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Early Mormonism

"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!"
Galatians 1:8

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit."
Matthew 7:15-17

TOPICAL INDEX
Exposes
Joseph Smith Jr. and Family
Eyewitness Statements
Divine Revelation
Book of Abraham
Slavery - God's Will
Murder?

Brigham Young
False Prophecies
Doctrinal Issues
Murder?
  • Wallace Bowman
  • Jesse Hartly
  • Henry Jones
  • Book of Mormon
    Textual Difficulties
    Modern Words
    Modern Revival Scenes
    Other Modern Ideas
    Modern Discoveries
    Some Additional Self-betrayals

    Reformation of 1856
    Doctrine of Blood Atonement
    Human Sacrifice
    * "Grayed Out" titles will be added soon


    Textual Difficulties

    MODERN WORDS

          There are a multitude of modern words found in the Book of Mormon.
          The first word that will probably attract the attention of an ordinary reader at the beginning of the book (page 4), is the name of Lehi's third son, Sam.
          Here is a boy six hundred years before Christ who has the unmistakable Yankee nickname for Samuel. There is certainly nothing Hebraistic about this name, nor does it sound like any Egyptian name we ever heard; possibly, however, by putting the Hebrew and the Egyptian languages together, or by adding to the Egyptian "the learning of the Jews," this name, "Sam," might be manufactured. This is not, of course, offered as conclusive evidence of the modern origin of the book. The writer, however, confesses that it started in his own mind a very grave suspicion in that direction.
          But there are many words used in the book that have a Greek or a Latin origin later than six hundred years before Christ, and many others wholly modern. The following are only a few:
      "Faculties," "Popular," "Priestcraft," "State of dilemma," "Synagogue," "Bible," "Jews," "Gentiles," "Church," "Baptize," "Barges," "Immortal," and others.
          Of course it is easy enough to say that "the angel who translated those ancient plates for Joseph Smith would be apt to use words with which Joseph Smith was familiar; he would clothe the ancient thought in a modern dress, and use such simple modern expressions as Joseph Smith, who was an unlettered man, could readily understand."
          But some of the above words will not allow of such an explanation. For instance, the word "faculties." "Arouse the faculties of your souls," page 120 (N. Ed. 134). "I myself have labored with all the power of faculties which I have possessed," page 206 (N. Ed. 230).
          This use of the word is wholly modern. The ancients knew nothing of such a division of the mind or soul into faculties. And, hence there could have been no word found upon those ancient plates, that conveyed any such meaning.
          It is true, we cannot certainly tell just how far the people, upon this continent may have advanced. A good Mormon brother suggests that the Nephites were a wonderful people, and may have made discoveries here upon this continent such as put to the blush all the Old World progress in science and art. This may be so, but the Book of Mormon is entirely silent upon the subject of Rail Roads, Telegraphs, Telephones, steam power of any kind, or labor-saving inventions of any character -- and even of Universities of learning, or Colleges of any sort. On the contrary the general outline of Nephite and Lamanite history as presented to us, suggests rather a sort of semi-civilized people constantly vibrating between the "goody" Christian and the perverse savage -- often changing from the one state to the other in a single year. And a still more damaging fact is, that no advancement or progress in civilization is presented to us during the one thousand years of Nephite history. Nephi himself was a greater prophet than any who came after him, and the nation during his life time attained at least as high, if not a higher degree of culture than it ever afterwards reached.[1]
          We may therefore safely take the Jewish civilization of Zedekiah's time, six hundred years B.C., as the highest civilization reached upon this western continent, according to the Book of Mormon; since the colony never reached a higher standard, than was attained when they left the City of Jerusalem. We, therefore, insist that the arguments of this chapter are valid against the Book of Mormon, and therefore that the existence of so many modern words, conveying thoughts and ideas wholly modern, and that belong to a civilization never before attained upon this continent is a clear proof of fraud.
          But aside from this, there is at least one of the above words whose presence in the Book of Mormon in several places, p. 149 (N. Ed. 166), can by no possible special pleading be reconciled with the idea that the book came from God. It is the word "immortal" joined to the word soul, "immortal soul."
          This expression is not only modern in its use, not found in any of the ancient languages, not found in either the Old or New Testament, -- but is, in fact, directly at variance with the plain statements of the New Testament. It is a popular expression of modern invention, designed to express a solemn Bible truth, but unfortunately puts into the word immortal a meaning that does not belong to it. Immortal means, "not subject to death." It is applied, in the Bible, to the body after the resurrection; but not applied to the soul here in this life, because the Bible expressly represents the soul of the sinner as already dead "in trespasses and in sins." It has no spiritual life, which in Bible usage is the only real true life, until it has been regenerated by the Spirit of God or made alive in Christ. Hence the word immortal is not a proper word to describe the soul here, for instead of being "not subject to death," it is in one sense already dead. The popular meaning of the word is that the soul will never cease to exist, which is true; but the word immortal is not the right word to express that truth.
          The use, then, of this word alone, as applied to the soul, in the Book of Mormon, would be an indisputable proof that the book is modern in its conception and make-up, and could not be from God, for God cannot contradict himself. He could not possibly be beguiled into the use of a word that would contradict the teachings of the Bible. Mr. Smith could use this expression, because it is a common everyday expression. But God could not use it, for He knows better, -- and hence He could not have inspired the Book of Mormon.


