Mormonism Exposed (Hancock)/Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve.

The mediatorship of Christ cannot be too closely and thoroughly studied. In order to see, not only the falseness of Mormonism, but also of every other false system of religion in existence, we only need to take a proper view of the mediatorship of Christ. He being the mediator of the new covenant, the one mediator between God and man, He is the power and wisdom of God and His gospel is the power of God in order to the salvation of man, His mediatorship cannot be ignored without ignoring the infinite wisdom of God. So long as time lasts the statement of Christ, "No man cometh unto the Father, but by me," will hold good. As in the obedience of faith by which the alien comes unto and is reconciled to God in Christ there is a transition from the power of darkness into the kindom of God, it is called a birth. Under this figure Jesus anticipating the required obedience said: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."—John 3: 5. This language of Christ is a solemn affirmation, in any court equivalent to an oath. At this point the oaths of the Father and Son meet. In the commission the Son promises salvation to all who comply with the conditions mentioned, or, which is the same, citizenship in His kingdom. In the language quoted from John he testifies that without such obedience no one can be a citizen. His oath, hence, stands between all aliens and the kingdom of God. Upon the other hand, His oath is in behalf of all who comply with the conditions specified. When God made promise to Abraham He backed His promise by His oath. In making that promise God contemplated certain ones as heirs thereto, and His oath is in behalf of such. Christ's promise in the commission could not be otherwise than as contemplated by His Father when the promise was made to Abraham. For. surely, Christ's promise in the commission gives what was contemplated by the Father when he covenanted with Abraham. That such is the case is affirmed in the following: "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there ie neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."—Gal. 3, 26–29.

Those that are the children of God by faith are those that are baptized into Christ. Such being Christ's are Abraham's seed, and are heirs according to the promise. This shows that God, from the time the promise was made, that embodied the new and everlasting covenant, was pledged upon oath to the mediatorship of Christ. This shows the utter impossibility of any revelation coming between Christ and the human family and is a demonstration of the truthfulness of the propositions in the heading under which we write. The two oaths, that of the Father, and that of the Son, meeting as they do, show that all heaven, for all time is pledged to the mediatorship of Christ—pledged, hence, forever to the will of God as revealed through Christ. Not only is such the case so far as the alien is concerned but equally so with the-saint. They must in their devotions approach the Father through the Son. No Israelite dare approach the Almighty except through the mediation of the priest. Saul in time of distress attempted to approach the Almighty direct, but for his folly he lost his kingdom. See I. Sam. 13: 8–13. Men, as Saul did, may force themselves, but they will not force the Father to ignore the mediatorship of His Son. The command designed to govern all saints in their devotions is, "And whatsover ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him."—Col. 3: 17. Nothing can be done in the name of the Lord Jesus except what He has commanded. The apostle's injunction, however, anticipated no authority except what we have through the apostles and recorded in the New Testament. If we ask, What is essential in order to the saints giving thanks to God through Christ the answer is in the following: "Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly, above all that we ask or think in the power of His might which works within us—unto Him in Christ Jesus, be glory in the church, even to all the generations of the age of ages. Amen."—Eph. 3: 20, 21.—Conybeare.

To approach God through the mediation of Christ, we must approach Him in the institution of which Christ is the head, and do so through the rules and regulation that Christ gave. In order to the glory of God, and the eternal interests of humanity no book is needed but the Bible, no institution but the church, nor any rules, except what are contained in the New Testament. The church of Jesus Christ, as given through the ministry of the apostles, gives, in man's behalf, the fulness of, and the manifold wisdom of God. Eph. 1: 22, 23, and 3: 8–10. Any other institution, with other rules and regulations, would be something outside of the fulness and wisdom of God—something hence, in which we could not have the mediation of Christ. This amounts to a positive prohibition of our accepting a Mormon institution, the Book of Mormon, or any revelation this side of the apostles of Christ. We are, hence, by the authority of God prohibited from accepting the Book of Mormon, or Smith's revelations. During our recent debate with a champion of Mormonism we asked: "Is it essential to our salvation that we accept Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon? Answer yes or no." He would not answer. We then turned to him and said: "In view of the eternal interests of this people I demand that you tell us: "Is it essential to our salvation that we accept Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon?" Answer yes, or no. I pause for a reply." We waited, all eyes were fixed upon him, the audience sat in silent suspense, but not a word would he utter. We then handed him the following syllogisms.

