Plagiarism: Difference between revisions

If William Branham has simply said "I read this information in Clarence Larkin's book", then he would not have been guilty of plagiarism.  But he didn't.  Instead he said that he received it by divine revelation.  He said that God gave it to him, which was a lie.  He got the information directly from Clarence Larkin and others.  Below are '''specific examples of plagiarism in William Branham's ministry'''.  We have also addressed a few questions about plagiarism in the Bible which can be found by [[Q&A:Plagiarism|clicking here]].

[[Image:Clarence.jpg|thumb|right|Clarence Larkin]]

Rev. Clarence Larkin (1850–1924) was an American Baptist pastor, Bible teacher and author who wrote extensively on Dispensationalism. While William Branham only mentions Clarence Larkin four times in all his recorded sermons, he drew heavily from him but never gave Larkin the credit for these teachings.

In these above quotes, William Branham says that he doesn't agree with Clarence Larkin or other commentaries.  This gives the impression that the doctrine he preached was his own original ideas or lessons he received directly from the Angel (and not from anywhere else).  '''But did he?'''

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!What William Branham Said

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NOTE: William Branham's book "An Exposition of the Seven Church Ages" (which is commonly referred to as the "Church Age Book" or the CAB) contains all of the plagiarism noted in his sermon series on the Seven Church Ages which were delivered in December, 1960.  Most of the references in this article relating to the church ages are primarily to the actual sermons and not to the CAB.  While the CAB contains all of the plagiarized text referred to here, some have said that the plagiarism in the CAB was the direct result of the involvement of Lee Vayle and, therefore, cannot be attributed to William Branham himself.  The quotes contained below, however, clearly show that William Branham was the one that plagiarized Clarence Larkin's works.

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#[[First Seal#Plagiarism|Plagiarism in the First Seal]]

#[[Second Seal#Plagiarism|Plagiarism in the Second Seal]]

#[[Seventh Seal#Plagiarism|Plagiarism in the Seventh Seal]]

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!What William Branham Said

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all of William Branham's teachings that were "borrowed" from Clarence Larkin.  However, it should be obvious to any one that is not under the thrall of [[Cognitive Dissonance|cognitive dissonance]] that William Branham's major doctrines on the Book of Revelation and other important concepts originated in Clarence Larkin's books.

''Often give '''my little story''' of a little eagle. How the farmer set the hen one time...'' (William Branham, December 6, 1965, Sermon: Modern Events made clear by prophecy)  

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*Where did the inspiration for the sermon, "A THINKING MAN'S FILTER", come from?

William Branham made it clear in one story that he didn't pick up the cigarette package.  Then in the next he says that the Holy Spirit told him to pick it up.  Why did the story change? Is William Branham being truthful with the origins of his doctrines and stories, or is he doing exactly what is spoken about in Jeremiah 23:30?

Ellen White, the "prophet" and founder of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, stated that:

Details of this plagiarized "prophecy" can be found in our article entitled "[[Don't Eat Eggs]]".

For details on the similarities with [[William Sowders]], please go to [[William Sowders|the article on how William Branham appears to have copied doctrinal teachings from Sowders]].