Scott, Walter. “ Mormon Bible.— No. IV.” The Evangelist ( Ca

Scott, Walter. “ Mormon Bible.— No. IV.” The Evangelist ( Carthage, Ohio) 9, no. 5 ( 1 May 1841): 111– 15.
MORMON BIBLE.— No. IV.
Carthage has had another visit from the Mormons. The fact that we touched their idol the Golden Bible, has excited the highest indignation of these deluded men. At a previous meeting it was announced that the speaker named Page would, on Wednesday evening, address the audience relative to certain papers on Mormonism published in the Evangelist. Wednesday evening came, and there was a full house. In the beginning of his speech Mr. Page observed, “ If Mormonism be false how comes it to pass that so many of the Disciples, Reformers, or Christians, as they sometimes call themselves, embrace it?” He had baptized many of them, and Rigdon himself had been a Reformer. To this it was replied that the question touched in the Evangelist did not relate to conversion, but to the Book of Mormon. Satan had left heaven, and Judas the college of Apostles, but the apostacy of the Devil and Judas argued nothing against heaven or the holy apostles. They had gone to their own place it was said: and with equal propriety it might be said of Rigdon and others who had apostatized from the Bible they had gone to their own place and would make better Mormons than Christians. What a horrible picture of pollution and discord does christendom at this moment present us with in its profession of Christianity! Protestants rebaptize Catholics, Baptists rebaptize Pædobaptists, Pædobaptists rebaptize Reformers, and Mormons rebaptize all! This however only by the way. Having already shown that the Book of Mormon describes the christian religion as being on the Western Continent, and received there on the testimony of prophecy alone, hundreds of years before the facts occurred of which it consists and consequently that the Book is its own confutation, we come to our second proposition namely: that In affecting to describe a religion in operation at the Isthmus of Darien 600 years before Christ, which it styles the law of Moses, it establishes, contrary to that law and all law, the priesthood of Melchisedeck in the house of Joseph! of which God or Moses said nothing as pertaining to Aaron’s priesthood, far less Melchisedeck’s priesthood. Thirty years after the imaginary hegira of Lehi from Jerusalem Nephi is represented as building a temple. The following is an account. page 72. “ And it came to pass that we began to prosper exceedingly, and to multiply in the land. And I, Nephi did take the sword of Laban, and after the manner of it did make many swords, lest by any means the people who were now called Lamanites, should come upon us and destroy us: for I know their hatred towards me and my children, and those who were called my people. And I did teach my people to build buildings: and to [ 111] work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance. And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon, save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land; wherefore, it could not be like unto Solomon’s temple. But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceeding fine.” This false story of the temple of Nephi, is without doubt the grand cause why the Mormons cherish such a fondness for temples. They built one first at Kirtland in Ohio, where we visited them in the winter of 1830. They next laid the foundation of one at Independence, Missouri, from which they were ultimately driven by the populace. Finally they have lately laid with much pomp and farce, the foundation of a third Temple at Nauvoo, Illinois. Six thousand people are said to have been present, and the whole ceremony was heralded by the oratory of Rigdon, and supported by the Nauvoo Legion of 600 men under the command of Gen. Bennet directed by the Prophet. The daily papers inform us that they are in full favour in Illinois, and have lately obtained no less than three charters for “ exclusive privileges.” One incorporates their new city of Nauvoo, another a great University, and the third a Nauvoo Military Legion. Dr. Bennet, the Quarter Master General of the State, is elected Mayor of Nauvoo! A writer in the Baptist Advocate afer furnishing many evidences against the leaders of the Mormons touching their war in Missouri observes that they all with many others go to show, “ Beyond all dispute, that the ring- leaders of Mormonism, and many of their followers are a gang of murderers, assassins, robbers, rebels, and outlaws that ought to be swept from the face of the earth, as much as ever the Old Man of the Mountain and his sect of assassins deserved to be. No community on earth would suffer them to dwell in their midst under the circumstances that existed in Missouri. It is in that State that they have located their Zion, which, according to their own writings, as contained in a work called their ‘ Doctrine and Covenants’, they are to obtain “ by purchase or by blood.” All their proselytes, in this country, and every other part of the world, are directed to set their faces “ Zion- ward,” and to go up to Missouri. Expelled from that state at present, they have fixed their head quarters at a place which they have named Nauvoo, in that vicinity. And now they are going on and making their proselytes, not only in this country but in England. Proselytes from the latter country have already begun to arrive here. Thus are they rapidly increasing, and concentrating at the West. And then again, their writings teach, that the Indians are to embrace Mormonism, and [ 112] are to be among the Gentiles like a lion— are to lift up their hand against our citizens, and cut them off, and repossess the land— and all who do not embrace Mormonism are to be cut off. Put all these things together; and then, taking into consideration what they have already dared do “ in the green tree;” and may we not well ask, what will they not do in “ the dry?” If, three or four years ago they dared rebel against the state, what will they not do a few years hence, when they become ten times as strong, and perhaps delude the Indians into the support of their scheme? It seems to me that any one, with the least particle of reflection, must