1. The Dispensation of the Fullness of Times.—By a dispensation, in connection with the work of God, we mean "the opening of the heavens to men, the bestowing of the Holy Priesthood with all its powers upon them, and the organization and building up of the church of Christ upon the earth, for the salvation of all who will obey the gospel."^[1] By the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times we mean the last dispensation, the one in which all things, in Christ, whether in heaven or in earth, shall be gathered together in one;^[2] a dispensation which will include all other dispensations—one which will encompass all truth. As the rivers of the earth all eventually find their way to the ocean and empty into it, so all former dispensations will run into and become part of the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times, in which the work of God, in respect to the salvation of man and the redemption of the earth, will be consummated. [See note 1, end of section]

2. Birth and Parentage of Joseph Smith.—Joseph Smith, the man whom God appointed to stand at the head of the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times, and be the great Prophet, Seer, Revelator and President thereof was born in the year of our Lord 1805, on the 23rd of December, in Sharon, Windsor [Winsor] County, State of Vermont. His father's name was Joseph^[3] Smith, and his mother's maiden name Lucy Mack. Joseph and Lucy Smith had nine children, six sons and three daughters. The sons in the order of their age were Alvin, Hyrum, Joseph, Samuel Harrison, William, Don Carlos; the daughters, Sophronia, Catherine, Lucy.

3. The parents of the prophet were of humble origin, and poor, having to labor with their hands, hiring out by day's work, and otherwise to obtain a livelihood for their large family. In consequence of their poverty, they could give their children but very limited opportunities for attending school; yet Joseph learned to read, to write, and had some knowledge of the rudimentary principles of arithmetic.

4. When Joseph was ten years of age, his father moved from the State of Vermont to that of New York, settling in Palmyra, Ontario County.^[4] Four years later the family moved from Palmyra to Manchester, in the same county.

5. Religious Agitations.—While the Smith family lived in Manchester, when Joseph was in his fifteenth year, there was an unusual excitement on the subject of religion. It began with the Methodists, but soon became general among all the sects, and union revival meetings, in which all sects, took part were held in the vicinity of Manchester. The Smith family, being by nature religiously inclined became interested in these meetings, and several of them, viz., Joseph's mother, his brothers Hyrum and Samuel Harrison, and his sisters Lucy and Sophronia, were converted to the Presbyterian faith. Joseph's own mind was much wrought up by this religious agitation, and at one time he became somewhat partial to the Methodist persuasion.

6. He was greatly perplexed, however, by the strife among the sects, and the divisions which existed. The Presbyterians were opposed to the Methodists and Baptists; and these last named sects, though not agreeing with each other, were equally opposed to the Presbyterians. Why should the church of Christ be split up into fractions? Is God the author of confusion? Would he teach one society to worship one way, and administer one set of ordinances; and then teach another society quite a different system of worship, and another set of principles and ordinances different from those taught the first? Such were the questions Joseph Smith frequently asked himself when he reflected upon the confusion he witnessed.

7. In the midst of the war of words and tumult of opinion that accompanied this agitation, Joseph would often say to himself, What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right?

8. Joseph Smith's First Prayer and Vision.—While floundering in the midst of these difficulties he came to the following passage in the first chapter of the Epistle of James:

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

This passage impressed him with great force. It was the voice of God to him. If any man lacked wisdom he did; and here was counsel given directly how to obtain it, with a promise that he should receive it and not be unbraided for asking. He at last decided to follow the divine injunction.

9. It was in the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty, that Joseph put his resolution into effect. He selected a place in a grove near his father's house for that purpose. It was his first attempt to pray vocally, and he was somewhat timid; but finding himself alone he knelt down and began to offer up the desires of his heart to the Lord. He had scarcely began to pray when he was seized by some power which threw him violently to the ground, and it seemed for a time that he was doomed to a sudden destruction. It was no imaginary power but some actual being from the unseen world. His tongue for a time was bound that he could not speak; darkness gathered about him; but exerting all his powers he called upon God to deliver him out of the hands of his enemy, and at the very moment he was ready to give up in despair and abandon himself to destruction, he beheld a pillar of light immediately over his head descending towards him. Its brightness was above that of the sun at noon-day, and no sooner did it appear than he was freed from the enemy which had held him bound.

