--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young, Richard W. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 16 number: 5 published: 1913-03 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young, Richard W., "Scientists Not Always Correct," *Improvement Era* 16, no. 5 (March 1913): 460–467.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1605unse 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: improvementera1605unse start_page: 460 end_page: 467 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1913-03) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1605unse 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. --- # Scientists Not Always Correct Scientists Not Always Correct' BY TUDGE RICHARD W. YOUNG. Lake City, Utah, Jan 10, 1913. Salt churches now are and ever have been Editor Deseret News: unwilling to yield unreserved credence The Right Rev. P. S. Spalding's will- to every decree of science, the instant ingness to sacrifice "Mormonism" upon it is formulated. the altar of scholarship is reminiscent The sciences of astronomy, chemisof Artemas Ward's willingness to sac- — try, geology, zoology, medicine in fact, rifice his wife's relations on thr, aitar all — have frequently discarded theories of patriotism. to adopt new ones. The Ptolemaic the- I do not venture this comparison ory that the earth was the center of flippantly, but with a sincere convic- the universe very ingeniously explained tion that neither of the churches of nearly all of the phenomena of the Christendom, including the great or- heavens; and this theory was unquesganization of which Bishop Spalding tioned for more than 1,500 years priot is a distinguished member, is willing to the time of Copernicus. It was saij to submit to the determination of that "the wise are witnesses that the scholars the authenticity of its claims heavens revolve in the space of 24 or the validity of any basic fact of its hours," and Copernicus was described creed. I am not ignorant that in the as a fool who "wishes to reverse the conflict between science and theology entire science of astronomy" but — victory has usually perched uoon the Copernicus was right and the world, banners of the scientists; nor do I for- scientific as well as religious, was get that the path along whicn science wrong. has proceeded forth out of primitive Scientists once held that there were darkness into present-day light is but four elements, fire, earth, air and strewn with the skeletons of theories water; but when I went to schoo: once deemed imperishable and of fic- chemistry taught as an ultimate and tions once regarded as facts ana no — incontestable fact that matter was dione is so blind as not to be able to see vided into some 60 odd distinct elethat the pathway of science extends ments. It seems incredible that this onward and upward into rea.ms of theory has perished, and that "the positive knowledge, whose brightness tendency of all recent discoveries has will cause the tallow dips of today's been to emphasize the truth of the speculations to pale into relative insig- conception of a common basis of matnificance. And it is because of such ter of all kinds." (Ency. Brit.) considerations as these that the The same eminent authority te'ls us 'From the Deseret News, January 11, 1913. Published in the Era by permission of the Author. "JOSEPH SMITH, JR., AS A TRANSLATOR' 461 concerning the dear old atomic theory, succession; and I further venture the upon which we of an older generation suspicion that Bishop Spalding would were brought up, that "the atomic not be willing to yield acquiescence to theory has been of .priceless value to disinterested scholars respecting every chemists, but it has more than onev.- tenet of his faith. It was with such happened in the history of science that considerations in mind that I suggesta hypothesis, afterhaving been useful ed, in other words, at the beginning in the discovery and the co-ordination of this communication that perhaps the of knowledge, has been abandoned ana reverend bishop might not be willing replaced by one more in harmony with to have measured to Christianity in later discoveries." general or to himself with what meas- would have been .scientific sacri- It ure he meted to us. lege not to have had implicit confidence Bishop Spalding asseverate?, that inin the physicians of fifty years ago, asmuch as thinking and authoritative and yet they did not have the slightest scholars declare that Joseph Smith conception that the world was filled translated certain hieroglpyhics incorwith microscopic germs, the chief rectly, "no