Could Joseph Smith Have Written The Book of Mormon?

Could Joseph Smith Have Written The Book of Mormon? By Joseph S. Willes This is to be a little conversation between you and me. We are going to do a bit of reasoning on a subject which concerns every living soul — whether he realizes it or not. You listen for a few moments, and then you express yourself. On June 1 1 of this year, it will be one hundred years since the Prophet Joseph Smith had the Book of Mor- mon copyrighted. Arrangements were then made for the printing of five thousand copies. Egbert B. Grandin contracted to do the job for three thousand dollars. Martin Harris, a well-to-do farmer of Palmyra, New York, furnished the finances. Early in the year 1830, the first edition of the Book of Mormon was given to the world. Since that time some fifty-two editions* have been issued, amounting to about four mil- lion copies. The book has also been translated into eighteen different languages. Although quite an achievement, this is not so much in itself. The Bible, for example, has been translated into 226 different languages, and a con- servative estimate of the number of copies printed, reaches a total of about 315,000,000. It is thought that John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress has been translated into more languages than any other book except the Bible. And even that little work of Harriet Beecher Stowe's, Uncle Tom's Cabin, has been trans- lated into twenty different languages and has had a very large circulation. But there is something about the Book of Mormon that differentiates it from all other books. There are over half a million people in the world, who claim for it a divine origin. They claim it is the word of God to his children here on the earth, that it con- tains many of the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the power of God unto salvation. They claim it was written by inspired prophets upon plates of gold, which plates were preserved through the cen- turies, and that these plates were de- livered to Joseph Smith by an angel. They claim it to be a history of three distinct colonies of people who mi- grated from the old world in times past, and that the American Indian is a remnant of one of these colonies. The rest of the world is either indifferent to the book, or believe it to be a fraud, written by a man or men for the purpose of deceiving the people. As one writer puts it: "The book is altogether, and in every part of it, except so much as is borrowed from the Bible, a modern fabrication without any foundation in fact, but had its origin, simply and solely in the brain or brains of men in our own day. without any help whatever from God or from an angel of God." Here are two very different concep- tions of the same book. Both of them can not be right. There is one thing, however, upon which both sides can fully agree, and from this common ground, let us do a little reasoning. Orson Pratt said, "This book must be *This number does not include many monthly editions which have been and which arc. now being put out by the Deseret Book Store. Editions have been printed in Kirtland, Nauvoo, Independence, Kansas City. Chicago. Stockholm. Copenhagen. Rotterdam, Bern. Berlin, Liver- pool, etc. The number of copies of the Book of Mormon, as here estimated, is given after careful investigation.

674 IMPROVEMENT ERA June, 1929 either true or false." This statement admits of no argument. If the book is true, then its precepts and teachings are binding upon all men, and they who reject it will have it stand as a witness against them on the day of judgment. If it is false, then it is one of the cleverest pieces of decep- tion and fraud the world has ever seen. What Were Conditions a Hundred Years Ago? In order to make more vivid the subject matter to follow, let us draw a mental picture of the existing con- ditions of a hundred years ago, and also some of the important events that have occurred since that time. If one were to be placed so as to get a birds-eye view of the United States in 1829, one would see that the popu- lation of this country was practically all east of the Mississippi river. The great West was inhabited only by a few trappers and frontiersmen, besides the Indians. In fact it was not until 1820, through the influence of Henry Clay, that a road was constructed from the Ohio river, through the states of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, to the Mississippi opposite St. Louis. Chicago in 1830 was nothing but a frontier post. Means of travel consisted of either walking, pack horses, or horse-drawn wagons. Communication likewise, was limited to the speed of the above mentioned methods of travel. News traveled very slowly, and the methods of spreading news were quite limited. The year 1830 saw the first success- ful attempts at steam railroading, and of course the mileage of track was verv limited for a number of years after this time. It was 1852 before Chicago was connected to the East by rail. The automobile and airplane were not even dreamed of. Even young readers can