10. When the light rested upon him he beheld within it two personages standing above him in the air, whose brightness and glory defy all description, but they exactly resembled each other in form and features. One of them, pointing to the other said: "JOSEPH, THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, HEAR HIM."

11. Joseph's purpose in calling upon the Lord was to learn which of the sects was right, that he might know which to join. As soon, therefore, as he gained his self-possession, he addressed these questions to the personage to whom he was directed. To his astonishment he was told that none of the sects were right, and that he must join none of them. He was further told by the person who addressed him, that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that they drew near to him with their lips, but their hearts were far from him; that they taught for doctrine the commandments of men; that they had a form of godliness, but denied the power of God. And he was commanded the second time to join none of them.

12. There were many other things which Jesus said to Joseph on this occasion, but the prophet never recorded them further than to say that he received a promise that the fullness of the gospel would at some future time be made known to him.

13. The Importance of the Vision.—This splendid revelation is of vast importance: First, it dispels the vagaries that men had conjured up in respect to the person of Deity. Instead of being a personage without body, parts or passions, it revealed the fact that he had both body and parts, that he was in the form of man, or rather, that man had been made in his image.^[5] Second: It clearly proves that the Father and Son are distinct persons, and not one person as the Christian world believes. The oneness of the Godhead, so frequently spoken of in scripture, must therefore relate to oneness of sentiment and agreement in purpose. Third: It swept away the rubbish of human dogma and tradition that had accumulated in all the ages since Messiah's personal ministry on earth, by announcing that God did not acknowledge any of the sects of Christendom as his church, nor their creeds as his gospel. Thus the ground was cleared for the planting of the truth. Fourth: it showed how mistaken the Christian world was in claiming that all revelation had ceased—that God would no more reveal himself to man. Fifth: the vision created a witness for God on the earth: a man lived who could say to some purpose that God lived and that Jesus was the Christ, for he had seen and talked with them. Thus was laid the foundation for faith. We shall see anon, how the foundation was broadened.

14. The Interval of Three Years.—For three years after this first vision, Joseph received no other visitation or revelation; and as he had been forbidden to join any of the religious sects then existing he stood alone. It was a period of severe trial. A few days after his first vision, he related the circumstance to a Methodist minister who had been active in the religious agitation before mentioned. To the lad's surprise he treated his story with the utmost contempt; and declared it to be from the devil, as the Lord gave no revelations in these days, those things having ceased with the apostles. Making his vision public brought upon him the ridicule and indignation of the whole neighborhood, especially of the ministers. In this trying period of three years, according to his own statement, he was guilty of some youthful follies; but he was true to God, and continued in the face of all opposition to maintain that he had received a revelation from him.

15. The First Visit of Moroni.—On the 21st of September, 1823, having retired for the night, he betook himself to prayer to obtain the forgiveness of his sins, and a manifestation that would enable him to know his standing before the Lord. While thus engaged, the room began to be filled with light, and presently a personage appeared by his bedside, standing in the air. [See note 3, end of section.] He said that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God, and that his name was Moroni. He announced to Joseph Smith that the Lord had a work for him to do; and that his name would be had for good and evil among all nations.

16. The Book of Mormon.—The angel informed Joseph of the existence of the Book of Mormon, a record engraven upon golden plates, giving an account of the ancient inhabitants of the American continent and their origin. He said, also, that it contained the everlasting gospel as taught by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants of this Western hemisphere. Deposited with the record was a Urim and Thummim, consisting of two stones fastened in silver bows, attached to a breast-plate. The Lord had prepared this instrument for the purpose of translating the record. A vision of the hill where the sacred plates were hidden was given to the prophet.