thoughtful man can be sources of disease, and their annihila- asked to accept the Book of Mormon, tion the chief hope for prevention and but, on 1'ne other hand, honesty will cure. Our helpful friends, the doc- require him, with whatever personal tors, formerly starved where now they regret, to repudiate it and the whole feed, the typhoid patient, and back a body of belief, which has been built century or two ago bled patients for upon it and the reputation its publicanearly every — disease a practice not tion gave to its author." only discarded but now held to be in- Despite the cocksureness of Bishop defensible, even murderous. Spalding, I cannot, because of the con- This and many more instances, mod- siderations above mentioned and others ern, medieval and ancient, might be noted below, with such thoughtfulness cited as a sufficient justification of the and honesty as I possess, accept the caution and hesitancy with which re- bishop's conclusions. ligion accepts the conclusions of sci- However, in the controversy at issue, ence. The Christian Churches will not we Latter-day Saints are not compelled accept the scientific dictum that there to rely entirely, as we may in consistis no personal God; nor any theory of .ency, upon the aforesaid and other genevolution which eliminates the creative eral considerations, but we feel that act; nor the scientific denial of mir- we may urge special objections to acles, including the immaculate con- the evidences offered by the bishop in ception and that great central fact support of his case, I shall not attempt of Christianity, the resurrection of the to point out the discrepancies among body of our Savior; nor philosophical the scholars cited by Bishop Spalding-- deductions as to the plan of salvation; that has been dene by Elder B. H. Robnor expert historical opinion as to the erts — and others further than to call authenticity of the books of Moses or attention to the fact that these dis- Daniel or the four gospels (though crepancies are quite numerous and inclergymen here and there may be con- volve such diametrically conflictingverts to higher criticism), etc., etc. translations as the version, on I scarcely believe that either Cath- the one hand, by Petrie and Peters that plate No. 1 represents Anubis or olics or Protestants would be willing an embalmer preparing a body for to submit their respective claims to and, on the other hand, the the determination of historians, and burial, conceive that the Church of England statement of Breasted and Deveria that would not be willing to go out of busi- the plate represents Osiris rising from ness upon the adverse determination the dead. The jury palpably disagrees of eight or ten historians who might and the indictment must either be dis- claims missed or the defendants be granted a be called upon to examine the of that church to unbroken apostolic new trial— surely the arbitrary conten- 462 IMPROVEMENT ERA tion that every honest and thoughtful priests atAbydos (table of Abydos), man must vote for conviction, under when attempting to record -.he names such circumstances, finds no analogy of the kings of the first dynasty, on in law or logic. the walls of the temple of Seti I., are Being quite curious to ascertain just now admitted on all sides; and no why these students of Egyptology differ palaeographer, whether his field be among themselves, I consulted the lat- Greek, Latin. Arabic, Persian or any est edition of the Encyclopedia Britan- other class of Mss., will be surprised nica, and in the article on Egypt, page to hear that the EGYPTIAN PA- 58, found a statement prepared by an PYRI AND INSCRIPTIONS ABOUND Oxford professor, and presumably -a IN CORRUPTIONS AND MISTAKES. student of the Rev. Prof. Sayce, which The translator of today, can, if he seems to furnish a complete explana- wishes, mark where certainty ends and tion of these discrepancies, and at the mere conjecture begins, and It is to be same time to deprive Bishop Spalding's hoped that advantage will be taken savants of the title to absolute and more widely of this new power. THE incontestable verity which he ascribes EGYPTOLOGIST WHO HAS LONG to them. LIVED IN THE REALM OF CON- This is the statement (the cap- JECTURE IS TOO PRONE TO CONitals being mine: SIDER ANY SERIES OF GUESSES "At present Egyptologists depend on GOOD ENOUGH TO SERVE AS A Heinrich Bruegsch's admirable but TRANSLATION AND FORGETS TO somewhat antiquated WORTBEBUCH INSERT THE NOTES OF INTERROand on Levi's useful but entirely un- GATION WHICH WOULD WARN critical VOCABULIARO. . . Apart . WORKERS IN OTHER FIELDS from their philological