^
Walter & Mary Straub
University of California • Berkeley
INTERNATIONAL BOOKFINDE
You name it • we find it
' T08, Beverly Hills, Califo
Wa/ter £. StrauA
&)ea/t of Extension ^Division
COLORADO BIBLE COLLMQE
30* E Magnolia Street
Fort Collins, Colo.
UJalliA JU
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COPYRIGHT A?PLIED FOR
1902.
G. B. HANCOCK.
G. B. HANCOCK.
Mormon ism Exposed.
JOSEPH SMITH AN IMPOSTOR AND THE BOOK OF
MORMON A FRAUD.
(J
BY ELDER Q. B. HANCOCK.
1002 «
A. DOQ-GETT, F*RU»TER.
-M AK ION VI I. I.E. MO.
To AU,, EVERYWHERE, WHO LOVE_THE TRUTH OF GOD,
THIS BOOK IS LOVINGLY DEDICATED
BY IT'S AUTHOR.
PREFACE.
It is truly said, custom governs practice, fashion rules the
day. This is almost invariably true. It is so common for those
who write books to open their pages with a preface that the
author's work would be considered very incomplete should he
fail to write one also. The preface is intended, as a rule, to
give the reasons for the book's appearance and an introduction
to the line of thought contained in the book.
We had no idea of writing a book in order to expose Mor-
monism till after the debate we held with them at Fayette City,
Pa. We had been challenged for such debate many times but
never could succeed in getting them to discuss such proposi-
tions as we were willing to debate. For years we had been
satisfied that those who had debated with Mormons had given
them unnecessary advantage in the way of propositions. They
invariably sought propositions that gave them opportunity to
play upon side issues and give simply a rehash of matter that
they had delivered in lectures and preached in sermons till they
had it by heart. We determined that they should not have this
opportunity in the Fayette City debate. Besides we felt that
if they were taken from their stereotyped course of presenting
their doctrines, they would be utterly at a loss, and manifest
clearly their inability to sustain their system. Our conjecture
proved to be true. The proposition as we affirmed was: Joseph
Smith, the reputed prophet and the author of the Book of Mor-
mon, was as imposter and the Book of Mormon is a fraud. It
took some time to get them to agree to discuss the difference as
stated in our affirmative. They wanted to divide the burden of
proof. Finally we notified them that we would be at Fayette City
the first of March, 1900, prepared to meet any Mormon cham-
pion in debate that might be selected by that fraternity, or in
case we had no opponent we were prepared to expose their sys-
tem in a series of lectures. This they could not allow. We
found an opponent on the ground, but he proved himself incap-
able of grappling with systems. Our line of thought was new
to all. It was readily seen that the discussion was one between
the Bible'and the Book of Mormon. All that heard and all that
have seen our arrangement of matter are unanimous in the con-
clusion that the interests of Truth demanded that we publish
what we presented in that debate. To this request we have
consented. Therefore we send this book forth, hoping that it
may do much good, and believing that it will stand as a Gibral-
tar in behalf of Truth,
G. B. HANCOCK,
Scholten, Mo.
MORMONISM VIEWED IN IT'S
TRUE LIGHT.
JOSEPH SMITH AN IMPOSTER AND THE BOOK OF MORMON
A FRAUD.
CHAPTER ONE.
The people known as Mormons, or Latter Day Saints, are
among the most aggressive religionists of the present time.
Their missionaries are to be met with in all parts, and manifest
a zeal that is certainly worthy of a better cause. We say
' 'better cause, ' ' because we feel their cause is not good, and we are
as conscious of our ability to demonstrate the truthfulness of the
propositions embodied in our caption as we are of our ability to
move the pencil with which we are now writing.
It has been said that knowledge and thought govern the
world. As to whether this is true may be a question, but the
thinking part of humanity will agree that such should be the
case. Religiously, however, the majority seem to move
without thought. It is a fact that most religionists give the
subject of religion but little thought, and as a consequence,
what ideas they have are in the main, second hand. Upon the
part of those who think, and presume to think for the people,
there is but little independence of mind, for they do not allow
themselves to think outside of certain paths marked out by
predecessors.
It being conceded that man should be governed by thought,
it should not be a difficult matter to decide as to whose thoughts
should govern him. Thought designed for the government of
man should be such as to tend wholly to the betterment of
man's estate. In order to a proper conception of the thought
necessary in order to the desired end, we need to enquire for the
purpose of religion. The word means "a binding back,"
carrying the idea of reuniting severed ties. Worship is designed
to bring the worshipper into conformity to the object worshipped.
Thought, hence, to accomplish the desired end, must lead to
and give a truer knowledge of God. Man cannot, however,
by searching, find out God. Therefore, no line of finite
thought can answer the purpose. A knowledge of God
can not come from man but must come from God.
The purpose of religion is an infinite one. The design is to
prepare man for the service of the Infinite Being, in the infinite
beyond. If thought is to govern man, in view of the end
purposed in religion, it must be infinite thought, for finite means
cannot accomplish an infinite purpose. In order to the desired
end a finite being can do nothing but lay hold of infinite
provisions. All the provisions from God in man's behalf, are
through Christ. He must, therefore, bean Infinite Being or the
claims of the Bible are not true.
God says to man, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than
your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:
8, 9. If we ask, where are the thoughts of the Almighty in
man 's behalf to be found? the answer is in the context, and
assures us that his thoughts are in the WORDS that he has
spoken to man.
Man's words give man's thoughts, andean give nothing
beyond. Therefore God's words alone can give God's thoughts.
If the glory of God is involved in the matters of religion his
thoughts alone should govern man in these matters. One to
give to man the thoughts of God must be one that knows the
mind of God. Christ affirms that he is the only teacher of the
human family that knew God. He is, hence, of these matters,
the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and
the last.
6
If God is interested in the eternal welfare of the creature
man, and his thoughts are essential in order to that welfare, it
is reasonable that he should not only reveal those thoughts, but
also guard them against perversion. This we find he purposed
to do. To the Jews he said. "Ye shall not add unto the word
which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught
from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your
God which I command you. " Deut. 4: 2. Again, "What thing
soever I command you, observe to do it; thou shalt not add
thereto, nor diminish from it." Deut. 12: 32. These
prohibitions are repeated in the New Testament, with the
assurance that the anathamas of heaven will rest upon all who
disregard them.
The thoughts of God could not be known but by revelation,
and this revelation could not be but by the inspiration of the
Almighty. Therefore, the inspiration essential in order to the
desired end was afforded and no more. As the glory of God
and the eternal interests of humanity were involved in these
matters, man could not decide as to the amount of revelation
required. The will of man, hence, never governed the acftion
of inspiration; or, in other words, no inspiration was ever
afforded at the mere suggestion of man. We are assured that
no prophecy ever came at any time by the will of man, but holy
men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
II. Peter i: 20, 21. As to the purpose or extent of his working
God never counseled man, but worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will. Eph. i: n. If wye can ascertain the
decision of God as to the amount of inspiration and revelation
essential in order to the desired end it will be satisfactory to all
who desire simply the truth.
There are different books that claim to exist by virtue of
inspiration, and claim, hence, to be revelations from God. By
way of introduction to a proper course of inquiry, we place
certain of these books before us. First, we take the book called
the Bible. If the claims of this book to inspiration cannot be
sustained, no other book need put up such claim. The Bible is
composed of two parts, the Old and New Testaments. If we ask,
What do we have when we have the Old Testament? the answer
is, We have Moses and the prophets. In the New Testament
we have Jesus and his apostles. These two books, the Old and
New Testaments, are a unit. They were both essential in order
to the end in view, the eternal interests of man. In the first
the mind of man was directed forward, in expectation of the
second. In the first they were taught to expect perfection in the
second. The two, hence, make one book. When the disciples
accepted Jesus they could truthfully say, "We have found him
of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write. "
We have before us another book that claims to exist by
virtue of inspiration from God. It is called the Book of Mormon.
What have we in it? WHAT PURPOSE DOES IT ANSWER IN THE
ECONOMY OF HEAVEN? Inspiration, as we have seen, is not at
the option of man but governed wholly by the will of God. If
the Book of Mormon be an inspired production there must be a
purpose in the economy of grace that it was designed to
accomplish — a purpose above and beyond what could be
accomplished by the inspiration afforded Christ and the apostle!
The working of inspiration and revelation was in order to
God's glory and man's eternal interest. If the Book of Mormon
answers no specific purpose in order to the glory of God and the
eternal interests of humanity the propositions, embodied in the
heading under which we write are true, incontrovertibly true.
IP THE BOOK OF MORMON ANSWERS ANY PURPOSE IN THE DIVINE
ECONOMY, IT MUST CONNECT AT SOME POINT WITH THE BlBLE,
AND AT THAT POINT THERE MUST BE AN INCOMPLETENESS, A
VACUUM, THAT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN FILLED . WITHOUT ITS
APPEARANCE. If there be such point it must be found in the
New Testament, for there is not a prophecy, an allegory or type
in the Old Testament, that directs the mind of man beyond what
we have in Christ. The purpose of the inspiration and
revelation that gave the Old Testament was reached in its
fulness, by the bringing in of the hope that is afforded in Christ
Jesus. "On the one hand, an old commandment is annulled,
8
because it was weak and profitless (for the law perfected nothing)
and on the other hand, a better hope is brought in whereby we
draw near unto God." Heb. 7: 18, 19. Conybeare. When
this better hope was brought in the full purpose of the Jewish
economy was reached. Where in the New Testament economy,
the economy that has the provisions for that better hope, is
THERE A VACUUM TO BE FILLED BY A PRODUCTION THROUGH
JOSEPH SMITH? Echo answers — where !
It is now, we think, at this early stage in our investigation,
perceptible to our readers, that in meeting the claims of
Mormonism our task is simply to defend the claims of the Bible.
We now and here unhesitating!}^ affirm, If the claims of
Mormonism be true, the claims of the Bible are false. The
truthfulness of this will appear as we proceed with our
investigation.
CHAPTER TWO.
A proper view of the development of the remedial system
will give us the decision of the Almighty as to the amount of
revelation essential in order to the one great purpose regarding
the human family. Time was divided into three periods called
dispensations. These are known as the Patriarchal, the Jewish,
and the Christian. These have been beautifully represented as
the starlight period, the moonlight period, and the daylight
period of Christianity. During the first period of time, a period
of darkness, because of the exceeding corruptness of the race,
a man would appear here and there, who would shine as a
bright star in the moral heavens. Of these we may mention
Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Melchisedec and Job. This period was
divided into two parts, the antediluvian and the postdiluvian.
Yet the two constituted one period. This period continued till
the giving of the law of Moses, hence, till the establishing of
the first covenant in the development of the remedial system.
With the establishing of that covenant a new and superior
period was ushered in. The patriarchs had now as it
were, surrendered their commission at the feet of
Moses, the mediator of that covenant. The theocracy that was
established with the giving of the law continued till the time
was at hand for the ushering in of the period known as "The
fulness of times," — the establishing of the new, the everlasting
covenant. When this covenant was to be established Moses and
the prophets surrendered their commission at the feet of Jesus.
From that time the command from God is Hear My Son.
Revelation was progressive, never retrogressive. The inferior
surrendered to and was followed by the superior. Mormons
claim that a new development was made through Joseph Smith;
hence that with him a new period began. This being so it must
be a progressive, a superior one. This being true God's will
did not reach it's perfection in Christ. There are no retrogressive
steps in inspiration neither does it do any work of supererogation.
Can it be that God had something in reservation for man, to be
made known through Joseph Smith, that was to be superior to
what he gave through his Son? Is Mormonism superior to
Christianity, and Joseph Smith above Jesus Christ? Such are
the legitimate and blasphemous claims of this modernism! !
For a revelation that had no superior claims over a former one,
and that had no advantages over what had preceded it, no
excuse could be given. Therefore, if with the appearing of the
Book of Mormon a new period was to be ushered in, giving new
advantages, advantages superior to any through previous
revelations; then it follows, necessarily, that Jesus must
surrender his commission at the feet of Smith! Was it
for such purpose that God brought His Son to earth and
introduced him to Smith?
That the Book of Mormon claims to be above the Bible is
shown by the following:
"Wherefore, thou seest that after the book [that is, the
Bible] hath gone forth through the hands of the great and
abominable church [the church of Rome] that there are many
plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is
the book of the Lamb of God, and these plain and precious
things were taken away, it goeth forth unto all the nations of
10
Gentiles, yea, even across the many waters which thou hast
seen with the Gentiles which have gone forth out oi captivity
[that is, the Protestants]; thou seest because of the many plain
and precious things which have been taken out of the book,
which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men,
according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God; because
of these things \vhich are taken away out of the Gospel of the
Lamb, an exceeding great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that
Satan hath great power over them." — B. OF M. p. 22; 119.
[NOTE.— All the quotations from the Book of Mormon found In this
book, are found in the Book of Mormon as published at Lamoni, Iowa.
From this we learn that the Bible is not the Book of God !
No, it's just a skeleton, minus all the essentials of life ! The
many PLAIN and PRECIOUS things of the gospel are not in the
Bible ! It is just as good a thing as the devil wants; for it being
destitute of the gospel of Christ it is minus the power of God
for salvation. Therefore, without the appearing of Joseph
Smith none could be saved. When we challenge Mormon
leaders to specif}' a single item in the gospel of Christ that is
not in the New Testament the}' are mum. We will see how
completely Mormonism breaks its own neck at this point.
Mormons admit that the new Testament is an inspired book.
It claims, however to contain the fulness of the gospel. Its
claims in this are false. Therefore, the New Testament is an
inspired falsehood ! The fact is, the statement concerning the
Bible in the quotation we gave is as base a falsehood as was ever .
uttered. This is strong language. But we have a severe case,
and strong medicine is needed. The statement concerning the
Bible as made in the quotation made from the Book of Mormon
gives, in substance, an old infidel objection to the Bible that
had been made many, very many years before Joe Smith was
born. We will now and here give it the needed attention. We
give this objection as presented in the language of Orson Pratt.
He says:
"The gathering together of the few scattered manuscripts
which compose what is termed the Bible was the work of
uninspired men, which took place centuries after John had
finished his manuscript. Among the vast number of professedly
inspired manuscripts, scattered through the world, man, poor
ii
weak, ignorant man, assumed the authority to select a few,
which, according to his frail judgment, he believed or
conjected were of God; but the balance not agreeing, perhaps,
with his peculiar notion of divine inspiration, were rejected as
spurious. The few selected from the abundance were finally
arranged into one volume, divided into chapter and verse, and
named the Bible. ' '
Again:
"How does the Protestant world know that the compilers of
the Bible, in hunting up the sacred manuscripts which were
widely scattered over the world, one in one place, and another
in another, found all that were of divine origin? How do they
know that the compilers of the Bible found even the one
hundredth part of the manuscripts that were sacred ?"— "Divine
Authenticity of the Book of Mormon." p. 130.
As Orson Pratt was one of Smith's chosen apostles his
utterances show the true spirit of Mormon inspiration. Why
should Mormons make such attacks upon the Bible ? The
answer is, Unless the Bible can be brought into disrepute there
can be no room for the Book of Mormon. We will first see what
foundation there is for such infidel attacks upon the Old
Testament. In the days of Christ and the apostles that book
existed in two languages. The Hebrew and the Greek. We
have a copy of the Septuagint version. It was a translation
from the Hebrew, made in Alexandria, Egypt, about 200 years
before Christ. It contains the books of the Old Testament, from
Genesis to Malachi. This shows that the Hebrew version
contained the same. Christ and his apostles used them, and
endorsed them as the word of God. They were such, or Christ
and his apostles were false teachers. In this we have the
inspiration of Jesus, versus Mormon inspiration. They cannot
both be true.
"Suppose a merchant in San Francisco receive a large order
from a firm in Liverpool for several cargoes of wheat. He goes
to the Merchant's Intelligence Office and satisfies himself that
the Liverpool house is perfectly solvent. But he has never had
any correspondence with that house before, and so does not
certainly know that the signature is genuine. Just then one of
his neighbors whom he knows to be a true man, and who has
12
recently returned from England, steps in with a strange
gentleman, and introduces him as a son of the senior partner,
and himself a member .of the firm. The San Francisco merchant
shows the letter to the young Englishman . • ' Yes! ' ' he says ' 'that
is all right; that is my father's signature. " Then he proceeds to
explain the letter. There is no longer an\- doubt or delay in
filling the order. NOWT, can we authenticate the Bible in an}'
such way ? We CAN authenticate the Bible in this very way.
The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, has visited our world as
the Word of God, ON THIS VERY BUSINESS, to declare God's
Word to us. He has read the Bible carefully, as much of it as
was then written, and he has directed the writing of the
remainder. He has given us his opinion of it repeatedly in
direct statements; has quoted many passages from it and
explained them, and exposed and reprobated the additions which
the scribes and Pharisees would have made to the Bible by their
traditions. We can trust the testimony of Jesus unhesitatingly.
All Christians acknowledge Him as the Truth, and no infidel
has dared to charge Him with falsehood." — "The Testimony of
Christ to the Truth of the Old Testament, " by Robert Patterson.
Touching the authenticity of the New Testament, we give
the following:
"I was dining some time ago with a literary party at old
Mr. Abercrombie's, father of General Abercrombie, who was
slain in Egypt at the head of the British army, and spending
the evening together. A gentleman present put a question
which puzzled the whole company. It was this: Supposing all
the New Testaments in the world had been destroyed at the
end of the third century, could their contents have been
recovered from the writings of the first three centuries ? ' ' The
question was novel to all, and no one even hazarded a guess in
answer to the inquiry. About two months after this meeting, I
received a note from Lord Hailes inviting me to breakfast writh
him next morning. He had been one of the party. During
breakfast he asked me if I recollected the curious question
about the possibility of recovering the contents of the New
Testament from the writings of the first three centuries. 'I
remember it well, ' said I, 'and have thought of it often, without
being able to form any opinion or conjecture on the subject. '
'Well,' said Lord Hailes, 'that question quite accorded with the
turn or taste of my antiquarian mind. On returning home, as
I knew I had all the writings of those centuries, I began
immediately to collect them, that I might set to work on the
13
arduous tatk as soon as possible. ' Pointing to a table, covered
with papers, he said, 'There have I been busy for these two
months, searching for chapters, half chapters, and sentences of
the New Testament, and have marked down what I have found,
and where I have found it, so that any person may examine and
see for himself. I have actually discovered the whole New
Testament from those writings except seven (or eleven) verses,
(I forget which) which satisfied me that I could discover them
also. ' 'Now, ' said he, 'here was a way in which God concealed
or hid the treasure of His Word, that Julian, the apostate
emperor, and other enemies of Christ who tried to extirpate the
gospels from the world, never would have thought of; and
though they had they never could have effected their destruction . '
The labor of effecting this feat must have been immense; for the
Gospels and Epistles would not be divided into chapters and
verses as they are now. Much must have been effected by help
of a concordance. And having been a judge for many years, a
habit of minute investigation must have been formed in his
mind. The facilities for investigating this question are ample
and easily accessible to any intelligent student. The Ante-
Nicene Library, published by T. and T. Clark, of Edinburg,
comprises some twenty-four octavo volumes, averaging about
five hundred pages each. In these twelve thousand octavo
pages of printed matter are comprised nearly all the extant
writings of some fifteen or twenty of the most eminent Christian
authors who lived before the year A. D. 325, when the council
of Nice was convened. One of the volumes also contains such
remains of those spurious, uncanonical and ficticious gospels,
Acts, etc., as have come down to us from early ages. In these
twelve thousand pages, all of which are accessible to skeptics in
English translations, which can be compared with the originals
by those who are competent to do so, will be found an
overwhelming avalanche of evidence upon the question of the
origin of the New Testament Scriptures. These men, some of
whom were contemporary with the apostles, and others who, as
their immediate successors, were well acquainted with their
associates and contemporaries, give in these writings the most
positive and unmistakable evidence as to the New Testament
books which they received, and as to the estimation in which
those books were held. They quote passage after passage, and
page after page, of the same Scriptures that are quoted today
and read in every Christian assembly. They quoted the books
which we quote; they quoted them as we quote them; they
received them as we receive them; and this long before the
Council of Nice or any other council had anything to say about
the canon of the Scriptures." — Who made the New Testament,
by Hastings.
Such is a mere inkling of what might be given. This,
however, shows the statement of Orson Pratt to be utterly false.
God save the people from a system of religion that demands an
infidel stand in order to find a plea for its existence.
CHAPTER THREE.
As we have heard something of the deficiency, uncertainty
and incompleteness of the Bible, first from the Book of Mormon,
and second from the chief apostle of original Mormonism, we
will now hear something from the chief apostle of the reorganized
branch of the Mormon family. Mr. Kelly, who, of course, like
Mr. Pratt and the Book of Mormon, speaks with the infallibility
of Mormon inspiration. Mr. Kelly would tell all how infallibly
to identify the true church. He says:
"To avoid imposition in finance, there is put in circulation
a money test, by which the holder of money is enabled to
determine whether there is tendered to him a true or false coin.
When every mark or figure on a coin or bill tendered in
exchange harmonizes with the detector, it is pronounced good
money. But if there is anything found on the coin or in the
bill, not to be found in the detector, or if there is something
left out of the coin or bill that is found in the detector, it is
rejected as spurious. The New Testament contains the history
of the formation of the primitive church; hence it is the test or
detector by which all church organizations, claiming to be the
true, are to be tried. "
We now have a medley in Mormon inspiration !
1. "The New Testament is an unreliable production, for it is
composed of writings gathered by uninspired men, who just
selected them because they suited their notion of inspiration.
No one can know that the writings of which it is composed
were inspired productions. — Pratt.
2. The New Testament does not contain the many plain
and precious parts of the gospel. — Book of Mormon.
3. The New Testament was given by the government of
15
Heaven. It is an infallible test or detector, by which theological
systems, creeds and churches are to be tried. — Kelley.
I wonder how long it would take Mormon apostles to
reconcile these statements of Mormon inspiration? Mr. Kelley
would evidently tell us that he does not endorse Mr. Pratt. Mr.
Pratt, however, is with the Book of Mormon. If he rejects the
one he must reject the other. Let us try Mr. Kelley 's logic:
1 . The New Testament is an infallible detector. All in
theological matters that it leaves out is spurious.
2. But the New Testament leaves out intoto the Mormon
system.
3. Therefore, the Mormon system is intoto spurious.
As the New Testament, according to the Book of Mormon,
is void, the gospel of Jesus Christ, where are we to find that
Gospel?
"For behold, saith the Lamb, I will manifest myself unto
thy seed [that is, the Nephites] that they shall write many
things which I shall minister unto them, which shall be plain
and precious; and after thy seed shall be destroyed and dwindle
in unbelief, and also the seed of thy brethren; behold, these
things shall be hid up, to come forth unto the Gentiles by the
gift and power of the Lamb; and in them shall be written my
gospel, saith the Lamb, and my rocl$ and my salvation. " — B. of
M. pages 22, 23 and 123. ./ M.jtfakt -/3 » d 4>~ $ fa ,
The quotations made from the Book of Mormon being
true, the Bible is false and the wise course would be to throw
the Bible away and hold to the Book of Mormon. If the Bible
be void the PLAIN and PRECIOUS parts of the gospel its claims
are not true. The two books can never be reconciled. If the
one be true, the other is false.
Orson Pratt, speaking of course by the genuine inspiration
of original Mormonism, says:
' 'The nature of the message in the Book of Mormon is such
that, if true, no one can possibly be saved and reject it, if false
no one can possibly be saved and receive it." — Divine
Authenticity, p. 124.
This gives us the whole thing in a nutshell. If the Bible be
true the Mormons are doomed to damnation. On the other
16
hand, if the Book of Mormon be true all who reject it and hold
to the Bible are doomed.
From a Mormon standpoint, one may believe the Bible,
obey its commands and trust its promises, but it will be of no
avail without the saving power of the gospel of Mormonism !
In harmony with this we have the following from Joe Smith:
"I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most
correct .of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion,
and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts
than by any other book." — Compendium, p. 273.
The fact is, from a Mormon standpoint, Joe Smith and the
book of Mormon are above Jesut Christ and the New Testament!
This matter of inspiration needs to be closely studied. We
invite strict attention to the following: There are two sources
of inspiration in matters religious. The one is in order to the
glory of God and the salvation of man. The other is designed
to thwart the purpose of God, and so prevent the salvation of
man. Therefore, two minds have figured in the history of man,
and two wisdoms have been brought to bear upon man. Upon
the one hand God is represented, and the inspiration from him
gives his counsel in order to man's eternal welfare. The
wisdom in this counsel being from above is "first pure, then
peacable, gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good
fruits, without partiality, and without hipocrisy. " The other
wisdom is from beneath, and is earthly, sensual, devilish. It is
the source of strife, envying, confusion, and every' evil work.
This wisdom leads from the counsel of God. By the wisdom
from above we have the doctrine of Jesus Christ. By the wisdom
that is from beneath we have the doctrines of men and devils.
No one knows the mind of God save the Spirit of God.
Therefore, no one could know the doctrine of God but by the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The inspiration of the Holy
Spirit never gave any doctrine except the doctrine of Jesus
Christ. In this the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit are one.
They agree in one testimony — the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, he who has the doctrine of Christ has both the Father
17
and the Son. By virtue of the inspiration from the infernal
regions we have all other systems of doctrines.
The first that the wisdom from beneath was brought to bear
upon man, was when, through the agency of the serpent, man
in Eden was led to transgress the command of God. If any be
deceived by this wisdom it must be a matter of choice, for God
has provided a safeguard for all that wrill trust in Him, having
carefully marked the bounds of Divine inspiration and revelation.
The fall of man called for the remedial system. And in the
development of that system two covenants were established, and
in the development of the two covenants that that was essential
in order to enable1 man to lay hold on eternal life was placed
within his reach. If we accept Jesus as the one great teacher
for the human family — the one to guide man in the way of
eternal life, the question as to the extent of the work of
inspiration and revelation in order to the desired end will be
easily settled. Jesus says, "And this is life eternal, that they
might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom
thou hast sent. ' ' — John 17: 3. This statement is true or the idea
of inspiration and revelation from God is a delusion. It being
true a knowledge of the one true God, and of Jesus Christ is the
condition of eternal life. Therefore the work of inspiration and
revelation was solely for the purpose of placing the necessary
knowledge within the reach of man. This being done the
limitation of inspiration and revelation was reached, for to go
beyond that would be a work of supererogation, a work that God
never does.
In order to the possession of the required knowledge by
man, two grand demonstrations were necessary.
1. The unity of the Godhead must be established.
2. The claims of Jesus must be vindicated.
In the Jewish Scriptures the first demonstration is given,
and they all being essential to one great purpose they are all
counted as one book, the Old Testament. — DIATHEKE, covenant.
In that book the proposition that the God of Abraham, of
Isaac and of Jacob is the one true and living God is proven.
18
The revelation necessary to afford man this knowledge is
contained in the Old Testament. That special inspiration and
revelations were granted individuals for specific purposes during
the period covered by the books of the Old Testament will not
be denied. They, how-ever, not being essential to the purpose
of that Book, were not preserved. The periods covered by the
books of the Old Testament were preparatory periods, and the
demonstration given in that Book was preparatory to a second
demonstration, which was to bring to humanity the full purpose
of God, and so place within the reach of man the knowledge
essential to the end in view-. The first demonstration could not
reach its fulness — could not answer the purpose in view till the
second should be given. Hence inspiration and revelation was
to reach its perfection and accomplish its full purpose in Christ
Jesus. It is therefore, that, of inspiration and revelation, Christ
is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning
and the end. It is universally admitted that Christ was
the first, but people have arisen at different times denying that
he is the last. There is hence, a square issue before us; for if it
be so that inspiration and revelation did not reach its perfection
in and end with Christ, the teaching of the Bible cannot be true.
