Defense of the Faith and the Saints (Volume 1 of 2)Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Religion
Defense of the Faith and the Saints (Volume 1 of 2)
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Latter Day Saint churches
From this data the following argument proceeds: It is impossible that
the alleged translation, whether by divine or human media, could be
a word-for-word bringing over from the Nephite language into the
English; and if the translation is not such a word-for-word bringing
over affair, then it cannot be claimed that the Nephite original is
responsible for verbal inaccuracies and grammatical errors. If the Book
of Mormon is a real translation instead of a word-for-word bringing
over from one language into another, and it is insisted that the divine
instrument, Urim and Thummim, did all, and the prophet nothing--at
least nothing more than to read off the translation made by Urim and
Thummim--then the divine instrument is responsible for such errors in
grammar and diction as did occur. But this is to assign responsibility
for errors in language to a divine instrumentality, which amounts to
assigning such errors to God. But that is unthinkable, not to say
blasphemous. Also, if it be contended that the language of the Book of
Mormon, word for word, and letter for letter, was given to the prophet
by direct inspiration of God, acting upon his mind, then again God is
made responsible for the language errors in the Book of Mormon--a thing
unthinkable.
Rather than ascribe these errors to Deity, either through direct or
indirect means, men will reject the claims of the Book of Mormon; and,
since the verbal errors in the Book of Mormon are such as one ignorant
of the English language would make, the temptation is strong, in the
minds of those not yet converted to its truth, to assign to the Book of
Mormon an altogether human origin.
In the presence of these considerations, it is but natural to ask,
"Is there no way by which such a conclusion may be avoided?" Most
assuredly. Set aside the theory based upon the statements made by David
Whitmer and Martin Harris, (mark you, _I say the theory_ based on these
statements, not necessarily the statements themselves) and accept the
more reasonable theory based upon what the Lord has said upon the
subject in sections viii and ix of the Doctrine and Covenants, where,
in describing how Oliver Cowdery might translate by means of Urim and
Thummim, the Lord said:
"I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost
which shall come upon you, and it shall dwell in your heart."
Then, Oliver only having partially succeeded, and that to a very
limited extent, in his effort to translate, the Lord, in explaining his
failure, said:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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