Mormonism Exposed

Front matter

Mormonism Exposed.

Joseph Smith an Imposter and the Book of Mormon a Fraud.

By Elder G. B. Hancock.

Preface

It is truly said, custom governs practice, fashion rules the day. This is almost invariably true. It is so common for those who write books to open their pages with a preface that the author's work would be considered very incomplete should he fail to write one also. The preface is intended, as a rule, to give the reasons for the book's appearance and an introduction to the line of thought contained in the book.

We had no idea of writing a book in order to expose Mormonism till after the debate we held with them at Fayette City, Pa. We had been challenged for such debate many times but never could succeed in getting them to discuss such propositions as we were willing to debate. For years we had been satisfied that those who had debated with Mormons had given them unnecessary advantage in the way of propositions. They invariably sought propositions that gave them opportunity to play upon side issues and give simply a rehash of matter that they had delivered in lectures and preached in sermons till they had it by heart. We determined that they should not have this opportunity in the Fayette City debate. Besides we felt that if they were taken from their stereotyped course of presenting their doctrines, they would be utterly at a loss, and manifest clearly their inability to sustain their system. Our conjecture proved to be true. The proposition as we affirmed was: Joseph Smith, the reputed prophet and the author of the Book of Mormon, was as imposter and the Book of Mormon is a fraud. It took some time to get them to agree to discuss the difference as stated in our affirmative. They wanted to divide the burden of proof. Finally we notified them that we would be at Fayette City the first of March, 1900, prepared to meet any Mormon cham- pion in debate that might be selected by that fraternity, or in case we had no opponent we were prepared to expose their system in a series of lectures. This they could not allow. We found an opponent on the ground, but he proved himself incapable of grappling with systems. Our line of thought was new to all. It was readily seen that the discussion was one between the Bible and the Book of Mormon. All that heard and all that have seen our arrangement of matter are unanimous in the conclusion that the interests of Truth demanded that we publish what we presented in that debate. To this request we have consented. Therefore we send this book forth, hoping that it may do much good, and believing that it will stand as a Gibraltar in behalf of Truth.

G. B. Hancock,

Scholten, Mo.

Chapter 1

The people known as Mormons, or Latter Day Saints, are among the most aggressive religionists of the present time. Their missionaries are to be met with in all parts, and manifest a zeal that is certainly worthy of a better cause. We say "better cause," because we feel their cause is not good, and we are as conscious of our ability to demonstrate the truthfulness of the propositions embodied in our caption as we are of our ability to move the pencil with which we are now writing.

It has been said that knowledge and thought govern the world. As to whether this is true may be a question, but the thinking part of humanity will agree that such should be the case. Religiously, however, the majority seem to move without thought. It is a fact that most religionists give the subject of religion but little thought, and as a consequence, what ideas they have are in the main, second hand. Upon the part of those who think, and presume to think for the people, there is but little independence of mind, for they do not allow themselves to think outside of certain paths marked out by predecessors.

It being conceded that man should be governed by thought, it should not be a difficult matter to decide as to whose thoughts should govern him. Thought designed for the government of man should be such as to tend wholly to the betterment of man's estate. In order to a proper conception of the thought necessary in order to the desired end, we need to enquire for the purpose of religion. The word means "a binding back," carrying the idea of reuniting severed ties. Worship is designed to bring the worshipper into conformity to the object worshipped. Thought, hence, to accomplish the desired end, must lead to and give a truer knowledge of God. Man cannot, however, by searching, find out God. Therefore, no line of finite thought can answer the purpose. A knowledge of God can not come from man but must come from God.

The purpose of religion is an infinite one. The design is to prepare man for the service of the Infinite Being, in the infinite beyond. If thought is to govern man, in view of the end purposed in religion, it must be infinite thought, for finite means cannot accomplish an infinite purpose. In order to the desired end a finite being can do nothing but lay hold of infinite provisions. All the provisions from God in man's behalf, are through Christ. He must, therefore, be an Infinite Being or the claims of the Bible are not true.

God says to man, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55: 8, 9. If we ask, where are the thoughts of the Almighty in man's behalf to be found? the answer is in the context, and assures us that his thoughts are in the words that he has spoken to man.

