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
2. Concerning Nephi's quotation from Shakespeare, Elder Roberts thinks
he has found a way of escape for Nephi from this fatal blunder.
He cites a passage from Job from which he thinks Nephi might have
quoted, for he says "the Nephites had the Jewish Scriptures with
them, including the book of Job." But now observe that this suggested
escape for this ancient prophet is out of the Nephite frying-pan into
the Lamanite fire. For Shakespeare died in 1616, and the King James
English version of the Bible was published in 1611. Now, so far as the
argument against the ancient Nephite is concerned, what difference does
it make whether he quoted from Shakespeare or our English version of
Job, which is the one Elder Roberts alludes to, and which is the only
one containing any resemblance either to the passage in Nephi or in
Shakespeare. The only way, therefore, to lift Nephi out of this fatal
situation is for Elder Roberts to show that he had, in addition to the
Jewish Scriptures, a copy of our English Bible with him back there in
the wilderness 600 B.C., or else a copy of Shakespeare. Or else let Mr.
Roberts agree with me, according to the evidence, that Mr. Nephi was
simply a very modern gentleman from New York or Pennsylvania, having in
his possession both the Bible and Shakespeare, and then the difficulty
is solved.
SECOND PROPOSITION.
Now we come to the second proposition which is, that the Book of Mormon
is a divine revelation to the people of the present time. A large
part of what has been said in proof of the spurious character of the
books of Nephi applies to the Book of Mormon as a whole. But there are
overwhelming special difficulties in the way of accepting it as a new
and divine revelation, only three or four of which I can now briefly
touch upon.
1. The book claims that the plates, from which it was translated by
Joseph Smith, were sealed up and hidden in the hill of Cumorah, New
York, about 400 A. D. No one upon this continent ever saw these plates
prepared by Mormon except himself and his son, Moroni. They were
prepared specially for the people of our time, in this country. After
being hidden about 1400 years Joseph Smith claims that the angel Moroni
came and disclosed them to him. And the wonderful revelation contained
in the plates, about "the restoration to the earth of the everlasting
gospel," Elder Roberts says Joseph Smith translated "by means of the
inspiration of God and the aid of Urim and Thummim." And, behold, when
we come to read this wonderful new revelation and this new everlasting
gospel which it discloses, we find that it is simply a feeble and
diluted imitation of the Bible revelation and the gospel which had
already been in the possession of the Christian people of this country
for over two hundred years, and in the possession of their ancestors
for over twelve hundred years.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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