God, in order to the salvation of man, does no work of supererogation.
But Mormonism not being essential to the salvation of man would be a work of supererogation.
Therefore God did not give Mormonism.

Again,

We need all that is essential to salvation.
But Mormonism is not essential to salvation.
Therefore, we do not need Mormonism.

As to the purpose of God in Christ Paul says: "Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself; That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him."—Eph. 1: 9, 10. Again: "For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." ib. 2: 14–16. This one body, under one head, gathered by one gospel, is perfected for all that God requires by the one book-the Bible. So far, hence, as the purpose of God in Christ is concerned neither the Book of Mormon nor any of the revelations of Joseph Smith are needed. We now purpose to show that the Book of Mormon is not only an uninspired document, but also that it is of modern origin—to demonstrate hence, that it is a miserable falsehood, and as a consequence, a miserable fraud. The first fact to which we call attention is, If the Book of Mormon be true Jesus of Nazareth was an ignoramus, unacquainted with the Jewish Scriptures?! We invite attention to the following: "As many were astonished at thee; (his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men) so shall he sprinkle many nations."—B. of M. 411: 76. This language is in a speech that the Christ is represented as making to his Nephite desciples after his resurrection, and purports to be in a quotation made from the prophecy of Isaiah. It certainly will be conceded that the Christ knew what was in the Jewish Scriptures. The Savoir and His apostles used, in the main, the Septuagint version. It matters not, however, whether the above quotation would claim to be from the Hebrew or the Greek version of the Old Testament, we unhesitatingly affirm that no such passage as the above is in either the Hebrew or the Greek version of the Jewish Scriptures. Then what? The quotation is from the King James' translation of the Bible! It is a little strange, is it not, that the Nephite Christ should use none but the King James' translation of the Scriptures?! The fact is, the Book of Mormon is a fabrication of late date, and its author knew no Scripture except the common version! This shows it to be a miserable fraud!

Another fact that proves the modern origin of the Book of Mormon is its use of modern terms. Take the term "Holy Ghost." Where did those ancient Nephites get that? Such a term was not known till the Anglo Saxon corruption of the term Guest. It never appeared, hence, in Scripture until it was adopted in Modern English translations as an equivalent of the Greek agion pneumatos. This again shows that the author of the Book of Mormon knew nothing of matters divine except what was vaguely gathered from the King James' version.

The use of the English abbreviation "etc.," shows the Book of Mormon to be of modern origin. This abbreviation is from the Latin et caetera, "and the rest." It was not used in ancient manuscripts, but known only since the art of printing. Such is not God's method of talking. He leaves nothing unfinished. There is no vacuum in His counsel to be filled by human wisdom.

Another demonstration that the Book of Mormon is a fraud is in the fact that the Christ thereof was too ignorant to know the difference between an official title and a given name. He did not, hence, know his own name. "Have they not read the Scriptures, which say, Ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name?" P. 418: 16. Christ, is an official title, and wherever used the definite article is expressed or understood. He is not a Christ, but the Christ. His name is Jesus.

He is hence, Jesus the Christ. I suppose however, that the secret of this ignorance, and the necessary use of the English abbreviation, etc., was because of the forgetfulness, and the absent mindedness of the Spirit by which the Nephite Christ and their prophets spake. This is illustrated, P. 414: 31—. There we are told of something that their inspired ones were commanded to record, but they forgot to do so. Hence, it had to be mentioned out of its place!