If we accept the statement of Christ that a knowledge of the
Father and the Son was all that was necessary in order to the
desired end, we accept, necessarly, the conclusion that with the
perfection of that knowledge, the work of inspiration and
revelation ceased. If Christ did not reveal the Father; and if
the New Testament does not properly present Christ as the
Savoir of Man, we will have to surrender the claims of the Bible.
Surely no one thinking aright would contend that inspiration
and revelation beyond the purpose of God were ever vouchsafed
to any man. Neither God's glory nor man's eternal interest is
involved in anything beyond the eternal purpose of God in
Christ Jesus.
CHAPTER FOUR.
As previously said, the inspiration and revelation afforded
in order to the development 'of the old covenant, while it gave
the proposed demonstration, could not afford the necessary
knowledge of God. The apostle says, "For if that first covenant
had been faultless, then should no place have been sought
for the second. " — Heb. 8: 7. The first covenant being faulty
from the fact that the inspiration and revelation necessary to
the fulness of its purpose did not give the required knowledge,
there was a demand for a second — a demand, hence, for
inspiration and revelation in order to the full development of the
second. Therefore, "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord,
that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and
with. the house of Judah; not according to the covenant that I
made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the
hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant
they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord;
but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house
of Israel: After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in
their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their
God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no
more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying
Know the Lord; for they shall all know me, from the least of
them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord; for I will forgive
their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more. ' ' — Jer.
31: 31-34. Here is the promise of a new covenant, and one that
would afford the necessary knowledge, for through it all would
be enabled to know God. There would, hence, be no need of
further teaching. This amounts to the affirmation that, when
the new covenant should be given there would be no need for
further revelation from God. The mediator of this new covenant
was to be the anointed One of the Most High, the one Teacher
who alone could give a true knowledge of God, and through
whom everlasting righteousness should be brought in. When
a knowledge of the true God, as revealed through Christ, was
20
given, and all the necessary provisions to enable man to lay
hold on eternal life were complete the revelation from God was
perfected. Christ said, "All things are delivered unto me of my
Father; and no man knoweth the Son but the Father; neither
knoweth any man the Father save the .Son, and he to
whomsoever the Son will reveal him." Matt, n: 27. This
again affirms perfection on the part of the mediator of the new
covenant. In the language of Paul we say, If the second
covenant be faultless there could be no place for a third — no
demand, hence, for inspiration and revelation in order to the
development of a third. From a Mormon standpoint one might,
with all propriety, have approached the Savoir with the question,
"Art thou sufficient or shall we look for another?" From
that same standpoint, John 17: 3, should read, "And this is life
enternal, that they might know the only true and living God,
Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, and from w'hence the
Aboriginese of America came. " Unhesitatingly do we say, If
the origin of the American Indians be not a gospel idea there is
not a gospel idea in the Book of Mormon but what was
borrowed from the Bible. Take the professed account of the
first settling of America out of the Book of Mormon and the
remainder is a game of plagiarism, from beginning to end. The
Book of Mormon could not contain any information concerning
God, or His Son jesus Christ, without borrowing such from the
Bible. It is, hence, that Jesus warns all against any claims to
inspiration this side of the completion of the New Testament.
Matt. 1 1; 27 contains such warning. The statement of Christ
being tnie the prophet of Mormonism did not know either the
Father or the Son. He, like all others, since the completion of
the New Testament, was limited to the Bible for saving
knowledge.
Inspiration and revelation were never afforded for the mere
gratification of man's curiosity. It had no purpose except the
glory of God and the salvation of man. It's purpose being to
impart knowledge, when the knowledge essential to its purpose
was afforded, it's work was done. A knowledge of God and of
21
Christ is all that is necessary in order to the desired end. With
the impartion, hence, of that knowledge, the work of inspiration
and revelation ceased. With the revelation given through
Christ, as recorded in the New Testament, that knowledge was
perfected. Therefore, with the completion of the New
Testament revelation from God ceased. This being so, all
pretended revelation since the completion of the New Testament
are fraudulent. That such is the case we now purpose to
demonstrate.
What man needed in his fallen and benighted condition
was light. Christ is the light of the world. He is to the people
of God what the luminary of day is to the inhabitants of earth.
One enjoying the fullness of the noon day sun does not need a
jack o 'lantern to enable him to see his way. To deny that
Christ brought the needed light to man is to surrender the
claims of the Bible. Surely, those who enjoy fellowship with
the Father and the Son are heirs of eternal life, and have the
needed light. The apostle says, "That which we have seen
and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellow-
ship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and
witH His Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto
you that your joy may be full." — I. John i: 3, 4, Here it is
affimed that through what was delived by the apostles, we have
thecessary knowledge in order to Fellowship with the Father
and the Son, and in order to fulness of joy. The trouble has
ever been and ever will be: — "And this is the condmnation, that
light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather
than light, because their deeds were evil." John 3; 19. To
reveal is to bring to light. The inspiration and revelation from
heaven were designed to bring man the light of God. That
light could only be afforded by bringing to man the true
knowledge of God. As to the amount of light necessary man
could not know. It was, hence, a matter to be decided by the
Almighty. God having decided this matter, would, of necessity,
be governed by his own decision or acknowledge that he made
22
a mistake. As we cannot think of the Almighty making a
mistake and having to repent of his error, we know that he
having decided as to the amount of revelation necessary has
never afforded any beyond that.
In the ninth chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews, the
apostle treats of the tabernacle that was erected by Moses in the
wilderness, and tells us emphatically that it was a typical
institution, giving us, hence, in prophetical representation the
provisions of God in the Church of Jesus Christ. The tabernacle
proper was divided into two apartments, the holy and the most
holy places. The first of these, the holy place, represented the
Church of Christ on earth. That tabernacle was so securely
enclosed that no light entered from without. The light for the
priests in their ministrations was provided within, and all the
light, hence, that they could have was that afforded by the
seven lights of the golden candlestick. Paul's statement being
true, that the tabernacle was a type of the heavenly institution,
the institution of which Jesus Christ is the head, the golden
candlestick was a type of that which was to afford the light for
the people of God under Christ. The type being a true one the
church was to have no light beyond what was represented by the
golden candlestick. There is no light from God beyond what
was therein represented. Therefore if we can know what was
represented by the golden candlestick we can know the
limitation of the light afforded the Church of Christ — can know,
hence, the bounds of inspiration and revelation in order to the
glory of God, and the eternal interests of humanity. As we
have said, God has thrown a safe guard around these matters,
and his lessons are a guarantee to all that will accept them,
against the possibility of deception.
In the fourth chapter of Zechariah we have a record of his
vision of the golden candlestick. There were two olive trees by
the candlestick, one upon the right side, and the other upon
the left side. There were seven pipes, one for each division of
the candlestick, and they furnished the golden oil for each
23
bowl. Of the candlestick, the angel said to Zechariah, "This
is the word of God. " And of the olive tree it is said, "These
are the two anointed ones [Marginal and R. V. Sons of Oil]
that stand by the Lord of the whole earth." In the eleventh
chapter of Revelations we are told that these are the two
witnesses. The type being true and the vision correct, we have
certain facts, i . The word of God is the only light that He
affords His people. 2. That word would be in two grand
divisions, standing as two witnesses for the great Jehovah.
3. That word as a whole was to be given in seven divisions.
4. The inspiration, represented by the golden oil, was to be by
virtue of two olive trees. 5. In consequence of these there
were to be, in man 's behalf , two sons of oil. This gives just
what we have in the Bible. The two divisions are the Old and
the New Testaments, in other words, the two covenants. These
properly viewed would give us seven subdivisions, one division
answering as a center stem, with three divisions on either side.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were written for one purpose,
namely, to give the demonstration that Jesus of Nazareth is the
Christ, the Son of the living God. This being the central idea
in the canon of revelation, those four books constitute the center
stem. Jesus gives the entire Old Testament in three divisions,
namel}", "The law, the psalms, and the prophets. " This gives
the three divisions on the one side. On the other side we have
just three divisions, namely, Acts of Apostles, the Epistles to
the churches, and the Book of Revelations. The olive trees
represent, the two covenants. Moses was the mediator in the
first; was, hence, the revelator — the law giver for the people of
that covenant. Jesus is the mediator in the New; is, hence, the
revelator — the law giver for the people of the new covenant.
We have, hence, in Jesus and Moses the two sons of oil. God
in his providential workings has guarded the counsel that he
designed for man. We have in the Book called the Bible, in its
present arrangement, just what was represented by the golden
candlestick. We have, hence, a demonstration of the fact that
24
no light of inspiration is afforded beyond what we have in the
development of the two covenants. There is no third olive tree,
no third son of oil, no golden pipe for an eighth division, no
golden oil for any book except what we have in the Bible. In
view of the facts now before us we unhesitatingly say: If such
as Mohammed, Swedenborg, Jo. Smith, Ellen G. White, et al.,
have been favored with inspiration it was from the infernal
regions, not from above.
CHAPTER FIVE.
We have briefly noticed the candlestick in the light of
Zechariah's vision. The lessons gleaned, however, demonstrate
the fact that God providentially guarded and directed the
preservation of his revelations to man, till the Bible, in its
matter and arrangement, gives just what God foretold should
be given his people, pertaining to inspiration and revelation.
It is readily seen that the statement of Orson Pratt relative to
the collection of the manuscripts to constitute the Bible is
utterly false — shown, hence, that the inspiration directing the
first propagators of Mormon ism was from a lying spirit. The
lesson learned also shows the infidelit3r in what, by modern
scribes, is called Higher Criticism.
If the inspiration and revelation afforded in order to the
full development of the two covenants did not bring to man the
necessary knowledge, did not, hence, afford the required light,
we cannot claim inspiration for the Bible. Accepting, however,
the statement of Christ, that a knowledge of the Father and the
Son was all that was necessary in order to the desired end, we
accept necessarily, the conclusion that with the perfection of
that knowledge the work of inspiration and revelation ceased.
Such is the lesson taught by the candlestick. Therefore, in the
New Testament we have the true light of God. Christ is the
true light of God, and as that light cannot be supplemented
there has been no inspiration and revelation from God since the
25
completion of the New Testament. In the light of that book
we are in the light of God. Hence, Christ could truthfully say:
"All things are delivered unto me of my Father." Surely, in
the ALL THINGS OF GOD is given the knowledge essential in order
to the desired end. Therefore Paul could say: ' 'In Him are hid
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." — Col. 2: 3. There
could be no demand for inspiration and revelation in addition to
what was given through Christ, unless there could be a demand
for something beyond all the treasures of God's wisdom and
knowledge.
Christ is, hence, of inspiration and revelation, the Alpha
and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
We give the following:
1. Inspiration and revelation ending with Christ, all
pretended inspiration and revelations since His were false.
2. But the pretended inspiration and revelation of Joseph
Smith were since Christ.
3. Therefore, the pretended inspiration and revelations of
Joseph Smith were false.
We have seen that the Bible as it is, with its seven divisions,
is just what God's people were to have under the reign of
Christ. Yet the Book of Mormon says it is minus the gospel of
Christ. This being true it is minus the power of God; and
hence, minus the light of God. This makes a positive
contradiction between the Bible and the Book of Mormon. If
the one be true the other is false. But the Bible is true.
Therefore the Book of Mormon is false.
Christ said to His disciples: "And you shall know the
truth and the truth shall make you free. ' ' The truth that was
essential to the freedom of the human soul was in the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge that are hid in Christ, and it could
not come from any other source. It is, hence, that Christ could
say: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. " The truth is in
the word that Christ delivered unto the apostles, and that
was by them made known to all nations. Hence said: "Now
26
they have known that all tlyngs whatsoever Thou hast given
me are of Thee. For I have given unto them the words which
Thou gavest Me. "—John 17: 7, 8. To His apostles .the Christ
said: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the
Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things,
and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have
said unto you. " — John 14: 26. Again, "Howbeit when He, the
Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for
He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear,
that shall He speak; and He will show }rou things to come.
He shall glorify me; for He shall receive of mine, and shall
show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine;
therefore said I that He shall take of Mine, and shall shew it
unto you. " — John 16: 13-15. In these Scriptures it is positively
affirmed that all that the Father had for man, in the way of
knowledge in order to eternal, life, was given to the Son, and to
be made known to the apostles, and. the apostles were to make
these things known, and to record them, that they might answer
the purpose of man till the conclusion of time. We submit
the following:
1. The Holy Spirit guided the apostles into all truth.
2. But the Hoi}' Spirit did not guide the apostles into
Mormonism.
3. Therefore, Mormonism is not of the truth,
The statements of Christ that we have quoted from John
authorize the following:
1 . All that is from the Father was given by the Son unto
the apostles.
2. But the Son did not give the Book of Mormon unto His
apostles.
3. Therefore, the Book of Mormon was not from the
Father.
Paul said to Timothy: "From a child thou hast known the
Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. " — 2 Tim. 3: 15.
27
Man does not need anything beyond the knowledge that makes
wise unto salvation. Hence, with the bringing of that
knowledge to man the work of inspiration and revelation was
perfected. The revelation contained in the New Testament
thoroughly supplies that knowledge. It is therefore that the
apostle Peter could say: "According as His divine Power hath
given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through
the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue. ' '
— II. Peter i: 3. These scriptures authorize the following:
1. The revelation of God's will as made known by the
apostles of Jesus Christ contained all things that pertain to life
and godliness.
2. But that revelation did not contain the Book of Mormon.
3. Therefore, the Book of Mormon does not pertain to life
and godliness.
Christ having delivered to the apostles the truth that
involved the glory of God and the eternal destiny of humanity,
promised, in man's behalf, to be with that truth to the end of
the world. He said, "All power is given unto me in heaven
and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded you: And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the
end of the world. " — Matt. 28: 18, 19, 20. This authorizes the
following:
1. Christ is, in man's behalf, with what was delivered by
the apostles.
2. But the Book of Mormon was not delivered by the
apostles.
3. Therefore, Christ is not with the Book of Mormon.
This suggests the following:
1. Any religious production that Christ is not with is a
godless production.
2. But Christ is not with the Book of Mormon.
3. Therefore, the Book of Mormon is a godless production.
To bring man into the freedom of sonship — into the
28
enjoyment of soul liberty, the highest relation and enjoyment
possible on earth, was the purpose for which inspiration and
revelation were vouchsafed to man. When the means that were
necessary to the desired end were placed within the reach of
man, the end for wrhich they were given being reached, there
was no demand for their further continuance. Christ said:
"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free." — John 8: 32. When that truth was brought to man the
purpose of inspiration and revelation was accomplished. Paul
said to the Galatians: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty
wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled
again^with the yoke of bondage. " — Gal. 5: i. This affirms that
the desired liberty was attained through the truth as delivered
by Jesus Christ. Beyond the delivering of that truth to man
there was no demand for the work of inspiration and revelation.
We now give the following:
1 . The purpose for which man wras favored wTith inspiration
and revelation from God being reached, that work was complete.
2. But that purpose was reached through the inspiration
and revelation granted the apostles of Jesus Christ.
3. Therefore, with the apostles of Jesus Christ the work of
inspiration and revelation reached its completeness.
As the will of God given by Christ and recorded in the
Newr Testament, involves His own glory and the eternal
interests^ of man, it is sacredly guarded by the authority of
heaven. We invite attention to the following scriptures: "For
I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy
of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall
add untojiim the plagues that are written in this book; and if
any man shall take away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life,
and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written
in this book." — Rev. 22: 18, 19. Again, "I marvel that ye are
so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of
Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be
29
some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other
gospel unto you than that we have preached unto you, let him
be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any
man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have
received, let him be accursed." — Gal. i: 6-9.
These scriptures authorize the following:
1 . As the inspiration from God, gave through the apostles
of Christ the truth of God, an inspiration that would give
anything different or additional thereto would be from the
infernal regions.
2. But the Book of Mormon is something additional to and
different from what the apostles of Christ gave.
3. Therefore, the Book of Mormon was given by inspiration
from the infernal regions.
The pure gospel of Christ was delivered by the apostles
and recorded in the New Testament. We are assured, however,
that any production giving anything different from or
additional to what the apostles gave would be a perverted
gospel — would be in the sight of God as another gospel. Upon
such, we are assured, the curse of God would rest. These facts
authorize the following:
1. The curse of God rests upon any production that
contains another gospel.
2. But the Book of Mormon contains another gospel.
3. Therefore, the curse of God rests upon the Book of
Mormon.
When a boy, like other bo'ys, we would often have a bow
and arrow, and we always wanted a string that would be secure,
one that would not break. -We would, hence, get a strong line,
then double and twist it. Then we knew that no boy could
break it. We aim to pursue that course with this line of
argument against modern inspirations. We do not piirpose
simply to give a strong line of argument, but we expect to
double and twist it, and thus give a line of argument that will
30
never be broken . Our task is to vindicate the claims of the
Bible, and we expect to do so in a manner that will be
satisfactory to all who can be reached by the force of reasoning.
CHAPTER SIX.
Man as a being has wants beyond those of the mere animal.
The secret of this we find in the fact that man possesses
conscious moral responsibility, something that no mere animal
possesses. Man, is hence, an accountable being. If we enquire
for the extent of man's responsibility, it is just to the extent of
his obligations. We state, but do not purpose to argue the
proposition now, Man is responsible to his Creator. There is
however, but one way for man to meet that responsibility, and
that is by making the will of God his rule of action. Had God,
hence, withheld that will from man he could not justly have
held him responsible, in case he failed to meet that responsibility.
The principle of justice demanded that God's will, in its fullness
and perfection, should be revealed unto man. This being done
man would be left without excuse. It is, hence, that in this
the honor and glory of God, and the eternal interests of
humanity are involved. The Bible containing the perfect will
of God to man, which it does or its claims are false, an effort to
lead man to the adoption of any other production as a rule of
action is only an effort to thrust something between God's will
and man. In so far as man might be led to the adoption of
something thrust between him and God's will he would be led
away from that will, and in so far as man is led away from
that will he is led away from God. An effort, hence, to thrust
something between God's will and man is an effort, virtually,
to thwart the purpose of God and prevent the salvation of man.
This gives the secret of the severe anathemas of God resting
upon any that pervert His will, either by addition, subtraction
or alteration. If man is saved it must be by the grace of God.
Man can never find a substitute for that grace, and God will
never direct his creatures to a substitute for his own true grace.
The apostle Peter writing to the saints of his day said, "By
Sylvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have
written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true
grace of God wherein ye stand. " — I. Pet. 5: 12. If we would
know what the true grace of God is we only need to learn what
the saints of the apostles' day stood in. Paul said: "Moreover,
brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto
you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand, b}^
wrhich also ye are saved." — I. Cor. 15: i, 2.
Peter testifies that the saints of the apostles' day stood in
the true grace of God. Paul testifies that they stood in the
gospel of Christ, as he preached it, as recorded in his epistles.
Peter saw Paul's statement and approved of what he said.
II. Pet. 3:15, 16. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall
everything be established. Therefore, by Peter and Paul we
prove that the gospel of Christ as recorded in the epistles of
Paul is the true grace of God. Paul testifies that grace had
appeared unto all men. Titus 2: n. In proving the above
facts by Peter and Paul we prove the book of Mormon to have
been dictated by a lying spirit, for, as we have seen, that book
testifies that the true gospel of Christ is not contained in the
New Testament.
We give the following:
T. The true grace of God in order to the salvation of man
was made known by the apostles of Christ.
2. But the Book of Mormon was not made known by the
apostles of Christ.
3. Therefore, the Book of Mormon is not of the grace
of God.
Again:
1. Any book claiming inspiration is proven to be a lying
document is the production of a deceiver.
2. But it is proven that the Book of Mormon is a lying
document.
3. Therefore, the Book of Mormon is the production of a
32
deceiver. This places Joseph Smith in his true light, and
shows him to be an imposter.
Some things are impossible with God. As we are told that
it is impossible for God to lie, it is impossible for Him to
sanction a lying document. We have, however proven by
the testimony of Peter and Paul, that the Book of Mormon
is a lying document. Therefore we prove by Peter and Paul
that it is impossible for God to endorse the Book of Mormon.
This proves by the testimony of Almighty God that the
Book of Mormon is a fraud. This shows beyond the
possibility of a doubt that if there was any inspiration at wrork
in producing the Book of Mormon it "was from the infernal
regions. It may be said that wevuse strong language. We
reply, \ve have a severe case, and the demand is for strong
medicine. I want these things to be seen in their true light.
The claims of the Bible are involved. For that man who would
approach me as a pretended friend, but while imparting a kiss
would stab me under the fifth rib, honorable people can have
no respect. When God had established the remedial system,
brought to man his true grace, and provided for His people to
enjoy His fulness, there was no demand for anything farther,
nor could there be, unless there could be a demand for
something beyond the true grace and fulness of God. To the
Ephesians Paul said: "And hath put all things under his feet,
and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." —
Eph. i: 22, 23. The testimony of Peter and Paul being true, a
congregation of believers planted in the gospel of Jesus Christ
as revealed in the New Testament enjoys the fulness of God
and stands in His grace. The work of inspiration and revelation
was in order to bring man to the enjoyment of these. That
done and its work was complete. God said to Paul: "My
grace is sufficient for thee." His grace as provided in Christ,
which is enjoyed by being in the New Testament arrangement
is sufficient for all, otherwise the whole thing is a failure.
33
As in the revelation given in the New Testament we have
the perfection of God, we have in that book, of necessity, the
perfect will of God beyond which revelation could not go. To
the Romans Paul said, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by
the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that
good and acceptable, and perfect will of God." — Rom. 12: i, 2.
In another place that same apostle says: "By the which will
we are all sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all." Heb. 10: 10. That this perfect will is in
the truth into which the Holy Spirit guided the apostles is
affirmed in the following: "Sanctify them through thy truth;
thy word is truth." — John 17: 17.
It would be folly in man to think of limiting the Almighty,
but the Infinite One is limited to and within his own perfections.
Beyond those perfections the Almighty does not go. The
apostle again says speaking of Christ: "In whom also we have
obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the
purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His
own will." — Eph. i: n. Those who obtain this inheritance are
those that were predestinated thereto according to the
foreknowledge of God. If we would know who it was that God
foreordained to this inheritance, Paul tells in the following,
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put
on [been clothed with] Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female;
for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then
are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. "-
Gal. 3: 26-29.
When God made promise to Abraham he had foreordained
that all, whether Jew or Greek, that would obey the gospel of
Christ should be His heirs — should, hence, enjoy His fulness
34
in the Beloved. Therefore Paul says: "And being made
perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them
that obey Him." — Heb. 5: 9.
Nothing short of the perfection of God in Christ could
bring man into the enjoyment of eternal salvation. And just
so certain as that the Bible is true that perfection is in the New
Testament arrangement. To that arrangement, hence, all
heaven is limited. If man, therefore, would be with God he
must be within the limitations of that one arrangement.
God has nothing for man beyond His own perfect will,
neither could he have unless He could have something for man
beyond His own perfection. Neither can He be found, in man's
behalf, out of that will, unless He could be found out of His own
perfection. We submit the following :j
1. Any production be3'ond the perfection of God in Christ,
that claims inspiration, is of the devil.
2. But the Book of Mormon is a production beyond the
perfection of God in Christ, that claims inspiration.
3. Therefore the Book of Mormon is a production from
the devil.
As the perfection of God, in man's behalf is in Christ, He
combines in Himself, in their perfection, the prophetic, the
priestly, and the kingl}- offices. Christ combining in himself,
in their perfection, the prophetic, the priestly, and the kingly
offices, He is the antitype of all former prophets, priests and
kings, that were by the authority of God. In Christ, as the
Messiah of God, the prophetic, the priestly, and the kingly
offices reached their perfection, with Him they cease. As
perfection in these is only found in Christ, and as perfection
cannot be supplemented, Christ can have no successor in any of
these functions. To argue the necessity of a successor to Christ,
in any of these offices, is to argue His deficiency as the Messiah!
The apostle says: "Ix>ve shall never pass away; though
the gift of prophecy, shall vanish, and the gilt of tongues shall
cease, and the gift of knowledge shall come to nought. For
35
our knowledge is imperfect, and our prophesying is imperfect.
But when the fulness of perfection is come, then all that is
imperfect shall pass away." — I. Cor. 13: 8. Conybeare. If
perfection was not reached in Christ we are without a perfect
Savoir. But in Christ we have a perfect Savoir. Therefore in
Him perfection was reached. Previous to the coming of the
great Prophet the representative of God on earth, and the giving
of the perfect will of God through Him, all prophecy and
miraculous impartations of knowledge were imperfect, for none
of them nor all of them together could answer the purpose in
view. They were all preparatory to one great end. The one
great purpose being accomplished, preparatory means were no
longer needed. We submit:
1. When the fulness of perfection in Christ should be
reached prophesying was to cease.
2. But the fulness of perfection in Christ was reached in
the New Testament arrangement.
3. Therefore, with the completion of the New Testament
all prophesying ceased. Again:
1. All pretended prophets since the fulness of perfection
in Christ was reached were imposters.
2. But Joseph Smith was a pretended prophet since the
fulness of perfection in Christ was reached.
3. Therefore Joseph Smith was an imposter.
CHAPTER SEVEN.
We are not controlled in the least by a spirit of vindicative-
ness in what we have to say in these articles. As the claims of
Mormonism, as what has been presented abundantly shows,
antagonize the claims of the Bible, we could not clear ourself in
the sight of God, meet our obligations to truth, nor do justice
to our fellow creatures were we not in earnest. When it comes
to the discussion of issues that involve the glory of God and the
eternal interests of man the fear of man is not before our eyes.
36
We have no party interest to serve, but write wholly in behalf
of truth. We firmly believe the propositions embodied in the
heading of which we write. Believing those propositions we
can have no feeling toward the originators of Mormonism except
one of mingled pity and contempt. It is evident, whatever else
they may have believed, they certainly did not believe in a just
judgment to come. As to the Book of Mormon, its claims place
it on a level with the Koran. If it had no claims but that of a
novel we could think more of it, but then one possessed of
a refined literary taste could not have patience to read- it. Its
uncouth, illiterate, bunglesome manner would place it in the
lowest grade. It gives evidence of being designed as a bait for
the unwary, unthinking, reckless part of humanity. For such
a book to claim to be given by the inspiration of heaven — to
claim superiority over the Bible — to claim, hence, to be the
proper guide for a man, in view of his present and eternal
interests, is enough to make the domons blush and hang their
heads in shame, if there could be blushes and shame in the
infernal regions. But impudence and falsehood are the chief
characteristics of those religions. That such are really the
characteristics of Mormonisn has been, and will be abundantly
shown.
The book of Mormon submits as the basis of its claims as
base a falsehood as it would be possible to utter, namely, that
the New Testament does not contain the gospel of Jesus Christ.
According to the book of Mormon, the people with whom it had
its origin, and who are introduced to us as the especial favorites
of heaven, began their career in lying, deception, robbery and
murder, and ended the same in rapine and cannibalism. Lehi,
the father of the Nephites and Lamanites, we are told was a
Jew, born and raised in the city of Jerusalem, born of "goodly
parents, " and, of course, trained strictly in the righteousness of
the law of Moses. This man, we are assured, was so upright in
life that he was despised by the wicked Jews. Such a man, of
course, carefully taught his children all the precepts of the law.
37
But in a dream he was commanded to leave Jerusalem. Being
obedient he left Jerusalem, he left his inheritance, his gold, his
silver, and his precious things and went three days journey into
the wilderness. There he built an altar and worshipped. But
the Lord now reminded him that he had no copy of the law, nor
family record. It was necessary that he should have these, not
only that they might teach their descendants the law, but also
preserve the language of their forefathers. One Laban, a
prominent man, a drunken, wicked wretch, but, of course, a
member of the church, had Lehi's family record, and the Jewish
Scriptures, engraven on brass plates, and in the language of the
Jewish fathers, that is the Kgyptian language! How the
learned world have been fooled! Laban did not want to give
up his record, and there was, of course, no way by the use of
riches to have them copied. They must have Laban 's records
though he has to be murdered in order to get them. Nephi was
a beardless youth, but he was sufficient for the undertaking.
