The Table in the Sacred Grove

The Tablet in the Sacred Grove liy Dr. James K. Talmage, of the Council of the Twelve Not a few of the visitors to the Sacred Grove, near Palmyra, Y V. have had their curiosity aroused by the presence of a tablet of metal, which is nailed to one of the trees, and which bears an inscription in English and Latin. Queries as to its origin and possible significance have already given rise to fanci- ful and even fantastical stories, which, if allowed to circulate unchecked, may become in time the basis of misleading tradi- tion. With the purpose of correcting any erroneous assumptions already afloat, and of putting on record the known facts, atten- tion is here given to what of itself is but a trivial matter. The tablet is a sheet of rolled copper, 14!/2X10 inches, and -oinewhat less than % of an inch in thickness. The letters, all capitals, appear as indentations, and have been formed by the use of straight-line dies. Some are deeper than others, indi- cating unskilful hammering; and, generally, the lettering is of poor quality. The words are arranged in irregular lines, and read as follows: GO PRAY— AGAIN I COME HINC LUCEM ET POCULA SACRA The Latin words do not form a complete sentence, as the verb is absent; but their general meaning is deducible, and may be rendered thus: Here (or hence) light and sacred vessels (literally, cups) . Either past or future tense may be intended, but the gen- eral tenor suggests the future. If to "pocula sacra" or "sacred vessels" we attach a figurative meaning, it may be understood as signifying holy, or Divine, outpouring, in short, revelation. A free rendering into our every-day English is this: Hence shall go forth light and sacred communication. I first saw the tablet on August 10, 1920, and was informed by Elder Willard W. Bean, who is custodian of the Joseph Smith Farm, which includes the Grove, that it was formerly attached to a tree near the edge of the copse, and that he had taken it

THE TABLET IN THE SACRED GROVE 15 down and nailed it to the large and centrally located maple tree on which I saw it. While not unmindful of the possibility of an intended hoax, on the part of the person who is responsible for the making of the tablet and for its having been posted in the Grove — the con- ceivable scheme being that the plate would be "discovered" and come to be regarded as of unusual and serious import — I was inclined to look upon the matter as an expression of reverence for the place. In a recent conversation with Elder E. Frank Birch, presi- dent of Tintic stake, I casually referred to the stories about the plate in the Sacred Grove as a present instance of the readiness with which some people accept fancy for fact; and President Birch stated that he had some personal information relating to the subject. A written statement, which he kindly prepared at my request, is as follows: Office of Tintic Stake Presidency of the Church of Jesus Chiiist of Latter-day Saints. Silver City, Utah, Sept. 8, 1920. Dear Brother Talmage: — On consulting my missionary journal and re- freshing my memory, I am able to state that on December 15th, 1910, at Ambridge, Penn., Elder William Larse Jensen, of Ovid, Idaho, introduced to me a man by the name of Carl Lynn, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This gentleman, Carl Lynn, told me, at that time, that he had prepared and placed in the Sacred Grove, at Palmyra, N. Y., a copper plate with engravings in English and Latin, part of which read: "Go Pray. Again I Come". Mr. Lynn showed me what he claimed to be a fac-simile of the plate bearing the inscription. (Sgd.) E. Frank Birch, President of Tintic Stake. It appears, then, that the placing of the inscribed plate in the Sacred Grove, was the work of a well-meaning, though some- what eccentric, individual; and that, beyond this, neither the tablet itself nor its presence in the Grove is of any significance.