Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-11-05
Answer.

your article preceding THIS your req
cr,tccs to the Catechism, Key 10 The
ology. etc. by ~ doing you simply cN-
p1so your almost impudcut violation VI
our agreement published Ia the News
d August 2tth. over your own sigma
turc. The matter was thoroughly dis
cussed at the time. ANA any further
reference To- II will be treated with
significant silence uu our part The
lmputaiiou that We have revised" your
argument. or even weakened II In any
way. ~ false Tho references spoken
u are lcft out ~ this article. too. n
10 does not suit your purpose 90 discuss
Murmonlsm as found Ia OUR standards
" faith. as agreed upon, you are nj
liberty 10 end the discussion at your
earliest convenience Ia, "NcwH"l
REV. John u. Nutuur charges that
Mormonism seems 10 dislike clear logic.
the dictionary and the established laws
~ Interpretation Of language. what
that charge IL based on does not ap-
pear TO the best % our understand
Ing 10 II clear logic. "a correct use uf
the dictionary and the correct npplicu-
ton Of the laws 0f Interpretation Tor
which we contend. n would be- easy
Ia hufl the charge back. on the head
1f our opponent. but there IL no need
" retaliation. The public is the Judge
on Co which side has the olenrcHt logic.
etc. We. at least. need not formulate
on argument aud then follow ID up
With an explanation that " ~ clear
iuEic. We leave TO the other side the
hcnOnt " the device adopted by the
famous and ingenious painter OF horses,
~ 60 the Use of the dictionary, Rev.
ID g.. g. d..
definition there given of the word God
IL enough to upset the theology ~
Nurmunlsm. our reply 60 that was
that the dictionary ~ no authority on
theological questions. and this IN true.
In the dictionary the words contained
In a language ARE collected and their
commonly accepted meaning iH given.
~ 20 the meaning che dictionary IL nu-
thorty nut when the question ariaca
whether the commonly accepted mean
Ing ~ certain word in that ln which
u was employed. let a. any BY the
authors NJ the Bible Tor instance. then
tho Inquiry must b. carried further.
l Words change meaning and even De.
| come obsolete. the definitions u the
| dictionaries change accordingly, but the
revealed truths remain forever and
ever.
our opponent next tries his Wit and
becomes sarcastic. lie oudeaygrs 90
wfcst from our quotations u Scripture
confession that the d0cirlnr ~ a
rlurnlty ~ Gods originated with Satan.
/ What a spectacle h. makes 81 himself
II she reader will take the trouble u
referring Co our previous article h. will
/ ma on this point the f0lllw.nFi
The sgrpent In teuptlrE our ant
| parents holds Out ~ nu inducrmont
| 90 them 90 cat Of Tho fruit that By ~
I ~
| % %, a statement that VAS not entirely
false, since the God Jehovah later on
| faldi Behold Adam d become as ono
4, 90 U.s. fdsn. o. GlT
II II almost beyond belief that a
Christian minister h willing 10 place
hlnnclt on foclfd ~ saying shat shg
| plurality u Gods here taught--and
| Mormonlsm knows " no other-ls the
doctrine 81 Satan. Moses oNprevaiy
! sta,eai And she Lord uod said. be-
4 hb.l. the man u become as ONE OF
Us lGSn. 81 2sl II Ia Gods doc
irl1c, MT saiun's
but our opponent proves himself an
| entertaining JuHFlcr. not only with
heflNurr texts bat also with the con-
/ lcHa ~ other Mofmn Htaudnpia 0f
faiih, lie says "lhc early Mormon
dleitine ~ God c1niradiutH the prr1rnI
one Ana now Tor the proof IN thirs
| ~, BOOK ~ Mormon teaches only ono
| COZ % does The Doctrine and cove.
nauls W io section ~ and sho Pearl OF
Great Price % 90 page al In sthcr
words because the plurality OF Inc
bndhyal y not Of Mr.. Nutinf's word
ne taken Tor lO revealed la the Hook ~
! Mormon, or on The earlier pages of the
| Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl
nl oreat Price, therefore those earlier
| pgtu9ns " these writings contradict
she later ones. We presume this Il "A
specimen Of that Vloar loEle' Nor
| monlhn dlHlIkca 10 much. How docs
that argument strike BIBLE reader
| VINO searches the nIhe sn vain Tor a
| irNt setting fnrh The Trlnitarlan doc
trnci " the Old Tcsthment fof a char
revelation On the immortality OF the
ioulf Must he not by virtue OF thnt
clear logic conclude that che Rible Nv
silence contrndlgta Athanaslus, and thg
/ oli Testament the New Hole stu
/ dents know well that revelation IL
/ gradual The truths and purposes on
/ uod are eternal, but the revelations OF
/ those truths have aptly been COM
/ phrfd 20 the grldgll rising Of the siIn.
scattering che mlsta Of the mornina
! unill every IN ami valley - clothed
IN splendJr. because an early reyslA-
Nnn does not convey all there Il To ia
| revealed, We cannot trutbfully saw
that 20 c1uIruilcis later and more com.
ptthenslvn revelations II would be as
/ sNfA7H'HNNtNH ~ W H|fNNHNH ~ ENMmnln he
cause the sun rises gradually over Inc
landscape instead ~ taking one lean
from she horizon 90 zemth and rcmain-
ING there stationary. Apply that rea-
soning 30 Other hienry cOmpos.tlons
our opponent argues thus! because on
page 81 " the Pearl u Great Price. Ii
recorded doctrine not recorded on
page J, therefore rage 1 contradicts
page 81 An Intelligent child would not
b. deceived by 90 glazing flllacy.
The Hebrew argument we are
| tod, IL "ludcr1us' 20 scholarship, In
| proof " this two great scholars, desc
! MUS and Davies, are quoted on she use
/ lu The Hebrew language Of plural nouns
| % denote single ObloclA (The way IN
l which Mr. NutHug quotes Gesenius
| .H certainly ludlCrIuaJ The sum OF
/ thH. lNe are told "a that the plural
I E.UhIm does not mean the plurality hut
/ the excellence Of The one God. ny
| analogy Of reasoning We suppose tho
| word used % dennic ccr5ain IDOLS Ger
aphImi ia plural merely 10 give ON.
uhaFIs 60 the eNcelloncy Of that IDOL.
TerapMm, Wc suppose. does not admit
the thought ~ many IDOLS OF the same
Kind but only one whose majesty and
excellence were TOO much Tor a noun
ln singular form'
The explanation given by the scholars
quoted, and By others, and which tho
author ~ this happens % be familiar
with from early school days, IN perhaps
the very best that can be offered In sun
port NJ orthodox theology on this point.
! We do NOT underestimate rs value OF
I f.....-.t.u.. 10 fHa cont FnNeraN fuYuaN