His Other Sheep

EDITORIAL

HIS OTHER SHEEP

The Book of Mormon was first published in the month of March, 1830—just a century ago.

Translated, printed and published amidst a turmoil of opposition and wicked designs, jeopardizing the life of the young Prophet, it was preserved to the world only by the intervention of the high powers of Heaven.

It tells the fitful story of the peoples who lived on the American Continents, both before and after Christ. It does more. It sets forth in the beauty of clear and simple language, the plain, understandable, soul-filling and comforting doctrine of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is another witness for Him who died upon the cross, so that man might move freely towards his eternal, Godlike destiny.

The Book of Mormon has many witnesses of its truth. Three men, specially called, in the presence of a heavenly being saw the plates and the engravings from which the Book was translated. Eight men later saw the engraved plates and touched them. Probably others, only dimly recorded, saw the plates also. The three and the eight, in separate but equally solemn statements, have published their testimonies to the world ; and to the end of their days, whether in or out of the Church, they continued to bear unimpeached witness to the reality of their experience.

Confirmation of the truth of the Book of Mormon has come also by the slow way of man’s discovery of truth. Observant, trained travelers, with spade and camera, have revealed to astonished eyes the existence in the two Americas of successive civilizations, flourishing over Book of Mormon time periods. Fact added to fact by the method of science, verifies the Book of Mormon account of ancient America. It is a convincing and remarkable tribute to the inspiration directing the production of the Book.

The great proof of its truth is within the Book itself—the consistency of its statements; the beauty of its doctrine; the splendour of its conceptions. “Man is that he might have joy”—a principle now in world-wide use, illustrating the far-ranging, intelligible messages of the Book—is but one of many epoch-making teachings of crystalline clearness.

It is a fairly large Book, dealing with hundreds of historical facts and doctrinal expositions. The translation was begun and completed in less than three months—and by unlearned men— yet no conflict, in statement of fact or doctrine, is found within the pages of the Book. Such lawlessness does not exist in manmade productions.

The methods of human logic do not explain the origin of the Book of Mormon. The claim of Joseph Smith yet remains most probable. But, those who read the Book with real intent, with love of truth, in prayer to God, win access to the higher logic, to the final convincing of the soul. To them the warm spirit of truth speaks with its still, small” but penetrating voice, and knowledge, undeniable, ever increasing, living knowledge becomes established. Thus, multitudes know the truth of the Book of Mormon.

There are many messages in the Book of Mormon. They resound, with stirring appeals for righteousness, within the chambers of man’s understanding. They all enlarge upon one message—the greatest in the Book: The Lord may and does speak to all His children; none are forgotten: all the children of men, sons and daughters of God, on one continent or another, in one land or another, in one home or another, will be taught the truths of the Gospel designed for the salvation of mankind; the voice of the Lord is to all living creatures. That message justifies the coming forth of the Book of Mormon to a generation that was inclined to worship a Book instead of the living God.

A learned friend writes: “I have worried over the Book of Mormon, but not any longer, for the Spirit whispered to me one day, ‘Do not worry about the Book of Mormon, it can take care of itself.’” A century of scrutiny, mostly unfriendly, has demonstrated that the Book of Mormon, as all truth, “can take care of itself.”—W.