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A New Witness For God

B. H. (Brigham Henry) Roberts

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A NEW WITNESS FOR GOD.

A NEW WITNESS FOR GOD.

BY ELDER B. H. ROBERTS AUTHOR OF "THE GOSPEL," "THE LIFE OF JOHN TAYLOR," "OUTLINES OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY," "SUCCESSION IN THE PRESIDENCY OF THE CHURCH," ETC., ETC. "Some millions must be wrong, that's pretty clear. * * * * 'Tis time that some new prophet should appear." PUBLISHED BY GEORGE Q. CANNON &amp; SONS COMPANY, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. 1895. Three quarters of a century have passed away since Joseph Smith first declared that he had received a revelation from God. From that revelatio

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THESIS II.

THESIS II.

The Effect of Peace, Wealth and Luxury on Christianity CHAPTER IV. Changes in the Form and Spirit of Church Government—Corruption of the Popes CHAPTER V. Change in Public Worship—In the Ordinances of the Gospel CHAPTER VI. The Testimony of Prophecy to the Apostasy CHAPTER VII. Catholic Arguments—Protestant Admissions...

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THESIS III.

THESIS III.

THE SCRIPTURES DECLARE THAT THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE LAST DAYS—IN THE HOUR OF GOD'S JUDGMENT—WILL BE RESTORED TO THE EARTH BY A RE-OPENING OF THE HEAVENS, AND GIVING A NEW DISPENSATION THEREOF TO THE CHILDREN OF MEN. CHAPTER VIII. The Necessity of a New Revelation—The Arguments of Modern Christians Against it Considered CHAPTER IX. Prophetic History of the Church—The Restoration of the Gospel by an Angel...

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THESIS IV.

THESIS IV.

JOSEPH SMITH IS THE NEW WITNESS FOR GOD; A PROPHET DIVINELY AUTHORIZED TO TEACH THE GOSPEL, AND RE-ESTABLISH THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST ON EARTH. CHAPTER X. The New Witness Introduced CHAPTER XI. A New Dispensation of the Gospel CHAPTER XII. Objections to the New Witness Considered CHAPTER XIII. The Character of the New Witness CHAPTER XIV. Fitness in the Development of the New Dispensation CHAPTER XV. The Evidence of Scriptural and Perfect Doctrine CHAPTER XVI. Manner of the Prophet's Teaching

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THESIS I.

THESIS I.

The World Needs a New Witness for God. THE NECESSITY OF A NEW WITNESS. THE very title of this book may give offense. "A New Witness for God!" will exclaim both ministry and laity of Christendom; "are not the Old Witnesses sufficient? Has not their testimony withstood the assaults of unbelievers, atheists and agnostics alike for nineteen centuries? What need have we for a New Witness? Every weapon that hostile criticism could suggest, has been brought to bear against the tower of our faith based

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THESIS II.

THESIS II.

The Church of Christ Was Destroyed: There Has Been an Apostasy from the Christian Religion, So Complete and Universal, as to Make Necessary a New Dispensation of the Gospel. THE EFFECT OF PAGAN PERSECUTION ON THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. A variety of causes have operated to produce the result stated in my second Thesis, among which I shall first consider those terrible persecutions with which the saints were afflicted in the first centuries of our era. Let it not be a matter of surprise that I class th

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THESIS III.

THESIS III.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Last Days—In the Hour of God's Judgment—Is to Be Restored to Earth by Re-opening the Heavens, and Giving a New Dispensation Thereof to the Children of Men. THE NECESSITY OF A NEW REVELATION—THE ARGUMENTS OF MODERN CHRISTIANS AGAINST IT CONSIDERED. I shall take it for granted that those who have followed me to this point are convinced that the world has need of a new witness for God; that the Church of Christ was destroyed; that there has been an apostasy from th

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THESIS IV.

THESIS IV.

Joseph Smith is the New Witness for God; a Prophet Divinely Authorized to Teach the Gospel, and Re-establish the Church of Jesus Christ on Earth. THE NEW WITNESS INTRODUCED. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the western part of the State of New York was a new country, by which I mean—one recently settled, and comparatively a wilderness. At the close of the Revolutionary War, which secured to the former British Colonies independence, the people of the new-born nation found their country

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THE BLIND HEALED.

THE BLIND HEALED.

BERRIEN, MONTGOMERYSHIRE, NORTH WALES, May 23, 1849. I feel it my bounden duty to make the following narrative known to the authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ, to show that the manifestation of the power of God attends this church, in the last days, as it did the church of the early Apostles, viz:—My daughter Sophia Matilda, aged eight years, was in the month of May, 1848, afflicted in her eyes; she soon lost the sight of her left eye, and on applying to medical aid, instead of the sight

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HEALING OF ONE BORN BLIND.

HEALING OF ONE BORN BLIND.

BRISTOL, November 25, 1849. DEAR PRESIDENT PRATT:—As you were so kind as to publish the letter I sent, dated July 9, 1849, containing an account of the miraculous power of God, displayed in the healing of Elizabeth Ann Bounsell, which made quite a stir amongst the pious Christians of this city, I now venture to write to you again, and say that the above circumstance caused many to call at the house to see if it were true. And upon seeing, many rejoiced, others mocked, saying, "She would have got

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BONES SET THROUGH FAITH.

BONES SET THROUGH FAITH.

RUMFORD, May 1st, 1849. DEAR BROTHER GIBSON:—At your request, I now sit down to give you a short account of the goodness and power of God, made manifest in my behalf. About two years ago, while working at my trade of coach-builder, while assisting in removing a railway carriage, I dislocated my thigh, and was conveyed home, and my parents not being in the church, and no Elders in the town, (viz. Sterling) medical skill was called in, but from the swelling it could not be set. I was again examine

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THE TESTIMONY OF DAVID RICHARDS.

THE TESTIMONY OF DAVID RICHARDS.

MERTHYR TYDFIL. September 10, 1850. On Friday, August 23rd, 1850, at about eleven o'clock while I was working among the coal, a stone fell upon me, about 200 pounds weight. I was carried home, and the doctor who was present said he could do nothing for me, and told those around me to wrap me up in a sheet that I might die. There was a lump on my back as big as a child's head. The doctor afterwards told one of my relatives, about six o'clock in the evening, that I could not recover. Elder Phillip

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LEPROSY HEALED.

LEPROSY HEALED.

No. 9 GUARDIAN STREET, SPRINGFIELD LANE, SALFORD, May 19, 1849. Last winter, a young woman addressed me in the Carpenter's Hall, the daughter of a fustian cutter, named Lee, residing in Cook Street, Salford, and said her parents were desirous that I should go and see her brother, who was very bad with a leprosy. I went in company with one or two of my brethren. I think I never saw anything so bad as the boy was (the small pox excepted); the whole lower part of his face and under his chin, as wel

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ANNOUNCEMENT.

ANNOUNCEMENT.

THE MISSOURI PERSECUTIONS AND THE RISE AND FALL OF NAUVOO. —This book will doubtless be published during the next year. It will be a reproduction in book form of a series of articles, by Elder Roberts, published some years ago in the Contributor. The articles will be carefully revised and enlarged, and will relate in greater detail the story of those stirring times than any other publication among us. It is the intention to have the work beautifully illustrated. The author visited all the places

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NEW WITNESSES FOR GOD

NEW WITNESSES FOR GOD

II. THE BOOK OF MORMON * * * * By B. H. Roberts, Author of "The Gospel," "Outlines of Ecclesiastical History," "Mormon Doctrine of Deity," "Defense of the Faith and the Saints," "The Prophet-Teacher," etc., etc. * * * * IN THREE VOLUMES VOL. II. * * * * THE DESERET NEWS Salt Lake City 1909 THE DESERET NEWS Salt Lake City 1909...

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PREFACE.

PREFACE.

The following work was begun twenty-two years ago, in England, when the author was in that land on a Mission, as assistant Editor of the Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star . It was the author's design then to make the treatise on the Book of Mormon the first volume under the general title "New Witnesses for God"; but after some progress in collecting and arranging the materials had been made, the thought occurred to him that the Prophet Joseph Smith in chronological order, if not in importance,

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PART I.

PART I.

THE VALUE OF THE BOOK OF MORMON AS A WITNESS FOR THE AUTHENTICITY AND INTEGRITY OF THE BIBLE, AND THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. CHAPTER I. The Bible in the Nineteenth Century. CHAPTER II. The Witness of the Western Hemisphere. CHAPTER III. The Purposes for Which the Book of Mormon was Written....

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PART II.

PART II.

THE DISCOVERY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON AND ITS TRANSLATION.—MIGRATIONS, LANDS, INTERCONTINENTAL MOVEMENTS, CIVILIZATIONS, AND THE RELIGIONS OF ITS PEOPLES. CHAPTER IV. How Joseph Smith Obtained the Book of Mormon. CHAPTER V. The Translation of the Record—Martin Harris Amanuensis. CHAPTER VI. Translation of the Record (Continued)—Oliver Cowdery, Amanuensis. CHAPTER VII. The Manner of Translating the Book of Mormon. CHAPTER VIII. Publication of the Record. CHAPTER IX. An Analysis of the Book of Mormo

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PART III.

PART III.

