[This material was taken directly from an
old book printed in 1920 by R.C. Evans. You should read the Preface
which presents his reasons making this material available to
the public. Page numbers from the original book are indicated in
brackets.]
First - "It makes
claim to have originated from the proper source - God. "[page
151]
Reply-So does the Koran of
the Mohammedans, the Tri-Pitikes of the Buddhists, the Five
Kings of the Chinese, the Three Vedas of the Hindus, the Zendavesta
of the Persians, the Eddas of the Scandinavians.
Second - "It claims
to be a proper message to mankind."
Reply-So does the
revelations of Anni Lee, James J. Strang, who gave to the world "The
Book of the Law" from gold plates which he found in the earth
under a tree, he being directed there by an angel. This Strang claims to
be the successor of Joseph Smith, that he was ordained by an angel like
Smith, received plates out of the ground, like Smith. Both preached what
they called the message of salvation, both taught and practised polygamy
and both were killed by people whom they had outraged, yet both the
Mormon Church in Utah, and the Reorganized Mormon Church ridicule the
angel story and the Book of the Law as preached by James J. Strang.
Third - The object of the
book is a proper one, as recorded on the title page of the book itself, "The
Convincing of the Jew and the Gentile that Jesus is the Christ."
Reply - So far as
convincing the Gentiles that Jesus is the Christ, what has
Mormonism done in the matter? First the origin of the book has been
exposed in many ways, as seen in most every book printed on the
question, and is proved in this little work. The book has been altered
and corrected in thousands of places since its first publication in 1830.
The claims made for it have been proven groundless and the fruits
of Mormonism is revealed in the Polygamy, Murder, Robbery and wholesale
corruption of Mormonism, wherever it has had a home. See the
history of the Mormons in Ohio, Missouri and many other places, till the
Gentile world looks upon Mormonism as the lying wonder of the latter
days.
So far as convincing the Jews is
concerned, that people look upon the story as a huge joke. Personally we
have been associated with the church for over forty years, we
recall but one Jew that ever joined the church, and he left it. We also
knew of one Jewish lady who married a Gentile and came into the
church. The Book of Mormon has been on its mission for about ninety
years, the Re-organized Church sent missionaries [page 152] to Jerusalem
some years ago, they saw the country, took pictures, held some meetings,
baptized three or four, and the mission failed. One Jewish Rabbi
coming to Toronto from Jerusalem told me that the man whom our Elders
baptized in Jordan was dead drunk the next day, and is now dead. So in
the first ninety years the object of the book has failed.
Fourth --The much
circulated testimony of the Three Witnesses, that God commanded them to
bear testimony to the divine authenticity of the book, and that he sent
an Angel to show them the gold plates from which it is said to have been
translated all left the Church inside of eight years, and have
testified that Joseph Smith was a liar, murderer, polygamist, chief
Danite. One of them says Christ appeared to him and told him to
leave the church. Another says an Angel appeared to him and told him to
leave the church. Smith, in turn, called upon witnesses to prove
in the courts that these Three Witnesses (who talked with talked with
God and Angels and handled the gold plates of the Book of Mormon)
"were liars, counterfeiters and blacklegs of the blackest and
deepest dye." For proof of all this, see other parts of this little
work and read Whitmer’s Address, page 4,27, 28,38; The True Origin of
the Book of Mormon by Shook, pages 48-61; The Foundation of Mormonism by
La Rue, pages 75, 76.
Question - If the Three Witnesses
told the truth about Smith, who can believe that God, Christ, and Angels
talked to Smith face to face, and that he received the Book of Mormon to
convert the world? On the other hand, if Smith tells the truth about the
Three Witnesses, who will believe that God and Angels talked to them?
May it not be true "That birds of a feather flocked
together," and that "when rogues fell out they
told the truth about each other." We leave that part of the matter
with the reader.
Fifth - The claim is made for the
book that "it shall go forth unto the people unto the confounding
of false doctrine and the laying down of contention." Book of
Mormon, page 8.
