The Book of Mormon
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Book of Mormon
shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from
So prophesied the Psalmist. This
may be viewed as a figurative expression, but it has been literally
fulfilled in the 19th century.
In the midst of disputations over the meaning of many parts of the
Bible, which have caused so many heart-burnings and bitter feeling among
preachers and professors of religion, out of the earth has come forth a
sacred record containing divine truth in such plainness and simplicity as
to settle in the minds of believers those controversies which have
agitated the world of theology. When
the American continent was discovered by Columbus and others, who were led
to cross the great waters in search of unknown lands, a dark skinned race,
composed of many different tribes by evidently of a common origin, was
found in possession of the Western Continent.
Varying in their characteristics from the white, the black, the
yellow, and all of the European, Asiatic and Ethiopian branches of the
human family, their region became a cause of wonder and scientific
investigation. The general
conclusion arrived at was that at some remote period their ancestors had
migrated from some portion of the Eastern hemisphere, but when, or how, or
why this emigration had taken place was a profound mystery.
in the year 1830 a book was published in the State of New York, claiming
to have been translated from metallic plates found in a hillside in that
state by a younger man who was directed to their place of deposit by an
angel of God,
and who was inspired in the work of translation to
decipher the hieroglyphics inscribed on those plates, being aided in the
work by an instrument, discovered with them, called the Urim and Thummim.
The plates had the appearance of gold, were not quite so thick as
common tin, were about six by seven inches in size, were engraved on both
sides, and were fastened together in the shape of a book by three-rings at
the back. Acting under
instruction of the heavenly messenger, the young man, Joseph Smith,
proceeded as quietly as possible to perform the arduous task required of
him. As he was but a poor
scholar, he obtained the assistance of a scribe to write, as he dictated
word by word. The news of the
discovery, however, became noised around and ridicule from both preachers
and people was followed by attempts at violence, so that the pates had to
be concealed, and, with their translator, removed from place to place.
named Martin Harris, who had become interested in the work, received from
Joseph Smith a copy of some of the hieroglyphics with their translation.
These he carried to New York and submitted them to some learned
linguists, among them Professor Charles Anthon, who, after examining them,
pronounced them true characters and the translation, so far as he could
determine, to be correct. He wrote a certificate to this effect, and gave
it to Martin Harris. But
questioning him as to how the young man had obtained the record containing
these characters, he was informed that it was revealed to him by an angel
of God. He then requested
Martin Harris to let him look at the certificate he had given him. On receiving it he tore it up, declaring that there was no
such thing as angels from heaven nowadays, but said if the book was
brought to him, he would endeavor to translate it.
A portion of the record being sealed, Martin Harris informed him of
when he exclaimed, "I cannot read a sealed
book." As will be seen
subsequently, he was, though unwittingly, fulfilling a scriptural
of the Book
of the record which was not sealed was finally translated into the English
language by Joseph Smith and formed
a volume of 522 pages, which was published as the Book of Mormon.
This title was given to it because a prophet named Mormon, by
command of God, about four hundred years after Christ, complied and
abridged the records of prophets who ministered on the American Continent,
back to about 600 years before Christ, when a colony of Israelites were
led from Palestine across the waters and became a numerous people, the
ancestors of the present race of American Indians. The account of their travels, their establishment in the
Western Hemisphere, the revelations of God to them, their division through
wickedness into separate tribes, the manner in which the hue of their
complexion was charged, their wars, their works, their buildings, their
customs, their language, the words of their prophets, are all given in
great plainness in the Book of Mormon.
An account is also given for the visit of our Lord Jesus Christ to
this people after his resurrection, fulfilling his own prediction recorded
in John 10:16: "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold:
them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be
one fold, and one Shepherd." That
these "other sheep were not Gentiles as popularly supposed, is clear
from Christ's statement, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of
the House of Israel."2
He established his Church among them, ordaining Twelve Apostles,
and giving them the same Gospel, authority, gifts, powers, ordinances, and
blessings as he gave to his "sheep" on the Eastern hemisphere.
Thus the fulness of the Gospel is contained in the Book of Mormon,
which stands as a witness
of the truth of the bible; the two records
supporting each other, and both united bearing testimony to an unbelieving
world that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of the Eternal God and
the Savior of the world.
From The Tower of Babel
also contains an account of a colony directed of the Lord to the western
Continent at the time of the scattering of he people from the land of
Shinar and the confusion of tongues, at the stoppage of the building of
the Tower of Babel. The ruins
of the cities and temples and fortifications, discovered by travelers and
archaeologists since the publication of the Book of Mormon, are silent but
potent witnesses of the truth of the record.
