CHAPTER V.
[second of two chapter V's -- see also p. 47]

We have thus far looked over the Book of Mormon, endeavoring to treat the
sacred truths of the everlasting God, which have been profaned for one of the
vilest of purposes, with the solemnity which it deserves; and to expose in a
becoming manner, the falsehoods which have been interwoven for the purposes
of fraud and deception. If the book had been presented to us, for our inspection,
we should never have anticipated that a religious sect could ever have been
established from its doctrines. We should have come to the conclusion that the
author was a fearless infidel, and had attempted a ridicule upon the Holy Bible;
and we still think that it is not improbable that the original design of the author
was to bring down contempt upon the inspired writers, and the religion of Jesus
Christ.
"THE BOOK OF JACOB THE BROTHER OF NEPHI."
Jacob commences his book fifty-five years after Lehi left Jerusalem, p. 123. Jacob
says, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, "Jacob, get thou up unto the
temple, on the morrow, and declare the word which I shall give thee, unto this
people."
"And now behold, my brethren, this is the word which I declare unto you, that
many of you have begun to search for gold, and for silver, and all manner of
precious ores, in the which this land, which is a land of promise unto you, and
to your seed, doth abound most plentifully. And the hand of Providence hath
smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and
because that some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your
brethren, ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and
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wear stiff necks and high heads, because of the costliness of your apparel, and
persecute your brethren, because that ye suppose that ye are better than
they." p. 126. Jacob received a special command from the Lord to get up into the
temple and declare the above paragraph!!! There seems to be a prevailing passion
in the writer to represent the Nephites as being great miners after the precious
metals. They are often represented as digging and searching after gold and silver
-- which will perhaps be an apology for Joseph Smith's early habits in searching
after hidden treasures, he being a remnant of the Nephites. The love of gold
among the Jews is proverbial; and it is a far more laudable method of obtaining
it by digging after the deposits of pirates than by over reaching in commercial, or
in other business transactions. There would seem but little prospect of obtaining
pirate's money, either on the mountains, near the head waters of the
Susquehannah, or in the town of Manchester, Ontario County, N. Y. But Don
Quixote told his squire Sancho, that great fortune was very near when we least
expected it; thus it was with Smith in digging after hidden treasures -- the
famous brass plates, the gold spectacles and the interpreting stone were found,
perhaps when he least expected it; and if the sword of Laban had been added,
instead of being found by "Guy of Warwick," in England, some centuries ago, we
have no doubt but the mob in Missouri would have been quiet before this time,
or Gen. J. Smith would have slain the whole. A similar adventure will be noticed
which can be found on page 271, Book of Mormon.
In the third discourse, which Jacob favors us with, he informs us that only a small
part of his doings can be engraved on plates; and in the close of the second
discourse, he says that a hundredth part of the doings of these people could not
be engraved in plates on the account of their having
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become so very numerous, p. 129, and all sprang from five or six females, in
about forty years; and in the mean time they had had wars and contentions, and
the reigns of kings, the history of which is written upon larger plates, which are
called the plates of Jacob, p. 129. According to the most extravagant
calculations, in point of increase among five or six females, the whole could not
have amounted to more than about sixteen hundred, in the time mentioned,
allowing no deaths to have occurred; besides, about one half of that number
would be under ten years old. The story of wars and contentions, and of kings
having passed away, is too ridiculous and inconsistent to be noticed and refuted
in a serious manner.
Jacob reminds the people of a people which the prophet Zenos spoke, p. 131. In
this parable, the author has no means of dissembling, there not being such a
prophet nor such a parable, he is compelled to use his own phraseology, as he
penned it.
The style of the Book of Mormon is sui generis, and whoever peruses it, will not
have a doubt but that the whole was framed and written by the same individual
hand. The phrases, "And it came to pass," is at the beginning of every paragraph,
with a few exceptions, throughout all the original part of the work. "Behold,"
"Beholdest," "exceeding," "Thereof," "also," "giveth," are favorite phrases.
Let us compare a paragraph which the author pretends was spoken by the
prophet Zenos, and repeated by Jacob, with one translated from the gold plates
of Jared, about seven hundred years afterwards by the hand of Moroni.