Man's words give man's thoughts, and can give nothing beyond. Therefore God's words alone can give God's thoughts. If the glory of God is involved in the matters of religion his thoughts alone should govern man in these matters. One to give to man the thoughts of God must be one that knows the mind of God. Christ affirms that he is the only teacher of the human family that knew God. He is, hence, of these matters, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

If God is interested in the eternal welfare of the creature man, and his thoughts are essential in order to that welfare, it is reasonable that he should not only reveal those thoughts, but also guard them against perversion. This we find he purposed to do. To the Jews he said. "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." Deut. 4: 2. Again, "What thing soever I command you, observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." Deut. 12: 32. These prohibitions are repeated in the New Testament, with the assurance that the anathamas of heaven will rest upon all who disregard them.

The thoughts of God could not be known but by revelation, and this revelation could not be but by the inspiration of the Almighty. Therefore, the inspiration essential in order to the desired end was afforded and no more. As the glory of God and the eternal interests of humanity were involved in these matters, man could not decide as to the amount of revelation required. The will of man, hence, never governed the action of inspiration; or, in other words, no inspiration was ever afforded at the mere suggestion of man. We are assured that no prophecy ever came at any time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. II. Peter 1: 20, 21. As to the purpose or extent of his working God never counseled man, but worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Eph. 1: 11. If we can ascertain the decision of God as to the amount of inspiration and revelation essential in order to the desired end it will be satisfactory to all who desire simply the truth.

There are different books that claim to exist by virtue of inspiration, and claim, hence, to be revelations from God. By way of introduction to a proper course of inquiry, we place certain of these books before us. First, we take the book called the Bible. If the claims of this book to inspiration cannot be sustained, no other book need put up such claim. The Bible is composed of two parts, the Old and New Testaments. If we ask, What do we have when we have the Old Testament? the answer is, We have Moses and the prophets. In the New Testament we have Jesus and his apostles. These two books, the Old and New Testaments, are a unit. They were both essential in order to the end in view, the eternal interests of man. In the first the mind of man was directed forward, in expectation of the second. In the first they were taught to expect perfection in the second. The two, hence, make one book. When the disciples accepted Jesus they could truthfully say, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write."

We have before us another book that claims to exist by virtue of inspiration from God. It is called the Book of Mormon. What have we in it? What purpose does it answer in the economy of Heaven? Inspiration, as we have seen, is not at the option of man but governed wholly by the will of God. If the Book of Mormon be an inspired production there must be a purpose in the economy of grace that it was designed to accomplish—a purpose above and beyond what could be accomplished by the inspiration afforded Christ and the apostle! The working of inspiration and revelation was in order to God's glory and man's eternal interest. If the Book of Mormon answers no specific purpose in order to the glory of God and the eternal interests of humanity the propositions, embodied in the heading under which we write are true, incontrovertibly true. If the Book of Mormon answers any purpose in the Divine economy, it must connect at some point with the Bible, and at that point there must be an incompleteness, a vacuum, that could not have been filled without its appearance. If there be such point it must be found in the New Testament, for there is not a prophecy, an allegory or type in the Old Testament, that directs the mind of man beyond what we have in Christ. The purpose of the inspiration and revelation that gave the Old Testament was reached in its fulness, by the bringing in of the hope that is afforded in Christ Jesus. "On the one hand, an old commandment is annulled, because it was weak and profitless (for the law perfected nothing) and on the other hand, a better hope is brought in whereby we draw near unto God." Heb. 7: 18, 19. Conybeare. When this better hope was brought in the full purpose of the Jewish economy was reached. Where in the New Testament economy, the economy that has the provisions for that better hope, is there a vacuum to be filled by a production through Joseph Smith? Echo answers—where!

It is now, we think, at this early stage in our investigation, perceptible to our readers, that in meeting the claims of Mormonism our task is simply to defend the claims of the Bible. We now and here unhesitatingly affirm, If the claims of Mormonism be true, the claims of the Bible are false. The truthfulness of this will appear as we proceed with our investigation.