17. Ancient Prophecies Quoted by Moroni.—After relating these things, the angel began quoting from the prophecies of the Old Testament. He first quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi;^[6] and then the fourth chapter. The first verse of the fourth chapter he quoted as follows:

For, behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of hosts; that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

The fifth and sixth verses he quoted:

Behold, I will reveal unto you the priesthood by the hand of Elijah, the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promise made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers; if it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.^[7]

18. Moroni also quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, and said the predictions in it were about to be fulfilled. They relate to the glorious restoration of the house of Israel from their long dispersion, and the reign of peace and righteousness on the earth. He quoted also the twenty-second and twenty-third verses of the third chapter of Acts:

For Moses truly said unto the fathers, a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

Moroni explained that the prophet here spoken of was Jesus Christ; but the day when they who would not hear his voice should be cut off from among the people had not yet come, but it would soon come.

19. The angel quoted from the twenty-eighth verse to the end of the second chapter of Joel; and said that it was soon to be fulfilled. It predicts the outpouring of God's Spirit upon all flesh; the signs in the heavens and the earth which are to precede the glorious coming of Messiah; and foretells the safety which shall be found in Mount Zion and Jerusalem in those troublous times.

20. The Warnings of Moroni.—After making these and other explanations the light within the room seemed to condense about the person of the angel and he departed. Shortly, however, he returned and repeated what he had said on his first appearance, and again withdrew. To Joseph's astonishment he appeared the third time and again repeated his message.

21. In his first appearance that eventful night the angel told Joseph that when he obtained the plates containing the record of the ancient inhabitants of America, together with the breast-plate and the Urim and Thummim—the full time for them to be given to him had not then arrived—he was to show them to no person except those to whom he would be commanded to show them. He was told that if he violated his commandment he would be destroyed. At his third appearing that same night the angel cautioned Joseph, saying that Satan would try to tempt him, in consequence of the poverty of his father's family, to obtain the plates for the purpose of getting rich. This he forbade him, saying that he must have no other object in view in getting the plates but to glorify God, and must be influenced by no other motive than that of building up his kingdom.

22. The Fourth Appearance of Moroni.—The whole night was consumed in these interviews with the angel. In the morning of the day following, Joseph went to his usual labors, but was so exhausted and faint that he found himself unable to pursue them. His father, who was laboring with him, observing that he was ailing, directed him to go home. In attempting to climb the fence out of the field where he was working, his strength entirely failed him and he fell unconscious to the ground. When he became conscious, the angel who had visited him the night before was standing by him calling his name. He repeated again the things of the night before, and commanded Joseph to go and tell his father of them. This he did, and his father testified that they were of God, and counseled his son to be obedient to the heavenly vision.

23. Cumorah and its Treasures.—Joseph went immediately to the hill Cumorah^[8] where the ancient record was hidden. So vivid had been his vision of the place the night before that he had no difficulty in recognizing it. [See note 4, end of section.]

24. On the west side of the hill Cumorah, not far from the top, under a stone of considerable size, lay the plates, deposited in a stone box. Removing the soil from around the edges of the stone box, with the aid of a lever, he raised it up and to his joy beheld the plates, the Urim and Thummim and breast-plate, just as described by the angel. He was about to take these treasures from the box when the messenger of the previous night again stood before him, and told him again that the time for bringing them forth had not yet arrived, and would not until four years from that date. The angel instructed him to come to that place in just one year from that time and he would meet with him, and that he would continue to do so until the time for obtaining the plates for translation had come. Accordingly at the end of each year Joseph went to the place appointed, and every time met the same heavenly messenger, who gave him instruction and intelligence in respect to the work of the Lord, and how the Christ's kingdom was to be conducted in these last days.

25. Translation and Publication of the Book of Mormon.—On the 22nd of September, 1827, the plates, together with the Urim and Thummim and breast-plate, were given into the hands of Joseph Smith by the angel Moroni, with a strict charge to keep them safe, saying that he [Joseph] would be held responsible for them; that if he should carelessly, or through any neglect of his, let them go, he would be cut off; but if he would use his best endeavors to preserve them, they should be protected. He soon learned the necessity of the strict charge given to him by Moroni, for no sooner was it learned that he had the plates than every kind of device, not even omitting that of violence, was employed to wrest them from him. He guarded them safely however, and in the midst of much persecution and many difficulties, succeeded by the help of the Lord and the assistance of Martin Harris, a well-to-to farmer, Oliver Cowdery, a young school teacher, who acted as his scribe in much of the work of translation, and the Whitmer family—with this assistance he succeeded in completing the translation and publishing the work in the year 1830.