well remember the advent of these two marvels of transportation. Morse constructed the first practical working telegraph in 1832, but this means of communication did not come into popular use until several years lat- er. Morse was in poverty until the year 1843. at which time Congress voted $30,000.00 to construct a telegraph line from Washington to Baltimore. The telephone, indispensable as it is in our daily lives, was not known to this age. Up until 1855 homes were lighted with sperm oil, and it was only about thirty-one years ago that electric and gas lights came into very general use. Homes were practically devoid of con- veniences, as we understand the term today. True, there was beautiful furniture for those who could pay the price, but speaking in terms of sanitary systems that afford an abundant supply of hot and cold water throughout the house, and make possible the proper disposal of sewage and the many other conveniences of our every-day life, these things were not known. Farming methods were very crude. Wheat was harvested by the hand method, using a sickle. When McCor- mick patented his first harvester, in 1831, his own neighbors shook their heads and smiled. The year 1851 saw this reaper gradually coming into its own. Threshing was still being done in much the same manner that it had been done for centuries before. The chaff was separated from the wheat by the age-old method of throwing the grain into the air and letting the wind do the rest. Practically all of the necessities of life were manufactured in the home, the wife doing the spinning and the making of the clothing by means of the spinning wheel. The husband was carpenter, blacksmith, cobbler, and farmer. Elias Howe and his great contribu- tion to womankind, the sewing ma- chine, did not come forward until 1846.

Jane, 1929 JOSEPH SMITH AND THE BOOK OF MORMON 675 The important national issues that occupied the public mind were the slavery question and the tariff. These issues brought forth many of our greatest statesmen and orators. There was Daniel Webster with his "Liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable," John Calhoun with his "The Federal Union: It must be Pre- served," together with Henry Clay, William Lloyd Garrison and many others. Because of a scarcity of printed mat- ter and also because transportation on this class of material was costly, few homes had many books. If there were any at all, it was generally the Bible or perhaps a copy of Pilgrim's Progress. We all know the story of President Lincoln and his search for reading material. Educational facilities were very limited, and many did not attend schools. On the subject of American archae- ology little was known, for research in this field "did not begin until well along in the 19th century," says Wil- liam H. Holmes of the Smithsonian Institution. Squier & Davis started re- search work in 1845. J. D. Baldwin's work did not appear in book form until 1871, and that of J. T. Short in 1880. Knowledge on this subject therefore was limited to a very few individuals. Out of This Period Came the Book of Mormon Out of this period came the Book of Mormon! It was given to the world by a young man twenty-three and one-half years old. One year and nine months were spent in its translation, during all of which time the Prophet Joseph Smith was subject to merciless per- secution and interruption! Could Joseph Smith have written the Book of Mormon? This youth of little worldly knowl- edge, who of necessity had spent most of his time assisting in sustaining his father's family, was left no time for what we might call research and study. Could he have accomplished the task? Bear in mind that the Book of Mor- mon contains historical facts, scien- tific facts, Gospel teachings and proph- ecies! Consider this: It took James Oliver Curwood thir- teen months and eight days to write The Ancient Highway, just a story, a narrative, a novel. And this time does not include that given to research work in the records of old Quebec, and the time spent in making expedi- tions into the French lumber regions where the story is laid. Tennyson was fifty-two years in writing the whole of Idylls of the King. Thomas Carlyle was only three years in writing the History of the French Revolution, but much time had been spent in preparation for the task. Darwin made his first notes on The Origin of Species in 1837. The com- plete work was first published in 1859, which is twenty-two years later. Ben Hur, the soul-rousing novel by General Lew Wallace, was seven years in the making. "The least part (of the time) was occupied in actual com- position," says the author. Here are represented some well known works of man and the time in which it took to write them. All made exhaustive study of their re- spective subjects and wrote accordingly. With the exception of Darwin's Origin of Species, all the books referred to either relate a narrative, tell a story, or record a history of something that has happened. Darwin's book, how- ever, has caused much controversy, and a goodly portion of it is now ob- solete, which is characteristic of all other scientific books written by men. In such matter time is the acid test. In the Book of Mormon there are found many things which were ab-