Reply - The Mormons have
not been able to establish peace, or set aside false doctrine, nor stop
contentions, for we have the Mormon church itself divided into several
warring sections, each denouncing the others. The Utah Mormons and several
other factions claim that polygamy is provided for in the Book of
Mormon, while others deny it. The great church that has become
infamous through its practice of polygamy says that the Book of Mormon
while condemning polygamy under certain conditions and at certain times,
yet makes provisions for its introduction under other circumstances, and
that Joseph Smith, when he introduced polygamy into the church,
was acting according to the promise made in the Book of Mormon. They
claim that the Reorganized Church is dishonest in quoting a part
of a statement in which polygamy is condemned, when if they would
quote the balance of the paragraph they would prove that God
made provisions for the introduction of polygamy. Read Book of Mormon,
page 116, Jacob 2, 6: "For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts,
raise up seed unto Me, I will command My people, otherwise they shall
hearken unto these things." Nearly a half-million [page 153]
Mormons claim that through Joseph Smith God did command His people to
practice polygamy, and the evidence is abundant that Smith had such a
revelation.
Sixth - The claim is made
that America was inhabited by great nations before Columbus discovered
it, and that the Book of Mormon was the first book to give a history of
these great nations and of their cities.
Reply - We have heard that
for forty years, believing it, we taught it, but when the clearer vision
came we learned of a host of works that had been published in America,
England and elsewhere describing the ruined cities of Mexico, Central
America, Peru and other parts of America. Let the reader consult any
good work on American Antiquities (we have given elsewhere in this
little book a list of more than twenty books of this kind, published
before the Book of Mormon was in print), and a most significant fact may
be stated here, that the celebrated Josiah Priest wrote a work on this
subject, it was copyrighted by him, June 24th, 1824, in the office of R.
R. Lansing, clerk of the district of Northern New York and printed in
Rochester, New York, in 1824. Will the reader remember that The Book
of Mormon was copyrighted by Joseph Smith in the same office before the
same man June 10th, 1829. and printed in Palmyra, N. Y., just twenty
miles away from Rochester, in 1830.
From the above it may be seen how easy
it was for Spaulding, Rigdon or Smith to have copied the works referred
to and from them make the historical part of the Book of Mormon.
Seventh - Joseph Smith's
mother is a good witness against him, in that she proves beyond a doubt,
that before Joseph obtained the plates, years before he translated them,
he had acquired what might be considered a perfect knowledge of the
cities and people of ancient America. Listen: "During our evening
conversations, Joseph would occasionally give us some of the most
amusing recitals that could be imagined, he would describe the
ancient inhabitants of this continent, their dress, mode of travelling,
and the animals upon which they rode; their cities, their buildings with
every particular; their mode of warfare, and also their religious
worship. This he would do with as much ease seemingly as if he had spent
his whole life with them." Joseph Smith the Prophet and His
Progenitors, by his mother, page 87.
Reply-This
is evidently why Smith did not require the Plates to be in
his hat when he translated, but they could lie covered up on the table
or even be in the woods when he did the job, as testified by his wife
and her father, who tells of his talking through his hat. See other part
of this book where they so testify.
Smith evidently was well acquainted with
the "Plates," or Spaulding manuscripts, long before he
received them from the angel (?). Yes, several years before.
Eighth - They claim that
the Bible prophecies foretell the travellings of the Book of Mormon
people from Palestine to America, and the [page 154] coming forth of the
Book of Mormon out of the ground-Isaiah, 29th chapter, and that it is
the Stick.of Ephriam referred to in Ezekiel 37th chapter. Let us see.
Reply - A work was
published in London, England, some time ago, by a Mohammedan, quoting
and applying most of the same prophecies to the Ishmaelites, to the
Arabs and to the Koran. Others apply the Stick of Ephriam to England.
They have been twisted by many other cranks to suit their fancies.
These prophecies apply to the scattering
of Israel over the old continent: they went to Spain, Italy, the Islands
of the Mediterranean, into Morocco, Congo, in West Africa, Northern
Africa, into Egypt and Ethiopia, China, India, and over Central and
Western Asia.
- Isaiah 16, 8: "Wandered through
wilderness, gone over the sea." This refers to the dispersion
of Moab, and says so plainly
- Isaiah 11, 11-16: This shows that it
refers to Israel in the Assyrian Empire.
