Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-04-24

INf llNHtiNN Vows i'hHAinitNN '''t
pany, has iust issued from its presses
the second and third volumes of y. II.
Roberto splendid work ON the Book
of Mormon, entitled New Witness for
God The two volumes now issued
from the press contain am average ~
500 narcs each, and are sold ~ the
Dcserct News, In cloth at %l2e per
volume
Tho hrst volume of this series is
Joseph Smith. the Prophet. and was
published some years ago. The sec
ond part IN the series. now appears
in two volumes under the above utlo-
Volume two is ready for distribution
and three will follow In few days.
over twenty years have gone By since
Elder Roberts first began work on
these voiumes.and Il Is about six years
since they were first puhliAned I'm
thrcc-vear course Of Manuals Designed
for the y. A. NJ L. A. senior classes.
he was SO full OF the subject that the
manuscript first designed for one
years course on the Book OF Mormon
grew into three manuals which were
adopted hv tho Mutuals IN 1908 and tho
years following. AS the author became
enthusiastic and interested IN his sub
icCt. ne seemed 60 have had the power
10 transfer those feelings to every per-
son who has studied his text. The
members Of the classes who took up
the study were not only enthusiastic,
but their desires for further investi-
cations grew, and the general result
was an increased interest IN the sacred
record. and invariably n stronger tes-
tmony OF It's divine origin. Elder
Roberts has both written and spoken
much on the Book OF Mormon, IN the
meantime and is without doubt the
most widely read author, as well as
he fhNa NIB.
iect Ina the Church The text OF the
present volumes has undergone
thorough revision, with amplifications,
new facts added to bring in the latest
thought. with EXAMINATIONS where these
were necessary to meet just criticism
OF 10 strengthen the work.
While the Book of Mormon is only
an incident In the establishment Of the
great Church OF Christ IN the latter
days, It is 40 very important that If
70 could be proved to be anything 9TH
or than what the Prophet Joseph
claimed it TO bean ancient volume
OF American Scripture preserved and
translated by the power Of God. deal
Ing with the history Of the ancient In
habitants OF America, and containing
a message from God 10 them and be-
ing a witness TO the present genera
ton for Him-Joseph Smith could be
counted a false prophet, and all the
marvellous work resulting from his la
bors, vain. SO IL is that the author,
I'm these thousand pages, ably enters
the literary field to prove the origin
Of the Book Of Mormon to be what
we say it Is, and the book itself to
be what we proclaim It to be-a rev.
citation from God.
To do this his treatise is divided in
TO four parts:
I. The value OF the Book Of Mormon
N4la frf frffNr nd
Integrity Of the Bible, and the Truth
OF the Gospel OF Jesus Christ.
IL The Discovery of the Book OF
Mormon and its Observation-Disclosures
tions, Lands, Intercontinental Move
ments. Civilization Governments and
the Religions OF its Peoples
III. Evidences Of the Truth OF the
Book of Mormon. external and In
". objections to the Book Of Nor
mon.
Every person must recognize that
the testimony Of the Holy Ghost TO the
mind is the primary and only alb
solutely sure way Of obtaining
knowledge that the Book Of Mormon
Is divine. vet no person will under
estimate the very important bearing
that secondary evidences OF its d.
vinity has upon the human mind. 70
place &c en- condition 10 receive the
primary testimony These secondary
evidences have never before been as
fully treated az I'm these volumes
No part OF this work win be OF great
or benefit to. nor elicit more attention
from. those who are interested I'm CON
troversial subjects as well as In the
divinity OF the sacred record. than
the division on COLLECTIONS TO the
Book OF Mormon. Practically every
objection that has been raised 10 the
work by critics. as well as by enemies.
is touched upon frankly and answered
candldly. setting forth the best that
can be given in response to the critics.
Among the objections that are treat
ed are the counter theories OF the
hook origin. as set forth by Alexander
Campbell. by Spaldlng and by others
that Sidney Rigdon was the author OF
the Book OF Mormon. The Joachim
fragments Of the Spalding- Ridgon
theory. and also woodbridge Riley's
theory, are discussed The latter is
the very latest theory Of the origin
OF the book. and lays It to the hallu-
cination and epilepsy Of the prophet.
The author holds this theory a fallacy
FOR this one reason alone that the
dreams and hallueiations OF an epilep-
tic end in mere Authorizations:
they never crystalize into great sys-
TENS OF philosophy nor into rational
religious Institutions" nor do they re-
suit In great organizations capable Of
perpetuating such philosophy and
such religion IN the world. as Il the
case with the Book OF Mormon and
the Prophet Joseph Smith. whose