# Mormonism Exposed (Hancock)/Chapter 1

The people known as Mormons, or Latter Day Saints, are among the most aggressive religionists of the present time. Their missionaries are to be met with in all parts, and manifest a zeal that is certainly worthy of a better cause. We say "better cause," because we feel their cause is not good, and we are as conscious of our ability to demonstrate the truthfulness of the propositions embodied in our caption as we are of our ability to move the pencil with which we are now writing.
It has been said that knowledge and thought govern the world. As to whether this is true may be a question, but the thinking part of humanity will agree that such should be the case. Religiously, however, the majority seem to move without thought. It is a fact that most religionists give the subject of religion but little thought, and as a consequence, what ideas they have are in the main, second hand. Upon the part of those who think, and presume to think for the people, there is but little independence of mind, for they do not allow themselves to think outside of certain paths marked out by predecessors.
It being conceded that man should be governed by thought, it should not be a difficult matter to decide as to whose thoughts should govern him. Thought designed for the government of ​man should be such as to tend wholly to the betterment of man's estate. In order to a proper conception of the thought necessary in order to the desired end, we need to enquire for the purpose of religion. The word means "a binding back," carrying the idea of reuniting severed ties. Worship is designed to bring the worshipper into conformity to the object worshipped. Thought, hence, to accomplish the desired end, must lead to and give a truer knowledge of God. Man cannot, however, by searching, find out God. Therefore, no line of finite thought can answer the purpose. A knowledge of God can not come from man but must come from God.
The purpose of religion is an infinite one. The design is to prepare man for the service of the Infinite Being, in the infinite beyond. If thought is to govern man, in view of the end purposed in religion, it must be infinite thought, for finite means cannot accomplish an infinite purpose. In order to the desired end a finite being can do nothing but lay hold of infinite provisions. All the provisions from God in man's behalf, are through Christ. He must, therefore, be an Infinite Being or the claims of the Bible are not true.
God says to man, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55: 8, 9. If we ask, where are the thoughts of the Almighty in man's behalf to be found? the answer is in the context, and assures us that his thoughts are in the words that he has spoken to man.
Man's words give man's thoughts, and can give nothing beyond. Therefore God's words alone can give God's thoughts. If the glory of God is involved in the matters of religion his thoughts alone should govern man in these matters. One to give to man the thoughts of God must be one that knows the mind of God. Christ affirms that he is the only teacher of the human family that knew God. He is, hence, of these matters, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
​If God is interested in the eternal welfare of the creature man, and his thoughts are essential in order to that welfare, it is reasonable that he should not only reveal those thoughts, but also guard them against perversion. This we find he purposed to do. To the Jews he said. "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." Deut. 4: 2. Again, "What thing soever I command you, observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." Deut. 12: 32. These prohibitions are repeated in the New Testament, with the assurance that the anathamas of heaven will rest upon all who disregard them.
The thoughts of God could not be known but by revelation, and this revelation could not be but by the inspiration of the Almighty. Therefore, the inspiration essential in order to the desired end was afforded and no more. As the glory of God and the eternal interests of humanity were involved in these matters, man could not decide as to the amount of revelation required. The will of man, hence, never governed the action of inspiration; or, in other words, no inspiration was ever afforded at the mere suggestion of man. We are assured that no prophecy ever came at any time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. II. Peter 1: 20, 21. As to the purpose or extent of his working God never counseled man, but worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Eph. 1: 11. If we can ascertain the decision of God as to the amount of inspiration and revelation essential in order to the desired end it will be satisfactory to all who desire simply the truth.
There are different books that claim to exist by virtue of inspiration, and claim, hence, to be revelations from God. By way of introduction to a proper course of inquiry, we place certain of these books before us. First, we take the book called the Bible. If the claims of this book to inspiration cannot be sustained, no other book need put up such claim. The Bible is ​composed of two parts, the Old and New Testaments. If we ask, What do we have when we have the Old Testament? the answer is, We have Moses and the prophets. In the New Testament we have Jesus and his apostles. These two books, the Old and New Testaments, are a unit. They were both essential in order to the end in view, the eternal interests of man. In the first the mind of man was directed forward, in expectation of the second. In the first they were taught to expect perfection in the second. The two, hence, make one book. When the disciples accepted Jesus they could truthfully say, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write."
We have before us another book that claims to exist by virtue of inspiration from God. It is called the Book of Mormon. What have we in it? What purpose does it answer in the economy of Heaven? Inspiration, as we have seen, is not at the option of man but governed wholly by the will of God. If the Book of Mormon be an inspired production there must be a purpose in the economy of grace that it was designed to accomplish—a purpose above and beyond what could be accomplished by the inspiration afforded Christ and the apostle! The working of inspiration and revelation was in order to God's glory and man's eternal interest. If the Book of Mormon answers no specific purpose in order to the glory of God and the eternal interests of humanity the propositions, embodied in the heading under which we write are true, incontrovertibly true. If the Book of Mormon answers any purpose in the Divine economy, it must connect at some point with the Bible, and at that point there must be an incompleteness, a vacuum, that could not have been filled without its appearance. If there be such point it must be found in the New Testament, for there is not a prophecy, an allegory or type in the Old Testament, that directs the mind of man beyond what we have in Christ. The purpose of the inspiration and revelation that gave the Old Testament was reached in its fulness, by the bringing in of the hope that is afforded in Christ Jesus. "On the one hand, an old commandment is annulled, ​because it was weak and profitless (for the law perfected nothing) and on the other hand, a better hope is brought in whereby we draw near unto God." Heb. 7: 18, 19. Conybeare. When this better hope was brought in the full purpose of the Jewish economy was reached. Where in the New Testament economy, the economy that has the provisions for that better hope, is there a vacuum to be filled by a production through Joseph Smith? Echo answers—where!
It is now, we think, at this early stage in our investigation, perceptible to our readers, that in meeting the claims of Mormonism our task is simply to defend the claims of the Bible. We now and here unhesitatingly affirm, If the claims of Mormonism be true, the claims of the Bible are false. The truthfulness of this will appear as we proceed with our investigation.