EVIDENCES OF THE TRUTH OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. CHAPTER XIV. Classification of Evidences. CHAPTER XV. Direct External Evidences. The Testimony of the Three Witnesses. The Testimony of the Eight Witnesses. CHAPTER XVI. Direct External Evidences—The Three Witnesses—Subsequent Life and Testimonies. Oliver Cowdery. CHAPTER XVII. Direct External Evidences—the Testimony of the Three Witnesses—Subsequent Life and Testimonies (Continued). David Whitmer. CHAPTER XVIII. Direct External Evidences—Tes

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RULES FOR THE PRONUNCIATION OF BOOK OF MORMON NAMES

RULES FOR THE PRONUNCIATION OF BOOK OF MORMON NAMES

"Words of two syllables to be accented on the first syllable. "Words of three syllables to be accented on the second syllable with these exceptions, which are to be accented on the first syllable; namely: Amlici (c, soft); Amnion; Antipas; Antipus; Corihor; Cumeni; Curelom; Deseret; Gazelam; Helaman; Joneam; Korihor; Tubaloth. "Words of four syllables to be accented on the third syllable with the following exceptions, which are to be accented on the second syllable; namely: Abinadi; Abinidora; A

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LIST OF SPANISH AND MEXICAN PROPER NAMES AND THEIR PRONUNCIATION

LIST OF SPANISH AND MEXICAN PROPER NAMES AND THEIR PRONUNCIATION

A Acolhuas (ah col'wahs) Acosta (ah cos'tah) Acxiquat (ak he'quat) Acxopil (ak ho'peel) Ahahuetl (ah ha way'tl) Ahpop (ah'pope) Allabahamah (ah yah bah hah'mah) Amautas (ah mah oo'tas) Amoxoaque (ah mo wha'ky) Antisuyu (an tee su'yu) Atitan (ah tee tan') Atonatiuh (ah to nah'tee oo) Anahuac (ah nah wak') Aymara (i mah'rah) Aztlan (as tlan') B Balam Agab (bah lam'ah gab) Balam Quiche (bah lam kee chay') Boachia (bwa chee'ah) Bochica (bo chee'kah) Boturi

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FOREWORDS.

FOREWORDS.

I. NEW WITNESSES FOR THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD ASSURED. It is a happy omen, that, while so much of the literature of our times is marked by a tone of infidelity, and especially by a disparagement of the evidences of the authenticity and inspiration of the Scriptures, there is in other quarters an increasing readiness to make the choicest gifts of modern science and learning tributary to the word of God. The eclipse of faith is not total. And it is an additional cause for gratitude to the God of Pr

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PART I.

PART I.

The Value of the Book of Mormon as a witness for the authenticity and integrity of the Bible, and the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ....

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NEW WITNESSES FOR GOD.

NEW WITNESSES FOR GOD.

II. THE BOOK OF MORMON. THE BIBLE IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY "The Bible in the Nineteenth Century" will yet form an interesting subject for a volume. The writer of it will recount the attacks made upon the sacred volume by unbelievers, and the defense of it by faithful Christian and Jewish scholars. He will also be under the necessity of writing the history of the betrayals of the Holy Scriptures by pretended friends; and he will say such betrayals were more mischievous than the attacks of avowed

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PART II.

PART II.

The Discovery of the Book of Mormon and its Translation. The Migrations, Lands, Inter-Continental Movements, Civilizations, Governments, and Religions of its Peoples. HOW JOSEPH SMITH OBTAINED THE BOOK OF MORMON The Book of Mormon was published in the town of Palmyra, Wayne County, State of New York. It issued from the press of Mr. Egbert B. Grandin; and was published for Joseph Smith, the Prophet. The exact date on which the book issued from the press cannot be ascertained. Most likely, however

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I. THE JAREDITES.

I. THE JAREDITES.

The colony of Jared, according to the Book of Mormon, departed from the Tower of Babel about the time of the confusion of languages; which, if the Hebrew chronology of the Bible be accepted, was an event that took place 2,247 B. C. Through a special favor to the family of Jared and his brother, Moriancumr, [ 2 ] the language of these families, and that of a few of their friends was not confounded. Under divine direction they departed from Babel northward into a valley called Nimrod, and thence w

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History.

History.

We have in the Book of Mormon but the merest outline of the history of the Jaredites; and this outline is learned from the abridgment made by Moroni, of the Book of Ether. Ether was the last of the Jaredite prophets, and witnessed the destruction of the race. His record, the Book of Ether, was engraven upon twenty-four plates of gold, found by the Nephites in the second century B. C., and finally abridged by Moroni, and made a part of the Book of Mormon, which abridgment Joseph Smith translated

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II. THE NEPHITES.

II. THE NEPHITES.

Lehi was one of the many prophets at Jerusalem who predicted the calamities which befell the Jewish nation on the second invasion of Judea by King Nebuchadnezzar, early in the sixth century B. C. [ 35 ] Lehi incurred the wrath of that ungodly people and was warned of God in a vision to depart from Jerusalem with his family, and was also promised that inasmuch as he would keep the commandments of God he should be led to a land of promise. [ 36 ] From the wilderness where Lehi temporarily dwelt, t

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NEPHITE MOVEMENTS SOUTHWARD.

NEPHITE MOVEMENTS SOUTHWARD.

The movements of the Nephites southward were prompted by two chief incentives: first, by a desire on the part of some restless, over-zealous spirits, who came with Mosiah to the valley of the Sidon, to regain possession of the Land of Nephi—the land of their forefathers; a choice land in itself, and made dear to some of them, doubtless, by many tender and sacred recollections; second, by a pious desire on the part of zealous missionaries to convert their brethren, the Lamanites, to the truth of

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NEPHITE MOVEMENT NORTHWARD

NEPHITE MOVEMENT NORTHWARD

The Nephites in the land of Zarahemla early appreciated the strategic importance of holding possession of the narrow neck of land—the isthmus which connected the southland with the northland. They perceived that if hard-pressed by their Lamanite enemies, who out-numbered them to the extent of two for one, [ 10 ] the narrow neck of land afforded them a means of escape into the great land northward, while by fortifying the narrow passage their enemies, however numerous, could be held in check, whi

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Nephite Government.

Nephite Government.

Some twelve or fifteen years after Lehi's colony arrived in the new world, Nephi with that part of the colony which he could influence—the more righteous part, by the way—separated from the elder sons of Lehi and their following, and established a separate community. Such was the esteem in which Nephi was held by his following that his people besought him to be their king. Nephi appears not to have favored the establishment of this kind of government, but yielded to the desire of his people. Per

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Religion.

Religion.

Religion among the Nephites consisted in the worship of the true and living God, the Jehovah of the Jews, whose revelations to the children of Israel through Moses and all the prophets to Jeremiah were brought with them into the new world. They therefore accepted into their faith all the Bible truths, and in its historical parts they had before them the valuable lessons which Bible history teaches. It furnished also a foundation for literature among them. For not only by the Bible were their pro

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THE PEOPLE OF MULEK. Government and Religion.

THE PEOPLE OF MULEK. Government and Religion.

Of the government and religion of the people of Mulek in the western hemisphere we know even less than of the Jaredites or the Nephites. Mulek himself was of royal lineage, being the son of King Zedekiah of Jerusalem; but whether the prerogatives of prince and king were enjoyed and exercised by him in the new world we cannot learn, nor is there any glimpse afforded us in the Nephite records of the nature of government among their people. Still, government of some sort must have subsisted among t

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THE LAMANITES. Civilization, Government, Religion.

THE LAMANITES. Civilization, Government, Religion.

Civilization, government and religion among the Lamanites should not be overlooked. It is true that they were idle; that they loved the wilderness and, for the most part, dwelt in tents; that they depended upon the fruits of the chase and such products of the earth as the rich lands they occupied produced without the labor of man, as the principal means of their sustenance; still they came in contact now and then with Nephite civilization, which must have modified somewhat their inclination to u

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PART III.

PART III.

The Evidences of the Truth of the Book of Mormon....

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CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.

CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCES. The evidences to be presented for the truth of the Book of Mormon naturally separate into two great divisions, each of which will admit of a number of subdivisions. The two great divisions of the evidence are: 1. External Evidences. 2. Internal Evidences. Of course, by evidences in general I mean those facts or things which either directly or indirectly, considered separately or collectively, constitute proof of the truth to be contended for in these pages—the truth

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CHRISTIAN WHITMER.

CHRISTIAN WHITMER.

This Witness was thirty-one years old when he beheld the plates, having been born on the 18th of January, 1798. The young man was among the first to embrace the gospel, being baptized on the 11th of April, 1830. He removed with the Church from New York to Ohio in 1831, thence to Jackson county, Missouri. He witnessed the storms of persecution rise against the Saints in the land of Zion; and shared the hardship and despoliation of the Saints incident to their expulsion from Jackson county. He die

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JACOB WHITMER.

JACOB WHITMER.

Jacob Whitmer was thirty years of age when he saw the plates, having been born on the 27th of January, 1800. He, too, passed through the trying scenes incident to the expulsion of the Latter-day Saints from Jackson county. But after enduring well for a season he left the Church, in 1838, making his home near Richmond, in Ray county, Missouri. Here he lived a quiet, retired life, and reared his family in respectability; his eldest son, David P. Whitmer, rising to some local prominence as a lawyer

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PETER WHITMER, JR.

PETER WHITMER, JR.

This Witness for the existence of the Nephite Record was in his twentieth year at the time he examined the plates and held them in his hands. On meeting with the Prophet Joseph, on the occasion of the latter coming to reside at the home of his father, Peter Whitmer, Sen., in Fayette township, 1829, a firm friendship immediately sprang up between them. Peter Whitmer, Jr., seems to have been one of those gentle, loving natures that finds its greatest enjoyment and usefulness in giving its allegian

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JOHN WHITMER.

JOHN WHITMER.

The fourth of the Eight Witnesses, John Whitmer, was twenty-seven years of age when he beheld the plates of the Nephite record. He was a young man of considerable promise, and upon the coming of Joseph Smith to his father's house, became not only his enthusiastic friend, but rendered him considerable assistance in writing as the Prophet dictated the translation of the Book of Mormon. John Whitmer was Church Historian for a number of years; for a time editor of the Messenger and Advocate , the se

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HIRAM PAGE.

HIRAM PAGE.

