forehead1 stout limbs1 spreading hoofs and splint-bones which represent the last of the lateral toes4 ,then1 coming to the strange circumstance of the total elimination of the horse from the ,american continents1 the professor says3 ,when we look back upon the enormous antiquity of our horse1 upon the ceaseless trials of nature by which it was produced1 and upon the splendid varities of breeds which roamed over the country in preglacial times1 we cannot but regard the total elimination of this race as a calamity for the ,north ,american continent4 99 99 99 99 ,there is no doubt that we supplied ,south ,america with the horses which under the peculiar conditions there began to separate into a number of distinct breeds4 ,the extremely short-limbed ,hippidium of the pampas of ,argentina was contrasted with the more normal long-limbed horses found in various parts of ,south ,america4 ,the horse also persisted in ,south ,america until the advent of man2 during the ,upper ,pleistocene lake formations its remains are found associated with chipped stone implements1 with pottery and fire refuse1 proving that it was both hunted and eaten4 ,the evidence1 however1 for the total extinction of the horse is as strong in ,south as it is in ,north ,america1 and it is generally accepted that in #aecj ,mendoza reintroduced the horse into the ,la ,plata region1 just as the ,spaniards reintroduced it into our ,southern ,states4 ,the rapid spread of several breeds of horses in ,south ,america and of the mustangs in ,north ,america bespeak highly favorable conditions of life4 ,many of these horses have reverted to a very primitive condition1 notably the striped yellow duns of ,mexico4 ,the increasing cold and the advancing ice sheet of the glacial period are commonly assigned as the cause of the extinction of ,american horses4 ,the fact that most of our native fauna became extinct at the same time lends probability to this theory4 ,but this does not explain the elimination which also occurred to the south in ,central and ,south ,america1 and for other reasons it seems to me that the temperature theory is not adequate to explain all the facts4 ,the great herds of kiangs1 or wild asses1 and other breeds which subsist under the extreme conditions of the northern winters1 as well as the survival of the horse through the glacial period in ,europe1 demonstrate the capacity of this family to endure cold4 ,another class of causes which should certainly be taken into consideration is the occurrence of a wide-spread epidemic among the quadrupeds1 such as the rinderpest of ,africa1 or that which is spread by the tsetse-fly4 ,in certain parts of ,south ,america the puma is an animal especially destructive to horses4 ,may not the last named class of causes be as confidently relied upon to explain the apparent extinction of the horse in ,america since the close of the ,nephite period1 as to explain his extinction in the more ancient preglacial times8 ,what is more embarrassing than the apparent absence of knowledge of the horse by the natives at the time of the ,european discovery of ,america1 is the absence of any positive and abundant evidence of the remains of the horse in the tumuli or other ruins of the land2 and an absence also of any drawing or other representation of the horse in the native picture writing or sculpture1 while many other animals and birds and fish are frequently represented both in picture writing and sculpture4 ,kitto notes the fact1 however1 that from the account of the burial of ,jacob1 #eh and from the ,song of ,moses1 #ei it is clear that horsemen were a part of the ,egyptian army1 and yet there is but one solitary specimen of a man on horseback amongst the infinite variety of sculptured representations of their manner and customs4 #fj ,daniel ,g4 ,brinton1 one of the most competent writers upon the subject1 says3 ,there is no doubt but that the horse existed on the continent contemporaneously with post-glacial man2 and some palaeontologists are of opinion that the ,european and ,asian horses were descendants of the ,american species2 #fa but for some mysterious reason the genus became extinct in the ,new ,world many generations before its discovery4 #fb ,may it not be possible that a too great antiquity is claimed for most of the evidences of the existence of these animals in the western world8 ,the convictions of ,nadaillac1 concerning the non-existence of the horse in ,america within historical times 7and previous to the ,spanish invasion71 was well nigh shaken by some of the discoveries of ,charnay4 ,the latter1 in the execution of a mission entrusted to him by the ,french government1 superintended the excavation of some tumuli1 mountains of rubbish probably1 which had covered for many centuries the relics of the ancient ,toltecs--the native ,americans who most resemble the ,nephites1 judging from their traditions4 ,one dwelling1 which ,charnay unearthed1 consisted of twenty-four rooms1 two cisterns1 twelve corridors1 and fifteen little staircases of extraordinary architecture and thrilling interest4 ,this is not all1 continues ,charnay4 ,in the midst of fragments of pottery of all kinds1 from the coarsest used in building1 such as bricks1 tiles1 water-pipes1 to the most delicate for domestic use1 ,i have picked up enamels1 fragments of crockery and porcelain1 and more extraordinary still1 the neck of a glass bottle iridescent like ancient ,roman glass4 ,amongst the debris1 says ,nadaillac1 lays the bones of some gigantic ruminants 7perhaps bisons871 the tibia of which were about one foot three inches long by four inches thick1 the femur at the upper end about six inches by four inches4 ,admitting that there is no mistake1 these facts are absolutely new1 for previously it was considered that the early ,americans did not know how to make either glass or porcelain1 and that before the arrival of the ,conquistadors 7the ,conquerors1 the ,spaniards7 none of our