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Show 6 FAITH AND CREDULITY. <br><br> world has walked in the light of the Word of God, and many millions of the children of God have in that Word-through faith in that Word-found the way to live, the way to die, the way to heaven; but now, in this nineteenth century, as if to test the credulity of the world, comes the so-called golden bible, or Book of Mormon, which, its believers say, comes from God as a new revelation of his will. <br> This Book of Mormon, among other things contained therein, professes to record events dating back to a period shortly after the deluge; also professes to give the history of the wanderings of certain tribes, who, passing through Asia and across the Pacific Ocean, spread themselves abroad in South and North America; also professes to tell how the Lord, three days after his crucifixion, descended out of heaven into the chief city of the Nephites, near the Isthmus of Darien, in the sight of all the people, and taught the people forty days, established Christian Churches, etc. <br> We understand that the Mormons claim this book as the warrant for and origin of <br><br> FAITH AND CREDULITY. 7 <br><br> their organization; they assert that it is a translation of certain golden plates; that the evidence of these new revelations-specimens of which are given above-rests upon these golden plates; that these plates were deposited many hundred years ago in the earth in what is now the county of Ontario, in the State of New York; that one or more angels revealed to Joseph Smith where he would find these plates; that the plates were found by Smith, and that when found they were written upon in an unknown tongue called the reformed Egyptian, which could only be read by one man, Joseph Smith, through certain stones called the Urim and Thummim; that Joseph Smith, sitting behind a blanket hung across the room to keep the record from profane eyes, with the aid of the stone spectacles translated the plates to Oliver Cowdery, and that Oliver Cowdery wrote down what he was told to write by Joseph Smith. <br> According to this testimony, the revelation of the angels to Smith of the place of deposit of the plates of gold was made to Smith alone. <br> [Continues on next page.] <br><br> |