---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Roberts, B. H.
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 7
number: 3
published: 1904-01
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'B. H. Roberts, "Bible Quotations in the Book of Mormon; and Reasonableness of Nephi’s Prophecies," *Improvement Era* 7, no. 3 (January 1904): 179–196.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0703unse
  transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers.
  identifier: improvementera0703unse
start_page: 179
end_page: 196
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1904-01)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0703unse
  publication_year: 1904
  note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1904, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Bible Quotations in the Book of Mormon; and Reasonableness of Nephi’s Prophecies

<!-- page:179 -->

BIBLE 
        QUOTATIONS 
        IN 
        THE  
        BOOK 
        OF 
        MOR-
MON; AND 
        REASONABLENESS 
        OF
NEPHI'S 
        PROPHECIES.
LETTERS   
        OF    
        INQUIRY 
        FROM   
        AN 
        INVESTIGATOR, 
        AND 
        A
REPLY 
        THERETO 
        BY  
        B. 
        H.  
        ROBERTS.
[In 
        view 
        of 
        a 
        recent 
        newspaper 
        discussion 
        on 
        how 
        the 
        Prophet 
        Nephi
(writing 
        in 
        the 
        dim 
        past 
        when 
        he 
        could 
        not 
        have 
        known 
        the 
        story 
        of
Jesus, 
        and 
        his 
        disciples, 
        except 
        through 
        the 
        spirit 
        of 
        prophecy) 
        might
have 
        used 
        expressions 
        and 
        ideas 
        which 
        justified 
        his 
        translator, 
        Joseph
Smith, 
        in 
        giving 
        those 
        ideas 
        in 
        phraseology 
        found 
        in 
        the 
        New 
        Testa-
ment and 
        other 
        books 
        written 
        many 
        years 
        after 
        his 
        prophecies 
        were
uttered, 
        the 
        following 
        correspondence, 
        bearing 
        directly 
        on 
        this 
        point,
will 
        prove 
        of 
        special 
        interest 
        to 
        missionaries, 
        students 
        and 
        investi-
gators. The 
        letters 
        explain 
        primarily, 
        how 
        almost 
        literal 
        quota-
tions from 
        the 
        King 
        James' 
        translation 
        of 
        the 
        Bible 
        might 
        reasonably 
        be
found 
        in 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon, 
        although 
        the 
        Prophet 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        is 
        by
many 
        accredited 
        with 
        having 
        mechanically 
        translated 
        directly 
        through
the 
        Urim  
        and 
        Thumraim 
        the 
        records 
        composing 
        that 
        sacred 
        book.
Members 
        of 
        the 
        M. 
        L 
        A. 
        who 
        are 
        just 
        now 
        studying 
        the 
        subject 
        will
receive 
        valuable 
        supplemental 
        information 
        from 
        these 
        pages, 
        confirming
the 
        position 
        taken 
        in 
        the 
        Manual; 
        viz., 
        that 
        the 
        translation 
        was 
        not 
        mechan-
ical, but 
        was 
        performed 
        by 
        aid 
        of 
        the 
        Urim 
        and 
        Thummim, 
        through 
        the
inspiration 
        of 
        God 
        to 
        the 
        Prophet 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        who 
        expressed 
        himself 
        in
words 
        that 
        he 
        could 
        understand, 
        and 
        of 
        which 
        he 
        was 
        the 
        master.
The 
        inquirer 
        is 
        an 
        attorney-at-law 
        whose 
        home 
        is 
        in 
        Iowa. 
        His 
        let-
ters are 
        specially 
        interesting, 
        as 
        they 
        convey 
        the 
        thoughts 
        of 
        an 
        intel-
ligent investigator 
        on 
        the 
        subject. 
        Neither 
        they 
        nor 
        the 
        reply 
        thereto
need 
        any 
        further 
        comment. 
        It 
        remains 
        only 
        to 
        be 
        remarked 
        that 
        here 
        we
have 
        the 
        difficulty 
        put 
        in 
        its 
        strongest 
        light 
        by 
        an 
        intelligent 
        inquirer
        ;
an 
        explanation 
        following; 
        and 
        then 
        a 
        letter 
        showing 
        the 
        effect 
        of 
        such 
        a

<!-- page:180 -->

180 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
reasonable 
        explanation 
        on 
        an 
        unbiased 
        mind, 
        and 
        how 
        it 
        appeals 
        to 
        him.
Attention 
        is 
        particularly 
        called 
        to 
        the 
        fact 
        that 
        such 
        an 
        explanatiom
does 
        not 
        detract 
        in 
        any 
        manner 
        from 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        as 
        an 
        inspired
work 
        acknowledged 
        of 
        God 
        as 
        correct, 
        nor 
        make 
        more 
        improbable 
        the
manner 
        of 
        its 
        introduction.
        —
        Editors.]
Spencer, 
        Iowa, 
        October 
        22, 
        1903.
President 
        Joseph 
        F. 
        Smith,
Salt 
        Lake 
        City, 
        Utah.
Honored 
        Sir:
        —
        I 
        take 
        the 
        liberty 
        of 
        addressing 
        you 
        on 
        a 
        mat-
ter that 
        has 
        been 
        of 
        unusual 
        interest 
        to 
        me, 
        thinking 
        that 
        if 
        your
time 
        is 
        too 
        much 
        occupied 
        to 
        warrant 
        you 
        in 
        giving 
        it 
        attention
you 
        could 
        kindly 
        refer 
        it 
        to 
        some 
        competent 
        party 
        who 
        would 
        be
willing 
        to 
        do 
        so.
Some 
        four 
        or 
        five 
        years 
        ago, 
        through 
        the 
        influence 
        of 
        some
elders 
        who 
        often 
        made 
        their 
        home 
        with 
        us 
        while 
        working 
        in 
        this
section 
        of 
        our 
        state, 
        my 
        wife 
        united 
        with 
        your 
        Church; 
        and 
        has
since 
        that 
        time 
        enjoyed 
        her 
        religion 
        as 
        well 
        as 
        one 
        could, 
        when 
        so
far 
        removed 
        from 
        all 
        Church 
        associations, 
        and 
        this 
        has, 
        as 
        a 
        mat-
ter of 
        course, 
        caused 
        me 
        to 
        investigate 
        the 
        matter 
        as 
        far 
        as 
        my
opportunities 
        would 
        admit, 
        and 
        it 
        has 
        been 
        with 
        an 
        honest 
        pur-
pose and 
        view 
        of 
        learning 
        the 
        truth, 
        and 
        accepting 
        the 
        same 
        when
I 
        was 
        in 
        possession 
        of 
        sufficient 
        evidence 
        to 
        enable 
        me 
        to 
        say 
        that
the 
        real 
        truth 
        had 
        been 
        found. 
        I 
        have 
        found 
        no 
        difficulty 
        in 
        arriv-
ing at 
        the 
        point 
        where 
        I 
        can 
        honestly 
        say 
        that 
        if 
        the 
        original 
        Gos-
pel of 
        Jesus 
        Christ 
        is 
        possessed 
        and 
        practiced 
        by 
        any 
        church 
        on 
        the
earth 
        today, 
        it 
        is 
        with 
        your 
        Church; 
        but 
        the 
        obstacle 
        that 
        I 
        have
run 
        up 
        squarely 
        against, 
        and 
        cannot 
        harmonize, 
        is 
        the 
        Book 
        of
Mormon. 
        I 
        have 
        read 
        it 
        a 
        great 
        deal, 
        and 
        I 
        have 
        no 
        quarrel 
        with
the 
        way 
        it 
        was 
        found, 
        or 
        the 
        manner 
        in 
        which 
        it 
        was 
        brought 
        into
existence
        ; 
        for 
        God 
        in 
        so 
        doing 
        made 
        use 
        only 
        of 
        natural 
        laws, 
        and
human 
        instruments 
        to 
        do 
        it, 
        but 
        I 
        do 
        find 
        this 
        difficulty 
        with 
        the
book 
        itself, 
        and 
        I 
        have 
        consulted 
        several 
        elders 
        on 
        the 
        proposi-
tion, and 
        they 
        have 
        all 
        told 
        me 
        that 
        it 
        was 
        new 
        to 
        them, 
        and 
        they
could 
        not 
        and 
        would 
        not 
        attempt 
        to 
        answer 
        it, 
        but 
        referred 
        me 
        to
some 
        one 
        higher 
        in 
        authority, 
        so 
        I 
        have 
        come 
        directly 
        to 
        the 
        head 
        of
the 
        Church, 
        there 
        being 
        no 
        higher 
        authority 
        to 
        whom 
        I 
        can 
        apply.
I 
        find 
        that 
        Christ 
        in 
        quoting 
        to 
        the 
        people 
        on 
        this 
        side 
        of 
        the

