A Word Concerning Prophecy

A Word Concerning Prophecy By ED. M. ROWE Assistant Professor of English, Brigham Young University "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts." (II Peter 1:19.) THERE is, in this paper, no attempt on the part of the writer to enter into a discus- sion of the prophecy on war, the prophecy concerning Stephen A. Douglas, the prophecy concerning the establishment of the Latter- day Saints as a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains, the prophetic dedication and bless- ing of the Holy Land as a place for the return gathering of the Jews, or the coming forth of the Book of Mormon — all fulfilled during the last century, to a degree commensurate with the spirit of their utterance. My purpose is to give a brief treatment of the decla- ration and the fulfilment of other prophecy. By prophecy I mean the decla- ration of the mind and will of God, to his people, by one chosen and inspired to speak for, and in behalf of a Deity. A prophet shares the counsels of God and asserts His word. He incites fear, utters warning, and inspires men to life and action. The blessing of the Almighty gives him under- standing. He denounces sin, preaches righteousness, and makes prophetic promise. No less a writer than Dr. J. M. P. Smith writes: "It is for the modern prophet rather to face the facts of life with open eye, to read the message of God to the age as it is revealed in those facts and process- es, and to surrender himself in the full assurance of faith to the task of declaring and interpreting that message to his fel- lowmen. So will prophecy live again and religion once more become a quickening power upon the minds of men."* TT is in the light of the quicken- ing power of prophecy and the evident assurance of promise that the ensuing thoughts are presented. To the Prophet Joseph Smith, at Hiram, Ohio, in November, 1831, the Lord declared Himself thus: *J. M. Powis Smith. The Prophet and His Problems (New York, 1923), p. 233. "And again, verily I say unto you, that it is your privilege, and a promise I give unto you that have been ordained unto this ministry, that inasmuch as you strip yourselves from jealousies and fears, and humble yourselves before me, for ye are not sufficiently humble, the veil shall be rent and you shall see me and know that I am; not with the carnal, neither natural mind, but with the spiritual." (Doc. and Cov. Sec. 67:10.) A LL of us may not be permitted to behold such visions as that presented to Joseph Smith in the spring of 1820, in which he saw the Father and the Son, or that given the Prophet and Sidney Rig- don, at Hiram, Ohio, on Feb. 16, 1832, in which they beheld the Son sitting on the right hand of the Father and received the assur- ance that they live: "And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony last of all, which we give of him, that he lives; "For we saw him, even on the right hand of God, and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father." (Doc. and Cov. Sec. 76: 22-23.) T\7E may, however, having strip- ped ourselves of jealousies and fears, and having humbled our- selves before God, behold the veil rent and see him and know that he is, not with the carnal or nat- ural mind, but with the spiritual. The significance of this matter is that the inquiring mind of a humble, prayerful person may be enlightened; and a testimony may be implanted therein, when that mind is quickened by the Spirit of God. In spiritual vision, then, man may see God and know that he exists. To the truth of this declaration, hundreds of thousands of Latter-day Saints raise their voices in words of gratitude and songs of praise. TN a manner scarcely less appar- ent than that of witnessing God with the spiritual mind, the right- eous man may obtain wisdom and hidden treasures of knowledge. To the psychologist or the philosopher who may believe in a Pantheistic God, such a statement as that of obtaining hidden treasures of knowledge is absurd. To him who believes in a personal Father, ca- pable of manifesting himself to his children, the statement is prophetic and sound. In Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord has made plain a code of regulations and suggestions which underlie self- preservation, physical health, men- tal discipline, and spiritual cul- ture. Predicated upon obedience to these suggestions is the follow- ing assurance: They "shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures." This, being the word of God, is prophetic. Was not its fulfil- ment made plain in the intellec- tual life of him to whom it was revealed on Feb. 27, 1833? To many young men who devote their lives to the pursuit of knowl- edge, the growth and development of Joseph Smith's intelligence is a challenge. TIJROM what teachers did Joseph obtain the training that en- abled him to present the phil- osophy of life, here and hereafter, which he propounded to the world? Many thoughtful people find permanent satisfaction in the contemplation of that philosophy. Is it man-made? Was it given by inspiration? Recent investigation has proved that his knowledge of translating records from an an- cient to a modern language is valid and specific. In his thesis which he submitted to the faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Lit- erature of the University of Chi- cago, Prof. Sidney B. Sperry has pointed out that the text of Isaiah in the King James' version of the Bible, in so far as it parallels that of the Book of Mormon, contains two hundred verses within which are italics. 'The Book of Mor- mon has different translations in the main, where italics occur, in ninety-six verses out of the two hundred." Prof. Sperry then con- cludes, after having considered the nature of the words in italics, that the evidence of Joseph Smith's in- dependence in translating the text of Isaiah is striking. Furthermore, (Continued on page 592)