Scrap Book of Mormon Literature, Volume 2 (of 2). Religious Tracts
Religion
Scrap Book of Mormon Literature, Volume 2 (of 2). Religious Tracts
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Doctrines; Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines; Latter Day Saints
"And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book
that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying,
Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
and the {263} book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying,
Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore
the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their
mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their
heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the
precept of men: therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous
work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the
wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of
their prudent men shall be hid. . . . . And in that day shall the
deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall
see out of obscurity, and out of darkness." (Isaiah 29: 11, 12, 13,
14, 18).
The first part of this prophecy was literally fulfilled when a man
named Martin Harris, with the permission of Joseph Smith, took a
copy of some of the characters from which the Book of Mormon was
translated--the "words of a book"--to Professor Anthon, a learned
professor of languages in New York City, and the latter made the
statement, "I cannot read a sealed book." Unwittingly, he used almost
the identical words of Isaiah's prediction.
"And the book is delivered to him that is not learned,"--this was
fulfilled when the book was delivered to Joseph Smith, an unlearned
youth. How accurately this prophecy was fulfilled is shown by the
fact that the _words_ of the book were delivered to the man that was
learned, while the book itself was delivered to him that was not
learned.
The portion of the prophecy which reads: "Therefore, behold I will
proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous
work and a wonder," is also being fulfilled. The work done by the
Lord through the instrumentality of His servant Joseph Smith and the
Latter-day Saints, is looked upon as marvelous even by those who do not
believe Joseph Smith to be a prophet, nor the Latter-day Saints to be
inspired of Heaven, for this work attracts the attention of the whole
world. An acquaintance with what the Lord has done and with what is now
being done through their ministry is of sufficient importance to be
called "a marvelous work and a wonder." The Gospel has been preached
in nearly all the civilized and several of the uncivilized nations,
a church has been established that attracts the attention of all the
world, and its name and the prophet's name are known among every
nation; a commonwealth has been built up that has won the admiration
of all that are acquainted with it; people from all nations have been
gathered together to form this commonwealth; and missionaries by the
thousands are sent to proclaim to mankind everywhere the glad tidings
of the "marvelous work."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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