Classic Works of Orson Pratt

The Book of Mormon claims to be a divinely inspired record, written by a succession of prophets who inhabited ancient America. It professes to be revealed to the present generation for the salvation of all who will receive it, and for the overthrow and damnation of all nations who reject it.

This book must be either true or false. If true, it is one of the most important messages ever sent from God to man, affecting both the temporal and eternal interests of every people under heaven to the same extent and in the same degree that the message of Noah affected the inhabitants of the old world. If false, it is one of the most cunning, wicked, bold, deep-laid impositions ever palmed upon the world, calculated to deceive and ruin millions who will sincerely receive it as the word of God, and will suppose themselves securely built upon the rock of truth until they are plunged with their families into hopeless despair. The nature of the message in the Book of Mormon is such, that if true, no one can possibly be saved and reject it; if false, no one can possibly be saved and receive it. Therefore, every soul in all the world is equally interested in ascertaining its truth or falsity.

In a matter of such infinite importance no person should rest satisfied with the conjectures or opinions of others; he should use every exertion himself to become acquainted with the nature of the message; he should carefully examine the evidences of which it is offered to the world; he should, with all patience and perseverance, seek to acquire a certain knowledge whether it be of God or not. Without such an investigation in the most careful, candid, and impartial manner, he cannot safely judge without greatly harming his future and eternal welfare. If, after a rigid examination, it be found an imposition, should be extensively published to the world as such; the evidences and arguments upon which the imposture was detected, should be clearly and logically stated, that those who have been sincerely yet unfortunately deceived, may perceive the nature of the deception, and be reclaimed, and that those who continue to publish the delusion, may be exposed and silenced, not by physical force, neither by persecutions, bare assertions, nor ridicule, but by strong and powerful arguments—by evidences adduced from scripture and reason. 

The great majority of the world, however, reject the Book of Mormon without the least examination as to its claims. They have heard there was such a book, but they know nothing of its contents, only that it claims to be a divine revelation. They at once reject it as an imposture. Is this method of judging justifiable? Has God ever authorized His creatures to judge, without an investigation, a matter that professes to involve their eternal salvation? Has He ever informed the world that they have enough revelation, or that He will never give them any more? All who have read the Bible know that He has given no intimations of the kind. He has given no grounds whatever for supposing that there is to be no more revelation. Why, then, should the world be so presumptuous as to reject a professed revelation as false without investigation? This method of judging is not only unjustifiable, but fearful in its consequences. As long as there is a possibility that man may receive more, he is in danger of losing his salvation, by rejecting indiscriminately all that comes. By this rash and unjustifiable method of judging, he is not only in danger, but he is sure to lose his salvation if God should condescend to give more.