The following are the words of the prophet Zenos:
"Ye shall clear away the branches which bring forth bitter fruit, according to the
strength of the good and the size thereof; and ye shall not clear away the bad
thereof, all at
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once, lest the roots thereof should be too strong for the graft and the graft
thereof shall perish."
Seven hundred years afterwards, Moroni translated the following elegant
description of the ships in which the Babelites navigated themselves across the
ocean:
"And they were built after a manner that they were exceeding tight, even that
they would hold water like unto a dish; and the bottom thereof was tight like
unto a dish; and the sides thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the ends
thereof were peaked; and the top thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the
length thereof was the length of a tree, and the door thereof, when it was shut
was tight like unto a dish," p. 512. We leave the intelligent reader to draw his
own conclusions.
The parable of Zenos occupies about nine pages, and is followed by Jacob with
an explanation, and a short Christian exhortation to his people. The last chapter
of the book of Jacob is principally taken up in relating an anecdote about a man
by the name of Sherem, who came and preached to the people, denying Christ;
Jacob finally confounds him by the power of the Lord, which struck Sherem to the
earth, p. 141. Jacob is now grown old, and he gives the plates of Nephi to his son
Enos, together with the commands which Nephi gave to him. Enos promises
obedience, and Jacob bids farewell to the reader, p. 143.
"THE BOOK OF ENOS,"
-- Enos commences with giving his father a good name, as any dutiful son would
do, and then tells us of a mighty wrestle he had with the Lord before that he
received a remission of his sins, he then exhorts the people to repentance and
faith in Christ; he tells us he is a great prophet, but prophecies nothing. He says
an hundred and seventy-nine years had passed away since Lehi left Jerusalem,
p. 145.
"THE BOOK OF JAROM"
is said to be written by Jarom
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the son of Enos, who is an engraver like all his predecessors in the priesthood; he
tells us the plates are so small that he could engrave but little. About two pages
in the Mormon translation is all, and delivers the plates to Omni, two hundred and
thirty-eight years since the hegira of Lehi, p. 147.
"THE BOOK OF OMNI."
-- Omni receives the plates from his father, who commands him to write a little
to preserve the genealogy. Omni writes a couple of paragraphs, each commencing
with, "And it came to pass," and confers the plates upon his son Amaron. Amaron
writes a few sentences and delivers his plates to his brother Chemish. He follows
the example in three or four sentences, and declares the plate s genuine.
Abinadom is the son of Chemish; he takes the plates by right, but declares he
knows of no revelations, save what has been written, and says that is sufficient,
p. 149. Amaleki is the son of Abinadom who takes the plates, and says he has
something to say. A certain man, by the name of Mosiah was warned by the Lord
to flee into the wilderness, with as many as would go with him. They all, with
Mosiah for their leader, arrive at a place called Zarahemla, and bring with them
the plates of brass, which pleased the people very much, because they contained
the record of the Jews.
The people of Zarahemla, Mosiah discovered, came out from Jerusalem at the
time of the Babylonish captivity, and had become very numerous. Their language
had become degenerated so much that Mosiah could not understand them at all;
but Mosiah causes them all to learn the language of the Nephites, and they make
him king over the land, p. 149. Mosiah discovered upon a stone which was
brought him with hieroglyphics engraved upon it, which he interpreted by the gift
and power of God -- and it gave an account of another people, which escaped
the confounding of languages
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at the tower of Babel, and of their destruction at the north. They were called the
people of Coriantumr. Amaleki says he was born in the days of king Mosiah, and
is acquainted with Benjamin, who is his son, and succeeds his father in the regal
office, p. 150. Three or four more paragraphs, and the plates of Nephi are full.
The plates were transferred to king Benjamin by Amaleki for safe keeping.
"THE WORDS OF MORMON."