This is the only Witness of the Eight not either a Whitmer or a Smith. He was a son-in-law, however, to Peter Whitmer, Sen., having married Catherine Whitmer, in 1825. He was but a young man when he became a Witness to the existence of the Nephite plates, having been born in the year 1800, in the state of Vermont. He was living at Fayette, with the Whitmers when the Prophet and Oliver Cowdery arrived there in the spring of 1829. He entered into the work with enthusiasm, and for some years was a

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JOSEPH SMITH, SEN.

JOSEPH SMITH, SEN.

The sixth of the Eight Witnesses is Joseph Smith, Sen., the Prophet's father. He was the first to whom the Prophet confided the fact of Moroni's visit, and the existence of the Nephite record; and this by direct commandment of the angel Moroni himself. The Prophet hesitated to make known the vision he had received and the existence of the record, even to his father; but doubtless the integrity of the heart of Joseph Smith, Sen., was known in the heavens, and the Prophet was taken sharply to task

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HYRUM SMITH.

HYRUM SMITH.

The seventh of the Eight Witnesses was Hyrum Smith, an elder brother to the Prophet Joseph, born February 9, 1800, and hence was thirty years of age at the time the plates were shown to him. From the beginning of the great work of the last days he was a consistent believer in it, and assisted his brother in the preservation of the plates from the hands of those who sought to wrest them from him. He early sought to know the will of the Lord concerning his relations to the great work then coming f

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SAMUEL HARRISON SMITH.

SAMUEL HARRISON SMITH.

The last of the Eight Witnesses was a younger brother of the Prophet's. He was born in the year 1808, hence was twenty-two years of age when he beheld and handled the Nephite plates. He was of a serious, religious nature, even in his youth; and with three others of his father's family joined the Presbyterian church. While Joseph the Prophet was engaged with Oliver Cowdery in translating the Nephite record, in Harmony, Pennsylvania, Samuel paid him a visit in the month of May, 1829, about the tim

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I. The Ministration of Angels is Neither Unscriptural nor Unreasonable.

I. The Ministration of Angels is Neither Unscriptural nor Unreasonable.

By the probability of Joseph Smith's story, I mean, of course, the probability of Moroni revealing the existence of the Book of Mormon to him; of Moroni's delivering to him the plates and the Urim and Thummim; of the Prophet's translating the record by the gift and power of God, by means of the Urim and Thummim; of his returning the plates to Moroni, who to this day, doubtless, has them under his guardianship. I am aware of the fact that the miraculous is usually regarded with suspicion; that su

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II. To Believe in Media for Ascertaining Divine Knowledge is Neither Unscriptural nor Unreasonable.

II. To Believe in Media for Ascertaining Divine Knowledge is Neither Unscriptural nor Unreasonable.

Whatever the position of unbelievers in the Bible may be with reference to Joseph Smith translating the Book of Mormon by means of Urim and Thummim, or "Interpreters," as they were called by the Nephites, surely believers in the Bible cannot regard such a claim as impossible or improbable, since it is matter of common knowledge that the High Priest in ancient Israel possessed Urim and Thummim, and by means of them received divine communications. I am not unmindful of the fact that a diversity of

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III. Of Returning the Plates of the Book of Mormon to Moroni

III. Of Returning the Plates of the Book of Mormon to Moroni

The question is often asked—and it bears upon the probability of Joseph Smith's statements respecting the Book of Mormon, because the answer that has to be made gives rise to doubts, and sometimes to sneers on the part of those receiving it—the question is often asked, I repeat, "What became of the gold plates from which Joseph Smith claims to have translated the Book of Mormon—can they be seen now? Is the Church in possession of them?" The answer is, "No; the Prophet returned them to the angel

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IV. On the Loss of one Hundred and Sixteen Pages of Manuscript, Being the Translation of the First Part of Mormon's Abridgment of the Nephite Records.

IV. On the Loss of one Hundred and Sixteen Pages of Manuscript, Being the Translation of the First Part of Mormon's Abridgment of the Nephite Records.

Another incident connected with the probability of Joseph Smith's story concerning the Book of Mormon, and which, like the circumstance of the Prophet's returning the plates to the angel, meets with ridicule—is the loss of the 116 pages of manuscript, through the unfaithfulness of Martin Harris, a subject detailed at length in chapter v. This incident lost to Joseph Smith, for a time, the gift of translation, and also possession of the plates and Urim and Thummim; but through sincere repentance,

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I. What the Book of Mormon Requires as to the Location and Character of the Jaredite Civilization.

I. What the Book of Mormon Requires as to the Location and Character of the Jaredite Civilization.

It has been shown in a preceding chapter [ 1 ] that the first people who inhabited North America after the flood were a colony that came from the Euphrates Valley, about the time of the confusion of languages at Babel, under the leadership of a prophet of the name of Moriancumr, and his brother Jared; that this colony made their first settlement somewhere in the region of country known in modern times as Central America; that they called their first city Moron, which from the time of its establi

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II. What the Book of Mormon Requires as to the Location, Extent and Nature of the Nephite Civilization.

II. What the Book of Mormon Requires as to the Location, Extent and Nature of the Nephite Civilization.

In considering this subject I shall take no account of the colony of Mulek beyond noting the fact that previous to the union of their descendants, with the Nephites under Mosiah I, about two hundred years B. C., they did not affect to any considerable extent the civilization of the country, and hence I shall consider them under the same head as the Nephites. Concerning the Nephites and their civilization, the Book of Mormon requires the proof that a colony of Israelites left Jerusalem about six

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III. Of the Probability of Intercourse Between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres During Jaredite and Nephite Times.

III. Of the Probability of Intercourse Between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres During Jaredite and Nephite Times.

Another remark should be made in these preliminary observations, viz.: It cannot possibly be in conflict with the Book of Mormon to concede that the northeastern coast of America may have been visited by Norsemen in the tenth century; or that Celtic adventurers came to America even at an earlier date, but subsequent to the close of the Nephite period. It might even be possible that migrations came by way of the Pacific Islands to the western shores of America. I think it indisputable that there

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IV. The Western World Since the Close of the Nephite Period—The Lamanite Civilization.

IV. The Western World Since the Close of the Nephite Period—The Lamanite Civilization.

Other considerations that may affect the evidences of American antiquities to the Book of Mormon arise out of the conditions which have obtained in the western world since the close of the Nephite period. What I have called the Nephite period closes with the commencement of the fifth century A. D., and as it was towards the close of the fifteenth century before America was discovered by the Spaniards and made known to Europeans, there is a thousand years during which time many things may have ha

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V. Of the Writers on American Antiquities.

V. Of the Writers on American Antiquities.

Still another remark is necessary in these preliminary observations. The authorities upon which we have to depend for our knowledge of American antiquities are widely conflicting. There is not one that may be followed unreservedly, and it is impossible to say with any degree of exactness what is even the concensus of opinion of authorities upon very many subjects, so widely divergent and conflicting are their views. This conflict of opinion extends to such important subjects as the following: Wh

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I. The Evidence of the Existence of Ancient Civilizations in America.

I. The Evidence of the Existence of Ancient Civilizations in America.

Considering the vast extent of these remains, [i. e. of ancient cities, pyramids and temples] spreading over more than half the continent, and that in Mexico, and South America, after the lapse of an unknown series of ages, they still retain much of ancient grandeur which "Time's effacing fingers" have failed to obliterate. It is certainly no wild flight of the imagination to conjecture that in ancient times, even coeval with the spread of science in the east, empires may have flourished here th

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II. Chief Centers of Ancient American Civilization.

II. Chief Centers of Ancient American Civilization.

The following is from Baldwin's "Ancient America": It has been said, not without reason, that the civilization found in Mexico by Spanish conquerors consisted, to a large extent, of "fragments from the wreck that befell the American civilization of antiquity." To find the chief seats and most abundant remains of the most remarkable civilization of this old American race, we must go still farther south into Central America and some of the more southern states of Mexico. Here ruins of many ancient

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COPAN.

COPAN.

The ruins are situated in the west part of the modern state of Honduras, on the left bank of the Copan river, which empties into the Montague. The name Copan is applied to the ruins because of their vicinity to an adjoining hamlet of that name, so that Copan is not to be regarded as the true name of the ancient city. And now I quote the description from the works of John L. Stephens to whom the world is chiefly indebted for its knowledge of Central American ruins. I omit, however, the references

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PALENQUE

PALENQUE

I next call attention to the ruins of Palenque, situated about two hundred and sixty miles northwest from Copan in the modern state of Chiapas in the valley of the Usumacinta river. Our space will not admit of the elaborate and detailed description given of this ancient city by the writers who have visited it, and whose descriptions are usually attended with references to numerous cuts of pyramids, temples, ruined walls, statuary, tablets, etc. I have therefore decided to abridge the description

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I. Antiquity of American Ruins

I. Antiquity of American Ruins

We have now before us a subject on which the authorities on American Antiquities are most divided, and I shall not attempt in this writing to reconcile them or dispute the position of either class; but after a few quotations from these authorities shall leave the question of the antiquity of American ruins found in Central America and elsewhere as I find it, an open question. "There is nothing in the buildings to indicate the date of their erection—that they were or were not standing at the comm

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II. Successive Civilizations.

II. Successive Civilizations.

Scattered over the southern plateaus are heaps of architectural remains and monumental piles. Furthermore, native traditions, both orally transmitted and hieroglyphically recorded by means of legible picture-writings, afford us a tolerably clear view of the civilized nations during a period of several centuries preceding the Spanish conquest, together with passing glances, through momentary clearings in mythologic clouds, at historical epochs much more remote. Here we have as aids to this analys

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III. Peruvian Antiquities.

