Chapter X: Part IV: The Ancient American Scripture.---The Book of Mormon (1)

LESSON I.

SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.[1]

ANALYSIS. REFERENCES.

_I. The Existence of the Book of Mormon Pearl of Great Price,
Revealed._ Writings of Joseph
1. First Visions and Call of the Smith, pp. 81-100, History
Prophet Joseph Smith. of the Church Vol. I,
2. The Visitation of Moroni. Chaps. i-ii-iii. Myth of
3. The Book of Mormon Delivered the Ms. Found, (Geo.
to the Prophet. Reynolds). Chap. viii.
Note 1. Y. M. M. I. A.
Manual (No. 7), 1903-4,
Chap. i.

_II. History of the Translation._ History of the Church
1. First Attempts at Translation. Vol. I, Chaps. iii, iv, v.
2. Martin Harris and His Visit to Myth of the Ms. Found
Professors Mitchell and Anthon--the (Reynolds), Chap. ix.
lost Mss. Y. M. M. I. A. Manual No. 7,
3. Oliver Cowdery as Amanuensis Chaps. v, vi, viii.
and the Completion of the Translation. Wentworth Letter (Joseph
Smith), Mill. Star Vol. XIX
p. 117-120, Cannon's
Life of the Prophet,
Chaps. iv-xi.

_III. The Manner of Translating the Nephite Y. M. M. I. Manual
Record._ No. 7, Chap. vii. "Defense
1. The Prophet's Description. of the Faith and
2. Whitmer and Harris' Account of the Saints,"[2] Division
the Manner of Translation. on Book of Mormon Controversies.
3. The Translation not a Mechanical Note 6.
Process.

_IV. Publication of the Book._ History of the Church
1. Difficulties of Finding a Publisher. Vol. I, pp. 75-6. Footnote.
2. Precautions Against Imposition.
3. Efforts to Prevent Publication.
4. The Prophet's Success.

_SPECIAL TEXT: And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father, I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."_--FIRST NEPHI.

_NOTES._

1. _Moroni's Visit to the Prophet Joseph:_ "On the evening of the 21st of September, A. D. 1823, while I was praying unto God, and endeavoring to exercise faith in the previous promises of Scripture, on a sudden a light like that of day, only of a far purer and more glorious appearance and brightness, burst into the room, indeed the first sight was as though the house was filled with consuming fire; the appearance produced a shock that affected the whole body; in a moment a personage stood before me, surrounded with a glory yet greater than that with which I was already surrounded. This messenger proclaimed himself to be an angel of God, sent to bring the joyful tidings that the covenant which God made with ancient Israel was at hand to be fulfilled, that the preparatory work for the second coming of the Messiah was speedily to commence; that the time was at hand for the Gospel in all its fulness to be preached in power, unto all nations, that a people might be prepared for the Millennial reign. I was informed that I was chosen to be an instrument in the hands of God to bring about some of His purposes in this glorious dispensation.

2. _Ancient America Revealed:_ "I was also informed concerning the aboriginal inhabitants of this country and shown who they were, and from whence they came; a brief sketch of their origin, progress, civilization, laws, governments, of their righteousness and iniquity, and the blessings of God being finally withdrawn from them as a people, was made known unto me; I was also told where were deposited some plates on which were engraven an abridgement of the records of the ancient Prophets that had existed on this continent. The angel appeared to me three times the same night and unfolded the same things. After having received many visits from the angels of God unfolding the majesty and glory of the events that should transpire in the last days, on the morning of the 22nd of September, A. D. 1827, the angel of the Lord delivered the records into my hands." (Wentworth's Letter--Joseph Smith, 1842.)

3. _The Wentworth Letter:_ The letter so designated, and from which the foregoing notes of this lesson are taken, was written at the request of Mr. John Wentworth, editor and proprietor of the _Chicago Democrat_. A friend of his, Mr. Bastow, was engaged in writing a history of New Hampshire and evidently desired to make some mention of the rise of Mormonism, and hence he enlisted the good offices of Mr. Wentworth to get a statement from the Prophet Joseph himself on that subject; and hence this letter was written. It is one of the most valuable of our original historical documents, and gives in concise form the very best statement possible of the rise, progress and doctrines of the Church up to the time it was written; namely, March, 1842. In addition to the statements concerning the Book of Mormon quoted in the foregoing notes, it was in that document that the summary of doctrines believed in by the Church appears, commonly known as the "Articles of Faith." The Wentworth letter entire is to be found in the Millennial Star, Vol. 19, pp. 117-120.

4. _Precautions taken in Printing the Book of Mormon:_ Nothing is said by the Prophet in his History of the difficulties that arose whilst the Book of Mormon was in the hands of the printer; nor of the care that was taken to prevent the manuscript falling into the hands of enemies of the work. It is proper, however, that these matters should be stated at this point. It appears that when the arrangements were completed with Mr. Grandin for printing the Book of Mormon, the Prophet went down to Harmony, in Pennsylvania. Before taking his departure, however, it was arranged:

First: that Oliver Cowdery transcribe the whole manuscript; hence it came about that there were two manuscript copies of the Book of Mormon, the original, which was taken in charge by the Prophet after the publication of the book, and the copy made by Oliver Cowdery for the printer's use, and which finally was given by him into the custody of David Whitmer, with whose family it remains to this day (1901.) (Since the above was written the custodian of the Whitmer family has placed the Ms. in the care of Joseph Smith, son of the Prophet Joseph.)

