Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-05-19

dld was 10 fead tnrm 70 lht blhhnVthS"
and that the words remained hefoIe
his eyes untl they were correctly writ
ten by the amanuensis. ihus securing
an absolutely correct copy Of the book
verbatim and literatim.'
Next, that In the later edition OF the
Book Of Mormon large number OF
changes were made from the text OF the
first edition and therefore, as accord
Ing 10 Mormon belief the earliest edi-
ton wns the work Of God Himself and
therefore perfect; every change was
departure from the divine translation
and so must be an insult to God and ao-
solutely untrustworthy and the editions
now In use fraudulent"
Then, that Brigham Young. in SER
mon published in the Journal OF Dis
courses, stated that Adam was our
father and God, that he was Michael the
Archangel, the Ancient OF Days' etci
that this address was delivered In salt
Lake City. April 3, 1862.
And these are the alleged arguments
by which the mythical Mormon Priest
was turned away and taken into the
Presbyterian fold. Let us examine them
briefly. The name Of Joseph Smith was
placed on the title page Of the first edl-
tlon OF the Book Of Mormon as author
by the printer, In whose Office the proof
reading was attended to. The object of
/ the printer was to secure the proprietor
ship OF the book to Joseph Smith. But
the testimony of the witnesses TO the
divine origin OF the book was also pub
lshed In It's preface, In which they de-
olared: I'VE also know that they
tthe platesl have been translated
by the gift and power OF God
for His voice hath declared It unto us,
wherefore we know OF surety that the
work IS true" Thus the first edition
showed Enthusiastically that It was a
"translatlon," and therefore the subse'
quent statements that It was translated
by Joseph Smith are no contradiction
OF that which is set forth In the first
edition.
Nor were the so-called changes that
were made by more correct proof-read-
ing OF the second edition any contra
dlctlon whatever Of the text Of the first
edition. Critical comparison viii show
that the purport and meaning OF the
language OF the hook are not affected by
the corrections Of little words such a.
in" for ION" and vice versa and other
small verbal changes and that In no
way has there been any substitution OF
sentences, differing In any important
manner or altering the sense Of any
statement or paragraph In the first edl-
ton. The objection raised by Mr. Me-
MILAN Is so childish that we would be
surprised AT It's use, were II not for the
fact that he has merely plagIarlsed ths
statement Of an apostate Mormon" as
TO those alleged changes, a copy OF
which, as published years ago we have
in our possession, and which has been
regarded as too puerIle for extended
notice.
The next assertion made by Mr.. Me-
MILAN that, at later date Joseph
Smith declared he did not trans
late the plates at all, and all
the rest Of the story ne tells about the
manner in which the words stood out
before his eyes, is all fiction so far as
II relates TO the alleged statement OF the
Prophet Joseph Smith He never as
serted anything Of the kind Neither
Mr.. Mcmillan nor any other anti-'Mor-
mon" writer or plagiarst ever found
such declaration In the history Of Jo-
seph Smith or in any Of his dlscourses
or the revelations from God TO him.
Something OF the kind was tod by Mar
tin Harris when he was an old and de-
crlpIt man, to one OF our Elders af-
ter he had been for many years out OF
the Church from which he had been ex-
communicated. II is not looked upon as
any authority, nor Is II believed by
any OF the leaders Of the Church. In
stating that Joseph Smith gave that ex-
PLANTATION, Mr.. Mcmillan asserts a POSI-
tive untruth.
Thus, all the fabric based upon al
legged contradictions either In or about
the Book Of Mormon falls TO the
ground, and disappears before a breath
Of common sense and a ray Of the light
OF truth. They are old objections with
which every experienced Mormon FL.
der or Priest Is familiar, and could have
no effect in peryerting any one rootsd
and grounded In the faith.
As to the Isolated excerpt from Pres
ident Brigham Young's discourse about
our father Adam, the explanation has
been given time and time again, show
ing that the great progenitor CT our
race will stand az the head Of his pos
terity in the eternal worlds, as each pa.
trlareh viii be honored in his own
place. and that In his pre-exlstent stare
Adam was Miohael, the Prince the Arch.
angel, and that he will appear at the
time appointed as the Ancient Of Days
spoken OF by the Prophet Daniel. The
Being who Is worshlpped by the Latter
day Saints Is the same Deity who gave
commandments to our father Adam and
Mother Eve and who was as greatly
revered by President Brigham Young
as by any devout worshlppet, Christian
or Pagan II suited Mr. McMllan's pur.
pose to quote a few words from the dis
couse mentioned in his pamphlet, as II
has been used by scores Of other anti
Mormon" preachers and writers foi
many years
One more reference TO Mr. McMillan's
pamphlet, and we have done with II fol
the present. He offers the following blt
Of speelous reasoning on the testimony
that apostolic authority has been re-
stored In the last days by which alone
sacraments and ordinances are 10 b