III. Peruvian Antiquities.

It will be observed that thus far, in dealing with American antiquities, I have said nothing concerning Peru and the monuments of its civilization. Still, as Book of Mormon peoples inhabited South America as well as North America, some attention should be paid to the monuments of Peruvian civilization. For the general description of South American antiquities I find what Professor Baldwin says to be most acceptable: The ruins of Ancient Peru are found chiefly on the elevated tablelands of the An

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IV. The Mound Builders.

IV. The Mound Builders.

As I have noted South American antiquities, so also I think it necessary to note the more northern antiquities of North America—the works of the Mound Builders of the valleys of the Mississippi and its tributaries. It is matter of common knowledge that throughout the region of country just named there exists in great number artificial hillocks of earth, "nearly always constructed," says Nadaillac, "with a good deal of precision." "They are of various forms, round, oval, square, very rarely polyg

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Summary.

Summary.

I have now presented to the reader all the matter on that part of American antiquities pertaining to the extent and location of the ruined cities and other monuments of ancient American civilization that my space will allow, and I only pause before closing this chapter to summarize the ground covered. Beyond question we have established the following facts: (1) There existed in ancient times civilized races in both of the American continents. (2) The monuments of these civilizations are located

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I. The Creation.

I. The Creation.

I begin with the creation; and select upon that subject a passage from the book of the Quiches [ 2 ] of Guatemala called Popol Vuh , which, I believe, exhibits the fact that the ancient Americans held in their traditions conceptions of creation found in the Jewish scriptures. A word upon the Popol Vuh will be necessary. This is one of the most important of the native American books translated into modern languages. It was found by Dr. Scherzer, in 1854, among the manuscripts of Francisco Ximenez

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II. The Flood.

II. The Flood.

I next call attention to the native American traditions concerning the flood, consulting those passages, however, let me say, which most nearly resemble the account of our Hebrew scriptures; and without pretending to enter into an exhaustive consideration of native flood myths. My purpose is accomplished in this, as in the matter of the traditions concerning the creation, if I produce those proofs which, in my judgment, establish the fact that the native Americans have been made acquainted with

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III. Tradition of the Tower of Babel

III. Tradition of the Tower of Babel

On the way between Vera Cruz and the capital not far from the modern city of Puebla, stands the venerable relic, with which the reader has become familiar in the course of this narrative—called the temple of Cholulua. It is, as he will remember, a pyramidal mound, built, or rather cased, with unburnt brick, rising to the height of nearly one hundred and eighty feet. The popular tradition of the natives is that it was erected by a family of giants, who had escaped the great inundation, and design

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IV. Migrations.

IV. Migrations.

As already stated, some confusion exists in native American traditions relative to migrations. This doubtless arises from the fact that the native traditions confound the three great migrations of which the Book of Mormon speaks, viz., the Jaredite, Nephite and Mulek migrations, and also the subsequent intercontinental movements among both Nephites and Lamanites, especially those following the disaster at Cumorah, with the general migrations from the old world. This confusion in the native tradi

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NEW WITNESSES FOR GOD

NEW WITNESSES FOR GOD

II. THE BOOK OF MORMON By B. H. Roberts, Author of "The Gospel," "Outlines of Ecclesiastical History," "Mormon Doctrine of Deity," "Defense of the Faith and the Saints," "The Prophet-Teacher," etc., etc. IN THREE VOLUMES VOL. III. THE DESERET NEWS Salt Lake City 1909...

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PART III.

PART III.

The Evidences of the Truth of the Book of Mormon, Continued....

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NEW WITNESSES FOR GOD

NEW WITNESSES FOR GOD

II. THE BOOK OF MORMON. INDIRECT EXTERNAL EVIDENCES (Continued)—AMERICAN TRADITIONS....

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I. The Signs of Messiah's Birth.

I. The Signs of Messiah's Birth.

The impressive signs given in the western world, according to the Book of Mormon, of the birth and death of Messiah were of such a character that they would doubtless obtain a fixed place in the traditions of the native American people, though, as in the case of all legends, the events are more or less distorted. The signs of Messiah's birth, both as prophetically promised and historically described, are as follows: And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his (Messiah's)

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II. The Signs of Messiah's Death.

II. The Signs of Messiah's Death.

The signs which were to be given to the inhabitants of the western hemisphere of Messiah's death were foretold by a Lamanite prophet as follows: Behold, in that day that he shall suffer death, the sun shall be darkened and refuse to give his light unto you; and also the moon, and the stars; and there shall be no light upon the face of this land, even from the time that he shall suffer death, for the space of three days, to the time that he shall rise again from the dead; yea, at the time that he

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I. Messiah in the Western Hemisphere.

I. Messiah in the Western Hemisphere.

The appearance of Messiah in the western hemisphere, no less than the signs of his birth and death, is a circumstance that would undoubtedly find lodgment in the tradition of the native Americans. The manner of it, as described in the Book of Mormon, was as follows: It appears that a short time after the cataclysms which were the sign to the western world of Messiah's death, a number of people in the land Bountiful—a district of country in South America where the isthmus of Panama joins the sout

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II. Of the Culture-Heroes of America.

II. Of the Culture-Heroes of America.

Speaking of American "culture-heroes" in general, Bancroft says: Although bearing various names and appearing in different countries, the American culture-heroes all present the same general characteristics. They are all described as white, bearded men, generally clad in long robes; appearing suddenly and mysteriously upon the scene of their labors, they at once set about improving the people by instructing them in useful and ornamental arts, giving them laws, exhorting them to practice brotherl

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III. The Peruvian Tradition of the Messiah.

III. The Peruvian Tradition of the Messiah.

The natives of Chili have the following tradition concerning one of their culture-heroes, which closely resembles Messiah as he was revealed to the Nephites: Rosales, in his inedited (i. e. unpublished) History of Chili, declares that the inhabitants of that extremely southern portion of America, situated at the distance of so many thousand miles from New Spain, and who did not employ paintings to record events, accounted for their knowledge of some of the doctrines of Christianity by saying, "t

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IV. Topilitzen Quetzalcohuatl.

IV. Topilitzen Quetzalcohuatl.

This personage appears under different names in the native traditions of various countries of America. In the Popol Vuh of the Quiches he is known under the title of Gucumatz; [ 19 ] in Yucatan he appears under the name of Cukulcan; [ 20 ] in Oajaca (despite some difficulties and contradictions) as Huemac; and in Mexico, par excellence, as Toplitzin Quetzalcohuatl. Respecting this character, various opinions are held. By some he is regarded as the Apostle St. Thomas, whom they credit with coming

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I. Garcia.

I. Garcia.

I begin with Garcia: The opinion that the Americans are of Hebrew origin is supported by similarities in character, dress, religion, physical peculiarities, condition, and customs. The Americans are at heart cowardly, and so are the Jews; the history of both nations proves this. The Jews did not believe in the miracles of Christ, and for their unbelief were scattered over the face of the earth, and despised of all men; in like manner the people of the New World did not readily receive the true f

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II. Lord Kingsborough's Views.

II. Lord Kingsborough's Views.

The main items of Lord Kingsborough's evidences and arguments are thus summarized by Bancroft: The religion of the Mexicans strongly resembled that of the Jews, in many minor details, as will be presently seen, and the two were practically alike, to a certain extent in their very foundation; for, as the Jews acknowledged a multitude of angels, arch-angels, principalities, thrones, dominions, and powers, as the subordinate personages of their hierarchy, so did the Mexicans acknowledge the unity o

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III. Adair's Evidences.

III. Adair's Evidences.

Following is the summary of Adair's evidences and arguments: The Israelites were divided into tribes and had chiefs over them, so the Indians divided themselves: each tribe forming a little community within the nation. And as the nation hath its particular symbol, so from nation to nation among them we shall not find one individual who doth not distinguish himself by his family name. Every town has a state house or synedrion, the same as the Jewish Sanhedrim, where almost every night the head me

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The Discovery of Hebrew Relics.

The Discovery of Hebrew Relics.

In addition to these summaries of evidence on the Hebrew origin of the native American races there are several special discoveries bearing on the subject that I think should be mentioned. One is related by Ethan Smith, author of "Views of the Hebrews," a work in which he undertakes to prove that the American Indians are descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. While preparing his work for a second edition, he heard of the discovery in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, of a parchment, supposed to b

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I. The Pittsfield Hebrew Parchment.

I. The Pittsfield Hebrew Parchment.

This [the discoverer of the parchment] was Joseph Merrick, Esq., a highly respectable character in the church of Pittsfield, and in the county, as the minister of the place informed [me]. Mr. Merrick gave the following account; that in 1815, he was leveling some ground under and near an old wood shed standing on a place of his, situated on Indian Hill, (a place in Pittsfield, so called, and lying, as the writer was afterward informed, at some distance from the middle of the town where Mr. Merric

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II. The Newark Hebrew Tablet.

II. The Newark Hebrew Tablet.

Another discovery of Hebrew writing—the Ten Commandments engraved on a stone tablet—was made in Ohio; and was seen by Mr. A. A. Bancroft, the father of H. H. Bancroft, author of "Native Races." The latter relates the circumstances of finding this relic as follows: About eight miles southeast of Newark there was formerly a large mound composed of masses of free stone, which had been brought from some distance and thrown into a heap without much placing or care. In early days, stone being scarce i

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"HAVE MERCY ON ME A NEPHITE."

"HAVE MERCY ON ME A NEPHITE."

Five years after the discovery of this remarkable memento of the ancient Israelites on the American continent, [the Newark Tablet], and thirty-five years after the Book of Mormon was in print, several other mounds in the same vicinity of Newark were opened, in several of which Hebrew characters were found. Among them was this beautiful expression, buried with one of their ancient dead, "May the Lord have mercy on me a Nephite." It was translated a little differently, viz., "Nephel." Now we well

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I. The Cincinnati Gold Plate.