domestic animals were known in ,america1 but that of the oxen1 horses1 and sheep living there at the present day are all descended from ancestors imported from ,europe4 ,the excavations have also yielded some little chariots that ,charnay thinks were the toys of children4 ,now1 supposing these toys to have been a reproduction in miniature of objects used by men1 we must conclude that the ,toltecs employed carriages1 and that their use was not only given up1 but absolutely unknown on the arrival of ,cortes4 ,these discoveries1 we can but repeat1 greatly modify the conclusions hitherto accepted4 ,but are these really original productions8 ,may they not have been imported8 ,this is after all doubtful1 and new proofs are needed to establish certainly that the objects discovered really date from the pre-,columbian period before we can admit that in the eleventh century the ,toltecs possessed domestic animals1 that they knew how to make and fashion porcelain1 glass1 perhaps even iron1 for ,charnay also collected in his excavations several iron implements4 #fc ,priest1 in his ,american ,antiquities1 speaks of a great number of tracks1 as turkeys1 bears1 horses1 and human beings1 as perfect as they could be made on snow or sand1 found impressed in the surface of a solid rock on a certain mountain in the ,state of ,tennessee1 situated a few miles south of ,braystown4 ,he says1 that these are the real tracks of the animals they represent1 appears from the circumstance of this horse's foot having slipped several inches1 and recovered again2 the figures having all the same direction1 like the trail of a company on a journey4 #fd ,referring later to this subject1 he says3 ,the horse1 it is said1 was not known in ,america till the ,spaniards introduced it from ,europe1 after the time of its discovery by ,columbus1 which has multiplied prodigiously on the innumerable wilds and prairies of both ,south and ,north ,america2 yet the track of a horse is found on a mountain of ,tennessee1 in a rock of the enchanted mountain1 as before related1 and shows that horses were known in ,america in the earliest ages after the flood4 #fe ,the question1 then1 for the present may be stated thus3 ,the ,book of ,mormon positively testifies to the existence1 in ,america1 of these animals in both ,jaredite and ,nephite times4 ,there have been discovered1 by the researches of men1 abundant evidences of the horse's existence in ,america1 but they claim a very much greater antiquity for that existence than ,book of ,mormon times4 ,it must be admitted that the weight of evidence1 though not all the evidence1 as it stands at present1 is with those who make such claims2 still it may be reasonably claimed1 as for instance in the evidence found by ,charnay and referred to in the passage ,i have quoted from ,nadaillac1 that some of the evidence points to a more recent existence of the horse on the ,american continents4 ,very much more evidence may yet be hoped for on the subject as explorations shall become more perfect and more extensive4 ,relative to other domestic animals1 ,bancroft says1 speaking of those in ,central ,america3 ,turkeys1 ducks1 geese1 and other fowl were domesticated2 and pigs1 rabbits1 and hares are mentioned as having been bred4 ,multitudes of bees were kept for their honey and wax1 and hives are spoken o1 by ,las ,casas without description4 ,gomera says the bees were small and the honey somewhat bitter4 #ff ,it has sometimes been questioned whether bees were found in ,america2 and their supposed non-existence has sometimes been urged as an objection to the ,book of ,mormon1 which positively states that the ,jaredites brought with them to the northern continent deseret1 which by interpretation is honey bee4 #fg ,the foregoing passage from ,bancroft1 and very much more evidence that might be quoted1 sets that question at rest4 ,relative to other domestic animals referred to1 the cow1 goat1 sheep1 etc41 is a subject much more easily disposed of1 for the mountain sheep and great herds of buffaloes may be the domesticated animals of ancients gone wild4 ,,vi4 ,the ,barges of the ,jaredite ,colony4 ,the story of the migration of the ,jaredite colony from the coast of ,asia to ,america in eight barges1 driven across the seas by strong winds1 has been an incident ridiculed by nearly every writer against the ,book of ,mormon from the beginning4 ,rev4 ,alexander ,campbell especially makes merry over it1 and disgraces himself by the garbled and unfair manner in which he relates the story4 #fh ,but it was reserved for ,rev4 ,m4 ,t4 ,lamb to make the most of such objections as may be urged against these barges4 #fi ,omitting all reference to his silly ridicule and smartness1 in which he but mimics the methods among infidel writers when dealing with the story of ,noah's deluge1 the objection against the ,jaredite migration and barges may be stated thus3 #a4 ,the barges are too small and too few in number to carry ,jared's colony1 the animals they are said to have taken with them1 and the necessary provisions4 #b4 ,each barge had an opening in the top of it for the admission of air into the vessel1 which could be closed at will in the event of there being danger of submersion4 ,a similar opening made in the bottom of the barge but capable of being kept closed--and when closed water tight--at the will of the occupants--is regarded as unnecessary and ridiculous4 #c4 ,the provisions made for lighting the interior of the barges by means of transparent stones made luminous by the touch of ,god's finger1 is unusual and just subject for ridicule4 #d4 ,the length of the voyage 7#cdd days71 being propelled by furious winds1 the eight barges keeping together till their arrival at the promised land--is all regarded as too wonderful for belief4 ,let us now consider these several objections one by one4 #a4 ,the barges are inadequate to convey the colony to ,america4 ,they are said to have been small and