Concerning the Brass Plates (4 August 1921)

CONCERNING THE BRASS PLATES.

By Thomas W. Brookbank.

(Continued from page 468).

Other matters of relative importance are introduced by means of a quotation from Jeremiah 36:2, as follows: “Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations: from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day.” The roll of a book which Jeremiah was to take on this occasion was of perishable material, since it was burned not long after being written upon (see verse 23). It was quite a large roll, since all of Jeremiah’s prophecies from first to last down to the time when he was commanded to prepare a copy of them were to be included. This copy was designed to be used in public services, as events manifest, and from the circumstance that the written word of God was then subject to destruction at the hands of wicked men, it is evident that there was somewhere in concealment a copy of Jeremiah’s prophecies so far as they had then been uttered and recorded, and which was not intended for use in public. However, we must look further into this aspect of the case. So large, indeed, was the newly-written roll or book that when Baruch, the scribe who wrote the copy, showed and read it to a number of assembled princes they asked him in sub­stance how he was able to write so many of the prophet’s words. And when we reflect that the roll apparently contained all that is found in the first 35 chapters of Jeremiah’s book of prophecies, we are not surprised that they should ask that question. It appears that they were aware that the writing of a book of a size so large was a practical impossibility for Baruch, as a mere mortal, to accomplish unless he had a copy of the record which he had read in their hearing. This point is just as plain to its now as it was to the Jewish princes then.

Baruch’s answer was that Jeremiah “pronounced” all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book (verse 18). The information which the scribe gave the princes that he wrote the words of the prophet with ink was wholly unnecessary unless there was a known practice among some of the Jews to record the word of God to them on material where ink would not be of any service whatever. It is to be ob­served, too, that the word “pronounced” which occurs in Baruch’s answer, is one that is rarely, if ever, in any other instance, used in Scripture in the same or even a similar connection. Other words that express the ordinary meaning of pronounced are not hard to find and occur frequently in the Bible.

But it may be objected that Jeremiah pronounced from memory the 35 chapters of his book which are in mind. But would it not be a task beyond the powers of the prophet to repeat from memory (a task for which we may not suppose he had pre­pared himself, with the strict accuracy that would be required in a case of this kind, all of the prophecies involved? Is it not far more reasonable to assume that Jeremiah either had in his personal charge a written copy of his prophecies, or else had access to a copy of them which was somewhere hidden away and thus kept out of the power of the king to destroy? This assump­tion meets some of the requirements of the case but not all of them; for granting that the assumption represents the fact in the case, what plausible reason is there why Jeremiah should “pronounce” the words to Baruch instead of handing the roll to the scribe and letting him do the transcribing unassisted by the prophet? Baruch could certainly make a better foe simile copy of the original if lie saw it with his own eyes than if he merely heard it read off by some one else. With the original in his own hands he would have no excuse to offer in case he failed to reproduce with the strictest accuracy every letter in the original, which particularity was especially essential in the writing of the ancient Hebrew, since a very slight variation of form in some of the letters would confound them with others and cause a re­markable difference in meaning of the text in some instances. There are several things of an unusual character connected with the production of Baruch’s copy, but they can be explained in a logical manner if we allow that those parts of Jeremiah’s prophecies which the scribe was to copy were written on plates as additions to that “great roll” or book which Isaiah had previously made use of when recording some of his prophecies. This record, though written in Egyptian, Jeremiah could likely read, or if not, in order to translate the characters he might have made use of the Urim and Thummim, which sacred instru­ment was at that time doubtless hidden away in some secret place known to the prophets of God. We have already observed that holy things were not safe from defilement or destruction in case they fell into the hands of wicked men, one of whom was the reigning king. The prophecies of Jeremiah in hand, if written on the brass plates along with those of Isaiah, Habakkuk and others, and in Egyptian characters, necessitated the continual presence of an interpreter when a, translation of the record was made into the Hebrew, and the circumstances as a whole in the present case lead to the conclusion that when Baruch wrote the copy which the Lord required the prophet to prepare, Jeremiah occupied the office of interpreter, as his business was to pro­nounce from one roll or book the words that were to be written in another book, and if we take the Book of Mormon statement that many of Jeremiah’s prophecies were written on the brass plates and in Egyptian as true, the whole of the proceedings in the preparation of the record made by Barnch are consistent and as understandable as that two and two equal four, and just in proportion as they are consistent with the Book of Mormon claims in the matter, so do they testify that those claims are true.

The fact that Jeremiah remained with the scribe to pronounce the words of the text he was writing shows that there were some quite unusual conditions connected with the preparation of the copy. A striking identity of proceedings as thus outlined is found in the preparation of the English version of the Book of Mormon record. It was indispensible that Joseph Smit h should be present to pronounce. or interpret, the meaning of the original characters and give it in English words which were then written down by Oliver Cowdery or some other scribe. The work of translation could not go forward unless Joseph Smith was present to do his part, and that Jeremiah had a very important part to perform in getting out the copy of his prophecies is manifest from the fact that he was present while the work was being done.

But suppose there were no grounds whatever for the claim that the first chapters of Jeremiah’s prophecies were graven on metal plates along with those of Isaiah and Habakkuk, we do find, nevertheless, that certain passages of the Old Testament Scriptures are sufficiently definite to manifest that some of Isaiah’s utterances and others of Habakkuk were inscribed on metal plates, or tablets, and it is plain, too, that there were enough of the plates to make quite a respectable roll or book, and here the question comes to the fore, “What has become of those inscribed tablets? Where is that inspired record that was engraved on metal in days of old by holy men of God?” The Jews do not know. The tablets which composed that holy book or collection of records have been lost to the sight of Palestinian peoples ever since Lehi and his little colony bade a final farewell to their native land. Even the prophets of God who went into captivity or who later returned to Jerusalem have not a word to say concerning their further use among the Jews. The very knowledge of the tablets as having an existence seems to have passed abruptly from the minds of all Old World peoples with the ushering in of the years B. C. 600 or about that time. This is surely a significant circumstance in view of the fact that not long before that date the Lord had directed certain of His prophets, on three separate occasions, to make use of plates, or tablets, for recording purposes, all of which one can but think were made of brass since it is so clear that at least some of them were made of that metal—of brass plates so finely polished that their brighness caused them to be called mirrors.

The Divine word written on perishable material by Israelitish law-givers and prophets has been preserved in a good degree of purity for the benefit and blessing of the world, and is now found in the Bible, and why that Divine word that was written on metal tablets—durable material—which the Almighty practically said should remain in existence forever, and bear on their face His word in an uncorrupted condition for ages, was not handed down to the Jewish generations along with His word which was written on parchment or linen cloth is a problem that our opponents themselves cannot solve and will not let those who can solve it do so for them. Is it possible that the Lord made a big mistake when he told Isaiah to write certain prophecies on tablets of brass that the record might endure forever, while instead of this he has at last found that that record, book or roll has perished—that it has been reduced to fine dust by elemental agencies, and so His expressed purpose to preserve it has been thwarted? Who has the hardihood to say that that collection of sacred tablets written upon by holy men of God under a Divine guaranty that they were to remain in existence till time shall end were carried off by the Babylonians, when Jerusalem was destroyed, and doubtless by them were fashioned anew into common or nameless things, since no trace of them in Babylonian regions has ever come to the knowledge of man? That those holy things came to such an end is a thought too sacrilegious to be entertained by Christian man or woman.

(TO BE CONTINUED).