-- The scene is now changed by the author, and we are carried forward, "many
hundred years after the coming of Christ." But the inspired historian, who is
called Mormon, begins with his record at the precise period when Amaleki delivers
the plates to king Benjamin. Mormon commences his history with a kind of
preface, in which he mentions that king Benjamin fought great battles with the
Lamanites, and says "he did fight with the strength of his own arm, with the
sword of Laban," p. 152. We suppose the sword of Laban was probably a kind of
keep-sake, and descended to their generals; and we are sorry to say that our
Gen. Smith has not been favored with the possession of it. Such a specimen of
antiquity, as a sword made 2400 years ago, which had slain so many in the hands
of such renowned kings and prophets of God, would be a great curiosity.
Mormon is the author of the "BOOK OF MOSIAH." King Benjamin is the father of
three sons whose names are called Mosiah, Helorum and Helaman, who were
taught in the language of their fathers, p. 154, which was the Egyptian; thereby
they were enabled to read the engravings upon the plates, p. 155. Lehi has been
represented as a pious Jew, living in Jerusalem, and of the tribe of Joseph, who
separated himself from the Jews, and departed into the wilderness, and never
again associated with any community or nation of people, until king Mosiah found
another settlement, who came off at the time of the Babylonian captivity, in the
land
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of Zarahemla, who were likewise Jews. The sacred records of the Jews, and all
their religious ceremonies in the temple, were in the Hebrew language; and it is
well established that no other language was in use among that nation in
Jerusalem, until the temple was destroyed. It may be true that Jews who were
born and lived in other countries, spoke other languages. But the known hostility
of the Egyptians towards every other nation, and particularly towards the
Hebrews, renders it improbable that the Egyptians had sufficient intercourse with
the Jews, so as to have them adopt their language and literature. The Jews have
a religious veneration for the Hebrew tongue, which also furnishes a strong
argument against the position that our pious Hebrews spoke the Egyptian
language, and recorded their holy religion in it upon plates of brass, to be handed
down to posterity.
After king Benjamin had finished the education of his sons, he "waxed old" -- and
as it became necessary to confer the kingdom on some one, he caused Mosiah
to come forth. He orders him to issue a proclamation that on the morrow he would
preach in the temple, and proclaim Mosiah king, p. 154.
King Benjamin took care to give his sons charge as to the affairs of the kingdom:
and handed down the old legacy, consisting of the sword of Laban, the brass ball
or compass, and the records on brass plates, p. 155.
The people assemble, according to the request of King Benjamin, in great
multitudes -- "And they took of the firstlings of their flocks, that they might offer
sacrifices and burnt offerings, according to the law of Moses," p. 155.
In the sermon which king Benjamin is now preaching in the temple, where the
people are offering sacrifice, we find the following sentences: "I am come unto
you to declare the glad tidings of great joy," p. 160. "And he shall be
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called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of Heaven and Earth, the Creator
of all things from the beginning, and his mother shall be called Mary," ii p. 160
-- for salvation cometh to none such, except it be through repentance and faith
on the Lord Jesus Christ," p. 161. We are at a loss, inasmuch as it is not defined,
what kind of a dispensation it was, to preach salvation through Christ and offer
burnt offerings at the same time, according to the law of Moses, which they
could not do agreeably to the law, not having legal priests to officiate. "And
moreover I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given, nor other
way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in
and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent," p. 101. We cannot gather
from any part of the sermon of Benjamin, any disapprobation of the ceremonial
law, but infer that both the law of Moses and the gospel were binding upon them
at one and the same time!!
The sermon is continued with many good doctrines extracted from the New
Testament, with a pretense that it had been revealed to him by an angel.
The author doubtless had some knowledge of the revivals of religion, in the
different churches; for he represents the whole congregation prostrated, crying
for mercy through the atoning blood of Christ -- "For we believe in Jesus Christ
the Son of God," p. 162. This would be judged, a priori, wonderful preaching,
considering the period in which it took place, at least 300 years before the
nativity of Christ.
Permit us to propound a few interrogatories to the reader, if he be a Mormon, or
even has doubts in relation to the divine origin and authenticity of the new
revelation: 1. When did God institute the ceremonial and moral laws? [2.] If upon
Mount Sinai, when did it terminate, and in what? 3. For what purpose was those
laws instituted? 4. If at the coming of the Savior, all the ceremonies of the law
were done
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away, why were they in force among the Nephites as early as the gospel was
made known to them, not relying upon the law and obedience to it, but upon the
Gospel, six hundred years before the shepherds heard the glad tidings of great
joy, which was unto all nations! except the Nephites, with whom the author
pretends it was an old story.
