Jonathan Neville, in his numerous interviews and conversations he has had with others about the Book of Mormon translation, that have been published on YouTube and on the Internet, brings up many controversial and questionable points that would be too tedious and time consuming to respond to them all individually. To respond individually to all of what he has said would entail writing a book twice as big as the one he has written. So I will mention a few more points and then quit—unless something very controversial comes up. The above video is the same as the one which I had previously responded to in Part IV in this series. It is a conversation between him and Steven Pynakker, the host of Mormon Book Reviews (MBR) YouTube channel. At around 43:15 minutes into the video, the following exchange takes place between the two of them. The conversation is about Jonathan Edwards’ supposed influence in Joseph Smith’s scriptural writings, including the Doctrine and Covenants:
Steven Pynakker:
“Yes, I mean, and I just find that so fascinating, because you cite other examples as well, where Jonathan Edwards and the Book of Mormon are almost having a conversation with each other.”
Jonathan Neville:
“Yes, and in the Doctrine Covenants. My favorite example there is where the Lord says, I think is in Section 18, it says, ‘Remember the worth of souls is great …’ What is he [Joseph Smith] ‘remembering’? He is remembering what he had read in Jonathan Edwards, and James Harvey, and these other authors, who specifically said ‘the worth of souls is great’. So you can’t just tell someone to ‘remember’ something that they have never heard before, right?—which is what the ‘blank slate’ theory of Joseph Smith would be. Instead, it is a conversation with Joseph, based on what he already had read, and knew about. And the Lord was reminding him, ‘Remember the worth of souls is great’. He could have gone on and said, ‘You read that right, in James Harvey, you know, page whatever;’ and that is how I see these scriptures working. And what I love about this is, that is how the Lord works with us. You know the scriptures tell us, the Holy Ghost will bring ‘all things to our remembrance’ [John 14:26; D&C 84:85], right? And so it can’t bring things to your remembrance if you haven’t read or studied it before. That is why it is so critical for everybody to study the scriptures. You have got to read the Bible, you have got to read the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and so on, so that the Spirit can bring those teachings to your recollection and your memory when you need them, right? And that Section 18, when the Lord told Joseph, ‘Remember the worth of souls was great,’ that is exactly what was happening. He was reminding him of something he had read before.”
That is a serious misreading of D&C 18:10, that he is commenting on. What that scripture says, quoted in context, is as follows (emphasis added):
Doctrine and Covenants 18:
10 Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;
11 For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.
12 And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.
13 And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!
14 Wherefore, you are called to cry repentance unto this people.
Firstly, that revelation was addressed to Oliver Cowdery, not to Joseph Smith; and secondly, what the Lord was telling Oliver Cowdery in that revelation that he should “remember,” was what he was telling him then; not what he had supposedly read previously in Jonathan Edwards, James Harvey, or anywhere else. The Lord was telling Oliver Cowdery to always remember, and keep in mind, and not forget, what he was telling him there and then—and explaining why. And if you want a biblical connection, you will find it in Matthew 16:26; Mark 8:36; 16:15-16. Linking it to Jonathan Edwards and James Harvey etc. is absurd. It makes no sense. And this is the quality of Jonathan Neville’s debates and arguments about the nature of the Book of Mormon translation. And the biblical assertion that the Holy Ghost shall “bring all things to your remembrance” (John 14:26; D&C 84:85) refers to the words of Jesus, words of scripture, not the words of Jonathan Edwards, James Harvey etc.
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