blown. Israel, the church, shall no longer be as a vine "pruned" and "cut down" and left to her bitter persecutors, "the fowls" and "beasts of the earth." They will again "be brought unto the Lord of hosts"; for "swift messengers" shall be sent to reclaim them from the enemy, by whom they have been "scattered and peeled" and "trodden under foot."

And this was to be accomplished in the selfsame time predicted by all the other prophets, "afore the harvest," which as Jesus tells us "is the end of the world." (Matthew 13: 39.) It is the "latter days," "the eleventh hour," "the hour of God's judgment," the time of the "great supper."

No doubt it was these and other prophecies that led Rev. Mr. Reid, in 1828 to express the following:

And perhaps it may not be improper for us to indulge the hope that as the land in which we live was the birthplace and the nurse of civil liberty; so also in America, true religion shall first begin to flourish.-Seven Last Plagues, p. 217, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

In this connection we commend the remarks of Bishop Horsley: "The trumpet" is "the trumpet of the gospel," and "a pruning of the vine shall take place after a long suspension of visible interpositions of Providence, just before the season of the gathering of the fruits. A vine in the prophetic language is an image of the church of God." He further states that, "This season is fixed in the beginning of the verse: for afore the harvest . . . when a renewed preaching of the gospel shall take place in all parts of the world," which he again observes shall be in "the latter ages after a long suspension of the visible interpositions of Providence. . . . The swift messengers will certainly have a considerable share as instruments in the hands of God in the restoration of the chosen people. Otherwise, to what purpose are they called upon to receive their commission from the prophet? But the principal part they will have to act will be that of the carriers of God's message to the people. . . . The situation of the country destined to so high an office is not otherwise described in the prophecy than by this circumstance, that it is to be beyond the rivers of Cush: that is far to the west of Judea, if these rivers of Cush are to be understood, as they have been generally understood, of the Nile and other Ethiopian rivers."-Letter on Isaiah 18. (Faber's View of the Prophecies, vol. 1, pp. 159-165; Dissertations, etc., vol. 3, pp. 147, 148, edition 1818.)

HOW TO BE BROUGHT FORTH.

The manner in which this ensign shall be revealed-this record discovered, is indicated by Isaiah in the same chapter he speaks of the sealed book.

Prophesying of distress unto Ariel, Jerusalem, "the city where David dwelt," he then compares unto it a people whose particular name he divulges not. All we may know of their nationality is that they were Israelites. They stood in the same relationship to God as did the inhabitants of Ariel,-"and it shall be unto me AS

Ariel." (Let it be recalled by the reader that the ancestry of the Nephites and Lamanites once dwelt at Jerusalem and that they were Israelites.) Concerning this people we are told that they "shall be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shalt be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust."-Isaiah 29: 4. Four times in one verse he emphasizes the fact that this people shall be brought down and "shalt speak out of the ground." An impressive event!

Now the only way for any nation or people to speak out of the ground, would be for that people to write their history, hide it up in the earth, and after having passed away, their history being recovered, that people would speak through its record out of the ground. With this agrees the Psalmist David:

Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.-Psalm 85: 11, 12.

Here it is shown that just before the land of Israel shall yield its increase, "truth" shall spring out of the earth. What is truth? Let David be his own interpreter, "Thy law is the truth." Jesus said, "Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth." (Psalm 119: 142; John 17: 17.) Thus it appears that a historical record containing the word of the Lord should be taken out of the earth. Let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open and let them bring forth salvation.-Isaiah 45: 8.

RECAPITULATION.

We offer the following summary of the prophecies pertaining to the bringing forth of an inspired record.

1. That a sign will be given.

2. That it will be set up at the time of the gathering of Israel.— The Book of Mormon was revealed at this time.

3. That it will be something extraordinary, a marvelous work and a wonder.-The Book of Mormon is surely such.

4. That it will show itself unto all nations.-The Book of Mormon is now printed in a number of languages.

5. That it will consist of the revelation of a sealed book.-So far as human ability to translate the Book of Mormon was concerned, it was powerless; the book was locked, "sealed," both to the learned and the unlearned. Were it not for the Urim and Thummim received with the plates, the book would still remain a mystery. This instrument consisted of two transparent stones set in silver bows; looking through them the prophet received the mind of the Lord on whatever matter was under investigation. Possession of this constituted a "seer" in ancient times. The following texts on the Urim and Thummim will afford additional light: Exodus 28:30; Leviticus 8:8; Numbers 27: 21; 1 Samuel 28: 6; Ezekiel 2:63; Nehemiah 7: 65.