Chapter 2

A proper view of the development of the remedial system will give us the decision of the Almighty as to the amount of revelation essential in order to the one great purpose regarding the human family. Time was divided into three periods called dispensations. These are known as the Patriarchal, the Jewish, and the Christian. These have been beautifully represented as the starlight period, the moonlight period, and the daylight period of Christianity. During the first period of time, a period of darkness, because of the exceeding corruptness of the race, a man would appear here and there, who would shine as a bright star in the moral heavens. Of these we may mention Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Melchisedec and Job. This period was divided into two parts, the antediluvian and the postdiluvian. Yet the two constituted one period. This period continued till the giving of the law of Moses, hence, till the establishing of the first covenant in the development of the remedial system. With the establishing of that covenant a new and superior period was ushered in. The patriarchs had now as it were, surrendered their commission at the feet of Moses, the mediator of that covenant. The theocracy that was established with the giving of the law continued till the time was at hand for the ushering in of the period known as "The fulness of times,"—the establishing of the new, the everlasting covenant. When this covenant was to be established Moses and the prophets surrendered their commission at the feet of Jesus. From that time the command from God is Hear My Son.

Revelation was progressive, never retrogressive. The inferior surrendered to and was followed by the superior. Mormons claim that a new development was made through Joseph Smith; hence that with him a new period began. This being so it must be a progressive, a superior one. This being true God's will did not reach it's perfection in Christ. There are no retrogressive steps in inspiration neither does it do any work of supererogation. Can it be that God had something in reservation for man, to be made known through Joseph Smith, that was to be superior to what he gave through his Son? Is Mormonism superior to Christianity, and Joseph Smith above Jesus Christ? Such are the legitimate and blasphemous claims of this modernism!! For a revelation that had no superior claims over a former one, and that had no advantages over what had preceded it, no excuse could be given. Therefore, if with the appearing of the Book of Mormon a new period was to be ushered in, giving new advantages, advantages superior to any through previous revelations; then it follows, necessarily, that Jesus must surrender his commission at the feet of Smith! Was it for such purpose that God brought His Son to earth and introduced him to Smith?

That the Book of Mormon claims to be above the Bible is shown by the following:

"Wherefore, thou seest that after the book [that is, the Bible] hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church [the church of Rome] that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God, and these plain and precious things were taken away, it goeth forth unto all the nations of Gentiles, yea, even across the many waters which thou hast seen with the Gentiles which have gone forth out of captivity [that is, the Protestants]; thou seest because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God; because of these things which are taken away out of the Gospel of the Lamb, an exceeding great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them."—B. of M. p. 22; 119.

[Note.—All the quotations from the Book of Mormon found in this book, are found in the Book of Mormon as published at Lamoni, Iowa.

From this we learn that the Bible is not the Book of God! No, it's just a skeleton, minus all the essentials of life! The many plain and precious things of the gospel are not in the Bible! It is just as good a thing as the devil wants; for it being destitute of the gospel of Christ it is minus the power of God for salvation. Therefore, without the appearing of Joseph Smith none could be saved. When we challenge Mormon leaders to specify a single item in the gospel of Christ that is not in the New Testament they are mum. We will see how completely Mormonism breaks its own neck at this point. Mormons admit that the new Testament is an inspired book. It claims, however to contain the fulness of the gospel. Its claims in this are false. Therefore, the New Testament is an inspired falsehood! The fact is, the statement concerning the Bible in the quotation we gave is as base a falsehood as was ever. uttered. This is strong language. But we have a severe case, and strong medicine is needed. The statement concerning the Bible as made in the quotation made from the Book of Mormon gives, in substance, an old infidel objection to the Bible that had been made many, very many years before Joe Smith was born. We will now and here give it the needed attention. We give this objection as presented in the language of Orson Pratt. He says:

"The gathering together of the few scattered manuscripts which compose what is termed the Bible was the work of uninspired men, which took place centuries after John had finished his manuscript. Among the vast number of professedly inspired manuscripts, scattered through the world, man, poor weak, ignorant man, assumed the authority to select a few, which, according to his frail judgment, he believed or conjected were of God; but the balance not agreeing, perhaps, with his peculiar notion of divine inspiration, were rejected as spurious. The few selected from the abundance were finally arranged into one volume, divided into chapter and verse, and named the Bible."

Again:

"How does the Protestant world know that the compilers of the Bible, in hunting up the sacred manuscripts which were widely scattered over the world, one in one place, and another in another, found all that were of divine origin? How do they know that the compilers of the Bible found even the one hundredth part of the manuscripts that were sacred?"—"Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon." p. 130.