light on the water4 ,but how small8 ,the length is described as the length of a tree4 #gj ,but of what tree8 ,a tree one hundred feet long1 or one two hundred feet long1 or longer8 ,who may tell8 ,small2 but small in comparison of what8 ,perhaps small in comparison of the ark1 the traditions concerning which were well known to ,jared and his brother1 for they lived but a few generations removed from the time of its construction4 ,the size of the ark is variously given because of the variations in the length of the cubit1 by means of which its dimensions are described4 ,the one usually accepted1 however1 omitting fractions of feet1 is as follows3 #ebe feet in length2 #hg feet in breadth2 #eb feet in height4 #ga ,if this vessel was in the mind of the ,jaredite who described the barges as small1 and he meant they were small in comparison of the ark1 they could still be good-sized vessels1 notwithstanding the descriptive term small2 as they also could be good sized vessels notwithstanding the length of them is described as the length of a tree1 since they could be1 if some trees were in the mind of the writer1 from one to three hundred feet in length4 ,the breadth and depth of them is not given1 but doubtless those dimensions would be in good proportion of their length1 for their safety1 and not at all as the width of a tree is to its length4 ,as to their being inadequate for the colony of ,jared and the animals they brought with them to the ,new ,world1 it should be remarked1 in the first place1 that the colony of ,jared was small4 ,a number of years after the arrival of the colony in ,america1 the two principal families1 that of the ,prophet ,moriancumr and of ,jared1 are given as follows3 ,the former had of sons and daughters twenty-two1 while the number of sons and daughters of the latter were twelve4 ,how many of these sons and daughters were born after the colonies arrived in ,america is not known1 but the numbers are given in connection with the statement that the brother of ,jared--,moriancumr--was become old and was anxious to make some provisions for the settled government of the people4 ,the friends of ,jared and his brother at the time of the departure of the colony from ,babel are set down as twenty-two souls1 but how many were born of these after the colony arrived in ,america is not known2 but certainly these figures make it clear that the colony of ,jared was small4 ,secondly1 it should be remarked that the number of animals the colony brought with them in the barges may not be determined1 but most likely the number was few1 and mainly for breeding purposes in the new home to which the people were being led4 ,in view of these reflections1 the writer is of the opinion that the candid reader will find no insuperable difficulties in the way of accepting the barges as adequate to the conveyance of the colony from one land to another4 ,i know there is no particular progress made in the matter of removing one difficulty by pointing to another of like nature1 especially such difficulties as ,mormon believers of the ,bible1 as well as sectarian believers of it1 are equally under obligations to explain as best they may4 ,still ,i think it proper to remark that sectarian ministers1 who are confronted with the difficulties which infidels present concerning the inadequacy of ,noah's ark to house ,noah and his family and all the animals that they were to take into the ark with them1 with the necessary food supplies for the five months through which the flood prevailed1 7the very lowest estimate of the time7 cut a sorry figure when making mouths at ,jared's barges4 #b4 ,relative to the openings in the top and bottom of the barges which has been so fruitful a source of merriment for reverend opponents of the ,book of ,mormon1 it is only necessary to say that the opening provided for at the bottom of the barges was doubtless some merely emergency provision4 #c4 ,there is nothing in the matter of the transparent stones made luminous by being touched by the finger of ,god that is too much for a reasonable credulity in one who believes in ,god and his power4 ,the stones1 called ,urim and ,thummim1 in the breast-plate of the ,jewish ,high ,priest were made luminous under the power of ,god1 and through them in some mysterious way the will of ,god was communicated to a prophet4 ,it is no more marvelous that ,god1 at the solicitation of one prophet should make transparent stones luminous1 by touching them with his finger1 than that he should write his law upon the tablets of stone with his own finger for another prophet2 #gb or that he should make a bush luminous1 for that matter1 or cause it to burn and yet not be consumed4 #gc ,especially is belief in the possibility of making these stones luminous easy since the recent discovery of radium by those eminent ,french chemists1 ,m4 and ,mme4 ,curie4 ,radium is a substance procured from pitchblende1 which has not only the peculiar power of radiating light1 but which has the power also of imparting to certain other substances1 for a time at least1 the same property4 ,these eminent chemists were also the first to isolate from other substances1 another metal which they called polonium1 after ,poland1 the native country of ,mme4 ,curie4 ,speaking of this latter metal before the ,chemical ,congress at ,berlin1 in #aijc1 ,w4 ,markwald said of it3 ,in a much higher degree even than radium it possesses the property of shining in the dark1 and although it is known that actual particles infinitesimally small are being shot out from it continually--a fact which is proved by magnetic experiments--this strange substance does not seem to exhaust itself1 nor to lose its luminous power with the passage of time4 ,here1 therefore1 is a hint1 at least1 of the future possibility of a constant and brilliant illuminant generated without heat or combustion4 ,an editorial writer of ,the ,medical ,news1 commenting on ,professor ,markwald's