<!-- page:181 -->

BIBLE 
        QUOTATIONS 
        IN 
        THE 
        BOOK 
        OF 
        MORMON.     
        181
water, 
        the 
        third 
        and 
        fourth 
        chapters 
        of 
        Malachi, 
        quotes, 
        according^
to 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon, 
        in 
        the 
        identical 
        text 
        of 
        King 
        James' 
        version,,
not 
        missing 
        a 
        word. 
        I 
        find 
        chapters 
        of 
        Isaiah 
        quoted 
        practically 
        in
the 
        same 
        way. 
        I 
        find 
        that 
        in 
        many 
        instances, 
        in 
        his 
        talks 
        with 
        the
people, 
        and 
        to 
        his 
        disciples 
        here, 
        he 
        used 
        the 
        identical 
        language 
        of
King 
        James' 
        version, 
        not 
        even 
        omitting 
        the 
        words 
        supplied 
        by 
        the
translators. 
        Now, 
        I 
        know 
        that 
        no 
        two 
        parties 
        will 
        take 
        the 
        same
manuscript 
        and 
        make 
        translations 
        of 
        a 
        matter 
        contained 
        therein,
and 
        the 
        language 
        of 
        the 
        two 
        translators 
        be 
        alike; 
        indeed, 
        the
language 
        employed 
        by 
        the 
        two 
        parties 
        will 
        widely 
        differ. 
        These-
translations 
        are 
        from 
        different 
        manuscripts, 
        and 
        from 
        different 
        lan-
guages, and 
        still 
        it 
        appears 
        in 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        as 
        King 
        James''
translation. 
        I 
        can 
        conceive 
        of 
        no 
        other 
        way 
        in 
        which 
        such 
        a 
        coin-
cidence could 
        have 
        occurred, 
        within 
        the 
        range 
        of 
        human 
        experience,,
except 
        where 
        one 
        writing 
        is 
        copied 
        from 
        another, 
        and 
        then 
        it 
        takes
the 
        utmost 
        care 
        to 
        get 
        them 
        exactly 
        alike, 
        word 
        for 
        word, 
        and 
        let-
ter for 
        letter 
        as 
        this 
        is. 
        The 
        foundation 
        of 
        the 
        Church 
        of 
        Jesus
Christ 
        of 
        Latter-day 
        Saints 
        rests, 
        it 
        seems 
        to 
        me, 
        on 
        the 
        honesty
and 
        authenticity 
        of 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon, 
        and 
        if 
        that 
        is 
        not 
        just
what 
        it 
        claims 
        to 
        be, 
        and 
        was 
        not 
        obtained 
        just 
        as 
        Joseph 
        claims 
        it
to 
        be 
        given 
        to 
        him, 
        then 
        you 
        are 
        the 
        same 
        as 
        other 
        churches, 
        a
mixture 
        of 
        truth 
        and 
        error
        —
        still 
        practicing 
        more 
        truth 
        than 
        they,
but 
        without 
        authority. 
        Now, 
        what 
        I 
        want 
        to 
        know 
        is, 
        how 
        do 
        you
as 
        a 
        Church 
        account 
        for 
        these 
        things 
        appearing 
        in 
        the 
        Book 
        of
Mormon 
        in 
        the 
        identical 
        language 
        of 
        King 
        James'
        version, 
        when 
        we
know 
        his 
        version 
        is 
        faulty, 
        and 
        the 
        same 
        translators 
        could 
        not
have 
        made 
        it 
        twice 
        alike 
        themselves 
        ? 
        Did 
        Joseph 
        copy 
        it 
        from
the 
        Bible, 
        or 
        did 
        the 
        Lord 
        adopt 
        this 
        identical 
        language 
        in 
        reveal-
ing to 
        Joseph?
These 
        things 
        may 
        seem 
        very 
        insignificant 
        to 
        you, 
        but 
        they
stand 
        absolutely 
        in 
        the 
        way 
        of 
        my 
        getting 
        any 
        nearer 
        the 
        truth, 
        or
being 
        able 
        to 
        say 
        that 
        I 
        believe 
        enough 
        to 
        enable 
        me 
        to 
        follow 
        my
wife 
        into 
        the 
        Church 
        that 
        she 
        has 
        accepted. 
        Some 
        of 
        the 
        elders-
have 
        told 
        me 
        that 
        I 
        am 
        too 
        practical 
        in 
        my 
        make-up, 
        but 
        things 
        that
are 
        not 
        practical 
        are 
        of 
        no 
        use 
        to 
        me, 
        and 
        I 
        have 
        never 
        been 
        able
io 
        discover 
        anything 
        in 
        the 
        religion 
        of 
        Christ 
        that 
        is 
        not 
        practical,,
little 
        as 
        I 
        know 
        of 
        it. 
        I 
        am 
        frank 
        to 
        say 
        that 
        I 
        have 
        found 
        in 
        the
members 
        of 
        your 
        Church 
        the 
        most 
        honesty 
        and 
        sincerity 
        that 
        I

<!-- page:182 -->

182 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA
have 
        ever 
        found 
        anywhere.    
        Begging 
        your 
        pardon 
        for 
        trespassing
so 
        far 
        on 
        your 
        valuable 
        time, 
        I 
        am,
Very 
        respectfully 
        yours,
H. 
        Chamberlain.
Salt 
        Lake 
        City, 
        November 
        7, 
        1903.
H.. 
        Chamberlain, 
        Esq.,
Spencer, 
        Iowa.
Dear 
        Sir:
        —
        Your 
        letter 
        of 
        October 
        22nd, 
        addressed 
        to 
        Presi-
dent Joseph 
        F. 
        Smith, 
        making 
        inquiry 
        concerning 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mor-
mon, and 
        asking 
        the 
        explanation 
        of 
        the 
        sameness 
        between 
        some
passages 
        in 
        it 
        with 
        passages 
        that 
        correspond 
        in 
        our 
        English 
        transla-
tion of 
        the 
        Jewish 
        Scriptures, 
        etc., 
        etc., 
        has 
        been 
        referred 
        to 
        me,
with 
        a 
        request 
        that 
        I 
        write 
        you 
        on 
        the 
        subject. 
        The 
        difficulty
which 
        you 
        point 
        out 
        has, 
        of 
        course, 
        been 
        recognized 
        by 
        believers
in 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon, 
        but 
        I 
        do 
        not 
        know 
        that 
        I 
        can 
        say 
        that 
        the
Church 
        as 
        yet 
        has 
        settled 
        upon 
        any 
        explanation 
        which 
        could 
        be
regarded 
        as 
        an 
        authoritative 
        view 
        on 
        the 
        subject. 
        Each 
        one 
        has
been 
        left 
        to 
        settle 
        the 
        matter 
        upon 
        the 
        lines 
        which 
        seem 
        most
reasonable 
        to 
        him; 
        as 
        a 
        matter 
        of 
        fact, 
        though 
        our 
        opponents 
        have
frequently 
        called 
        attention 
        to 
        the 
        difficulty 
        in 
        question, 
        it 
        has 
        not
occasioned 
        any 
        particular 
        anxiety 
        in 
        the 
        minds 
        of 
        our 
        own 
        people.
Accepting 
        the 
        overwhelming 
        evidences 
        that 
        exist 
        for 
        the 
        truth 
        of
the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon, 
        we 
        have 
        regarded 
        that 
        difficulty, 
        with 
        some
others, 
        as 
        of 
        minor 
        importance 
        which 
        would 
        in 
        time 
        be 
        satisfacto-
rily settled. 
        Still, 
        I 
        realize 
        the 
        reasonableness 
        of 
        the 
        objection 
        that
may 
        be 
        urged 
        against 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        from 
        the 
        point 
        of 
        view
from 
        which 
        you 
        present 
        it, 
        and 
        realize 
        that 
        it 
        constitutes 
        a 
        real
difficulty, 
        and 
        one, 
        too, 
        in 
        which 
        we 
        have 
        no 
        word 
        from 
        the 
        Prophet,
Joseph 
        Smith, 
        or 
        those 
        who 
        were 
        immediately 
        associated 
        with 
        him
in 
        bringing 
        forth 
        the 
        Nephite 
        record, 
        to 
        aid 
        us 
        in 
        a 
        solution 
        of 
        the
matter. 
        We 
        are 
        left, 
        therefore, 
        very 
        largely 
        to 
        conjecture, 
        based
on 
        the 
        facts 
        in 
        the 
        case, 
        which 
        facts 
        are 
        most 
        tersely 
        put 
        in 
        your
esteemed 
        communication; 
        viz.:
First. 
        It 
        is 
        a 
        fact 
        that 
        a 
        number 
        of 
        passages 
        in 
        the 
        Book 
        of
Mormon, 
        verses 
        and 
        whole 
        chapters, 
        run 
        closely 
        parallel 
        in 
        matter
and 
        phraseology 
        with 
        passages 
        in 
        Isaiah, 
        Malachi 
        and 
        some 
        parts
of 
        the 
        New 
        Testament.

<!-- page:183 -->

BIBLE 
        QUOTATIONS 
        IN 
        THE 
        BOOK 
        OF 
        MORMON.     
        183
Second. 
        It 
        is 
        a 
        fact 
        that 
        no 
        two 
        persons 
        will 
        take 
        the 
        same
manuscript 
        and 
        make 
        translations 
        from 
        one 
        language 
        into 
        another,
and 
        the 
        language 
        of 
        the 
        two 
        translations 
        be 
        alike.
Third. 
        It 
        is 
        a 
        fact 
        that 
        the 
        translations 
        of 
        the 
        words 
        of 
        Isaiah,
of 
        Malachi, 
        and 
        the 
        words 
        of 
        the 
        Savior, 
        in 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon, 
        are
generally 
        supposed 
        to 
        be 
        independent 
        translations 
        from 
        different
manuscripts 
        or 
        records 
        and 
        from 
        different 
        languages.
Then, 
        of 
        course, 
        comes 
        your 
        point, 
        how 
        can 
        the 
        strange 
        fact
I)e 
        accounted 
        for, 
        viz., 
        that 
        the 
        translation 
        in 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon
corresponding 
        to 
        Isaiah, 
        Malachi 
        "and 
        the 
        words 
        of 
        the 
        Savior, 
        are
in 
        the 
        language 
        of 
        King 
        James' 
        translation?
Of 
        course, 
        you 
        will 
        remember 
        that 
        according 
        to 
        the 
        Book 
        of
Mormon, 
        the 
        Nephite 
        colony 
        carried 
        with 
        them 
        to 
        America 
        so
much 
        of 
        the 
        Old 
        Testament 
        as 
        was 
        in 
        existence 
        at 
        the 
        time 
        of
their 
        departure 
        from 
        Jerusalem 
        (600 
        years 
        B. 
        C). 
        The 
        prophecy 
        of
Malachi 
        (chapters 
        3 
        and 
        4) 
        quoted 
        in 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        was 
        sup-
plied by 
        the 
        Savior, 
        and 
        that 
        the 
        Nephites 
        engraved 
        portions 
        of
these 
        scriptures 
        in 
        their 
        records, 
        and 
        this 
        both 
        in 
        the 
        Hebrew, 
        and
what 
        the 
        Nephites 
        called 
        the 
        reformed 
        Egyptian. 
        I 
        simply 
        men-
tion this 
        in 
        passing, 
        that 
        you 
        may 
        remember 
        afresh 
        how 
        these 
        pas-
sages came 
        to 
        be 
        in 
        the 
        Nephite 
        record, 
        and 
        that 
        you 
        may 
        remem-
ber that 
        the 
        Nephites 
        had 
        the 
        Jewish 
        scriptures 
        in 
        much 
        the 
        same
form 
        as 
        they 
        were 
        to 
        be 
        found 
        in 
        Judea. 
        When 
        the 
        Savior 
        came 
        to
the 
        western 
        world 
        and 
        appeared 
        to 
        the 
        Nephites, 
        he 
        had 
        the 
        same
message 
        to 
        present 
        to 
        them 
        that 
        he 
        had 
        presented 
        in 
        Palestine; 
        the
same 
        ordinances 
        of 
        the 
        gospel 
        to 
        establish, 
        a 
        similar 
        church 
        organi-
zation to 
        found, 
        and 
        the 
        same 
        ethical 
        principles 
        to 
        teach. 
        The 
        man-
ner of 
        the 
        Savior's 
        teaching 
        would 
        doubtless 
        lead 
        him 
        to 
        present
these 
        great 
        truths 
        in 
        the 
        same 
        forms 
        of 
        expression 
        he 
        had 
        used 
        in
teaching 
        the 
        Jews, 
        so 
        that 
        in 
        substance 
        what 
        he 
        had 
        taught 
        as 
        his
doctrines 
        in 
        Judea 
        he 
        would 
        repeat 
        in 
        America. 
        This 
        is 
        mentioned
also, 
        by 
        the 
        way, 
        that 
        it 
        may 
        appear 
        reasonable 
        to 
        you 
        that 
        in 
        a
general 
        manner 
        the 
        Savior 
        must 
        have 
        taught 
        the 
        people 
        in 
        the
western 
        hemisphere 
        substantially 
        the 
        same 
        things 
        that 
        he 
        taught
the 
        people 
        in 
        Palestine. 
        With 
        this 
        remembered, 
        I 
        think 
        we 
        find 
        a
solution 
        of 
        the 
        difficulty 
        you 
        present 
        in 
        the 
        follov/ing 
        way: 
        When
Joseph 
        Smith 
        saw 
        that 
        the 
        Nephite 
        record 
        was 
        quoting 
        the 
        prophe-
cies of 
        Isaiah, 
        of 
        Malachi, 
        or 
        the 
        words 
        of 
        the 
        Savior, 
        he 
        too