I. The Cincinnati Gold Plate.

Other discoveries of ancient American records, though evidently not of Hebrew origin, should also be recorded, since they bear important testimony to the fact that the ancient Americans did engrave records on metallic plates. One of these records was found in the state of Ohio, the other in Illinois. The first is the discovery of a gold plate with raised characters engraven upon it, near Cincinnati, under the following circumstances: Mr. Benjamin E. Styles of Cincinnati, Ohio, while excavating t

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II. The Kinderhook Plates.

II. The Kinderhook Plates.

The Illinois discovery is summarized as follows from the "Quincy Whig," a paper published in Quincy, Illinois: SINGULAR DISCOVERY. MATERIAL FOR ANOTHER MORMON BOOK. A young man by the name of Wiley, a resident in Kinderhook, Pike county, went by himself and labored diligently one day in pursuit of a supposed treasure, by sinking a hole in the centre of a mound. Finding it quite laborious, he invited others to assist him. A company of ten or twelve repaired to the mound and assisted in digging ou

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III. The Tuccabatchey Plates.

III. The Tuccabatchey Plates.

In further evidence that the native Americans engraved records on metallic plates I quote the following from Adair's "History of the North American Indians." The passage is a footnote on the custom of the Indians burying a dead person's treasures with him: In the Tuccabatches on the Tallapoose river, thirty miles above the Allabahamah garrison are two brazen tables, and five of copper. They (the Indians) esteem them so sacred as to keep them constantly in their holy of holies, without touching t

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I. Central and Western New York an Ancient Battle Field.

I. Central and Western New York an Ancient Battle Field.

According to the Book of Mormon the Hill Cumorah of the Nephites—the Ramah of the Jaredites—must be regarded as a natural monument overlooking ancient and extensive battle fields. Around it early in the sixth century B. C., the Jaredites were destroyed. Here, also, a thousand years later, at the close of the fourth century A. D., the Nephites met with practical annihilation in a battle which, whether judged by the importance of the changes it wrought in the affairs of one of the world's continen

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II. Miscellaneous Book of Mormon Historical Incidents and Nephite Customs Found in the Native American Traditions.

II. Miscellaneous Book of Mormon Historical Incidents and Nephite Customs Found in the Native American Traditions.

Besides what has already been set forth on the confirmation of Nephite historical incidents in native American traditions and mythologies, there remains several other Lamanite and Nephite historical incidents and customs, mentioned in the Book of Mormon, that are preserved in the traditions of the native Americans, and which ought to receive consideration here. Blood Drinking. One of the customs of the Lamanites, in the matter of eating raw flesh and drinking the blood of animals, is mentioned i

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III. Human Sacrifices. Cannibalism.

III. Human Sacrifices. Cannibalism.

Another statement in the Book of Mormon with reference to a Lamanite custom concerning their treatment of prisoners taken in war is as follows. Speaking of an invasion of the Lamanites into Nephite territory the Book of Mormon says: And they did also march forward against the city of Teancum, and did drive the inhabitants forth out of her, and did take many prisoners both women and children, and did offer them up as sacrifices unto their idol gods. And it came to pass that in the three hundred a

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IV. Burying the Hatchet.

IV. Burying the Hatchet.

Doubtless the native American custom of "burying the hatchet" (that is, in concluding a war, it is the native custom, as a testimony that hostilities have ceased, and as a sign of peace, to bury the war-hatchet or other weapons of war), had its origin in the following Book of Mormon incident: Early in the first century B. C., a number of Nephites, sons of King Mosiah II., succeeded in converting a number of Lamanites to the Christian religion; and such became their abhorrence of war, which afore

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V. Hagoth's Marine Migrations Preserved in Native Legend.

V. Hagoth's Marine Migrations Preserved in Native Legend.

Another historical event very apt to live in the native traditions is the first Nephite migration in ships after their landing in the western hemisphere. This event took place in the latter half of the century immediately preceding the birth of Christ. One Hagoth, described in the Book of Mormon as "an exceedingly curious man," Went forth and built a large ship on the borders of the land Bountiful, by the land Desolation, and launched it forth in the west sea, by the narrow neck which led into t

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VI. Native American Race Unity.

VI. Native American Race Unity.

The subject of American antiquities should not be closed without a brief reference, at least, to the unity of the American race. Barring such migrations of other races to America as may have taken place since the fall of the Nephites at Cumorah, at the close of the fourth century A. D., and such as to a limited extent may have been going on in the extreme north via Behring Strait at an earlier date, the Book of Mormon requires substantial unity of race in the later native American people. That i

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VII. Did the Book of Mormon Antedate Works in English on American Antiquities, Accessible to Joseph Smith and His Associates.

VII. Did the Book of Mormon Antedate Works in English on American Antiquities, Accessible to Joseph Smith and His Associates.

In the presence of so many resemblances between native American traditions and Book of Mormon historical incidents and Nephite customs, I can understand how the question naturally arises in some minds whether the ancient historical incidents, and the customs of American peoples—purported to be recorded in the Book of Mormon,—whence the traditions come, or is it from the native American traditions that the alleged historical incidents and customs of the Book of Mormon come. That is to say, was it

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VIII. The Value of the Evidence Supplied by American Antiquities

VIII. The Value of the Evidence Supplied by American Antiquities

The evidence I have to offer from American antiquities is now before the reader. Not all the evidence that could be massed upon the subject, but all that my space in this work will permit me to present. I do not claim that the evidence is either as full or perfect as one could wish it to be, nor that it is free from what some will regard as serious difficulties; but this much I feel can be insisted upon: The evidence establishes the fact of the existence of ancient civilizations in America; that

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I. The Place of the Patriarch Joseph in Israel.—The Promises to Him and His Seed.

I. The Place of the Patriarch Joseph in Israel.—The Promises to Him and His Seed.

It is no part of my purpose to deal at length with any argument that may be based upon Bible evidences to the truth of the Book of Mormon. That field is already occupied by others. Indeed from the commencement it has been one of the chief sources drawn upon by the Elders of the Church in proof of the claims of the Book of Mormon. [ 1 ] I shall treat that evidence, however, in merely an incidental way, and as deriving its importance chiefly from the circumstances of its blending in with the enlar

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II. The prophecies of Isaiah on the Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon.

II. The prophecies of Isaiah on the Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon.

In the Book of Isaiah's prophecy is found the following remarkable prediction: Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. 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 pra

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III. The Prophecy of Messiah in Relation to the "Other Sheep" than Those in Palestine that Must Hear His Voice.

III. The Prophecy of Messiah in Relation to the "Other Sheep" than Those in Palestine that Must Hear His Voice.

In St. John's gospel we have the following statement and prophecy from the lips of Messiah himself: I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 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. [ 26 ] The usual explanation of the prophetic part of this passage is that Jesus here makes

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I. Of the Unity and Diversity of Style.

I. Of the Unity and Diversity of Style.

As already set forth in previous pages, the Book of Mormon, with reference to the original documents from which it was translated, is made up of two classes of writings: 1. Original, unabridged Nephite records; 2. Mormon and Moroni's abridgment of Nephite and Jaredite records. The translation of the unabridged Nephite records comprises the first 157 pages of current editions of the Book of Mormon. The rest of the 623 pages—except where we have the words of Mormon and Moroni at first hand, or her

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II. Characteristics of an Abridgment.

II. Characteristics of an Abridgment.

In addition to the changes from the first to the third person already noted between the first group of Nephite authors, whose writings are unabridged, and Mormon and Moroni's abridgment, there is one other item which further exhibits the consistency between the style and language of the book with the theory of its construction, viz: The style of Mormon and Moroni's part of the work is pronouncedly the style of an abridgment. Its general characteristics have already been considered in chapter ix.

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III. Originality in Book of Mormon Names.

III. Originality in Book of Mormon Names.

There is another gratifying distinction between Mormon's abridgment of the Nephite record and Moroni's abridgment of the Jaredite record that is also of first rate importance as an evidence of consistency in the work. That is the quite marked distinction between Nephite and Jaredite proper names as given in these respective parts of the record. Take for instance the list of names of Jaredite leaders and kings and compare it with a list of prominent Nephite leaders. JAREDITE NAMES. Jared Pa

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IV. Of the Nephite Custom in Naming Cities and Provinces Being Ancient.

IV. Of the Nephite Custom in Naming Cities and Provinces Being Ancient.

It should be remarked that both Jaredites and Nephites named cities, plains, valleys, mountains and provinces after the names of prominent men, especially the men who were identified in some way with the settlement or history of said places; so that it often happens that names of places take on the names of men or some variation of their names; and hence the frequent identity and more frequently the likeness between the names of places and the names of men. Both people also followed the custom o

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V. Of the Nephites, Like the Jews Being a Mononymous People.

V. Of the Nephites, Like the Jews Being a Mononymous People.

Still another singular and fortunate circumstance for the claims of the Book of Mormon with reference to names should be noted. "Unlike the Romans," says Professor Wright, already quoted, "but like the Greeks, the Hebrews were a mononymous people. That is, each person received but a single name. [ 31 ] The Nephites, it must be remembered, were Hebrews, and therefore would very likely follow the custom of their race with reference to this practice of giving but one name to a person. This they did

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Monarchies.

Monarchies.

I am aware that the Book of Mormon account of the Jaredite monarchy is so very limited that we can form but little idea as to its nature; but the little there is said of it is strictly in harmony with the ancient forms of monarchy. That is, the kings were absolute, the source of all law and the center of all political power. They were inducted into their office by formal anointing, according to ancient custom. [ 1 ] They are sometimes associated with them on the throne the son who had been selec

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Reign of the Judges—Republic.

Reign of the Judges—Republic.

It is however in the matter of the Nephite "reign of the Judges" or the "Nephite Republic" that an illiterate, modern writer would most likely have betrayed himself. Especially an American writer strongly imbued with the excellence, to say nothing of the sanctity, of the American form of government. That Joseph Smith, as also his early and later associates, were imbued with such opinions concerning the American system of government is notorious. Joseph Smith declared the constitution of the Unit

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Ecclesiastical Government.

