The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-12-15
Purpose of Bishop Spalding.

have mild, but at the same time. I
trust. only a respectful curiosity, to know
what interest Bishop Spalding can have
In the question OF Joseph Smiths ac-
curacy as a translator. or the historicity
Of the Book OF Mormon, or OF the Book
OF Abraham. AS understand his POSI-
tion he follows those who go 10 the
farthest frontiers of research in modern.
or higher, criticism OF the ancient Heb
rev. and Christian scriptures; and fear
lessly accepts the results Of that school
with many OF its leaders that religion
may be founded and become q reality in
the. world, Notwithstanding defective his-
torlcal origins.
II am right in this opinion Of his
mental attitude In respect OF this subject.
and L should be sorry to mistake his po-
sition' then ] might ask OF what impor-
tance TO him is the objective existence
OF the plates OF which the Book Of Nor
mon Is said TO be a translation: or the
genniness of the Egyptian rolls OF pa
pyrus, from which II Is alleged Joseph
smith translated the Book OF Abraham
or what matters 1t II Joseph Smith was
or was not an accurate translator of
aDcient records. Egyptian or otherwise?
II II tn the recent deductions OF higher criti-
cism be accepted. and understand the
olshop TO accept them, then these ques-
tions that concern themselves with OBJ
jective existences. hlstoriclty. and even
accuracy OF translatIons. or any trans
latlon at all. are merely matters Of MI
nor Importance, the mere scaffoIding OF
realities and not the realities themselves
ana really not vital. Allow me to ex
plain: One of the most emphatic utter
ances OF higher criticism says:
THE time. has come when It seems
necessary deliberately to raise the ques-
tion whether the story which we have
IN the four gospels of the birth, life,
death, resurrection and ascension of their
central figure. was designed by their au-
thors to be taken as literal history. The
higher criticism, indeed. is forcing this
not seem far distant when all sections
OF the church Will have to face IT,"
The result of the higher criticism on
the New Testament he describes as fol-
lows:
But the result mas boen to show in
almost, il not. every part of scripture
that what we have is not history proper
that the authors purpose was not to
write history. but TO edify. 10 teach some
religious truth which he regarded as al.
wors Of the higher @ erticsm. asuit the e' fouf enf
sSrps Sospss rscoros are complete wreck his
the life of Jesus they are hopeiessiy
shattered by the assaults Of the higher
historic Jesus! 80 There is only one
and that is by the surrender of Its claim
of being a historical religion, and the
placing OF 1t on purely spiritual foun-
W, auIhVt SlsueS de toiioWs ior tnls
"Why not listen to the mystic who
tells us that it is nothing less than idol
atry TO fix our thought and worship or
a historical Jesus. who is supposed to
have lived in Palestine two thousand
years ago. that flesh and blood Jesus
is contradiction in terms, and that
the world was not history or biography
but spiritual allegory or drama" CD
(Rev. K. c. Anderson. D. D.. Hilbert
Journal, January, 1917
Now. II am right as 10 the bishops
attitude on the matter OF higher criti-
csm. why does he not treat MormonIsn7
as such criticism treats Judaism and
Christianity; not on the ground OF its
historicity. or the accuracy OF its trans.
tion that Joseph Smiths purpose, as
higher critics say the purpose OF the
New Testament writer's was, mot tc
write history. but TO edify," to teacf
some religious truth (which they re-
garded as all important; not to give on,
ments, but to give the world some "spir.-
itual allegory, or drama"
The above is written, not to seek tc
shift the basis OF the argument because
would escape the difficulties involv ed
in the Mormon side OF the controversy,
but just 10 point out the fact to the re-
spectcd bishop. that however much
facts In which Mormonism had It's origin;
the objective existence of the plates.
from which it Is alleged the Book OF
Mormon was translated; or the accuracy
OF the Prophet Joseph translator OF
either the Book OF Abraham or the Book
school OF thought TO take MS to task on
these questions. since he must regard