    - Topical Index -


    Textual Difficulties

    MODERN REVIVAL SCENES

         It is well known that in Western New York, sixty or seventy years ago, during the boyhood and youth of Joseph Smith, strangely exciting revival scenes were frequent, notably among the Methodists of that day, and in connection with camp meetings, and that in just such exciting revival scenes, Mr. Smith himself received his first and his strongest religious convictions.[2] Many a time he had witnessed men and women fall down under the influence of the truth, and remain apparently unconscious for hours, sometimes for a day, and in rare instances for three days together -- and then suddenly reviving, rise up and break forth into the most extravagant expressions of joy and praise to the Saviour who had redeemed them. Being somewhat ignorant of Bible truth, and particularly of revival methods generally, he was easily led to suppose that these strange weird scenes were models, real models of a true conversion.
          Hence when it became desirable to describe in the Book of Mormon a genuine revival or an individual conversion, nothing would be more natural than for him to draw upon his own observations and experience for the model. And accordingly we find that nearly every instance of a conversion related in the Book of Mormon is cast in this one particular mold. The man or the woman, under intense emotions falls down, and remains in an apparently unconscious state for periods varying from a few hours to three days, and then suddenly,reviving, breaks forth into ecstatic expressions of joy and praise to the Saviour. A few instances may here be given:
          Alma, one of the principal characters of the book, after being reproved by an angel for his great wickedness,
           ". . . became dumb that he could not open his mouth; yea, and he became weak, even that he could not move his hands; therefore he was taken by those that were with him, and carried helpless, even until he was laid before his father, . . . and his father rejoiced, for he knew that it was the power of God." . . . .
            "And it came to pass after they (the people assembled) had fasted and prayed for the space of two days and two nights, the limbs of Alma received their strength and he stood up and began to speak unto them, bidding them to be of good comfort: for, said he, I have repented of my sins and have been redeemed of the Lord, behold, I am born of the Spirit." -- pp. 201-2 (N. Ed. 225).
          And he proceeded to preach a sermon that revealed as much maturity of thought and knowledge of the Scriptures as the oldest and wisest preacher described in the Book of Mormon.
          On pages 262-265 (N. Ed. 290-293), we have an account of a large number of conversions, beginning with one of the kings of the Lamanites, named Lamoni:
           "And it came to pass that after he (a prophet by the name of Ammon) had said all these things, and expounded them to the king, that the king believed all his words. And he began to cry unto the Lord, saying: 0 Lord, have mercy: according to thy abundant mercy which thou hast had upon the people of Nephi, have upon me and my people. And now, when he had said this, he fell unto the earth, as if he were dead. And it came to pass that his servants took him and carried him in unto his wife and laid him upon a bed; and he lay as if he were dead for the space of two days and two nights."
          Preparations were made for his burial, but Ammon interfered and promised that on the morrow he should rise. And sure enough on the third day --
           "It came to pass that he arose, according to the words of Ammon; and as he arose he stretched forth his hand unto the woman (his wife), and said: blessed be name of the Lord, and blessed art thou; for as sure as thou livest, behold, I have seen my Redeemer.
            . . . Now when he had said these words, his heart was swollen within him, and he sunk again with joy."
          Then his good wife followed suite:
           "And the queen also sunk down, being overpowered by the Spirit."
          Then prophet Ammon began to pray, but