676 IMPROVEMENT ERA June. 1929 solutely contrary to popular belief at the time it was first published. What has time done to this book? It has vindicated the Prophet Jo- seph's claim for it, and even in this hundredth year of its existence there is no need for his followers to apologize for a single word in the record. Could mortal man accomplish such a deed without divine guidance? You answer that question. Hubbard has truly said, "There is nothing permanent but change." There is one thing, though, that does not have 10 change, and that is the truth of God. Truth is eternal and is therefore unchangeable! A hundred years is long enough to establish the divinity of the Book of Mormon to any fair-thinking mind! Could Joseph Smith have had a knowledge of Central America and ail its ruined cities that were not even found until after his death? Could he have written a book of six hundred pages containing as much of the teach- ings of Jesus Christ as it does, and not have it conflict with itself or the Bible? No, bless you, no. And if there are those who read this humble attempt of a weak man to portray a great truth, who are not Latter-day Saints and who do not believe in the Book of Mormon, open your minds to ordinary common-sense reasoning, and you cannot but see the truth of it. What then are we to believe con- cerning its origin? The only thing I see to do is to acknowledge the truth as it is told by Joseph Smith! No Successful Attempts to Brand the Book False The Rev. M. T. Lamb brands the Book of Mormon as a fraud because, says he, "The Book of Mormon tells us that iron, steel, and brass were in common use among the ancient Ne- phites." And then he quotes authority to prove his point. Mr. Baldwin, for example, "Iron was unknown to them." Also Squier, "The Indians had neither iron nor steel." Now if Joseph Smith and his con- temporaries were the authors of the Book of Mormon, and if they had made a study of American archaeology, do you think they would have written things in the book that were supposed to be untrue? Lamb uses this illustra- tion to prove the book fraudulent. I use the same illustration to prove the book's divinity! Anyway, peculiar as it may seem, modern research and investigation have proved that the ancients did have iron and steel, because actual pieces have been found. By the way, Rev. Lamb delivered a series of lectures in 1887, in which he attempted to prove that the Book of Mormon was a fraud. Some of his supporters suggested that his lectures be put into book form. Before doing so, however, Rev. Lamb undertook a revision of his work. So, besides the time originally spent in writing the lec- tures, another year's study showed the author that his little work was a "very imperfect presentation of the subject," so he went East "to consult with eminent antiquarians as to the points made in the historical argument." Then "after six months of earnest toil in the East," he ventures forth with his little book entitled The Golden Bible. In all, Rev. Lamb spent consider- ably more time in writing his book against the Book of Mormon than it took Joseph Smith to translate the book itself! The evidence thus compiled by Rev. Lamb should, therefore, be about as good as any "higher criticism" that can be found. Let us examine a sample of his arguments. On page 169 we find the following, But after all, the darkest blot upon the Book of Mormon is the dishonor it puts upon the Lord Jesus Christ. * * *The Book of Mormon mars all the glory and beauty of Christ's life, both his actions and his words, by pre-

June, 19Z9 JOSEPH SMITH AND THE BOOK OF MORMON 677 senting him to us in the role of a sec- ond-hand repeater." There is the "darkest blot" upon the Book of Mormon. There is the evidence that clinches the argument and settles for all time this bother- some question. The Book of Mormon records that Jesus Christ spoke many things to the people on this continent, many of which had been declared by him to the Jews. In this the Latter-day Saints claim that prophecy is fulfilled, for Christ said, "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." The saddest part of the whole thing is, that if we accept his argument as true, the Bible is pulled into the mire also. Six hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ, Confucius announced the Golden Rule, for says he "What you do not like when done to your- self do not do to others." Likewise Buddha, "Do unto others as you would that they should do unto you." Is the Bible a second-hand repeater? Before answering that question we should ask and answer another. Is not one soul just as valuable to God as another? Why of course. What kind of a God would it be that would parcel out a little group of people, give them his word and let the rest of the world with all its billions of deserv- ing souls be left desolate? Is it wrong that the Lord should inspire Confucius and Buddha