Second: that the copy made by Cowdery from the original manuscript only should be taken to the printer's, so that if that should be destroyed the original would remain in the hands of the Prophet and his associates, from which it could be replaced; and even this copy was supplied the printer in small quantities at a time, usually enough only for a single day's work of the printer.

Third: that in going to and from the office whoever carried the manuscript--usually it was Oliver Cowdery--should always have a guard to attend him.

Fourth: that a guard should be kept constantly upon the watch, both night and day, about the house, to protect the manuscript from malicious persons, who might seek to destroy it. (The authorities for the above are: Lucy Smith's "History of the Prophet Joseph," ch. xxxi; the statements of Stephen S. Harding, who a number of times visited Grandin's establishment while the Book of Mormon was being printed; his statement is published in "The Prophet of Palmyra," by Thomas Gregg, pp. 34-56.) (History of the Church, Vol. I, p. 75.)

5. _The Wisdom of the Prophet's Precautions Vindicated:_ Notwithstanding all the precautions taken by the little group of brethren engaged in publishing the book, the Nephite record, mutilated by interlineations of human invention, omissions, and added vulgarisms intended to destroy the work, came nearly being given to the world before the Book of Mormon itself was published. This was the work of one Esquire Cole, ex-justice of the peace, who undertook to publish the Book of Mormon, in instalments, in a weekly periodical called Dogberry Paper on Winter Hill. Cole obtained the use of Grandin's press nights and on Sundays, and surely must have obtained the advanced sheets of the printed forms of the Book of Mormon, which he was using, with the knowledge of Mr. Grandin; at least it is difficult to conceive how he could obtain and use them without his knowledge. Hyrum Smith, feeling uneasy concerning the security of that part of the Book of Mormon in the hands of the printer, induced Oliver Cowdery one Sunday to go with him to the printer's to see if all was well, and there they found Squire Cole at work on his Dogberry paper, and publishing mutilated extracts from the Book of Mormon. He refused to desist from his unlawful course; but Joseph was sent for and came up during that week from Harmony, and by firmly asserting his rights under the copyright law, and by threatening to prosecute those who infringed them, Cole was induced to abandon his intention of publishing the Book of Mormon in his paper. This difficulty past, another arose. The people of Palmyra and vicinity held a mass meeting and passed a resolution pledging themselves not to purchase the Book of Mormon when published, and to use their influence to prevent others from purchasing it. This had the effect of causing Mr. Grandin to suspend printing until he could obtain renewed assurances of receiving the amount agreed upon for printing the edition of five thousand. Again the Prophet was sent for, and again he made the journey from Harmony to Palmyra, quieted the fears of Mr. Grandin by renewed assurances on the part of himself and Martin Harris that the amount agreed upon would be paid. The work proceeded, and at last issued from the press, notwithstanding all the difficulties it had encountered. (See Lucy Smith's "History of the Prophet Joseph," ch. xxxiii.) (History of the Church, Vol. 1, pp. 75-6.)

6. _The Manner of Translating the Book of Mormon:_ The sum of the whole matter, then, concerning the manner of translating the sacred record of the Nephites, according to the testimony of the only witnesses competent to testify in the matter is: With the Nephite record was deposited a curious instrument, consisting of two transparent stones, set in the rim of a bow, somewhat resembling spectacles, but larger, called by the ancient Hebrews "Urim and Thummim," but by the Nephites "Interpreters." In addition to these "Interpreters" the Prophet Joseph had a "Seer Stone," possessed of similar qualities to the Urim and Thummim; that the prophet sometimes used one and sometimes the other of these sacred instruments in the work of translation; that whether the "Interpreters" or the "Seer Stone" was used the Nephite characters with the English interpretation appeared in the sacred instrument; that the Prophet would pronounce the English translation to his scribe, which when correctly written would disappear and the other characters with their interpretation take their place, and so on until the work was completed. It should not be supposed, however, that this translation though accomplished by means of the "Interpreters" and "Seer Stone," as stated above, was merely a mechanical procedure; that no faith, or mental or spiritual effort was required on the prophet's part; that the instruments did all, while he who used them did nothing but look and repeat mechanically what he saw there reflected. * * * * I repeat, then, that the translation of the Book of Mormon by means of the "Interpreters" and "Seer Stone," was not merely a mechanical process, but required the utmost concentration of mental and spiritual force possessed by the Prophet, in order to exercise the gift of translation through the means of the sacred instruments provided for that work. This might be inferred from the general truth that God sets no premium upon mental and spiritual laziness; for whatever means God may have provided to assist man to arrive at the truth, he has always made it necessary for him to couple with those means his utmost endeavor of mind and heart." (Y. M. M. I. A. Manual, 1903-5, pp. 68-9.)

