“Joseph Smith the Prophet was the chosen instrument through which the Restoration took place. He was selected of the Lord before his birth to fill this most important mission. The ancient prophets knew of him and spoke of him.
Joseph who was sold into Egypt prophesied of him—he even knew his name and his father’s name.
“For Joseph truly testified, saying: A seer shall the Lord my God raise up. …
“Behold, that seer will the Lord bless; …
“And his name shall be called after me; and it shall be after the name of his father. And he shall be like unto me; for the thing, which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation.” (2 Ne. 3:6, 14–15.)
When the Lord wants to change the world, he doesn’t send armies or use powerful groups.
When it was time to lead the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage, the Lord didn’t send an army; he sent a baby boy to a Levite home. This baby boy was later to be known as Moses, whom we know as the great lawgiver and the one who delivered the children of Israel from bondage.” Joseph Smith, the Chosen Instrument 1985 By Elder Rex C. Reeve Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
Joseph Smith during Zion’s Camp., he Brigham declared of this experience: I have travelled with Joseph a thousand miles. . . . I have watched him and observed every thing he said or did. . . . For the town of Kirtland I would not give the knowledge I got from Joseph on this Journey; and then you may take the State of Ohio and the United States. . . . It has done me good . . . and this was the starting point of my knowing how to lead Israel. President Brigham Young called himself “an Apostle of Joseph Smith, and also of Jesus Christ” and attributed his wisdom and success to his diligent obedience to the counsel and instruction of the Prophet Joseph Smith:
I wish to say that, when I see [men] in Israel who are careless and unconcerned, who trifle away their time . . . where there are opportunities to learn, my experience for the best part of forty years teaches me that they never progress . . . . In my experience I never did let an opportunity pass of getting with the Prophet Joseph and of hearing him speak in public or in private, so that I might draw understanding from the fountain from which he spoke, that I might have it and bring it forth when it was needed.
More Precious… than all the Wealth of the World
My own experience tells me that the great success with which the Lord has crowned my labors is owing to the fact of applying my heart to wisdom. . . . In the days of the Prophet Joseph, such moments were more precious to me than all the wealth of the world. No matter how great my poverty—if I had to borrow meal to feed my wife and children, I never let an opportunity pass of learning what the Prophet had to impart. This is the secret of the success of your humble servant. (Journal of Discourses, 12:270) FAITH CRISIS: Did the LDS Church Lie? (Part 1) We Were NOT Betrayed! By James and Hannah Stoddard
Wilford Woodruff: “It has been my faith and belief from the time that I was made acquainted with the Gospel that no greater prophet than Joseph Smith ever lived on the face of the earth save Jesus Christ. He was raised up to stand at the head of this great dispensation—the greatest of all dispensations God has ever given to man. He remarked on several occasions when conversing with his brethren: ‘brethren you do not know me, you do not know who I am.’ As I remarked at our priesthood meeting on Friday evening, I have heard him in my early days while conversing with the brethren, say, (at the same time smiting himself upon the breast) ‘I would to God that I could unbosom my feelings in the house of my friends.’ Joseph Smith was ordained before he came here, the same as Jeremiah was. Said the Lord unto him, ‘Before you were begotten I knew you’ etc.” Wilford Woodruff, “Organization of the First Presidency—Responsibility of the Saints, Etc.,” in Journal of Discourses, vol. 21 (Liverpool, 1881), 317. Discourse given on October 10, 1880.
Greatest Prophet that ever Breathed
“I look upon Joseph Smith as the greatest prophet that ever breathed the breath of life, excepting Jesus Christ. Father Adam, as I have said, stands at the head; but Joseph Smith was reserved to lay the foundation of this great kingdom and dispensation of salvation to the whole human family in these last days, to build up Zion, to establish God’s Kingdom, and to prepare it for the coming of the Son of Man.” Wilford Woodruff, The Deseret Weekly, vol. 38, (Deseret News Company, 1889), 389.
