The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-31
FRIVOLOUS "REvELATIoN. -

AS to the methods employed In the
matter of establishing the "divine"
origin Of the Book of Mormon, there is
bit of testimony in the Doctrine and
Covenants that must be taken into ac-
count Section contains what is
claimed to have been a revelation given
| by the Lord to Joseph Smith. 1t seems
that the lmpelling cause for the re-
ceipt of that "revelation was sim
| ply individual, human incredulity,
Martin Harris. who supplied the money
by means of which Joseph Smith was
enabled to proceed with his work on
the Book of Mormon, became doubtful
He demanded proofs, specifying that
he should be permitted to have view
of the supposed plates from which
Joseph was doing the pretended trans
lation. The doubt expressed by Mar
tin in such forceful form brought Jo-
seph to realization Of the fact that
his own unsupported testimony was not
likely to convince the world. So the
revelation to which we now refer
chided Martins called him an unbe-
liever; designated him as being of the
stiffnecked generation, against whom
the Lord g anger was kindled; cava~
lierly informed him that if he refused
to believe the word of Joseph he would
decline to give credence to the word
Of the Lord Himself. But Joseph pre-
sented his own way of silencing Martin
and attempting to convince the world.
Paragraph IL of section 5, Doctrine and
Covenants, says:
And In addition TO your testimony. the
| testimony OF three OF my servants. whom
l shall call and ordain. unto whom ] Will
show these things. AND THEY SHALL
| co FORTH WITH MY WORDS THAT
ARE GIVEN THROUGH YOU.
Whether the things to which the
P''three witnesses" to the Book Of Nor.
mon. testified were merely repetitlons
of the self protective words of Joseph
Smith is, of course, a mere matter Of
personal selection of belief. The main
point to be observed is that all that
the "three witnesses were to say was
to "come through Joseph Smith So
that even if he, frail human being
with an object in view which might
have been OF more or less swindhng
nature, had decided that in order to
protect and defend his position it
would become necessary to tell an un-
truth, this "revelation commanded
the "three witnesses to swear to that
untruth.
But there appears to be still
| sl .l. 4
is not generally alluded to in discus
sion of this matter. Speaking further
concerning the ''three witnesses. the
"revelation (see paragraph Il. sec
tion 81 says; "And TO none else will
l grant this power, to receive this same
testimony among this generation" But
the Lord if we are to believe Joseph
Smith, either misstated the case or
later changed His mind. Any one of
inquiring mind may look into the
Book of Mormon and find in the page
next but one following the title page,
the names Of the "three witnesses"
called by revelation and thus des-
ignated as being the exclusive posses
sors of that wonderful privilege, as
we'll as the names of eight other "wit-
nesses," whose signatures and attes-
tation the Lord seemed not to have been
at first able to anticipate.
The Tribune does not like to make
an appearance as of testing with mat
tiers held to be sacred by large mum.
Der of people; but it is bound to sub
nit to these same people, and to all
men and women generally, that the friv.
olous use of tho name Of the Lord in
dulged by the founder of Mormonism
is basis for expression of proper re-
sentiment.