Starting to Laban 's residence he found the man in a drunken
stupor. With the sword of his victim he decapitated him. The
man being dead he stripped him, and put the clothing on
himself, every whit of them, and so dressed in Laban 's clothes
and armed with his sword he wrent to the residence. He
assuming Laban 's voice gave command. The faithful servant,
as a faithful servant would do, scrutinized him closely. He saw
that it was Laban 's clothes and sword, and of course, he could
not tell the boyish face from the bearded face of his master.
The clothes were not even stained, much less clotted wTith blood!
We are, hence, to understand that Laban 's body was a bloodless
one! They cross the ocean, and in a few days two men and a
few boys built a temple like unto the one that Solomon built,
and some boys of the tribe of Joseph were duly consecrated to
the priesthood according to the laws of Moses. Wonderful
people, and wonderful respect for the law of Moses. They that
credit such as being from heaven need not talk about the
credulity of any religious people under the sun.
38
With this digression we now return to our line of thought.
The claims of Mormonism must all rest upon the claims of
Joseph Smith as a prophet of God. If Smith was an inspired
man of God Mormonism is true. Upon the other hand, if Smith
was an imposter Mormonism is false. As we have seen, the
claims of the Bible are involved; for if Smith was a true prophet
Jesus Christ was not. This is putting the matter in strong
terms, and gives us the whole issue in a nutshell.
I know that Mormonism claims to honor Christ. But,
whilst it would embrace with its left hand, and give the
professed kiss of affection, with the right hand the concealed
dagger would be used, and it would give the fatal stab under
the fifth rib. We are told in the New Testament that Jesus said
that Paul was His chosen vessel (messenger) to the Gentile
world; In His chosen ministry Christ claimed to execute the •
will of God. If, therefore, Paul was a false prophet he was an
imposter. This being so, Christ was not the true Messiah, and
as a consequence the New Testament is a fraud. But, as we
have seen, Paul testified that prophecies w^ould cease when
perfection in Christ should be reached. With the completion
of the arrangement in Christ, and the giving of the perfect will
of God as revealed in the New Testament, perfection for the
people of God wras reached, otherwise Paul was a false prophet.
Paul was, however, a true prophet. Therefore, with the
completion of the New Testament perfection was reached, and
with the completion of that book all miraculous endowments
ceased.
We now invite attention to the following: "And God hath
set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets,
thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps,
governments, diversities of tongues." — I. Cor. 12-: 28. Of this
ministry and its specific purpose, Paul speaks more fully in the
Ephesian epistle. There he says that after Christ had ascended
upon high He gave certain gifts. He says: "And He gave
some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and
39
some pastors and teachers. " These were given for a specific
purpose, and for a specified time. They were given, hence,
"For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ. " Thus we are told the
purpose for which the MINISTRY that Christ established in His
church was given. To this MINISTRY belonged certain gifts,
essential to their work. Paul says: "For to one is given by
the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge
by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to
another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to
another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues;
to another the interpretation of tongues." These gifts, belt
remembered, belonged to the New Testament ministry. That
the apostles constituted that ministry is affirmed in the following:
"And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for
that He counted me worthy, putting me into the ministry."
Christ put Paul into the apostleship. Therefore, ministry and
apostleship were, by inspiration, interchangeable terms. The
seven deacons were chosen that the apostles might give
themselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the word.
As helps in this ministry the Lord gave prophets, evangelists,
pastors and teachers. The miraculous endowments belonged to
this ministry. So long, hence, as this ministry continued
miracles continued. If this ministry was to be perpetual,
miracles would necessarily be perpetual. If however, this
ministry was for a specified time, then it would cease and
miracles would disappear. If we ask for the purpose of these
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, Paul says:
"For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ. " If we ask, How long
was this special ministry to continue? Paul says: "Till we all
come in (into) the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the
stature of the fulness of Christ." See Eph. 4: 8-13.
40
The work of the apostolic ministry was to prepare for all to
have the one faith — to possess the necessary knowledge in order
to eternal life — to come, hence, to the manhood in Christ.
Coming to this, perfection in Christ would be reached. With
this the work of that special ministry was done and would be
no longer called for. With the cessation of this ministry
miracles were to cease. If the apostolic ministry did not
accomplish the purpose for which it was given it was a failure.
This being the case the New Testament is not true. The New
Testament, however, is true; the apostolic ministry accomplished
the work for which it wras given, and as a consequence there
has not been a MINISTRY as a special class, in the church of
Christ since the apostles' day. There being no demand for a
special ministry in the church of Christ since the apostles' day
there has been no call for miracle working power. No miracle
working power, hence, has been given since the apostolic
ministry completed its work. As that ministry perfected the
work for which it was given, and as perfection cannot be
supplemented there was none appointed to take the place of
those that constituted that ministry. They had no successors.
The apostles wrere witnesses for Jesus Christ. One to be
such must be a man that had seen Jesus Christ after His
resurrection. Paul says that he was the last of all to be blessed
with that privilege; the last, hence, to be placed in that ministry.
All modern orders of ministry are humanly constituted, and as
God never authorized them he has no special favors for them.
CHAPTER EIGHT.
The apostolic ministry being God's especial ministry,
established for the specific purpose of delivering the faith for
the people of God- no one could have any part in that ministry
only such as were specially called of God for that purpose. I
could as easily credit the claims of all the Mormon factions to
miracle working power as I could the claims of the various
sectarian parties of the present time, that God specially calls
men to their MINISTRIES.
The New Testament ministry was an inspired ministry,
and to it, of necessity, belonged th^ miracle working power.
The Holy Spirit was not only with them as the Spirit of
inspiration, but also as the Spirit of confirmation.
Inspiration was ever for the purpose of giving the counsel of
God to man. It was not only necessary for that counsel to be
revealed, but highly essential that it be confirmed. The
inspired messengers of heaven, hence, were always prepared to
demonstrate the truthfulness of their message by miraculous
attestation. Thus Paul could say: "And my speech and my
preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power; that your faith should
not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. "-
I. Cor. 2: 4, 5.
We are here told the purpose of all miracle working power.
It was to demonstrate the source and truthfulness of the
heavenly message. The faith of God's people resting in the
word thus confirmed rests in the power of God. Man's faith
resting in anything else it rests in the mechanism of men and
demons. Of the apostles it is said: "And they went forth and
preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and
confirming the word with signs following." — Mark 16: 20. Not
a man since the apostles' day could say as Paul said to the
Corinthians, neither can it be said of any set of men since that
day as was said of the apostles in Mark 16: 20. It would have
been ridiculous, in the extreme, for an apostle to have gone to
Asia, Africa or Europe, and, as proof of what he preached, told
the people that a certain miracle was wrought in Tudea, and one
in Samaria. The ridiculousness of these modern pretenders to
apostolic power beggars description! They are false apostles,
deceitful workers. We need not be surprised that such are at
work, for Satan, we are told, is transformed into an angel of
light. If we could get all these modern pretenders to miracle
42
working power together they could not give a demonstration of
a single genuine miracle, if it was to save them from the infernal
regions. Some time back I was in a neighborhood where Smith
and his associates spent considerable time. An elderly gentleman
whose word was at par with all that knew him, told me of his
associations with Smith. Upon a certain occasion Smith was
to preach, and there was to be an exhibition of their power to
speak with tongues. Although Smith was out of humor on
account of some things that had occurred in the neighborhood,
he preached, but language he used I would not dare give. It
could only be relished by the vulgar in the lowest circles.
After the sermon Smith and other leading ones stood up before
the crowd to show their gift of tongues. As their utterances
were not rapid, a gentleman present wrote them, so as to
examine them afterwards, and it was shown that the}' had
repeated a certain chapter in the book of Genesis backwards!
That gentleman did not need inspiration in order to interpret
their tongues! Neither does any thinking man need inspiration in
order to tell from what source the inspiration of Smith & Co.
came. My informant was not in sympathy with what I taught.
There was, however, a company there that believed in Smith.
Among the questions that wrere given us to answer during our
series of meetings there, was the following: "Do the signs
mentioned in the latter part of the eixteenth chapter of Mark
follow today?" My reply was: "It is not necessary for me to
answer that question, for my answer would not, doubtless be
satisfactory to those who propounded the question. You can
settle that question. It will not cost you much to do so. Just
get all in the Mormon family that claim miraculous power
together, set them a dinner, and give each a dose of "Rough on
Rats," and if it don't hurt them you ma}* know that those
signs follow, but if the dose hurts them you will know that they
don't follow. I can give you my opinion and it is just what
you are doubtful it would be. You would have an entire new
set of officials to select. The apostles of Christ were poison
43
proof, and if your officials are what they claim to be they are
poison proof. If they are imposters the people ought to know
it.
Regarding the purpose of miracles the following is pointed:
f'And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His
disciples which are not written in this book; but these are written
that ye might believe." — John 20: 30, 3.1. This affirms that
miracles were for the purpose of confirming the testimony of God.
This being done the purpose for which they were granted was
accomplished, and they ceased. We now invite attention to the
following: "For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast,
and everj* transgression and disobedience received a just
recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great
salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord,
and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him; God also
bearing them witness, both by signs and wonders, and with
divers miraqles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His
own will. — Heb. 2: 2, 3, 4.
If language can settle any point, this settles the purpose of
all signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost that
were granted the New Testament ministry. They were for the
purpose of confirming unto the people of God the word that
was spoken by the Lord. With the full revelation of that word
God pronounced His work in order to man's redemption perfect.
With the reaching cf that perfection Paul affirmed that miracles
w'ould cease. I. Cor. 13: 8— n. In the Ephesian epistle it
affirmed that writh the delivering of the one faith the church
would reach its manhood. We give the following:
1 . When the church reached its manhood in Christ all
miraculous endowments were to cease.
2. But the church reached its manhood with the perfection
of the revelation through Christ.
3. Therefore, with the perfection of the revelation through
Christ all miraculous endowment ceased.
This authorizes the following:
44
1. All miraculous endowments were to cease with the
perfection of the revelation through Christ.
2. But the perfection of the revelation through Christ was
reached with the ministry of the apostles of Christ.
3. Therefore since the ministry of the apostles of Christ
no miraculous endowments have been granted.
If any man undertakes a wrork and in that work reaches
his own ideal, unless convinced of a mistake, and that an
improvement can be made by an addition, subtraction or
alteration at some point, he will not make any change in that
work. That the Almight3', in the development as revealed in
the New Testament, reached His own ideal in order to man 's
redemption is just so certain as that there is meaning in the
language He used. "All Scripture is given by the inspiration
of Gcd, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be
perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." — II. Tim.
3: 16, 17. Paul's "All Scripture" includes the Old and New
Testament, no more, no less. Here we have perfection affirmed
in point of revelation. Of the one institution of God, the
church, the same apostle says: "And hath put all things under
His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the
church, which is His body, the fulness of Him that nlleth all
in all." — Eph. i: 22, 23. Again, "Unto me, who am less than
the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach
among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to
make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which
from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who
created all things by Jesus Christ; to the intent that nowr unto
the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known
by the church the manifold wisdom of God." — Eph. 3: 8, 9, TO.
In these Scriptures it is affirmed that in the Bible we have
perfection in revelation, and in the gospel as recorded in the
New Testament we have the revelation of the unsearchable
riches of Christ, that in the NewT Testament institution we have
45
the fulness of God and the manifold wisdom of God. In the
one institution of the New Testament and the revelation
contained in the Bible, we have God's ideal in order to man's
redemption. Did God make a mistake? Has anyone
convinced Him of an error? If not He has given no additional
revelation or made any change in His institution either by
addition, subtraction or alteration.
1. God had nothing for man beyond his own perfection.
2. But the perfection of God is embodied ' in what is
revealed in the Bible.
3. Therefore, beyond what is revealed in the Bible God
had nothing for man.
It is strange, remarkably strange, that man should seek
anything beyond the perfection of the Almighty!
1. Any production beyond the perfection of God that
claims inspiration is a fraud.
2. But the Book of Mormon is a production beyond the
perfection of God that claims inspiration.
3. Therefore, the Book of Mormon is a fraud.
There is no security nor favor for any creature outside of
the truth of God. If all the creatures of God had abode in His
truth there would have been no rebellion in the universe, and
sin would not have been known. But Satan left the truth of
God and became the author of sin.
The Savior gave to man the truth that was essential in
order to the freedom of the human soul, essential to the
sanctification and preparation of man for the association of his
Creator. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that truth was
delivered by the apostles of Christ. Within that truth man is
in the light of God. So thorough and complete are God's
arrangements in that truth there is no demand for the
revelation of a single idea, on any point, since the completion
of the apostles' work.
46
CHAPTER NINE.
As we have seen, the Divine arrangements are that our
faith should rest in the power of God, by resting in the word
that the apostles delivered. If it should rest in anything else
it cannot rest in God's power. God has arranged for His
people to have the strongest consolation possible. The promise
to Abraham, "In thee shall all the families of the earth be
blessed, " is the foundation promise in the gospel of Christ.
\Ve are told that, in order to our having a strong consolation,
God confirmed that promise with an oath, thus giving His
promise upon oath. The apostle says: "For God, when he
made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no
greater, swear by himself, saying, "Verily blessing, I will bless
thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee;" and so, having
steadfast!}- endured, he obtained the promise. For men, indeed,
swear by the greater; and their oath establisheth their word, so
that they cannot gainsay it. Therefore God, willing more
abundantly to show unto the heirs of the promise the
immutability of His counsel, set an oath between Himself and
them; that by two immutable things, wherein it is impossible
for God to lie, we that have fled [to Him] for refuge might have
a strong encouragement to hold fast the hope set before us." —
Heb. 6: 13-18. Conybeare. The Christian resting his faith in
the word delivered by the apostles, and confirmed, as recorded
in the New Testament rests in the power of God, and has as his
surety the two immutable things, the promise and oath of God.
His promise should be sufficient, but in our behalf He backed
His promise by His oath, that our consolation might be doubly
strong. HOWT strange it is that people claim to have faith in
God, but refuse to take His testimony on oath! How the
warnings of God, though given in Infinite mercy, are unheeded! !
The first Christians, we are assured, continued steadfastly in
47
the apostles' doctrine. Acts 2: 42. Through John the Lord
says to His people: Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not
in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the
doctrine of Christ, hath both the Father and the Son. If there
come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him
not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that
biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. " II. John
9-11. That doctrine being designed for God's people till the
end of the world, since it was delivered by heaven's chosen
ministry, the apostles of Christ, not a single revelation has been
granted to man, and not a miracle has been wrought by the
authority of heaven. That God never granted a miracle in
attestation of any other doctrine is just so certain as that
the Bible is true. And that He never granted a revelation of
acceptance to anyone who refused to rely on His testimony is
just as certain as that the Bible is true. We give the following:
1 . The doctrine for the people of God is recorded in the
New Testament, and God warns them against the reception of
any other doctrine.
2. But the Mormon doctrine not being recorded in the
New Testament it is another doctrine.
3. Therefore, God warns His people against the reception
of the Mormon doctrine.
That some have, and may yet receive an inspiration; and
that apparitions, signs and wonders have been, and may yet be,
will not be denied. But that these, any of them, are by the
authority of heaven is positively denied. But, upon the other
hand, that they are all by the working of his Satanic Majesty's
power, in so far as there is anything beyond an epileptic
affection or an excited imagination, we positively affirm. We
invite attention to the following scriptures. "And then shall
that Wicked be revealed, whom Ithe Lord shall consume with
the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of
His coming; even him whose coming is after the working of
Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all
48
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because
they receive not the love of the truth [the apostles ' doctrine] ,
that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send
them strong delusion; that they should believe a lie; that the}'
all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had
pleasure in unrighteousness." — II. Thess. 2: 8-12. Again, 4'For
there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and show
great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible,
they shall deceive the very elect. " — Matt. 24: 24. Once more,
"And the beast was taken and with him the false prophet that
wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that
had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped
his image." — Rev. 19: 20.
Is it to be wondered at that after God had done so much for
man, when he will not accept his Creator's counsel, will not
rely upon His testimony though backed by His oath, but
prefers his own imaginations to the testimony of God, that
delusions from the infernal regions should be permitted to come
upon him? That Joseph Smith's commission, if he had any,
was from beneath is just as certain as that the Bible is true.
By virtue of his commission, we are told; he was to restore the
TRUE priesthood. Well, what was done to accomplish this?
John the Baptist came down from heaven to ordain Joseph
Smith and Oliver Cowdery to the true priesthood! What
priesthood? The Aaronic! So, the Baptist laying his hands
upon them said, "Upon you, my fellow-servants, in the name
of the Messiah, I confer upon you the priesthood of Aaron.'
Such unblushing impudence and downright lying might be
equaled by the devil, but could not be surpassed. God had a
controversy, through Moses, with some of his ancient people
upon one question, namely, Was the Aaronic priesthood to be
limited to the tribe of Levi, and to the f amity of Aaron? The
Almighty thought that by the sinking into the pit the company
of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, the destruction of the fourteen
thousand, and the budding of Aaron's rod the controversy was
49
settled. See Numbers sixteenth and seventeenth chapters.
Such angels, however, as visited the prophet of Mormonism
could readily show the mistakes of the God of the Bible!
The author of the Hebrew epistle, governed in his
utterances by the inspiration that was from the God of the
Bible, gives us to understand that the tabernacle established by
Moses was, in its priesthood, its furniture, and its service,
shadowy, hence, temporal, and, as a consequence, to be
abolished in order to the establishing of the new, the perfect
tabernacle, the true priesthood, and the spiritual service in
Christ. But, it is said, "Authors differ."
The truthfulness of this is shown by the Bible and the
Book of Mormon; for their authors contradict each other, from
beginning to end. While Christ was on earth we are told, Heb.
8: 4, He could not be a priest, for He was of the tribe of Judah.
Heb. 7: 13, 14. The law was abrogated, the shadowy priesthood
was abolished and the true priesthood was established. Christ
was made priest, "Not after the law of a carnal commandment,
but after the power of an endless life. " The shadowy being
abolished Christ was consecrated priest by the oath of God.
Thus, the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity
a change also of the law." Heb. 7: 12. The Aaronic, the
temporal, was abolished, the true and everlasting was
established. No, gentle reader, Christ the Son of God, because
He was of the tribe of judah, could not be admitted to the
Aaronic priesthood. But these uncircumcised Gentiles, Joseph
and Oliver, by an angel from heaven, were ordained to that
priesthood? ! Can any sane man really believe such stuff ?
Those who officiated in the Aaronic priesthood were confined in
their minisirations to the tabernacle service, and beyond that
they had no rights nor privileges. Of the Christians it is said,
"We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which
serve the tabernacle." Heb. 13: 10. Those who were clinging
to the Aaronic priesthood when the Hebrew epistle was written,
though according to the law of that priesthood they were in
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their legitimate service, could not, by virtue of that fact, have
any right to the altar in Christ. Why should a professed
Christian seek an interest in a priesthood that would debar him
from the privileges of a child of God? ! It is positively certain
that the angel of Mormonisrn was characterized by woeful
ignorance or fearful dishonesty. The Aaron ic priesthood
having answered its purpose it was abolished by Jesus Christ,
and to ignore that fact by seeking to perpetuate that office is to
ignore the positive authority of God.
The next step, however, in order to RESTORING priesthood
Peter, James and John appeared in order to ordain these same
fellows to the Melchizedec priesthood ! ! Heaven did not
know that such a wonderful person as Joseph Smith was to
appear in the Latter days, who would bring to bear an
inspiration superior to that by which the ministry of Christ
spake and wrote ? ! There are several facts that show the
statement of Mormon inspiration regarding the ordination of
Joseph and Oliver by Peter, James and John to be an
unmitigated falsehood! Peter gave his unqualified endorsement
of Paul as an inspired writer. Feeling assured that the
endorsement has never been withdrawn, we cite the following:
"For this Melchizedec, King of Salem, priest of the most high
God, ' who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the
kings, and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a 'tenth
part of all, '—who is first by interpretation, KING OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS, and secondly King of Salem, which is
KING OF PEACE — without father, without mother, without
table of descent — having neither beginning of days nor end of
life, but made like unto the Son of God — remaineth a priest
forever." — Heb. 7: 1-3. Conybeare. Here is a priest, not of
the typical order, but of the anti-typical. As a priest he was
made like unto the Son of God. Our comments, however, upon
this language of Paul must be reserved for the next chapter.
CHAPTER TEN.
Reverting to the quotation from the fore part of the seventh
chapter of Hebrews, we need to remember that in the language
of the apostle, in the third verse, he has reference solely to the
priesthood of Melchizedec. In his priesthood, hence,
Melchizedec was without pedigree, without table of descent.
Therefore, in his priesthood he had neither predecessor nor
successor — none in that priesthood before him, and none to
succeed him — with him it began, and with him it ended. He
was to his people, king, judge, leader and legislator. Being a
righteous man he reigned in peace, and in behalf of his people
he officiated as ths priest of God. Thus in him were combined
the priestly and the kingly functions. None before him did
this, and none after him did it, till the Son of God, the son of
man, having officiated as the prophet of Israel, became the
victim in order to man's redemption, and ascending to heaven
with the blood of atonement was consecrated priest by the oath
of God, and being seated on the right hand of the majesty in
the heavens he is a priest upon his throne. Zech. 6: 13.
None could be a priest after the order of Melchizedec unless he
was a king, and combined in himself the functions of a ruler
and judge of his people, as did Melchizedec, and the Son of
God now does. For such as Smith and Cowdery to claim to be
made priests like unto the Son of God is enough to make the
demons blush, if there could be blushes in hell ! Let us
remember the affirmation of Paul, that Melchizedec, in his
priesthood was without pedigree — neither predecessor nor
successor, and then read the following extract from a
"REVELATION ON PRIESTHOOD,"
"A REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST UNTO
JOSEPH SMITH."
' 'And the sons of Moses according to the holy priesthood
which he received under the hand of his father-in-law, Jethro;
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and Jethro received it under the hand of Elihu; and Elihu
received it under the hand of Jeremy; and Jeremy received it
under the hand of Gad; and Gad received it under the hand of
Esaias, and Esaias received it under the hand of God. Esaias
lived in the days of Abraham and was blessed of him — which
Abraham received the priesthood from Melchizedec, who
received it through the lineage of his fathers, even till Noah;
and from Noah till Enoch through the lineage of their fathers;
and from Enoch to Abel, who was slain by the conspiracy of
his brother who received the priesthood by the commandment
of God, by the hand of his father Adam, who was the first man
— which priesthood continueth in the church of God in all
generations, and is without beginning of days or end of years. ' '
Doctrine and Covenants, Pages 223, 224. Wonderful revelation!
Truly, Mormon inspiration is a wofully ignorant something, or
a miserably lying something? Poor old Paul! He knew
nothing about priesthood? ! Look at the chronology in this
modern revelation. Caleb had been dead 281 years when he
was ordained by Elihu, and Elijah had been dead 542 years
when he was ordained by Jeremy and Gad ordained Jeremy 1120
years before the latter was born. Gad had been dead 989 years
when he was ordained by Esaias, and Esaias was contemporary
with Abraham and Melchizedec !
When we remember that ordination in Mormon theology is
by the imposition of hands we can readily see the ridiculousness
of this pretended revelation. Melchizedec could ordain
Abraham, but neither of them, nor the two together could
ordain Esaias ! God had to come and do that ! We invite
attention to Rev. 6: 9-11. "And when he had opened the fifth
seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for
the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And
they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy
and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them
that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto
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every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should
rest yet a little season, until their fellow servants also and their
brethren that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. "
Here in the fifth period of the time covered in the
apocalyptic vision John saw the souls of those that were slain
for the testimony of Jesus. The apostles were certainly among
the number that were slain for that testimony. In the fifth
period of the gospel dispensation the period preceding the
present, the apostles were in the state of death. The book of
Revelations, we are assured, gives in symbol and prophecy a
history of the church of Christ from the commencement of his
reign to the conclusion — a history, hence, when John wrote, of
things past, things present, and things to come. Seven is a
perfect number, and includes the whole. Therefore, the seven
trumpets, the seven seals, and the seven vials give the complete
history of God's people under Christ. We live, evidently, in
the sixth vial area, answering to the sixth seal, and the sixth
trumpet. The seventh will give the consummation. Remember-
ing that, in the division preceding this the apostles were in the
vStateof death, we call attention to the following: "I must work
the works of Him that sent me, while it* is day; the night cometh,
when no man can work." — John 9: 4. That the Lord here
refers to the night of death no one that is informed will question.
Mormonism says the apostles are angels in heaven working
as messengers in Christ's kingdom, but Christ says they are in
the state of death, during which state they can do no work.
That the apostles will attain to the angelic state is a fact.
When will they attain that state? "Ye do err, not knowing the
scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they
neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels
of God in heaven. " — Matt. 22: 29, 30. Not until after the
second coming of Christ will the aposjtles be angels^ Jn_heaven,.
Angels always behold the face of the Father in heaven. ' 'Take
heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto
you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of
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my Father which is in heaven," Matt. 18: 10. When do you
expect to see that face, John? "But we know that, when He
shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He
is. " — I. John 3: 2. John is not going to be an angel in heaven
till after Christ's second appearing. When will you attain
to that, Paul? "That I may know Him and the power of His
resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made
comfortable unto His death; if by any means I might attain
unto the resurrection of the dead." — Phil. 3: 10, n. The
apostles cannot be ministering angels till after Christ's second
appearing. Thus it is shown that Mormonism is founded upon
a falsehood, in every point!
As we have seen, in the apostles' doctrine, we
have the fulness of the doctrine of Christ; in it, hence
we have the Father and the Son. It is, therefore, that
in the apostles' doctrine we have the faith for the people of
God. Jude says; "Beloved, when I give all diligence to write
unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to
write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly
contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. "
What words will we need to keep in memory in contending for
the faith? "But, beloved, remember ye the words which were
spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ." vs. 17.
As the faith for the people of God gives the true knowledge of
God it could only be delivered by the Son. Paul .says: "God,
who at sundry times and divers manners spake in times past
unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken
unto us by His Son." — Heb. i: i, 2. "These last days" include
the days of this dispensation. Be it understood, therefore, that
there are no communications from God in this dispensation
except what we have through the Son — no divers manner of
communication in this dispensation. Such were pecular to
former times, times when God spake to man by prophets. The
typical age was a prophetic one, but this is the anti-typical age,
in which God speaks only by His Son. The prophets, hence,
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through Elijah as their representative, surrendered their
commission at the feet of Jesus. Since, hence, that inspired
class of prophets that the Lord gave as helps to the apostles in
their ministry passed away, there has not been a prophet of the
Lord. Therefore, as Paul declares, God does not in this
dispensation, speak in divers manners. As Christ gave, through
the inspired ministry of.the New Testament, the perfect will of
God, it is by the words that he has spoken that all are to be
judged at the last day. "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth
not my words, hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have
spoken, the same shall judge him at the last day. " — John 12: 48.