Footnotes

1. Let the selection be from the Book of Mormon throughout the Book of Mormon section of the year's work.

2. This is a new work by Elder B. H. Roberts, just issued from the Deseret News press, and the question of the manner in which the Book of Mormon was translated is discussed at great length.

LESSON II.

SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.

_THE ANCIENT AMERICAN SCRIPTURE--THE BOOK OF MORMON. (Continued.)_

ANALYSIS. REFERENCES.

_I. The Nephite Plates._ Note 1.
1. Dimensions. Wentworth Letter,
2. Weight and Appearance. Mill. Star Vol. XIX: 117.

_II. Writers of the Book of Mormon._ See Book of Mormon
1. First Group. also Y. M. M. I. A. Manual
2. Second Group. (No. 7), Chap. ix.

_III. Purposes for Which the Book of Ibid (No. 9), Chap. xxxvii.
Mormon was Written._ Doc. & Cov. Sec. iii,
16-20. Book of Mormon--Moroni's
Preface Title Page. Book of
Mormon, Chap. v: 12-15. Ibid
vii, 540, I Nephi, Chap. xiii.
Y. M. M. I. A. Manual
(No. 7), Chap. iii.

_IV. Original Books of the Nephite Record._ Note Ibid.
1. The Small Plates of Nephi. Book of Mormon, pp. 1-157.
2. The Abridgement of Mormon.--Nephite Words of Mormon,
History. Chap. i, p. 158; pp. 160-548.
3. The Abridgement of Moroni--The Book of Mormon, 570-608.
Jaredite History. Y. M. M. I. A. Manual
(No. 7), Chap. ix.
Myth of the Ms Found,
Chap. v.

_NOTES._

1. _Appearance and Dimensions of the Plates of the Book of Mormon:_ "These records were engraven on plates which had the appearance of gold, each plate was six inches wide and eight inches long, and not quite so thick as common tin. They were filled with engravings, in Egyptian characters, and bound together in a volume as the leaves of a book, with three rings running through the whole. The volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed. The characters on the unsealed part were small, and beautifully engraved. The whole book exhibited many marks of antiquity in its construction, and much skill in the art of engraving." (Joseph Smith, Wentworth Letter.)

2. _Summary of the Book of Mormon:_ "In this important and interesting book the history of ancient America is unfolded, from its first settlement by a colony that came from the Tower of Babel, at the confusion of languages to the beginning of the fifth century of the Christian Era. We are informed by these records that America in ancient times had been inhabited by two distinct races of people. The first were called Jaredites, and came directly from the Tower of Babel. The second race came directly from the city of Jerusalem, about six hundred years before Christ. They were principally Israelites, of the descendants of Joseph. The Jaredites were destroyed about the time that the Israelites who succeeded them in the inheritance of the country, came from Jerusalem. The principal nation of the second race fell in battle towards the close of the fourth century. The remnant are the Indians that now inhabit this country. This book also tells us that our Savior made his appearance upon this [the American] continent after his resurrection; that he planted the gospel here in all its fulness, and richness, and power, and blessing; that they had Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers, and Evangelists; the same order the same Priesthood, the same ordinances, gifts, powers, and blessings, as were enjoyed on the eastern continent; that the people were cut off in consequence of their transgressions; that the last of their Prophets who existed among them was commanded to write an abridgement of their prophecies, history, etc., and to hide it up in the earth, and that it should come forth and be united with the Bible for the accomplishment of the purposes of God in the last days." (Joseph Smith, Wentworth Letter.)

3. _Book of Mormon Writers:_ As indicated in the lesson analysis, the Book of Mormon writers may be divided into two groups, separated by a period of nearly a thousand years. The first group consists of nine writers:

I Nephi, who writes 127 1/2 pages.

Jacob, brother of Nephi, 21 1/2 pages.

Zenos, son of the above Jacob, 2 1/2 pages.

Jarom, son of the above Zenos, 2 pages.

In the book of Omni there are but 3 1/2 pages, but there are five writers, each of whom records merely a few lines. The names follow:

Omni, son of the above Omni.

Amaron, son of the above Omni.

Chemish, brother of the above Amaron.

Abinadom, son of Chemish.

Ameleki, son of the above Abinadom.

Amaleki writes about 2 1/2 pages, out of the three pages and a half that comprise the Book of Omni.

Altogether this first group gives us 157 pages.

The second group consists of Mormon and his son Moroni.

Mormon's abridgement of the various books written upon "the large plates of Nephi," comprises 390 1/2 pages.

Mormon's personal account of events that occur in his own day, 14 1/2 pages, making a total of 405 pages.

Moroni's writings, consisting of the completion of his father's personal record, the abridgement of the Jaredite history and his own book, called the Book of Moroni, 61 pages, making a total of 623 pages of our current editions.

4. _Purpose for which the Book of Mormon was Written:_ The following is a summary of the purposes for which the Book of Mormon was written, gathered from the book itself and from the Doctrine and Covenants. (See references accompanying Lesson analysis.)

First, to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord has done for their fathers.