Brigham Young about Joseph Smith
“Who can say aught against Joseph Smith? I do not think that a man lives on the earth that knew him any better than I did, and I am bold to say that, Jesus Christ excepted, no better man ever lived or does live upon this earth. I feel like shouting Hallelujah all the time, when I think that I ever knew Joseph Smith, the Prophet.” Millennial Star, XXI (July 11, 1863)
Wilford Woodruff about Joseph Smith
“The Prophet called the Quorum of the Twelve together several months before his death, and informed them that the Lord had commanded him to hasten their endowments; that he did not expect to remain himself to see the Temple completed; that he wished to confer the keys of the Kingdom of God upon other men, that they might build up the Church and Kingdom according to the pattern given. The Prophet stood before the Twelve from day to day, clothed with the spirit and power of God, and instructed them in the oracles of God, in the pattern of heavenly things, in the keys of the Kingdom, in the power of the priesthood, and in the knowledge of the last dispensation of the fulness of times.
In his last charge to the Quorum of the Twelve, he rose up in all the majesty, strength, and dignity of his calling, as a prophet, seer, and revelator, out of the loins of ancient Joseph, and exhorted and commanded the brethren of the Twelve to rise up, and go forth in the name of Israel’s God, and bear off the keys of the Kingdom of God in righteousness and in honor in all the world. They were instructed to walk in all holiness, godliness, faith, virtue, temperance, patience, and charity; to do honor to the cause of God in this last dispensation and fulness of times; and when their work was finished, to follow his example by boldly sealing their testimony with their blood, for the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, if necessity required it, that they might be prepared for the reward, which is beyond the veil.
Those who were present on those occasions cannot forget the teachings that fell from the lips of that noble, but now martyred Prophet of God. Though his body sleeps in the tomb, his testimony lives, not only in the hearts of men, but is on record and will remain in force, while his persecutors will reap a just reward for all their works. And I hereby bear my testimony unto all men into whose hands these lines may fall, that I have been acquainted with Joseph, and Hyrum Smith, the Prophet and the Patriarch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; have attended their private and public counsels from time to time, during the last ten years of my life; and notwithstanding their enemies have caused the earth to be deluged, as it were, with lies, slanders, and fabrications, with the intent to injure their character and destroy their influence among men; that I have never heard either of those men teach, counsel, or advocate, or practice any principle that was contrary to the word of God, virtue, or temperance, or unbecoming men standing in their high and holy calling. On the contrary, I have been astonished at the patience, forbearance, long-suffering, philanthropy, and charity manifested in the lives of those men. I have been filled with joy by the beauty, order, knowledge, principles, intelligence, and glory manifest in the teachings, counsels, and revelations of Jesus Christ given through those servants of God, for the benefit of the children of men in this last dispensation.” WILFORD WOODRUFF FOURTH PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS History of His Life and Labors AS RECORDED IN HIS DAILY JOURNALS “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”—Rev. 3:21. PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION BY MATTHIAS F. COWLEY Salt Lake City, Utah 1909
Joseph Smith’s Historically Verifiable Statements about Geography
“Nearly all those familiar with the early statements by the Prophet touching on potential Book of Mormon lands know that he clearly indicated them to be in North America. This is evident in the historically verified accounts wherein he declared revelation such as in the Wentworth Letter, the American Revivalist Account, the Zelph Accountsand Joseph’s handwritten letter to Emma while on Zion’s camp. In addition, the prophet revealed a Nephite altar at Adam-ondi-Ahman, mentioned the land of Manti was near Huntsville, Missouri, and revealed that this land was “the borders of the Lamanites” (see D&C 54:8). Furthermore he received revelation from the Lord for the location of Zarahemla (see D&C 125:3) and New Jerusalem (see D&C 84:1-6) which Christ Himself declared to be on Book of Mormon lands (3 Nephi 20:22), both of which are absolutely located in North America. These accounts and their indications are not speculation based, but historically documented.” By Rod Meldrum
Was Joseph Imperfect?