perceive that unless the career of these outlaws is speedily checked, they will involve the far West in a ferocious and exterminating war.” The Mormons then, mean to introduce the Millennium with a vengeance— war to the knife. Isaiah’s prophecy of these peaceful times must, it seems, be reversed in order to be verified; and instead of beating swords into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks, we must turn pruning hooks to spears and beat our ploughshares to swords. All these monstrous aberrations from God and truth ought to cause the righteous to adhere more and more to the holy scriptures. Be satisfied with the present salvation, brother, and look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ at his appearing and kingdom. The Priesthood of the Mormon Romance began as follows, ‘ And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did consecrate Jacob and Joseph, that they should be priests and teachers over the land of my people. And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness. And thirty years had passed away from the time we left Jerusalem. And I, Nephi, had kept the records upon my plates, which I had made of my people, thus far. pg 73. Thus as Moses consecrated Aaron, so uncle Nephi is here said to have consecrated his brothers Jacob and Joseph to the Priesthood of the Law of Moses as set up on the isthmus of Darien 570 years before Christ! And according to this vile fable, we must believe that God gave the same law on two continents with different priesthoods, one being in the house of Levi, the other in the house of Joseph! But as the Mormon prophets Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, Enos, Jarum, Omni & c. Were more excellent and spoke much plainer than those of Israel- Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea & c. so the priesthood of Mr. Hobgoblin is described as being of an order far superior to that of Aaron, even that of Melchisedeck! It is said by the holy apostle Paul that if Christ were on earth even he would not be a priest; because God had appointed the house of Levi according to law to be the priesthood of the economy. Accordingly when Korah, Dathan, and Abiram rebelled against God in this matter, and intruded themselves upon the priesthood they were slain every soul of them. The earth opened her mouth, say the scriptures, and [ 113] swallowed them up. The following blasphemous farrago on this point is made to proceed out of the mouth of the fabulous Alma. “ Now as I said concerning the holy order of this high priesthood: there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God; and it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness, rather than to perish; therefore they were called after this holy order, and were sanctified, and their garments were washed white, through the blood of the Lamb. Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin, save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceeding great many, who were made pure, and entered into the rest of the Lord their God. And now, my brethren, I would that ye should humble yourselves before God, and bring forth fruit meet for repentance, that ye may also enter into that rest; yea, humble yourselves even as the people in the days of Melchizedek, who was also a high priest after this same order which I have spoken, who also took upon him the high priesthood forever. And it was this same Melchizedek to whom Abraham paid tithes: yea, even our father Abraham paid tithes of one tenth part of all he possessed. Now these ordinances were given after this manner, that thereby the people might look forward on the Son of God, it being a type of his order, or it being his order; and this, that they might look forward to him for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord. “ Now this Melchizedek was a king over the land of Salem; and his people had waxed strong in iniquity and abominations; yea, they had all gone astray, they were full of all manner of wickedness; but Melchizedek having exercised mighty faith, and recieved the office of high priesthood, according to the holy order of God, did preach repentance unto his people. And behold, they did repent; and Melchizedek did establish peace in the land in his days; therefore he was called the prince of peace, for he was the king of Salem; and he did reign under his father. Now there were many kings before him, and also there were many afterwards, but none were greater; therefore of him they have more particularly made mention. Now I need not rehearse the matter; what I have said, may suffice. Behold, the scriptures are before you; if ye will wrest them it shall be to your own destruction.” page 253– 4. Thus the Book of Mormon teaches the absurdity that, before Christ, the law of Moses administered on the isthmus of Darien, America, by a Melchisedeckian priesthood! Yet Paul describes this distinguished ancient Melchisedeck, as being the only person on earth who ever enjoyed this priesthood, and as having indeed neither predecessor nor successor in his office, [ 114] but made like to the Son of God, and abiding priest continually. But that which makes this whole fable supremely ridiculous is the ignorance of it inventors. They speak, as may be seen above, of the priesthood according to the order of Melchisedeck, when it is evident that they knew not what constituted its most distinguishing attribute, namely: its royalty. Melchisedeck was a kingly priest, or a priest upon his throne. Now observe, Uncle Nephi makes his brothers Jacob and Joseph priests who were not kings! and thus in the Book of Mormon, by the ignorance of its inventors, we have a Priesthood after the order of Melchisedeck without the attribute of royalty! Touching the whole of this matter then, we have the Law of Moses with a priesthood after the order of Melchisedeck without the essential attribute of royalty!! There have been written three books against this imposture- 1 “ Mormonism Unvailed,” 2 “ Mormonism Unmasked,” and 3 “ Mormonism Exposed.” The scheme, however, takes and triumphs: It has a prophet with his orator; a Military Legion, a general, a city, the charter of a great University, numerous preachers, and thousands of converts. W. S.