Only this month, March 1997, I received word that Yater Tant had passed away after a painful convalescence resulting from a bad fall. Yater was, in my opinion, one of the most capable writers among brethren in the 20th Century. He had been the editor of The Gospel Guardian for many years and then served in the same capacity for another journal called Vanguard. Like his famous father, J. D. Tant, Yater was blunt, independent, unique in his approach to things (almost to the point of eccentricity) and always controversial. He took the unpopular side of the Institutional/Cooperation issues that brethren began to debate in the late 50's on into the 60's. He frequently echoed his father's warning: "Brethren, we are drifting." Brethren held his name in either respect or derision - seldom anything in between. Yater had a profound influence on me as a young preacher. It took me a lot of years to fully appreciate the extent of that influence and the quality of the lessons that I learned from him. And I am not speaking primarily about the influence of his written and spoken words. Please allow me to tell you, briefly, of two important lessons I learned from Yater Tant.

1. I learned from Yater not to take myself so seriously and to try to accept criticism with humor and not anger. Being the editor of a controversial paper, he was often the butt of some pretty sharp and even insulting criticism. But I never once witnessed or even heard of him reacting to such with anger or bitterness. Another friend was present at a college lectureship, sitting with Yater in the audience. The speaker, perhaps unaware that Yater was in the audience, was lambasting "The Guardian Boys", in general, and Yater Tant, in particular. The gifted speaker's insulting rhetoric was put in humorous terms to the point that the whole audience was roaring in laughter with each successive point. The brother who related this to me said that he was furious at the conduct of the speaker. But, he looked over at Yater and, to his surprise, Yater was slapping his knee and laughing along with everyone else! He even went up afterwards and told the speaker how much he had enjoyed the speech!
2. I learned from Yater the true meaning of loyalty to friends. I did not always agree with Yater. But that disagreement never seemed to have the least bearing on his friendship for me. He would have been the first to admit that he had flaws in his life. One of those flaws, in my opinion, was that he seemed to be blind to the failings of his friends, even when they were obvious to everyone else. But he held on to that friendship like a bulldog, even, sometimes, at great personal and financial expense. I know of one instance in which he endured public vilification from a friend who, because he did not have all the facts, misunderstood Yater's actions. Rather than revealing confidential information that would have been detrimental to his friend's welfare, Yater "ate" the insults and endured this person's scorn for several years before the truth came out and his actions were vindicated. During the intervening years, he continued to speak well of his friend. If a person is going to have flaws, being "too loyal" to friends would be a good one to choose!

Yater Tant is gone and I shall miss him. But I am glad to have been counted among his friends. My deepest condolences to his wife, Helen, and to his son, David, and the rest of the family. - Bob West, The Milpitas Messenger, March 1997

As many of our readers know, the Mormons claim the Book of Mormon was needed because "many plain and precious parts" had been removed from the Bible (See Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 13:26). On page 501 of the Mormon "Articles of Faith", James E. Talmage presented a list of 20 allegedly "missing books" which are mentioned in the Bible. If this list does, in fact, accurately refer to books originally in the Bible, but have since been lost, then it admittedly would be difficult to have much confidence in the Bible as a complete revelation from God. What about the so-called "Lost Books of the Bible?"

Before looking at the list in any detail, let me point out that Mormons bear the burden of proof in establishing the following

1. That these books are indeed inspired of God and
2. That if they are inspired, they contain revelation from God in addition to that contained in existing scripture.

Keep it in mind that the bare citation of a book does not prove anything other than the work was known at the time. There should be something in the context or in the manner of citation that implies divine authority. In place of LDS assumptions and assertions that these books are inspired, we need to see some proof!

But an even more grievous obligation rests upon Mormon assertionists: They are obligated to produce these missing books! In the same Book of Mormon chapter mentioned above, it states that when the Book of Mormon was to be revealed, it was to "make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away" from the Bible. Where are those 20 "missing books" to be found in LDS literature? Their inability to produce them is a tacit admission of the failure of the Book of Mormon and its promises.

A careful examination of Talmage's 20 citations indicates that not a single one of them refers to a book that should be in our Bible. All of them can be accounted for by one of the three following categories:

Let us look at those on the list that fall into Category #1:

Book Of The Covenant (Exodus 24:7). Reading from the beginning of chapter 24, even the most casual student can see that "book of the covenant" is merely the Law of Moses, a copy of the contract or covenant that God made with Israel. Read verses 3 and 4, in particular. This same covenant is spoken of in Deuteronomy 4:13 and also 1 Kings 8:9. Reference is also made to it in Hebrews 9:18-20. We have the words of this covenant recorded clearly in the very book (Exodus) where the citation is given. All Mormons succeed in establishing by this citation is their lack of careful study in the context of the passage.

Another Epistle To The Ephesians (Ephesians 3:3). The passage reads, "How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words..." Mormons jump to the unwarranted conclusion that Paul refers to another letter. But a thoughtful glance at Ephesians 1:9 will reveal that Paul wrote, "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will..." Paul had indeed "written afore in few words" concerning God making known to him the "mystery", but not in another book - in the very same letter!

