Jack West’s Trial of the Book of Mormon
In 1941, I was a student in law school at Stanford University. I had a professor that had been a judge for many years. His examination, or test, for each student was for them to select a subject and either defend or prosecute it in opposition to the rest of the students.
There were many student attorneys on the one side to do the rapid and thorough research necessary, combining their efforts and thought processes, while the defendant was left alone to manage his case.
Most of us were terribly intimidated by the future prospects of the almost impossible odds.
Most of these cases only lasted for a day or two. Occasionally an exceptionally good one might run a full week. After many years of prayerful study and research, I knew that the Book of Mormon was true, and I decided to enlist the Lord‛s help and use this subject for my final thesis.
This case lasted for almost three weeks. At the conclusion of the case, and upon the concluding arguments by both the combined prosecution (the rest of the class and the defense (me), the judge rendered his decision in favor of the defense. He said to the prosecution, “You have not even established a toehold, much less a foothold in breaking down the marvelous evidence for the authenticity of the ‘Stick of Joseph‘ (or the Book of Mormon), much less given any evidence that would show it to be a fraudulent work!”
Then the judge called me into his office and said, “Jack, where in the world did you get the evidence you presented in this mock trial?” I grinned at him and said, “You remember at the onset of the trial I told all of you that I did not take credit for one particle of this evidence?
Most of it has been available to the world for over a hundred years. It just needed to be uncovered and organized. And I told you then, as I tell you now, that I believe with all of my heart that God Himself prepared that evidence and the Witnesses.”
The judge responded saying, “I want to tell you something. In all my years in law, I don ‘t think I have ever heard a case more nearly perfect than this one. When you started out, I wouldn‘t have given you a plugged nickel for your chances of proving that book to be true through the absolute legal process in a court of law.”
My dear friends, do not sell the Book of Mormon short! The Book of Mormon gives strength and support to the Bible. Its testimony is vital to the understanding and acceptance of the Bible as the literal and spiritual Word of God without confusion or misinterpretation of its teachings.
From an address given at Brigham Young University. First Printing June 24, 1954.
If it is true that one picture is worth a thousand words, this book should be very helpful to many people. When the author-compilers, John Rich and his son, J. Milton Rich, asked permission to use my lectures on “The Trial of the Stick of Joseph” as a basis for their pictorial book “The Book of Mormon on Trial ” utilizing Fritz Alseth‛s artwork, I was very happy to give them my consent. I feel that in the field of learning, as in all other areas of accomplishment, it is a wonderful thing to “have fun getting the job done.”
The sense of humor that flows through this book; the vivid portrayal of both sides of the story as the “mock trial” in law school progresses; the gradual weakening of the cocksure prosecution; the final “rigor mortis” state of frustration of the prosecuting attorney as attack after attack against the Book of Mormon fails for lack of concrete evidence to support their accusations — all of this will captivate young and old alike.
I believe with all my heart that God briefed the case for the authenticity of the Book of Mormon; that He set up the evidence; that He prepared the Witnesses; and that, worlds without end, no one will ever break it down. It is what it claims to be; the True, Authentic and Divine Religious History of this (the American) Continent; the second great Witness for Christ; the running mate of the Bible.
In this age when our children seem to be deluged with comic characters teaching destructive and anti-Christian behavior through TV and video games, we note with alarm the harmful nature of the materials which they are being exposed to, and perhaps we need to fight fire with fire. Fritz n‛ Rich are to be congratulated on the thousands of hours of painstaking effort they have put into producing this work. No one, member or otherwise, will turn a page without receiving some uplifting thought and interesting, helpful information.
Please do not be upset at the use of caricature illustrations to reveal and drive home many of the Truths of the Book of Mormon. The ultimate objective is for someone to take sincere action and prayerfully read the Book of Mormon, and, with the help of the Holy Ghost, come away with their own testimony of its Truthfulness; but some just need a little nudge, something of proven statistics that stimulates their interest and that they can get their teeth into before they are ready for this ideal step.
I am sure that you, the individual reader, will be assisted in building and strengthening your testimony of the Truth of the Book of Mormon by this delightful illustration of “The Book of Mormon on Trial.” You will be encouraged to more carefully, thoughtfully, and prayerfully read this great record of Scripture. You will know that it does contain the answers to your personal problems, your family issues, and your civic, national, and international concerns. It is indeed the counsel and advice of a wise, loving, and kind Heavenly Father (1962).