God having given His perfect will through Christ, revelation
from Him closed with the completion of the New Testament,
and, as a consequence, miracles being for the purpose of
demonstrating and confirming his revelations, since the passing
away of the inspired ministry of the New Testament there has
not been a miracle nor vision from heaven. God having done
all things possible for His people; for, as we have seen, He is
limited within His own perfections, giving them His perfect
will, thoroughly demonstrated to be such, and giving them a
perfect institution that embodies his own fulness, assuring all
that it was an exhibition of His own manifold wisdom;
perfecting and thoroughly furnishing His people for the mission,
to which they were called, pledging himself upon oath for the
present and eternal salvation of all who would accept of His
arrangement and be faithful to His will, as a matter of justice
permits a delusion to come upon all who persist in impeaching
His wisdom and honor. Hence the strong delusion and power
of which we read in Thessalonians and Revelations. There-
fore, if there be anything in the way of miraculous power, at the
present, or has been in the past, since the completion of the
work of the New Testament ministry, it has been by Satanic
power, and for the purpose of deception. If there be anything
in the visions and apparations of today, or in the past, since
the close of apostolic ministry, beyond a heated imagination, an
56
epileptic affection, or animal magnetism, it is the working of
Satanic power. People see, or imagine that they see visions in
the air. Some see one kind, some another. All, however,
should remember that Satan is the prince of the power of the
air. In times past, when angelic visits, visions and revelations
were vouchsafed to the servants of God there was no mistaking
as to where they were from. And, we may safely say, God
guarded His servants against deception in those matters. God
having stated that miracles and prophecies would cease with
the perfection of the New Testament, and that divers manners
of communications would not be in this dispensation, but that
what he had for man was spoken by His Son, and having
pledged Himself upon oath to be with what His Son delivered
gives us to understand, if people would heed His word, as to the
source of all visions of modern times. All such, not only
positively contradict God's word, but would make the Almighty
One a perjured being ! A proper respect for the utterances of
God demands respect for His silence, and if any are destitute of
the required reverence they are liable to the delusions of Satan 's
working.
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CHAPTER ELEVEN.
When the worlds and systems of worlds were made there
was perfection. There were no planets out of place nor out of
shape. God did not have to go over His work and make
improvements by additions, subtractions or alterations. The
smallest planet was just right, in its right place, and the
movements in all the parts exhibited perfection. When this
earth was peopled with living creatures and man appeared as lord
of creation, no creature could point to a single mistake, but on the
other hand God pronounced all very good. When Moses had
erected the tabernacle according to the pattern that God gave
there did not need to be patches here and there. No Israelite
could suggest an addition at any point, as an expedient, but
for the purpose in view the building was perfect. The Infinite
Being Uas never made a mistake, neither can He go in anything
beyond His own perfections. The institution and the revelation
given through Christ being the embodiment of the perfection of
God there could be no addition to either unless there could be
demands, in view of man's spiritual welfare, beyond God's
perfection. Such could not be. Therefore, since the completion
of the New Testament there has been no revelation from God to
man. In view of man's eternal interest he must be found
within the perfection of God. "But whoso looketh into the
perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a
forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be
blessed in his deed." — Jas. i: 25. There is nothing clearer than
the fact that Christ represents His teaching as an embodiment
of perfection — the culmination of all inspiration and revelation
from God, and that the eternal interests of all depend upon its
reception. Christ says, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth
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not my words, hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have
spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. " — John 12: 48.
But, tell me, gentle reader, what would you think of a
teacher that would appeal to you, and, in view of your eternal
interest, present a system of doctrine, induce you to
believe that your salvation here and hereafter depended upon
your receiving and abiding in that doctrine; and further, to
believe that the anathemas of heaven would rest upon you if
you received any other doctrine, then, after having you
confirmed in such belief, make sport of and ridicule you because
of your credulity? Just such a teacher Jesus of Nazareth is, if
the Book of Mormon be true ! ! The Book of Mormon represents
the Lord as pleading in behalf of that book in the following
language: "And my words shall hiss forth unto the ends of
the earth, for a standard unto my people, which are of the
house of Israel. And because my words shall hiss forth, many
of the Gentiles shall say, A bible, a bible, we have got a bible,
and there can not be any more bible. But thus saith the Lord
God: O fools they shall have a bible; and it shall proceed forth
from the Jews, mine ancient covenant people. And what thank
they the Jews for the bible which they receive from them ? Yea,
what do the Gentiles mean? Do they remember the travels
and the labors and the pains of the Jews, and their diligence unto
me in bringing forth salvation unto the Gentiles? O ye Gentiles
have ye remembered the Jews, mine ancient covenant people?
Nay; but ye have cursed them, and have hated them, and have
not sought to recover them. But behold, I wrill return all these
things upon your own heads; for I, the Lord hath not forgotten
my people. Thou fool, that shall say, A bible, we have got a
bible, and we need no more bible." — B^-Qf_M. 93: 31-40. In
order to get the real gist of this pitiful, special pleading, one
would need to substitute the term gospel for the term bible in
the above. It did not take much inspiration to foresee that
people would argue the sufficiency of the gospel of Jesus Christ,
in opposition to the claims of the Book of Mormon. As we have
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seen, however, the New Testament contains the fulness of the
gospel of Christ, and by the authority of Christ God's people
are commanded to contend just as the auther of the Book of
Mormon anticipated. If a people are a set of fools for pursuing
a certain course, the teacher who would direct them in such a
course would be a fool, worse than a fool. But Christ in
directing his people to contend for the sufficiency of His gospel
directs them in a course that none but fools would go ! !
Therefore, Christ is a fool, or worse than a fool. Such is the
logic of the Book of Mormon. This demonstrates one fact,
namely, the spirit by which the author of that book was inspired
wras a lying blasphemous spirit !
We now submit the following emphasized proposition.
GOD DOES NOT FURNISH LIGHT OR LIFE TO ANY
OBJECT, EITHER IN THE SPIRITUAL OR MATERIAL
UNIVERSE EXCEPT THROUGH MEDIATION. It is a
scientific fact that electricity is the source of light and heat, the
medium, hence, of life to all objects in the material universe,
whether animate or inanimate. God is the fountain of life and
light. Through the arrangements of God the necessary light
and heat, in order to animal and vegetable life are distributed.
While the universe of worlds constitute one grand system, there
are millions of systems of worlds, each having a common center
upon which all the members of the system are dependent.
These centers are the mediums through which the light and
heat, essential to each member are distributed. The sun is the
common center of this planetary system. It is what astronomers
call a luminous body. The planets, of which our earth is one,
are opaque bodies, having no light within themselves, but are
dependent upon the one luminous body for their light. Our sun
is, hence, in the light of a mediator between the members of its
system and the center of the universe. That man or set of men
who would think of bringing the light and heat essential to animal
and vegetable life direct from the seat of the universe
independent of the sun would be by all intelligent people,
considered insane, or, if possible, worse.
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As we have learned, Christ is the Alpha and Omega in the
spirit realm. It is, hence, that he could say: "I am the way,
the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by
me. ' ' As there is no approach unto the Father but through
the Son, there can be no blessings from the Father except they
come through the Son. The secret of this is given in the
statement of Paul: "For there is one God, and one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." — I. Tim. 2: 5.
Christ being the one mediator, through whom man must be
reconciled to God, he could truthfully say: "All power is given
unto me in heaven and in earth." There is no power that
can effect reconciliation outside of the mediation of Christ. In
order to man 's reconciliation God 's arrangements are as fixed and
sure as the throne of the universe.
The great difficulty has ever been for man to realize and
appreciate the importance of Christ's mediatorship. While the
arrangement in Christ has ever been a stumbling block to the
legalistic Jew and foolishness to the Grecian mind it is an
exhibition of the power and the wisdom of God. God cannot
be found out of His own wisdom and power. He cannot,
therefore, neither in behalf of the alien nor the saint, be
approached except through the mediation of Christ. The
approach of the alien in order to reconciliation to God, and
the devotions of the saint in order to the approval of God must
be governed by the authority of Christ. In order to this all
must be governed by the instructions of the apostles. As we
have seen, it would be evil in the sight of God for His professed
people to bid any God speed that would come to them with any
thing except the apostles' doctrine. See II. John 6-12. God,
in order to the redemption of man, is in Christ, and in order to
the end in view the apostles were commissioned as the
ambassadors of Christ to the human family. To them, hence,
was committed the word of reconciliation. II. Cor. 5: 18, 19.
That word being delivered by the inspiration of God, and
confirmed by miraculous attestation, to it God and Christ are
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pledged for all time. Matt. 28: 20. It • is, hence, that John
could say: "He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath
both the Father and the Son. " That word was from the Father,
by the Son to the apostles. John 17: 8.
Christ said to His apostles: "He that heareth you heareth
Me; and he that despiseth you despiseth Me; and he that
despiseth Me despiseth Him that sent Me." — Luke 10: 16. If
we ask, For how long a time shall this be? The answer is:
"Unto the end of the world." The word embodying the will
of God upon the subject of the reconciliation of the alien was to
be first proclaimed in Jerusalem. See Isaiah 2: 2, 3. Micah 4.
1,2. As it had been so prophesied when Christ gave the great
commission to the apostles he commanded them to tarry in
Jerusalem till they were endued with the necessary power.
That the word spoken of by Isaiah and Micah embodied the
will of God upon the subject of remission of sins is shown by
the following: "Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ
to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; and that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His
name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem." Luke 24: 46,
47. Upon this word the Father and Son depend to accomplish
the desired end. Through Isaiah the Lord said: For as the
rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and return eth not
thither, but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and
bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater;
So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth; it shall
not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I
please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. ' '-
Isa. 55: 10, ii. Whatsoever it was God's will to accomplish by
words of inspiration was to be accomplished by the word delivered
by His Son. God had no pleasure beyond the purpose to be
accomplished in His Son. Therefore He had no words for man
beyond what was delivered by His Son. All other words tend
to lead away from the counsel of God. Concerning the salvation
to be enjoyed here, it is said of Christ: "Though He were a
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Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered;
and being made perfect, He became the author of eternal
salvation unto all them that obey Him. " — Heb. 5: 8, 9. As the
obedience required in the proclamation that began at Jerusalem
is an obedience to the Son and brings into reconciliation with
God in Christ, it is the only way whereby the alien can
approach God through Christ. An effort, hence, on the part of
an alien to approach God in any other way, is an effort to
approach Him independent of the mediation of Christ. The
apostles, hence, were commissioned to bear that word to the
nations in order to the one end. To the Roman brethren Paul
wrote as follows: "By whom, " that is, by Christ, "we have
received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among
all nations, for His name." — Rom. i: 5. Again, "Now to Him
that is of power to establish you according to My gospel, and
the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the
mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now
is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets,
according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made
known to all nations for the obedience of faith." — IB. 16: 25; 26.
This obedience is an obedience to the conditions stated in the
commission. In order to this obedience no revelation was
needed except what is given in the words of Christ. Therefore,
in order to the enjoying of eternal salvation no words are needed
except what we have in the apostolic proclamation. Another
revelation would necessarily ignore the mediatorship of Jesus.
CHAPTER TWELVE.
The mediatorship of Christ cannot be too clos'ely and
thoroughly studied. In order to see, not only the falseness of
Mormonism, but also of every other false system of religion in
existence, we only need to take a proper view of the mediator-
ship of Christ. He being the mediator of the new covenant,
the one mediator between God and man, He is the power and
wisdom of God and His gospel is the power of God in order to
the salvation of man, His mediatorship cannot be ignored
without ignoring the infinite wisdom of God. So long as time
lasts the statement of Christ, ' 'No man cometh unto the Father,
but by me, ' ' will hold good. As in the obedience of faith by which
the alien comes unto and is reconciled to God in Christ there is
a transition from the power of darkness into the kindom of God,
it is called a birth. Under this figure Jesus anticipating the
required obedience said: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter
into the kingdom of God. " — John 3:5. This language of Christ
is a solemn affirmation, in any court equivalent to an oath. At
this point the oaths of the Father and Son meet. In the
commission the Son promises salvation to all who comply with
the conditions mentioned, or, which is the same, citizenship in
His kingdom. In the language quoted from John he testifies
that without such obedience no one can be a citizen. His oath,
hence, stands between all aliens and the kingdom of God. Upon
the other hand, His oath is in behalf of all who comply with
the conditions specified. When God made promise to Abraham
He backed His promise by His oath. In making that promise
God contemplated certain ones as heirs thereto, and His oath is
in behalf of such. Christ's promise in the commission could
not be otherwise than as contemplated by His Father when the
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promise was made to Abraham. For. surely, Christ's promise
in the commission gives what was contemplated by the Father
when he covenanted with Abraham. That such is the case is
affirmed in the following: "For ye are all the children of God
by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew
nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male
nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be
Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to
the promise. " — Gal. 3, 26-29.
Those that are the children of God by faith are those that
are baptized into Christ. Such being Christ's are Abraham's
seed, and are heirs according to the promise. This shows that
God, from the time the promise was made, that embodied the
new and everlating covenant, was pledged upon oath to the
mediatorship of Christ. This shows the utter impossibility
of any revelation coming between Christ and the human family
and is a demonstration of the truthfulness of the propositions in
the heading under which we write. The two oaths, that of the
Father, and that of the Son, meeting as they do, show that all
heaven, for all time is pledged to the mediatorship of Christ —
pledged, hence, forever to the will of God as revealed through
Christ. Not only is such the case so far as the alien is concerned
but equally so with the saint. They must in their devotions
approach the Father through the Son. No Israelite dare
approach the Almighty except through the mediation of the
priest. Saul in time of distress attempted to approach the
Almighty direct, but for his folly he lost his kingdom. See
I. Sam. 13: 8-13. Men, as Saul did, may force themselves, but
they will not force the Father to ignore the mediatorship of His
Son. The command designed to govern all saints in their
devotions is, "And whatsover ye do in word or deed, do all in
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the
Father by Him. " — Col. 3: 17. Nothing can be done in the
name of the Lord Jesus except what He has commanded. The
apostle's injunction, however, anticipated no authority except
what we have through the apostles and recorded in the New-
Testament. If we ask, What is essential in order to the* saints
giving thanks to God through Christ the answer is in the
following: "Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding
abundantly, above all that we ask or think in the power of His
might which works within us — unto Him in Christ Jesus, be
glory in the church, even to all the generations of the age of
ages. Amen." — Eph. 3: 20, 21. — Conybeare.
To approach God through the mediation of Christ, we must
approach Him in the institution of which Christ is the head,
and do so through the rules and regulation that Christ gave.
In order to the glory of God, and the eternal interests of humanity
no book is needed but the Bible, no institution but the church,
nor any rules, except what are contained in the New Testament.
The church of Jesus Christ, as given through the ministry of
the apostles, gives, in man 's behalf, the fulness of, and the
manifold wisdom of God. Eph. i: 22, 23, and 3: 8-10. Any
other institution, with other rules and regulations, would be
something outside of the fulness and wisdom of God — something
hence, in which we could not have the mediation of Christ.
This amounts to a positive prohibition of our accepting a
Mormon institution, the Book of Mormon, or any revelation
this side of the apostles of Christ. 'We are, hence, by the
authority of God prohibited from accepting the Book of
Mormon, or Smith's revelations. During our recent debate
with a champion of Mormonism we asked: "Is it essential to
our salvation that we accept Joseph Smith and the Book of
Mormon? Answer yes or no. " He would not answer. We
then turned to him and said: "In view of the eternal interests
of this people I demand that you tell us: "Is it essential to
our salvation that we accept Joseph -Smith and the Book of
Mormon?" Answer yes, or no. I pause for a reply." We
waited, all eyes were fixed upon him, the audience sat in silent
suspense, but not a word would he utter. We then handed him
the following syllogisms.
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1. God, in order to the salvation of man, does no work of
supererogation.
2. But Mormonism not being essential to the salvation of
man would be a work of supererogation.
3. Therefore God did not give Mormonism.
Again,
1. We need all that is essential to salvation.
2. But Mormonism is not essential to salvation.
3. Therefore, we do not need Mormonism.
As to the purpose of God in Christ Paul says: "Having
made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His
good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself; That in the
dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together
in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and
which are on earth; even in Him." — Eph. i: 9, 10. Again:
"For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath
broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having
abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one
new man, so making peace; and that He might reconcile both
unto God in one body by the cross, having slam the enmity
thereby." IB. 2: 14-16. This one body, under one head,
gathered by one gospel, is perfected for all that God requires by
the one book — the Bible. So far, hence, as the purpose of God
in Christ is concerned neither the Book of Mormon nor any of
the revelations of Joseph Smith are needed. We now purpose
to show that the Book of Mormon is not only an uninspired
document, but also that it is of modern origin — to demonstrate
hence, that it is a miserable falsehood, and as a consequence, a
miserable fraud. The first fact to which we call attention is,
If the Book of Mormon be true Jesus of Nazareth was an
ignoramus, unacquainted with the Jewish Scriptures? ! We
invite attention to the following: "As many were astonished
at thee; (his visage was so marred more than any man, and his
form more than the sons of men) so shall he sprinkle many
6?
nations." — B. of M. 411: 76. This language is in a speech that
the Christ is represented as making to his Nephite desciples
after his resurrection, and purports to be in a quotation made
from the prophecy of Isaiah. It certainly will be conceded that
the Christ knew what was in the Jewish Scriptures. The
Savoir and His apostles used, in the main, the Septuagint
version. It matters not, however, whether the above quotation
would claim to be from the Hebrew or the Greek version of the
Old Testament, we unhesitatingly affirm that no such passage
as the above is in either the Hebrew or the Greek version of the
Jewish Scriptures. Then what? The quotation is from the King
James' translation of the Bible! It is a little strange, is it not,
that the Nephite Christ should use none but the King James '
translation of the Scriptures ? ! The fact is, the Book of
Mormon is a fabrication of late date, and its author knew no
Scripture except the common version ! This shows it to be a
miserable fraud !
Another fact that proves the modern origin of the Book of
Mormon is its use of modern terms. Take the term "Holy
Ghost." Where did those ancient Nephites get that? Such a
term was not known till the Anglo Saxon corruption of the
term Guest. It never appeared, hence, in Scripture until it
was adopted in Modern English translations as an equivalent
of the Greek agion pneumatos. This again shows that the
author of the Book of Mormon knew nothing of matters divine
except what was vaguely gathered from the King James' version.
The use of the English abbreviation "etc.," shows the
Book of Mormon to be of modern origin. This abbreviation is
from the L,atin et caetera, "and the rest." It was not used in
ancient manuscripts, but known only since the art of printing.
Such is not God's method of talking. He leaves nothing
unfinished. There is no vacuum in His counsel to be filled by
human wisdom.
Another demonstration that the Book of Mormon is a fraud
is in the fact that the Christ thereof was too ignorant to know
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the difference between an official title and a given name. He
did not, hence, know his own name. "Have they not read the
Scriptures, which say, Ye must take upon you the name of
Christ, which is my name?" P. 418: 16. Christ, is an official
title, and wherever used the definite article is expressed or
understood. He is not a Christ, but THE CHRIST. His name
is Jesus.
He is hence, Jesus the Christ. I suppose however, that the
secret of this ignorance, and the necessary use of the English
abbreviation, etc., was because of the forgetfulness, and the
absent mindedness of the Spirit by which the Nephite Christ
and their prophets spake. This is illustrated, P. 414: 31 — .
There we are told of something that their inspired ones were
commanded to record, but they forgot to do so. Hence, it had
to be mentioned out of its place !
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
According to the New Testament record after the resurrection
of Jesus He was with His disciples forty days. He then lead
them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and
blessed them. And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He
was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. " "And
while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up,
behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also
said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?
This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so
come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven."
Such is Luke's account of the ascension. As he approached
the throne of God the Father said: "Sit on my right hand,
until I make thine enemies thy footstool?" Being seated at the
right hand of the majesty in the heavens, we are told that the
crown, for which he endured the cross, and despised the shame
was placed upon Him. Being thus glorified His appearance is
that of God, whom none in the flesh could see and live. When
He appeared, hence, to Saul it was as the glorious Shekina, the
brightness of which eclipsed the noonday's sun. Saul was
permitted to see Him, but from that time was totally blind, till
miraculously restored to sight.
On the day of Pentecost, ten days after the ascension of
Jesus the Holy Spirit came, and the apostles were endued with
the necessary power to qualify them as the witnesses for Jesus.
Upon that day by the inspiration of the Spirit, Peter said:
1 'Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having
received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath
shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. " The Holy Spirit
did not know that Jesus was just over here in America among
the Nephites ? ! And of course the appearance to Saul was all
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for show; for he could stand eight to ten hours at a time and let
the Nephite people thrust their hands into his side ! ! ! People
that can accept such stuff certainly do not reason, or they pride
in being duped.
Speaking of the day of Pentecost Luke says: "And there
were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every
nation under heaven."
1 . All the nations under heaven where devout Jews lived
were represented at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
2. But there were no Jews there from the American
continent.
3. Therefore no devout Jews lived on the American
continent. Again,
1 . The epistle of James was addressed to the twelve tribes
that were scatted abroad.
2. But the epistle of James was not addressed to the
Nephites.
3. Therefore, the Nephites were not of the twelve tribes.
We now call attention to the significant fact that the author
of the Book of Mormon was totally ignorant as to what it took
to constitute a conversion, either under the law or the gospel.
The Lamanites, it is claimed, in the commencement of
their existence went away from all that was right,
and became a wild, ferocious people, like the wild
tribes of American Aborigines. The Nephites, it is claimed,
were, when they were not heathen, strict observers of the law of
Moses, being Jews. At times, when they would become
exceeding good, they would. make strenuous efforts to convert
the heathen. But when converts would be made, did they
comply with the requirements of the law? See Exodus 12: 48,
49. All knew that the Jews circumcised their converts. Where
is there an intimation in the history of the Nephites that the}'
kept this Jewish rite or observed any of the feasts as required
by the law? The fact is, that the author of the Book of Mormon
had no conceptions of conversion, only such as were vaguely
gathered at the exciting meetings that were common in Joseph
Smith's boyhood days ! Those Nephite sermons were just such
as Smith, in his younger days, would hear. If the "Ah" had
been used as filling they would have passed as good old
orthodox Baptist sermons. The scenes that were common in
exciting meetings seventyfive to one hundred years ago are
represented as occurring under the labors of those Nephite
preachers. Those that would become concerned would go into
trances, and sometimes the preacher would pass under the
i 'powers, " and lay for hours in a prostrate condition! The
exhortations and prayers used in modern revivals were uttered by
preachers and people then, and all were attributed to the working
of the Holy Ghost, which, be it understood, was enjoyed in its
fulness by these Nephites hundreds of years before the Babe of
Bethlehem was born ! ! In these Nephite meetings they
appealed to Jesus who was then known by His given name and
hence, known as the one mediator between God and man? ! As an
illustration take the words and actions of that imaginary
woman, represented as being a queen. "O blessed Jesus, who
has saved me from an awful hell ! O blessed God have mercy
upon this people. And when she had said this, she clasped her
hands, being filled with joy, speaking many words which were
not understood. " — P. 228: 105, 106. That some woman spoke
and acted just as here represented in some of the meetings that
Smith attended we can believe, but that any person ever so
spoke and acted as represented in the Book of Mormon we
cannot believe.
There are several facts that demonstrate this Nephite record
to be a falsehood of the deepest dye.
i. Christ was never known by His given name, JESUS,
till so named by the angel who appeared to Joseph, the
espoused husband of Mary. Said the angel, "And she shall
bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for he
shall save his people from their sins." "Then Joseph being
raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him,
and took unto him his wife; and knew her not till she had
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brought forth her firstborn son; and he called his name JESUS. "
—Matt, i: 21, 24,25. "And when eight days were accomplished
for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS,
which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the
womb. " — Luke 2: 21 Poor Gabriel ! He evidently thought that
he had the honor of naming the Son that was to be heir to David's
throne. But alas, angels are doomed to deception and
disappointment as well as men. Gabriel did not know that the
Nephite angels, over here in America, were so far ahead of him!
As we have seen, however, heaven is forgetful. The Lord,
hence, had forgotten that those Nephite plates were "hid up
in bumora. " Or, it may be, the Lord had forgotten what was
on those plates! "Mirabile dictu. "
2. The second fact that we cite to show the falsity of the
Book of Mormon is the fact that God utterly refused to afford
those who had the Jewish Scriptures anything additional in
order to their conversion. When the rich man, spoken of in
the sixteenth chapter of Luke, realized that his eternal destiny
was hopelessly fixed, he thought of and desired the salvation of
his brothers, he is represented as saying to Abraham, "I pray
thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my
father's house; For I have five brethren; that he may testify
unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets;
let them hear them. And he said, Nay father Abraham; but if
one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he
vsaid unto him, if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither
will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. " — Luke
16:27-31. The rich man was like those Mormon preachers.
He thought that God would afford man something outside of
the divine arrangement in order to con version. Remember, those
Nephites claimed to have Moses and the prophets, then Consider
the following:
The testimony of Christ being true God did not afford those
who had the Jewish Scriptures anything additional in order to
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their conversion. But the testimony of Christ is true. There-
fore; the record in the Book of Mormon is false. Again, The
record in the Book of Mormon being true, the statement in the
Bible "God is no respecter of persons, " is not true. But that
statement in the Bible is true. Therefore, the record in the
Book of Mormon is not true. The trouble with those Nephite
preachers was, they did not know enough about Bible teaching
to distinguish between conversion and pardon. They
confounded the two. Christ and his apostles taught as did the
ancient prophets, that conversion is the condition of pardon.
Upon this point the Savoir gives the following from Isaiah "By
hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye
shall see, and shall not perceive; for this people 's heart is waxed
gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they
have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and
should be converted, and I should heal them." — Matt. 13: 14,
15., Is. 6: 9. If one would understand the subject of conversion
he will need to carefully study the quotation from Isaiah. The
language not only establishes the fact that conversion
is the condition of pardon, but gives the means upon which God
depends for the accomplishing of a conversion. It also gives
the process through which an individual passes in a Bible
conversion. When one is brought to see the beauty in the
counsel of God they open their ears and hear that counsel, and
thus seeing and hearing they understand that counsel. Being
thus brought to an understanding of that counsel they turn to
the Lord. In every instance where the term convert occurs in
the Bible it means to turn, and a conversion is a turning to the
Lord. Thus we have, in a Bible conversion, seeing with the
eyes, hearing with the ears, understanding with the heart,
turning to the Lord, then receiving pardon. The idea of a
trance state in order to salvation is of heathen origin. It has
been correctly said, "In heathen idolatry we have the vain
efforts of man to reach his Creator, but in Christianity we have
74
the effort of God to reach humanity." To ask us to believe
that a set of preachers that would adopt the heathen idea in
salvation instead of the Bible teaching were inspired of God, is
asking too much. The Book of Mormon says that the American
Indians were the descendants of the Lamanites, the children of
Lehi, the father of the Nephites. I wonder if the advocates of
that book will say that the savages of America borrowed their
ideas of a trance state in religious exercises from those Nephite
preachers? Such an idea was not in America, according to their
own authority, until the Nephite preachers introduced it. With
those Indians in the West that still practice the ghost dance the
trance is very common. When in their religious exercises, the
chief of which is their ghost dance, they become excited to a
certain degree, they go into a trance, lay prostrate for hours,
then wake up full of joy; for they have been to the happy
hunting ground.
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CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
3. The third fact to which we call attention< which
demonstrates the falsity of the Book of Mormon is Repentance
and the remission of sins were never preached in the name of
Christ till the first Pentecost after His crucifixion. It is
claimed by the Book of Mormon that those Nephite preachers
understood and preached repentance and remission of sins in the
name of Christ, centuries before Christ was born. To show the
utter falsity of such we call attention to the following Scriptures:
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain
of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the
mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all
nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say,
Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, ta the
house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and
we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." — Isa. 2: 2, 3. "But
in the last days it shall come to pass, tjiat the mountain of the
house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the
mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and people
shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say,
Command let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the
house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and
we will walk in his paths; for the law shall go forth of Zion,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." — Micah 4: i, 2.
That the word which was to go forth from Jerusalem was the
word that embodied repentance and remission of sins in the
name of Christ is affirmed in the following: "Thus it is
written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from
the dead the third day; And that repentance and remission of
sins should be preached in his name among all nations beginning
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at Jerusalem. " — Luke 24: 46, 47. Previous to that time no
petition was offered in the name of Christ. "Hitherto have ye
asked nothing in my name: ask and ye shall receive, that your
joy may be full." — John 16: 24. By the authority of Christ and
the prophets we pronounce the Book of Mormon a miserable
falsehood, and as a consequence, a miserable fraud.
4. The fourth fact to which we call attention, as a
demonstration of the falsity of the Book of Mormon is, The
Holy Spirit was not given; and hence not enjoyed b3' the people
of God till after Christ's ascension and glorification. "Never-
theless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go
away; for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto
you; but if I depart I will send Him unto you." — John 16: 7.