Mosiah is the next king, and is son to king Benjamin: he is consecrated a priest.
The king's and priest's office seems to be inseparably connected at this time
among our ancients.
Mosiah's reign commences four hundred and seventy-six years from the time Lehi
left Jerusalem. He despatches sixteen of his strong men to reconnoiter and search
after another settlement of the Nephites which appears to be disconnected from
the land of Zarahemla. They lose their way, not having been provided with the
brass ball to direct them, and are taken prisoners by Limhi. After king Limhi
ascertains that they are from the land of Zarahemla, he recounts to them his
troubles, and represents himself as being under bondage to the Lamanites; and
that one half of all their products were paid to them, annually, as a tribute. The
prisoners are set at liberty; and plates containing their record, from the time they
left the land of Zarahemla. -- Ammon, who is represented as captain of the
scouts, reads the record upon the plates. After which, king Limhi asks him if he
could interpret languages -- being answered in the negative, he commences a
narrative of having sent out forty-three of his men in search of the land of
Zarahemla; and that they all got lost, and after many days they returned --
having discovered a land that was covered with the bones of men and beasts!
and was also covered with the ruins of buildings, having the appearance of being
peopled as numerous as the hosts of Israel. As a testimony of the truth of their
discovery, they brought home with them twenty-four plates of pure gold,
containing a history of a people to
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which we have alluded, called the people of Jared, who were not confounded at
the destruction of Babel. Ammon is again enquired of, whether he knows any one
who can translate languages -- he answers in the affirmative, and says "for that
he hath wherewith to look, and translate all records that are of ancient date: and
it is a gift from God: and the things are called interpreters; and no man can look
in them, except he be commanded" -- the king of Zarahemla is the man, p. 173,
We will make no remark on the gold spectacles, but will leave the intelligent
reader to infer whether the story and the manner in which it is told, comports
with his views of divine revelation or not.
THE RECORD OF ZENIFF.
-- Zeniff is the leader of a band of Nephites, who left the land of Zarahemla, and
is the father of Noah, who is the father of Limhi the king, of whom we have been
speaking.
Zeniff confers the kingdom upon his son Noah, whose people become wicked, and
wars ensue between them and the Lamanites, and they are mostly all destroyed;
hence they become tributary, as above alluded to. About this time, a prophet
makes his appearance, by the name of Abinadi. He attempts to imitate Isaiah in
his prophecies, and quotes many passages from the Old Testament, which were
pronounced against the Jews for their wickedness and rebellion, and foretelling
the destruction of Jerusalem -- pretending that he is the author of the
sentiments, and declares them against these Nephites, upbraiding them for their
disobedience to the commands of Christ, and describes the awful calamities which
shall follow, and concludes with the decalogue, p. 184.
The decalogue here inserted, is in our approved translation, like every thing else
which is taken from the Old and New Testament. It is true that the pronoun
which is used twice or three times, instead of that, consequently, we
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should infer that the quotation was made from recollection. The fact that so
great a proportion of the whole book being made from quotations from the Bible,
a part of which was not written until six hundred years after the pretended period
of our author, places the matter beyond controversy, and is conclusive testimony
that the author was an infidel.
The prophet Abinadi was somewhat expert in the sacred scriptures, and
measurably understood the views of modern theologians; -- he says, "And now
ye have said that salvation cometh by the law of Moses. I say unto you that it
is expedient that y keep the law of Moses as yet; but I say unto you, that the
time shall come when it shall no more be expedient to keep the law of Moses,"
p. 185. The doctrines of salvation and the law, according to our prophet, were
inseparably connected in their time, and both were indispensable to salvation.
Whether the ceremonial and moral laws were both included by our prophet, we
cannot determine; but to reconcile the idea that the ceremonial law which was
typical of Christ, and was only obligatory until the gospel church was erected,
with the literal obedience of it, by a community of people who had the gospel as
fully revealed to them, as it was to the rest of mankind at any future period
whatever, is a task beyond our abilities, so long as we view the writings of St.