Epistle To The Colossians From Laodicea (Colossians 4:16). The passage in question states: "...and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea." Very few thorough students of the Bible today hold that this refers to a missing epistle. Even liberal scholars, whose position would be bolstered by such a finding, affirm that this is not true. The most widely accepted view is that the epistle we know as "Ephesians" is, in reality, the epistle from Laodicea. Space will not permit rehearsing all the evidence for this conclusion. But here are four points that we need to consider:

1. Textual study seems to support this view. In the two most important uncial Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the Codex Vaticanus and the Codex Sinaiticus, the words translated "at Ephesus" are omitted. Also, Marcion, of the 2nd Century, recognized the epistle to the Ephesians and the epistle from Laodicea to be one in the same. Likewise, Origen of the early 3rd Century and Basil (about a century and a half later) affirmed the same. From this evidence the majority of scholars have concluded that the Epistle to the Ephesians was originally a circular letter sent first to Laodicea and designed to be circulated throughout the churches in Asia. It would be understandable how it could have come to be known as Ephesians, if its final repository was in the capital city of Asia.
2. This view is further supported by the nature of the material in the book of Ephesians. The subject matter has a universal ring to it. The only exclusive matter in it is addressed to gentile converts, of which the churches in Asia primarily consisted. These facts are entirely consistent with the view that it was originally meant to be applied to several churches as a circular letter.
3. A rather remarkable feature of the book of Ephesians is its impersonal tenor. In no other of Paul's letters is this found. When we recall that Paul spent three years in Ephesus (Acts 20:31), it is incredible to believe that he wrote a letter meant for them alone, yet neither refers to his sojourn with them, nor so much as mentions one familiar name. Contrast these facts with his letters to Rome, Colossae, Philippi, etc. If it is true that this book was meant to be a circular letter, this apparent difficulty disappears and all is made clear.
4. In Ephesians 3:2, Paul wrote, "...if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward..." If language means anything at all, this infers the possibility that those to whom he was writing might not have heard. But such could not be so, if written exclusively to the Ephesians, because of Paul's long stay with them and his affirmation that he had not "shunned to declare the whole counsel of God" to them (Acts 20:27). But, if the letter was a circular letter meant for other churches and sent originally to Laodicea, this passage is made clear, as well as the one found in Colossians 4:16.

But, in the face of this and other overwhelming evidence, if one still wishes to assert that there is a "lost epistle from Laodicea," evidence must be produced that it contained revelation absent in other scripture. And, again, the Mormon (who believes his own book) is obligated to produce the epistle itself!

Missing Epistle of Jude (Jude 3). "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you to earnestly contend for the faith..." It is difficult to understand how anyone could read this passage and come up with a "missing letter." "Earnestly contending for the faith" is an important element of the "common salvation" about which Jude gave diligence to write. Where's the missing book here?

We shall continue examine the Mormons' list of "lost books" next month. - Bob West, Milpitas Messenger, March 1997

These quotations from the Old Testament and the New bring sharply into focus the brevity of human life. No man can read such words with any degree of comprehension without realizing how swift and how certain is the approach of death for every one of us. All our earthly hopes and ambitions, our plans, dreams, and fondest expectations will finally come to rest beneath a little mound of dirt over which the green grass will grow for centuries after we have returned to the elements. How futile and how silly to think we can build anything that will endure on this earth!

In view of the brevity of life, and the certainty of judgment, what manner of persons ought we to be? "Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God..." are the words used by Peter to impress our responsibility.

God's plan for redemption of the soul is simple. By the sacrifice of Christ, He has made it possible for me to escape the awful punishment which is the due recompense for my sin. Believing in Christ, I turn in penitence from sin, and am buried through baptism "unto the remission of" all sins. This brings me into covenant relationship with God, makes me a citizen in His kingdom. It then is my task to live each day in the consciousness of that relationship, to "walk worthily of the calling" wherewith I have been called.

Business ventures, family troubles, political upheavals, personal problems - how trivial! There is one problem, and only one, before every one of us: to live a life that is pleasing to God. Whether that life is lived in riches or in poverty, in political freedom or in chains and imprisonment, in domestic felicity or in misery and loneliness, is quite unimportant. Whether one receives the adulation and praises of men or their contempt and animosity matters little. If one walks with the Lord, in the full assurance of His favor, neither the flattery of friends nor the hatred of foes will count for much. The days of our years are so few, so filled with duties and labors, that we should waste little time in thinking whether our actions are pleasing to men or not. Do they please God? That is the one and only question to be considered. If yes, then with confidence we can press on; if no, then we should tremble in terror until the situation is changed.

"What is your life?" Consider it: let God's will rule your heart, and His word direct your ways. - Condensed from an editorial in Vanguard, May 1981. Reprinted in the Milpitas Messenger, March 1997.