Of course Joseph had small imperfections. Some may be tempted to reject some of Joseph’s words based on his little foibles, or minor infractions of a temporal life. That is wrong. Don’t be the one who disparages Joseph even a small amount, because you think his actions in life or his revelations were not what you thought they should be. I say, repent as Joseph Smith is and was, the greatest prophet in all the world and Joseph’s older brother even Jesus Christ the Son of the Ever Living God. is the Savior we worship and revere for His atonement and love of all humans.
“Imperfect people are, in fact, called by our perfect Lord to assist in His work. The Lord declared to certain associates of Joseph Smith that He knew that they had observed Joseph’s minor imperfections. Even so, the Lord then testified that the revelations given through the Prophet were true! (See D&C 67:5, 9.)
Unsurprisingly, therefore, we do notice each other’s weaknesses. But we should not celebrate them. Let us be grateful for the small strides that we and others make, rather than rejoice in the shortfalls. And when mistakes occur, let them become instructive, not destructive.” Elder Neal A. Maxwell | “A Brother Offended,” Ensign, May 1982, p. 37
“Of those who shed innocent blood, a prophet declared: “The judgments which [God] shall exercise … in his wrath [shall] be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.” (Alma 14:11.)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has consistently opposed the practice of abortion. One hundred years ago the First Presidency wrote: “And we again take this opportunity of warning the Latter-day Saints against those … practices of foeticide and infanticide…
Now, is there hope for those who have so sinned without full understanding, who now suffer heartbreak? Yes. So far as is known, the Lord does not regard this transgression as murder. And “as far as has been revealed, a person may repent and be forgiven for the sin of abortion.”13 Gratefully, we know the Lord will help all who are truly repentant… Russell M Nelson April 1985
Abortions worldwide this year:
Definition: An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus, resulting in or caused by its death. An abortion can occur spontaneously due to complications during pregnancy or can be induced. (definition from Wikipedia)
Abortion as a term most commonly – and in the statistics presented here – refers to the induced abortion of a human pregnancy, while spontaneous abortions are usually termed miscarriages.
“This year” refers to the period from Jan 1 at 00:00 up to now.
The data on abortions displayed on the Worldometer’s counter is based on the latest statistics on worldwide abortions published by the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to WHO, every year in the world there are an estimated 40-50 million abortions. This corresponds to approximately 125,000 abortions per day.
In the USA, where nearly half of pregnancies are unintended and four in 10 of these are terminated by abortion, there are over 3,000 abortions per day. Twenty-two percent of all pregnancies in the USA (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion.
[1] Finer LB and Henshaw SK, Disparities in rates of unintended pregnancy in the United States, 1994 and 2001, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2006, 38(2):90–96.
[2] Jones RK et al., Abortion in the United States: incidence and access to services, 2005, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2008, 40(1):6–16
Unintended pregnancy and abortion are experiences shared by people around the world. These reproductive health outcomes occur irrespective of country income level, region or the legal status of abortion.
Roughly 121 million unintended pregnancies occurred each year between 2015 and 2019.*
“Around 56 million abortions are performed each year in the world, with about 45% done unsafely. Abortion rates changed little between 2003 and 2008, before which they decreased for at least two decades as access to family planning and birth control increased. As of 2018, 37% of the world’s women had access to legal abortions without limits as to reason. Countries that permit abortions have different limits on how late in pregnancy abortion is allowed.” Wikipedia
A vacuum aspiration abortion at eight weeks gestational age (six weeks after fertilization). 1: Amniotic sac 2: Embryo 3: Uterine lining 4: Speculum 5: Vacurette 6: Attached to a suction pump
With how I read it above, there are 120 million deaths world wide and 56 million of those are due to abortion! That is remarkably sad. Even many Democrats are against abortion as you read below.
Democrats for Life urge DNC to change party platform on abortion
More than 100 Democrats affiliated with the anti-abortion group Democrats for Life have signed a letter urging the party to change its abortion stance in this year’s platform.