Paul as inspired of God. In immediate connection we are told that the Jews were
a "stiff-necked people, quick to do iniquity" -- "therefore, there was a law given
them, yea, a law of performances and ordinances, a law which they were to
observe strictly" -- "But behold, I say unto you, that all these things were types
of things to come," p. 185. We are next led into the doctrines of the New
Testament; and are told of the coming of the Messiah, and of his doctrines and
crucifixion, about as well as any tolerably well informed man, who
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made no pretensions to literature, would do at the present time, having the
scripture before him.
In the following quotation, we have the views of our author on the resurrection
-- "And if Christ had not risen from the dead or have broken the bonds of death,
that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting,
there could have been no resurrection," p. 180. In this quotation the cloven foot
is uncovered -- the deformity brought into open daylight. The prophet is
represented by the author, as living some centuries before our Savior's nativity;
but the slightest examination of the text quoted, will show the reader that the
subject is spoken of in the imperfect tense, representing the event of the
resurrection as past and finished, which was doubtless the truth, at the time it
was written. The phrase, "if Christ had not risen" implies past time; again in the
same sentence, "there could have been no resurrection," implies past time; but
if the author had said, if Christ does not rise, &c. -- there will be no resurrection,
we could have understood him, in reference to the time in which he represents
his prophet speaking, to wit, some centuries before the great event of which he
spake, took place, according to his own calendar.
The sagacity of our imposter has not been sufficient in all instances, to avoid
detection. His deliberations were insufficient to supply the place of erudition, and
consequently, he plunged himself into which renders the book in question, good
evidence against itself, that it is a miserable forgery and a libel upon the Christian
religion. We will venture to predict that if the golden bible should be rendered into
intelligible English, there would not remain a single
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honest Mormon who should examine the book, (providing he possessed common
capacity,) among "the latter day saints."
Alma is the next hero, who is represented as a descendant of Nephi, and having
repented of his sins, commences preaching and repeating the prophecies of
Abinadi, who had recently fallen a victim, by the hands of King Noah's priests. Our
hero is more successful than his predecessor, as he succeeds in converting king
Noah to the Christian faith, together with many of his subjects.
After their conversion, the ceremony of baptism is to be performed, and the
manner in which it was accomplished, in the first exhibition, is somewhat unique.
The priest with his disciple are represented as going down into the water, in the
river Mormon, and at the same time the believer is buried in the water, he buries
himself with him. We are not told whether it was accidental or intentional that
they both were immersed at the same time, but we learn, in immediate
connection, that the mode adopted at the present day by the anabaptists, was
followed and practiced afterwards.
The gospel doctrines, according to the views of our author have, in his clumsy
manner, been spread before us, beginning with the hegira of Lehi, pretending that
the whole plan of redemption was exhibited by a special revelation to an apostate
Jew, six hundred years before our Savior expressly declares the ceremonial law
was abrogated and the gospel preached -- "The law and the prophets were until
John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth
into it," Luke 16. We will leave the controversy whether the book of Mormon is
true, on the subject of this special revelation, or the words of Jesus Christ, as
recorded by the evangelist, to be determined at the great BAR of Justice.
The Book of Mosiah is continued by narrating the most
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ludicrous events, of wars and church schisms, imaginable, under the pontificate
of our first immersed king, and the last one in our notable history.