to give their people divine truths? Is it wrong, that because he had declared these truths to them, he should withhold them from the Jews? I really can not believe that any thoughtful person could claim such a thing. The charity in my heart won't even allow me to believe that Rev. Lamb believed what he wrote. "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God — ." Who dares to say that his soul is more precious than the soul of another, even though it bt the soul of one of the yellow or black race? I firmly believe that sufficient evi- dence has been presented to prove that neither Joseph Smith nor any other man could have been the author of the Book of Mormon. If you would prove definitely to yourself the divinity of this book, read it, and with a prayerful heart " — ask God, the Eter- nal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." History of the Poppy By Mrs. Belle O. Sprague, Poppy Chairman 1929, Unit No. 2. In the spring of 1919, after the war, on Flanders Field, where the fir- ing had been terrific and thousands of our boys had fallen in battle, in the midst of complete devastation, the poppies came up in abundance. The French women tell today that the poppy is significant of the blood of the boys who fell on Flanders Field. Those who have traveled through France since the war tell us it is peculiarly true that where the battle was the fiercest and the bloodshed the greatest, the poppies to this day grow most profuse. From this beautiful superstition comes the true message of the poppy — the message from the boys who fell, — as expressed most beautifully in Col- onel John McCrea's verse:

678 IMPROVEMENT ERA June, 1929 We Shall Not Sleep "In Flanders Field the poppies blow Between the crosses row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks still bravely singing fly, Scarce heard amidst the guns below. "We are the dead. Short days ago we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders Field. "Take up our quarrel with the foe. To you from falling hands we throw The Torch — be yours to hold it high; If ye break faith with us who die, We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders Field." Because of this close association to the supreme sacrifice made by the boys who fell on Flanders Field, the poppy has become the Memorial Flower of The American Legion and its Aux- iliary— the emblem of a faith that is being kept through service to the living. With this thought in mind, those who love the poppy are making every effort to protect this beautiful flower and educate the public in general to know and love our poppy, not as a red tag to be bought and worn in- differently, but as an emblem of sacri- fice to be worn in reverent under- standing. The poppy is now the Memorial Flower of the French, British, Cana- dian and American World War Vet- erans. The poppy has won a place in the hearts of the people all over the world. Every year the public is afforded the opportunity of purchasing the sym- bol of remembrance of our nation's sacrifice, the little red poppy, from the American Legion and its Auxili- ary, who have taken up the "Torch" and are keeping faith with those who gave their all. The profits from the sale of the poppy are devoted 100% to service work. Such symbolism cannot but have its effect in inspiring us to the sacrifices demanded of all good citizens in peace times. Wear a poppy. Furthermore, those who buy these poppies do some- thing very real to help the disabled veterans who in making them are able to contribute to their own support. The manufacturing of the poppies in the hospitals and in the poppy work- shops maintained by the American Legion Auxiliary enables the disabled men and their families to earn money during the winter, which in many in- stances, is the means of providing food and shelter during the cold days. There is a great amount of relief work which is still necessary among the World War disabled, among the families of those who have died. In hospitals are thousands of veterans lying sick and helpless on their beds, many of them receiving no compensa- tion from the government because their ailments were not service connected. The wives and children of these men are struggling hopefully to keep their homes together until the day when husbands and fathers can return to them. There are convalescent vet- erans ready to go out from the hospitals to begin an unequal struggle to regain a place in the world in their weakened condition. "I pray thee, then, Write me as one that loves his fellow- men." Music has a rhetoric of its own, often more eloquent than verbal utter- ance; but, allied to impassioned words, its combined power to control, to stir the feelings and emotions, is well nigh irresistible. Its martial strains fire the enthusiasm of the patriot to deeds of heroism in the cause of liberty; its plain- tive and tender cadences vibrate with the thrill of affection, and the sym- pathetic bonds of domestic life; while its solemn peals awaken the heart to esctasy and devotional rapture. — Frederick Saunders: Stray Leaves of Literature.