Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-02-21
NO DISCREPANCY.


from friends In the north from which
the following is an extract, and we are
requested to reply through the News
"a dispute has arisen as to the
correct translation Of the sermon Oh
the Mount as found IN the BOOK OF
Mormon and the so-called lnAplteu
translation OF the Bible by the Prophet
Joseph Smith as published at flaho
illinois, In the Book Of Mormon the
verses III thy right eye offend thee
MUCK II out, and east II from theei
also. II thy right hand offend thee, cut
II OF. and cast II from thee, are mol
found. whereas IN the above mentioned
translation they are quoted In full the
same as found In King James's trans
latjOn. Now, the question rs, when
is the correct translation and the one
that we as Church should be guided
by?"
There seems to be q disposition among
some Of our people to raise questions
over trivial matters, and to discover
discrepancies that do not really exist
In the present instance, we can see no
occasion for any dispute. The Book Of
Mormon gives an account OF dis
course delivered by Jesus Christ to the
Nephltes on this continent, after His
resurrection from the dead, The New
Testament gives a report Of His Sermon
on the Mount preached TO His disciples
while He was yet In mortality In Pales-
tine, which Is on the Eastern Hemis-
phere Why there should be a diner
ence OF opinion as 70 the correctness Of
the translation Of the former because
It, in some few respects. differs from
the translation OF the latter, IL one OF
those things that reason, aided by COM
mon sense finds It very difficult to dis
cover.
II Is true that the speaker was the
same on both occasions, and that Hts
theme was the same at the two differ
ent times and places. But does Il follow
that He, OF necessity, made His address
identical In every particular? Could He
not add to or omit from His sermon in
Palestine, anything He pleased, when
lie delivered His discourse on this hem
isphere2 Our friends who have been
discussing this simple matter. seem to
think that the Book Of Mormon gives a
translation OF the words spoken by the
Savior at the former place and occa-
sion, while az a matter OF fact It Is a
translation Of His remarks at another
time and different place
Then, the report Of the later address
may not be fun and complete. Nor.
mon, who wrote and abridged the ac-
count OF the visit OF the Savior TO the
Nephites, remarked concerning Il: "And
now there cannot be written in this
book even a hundredth part Of the
things which Jesus did truly teach unto
the people In reading the record
which has come down TO us under the
title OF the Book OF Mormon, It should
always be remembered that It ls an
'abrdgement' OF other records. II that
Is not kept In mind a proper under
standing concerning the work will not
be obtained.
The translation OF the Bible referred
to by our correspondents, has not
been adopted by this Church as author
itatiye. It is understood that
the Prophet Joseph intended before
It's publication to subject the
manuscript TO an entire examination,
for such revision as might be deemed
necessary Be that as II may, the work
has not been published under the aus
piees Of this Church and Is, therefore
not held out as a guide. For the pres.
ent, the version OF the scriptures COM
monty known as King James transla-
ton is used. and the living oracles are
the expounders Of the written word.
In the letter OF inquiry, II is further
stated that the two verses quoted from
the New Testament are mot in har-
mony with the promise "He that over
cometh shall inherit all things" Here
again We see no reason for rational con-
troyersy. Indeed, 1t appears to US that
the two scriptures are In perfect har-
mony. In casting away from US any
thing that is evl In our nature. We gain
a victory which exalts and qualities US
for the conquerors crown.
OF course no sane person would Inn
agine, for a moment, that the instruc-
ton OF the Savior concerning the eye
and the hand Is 10 be understood liter
ally. II signifies the plucklng out Of
everything that is evil and casting II
from US, no matter how dear II may
be to US. or how thoroughly a part Of
our fallen nature Cutting of hand
OF pulling out an eye would make no
improvement either Of the body or OF
the spirit
Flguratively. the language Is most
expressive, just Ike the teaching OF the
same great Master In the same dis
course about the mote and the beam
As well might We contend that Christ
Is literal door" or grapevine. and
that when he said take eat, this Is my
body" He meant they were 20 eat His
literal flesh. II Is astounding that any
one possessed of sound reason would
take the evidently hgmatively express
sions. often used in oriental language,
and apply them In literal sense
We are Of the opinion that there IS
too much debate over simple things
We will not call Il contention" al
though perhaps the term is often APP
plicable in such cases. over unlmportant
questions and such as could - rr-''r
settled by the use 70