Second, to teach them the covenants of the Lord made with their fathers, that the remnants may know that they are not cast off forever.

Third, that this record may convince both Jews and Gentiles that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, and that he manifests himself to all nations.

Fourth, that the knowledge of a Savior might come especially to the remnants of the house of Israel on the western hemisphere, through the testimony of the Nephites and Lamanites as well as through the testimony of the Jews, that they might more fully believe the gospel.

Fifth, that the Jews might have the testimony of the Nephites as well as that of their fathers, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Sixth, and I think mainly, to be a witness for the truth of the Bible, to establish its authenticity, and its credibility by bringing other witnesses to testify to the _same great truths_ that are contained in the sacred pages of the Bible; to restore to the knowledge of mankind many plain and precious truths concerning the gospel which men have taken out of the Jewish scriptures, or obscured by their interpretations; for which cause many have stumbled and fallen into unbelief. In a word, it is the mission of the book of Mormon to be a witness for Jesus, the Christ; for the truth of the Gospel as the power of God unto salvation; for that purpose it was written, preserved from destruction and has now come forth to the children of men through the goodness and mercy and power of God. (Y. M. M. I. A. Manuals, 1903-1905, p. 26-7.)

LESSON III.

SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.

_THE ANCIENT AMERICAN SCRIPTURE--THE BOOK OF MORMON. (Continued.)_

ANALYSIS. REFERENCES.

_I. Ancient Migrations to America._ Myth of the Ms Found
1. The Jaredite Colony. (Reynolds), Chap. v.
2. Lehi's Colony. Y. M. M. I. A. Manual
3. Colony of Mulek. (No. 7), Chap. x.
Notes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

_II. Ancient Nations of America._ Y. M. M. I. A. Manual
1. Jaredite Empire, Its Center of (No. 7), Chap. xiii. Notes
National Life--Form of Government. 8, 9, 10.
2. Nephite Kingdom, When and
How Established--Character of
Government.
3. Nephite--Zarahemla Kingdom,
How Formed, Nature of Its Laws.
4. The Nephite Republic. Distinction
Between this Form of Government
and the Monarchy.
5. Lamanite Confederation, Evidence
of such Confederation--Its
Extent and Nature.

_NOTES._

1. _Jaredite Colony:_ The Book of Mormon contains the history of two distinct races. The first came from the Tower of Babel and was destroyed a little less than six hundred years before Christ. The story of their national life is given very briefly, but sufficient is said to prove that they were one of the mightiest nations of antiquity, and in the days of their righteousness a people highly blessed of the Lord. Their fall and final destruction were the result of their gross wickedness and rejection of God's Prophets. These people were called the Jaredites, their history in the Book of Mormon is contained in "the Book of Ether." Ether was their last Prophet, and wrote his account of his people on twenty-four plates of gold." (The Myth of the Manuscript Found, p. 43.)

2. _The Nephite Colony:_ The next race that inhabited this continent was of Israelitish origin, the descendants of Joseph and Judah. The Nephites, the ruling branch, were principally the descendants of Manasseh (and Ephraim). By divine guidance their first prophet and ruler, Lehi, was brought out of Jerusalem with a small company of his relatives and friends, eleven years before the Babylonian captivity (B. C. 600). They sailed from south-eastern Arabia across the Indian and Pacific oceans, and landed on the American shore not far from where the city of Valparaiso now stands. In the first year of the captivity another small colony was led out from Jerusalem, Mulek, one of the sons of King Zedekiah, being their nominal leader. This party landed in North America some distance north of the Isthmus of Darien, and soon after migrated into the northern portion of the southern continent, where for nearly four centuries they grew in numbers, but not in true civilization. (Myth of the Manuscript Found, p. 44.)

3. _Inter-Continental Movements:_ In the meantime the descendants of the colonists under Lehi had also grown numerous. Early in their history they had separated into two nationalities; the first, called Nephites, observing the laws of Moses, the teachings of the prophets, and developing in the decencies and comforts of civilized life; the others, called Lamanites (after the cruel, rebellious elder brother of Nephi), sank into barbarism and idolatry. These latter gradually crowded the Nephites northward until the latter reached the land occupied by the descendants of Mulek's colony, now called the people of Zarahemla, with whom they coalesced and formed one nation. From their national birth to B. C. 91, the Nephites had been ruled by kings, but at that time the form of government was changed and a republic founded. The nation was then ruled by judges elected by the people (the Nephite Republic). This portion of the history of the Nephites is a very varied one. One-third of their time they were engaged in actual war with the Lamanites, and at other times they were distracted with internal convulsions and rebellions. About A. D.. 30, the republic was overthrown and the people split up into numerous independent tribes. (Myth of the Manuscript Found, p. 44.)

