Mormonism Exposed (Hancock)/Chapter 3

Chapter Three.

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.

From a Mormon standpoint, one may believe the Bible, obey its commands and trust its promises, but it will be of no avail without the saving power of the gospel of Mormonism! In harmony with this we have the following from Joe Smith:

"I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct. Of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts than by any other book."—Compendium, p. 273.

The fact is, from a Mormon standpoint, Joe Smith and the book of Mormon are above Jesut Christ and the New Testament!

This matter of inspiration needs to be closely studied. We invite strict attention to the following: There are two sources of inspiration in matters religious. The one is in order to the glory of God and the salvation of man. The other is designed to thwart the purpose of God, and so prevent the salvation of man. Therefore, two minds have figured in the history of man, and two wisdoms have been brought to bear upon man. Upon the one hand God is represented, and the inspiration from him gives his counsel in order to man's eternal welfare. The wisdom in this counsel being from above is "first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hipocrisy." The other wisdom is from beneath, and is earthly, sensual, devilish. It is the source of strife, envying, confusion, and every evil work. This wisdom leads from the counsel of God. By the wisdom from above we have the doctrine of Jesus Christ. By the wisdom that is from beneath we have the doctrines of men and devils. No one knows the mind of God save the Spirit of God. Therefore, no one could know the doctrine of God but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The inspiration of the Holy Spirit never gave any doctrine except the doctrine of Jesus Christ. In this the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit are one. They agree in one testimony—the testimony of Jesus Christ. Therefore, he who has the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. By virtue of the inspiration from the infernal regions we have all other systems of doctrines.

The first that the wisdom from beneath was brought to bear upon man, was when, through the agency of the serpent, man in Eden was led to transgress the command of God. If any be deceived by this wisdom it must be a matter of choice, for God has provided a safeguard for all that will trust in Him, having carefully marked the bounds of Divine inspiration and revelation.

The fall of man called for the remedial system. And in the development of that system two covenants were established, and in the development of the two covenants that that was essential in order to enable man to lay hold on eternal life was placed within his reach. If we accept Jesus as the one great teacher for the human family—the one to guide man in the way of eternal life, the question as to the extent of the work of inspiration and revelation in order to the desired end will be easily settled. Jesus says, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent."—John 17: 3. This statement is true or the idea of inspiration and revelation from God is a delusion. It being true a knowledge of the one true God, and of Jesus Christ is the condition of eternal life. Therefore the work of inspiration and revelation was solely for the purpose of placing the necessary knowledge within the reach of man. This being done the limitation of inspiration and revelation was reached, for to go beyond that would be a work of supererogation, a work that God never does.

In order to the possession of the required knowledge by man, two grand demonstrations were necessary.

The unity of the Godhead must be established.
The claims of Jesus must be vindicated.

In the Jewish Scriptures the first demonstration is given, and they all being essential to one great purpose they are all counted as one book, the Old Testament.—Diatheke, covenant.

In that book the proposition that the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob is the one true and living God is proven. The revelation necessary to afford man this knowledge is contained in the Old Testament. That special inspiration and revelations were granted individuals for specific purposes during the period covered by the books of the Old Testament will not be denied. They, however, not being essential to the purpose of that Book, were not preserved. The periods covered by the books of the Old Testament were preparatory periods, and the demonstration given in that Book was preparatory to a second demonstration, which was to bring to humanity the full purpose of God, and so place within the reach of man the knowledge essential to the end in view. The first demonstration could not reach its fulness—could not answer the purpose in view till the second should be given. Hence inspiration and revelation was to reach its perfection and accomplish its full purpose in Christ Jesus. It is therefore, that, of inspiration and revelation, Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. It is universally admitted that Christ was the first, but people have arisen at different times denying that he is the last. There is hence, a square issue before us; for if it be so that inspiration and revelation did not reach its perfection in and end with Christ, the teaching of the Bible cannot be true. If we accept the statement of Christ that a knowledge of the Father and the Son was all that was necessary in order to the desired end, we accept, necessarily, the conclusion that with the perfection of that knowledge, the work of inspiration and revelation ceased. If Christ did not reveal the Father; and if the New Testament does not properly present Christ as the Savoir of Man, we will have to surrender the claims of the Bible. Surely no one thinking aright would contend that inspiration and revelation beyond the purpose of God were ever vouchsafed to any man. Neither God's glory nor man's eternal interest is involved in anything beyond the eternal purpose of God in Christ Jesus.