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come
upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem
and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts
of the earth." — Acts i: 8. "But this spake he of the Spirit,
which they that believe on Him should receive; for the Holy
Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet
glorified." — John 7; 39. It is claimed by the Book of Mormon
that the Nephite churches received and enjoyed the Holy Spirit
long before Christ was born, just the same as the disciples of
Christ received and enjoyed it on and after the day of Pentecost.
It is plainly to be seen that the two books cannot be
reconciled. If the Book of Mormon be true the Bible is false.
But the Bible is true. Therefore the Book of Mormon is fdlse.
5. The fifth fact to which we call attention, as a
demonstration of the falsity of the Book of Mormon is the
modern style of the sermons put into the mouths of those
Nephite preachers. Those Nephites be it remembered, claimed
to be genuine Jews. Till the time of the beginning of John 's
ministry, however, Moses was preached. The apostle James
said; ' 'For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach
him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day. " Acts
15: 21. It mattered not whether the pious teacher in the
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synagogue read the lesson from the writings of Moses or from
some one of the prophets, the necessity and importance of
observing the law was strictly enjoined. Such was not the
manner of those Nephite preachers. Their style was very
modern, and the Ashdodish language used shows their author
to be an ignoramus. One that knew little about either the law
or the gospel.
6. The sixth fact that we c ite, as a demonstration of the
falsity of the Book of Mormon is, Those Nephite preachers
claimed to understand the nature and design of the incarnation,
the nature and extent of the atonement. Something that neither
angel nor man knew till after Christ was glorified.
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness;
God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of
angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world,
received up into glory." — I. Tim. 3: 16. A mystery is a secret.
Here is something that was a great secret. When unfolded it
confounded the wise of earth. Of it Paul says, "Unto me, who
am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I
should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of
Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the
mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid
in God." — Eph. 3: 8, 9. "Now to him that is of power to
establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of
Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which
was- kept secret since the world began, But now is made manfest,
and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the
commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all
nations for the obedience of faith." — Rom. 16: 25, 26.
These statements of Paul are as positive a contradiction of
the claims of those Nephite preachers as it would be possible to
give in language. As to men or angels possessing the
knowledge that those Nephites claimed, Peter testifies as follows:
"Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched
diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto
78
you; Searching \vhat or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ
which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the
sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto
whom it was revealed that not unto themselves, but un.to us
they did minister the things, Which are now reported unto you
by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy
Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire
to look into." — I. Peter 1: 10-12.
Other quotations might be given that embody the same
affirmation. These, however, are sufficient. These show the
utter impossibility of reconciling the two books. If the New
Testament be true the Book of Mormon is false.
7. The seventh item to whtch we call attention, which
demonstrates the falsity of the Book of Mormon, is the record
concerning the churches, said to be established by those Nephite
preachers. That record says, "And he fastened on his head
plate, and his breast-plate and his shields and girded on his armor
about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end there-
of his rent coat (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed
himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the
blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren so long as there
should be a band of Christians remain to possess the land; for
thus were all the true believers of Christ, who belonged to the
church of God, by those who did not belong to the church, and
those who did belong to the church, were faithful; yea, all
those who were true believers in Christ, took upon them, gladlj-,
the name of Christ, or Christians, as they were called, because of
their belief in Christ, who should come; and therefore, at this
time, Moroni prayed that the cause of the Christians, and the
freedom of the land might be favored." — P. 288: 31. In order
to believe this record in the Book of Mormon we would be forced
to pronounce the Bible record false. Long before Jesus of
Nazareth was born, if we are to credit this Nephite record,
churches of Christ were established, and the members thereof
were called CHRISTIANS! Christ said to His disciples: "Upon
79
this rock I will build my church." — Matt. 16: 18. Evidently
Christ did not know that those Nephite preachers had established
that institution long before He was born! Surely, the Lord did
not know anything about those plates that were "hid up" for
Joseph Smith 's use? ! We had been wont to credit the testimony
of Luke, "The beloved physician." This Nephite record,
however, being true, Luke is altogether unreliable. He says-
."And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." —
Acts 1 1 : 26. This record is either true or false. If true, however
the Book of Mormon is false, from beginning to end. Gabriel,
Raphael, Michael, nor any of the angelic hosts that ministered
to God's ancient worthies could know what was embodied in
the Hebrew term MESSIAH. The holy seers searched and
diligently inquired, but it was not for them to know.
Cherubim and seraphim gazed with wondering admiration and
longed to penetrate the great secret represented by the mere}-
seat around which the golden bells of Israel's high priests
jingled, as they ministered in the holiest of holies, and sprinkled
the blood of atonement. But the great secret was hid in God
through the former ages. Truly, it does seem, had the Book of
Mormon been written purposely to prove the Bible to be a huge
lie its claims would have been more honorable than what they
are
We had been wont to believe, from the New Testament
record, that When the church of Christ was established the
names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb were in its foundations.
Rev. 21 : 14. From the Book of Mormon, however; we learn
that those Nephites established that institution long before
those apostles were born; and that regardless of any foundation!
What arrangement was there in the divine economy for
those Nephite institutions? Remember, the Nephites claimed
to be strict observers of the law of Moses. Are there provisions
in that law for such institutions ? No. They, though the
center of their religious interests, were a violation of the
command of God. "Ye shall not add unto the word which I
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command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye
may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I
command you." — Deut. 4: 2. "What thing sover I command
you, observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish
from it." IB. 12: 32. "And it shall be our righteousness, if we
observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God,
as he hath commanded us." — IB. 6: 25. To be righteous under
the law they had to do just what was commanded, and just as
commanded. Measured by this standard those religious
Nephites were an unrighteous people; for they claimed to observe
the law, but their religious interests were in institutions
unauthorized by the law. These institutions that are so highly
commended by the Book of Mormon being without any
covenanted provisions of God, were without any authority from
God; and as a consequence were entirely outside of the
arrangements of God. We submit the following:
1. All religious arrangements and institutions outside of
the covenanted provisions of God are of the devil.
2. But those Nephite arrangements and institutions were
outside of the covenanted provisions of God.
3. Therefore, those Nephite arrangements and institutions
were of the devil.
Again:
1 . All books written for the specific purpose of upholding
religious institutions and arrangements outside of the covenanted
provisions of God are of the devil.
2. But the Book of Mormon was written for the purpose
of upholding religious institutions and arrangements outside of
the covenanted provisions of God.
3. Therefore the Book of Mormon is of the devil.
The record in the Book of Mormon regarding these Nephite
churches gives the lie to the word of God in every particular.
When one attained to the position of a Christian he attained to
the liberty of a son that has reached his maturity. To this no
Jew could attain under the law. Upon this point Paul says:
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"Now I say, th&t the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth
nothing from a servant, though (prospectively) he be lord of all;
but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of
the Father; (Of course those Nephites just let the Father know
that they would pay no attention to his appointment, as to time.)
Even so, we when we were children, were in bondage under the
elements (rudiments or first principles) of the world; But when
the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made
of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that
were under the law that we might receive the adoption of
sons." — Gal. 4: 1-5. If we admit the existence of churches
among those Nephites, there being no provisions in the
divine arrangement for them, they would be human
founded in human wisdom, and governed by -human authority.
\Ve submit the following:
1. All worship in religious institutions being governed by
human wisdom is will worship.
2. But those Nephite churches, having no divine authority
for their existence were human and governed by human wisdom.
3. Therefore, all worship in the Nephite churches was will
worship.
Again:
1. In human institutions, there being a substitution of
human wisdom for the divine, the worship therein is idolatrous.
2. But those Nephite churches were human, and in them
there was a substitution of human wisdom for the divine.
3. Therefore the worship in the Nephite churches was
idolatrous.
82
CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
Assuming that the Bible is true, enough has been given to
demonstrate the falsity of the Book of Mormon. Yet, that the
strength of what has been presented may more readily be seen
we purpose to consider, to some extent, the claims of Christianity
as a system. This we need to do, if we would see the claims of
the New Testament in their true light. In the investigation,
hitherto, of theological positions, questions and systems, there
has been to a great extent, a mere grappling with particles,
rather than the handling of systems.
Theological discussions should be such as to bring before
the people the merits of systems. When such is not the case,
there is, as a rule, a contention over side issues. In such
contentions, there is, to a great extent, a mere war of words.
Those who are conscious of occupying the vantage ground of
truth can well afford to avoid all appearances of hiding counsel
by a multitude of words.
If Christianity is not, as a system, perfect and complete, it
claims will have to be surrendered. Unhesitatingly we say,
If in Christianity, as a system, we do not have perfection, the
claims of the Bible will have to be surrendered. Perfection
cannot be supplemented. It cannot admit of addition,
subtraction, nor alteration. If in Christianity, as a system, we
do not have perfection, it is an imperfect system. God designed
the perfection of His people, and there is not a proposition more
clearly set forth in the New Testament than this proposition:
The divine arrangement was given in order to the perfection of
all who would accept of the offered salvation. Christ prayed
that His people might be made perfect in one, that is, in one
institution — the institution of which Christ is the head. John
17: 20-23. Paul says the scriptures of inspiration were given
83
that God's people might be perfected. II. Tim. 3: 16, 17.
If however, God depended upon an imperfect system to
accomplish a perfect end, He did what no wise being would do.
We must, hence, admit the perfection of the remedial system,
as given by Christ, or accuse the Almighty of folly ! We could
not expect the Almighty to admit the incompleteness of His
own perfection,, and the man that would argue such would be
guilty of fearful presumption. We could not think of Christ as
a perfect Savior, yet the author and head of an imperfect
institution? God is, in the absolute, perfection, and his
arrangements, in order to the end in view, are perfection. As
we have seen, in Christ, God's arrangement reached its
perfection. The institution of the Christ is a perfect institution
with a perfect law, giving to man the perfect will of God. In
order to man's redemption, we have in the institution of Christ,
the perfection of God's infinite wisdom, infinite goodness,
infinite love, infinite mercy and infinite power. What folly in
man to seek anything beyond this ! This perfection was not
reached, and could not be till the perfection of God's
arrangements in order to that end. Until the perfection, hence,
of those arrangements, the church of Christ did not exist. To
argue as Mormons do, and as the Book of Mormon teaches, the
existence of the church of Christ under the law, is to argue in
opposition to every truth and fact in the Bible, bearing upon
this point. None but a false sytem could demand ^uch. The
reorganized branch of the Mormon family claim to oppose
polygamy. In our recent debate with them we asked: "Did
the true church of Christ exist with the Jews in the days of
David and Solomon?" The answer was: "Yes." "Then,"
said I, "As the church of Christ anciently was a polygamous
church, polygamy is a tenet of the true church of Christ.
Therefore in opposing polygamy you oppose the principles of
the true church. This surrenders the claims of your reorganized
Church and admits the claims of the Utah branch. " From this
there was no escape.
84
There are certain fundamentals, without which we cannot
have a system of religion. These fundamentals are, the priest,
the altar and the offering. From the beginning these have
been the essentials in order that man might approach unto God.
For an omission in these, Cain was rejected. The priests, altars,
and offerings of former times were only shadowy. As typical
institutions they answered this purpose. No type, however,
could ever answer the purpose nor take the place of the antitype.
With typical blood, a typical institution could be dedicated.
Hence, with the blood of animals Moses dedicated the first
Testament. With such blood, however, the perfect institution
of God could not be dedicated. If it could have been there
would have been no necessity for the death of Christ. Speaking
of the dedication of the first covenant, and the tabernacle
belonging thereto, Paul says: "It was, therefore, necessary
that the patterns of heavenly things should thus be purified,
but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than
these." — Heb. 9: 23. Again, "Having therefore, brethren,
boldness to enter the holy place through the blood of Jesus by a
new and living way which he hath opened for us, passing
through the veil (that is to say his flesh); and having an High
Priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true
heart, in full assurance of faith: as our hearts have been
'sprinkled' from the stain of an evil conscience, and our bodies
have been washed with pure water." — Heb. 10: 17-22. This
new and living way was opened through the offerings of Christ
— opened after Christ was consecrated High Priest over the
house of God. This was after his ascension to heaven. Heb.
8: 4. The perfecting of the arrangement in order to the opening
of the perfect institution of God was through the sufferings of
Christ. "And though he was a Son, yet learned he obedience
by suffering. And when his consecration was accomplished, he
became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey
Him."— Heb. 5:8, 9.
Christ being the antitype of all former altars, priests and
85
offerings, that were by the authority of God, in Him we have
our altar, our priest, and our offering. It is, hence, that we
cannot come to God except through Him. To argue as the
Book of Mormon teaches, and as Mormon preachers contend,
that the perfect institution of God existed in the typical
arrangement is to show a woeful ignorance of the economy of
grace. To argue the claims of the Book of Mormon one must
be profoundly ignorant of or ignore the arrangement of God in
Christ! Having demonstrated the fact that the Bible and the
Book of Mormon can not be reconciled, we purpose a brief
inquiry as to the origin of the Book of Mormon. That book
claims to be, in the mam, the history of two peoples, the
Aboriginese of America. They were, it is claimed, the
descendents of one Lehi, a Hebrew, who left Jerusalem about
B. C. 600. This history, it is claimed, was written on metal
plates, and in the Egyptian language. It is also claimed .that
Lehi brought with him from Jerusalem the metal plates that
contained his family record written in the same language. It
is also claimed that he brought with him, from Jerusalem,
metal plates that contained the Jewish Scriptures and records
down to about the time of the Babylonish captivity. It is also
claimed that the northern portion of South America and Central
America, were densely populated by Lehi's descendants, and
that a highly Christian civiltzation existed there 1500 to 2000
years ago.
Orsan Pratt says: "In the Book of Mormon are given the
names and locations of numerous cities of great magnitude,
which flourished among the ancient nations of America. The
northern portions of South America, and also Central America,
were the most densely populated. — D. A., p. 32. The Book of
Mormon claims that extensive records were kept by this people
in which their history was written. P. 340: 10. It is also
claimed by the Book of Mormon that these historical records
were in the Egyptian language. P. 444: 89. It is also claimed
by the Book of Mormon that the money of these ancient
86
inhabitants of America was in gold and silver coins. P. 206 :
38, 39. These claims of Mormonism call for a consideration of
the following questions:
1 . Did the Jews ever keep their records on metal plates?
2. Did the original inhabitants of Central America keep
their records on metal plates?
3. Did the ancient inhabitants of Central America have
a written language?
4. If any of those nations had a written language 1500 to
2000 years ago, was it the Egyptian language?
5. Did any of those nations have money in the shape of
gold and siver coins?
6. Is there any evidence that any of the ancient inhabitants
of Central America ever enjoyed a Christian civilization?
7. Were the engravings on those plates claimed to be
found by Joseph Smith in the Egyptian language?
We are prepared to give an answer to all of these questions,
but the answers demonstrate the falsity of the Book of Mormon.
The following questions were propounded to a number of
scholars of world-wide reputation:
1 . Is it historically true that the Hebrews ever wrote on
tablets or "plates of brass?"
2. If so, did they ever write in the Egyptian language?
3. Were the "five books of Moses" ever written upon
such plates of brass?
4. Were the "law and the prophets" or any portion of them
ever written in Egyptian?
To these questions William R. Harper, President Chicago
University said: "To your first three question I would give the
answer, No. With regard to the fourth, the Pentateuch was
transmitted in Coptic some time between the third and tenth
centuries, A. D., but was never written in Egyptian before that
time. ' ' Ira Maurice Price, Ph. D. , of the University of Chicago,
said: "There is no such instance on record among the Hebrews
nor among other nations about the Hebrews. No evidence that
87
they ever did write in the Egyptian language." President
James B. Angell, University of Michigan, said: "There is no
evidence that the Hebrews kept their records upon plates or
tablets of brass. There is no evidence whatever to show that
the Pentateuch was ever written on such plates of brass."
(Copied from "Doctrines and Dogmas of Mormonism. ") The
men who furnished the above answers represent the scholarship
of the world. Their testimony establishes certain iacts, namely,
1 . The Hebrews never kept their records on tablets of
brass.
2. No Hebrew records were ever kept on tablets of brass,
nor any other substance, in the Egyptian language.
3. The Pentateuch was never written in the Egyptian
language before 300 A. D.
The Book of Mormon opens with the statement that the
language in which it was written was the Egyptian; and that
such was the language of Lehi. Who was Lehi? A Hebrew,
bred, born and reared in Jerusalem. The language of any man
is his native tongue. Lehi, being a Jew, born and reared in
Jerusalem, his language was the native tongue of the Jewish
nation. We are, hence, to understand that the native tongue
of the Hebrew nation was the Egyptian? ! There is evidenced
at the very threshold of Mormonism, either an ignorance
inexcusable, or a design to deceive that is damnable.
Our second and third questions are: "Did the original
inhabitants of Central America keep their records on metal
plate?" and "Did they have a written language?" These
questions we answer together. We are able to show the
characters used in the writings of the inhabitants of Central
America 1500 to 2000 years ago. They have been preserved in
marble and stone, and will stand till the end of time, an
inrefutable testimony to the falsity of the Book of Mormon.
In the ruins of the ancient cities of Copan and Palenque, of
Central America, we are told, ' 'are found in abundance the
strange hieroglyphics, the written language of the people who
88
once inhabited those old cities. " Over ruined doorways, arches,
sides and backs of hideous idols, marble slabs and through the
ruins of heathen temples these characters are to be seen. Mr.
Short says: "The magnificent sculptured hieroglyphics which
cover the sides and backs of these huge idols no doubt could
tell the sealed story of Copan 's greatness and the attributes of
its many gods, were the keys once discovered. Everything is
covered with these significant symbols, differing slightly from
those at Palenque; but who will read them? In the court of
the temple a solid block of stone six feet square and four feet
high, resting on four globular stones, was sketched by
Catherwood and pronounced an altar by Stephens. Sixteen
figures in profile, with turbaned heads, breastplates and each
seated crosslegged on hieroglyphic-like cushions, are sculptured
in low relief, four figures being on each side of the block.
The top of the altar is covered with thirty -six squares of
hieroglyphics." American Ant. pp. 404, 405.
89
CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
The ancient Mayas were the sole occupants of a portion of
Central America, and the most civilized of any of the ancient
inhabitants of that country. They lived there during the period
that the Book of Mormon claims to be the prosperous period of
the Nephites. In addition to their stone and stucco records
they had a written language, and had many books. Short,
Antiquities, p. 420, says, "In addition to these stone and stucco
records, the Mayas had books, which Bishop Landa (a Catholic
Bishop of 300 years ago), describes as written on a leaf doubled
in folds, and enclosed between two boards, which they
ornamented. They wrote on both sides of the paper, in columns
accommodated to the folds. The paper they made from the roots
of trees and coated with a white varnish on which one could
write well. Bishop Landa confesses to having burned a great
number of the Maya books because they contained nothing in
which were not superstitions and falsities of the devil . . .
Three of the Maya manuscripts are known to have escaped the
vandalism of the early fathers. ' '
One of these Maya books, called the Troano manuscript, is
described by Bancroft, as quoted by Short, p. 422. He says:
' 'The original is written on a strip of Maguey paper about
fourteen feet long and nine inches wide, the surface of which is
covered with a whitish varnish, on which the figures are
painted in black, red, blue and brown. It is folded fan like in
thirty-five folds presenting when shut much the appearance of
a modern large octavo volume. The hieroglyphics cover both
sides the paper, and the writing is consequently divided into
seventy columns, each about five by nine inches, having been
apparently executed after it was folded, so that the folding does
not interfere with the written matter . . . The regular lines
90
of written characters are uniformly in black, while the pictoral
portions of what may perhaps be considered representative
signs, are in red and blue, chiefly the former, and the blue
appears for the most part as a back ground in some of the
pages." From these testimonies we learn two facts, namely,
The Mayas of Central America had a written language, and,
they did not keep their records on Metal plates. The next
question that demands attention is, Was the alphabet of the
Mayas such as Joseph Smith represents? This question we
answer with an emphatic, No. We can show the Maya alphabet
and we defy any man to show a particle of resemblance between
those characters and Mr. Smith's so-called Egyptian ! No
resemblance whatever can be shown between the two sets of
characters. In order to see, hence, the utter falsit}- of the
Book of Mormon we only need to remember the fact that the
Maya alphabet was in use by the inhabitants of Central America
at the very time and place where the Book of Mormon 'says the
Nephites lived. And further, we need to remember that this
Maya alphabet was the only written alphabet used by the
ancient inhabitants of Central America. This being true a ten
year old child can see that the Book of Mormon is a miserable
fraud. The testimony of scholars and antiquarians is unanimous
that no evidence exists of any written language except the
Maya on either continent.
Short, page 419, says: "No well authenticated mound
builder's hieroglyphics have as yet come to light. The "Grove
Creek mound tablet" we believe is now shown unquestionably
to be an archaeological fraud." Of Peru, from Baldwin's
Ancient America, pp. 254, 255, and Bancroft, vol. 4, p. 792, we
learn, "The art of writing in alphabetical characters, so far as
appears, was unknown to the Peruvians in the time of the
Incas. No Peruvian books existed at that time, and no
inscriptions have been found in any of the ruins. They had a
method of recording events, keeping accounts, and making
reports to the government by means of the QUIPPU. This was
made of cords of twisted wool fastened to a base prepared for
the purpose. These cords were of various sizes and colors, and
every size and color had its meaning. The record was made by
means of an elaborate system of knots and artificial
intertwinings. " The ancient Mexicans had no alphabet nor
anything that approached a written language, but a kind of
picture writing, combined with symbolical representations.
5. The fifth and next question is, Did any of the aborigines
of America have as money gold or silver coins?
The Nahuas or Toltecs occupied a part of Central America
and Mexico at the time the Book of Mormon claims to have
been written. Of their monetary system Bancroft, vol. 2, p.
381, says: "Although no regular coined money was used, yet
several more or less convenient substitutes furnished a medium
of circulation. Chief among these were nibs or grains of cacao,
of a species somewhat different from that employed in making
favored drink, chocolate. This money, known as PATLACHTE,
passed current everywhere, and payments of it would be made
by count up to 8,000 which constituted a XIQUIPILLI. In large
transactions sacks containing THREE XIQUIPILLI were used to
save labor in counting. PATOLQUACHTU were small pieces of
cotton cloth used as money in purchase of articles of immediate
necessity or of little value. Another circulating medium was
GOLD DUST kept in translucent quills, that the quantity might be
readily seen. Copper was also cut. into small pieces shaped
like a T, which constituted, perhaps, the nearest approach to
coined money." The Mayas, as we have seen, were the most
enlightened of all the ancient inhabitants of Central America,
being the only people of that country that had a written
language, and living as they did at the very time and place
where the Book of Mormon claims to have been compiled, we
would expect them to have money in the shape of gold and
silver coins, if such had ever been used by any of the aborigines
of America. Of their monetary system Bancroft, vol. 2, pp. 736,
737, says: "The ordinary mercantile transactions were effected
92
by exchange of or barter of one commodity for. another. But
where this was inconvenient cacao passed current as money
among all the nations . . . According to Cogoludo copper
bells and rattles of different sizes, red shells in strings, precious
stones and copper hatchets often served as money, especially in
foreign trade. " It is thus seen that the Book of Mormon is
false in, every particular.
The next question that demands our attention is, Did any
of the ancient inhabitants of Central America ever enjoy a
Christian civilization? The Mayas being the most enlightened
of all the ancient inhabitants of Central America and living at
the time and place where it is claimed that the Nephites
enjoyed such advanced Christian civilization, we would expect,
if the Book of Mormon be true, that the antiquarians would
find evidences of such civilization. Unfortunately, however,
for the cause of Mormonism, those ancient Mayas were the
veriest idolaters ! There is not a vestige of anything Christian
in any part of their history. Bancroft, "Native races of
America," vol. 2, p. 704, says, "The gods of the Yucatecs (the
ancient Mayas of Yucatan) required far fewer human lives at the
hands of their worshipers than those of the Nahuas. , The pages
of Yuca tec history are not marred by the constant blood blots
that obscure the Nahua record. Nevertheless the Yucatec
religion was not free from human sacrifice; and although
captives taken in war were used for this purpose, yet it is said
that such was their devotion that should a victim be wanting
they would dedicate their children to the altar rather than let
the gods be deprived of their due." Again vol. 2, p. 725. "The
custom of eating the flesh of human victims who were sacrificed
to the gods was probably practiced more or less in all the Maya
regions, but neither this cannibalism nor the sacrifices that gave
rise to it were so extensively indulged in as by the Mexicans.
Of a certain ruler named Quilzokoalt, who undertook
various reforms in ancient Mexico, Bancroft, Vol. 5, p. 261, says:
"Most prominent among his peculiar reforms, and the one that
93
is reported to have contibuted the most to his downfall, was his
unvarying opposition to human sacrifice. This sacrifice had
prevailed from pre Toltec times. ' '
In "Vestiges of the Mayas," b}r Dr. Augustus L,e Plongen,
p. 51, we are told, "The sun wras worshipped by the ancient
Mayas, and the Indians of today preserve the dance as used by
their forefathers among the rites of the adoration of that
luminary." Again, p. 52, he says, "The blue color had
exactly the same significance in Maya, according to Landa
Cogolludo, who tell us that even at the time of the Spanish
Conquest the bodies of those who were to be sacrificed to the
gods were PAINTED BLUE. The mural paintings in the funeral
chamber of Chaacmal at Chichen confirm this assertion. There
we see the figures of men and women painted blue, some
marching to the sacrifice with their hands tied behind their
backs." Again, p. 70, "We are told, and the BAS RELIEFS of
Chaacmal's Mausoleum prove it, that the Mayas DEVOURED THE
HEARTS of their fallen enemies. It is said that on certain
grand occasions, after offering the hearts of their victims to the
idols, they abandoned the bodies to the people who feasted upon
them. But it must be noticed that these last mentioned
customs seem to have been introduced in the country by the
Nahauts and Aztecs, since as yet we have found nothing in the
mural paintings to cause us to believe that the Mayas indulged
in such barbaric repasts beyond 'the eating of their enemies'
hearts."
The ancient Mayas were idolatrous cannibals, with a history
extending back to a remote period, even antedating the call of
Abraham. Bancroft, vol. 5, p. 205, says: "So far as the
other so called primitive nations of New Spain are concerned
little can be said, except that they claim and have always been
credited with a very ancient residence in this land, DATING
BACK FAR BEYOND THE BEGINNING OF THE HISTORIC PERIOD.
Of the Nahuas, Short, p. 240, says, "The date of the emigration
to Hue hue Tlapalan cannot be approximated from available
94
data, but it is evident that Ixtlilxochitl fixes it at 520 years after
the flood, or 2236 after the creation — a period which must have
ANTEDATED THE CHRISTIAN ERA BY A SCORE OF CENTURIES OR
MORE." Baldwin's Ancient America, p. 204, says, "Its method
(of computing time) was to count by equal periods of years, as
we count by centuries, and their chronology presents a series of
periods which carries back their histor}' to a VERY REMOTE TIME
IN THE PAST. ' '
Of the Maya's Short p. 519, says, "The venerable civilization
of the Mayas, whose forest grown cities and crumbling temples
hold entombed a history of vanished glory, no doubt belongs to
the remotest period of North American antiquity. It was old
when the Nahuas, then a comparatively rude people first came
in contact with it, adapted in my of its features and grafted upon
it new life. " Again, p. 475, "I must speak of that language
which has survived unaltered through the vicissitudes of the
nations that spake it thousands of years ago, and is yet the
general tongue in Yucatan, the Maya. There can be no doubt
that this is one of the most ancient languages on earth. It was
used by a people that lived at least 6,000 years ago, as proved
by the Katuns, to record the history of their rulers, the dogmas
of their religion, on the walls of their palaces or the facades of
their temples. ' ' Thus we prove the Book of Mormon to be false,
just as much so as the father of lies.
