Turning, now, to the Book of Mormon for illustrations of this Hebrew idiom, we find one occurs in I Nephi 11:25, as follows: "I beheld that the rod of iron which my father had seen, was [represented] the word of God;" and in chapter 15:24, in the course of an explanation to his brothers of the meaning of the "rod of iron," Nephi again states that it was the word of God. Again: "Behold the fountain of filthy water which thy father saw; yea, even the river of which he spake; and the depths thereof are [represented] the depths of hell." "And the mists of darkness are [signify] the temptations of the devil. And the large and spacious building which thy father saw is [typifies] vain imaginations."-I Nephi 12:16, 17, 18; see also chap. 11:36. And again: "Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw? And I answered him, saying, Yea, it is [represents] the love of God."-I Nephi 11:21, 22. 7. Concerning Verbs in the Infinitive. * * We have already observed that the Hebrew uses a plural noun, in some instances, where we employ a singular; and that another peculiar idiom of that language occurs where the singular is employed instead of the plural, according to English usage,practices respecting nouns and pronouns which involve a double contrariety. Now, we find that by discovering the use of the infinitive form of the verb at times, on the one hand, and by making use of the infinitive on the other, in some constructions where we do not, the Hebrew contrasts with the English in the relation of another double contrariety. To illustrate these different idioms in connection with one another, which should be done in order that the reader may readily perceive the difference between the Hebrew and the English, we shall have to review some points treated on heretofore. Omitting the quotation from Green's Hebrew Grammar. (See the ERA, Vol. XIII, p. 117), which relates to the co-ordination of verbs, a few illustrations of this Hebraism shall be submitted as follows: "How can I endure and see" (Est. 8:6), or "How can I endure to see." "I know not [how] I shall flatter" (Job 32:22), i. e., “I know not how to flatter." Corresponding Hebraisms found in the Book of Mormon read thus: "They also sought his life, that they might take it away" (I Nephi 1:20), for "They also sought to take away his life."" "How is it that he can not instruct me, that I should build a ship?" (I Nephi 17:51); or, supplying the infinitive, "instruct me how to build a ship?" Examples of the same, or of a similar, character are quite numerous in the Book of Mormon, and, being readily found, no other passages are now quoted. It is worthy of note in this connection that the many illustrations in that book which show an infinitive discarded, disclose at the same time that peculiar trait of the Jewish mind which often severed closely associated ideas, and held them up to view as separate conceptions. How remarkably does the Book of Mormon manifest that it was written by Jews who "sedulously avoided" complexity in form of expression! So much, then, respecting the Hebraism which relates to the non-use of the infinitive where we employ it. What follows under this number shows the Hebraic use of the infinitive in cases where the English idiom requires us to discard it, and to resort to some other construction to express the same thought: Thus, first citing illustrations from the Bible, "created and made," (Gen. 2:3,) reads literally, "created to make." Again, the Hebrew of Deut. 6:3, according to Dr. Adam Clarke is, "Ye shall hear, O Israel, and thou shalt keep to do (them)," the reference being to the commandments of God. "Ye shall hear, O Israel, and shall keep them," is all that is necessary in English to express these commands. "Keep to do" is not an Anglicism, "And when he had broken down the altars and the groves,and had beaten the graven images into powder," etc., (II Chron. 34:7). This reading is proper from an English point of view; but if the Hebrew be followed, and we say "beaten the * * images to make powder," the construction will strike us as quite strange. "And threw down the high places and the altars * until they had utterly destroyed them all," (II Chron. 31:1)-until "to make an end" is the Hebrew phraseology here. The commandment, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," (Ex. 20:8) is an example of the Hebraic use of an infinitive contrary to the English idiom; but so familiar have we become with this passage that we usually fail to notice any peculiarity in its structure, yet this feature will be observed at once if we change an expression of frequent use among ourselves into an identical form. Thus, for instance, a teacher does not enjoin his pupuils to remember to keep the rules of the school, but to remember them and keep them. * * * Book of Mormon Examples: "And had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance," (I Nephi 2:11). "Led them to leave" is not English form, and a participial construction is suggested, as, "leaving" or "forsaking at once the land of their inheritance, and their gold." "And whoso was found to commit iniquity"-Moro. 6:7. "Yea, and I beheld that the fruit was white to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen"-I Nep. 8:11. We would recast this passage about as follows: "the fruit was whiter than anything I had ever before seen." "And I desire that ye should remember to observe "And we * * * the statutes * * * of the Lord."-II Nep. 1:16. did observe to keep the judgments."-II Nep. 5:10, "Ye are eternally indebted to your heavenly Father, to render to him all that you have and are;" (Mos. 2:34,) "and should render" harmonizes better with our idiom. "Have ye taught this people that they should observe to do?" Mos. 13:25. "He doth remember all my commandments to execute them."