<!-- page:184 -->

184 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
English 
        Bible 
        and 
        compared 
        those 
        passages 
        as 
        far 
        as 
        they 
        paral-
elled 
        each 
        other, 
        and 
        finding 
        that 
        in 
        substance, 
        in 
        thought, 
        they
were 
        alike, 
        he 
        adopted 
        our 
        English 
        translation; 
        and 
        hence, 
        we 
        have
the 
        sameness 
        to 
        which 
        you 
        refer.
It 
        should 
        be 
        understood 
        also, 
        in 
        this 
        connection, 
        that 
        while
Joseph 
        Smith 
        obtained 
        the 
        facts 
        and 
        ideas 
        from 
        the 
        Nephite 
        char-
acters through 
        the 
        inspiration 
        of 
        God, 
        he 
        was 
        left 
        to 
        express 
        those
facts 
        and 
        ideas, 
        in 
        the 
        main, 
        in 
        such 
        language 
        as 
        he 
        could 
        command;
and 
        when 
        he 
        found 
        that 
        parts 
        in 
        the 
        Nephite 
        record 
        closely 
        paral-
elled 
        passages 
        in 
        the 
        Bible, 
        and 
        being 
        conscious 
        that 
        the 
        language 
        of
our 
        English 
        Bible 
        was 
        superior 
        to 
        his 
        own, 
        he 
        adopted 
        it, 
        except 
        for
those 
        differences 
        indicated 
        in 
        the 
        Nephite 
        original 
        which 
        here 
        and
there 
        make 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        version 
        of 
        passages 
        superior 
        in 
        sense
and 
        clearness. 
        Of 
        course, 
        I 
        recognize 
        the 
        fact 
        that 
        this 
        is 
        but 
        a
conjecture
        ; 
        but 
        I 
        believe 
        it 
        to 
        be 
        a 
        reasonable 
        one
        ; 
        and 
        indeed 
        the
only 
        one 
        which 
        satisfactorily 
        disposes 
        of 
        the 
        difficulty 
        you 
        point
out.
There 
        exists, 
        however, 
        another 
        difficulty; 
        and 
        that 
        is, 
        while 
        the
foregoing 
        explanation 
        may 
        account 
        for 
        the 
        sameness 
        in 
        phrase-
ology between 
        these 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        passages 
        and 
        King 
        James'
translation, 
        there 
        remains 
        to 
        be 
        accounted 
        for 
        the 
        differences 
        that
exist 
        between 
        these 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        passages 
        and 
        those 
        which
parallel 
        them 
        in 
        King 
        James' 
        translation. 
        I 
        am 
        led 
        to 
        believe 
        that
you 
        have 
        been 
        so 
        absorbed, 
        perhaps, 
        in 
        tracing 
        out 
        the 
        sameness 
        in
the 
        expressions 
        that 
        you 
        have 
        failed 
        to 
        note 
        the 
        differences 
        to
which 
        I 
        allude, 
        for 
        you 
        make 
        the 
        claim 
        of 
        strict 
        identity 
        between
the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        and 
        King 
        James' 
        translation 
        too 
        strong 
        when
you 
        say 
        that 
        there 
        is 
        used 
        "the 
        identical 
        language 
        of 
        King 
        James'
version, 
        not 
        even 
        omitting 
        the 
        words 
        supplied 
        by 
        the 
        translators."
Throughout 
        the 
        parallel 
        passages, 
        there 
        are 
        here 
        and 
        there 
        differ-
ences (with 
        the 
        single 
        exception, 
        perhaps, 
        in 
        the 
        chapters 
        from
Malachi, 
        and 
        even 
        in 
        these 
        there 
        is 
        a 
        slight 
        difference), 
        and 
        a 
        close
comparison 
        of 
        these 
        differences 
        will 
        show 
        that 
        in 
        the 
        matter 
        of
supplied 
        words 
        by 
        King 
        James' 
        translators, 
        there 
        are 
        very 
        frequent
changes, 
        and 
        in 
        all 
        the 
        changes 
        that 
        appear, 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon
passages 
        are 
        far 
        superior 
        in 
        sense 
        and 
        clearness. 
        I 
        quote 
        you 
        a
few 
        passages 
        in 
        illustration:

<!-- page:185 -->

BIBLE 
        QUOTATIOJ^S 
        IN 
        THE 
        BOOK 
        OF 
        MORMON.     
        185
BOOK   
        OF  
        MORMON,
Thou 
        hast 
        multiplied 
        the 
        nation 
        and
increased 
        the 
        joy 
        :'they 
        joy 
        before 
        thee
according 
        to 
        the 
        joy 
        in 
        harvest, 
        and
as 
        men 
        rejoice 
        when 
        they 
        divide 
        the
spoils 
        !
        —
        II 
        Nephi 
        xxix, 
        3.
BIBLE.
Thou 
        hast 
        multiplied 
        the 
        nation 
        and
not 
        increased 
        the 
        joy: 
        they 
        joy 
        before
thee 
        according 
        to 
        the 
        joy 
        in 
        harvest,
and 
        as 
        men 
        rejoice 
        when 
        they 
        divide
the 
        spoil!
        —
        Isaiah 
        ix, 
        3.
Here 
        you 
        will 
        find 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        passage 
        more 
        in 
        har-
mony with 
        the 
        facts 
        in 
        the 
        case. 
        How 
        inconsistent 
        the 
        passage 
        is
in 
        Isaiah, 
        "Thou 
        hast 
        multiplied 
        the 
        nation 
        and 
        not 
        increased 
        the
joy!" 
        And 
        yet 
        that 
        statement 
        is 
        followed 
        by 
        this 
        one
        —
        "They 
        joy
before 
        thee 
        according 
        to 
        the 
        joy 
        in 
        harvest, 
        and 
        as 
        men 
        rejoice
when 
        they 
        divide 
        the 
        spoil!" 
        But 
        in 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        it 
        is 
        per-
fectly consistent, 
        for 
        there 
        it 
        says 
        "Thou 
        hast 
        multiplied 
        the 
        nation,
and 
        increased 
        the 
        joy." 
        The 
        following 
        passages 
        also 
        indicate 
        the
superiority 
        of 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        version:
BOOK   
        OF 
        MORMON.
And 
        when 
        they 
        shall 
        say 
        unto 
        you,
seek 
        unto 
        them 
        that 
        have 
        f 
        amilar 
        spir-
its, and 
        xmto 
        wizards 
        that 
        peep 
        and
mutter; 
        should 
        not 
        a 
        people 
        seek 
        un-
to their 
        God? 
        for 
        the 
        living 
        to 
        hear
from 
        the 
        dead?
        —
        II 
        Nephi 
        xviii: 
        19.
BIBLE.
And 
        when 
        they 
        shall 
        say 
        unto 
        you,
seek 
        unto 
        them 
        that 
        have 
        familiar
spirits, 
        and 
        unto 
        wizards 
        that 
        peep
and 
        mutter; 
        should 
        not 
        a 
        people 
        seek
unto 
        their 
        God? 
        for 
        the 
        living 
        to 
        the
dead.
        —
        Isaiah 
        viii: 
        19.
As 
        an 
        illustration 
        of 
        my 
        statement 
        that 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon
version 
        of 
        passages 
        is 
        sometimes 
        markedly 
        different 
        from 
        our
common 
        English 
        version 
        in 
        the 
        matter 
        of 
        supplied 
        words,* 
        I 
        quote
you 
        the 
        following 
        passages-
BOOK   
        or   
        MORMON.
Say 
        iinto 
        the 
        righteous, 
        that 
        it 
        is
well 
        with 
        them; 
        for 
        they 
        shall 
        eat 
        the
fruit 
        of 
        their 
        doings.
Woe 
        unto 
        the 
        wicked! 
        for 
        they 
        shall
perish; 
        for 
        the 
        reward 
        of 
        their 
        hands
shall 
        be 
        upon 
        them—
        II 
        Nephi 
        xiii
        : 
        10,
11.
BIBLE.
Say 
        unto 
        the 
        righteous 
        that 
        it 
        shall
be 
        well 
        ivith 
        him; 
        for 
        they 
        shall 
        eat
the 
        fruit 
        of 
        their 
        doings.
Woe 
        unto 
        the 
        wicked! 
        it 
        shall 
        be 
        ill
with 
        him; 
        for 
        the 
        reward 
        of 
        his 
        hands
shall 
        be 
        given 
        him
        —
        Isaiah 
        iii:  
        10, 
        11.
If 
        you 
        will 
        carefully 
        compare 
        the 
        passages 
        in 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mor-
mon, and 
        some 
        of 
        the 
        chapters 
        in 
        Matthew, 
        say 
        the 
        12th 
        chapter 
        of
III 
        Nephi, 
        with 
        Matthew 
        v; 
        the 
        13th 
        chapter 
        of 
        III 
        Nephi, 
        with 
        Matt.
* 
        When 
        the 
        translators 
        of 
        our 
        English 
        Bible 
        found 
        it 
        necessary 
        to 
        supply
words 
        to 
        make 
        clear 
        the 
        meaning 
        in 
        English, 
        they 
        printed 
        those 
        words 
        in 
        Italics,
and 
        it 
        is 
        to 
        these 
        words 
        that 
        reference 
        is 
        made 
        in 
        the 
        above.