interest, as giv- FROM IMPLICIT TRUST." ing' the state of a remarkable language And so the cat is out of the bag! during a period of several thousand The studies of the past are now "beyears, the grammatical studies of the ginning to bear fruit in regard to the last quarter of the nineteenth century exact interpretation of historical docuand afterwards are BEGINNING to ments on Egyptian monuments and bear fruit in regard to the exact inter- papyri;" brilliantguessing has been pretation of historical documents on the rule of the past and the Egyptian Egyptian monuments and papyri. Not translator now proceeds "with some long ago, the supposed meaning of of the sureness with which he would these was extracted chieQy by brilliant deal with Latin or Greek;" "many conguessing, and the published transla- structions are still obscure;" "the writtions of even the best scholars could ings of one period were but half intelcarry no guarantee of more ligible to the learned scribes of anthan approximate exactitude, where other;" "Egyptian papyri and inscripthe sense depended at all on correct tions abound in corruptions and misrecognition of the syntax. Now the takes;" and the Egyptologist "is too translator proceeds in Egyptian with prone to consider any series of guesses SOME OP THE SURENESS with good enough to serve as a translation." which he would deal with Latin or Really, are not trifles, light as ail, Greek. The meaning of many words held by the Reverend Bishop to be may be still unknown, and. MANY more strong than proofs of holy writ? CONSTRUCTIONS ARE STILL OB- In passing, it may not be malapropos SCURE; but at least he can distinguish to the contention that Joseph Smith j fairly between a correct text and a must be rejected because he is repucorrupt text. Egyptian writing lent diated by the scholars, to refer to the itself only too easily to misunderstand- fourth verse of the eighth chapter of St. ing, and the writings of one period Matthew, wherein Jesus said, "Show were but half intelligible to the learned thyself to the priest, and offer the gift scribes of another. The mistaken read- that Moses commanded"— the reference ing of the old inscriptions by the being to Leviticus. But the scholarship "JOSEPH SMITH, JR., AS A TRANSLATOR" 463 of higher criticism proclaims that Levi- were garbed in the habiliments of ticus was not written by Mo- ancient Rome. ses, nor until centuries after In 1911 I visited the Vatican in his time. Christ's statement was Rome, and there, in the Sistine Chapel, unqualified; he did not say beheld Michael Angelo's great con- "as Moses is believed to have written" ception of the "Last Judgment," the or "as is contained within the writings central figure of which being the Great ascribed to Moses," etc., but uses the Judge. Upstairs, somewhere in that words "that Moses commanded." And wilderness of rooms, I saw Raphael's in view of this flat controversy between impressive picture of the Eternal Christ and the scholars, one shudders Father. These pictures are found in at the sentence that must be imposed the palace, the very home, of the upon Christ and Christian pretentions. Roman Pontiff. Let it be supposed that There is another thought respecting these and innumerable other reprethis controversy, that seems to be ger- sentations of God in human form, — mane a consideration that permits us were recovered by Macauley's New to assume that Dr. Spalding's jury is Zealander, or by some other repreright, and, if you will, even unanimous, sentative of a civilization yet to be in the interpretation of the papyri sub- born, from the ruins of the Vatican or mitted, namely that Abraham, in seek- other ruins of the present age and ing to represent the attempt of the submitted to the Sayces and priest of Elkenah to offer up Abraham Petries of. his day, in order to asceras a sacrifice, and, again, in seeking tain the Roman Catholic conception of to represent the occasion that Pharaoh the personality of God — can we doubt politely permitted Abraham to sit upon that the unanimous verdict would be the Egyptian throne, would not violate that the Roman church held that God the analogies by substantially copying was in the express physical image of scenes familiar to the populace of his man; and this, despite the protestaday and in employing the images of tions of the truly initiated that these Egyptian deities — even though such figures were merely symbolical and scenes and images might be used to were employed by the artist to enable represent meanings quite different from them to appeal to their generations their ordinary significations. in