Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-19

1ditor Trbune-The most Impressive
,blnr In the second communication OF
,ho Unknown M Is its very striking
l0erence Of spirit as compared with
,ho Grst His arrogance, IL not hts
,anedence seems to have left him. and
No writes In spirit more In harmony
Win the nature OF the subject. ! con.
cratllate him upon the Improvement,
when book which is sacred to tens
., thousands of intelligent people, and
nhIch is accepted by them as a reye-
Axiom from God, Is TO be criticized. a
docon, regard for proprety requires
,ho, /, should be discussed In a re.
.,,ciable manner, and all the more SO
n the critic regards those who accept
,be book as deceived, and would lead
Them from their deluslon.
In this connection also desire 10 say
word on an incidental matter on
ahIch the Unknown lays some stress,
VIZ mat 1.-The reading, thinking, truth
,nving millions of this country have
came TO the conclusion that the Book
~ Mormon is fiction. This carries with
~ the idea that these millions have
ayamined the Book of Mormon and in
,oIIgently Judged II TO be fctlon-an
,nnression most erroneous. for out of
me ninety millions of the people of our
country II X safe TO say not more than
,wn or three millions have ever read
the Rock OF Mormon, this in the most
s,nerhcial manner and with their minds
nrsudced by the misrepresentation
made concerning IT, IN fact, because
Of these misrepresentation contempt
has preceded examination, circum-
stance which keeps men ignorant of the
Rock of Mormon This much to remind
the reader that there Is no force In The
appeal of the Unknown to the supposed
condemnation of the Book OF Mormon
Inv "the reading thinking, tINth-loving
millions OF this country
OPPONENTS CRITICISM,
At this point the gentleman proceeds
with a show OF orderly argument TO
law down what he considers two self
evident canons OF criticism on which
he takes his stand in repeating his OBJ
iections 10 the Book of Mormon, The
drst of these he states in the following
terms "Any book which processes TO
have been written In ancient times and
yet quotes from authors not born until
centuries afterAis a spurious book"
This canon Of criticism, however SER
yiceable when applied TO books in gem
fral. can I'm no sense be made to do
service against the Book OF Mormon
When he formulated his canon of crit.
lcsm, as throughout the discussion the
Unknown fails TO recognize the fact
that while the Book OF Mormon Is an
ancient book, II Is largely prophetic
book and the strongest complaint that
can be made against II along the line
Of the Unknown's criticism Is that some
Of its prophecies are here and there
translated In phraseology somewhat
similar to that of writer's living subse-
Quent TO the period In which It was
written. In explanation of this fact
have urged that the translator. Joseph
smith being acquainted with the New
Testament writings. and his dlction in
nuenced by the phrase0logy OF those
writer's sometimes expressed the
thoughts and predictions of the ancient
writer's in New Testament phrases. SO
that the question at issue at this point
Of the discussion is. first, whether the
ancient writer's in the Book of Mormon
'ould have been acquainted with the
events, 10 them then future found In
ne Book Of Mormon, and Is the theory
reasonable that In transating their
statement Of these events Joseuh
smiths dlcton would he influenced by
the phraseology Of the New Testament?
IN dealing with the question Of the
New Testament phraseology in the
Book Of Mormon II Is Joseph Smith
that the Unknown has to deal with. not
Nephi with the translator, not with
the original writer. A distinction which
he persistently refuses to recognize.
As TO PRoPHEsY.
And nov as to the point whether the
writer's Of the Book of Mormon could
be acquainted with the events, IDEAS
and doctrines which Joseph Smith
translated here and there in New Tes-
lament phraseology The Unknown APP
pears ignorant OF the great truth that
prophecy is but history reversed. He
lorgets that known unto God arc all
HIS works and words from the begin
ming to the end, and that He has at
various times made known future
events In the clearest manner to His
prophets who, under the inspiration OF
NE Holy Ghost have recorded them.
The Prophet Isaiah, $50 years before the
birth Of Cyrus, foretold his name: de-
eared that he should subdue kingdoms.
including Babylon, set free the people
'N HNih III buUuukF lllflt anu lf~
ouid the House Of the Lord at Jerusa-
en' And all this az clearly as the his
Wrlans could write II after the events
themselves took place. To Daniel he
revealed the rise. fall and succession
VI the leading empires and nations of
ue world, even to the time Of the es-
punishment of Gods kingdom In power
Y hod universal sway In the latter
glys, an event not yet fulnlled To
We prophets Of Israel nearly overy
Important event IN the life OF the Sa-
noi was made known, They foretold
KAY lie would be born OF virgin, that
rus name would signify God with u.s."
m ma' bethlehem would be the place OF
nls Dlrth, that He would sojourn In
htypt win His parents that lie would
nside In Nazareth, for "IIe shall be
fHtl q Nazarene, that "A messenger
Hollq prepare the way before Him
al tie should ride In triumph into Jc-
,tat I'm upon colt, the foal Of an ass
wa, ne would he afflicted and despised
"l ne would be Il man OF sorrows and
sNgaluted with grief, that lie would
lesplsed and rejected Of men; that
NV" would turn their faces from him In
dlnlclloni that lie would be cs-
,bNI as stricken and smittcn ~ God,
,ss ' ne would be wounded for our
,is'stesslon, bruised for our inlqul-
n WV, mat the chhstlsrmcnt OF mon
,, yulu Dc lal1 upon Him, and by Ills
nv IKE , would they he healed; that up
y, nim would God lay tho inauty "
Goa. mat Tor the transgrcssIons ~
M, people would lie ho stricken;
0E,,s ne would bo oppressed and ar
yft open not Ills mouth: that
81 s sne,p before her shearcrs Is dumb.
6anou'u lie be silent before Ills
r, mat Ne would be betrayed for
NIX rvs OF silver; that men would di-
,os,n,s ialmcnt and cast lots for His
md ,,, tnal they would give Him gall
HIM shgRstt, 70 drink; that rot bone of
', should be- broken; that Ue should
I'iaken from prison and from IIdg,
irirc. ana be cut out Of The land of tho
vbs mat lie would make His grave