Men Speak as They Believe by Dudley Marvin Canright

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 23, 1866

Men Speak as They Believe.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

ORTHODOXY tells us that all the Bible writers were believers in the inherent immortality of all men, the conscious state of the dead, endless misery, eternal hell torments, &c., &c. These, and similar terms, are found freely interspersed in all modern orthodox writings. But it is a significant fact that not one of these terms is found anywhere in the Bible. The Bible is a large book and was written by many different writers in many different ages, and under almost every conceivable circumstance. Yet not once has a single one of them used one of these phrases which so much abound in modern theology. Would this be so if they had believed as the moderns do? We cannot think that it would. Somewhere they would have expressed their faith in terms too clear to be mistaken.

I have been reading the “Book of Mormon,” or the Mormon Bible. It claims to be a revelation from God, and is written in the style of the Old Testament. It claims to be a history of the lost tribes of Israel, which was written at the time many of the last books in the Old Testament were written. But any one who is not blind to all reason, can readily see that it is a production of modern times. All the modern phrases of immortal-soulism, are scattered all through this book. I will quote some from it.

“For he delivereth his saints from that awful monster, the Devil, and death and hell, and that lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment.” Second Book of Nephi, Chap. vi.

“His (the sinner’s) final doom is to endure a never ending torment.” Book of Mosiah, Chap. i.

“Perhaps (we had) been consigned to a state of endless misery and woe.” Book of Alma, Chap. vii.

“Therefore, as the soul can never die,” &c. Id. Chap. xix.

The word of God will “lead the man of Christ in a straight and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked, and land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God.” Book of Helaman, Chap. ii.

Speaking of dying, he says, “That I might go down in peace, and my immortal spirit may join the chorus above, in singing the praises of a just God.” Book of Mosiah, Chap. i.

“The spirit and the body shall be re-united again, in its perfect form.” Book of Alma, Chap. viii.

Of the martyrs the writer says, “We know that they are blessed for they have gone to dwell with their God.” Id. Chap. xiv.

The Book of Mormon is not a large book, yet we might multiply these phrases to an indefinite extent. It is very manifest that the writer of this book believed in the doctrine of immortal-soulism in all its parts, the same as the orthodox do; hence he spoke just as they do. Oh how rejoiced our orthodox friends would be to find such terms as these in the Bible! But alas! they cannot find them. Why not? Very manifestly because the Bible writers believed no such thing, hence they never wrote it. Men speak as they believe.

The above quotations prove two things: 1. The writers of the Bible did not believe in immortal-soulism; for if they had they would have written it out as this writer has. 2. The “Book of Mormon” is directly opposed to the Book of God.

D. M. CANRIGHT.