95
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
The next question that demands our attention is, Were the
engravings, or writings, on those p lates, claimed to be shown
o Joseph Smith, Egyptian characters? In other words, was
the writing on those plates in the Egyptian language? If they
were such, it would be evidence in favor of the truthfulness of
the Book of Mormon. On the other hand, if they were not true
Egyptian characters but one conclusion could be reached, namely
They were a miserable fraud. "With the answer to this question
Mormonism must either stand or fall. In the discovery of
these plates and the inability of the learned to decipher them,
Mormons claim to find a fulfillment of a prophecy of Isaiah,
chapter 29. There, they claim, is a prophecy of "a voice
speaking out of the ground" — of "a sealed book being given to
a wise man who acknowledged his inability to read it." This
it is claimed found a fulfillment in the taking of those plates
out of the ground, and in presenting a copy of those characters
to Prof. Anthon, who acknowledged his inability to read them.
In answer to all that they have said, or may hereafter say, upon
this point it is sufficient to show that their inspiration, in order
to make their points in this, has been guilty of unmitigated
lying. Mr. Smith, the inspired prophet of Mormonism,
regarding the Anthoti affair, says: "Some time in this month
of February the afore-mentioned Mr. Martin Harris came to our
place, got the characters which I had drawn off the plates and
started with them to New York. For what took place relative
to him and the characters, I refer to his own account of the
circumstances, as he related them to me after his return, which
was as follows: 'I went to the city of New York and presented
the characters, which had been translated, with the translation
thereof, to Professor Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his
96
literary attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the
translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen
translated from the Egyptian. I then showed him those which
were not yet translated and he said they were Egytian, Chaldaic,
Assyrian and Arabic, and he said that they were true characters.
He gave me a certificate certifying to the people of Palmyra
that they were true characters, and that the transalation
of such of them as had been translated was also correct. . . .
I left him and went to Dr. Mitchell, who sanctioned what
Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and
the translation.' '
Let us remember this testimony of Martin Harris is fully
endorsed by the prophet of Mormonism, and is found in one of
their inspired books, Pearl of Great Price, Liverpool edition of
1851, p. 45. It is, hence, the testimony of Mormon inspiration.
Let us now hear this same inspiration, as it spfake through one
of their chief apostles, Orson Pratt. In Divine Authenticity,
p. 295, Pratt says, "In the year 1841 Professor Anthon wrote a
letter to an Episcopal minister, in New Rochelle, Westchester
count}', near New York, in answer to an inquiry made by the
minister in reference to the words and characters said to have
been presented to him. Professor Anthon 's letter was written
with permission to publish, its avowed object being to put a
stop to the spread of the fulness of the gospel contained in the
Book of Mormon. We here give a short extract from it taken
from a periodical entitled, 'The Church Record,' Vol. i, No. 22:
"Many years ago, the precise date I do not recollect, a plain
looking country man called upon me with a letter from Dr.
Samuel L. Mitchell, requesting me to examine and give my
opinion upon a certain paper, marked with various characters,
which the Doctor confessed he could not decipher, and which
the bearer of the note was very anxious to have explained.
A brief examintion convinced me that it was a mere HOAX,
and a very clumsy one, too. The characters were arranged in
columns, like the Chinese mode of writing, and presented the
97
most singular medley that I ever beheld. Greek, Hebrew and
all sorts of letters, more or less distorted, either through
unskilfulness or from actual design, were intermingled with
sundry delineations of half moons, stars and other natural
objects, and the whole ended in a rude representation of the
Mexican Zodiac."
Pratt accepts this as the true statement of facts, as all other
Mormon preachers must do who accept their argument based
upon the prophecy of Isaiah. Notwithstanding that in so doing
they admit that Smith and Harris positively lied. Smith and
Harris positively testify that Anthon was able to read the
characters, and to decide as to their genuineness, and hence, as
to the correctness of Smith's translation. They further testify
that Harris, having obtained the testimony of Prof. Anthon as
to the genuineness of those characters, and the correctness of
Smith's translation, he went to Dr. Mitchell, who endorsed all
that Anthon said. Thus stating, positively, that Anthon and
Mitchell, both could read and translate the characters. If they
had not been able to read and translate those characters they
would not have been competent to decide as to the correctness of
Smith's translation of them.
Bear this in mind, then hear the following from Orson Pratt.
"After obtaining the Book of Mormon through the ministry of
the angel 'out of the 'ground, ' Mr. Smith transcribed some of
the original characters upon paper and sent them by the hands
of Martin Harris, a farmer, to the city of New York, where they
were presented to Professor Anthon, a man deeply learned in
both ancient and modern languages. Mr. Harris very anxiously
requested him to read it, BUT HE REPLIED THAT HE COULD NOT. "
It can now be seen that somebody has lied. We leave it for
Mormons to say who it was. If they say that Smith and Harris
lied, they condemn Smith as a lying prophet and as a
consequence, an imposter. If they say Smith told the truth,
they condemn their apostles and elders from Dan to Beersheba.
They can take either horn of the dilemma they choose. A plate
98
of these characters was recently sent to a number of Oriental
scholars, and professional judgment was asked with regard to
their genuineness. In answer to such request Chas. H. S.
Davis, M. D. Ph. D., of Meriden, Conn., author of "Ancient
Egypt in the light of Recent Discoveries, " and a member of the
American Oriental Society, Ameridan Philological Society,
Society of Biblical Archaeology of London, Royal Archaeological
Institute of Great Britian and Ireland, etc., Said: "I am familiar
with Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyrian and Arabic, and have
considerable acquaintance with all of the Oriental languages,
and I can POSITIVELY ASSERT that there is not a letter to be
found in the fac-simile submitted that can be found in the
alphabet of any Oriental language, particularly those you refer
to — namely, Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyrian and Arabic. A
careful study of the fac-simile shows that they are characters
put down at random by an ignorant person — with no
resemblance to anything, not even shorthand."
President James B. Angell, of the University of Michigan,
at Ann Arbor, said, "I have submitted your letter and enclosure
to our Professor of Oriental languages, who is more familiar
with the subject raised by your questions than I am. He is a
man of large learning in Semitic languages and archaeology.
The substance of what he has to say is: The document which
you enclose raises a MORAL rather than a LINGUISTIC problem.
A few letters or signs are noticeable which correspond more or
less closely to the Aramaic, sometimes called Chaldee language;
for example, s, h, g, t, 1, b, n. There are no Assyrian characters
in it; and the impression made is that THE DOCUMENT is
FRAUDULENT."
Dr. Charles E. Moldenke, of New York, of whom Dr. Davis
says, ' 'He is probably the best Egyptian scholar in the country, ' '
writing from Jerusalem said: "I believe the plates of the Book
of Mormon to be a fraud. In the first place it is impossible to
find in any old inscription, Egyptian, Arabic, Chaldee and
Assyrian characters mixed together. The simple idea of finding
99
Egyptian and Arabic side be side is ridiculous and impossible. ' '
DOCTRINE AND DOGMAS. These testimonies represent the
scholarship of the world. They establish one fact: The
Mormon plates were a FRAUD. THERE WAS NOT AN EGYPTIAN
CHARACTER ON THEM. '
The Old Testament, it is claimed, was written in Hebrew.
Suppose that the testimony of scholars was unanimous that there
was not a Hebrew character in the manuscripts of which it was
claimed to be a translation. If such was the case it would be
the unanimous decision, among the intelligent, that the whole
thing was a fraud. In that case no intelligent, conscientious
person would want to appear before the public in its defense.
It is claimed that the New Testament was written in Greek.
SuppOvSe, however, that the unanimous decision of scholars was
that there was not a Greek letter in the manuscripts of which it
was said to be a translation. In that event no intelligent,
conscientious man would want to appear before the public in
order to defend its claims as a revelation from God. If it was
as we have supposed with regard to the Bible he who
would undertake its defence would do so under circumstances
that would insure his defeat in the judgment of all intelligent
people. Under just such disadvantages all must labor who
undertake to defend the claims of the Book of Mormon. The
fact that people accept and undertake the defense of that book
is a demonstration of the gullibility of the human mind in
matters religious.
TOO
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
We will now show that neither those plates nor the URIM
AND THUMMIM, prepared, they tell us, 2,500 years before, were
of any benefit to Smith in making the Book of Mormon. David
Whitmer testifies as follows:
"The tablets or plates were translated by Smith, who used
a small oval or kidney -shaped stone called Urim and Thummim
that seemed endowed with the marvelous power of converting
the characters on the plates, when used by Smith, into English,
who would then dictate to Cowdery what to write. Frequently
one character would make two lines of manuscript, while others
made but a word or two words. " — M. of M. F. page 83.
Martin Harris says:
"By th2 aid of the seer stone sentences would appear and
were read by the prophet and written by Martin, and when
finished he would say 'written'; and if correctly written that
sentence would disappear and another appear in its place; but if
not written correctly it remained until corrected, so that the
translation was just as it was engraven on the plates, precisely
in the language then used. "
Again:
"The translation of the characters appeared on the Urim
and Thummim, sentence by sentence, and as soon as one was
correctly translated the next appeared. " — M. of M. F., page 71.
In the Desert Evening News, Dec. 24, 1885, Whitmer says:
"After affixing the magical spectacles to his ej-es, Smith
would take the plates and translate the charcters one at a time.
The graven characters would appear in succession to the seer,
and directly under the character, when viewed through the
glasses, would be the translation in English. ' '
101
If we credit these witnesses, there is one thing that is
clearly established, namely, Smith was not responsible for the
language of the Book of Mormon. No more so than a babe of
today. Smith would look at the characters on the plates and the
English of each would appear and would not leave till it was
correctly written. Therefore, if sentences were -awkwardly ex-
pressed, grammatically incorrect, contained useless verbiage, un-
necessary repetitions or errors of any kind, none but the
inspiration that guided the SEER is to blame! The inspiration of
heaven is infallibly correct in all that it does. It would not,
hence palm off on any people a translation that was not infallibly
correct. None could give an infallibly correct translation unless
governed by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
One thing that we now ask, and ask it in behalf of truth,
and that is: How was it that thousands of sentences appeared
to Smith from our Bible, and appeared in the precise language
of the King James tranlation? One of two positions must here
be taken, namely: The King James' translation is infallibly
correct, the translators thereof being governed by the inspiration
of heaven, or the Book of Mormon is a fraud.
The witnesses that we have introduced certify that the
Book of Mormon was translated from the plates that were
shown to Smith by the angel, and such is the claim of all
Mormons; but the witnesses testify that the English of that
book is the language that appeared to Smith through magical
spectacles or the kidney shaped stone. Why is it that the
inspiration that guided Smith and worked so magically through
his URIM AND THUMMIM was, in the translation of sentences
that had been copied from our Bible, limited to the language of
the Common Version? Did the angel that guided Smith have
to depend upon the king's translators for his English? Of
course, I suppose Joe's angel was "a pore, ignernt, unlarnt
criter. " Of course. Mormon inspiration will never tell us how
it was that Smith 's angel translated the passages that had been
copied from the Jewish scripture in the precise language of the
102
Common Version? And, as to the matter borrowed from the
New Testament those Nephite preachers knowing all about
JESUS long before he was named by the angel Gabriel, of course,
they knew all about the New Testament hundreds of years
before it was written!
If it be admitted that Smith turned from his plates to get a
single sentence it will be fatal to the claims of Mormonism.
They will escape the difficulty at this point just as easy as a
man would dodge a stroke of lightning. Martin Harris says.
"The prophet possessed a seer stone by which he was
enabled to translate as well as from the Urim and Thummim,
and for convenience he then used the seer stone." — M. of M. F.
page 91.
This informs us that the "interpreters" were somewhat
inconvenient. Smith did not need them; and of course would
never have used them at all, only out of respect for the feelings
of his god ! Of course the Lord did not know anything about
that seer stone that was "hid up" in Mr. Chase's premises, or
he could have saved the trouble of making those magical
spectacles. And evidently the Lord did not know the size and
shape of the Mormon prophet's head, for as those spectacles
were inconvenient we conclude that they were not a good fit! I
suppose that when Smith got a chance to SLIP that stone from
among the trinkets of those children he just took it to be used
as an expedient. And it does seem from the subsequent history
of this stone that the EXPEDIENTS of men may be superior to
the arrangemens of the Almighty, for this stone was superior
to the URIM AND THUMMIM that the Lord prepared especially
for Smith's use twenty and a half centuries before ! Perhaps
the Lord ought to have waited till he saw the size and shape of
Smith's head before making those spectacles ? ! He evidently
forgot to examine the seer's head the time he brought his Son
to New York to introduce him to Smith ! If he had not h-
certainly would have corrected the mistake before having thei.i
delivered to the prophet ! However, as we have seen, according
to Mormonism, the Lord makes mistakes !
103
Mr. Hale, Smith's father-in-law, in whose house most of
the translation was done, says that the curiosity and sometimes
the wrath of the outside world was often such that the prophet
would be obliged to take the plates into the woods several
miles distant, and keep them hid for weeks at a time, but the
translation would go on in the house all the same. Therefore
Smith could translate just as well in the absence of the plates
as in their presence !
David Whitmer, in Desert Evening News, Dec. 24, 1885,
says that Smith offended the angel, and as a punishment the
angel left him and took the plates and interpreters to heaven,
and the work was stopped for awhile. He says:
"The angel being in possession of the plates and spectacles,
finally when Smith had fully repented of his rash conduct, he
was forgiven. THE PLATES, HOWEVER, WERE NOT RETURNED;
but instead Smith was given by the angel a Urim and Thummim
of another pattern, it being shaped in oval pr kidney form.
This seer stone he was instructed to place in his hat, and on
covering his face with the hat the character and translation
would appear on the stone. This worked just as satisfactorily
as the old method, but at no time thereafter was the backsliding
Joseph intrusted with the precious plates. However, the entire
portion of the golden volume which the angel said might be
translated was reduced by the nimble amanuensis to readable
manuscript."
It is now apparent to the reader, from the testimony of their
own witnesses, that neither the plates or interpreters were of
any use to Smith in making the Book of Mormon ! That oval
or kidney shaped stone did away with the necessity of plates
and spectacles ! Smith could, we are told, put that stone in his
hat, place the hat over his face and translate just as well as
when he had the plates and interpreters ! Translate what ?
He had nothing to translate, for the plates were gone. As we
are left to conjecture as to the workings of the Mormon prophet
and his angel, we suppose that the Lord took those plates to
104
heaven because he had a curiosity to see what was on, them,
and having found out something about Joe Smith he was afraid
to risk them in his hands any more, so he just deputized an
angel to bring those Egyptian characters one at a time, and
drop them in Smith 's old hat. Mormons talk about a second
Daniel, in the person of Joe Smith ! Reader, think of
Daniel when he was called to the palace of Belshazzar to
interpret the handwriting on the wall. See him stand before
the king and the mighty ones of that realm, while he boldly
tells the names of the characters, and gives the interpretation.
If Daniel had crouched in some corner, behind a sheet, his hat
over his face and a pebble in it that had been taken from some
well in Babylon, and that he had taken from among the trinkets
of some child — imagine him in that position, without any
reputation in point of wisdom, not known as a prophet, but
claiming to interpret by the magical power of that stone
characters that were on a plate that he had taken out of the
ground which he refused to let intelligent people examine. If
Daniel had been thus represented, there would have been a
parallel between him and Smith. As it is, however, there is
none.
Orson Pratt, speaking in behalf of their argument that is
based upon the 2Qth chapter of Isaiah says:
' 'All this was fulfilled before Mr. Smith was aware that it
had been so clearly predicted by Isaiah. He sent the ''WORDS
of a book' which he found as before stated, to Professor Anthon.
But it was a sealed writing to the learned professor — the
aboriginal language of ancient America could not be deciphered
by him. He was as much puzzled as the wise men of Babylon
were to interpret the unknown writing upon the wall. Human
wisdom and learning in this case, were altogether insufficient.
It required another Daniel who was found in the person of Mr.
Smith."
As this argument has been so elaborately given and relied
upon by both the Utah and Reorganized branches of the Mormon
105
fraternity, and as with it Mormonism, in the eyes of. all
intelligent and conscientious people, must stand or fall, we
again give the testimony of Smith and Harris, which be it
understood, forms a part of the INSPIRED) literature of all
Mormons. Smith say:
"Some time in this month of February the afore-
mentioned Mr. Martin Harris came to our place, got the
characters which I had drawn off the plates and started
with them to New York. For what took place relative
to him and the characters, I refer to his own account of the
circumstances, as he related them to me after his return, which
was as follows: 'I went to the city of New York and presented
the characters, which had been transcribed, with the translation
thereof, to Professor Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his
literary attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the
translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen
translated from the Egyptian. I thenrshowed him those which
were not yet translated and he said they were Egytian, Chaldaic,
Assyrian and Arabic, and he said that they were true characters.
He gave me a certificate certifying to the people of Palmyra
that they were true characters, and that the transaction
of such of them as had been translated was also correct. . . .
I left him and went to Dr; Mitchell, who sanctioned what
Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and
the translation. ' "
Now let us remember this is Mormon inspiration speaking
through the prophet of Mormonism. But, let us also remember
that the same inspiration speaking through the entire Mormon
family, Organized and Reorganized, says that the testimonj'
through Joe Smith is a lie.
If a witness be called onto the stand who, in giying his
testimony, stultifies himself, giving positive contradictory
testimony touching the most important points in the suit, all
intelligent jurors pronounce him a perjured being and reject his
testimony. We have called Mormon inspiration onto the stand,
106
but it has stultified itself, positively contradicted itself in the
more important points under consideration. Therefore, all
intelligent, conscientious people must reject the testimony
of Mormon inspiration, it being the testimony of a perjured
witness. If what Smith says regarding the testimony
of Anthon and Mitchell was true why did he not get a number
of such men to examine those plates and give to the world
some reliable testimony in their behalf? Why did the}' not
preserve that certificate that was given by Anthon and Mitchell?
What heaven does is not done in a dark corner, under suspicious
circumstances. The fact is, Mormonism is a humbug, the book
of Mormon being a fraud of the deepest dye.
The testimony that we have given regarding the Anthon
affair has all been from Mormon sources, and altogether
unreliable, their inspiration being a perjured .witness. Such
being the case we will now hear some testimony from another
and a reliable source. Remy and Brechesly, vol. i, p. 245,
gives the following:
"In a letter bearing date January 17, 1834, Professor Anthon
distinctly denies having seen a translation of any kind, and
asserts that the characters which Harris showed him WERE
ANYHING but Egyptian. Mr. Anthan says in this letter that
the copy exhibited by Harris contained characters arranged in
columns, imitating Greek and Hebrew letters, crosses, flourishes,
Roman letters inverted, and that these perpendicular columns
were terminated by a clumsity drawn circle, divided into several
compartments, decked with various strange marks, evidently
copied from the Mexican calendar given by Humboldt, but so
copied as to conceal the source from which it was taken."
MENE, TEKEL.
107
CHAPTER NINETEEN.
Mormon inspiration, like the inspiration of Mahometanism
labors much to gratify the curiosity of man, yet it leaves us to
wonder and inquire about many things that it speaks of, and
that without any assurance of our curiosity being gratified.
One can but wonder why the angel should have taken those
old spectacles to heaven. It may be that the Lord wanted to
examine them in order to see what the deficiency was; or it may
be that he felt ashamed for any one to see them. — The reader
will please excuse this. The whole thing is so ridiculously
absurd that it is not worthy of serious consideration.
We now turn our attention to the use of proper names, and
in examining them we will have a demonstration of the falsity
of the Book of Mormon. Proper names, the names of men,
cities, towns, countries, and rivers are not translatable. They
are only transferable, and the same sound, as near as possible
is given in each language. As an illustration take such as
Egypt, Palestine, Babylon, Ninevah, Damascus, etc., or the
names of men, such as Adam, Enoch, Noah, Job, Daniel, etc.
The Mayas, as we have seen, were among the most ancient
inhabitants of Central America, and the most enlightened of
any of its ancient inhabitants, being the only people there that
had a written language. That language has survived the
vicissitudes of time, and remains the same today; in the main,
that it was 2,000 or 2,500 years ago.
Dr. AgUvStus La Plongeon, in Vestiges of the Mayas, page
25, says: "The language of the ancient Mayas, strange as it
may appear, has servived the vicissitudes of time, wars, political
and religious convulsions. It has, of course, somewhat
degenerated by the mingling of so many races in such a limited
space as the peninsula of Yucatan is; but it is yet the vernacular
108
'l, ^ //I/
' X
If* ,' n. $$•:•' U
of the people. The Spainards themselves, who strived so hard
to wipe out all vestiges of the ancient customs of the aborigines
were unable to destroy it; nay, they were obliged to learn it;
and now many of their descendants have forgotten the mother
tongue of their sires and speak Maya only. In some localities in
Central America it is still spoken in its pristine purity, as, for
example, by the Chaacmules. "
Short, page 478, says: "What is most satisfactory to us Is
the probability that the language is spoken today by the mass
of the native population of Yucatan as it was anciently, for,
says Senor Pimentel, 'The Indians have preserved this idiom
with such tenacity that to this day they will speak no other. '
Senor Oroyco j Berra furnishes us evidences that little change
has taken place in the language since the earliest times, in the
statement that all the geographical names of the peninsula are
Maya, which is considered proof in his judgment that the May as
were the first occupants of the country. "
Reader, think of the fact now before us. The Mayas were
the first inhabitants of Central American. They are there now,
speaking the same language that they spake anciently, and
their history reaches back into the remotest antiquity. Their
alphabet we can give, and we challenge the entire Mormon
fraternity to show the remotest resemblance between that
alphabet and the characters that the Book of Mormon says were
used by the ancient inhabitants of that country. (We regret
our inability to give our readers the Maya alphabet in these
articles. We are, however, being urged, not simply by brethren
but by representative men in the denominations to put our
matter in permanent form. This will likely be done, and should
it be done our diagrams will all be given in the book; and
unhesitatingly do we say, it will give a thorough demonstration
that the Book of Mormon is one of the basest frauds that was
ever concocted by designing men.)
One can take the Bible and go into Bible lands, there they
find the names of men, countries, cities and rivers, just as given
109
in that book, from the remotest antiquity down to the close of
the New Testament record; thus demonstrating the authenticity
of that book. But alas, how different it is with the Book of
Mormon! Take that book and go into Central America, where
it claims to have originated, and we fail to find a name that it
gives. Not one of them was ever known there. The names
are there now that were there 2,000 years ago.
The Bible tells us that the Jews, with whom it claims to
have originated, were the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. Those names are there now. Towns and places they
talked of, where they lived, and wells they dug can be shown,
and wherever we find their descendants those names are
revered. Scores of centuries could not obliterate them.
The Book of Mormon tells us that Lehi, Nephi, and Laman
were the progenitors of the aborigines of North and South
America. Why can we not go to the parts where they lived,
and where it is claimed that their descendants flourished most,
where they reached their highest civilization, and find their
names revered — find the places they talked about — find some
monument that marks their enterprise? Gentle reader, those
names are not there, and never were there ! Why is this?
Echo answers why ? Such men never lived ! The Book of
Mormon is a book of fiction — a falsehood of the deepest dye.
We now give in parallel columns the names of lands, cities
and countries of ancient America as given in the Book of
Mormon, and the actual names that were here, as ascertained
by the research of antiquarians. The left hand column will
give the actual names, and the right hand column will give the
names according to the Book of Mormon.
ANCIENT NAMES. MORMON NAMES.
Carchac Antionum
Champoton Amulon
Chichen Itza Ammonihah
Chimathuacan Antipara
Chiquimula Boaz
\
no
Cholula
Colouacan
Hapallanconco
Huchuetan
Huej-xalan
Gualulco
Itzalane
Izamai
Mazalepec
Mayapan
Metlaltoyuca
Mazapan
Nachan
Nimxab
Ococingo
Olman
Quiyahuiztlan
Quemeda
Quauhnahuac
Quauhatochco
Tarn cancan
Tepen
Tlaachicatzin
Tlapallanconco
Tlaxicoluican
Tepetla
Tonacatepetl
Tatzapan
Teotihuacan
Tlacopan
Taxpan
Tulan
Tulancingo
Txintzurtzan
Tzequil
Bountiful
Cumeni
Desolation
Gadiandi
Gad
Gadiomnah
Gilgal
Gid
Gideon
Gimgimno
Helam
Hermounts
Ishmael
Jacob
Jacobugath
Jershon
Jerusalem
Jordon
Josh
Kishkumen
Laman
Lemuel
Manti
Melek
Minon
Middoni
Mocum
Morianton
Moroni
Moroni hah
Mulek
Nephihah
Noah
Omner
Onidah
in
Xalisco
Xibalba
Xicalanco
Xochicalco
Xumiltepec
Yobaa
Zacatlan
Zinhcohuatl
Oniha
Sherrizah
Shilam
Shimlon
Sidom
Shem
Shemnilon
Teancum
Zarahemla
Zuzrotn
We now give a list of the names of men arranged as above:
ANCIENT NAMES
Igh
Imox
Votan
Cipoctonal
Oxomoco
Tlaltetecui
Xuchicaoaca
Xelhua
Xicalancatl
Tenuch
Mixtecatl
Ulmecatl
Otomitl
Itzaob
Acapichtzin
Cabracau
Cecatzin
Chaac Mol
Chalcatzin
Cohuatzon
Ciikulcan
Huematzin
MORMON NAMES
Aaron
Abinadi
Abin adorn
Alma
Amaron
Amaleki
Amalekiah
Aminadab
Ammon
Ammoran
Amlici
Amulek
Amulon
Antipus
Archeantus
Benjamin
Boaz
Cezoram
Chemish
Corianton
Coiantumr
Emron
112
Hunbatz Enos
Hunchouen Gadiandi
Hun-Came Gad
Hunahpu Gidgidoni
Melzotzin Gideon
Totzapantzin Gidianton
Tlapalmetzin Gidianhi
Tlacamihtzin Hagoth
Unkub-Came Helam
Unkub Hunahpu Heleman
Xbalanque Heloram
Xpij'acoc Isaiah
Xmucane Ishraael
Xquip Jacob
Zamna Jarom
Zipacna Jershon
This list gives the actual names that were here, with a
corresponding number of Mormon names. That the reader,
however, may see a full list of Mormon names, as given by the
Book of Mormon, we give the full Hst. Lemuel, Linihi, Luram,
Mathoni, Mathonihi, Melek, Mormon, Maroni, Monah, Nehor,
Nephi, Noah, Omni, Paanchi, Pachus, Pacumeni, Pahoran,
vSam, Samuel, Seantum, Seezaran, Shem, Shemnon, Shiblon,
Timothy, Tubaloth, Zarahema, Zeezrom, Zedekiah, Zemnariah,
Zenephi, Zewiff, Zenos.
We again challenge the entire Mormon fraternity to a
comparison of these names. There is not a name in the entire
Mormon list that bears the remotest resemblance to an}- of the
ancient names of Central America! ! Why is this ? The Book of
Mormon says that the Nephites faithfully keep a record of their
lineage, and as a consequence, a record of their proper names,
and a record of their wars, their religious and political
enterprises. Why then, we ask, is it that antiquarians fail to
find any trace of these records ? — fail to find a name that even
resembles a Mormon name? Names of ancient men can be
given, and their idolatrous worship, their cannibalistic customs
— the nature of their civilization can be gathered from their
stone and stucco carvings, and their picture writings. Not
only can antiquarians give the proper names that were in
ancient Central America, the nature of the civilization there,
but also the characters used in the only written language that
was ever there, but nothing can be found there that has any
resemblance to anything that the Book of Mormon gives ! ! !
In view of these facts but one conclusion can be reached — the
Book of Mormon is a fraud — as fearful a falsehood as ever came
from the regions of his Satanic Majesty's dominions!
114
CHAPTER TWENTY.
"Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked
servant." Luke 19: 22. We now purpose to show by the Book
of Mormon that the devil is the foundation of the Mormon
church. "And it came to pass that I saw among the nations of
the Gentiles the foundation of a great church. And the angel
said unto me, Behold, the foundation of a church, which is most
abominable above all other churches, which slayeth the saints
of God, yea, and tortureth them, and bindeth them down, and
yoketh them with a yoke of iron, and bringeth them down into
captivity. And it came to pass that I beheld this great and
abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the
foundation of it. And I also saw gold and silver, and silks and
scarlets, and fine twined linen, and all manner of precious
clothing; and I saw many harlots." — B. of M., pp. 20, 100-103.
All Mormons hold that this great and abominable church
is the Roman Catholic ecclesia. It is a fact however that the
Roman Catholic and the Mormon churches are built upon the
same foundation. To the church in Pergamos the Lord said,
1 'So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans,
which thing I hate. " Rev. 2: 15. In order to understand
what was in the Nicolaitan doctrine it is only necessary to
analyze the term. It is a compound term from NICHO and
LAITOS. NICHO, from the root NICHE, means to get the
ascendency. LAITOS is simply the people. We have, hence,
in that word or doctrine, what is known in the ecclesiastical
world as the CLERGY AND LAITY. It is there alone that we find
a class that hold the ascendency, and talk of the people as the
LAITY. There were some in the apostles' da}r that were seeking
in the spirit of Diotrophes, to get the ascendency, that they
might be as lords over the masses. This is what the Lord hates,
and the reason is apparent. In the kingdom of the Christ we
have a kingdom in which each citizen is a member of the royal
family. They constitute, hence, a kingdom of priests, with
equal rights and privileges, in all that pertains to the worship
of God. In that kingdom there are no dignitaries to lord it
over the masses. See Rev. i: 6; I. Pet. 2: 9. Each member in
that family is born of royal parentage. They are all children of
God, and are hence, joint heirs with the King immortal. The
holy place of the tabernacle that was erected by Moses, under
the immediate directions of the Almighty, was given as a type
of the institution of God in Christ. In that holy place all met
as consecrated priests of God — all were sanctified to the same
service — all within that institution were equal, had equal
privileges in all the services therein. In Ezekiel's vision of the
temple of God the same lesson is taught that is given in the
tabernacle. In that vision is given a picture of a building
composed of many rooms, each room the same size, and each
room just the size of the entire building, and each worshipper in
that building filled the same measure.
In the institution of God the Nicolaitan doctrine is
positively prohibited, for that doctrine subverts the will of God,
enslaves the masses, and keeps them from the light of God. In
Rome we have a kingdom of the clergy. In that institution we
find, hence a self constituted priesthood that has the ascendency
' over and rule of the people. In that institution, hence, we find
the Nicolaitan doctrine, that which the Lord hates. In the
Roman ecclesia there are ecclesiastical dignitaries of various
sizes, and a centralization of power on earth. There we see the
pope, the prelates, the cardinals, the arch-bishops, the diocesan
bishops, the priests, etc,,' with a centralization of power at
Rome; and if we should call attention to her demoniacal features
we would mention the Hermits, the Dominican Friars, the
Inquisition, etc.
. In Mormonism there is the first presidency, the patriarchs,
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the apostles, the seventies, the high priests, the bishops, the
elders, the priests and the deacons. And should we call attention
to its especial demoniacal features we would mention the
Whitling deacons, the Danite Bands, Celestial Marriages, etc.,
etc., and all know that from its incipiency Mormonism
proposed a centralization of power on earth. Thus it is clearly
seen that Monnonism closely apes Romanisn, and has the
Nicoliatan doctrine in its fulness. We give the following:
1. Romanism being founded upon the devil, any church
modeled after the Roman pattern has the devil for its foundation.
2. But the Mormon church is modeled after the Roman
pattern.
3. Therefore the Mormon church has the devil for its
foundation.
Again,
1. A church built upon the Nicolaitan doctrine, the
doctrine of clergy and laity is something the Lord hates.
2. But the Mormon church, having the doctrine of clergy
and laity, is built upon the Nicolaitan doctrine.
3. Therefore, the Mormon church is something that the
Lord hates.
We will now show that genuine Mormonism'is polygamous.
That Joseph Smith was the oracle of Mormenism — its true
representative and expounder will not be denied by any
representative of Mormonism.
We now give attention to the question, Was Joseph Smith,
the reputed prophet of latter day saints, the author of celestial
marriage? It will, it must be admitted that if Joseph Smith
was the author of celestial marriage, he was the author of
polygamy as practiced by the Utah church. This being so,
polygamy is a tenet of , and belongs to genuine Mormonism.
Such being the case, none can be genuine Mormons and reject
polygamy. Smith was highly favored by the inspiration that
guided him. He could hence, have a revelation granted him
for any and every emergency. It mattered not as to the nature
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of any project that he might have on hand, nor the moral
features of any practice that he wished to indulge in, he could
have a revelation that would justify his course. Not withstand
ing the Book of Mormon condemned polygamy, when Smith
wanted to justify plural marriages, the same inspiration that
had condemned such could, at Smith's request, authorize, yea
command it, and threaten all who opposed it with eternal
damnation! Hence, the following wonderful revelation:
"i. Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servant
Joseph, that inasmuch as you have enquired of my hand, to
know and understand wherein, I, the Lord, justified Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob, as also Moses, David and Solomon, my
servants, as touching the principle and doctrine of their having
many wives and concubines: Behold ! and lo, I am the Lord thy
God, and will answer thee as touching this matter:
Therefore prepare thy heart to receive and obey the instructions
which I am about to give unto you; for all those who have this
lawT revealed unto them must obey the same; for behold! I reveal
unto you a new and everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not in
that covenant, then are ye dammed; for no one can reject this
covenant, and be permitted to enter iuto my glory; for all who
will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which
was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as
was instituted from before the foundation of the world; and as
pertaining to the new and everlasting covenant it was instituted
for the fulness of my glory, and he that receiveth a fulness thereof
must and shall abide the law or he shall be damned saith the Lord.
"2. And verily I say unto you that the conditions of this
law are these: All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations,
oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or
expectations that are not made and entered into and sealed by
the Holy Spirit of promise, of him who is anointed, both as
well for time and for all eternity, and that too most holy by
revelation and commandment, through the medium of mine
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anointed whom I have appointed on the earth to hold this
power, (and I have appointed unto my servant Joseph to hold
this power in the last days, and there is never but one on the
earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of this
priesthood are conferred) are of no efficacy, virtue or force in
and after the resurrection from the dead; for all contracts that
are not made unto this end have an end when men are dead."
It may be well to take this document by sections, that we
may when we reach the end, have an understanding of the
whole; and enjoy the fulness thereof! It is evident that the
world never would have been favored with such a revelation
had not Joseph been directly concerned, and hence importuned
the Lord that he might know just how polygamy could be
justified! Mormons talk of a new and everlasting covenant,
and of Mormonism affording the fulness of the gospel. The}*
have been challenged many times to give one idea pertaining
to the gospel of Christ that is not found in the New Testament,
and to show in what the fulness of the gospel consisted, as
exhibited in Mormonism. They will never be enabled to comply
with this request, nor to point to a law that embodies a new
covenant until they endorse this polygamous document! It
does claim to give a new and everlasting covenant to
give the law embodying that covenant. It is, however,
a law governing and justifying a plurality of wives !
They are wont to say that the fulness of which the religious
world had been deprived consists in the miraculous endowments
that have been restored by the introduction of Mormonism.
They argue that the true saints of God are not found where
these miraculous endowments are wanting. In this, however,
they show the Book of Mormon to be false. It is a fact that is
conceded by all intelligent students of ecclesiastical history that
miracuTous gifts disappeared with the ending of the apostles' min-
istry. Mormons have asserted, and yet say, that they disappeared
because of apostasy, and because, hence, the saints had ceased
to exist. The quotation, however, from the Book of Mormon,
with which we began this article, says that the Roman ecclesia,
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necessarily a few hundred years after the apostles, did slay and
torture the saints of God. Truly, the legs of the lame are not
equal.
This revelation answered Joseph's purpose in another
respect. It made Joseph dictator over the entire Mormon
fraternity. No contract, civil or religious, and, of course, that
included marriage vows, was binding without the seal of the
,Holy Spirit affixed by him who had the key of that authority ! !
We now know what the new and everlasting covenant is, as
revealed to Joseph. It was a law authorizing polygamy, and
establishing Smith's right as an absolute monarch ! We
understand now how Mormonism, through its oracle, gave the
fulness of the gospel ! I wonder by what blood this covenant
was dedicated? ! One is made to wonder whether the founders
of Mormonism ever saw a book that is called the New Testament?
Yet we know that they had, for otherwise they could not have
stolen the amount from it that they did in making the Book of
Mormon. But, gentle reader, they had about as much respect
for its authority as a true servant of Jesus Christ can have for
the authority of such a miserable blasphemer as Joseph Smith
was. That wonderful revelation continues:
"3. Behold! Mine house is a house of order, saith the
Lord God, and not a house of confusion. Will I accept an
offering, saith the Lord, that is not made in my name? Or,
will I receive at your hands that which I have not appointed ?
And will I appoint unto you, saith the Lord, except it be b}-
law, even as I and my Father ordained unto you before the
world was? I am the Lord thy God, and I give unto
you this commandment, that no man shall come unto the Father
but by me, or by my word which is my law, saith the Lord;
and everything that is in the world, whether it be ordained of
men, by thrones, or principalties, or powers, or things of name,
whatever they may be, that are not by me or my worc^ saith
the Lord, shall be thrown down and shall not stand after men
are dead, neither in nor after the resurrection, saith the Lord
your God; for whatsoever things remaineth are by me; and
whatsoever things are not by me shall be shaken and destroyed. "
This will do for one mess, so we pause.
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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE.
In section third of this blasphemous document, as the
careful reader will observe, there is a justification of that
vSentiment in Mormonism, which manifested itself from the
beginning of their career, that the earth and the fulness thereof
belonged to the "SAINTS," JURE DIVING; that, hence, they had
a right to appropriate to their own use anything among the
GENTILES that they might desire, even to a Gentile's wife.
It was a sufficient justification just to conclude that "the Lord
needed such." This sentiment in its legitimate bearing has
been amply exemplified in the work of the Danite bands and
the "Mountain Meadow Massacre. " It was this sentiment that
involved them in troubles in Missouri, in Illinois, and in Utah,
which could only be checked by the strong arm of the
government of the United States. The constitution and laws of
the United States guarantee to all of its citizens inalienable
rights in the pursuit of happiness, and liberty of conscience,
and pledges protection to person and property.
But, be it understood, no contract, or pledge by any
legislative enactment, by any principality or power whatever is
of any binding force, unless sealed by the Holy Spirit; and, be
it understood, that seal cannot be affixed except by the hand of
Joseph Smith! Therefore, O ye saints, fear not, for no deed,
bond, or vow that simply has the seal of accursed Gentile powers
is to be regarded by the saints. Hence, know ye, O ye people
of the faith of Nephi, that neither in the resurrection, nor after
the resurrection, will there be penal ty for disregarding what the
Gentiles call their rights! But
"4. Therefore, if any man marry him a wife in the world,
and he marry her not by me, nor by my word; and he covenant
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with her so long as he is in the world, and she with him, their
covenant and marriage is not in force when they are dead and
when they are out of the world; therefore, when they are out of
the world they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are
appointed angels in heaven, which angels are ministering ser-
vants, to minister for those who are worthy of a far more and an
exceeding and an eternal weight of glory; for these angels did
not abide my law, therefore they cannot be enlarged, but remain
separately and singly, without exaltation in their saved
condition, to all eternity, and from henceforth are not gods, but
are angels of God forever and ever. "
If any marry without the approval of him who holds the
key of power over all contracts, of course, Joseph Smith and
his successors, their marriage will not be valid in the next
world. They cannot be enlarged, for even the wife they had
here will be given to some faithful saint, who honored this new
and everlasting covenant. The disobedient that get to heaven
will be doomed to a bachelor's life. Yea, worse, they will only
be servants to help take care of true Mormon's wives and
children. Too bad. Such can never aspire to the position of a
god. The thoughtful reader can see in this the foundation of
the Adam God theory, as held by the parent Mormon church.
That theory is that Adam is the only God that we have to do
with ! Adam as our God came to earth and took to himself the
virgin Mary as a spiritual wife, and by virtue of that union
Jesus was born ! ! But hear:
"5. And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a
wife, and make a covenant with her for time and for all eternity,
if that covenant is not by me or by my word, which is my law,
and is not sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, through him
whom I have anointed and appointed unto this power, then it
is not valid, neither of course when they are out of the world,
because they are not joined by me, saith the Lord, neither by
my word; when they are out of the world, it cannot be received
there, because the angels and the gods are appointed there, by
ivhom they cannot pass, they cannot therefore, inherit my glory,
for my house is a house of order, saith the Lord God. "
A man may be ever so earnest, faithful and true to the
marriage vows here, and covenant with his wife to be her
husband in eternity, and she may covenant to cleave to him
through all eternity, but they not being married according to
the new and everlasting covenant dedicated by Jo. Smith, their
contract will be void. That man can never be exalted but will
have to take his position among the servants without. His
wife, of course will have another chance. By becoming ,the
spiritual wife of some faithful Mormon she can pass, and inherit
eternal glory ! ! To talk about the inspiration of the author of
such God-dishonoring stuff is enough to make the demons of
hell hang their heads in shame, if there could be shame in the
infernal regions !
"6. And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a
wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and ever-
lasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of
promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed
this power, and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said
unto them, ye shall come forth in the first resurrection, and if
it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection, and
shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers,
dominions, all heights and depths — then shall it be written in
the Lamb's book of life, that he shall commit no murder whereby
to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and
commit no murder, whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be
done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put
upon them, in time and through all eternity, and shall be of
full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by
the angels and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation
and glory, in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads,
which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds
forever and ever. ' '
One would conclude that the spirit by which Smith was
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inspired had marrying on the brain. We are, however, in this
copious revelation, given an insight into the Mormon heaven,
and the importance of the Mormon priesthood. Their heaven is
a place with an inner and outer court. The inner court is the
place of eternal joys, the fulness of which will consist in
associations in the celestial marriage relation, and in the
propogation of their seeds, and thus increasing the number in
the families of the god! ! This place will be guarded by
Mormons who have developed into gods and higher angels.
By these none can pass except those who have honored the
new and everlasting covenant, as it is revealed in this revelation.
The key of the priesthood, we are assured, is especially designed
to govern this covenant.
"7. Then shall they be gods, because they have no end;
therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because
they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things
are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they
have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.
"8. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye abide my
law, ye cannot attain to this glory; for strait is the gate and
narrow the W7ay that leadeth unto the exaltation and continuation
of the lives, and few there be that find it, because ye receive me
not in the world, neither do ye know me. But if ye receive
me in the world, then ye shall know me, and shall receive your
exaltation, that where I am, ye shall be also. This is eternal
lives, to know the only wise and true God and Jesus Christ
whom he hath sent. I am He. Receive ye, therefore, my law.
Broad is the gate and wide is the way that leadeth to the death ;
and many there are that go in thereat; because they receive me
not, neither do they abide in my law.
"9. Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man marry a wife
according to my word, and they are sealed by the Holy Spirit of
promise, according to mine appointment, and he or she shall
commit any sin or transgression of the new and everlasting
covenant whatever, and all manner of blasphemies, and if they
124
commit no murder, wherein they shed innocent blood — yet they
shall come forth in the first resurrection, and enter into their
exaltation; but they shall be destroyed in the flesh, and shall be
delivered unto the buffetings of Satan unto the day of
redemption, saith the Lord God."
Such a law as this might well be dictated by the inspiration
of one who was himself a vile blasphemer. Gentile blood, in
the eyes of Mormon inspiration, and as intimated in the next
section of this vile document, is not innocent blood. "Innocent
blood" is the blood of faithful "saints."
"10. The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall
not be forgiven in the world, nor out of the we rid is in that ye
commit murder, whereby ye shed innocent blood, and assent unto
my death after ye have received my new and everlasting covenant
saith the Lord God; and he that abideth not this law can in no wise
enter into my glory, but shall be damned saith the Lord. "
This shows that the "innocent blood" is, as we suggested,
the blood of "Saints. " In shedding that, hence, "Ye assent
unto my death. " This is, of course, upon the principle that,
"In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these
my brethren, ye have done it unto me." This justifies all
such as the Mountain Meadow Massacre! The blood of those
women and children was not innocent blood, for they were not
in "the new and everlasting covenant. " ! The language of this
section informs us that this unpardonable sin is in shedding inno-
cent blood after receiving this covenant. Before that, hence, one
is not liable to such sin. Mormons who are conscientiously op-
posed to polygamy can get a bit of comfort here. This however, is
over balanced by the fact that all are to be damned who reject this
covenant. There is no consolation in Mormonism except what
is to found in ' 'celestial marriage. ' '
"ii. I am the Lord thy God and will give unto thee the
law of my Holy Priesthood, as was ordained by me and my
Father before the world was. Abraham received all things,
whatsoever he received by revelation and commandment, by
125
my word saith the Lord, and hath entered into his exaltation,
and sitteth upon his throne.
"12. Abraham received promise concerning his seed, and
the fruit of his loins — from whose loins ye are, namely, my
servant Joseph — which were to continue so long as they were in
in the world; and as touching Abraham and his seed, out of the
world they should continue; both in the world and out of the
world they shall continue as innumerable as the stars; or, if ye
were to count the sand upon the seashore, ye could not number
them. This promise is yours, also, because ye are of Abraham,
and the promise was made unto Abraham; and by this law are
the continuation of the works of my Father, wherein he
glorifieth himself. Go ye, therefore, and do the works of
Abraham; enter ye into my law, and ye shall be saved. But if
ye enter not into my law ye cannot receive the promise of my
Father, which he made unto Abraham. "
These sections introduce to us the gist of this revelation,
and show from whence Smith 's inspiration came ! Abraham 's
righteous work consisted in his concubinage, and Smith is clearly
commanded to enter into Abraham's works, and by so doing is to
enter into his exaltation, as Abraham did into his. If there was
nothing else in Mormonism to corroborate the fact, this one rev-
elation is enough to demonstrate that the whole thing is of the
devil! Do Mormons allow themselves to think, or do they pride
in being humbugged? !
126
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO.
It is not our purpose to notice all the absurdities and false-
hoods in this REVELATION, but just enongh to see the true
inwardness of the thing. We notice, however, that "my
servant, Joseph, " is of the descendants of Abraham. Such is
the Book of Mormon. He was of the tribe of Joseph, and
Joseph was to be his name. B. of M., 52: 18, 19, 20. He was
to be of the descendants of Lehi, 53: 25. "My servant, Joseph, "
was, hence, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, of the tribe of Joseph,
and of the family of Lehi — no amalgamated concern, but reg-
istered stock. But the Nephites were annihilated. Joseph was,
hence, of the Lamanites. This is so, or the Book of Mormon is
false. To make its claims good Mormon inspiration must tell
us of which tribe of Indians Joseph was? And, not only tell
us, but demonstrate the fact. He must be, as said, registered
stock — a FULL blood.
"13. God commanded Abraham, and Sarah gave Hagar to
Abraham to wife. And why did she do it? Because this was
the law, and from Hagar sprang many people. This, therefore,
fulfilling among other things, the promise. Was Abraham,
therefore, under condemnation? Verily, I say unto you, nay;
for I the Lord commanded it. Abraham was commanded to
offer his son Isaac, nevertheless, it is written, thou shalt not
kill. Abraham, however, did not refuse, and it was accounted
to him for righteousness.
"14. Abraham received concubines, and they bare him
children, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness,
because they were given unto him, and he abode in my law, as
Isaac also, and Jacob did none other things than they were
commanded, they have entered into their exaltation, according to
127
the promise, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels, but are
gods. David also received many wives and concubines
also Solomon and Moses, my servants; as also many others of
my servants, from the beginning of creation until this time,
and in nothing did they sin, save in those things which they
received not of me.
'•15. David's wives and concubines were given unto him,
of me, by the hand of Nathan, my servant, and others of the
prophets who had the keys of this power; and in none of these
things did he sin against me, save in the case of Uriah and his
wife; and therefore he hath fallen from his exaltation and
received his portion; and he shall not inherit them out of the
world; for I gave them unto another saith the Lord.
"i 6. I am the Lord thy God, and I give unto thee, my
servant Joseph, an appointment, and restore all things; ask
what ye will, and it shall be given unto you according to my
word; and as ye have asked concerning adultery — verily, verily,
I say unto you, if a man receive a wife in the new and ever-
lasting covenant, and if she be with another man, and I have
not appointed unto her by the holy anointing, she hath
committed adultery, and shall be destroyed. If she be with
another man, she has committed adulty; and if her husband be
with another woman, and he was under a vow he has broken
his vow and hath committed adultery, and if she hath not
committed adultery, but knoweth it and I reveal it unto you
my servant Joseph, then shall you have power, by the power of
my holy pristhood, to take her, and give her unto him that
hath not committed adultery, but hath been faithful; for he
shall be ruler over many; for I have conferred upon you the
keys and power of the priesthood, wherein I restore all things,
and make known unto you all things in due time."
The punishment inflicted upon David for his great sin in
the case of Uriah was, his wives and concubines were taken
from him and given to another. Hence, being alone he could
not be exalted. What a punishment it must have been for
128
David to stand aside, and see others blessed with wives and
concubines; passing, hence, to their exaltation — to have, hence,
eternal joys, which will consist in the propagation of their
seeds; to be hence, gods ruling over many. What an
important matter the Mormon priesthood is, for they have the
key of this power. It is theirs to decide in matters of adultery
— to take women from unworth}r men and give them to worthj-
ones — to decide, hence, who, and who shall not be exalted. For
be it remembered, their seal is the seal of heaven.
"17. And verily, verily, I say unto you, that whatsoever
you seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; whatsoever you
bind on earth, in my name, and by my word saith the Lord, it
shall be eternall}' bound in the heavens, and whatsoever sins
you remit on earth, shall be remitted eternally in the heavens;
and whosesoever sins you retain on earth, shall be retained in
heaven.
1 8. And again, verily I say, whomsoever you bless, I will
bless, and whomsoever you curse, I will curse, saith the Lord;
for I the Lord, am thy God. And again, verily I say unto }rou,
my servant Joseph, that whatsoever you give on earth, and to
whomsoever you give any one on earth, by my word, and
according to my law, it shall be visited with blessings and not
cursings, and with my power saith the Lord, and shall be
without condemnation on earth, and in heaven; for I am the
Lord thy God, and will be with thee even unto the end of the
world, and through all eternity; for verily I seal upon you your
exaltation, and prepare a throne for you in the kingdom of my
Father, with Abraham your father. Behold, I have seen your
sascrifices, and will forgive all your sins; I have seen your
sacrifices in obedience to that which I have told you; go, there-
fore, and I make a way for your escape, as I accepted the
offering of Abraham, of his son Isaac.
20. Verily, I say unto you, a commandment I give unto
1113- handmSid Emma Smith, your wife, whom I have given
unto you, that she stay herself and partake not of that which I
129
you to offer unto her; for I did it, saith the Lord, to
prove you all, as I did Abraham; and that I might require an
offering at your hand, by my covenant and sacrifice; and let
mine handmaid, Emma Smith, receive all those that have been
given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure
before me; and those who are not pure, and have said they were
pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God; for I am the Lord
thy God, and ye shall obey my voice; and I give unto my
servant Joseph, that he shall be made ruler over many things,
for he hath been faithful over a few things, and from hence-
forth I will strengthen him.
21. And I command my handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide
and cleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if
she will not abide this commandment, she shall be destroyed,
saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her,
if she abide not in my law; but if she will not abide this
commandment, then shall my servant Joseph do all things for
her, even as he hath said; and I will bless him and multiply
him, and give unto him an hundred fold in this world, of
fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, houses and lands,
wives and children, and crowns of eternal lives in the eternal
worlds. And again, verily I say, let mine handmaid forgive
my servant Joseph his trespasses; and then shall she be
forgiven her trespasses, wherein she. hath trespassed against me
and I, the Lord thy God will bless her, and multiply her, and
make her heart to rejoice. "
The reader will remember what we said about INNOCENT
BLOOD and notice that should Emma Smith refuse to abide this
polygamous document, "my servant Joseph" would be justified
in destroying her! In that event no innocent blood would be
shed! How easy the transition from this to that abominable
doctrine of "blood atonement." Indeed, the foundation for
that doctrine is laid broad and deep.
"22. And again, I say, let not my servant put his propert}'
out of his hands, lest an enemy come and destroy him, for
130
Satan seeketh to destroy; for I am the Lord thy God, and he is
my servant; and behold! and lo, I am with him as I was with
Abraham, thy father, even unto his exaltation and glory.
23. Now, as touching the law- of the priesthood, there are
many things pertaining hereunto. Verily, if a man be called
of my Father, as was Aaron, by mine own voice, and by the
voice of him that sent me; and I have endowed him with the
keys of the power of' this priesthood, if he do anything in my
name, and according to my law, and by my word, he will not
commit sin, and I will justify him. Let no one therefore, set
on my servant Joseph; for I will justify him; for he shall do the
sacrifice wrhich I require at his hands, for his transgressions,
saith the Lord your God.
24. And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood;
If any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and
the first give her consent; and he espouse the second, and they
are virgins and have vowed to no other man, then he is justified,
he cannot commit adultery, for they are given unto him; for he
cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and
to no one else; and if he have ten virgins given unto him by this
law, he cannot commit adultery, for they beong to him and they
are given unto him, therefore he is justified. But if one or
either of the ten virgins, after she is espoused, shall be with
another man, she has committed adultery, and shall be destroyed;
for they are given unto him to, multiply and replenish the earth,
according to my commandment and to fulfill the promise which
was given by my Father before the foundation of the world; and
for their exaltation in the eternal worlds, that they may bear
the souls of men; for herein is the work of my Father continued,
that he may be glorified.
25. And again, verily, verily I say unto you, if any man
have a wife who holds the keys of this power, and he teaches
unto her the law of my priesthood as pertaining to these things,
then shall she believe, aud administer unto him, or she shall be
destroyed, saith the Lord your God; for I will destroy her; for I
will magnify my name upon all those who receive and abide in
my law. Therefore it shall be lawful in me, if she receive not
this law, for him to receive all things whatsoever I, the Lord his
God, will give unto him, because she did not minister unto him
according to my word; and she then becomes the transgressor;
and he is exempt from the law of Sarah, who administered unto
Abraham according to the law, when I commanded Abraham to
take Hagar to wife. And now, as pertaining unto this law,
verily, verily I say unto you, I will reveal more unto you here-
after; therefore let this suffice for the present. Behold, I am
Alpha and Omega. Amen." — Millenial Star, Jan. 1853.
Gentle reader, you now have the vile, blasphemous
document in full, and I am sure that all whose eyes are not
beclouded by the mists from the infernal regions, will bear me
out in the conclusion, that a more vile, sickening, blasphemous
God-dishonoring and soul-destroying and woman-degrading
document could not have been penned. The question, was
Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet, the author of that document,
next demands our attention. If he was, he must be viewed as
one of the most vile, lying blasphemers, that ever lived on earth.
132
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE.
It was, we may safely say, an admitted fact, that Joseph
Smith, the reputed prophet, was the author of celestial marriage,
or in other words, polygamy as practiced by the Utah Mormons,
until it was denied by what is known as the Reorganized
Church. It will, it must be admitted, that if the Mormon
prophet was the author of the polygamous revelation that we
have given, he was the real author of that practice, and was
himself in such practice when that document was written, for
there is in it a labored effort to justify "My servant Joseph" in
such practice. If Smith was the author of that document, it
follows, as a consequence, that polygamy is a legitimate tenet
of and belongs to genuine Mormonism. Such being the case
polygamy rests upon the same foundation that the Book of
Mormon does, and is sustained by the same inspiration. Such
being so, Mormonism and polygamy must stand or fall together.