Ecclesiastical Government.

The government which obtained in the era following the advent of Messiah in the western world was also in harmony with the conditions prevailing in those days. That is, the ecclesiastical government supplied by the Church founded by Messiah appears to have superseded all other form of government through the two hundred years which succeeded that event; nor, indeed, up to the close of the Book of Mormon period, 420 A. D., except here and there a reference made to "kings" among that division of th

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The Events to which Importance is Given in the Book of Mormon are in Harmony with the Character of the Writers.

The Events to which Importance is Given in the Book of Mormon are in Harmony with the Character of the Writers.

In considering this subject we must bear in mind the purposes for which the Book of Mormon was written. The purposes are set forth in detail in chapter III. Here it will be sufficient to say that the main purpose of the Book of Mormon is to be a witness for Jesus, the Christ; for the truth of the Gospel as the power of God unto salvation. Notwithstanding these purposes are adhered to throughout the work it is very noticeable, and indeed one cause of complaint against the book, that it gives grea

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Complexity in the Structure of the Book of Mormon in Harmony with the Theory of its Origin.

Complexity in the Structure of the Book of Mormon in Harmony with the Theory of its Origin.

I hesitated some time before adopting the above as a heading for this division of the subject, because I was aware, and am still aware of the fact that it scarcely presents the thought I would have considered; and I know how easily, by a slight variation, it could be made subject to the smart retort that the complexity of the structure of the Book of Mormon is in harmony with the theory of its merely human origin since it is simplicity, not complexity, which is the sign manual of things divine.

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I. Originality of Structure.

I. Originality of Structure.

In enumerating the several particulars in which the Book of Mormon manifests originality, I would name its peculiar structure—so at variance with all modern ideas of book making—pointed out in the treatment of the last subdivision of chapter xxxviii, and ask the reader to consider that treatise brought over into this subdivision, and the peculiar structure of the Book of Mormon made one, and the first, of the evidences of its originality....

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II. Originality in Names.

II. Originality in Names.

So also as to names; so far as they are original, I would have that fact considered as another, the second, evidence of the originality of the Book of Mormon; and so much of that treatise as deals with the originality of the names, (see chapter xxxvii) considered as brought over into this subdivision....

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III. In the Manner of its Coming Forth.

III. In the Manner of its Coming Forth.

In the manner of its coming forth no less than in its structure and its names, the Book of Mormon is original. It must be remembered that at the time of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon such a thing as a new revelation from God was utterly unlooked for. Indeed it was the consensus of Christian opinion and teaching that the time of revelation had passed; that the days of miracles were over; that God in the Christian dispensation to mankind (the dispensation in which Messiah ministered in pe

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IV. Its Accounting for the Peopling of America.

IV. Its Accounting for the Peopling of America.

In its account of peopling America no less than in its structure and the manner in which its existence was made known and its translation accomplished, the Book of Mormon is original. All the books on American antiquities that could possibly have been accessible to Joseph Smith and his associates favored the theory of migrations from northeastern Asia by way of Behring Straits where the Asiatic and American continents approach each other. See Josiah Priest's American Antiquities, preface. Ethan

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V. The Nativity of Ancient American Peoples.

V. The Nativity of Ancient American Peoples.

The Book of Mormon is original with reference to the facts it presents respecting the nativity of its peoples. On this point, more is sometimes claimed by believers in the Book of Mormon than is warranted by the facts in the case. For example, it is sometimes stated that the Israelitish origin of the native Americans was first asserted by the Book of Mormon. That is not true. Long before the advent of the Book of Mormon James Adair, whose work was published in 1775, advanced the theory that the

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VI. Accounting for the Existence of Christian Ideas in America.

VI. Accounting for the Existence of Christian Ideas in America.

The Book of Mormon is original in the matter of accounting for the existence of Christian ideas and doctrines among the native Americans. I would have this statement so understood as to include all Bible ideas, since right conceptions of Christianity in its fullness includes the Old Testament and the dispensation of God to the children of men described therein as part of the Christian heritage, as well as the specific Christian dispensation which is described in the New Testament. The manner in

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VII. The Fall of Adam—The Purpose of Man's Earth Existence.

VII. The Fall of Adam—The Purpose of Man's Earth Existence.

In the matter of some Christian truths, it sets forth, as well as in some it emphasizes, the Book of Mormon is original; and in none more so than in dealing with the doctrine of Adam's fall, and the purpose of man's existence. In the second book of Nephi, chapter ii, occurs the following direct, explicit statement: Adam fell that men might be: and men are that they might have joy. This sentence is the summing up of a somewhat lengthy discussion on the atonement, by the prophet Lehi. It is a most

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"Adam fell that men might be."

"Adam fell that men might be."

I think it cannot be doubted when the whole story of man's fall is taken into account that in some way—however hidden it may be under allegory—his fall was closely associated with the propagation of the race. Before the fall we are told that Adam and Eve were in a state of innocence; [ 8 ] but after the fall "The eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons," [ 9 ] and also hid from the presence of the Lord. In an

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Man an Immortal Spirit.

Man an Immortal Spirit.

Man is an immortal spirit. By saying that, I mean not only a never ending existence for the "soul" of man in the future, through the resurrection, but a proper immortality that means the eternal existence of the "ego"—interchangeably called "mind," "spirit," "soul," "intelligence." I mean existence before birth as well as existence after death. I believe that an "immortality" which refers to continued existence after death only is but half a truth. A real immortality is forever immortal, and inc

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VIII. The Agency of Man.

VIII. The Agency of Man.

Respecting the "free agency" of man the Book of Mormon is quite pronounced as to the fact of it, as the following quotations attest: I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, according to their wills; whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction. [ 44 ] Again, The Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are

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IX. The Atonement.

IX. The Atonement.

After giving an account of the fall of man, substantially as found in Genesis, the Nephite prophet Alma, is represented in the Book of Mormon as teaching his son Corianton the doctrine of the atonement, as follows: ### Alma's Doctrine of Atonement . And now we see by this, that our first parents were cut off, both temporally and spiritually, from the presence of the Lord; and thus we see they became subjects to follow after their own will. Now, behold, it was not expedient that man should be rec

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X. The Doctrine of Opposite Existences.

X. The Doctrine of Opposite Existences.

Closely connected with the doctrine of the agency of man, the purpose of his existence and his redemption from the fallen state, is what I shall call the Book of Mormon doctrine of "opposite existences," what the scholastics would call "antinomies." The doctrine as stated in the Book of Mormon—the time of its publication—1830—remembered, especially when taken in connection with the consequences it supposes in the event of abolishing the existence of evil, is strikingly original and philosophical

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Summary of the Foregoing Doctrines.

Summary of the Foregoing Doctrines.

This then is the order of things—(though in this summary the order in which the various doctrines have been presented is not strictly followed, but one more in harmony with the proper order of the related things; but which order could not well be set forth until the foregoing discussion of them was had):— 1. The intelligent "Ego" in man, which we have called an "Intelligence," meaning, however, not a quality but the "Ego" itself, is an eternal entity; uncreate and uncreatable—an essential, a nec

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I. A Testimony Shall be Given by the Holy Ghost.

I. A Testimony Shall be Given by the Holy Ghost.

First, then, the prophecy that a testimony to the truth of the Book of Mormon shall be given by the Holy Ghost. In closing up the Nephite record which had been given into his charge by his father Mormon, Moroni in a final word to those to whom the work in after ages would come, says: And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent,

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II. "They Shall Have the Gift and Power of the Holy Ghost."

II. "They Shall Have the Gift and Power of the Holy Ghost."

The second prophecy to which reference has been made, and which must necessarily be filled through the agency of the Holy Spirit, was given under these circumstances: The Lord made it known to the first Nephi that many precious truths of the gospel would be subverted by the wickedness of men-made churches in the last days, but the Lord gives a promise that he would manifest himself unto the descendants of Nephi, and that they should write many things which he, the Lord, would minister unto them.

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III.

III.

Three Witnesses Shall Behold the Book "By the Gift and Power of God ." In the writings of the first Nephi the following prediction with reference to Three Witnesses who should testify to the truth of the Book of Mormon is found: Wherefore, at that day when the book shall be delivered unto the man of whom I have spoken, the book shall be hid from the eyes of the world, that the eyes of none shall behold it save it be that Three Witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God, besides him to whom t

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The Blood of Saints Shall Cry From the Ground to be Avenged When the Book of Mormon Shall Come Forth.

The Blood of Saints Shall Cry From the Ground to be Avenged When the Book of Mormon Shall Come Forth.

The first Nephi, fifth century B. C., writing of the conditions which would obtain when the Nephite record should come forth to the world says: The things which shall be written out of the book shall be of great worth unto the children of men and especially unto our seed, which is a remnant of the house of Israel. For it shall come to pass in that day, that the churches which are built up, and not unto the Lord, when the one shall say unto the other, Behold I, I am the Lord's; and the others sha

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V. Because my Word Shall Hiss Forth, Many Shall say "A Bible! A Bible!"

V. Because my Word Shall Hiss Forth, Many Shall say "A Bible! A Bible!"

Another item of interest in the coming forth of the Book of Mormon is the predicted clamor that should be raised against it. Here follows the prophecy—the Lord is speaking to the first Nephi: Behold, there shall be many at that day when I shall proceed to do a marvelous work among them; * * * when I shall remember the promises which I have made unto thee, Nephi; * * * that the words of your seed shall proceed forth out of my mouth unto your seed; and because my words shall hiss forth many of the

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VI. THE LOST BOOKS OF THE BIBLE.