26. The Witness.—In the course of the work of translation, Joseph and those assisting him, learned from the record itself that it would be hidden from the eyes of the world, that the eyes of none might behold it except three witnesses that should see it by the power of God—besides him to whom the record would be given to translate—and a few others who should view it that they might bear witness of the work of God to the children of men.^[9]

27. Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris desired to become the three witness named, and obtained that privilege from the Lord. Some time in June, 1829, the promise that they should have a view of the plates, the Urim and Thummim and breast-plate was fulfilled. The angel Moroni appeared unto them, exhibited to them those sacred things, and commanded them to bear witness of their existence to the world. This they did, and their testimony is published in all copies of the Book of Mormon.

28. The plates were exhibited by Joseph Smith to eight other witnesses whose testimony and names are also published in all copies of the Book of Mormon.

NOTES.

1. The Fullness of Times.—Now the thing to be known is, what the fullness of times means, or the extent and authority thereof. It means this, that the dispensation of the fullness of times is made up of all the dispensations that have ever been given since the world began, until this time. Unto Adam first was given a dispensation. It is well to know that God spoke to him with his own voice in the garden, and gave him the promise of the Messiah. And unto Noah also was a dispensation given. * * * And from Noah to Abraham, and from Abraham to Moses, and from Moses to Elias, and from Elias to John the Baptist, and from them to Jesus Christ, and from Jesus Christ to Peter, James and John, the apostles all having received their dispensation by revelation from God to accomplish the great scheme of restitution, spoken by all the holy prophets since the world began, the end of which is, the dispensation of the fullness of times in which all things shall be fulfilled that have been spoken of since the earth was made.—Joseph Smith, Mill. Star, vol. XVI, p. 220.

2. The Name of Joseph Foretold.—The Book of Mormon contains a remarkable prophecy by Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob, by which the name of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and of his father were foretold. The Prophet Lehi, who, it will be remembered, left Jerusalem six hundred years B. C., and who was acquainted with the Jewish scriptures, says, in blessing his son Joseph: "For Joseph (the one sold into Egypt by his brother) truly testified saying: A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins. * * * Behold that seer will the Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded. * * * And his name shall be called after me [Joseph]; and it shall be after the name of his father. And he shall be like unto me; for the thing which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand by the power of the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation."—II Nephi, ch. iii.

3. Description of Moroni.—He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant; his hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the wrist; so also, were his feet naked, as were his legs a little above the ankles. His head and neck were also bare. I could discover that he had no other clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into his bosom. Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning.—Joseph Smith, Pearl of Great Price, p. 89,

4. Description of Cumorah.—As you pass on the mailroad from Palmyra, Wayne County, to Canandaigua, Ontario County, New York, before arriving at the little village of Palmyra, you pass a large hill on the east side of the road. Why I say large, is because it is as large, perhaps, as any in that country. The north end rises quite suddenly until it assumes a level with the more southerly extremity, and I think I may say, an elevation higher than at the south, a short distance, say half or three-fourth of a mile. As you pass towards Canandaigua it lessens gradually, until the surface assumes its common level, or is broken by other smaller hills or ridges, water-courses and ravines. I think I am justified in saying that this is the highest hill for some distance round, and I am certain that its appearance, as it rises suddenly from a plain on the north, must attract the notice of the traveler as he passes by. The north end, (which has been described as rising suddenly from the plain) forms a promontory without timber, but covered with grass. As you pass to the south you soon come to scattering timber, the surface having been cleared by art or wind; and a short distance further left, you are surrounded with the common forest of the country. It is necessary to observe that even the part cleared, was only occupied for pasturage; its steep ascent and narrow summit not admitting the plough of the husbandman with any degree of ease or profit. It was at the second mentioned place, where the record was found to be deposited, on the west side of the hill, not far from the top down its side; and when myself visited the place in the year 1830, there were several trees standing—enough to cause a shade in summer, but not so much as to prevent the surface being covered with grass, which was also the case when the record was found.—Oliver Cowdery.