- Isaiah 1, 1: "The vision of
Isaiah concerning Judah and Jerusalem." Not a word about Book
of Mormon or America, but Judah and Jerusalem.
- Isaiah 28, 14, 21: God will curse
Jerusalem and perform his strange work.
- Isaiah 29, 1-4: "Ariel,"
"Heaviness, Sorrow," "camp against," "lay
siege," "To raised forts," Ariel-The city
where David dwelt, one of the names given to the capital city of
Moab, which means Lion of the Lord. It is the name given to
Jerusalem, and sometimes to the temple there." Gardner Ch. Cyc.,
page 98.
- 2Kings 25, 1-48, 11-21:
Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem, laid siege, raised forts, famine,
broken up, burned with fire, Judah carried away.
- Jer. 39, 1-8: Nebuchadnezzar, took
Jerusalem, killed King Zedekiah and his family. .
- Jer. 52, 1-9: Nebuchadnezzar pitched
against, raised forts, besieged.
- Isaiah 29, 4: "Bought down,
speak out of the ground," excavations give history of
Jerusalem, thus making them speak out of the ground.
- Isaiah 29, 7: "Those who fight
against her be as dream of night vision." Babylon, Syria,
Egypt, Assyria, all fought her and were destroyed later.
- Isaiah 29, 9-10-11-12: The people
were in deep sleep, their learned men in a stupor like a drunken
man; they could not read the judgments coming any more than a man
could read a scaled letter or a book. The margin says " sealed
letter." Jeremiah says she came down wonderfully, Lam. 1, 9.
- Isaiah 29, 11-12: Words of book
delivered to learned, cannot read sealed book. Joseph Smith writing
in Times and Seasons, Vol. 13, No. 13, May 2nd, '1838, says that
Martin Harris made a certain statement regarding his visit to Prof.
Anthon and Dr. Mitchell. This was Smith's statement, not Martin
Harris'. It was written many years after it is said that Harris made
the statement to Smith. Why not have Harris make his statement
according to law, but we receive it from the pen of Smith many years
after the visit.
[page 155] Just think, Smith says, that
Harris said that Prof. Anthon and Dr. Mitchell said: "I cannot read
the words of the book for it is sealed."
Now let us take the statement found in
Isaiah 29, 11 just as it reads: "And the vision of all is become
unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one
that is learned, saying, ‘Read this, I pray thee:’ and he saith, ‘I
cannot; for it is sealed:’"
All Mormonism agrees with Apostle Kelley
that neither Prof. Anthon nor Dr. Mitchell were able to read the
characters presented. Presidency and Priesthood, page 205.
Joseph Smith informs us that he received
the gold plates, the Urim and Thummim and the breast plate, the
22nd day of September, 1827. He soon found a friend, (Martin Harris) a
farmer near by, who gave him fifty dollars to help him along. Joseph
copied a number of the characters of the plates, and by means of the
Urim and Thummim he translated some of them. In February, 1828, Mr.
Harris secured the characters which Smith had drawn off the
plates, and started with them to the city of New York. On his
return home Smith says that Harris told him the following story:
"I went to city of New York, and
presented the characters which had been translated, with the translation
thereof, to Prof. Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary
attainments. Prof. Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more
so than he had before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then
showed him those which were not yet translated and he said that they
were Egyptian, Chaldaec, Assyriac and Arabic, and he said they
were the true characters. He gave me a certificate certifying to the
people of Palmyra that they were true characters and that the
translation of such of them as had been translation was also
correct. I took the certificate and put it into my pocket, and was
just leaving the house, when Mr. Anthon called me back, and asked me how
the young man found out that there were gold plates in the place
where he found them. I answered that an angel of God had revealed it
unto him.
"He then said to me: "Let me
see that certificate." I accordingly took it out of my pocket and
gave it to him, when he took it and tore it to pieces, saying that there
was no such thing now as ministering of angels and that if I would bring
the plates to him, he would translate them. I informed him
that part of the plates were sealed and that I was forbidden to bring
them. He replied: "I cannot read a sealed book." I left him
and went to Dr. Mitchell, who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had
said respecting both the characters and the translation." Church
Hist., Vol. 1, page l9.