Each succeeding year brings forth further evidences of this
character, that form a cloud of witnesses to the divine mission of the
prophet, seer, and Translator, Joseph Smith.
The Book of Mormon has since been published in many languages and
submitted to the scrutiny of the religious and scientific world, and no
one as yet has been able to point out wherein it disagrees with the Jewish
Scriptures or with the facts gained by antiquarian research and scientific
investigation. Yet it was
brought forth in this age by an unlearned youth, not acquainted with the
world, reared in rural simplicity, without access tot he literature of the
time, and without even the ordinary acquirements f the schoolboy of the
Proof of Divine Inspiration
the Book of Mormon, the people who journeyed from Jerusalem to the
American Continent, taking with them the genealogy of their fathers and
writings of the law and the prophets were of the tribe of Joseph through
Ephraim and Manasseh and were led out of Palestine when
Zedekiah was king of Judah.
In keeping the record, which was subsequently abridged by the
Prophet Mormon, they used the learning of the Jews and the language of the
hieroglyphics and symbols, however, were changed and modified, so that the
characters upon the plates revealed to Joseph Smith, where they had lain
hidden for about 1,400 years, were a "Reformed Egyptian."
How this uneducated youth was able to bring forth a work of such
magnitude and importance, unless by inspiration of Almighty God, and by
the means explained remains a mystery to unbelievers.
For a long time it was pretended by enemies of the work that one
Solomon Spaulding wrote a Manuscript Story, which in some unexplained
manner fell into the hands of Joseph Smith, who worked it over into the
Book of Mormon. But that
foolish tale has signally failed of its purpose, for in recent years the
Spaulding manuscript has come to light, and is now deposited in the
Library of Oblerlin College, Ohio and proves to be as unlike the Book of
Mormon as "Jack the Giant Killer"
is dissimilar to the Bible.
be given to the seed of Ephraim, may be seen from
Hosea 8:11:12: "Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars
shall be unto him to sin. I
have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a
strange thing." The
coming forth of the Book of Mormon is foreshadowed by Isaiah the prophet,
Chapter 29: 4-19. It is the
voice of a fallen people whispering "out of the dust."
It has come at a time when the world is "drunken, but not with
wine," staggering under the influence of false doctrine, and without
prophets and seers. It is
part of the "marvelous work and a wonder," which the Lord was to
bring to pass for the confounding of those who had turned things upside
down, and who worshipped him with their mouth while their hears were far
And Ezekiel's Words
The words of
the book, Isaiah said, were to be presented to the learned, saying,
"Read this, I pray thee," and he was to say, "I cannot, for
it is sealed." The book
itself was to be "delivered to him that is not learned"; and
that it was to be read is clear from verse 18.
"And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book,
and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor
among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel." The coming forth of the Book of Mormon as the "stick of
Joseph," is also predicted in Ezekiel 37: 15-22. The interview of Martin Harris with Professor Anthon, related
above, fulfilled one portion of Isaiah's prophecy, the other portions have
come to pass in the translation of the book by the unlearned youth and its
reception by the meek and the poor among men, and by the restoration of
sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf who have seen and heard the
words of the book and bear testimony to its divine origin.
The "Stick of Judah"--the Bible-- is now joined with the
"Stick of Joseph"--the Book of Mormon-- and, as Ezekiel
foretold, they have become one in the hand of the
Lord, and a witness for him and his Son Jesus Christ in the latter days.
As a preface to the Book of Mormon, the testimony of three witnesses, namely , Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris, is published, declaring, "with words of soberness" that an angel from God came down from heaven and brought and laid before their eyes the plates from which the book was translated; that the voice of God from heaven declared that it had been translated by the gift and power of God, and commanded them to bear record of it. Also, the testimony of eight witnesses is given, who saw the plates naturally, handled them, inspected the engravings thereon, turned over the leaves that had been translated. In addition to these witnesses, chosen of the Lord to bear record of these facts, thousands of people, of various nationalities, have received divine testimony that the book is true, and that Joseph Smith, who translated it by the gift of God, was a true prophet, called of God to usher in the dispensation of the fulness of times, proclaim anew the everlasting Gospel, the one plan of salvation, re-establish the Church of Christ on earth, and prepare the way for the redemption of the earth from sin and Satan, from darkness and death. And every person who will read the Book of Mormon with an unprejudiced mind and will ask God in faith in the name of Jesus Christ, concerning it, surely shall receive a witness of its truth and be guided in the way of eternal salvation.
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