The Book of Mormon—A Witness for the Bible

The Book Of Mormon—A Witness For The Bible

By E. Cecil McGavin

WITHIN certain Christian circles the Holy Bible is no longer regarded with the sanctity which characterised its reception in the Christian world for centuries. With the rise of Higher Criticism there came a sinister influence which has undermined the Bible and for many Christian people, robbed it of its divinity and removed it from its deserving pedestal of honour.

Many of its readers look upon it as simply a collection of myths and legends, very little of which was inspired by the Lord, in the manner its readers had been taught for generations to believe. This new approach to the Bible has reacted unfavourably for orthodoxy. Such a stabilising and corroborative influence as the Book of Mormon inspires is very desirable as a means of checking the materialistic spirit of the age.

Respecting the divine origin of the Bible and the sanctity of many of its accounts the theories of men have stood out in vivid contrast to the precepts of the prophets and the long- cherished traditions of the Church. The Book of Mormon is of inestimable worth as a witness of that sacred book of the ages, the Holy Bible. In this age of science the things of the spirit have suffered because they could not be demonstrated in the laboratories. Likewise, the opinions of men have been advanced in opposition to the inspired writings of ancient seers and prophets.

The Book of Mormon confirms the story of the Garden of Eden, the Flood, the Tower of Babel and numerous historical accounts narrated in the Bible which many scholars to-day refuse to accept as the truth. This modern book of scripture is invaluable to Christendom in confirming these truths and engendering faith in the hearts of men at this time when the materialistic spirit of biblical interpretation is so prevalent.

This companion volume to the Bible puts to an end the argument about the dual authorship of Isaiah. The materialistic spirit has insisted in recent years that at least two different persons wrote the book called Isaiah. The last chapters of that great book are written largely in the spirit of prophecy, even mentioning Cyrus by name nearly 150 years before his birth. Biblical scholars have preferred to say that these later chapters were written by another prophet years later, thus explaining these chapters as history, not prophecy.

If this interpretation were correct the Nephites could not have been acquainted with the final chapters of Isaiah which are said to have been inscribed upon the brass plates. The Book of Mormon inspires such profound faith that its devout readers are not reluctant to believe that Isaiah was inspired to predict the part Cyrus would play in the rebuilding of Jerusalem and reclaiming the scattered Jews. Nor did his inspired prophecies cease at that point, for he had much to say about the ministry of Christ in the flesh.

Many theories have diminished the faith of Christians in the divine origin and message of the early books of the Bible. A few years ago a popular translation of the Bible issued from the Press, known as “The Short Bible.” Its translators were the scholarly Dr. Goodspeed and Dr. Smith. They placed the books of the Bible in what they considered their chronological origin. In their classification Genesis is the nineteenth book in the volume. An explanatory note asserts that the book was written “by some great Hebrew of the post-Exilic age toward 350 B.C. He had learned much from Babylonian laws, Cosmogonies and deluge stories, but built his work around the law book found in Josiah’s day that is known as Deuteronomy.”

It is their opinion that Genesis was not written until after the Babylonian captivity and was based largely on myths and legends the Jews had learned from the pagans in Babylonia.

There are many Biblical stories and incidents repudiated by the scholars of the world which are confirmed by the Book of Mormon. As if dedicated to the cause of preserving faith in the Holy Bible and being an eternal witness to the book our mothers read with sublime devotion, this modern book of' scripture is a potent factor in building Christian faith and character and defeating the worldly spirit of unbelief which is so common in Christendom during this golden age of scientific advancement.

GREAT CONTRIBUTION

The Book of Mormon is a valid and valuable witness to the divine origin and message of the Bible. One of its greatest contributions to Christian thought is its testimony of the divine nature of the Bible. Thus the Nephite record became a very essential witness at a time when certain forces were trying to impeach and repudiate the Bible. With that movement came the practice of interpretating the message of the scriptures in various ways and substituting the precepts of men for the commandments of God.

These facts were revealed to a Nephite prophet who said of the theories of men which would abound in the world at the time this modern book of scripture would come forth:

“… behold there is no God to-day, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men;

“Behold, hearken ye unto my precept; if they shall say there is a miracle wrought by the hand of the Lord, believe it not; for this day he is not a God of miracles; he hath done his work …

“And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbour; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for to-morrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.

“Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, false and vain and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark. …

“And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

“And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance. …

“Yea, woe be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!

“Yea, woe be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more!

“And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall.

“Woe be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!

“For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.” (II Nephi 28:5, 6, 8, 9, 21, 22, 26-30.)

This same prophet, as if anticipating the arguments that would be made against the Book of Mormon when it should appear, made this significant statement:

“And because my words shall hiss forth—many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible.

REMEMBER THE JEWS

“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 labours, 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 will return all these things upon your own heads; for I the Lord have not forgotten my people.

“Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?

“Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?

“Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also.

“And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, to-day, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever.

“Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written.

“For I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of the books which shall be written I will judge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written.

“For behold, I shall speak unto the Jews and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the Nephites and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the House of Israel, which I have led away and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it.

“And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews.” (II Nephi 29:3-13.)