accord thereto a literal significance; it is to them, and ever
has been, the word of God, a compilation made by human agency of
works by various inspired writers; they accept its teachings in
fulness, modifying the meaning in no wise, except in the rare
cases of undoubted mistranslation, concerning which Biblical
scholars of all faiths differ and criticize; and even in such
cases their reverence for the sacred letter renders them even
more conservative than the majority of Bible commentators and
critics in placing free construction upon the text. The
historical part of the Jewish scriptures tells of the divine
dealings with the people of the eastern hemisphere; the Book of
Mormon recounts the mercies and judgments of God, the inspired
teachings of His prophets, the rise and fall of His people as
organized communities on the western continent.

The Latter-day Saints believe the coming forth of the Book of
Mormon to have been foretold in the Bible, as its destiny is
prophesied of within its own lids; it is to the people the true
"stick of Ephraim" which Ezekiel declared should become one with
the "stick of Judah"--or the Bible. The people challenge the most
critical comparison between this record of the west and the Holy
Scriptures of the east, feeling confident that no discrepancy
exists in letter or spirit. As to the original characters in
which the record was engraved, copies were shown to learned
linguists of the day and pronounced by them as closely resembling
the Reformed Egyptian writing.

Let us revert, however, to the facts of history concerning this
new scripture, and the reception accorded the printed volume.