           "he was also overpowered with joy; and thus they all three had sunk to the earth."
          Then the servants of the king, seeing what had taken place, seized with a great fear, began to cry unto God:
           "And it came to pass that they did call on the name of the Lord, in their might, even until they had all fallen to the earth."
          After remaining thus for several hours the queen was the first to rise -- for a certain woman was present who had been converted years before and fully understood the predicament.
           "And it came to pass that she went and took the queen by the hand, that perhaps she might raise her from the ground; and as soon as she touched her hand she arose and stood upon her feet, and cried with a loud voice saying, 0 blessed Jesus, who has saved me from an awful hell! 0 blessed God have mercy on this people. And when she had said this, she clasped her hands, being filled with joy, speaking many words which were not understood."
          Soon after this the most important personage upon the continent, the father of King Lamoni, king of all the Lamanites, was converted. After a long sermon by the prophet Aaron,
           "The king did how down before the Lord upon his knees; yea, even be did prostrate himself upon the earth, and cried mightily, saying, 0 God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt, thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. And now when the king had said these words, he was struck as if he were dead."
          He remains in this condition for a season, when Aaron takes him by the hand and lifts him up, and immediately he begins to preach and so preaches:
           "That his whole household were converted unto the Lord."
          Before he was "struck as if he were dead," he did not know whether there "is a God." As soon as he comes out of his swoon be is able to present the whole plan of salvation so that all his household are converted unto the Lord!
          The fact is our angel so blindly copies those exciting camp-meeting experiences with which Mr. Smith had become familiar, that he falls into ridiculous blunders, so very evident as to give the whole thing away. For instance, when the queen above mentioned, came out of her swoon she cried with a loud voice, saying:
           "0 blessed Jesus, who has saved me from an awful hell! O blessed God have mercy upon this people."
          While the context shows conclusively that this woman had never so much as heard even the name Jesus, had no knowledge whatever of an awful hell, or that "this people" stood in need of the mercy of God. To see a woman in western New York, who had been reared from childhood under gospel influences, and therefore understood the meaning of every word she used -- fall down under the influence of the truth, and by and by rise to her feet exclaiming, "0 blessed Jesus, who has saved me from an awful hell," and clasp her hands in unutterable delight and joy would awaken no surprise or question. Mr. Smith had undoubtedly heard many a woman do that very thing and use that identical form of expression. But to reproduce this scene in a heathen land, and ask us to believe that a woman used these words, when the context informs us positively that she had never heard the words she uses, and could know nothing whatever of their meaning -- is imposing altogether too great a strain upon our credulity, and is imitating copy in a way that is amusingly queer.
          But there are other indications that the religious experiences of the Book of Mormon were borrowed from the modern camp meeting. The book abounds in modern camp-meeting expressions. The following are a few out of a great number of illustrations which easily betray their parentage:
      "Encircled about eternally in the arms of his love." page 55 (N. Ed. 59).

      "They are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love." p. 282 (N. Ed. 312).

      "They were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction." (Idem).

      "The chains of hell which encircled them about were loosed and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love." p. 221 (N. Ed. 246).