4. _Time of the Departure of Jaredite Colony:_ The colony of Jared, according to the Book of Mormon, departed from the Tower of Babel about the time of the confounding of the people's language; which, if the Hebrew chronology of the Bible be accepted, was an event that took place 2,247 B. C. Through a special favor to the family of Jared and his brother, Moriancumer, the language of these families, and that of a few of their friends was not confounded. Under divine direction they departed from Babel northward into a valley called Nimrod, and thence were led by the Lord across the continent of Asia eastward until they came to the shore of the great sea--Pacific Ocean--which divided the lands. Here they remained four years; and then by divine appointment constructed eight barges in which to cross the mighty ocean to a land of promise, to which God had covenanted to bring them; to a land "which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had reserved for a righteous people.." After a severely stormy passage--continuing for 344 days, the colony landed on the western coast of North America, "probably south of the Gulf of California." Soon after their arrival the people of the colony began to spread out upon the face of the land, and multiply, and till the earth; "and they did wax strong in the land." Previous to the demise of Moriancumer and Jared, the people were called together and a kingly government founded, Orihah, the youngest son of Jared being anointed king.

5. _Composition and Number of Lehi's Colony:_ Lehi was one of the many prophets at Jerusalem who predicted the calamities which befell the Jewish nation on the second invasion of Judea by King Nebuchadnezzar, early in the sixth century B. C. Lehi incurred the wrath of that ungodly people and was warned of God in a vision to depart from Jerusalem with his family, and was also promised that inasmuch as he would keep the commandments of God he should be led to a land of promise. From the wilderness where Lehi temporarily dwelt, two expeditions to the fated city were made by his sons: one, to obtain a genealogy of his fathers, and the Jewish scriptures (which resulted also in adding one more to the colony in the person of Zoram, a servant of one Laban, a keeper of the Jewish records); the second, to induce one Ishmael and his family to join Lehi's Colony in their exodus from Jerusalem and journey to the promised land. In both these expeditions they were successful in achieving their object. The colony now consisted of some eighteen adult persons and a number of children.

6. _Direction of Travel and Landing Place of Lehi's Colony:_ From the Book of Mormon and the word of the Lord to the prophet Joseph Smith, it is learned that Lehi's Colony traveled from Jerusalem nearly a southeast direction until they came to the 19th degree north latitude; thence nearly east to the sea of Arabia. Here the colony built a ship in which to cross the great waters, which as yet separated them from the land of promise. They sailed in a southeasterly direction, and landed on the continent of South America in about 30 degrees south latitude.

7. _Conditions in Jerusalem at the Departure of Lehi's Colony:_ The story of Zedekiah's reign in Jerusalem, the conditions that obtained among the people, and the warnings which God sent by many prophets (Lehi among the rest) is thus told in II Chronicles, chapter xxxvi: "Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign; and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet, speaking from the mouth of the Lord. And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord God of Israel. Moreover, all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much, after all the abominations of the heathen, and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling places: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy."

8. _Mulek's Colony:_ According to the Bible narrative of King Zedekiah's reign, when Jerusalem fell into the hands of the king of Babylon (588 B. C.), King Zedekiah himself well nigh made his escape. For when the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night, by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden, the king went the way toward the plain. But his flight being betrayed by an enemy among his own people, the army of the Chaldeans pursued Zedekiah early in the morning and overtook him in the plain near Jericho. The king's army was scattered from him at the time he was captured; for "those friends and captains of Zedekiah who had fled out of the city with him, when they saw their enemies near them, they left him, and dispersed themselves, some one way and some another, and every one resolved to save himself; so the enemy took Zedekiah alive, when he was deserted by all but a few, with his children and his wives." The unfortunate king was taken before the king of Babylon, whose headquarters were then at Riblah, in Syria, where "they gave judgment upon him." The sons of Zedekiah were slain in his presence; after which his eyes were put out; he was bound in fetters and carried to Babylon, where subsequently he died. But among the king's friends who escaped, were a number who carried with them one of Zedekiah's sons, named Mulek; and according to the Book of Mormon, this company "journeyed in the wilderness and were brought by the hand of the Lord across the great waters," into the western hemisphere. It is learned by an incidental remark in the Book of Mormon that the colony of Mulek landed somewhere in the north continent of the western hemisphere; and for that reason the north continent was called Mulek, by the Nephites; and the south continent, Lehi; and this for the reason that the Lord brought the colonies bearing these names to the north and south land respectively.

9. _The Government of the Jaredites:_ Of the nature of Jaredite government little can be learned beyond the fact that after the election of the first king, Orihah, the hereditary principle was recognized; and although there were frequent contestants for the throne, and occasional usurpations of the kingly authority, the legitimate line of hereditary monarchs seems to have been reasonably well maintained. It appears not to have been part of the constitution of the government, however, that the rights of heredity in the royal house should descend to the eldest son. It frequently happened that the son born in the old age of the reigning monarch succeeded to the kingly power, a course which perhaps accounts for the occasional rebellions of their brothers, though the rights of the first born are never urged as the cause of the quarrels.

10. _The Nephite Kingdom:_ What the nature of this kingly government was, what secondary officers existed in it, and what means were employed for the administration of its laws cannot be learned from the Nephite record. For some time the community over which the established government held sway was but a small one, hence the kingly office had no such dignity as attaches to it in more extensive governments; but was most likely akin to the petty kingdoms which existed in Judea at various times and with which Nephi and some few of those who had accompanied him from Jerusalem were acquainted. The Nephites had the scriptures containing the law of Moses, and were taught to some extent in some of the customs of the Jews, but not in all of them. And these customs, and the law of Moses administered with no very great amount of machinery, I apprehend constituted the character of the Nephite government. Under it the Nephites lived for a period of more than four hundred and fifty years.

