Higher criticism is not feared by Latter-day Saints. New facts with regard to the Bible are eagerly sought. Suggested influences are respectfully considered and accepted or rejected as they merit. Least of all do Latter-day Saints accept every new hypothesis of Biblical origin or history. We distinguish carefully between facts and inferences and claim the right with other intelligent people to determine for ourselves the weight of probability of the truth of any presented opinion.
The only worthy criticism, whether of the Bible or of any other human possession, is one that seeks for truth. There is a class of students who always seek for the errors in things. Such negative critics become menaces, for they find the errors inherent in all human works, and fail to note the truths. The positive critic searches for the truth in the book or science of man he studies; naturally, he discovers the errors as he moves along; but, out of his search comes a balanced judgment. It is by our strength, not by our weakness, that we are to be judged. We are not concerned with "the mistakes of Moses;" we need to understand his successes, if we are to know how and why Israel entered the holy land.
Destructive Biblical criticism leads us nowhere. Constructive Biblical criticism enhances greatly the joy of reading and studying the Book of Books. All knowledge should be applied in the study of the Bible, but the labor should be approached as a search for truth, and with prayer for truth, Thus bidden, truth always arrives. (From the tract, "The Bible centennial Series-Nineteen: Origin" in Handbook of the Restoration: A Selection of Gospel Themes Discussed by Various Authors; Also Other Items of Interest to Gospel Students [Independence: Zion's Printing and Publishing Co., 1944], 259-64, here, p. 263)