-Alma 18:10. "But ye do always remember your riches, not to thank God for them." Hela. 13:22. See also Alma 49:14; 57:21; 58:40; Hela. 3: 20; Moro. 7:30. (TO BE CONTINUED) Stand by the Right, Always BY J. C. HOGENSON, OF THE STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE There are many people in the world who are afraid to stand up for the right, and to state and act their convictions, because those convictions, though known to be right, are not popular with the general crowd; and the person stating or acting them might lose his social standing and prestige. Leaders among men, men who have achieved prominence in the world, have always been fearless in standing up for the right, and in stating their convictions, no matter what the consequences that follow might be. Take such men as Christopher Columbus, Martin Luther, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Joseph Smith. All were fearless and true to their ideas of truth and right. That is the only brave, true, manly, and God-fearing way. Let us, if we are ever tempted to do otherwise, remember the poem on "Freedom," by James Russell Lowell, which says: "They are slaves who fear to speak For the fallen and the weak; They are slaves who will not choose Rather than in silence shrink From the truth they needs must think; They are slaves who dare not be In the right with two or three." "Stand close to all, but lean on none, Stand just as fearlessly alone As if a throng begirt you." Remember our own beautiful hymn: "Do what is right, let the consequence follow;" and, "God will protect you, do what is right." LOGAN, UTAH Editors' Table Three Threatening Dangers Frequently, and from nearly all parts of the world, we hear of periodical outbursts of indignation against the Latter-day Saints. These are generally groundless and made by writers and speakers who are uninformed, and who get their inspiration from sensational books and literature published abroad by evil-designing persons who make money out of the credulous by their sensational stories. The stories may be false charges of polygamy against our people, or immorality, or undue political influence, or incredible financial power said to be exercised by the Church, and particularly by its president who lately was charged by a London paper of being an autocrat with an income of £200,000 a year. Thus many things are charged against us which have no foundation in fact, and in which there is no grain of truth. Though amusing where the truth is known, these falsehoods have the effect, of course, of prejudicing the ignorant, scandalizing the Church, and making it very unpleasant for its missionaries and membership. But scandal and falsehood never can have permanent injurious effect upon those unto whom they are unjustly directed. The Latter-day Saints need have no fear nor anxiety whatever regarding these things, so long as they are directed against them unjustly. Scandals die of themselves when discovered, as they are sure to be. What the Latter-day Saints need to dread, and what every man and woman in the Church should take to heart with trembling and grave anxiety, is that we may fail to continue to guard our actions and conduct our lives in the way of right. To do right involves exceeding care upon our part, and a living up to the simple principles of the gospel taught us from the beginning. Our danger lies not in falsehoods from the outside, but in evil and impure actions and indifference from the inside. These are the things which we need to fear. There are at least three dangers that threaten the Church within, and the authorities need to awaken to the fact that the people should be warned unceasingly against them. As I see these, they are the flattery of prominent men in the world, false educational ideas, and sexual impurity. Leaders of thought frequently express admiration for the social conditions of the Latter-day Saints, the simplicity and earnestness of their worship, their care for the poor, and the honesty and purity of their daily lives. For these reasons our people are sought as colonizers in various parts of the country, men having seen that their industry and good character are of immense value in the building of a community and in the development of a country. I sometimes fear that we are not altogether worthy of some of the good things said of us, and that they have a tendency to throw us off our guard, make us less watchful, and lull us to sleep, as it were, thus handicapping our continued efforts in the upward direction of right. Incorrect educational ideas are implanted in the hearts of our young people, often at home, and nearly always abroad. We have hundreds of young men, and young women, too, for that matter, who go abroad to receive their higher education, who partake to a great extent of the teachings of the world in these institutions. Not infrequently many of them return filled with the so-called "higher criticism" which not only tends to disbelief in the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, but disbelief in God, and in the saving mission and divinity of Jesus Christ our Lord, upon which Christianity and the faith of the Latter-day Saints are founded. But the third subject mentioned,-personal purity, is perhaps of greater importance than either of the other two. We believe in one standard of morality for men and women. If purity of life is neglected, all other dangers set in upon us like the rivers of waters when the flood gates are opened. Our youth naturally incline to follow the tendencies of the age in this direction, which is toward impurity in thought and action, impropriety in dress, and a double moral standard which gives men liberties in sin which are not, and should not be, tolerated in women. The general inclination is towards moral looseness. It does not appear, notwithstanding declarations to the contrary, that the people are growing better in this respect, and that is a fearful thought to contemplate. Hence, there never was greater need than now of |