5. Analysis of the Book of Mormon.—

1. The Construction of the Record.—The Book of Mormon is an abridgment made from more extensive records kept by the ancient civilized people of America—chiefly by the people known in the Book of Mormon as Nephites. The abridgment, for the most part, is made by one Mormon, a Nephite prophet, who was born 311 A. D., and slain by his enemies in the year 400 A. D. The parts which are not his abridgment are the first 157 pages (N. E.), which bring us to the "Words of Mormon," page 158; and from page 563 {N. E.} to the end of the volume—sixty pages. This latter part of the record was made by Moroni, the son of Mormon, who was also the one who hid up the plates containing his father's and his own abridgment, in the year 421 A. D.; and who, having been raised from the dead, revealed the existence of these plates to Joseph Smith. The first 157 pages are a verbatim translation from what are known as the "smaller plates of Nephi"—we will explain: The first Nephi, who left Jerusalem with a small company of colonists led out from that city by his father, Lehi, 600 B. C., and who afterwards became their leader, prophet, and their first king—made two sets of plates, on which he proposed engraving the history of his people. On the larger of these two sets he engraved an account of his father's life, travels, prophecies, etc., together with his genealogy; and upon them also he recorded a full history of the wars and contentions of his people, as also their travels, and an account of the cities they founded and colonies they established. These larger plates were preserved in the care of succeeding kings, or judges of the republic when the kingdom was transformed into one; and, in a word, upon them was written a full history of the rise and fall of the nations which existed in America, from the landing of this colony from Jerusalem to 400 A. D., a period of nearly one thousand years.

It is quite evident that as these plates were transmitted from king to king, or from one ruling judge of the republic to another, or given into the possession of a prophet, that each recorded the historical events of his own day, and gave to such account his own name—hence Mormon found in these "larger plates" of Nephi, The Book of Mosiah, the Book of Alma, the Book of Helaman, etc.

Furthermore, it happened that there were colonies from time to time that drifted off into distant parts of the land and became lost for a season to the main body of the people; and there were missionary expeditions formed for the conversion of the Lamanites; and these parties, whether missionary or colonial, generally kept records; and when these colonists or missionary parties were found, or returned to the main body of the people, their records were incorporated within the main record, being kept by the historian—hence there was, sometimes, a book within a book, and the current of events was interrupted to record the history of these detached portions of the people, or some important missionary expedition.

Mormon, when abridging these plates of Nephi, gave to each particular division of his abridgment the name of the book from which he had taken his account of the events recorded—hence the Books of Mosiah, Alma, Helaman and III and IV Nephi in his abridgment. He also, in some instances, at least, followed the sub-divisions we have alluded to, hence we have the Record of Zeniff within the Book of Mosiah (page 181, N. E.); the account of the church founded by the first Alma (page 213); and the account of the missionary expeditions of the sons of Mosiah to the Lamanites within the Book of Alma (page 283.)

2. Complexity of the Literary Structure of the Book.—Again we caution the student to remember that the Book of Mormon is, for the most part, an abridgment from the "larger plates" of Nephi; but it is quite evident that Mormon frequently came to passages upon the plates of Nephi which pleased him so well that he transcribed them verbatim upon the plates containing his abridgment. An example of this will be found beginning on page 163, in the second line of the ninth paragraph, and ending with page 169—the words of King Benjamin to his people. The words of King Benjamin are also renewed on page 170, in the second line of the fourth paragraph, and continue to the close of the chapter. There are many such passages throughout Mormon's abridgment.

In addition to this, Mormon frequently introduces remarks of his own by way of comment, warning, prophecy or admonition, and since there is nothing in the text, neither quotation marks nor a change of type, to indicate where these comments, or what we might call annotations, begin or end, they are liable to confuse the reader—a difficulty that we hope will be obviated by this caution. So much for Mormon's abridgment. Now to consider the part of the work done by his son, Moroni. This is from page 563 to the end of the volume. He closes up the record of his father, Mormon, and then gives us an abridgment of the twenty-four plates of Ether, which were found in North America by the people of Limhi, in the second century B. C., and then concludes his work with notes on the manner of ordaining priests and teachers, administering the sacrament of the Lord's supper, baptism, spiritual gifts, together with a sermon and some of his father's letters. In his abridgment of the record of the Jaredites, the peculiarity of mixing up his comments, admonitions and prophecies with his narrative, is even more marked than in the abridgment of Mormon, therefore the reader will need to be doubly on his guard.