      "My brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love." p. 222 (N. Ed. 247).

      "For the arms of mercy are extended towards them." (Idem).

      "Lay down the weapons of their rebellion." p.275 (N. Ed. 305).

      "Behold, your days of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late." p. 425 (N. Ed. 486).

      "By the power of their words many were brought before she altar of God, to call on His name, and confess their sins." p. 255 (N. Ed. 283).
    - Topical Index -


    Textual Difficulties

    OTHER MODERN IDEAS

           "And to the reader I bid farewell . . . Brethren, adieu." p. 133 (N. Ed. 149).
          "To the reader" sounds slightly modern, and so does the word "&c."
           "And again he has reviled against our lawyers and our judges, &c." p. 238 (N. Ed. 264).
      "Shall he save his people in their sins?" p. 220 (N. Ed. 266).
          is a modern theological question. While the following expression, if it is not modern, is at least silly and without meaning:
           "The course of the Lord is one eternal round." p. 18. See also pp. 229 and 311 (N. Ed. 20, 254 and 345).
          On page 209 (N. Ed. 233) a certain mischief-maker is represented as going about among the people declaring:
           "That every priest and teacher ought to become popular; and they ought not to labor with their hands, but that they ought to be supported by the people."
          It seems strange that the author of the above could have so far lost his wits as to allow his anxiety to slap clergymen of the present day in the face, to lead him into a blunder that proves his work a fraud beyond a possibility of question. For over and over again the Book of Mormon declares that Lehi and his descendants kept the law of Moses, with the greatest carefulness, until Christ came who set aside the law by fulfilling it. So exact were they in this observance that Nephi and his people built a magnificent temple, patterned after the temple of Solomon, almost immediately upon their arrival in this country, and set apart their two youngest brothers as priests. Well, now, one of the first and plainest requirements of the law of Moses was the setting apart of the tribe of Levi to the work of the priesthood, and the provision for their complete and abundant support by a tax of one-tenth of all the income of the nation.
          But here in this paragraph a man gets himself into trouble and finally suffers the penalty of death for publicly teaching that "priests ought not to labor with their hands, but be supported by the people," precisely the thing that the law of Moses absolutely and unconditionally required. Surely the writer of the above could not have been an ancient writer, but a modern man with a very strong desire to hit hard the modern custom of a salaried ministry.
          While Joseph Smith was yet a youth, before the Book of Mormon was given to the world, the whole country was strangely stirred up upon the subject of secret societies. A man by the name of Morgan had left the Masons and revealed their secrets. He was afterwards mysteriously put out of the way and his death publicly charged to that fraternity. Whether the charge had any foundation or not, the whole country became excited over it, and the subject of secret societies received an "airing," such as it had never secured before -- churches were divided, many of them rent in pieces on this account. The controversy became very bitter in many places and long continued.
          The State of New York being the scene of the Morgan affair, became the centre of all this rancorous controversy. The Book of Mormon gave our redoubtable angel an excellent opportunity to "air" his views, which were of course exceedingly radical. Accordingly, we find the subject frequently mentioned -- and so mentioned, that a person at all familiar with the character of the controversy, as it was carried on in the State of New York, will find no difficulty in identifying a large number of the pointed deliverances in the Book of Mormon.
          The subject is first mentioned among the jaredites, only a few hundred years after the flood, and traced back to Cain who killed his brother Abel:
           "And Akish did administer unto them the oaths which were given by them of old, who also sought power, which had been handed down even from Cain, who was a murderer from the beginning. And they were kept up by the power of the devil to administer these oaths unto the people, to keep them in darkness, to help such as sought power to gain power, and to murder, and to plunder, and to lie and commit all manner of wickedness and whoredoms. . . ."
            "And it came to pass that they formed a secret combination, even as they of old; which combination is most abominable and wicked, above all, in the sight of God; for the Lord worketh not in secret combinations, neither doth He will that man should shed blood, but in all things hath forbidden it from the beginning of man."
            "And now I, Mormon, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had among all people, and they are had among the Lamanites, and they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi; and whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed." pp. 530-1 (N. Ed. 587-8).
          The subject is often mentioned in other portions of the Book of Mormon, in such connection with robbers and cut-throats as to make the whole thing as odious as possible. Instance the following upon page 405 (N. Ed. 446).
           "But, behold, Satan did stir up the hearts of the more parts of the Nephites, insomuch that they did unite with those bands of robbers and did enter into their covenants, and their oaths, that they would protect and preserve one another, in whatsoever difficult circumstances they should be placed, that they should not suffer for their murders and their plunderings, and their stealings."
            "And it came to pass that they did have signs, yea, their secret signs, and their secret words; and this that they might distinguish a brother who had entered into the covenant, that whatsoever wickedness his brother should do he should not be injured by his brother, nor by those who did belong to his band, who had taken this covenant; and thus they might murder, and plunder and steal, and commit whoredom, and all manner of wickedness, contrary to the laws of their country and also the laws of their God; and whosoever of those who belonged to their band should reveal unto the world, of their wickedness and their abominations, should be tried, not according to the laws of their country, but according to the laws of their wickedness, which have been given by Gadianton and Kishkumen."