paper1 said3 ,professor ,markwald's demonstrations at ,berlin make it clear that polonium is capable of communicating its radiant energy to many other substances in a very marked way4 ,in the presence of this knowledge concerning the qualities of these newly discovered metals1 it is becoming for even supposedly hardheaded scientists to stop ridiculing the luminous stones of ,jared's barges1 while sectarian ministers1 professing to believe in the omnipotence of ,god4 ,text unreadable splendidly displayed according to accounts given in the ,hebrew scriptures1 never had any case against the luminous stones1 and their ridicule from first to last has been unbecoming4 #d4 ,the adequacy of the eight barges to carry the colony of ,jared1 together with the seeds and animals they brought with them to the ,new ,world is established the moment it was proved that they may have been and doubtless were of considerable size2 and by the same fact the difficulty of the length of the voyage was overcome2 while the matter of keeping the barges together is a marvel of our opponent's own creation4 ,while it is true that no direct mention is made of any steering apparatus1 it does not follow from this silence that there was no means for steering provided1 #gd and an outlook from the opening in the upper side of the barge was not impossible4 ,indirectly1 the matter of steering is mentioned as a factor in preparing the barges4 ,for ,moriancumr 7the brother of ,jared71 the prophet leader1 in praying that some means of light might be provided1 also said3 ,o ,lord1 in them there is no light1 whither shall we by which we shall8 steer8 ,some provision evidently had been made for steering the barges which needed only the convenience of light to render it adequate4 ,these considerations dispose of the difficulties of the barges keeping together4 ,the ,marvels of ,liahona--,compass4 ,this divine instrument1 found by ,lehi at his tent door1 while still in the wilderness of ,arabia1 and which he describes as a round ball of curious workmanship of fine brass1 within which were two spindles1 of which ,nephi says3 and one pointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness1 and 99 99 99 ,i1 ,nephi1 beheld the pointers which were in the ball2 that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them4 #ge ,this curious instrument in an incidental way is called a compass in several passages4 #gf ,whereupon1 our opponents seek to bring the ,book of ,mormon in conflict with supposed historical facts by insisting that the ,book of ,mormon speaks of the people being in possession of a mariner's compass1 long before the invention of such an instrument6 #gg ,the director of the ,nephites makes no pretentions to being a ,mariner's compass of man's invention1 and surely the description given above1 supplemented as it is by a fuller description in the ,book of ,alma1 where it is called ,liahona1 must dispel all thought of this instrument being considered as an ordinary compass1 such as is invented by men for navigating purposes2 and which1 as everybody knows1 has but this one quality1 namely1 its needle constantly points northward because of the magnetic pole force1 and mariners knowing one direction may ascertain others4 ,the silliness of argument1 which even supposedly grave and reverend historians and essayists descend to on such a point1 is illustrated by an alleged incident with which ,linn stoops to render his pages luminous1 by pretending to quote the manner in which ,mormons in ,utah are supposed to explain the alleged anachronism of the compass4 ,he says3 ,the ease with which such an error could be explained is shown in an anecdote of a ,utah ,mormon1 who1 when told that the compass was not known in ,bible times1 responded by quoting ,acts xxvii3 #ac1 where ,paul says3 ,and from thence we fetched a compass6 ,that is1 to quote the passage in full--,from thence we fetched a compass1 and came to ,rhegium4 ,this is merely the repetition of an old1 silly story told against the ,mormons long before they arrived in ,utah1 and was invented by the ,rev4 ,henry ,caswell1 author of ,the ,prophet of the ,nineteenth ,century1 published in #ahdc4 ,it is of that order of stuff as the tales about the ,prophet ,joseph attempting to walk on the water1 and his pretending to raise the simulated dead4 ,the antiquity of the compass really1 of course1 is of no importance in this discussion1 since it is not claimed that ,liahona is a compass1 but an entirely different instrument1 and the ,lord prepared it2 still1 in passing1 it may be well to point out that those who have attempted to make capital out of this supposed anachronism have not stated the whole truth concerning the compass4 ,the directive power of the magnet1 says a respectable authority seems to have been unknown in ,europe till late in the #abth century4 ,it appears1 however1 on very good authority1 that it was known in ,china1 and throughout the east generally1 at a very remote period4 ,the ,chinese annals indeed assign its discovery to the year #bfcd ,b4 ,c41 when1 they say1 an instrument for indicating the sun was constructed by the emperor ,hou-angti4 ,at first1 they would appear to have used it exclusively for guidance in traveling by land4 #gh ,,vii4 ,the ,weight of the ,plates4 ,an objection is urged against the credibility of ,joseph ,smith's account of carrying the plates of the ,book of ,mormon home from the ,hill ,cumorah4 ,it is claimed that on account of their great weight it would be impossible for him to carry them a distance of some two miles and repel successfully the three assaults which he alleges were made upon him enroute4 ,hyde estimates that a mass of gold plates of the dimensions given1 #gx#h inches and #f inches thick1 would weigh #bjj pounds4 #gi ,many others have echoed this objection1 and have adopted ,hyde's data upon which it is founded4 ,to increase the difficulties they also say1 that besides these plates he