Graham guardian., 1895-10-25
Ancient Ruins.
EDITOR GUARDIAN

In answer to the question in my
former article on the Ancient Ruins
as to where the information con-
tanned in that article can be OBJ
tanned, will refer your readers to
the Book of Mormon, and in intro
ducing this book, which / claim to
be a true history, as written by the
historians of that once enlightened
race, / am aware that there is one
difficulty attending its introduction
as reliable history, and that it it's
claim to divine origin. But 1 am
satisfied that if the book was strip.
ped Of that feature, or, retaining
the devine claim, if the plate S
from which Joseph Smith translat-
ed the Book of Mormon had been
found by Prof Cushing Of the
Smithsonian Institute, and trans
lated by some professor of Ian
guages, it would have been uni
versally received, and the mystery
attending the "ancient ruins" ques-
tion would have been solved. l
met Prof. Gushing when he was So
journing among the Zuna Indians.
He renamed with them for several
years, and in order that he might
successfully prosecute his re-
searches among them he became
one of the tribe by adoption.
In answer to a question / put to
him he said he had been sent out
by the Smithsonian Institute to
search out the races Of man. In
order TO assist him in his work l
gave him a copy Of the Book of
Mormon; but how extensively he
read it or what he thought of it 1
cannot say, for have not met him
since.
The prejudice existing in the
minds of many against the Book of
Mormon, in consequence of it's
claim to devine origin is so strong
that the mere mention of the name
is sufficient to condemn it without
any investigation whatever.
Mr.. Bancroft, in his history Of
Utah attempts merely to treat his
torically of the introduction of the
Book of Mormon, and, to deal
fairly with the question he copies
extensively from the writings of
Joseph Smith and other church
writer's, setting forth the claim that
the plates from which the Book of
Mormon was translated was de-
livered to Smith by a heavenly
messenger in the. year 1927, and
that it was translated by the gift
and power of God with the urim
and thummum. He then copies
from the writings of bitter oppon,
ents of the Mormon church and
leaves the people to judge for
themselves. A very proper way to
write history, for no man can judge
justly unless he hears both sides,
except when he judges by the tes-
timony of the Holy Spirit. Many
have been convinced of the divin-
ity of the Book of Mormon by this
means, Notwithstanding the many
slanderous and false statements of
It's enemies to the contrary.
There is one fact which is not
generally considered. 1t is taatthere
are two powers or influences which
control the actions and destinles of
men. One is for good and the
other is for evil, and whenever that
good influence has been set to work
to introduce or carry out the de-
signs of the God of Heaven, the
evil power has set itself up as the
ruling power of the earth, and
tried to make the people believe
that God had no rights here. Sa-
tan tried this on the Son of God
when he came to redeem fallen
man, and even had the presump
ton to offer Jesus all the King
doms of the earth if he would wor-
ship him, when he did not own one
foot of the earth. The great king
of Babylon, by sad experience,
was made to acknowledge that the
God of heaven ruled in the king
doms of men.
l make these references to show
that the slanderous reports of ma