          The writer can remember well when almost all of the above accusations, and in almost the same language, were freely hurled against the Masonic Brotherhood by hot-headed and radical opponents. Hence, to him at least, the various utterances of the Book of Mormon upon the subject have a very modern and familiar tone.
          Very much the same conclusions must be reached by a careful examination of the prophet Mormon's, declarations upon the subject of miracles and infant baptism.
          In his old age he is alleged to have written some fatherly letters to his son, Moroni -- giving him advice as to how he shall preach the gospel, and how successfully to meet the errors which, as he thinks, are creeping into the flock. Among other things he bitterly and fiercely assails those who teach that the day of miracles had passed -- and those who claimed that infants should be baptized. A careful examination of the previous history of the Nephites and of the doctrines taught in the Book of Mormon will make so clear the modern complexion of the whole matter as to give it almost the appearance of a burlesque, rather than a sober discussion.
          For instance, read the following on page 513 (N. Ed. 567):
           "And again I speak unto you who deny the revelations of God, and say that they are done away, that there are no revelations, nor prophecies, nor gifts, nor healing, nor speaking with tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. Behold I say unto you, he that denieth these things knoweth not the gospel of Christ; yea, he has not read the scriptures: if so, he does not understand them. For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing? And now, if ye have imagined up,unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in him there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles. But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles. . . ."
          Upon the next page he continues the subject with some very convincing logic.
           "And if there were miracles wrought then (by Christ and his apostles) why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet he an unchangeable being? And behold I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God: and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles."
          Much more of the same sort is said, not forgetting to quote verbatim the great commission as found in the gospel by Mark 16:15-18. "For behold, thus saith Jesus Christ, the son of God, unto his disciples, in the hearing of the multitude, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; and he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not, shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe, in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." p. 514.
          Now it needs but a moment's thought to be convinced beyond a doubt of the modern origin of all this.
          1. For a complete demonstration that the above quotation from Mark was quoted word for word from our present English version of the Bible, and not from the original language in which it was spoken, see farther on in this chapter.
          2. We have already called attention to the utter folly of writing about speaking with tongues and interpreting languages -- when there was but one language in use anywhere upon this continent, according to the Book of Mormon.
          3. The two other quotations from the Scriptures: "For do we not read that God is the same, yesterday, today and forever;" and "in Him is no variableness, neither shadow of changing," are only found in Heb. 13:8, and Jas. 1:17. As neither of these epistles was in circulation upon this continent fifteen hundred years ago -- and as the words are quoted precisely as found today in our modern English version of the New Testament, the evidence is conclusive that the "we" in the above extract, ("do not we read,") was a modern we and not an ancient prophet by the name of Mormon. For the ancient Mormon had no such Scriptures to "read," -- Joseph Smith and his angel had.
          4. But still farther: the assumption is wholly gratuitous that any such question could have been raised in those early times. It is a modern question, brought forward prominently by the Mormon church of today. In fact, it is quite inconceivable that any doubts on the subject could ever have been entertained by a people who had for a thousand years enjoyed such instruction upon that subject as is found all through the Book of Mormon.
          And the same things may be said of the arguments presented on pages 557-8, against infant baptism. It is true that the practice of baptizing infants prevailed from a very early period upon the Eastern continent. But here in this Western world during olden time, the Latter-Day Saints had things their own way from the very beginning. The instructions upon the mode and the subjects of baptism were plain and unmistakable from Nephi down to Mormon. It is impossible to suppose after a thousand years of the clearest possible revelations, that any professing Christian could, for one moment, have seriously entertained the notion that infants must be baptized.
          The whole thing is modern. The arguments used against the practice are the arguments of today, and not such as would have been presented in any other age of the world.
          The same modern "we," who read from our King James' version of the New Testament what the Apostle James and the author of the Hebrews wrote at least thirty years after Jesus Christ is represented to have left this Western continent -- and who had in his possession a modern copy of the gospel by Mark, and read from its sixteenth chapter to prove that miracles should not cease -- it is this same "we" who with modern phrase and modern arguments assails the practice of infant baptism.
          The same redoubtable angel, who, to slap modern clergymen in the face for receiving salaries, could manufacture a man of straw, and cloth him in ancient garb, and give him an ancient date -- has evidently done the same thing in these other instances -- for the purpose of setting forth his opinions upon the subject of secret societies, infant baptism, and the question of the continuance of miracles.