VI. THE LOST BOOKS OF THE BIBLE.

Closely connected with this matter of the world's clamor against the Book of Mormon, and their protestations in favor of the Bible, is the declaration of I Nephi as to the treatment of that same Bible by Christendom. In one of the great visions granted to this Nephi, and expounded by an angel, he beholds a book, the Bible, go forth from the Jews to the Gentiles. Now Nephi's account of the matter: And the angel of the Lord said unto me, Thou hast beheld that the book proceeded forth from the mout

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VII.

VII.

No Gentile Kings in America . The prophet Jacob, brother of the first Nephi, addressing himself to the Nephites, said: Behold, this land, saith God, shall be a land of thine inheritance, and the Gentiles shall be blessed upon the land. And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles; and I will fortify this land against all other nations; and he that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith God; for he t

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II NEPHI.

II NEPHI.

3. And now, I would prophesy somewhat more concerning the Jews and the Gentiles. For after the book of which I have spoken shall come forth, and be written unto the Gentiles and sealed up again unto the Lord, there shall be many which shall believe the words which are written; and they shall carry them forth unto the remnant of our seed. 4. And then shall the remnant of our seed know concerning us, how that we came out from Jerusalem, and that they are descendants of the Jews. 5. And the gospel

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I. Many Shall Believe the Words of the Book.

I. Many Shall Believe the Words of the Book.

For after the book of which I have spoken [i. e. the Book of Mormon] shall come forth and be written unto the Gentiles and sealed up again unto the Lord, there shall be many which shall believe the words which are written. Whether this declaration be accredited to the first Nephi, five hundred years B. C., or allowed no other authorship than Joseph Smith, and no greater antiquity than 1830, when the Book of Mormon was published, it is equally prophetic in character. And if it be insisted upon th

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II. The Book of Mormon to be Taken to the American Indians—"and They Shall Rejoice."

II. The Book of Mormon to be Taken to the American Indians—"and They Shall Rejoice."

Following the declaration that "many shall believe the words which are written" is the statement, "and they shall carry them forth [the words of the ancient Nephites] unto the remnant of our seed." That is to the remnant of the seed of Lehi, the American Indians. And then follows this: And then shall the remnant of our seed know concerning us, how that we came out from Jerusalem, and that they are descendants of the Jews. [ 3 ] And the gospel of Jesus Christ, shall be declared among them, wheref

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III. The Jews Shall Begin to Believe in Christ, and to Gather.

III. The Jews Shall Begin to Believe in Christ, and to Gather.

And it shall come to pass that the Jews which are scattered also shall begin to believe in Christ; and they shall begin to gather in upon the face of the land; and as many as shall believe in Christ shall also become a delightsome people. There was nothing in the affairs of the Jews in the early decades of the 19th century that would lead any one to suppose that there was to be any marked change in the sentiments of that people towards Jesus of Nazareth; or that the time had come when there woul

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IV. The Work of the Lord to Commence Among all Nations to Bring About the Restoration of His People Israel, and a Universal Reign of Peace and Righteousness.

IV. The Work of the Lord to Commence Among all Nations to Bring About the Restoration of His People Israel, and a Universal Reign of Peace and Righteousness.

And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth. The 19th century of the Christian era, especially the last three quarters of it, will be regarded as a most wonderful period of human progress. [ 21 ] An age of inventions and discoveries in all departments of human knowledge and human activities. During that time, through human invention, machinery was so multiplied an

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V. The Sign of the Modern World's Awakening.

V. The Sign of the Modern World's Awakening.

An interesting feature in the awakening of the world, considered in the last subdivision of this chapter, is the fact that not only did this awakening begin about the time the Book of Mormon was published to the world, but it is one of the prophecies of the book that it should be so. That is to say, the spiritual and intellectual awakening of the modern world, and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon were to be contemporaneous events. In the course of his ministry among the Nephites, the Messi

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VI. Conditional Prophecies—The Evidence of Things Worthy of God to Reveal.

VI. Conditional Prophecies—The Evidence of Things Worthy of God to Reveal.

In closing these chapters on the prophecies of the Book of Mormon, I direct attention to what I shall call conditional prophecies. Not for the purpose of referring to their fulfillment, either accomplished or prospective, as evidence of the truth of the book, but as exhibiting the fact that the Book of Mormon has a prophetic message for the present generation worthy of God to reveal, and one that it concerns the Gentile races now occupying the continents of America to know. These prophecies deal

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The Poetry the Book of Mormon has Inspired.

The Poetry the Book of Mormon has Inspired.

As might be expected, the Book of Mormon has inspired considerable poetry among those who have accepted it as a revelation from God; and as some idea of its influence upon minds of poetic temperament may be revealed by these effusions, I present some of them. I first quote Parley P. Pratt, one of the earliest poets of the New Dispensation, and one of its most zealous Apostles. In his Key to Theology, one of the most luminous works yet published by the Church, when treating of the "Rise, Progress

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Summary of Internal Evidences.

Summary of Internal Evidences.

This is all I intend to say directly on the subject of the Internal Evidences of the truth of the Book of Mormon; what else remains that could properly fall under this division of the subject will be said in connection with the answers to objections to the claims of the book. Before leaving the subject, however, I ask the reader to recall in one view the various internal evidences considered up to this time, that it may be remembered how numerous they are, and how strong and conclusive they are

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PART IV.

PART IV.

Objections to the Book of Mormon COUNTER THEORIES OF ORIGIN. " No sane man dreams of maintaining that a religion is true because of the difficulties which it involves; the utmost that can reasonably be maintained is that it may be true in spite of them ." [ 1 ] The necessity for a counter theory of the origin of the Book of Mormon was early recognized. Sectarian Christendom felt that Joseph Smith's story of the book's origin must be overthrown, else what would come of this new revelation, this n

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I. Alexander Campbell's Theory:

I. Alexander Campbell's Theory:

Alexander Campbell, founder of the sect of the "Disciples," or "Campbellites," as they are more commonly called, was the first who in any formal, public manner assailed the Book of Mormon, and proposed a counter theory of its origin than that given by Joseph Smith. Alexander Campbell was born in Ireland, 1788, but educated at Glasgow University, Scotland, where he graduated with the title of Doctor of Divinity. He came to the United States in 1809, settling in Bethany, Virginia, and for some tim

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II. The Spaulding Theory of the Origin of the Book of Mormon.

II. The Spaulding Theory of the Origin of the Book of Mormon.

Taking its source in Erie county, Pennsylvania, and flowing generally in a north-westerly course into Ohio, thence northward through Ashtabula county, Ohio, until it empties into Lake Erie, is Conneaut Creek. It meanders through a country somewhat rich in mounds and other evidences of the existence of civilized races that anciently inhabited America. Very naturally the people inhabiting that section of the country were interested in these subjects. Here resided in the early years of the nineteen

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III. The Sidney Rigdon Theory.

III. The Sidney Rigdon Theory.

It will be seen, by those who have followed us through the treatise on the Spaulding Theory, that Sidney Rigdon is considered a factor in that supposed scheme. It is generally thought that it was he who supplied the religious matter of the book, and who determined the parts of the Hebrew scripture that should be interwoven in its alleged historical parts. Such prominence, in fact, is given to Sidney Rigdon in bringing forth the Book of Mormon that I decided to consider his connection with it und

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IV. The "Joachim" fragment of the Spaulding-Rigdon Theory.

IV. The "Joachim" fragment of the Spaulding-Rigdon Theory.

It was reserved for William Linn, author of the "Story of the Mormons," [ 37 ] a pretentious work of nearly 650 pages, to go "a far way" for an additional item which, in the full pride of an author who has made a new discovery, he adds to the Spaulding-Rigdon theory of the Book of Mormon's origin. This new item I have called the "Joachim Fragment of the Spaulding-Rigdon Theory." Mr. Linn, with evident pride, makes this mention of it in the preface of his book: "The probable service of Joachim's

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V. Woodbridge Riley's Theory of the Origin of the Book of Mormon.

V. Woodbridge Riley's Theory of the Origin of the Book of Mormon.

This theory may be said, in a way, to be a reversion to that of Alexander Campbell's; that is, a return to the theory that Joseph Smith was the "author" of the Book of Mormon. Mr. Riley's book, of 446 pages, is a well written thesis on the "Founder of Mormonism." It was published by Dodd, Mead &amp; Company, 1902. It is a psychological study of Joseph Smith the Prophet. The purpose of the work is set forth in the author's preface, as follows: The aim of this work is to examine Joseph Smith's

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I. Errors of Style and Grammar.

I. Errors of Style and Grammar.

One of the chief objections to the Book of Mormon from the first has been the uniformity of its literary style, and the defects in its language—errors in grammar, New York Yankee localisms, and the use of modern words—unwarranted, it is claimed, in the translation of an ancient record. Alexander Campbell, in his attack upon the Book of Mormon, 1831, on this subject, said: The book proposes to be written at intervals and by different persons during the long period of 1020 years, and yet for unifo

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II. Objections Based Upon the Existence of Passages in the Book of Mormon Which Follow King James' Translation of the Bible Verbatim.

II. Objections Based Upon the Existence of Passages in the Book of Mormon Which Follow King James' Translation of the Bible Verbatim.

It is objected to the Book of Mormon that there are found in it whole chapters, besides many minor quotations, from King James' English translation of the Bible. Since these chapters and passages in some cases follow the "authorized English version" verbatim, and closely resemble it in others; and as it is well known that in translating from one language into another almost infinite variety of expression is possible, the question arises, how is it that Joseph Smith in translating from the Nephit

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II. Miscellaneous Objections Based on Literary Style and Language.