Reply- Prof. Anthon denies the
statement as made above in these words: "The whole story about my
pronouncing the Mormonite translations to be reformed Egyptian
hieroglyphics is perfectly false." Ibid. page 21.
Were we to admit that Prof. Anthon made
the statement and that Dr. Mitchell confirmed them as true, this in our
in our judgment would destroy the very thing that Smith and Mormonism
has tried to prove by quoting [page 156] Isaiah 29, 11-12, where the learned
man was to have the words of the book delivered to him, and when
requested to read he was to say "I cannot for it is
sealed."
First: Prof. Anthon did read it and
pronounced the translation correct.
Second: He declared they were translated
from the Egyptian.
Third: He also was able, and did read
the parts that were not translated by Smith, saying "They were
Egyptian, Chaldeac, Assyriac and Arabic, and said they were true
characters which he could not have done unless he was able to read
and translate.
Fourth: He offered to translate the
plates if Harris would bring them to him.
Fifth: Harris had to lie when he
made the excuse for not bringing the plates to him to be translated,
because part of the plates were sealed and he was forbidden to
bring them. There is no evidence that he ever tried to bring
them, or that he was forbidden to bring them, and worse or more of it,
the seal has been broken and the plates that Smith translated
were all ready for translation by Smith or anyone else able to do the
job. Smith bad to break the seal before he could translate the
part he translated, so the part that Anthon would have translated was
not at that time sealed.
According to Isaiah "men" two
or more, were to deliver the words of the book to "One" that
is learned, but Smith turned this upside down, and only one man
did the delivering, Harris, and Two did the reading,
Anthon and Mitchell, in place of One.
Smith added eight verses to the
twenty-ninth chapter of Isaiah in his new Bible. One verse containing
more than a hundred words, in order to have it fit in to the Book of
Mormon, so it is not to be wondered at that he would make up this story
about Harris going to Prof. Anthon and Dr. Mitchell. Surely it is the
lying wonder of the latter days.
Joseph Smith has informed us that it was
he who copied the characters of the plates, that Harris took to Prof.
Anthon. Having discovered beyond a doubt that Smith was an imposter,
some learned men have made an examination of these characters which
Smith copied, and they have made a photograph of them and I have them,
published in different books, showing that Smith in drawing the
transcript employed different kinds and styles of English letters,
changing a few of them to make the imposture less observable. I have a
copy of the original paper received from David Whitmer and I agree with
those already published, that those characters are English letters
and figures. I can see the figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, and
many of the letters of the English alphabet, so we leave this clumsy
fraud.
Ninth-Ezekiel 37, 15-22: We are
told by the Mormons that these two sticks are books, one the Book of
Mormon, the other the Bible. But let us examine - stick, rod, staff,
sceptre; they were symbols of power, authority, not books.
- [page 157] Numbers 17: Take twelve
rods, write name on it; Aaron's rod budded. He accepted.
- Genesis 49, 10: The sceptre shall not
depart from Judah.
- Numbers 24, 17: A sceptre shall rise
out of Israel.
The stick of Judah represented the
Southern Kingdom, and the Stick of Ephriam represented the Northern
Kingdom. The prophet was to show that these kingdoms were to be united
again; nothing is said about the Book of Mormon and America, but
"The stick whereon thou writest shall be in thy hand before their
eyes." God in verse 22 says: ‘He will take Israel and gather them
together to their own land, and there. would be no more two kingdoms but
One Nation, and he would be their God.
Joseph Smith had a rod with which he
searched for water and did wonders. He told Cowdery by revelation
"You have another gift, of working with the Rod, behold it
has told you things, behold there is no other power save God that can
cause this Rod of nature to work in your hands - whatsoever ye
shall ask me to tell you by that means that will I grant unto you."
Book of Commandments, Chap. 7, 3.
In Doctrine and Covenants 8, 3, the
words are somewhat changed in this revelation, in place of calling it
"The gift of working with the Rod," it says: "which is
the gift of Aaron."
We have tried to be fair in our
examination of this question, but without hesitation say that the
so-called proofs for the Book of Mormon are not proofs, but glaring
misrepresentations of the plain wording and historical statement of the
Bible and the histories referred to.
Chapter 11:
Priesthood
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