the following work was begun twenty-two years ago, in england, when the author was in that land on a mission, as assistant editor of the latter-day saints' millennial star. it was the author's design then to make the treatise on the book of mormon the first volume under the general title "new witnesses for god"; but after some progress in collecting and arranging the materials had been made, the thought occurred to him that the prophet joseph smith in chronological order, if not in importance, preceded the book of mormon in the introduction of god's witnesses in this last and great dispensation. the materials of this work, therefore, so far as they had been collected, were laid aside and work was begun on the treatise of joseph smith as a witness for god; which, however, because of many other demands upon the author's time, was not published until 1895.

meantime work was continued from time to time upon the treatise of the book of mormon; and in 1903-4-5, the materials were used, substantially as in their present form, as manuals for the senior classes of the young men's mutual improvement associations. the work has undergone a thorough revision at the hands of the author, and is now to take the place in his writings designed for it so long ago.

while the coming forth of the book of mormon is but an incident in god's great work of the last days, and the book itself subordinate to some other facts in that work, still the incident of its coming forth and the book are facts of such importance that the whole work of god may be said, in a manner, to stand or fall with them. that is to say, if the origin of the book of mormon could be proved to be other than that set forth by joseph smith; if the book itself could be proved to be other than it claims to be, viz., and chiefly, an abridged history of the ancient inhabitants of america, a volume of scripture containing a message from god to the people to whom it was written—"to the lamanites [american indians], who are a remnant of the house of israel; and also to jew and gentile; written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and revelation"—if, i say, the book of mormon could be proved to be other than this, then the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints, and its message and doctrines, which, in some respects, may be said to have arisen out of the book of mormon, must fall; for if that book is other than it claims to be; if its origin is other than that ascribed to it by joseph smith, then joseph smith says that which is untrue; he is a false prophet of false prophets; and all he taught, and all his claims to inspiration and divine authority, are not only vain but wicked; and all that he did as a religious teacher is not only useless, but mischievous beyond human comprehending.

nor does this statement of the case set forth sufficiently strong the situation. those who accept the book of mormon for what it claims to be, may not so state their case that its security chiefly rests on the inability of its opponents to prove a negative. the affirmative side of the question belongs to us who hold out the book of mormon to the world as a revelation from god. the burden of proof rests upon us in every discussion. it is not enough for us to say that if the origin of the book of mormon is proved to be other than that set forth by joseph smith; if the book itself be proved to be other than it claims to be, then the institution known as "mormonism" must fall. we must do more than rest our case on the inability of opponents to prove a negative. the security of "mormonism" rests on quite other grounds; and, from a forensic standpoint, upon much more precarious ground; for not only must the book of mormon not be proved to have other origin than that which we set forth, or be other than what we say it is, but we must prove its origin to be what we say it is, and the book itself to be what we proclaim it to be—a revelation from god.

from these remarks the reader will observe, i trust, that while i refer to the coming forth of the book of mormon as an incident, and the book itself as a fact subordinate to some other facts connected with the great work of god in the last days, i have by no means underrated the importance of the book of mormon in its relation to god's work of the last days as a whole. it is to meet the requirements of this situation that i have been anxious to add my contribution to the gradually accumulating literature on this subject, both within and without the church, both upon the affirmative and the negative side of the question.

my treatise is divided into four parts:

i.—the value of the book of mormon as a witness for the authenticity and integrity of the bible; and the truth of the gospel of jesus christ.

ii.—the discovery of the book of mormon and its translation, migrations, lands, intercontinental movements, civilizations, governments, and the religions of its peoples.

iii.—evidences of the truth of the book of mormon.

iv.—objections to the book of mormon considered.

it will be seen from the titles of these divisions that parts i and ii are really only preparatory in their nature. the more interesting field of evidence and argument is not entered until part iii is reached. but parts i and ii, if not so intensely interesting as the divisions devoted to argument, they are, nevertheless, every whit as important. it goes without saying that the success of an argument greatly, and i may say fundamentally, depends upon the clearness and completeness of the statement of the matter involved; and it is frequently the case that a proper setting forth of a subject makes its truth self-evident; and all other evidence becomes merely collateral, and all argument becomes of secondary importance. especially is this the case when setting forth the book of mormon for the world's acceptance; in which matter we have the right to expect, and the assurance in the book itself that we shall receive, the co-operation of divine agencies to confirm to the souls of men the truth of the nephite record; that as that record was written in the first instance by divine commandment, by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation; and as it was preserved by angelic guardianship, and at last brought forth by revelation, and translated by what men regard as miraculous means, so it is provided in god's providences, respecting this volume of scripture, that its truth shall be attested to individuals by the operations of the holy spirit upon the human mind. "when ye shall receive these things," says the prophet moroni, referring to the writings of the nephites, "i would exhort you that ye would ask god, the eternal father, in the name of christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the holy ghost. and by the power of the holy ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

this must ever be the chief source of evidence for the truth of the book of mormon. all other evidence is secondary to this, the primary and infallible. no arrangement of evidence, however skilfully ordered; no argument, however adroitly made, can ever take its place; for this witness of the holy spirit to the souls of men for the truth of the nephite volume of scripture, is god's evidence to the truth; and will ever be the chief reliance of those who accept the book of mormon, and expect to see its acceptance extended throughout the world; for, as the heavens are higher than the earth, so must the testimony of god forever stand above and before the testimony of men, and of things.

i confess that these reflections have a saddening effect upon one who undertakes to set forth what he must confess are but the secondary evidences to the truth of the book of mormon, and make an argument that he can never regard as of primary importance in the matter of convincing the world of the truth of the work in the interest of which he labors. but i trust these reflections will help my readers to a right apprehension of the importance of parts i and ii, the importance of a clear and, so far as may be, a complete statement of the incidents connected with the coming forth of the book, and also of its contents. to be known, the truth must be stated, and the clearer and more complete the statement is, the better opportunity will the holy spirit have for testifying to the souls of men that the work is true. while desiring to make it clear that our chief reliance for evidence to the truth of the book of mormon must ever be the witness of the holy spirit, promised by the prophet moroni to those who will seek to know the truth from that source; and desiring, also, as i think is becoming in man, to acknowledge the superiority of god's witness to the truth as compared with any evidence that man may set forth—i would not have it thought that the evidence and argument presented in parts iii and iv are unimportant. secondary evidences in support of truth, like secondary causes in natural phenomena, may be of firstrate importance, and mighty factors in the achievement of god's purposes. i only desire by these remarks to place the matters to be considered in their right relations.

b. h. roberts.

salt lake city, march, 1909.