<!-- page:186 -->

186
IMPR0VEMEN2 
        ERA.
6th 
        chapter; 
        14th 
        chapter 
        of 
        III 
        Nephi, 
        with 
        Matt. 
        7th 
        chapter,
you 
        will 
        also 
        find 
        throughout 
        that 
        there 
        are 
        differences 
        between 
        the
two, 
        as 
        much 
        so 
        as 
        between 
        the 
        Catholic 
        Bible 
        (generally 
        called 
        the
Douay 
        Bible) 
        and 
        King 
        James' 
        translation, 
        which, 
        of 
        course, 
        are
independent 
        translations 
        by 
        different 
        scholars. 
        I 
        give 
        the 
        following
passages 
        by 
        way 
        of 
        illustration:
        —
KING 
        JAilES'  
        BIBLE.
Matt. 
        ch. 
        v: 
        verse 
        3.
Blessed 
        are 
        the 
        poor
in 
        spirit: 
        for 
        their's 
        is
the 
        kingdom 
        of 
        heaven.
Verse 
        4.
Blessed 
        are 
        they 
        that
mourn: 
        for 
        they 
        shall 
        be
comforted.
Verse 
        6.
Blessed 
        are 
        they 
        which
do 
        hunger 
        and 
        thirst 
        af-
ter righteousness
        : 
        for
they 
        shall 
        be 
        filled.
Verse 
        7.
Blessed 
        are 
        the 
        merci-
ful : 
        for 
        they 
        shall 
        obtain
mercy.
Verse 
        10.
Blessed 
        are 
        they 
        which
are 
        persecuted 
        for 
        right-
eousness' sake: 
        for
their's 
        is 
        the 
        kingdom
of 
        heaven.
Verse 
        12.
Rejoice, 
        and 
        be 
        ex-
ceeding glad: 
        for 
        great
is 
        your 
        reward 
        in 
        heav-
en: for 
        so 
        persecuted
they 
        the 
        prophets 
        which
Trere 
        before 
        you.
BOOK  
        OF   
        MORMON.
Ill 
        Nephi 
        ch. 
        xii
        : 
        verse 
        3.
Yea, 
        blessed 
        are 
        the
poor 
        in 
        spirit 
        who 
        come
unto 
        me, 
        for 
        their's 
        is
the 
        kingdom 
        of 
        heaven.
Verse 
        4.
And 
        again, 
        blessed 
        are'
they   
        that   
        mourn,   
        for
they 
        shall 
        be 
        comforted.
Verse 
        6.
And 
        blessed 
        are 
        all
they 
        who 
        do 
        hunger 
        and
thirst 
        after 
        righteous-
ness, for 
        they 
        shall 
        be
filled 
        with 
        the 
        Holy
Ghost.
Verse 
        7.
And   
        blessed  
        are  
        the
merciful, 
        for 
        they 
        shall
obtain 
        mercy.
Verse 
        10.
And 
        blessed 
        are 
        all
they 
        who 
        are 
        persecuted
for 
        my 
        name's 
        sake, 
        for
theirs 
        is 
        the 
        kingdom 
        of
heaven.
Verse 
        12.
For 
        ye 
        shall 
        have 
        great
joy 
        and 
        be 
        exceeding
glad, 
        for 
        great 
        shall 
        be
your 
        reward 
        in 
        heaven;
for 
        so 
        persecuted 
        they
the 
        prophets 
        who 
        were
before 
        you.
DOUAY    
        BIBLE.
Matt, 
        v: 
        verse 
        3.
Blessed 
        are 
        the 
        poor
in 
        spirit: 
        for 
        their's 
        is
the 
        kingdom 
        of 
        heaven.
Verse 
        5.*
Blessed 
        are 
        they 
        that
mourn
        : 
        for 
        they 
        shall 
        be
comforted.
Verse 
        6.
Blessed 
        are 
        they 
        that
hunger 
        and 
        thirst 
        afer
justice: 
        for 
        they 
        shall
have 
        their 
        fill.
Verse 
        7.
Blessed 
        are 
        the 
        merci-
ful: for 
        they 
        shall 
        obtain
mercy.
Verse 
        10.
Blessed 
        are 
        they 
        that
suffer 
        persecution 
        for
justice' 
        sake: 
        for 
        theirs
is 
        the 
        kingdom 
        of 
        heav-
en.
Verse 
        12.
Be 
        glad 
        and 
        rejoice,
for 
        your 
        reward 
        is 
        very
great 
        in 
        heaven; 
        for 
        so
they 
        persecuted 
        they 
        the
prophets 
        that 
        were 
        be-
fore you.
• 
        Verses 
        four 
        and 
        five 
        in 
        the 
        Douay 
        translation 
        are 
        transposed.

<!-- page:187 -->

BIBLE 
        QUOTATIONS 
        IN 
        THE 
        BOOK 
        OF 
        MORMON.    
        187
KING  
        JAMES'   
        BIBLE.
Verse 
        13.
Ye 
        are 
        the 
        salt 
        of 
        the
•earth: 
        but 
        if 
        the 
        salt
have 
        lost 
        his 
        savor,
-wherewith 
        shall 
        it 
        be
salted? 
        it 
        is 
        thenceforth
good 
        for 
        nothing, 
        biit 
        to
be 
        cast 
        out, 
        and 
        to 
        be
trodden 
        under 
        foot 
        of
men.
Verse 
        ll.
Ye 
        are 
        the 
        light 
        of 
        the
iporld.   
        A 
        city 
        that 
        is 
        set
•on 
        a 
        hill 
        cannot 
        be 
        hid.
BOOK  
        OF 
        MORMON.
Verse 
        13.
Verily, 
        verily, 
        I 
        say
unto 
        you, 
        I 
        give 
        unto
you 
        to 
        be 
        the 
        salt 
        of
the 
        earth; 
        but 
        if 
        the
salt 
        shall 
        lose 
        its 
        savor,
wherev?ith 
        shall 
        it 
        be
salted? 
        The 
        salt 
        shall 
        be
thenceforth 
        good 
        for
nothing, 
        but 
        to 
        be 
        cast
out, 
        and 
        to 
        be 
        trodden
under 
        foot 
        of 
        men.
Verse 
        14.*
Verily, 
        verily, 
        I 
        say
unto 
        you, 
        I 
        give 
        unto
you 
        to 
        be 
        the 
        light 
        of 
        this
people. 
        A 
        city 
        that 
        is
set 
        on 
        a 
        hill 
        cannot 
        oe
hid.
DOUAY   
        BIBLE.
Verse 
        13.
You 
        are 
        the 
        salt 
        of 
        the
earth, 
        but 
        if 
        the 
        salt 
        lose
its 
        savor, 
        wherewith
shall 
        it 
        be 
        salted: 
        It 
        is
good 
        for 
        nothing 
        any
more 
        but 
        to 
        be 
        cast 
        out
and 
        to 
        be 
        trodden 
        on 
        by
men.
Verse 
        14.
You  
        are  
        the  
        light 
        of
the 
        world.  
        A 
        city 
        seated
on 
        a 
        mountain 
        cannot 
        be
hid.
Verse 
        15.
Neither 
        do 
        men 
        light 
        a
candle, 
        and 
        put 
        it 
        under
a 
        bushel, 
        but 
        on 
        a 
        candle-
stick; and 
        it 
        giveth 
        light
unto 
        all 
        that 
        are 
        in 
        the
liouse.
Verse 
        17.
Think 
        not 
        that 
        I 
        am
-came 
        to 
        destroy 
        the 
        law,
or 
        the 
        prophets; 
        I 
        am
not 
        come 
        to 
        destroy, 
        but
to 
        fulfil.
Verse 
        18.
For 
        verily 
        1 
        say 
        unto
you, 
        till 
        heaven 
        and
earth 
        pass, 
        one 
        jot 
        or
one 
        tittle 
        shall 
        in 
        no 
        wise
pass 
        from 
        the 
        law, 
        till
all 
        be 
        fulfilled.
Verse 
        15.
Behold 
        do 
        men 
        light 
        a
candle 
        and 
        put 
        it 
        under
a 
        bushel? 
        Nay, 
        but 
        on 
        a
candlestick, 
        and 
        it 
        giveth
light 
        to 
        all 
        that 
        are 
        in
the 
        house.
Verse 
        17,
Think 
        not 
        that 
        I 
        am
come 
        to 
        destroy 
        the 
        law
or 
        the 
        prophets. 
        1 
        am
not 
        come 
        to 
        destroy 
        but
to 
        fulfil.
Verse 
        18.
For 
        verily 
        1 
        say 
        unto
you, 
        one 
        jot 
        nor 
        one 
        tit-
tle hath.
        not 
        passed 
        away
from 
        the 
        law, 
        but 
        in 
        me
it 
        hath 
        all 
        been 
        fulfilled.
Verse 
        15.
Neither 
        do 
        men 
        light
a 
        candle 
        and 
        put 
        it 
        un-
der a 
        bushel, 
        but 
        upon 
        a
candlestick, 
        that 
        it 
        may
shine 
        to 
        all 
        that 
        are 
        in
the 
        house.
Verse 
        17.
Do 
        not 
        think 
        that 
        1 
        am
come 
        to 
        destroy 
        the 
        law
or 
        the 
        prophets: 
        I 
        am
not 
        come 
        to 
        destroy 
        but
to 
        fulfil.
Verse 
        18.
For 
        amen 
        I 
        say 
        unto
you, 
        till 
        heaven 
        and
earth 
        pass, 
        one 
        jot, 
        or
one 
        tittle 
        shall 
        not 
        pass
of 
        the 
        law, 
        till 
        all 
        be
fulfilled.
,.-=::=:Li:e;:=xrrr^:t:=