a language that would be under- Orators, poets, and painters, in their stood. appeals to the public, have ever em- — And so is it more unreasonable or ployed the simile, the metaphor, the inexplicable that Abraham should emidealistic and the symbolical. Figures of ploy the figures of the Conopic jars speech and conventionalities of a like to depict certain of the Gods repcharacter in painting have never resented by him, or Osiris, or of Seti, failed to add interest and conviction or what not, to represent himself or ''to an otherwise bald and unconvincing the idolatrous priest, than for Angelo narrative." We talk to children in the to copy the face of a Roman peaslanguage of childhood and appeal to ant or Raphael that of a "Bavarian the aborigine in the picturesque Toy Maker" to represent a spiritual imagery of nature. Benjamin West, the essence, a divinity without body or American who became president of parts. the Royal academy, in his "Death of I shall not contend that my religious Wolfe," introduced figures with modern beliefs have been free from uncertaincostumes and thus became the first ties^ — uncertainties, however, quite as of English painters to abandon great, even greater, in respect of the classical draperies in historical paint- fundamental conceptions of Christianings an d one can imagine how con- ity as in respect of tenets peculiar to clusive would be the unanimous "Mormonism;" and I find some support testimony of such a flood of paintings, in the conviction that the difficulties if recovered from a perished civiliza- thus besetting me are no greater than tion, that the great men of England, those besetting the great body of Chris- century, tians, including perhaps the author of as late as the eighteenth 464 IMPROVEMENT ERA "Joseph Smith as a Translator." But "Truth," says Bacon, "is the daughter objections to Christianity in general, of time," and we feel that in respect of though often difficult or impossible to the objections now considered we can explain, become negligible to the de- afford to await the vindication of the vout Christian when viewed in conjunc- years. Such partial vindication has tion with the innumerable and obvious already come to the Book of Morevidences of the truth of Christianity; mon through the discovery of the and so to the converted Latter-day great ruins of Central and South Saint, the objections contained within America, the fossil horse, etc., the Bishop's brochure, though involv- and in - the opinion of a goving some puzzling facts, sink into rela- ernment expert, siven in one of the tive insignificance when viewed in the reports of the Bureau of Ethnology light of the splendid truths proclaimed that the mammoth ranged over certain by and through Joseph Smith, Jr. parts of America as late as 1,500 truths, as we believe, vindicating God years ago. from the aspersions of theological er- Tours respectfully, ror and ennobling mankind as the RICHARD W. YOUNG. possessor of embryotic divinity. A facsimile from the Book of Abraham / •///// ^V\ WW\ V_V_VvTTTTT //J* ////////////// 12 // /. \\\\^^^Hg^g\\\ WW M.WWWWVUV T f&rj \ ',//jj»ijj>/ //////////// //777rr7TTl / 7 / /77T/77T7T7 (1/77/ CUT NO. 1. EXPLANATION OF ABOVE. Fig. 1. The Angel of the Lord. 2. Abraham fastened upon an altar. 3, the idolatrous priest of Elkenah, attempting to offer up Abraham as a sacrifice. "JOSEPH SMITH, JR., AS A TRANSLATOR" 465 4,The Altar for sacrifice by the idolatrous priests, standing before the gods of Elkenah, Libnah, Mahmackrah, Korash, and Pharaoh. 5, the idolatrous god of Elkenah. 6, The idolatrous god of Libnah. 7, The idolatrous god of Mahmackrah. 8, The idolatrous god of Korash. 9, The idolatrous god of Pharaoh. 10, Abraham in Egypt. 11, Designed to represent the pillars of heaven, as understood by the Egyptians. 12, Raukeeyang, signifying expanse, or the firmament over our heads; but in this case, in relation to this subject, the Egyptians meant it to signify Shaumau, to be high, or the heavens, answering to the Hebrew word Shaumahyeen. A facsimile from the Book of Abraham CUT NO. 2. EXPLANATION OF THE FOREGOING CUT. the celestial, or resi- Fig 1 Kolob, signifying the first creation, nearest to to the measurement dence of God First in government, the last pertaining celestial time, which celestial time ol time The measurement according to IS; nne dav to a cubit One day in Kolob is equal meksSement of this earth, which to a thousand years, is called by the Egyptians Scordingto the Jah_ °£" eh Egyptians Oliblish, which is stands n e X t to Kolob, called by the - " nl L with m?! °bmade to represent God sitting