Having lately learned that the Rev. Mr. Brown has brought
an objection against the Book of Mormon, and being apprised of the fact that he
is endeavoring to deceive the community and some of the members of the Church
of Christ, I thought it would be well enough to bring forward some of the testimonies
to show the weakness of his position.
The objection that Mr. Brown brought was, that Lehi being
of the tribe of Joseph, did offer sacrifices and burnt offerings unto the Lord,
and that the Aaronic priesthood was only conferred on the tribes of Levi;
therefore, Lehi being of the tribe of Joseph, had no right to offer sacrifice
under the penalty of death, and in this way proves the Book of Mormon false, as
Moses was the lawgiver, and did not speak of any other tribe offering
sacrifices to the Lord. If we find an example to the contrary
that will speak as loud as words. Any man that is familiar with his Bible will
see that the Aaronic priesthood was conferred on the tribe of Levi by, lineage,
and if any one could prove that they were of that lineage, then they had a perfect
right to that priesthood. Now, 1 ask, would this debar the God of Heaven from
calling another man from any other tribe to officiate in that office. . We
think Mr. Brown's position will prove the Bible false also. We read in Hebrews
5: 4, that no man taketh this honor unto himself but he that is called of God
as was Aaron.
From this we learn 1st. That no man can take this
priesthood, or honor on himself; and 2d, if God should call a man out of any other
tribe, he had a perfect right to officiate in that which God called him to.
Now, it must be plain to every candid mind that the
apostle was speaking of other tribes, for the tribe of Levi was already called,
and it was their right by lineage; and none others had a right to that calling
save those that were called of God, as was Aaron. We will now show the
ignorance of Mr. Brown and his predecessor, Mr. Campbell, in the Bible. We will
refer the reader to the 6th chapter of
Judges. Here we are told that Gideon, of a poor family of the house of
Manasseh, of the tribe of Joseph was commanded to tear down the altar of Baal
that his father had; and cut down the grove that is by it, and build an altar
unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take
thee a second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove,
which thou shalt cut down, &c.
Again, Moses, in pronouncing the blessing on the sons of
Israel, of Zebulon, he said, " Rejoice Zebulon in thy going out, and Issa-
char in thy tents. They shall call the people unto the mountains; there shall
they offer sacrifices of righteousness," &c. Deut. 33: 18 and 19.
We learn from the above that God had decreed that men of
other tribes should be called to offer sacrifice in righteousness, therefore,
Moses by the spirit of prophesy could pronounce it on the head of Zebulon and
Issachar.
The reader will see. by the above, that those authors who
condemn the Book of Mormon because Lehi of the tribe of Joseph, offered burnt
offerings, by their own reasoning prove the Bible false, and that they are
speculating Atheists, professing to believe in that which they do not. See
Buck's Theological Dictionary. (D. H. Rogers, “Rev.
Mr. Brown’s Objections to Lehi’s offering Sacrifices, answered,” The
Olive Branch, or Messenger of Good Tidings to the Meek 4, no. 1 [August
1851]: 9-10; this is a “Brewsterite” publication)
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