The Book of Mormon (21 December 1911)

THE BOOK OF MORMON.

The Prophet Joseph Smith, in giving to the world a brief and concise statement concerning the belief of the Church that he, as a prophet of God, had been instrumental in establishing, among other things, said, “We believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.” Every true follower of Christ would with­out doubt gain the same testimony if they would read carefully and without prejudice that sacred record.

The Holy Bible is replete with scriptural predictions concerning a book which was to come forth in the latter days, to go hand in hand with the record of the Jews. The great prophet Ezekiel, who was carried away captive at the time Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem, and who settled with a Jewish colony on the banks of the Chebar, prophesied at this time of a stick (book) which was to come forth in the latter days. These are his words. “Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, for Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.” (Ezekiel 37:16, 17.) It will be well to remember that in those days a stick was the term used for book, or parchment writing, wound upon a roller. The stick of Judah is evidently the Bible, while the stick of Joseph is claimed by the Latter-day Saints to refer to the Book of Mormon, it being a history, of a branch of the house of Joseph, who was sold into Egypt. The saints claim to be mostly descendants of the house of Ephraim, and accept both as the word of God.

Another striking prediction concerning the coming forth of this same book was uttered by the Prophet Isaiah, who lived hundreds of years before Christ came to this earth. In speaking of the judgment that was to come upon Jerusalem, he said: “They should be brought down, and their speech should be low out of the dust.” (Isaiah 29:4.)

We can see where this prophecy has been fulfilled, for Jerusalem has been destroyed. By the power of God, a colony was led from that place, under the leadership of one Lehi, a prophet, who had been warned by God of the great calamity which was to come upon that wicked city, and directed to a promised land (America). The people who came at this time prospered in the land. The Lord blessed them exceedingly, and their numbers grew most rapidly. Finally wickedness began to creep in amongst them in the form of murders, hatred, strife and contention. They would not serve their God as they should have done, but began to blas­pheme. For their wickedness part of the people were cursed with a dark skin, and were known throughout the land as Lamanites, one Laman being their leader. The other part of the people, being more righteous, were not cursed, but were a white and delight­some people. This latter were known as Nephites, as their leader’s name was Nephi. For a time the Nephites obeyed the commandments of God, while their brethren, who had been cursed, sank deeper and deeper into sin and iniquity. Finally, the more righteous began to disregard the teachings of the prophets and inspired men, and a result wars, earthquakes, famines, and pestil­ences came upon the people. Their numbers decreased, the Lamanites would prove victorious in the battles, they would fall upon their brethren, the Nephites, and slay them until but few were left.

It would be well to state here that records were kept by the people, and these were handed down from generation to genera­tion, by the direction of the Almighty. A prophet by the name of Mormon was commanded by God to make an abridgment of these records, and included a brief sketch from plates found by his people of a race called Jaredites, whose founders came to America at the time of the confusion of tongues, at the tower of Babel. This people had became extinct by internecine wars. Moroni, son of Mormon, was the last prophet, to whose hands the plates or records were confided. He subsequently hid them in a hill in the western part of the State of New York, known as the Hill Cumorah.

King David uttered a prophecy, which has been fulfilled to the very letter. His words were, “Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.” (Ps. 85:11.) This was fulfilled. An angel of God came down from heaven, and revealed to the prophet Joseph Smith the hiding-place of these sacred records. As the records were taken from the earth, the say­ing, “Truth shall spring out of the earth,” was verified. The latter part of this prophecy, “And righteousness shall look down from heaven,” was fulfilled in the angel coming to the earth and deliver­ing the golden plates into the hands of the young prophet, with instructions that they were not to be used to get gain, but that he, through the power of God, should translate the engravings theron.

Shortly after the work of translation had begun, Martin Harris took to Professor Anthon, of New York, some of the characters that had been copied from the plates by the prophet. The pro­fessor stated that the translation was correct. He gave to Martin Harris a certificate stating that the characters were genuine, but upon learning that the plates had been revealed by an angel, he demanded it back, and tore it up, saying there was no such thing now as ministering angels. He requested that the plates be brought to him and he would translate them. Mr. Harris replied that a portion of them was sealed, and he was forbidden to bring them. Professor Anthon then said, “I cannot read a sealed book,” thus unwittingly fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah. “And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith I am not learned.” (Isaiah 29:11, 12).

The prophet, knowing himself to be unlearned, and unable to translate the record by his own power, was told by the angel that it should be by means of the Urim and Thummim, a sacred instrument used by the prophets and seers of old, and through the power of God, that this great work should be accomplished. Hence the fulfillment of the latter part of the prophecy.

It behoves every Latter-day Saint and every honest seeker after truth to obtain and study this sacred book. Earnest investiga­tion will convince anyone that no man could by his own power and wisdom bring forth such a record. Let no one thoughtlessly condemn the words of this book, less perchance he might find himself to fight, even against God.

Birmingham. Joseph H. Davis.