11. _The Nephite Republic:_ The transition from a kingly form of government to what may be called a democracy was made at the death of Mosiah II; 509 years from the time Lehi left Jerusalem, or 91 years B. C. The Israelitish genius in matters of government inclines them to the acceptance of what men commonly call a theocracy, which is defined as meaning literally "a state governed in the name of God." The election of this form of government by Israelites as most desirable, grows out of the fact of the Mosaic legislation; for Moses received the law by which Israel was governed direct from Jehovah; its regulations were carried out in Jehovah's name by the administration of judges, both during the life time of Israel's great prophet and also after his demise. Living thus under the divine law, administered in the name of Jehovah by judges divinely appointed, was to be governed of God.

12. _Civilization and Government Among the Lamanites:_ The Lamanites in respect of these matters should not be overlooked. It is true that they were idle; that they loved the wilderness and dwelt in tents; that they depended upon the fruits of the chase and such products of the earth as the rich lands they occupied produced without the labor of man, as the principal means of their sustenance; still they came in contact now and then with Nephite civilization, which must have modified somewhat their inclination to utter barbarism. * * * * * That there was some system and regularity in Lamanite government must be apparent from the degree of efficiency to which it must have arisen in order to conduct the protracted wars with the Nephites. The largeness of their armies, the length of the wars, and the extensive scale on which they were projected, would indicate the existence of some strong, central government capable of making its authority respected. That such a government existed among the Lamanites is disclosed through the facts that are brought to light by the mission of the young Nephite princes, the sons of Mosiah II., in the century preceding the birth of Messiah. It appears that at that time what I shall venture to call the Lamanite Empire was divided into a number of petty kingdoms whose kings, as it always the case among semi-civilized peoples, were possessed of great and arbitrary power; but these in turn seem to have been subject to a central ruler whose dominion extended over all, and whose power in his larger sphere was as absolute as that of the petty kings in the smaller states.

LESSON IV.

SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.

_THE ANCIENT AMERICAN SCRIPTURE--THE BOOK OF MORMON._

ANALYSIS. REFERENCES.

_I. Civilization in Ancient America._ Book of Mormon. Book
1. Jaredite, Extent and Nature of. of Ether.
2. Nephite, Character of.
3. Lamanite Civilization, Extent and
Character of.
_II. Religion Among the Ancient Nations Y. M. M. I. A. Manual
of America._ (No. 7), Chap. xiii.
1. Among the Jaredites. Notes 1, 2, 3.
2. The Nephites.
3. The People of Zarahemla.
4. The Lamanites.

_SPECIAL TEXT: "Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek. * * * * And if men will come unto me I will show unto them their weaknesses. I give unto men weaknesses that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me."_--THE LORD TO MORONI.

_NOTES._

1. _Religion of the Jaredites:_ "Relative to the religion that obtained among the Jaredites, we are left in well nigh as much ignorance as we are concerning the nature of the subordinate features of their government. The two brothers, Moriancumr and Jared, seem to have been among the righteous people of Babel; so much so in fact that Moriancumr was a very great prophet of God, and had direct access to the source of revelation; * * * * He so far prevailed with God through faith that he beheld him face to face, and talked with him as a man speaks with his friend. That is, he saw and talked with the pre-existent spirit of the Lord Jesus. * * * * * Moriancumr was commanded, however, not to suffer the things he had seen and heard to go into the world until the Lord Jesus should have lived in the flesh. He was commanded to write what he had both seen and heard, and seal it up that it might be preserved to come forth in due time to the children of men. While Moriancumr was prohibited from making known to his people the great things thus revealed to him, his knowledge of the things of God must have given him wonderful power and influence in teaching his people the righteous truths which are fundamental and universal. * * * * The fifth monarch, Emer, possessed such faith that he, like Moriancumr, had the blessed privilege of seeing "the Son of Righteousness, and did rejoice and glory in his day." And of the whole people it is said, "never could [there] be a people more blessed than were they, and more prospered by the hand of the Lord." All of which is good evidence that the Jaredites at this time (in the reign of Lib, the sixteenth monarch) were a righteous people; and this righteousness was doubtless brought about by the preaching of faith in God and his laws as only Moriancumr and other prophets whom God raised up to the Jaredite nation could preach it.

2. _The Religion of the Nephites:_ Religion among the Nephites consisted in the worship of the true and living God, the Jehovah of the Jews, whose revelations to the children of Israel through Moses and all the prophets to Jeremiah were brought with them into the new world. They therefore accepted into their faith all the Bible truths, and in its historical parts they had before them the valuable lessons which Bible history teaches. They looked forward also to the coming of Messiah, through Prophecy; and when he finally came and taught the gospel in its fulness they accepted it and thus became Christians.

