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
One other thing the Unknown seems to have overlooked, viz., that the
Book of Mormon is a translation of the ideas and prophecies of men
deriving their knowledge concerning the Messiah and things associated
with his life either from the old Jewish scriptures, which were in
their possession, or from the revelations of God direct to them; and
that the translator, Joseph Smith, being more or less familiar with New
Testament and Old Testament expressions, in making the translation, at
times used Bible phraseology in representing ideas akin to those found
in Jewish scriptures. See also my remarks under heading No. 3, where
this defense is more fully stated.
THE SHAKESPEAREAN QUOTATION.
2. The Unknown fairly revels in the thought that he has Lehi quoting
Shakespeare many generations before our great English poet was born;
and indulges in the sarcasms which Campbell and more than a score of
anti-Mormon writers have indulged in who have mimicked his phraseology.
Now the fact is there are two passages in Job which could easily have
supplied both Shakespeare and Lehi with the idea of that country "from
whose bourn no traveler returns." That this may appear I give the
passages from Shakespeare, Job and Lehi. It should be remembered always
that the Nephites had the Jewish scriptures with them, including the
book of Job; hence Lehi could have obtained his idea from the same
source whence Shakespeare obtained his.
_Shakespeare:_ "That undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler
returns."
_Job:_ "Let me alone that I may take comfort a little, before I go
whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow
of death." (Job x:20, 21.) "When a few years are come, then I shall go
the way whence I shall not return." (Job xvi:22.)
Lehi: "Hear the words of a parent whose limbs ye must soon lay down in
the cold and silent grave from whence no traveler can return."
It will be observed that the passage from the Book of Mormon follows
Job more closely than it does Shakespeare both in thought and diction;
and this for the reason, doubtless, that Lehi had been impressed with
Job's idea of going to the land whence he would not return, and Joseph
Smith, being familiar with Job, and very likely not familiar with
Shakespeare, when he came to Lehi's thought, expressed it nearly in
Job's phraseology.
FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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