3. How the "Smaller Plates" of Nephi came to be attached to Mormon's Abridgment.—We have already said that the first 157 pages of the Book of Mormon were not a part of Mormon's abridgment. Those pages are a verbatim translation of the "smaller plates" of Nephi, and became connected with Mormon's abridgment in this manner: Mormon had abridged the "larger plates" of Nephi as far as the reign of King Benjamin, and in searching through the records which had been delivered to him, he found the "smaller plates" of Nephi. They contained a brief history of events connected with the departure of Lehi and his colony from Jerusalem to their landing in America, and thence down to the reign of this King Benjamin—covering a period of about 400 years. These plates were made by Nephi, that upon them might be engraven an account of the ministry of the servants of God, among his people, together with their prophecies and teachings. They contain, in other words, an ecclesiastical history of the Nephites, while the "larger plates" of Nephi contained a political or secular history of the same people. (I Nephi ix; xix: 1-5.)

Mormon was particularly well pleased with the contents of these "smaller plates" of Nephi, because upon them had been engraven so many prophecies concerning the coming and mission of the Messiah; and instead of condensing the history recorded on them into an abridgment, he took the plates themselves and attached them to the abridgment of Nephi's "larger plates." "And I do this for a wise purpose," says Mormon; "for thus it whispereth me according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me." (Words of Mormon, page 159 N. E.) Nephi also, in speaking of these "smaller plates," says, "the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him; which purpose I know not." (I Nephi ix:5.)

4. The Wise Purpose.—By Mormon attaching these "smaller plates" of Nephi to his own abridgment of Nephi's "larger plates," it will be observed there was a double line of history of the Nephites for about 400 years, and the wisdom of this arrangement is seen in the following: When Joseph Smith had translated the first part of Mormon's abridgment—amounting to 116 pages of manuscript, he listened to the importunities of Martin Harris, who was giving him some assistance in the work of translating, and who desired to show that portion of the work to his friends. The result was the manuscript was stolen from Harris; the records were taken from Joseph by the angel, and for a season he lost his power to translate. After a time, however, he was permitted to go on with the work, but the Lord made it known to him that it was the design of those into whose hands the manuscript had fallen to wait until he had translated that part again, and then by changing the manuscript in their possession, would bring it forth and claim that he could not translate the same record twice alike; and thus they would seek to overthrow the work of God.

But the heavenly messenger commanded Joseph Smith not to translate again the part he had already translated, but instead thereof he should translate the "smaller plates" of Nephi, and that account was to take the place of Mormon's abridgment up to the latter days of the reign of King Benjamin. (Doc. and Cov., Sec. 10.) Thus it is that we have the "Words of Mormon," beginning on page 158, explaining how the "smaller plates" of Nephi came into his possession and attached to the plates containing the record he himself was making, and connecting the historical narrative of the "smaller plates" of Nephi with his own abridgment of Nephi's "larger plates." The "Words of Mormon," interrupting as they do the history of the Nephites, have caused no little confusion in the minds of unthoughtful readers; but after it is understood that they are merely the link connecting the ecclesiastical history engraven on the "smaller plates" of Nephi to Mormon's abridgment, and that they take the place of the first part of Mormon's record, the difficulty will disappear.