had1 according to his third story1 a breast-plate of brass1 ,laban's sword1 the crystal interpreters1 the 'brass ball with spindles1' the director of ,lehi4 ,yet he packs his horse load1 keeps these large and awkward shaped things completely concealed1 and1 at the same time1 beat off and outruns two empty-handed men a distance of two miles6 ,statements must be probable1 and1 therefore1 these ought to be rejected4 #hj ,this is a misrepresentation4 ,the ,prophet did not carry these awkward shaped things with him at the time he carried home the plates and repelled the attacks of his assailants4 ,he carried with him the plates only on that occasion4 ,the other articles1 or as many of them as he had--,i have nowhere found in any narrative of ,joseph ,smith's1 or one by any responsible person associated with him1 that he took possession of the sword of ,laban or ,lehi's director--he carried home at other times4 #ha ,in passing1 ,i call attention to the fact that nearly every objection urged against the ,book of ,mormon has in it the element of misrepresentation4 ,if the main fact contended for in the foregoing objection is true1 namely1 that the plates weighed #bjj pounds1 and therefore were too heavy for ,joseph ,smith to carry two miles and at the same time repel his assailants1 why add the untruths of the rest of the statement8 ,if the conclusion as to the weight be true1 would not that be difficulty enough to present8 ,it may be a little apart from the main question here to call attention to this tendency of misrepresentation in all the objections urged1 yet the very strangeness of the circumstance tempts one to notice it1 and it reveals the fact that those who are making objections to the ,book of ,mormon are not quite certain of the strength of such objections as may be urged while rigidly adhering to the facts in the case4 ,without accepting or rejecting the conclusions relative to the probable weight of the plates--for it is largely matter of speculation in any case1 and the conclusions urged may or may not be near the truth2 and1 moreover1 ground for the difficulty presented would exist if it could be established that the plates weighed #ij or even #ej pounds1 wo we will not haggle about the number of pounds in weight--it is conceded that the weight was considerable4 ,in fact1 ,i have already urged that it was a matter which impressed itself upon the minds of the ,eight ,witnesses1 who incidentally say that they saw and hefted them4 #hb ,replying to this objection it is to be urged1 first of all1 that ,joseph ,smith was a strong1 athletic young man2 and aroused as he was under the stress of the excitement of the occasion1 he would be wrought up to his highest physical tension1 and when so aroused the limits of what may be done by men in the way of feats of strength and agility have not yet been found4 ,of course there is yet to be reckoned with the power which ,god could1 and which perhaps he did impart to the young ,prophet4 ,if that be accepted as a factor in the event1 the objection based on the weight of the plates is swept aside4 ,it matters not1 then1 whether the weight be #ej or #bjj pounds4 ,the difficulty is as easily overcome in the one case as in the other4 ,but when a natural1 ordinary source can be appealed to for explanation of such a circumstance as is before us1 ,i do not care to appeal to the supernatural1 to the miraculous2 and ,i am of opinion that when the unusual personal strength of ,joseph ,smith is taken into account1 and that the young man was aroused to his highest physical tension by the excitement of the circumstances under which he was acting1 ,i think he could accomplish the things he claims to have performed though the weight of the plates be conceded as considerable4 ,in conclusion1 on this head1 ,i call the attention of the many sectarian ,reverends who make much of the apostate ,hyde's objection1 and use his data for arriving at the weight of the plates1 to the fact that it ill becomes them to urge this objection1 while they have to account to an unbelieving world for the marvelous feats of strength and endurance of many ,bible characters1 and especially of ,samson1 for twenty years ,judge of ,israel4 ,what of this man1 bare handed1 meeting a lion and overcoming him8 ,what of one lone man1 with so poor a weapon as the jaw bone of an ass1 slaying a thousand men of a war-like people8 ,what of his carrying away bodily1 together with the posts and iron bar which fastened them1 the huge gates of the city of ,gaza8 ,and finally of his pulling down the great central pillars of the temple of ,dagon1 so that the temple fell1 slaying himself and a host of the ,philistines8 ,if these ,reverend gentlemen shall say in reply to this that each of these feats of strength and others accredited to ,samson is in every case preceded by the statement1 the ,spirit of the ,lord began to move him1 or the ,spirit of the ,lord came mightily upon him2 and that when at last he was caught weakly in the lap of the false ,delilah1 and in accounting for that weakness it is said1 he wisted not that the ,lord was departed from him--in a word1 if his strength is to be accounted for by referring its origin to the ,spirit of ,god resting upon the man1 wayward though he was in some respects1 that argument must count as much in explaining ,joseph ,smith's feat of carrying the ,nephite plates home and repelling his assailants as in accounting for ,samson's exploits4 ,the ,death of ,shiz4 ,the description given in the ,book of ,mormon of the death of ,shiz1 the ,jaredite leader who fought ,coriantumr1 the last of the ,jaredites1 is regarded as an objection to the ,book of ,mormon4 ,the description follows3 ,and it came to pass that when ,coriantumr had leaned upon his sword1 that he rested a little1 he smote off the head of ,shiz that ,shiz raised upon his hands and fell2 and after that he had struggled for breath1 he died4 #hc ,it is claimed that this