II. Miscellaneous Objections Based on Literary Style and Language.

The theory established that the language of the translation of the Book of Mormon is Joseph Smith's, and that at least for extended quotations from Isaiah and the New Testament writers he turned to the common English version of the Bible and adopted it, the answer to all objections based upon errors in literary style and grammar, and the finding of many passages from the Hebrew prophets and New Testament writers transcribed from King James' translation—is obvious: (1) The language is Joseph Smit

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III. The Difficulty of Passages from Isaiah Being Quoted by Nephite Writers, that Modern Bible Criticism (Higher Criticism) Holds Were Not Written Until the Time of the Babylonian Captivity—586-538 B. C., and not Written by Isaiah at all.

III. The Difficulty of Passages from Isaiah Being Quoted by Nephite Writers, that Modern Bible Criticism (Higher Criticism) Holds Were Not Written Until the Time of the Babylonian Captivity—586-538 B. C., and not Written by Isaiah at all.

It is held that Isaiah's historical period—the period of his ministry—runs through the reign of four kings of Judah—Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. Some extend his ministry over into the reign of Manasseh, by whose edict, it is said, he was sawn asunder. In any event Isaiah would be a very aged man at the close of the reign of Hezekiah, 698 B. C.; and he would have been between eighty and ninety at the accession of Manesseh. So that it is safe to say that life ended soon after the close of He

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IV. Pre-Christian Era Knowledge of the Gospel.

IV. Pre-Christian Era Knowledge of the Gospel.

Among the early objections to the Book of Mormon, supposed to be unanswerable, was that based upon the fact that the Nephites hundreds of years before the birth of Christ had knowledge of him and the redemption he would bring to pass for man, and the means of grace through which salvation would be accomplished. In fact, that they had knowledge of the Christian institution. "He," (Joseph Smith) "represents the Christian institution," says Alexander Campbell, "as practiced among his Israelites bef

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V. The Unlawfulness of Establishing the Priesthood With Other Than the Tribe of Levi.

V. The Unlawfulness of Establishing the Priesthood With Other Than the Tribe of Levi.

Somewhat akin to the objections last considered is one based upon the claim that it would be unlawful to establish a Priesthood other than that founded by Moses, when he chose the tribe of Levi to officiate in holy ordinances. In order that this objection, however, may be stated in its full force I quote it as set forth by Alexander Campbell, not even omitting the unfortunate coarseness of his language which was so unworthy of his character, and which I assign to the spirit of those times when c

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VI. Nephite Knowledge of the "Call of the Gentiles."

VI. Nephite Knowledge of the "Call of the Gentiles."

Much stress is laid by Mr Campbell and others upon what Paul says respecting the "call" of the Gentiles to the grace of the gospel of Christ, "which in other ages," says Paul, "was not made know unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel." [ 12 ] The making this truth known to the world, according to Mr. Campbell's views of Paul's

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VII. The Difficulty of the Three Days Darkness.

VII. The Difficulty of the Three Days Darkness.

An effort is sometimes made to bring the Book of Mormon into contradiction with the New Testament in the matter of "three days darkness," connected with the death of Jesus. The objection was recently stated in these terms: In Helaman xiv: 20-27, and in I. Nephi xix: 10, we read about three days of darkness which should cover "all the earth," and the isles of the sea at the crucifixion of the Savior. Neither the Bible nor history speaks of three days of darkness on the eastern hemisphere, hence i

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V. The Birth of Jesus "at Jerusalem."

V. The Birth of Jesus "at Jerusalem."

The following prediction concerning the birth place of Jesus is found in the book of Alma. And behold he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem, which is the land of our forefathers. Jesus, it is well known, was born at Bethlehem, Judea, between four and five miles south of Jerusalem, really a suburb of the larger city. Nearly all objectors point to this prophecy as being in contradiction of the well attested historical fact of Christ's birth at Bethlehem. The objection is seldom fairly stated. It

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VI. The Settlement of Modern Controversies.

VI. The Settlement of Modern Controversies.

This prophet Smith * * * * wrote on the plates of Nephi, in his Book of Mormon, every error and almost every truth discussed in New York for the last ten years. He decides all the great controversies;—infant baptism, ordination, the trinity, regeneration, repentance, justification, the fall of man, the atonement, transubstantiation, fasting, penance, church government, religious experience, the call to the ministry and general resurrection, eternal punishment, who may baptize, and even the quest

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VII. The Book Contains Nothing New.

VII. The Book Contains Nothing New.

Relative to the objections urged against the Book of Mormon that it reveals nothing new, that it adds nothing to our Christian treasury of knowledge, in other words, the charge that it contains no revelation—I refer for answer to all that, to what I have said concerning the knowledge which the Book of Mormon imparts on so many great and important subjects in chapters xxxix and xl. Moreover, objections based upon this plea that the Book of Mormon reveals no new moral or religious truth, is a posi

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VIII. Modern Astronomy in the Book.

VIII. Modern Astronomy in the Book.

From a remark of the younger Alma's (first century B. C.), and from one of Mormon's (fourth century A. D.), it is evident that the Nephites had knowledge of the movement of the earth and of the planets. Alma, in his remark, appeals to the earth's motion, "yea, and also of the planets which move in their regular form," as being evidence of the existence of the Creator. [ 24 ] Mormon's remark comes in course of some reflections of his upon the power of God, when abridging the Book of Helaman, in w

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IX. The Geography of the Book.

IX. The Geography of the Book.

It is objected to the Book of Mormon that it lacks "local coloring" and definiteness in respect of its geography; and it is usually contrasted to its disadvantage with the Bible in this respect. "I have not been able to find an edition of the Book of Mormon with maps in it," says one objector, "nor have I been able to find with perfect surety the location of the land in which Christ is supposed to have appeared to the Nephites." [ 34 ] "We find almost nothing," continues Dr. Paden, "which would

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X. Of the Objection that the Transcript of Characters Made from the Nephite Plates by Joseph Smith, a Few Lines of which have been Preserved, Bear no Resemblance to the Hieroglyphics and Language Characters Discovered in Central America on Stone Tablets, Maya Books and Mexican Picture Writing.

X. Of the Objection that the Transcript of Characters Made from the Nephite Plates by Joseph Smith, a Few Lines of which have been Preserved, Bear no Resemblance to the Hieroglyphics and Language Characters Discovered in Central America on Stone Tablets, Maya Books and Mexican Picture Writing.

This is an objection most vehemently urged by Rev. M. T. Lamb, author of "The Golden Bible," already several times quoted in this division of my treatise. Mr. Lamb takes the three lines of characters of Joseph Smith's transcript, and confronts them with a fac simile of Landa's Maya Alphabet, and also engravings from some of the stone tablets from Palenque and Copan, and then triumphantly invites comparison in the following passages: We ask the candid reader carefully to examine these characters,

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I. Alleged Plagiarisms of Historical and Biblical Events.

I. Alleged Plagiarisms of Historical and Biblical Events.

It is charged against the Book of Mormon that many of its historical incidents are mere plagiarisms of historical and Biblical events. I shall only be able to indicate a few of these charges, and point out the means by which they may be fairly met. I call attention to the fact, in the first place, that some of the charges are absolutely false; that they are based on misquotations and misstated incidents. In other cases the comparison is very much strained to get the result of likeness, and throu

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II. The Absence of Book of Mormon Names Both of Place and Persons in Native American Language.

II. The Absence of Book of Mormon Names Both of Place and Persons in Native American Language.

It is objected to the Book of Mormon that there nowhere appears in native American languages Book of Mormon names. "During the one thousand years of their recorded history," says one, "as given in the Book of Mormon, the old familiar names of Lehi, Nephi, Laman, Lemuel and others are constantly recurring; they held on to them with reverential pertinacity. If the Book of Mormon were a true record we should find these names in abundance among various Indian races scattered over both continents." T

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III. Nephi's Temple.

III. Nephi's Temple.

First Nephi gives the following account of building a temple in the New World: And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon, save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land; wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon's temple. But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceeding fine. [ 33 ] This statement is unfairly dealt with

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IV. The Difficulty of Iron and Steel Among the Nephites.

IV. The Difficulty of Iron and Steel Among the Nephites.

The Book of Mormon repeatedly affirms the Nephite knowledge of the fusion of metals, and their knowledge and use of both iron and steel. As many writers on American Antiquities deny the knowledge and use of these metals by the ancient Americans, their alleged existence in the Book of Mormon is generally regarded as a capital objection to that record. Not all the influential writers, however, are on that side of the question. "There is no evidence," says Bancroft, "that the use of iron was known

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V. The Horse and Other Domestic Animals of the Book of Mormon.

V. The Horse and Other Domestic Animals of the Book of Mormon.

It has to be conceded that the weight of assertion on the part of writers on American antiquities, is against the existence of the horse, cow, ass, goat, sheep, etc., in America within historical times, and before the advent of Europeans. There is no evidence developed so far that satisfactorily proves that any of the native races of America, wild or civilized, had any knowledge of the horse and other domestic animals named at the time of the discovery of America by the Europeans. The Book of Mo

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VI. The Barges of the Jaredite Colony.

VI. The Barges of the Jaredite Colony.

The story of the migration of the Jaredite colony from the coast of Asia to America in eight barges, driven across the seas by strong winds, has been an incident ridiculed by nearly every writer against the Book of Mormon from the beginning. Rev. Alexander Campbell especially makes merry over it, and disgraces himself by the garbled and unfair manner in which he relates the story. [ 68 ] But it was reserved for Rev. M. T. Lamb to make the most of such objections as may be urged against these bar

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VII. The Weight of the Plates.

VII. The Weight of the Plates.

An objection is urged against the credibility of Joseph Smith's account of carrying the plates of the Book of Mormon home from the Hill Cumorah. It is claimed that on account of their great weight it would be impossible for him to carry them a distance of some two miles and repel successfully the three assaults which he alleges were made upon him enroute. Hyde estimates that a mass of gold plates of the dimensions given, 7x8 inches and 6 inches thick, would weigh 200 pounds. [ 79 ] Many others h

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