upon his throne clothed h H r, £whom SS£? „TE„en, e ^soarevealed. \o Ve tn N„ah, MLhi3eaech, Ahrahan,, and ah to the priesthood was 466 IMPROVEMENT ERA Fig. 4. Answers to the Hebrew wor.l Raukeeyang, signifying expanse, or the firmament of the heavens; also a numerical figure, in Egyptian signifying 1,000; answering to the measuring of the time of Oliblish, which is equal with Kolob in its revolution and in its measuring of time. Fig. 5. Is called in Egyptian Enish-go-on-dosh; this is one of the govern- ing planets also, and is said by the Egyptians to be the sun, and to borrow its light from Kolob through the medium of Kae-e-vanrash, which is the grand key, or, in other words, the governing power, which governs 15 other fixed planets or stars, as also Floeese or the moon, the earth and the sun in their annual revolutions. This planet receives its power through the medium of Kli- flos-is-es, or Hah-ko-kau-beam, the stars represented by numbers 22 and 23, receiving light from the revolutions of Kolob. Fig. 6. Represents the earth in its four quarters. Fig. 7. Represents God sitting upon his throne revealing through the heav- ens the grand Key-Words of the Priesthood; as also, the sign of the Holy Ghost unto Abraham, in the form of a dove. Fig. 8. Contains writing that cannot be revealed unto the world; but is to be had in the holy temple of God. Fig. 9. Ought not to be revealed at the present time. - Fig. 10. Also. Fig. 11. Also. If the world can find out these numbers, so let it be. Amen. Figs. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 will be given in the own due time of the Lord. The above translation is given as far as we have any right to give at the present time. A facsimile from the Book of Abraham CUT NO. 3. EXPLANATION OF THE ABOVE CUT. 1. Abraham sitting upon Pharaoh's throne, by the politeness of the king, with a crown upon his head, representing the Priesthood, as emblematical of the grand Presidency in Heaven; with the sceptre of justice and judgment in his hand. 2. King Pharaoh, whose name is given in the characters above, his hea.d. 3. Signifies Abraham in Egypt; referring to Abraham, as given in the ninth number of the Times and Seasons. (Also as given in the first fac- simile of this book.) • 4. Prince of Pharaoh, King of Egypt, as written above the hand. 5. Shulem, one of the king's principal waiters, as represented by the characters above his hand. 6. Oiimlah, a slave belonging to the prince. Abraham is reasoning upon the principles of astronomy, in the king's court. By Unmapped Paths BY JOSEPHINE SPENCER The rows of typewriters in the big class room were cowled in their gray covers and the crowding footsteps on the stair had died away. One only of the class remained — a slight figure fronting the professor's desk. "What can I do for you, Giles?" "Nothing, sir, I guess." Prof. Farley looked up quickly at the boy's pale face and lips set in unusual bitter line, then drew him into the empty seat beside him. "You are in trouble. Tell me about it, Giles." The boy's proud -reserve broke under a ring of true interest in the other's tone. "I suppose you know the most of it," he said, presently — "about my father but you don't know about what it has meant ; for me — — the fight I've had the things put in my way. I wasn't in my 'teens when it happened, and it's seven years since, but not for a day or hour have they let me forget. It killed my mother, — and it looks as if it would kill me or end me some way. You've seen how it has been here it's like that everywhere. They seem ; to resent my trying to be decent — to wipe out what's gone before. — That's what I wanted to do to make my name stand for enough right here to make up for — father. They won't let me — that's all. I'm about ready to give up the fight." The man laid his arm tightly about the lad's bent frame. "It's only just begun, Giles, and the hindrances you've met are only hurdles. There's your whole lifetime before you to win out. These petty souls who fling cobbles and set up logs to trip you are not the real judges nor arbiters. You've made a good race so far. I've watched you, my boy, and know some of your trials. The boy groaned. "Eight years — he " faltered. "I know," interrupted the other, "it's time you had rest. Even the pugilists go into a corner, now and then, for breath. You — have given your home town a fair trial offered it recompense for a sin not your own, with the best endeavor a young life could give. Its cold shouder is a blot on its own fame, bigger than the one you are suffering for. I don't blame you for wanting to clear your shoes of its dust."