No Man Knows My History (Arkosh History)

by Fawn M. Brodie

Although Joseph was done with translations, he never ceased delighting in exhibiting his linguistic talents. Occasionally in his letters and printed appeals for national support he made proud displays which so embarrassed later historians of his church that they were quietly deleted from the official histories. The most notorious example was his “Appeal to the Freemen of the State of Vermont, the ‘Brave Green Mountain Boys,’ and Honest Men,” in which, with a blithe disregard for accuracy, he quoted from seventeen different languages. Were I a Chaldean I would exclaim: Keed’nauh ta-meroon le- hoam elauhayauh dey-ahemayaua veh aur’kau lau gnaubadoo, yaba- doo ma-ar’gnau comeen tehoat sheamyauh allah. (Thus shall ye say unto them: The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, they shall perish from the earth, and from these heavens.) An Egyptian, Su-e-eh-ni. (What other persons are those?) A Grecian, Diabolos bssileuei. (The Devil reigns.) A Frenchman, Messieurs sans Dieu. (Gentlemen without God.) A Turk, Ain shems. (The fountain of light.) A German, sie sind unferstandig! (What consummate ignorance!) A Syrian, Zaubok! (Sacrifice!) A Spaniard, II sabio muda conscio, il nescio no. (A wise man reflects, a fool does not.) A Samaritan: Saunau! (O stranger!) An Italian: Oh tempa! oh diffidanza! (O the times! O the diffidence!) A Hebrew: Ahtau ail rauey. (Thou God seest me.) A Dane: Hvad tidende! (What tidings!) A Saxon, Hwaet riht! (What right!) A Swede: Hvad skilia! (Wha...