6. That it will be delivered into the hands of an unlearned man.

Joseph Smith was an uneducated youth of twenty-two years when he received the plates.

7. That it will not be translated by the wisdom of man. A transcript of the characters or "words" of the book was sent to a learned man celebrated for his literary attainments, Professor Anthon, of New York City, who, after admitting the genuineness of the characters, confessed that he could not read a "sealed" book. 8. That it would reveal itself a little while before the return of Lebanon to be a fruitful field. The Book of Mormon was discovered just twenty-six years previous to this event.

9. That it would come at a time when the disabilities of the Jew would be removed. The Book of Mormon was first published in 1829. Jewish emancipation began in 1830.

10. That it would be a religious and doctrinal book. The Book of Mormon is eminently so.

11. That it would be a record of the house of Joseph. This is the claim set forth in the Book of Mormon.

12. That it would contain the great things of God's law. The reader of the Book of Mormon will determine this.

13. That it would be brought forth on the land shadowing with wings. America.

14. That it would come forth "out of the ground."

Where, then, will the reader find anything that fulfills these prophecies as does the Book of Mormon? Nay, find anything that even makes a pretense at fulfillment. The Book of Mormon is, in fact, the only record claiming to fulfill them, and as such, must be the predicted book.

It has come in the right manner. It was revealed at the right time. It sets forth the right claims. It is a record of the right people. It was discovered in the right place, and was brought forth in the right land. It must be of divine origin.

WITNESSES TESTIFY.

In addition to the testimony of "Moses and the prophets" we submit the evidence of eyewitnesses, of those who lived in the times when these things were brought forth. This may not be necessary, but it will serve to show, at any rate, that Joseph Smith was in no way laboring under any hallucination, in making the claims he did. Testimony of three witnesses:

Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come, that we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken; and we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety, that the work is true. And we also testify that we have seen the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it

is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true; and it is marvelous in our eyes, nevertheless, the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear tes

timony of these things. And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen.

Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come, that Joseph Smith, jr., the translator of this work, has shown unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which have the appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said Smith has translated, we did handle with our hands: and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient work, and of curious workmanship. And this we bear record with words of soberness, that the said Smith has shown unto us, for we have seen and hefted, and know of a surety, that the

said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken. And we give our names unto the world to witness unto the world that which we have seen; and we lie not, God bearing witness of it.

CHRISTIAN WHITMER.
JACOB WHITMER.

PETER WHITMER, JR.
JOHN WHITMER.
HIRAM PAGE.

JOSEPH SMITH, SEN.
HYRUM SMITH.
SAMUEL H. SMITH.

One can not but be impressed with the peculiar positiveness attending these testimonies; no guesswork about it. It carries the full tonal quality of truth, and poises itself in the sacred element of sublime assurance. They "saw," they "heard," they "handled." Some have clamored for additional testimony, supposing that the affirmations of twelve men are insufficient. Indeed such have contended for a personal view, refusing to accept unless thus gratified. These would fare unfortunately had they lived in the days of other dispensations. They would refuse to follow Gideon on the grounds that he was a self-assumed leader, himself, only, seeing the vision. Moses they would repudiate, since with the angel they could not commune, nor gaze upon the burning, fiery bush. Nor would they repent at the preaching of Jonah, hearing not for themselves the death doom of Nineveh.

And what would such unbelievers have done in the apostles' times? The resurrection of our Lord they would ignore, since he showed himself, "not to all the people but unto witnesses chosen before of God."-Acts 10: 41. This testimony they would spurn as a cunning concoction, gotten up by a conniving clique,-"chosen witnesses."

It is an evident fact that the more important truths and the most astonishing statements have been invariably supported by the bare, bald testimony of the few. Noah combatted the world with his announcement of an approaching flood, and had nothing to back it up save his simple say-so. Sodom and Gomorrah fell under condemnation because of their rejection of the unsupported testimony of Lot. All Israel were obliged to accept the single-handed statement of the great high priest concerning the strange contents of the ark. They believed that within it reposed the pot of manna, the tables of testimony, and Aaron's rod that budded.

And what evidence has the world to-day of the resurrection of Christ outside of the statements of the Bible? They tell us there are no living witnesses, nor have there been for eighteen hundred years, and yet we find millions who are ready to stake their all on that transaction.

"Oh, but," says one, "there were above five hundred brethren who saw Jesus at once." Where is their testimony? Certainly not in the Bible! All we have for it is the writings of one man who makes statement to that effect. This is entirely inadmissible so far as the testimony of the five hundred is concerned. It would not be accepted in any court on earth. Then, again, where is the original documentary evidence of this one man? All we have is a