BYU Studies Quarterly BYU Studies Quarterly

Volume 20 Issue 2 Article 10

4-1-1980

By the Hands of Wise Men: Essays on the U. S. Constitution Ray Ray

C. Hillam, ed . C. Hillam, ed .

Donald Q. Cannon

Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq

Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Cannon, Donald Q. (1980) "By the Hands of Wise Men: Essays on the U. S. Constitution Ray C. Hillam, ed .," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 20 : Iss. 2 , Article 10. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol20/iss2/10

This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in BYU Studies Quarterly by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact scholarsarchive@byu.edu, ellen_amatangelo@byu.edu.

book reviews

HILLAM RAY C ed by the hands of wise men essays on theUS constitution provo utah brigham young university press

1979 128128ppappp 4954.95495

reviewed by donald Q cannon professor of church history and doctrine brighamyoung university

by the hands of wise men contains an introduction and sevenessays by authors trained in the disciplines of history economics lawphilosophy and political science because this book is anoutgrowth of a symposium sponsored by the college of socialsciences in commemoration of the centennial of brigham younguniversity it has both the strengths and weaknesses of that relation-ship it includes the work of some emimenteminent scholars but it also hassome material that does not fit comfortably with the other essays bythe hands of wise men contains an introduction and seven essays byauthors trained in the disciplines of history economics lawphilosophy and political science

the first essay the doctrine of an inspired constitution bynoel reynolds I11 deserves to be the lead essay because its title andbasic assumptions are central to the books theme reynolds believesthat the US constitution is an inspired document furthermore heargues that the process of divine inspiration related to the constitu-tion is similar to the process involved in the welfare program of ththechurch that isis inspiration comes through the historical process ofgrowth and experimentation

while reynoldssReynoldreynoldsnss essay contains many brilliant insights it ismarred by some questionable assumptions on page three for exam-ple he claims that most early americans saw the hand of god shap-ing american destiny when in fact many early americans wereclearly skeptical of such a notion professor reynolds also says thatnotable historians of the nineteenth century echoed this providential

noel B reynolds the doctrine of an inspired constitution brigham young university studies 16

spring 1976 315 40

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view of america citing specifically george bancroft although ban-croft did believe that it should be noted that he was an exceptionon the positive side some of professor reynoldssReynoldreynoldsnss conclusions are ex-cellentcellent he warns his readers for example some latter day saintsseem to take the prophetic teaching that the constitution was in-spired as a reason for insisting that the original document was a finalachievement which should never be modified or revised

in virtue and the constitution richard L bushman claimsthat virtue is absolutely essential to the proper functioning of theUS constitution his definition of virtue the avoidance of selfindulgence and the sacrifice of personal interest for the good of thewhole is borrowed from the noted american historian gordon S

wood the constitution argues dr bushman was an effort to com-pensate for the lack of virtue in americans even though the con-stitutionstitution guards against selfishness americans must be vigilant inpromoting virtue which is its opposite bushman says we can ac-complishcomplish this best by teaching faith and virtue

in his essay ononjconjJ reuben clark 2 martin2martinbmartin B hickman deals withthree aspects of president clark s commentaries on the constitution

1 his belief that it was an inspired document 2 the centrality ofthe separation of powers and 53 the freedoms of the first amend-ment he summarizes president clarks thinking on the inspirednature of the document in this manner he viewed history throughthe lens of faith the balance of the essay is a clear and persuasivestatement of J reuben clarks views on the US constitutionreading this essay persuades me to agree with dean hickman thatJ reuben clarks unique contribution was his ability to write withprecision about the constitution

L dwight israelsensIsraelsens essay on mormonscormonsMormons the constitution andthe host economy describes the ideal system of economics andgovernment as the law of consecration he points out that thecapitalist system fostered by the US constitution is the best hosteconomy because it allows the church the option of activating ordeactivating the law of consecration as necessary israelsen cautionsmormonscormonsMormons having been taught the superiority of capitalism as ahost system they cormonsmormonsMormons begin to attribute capitalistic institu-tions as well as the attitudes and operational characteristics ofcapitalism to the ideal system this is a solid essay but there seemsto be too much on economics and too little on the constitution

2seeaseeee dialogue A journal ofmormonof mormonkormonnormon thought 7 spring 1972 37 46 and BYU studies 13 spring1973 426 40

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consequently this article does not integrate as easily as it should withothers in the book

the constitution as change is the subject of the essay bywilliam clayton kimball exploring the relationship of the writtenconstitution to american constitutional culture he concludes that thereal US constitution is not the document but what the people sayit is and what they will sustain it to be in this insightful essay pro-fessor kimball tells us that genuine change must take place in theminds and hearts of the people and not just in the wording of theconstitution

rex E lee in his essay the inspired quality and the flexibilityof the constitution says that the US constitution is inspired in itsoverall structure but not necessarily in each individual provision hegoes on to tell us that the breadth of the constitution is its most im-portant inspired quality this breadth has enabled the US con-stitutionstitution to endure for almost two centuries professor lee wisely cau-tions latter day saints we find it easy to lapse into the expansivenotion that the constitution like the gospel embraces all truth

in the concluding essay some thoughts about our constitu-tion and government elder neal A maxwell writes that ouramerican constitution places heavy duties on the individualcitizen some of those duties includeseekinginclude seeking wise good and honestpolitical leaders rendering community service and being personallyrighteous emphasis in this essay is on political responsibility ratherthan on the constitution although it is written in elder maxwellsmaxwelllMaxwellscharacteristically brilliant manner the political interest of this essaydoes not blend in as comfortably with the others as it might

although it has some unevevnness by the hands of pisewiseviseplse afenmencertainly is worth buying and reading it is an important contributiontoward an understanding of the US constitution the non LDSreader might be uncomfortable with some of the material but thisbook succeeds in addressing some important issues for mormonreaders concerning the constitution

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