Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-12-26

/ inspired authors, the books they wrote
word for wcrd. II copy Of the Scrip
lures. as originally written. could be
found. they thought. we would have a
text In every detail dictated by the
Holy Spirit.
II 10 evident that this theory Is not
sustained by facts, nor by any claims
the sacred authors make for their writ
ings. But, even II II Were true, It
would be absolutely useless to us. for
the simple reason that not one such
copy exists. The most carefully pre-
pared text now extant, Is very much
different from that first penned and the
verbal inspiration thsory Is therefore
without practical value at the present
time, az It has been, ever since the tirst
manuscripts were lost to the world.
Another theory held, that whatever Is
essential In the Scriptures, Is inspired
/ whatever is not essential is merely hui
man. But that theory Is useless unless
there is some infalllbe authority &c
tell us what is essential, and what Is
not. To one this doctrine may seem
essential, 70 another, that So, that
theory requires divinely appointed In
terpreter messenger to explain the
Word. as did Philip to the Ethiopian.
The theory that has been maintained
By some, that everything In the Scrip
lures with a moral tendency is Inspired
while that which has no such tendency
is not inspired, Is open to T-7~ OBJ
lection. 1t presupposes that man, even
though uninsplred, is capable Of passing
judgment upon the moral bearing OF
any given part OF the Scriptures, where
as the truth ia that man must come as
disciple 10 learn moral truth from the
inspired Word. He must approach II as
student. not as a master.
The Holy Spirit when acting upon
such human minds as are prepared to
receive inspiration, declares the truth
10 them, and guides them In the ex-
preston OF the knowledge thus
obtained. When the Spirit opens their
vision to new truths, or unveils TO them
facts not formerly known. we say they
are receiving revelations Inspiration
we ascribe to every word, or act. Ut
tered. or done, under the special guild
ance of the Spirit Of God, while revela-
ton, properly speaking, means those
acts OF the Spirit by which truths pre-
yiously unknown. are communicated to
tile children OF God. Inspiration dis
covers new truths, and superintends
their communication to those for whom
they are intended. A servant of the
Lord may be inspired. may speak, or
write, by inspiration, though. for the
time being, he may not be commission
ed to communicate revelation. He
speaks by inspiration even when ne
declares truths previously revealed,
provided he is under the influence OF the
Divine Spirit.
Inspiration does not mean that the
use of the human faculties Is for the
time being suspended. On the con-
trary. the Lord. when selecting an in
strument through whom to commune
cate with His children, uses the gifts
and graces with which such instrument
Is endowed. This Is clearly visible IN
the inspired writer's. Each has his own
peculiar style. Compare Isaiah and
Ezekiel, Paul and John. Even the PEE
cullar training, the modes OF thought.
and, perhaps the prejudices OF each. are
sometimes visible in their writings.
For instance, Luke, himself physician,
in relating the familiar incident OF the
woman who, by touching the Savior,
was healed OF an ailment OF long sgand-
ing. carefully states that though she
had spent much money on physicians,
she could not be healed by any. Mark,
writing under the direction OF Peter, the
unpublished fisherman. bluntly asserts
that 'she had suffered many things OF
many physicians" Both writers were
inspired. but that did not prevent them
from expressing the same fact, each
In his own peculiar way.
Inspiration admits research and stu
dy. Luke declares he had diligently
inquired" into the facts he was about
to record in the Gospel that bears his
name. And as 1t admits study, 1t adj
mts the quotation from other books,
secular and sacred. II admits Of the
employment of all human agencies
available for the pursuit of truth.
One Of the critics Of the Book OF
Mormon some years ago presented to
Utah audiences the objection that that
sacred record Is too imperfect in Ian
guage TO admit the inspiration OF the
Prophet Joseph In the translation OF
the original record In other words, he
held that certain imperfectionso OF gram
mar proved that the Prophet was a pre-
tender. We think not. Inspiration new
er was intended to teach grammar any
more than It's object IL to teach pen
ihanshlp, or photography and punctua-
tion. II is just as rational to say that
man who does not know the rules OF
punctuation cannot be inspired. as e.
say that a perfect knowledge OF gram
mar Is essential 1t Is not so. The
writers OF the New Testament were
Hebrews, and their writings in Greek
are In some particulars so different
from classical Greek, that special rules
OF grammar, and special dictionaries
have been prepared for the benefit OF
the student. To quote an eminent
scholar: While we need knowledge
of Greek generally, In order to read
the New Testament, we need, In order
to understand ii, knowledge of New
Testament Greek. and OF the Old Tes-
lament version So essential Ia thi.