As Orson Pratt was one of Smith's chosen apostles his utterances show the true spirit of Mormon inspiration. Why should Mormons make such attacks upon the Bible? The answer is, Unless the Bible can be brought into disrepute there can be no room for the Book of Mormon. We will first see what foundation there is for such infidel attacks upon the Old Testament. In the days of Christ and the apostles that book existed in two languages. The Hebrew and the Greek. We have a copy of the Septuagint version. It was a translation from the Hebrew, made in Alexandria, Egypt, about 200 years before Christ. It contains the books of the Old Testament, from Genesis to Malachi. This shows that the Hebrew version contained the same. Christ and his apostles used them, and endorsed them as the word of God. They were such, or Christ and his apostles were false teachers. In this we have the inspiration of Jesus, versus Mormon inspiration. They cannot both be true.

"Suppose a merchant in San Francisco receive a large order from a firm in Liverpool for several cargoes of wheat. He goes to the Merchant's Intelligence Office and satisfies himself that the Liverpool house is perfectly solvent. But he has never had any correspondence with that house before, and so does not certainly know that the signature is genuine. Just then one of his neighbors whom he knows to be a true man, and who has recently returned from England, steps in with a strange gentleman, and introduces him as a son of the senior partner, and himself a member of the firm. The San Francisco merchant shows the letter to the young Englishman. "Yes!" he says "that is all right; that is my father's signature." Then he proceeds to explain the letter. There is no longer any doubt or delay in filling the order. Now, can we authenticate the Bible in any such way? We authenticate the Bible in this very way. The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, has visited our world as the Word of God, on this very business, to declare God's Word to us. He has read the Bible carefully, as much of it as was then written, and he has directed the writing of the remainder. He has given us his opinion of it repeatedly in direct statements; has quoted many passages from it and explained them, and exposed and reprobated the additions which the scribes and Pharisees would have made to the Bible by their traditions. We can trust the testimony of Jesus unhesitatingly. All Christians acknowledge Him as the Truth, and no infidel has dared to charge Him with falsehood."—"The Testimony of Christ to the Truth of the Old Testament," by Robert Patterson.

Touching the authenticity of the New Testament, we give the following:

"I was dining some time ago with a literary party at old Mr. Abercrombie's, father of General Abercrombie, who was slain in Egypt at the head of the British army, and spending the evening together. A gentleman present put a question which puzzled the whole company. It was this: Supposing all the New Testaments in the world had been destroyed at the end of the third century, could their contents have been recovered from the writings of the first three centuries?" The question was novel to all, and no one even hazarded a guess in answer to the inquiry. About two months after this meeting, I received a note from Lord Hailes inviting me to breakfast with him next morning. He had been one of the party. During breakfast he asked me if I recollected the curious question about the possibility of recovering the contents of the New Testament from the writings of the first three centuries. 'I remember it well,' said I, 'and have thought of it often, without being able to form any opinion or conjecture on the subject.' 'Well,' said Lord Hailes, 'that question quite accorded with the turn or taste of my antiquarian mind. On returning home, as I knew I had all the writings of those centuries, I began immediately to collect them, that I might set to work on the arduous tatk as soon as possible.' Pointing to a table, covered with papers, he said, 'There have I been busy for these two months, searching for chapters, half chapters, and sentences of the New Testament, and have marked down what I have found, and where I have found it, so that any person may examine and see for himself. I have actually discovered the whole New Testament from those writings except seven (or eleven) verses, (I forget which) which satisfied me that I could discover them also.' 'Now,' said he, 'here was a way in which God concealed or hid the treasure of His Word, that Julian, the apostate emperor, and other enemies of Christ who tried to extirpate the gospels from the world, never would have thought of; and though they had they never could have effected their destruction.' The labor of effecting this feat must have been immense; for the Gospels and Epistles would not be divided into chapters and verses as they are now. Much must have been effected by help of a concordance. And having been a judge for many years, a habit of minute investigation must have been formed in his mind. The facilities for investigating this question are ample and easily accessible to any intelligent student. The Ante-Nicene Library, published by T. and T. Clark, of Edinburg, comprises some twenty-four octavo volumes, averaging about five hundred pages each. In these twelve thousand octavo pages of printed matter are comprised nearly all the extant writings of some fifteen or twenty of the most eminent Christian authors who lived before the year A. D. 325, when the council of Nice was convened. One of the volumes also contains such remains of those spurious, uncanonical and fictitious gospels, Acts, etc., as have come down to us from early ages. In these twelve thousand pages, all of which are accessible to skeptics in English translations, which can be compared with the originals by those who are competent to do so, will be found an overwhelming avalanche of evidence upon the question of the origin of the New Testament Scriptures. These men, some of whom were contemporary with the apostles, and others who, as their immediate successors, were well acquainted with their associates and contemporaries, give in these writings the most positive and unmistakable evidence as to the New Testament books which they received, and as to the estimation in which those books were held. They quote passage after passage, and page after page, of the same Scriptures that are quoted today and read in every Christian assembly. They quoted the books which we quote; they quoted them as we quote them; they received them as we receive them; and this long before the Council of Nice or any other council had anything to say about the canon of the Scriptures."—Who made the New Testament, by Hastings.