    - Topical Index -


    Textual Difficulties

    MODERN DISCOVERIES

         The law of the circulation of the blood was first discovered by Harvey about the year 1619, A.D., and the fact that the skin has "pores" could not have been known in the very nature of the case until after the invention of the microscope. Therefore this passage professedly spoken by King Benjamin (125 B.C.), Must be counted a fraud. See page 150 (N. Ed. 167):
           "And lo, He (the Lord Jesus Christ) shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be His anguish."
          The fact that the earth and the planets are round, and revolve around the sun, is also a modern discovery. Had it been known anciently either upon the old continent or this, it would have revolutionized or changed the whole past history of the globe. No civilized people could have been in possession of this,great fact and not been incited to circumnavigate the globe.
          But upon page 293 (N. Ed. 324), the prophet Alma, while laboring to convince the skeptic Korihor that there is a God, proceeds in genuine modern style with his argument:
           "The Scriptures are laid before thee, yea and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion; yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form doth witness that there is a Supreme Creator."
          Upon page 421 (N. Ed. 463), another pseudo writer (B.C. 10), while describing the power of God, gives himself completely away after this fashion:
           "Yea, and if he say unto the earth, move, it is moved; yea, if He say unto the earth, thou shalt go back, that it lengthen out the day for many hours, it is done; and thus according to His word, the earth goeth back, and it appeareth unto man that the sun standeth still; yea, and behold, this is so; for sure it is the earth that moveth and not the sun."
          A modern scientist attempting to explain Joshua's miracle.