3. _Religion of the Lamanites:_ The religion of Lamanites is more difficult to determine than their government. It is chiefly the absence of religion and of its influence that must be spoken of. Taught to believe that the traditions of their fathers respecting God, the promised Messiah, and the belief in a future life were untrue; persuaded to believe that their fathers had been induced to leave fatherland, and their rich possessions therein because of the dreams of the visionary Lehi; firm in their conviction that the elder sons of Lehi had been defrauded of their right to govern the colony by the younger son, Nephi, and that through the force of the religious influence he learned to wield by following the spiritual example (to them, perhaps, the trickery) of his father--it was in the spirit of hatred of religion that the Lamanites waged wars upon the Nephites, to subvert religion and free men from its influence. But the Lamanites were true to human instincts. They freed themselves, as they supposed, from one superstition, only to plunge into others that were really contemptible--the superstition of idolatry; for they were an idolatrous people. This remark, however, must be understood in a general sense, and as applying to the Lamanites proper previous to the coming of Messiah--of the followers, and the descendants of the followers, of the elder brothers of the first Nephi, Laman and Lemuel. After the coming of Messiah, when in the third century, A. D., the old distinctions of Nephite and Lamanite were revived, after the long period of peace and righteousness following the advent of Christ, they had no reference to race or family distinctions, as they had when first employed; but were strictly party distinctions; used, when adopted again in the period named, to indicate the Church or religious party, and the anti-religious party, respectively.

4. _The Priesthood of the Nephites:_ In order to offer sacrifices and administer in the other ordinances of the law of Moses (which the Nephites were commanded to observe), it was necessary, of course, that they have a priesthood, and this they had; but not the priesthood after the order of Aaron; for that was a priesthood that could only properly be held by Aaron's family and the tribe of Levi; while Lehi was of the tribe of Manasseh. Lehi held the priesthood, however, the higher priesthood, which was after the order of Melchisedek, and was a prophet and minister of righteousness. This he conferred upon his son Nephi, and Nephi shortly after his separation from his elder brothers on the land of promise, consecrated his two younger brothers, Jacob and Joseph, to be priests and teachers unto his people. Jacob, when explaining his calling to his brethren, states that he had been called of God, "and ordained after the manner of his holy order." What the significance of the phrase "his holy order" means, is learned very distinctly from other parts of the Book of Mormon. Alma, for instance, before giving up the chief judgeship of the land, is represented as confining himself "wholly to the holy priesthood of the holy order of God, to the testimony of the word, according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy." Again Alma explains, "I am called * * * * according to the holy order of God, which is in Christ Jesus, yea, I am commanded to stand and testify unto this people." All of which is made still clearer by what Alma says later. Having given an explanation of the plan of redemption which was laid for man's salvation, and which he represents as having been understood from earliest times, he adds: "I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son (meaning Jesus Christ), to teach these things unto the people. * * * * This holy priesthood being after the order of his Son, which order was from the foundation of the world, or in other words, being without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity. * * * * Thus they become the high priests forever after the order of the Son, the only begotten of the Father, who is full of grace, equity and truth." Alma then admonishes his people to be humble "even as the people in the days of Melchisedek, who was also a high priest after the same order (of which he had spoken). * * * * And he was the same Melchisedek to whom Abraham paid tithes." The Nephite priesthood, then, was not a priesthood after Aaron's order, but of a higher order, even the priesthood after the order of the Son of God; the same kind of priesthood held by Melchisedek, by Moses, by Lehi, and many other prophets in Israel. That this higher priesthood was competent to act in administering the ordinances under what is known as the law of Moses is evident from the fact that it so administered before the Aaronic or Levitical priesthood proper was given; and the fact that there was given the household of Aaron and the tribe of Levi a special priesthood, by no means detracts from the right and power of the higher or Melchisedek priesthood to officiate in the ordinances of the law of Moses; for certainly the higher order of priesthood may officiate in the functions of the lower, when necessity requires it. All the sacrifices and ordinances under the law of Moses, administered by the Nephite priesthood, I say again, were observed with due appreciation of the fact that they were of virtue only as they shadowed forth the things to be done by Messiah when he should come to earth, in the flesh, on his great mission of atonement." (Y. M. M. I. A. Manuals, 1903-5, pp. 137-8.)

LESSON V.

SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.

_THE ANCIENT AMERICAN SCRIPTURE--THE BOOK OF MORMON. (Continued.)_

ANALYSIS. REFERENCES.

_I. The Value of the Book of Mormon._ Y. M. M. I. A. Manual
(No. 7), Chap. ii.
1. As a Witness to the Authenticity The Gospel, Chap. vii
and Credibility of the Bible. and viii.
(a) Of Parts of the Old Testament. I Nephi, v: 10-16, and
(b) Of Parts of the New Testament. Comments Y. M. M. I. A.
(c) Of the Whole Gospel Story. Manual (No. 7), pp. 14, 15.
Note.
2. As Contributing Larger Views of II Nephi, xxix. Alma,
the Justice and Mercy of God in xxxix: 1-8. See also "Defence
His Hand-Dealings with the Human of the Faith and
Race in Respect of Revelation. the Saints" Art. Revelation
(a) With the Ancient Americans--Jaredite and Inspiration, also
and Nephites. note.
(b) With the Gentiles.
(c) With All Nations and Races
of Men.