<!-- page:188 -->

188
IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
KING 
        JAMES'   
        BIBLE.
Verse 
        19.
Whosoever 
        therefore
shall 
        break 
        one 
        of 
        these
least 
        commandments,
and 
        shall 
        teach 
        men 
        so,
he 
        shall 
        be 
        called 
        the
least 
        in 
        the 
        kingdom 
        of
heaven: 
        but 
        whosoever
shall 
        do 
        and 
        teach 
        them,
the 
        same 
        shall 
        be 
        called
great 
        in 
        the 
        kingdom 
        of
heaven.
BOOK 
        OF 
        MORMON.
Verse 
        19.
And 
        behold 
        I 
        have
given 
        unto 
        you 
        the 
        law
and 
        the 
        commandmeuts
of 
        my 
        Father, 
        and 
        ye
shall 
        believe 
        in 
        me, 
        and
that 
        ye 
        shall 
        repent 
        of
your 
        sins, 
        and 
        come 
        unto
me 
        with 
        a 
        broken 
        heart
and 
        a 
        contrite 
        spirit.
Behold, 
        ye 
        have 
        the 
        com-
mandments before 
        you
and 
        the 
        law 
        is 
        fulfilled.
DOUAY  
        BIBLE
Verse 
        19.
He 
        therefore 
        that 
        shall
break 
        one 
        of 
        these 
        least
commandments, 
        and
shall 
        so 
        teach 
        men, 
        shall
be 
        called 
        the 
        least 
        in 
        the
kingdom 
        of 
        heaven: 
        but
he 
        that 
        shall 
        do 
        and
teach, 
        he 
        shall 
        be 
        called
great 
        in 
        the 
        kingdom 
        of
heaven.
Verse 
        20.
For 
        I 
        say 
        unto 
        you,
that 
        except 
        your 
        right-
eousness shall 
        exceed
the 
        righteousness 
        of 
        the
Scribes 
        and 
        Pharisees,
ye 
        shall 
        in 
        no 
        case 
        enter
into 
        the 
        kingdom 
        of
heaven.
Verse 
        20.
Therefore 
        come 
        unto
me 
        and 
        be 
        ye 
        saved
        ; 
        for
verily 
        I 
        say 
        unto 
        you,
that 
        except 
        ye 
        shall 
        keep
my 
        commandments,
which 
        1 
        have 
        command-
ed you 
        at 
        this 
        time, 
        ye
shall 
        in 
        no 
        case 
        enter
into 
        the 
        kingdom 
        of
heaven.
Verse 
        20.
For 
        1 
        tell 
        you, 
        that 
        un-
less your 
        justice 
        abound
more 
        than 
        that 
        of 
        the
Scribes 
        and 
        Pharisees,
ye 
        shall 
        not 
        enter 
        into
the 
        kingdom 
        of 
        heaven.
Verses 
        23, 
        24.
Therefore 
        if 
        thou 
        bring
thy 
        gift 
        to 
        the 
        altar, 
        and
there 
        rememberest 
        that
thy 
        brother 
        hath 
        ought
against 
        thee; 
        leave 
        there
thy 
        gift 
        before 
        the 
        altar,
and 
        go 
        thy 
        way; 
        first 
        be
reconciled 
        to 
        thy 
        bro-
ther, and 
        then 
        come 
        and
oifer 
        thy 
        gift.
Verses 
        23, 
        24.
Therefor?, 
        if 
        ye 
        shall
come 
        unto 
        me, 
        or 
        shall
desire 
        to 
        come 
        unto 
        me,
and 
        rememberest 
        that
thy 
        brother 
        hath 
        ought
gainst 
        thee, 
        go 
        thy 
        way
unto 
        thy 
        brother, 
        and
first 
        be 
        reconciled 
        to 
        thy
brother, 
        and 
        then 
        come
unto 
        me 
        with 
        full 
        pur-
pose of 
        heart, 
        and 
        I 
        will
receive 
        you.
Verses 
        23, 
        24.
If 
        therefore 
        thou 
        offer
thy 
        gift 
        at 
        the 
        altar, 
        and
there 
        thou 
        remember
that 
        thy 
        brother 
        hath
anything 
        against 
        thee:
leave 
        there 
        thy 
        offering
before 
        the 
        altar, 
        and 
        go-
first 
        to 
        be 
        reconciled 
        to
thy 
        brother: 
        and 
        then
coming 
        thou 
        shalt 
        offer
thy 
        gift.
Observe, 
        in 
        passing, 
        that 
        the 
        remaining 
        passages 
        quoted 
        front
the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        are 
        addressed 
        directly 
        to 
        the 
        Twelve 
        Apostles,
to 
        whom 
        they 
        especially 
        apply, 
        not 
        to 
        the 
        multitude; 
        and 
        may 
        it
not 
        be 
        that 
        when 
        Jesus 
        gave 
        the 
        same 
        instruction 
        in 
        Judea 
        he 
        made-
si 
        like 
        distinction?

<!-- page:189 -->

BIBLE 
        QUOTATIONS 
        IN 
        THE 
        BOOK 
        OF 
        MORMON.     
        189
KING  
        JAMES'   
        BIBLE.
Chapter 
        vi: 
        verse 
        25.
Therefore 
        I 
        say 
        unto
you, 
        take 
        no 
        thought 
        for
your 
        life, 
        what 
        ye 
        shall
eat, 
        or 
        what 
        ye 
        shall
drink; 
        nor 
        yet 
        for 
        your
body, 
        what 
        ye 
        shall 
        put
on. 
        Is 
        not 
        the 
        life 
        more
than 
        meat, 
        and 
        the 
        body
than 
        raiment?
Verse 
        26.
Behold 
        the 
        fowls 
        of
•the 
        air: 
        for 
        they 
        sow
not, 
        neither 
        do 
        they
reap, 
        nor 
        gather 
        in
barns
        ; 
        yet 
        your 
        heavenly
Father 
        feedeth 
        them.
Are 
        ye 
        not 
        much 
        better
than 
        theyl
BOOK  
        OF  
        MORMON.
Chapter 
        xiii
        : 
        verse 
        25.
And 
        now 
        it 
        came 
        to
pass 
        that 
        when 
        Jesus
had 
        spoken 
        these 
        words,
he 
        looked 
        upon 
        the
twelve 
        whom 
        he 
        had
chosen, 
        and 
        said 
        unto
them. 
        Remember 
        the
words 
        which 
        1 
        have
spoken. 
        For 
        behold, 
        ye
are 
        they 
        whom 
        I 
        have
chosen 
        to 
        minister 
        unto
this 
        people. 
        Therefore
I 
        say 
        unto 
        you, 
        take 
        no
thought 
        for 
        your 
        life,
what 
        ye 
        shall 
        eat, 
        or
what 
        ye 
        shall 
        drink; 
        nor
yet 
        for 
        your 
        body, 
        what
ye 
        shall 
        put 
        on. 
        Is 
        not
the 
        life 
        more 
        than 
        meat,
and 
        the 
        body 
        than 
        rai-
ment?
Verse 
        26.
Behold 
        the 
        fowls 
        of
the 
        air, 
        for 
        they 
        sow 
        not,
neither 
        do 
        they 
        reap,
nor 
        gather 
        into 
        barns;
yet 
        your 
        heavenly 
        Fa-
ther feedeth 
        them. 
        Are
ye 
        not 
        much 
        better 
        than
they?
DOUAY   
        BIBLE.
Chapter 
        vi: 
        verse 
        25.
Therefore 
        I 
        say 
        to 
        you,
be 
        not 
        solicitous 
        for 
        your
life, 
        what 
        you 
        shall 
        eat
nor 
        for 
        your 
        body 
        what
you 
        shall 
        put 
        on. 
        Is 
        not
the 
        life 
        more 
        than 
        the
meat: 
        and 
        the 
        body
more 
        than 
        raiment?
Verse 
        26.
Behold 
        the 
        birds 
        of
the 
        air, 
        for 
        they 
        neither
sow 
        nor 
        do 
        they 
        reap,
nor 
        gather 
        into 
        bams:
and 
        your 
        heavenly 
        Fa-
ther feedeth 
        them. 
        Are
not 
        you 
        of 
        much 
        more
value 
        than 
        they?
Verse 
        27.
Which 
        of 
        you  
        by 
        tak-
ing thought 
        can 
        add 
        one
cubit 
        unto  
        his 
        stature?
Verse 
        27.
Which 
        of 
        you  
        by 
        tak-
ing thought 
        can 
        add 
        one
cubit 
        unto 
        his 
        stature?
Verse 
        27.
And 
        which 
        of 
        you 
        by
taking 
        thought, 
        can 
        add
to 
        his 
        stature 
        one 
        cubit?
Verses 
        28, 
        29.
And 
        why 
        take 
        ye
thought 
        for 
        raiment?
Consider 
        the 
        lillies 
        of
the 
        field, 
        how 
        they 
        grow
        ;
they 
        toil 
        not, 
        neither 
        do
they 
        spin: 
        And 
        yet 
        I
say 
        unto 
        you, 
        that 
        even
Solomon 
        in 
        all 
        his 
        glory
was 
        not 
        arrayed 
        like 
        one
-of 
        these.
Verses 
        28, 
        29.
And 
        why 
        take 
        ye
thought 
        for 
        raiment?
Consider 
        the 
        lillies 
        of
the 
        field 
        how 
        they 
        grow;
they 
        toil 
        not, 
        neither 
        do
they 
        spin; 
        and 
        yet 
        I 
        say
unto 
        you, 
        that 
        even
Solomon, 
        in 
        all 
        his 
        glory,
was 
        not 
        arrayed 
        like 
        one
of 
        these.
Verses 
        28, 
        29.
And 
        for 
        raiment 
        why
are 
        you 
        solicitous? 
        Con-
sider the 
        lillies 
        of 
        the
field 
        how 
        they 
        grow:
they 
        labor 
        not, 
        neither
do 
        they 
        spin. 
        But 
        I 
        say
unto 
        you, 
        that 
        not 
        even
Solomon 
        in 
        all 
        his 
        glory
was 
        arrayed 
        as 
        one 
        of
these.