    - Topical Index -


    Textual Difficulties

    SOME ADDITIONAL SELF-BETRAYALS

         Upon page 55 (N. Ed. 59), Shakespeare is quoted by the old man Lehi, father of both the Nephites and the Lamanites:
           "Awake! and arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return."
          Of course, it's barely possible there may have been a Shakespeare in those early times -- but from all we have learned of the mental make-up of the Book of Mormon it is hardly probable.
          But the following quotations give the thing away beyond the possibility of explanation. In the heat and excitement of his speech, the author forgets himself for the moment, forgets the ancient role he is acting, and tells the truth:
           "And now I, Nephi, declare unto you, that this prophet of whom Moses spake was the Holy one of Israel." Page 52 (N. Ed. 56).
          Nephi professedly lived 600 B.C., but the author forgets this for the moment, and makes Nephi speak of the Lord Jesus in the past tense "was the Holy One of Israel."
           "And assuredly, as the Lord liveth for the Lord hath spoken it, and it is His eternal word, which cannot pass away, that they who are, righteous shall be righteous still, and they who are filthy shall be filthy still; wherefore, they who are filthy, are the devil and his angels; and they shall go away into everlasting fire prepared for them; and their torment is a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up for ever and ever, and has no end." p. 73 (N. Ed. 80).
          The first part of the above is quoted from Rev., 22:11, and the rest from the same book written nearly 700 years after Nephi's time. But our angel tells the truth for once, and is very positive about it --
           "Assuredly, as the Lord liveth, for the Lord hath spoken it and it is his eternal word, which cannot pass away!"
            "Wherefore all those who are proud and that do wickedly, the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord, for they shall be as stubble." page 98 (N. Ed. 110).
          This is also quoted by Nephi from Malachi, 4:1, who wrote the passage about 397 B.C.!
          This same man Nephi quotes the Apostle Paul also in the past tense as follows:
           "Behold, the Lord hath forbidden this thing; wherefore the Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they were nothing." page 101 (N. Ed. 113).
          The following "give-away" is credited to the same great prophet Nephi:
           "And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfill all righteousness, O then how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water. And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfill all righteousness in being baptized by water? Know ye not that he was holy? . . . Wherefore, after he was baptized with water, the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove. And again: it sheweth unto the children of men the straightness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them. And he said unto the children of men, follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus, save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?" p. 110 (N. Ed. 124).
          But Nephi is not the only man who is made to forget his ancient role and betray his modern origin by occasionally telling the truth. The mythical Alma has this:
           "Now I would that ye should remember that God has said that the inward vessel shall be cleansed first, and then shall the outer vessel be cleansed also." Page 379 (N. Ed. 418).
          Still another one says:
           "But we read that in that great and last day, there are some who, shall be cast out; yea, who shall be cast off from the presence of the Lord; yea, who shall be consigned to a state of endless misery, fulfilling the words which say they that have done good shall have everlasting life; and they that have done evil, shall have everlasting damnation. And thus it is, Amen." -- p. 421-2 (N. Ed. 464).
          The first of the above passages is quoted from. Matt., 23:26, and the last one from Jno., 5:29. There are many other similar "giveaways," but these are sufficient. In fact one such passage ought to be enough to settle the whole question of the modern origin of the book.



    FOOTNOTES: [1] The following is at the conclusion of one thousand years of Nephite civilization.After describing the barbarity of the Lamanites, who forced the Nephite women and children to eat the flesh of their own husbands and fathers! Mormon proceeds to say:
          "And notwithstanding this great abomination of the Lamanites, it doth not exceed that of our people (Nephites) in Moriantum. For behold, many of the daughters of the Lamanites have they taken prisoners, and after depriving them of that which was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue; and after they had done this thing, they did murder them in a most cruel manner, torturing their bodies even unto death; and after they have done this, they devour their flesh like unto wild beasts (!) because of the hardness of their hearts; and they do it for a token of bravery (?). 0 my beloved son, how can a people like this, that are without civilization; (and only a few years have passed away, and they were a civil and a delightsome people), but 0 my son, how can a people like this, whose delight, is in so much abomination, etc." Could a better evidence of the unreal mythical, unnatural, character of the Book of Mormon and its alleged civilization be presented than the above finale of a professedly highly cultured and Christian people? [2] See Mrs. Smith's History of "Joseph Smith, the Prophet." pp. 74-77.

    Lamb, Rev. M. T., The Golden Bible. Is It From God?, Ward and Drummand, New York, 1887, pages 218 - 239.



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