Such is a mere inkling of what might be given. This, however, shows the statement of Orson Pratt to be utterly false. God save the people from a system of religion that demands an infidel stand in order to find a plea for its existence.

Chapter 3

As we have heard something of the deficiency, uncertainty and incompleteness of the Bible, first from the Book of Mormon, and second from the chief apostle of original Mormonism, we will now hear something from the chief apostle of the reorganized branch of the Mormon family. Mr. Kelly, who, of course, like Mr. Pratt and the Book of Mormon, speaks with the infallibility of Mormon inspiration. Mr. Kelly would tell all how infallibly to identify the true church. He says:

"To avoid imposition in finance, there is put in circulation a money test, by which the holder of money is enabled to determine whether there is tendered to him a true or false coin. When every mark or figure on a coin or bill tendered in exchange harmonizes with the detector, it is pronounced good money. But if there is anything found on the coin or in the bill, not to be found in the detector, or if there is something left out of the coin or bill that is found in the detector, it is rejected as spurious. The New Testament contains the history of the formation of the primitive church; hence it is the test or detector by which all church organizations, claiming to be the true, are to be tried."

We now have a medley in Mormon inspiration!

"The New Testament is an unreliable production, for it is composed of writings gathered by uninspired men, who just selected them because they suited their notion of inspiration. No one can know that the writings of which it is composed were inspired productions.—Pratt.

The New Testament does not contain the many plain and precious parts of the gospel.—Book of Mormon.

The New Testament was given by the government of

Heaven. It is an infallible test or detector, by which theological systems, creeds and churches are to be tried.—Kelley.

I wonder how long it would take Mormon apostles to reconcile these statements of Mormon inspiration? Mr. Kelley would evidently tell us that he does not endorse Mr. Pratt. Mr. Pratt, however, is with the Book of Mormon. If he rejects the one he must reject the other. Let us try Mr. Kelley's logic:

The New Testament is an infallible detector. All in theological matters that it leaves out is spurious.

But the New Testament leaves out intoto the Mormon system.

Therefore, the Mormon system is intoto spurious.

As the New Testament, according to the Book of Mormon, is void, the gospel of Jesus Christ, where are we to find that Gospel?

"For behold, saith the Lamb, I will manifest myself unto thy seed [that is, the Nephites] that they shall write many things which I shall minister unto them, which shall be plain and precious; and after they seed shall be destroyed and dwindle in unbelief, and also the seed of thy brethren; behold, these things shall be hid up, to come forth unto the Gentiles by the gift and power of the Lamb; and in them shall be written my gospel, saith the Lamb, and my rock and my salvation."—B. of M. pages 22, 23 and 123.

The quotations made from the Book of Mormon being true, the Bible is false and the wise course would be to throw the Bible away and hold to the Book of Mormon. If the Bible be void the plain and precious parts of the gospel its claims are not true. The two books can never be reconciled. If the one be true, the other is false.

Orson Pratt, speaking of course by the genuine inspiration of original Mormonism, says:

"The nature of the message in the Book of Mormon is such that, if true, no one can possibly be saved and reject it, if false no one can possibly be saved and receive it."—Divine Authenticity, p. 124.

This gives us the whole thing in a nutshell. If the Bible be true the Mormons are doomed to damnation. On the other hand, if the Book of Mormon be true all who reject it and hold to the Bible are doomed.