--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Smith, Joseph F. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 16 number: 4 published: 1913-02 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Smith, Joseph F., \"Editor's Table: Joseph Smith, Jr., as a Translator,\" *Improvement Era* 16, no. 4 (February 1913): 378–380." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1604unse 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: improvementera1604unse start_page: 378 end_page: 380 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1913-02) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1604unse publication_year: 1913 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 1913, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Editor's Table: Joseph Smith, Jr., as a Translator : : ;; ; ! ! ! : !: ! 376 IMPROVEMENT ERA To change hands with another for property sold, To be hidden from sight in a bar-tender's till I, the curse of the drunkard: a Ten-Dollar Bill! At the risk of a life, on the turf I've been laid, Where pockets are emptied, and fortunes are made To be squandered and lost and as quickly regained. For liquors and poison, my worth has been drained. I have broken up homes, I've caused humans to kill And be sentenced to death — the Ten-Dollar I, Bill My notable value has goaded the thief, Brought tears of repentance and murmurs of grief, Caused sons to rejoice and fond mothers to sigh, Caused fathers to question and juniors to lie Caused burglars to seek me with powder and drill I'm the father of crime — the Ten-Dollar I, Bill The miser has placed me away in his hoard In garrets and cellars for years I've been stored To be cherished in secret and fondled with greed. Upon me two gray eyes can constantly feed. Were the miser in heaven he'd gloat o'er me still I'm the mother of greed — the Ten-Dollar I, Bill I'm bartered for lives in pawn-brokers' halls, ;" I fill with expression the gilded "three-balls For trinkets and trash I am traded and loaned Where thieves are exalted and bankers dethroned. The prison and poor-house I constantly fill I'm the source of regret — the Ten-Dollar I, Bill But I do not live for the evil, alone For sins I've contracted, with good I'll atone. — A boon and a blessing tho' tainted with strife, Where Hunger assailed I've saved many a life. When used by sweet Charity's hon'rable will I'm a true "friend-in-need" — the Ten-Dollar I, Bill ! : ; ; ; ;; ; ; ! ; ; THE TEN-DOLLAR BILL 377 I've doctored the blind, and have caused them to see From the chains of Despair I've set multitudes free I've cared for the lame and have caused them to walk I've paid for the cradle and helped it to rock, Re-livened the sick and compounded each pill All invalids love me —the Ten-Dollar Bill I've brightened the winter and kept out the cold I've patronized justice and humored its hold ; I've paid for each comfort that graces the home, Saved many a son who would wander or roam A fireside-love in the heart I instill With my winter-night coals — the Ten-Dollar I, Bill I've cherished professions and builded our schools, Made doctors and lawyers from dunces and fools, Made wives of distinction that honor the land, Brought talent to light and made genius expand, Constructed each factory, warehouse and mill I'm Industry's joy— I, the Ten-Dollar Bill! Ipay for the railroads— the rover's delight, The huge carbon lamps that make day out of night, The steamboat of Commerce, the import it brings, The large ocean cable, the message it sings, The press and the telegraph— all works of skill I love and respect— I, the Ten-Dollar Bill. With good and with bad I rank always the same I starve and make wretched or feed and bring fame. I comfort the friendless, spent in a good cause Or I barter the babe to the fierce eagle's claws. can change the Andes to a miniature hill I I'm the emblem of might— I, the Ten-Dollar Bill! Walter P. Emmett. OGDEN, UTAH Editor's Table 'Joieph Smith, Jr., as a Translator" We give considerable space in this number of the Era to some articles in reply to a criticism of the Prophet Joseph Smith, published by the Episcopal Bishop of Utah, Rev. F. S. Spalding, in a recent brochure circulated especially among the students of the Latter-day Saints high schools. The criticism deals with the Pearl of Great Price, and especially with the Book of Abraham, but specifically with the engravings and their significance accompanying the Book of Abraham, and which are designated in the Pearl of Great Price as facsimiles from the Book of Abraham. The argument which Bishop Spalding sets forth appears to be an attack not only on the Book of Abraham, but on the Book of Mormon as well — in fact his purpose seems to be to discredit the divinity of Joseph Smith's inspiration as a translator. He wishes to show that since we have only the facsimile plates, which are a small accompaniment to the Book of Abraham, if it can be proved that these are incorrectly translated, we must infer and decide that Joseph Smith, Jr., was not an inspired translator, and conclude that not only the Book of Abraham but also the Book of Mormon and the "whole body of belief must be repudiated." He argues that it can only be decided, whether these facsimiles in the Book of Abraham are correctly translated by submitting the original records to scientific men.So he has submitted them to eight recognized authorities of Egyptology in Europe and the United States. Their apparently hurried and seemingly poorly considered replies are printed in his book, and they agree in this much, though they differ from one another in many other points, that Joseph Smith's translation is not correct. Their testimony, however, to Dr. Spalding is complete, and hence his conclusion that "Joseph Smith, Jr., as a Translator" is incorrect and in consequence "Mormonism" is doomed to failure. In the articles presented in this number of the Era, and in others on hand and to be printed, issue is taken with the Bishop