Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-15

NlnClnS h1nQ-
But there is also another class
OF evidence. which we may call
internal II the Book of Mormon is not
genuine and authentic, 1t is the most
cunning work OF an impostor that ever
was perpertated upon credulity. There
Is no escape from this inference. The
Book of Mormon is either of God or
the work of a .deceiver who has turned
his gigantic intellect and learning to
deals with this question. And 1t estab-
fishes to the full satisfaction of the
humble seeker after truth the fact that
the contents of the book. Its oonstruc-
tlon, and tho history of Its publication
exclude the supposition of fraud. No
man could have brought forth that
book except God be with him, and
least of all the young boy prophet
l. Let us remember that tho Book
of Mormon teaches implicit faith in
God. holiness and virtue. and that 1t
condemns sin In every form
the Prophet He was q God-fearine
youth, loving. kind, and always in
search for spiritual guidance AS
he grew to manhood he developed the
qualities with which he was endowed
and became type of the very best
American citizenship. II You say, there
fore. that tho Book of Mormon Is q
fraud, you say that good man, pray
Ing for divine guidance in all things
a loyal citizen living life of righteous
ness and giving his life for his testi-
mony was guilty OF the most gigantic
deception of the age. But that IS alb
surd on the face OF It. What
brand of credulity can accept that
proposition as true? Joseph was no
deceiver. II he had been, he would
not have had the confidence of his
own household. Nor had he the quail
hcations necessary to originate such O.
book. Only student conversant with
history, with archaeology, with Semitic
languages, with geography, ancient
laws and customs, and many other
things, could have made an effort at
composing such a work, and then he
would have failed. as is clear from the
Spaulding manuscript. The Prophct
Joseph had no training, no education
to qualify him for such a work. except
as God was with him and opened his
mind to the past and the future.
2 Remember further, the character
OF tho men and women who have ac-
copied his message 1t has always
been the testimony of unbiased writer's
that the Latter-day Saints have been
sober. virtuous, God-fearing, industrl-
ons. dilisent valuing light and intelli.
gence more that anything In the world.
Those who have known, personally the
noble men and women who were tho
pioneers In tho Church. know their
character. and they do know that they
would no more deceive themselves or
their children than they would shed
Innocent blood. Their lives was n
guarantee OF their integrity They
were prayerful. Did God deceive them
when they asked for light? Did He
give them stone for bread? The lives
OF the first Christians arc always ap-
pealed to as evidence of the truth of
Christianity. Let "Mormonlsm" be
judged by the samo rule. Their lives
Is an evidence of the intrinsic value
OF the Gospel for purposes of holiness
and Righteousness in those who believe
and practice It.
The world in our age does not fur,
nish any nobler examples of sincerity
and faithfulness than the history of the
Church gives. II this can be set aside
then we have to accept the greatest
of all miracles. We have to suppose
that an unlcarned farmers boy decided
to change the religious thought OF tho
world. to weave Into his own life the
fulhiment of ancient prophecies 10
preach pure morality. to endure suffer
ings and prosecutions. and to ask his
followers to do the same and that all