<!-- page:190 -->

190
IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
KING   
        JAMES'   
        BIBLE.
Verse 
        30.
Wherefore, 
        if 
        God 
        so
clothe 
        the 
        grass 
        of 
        the
field, 
        which 
        today 
        is, 
        and
tomorrow 
        is 
        cast 
        into 
        the
oven, 
        shall 
        fie 
        not 
        much
more 
        clothe 
        you, 
        O 
        ye 
        of
little 
        faith?
Verses 
        31, 
        32, 
        33.
Therefore 
        take 
        no
thought, 
        saying. 
        What
shall 
        we 
        eat? 
        or, 
        What
shall 
        we 
        drink? 
        or
Wherewith 
        shall 
        we 
        be
clothed? 
        for 
        after 
        all
these 
        things 
        do 
        the 
        Gen-
tiles seek: 
        For 
        your
heavenly 
        Father 
        know-
eth 
        that 
        ye 
        have 
        need 
        of
all 
        these 
        things. 
        But
seek 
        ye 
        first 
        the 
        king-
dom of 
        God 
        and 
        his
righteousness, 
        and 
        all
these 
        things 
        shall 
        be
added 
        unto 
        you.
Verse 
        34.
Take 
        therefore 
        no
thought 
        for 
        the 
        morrow
        :
For 
        the 
        morrow 
        shall
take 
        thought 
        for 
        the
things 
        of 
        itself. 
        Suffi-
cient unto 
        the 
        day 
        is 
        the
evil 
        thereof.
BOOK 
        OF 
        MORMON.
Verse 
        30.
Wherefore, 
        if 
        God 
        so
clothe 
        the 
        grass 
        of 
        the
field, 
        which 
        today 
        is, 
        and
tomorrow 
        is 
        cast 
        into
the 
        oven, 
        even 
        so 
        will
he 
        clothe 
        you, 
        if 
        you 
        are
not 
        of 
        little 
        faith.
Verses 
        31, 
        32, 
        33.
Therefore 
        take 
        no
thought, 
        saying. 
        What
shall 
        we 
        eat? 
        or, 
        what
shall 
        we 
        drink, 
        or 
        where-
with shall 
        we 
        be 
        clothed?
For 
        your 
        heavenly 
        Fa-
ther knoweth 
        that 
        ye
have 
        need 
        of 
        all 
        these
things. 
        But 
        seek 
        ye
first 
        the 
        kingdom 
        of 
        God
and 
        his 
        righteousness,
and 
        all 
        these 
        things 
        shall
be 
        added 
        unto 
        you.
Verse 
        34.
Take 
        therefore 
        no
thought 
        for 
        the 
        morrow,
for 
        the 
        morrow 
        shall
take 
        thought 
        for 
        the
things 
        of 
        itself. 
        Suf-
ficient is 
        the 
        day 
        unto
the 
        evil 
        thereof.
DOUAY  
        BIBLE.
Verse 
        30.
And 
        if 
        the 
        grass 
        of 
        th&
field, 
        which 
        is 
        today,,
and 
        tomorrow 
        is 
        cast 
        in-
to the 
        oven, 
        God 
        doeth
so 
        clothe: 
        how 
        much
more 
        you, 
        O 
        ye 
        of 
        littl*
faith?
Verses 
        31, 
        32, 
        33.
Be 
        not 
        solicitous
therefore, 
        saying: 
        What-
shall 
        we 
        eat: 
        or 
        what
shall 
        ;we 
        drink, 
        or 
        where-
with shall 
        we 
        be 
        clothed?
For 
        after 
        all 
        these 
        things
do 
        the 
        heathens 
        seek.
For 
        your 
        Father 
        knoweth
that 
        lyou 
        have 
        need 
        of
all 
        these 
        things. 
        Seek
ye 
        therefore 
        first 
        the
kingdom 
        of 
        God, 
        and
his 
        justice: 
        and 
        all 
        these
things 
        shall 
        be 
        added,
unto 
        you.
Verse 
        34.
Be 
        not 
        therefore 
        so-
licitous for 
        tomorrow.
For 
        the 
        morrow 
        will
be 
        solicitous 
        for 
        itself;
sufficient 
        for 
        the 
        day 
        is-
the 
        evil 
        thereof.
It 
        is 
        quite 
        apart 
        from 
        the 
        subject 
        in 
        hand, 
        I 
        know, 
        to 
        call 
        at-
tention to 
        the 
        fact 
        that 
        the 
        matter 
        from 
        verse 
        25 
        of 
        the 
        13th
chapter 
        of 
        3rd 
        Nephi 
        to 
        the 
        close 
        of 
        these 
        quotations, 
        is 
        addressed
to 
        the 
        Twelve, 
        not 
        to 
        the 
        multitude; 
        but 
        I 
        cannot 
        refrain 
        from 
        doing
so, 
        since 
        it 
        illustrates 
        in 
        a 
        way 
        the 
        value 
        of 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        as
an 
        interpreter 
        of 
        the 
        Bible. 
        You 
        will 
        remember, 
        perhaps, 
        that 
        this
"take 
        no 
        thought" 
        doctrine 
        is 
        a 
        point 
        in 
        the 
        Christian 
        teaching 
        that
has 
        always 
        been 
        assailed, 
        with 
        more 
        or 
        less 
        success, 
        by 
        unbelievers-
in 
        Christianity. 
        The 
        contention 
        is 
        that 
        these 
        doctrines 
        of 
        Messiah^
if 
        followed 
        by 
        the 
        world, 
        or 
        if 
        even 
        generally 
        practiced 
        among

<!-- page:191 -->

BIBLE 
        QUOTATIONS 
        IN 
        THE 
        BOOK 
        OF 
        MORMON.     
        191
Christians, 
        would 
        destroy 
        all 
        industry, 
        stop 
        the 
        wheels 
        of 
        progress^
and 
        throw 
        the 
        world 
        back 
        into 
        barbarism. 
        I 
        think 
        the 
        Book 
        of
Mormon 
        supplies 
        the 
        key 
        for 
        the 
        right 
        solution 
        of 
        this 
        difficulty.
That 
        is, 
        that 
        these 
        particular 
        instructions 
        were 
        to 
        apply 
        only 
        to 
        this
very 
        body 
        of 
        men, 
        the 
        twelve 
        apostles, 
        called 
        out 
        of 
        the 
        Church 
        to
abandon 
        the 
        things 
        of 
        the 
        world, 
        and 
        devote 
        themselves 
        exclusively
to 
        the 
        work 
        of 
        the 
        ministry; 
        and 
        God 
        stands 
        pledged 
        to 
        open 
        the
way 
        for 
        supplying 
        their 
        material 
        necessities.
Well, 
        as 
        I 
        say, 
        to 
        return 
        to 
        the 
        matter 
        more 
        immediately
in 
        hand, 
        the 
        explanation 
        I 
        have 
        suggested 
        accounts 
        for 
        the
sameness 
        in 
        phraseology 
        between 
        these 
        parts 
        of 
        the 
        Book 
        of
Mormon 
        and 
        King 
        James' 
        translation. 
        But 
        how 
        are 
        these 
        differ-
ences to 
        be 
        accounted 
        for? 
        They 
        unquestionably 
        arise 
        from 
        the 
        fact
that 
        the 
        Prophet 
        compared 
        the 
        King 
        James' 
        translation 
        with 
        the
parallel 
        passages 
        in 
        the 
        Nephite 
        records, 
        and 
        when 
        he 
        found 
        the
sense 
        of 
        the 
        passage 
        on 
        the 
        Nephite 
        plates 
        superior 
        to 
        that 
        in 
        the
English 
        version 
        he 
        made 
        such 
        changes 
        as 
        would 
        give 
        the 
        superior
sense 
        and 
        clearness. 
        This 
        view 
        is 
        sustained 
        by 
        the 
        fact 
        of 
        uni-
form superiority 
        of 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        version 
        wherever 
        such
differences 
        occur. 
        It 
        is 
        also 
        a 
        significant 
        fact 
        that 
        these 
        changes
occur 
        quite 
        generally 
        in 
        the 
        case 
        of 
        supplied 
        words 
        of 
        the 
        English
translators, 
        and 
        which 
        in 
        order 
        to 
        indicate 
        that 
        they 
        are 
        supplied
words, 
        are 
        printed 
        in 
        Italics. 
        The 
        verification 
        of 
        this 
        matter,
however, 
        I 
        must 
        leave 
        to 
        you, 
        as 
        the 
        limits 
        of 
        a 
        letter 
        already
long 
        will 
        not 
        admit 
        of 
        my 
        pointing 
        this 
        out 
        in 
        detail.
I 
        fancy 
        to 
        all 
        this, 
        however, 
        another 
        inquiry 
        will 
        rise 
        in 
        your
mind, 
        and 
        that 
        is, 
        since 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        translated 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon
by 
        means 
        of 
        the 
        Urim 
        and 
        Thummim, 
        why 
        is 
        it 
        that 
        he 
        did 
        not 
        give
throughout 
        a 
        translation 
        direct 
        from 
        the 
        Nephite 
        plates, 
        instead
of 
        following 
        our 
        English 
        Bible, 
        since 
        translation 
        by 
        means 
        of 
        the
Urim 
        and 
        Thummim 
        must 
        have 
        been 
        so 
        simple 
        and 
        so 
        easy? 
        It 
        is
at 
        this 
        particular 
        point 
        where, 
        in 
        my 
        opinion, 
        a 
        very 
        great 
        mistake
is 
        made, 
        both 
        by 
        our 
        own 
        people, 
        and 
        our 
        friends 
        in 
        the 
        world.
That 
        is, 
        translation 
        by 
        the 
        Urim 
        and 
        Thummim 
        is 
        not 
        so 
        simple
and 
        easy 
        a 
        thing 
        as 
        it 
        might 
        at 
        first 
        glance 
        appear. 
        Many 
        have
supposed 
        that 
        the 
        Prophet 
        Joseph 
        had 
        merely 
        to 
        look 
        into 
        the
Urim 
        and 
        Thumim, 
        and 
        there 
        see, 
        without 
        any 
        thought 
        or 
        effort 
        on
his 
        part, 
        both 
        the 
        Nephite 
        characters 
        and 
        the 
        translation 
        in 
        English.