One cannot hold to the one and reject the other. President
Joseph Smith, son of the prophet, and president of the
Reorganized Church, makes an effort to account for the origin of
polygamy; and of course, does the best that can be done on the
negative of the question now before us. He says:
"I believe that during the last years of my father's life
there was a discussion among the elders, and possibly in
practice, a theory like the following: that persons who might
believe that there was a sufficient degree of spiritual affinity
between them as married companions to warrant the desire to
perpetuate that union in the world to come and after the
resurrection, could go before some high priest whom they
might choose, and there making known their desire, might be
MARRIED for eternity, pledging themselves while in the flesh
unto each other for the observance of the rights of companion-
133
ship in the spirit: that this was called spiritual marriage, and
upon the supposition that what was sealed by this priesthood,
before which this pledge was made on earth, was sealed in
heaven, the marriage relation then entered into would continue
in eternity. That this was not authorized by command of God
or rule of the church; but grew out of the constant discussion
had among the elders, and that after a time it resulted in the
wish (father to the thought) that married companionship
rendered unpleasant here by incompatablilities of different sorts,
might be cured for the world to come, by securing through this
means a congenial companion in the spirit; that there was but
brief hesitancy between the wish and an attempt to put it in
form and practice. That once started, the idea grew; spiritual
affinities were sought after, and in seeking them the hitherto
sacred precints of home were invaded; less and less restraint
was exercised; the lines between virtue and license, hitherto
sharply drawn, grew more and more indistinct; spiritual
companionship if sanctioned by a holy priesthood, to confer
favors and pleasures in the world to come, might be antedated
and put to actual test here — and so the enjoyment of a spiritual
companionship in eternity became a companionship here; a
wife a spiritual wife, if congenial; if not, one that was congenial
was sought, and a wife in fact was supplemented by one in
.spirit, which in easy transition became in essential earthly
relationship. From this, if one, why not two or more, and
plural marriage or plurality of wives, was the growth."
Why should there have been much discussion among
Mormon officials, in the incipiency of that system, upon the
subject of SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE? "From the abundance of the
heart the mouth speaks. " That about which officials are
MUCHLY concerned they talk much, gives the secret of this
discussion. Christ put the Sadducees to silence when they
came to him with the question, 'Whose wife shall she be in the
"resurrection?" But neither the wisdom nor authority of
heaven can silence a self -constituted modern priesthood. If these
134
officials in Nauvoo had consulted the Savior's answer to the
Sadducees' question, and had any respect for the great Teacher
they \vould not have been concerned about a wife in eternit}*!
President Smith further says:
' "That which in life they (Joseph and Hiram Smith) were
powerless to prevent, rapidly took the successive forms hereto-
fore stated and polygamy, after eight years of further fostering
in secret, rose in terrible malignity to essay the destruction of
the church. That my father may have been a party to the first
step in this strange development, I am perhaps prepared to
admit, though the evidence connecting him with it is vague
and uncertain; but that he was in any otherwise responsible for
plural marriage, plurality of wives, or polygamy, I do not
know, nor are the evidences so far produced to me conclusive to
force my belief." Tullige, pp. 798, 799, 800.
Mr. Smith was very confident of his ability to vindicate
his father's character so far as polygamy was concerned, and in
this confidence -he provoked a controversy with the Utah branch
of the Mormon family. The evidence on the other side will be
given. We are willing, however, for our readers to hear the
best that can be said in Smith's defense. As published in The
Saint's Herald, Lamoni, Iowa, Elder William Marks, a stanch
member of the Reorganized church, says:
"About the first of June, 1844, situated as I was at that
time, being the Presiding Elder of the stake at Nauvoo, and by
appointment, the presiding officer .of the High Council , I had a
very good opportunity to know the affairs of the church, and
my convictions at that time were that the church, in a great
measure had departed from the pure principles and doctrine of
Jesus Christ. I felt much troubled in mind about the condition
of the church. I prayed earnestly to my heavenly Father to
show me something in regard to it, when I was wrapped in
vision and it was shown me by the Spirit that the top or
Branches had overcome the root in SIN AND WICKEDNESS, and
that the only way to cleanse and purify it was to disorganize it
135
and in due time the Lord would reorganize it again. There
were many other things suggested to my mind, but the lapse of
time has erased them from my memory. "
Mr. Marks saw, in his vision, just what he was grieving
over. These officials that were so much concerned about
CONGENIAL WIVES FOR ETERNITY had OVERCOME the member-
ship IN SIN AND WICKEDNESS! Tell me, gentle reader, what
are we to think of the inspiration of such a set of men? !
These officials, by their corruption, were smothering whatever
good there might be in the body. All this was under the
superintendence of the prophet of Mormonism, whose inspiration
we are asked to accept and honor — asked to believe that God
left the throne of the universe, took his son from the
mediatorial throne, and brought him to earth just to introduce
him to the one that was at the head of this corruption ! ! Now,
under the supervision of this man, that institution he was
especially chosen to establish was so corrupt that the Lord
concluded he would have to destroy the concern and try it
again! ! Marks further says:
"A few days after this occurrence I met with Bro. Joseph.
He said that he wanted to converse with me on the affairs of
the church, and we retired to ourselves. I will give his words
verbatim, for they were indelibly stamped upon my mind. He
said that he had desired for a long time to talk with me on THE
SUBJECT OP POLYGAMY. He said it would eventually prove the
overthrow of the church, and we would have to leave the United
Stated unless it could be speedily put down. "
This conversation was in 1844. For a LONG TIME, we are
told, Smith had been wanting to talk with Marks on the subject
of polygamy. For A LONG TIME, therefore, polygamy had
been on hand in Nauvoo, and the Mormon prophet was aware
of the fact. At that time it had such a hold on THE CHURCH
that Smith was alarmed, for fear they would have to leave the
United States! How came polygamy there? Smith could get
revelations whenever he called for them. Why could he not
136
get one that would have stopped such practice? Instead of
seeking such he was discussing spiritual wifery! Why should
Smith have been alarmed for fear they would have to leave the
United States? It had been revealed to him, if we credit
Mormon inspiration, that he was to build God's Zion — the New
Jerusalem here. B. of M. p. 468: 3-6. Mormon inspiration is a
queer something, anyway. We can prove by it that
the militia of Missouri and Illinois were the power of God.
When they were to begin to build their Zion, under the directions
of the promised seer, the power of God was to come upon them.
Under the directions of Joseph they began to build at
Independence, Mo. But the Missouri militia came upon them.
Therefore the Missouri militia was the power of God.
Under the directions of Joseph they began to build at
Nauvoo, Illinois. But the Illinois militia came upon them.
Therefore the Illinois militia was the power of God.
The testimony of Smith and Marks shows that polygamy
had been practiced for a LONG TIME previous to the time of their
conversation.
When the charter of Nauvoo was drafted, under the super-
vision of Smith, Gen. Bennett objected to certain clauses as
being too strong. Smith replied:
We must have that power in our courts, for this work will
gather of all mankind; the Turk, with his ten wives, will come
to Nauvoo, and we must have laws to protect him with these
wives. Budle, p. 72.
Ebenezer Robinson, at one time editor of the Times and
Seasons, the official church organ at Nauvoo, and an especial
confident of Smith's, being opposed to polygamy, united with
the Reorganized church, in which he lived and died. Being
intimately acquainted with the condition of affairs in Nauvoo,
he considered it his duty, in behalf of truth to make a statement
of facts. This he and his wife did. That statement was as
follows:
137
"To whom it may concern:
We, Ebenezer Robinson and Angeline Robinson, husband
and wife, hereby certify that in the fall of 1843 Hiram Smith,
brother of Joseph Smith, came to our house at Nauvoo, Illinois,
and taught us the doctrine of polygamy. And I, the said
Ebenezer Robinson, hereby further state that he gave me special
instructions how I could manage the matter so as not to have it
known to the public. He also said that while he had heretofore
opposed the doctrine, he was wrong and his brother Joseph was
right, referring to his teaching it. Ebenezer Robinson.
Angeline Robinson.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 2gth day of
December, 1873. [L. s.] James Sallee, Notary Public. "
Soon after this affidavit was filed Mrs. Robinson died. Mr.
Robinson being questioned with regard to the matter, filed the
following:
"To whom it may concern:
This is to certify that in the latter part of November, or in
December, 1843, Hiram Smith (brother of Joseph Smith, Presi-
. dent of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) came to
my house in Nauvoo, Illinois, and taught me the doctrine of
spiritual wives, or polygamy. He said he heard the voice of the
Lord give the revelation on spiritual wifery (polygamy) to his
brother Joseph, and that while he had heretofore opposed the
doctrine, he was wrong, and his brother Joseph was right all the
the time. He told me to make a selection of some young woman
and he would send her to me, and take her to my home and if she
should have an heir, to give out word that she had a husband
who had gone on a mission to a foreign country. He seemed
disappointed when I declined to do so. E. Robinson.
Davis City, Iowa, Oct. 23, 1885.
Subscribed and sworn to before me, a Notary Public in and
for Decatur County, Iowa, this 24th day of October, A. D. 1885.
[L. S.] Z. H. Gurley, Notary Public."
These affidavits are recorded in the Biographical and
138
Historical records of Ringold and Decatur counties, Iowa, pp.
543, 544. These founders of Mormonism had room to fear the
United States and it is well that there was an earthly power
they had to fear for it is evident that they did not have the fear
of God before their eyes. In the fact that the earth did not
open and let Nauvoo sink into the pit. nor the Lord cause fire
and brimstone to be poured upon it, gives a demonstration that
miraculous times are past. It does seem strange that such
wretches could make any pretence to fear God, or regard man.
139
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR.
The testimony that we have given from members of the
Reorganized church demonstrates the fact that Joseph Smith
was a polygamist. We purpose, however, to place this matter
in such clear light that it can never be doubted by any who
desire the truth. In a discourse delivered by Brigham Young
in Salt Lake City, Aug. 29, 1852, he said:
"You heard Brother Pratt state this morning that a
revelation would be read this afternoon, which was given
previous to Joseph's death . . . The original copy of this
revelation was burned up. William Clayton was the man who
wrote it from the mouth of the prophet. In the meantime it
was in Bishop Whitney's possession. He wished the privilege of
copying it, which Brother Joseph granted. Sister Emma burnt
the original . . . This revelation has been in my possession
many years; and who has known it? I keep a patent lock on
my desk, and there does not anything leak out that should not."
Tullige, pp. 565, 566.
Joseph having shown by his conduct that he was determined,
on his own part, to carry out the principles of that polygamous
document to their fullest import, WTilliam and Wilson Law, one
a Major-General, the other a member of the First Presidency,
the highest quorum in the church, together with the Higbees,
Fosters and others, determined to expose the corruption of
Smith and his associates. In order to this they started a paper
called the Nauvoo Expositor. Of this enterprise Tullige, p. 476,
says:
"These sought to establish in Nauvoo an incendiary paper
called the Nauvoo Expositor, the avowed purpose of which
was to stir up the people of Illinois to bring Joseph Smith to
140
justice for his crimes and to expel the saints from the State. It
was like building the magazine of the enemy in the city of
Refuge; and also after the first number of the EXPOSITOR the
city council declared the paper a public nuisance and dangerous
to the peace of the commonwealth; and they thereupon ordered
the office of the paper to be demolished by the marshal and his
posse. ' '
This shows the moral character of the spirit by which the
Mormon prophet was inspired! Why did not those leaders
challenge an open investigation? Smith's course in this matter
showed that he was possessed of the spirit of an unprincipled
tyrant; and could he have had his way there would have been
an end to free speech and liberty of the press. The Mormon
prophet showed that he was possessed of the same spirit and
made of the same material of the Mohammedan prophet. The
following shows the true spirit of this modern prophet.
"In the winter- of 1843-1844." says Governor Ford, of
Illinois, who was intimately acquainted with Smith and his
associates, "the Common Council passed some other ordinance
to protect their leaders from arrest, on demand from Missouri.
They enacted that no writ issued from any other place than
Nauvoo, for the arrest of any person in it, should be executed in
the city, without an approval thereon endorsed by the Mayor;
that if any public officer by virtue of any foreign writ, should
attempt to make any arrest in the city without such approval of
his process, he should be subject to imprisonment for life, and
that the Governor of the State should not have the power of
pardoning the offender without the consent of the Mayor. "
Remember, gentle reader, Joseph Smith was the MAYOR.
This gives an insight to the spirit of the man. He purposed to
place himself above all civil authority, and live as he pleased in
defiance of all civil law! He was then living in adultery —
practicing polygamy in defiance of all civil law, in opposition
to all principles of virtue and morality. He did not propose
that his licentious course should be interfered with. The first
141
number of the NAUVOO EXPOSITOR contained affidavits from
General Bennett and others, certifying that Smith was practicing
polygamy. Smith decreed that the paper and press should be
destroyed and it was done! But, says Governor Ford:
"To crown the whole folly of the Mormons, in the spring
of 1844, Joe Smith announced himself as a candidate for
the president of the United States. His followers were confident
that he would be elected. Two or three thousand missionaries
were immediately sent out to preach their religion and to
electioneer in favor of their prophet for the • Presidency."
Beadle, p. 72.
Again:
"The Mormons openly denounced the government of the
United States as utterly corrupt and as being about to pass
away, and be replaced by the government of God, to be
administered by his servant Joseph. It is at this day certain
also, that about this time the prophet re-instituted an order in
the Church called the 'Danite band. ' These were to be a body
of police and guards about the person of their sovereign who
were sworn to obey his orders as the orders of God himself.
Soon after these institutions were established, Joe Smith began to
play the tyrant over several of his followers. The first act of this
sort which excited attention, was an attempt to take the wife of
William Law, one of his most talented and principal disciples,
and make her a spiritual wife. " Beadle, p. 92.
The Governor further says:
"It must not be supposed that the pretended prophet
practiced the tricks of a common imposter; that he was a dark
and gloomy person with a long beard, a grave and severe aspect,
and a reserved and saintly carriage of his person; on the
contrary he was full of levity, even to boyish romping; dressed
like a dandy, and at times drank like a sailor and swore like a
pirate." Beadle, p. 114.
The Manuscript History of Joseph Smith, as written by
himself, fell into the hands of the Mormon leaders, and was
142
taken to Salt Lake. After the controversy between L. O.
Littlefield of Utah, and Joseph Smith, of Lamoni, Iowa, Little-
field pulished a tract entitled, "Celestial Marriage; Positive
Proof that Joseph Smith Had Plural Wives." In that tract
Mr. Littlefield says:
"In the History of Joseph Smith, under date of October 5,
1843, can De found the following: 'Gave instructions to try
those persons who were preaching, teaching or practicing the
doctrine of plural wives; for according to the law I hold the
keys of this power in the last days; for there is never but one
on earth at a time on whom the power and its keys are conferred,
and I have constantly said that no man shall have but one wife
at a time unless the Lord direct otherwise. ' ' '
Of course, we are to understand that when Joe Smith
gave permission for a man to have a plurality of wives it was
the Lord "directing otherwise." For, of what benefit were the
"keys of this power, " without permission to use them. The
polygamy, hence, that was practiced in Nauvoo, was by
direction of Joe Smith. By what law did Smith hold the keys
of this power? BY THE LAW EMBODIED IN THE POLYGAMOUS
REVELATION ! In this we have the testimony of Smith that
polygamy was practiced by his approval, and that, hence, he
was the author of the polygamous revelation. The keys of that
power placed Smith over the entire marrying business. Gov-
ernor Ford says:
"By means of his Common Council without the authority
of law, he established a recorder's office in Nauvoo in which
alone the titles of property could be recorded. In the same
manner and with the same want of legal authority he established
an office for issuing marriage license to Mormons, so as to give
him absolute control of the marrying propensities of his people. ' '
Beadle, p. 92.
The reader will remember the requirement in the polygamous
document, that "My servant Joseph" keep his property in his
own hands. Why this? No bond, deed, record, enactment,
143
or contract in any court or office of the Gentiles- is of any force !
As we have said, Smith was determined to carry out the
principles of that polygamous document to their fullest import.
In the true spirit of Mohammed, Smith ignored all law,
placed himself above all authority and could he have had his
way there would have been an end to liberty in America.
We now give the testimony of David Fulmer, a member of
the High Council in Nauvoo as given in Littlefield's tract.
"Territory of Utah, \
County of Salt Lake, j
Be it remembered that on this fifteenth day of June, A. D.
1869, personally appeared before me, James Jack, a notary
public in and for said county, David Fulmer. who was by me
sworn in due form of law and upon his oath saith, that on or about
the twelfth day of August, A. D. 1843, while in meeting with the
High Council, (he being a member thereof), in Hiram Smith's
brick office, in the city of Nauvoo, county of Hancock, State of
Illinois, Dunbar Wilson made inquiry in relation to the subject
of a plurality of wives, as there, were rumors about respecting
it, and he was satisfied there was something in those remarks
and he wanted to know what it was, upon which Hiram Smith
stepped across the road to his residence, and soon returned
bringing with him a copy of the revelation on celestial marriage,
given to Joseph Smith, July 12, A. D. 1843, and read the same
to the High Council, and bore testimony of its truth. The said
David Fulmer further saith that to the best of his memory and
belief, the following named persons were present: Wm. Marks,
Austin A. Cowles, Samuel Bent, Geo. W. Harris, Dunbar
Wilson, Wm. Huntington, Levi Jackman, Aaron Johnson,
Thomas Grover, David Fulmer, Phineas Richards, James
Allread and Leonard Soby. And the said David Fulmer further
saith that Wm. Marks, Austin A. Cowles and Leonard Soby
were the only persons present who did not receive the testimony
of Hiram Smith, and that all the others did receive it from the
testimony of the said Hiram Smith. And further, that the copy
of said revelation on Celestial Marriage, published in the Desert
H4
News extra of September fourteenth, A. D. 1852, is a true copy
of the vSame.
Subscribed and sworn to by the said David Fulmer the day
and year first above mentioned.
James Jack, Notary Public.
Extract from a letter written by Thomas Grover:
"The High Council, of Nauvoo, were called together by the
prophet Joseph Smith, to know whether they would accept the
revelation on celestial marriage or not,
The presidency of the stake. Win. Marks, Father Coles,
and the late Apostle, Charles C. Rich, were there present . . .
Brother Hiram Smith was called upon to read the revelation,
He did so, and after reading it said: 'Now, you that believe
this revelation and go forth and obey the same shall be saved,
and you that reject it shall be damned.' "
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE.
As positive proof that Joseph Smith had plural wives the
following testimonies were given:
"I, Lovina Walker, hereby certify that while I was living
with Aunt Emma Smith, in Fulton City, Fulton county, Illinois,
in the year 1849, sne told me that she, Emma Smith, was
present, and witnessed the marriage or sealing of Eliza Part-
rige, Emily Partrige, Maria Lawrence, and Sarah Lawrence to
her husband Joseph Smith, and that she gave her consent
thereto. Lovina Walker. ' '
We hereby witness that Lovina Walker made and signed the
above statement on the 1 6th day of June, A. D. 1869, of her
own free wrill and accord. Hyrum Walker.
Sarah E. Smith.
Jos. F. Smith."
Territory of Utah, }
County of Salt Lake. }
Be it remembered that on this first day of May, A. D. 1869,
personally appeared before me, Elias Smith, Judge of Probate
for said county, Emily Dow Partrige Young, who was by me
sworn in due form of law, and upon her oath saith on the nth
day of May, A. D. 1843, at the city of Nauvoo, county of
Hancock, state of Illinois, she was married or sealed to Joseph
Smith, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints, by James Adams, a High Priest in said church according
to the law of the same regulating marriage, in the presence of
Emma (Hale) Smith and Eliza Maria Partrige (Lyman).
Emily D. P. Young.
Subscribed and .sworn to by the said Emily D. P. Young,
the day and year first above written.
E. Smith, Probate Judge. "
146
"State of New Jersey,
County of Burlington.
Be it remembered that on this fourteenth day of November,
A. D. 1883, personally appeared before me, J. W. Roberts, a
Justice of the Peace, county and state aforesaid, Leonard Soby,
who was by me sworn in due form of law, and upon oath saith,
that on or about the i2th day of August, 1843, i° the city of
Nauvoo, in the state of Illinois, in the county of Hancock, before
the High Council of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints, of which body and Council aforesaid he was a member,
personally appeared one Hyrum Smith, of the first presidency
of said church, and brother to Joseph Smith, the president and
prophet of the same and presented to said council
the revelation on pol}-gamy, enjoining its observance and
declaring it came from God; unto which a large majority of the
council agreed and assented, believing it to be of a celestial
order, though no vote was taken upon it, for the reason that the
voice of the prophet in such matters, was understood by us to
be the voice of God to the church, and that said revelation was
presented to said council as before stated, as coming from
Joseph Smith, the prophet of the Lord, and was received by us
as other revelations had been. The said Leonard Sob}* further
saith that Elder Austin A. Cowles, a member of the High
Council aforesaid, did, subsequently to the i2th day of August,
1843, openly declare against said revelation on polygamy, and
the doctrines therein contained. Subscribed and sworn to by
the said Leonard Soby, the day and year first above written.
Joshua W. Roberts, Justice of Peace."
"Salt Lake City, January 31, 1886.
A. M. Musser, Dear Brother: — Having noticed in the
Deseret News an enquiry for testimony concerning the revelation
on plural marriage, and having read the testimony of Brother
Grover, it came to my mind that perhaps it would be right for
me to add my testimony to his on the subject of Brother Hyrum
reading it in the High Council.
147
I well remember the circumstances. I remember he told
me he had read it to the brethren in his office. He put it into
my hands and left it with me for several days. I had been
sealed to him by Brother Joseph a few weeks previously, and
was well acquainted with almost every member of the High
Council, and know Brother Grover's testimony to be correct.
Now if this testimony would be of any use to such as are weak
in the faith or tempted to doubt, I should be very thankful.
Please- make use of this in any way you think best, as well as
the copy of the letter addressed to Joseph Smith at Lamoni.
Your sister in the gospel, Mercy R. Thompson. "
The following is a copy of the letter referred to in the
above communication:
"Salt Lake City, Sept. 5, 1886.
Mr. Joseph Smith, Lamoni, Iowa, Dear Sir: — After having
asked my Father in heaven to help me, I sit down to write a
few lines as dictated by the Holy Spirit. After reading the
correspondence between you and L. O. Littlefield, I concluded
it was the duty of some one to bear a testimony which could
not be disputed.
Finding from your letters to Littlefield that no one of your
Father's friends had performed this duty while you were here,
now I will begin at once and tell you my experience.
My beloved husband R. B. Thompson, your father's private
secretary to the end of his mortal life, died August 27, 1841.
(I presume you well remember him.) Nearly two years after his
death your father told me that my husband had appeared to
him several times, telling him that he did not wish me to
request your Uncle Hyrum to have me sealed to him for life.
Hyrtmi communicated this to his wife (my sister), who by
request opened the subject to me, when everything within me
rose in opposition to such a step; but when your father called
and explained the subject to me I dared not refuse to obey the
counsel, lest preadventure I should be found fighting against
God, and especially when he told me the last time my husband
148
appeared to him he came with such power that it made him
tremble. He then inquired of the Lord what he should do;
the answer was, "Go and do as my servant hath required.'
He then took all opportunity to communicate this to your
uncle Hyruni, who told me that the Holy Spirit rested upon
him from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet. The
time was appointed, with the consent of all parties, and your
father sealed me to your Uncle Hyrum for time in my sister's
room with a covenant to deliver me up in the morning of the
resurrection to Robert Blaskell Thompson with whatever
offspring should be the result of the union, at the same time
counselling your uncle to build a room for me and move me
over as soon as convenient, which he did, and I re-
mained there as a wife the same as my sister to the day of his
death. All this I am ready to testify to in the presence of God,
angels and men. Now I assure you I have not been prompted
or dictated by any mortal living in writing to you; neither does
a living soul know it but my invalid daughter. God bless you,
is the sincere prayer of your true friend, Mercy R. Thompson.
P. S. — If you feel disposed to ask me any questions, I will
be pleased to answer concerning blessings \vhich I received
under the hands of your late mother, by the direction of your
father. M. R. T. "
Gentle readers, you now have an insight into the inner
temple of Monnonism. The stench is sickening. The view
shocks our moral sensibilities. Our task has not been a pleas-
ant one, but has been performed as a matter of duty — a duty
performed in behalf of truth. If a proposition can be estab-
lished by the force of testimony the Mormon prophet was a
polygamist, and one of the most corrupt imposters that ever
lived on earth. He was the author of that God dishonoring,
heaven-defying, soul-destroying, moral-corrupting, woman-
degrading and heathenish document, called ' 'The Revelation on
Celestial Marriage," every sentiment and principle of which is
void of moral principle, and, hence, heathenish and degrading.
149
To connect the name of the Holy One of Israel with such and
make him responsible for it places its author among the most
vile and lying blasphemers that ever lived on earth. The
testimony of Mrs. Thompson bears the impress of truth,
breathes the spirit of sincerity, and shows a conscientiousness
upon the part of the writer. Poor woman. One can have no
feeling toward her but one of pity, such as we would have for
any conscientious; deluded mortal. But how different the case
of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, who persued the course they did in
order to accomplish their fiendish purpose! Joseph, the
prophet is converted into a veritable witch of Endor, and has
several visits from the unseen world, the Lord gives instructions
and the Holy Spirit overwhelms the prophet's brother. All
this in order to one end. In order to what end was all this
co-operation of heaven and hades with these two Mormon
officials? To gratify the lusts of Hyrum Smith! ! ! We need
not however, express surprise at this; for be it remembered,
Joseph Smith was called, commissioned and inspired to restore
the FULNESS OF THE GOSPEL. The revelation on celestial
marriage is the key to that fulness. It was to consist in
RESTORING ALL THINGS. And, so certain as there is meaning
in language, that restoration was to consist in RESTORING TO
THE "SAINTS" the right exercised by David and Solomon, that
is, the right of taking to themselves a plurality of wives and
concubines! That same key of knowledge gives us to nnder-
stand that exaltation in the next world depends upon a faithful
practice of this right. All hence, who oppose this right are to
be damned.
Such are the moral principles that underlie the Mormon
system. Those principles must be accepted by all who accept
Joseph Smith, for he was the oracle of that system. If we
accept Smith as one called and sent of God to reveal and
establish that system we must accept the system as he gave it.
As we have seen, however, the polygamous REVELATION
embodies the true principles of the Mormon system. It follows,
150
hence, that the pol3'gamous Utah church is the true Mormon
church. All others, hence, are apostates, with the condemna-
tion of Smith's inspiration resting. upon them. If, therefore.
Smith was inspired of God the anathemas of heaven rest upon
all who reject polygamy. Such being true the New Testament
is false from beginning to end. It is, hence, a matter of choice
between Christianity and Mormonism, between Jesus the Christ
and Joseph Smith.
The lessons we have learned demonstrate the fact that
there is no safety for any soul except in a strict adherence to
the doctrine of Jesus- Christ. Jesus made no mistakes. He
was God manifest in the flesh. His teaching was the teaching
of God. God is perfection, and his teaching is perfection,
designed to perfect all who will accept and abide in it. In that
teaching we have both the Father and the Son. "All things
that the Father hath are mine," said Jesus. "All things that
I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you," said
Jesus to his apostles. In Christ we have all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge. Hence, "In Him dwells all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily. " When, therefore, we need
something beyoud God's treasures of wisdom and knowledge,
and something in addition to the fulness of the God and Christ
of the Bible, we will need an additional revelation to what we
have in the New Testament. When humanity needs an
additional Christ in order to salvation they will need an
additional institution to the New Testament church in order to
enable the people of God to work out their salvation. And
when the people of God need something in addition to the
infinite wisdom of God, they will need addititional rules and
regulations to those given in the New Testament, in order to
glorify God.
To all who enquire for the way of salvation God commands
them to hear his Son. Christ sa3*s, I am the way, the truth and
the life. " If any would know the way of life as it is revealed in
the truth of God. "Go to my apostles, " says Christ.
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