II.
THE BOOK OF MORMON
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By B. H. Roberts,
Author of "The Gospel," "Outlines of Ecclesiastical History," "MormonDoctrine of Deity," "Defense of the Faith and the Saints," "TheProphet-Teacher," etc., etc.
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IN THREE VOLUMES
VOL. II.
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THE DESERET NEWS
Salt Lake City
1909
The following work was begun twenty-two years ago, in England, whenthe author was in that land on a Mission, as assistant Editor of theLatter-day Saints' Millennial Star. It was the author's design thento make the treatise on the Book of Mormon the first volume underthe general title "New Witnesses for God"; but after some progressin collecting and arranging the materials had been made, the thoughtoccurred to him that the Prophet Joseph Smith in chronological order,if not in importance, preceded the Book of Mormon in the introductionof God's Witnesses in this last and great dispensation. The materialsof this work, therefore, so far as they had been collected, were laidaside and work was begun on the treatise of Joseph Smith as a Witnessfor God; which, however, because of many other demands upon theauthor's time, was not published until 1895.
Meantime work was continued from time to time upon the treatise of theBook of Mormon; and in 1903-4-5, the materials were used, substantiallyas in their present form, as Manuals for the Senior Classes of theYoung Men's Mutual Improvement Associations. The work has undergone athorough revision at the hands of the author, and is now to take theplace in his writings designed for it so long ago.
While the coming forth of the Book of Mormon is but an incident inGod's great work of the last days, and the book itself subordinate tosome other facts in that work, still the incident of its coming forthand the book are facts of such importance that the whole work of Godmay be said, in a manner, to stand or fall with them. That is to say,if the origin of the Book of Mormon could be proved to be other thanthat set forth by Joseph Smith; if the book itself could be proved tobe other than it claims to be, viz., and chiefly, an abridged historyof the ancient inhabitants of America, a volume of scripture containinga message from God to the people to whom it was written—"to theLamanites [American Indians], who are a remnant of the house of Israel;and also to Jew and Gentile; written by way of commandment, and also bythe spirit of prophecy and revelation"—if, I say, the Book of Mormoncould be proved to be other than this, then the Church of Jesus Christof Latter-day Saints, and its message and doctrines, which, in somerespects, may be said to have arisen out of the Book of Mormon, mustfall; for if that book is other than it claims to be; if its origin isother than that ascribed to it by Joseph Smith, then Joseph Smith saysthat which is untrue; he is a false prophet of false prophets; and allhe taught, and all his claims to inspiration and divine authority, arenot only vain but wicked; and all that he did as a religious teacher isnot only useless, but mischievous beyond human comprehending.
Nor does this statement of the case set forth sufficiently strong thesituation. Those who accept the Book of Mormon for what it claims tobe, may not so state their case that its security chiefly rests on theinability of its opponents to prove a negative. The affirmative sideof the question belongs to us who hold out the Book of Mormon to theworld as a revelation from God. The burden of proof rests upon us inevery discussion. It is not enough for us to say that if the origin ofthe Book of Mormon is proved to be other than that set fo