<!-- page:192 -->

192 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
In 
        other 
        words, 
        the 
        instrument 
        did 
        everything 
        and 
        the 
        Prophet
nothing, 
        except 
        merely 
        to 
        look 
        in 
        the 
        Urim 
        and 
        Thummim 
        as 
        one
might 
        look 
        into 
        a 
        mirror, 
        and 
        then 
        give 
        out 
        what 
        he 
        saw 
        there. 
        Such
a 
        view 
        of 
        the 
        work 
        of 
        translation 
        by 
        Urim 
        and 
        Thummim, 
        I 
        believe
to 
        be 
        altogether 
        incorrect. 
        I 
        think 
        it 
        caused 
        the 
        Prophet 
        the
exercise 
        of 
        all 
        his 
        intellectual 
        and 
        spiritual 
        forces 
        to 
        obtain 
        the
translation; 
        that 
        it 
        was 
        an 
        exhausting 
        work, 
        which 
        taxed 
        even
his 
        great 
        powers 
        to 
        their 
        uttermost 
        limit; 
        and 
        hence, 
        when 
        he
could 
        ease 
        himself 
        of 
        those 
        labors 
        by 
        adopting 
        a 
        reasonably
good 
        translation 
        already 
        existing, 
        I 
        think 
        he 
        was 
        justified 
        in
doing 
        so. 
        In 
        order 
        that 
        you 
        may 
        have 
        a 
        fuller 
        consideration 
        of
this 
        particular 
        point, 
        I 
        send 
        you, 
        under 
        separate 
        cover, 
        our 
        Young
Men's 
        Manual 
        for 
        1903-4, 
        and 
        in 
        chapter 
        seven, 
        of 
        the 
        Book 
        of
Mormon 
        treatise, 
        you 
        will 
        find 
        the 
        manner 
        of 
        translating 
        the 
        Book
of 
        Mormon 
        considered 
        at 
        length.
Permit 
        me 
        to 
        say 
        in 
        conclusion 
        that 
        I 
        am 
        personally 
        delighted
with 
        the 
        spirit 
        of 
        your 
        communication, 
        and 
        am 
        pleased 
        with 
        this 
        op-
portunity to 
        assist 
        you 
        in 
        your 
        investigations, 
        and 
        I 
        trust 
        that 
        the
suggestions 
        here 
        offered, 
        as 
        an 
        explanation 
        of 
        the 
        difficulty 
        you
present, 
        will 
        have 
        the 
        effect 
        of 
        removing 
        it 
        out 
        of 
        your 
        way; 
        but
whether 
        they 
        will^be 
        altogether 
        satisfactory 
        or 
        not, 
        this 
        I 
        would
suggest 
        to 
        you: 
        consider 
        more 
        especially 
        the 
        positive 
        testimony
that 
        exists 
        for 
        the 
        truth 
        of 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon, 
        particularly 
        fol-
lowing the 
        injunction 
        of 
        Moroni, 
        in 
        chapter 
        ten, 
        verses 
        four 
        and
five 
        of 
        his 
        book, 
        wherein 
        he 
        makes 
        the 
        promise 
        that 
        those 
        who 
        will
ask 
        God 
        the 
        eternal 
        Father 
        for 
        a 
        testimony 
        of 
        the 
        truth 
        of 
        the
Nephite 
        record, 
        shall 
        receive 
        such 
        a 
        testimony 
        by 
        the 
        power 
        of 
        the
Holy 
        Ghost; 
        "and 
        by 
        the 
        power 
        of 
        the 
        Holy 
        Ghost," 
        as 
        Moroni
teaches 
        us, 
        "we 
        may 
        know 
        the 
        truth 
        of 
        all 
        things."
By 
        the 
        way, 
        would 
        you 
        have 
        any 
        objection 
        to 
        my 
        using 
        your
letter, 
        though 
        not 
        necessarily 
        using 
        your 
        name, 
        as 
        an 
        introduction
to 
        an 
        article 
        on 
        this 
        subject, 
        to 
        appear 
        in 
        some 
        of 
        our 
        Church
publications, 
        wherein 
        I 
        will 
        give 
        a 
        more 
        full 
        and 
        careful 
        trea-
tise upon 
        it 
        than 
        in 
        this 
        communication, 
        though 
        along 
        the 
        same 
        lines?
Trusting 
        that 
        your 
        investigation 
        will 
        finally 
        result 
        in 
        bringing
you 
        to 
        the 
        knowledge 
        of 
        the 
        truth 
        of 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon, 
        I 
        am.
Most 
        truly 
        yours,
B. 
        H. 
        Roberts.

<!-- page:193 -->

BIBLE 
        QUOTATIONS 
        IN 
        THE 
        BOOK 
        OF 
        MORMON.     
        193
Spencer, 
        Iowa, 
        November 
        13, 
        1903.
Hon. 
        B. 
        H. 
        Roberts,
Salt 
        Lake 
        City, 
        Utah:
My 
        Dear 
        Sir:
        —
        Your 
        very 
        kind 
        and 
        generous 
        letter, 
        answer-
ng 
        my 
        communication 
        to 
        President 
        Smith, 
        was 
        received 
        yesterday,
together 
        with 
        the 
        pamphlet, 
        and 
        I 
        can 
        assure 
        you 
        that 
        I 
        appreciate
your 
        efforts 
        in 
        my 
        behalf, 
        and 
        that 
        I 
        am 
        sure 
        that 
        they 
        will 
        greatly
aid 
        me 
        in 
        my 
        search 
        for 
        the 
        truth 
        in 
        religion, 
        and 
        the 
        religious
world. 
        It 
        has 
        seemed 
        like 
        going 
        into 
        chaos 
        after 
        it, 
        but 
        after
quite 
        an 
        acquaintance 
        with 
        several 
        of 
        your 
        elders 
        that 
        have 
        been
in 
        this 
        country, 
        among 
        whom 
        I 
        may 
        name 
        J. 
        F. 
        Thomas, 
        of 
        Manas-
sa. 
        Col.,
        —
        a 
        very 
        bright 
        man, 
        I 
        may 
        say,
        —
        and 
        a 
        slight 
        acquaint-
ance with 
        President 
        Lyman, 
        once 
        president 
        of 
        the 
        Northwestern
Mission, 
        I 
        came 
        to 
        the 
        conclusion 
        that 
        if 
        it 
        was 
        to 
        be 
        found 
        in
these 
        latter 
        days 
        on 
        the 
        earth, 
        it 
        was 
        with 
        your 
        people. 
        Of
course, 
        I 
        realized 
        that 
        if 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        was 
        not 
        just 
        what 
        it
purported 
        to 
        be, 
        the 
        whole 
        fabric 
        must 
        fall 
        to 
        the 
        ground, 
        so 
        far
as 
        being 
        an 
        inspired 
        religion, 
        and 
        would 
        then 
        only 
        be 
        worth 
        what
good 
        one 
        could 
        get 
        out 
        of 
        it 
        as 
        the 
        best 
        organized 
        and 
        controled
religion 
        on 
        earth; 
        and 
        I 
        have 
        often 
        been 
        at 
        a 
        loss 
        to 
        know 
        whether
this 
        phenomenal 
        success 
        of 
        your 
        people 
        has 
        not 
        been 
        due 
        to 
        this
perfect 
        system 
        founded 
        upon 
        natural 
        laws, 
        which 
        is 
        only 
        another
name 
        for 
        God's 
        laws
        —
        rather 
        than 
        from 
        any 
        special 
        interference
on 
        his 
        part.
Well, 
        upon 
        studying 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon, 
        I, 
        of 
        course, 
        found
these 
        portions 
        of 
        King 
        James' 
        version 
        of 
        our 
        Bible, 
        and 
        judging 
        it
by 
        the 
        applied 
        law 
        of 
        human 
        experience, 
        ad 
        we 
        lawyers 
        learn 
        to
judge 
        everything, 
        I 
        could 
        account 
        for 
        it 
        in 
        no 
        other 
        way, 
        than 
        that
Joseph 
        Smith 
        copied 
        it 
        therefrom, 
        and 
        I 
        am 
        free 
        to 
        say 
        that 
        your
reasons 
        for 
        his 
        so 
        doing 
        are 
        not 
        only 
        probable, 
        but 
        the 
        only 
        solu-
tion that 
        can 
        be 
        given. 
        I 
        know 
        that 
        your 
        people, 
        many 
        of 
        them,
are 
        of 
        the 
        impression 
        that 
        the 
        actual 
        language 
        appeared 
        to 
        Joseph
Smith 
        upon 
        the 
        Urim 
        and 
        Thummim, 
        in 
        the 
        identical 
        language 
        pro-
duced to 
        us 
        in 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon, 
        for 
        lome 
        of 
        the 
        elders 
        here 
        told
us 
        that 
        they 
        so 
        understood 
        it; 
        and 
        it 
        has 
        always 
        seemed 
        to 
        me
that 
        if 
        that 
        theory 
        must 
        be 
        followed, 
        no 
        thinking 
        man 
        of 
        even
reasonable 
        education 
        could 
        ever 
        find 
        faith 
        enough 
        to 
        accept 
        the
book 
        at 
        all.    
        I 
        believe 
        and 
        think 
        that 
        your 
        suggestion 
        is 
        the 
        only

<!-- page:194 -->

194 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
theory 
        upon 
        which 
        it 
        is 
        possible 
        to 
        advocate 
        its 
        divine 
        character.
It 
        seems 
        to 
        me 
        that 
        God, 
        so 
        far 
        as 
        I 
        know, 
        has 
        never 
        supplied 
        maa
with 
        what 
        he 
        already 
        possessed, 
        and 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        already 
        had
language 
        with 
        which 
        to 
        express 
        his 
        ideas, 
        and 
        all 
        that 
        was 
        required
in 
        addition 
        from 
        God 
        was, 
        that 
        he 
        furnish 
        him 
        with 
        the 
        thought, 
        and
then 
        let 
        him 
        express 
        it 
        in 
        his 
        own 
        language. 
        I 
        never 
        could 
        for 
        a
moment 
        believe 
        that 
        God 
        is 
        interested 
        in 
        placing 
        his 
        approval 
        on
King 
        James' 
        translators' 
        style 
        of 
        translating, 
        nor 
        upon 
        the 
        compo-
sition of 
        the 
        English 
        language 
        therein 
        adopted. 
        I 
        do 
        not 
        see
wherein 
        your 
        theory 
        detracts 
        in 
        any 
        manner 
        from 
        the 
        value 
        of 
        the
Book 
        of 
        Mormon, 
        as 
        an 
        inspired 
        work 
        acknowledged 
        by 
        God 
        as
authentic, 
        nor 
        makes 
        more 
        impracticable 
        the 
        manner 
        of 
        its 
        intro-
duction.
I 
        am 
        a 
        little 
        surprised 
        that 
        this 
        particular 
        feature 
        of 
        the 
        book
was 
        not 
        discovered, 
        and 
        the 
        real 
        fact 
        learned, 
        while 
        the 
        Prophet
was 
        still 
        with 
        us. 
        I 
        do 
        not 
        believe 
        any 
        of 
        his 
        associates 
        were 
        in
a 
        position 
        to 
        say 
        positively 
        just 
        how 
        it 
        was 
        done, 
        for 
        Joseph 
        was
in 
        the 
        dark, 
        and 
        the 
        matter 
        was 
        visible 
        only 
        to 
        him, 
        and 
        he 
        evi-
dently never 
        thought 
        of 
        this 
        matter 
        occurring. 
        I 
        had 
        also 
        noticed
the 
        differences 
        that 
        you 
        mention, 
        or 
        some 
        of 
        them, 
        and 
        many 
        that
you 
        do 
        not 
        mention; 
        and 
        some 
        of 
        them 
        I 
        had 
        attributed 
        to 
        a 
        little
carelessness 
        in 
        copying, 
        but 
        I 
        had 
        not 
        recognized 
        the 
        fact 
        before,
that 
        the 
        changes, 
        as 
        a 
        general 
        thing, 
        add 
        to 
        the 
        plainness 
        and 
        good
sense 
        of 
        the 
        record. 
        You 
        are 
        aware 
        of 
        the 
        fact 
        that 
        we 
        lawyers
become 
        very 
        critical 
        in 
        regard 
        to 
        evidence, 
        and 
        when 
        we 
        come 
        to
things 
        that 
        are 
        so 
        far 
        removed 
        from 
        the 
        range 
        of 
        all 
        human 
        expe-
rience—
        standing 
        as 
        it 
        does 
        alone
        —
        as 
        the 
        introduction 
        of 
        the
Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        into 
        the 
        world, 
        there 
        seems 
        to 
        be 
        no 
        evidence
outside 
        of 
        a 
        knowledge 
        of 
        the 
        fact 
        that 
        can 
        remove 
        all 
        doubt, 
        and
not 
        leave 
        the 
        thought 
        in 
        the 
        mind 
        that 
        someone 
        is 
        mistaken; 
        and
yet, 
        in 
        the 
        present 
        condition 
        of 
        the 
        world, 
        I 
        am 
        free 
        to 
        say 
        that 
        I
can 
        see 
        no 
        way 
        that 
        the 
        chaos 
        and 
        uncertainty 
        now 
        existing 
        can
be 
        cleared 
        away 
        except 
        by 
        new 
        and 
        continued 
        revelation; 
        but 
        it
was 
        such 
        a 
        curious 
        way 
        to 
        do 
        it; 
        and 
        yet, 
        who 
        could 
        suggest 
        a 
        bet-
ter plan?
It 
        is 
        hard 
        to 
        go 
        outside 
        the 
        pale 
        of 
        common 
        experience, 
        and
I 
        believe 
        that 
        the 
        only 
        way 
        that 
        any 
        person 
        can 
        be 
        fully 
        satisfied
in 
        this 
        matter, 
        if 
        at 
        all, 
        must 
        be, 
        as 
        you 
        suggest, 
        by 
        the 
        gift 
        of 
        the