5. Difference in the Literary Style of the "Smaller Plates" and Mormon's Abridgment.—One thing we cannot forbear to mention, and that is, in the parts of the Book of Mormon translated from the "smaller plates" of Nephi, we find none of those comments or annotations mixed up with the record that we have already spoken of as being peculiar to the abridgment made by Mormon—a circumstance, we take it, which proves the Book of Mormon to be consistent with the account given of the original records from which it was translated. The value of this fact appears if we stop to consider how destructive to the claims of the book it would be if the peculiarity of Mormon's abridgment were found in that part of the book which claims to be a verbatim translation of the "smaller plates" of Nephi. There will be found, however, in this translation direct from the "smaller plates" of Nephi, as also in Mormon's abridgment, extracts from the old Jewish Scriptures—especially from the writings of Isaiah—this is accounted for by the fact that when Lehi's colony left Jerusalem, they took with them copies of the books of Moses and the writings of the prophets, and the record of the Jews down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, all of which were engraven on plates of brass (see I Nephi v: 10-13), and the Nephite historians transcribed passages from these sacred records into their own writings.

6. The Transcribed Passages.—There are a few suggestions about these transcribed passages which may be valuable to the student, as they furnish an indirect evidence of the truth of the Book of Mormon. The Nephites having transcribed passages from the brass plates they carried with them from Jerusalem into their records, wherever such passages occur in the Book of Mormon, and corresponding passages are found in our English Bible, it will be seen by the reader that so far we have two translations of the writings of the old Hebrew prophets; and it will be found on comparison that the passages in the Book of Mormon are stronger and more in keeping with the sense sought to be expressed by the prophet than the corresponding passages and chapters in the Bible. As a proof of this I ask the student to compare I Nephi xx and xxi with Isaiah xlvii and xlix.

In some instances there are sentences, in the Book of Mormon version of passages from Isaiah, not to be found in our English version, as witness the following: BOOK OF MORMON.

O house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord; yea, come, for ye have all gone astray, every one to his wicked ways.—II Nephi xii.

BIBLE.

O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.—Isa. ii: 5.

In other instances it will be found that the sense of the passages is different, and that the passages in the Book of Mormon best accord with the sense of the whole:

BOOK OF MORMON.

Therefore, O Lord, thou hast forsaken thy people, the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and hearken unto soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.—II Nephi xii: 6.

Their land is also full of idols—they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: and the mean man boweth not down, and the great man humbleth himself not, therefore, forgive him not.—II Nephi xii: 8, 9.

Thou hast multiplied the nation, and increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.—II Nephi xix: 3.

BIBLE.

Therefore Thou hast forsaken Thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.—Isa. ii: 6

Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work which their own fingers have made: and the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore, forgive them not.—Isa. ii: 8, 9.

Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.—Isa. ix: 3.

Observe, too, the difference in the clearness of the following passages:

BOOK OF MORMON.

And when they shall say unto you, seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and mutter; should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to hear from the dead?—II Nephi xix: 3.

BIBLE.

And when they shall say unto you, seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter; should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?—Isa. viii: 19. Again, the English translators of the Bible, in order to make the sense of various passages more clear, inserted here and there, words of their own; which are always written in Italics, that the reader might know what words have been inserted by the translator, and for which he will find no equivalent in the original text. It is worthy of note that in those transcribed passages from the brass plates into the Book of Mormon, in almost every instance, the words in the Book of Mormon version are different to those substituted by the translators of the common English Version; or are left out, as follows:

BOOK OF MORMON.

What mean ye? Ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor.—II Nephi xiii: 15.

BIBLE.

What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor?—Isa. iii: 15.

The above is a case where the inserted word of the translator, which I have written in Italics, is omitted, and to my mind the passage as it stands in the Book of Mormon is the stronger and more beautiful. Here is a passage where different words are used than those inserted by the translators:

BOOK OF MORMON.

Say unto the righteous, that it is well with them; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

Woe unto the wicked for they shall perish; for the reward of their hands shall be upon them.—II Nephi xiii: 10, 11.

BIBLE.

Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

Woe unto the wicked; it shall be ill with him; for the reward of his hands shall be given him.—Isa. iii: 10, 11.

I think it will be readily conceived that the above passage as it stands in the Book of Mormon is much superior to the version given in our common Bible. And when it is remembered that Joseph Smith and those who assisted in translating that work were most likely uninformed as to the supplied words of the translators being written in Italics, it is an incidental evidence that those passages in the Book of Mormon to which are found corresponding passages in the Bible, were not merely copied from the Bible, but in the Book of Mormon we have really another translation of those passages taken from original records of the Hebrews, uncorrupted by the hand of man, and hence more perfect.

