TESTIMONY: “Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, to whom this Book of the Law of the Lord shall come, that James J. Strang has the plates of the ancient Book of the Law of the Lord given to Moses, from which he translated this law, and has shown them to us. We examined them with our eyes, and handled them with our hands. The engravings are beautiful antique workmanship, bearing a striking resemblance to the ancient oriental languages; and those from which the laws in this book were translated are eighteen in number, about seven inches and three-eights wide, by nine inches long, occasionally embellished with beautiful pictures. And we testify unto you all that the everlasting kingdom of God is established, in which this law shall be kept, till it brings in rest and everlasting righteousness to all the faithful. SAMUEL GRAHAM, SAMUEL P. BACON, WARREN POST, PHINEAS WRIGHT, ALBERT N. HOSMER, EBENEZER PAGE, JEHIEL SAVAGE.” -Testimony page from The Book of the Law of the Lord, Being a Translation of the Egyptian of the Law Given to Moses in Sinai, Printed by Command of the King by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Vorhees, Wisconsin. [source]
COMMENTARY: Why is it so easy for Mormons to know that if a man who isn’t named Joseph Smith claims to have translated ancient scripture or to have received a commandment to practice polygamy, then that man is a false prophet? I would think they would need to pray about it and ask God first, if only to be consistent in their epistemology. But the ease and rapidity with which they dismiss such claims shows exactly how a person should think about Joseph Smith’s claims as well. But what do I know? I’m just another apostate.