<!-- page:195 -->

BIBLE 
        QUOTATIONS 
        IN 
        THE 
        BOOK 
        OF 
        MORMON.      
        195
Holy 
        Ghost. 
        But 
        there 
        you 
        have 
        me 
        again. 
        That 
        is 
        as 
        far 
        outside
of 
        any 
        experience 
        within 
        my 
        knowledge 
        as 
        the 
        other. 
        I 
        have 
        al-
ways been 
        taught 
        to 
        look 
        upon 
        the 
        Holy 
        Ghost 
        as 
        something 
        that
everybody 
        had 
        a 
        right 
        to 
        expect 
        in 
        some 
        intangible 
        way, 
        but 
        never
would 
        ever 
        have 
        any 
        real 
        acquaintance 
        with. 
        That 
        it 
        once 
        was
a 
        potent 
        factor 
        in 
        religion, 
        as 
        a 
        witness 
        for 
        the 
        truth, 
        but 
        had,
for 
        some 
        reason, 
        gone 
        out 
        of 
        the 
        business, 
        and 
        that 
        it 
        was 
        no
use 
        to 
        look 
        for 
        it 
        now,—
        in 
        fact, 
        I 
        am 
        nearly 
        as 
        bad 
        as 
        the 
        par-
ties that 
        Paul 
        found, 
        who 
        had 
        ''not 
        so 
        much 
        as 
        heard 
        whether
there 
        be 
        any 
        Holy 
        Ghost."
Your 
        elders 
        claim 
        to 
        me 
        that 
        the 
        signs 
        still 
        "follow 
        those 
        that
believe" 
        with 
        you, 
        and 
        when 
        that 
        is 
        proved 
        to 
        anyone 
        to 
        his 
        entire
satisfaction, 
        it 
        seems 
        to 
        me 
        that 
        there 
        would 
        not 
        need 
        to 
        be 
        any
further 
        evidence 
        of 
        the 
        divine 
        authenticity 
        of 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mor-
mon, for 
        they 
        both 
        came 
        together, 
        and 
        cannot 
        be 
        separated; 
        but 
        I
have 
        no 
        knowledge 
        of 
        that. 
        I 
        could 
        see 
        that 
        if 
        one 
        could 
        get 
        in
touch 
        with 
        the 
        Holy 
        Ghost, 
        as 
        you 
        people 
        advocate, 
        all 
        things
would 
        be 
        clear, 
        and 
        I 
        do 
        not 
        believe 
        it 
        can 
        ever 
        be 
        made 
        absolutely
satisfactory 
        in 
        any 
        other 
        manner; 
        but 
        you 
        see 
        I 
        am 
        talking 
        now
about 
        something 
        with 
        which 
        I 
        am 
        an 
        entire 
        stranger. 
        I 
        have
asked 
        for 
        light 
        as 
        earnestly 
        as 
        a 
        man 
        could, 
        and 
        have 
        received 
        no
further 
        testimony, 
        than 
        the 
        fact 
        that 
        as 
        I 
        investigate, 
        my 
        desire
grows 
        stronger 
        to 
        know 
        the 
        truth, 
        and 
        I 
        become 
        more 
        impressed
that 
        I 
        am 
        on 
        the 
        right 
        track, 
        and 
        I 
        have 
        less 
        faith 
        in 
        all 
        other 
        re-
ligions.
But 
        I 
        have 
        digressed 
        from 
        the 
        subject. 
        There 
        are 
        other 
        things
that 
        lead 
        me 
        to 
        believe 
        that 
        the 
        Prophet 
        Joseph 
        used 
        his 
        own 
        lan-
guage exclusively 
        in 
        the 
        translation, 
        one 
        of 
        them 
        being 
        the 
        fact
that 
        he 
        speaks 
        of 
        the 
        coming 
        of 
        the 
        Messiah, 
        and 
        the 
        salvation
that 
        was 
        to 
        come 
        through 
        him 
        to 
        the 
        Gentiles, 
        with 
        the 
        same 
        facil-
ity that 
        one 
        speaks 
        of 
        a 
        past 
        event, 
        and 
        shows 
        a 
        greater 
        knowledge
of 
        those 
        matters 
        than 
        the 
        disciples 
        did 
        while 
        here 
        on 
        earth 
        with
Christ; 
        and 
        as 
        there 
        is 
        nothing 
        to 
        compare 
        with 
        it, 
        in 
        clearness, 
        in
the 
        records 
        that 
        the 
        Nephites 
        took 
        with 
        them 
        from 
        Jerusalem, 
        they
could 
        not 
        have 
        got 
        those 
        ideas 
        out 
        of 
        the 
        records; 
        and 
        I 
        naturally
come 
        to 
        the 
        conclusion 
        that 
        Joseph, 
        having 
        a 
        full 
        knowledge 
        of
these 
        facts, 
        clothed 
        the 
        ideas 
        caught 
        from 
        the 
        record 
        in 
        much
stronger 
        language 
        than 
        it 
        would 
        really 
        have 
        warranted. 
        Of 
        course.

<!-- page:196 -->

196 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
I 
        may 
        be 
        entirely 
        wrong 
        in 
        this 
        surmise, 
        but 
        I 
        am 
        not 
        able 
        to 
        ac-
account 
        for 
        it 
        in 
        any 
        other 
        way.
Another 
        strange 
        thing 
        is, 
        that 
        a 
        book 
        that 
        has 
        come 
        into 
        the
world 
        in 
        our 
        day 
        and 
        age, 
        and 
        having 
        attained 
        so 
        much 
        notoriety,
even 
        before 
        it 
        came 
        from 
        the 
        press, 
        should 
        be 
        so 
        hard 
        to 
        account
for, 
        if 
        the 
        origin 
        attributed 
        to 
        it 
        by 
        its 
        friends 
        is 
        false. 
        In 
        all
other 
        cases 
        some 
        one 
        is 
        always 
        ready 
        to 
        come 
        to 
        the 
        front 
        and
claim 
        the 
        authorship, 
        as 
        soon 
        as 
        any 
        piece 
        of 
        literature 
        becomes
famous; 
        but 
        no 
        one 
        has 
        ever 
        claimed 
        to 
        be 
        the 
        father 
        of 
        this 
        pro-
duction; and, 
        since 
        the 
        complete 
        explosion 
        of 
        the 
        Spaulding 
        theory,
so 
        far 
        as 
        I 
        know, 
        no 
        one 
        of 
        its 
        enemies 
        has 
        advanced 
        any 
        theory
as 
        to 
        how 
        it 
        did 
        originate. 
        Some, 
        of 
        course, 
        are 
        still 
        holding 
        on 
        to
the 
        Spaulding 
        theory, 
        but 
        they 
        are 
        back 
        numbers, 
        and 
        they 
        were 
        in
a 
        recent 
        article 
        warned 
        not 
        to 
        advance 
        it 
        any 
        more.
Well, 
        I 
        have 
        already 
        made 
        this 
        letter 
        far 
        too 
        long, 
        and 
        I 
        must
ask 
        your 
        pardon 
        for 
        trespassing 
        so 
        far 
        on 
        your 
        valuable 
        time. 
        I
intend 
        to 
        push 
        my 
        investigation 
        until 
        I 
        am 
        satisfied 
        either 
        that
this 
        matter 
        is 
        right 
        or 
        wrong, 
        or 
        beyond 
        my 
        reach. 
        Every 
        man
should 
        be 
        interested 
        that 
        far 
        in 
        the 
        truth.
Thanking 
        you 
        for 
        the 
        interest 
        you 
        have 
        taken 
        in 
        this 
        matter
with 
        an 
        entire 
        stranger, 
        I 
        will 
        further 
        say 
        that 
        anything 
        that 
        may
be 
        published 
        in 
        any 
        of 
        your 
        literature 
        (except 
        the 
        Deseret 
        News, 
        I
take 
        and 
        thoroughly 
        read 
        that), 
        I 
        would 
        appreciate, 
        where 
        it 
        tends
to 
        throw 
        real 
        light 
        upon 
        this 
        subject. 
        I 
        am 
        willing 
        that 
        you 
        should
use 
        my 
        letters, 
        or 
        any 
        part 
        of 
        them, 
        wherever 
        and. 
        whenever 
        you
think 
        you 
        can 
        accomplish 
        any 
        good 
        with 
        them, 
        for 
        I 
        am 
        not
ashamed 
        of 
        my 
        investigation.
I 
        am 
        very 
        respectfully 
        yours,
H. 
        Chamberlain.