Great weight will yet attach to the utterance of an ancient American prophet, viz., that phenomena, when traced to their last analysis, rest upon two things; viz., “That which acts, and that which is acted upon” (cf. 2 Ne. 2:13, 14), and that from this fact proceeds all that is; from which action and reaction proceed creations and re-creations within the universe, arising from ever-changing processes, culminating in development in boundless space, and endless time, and indestructible, inexhaustible matter.

. . .

(b) Testimony of the Book of Mormon. This utterance from the Mosaic fragment of revelation is not the only word, nor the completed word that has come to the world through the revelation of God in the New Dispensation. Another word is found, and an additional purpose given—to the one already above set forth—viz., in the American volume of scripture, the Book of Mormon, there one of the old prophets of the ancient American race is represented as saying: “All things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2 Ne. 2:24–25). “Adam fell that men might be”; that is, that men might have existence as men; and the design in bringing about the existence of man through Adam’s fall is ultimately that he might have joy, exist in a sphere or realm of joy, a world and state of joy. A world where joy shall obtain and persist and go on and on! Not for dole and sorrow is God bringing man into an existence that is to be immortal—deathless. But for joy; not happiness but something greater than happiness—Joy! of which more later, when we shall contemplate it, and revel in it; when we after we get into the reader’s mind the fullness of this unfolding truth of the purpose of God in the creation of man.

. . .

Sources of authority. We again take occasion to remind the reader that we shall discuss this part of our treatise in the light of all the knowledge that is to be had from all the revelations of God given in all ages, in all dispensations of the gospel, and from among all people who have received any dispensation of the word of God in relation to this subject. That will at least include all that is to be found in the Old Testament and the New; the fragments of the writings from Moses as revealed to Joseph Smith, known as the book of Moses; and the fragments from the writings of Abraham, known as book of Abraham; both of which fragments are found in the Pearl of Great Price. Also we shall appeal to the Book of Mormon, which contains the revelations of God to the ancient inhabitants of America; and also the revelations given directly of God to Joseph Smith, the Prophet of this New Dispensation of the gospel, which revelations received by him are collected and published in the Doctrine and Covenants.

. . .

The testimony of the Book of Mormon. Also in the Book of Mormon is given a most dramatic and soul-thrilling testimony to the resurrection of the Christ by the appearance of the risen Redeemer to a multitude of people in America, shortly after the resurrection of the Christ; for to the people of America, no less than to the people of the Eastern hemisphere, did God give assurances through their ancient prophets from time to time of the existence of his gospel and of its power unto salvation; and lastly the risen Christ came to them to assure them of the verities of the plan of salvation and especially of this feature of it, the resurrection from the dead, by his own glorious appearance among them, and his quite extended ministry among them. Here the resurrected Christ according to the Nephite record, descended out of heaven and appeared to the multitude, proclaiming himself to be the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world; and the multitude blessed the name of “the Most High God,” “And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him” (3 Ne. 11:17).

. . .

The second vision of the New Dispensation: The Book of Mormon revealed. Three years after this first revelation an angel of God named Moroni was sent to the Prophet to reveal the existence of an ancient volume of scripture known as the Book of Mormon, a book which gives an account of the hand-dealings of God with the people whom he brought to the continents of America from what we now call the “Old World.”

(a) The Jaredites. The first colony came from the tower of Babel at the time of the dispersion of the people from the Euphrates Valley; they were called Jaredites, after their leader, named Jared. They occupied the land located in the southern part of Central America and founded a nation which existed for about sixteen centuries, and then were overwhelmed at last in a series of wars which ended in their complete destruction, on account of their great wickedness. This about 600 B.C.

(b) The Nephite colony. It was about the time of the destruction of the Jaredites that a small colony was led from Jerusalem, under divine guidance, to the western continents, where they too developed into a great people and into national life. This colony was made up of Israelites of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, and later augmented by a second small colony made up of Jews. They continued in occupancy of the land—chiefly in North America—until about 400 A.D. Then came their destruction because of their rebellion and wickedness against God. They lost touch with faith and righteousness until their civilization was overthrown, and they survived only in the tribal relations such as existed at the advent of the Europeans.

(c) Summary of the book and its translation. This record discloses the hand-dealings of God with these ancient people through the prophets and teachers God sent unto them, and also gives the account of the visits of the risen Christ to them, the introduction of the fulness of the gospel by his ministry, which established a true church of Christ in the western world, with all the principles and the ordinances of the gospel necessary to salvation.Therefore it contains the fulness of the gospel.

In this record God has brought forth a new witness to the truth of the things whereof the Hebrew scriptures, the Old Testament and the New also bear witness. Thus an angel came bringing the everlasting gospel which is to be preached to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. This American volume of scripture, God’s new witness to the old truths of the everlasting gospel, Joseph Smith was commanded to translate, and was given the power and means by which he could translate the unknown language of these ancient American peoples. The “means” provided was a “Urim and Thummim.” This consisted of two transparent stones set in the rim of a bow, a divine instrument used in ancient times for obtaining knowledge from God. This instrument for translation was found with the gold plates on which the above record was engraven. Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, and through a century now, it has been published to the world. In It is translated into fifteen of the world’s languages.

. . .

No answer coming, he bowed reconciled to the inevitable. Afterwards he said to the assembled Nephites to whom he appeared on the Western Continent—and now triumphantly, since he had endured the cross and gained the crown—“I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning” (3 Ne. 11:11).