7. A Means of Testing the Truth of the Book of Mormon.—One suggestion more I would make to the readers of the Book of Mormon: that is, that they read it prayerfully with a real desire to know if it is of God. If they will peruse it with that desire in their hearts, I am sanguine that the Spirit of God which searches all things, yea, the deep things of God, will bear witness to their understanding that the book is of divine origin, and they will have a witness from God of its truth. Such a promise in fact, is contained within the book itself. When Moroni was closing up the sacred record previous to hiding it up unto the Lord until the time should come for it to be revealed as a witness for God, he engraved the following passage on the plates as words of counsel to those into whose hands the record should fall:

"And when ye shall receive these things" (i. e., the things written in the Book of Mormon) "I would exhort you that ye would ask God the Eternal 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; and by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Moroni x: 4,5.)

Here, then, is a means by which every person into whose hands the Book of Mormon falls may find out for himself, not from human testimony, not from the deductions of logic, but through the power of the Holy Ghost, whether the Book of Mormon is of divine origin or not. This test must be final, either for or against it, to every individual who complies with the conditions enjoined by Moroni. Those conditions are, that they into whose hands the record falls shall inquire of God with a sincere heart, with real intent, and having faith in Christ and to those who so proceed he promises without equivocation that they shall receive a manifestation of its truth by the power of the Holy Ghost. Therefore, if these directions are complied with faithfully and honestly, and the manifestation follows not, then they may know it is not of God. If the manifestation comes, of course the divine origin of the book is confirmed, for the Holy Ghost would not confirm by any manifestation of its power an imposition.

REVIEW.

1. What is a dispensation in connection with the work of God?

2. In what does the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times differ from other dispensations?

3. State when and where the Prophet Joseph was born.

4. What was the condition and standing of the Prophet's parents? 5. State what you can about the movements of the Smith family until its settlement in Manchester.

6. What occurred in Manchester when the prophet was in his fifteenth year?

7. What influence did this religious revival have on the Smith family?

8. What reflections did it give birth to in the boy Joseph?

9. What circumstance was it that decided the course of Joseph?

10. Describe the first great vision Joseph received.

11. What sectarian vagary is dispelled by this vision?

12. What were the prophet's subsequent teachings relative to the personage of God? (Note.)

13. What does the vision teach in respect to the Father and Son being distinct persons?

14. What great truth respecting the character of the creeds and sects of Christendom is learned from the vision?

15. What did it prove in regard to the false idea that God would give no more revelation to man?

16. What other important thing did this first vision accomplish?

17. How long was it after the prophet received his first vision before any other revelation was given him?

18. How was Joseph's announcement that he had received a revelation from God treated by the ministers?

19. What can you say of the prophet's conduct during the above mentioned interval of three years?

20. Give an account of Moroni's first visit to the Prophet Joseph.

21. Give a description of Moroni. (Note 3),

22. What ancient record did Moroni reveal the existence of?

23. Enumerate the several ancient prophecies of the Bible quoted by Moroni.

24. What cautions did Moroni give Joseph before finally leaving him?

25. Relate Moroni's fourth appearance to Joseph.

26. Give an account of Joseph's first visit to Cumorah.

27. By what name was this same hill known among the Jaredites?

28. Give a description of Cumorah.

29. What arrangements for future visitations did Moroni make with Joseph?

30. When were the plates of the Book of Mormon together with the Urim and Thummim given into the possession of Joseph?

31. What individuals and family rendered Joseph valuable assistance while translating the Book of Mormon?

32. How many especial witnesses were raised up to the Book of Mormon?

33. State how the Book of Mormon was constructed.

34. Describe the complexity of the structure of the Book of Mormon. 35. How did the "smaller plates" of Nephi come to be attached to Mormon's abridgment?

36. For what wise purpose were they attached to Mormon's abridgment?

37. What difference in style of composition is noticeable between these "smaller plates" and Mormon's abridgment?

38. What can you say of the transcribed passages from the brass plates?

39. What direct means exists for testing the truth of the Book of Mormon?