represents an impossible thing--a man with his head stricken off rising upon his hands6 ,and yet equally marvelous things of this nature have occurred1 and are matters of record4 ,mr4 ,g4 ,w4 ,wightman1 of the ,seventeenth ,lancers of the ,british ,light ,brigade1 and a survivor of the wild charge at ,balaclava1 relates1 in the ,electric ,magazine for ,june1 #ahib1 the incident of ,captain ,nolan's death during that charge4 ,captain ,nolan was of the ,fifteenth ,hussars1 and he met his fate1 according to ,wightman1 as follows3 ,we had ridden barely two hundred yards and were still at the trot1 when poor ,nolan's fate came to him4 ,i did not see him cross ,cardigan's front1 but ,i did see the shell explode1 of which a fragment struck him4 ,from his raised sword-hand dropped the sword1 but the arm remained erect4 ,kinglake writes that what had once been ,nolan' maintained the strong military seat until the 'erect form dropped out of the saddle2' but this was not so4 ,the sword-hand indeed remained upraised and rigid1 but all other limbs so curled in on the contorted trunk as by a spasm1 that we wondered how for the moment the huddled form kept the saddle4 ,it is quite as remarkable that a man stricken unto death by the fragment of a shell should continue erect in the saddle1 with sword-arm upraised and rigid1 while the other limbs so curled in on the contorted trunk that those who saw him wondered how the huddled form kept the saddle1 as that a man as his head is stricken off should momentarily rise on his hands4 ,mr4 ,wightman1 in the same article1 relates the still more remarkable case of ,sergeant ,talbot's death3 ,it was about this time that ,sergeant ,talbot had his head clean carried off by a round shot1 yet for about thirty yards farther the headless body kept the saddle1 the lance at the charge firmly gripped under the right arm4 #hd ,after this well attested fact1 and many others of a similar nature that might be cited1 it is not worth while being skeptical about ,shiz convulsively rising on his hands for a moment after his head was stricken off4 ,concluding ,reflections4 ,the foregoing are not all the objections urged against the ,book of ,mormon1 but they are the chief ones and the only ones ,i consider worthy or necessary of notice here2 and even some of these scarce pass muster on the score of being worthy of consideration4 ,i have already called attention to the tendency of misrepresentation in these objections2 it is a characteristic of all objections that ,i have ever seen urged against the ,book of ,mormon4 ,why it is so ,i shall leave those to explain who make the objections4 ,the arguments made against the ,book of ,mormon1 especially those made by professed ministers of the ,gospel1 are wonderfully similar in spirit to those made by skeptics against the ,hebrew scriptures1 and in fact against all written revelation4 ,the same scoffing at miracles2 if they differ from those of the ,bible--and sometimes when this difference is one only of degree--then it is argued that they cannot be true1 because of said differences2 if the miracles resemble those of the ,bible--however remotely--then they are plagiarisms of the ,bible1 and are idle imitations unworthy of belief4 ,the same old complaint of skeptics is made against the inadequacy and imperfections of the language--the language is not that of an ,all-,perfect ,deity--it is unlike what might be expected of ,god1 the human elements are all too apparent4 ,and so one might continue through the whole gamut of criticism against the ,book of ,mormon4 ,sectarian divines who would complain bitterly of such arguments if used against the ,bible1 do not hesitate to employ them and couple with them all the bitterness1 ridicule1 sarcasm1 ribaldry1 inuendo1 and even misrepresentation that a certain class of skeptics have employed against the ,bible4 ,i do not mention these things in the way of complaint2 ,i only want to point to the fact of them1 that the reader1 with me1 may wonder at them and ask himself the question1 why is this the case8 ,and now a final word as to these objections4 ,are all the objections to the ,book of ,mormon satisfactorily answered8 ,are all difficulties which they represent removed8 ,frankly1 no2 they are not4 ,every one must feel that4 ,but1 on the other hand1 do these objections that are not entirely and satisfactorily answered constitute an insuperable difficulty in the way of a rational faith in the ,book of ,mormon8 ,my answer is1 they do not4 ,nor does incompleteness of evidence on any particular point necessarily mean error as to the general result of the evidence4 ,but a little more time1 a little more research1 a little more certain knowledge1 which such research will bring forth1 will undoubtedly result in the ascertainment of facts that will supply the data necessary for a complete and satisfactory solution of all the difficulties which objectors now emphasize1 and on which they claim a verdict against the ,book of ,mormon4 ,meantime1 do not our opponents recognize the fact that some responsibility devolves upon them in the controversy8 ,what of the positive evidences and arguments advanced in favor of the ,book of ,mormon8 ,have we not a clear right to expect and demand a recognition of these1 or else a clear confutation of them8 ,it is nugatory1 as ,george ,stanley ,faber successfully contended respecting infidel arguments against the ,christian religion--it is nugatory to say that the evidences in favor of the ,book of ,mormon are weak and unsatisfactory1 while yet no regular confutation or that evidence1 and those arguments are brought forward4 ,to state difficulties1 paraphrasing ,faber1 #he is one thing2 to refute evidence and answer argument is another4 ,the work which we have the right to demand of our opponents is a work in which they shall go regularly through the treatise1 say of ,charles ,thompson1 of ,orson ,pratt1 or ,parley ,p4 ,pratt1 or ,george ,reynolds1 #hf and last1 and perhaps least1 the less worthy treatise of these pages1 taking argument after argument1 necessarily showing its utter inconclusiveness1 and the inconclusiveness of the whole cumulative evidence and argument1 bringing out the triumphant conclusion that the evidences in support of the claims of the ,book of ,mormon are too weak and unsatisfactory to command reasonable assent4 ,this is what is incumbent upon the opponents of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,the mere statement of difficulties is not sufficient2 for be it remembered that mere difficulties though unanswered1 or even unanswerable1 cannot set aside direct and positive evidence4 ,a negative presumption1 says ,john ,fiske1 is not created by the absence of proof in cases where1 in the nature of things1 proof is inaccessible1 #hg as is the case in respect of some proof to meet objections urged against the ,book of ,mormon4 ,again our author says3 ,no amount of negative evidence can outweigh a single well-established item of positive evidence4 #hh ,and again3 ,negative evidence1 as every one knows1 is a very unsafe basis of argument4 ,a single item of positive evidence will always outweigh any amount of negative evidence4 #hi ,the positive evidence that stands for the claims of the ,book of ,mormon become the difficulties that our opponents must overcome before they can hope to overthrow the claims made for the ,nephite record4 ,until this is done1 ,i shall hold that the mass of evidence which it has been the effort of the writer through these pages to set somewhat in order1 is sufficient1 both in quality and quantity1 to fill the mind who pays attention to it with a rational faith in the ,book of ,mormon--,,the ,,american ,,volume ,,of ,,scripture4 ,,the ,,end4 ,footnotes #a4 ,nephi xiii3 #ad4 #b4 ,mosiah xx4 #c4 ,alma xiv4 #d4 ,alma xxiv4 #e4 ,mosiah xxvii3 #ah-bc4 #f4 ,mosiah xxix4 #g4 ,mormonism 7#aheg7 pp4 #bhj-bhb4 #h4 ,the ,golden ,bible1 ,rev4 ,m4 ,t4 ,lamb1 7#ahhg71 chapter v4 #i4 ,elsewhere on the subject of these signs given to the ,nephites1 ,i have said3 ,i think ,i see something very beautiful and appropriate in these marvelous signs4 ,i think it is fitting that he who is described in the four ,gospels as well as in the fifth 7,,iii4 ,nephi1 ,book of ,mormon7 as the ',light and ,life of the world1' should have his entrance into earth life proclaimed by a night in which there should be no darkness1 and that a new star for a season should appear in the heavens1 to be a witness to the people that 'the ,life and ,light' of mankind had indeed come into the world4 ,and equally appropriate is it that when he who is described as the ',life and ,light of the world' is laid low in death1 the world should have the testimony of light eclipsed4 ,i see a beautiful appropriateness in these signs1 and in them ,i see added pictures in the life and career of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 7,the ,fifth ,gospel1 a ,discourse by the writer replying to criticisms of ,dr4 ,w4 ,m4 ,paden on ,,iii4 ,nephi1 ,defense of the ,faith and the ,saints1 pp4 #cha-b47 #aj4 ,,iii4 ,nephi xi4 #aa4 ,the ,golden ,bible1 p4 #afb4 #ab4 ,compare ,,ii4 ,kings ii3 #g-ac and ,acts i3 #d-i4 #ac4 ,compare ,acts xix3 #aa1 #ab1 ,acts v3 #ae with ,,ii4 ,kings iv3 #bi4 #ad4 ,compare ,matthew ix3 #ah-bf with ,,ii4 ,kings iv3 #cb-cg4 #ae4 ,matthew xiv3 #ae-ba4 #af4 ,compare ,rev4 x3 with ,ezekiel ii and iii4 #ag4 ,see ,the ,golden ,bible1 pp4 #bgc-bhc4 #ah4 ,chapter xxxvi this work4 #ai4 ,see ,ibid1 chapter xxxiv4 #bj4 ,american ,antiquities1 p4 #cee4 #ba4 ,dictionary of ,book of ,mormon 7,reynolds7 p4 #bbc1 also ,mos4 xxviii4 #bb4 ,mosiah xxvii3 #cd4 ,i take it that the sons of the king are named in the order of their ages and ,ammon is named first4 #bc4 ,century ,dictionary1 word ,andes4 ,the ,encyclopaedia ,britannica gives the word ,anti as the probable origin of the word ,andes2 also ,anta or ,tapir2 and ,antis the name of a tribe resident in the mountains of ,peru4 #bd4 ,conquest of ,peru1 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #aac1 note4 #be4 ,alma xxiv3 #c-e4 #bf4 ,alma xxiii3 #ag4 #bg4 ,alma xx3 #d4 #bh4 ,mormon vi3 #ad4 #bi4 ,alma xxxi3 #c4 #cj4 ,alma #ef3 #d4 #ca4 ,alma xxxvii3 #g4 #cb4 ,alma #ef3 #i4 #cc4 ,,ii4 ,nephi v3 #af4 #cd4 ,native ,races1 7,bancroft71 ,vol41 ,,iv1 p4 #ggi4 #ce4 ,conquest of ,peru1 7,prescott71 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #cg4 #cf4 ,the argument is briefly stated by ,prescott1 and he cites ,wilkinson's ,ancient ,egypt1 ,vol4 ,,iii41 pp4 #bdf-bed4 #cg4 ,history of ,ancient ,egypt1 ,george ,rawlinson1 ,m4 ,a41 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #ig4 #ch4 ,in a note he cites the fact that the ,british museum possesses several specimens of ,egyptian iron1 but three of these seven or eight specimens he declares to be of modern date4 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #eai4 #ci4 ,history of ,ancient ,egypt1 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #eai1 #ebj4 #dj4 ,ancient ,america1 7,baldwin71 pp4 #bdh1 #bdi4 #da4 ,history of ,america before ,columbus1 7,de,roo7 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #fg4 #db4 ,ibid4 p4 #fh1 #fi4 #dc4 ,american ,antiquities1 p4 #ada4 #dd4 ,ibid4 p4 #ahe4 #de4 ,ibid4 p4 #bbe4 #df4 ,ibid4 pp4 #bch1 #bci4 #dg4 ,american ,antiquities1 pp4 #bda1 #bdb4 #dh4 ,american ,antiquities1 pp4 #bfj1 #bfa4 #di4 ,ibid4 p4 #bfc4 #ej4 ,ibid4 p4 #bfe4 #ea4 ,ibid4 p4 #bfi4 #eb4 ,foot-prints of ,vanished ,races in the ,mississippi ,valley1 pp4 #fg1 #fh4 #ec4 ,ibid4 p4 #ajh1 #aji4 #ed4 ,ibid4 pp4 #aji1 #aaj4 #ee4 ,i4 ,nephi xviii3 #be4 ,the animals named in this passage are repeatedly referred to in all parts of the ,book of ,mormon4 #ef4 ,ether ix3 #ah1 #ai4 #eg4 ,pre-,historic ,america1 7,nadaillac71 pp4 #ae-bh4 #eh4 ,gen4 i3 #i4 #ei4 ,exod4 xv3 #a1 and xiv3 #bf4 #fj4 ,cyclopaedia of ,biblical ,literature1 7,kitto71 ,vol4 ,,ii41 p4 #igc4 ,he quotes ,wilkinson as the authority for the above4 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #bhi4 #fa4 ,this opinion is defended by ,max ,schlosser in the ,archiv fur ,anthropologie1 #ahhi1 s4 #acb4 #fb4 ,the ,american ,race1 7,brinton71 p4 #ea4 #fc4 ,pre-,historic ,america1 7,nadaillac71 p4 #ceg4 #fd4 ,american ,antiquities1 p4 #aeg4 #fe4 ,ibid4 p4 #bfc4 #ff4 ,native ,races1 ,vol4 ,,ii41 pp4 #gba-gbb4 #fg4 ,ether ii3#c4 #fh4 ,following is ,campbell's account of the barges3 ,moroni writes the ,book of ,ether1 containing an account of the people of ,jared1 who escaped from the building of the tower of ,babel unconfounded in his language4 ,these people of ,jared ,god marched before in a cloud1 and directed them through the wilderness1 and instructed them to build barges to cross the sea2 and finally they built eight barges1 air tight1 and were commanded to make a hole in the top to admit air1 and one in the bottom to admit water2767 and in them were put sixteen windows of molten stone1767 which when touched by the finger of ,jesus1 became as transparent as any glass1 and gave them light under 'the mountain waves' and when above the water4767 99 99 99 99 ,and the eight barges after swimming #cdd days1 arrived on the coast of the land of promise6 #fi4 ,golden ,bible1 7,lamb71 p4 #c4 #gj4 ,ether #b3 #ag4 #ga4 ,smith's ,dictionary of the ,bible1 7,hackett's edition7 ,vol4 ,,iii41 p4 #bagh4 #gb4 ,exodus xxxi3 #ah4 #gc4 ,ibid4 iii3 #b4 #gd4 ,i have usually found in personal controversies on this point1 that our opponents depended upon the statement in the ,book of ,mormon to the effect that these barges should be as a whale in the midst of the sea4 7,ether ii3 #bd74 ,to which the answer is obvious2 namely1 it does not follow that they were to be like a tailless1 that is to say redderless1 whale4 #ge4 ,i4 ,nephi xvi1 ,,ii4 ,nephi v3 #ab4 #gf4 ,i4 ,nephi xviii3 #ab-ba4 #gg4 ,story of the ,mormons1 7,linn7 p4 #ig4 ,this writer attributes the possession of the compass to the ,jaredites4 ,whether it is the slip of a careless writer or an effort on his part to make the matter of the compass in the ,book of ,mormon more ancient1 is a question for him or his friends to explain4 ,many other writers in their anxiety to find anachronisms in the ,book of ,mormon refer to this compass4 ,lamb is positively dishonest in the matter1 since he assumes the existence of two instruments4 ,one he calls the ,director1 and applies to it the description given above in the text1 and the other he calls the ,compass1 though clearly this latter word is used in an incidental way in describing the ,director4 ,this is the only way he could create the longed for anachronism1 and hence he adopted it4 ,this may secure his fame for ingenuity1 but what of his honesty8 7,see ,the ,golden ,bible ,chapter ,,iii41 ,subdivisions ,c and ,d74 #gh4 ,universal ,knowledge1 7,chambers7 p4 #bjc4 #gi4 ,following is the method by which he arrives at this conclusion3 ,the plates of gold measure #gx#h inches1 and six inches thick1 and are fastened through the back edge with three rings4 ,a box of tin1 #ajx#ad1 and #c inches deep1 weighs about #abe lbs4 gross4 ,the box may weigh #aj lbs41 leaving the net weight of tin #aae lbs4 ,now #ajx#adx#c3 #aae 33 #gx#hx#f 3 #ib lbs4 ,had these gold plates been tin1 they would have weighed about #ij lbs4 ,but the relative weight of tin and gold is as #ai4be to #g4eh4 ,so that #g4eh 3 #ai4be 33 #ib 3 #bbj4dd4 ,hence1 this mass of gold plates1 as they were not so compactly pressed as boxed tin1 would have weighed nearly #bjj lbs4 7,hyde's ,mormonism1 p4 #bdd74 #hj4 ,hyde's ,mormonism1 p4 #bdd4 #ha4 ,see this ,work1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 ch4 iv4 #hb4 ,this ,work1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #bha4 #hc4 ,ether xv3 #cj-ca4 #hd4 ,i am indebted to the kindness of the late ,joseph ,rich1 son of the late ,apostle ,charles ,c4 ,rich1 for these two items4 ,he was kind enough to mark the passages and send me the article from the ,electric ,magazine1 ,june1 #ahib4 #he4 ,difficulties of ,infidelity1 ,sec4 ,i4 #hf4 ,it is a pleasure to note the work of this my brother1 and fellow ,president in the ,first ,council of the ,seventies in this field of ,book of ,mormon labor4 ,i feel myself much indebted to him because of his great achievements in this field of research4 ,first1 for his excellent ,book of ,mormon ,chronological ,table1 published now for many years in connection with the late ,elder ,f4 ,d4 ,richards' ,compendium4 ,second1 for his ,myth of the ,manuscript ,found4 ,third1 for his ,dictionary of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,fourth1 for a series of articles in the ,contributor1 7,vol4 #e7 on the ,history of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,fifth1 for a second series of articles in the ,contributor 7,vol4 #ag7 under the title ,evidences of the ,book of ,mormon2 ,some ,external ,proofs of its ,divinity4 ,sixth1 and last1 and greatest achievement of all1 ,i thank him for his ,complete ,concordance of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,the amount of patient1 pains-taking labor required for the production of this magnificent work will never be known to the general reader4 ,only the close student of the ,nephite ,scriptures will ever really appreciate it4 ,what ,cruden and ,young have done for ,bible students1 ,elder ,reynolds has more abundantly done for ,book of ,mormon students4 ,the ,elders of the ,church through all generations to come will1 ,i am sure1 feel deeply grateful to ,elder ,reynolds for his great work which will stand as a monument to his pains-taking habits of thorough application to a task2 but what is better still1 the work will stand as a monument of his love for the ,book of ,mormon4 #hg4 ,studies in ,religion1 p4 #gh4 #hh4 ,cosmic ,philosophy1 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #ha4 #hi4 ,ibid4 ,vol4 ,,iii41 p4 #fj4a4