Alma being warned by the Lord to flee his country, he gathers a large concourse
of people, and they all start into the wilderness, and travel eight days where they
pitch their tents, and afterwards build buildings. The sojourners with Alma
endeavor to make him accept the royal sceptre, but he piously declines, and
establishes a pontificate and builds a church, p. 203. Alma consecrates divers
priests, and they were all just men, and they built a city and called it Helam; but
in the midst of their prosperity and devotions, an army of the Lamanites appeared
upon their borders, and they all fled, and finally arrived at the land of Zarahemla,
under king Mosiah. The king receives the pilgrims with great kindness, and Alma
is continued his high priest. He is authorized by the king to establish churches and
ordain priests over them. Seven churches are forthwith built and dedicated to the
Christian religion, in which, faith, repentance and baptism is preached by king
Mosiah's priests, in its primitive purity. Alma has a son who has at this time
arrived at manhood. (we should infer from this that he was not a Catholic
Pontiff,) who persecutes the Christians, to their great annoyance. But the Lord
would not suffer his Christian Jews to be persecuted; and therefore, in the full
tide of his wicked career, he is converted, not very unlike that of Paul the
Apostle, according to our narrator, p. 213. The miracle of young Alma's
conversion is described in the following language. An angel appeared unto Alma
and said, "Go thy way, and seek to destroy the church no more, that their
prayers may be answered" -- "And now Alma, and those that were with him, fell
again to the earth, for great was their astonishment" &c. -- "And it came to
pass, after they had fasted and prayed for the space of two
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two days and two nights, the limbs of Alma receive their strength; and he stood
up and began to speak," &c. and said, "I have repented of my sins, and have
been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the spirit."
Mosiah's sons are zealous Christians, all of them; they decline severally, the regal
honors, and choose the humble station of missionaries. They consequently all
embark with a view of christianizing the heathen. Mosiah suggests the propriety
of abolishing the office of king among them. because his sons had all refused, and
that if any other should be crowned over them, the rightful heir might return and
claim the crown as his legal patrimony, which would create contention, &c. among
the people, p. 217. -- King Mosiah's sons are represented as being extremely
humble and devout, they are willing to abandon all for the cause of Christ --
home, country, and their princely fortunes -- and go missionating. But the eagle
eye of the king looks upon his sons with suspicion, or the author of the Golden
Bible is under the necessity of bringing up this kind of reasoning, in order to frame
a pretence to change his government to one which will appear to the ignorant
reader as much like the Jewish polity as possible. The reign of the Judges is next
instituted, as answering the author best. Previously, however, we are presented
with the following tirade of nonsense. Mosiah causes all records to be revised --
"therefore, he took the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass,
and also upon the plates of Nephi; and all the things which he had kept and
preserved according to the commandments of God, and after having translated
and caused to be written upon the plates of gold which had been found by the
people of Limhi, which was delivered to him by the hand of Limhi: and this he
done because of the great anxiety of the people, for they were desirous beyond
measure to know concerning those people
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which had been destroyed. And now he translated them by the means of two
stones, which was fastened into the two rims of a bow. Now, things were
prepared from the beginning, and were handed down from generation to
generation, for the purpose of interpreting languages; and they have been kept
and preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he should discover to every
creature which should possess the land, the iniquities and the abominations of
his people; and whosoever has these things, is called seer, after the manner of
old times."
We were told by Lehi that the plates should not perish, nor be dimmed by time;
but our king has found it necessary, not only to revise, but to transcribe them;
so much for Mormon promises.
Mosiah, after a long period, is enabled to translate the gold plates, by means of
a pair of goggles, which he must have had in his possession from the time he was
made king, because he says they had been kept with the plates from the
beginning. It is certainly very remarkable that he should have kept in his
possession a pile of gold plates, known to have been found by Limhi, for thirty
years, with every facility for reading them, and yet never bestowed one leisure
moment to examine their contents.
After the gold plates were examined, and were found to contain a full and
complete history of a people who came from Asia, and which God had preserved
at the time of the destruction of the tower of Babel, and navigated in a
miraculous manner to this continent at that time, but now, or at the pretended
period in our history, were totally extinct; he expresses great satisfaction at
arriving to such important information!! In connection, we are promised a detailed
account of these Babelites, by giving a translation of the plates in full. In the
Book of Ether, which is placed
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at the end of the Book of Mormon, we shall see the wonderful translations, and
make our remarks.
Mosiah reigned thirty-three years being sixty-three years old; and he died --
making the whole time since Lehi's departure from Jerusalem, five hundred and
nine years, p. 221. Thus endeth the reign of the Mormon kings. Alma, of
renowned conversion to the doctrines of the New Testament about an hundred
years before it was published, is constituted Judge over the people of Zarahemla,
and is also high priest over the church of Christ. He was the exclusive law-giver
and umpire in all matters, both civil and ecclesiastical, and the most absolute
monarch of which we have ever heard or read.