The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-02

names Of some forty or fifty different
cities. mostly in the northern portions
Of South Amcricg-cvcry ono OF them
myth both as TO its location and It's
name.
The Book Of Mormon gives the names
of the mcu who first settled rhc coun-
try and the priests and the prophets
and the kings who afterwards were the
leaders in It's development. Not ono Of
whom bears the rcmotcst likeness to
the names of tho men who actually
lived aud controlled the dcstinics of
the people npon this western world.
(Scc full lists 'tThc Mormons and
Their Bible Up. l2S-l3D.
Tho Book Of Mormon describes mi
nutclF the monetary system that pro
vailed, giving us the names and values
Of the different silver and gold coins,
whereas neither silver or gold COINS
ever existed upon this continent until
after its discovery by Columbus.
The Book OF Mormon describes the
method OF measuring time all over both
continents, profcsscdly brought over
from Jerusalem GOD wears 3. "a week
Of seven DAYS, twelve months in q year,
cic.-whcreas, the Mayas of Central
America had ono method and the Pc
rrvans Of South America had another.
and neither Of them bore any rrscm.
hlancc whatever 20 tho Jewish method
of the Book of Mormon.
We bayc mentioned "A few only of
the many blunders in this literary
freak. The real truth is that, had the
angel who inspired Joseph Smith known
anything whHtcVcr OF the real facts rs
they existed ancicntly in either North
or South America, he would have fur
nishcd us with Il very different book.
.Nnd our friend. Mr. Roberts, has un-
dcrtnkcn an immense Job If he shall be
able TO invent ''ManuaI Theory
that viii explain TO the public how
black can be white and white black;
aud how God could have had ANYTHING
whatever 10 do with the preparation of
4 book that carries upon almost every
page the abundant proofs that its nu.
thor was I'm Ignoramus and a crank of
the very first water.
Mr.. Roberts is an intelligent mar:
he has read. or Mt least rs q teacher
Of his people ought 90 have read all The
leading authorities such men rs Ga
therwood aud stephens, Bancroft, Stone,
Soueir, Baldwin, DR.. lie Pmngcon and
cthcr men who have devoted tbci'
lives 10 a careful study or personal
exploration 'of thc abundant ruins Of
ancient American civilization. His
very position ns . leader of his people
obligates him TO thoroughly post him
self upon these matters, because the in
tcgriiY of the whole Mormon system is
stakcd upon the validity of the claims
of the book TO divine inspiration. Ii
the Book of Mormon was a fraud, then
Joseph Smith himself was "A fraud, and
therefore the whole system of Mormon
ism au imposition. Aud Mr.. Roberts,
II an honest man, can lily afford to
throw dust in the eyes Of his people by
picking out one Of the minor Imperfect
tions OF the Book of Mormon and least
important of them all. and elaborate
AN ingenious scheme for explaining how
it occurred, while the wcighticr mat
terS, the real vital bundcrs of the book,
the things that, unexplained, inevitably
stamp it as a fraud of tho first water,
arc overlooked An anxious public,
and his own people who are honest will
demand either a satisfactory cxplana-
tion or an absolute reputation.
NJ. Il. LAMB.