The following excerpts come from:
Eduard
Meyer, The Origin and History of the Mormons: With Reflections on the
Beginnings of Islam and Christianity (trans. Heinz F. Rahde and Eugene
Seaich; Salt Lake City: University of Utah, 1961). The work was originally written in German and published in 1912.
In these stammering words it
is clearly shown that the three experienced a common vision which was conjured
up to them by the anticipation of the long preparation, the pregnant atmosphere
of miracles through which they lived, their prayer together, and the Prophet’s
power of suggestion. Further psychological analysis of the question whether or
not hypnosis or a similar force was instrumental, is of no interest here. The
essential matter is that this vision was a real occurrence for the Three
Witnesses, whose veracity no one has ever questioned. It has already been
remarked that all three fell out with Smith and were excommunicated from the
Church in 1838. The foes of Mormonism have expanded all possible efforts to
induce them to recant their testimonies; but these have remained unshakable,
and all three were steadfast to their deaths in their belief in the truth of
the vision and the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. (p. 9)
On biblical
prophets changing their words and those of other prophets:
The old prophets of Israel,
who were not yet bound by the book, could act much more freely; they had worked
their revelations over and When Jeremiah dictated his words to Baruch, and king
Jehoiakim caused them to be burned, "Then took Jeremiah another roll and
gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the
mouth of Jeremiah all the words which Jehoiakim, kind of Judah had burned in
the fire; and there were added besides unto them many like words."
(Jeremiah 36, 32). At that time, no one would have taken exception to the fact
that both versions did not exactly agree, even assuming that the first were to
have reappeared. over, and fit them to new situations. (p. 35)
On the death of Joseph Smith:
What happened on June 27,
1844 is decisively significant to the work Joseph Smith established. If the
instigators of the crime had been able to think beyond the passions of the
moment, they would have realized that their actions would bring about the exact
opposite of what they imagined, as it certainly did: the church was not
destroyed by the murder of the prophet; rather it was maintained. Farce was
suddenly turned to tragedy by the gruesome murder. The animating power of
martyrdom was here evidence for the wickedly spilled blood, for which
redemption was impossible, and the advent of persecution had cohesive powers
for the Mormons that the living word of God from the prophet in their midst
could not have. Perhaps even more important was the fact that they were now rid
of Joseph Smith, whose capabilities for further accomplishments had been
exhausted. He had gathered the faithful members into a united, insular
community through the establishment of the church and the foundation of the
missionary system. He had not simply proclaimed their aspirations, but had actually
taken steps to realize them. Unable to proceed further, he could only throw all
order and conceptions of this world and the world beyond into chaos by his
ever-increasing wild fancies. Not only among church members, but also among
non-Mormons he would only create more new opponents. Without his burdensome
dogma of polygamy, his success might have become even greater (The mystery of
the polytheistic concept and the prospects of the after life for those who
remained faithful did little damage and may have lured outsiders to the faith).
Now the danger of even more confusing forthcoming revelations would be
alleviated, and the prophet, whose conduct and opinions had offended many
including the most choice, who did not permit their reason to be completely
subjugated, now became holy. His shortcomings were obscured and forgotten. The
martyrdom of the prophet had the same magnetic effect for the church as the
execution of Charles | had had for the Royalists in England. The guidance of
the church was now entrusted to a man who was much more skilled in worldly
affairs and who, despite his faithfulness and prophetic insights, was never
blinded to earthly concerns. It is certain that, after the unsuccessful attempt
in Missouri, the Mormon church would have had little significance had not
Smith, faced with constant opposition, achieved the "gathering of the
faithful in Nauvoo." It is certain, too, that Mormonism could never have
accomplished its great historical mission, the creation of an empire in Utah,
under Smith's guidance. Here Brigham Young takes up the work and supplements
and culminates it as Omar did for Mohammed. (pp. 132-33)
“Now” in “All power is now given unto me in heaven and in
earth”:
“Now” is not found in the
text. The aorist εδοθη however, with which Jesus begins his words signifies an
event that just took place. The εξουσια cannot be understood as something that
he possessed from the beginning—as is manifest in the christology of John—is
moreover designates something that he received after his resurrection. Christ
obviously had to ascend to the throne of his father and then returned back to
earth to reveal the event in heaven. (p. 203 n. 2)
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