_SPECIAL TEXT: "I ought not to harrow up in my desires the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desires, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he alloteth unto men, according to their wills; whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction."_--ALMA.

_NOTES._

1. _The Witness of the Western Hemisphere:_ A writer (Rev. John Watson--"Ian Maclaren") held much in esteem by the orthodox Christian world--and deservedly so--in a noble work, "The Life of the Master," issued from the press, 1901, said:

"Were a parchment discovered in an Egyptian mound, six inches
square, containing fifty words which were certainly spoken by
Jesus, this utterance would count more than all the books which
have been published since the first century. If a veritable picture
of the Lord could be unearthed from a catacomb, and the world could
see with its own eyes what like he was, it would not matter that
its colors were faded, and that it was roughly drawn, that picture
would have at once a solitary place amid the treasures of art."

If this be true, and I think no one will or can question it, then how valuable indeed must be this whole volume of scripture, the Book of Mormon! Containing not fifty, but many hundred works spoken by Jesus! Containing also an account of the hand dealings of God with the people inhabiting the western hemisphere, from earliest times to the fourth century after Christ. Wherein also are found his revelations to those peoples; his messages by angels sent directly from his presence to declare his word to them; his instructions, admonitions, reproofs, and warnings to them through men inspired by his holy spirit; and last of all, the account of Messiah's appearance and ministry among the people, his very words repeated, and, in some instances, rightly divided for us, that we may the better understand what of his teaching is general, and what special; what universal and permanent, and what local and transient. How insignificant all the discoveries in Egypt, in ancient Babylon, Palestine, and the Sinaitic Peninsula are in comparison with this New Witness of the western world! How paltry, valuable though they are in themselves, seem the Rosetta Stone, the Moabite Stone and the library of brick tablets from old Nineveh, in comparison with this Nephite record--this volume of scripture! How feeble the voice of the testimony of those monuments of the East to the authenticity and credibility of the Bible and the truth of the gospel, in comparison with the testimony found in the Book of Mormon--the voice of departed nations and empires of people speaking through their records for the truth of God--for the verity of the gospel of Jesus Christ--a voice sufficient to overwhelm unbelief and forever make sure the foundations of faith! It was mainly for this purpose that the Nephite records were written, preserved, and finally brought forth to the world. (Y. M. M. I. A. Manual, No. 7, p. 21.)

2. _The Hand Dealings of God with All Men in Relation to Revelation:_ The following appears in the Book of Mormon, with reference to God's course in making known his mind and will to the children of men:

"I (the Lord) command all men, both in the east and in the west,
and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea,
that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of
the books which shall be writen I will judge the world, every man
according to his works, according to that which is written. "For
behold, I will speak unto the Jews, and they shall write it; and I
will also speak unto the Nephites, and they shall write it; and I
will also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which
I have led away, and they shall write it; and I will also speak
unto all nations of the earth, and they shall write it."

Then the Lord proceeds to tell how in the dispensation of the fulness of times he will bring together and unite in testimony the words that he has spoken to these various peoples and nations.

Again, it is writen in the same book:

"Behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation
and tongue, to teach his word; yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth
fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth
counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true."

This is the "Mormon" theory of God's revelation to the children of men. While the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is established for the instruction of men; and is one of God's instrumentalities for making known the truth, yet he is not limited to that institution for such purposes, neither in time nor place. God raises up wise men and prophets here and there among all the children of men, of their own tongue and nationality, speaking to them through means that they can comprehend; not always giving a fulness of truth such as may be found in the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ; but always giving that measure of truth that the people are prepared to receive. "Mormonism" holds, then, that all the great teachers among all nations and in all ages, are servants of God. They are inspired men, appointed to instruct God's children according to the conditions in the midst of which he finds them. Hence it is not obnoxious to "Mormonism" to regard Confucius, the great Chinese philosopher and moralist, as a servant of God, inspired to a certain degree by him to teach those great moral maxims which have governed those millions of God's children for lo! these many centuries. It is willing to regard Gautama, Buddha as an inspired servant of God, teaching a measure of the truth, at least giving to these people that twilight of truth by which they may somewhat see their way. So with the Arabian prophet, that wild spirit that turned the Arabians from worshiping idols to a conception of the Creator of heaven and earth that was more excellent than their previous conception of Deity. And so the sages of Greece and of Rome. So the reformers of early Protestant times. Wherever God finds a soul sufficiently enlightened and pure; one with whom his Spirit can communicate, he makes of him a teacher of men. While the path of sensuality and darkness may be that which most men tread, a few, to paraphrase the words of a moral philosopher of high standing, have been led along the upward path; a few in all countries and generations have been wisdom seekers, or seekers of God. They have been so because the Divine Word of Wisdom has looked upon them, choosing them for the knowledge and service of himself. (Defense of the Faith and the Saints, Art. "Revelation and Inspiration.")