Continued from the previous post regarding comments made by theorists about the Hill Cumorah and its location)
• Argument: “There can be no other explanation for the Hill Cumorah being named what it was than that the name was given by Joseph Smith.”
The very small hill in Manchester in western New York where Joseph Smith obtained the records
Response: First of all, it was most likely called Cumorah by early members of the Church who began calling the hill in Manchester that among other names, such as: Mormon Hill, Inspiration Point, and Gold Bible Hill. Had Joseph Smith named the hill Cumorah, there would have been no other name applied to the hill by early members, a likelihood supported by Michael Ash, who wrote in the Deseret News, ”the hill in New York known as Cumorah was probably not the Cumorah of Book of Mormon times and that the name was likely given to the New York hill by early Latter-day Saints” (Michael R. Ash, Challenging Issues, Keeping the Faith: How Moroni and the plates may have made it to Hill Cumorah, Deseret News, Salt Lake City, February 28, 2011).
In fact, early “members assumed that the Cumorah in New York was the same Cumorah described in the Book of Mormon, based largely on a letter written by Oliver Cowdery, called Letter VII, that was published in the July 1835 Messenger and Advocate” (Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate, Vol. I, F.G. Williams Publisher, Kirtland, Ohio, 1835; digitized by BYU, 2003-2004) “and reprinted several times at the direction of Joseph Smith”—this comment was footnoted as: Joseph Smith History, 1834-1836, Page 79.
However, in reading page 79, there is not only no such citing of the statement, but not even a hint or suggestion leading to such a thought or idea that Joseph Smith directed such a thing. This is just another reason why it is important to check out the sources cited by theorists.
On the other hand, it is also important to understand that these letters Oliver Cowdery wrote was part of an ongoing correspondence between Cowdery and William W. Phelps, then editor of the Latter-day Saints Messenger and Advocate; a post held by Cowdery in October, 1834, when the first issue was printed, until May of 1835, when he was replaced by John Whitmer from June 1835 to March 1836, who was editor during the final instalment in October 1835. He was followed by Cowdery who again was Editor, this time from April 1836 to January 1837, then Warren Cowdery (oldest bother to Oliver Cowdery) from April 1837 to September 1837.
Left: Oliver Cowdery; Right: William W. Phelps
Letter VII from Oliver Cowdery to William W. Phelps, who published the Evening and Star, was dated July, 1835, when John Whitmer was editor of the periodical. It was part of a series of letters by Oliver Cowdery, to William W. Phelps, on the Origin of the Book of Mormon and the Rise of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—all but Letter VII followed closely with the information Joseph Smith discussed and which appeared in other publications, talks, journals, etc. Letter VII appears to be quite different—as an example, Cowdery writes flowery examples of the fear of the Nephites when the overwhelming numbers of the Lamanites approached them at Cumorah—however, the scriptural record covers this in just three sentences: “My people, with their wives and their children, did now behold the armies of the Lamanites marching towards them; and with that awful fear of death which fills the breasts of all the wicked, did they await to receive them. They came to battle against us, and every soul was filled with terror because of the greatness of their numbers. They did fall upon my people with the sword, and with the bow, and with the arrow, and with the ax, and with all manner of weapons of war (Mormon 6:7-9; each sentence starts with “And it came to pass”). On the other hand, Cowdery’s recount of this covers several pages, and first appeared in publication in the periodical Messenger and Advocate, vol. 1, October 1834, pp. 14–16, when Oliver Cowdery was the editor of the paper. Later it was reprinted in a pamphlet in England by Thomas Ward and John Cairns, Liverpool UK, 1844, p 34-35).
• Argument: “Oliver Cowdery’s Letter VII, which Joseph Smith helped write and specifically endorsed at least three times, declares it is a fact that the Hill Cumorah in New York is the Hill Cumorah mentioned in the Book of Mormon (Mormon 6:6)”
Response: There is no comment in
Joseph’s writings that he helped Cowdery write Letter VII. Keep in mind that there
are eight letters that Oliver wrote. While Joseph
Smith was involved in helping, we do not know which, specifically, he helped
with. Nor do we know what he thought about the connection between the hill Cumorah
in Manchester where he obtained the plates, and the Hill Cumorah, of which both
Mormon and Moroni wrote. We do not know if he thought of them as the same, or
different. In fact, we don’t even know what he thought of the hill in Manchester
beyond it being where he obtained and then returned the plates. Nor do we know
if Joseph even saw or read that very small section of the overall eight
letters. After all, the first seven letters were accurately written about the
events cited. We also do not know what Joseph thought of these letters being
written into his history, or the reason or purpose of doing so. We have been
given a lot of opinions by theorists, but no specific checkable references.
It might also be of interest to know that Cowdery’s account in his letters of Joseph’s First Vision had some errors between what he wrote and what Joseph had earlier written and also told visitors, specifically about there being one personage (taken from an 1832 writing by Joseph) and two, described by Joseph later in life. In addition, Cowdery describes a single vision, but Joseph described two visions. Yet, Joseph had Cowdery’s eight letters written into his history differences notwithstanding.
• Arguments: “LDS scholars and educators actually think members of the Church who accept what Oliver and Joseph taught about Cumorah being in New York is absurd.”
Response: It is not a matter of what Joseph and Oliver “taught” or wrote, it is the statement that Joseph taught anything of the kind. Nowhere in all his writing and works does he indicate that such was a fact. What Oliver Cowdery wrote in his Letter VII is one thing, but painting what Joseph did with such a broad brush is unrealistic for at no time did Joseph say such a thing about the hill in Manchester other than that it was where the plates were obtained. In fact, throughout his personal notes and writings, as well as his conversations, he called the Manchester drumlin “the hill,” and not in any known fashion did he call it the Hill Cumorah where the final Nephite and Jaredite battles took place.”
The point is, that while several of Cowdery’s letters to Phelps give great insight into the early events, several parts of his writing are his opinions of what he saw and heard and what he understood of the many comments Joseph made and wrote—not word for word recording. Besides, Joseph did not speak nor definitely write in the style and with such polish as the educator Cowdery. To lay the claim for an entire theory about where Lehi landed and the Nephite flourished on Oliver Cowdery’s letter to Phelps is not beneficial and certainly not more valuable than the record of events in the Book of Mormon.
No comments:
Post a Comment