Signatories include Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, Rep. Collin Peterson (Minn.) and Rep. Dan Lipinski (Ill.), who lost his March primary to a progressive. Fifty-six state legislators also signed the letter addressed to the Democratic National Committee’s Platform Committee.
The letter urges the Democratic Party to adopt the abortion language from its 2000 platform, which recognized differences of opinion on abortion as a “source of strength” and welcomed Americans of all abortion stances.https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
The letter argues that the party’s embrace of abortion rights will alienate voters, particularly in battleground states.
“We should not cede large swathes of the United States to the Republican Party,” the letter reads. “In the US, pro-life Democrats have been a critical part of the coalition to expand voting rights, improve health care, and pass criminal justice reform. These accomplishments would not have been possible if the Democratic Party had in place a litmus test on abortion.”
The 2020 Democratic platform, which was released last month and will be voted on and formally approved by Democratic National Committee (DNC) members at next week’s virtual convention, unequivocally supports abortion rights.
“Like the majority of Americans, Democrats believe that every woman should be able to access high-quality reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion,” the draft platform reads.
In the draft, Democrats also commit to restoring federal funding for Planned Parenthood, opposing state laws that limit abortion rights, repealing the Hyde Amendment, which bars the use of federal funds to pay for abortion services, and codifying the Roe v. Wade court case that provides a legal defense of abortion. https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
Friday’s letter, however, calls for the party to abandon language supporting the repeal of the Hyde Amendment and codification of Roe v. Wade.
“As Democrats, we are anti-Trump and enthusiastic supporters of Black Lives Matter,” Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats for Life of America, said in a statement Friday. “Why is dismembering preborn children the hill we want to die on when so much is at stake? We took this issue for granted in 2016, and Hillary Clinton lost. We cannot make this mistake again.”
The letter is unlikely to affect the party’s platform. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden last year said he supports repealing the Hyde Amendment, which prevents Medicaid coverage of abortion. Biden had previously supported Hyde for several decades.
His running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), has been a staunch defender of abortion rights. She has a 100 percent voting record according to NARAL Pro-Choice America, which scores members of Congress based on their votes on abortion rights issues.
A 2019 Pew Research study found that 70 percent of those who identify as or lean Democrat support the party’s position on abortion.
The Truth About Abortion
Reverence for Life
By Russell M. Nelson Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
“As sons and daughters of God, we cherish life as a gift from him.
A heavy toll on life is included among the evils of war. Data from all nations are appalling. For the United States of America, one hundred thousand were killed in World War I; over four hundred thousand died in World War II. In the first two hundred years as a nation, the lives of over one million Americans were lost due to war.
Regrettable as is the loss of loved ones from war, these figures are dwarfed by the toll of a new war that annually claims more casualties than the total number of fatalities from all the wars of this nation.
It is a war on the defenseless—and the voiceless. It is a war on the unborn.
This war, labeled “abortion,” is of epidemic proportion and is waged globally. Over fifty-five million abortions were reported worldwide in the year 1974 alone.1 Sixty-four percent of the world’s population now live in countries that legally sanction this practice.2 In the United States of America, over 1.5 million abortions are performed annually.3 About 25–30 percent of all pregnancies now end in abortion.4 In some metropolitan areas, there are more abortions performed than live births.5 Comparable data also come from other nations.
What sense of inconsistency can allow people to grieve for their dead, yet be calloused to this baleful war being waged on life at the time of its silent development? What logic would encourage efforts to preserve the life of a critically ill twelve-week-old infant, but countenance the termination of another life twelve weeks after inception? More attention is seemingly focused on the fate of a life at some penitentiary’s death row than on the millions totally deprived of life’s opportunity through such odious carnage before birth…
The Lord has repeatedly declared this divine imperative: “Thou shalt not kill.”6 Recently he added, “Nor do anything like unto it.” (D&C 59:6.) Even before the fulness of the gospel was restored, the enlightened understood the sanctity of life. John Calvin, the sixteenth-century reformer, wrote: “If it seems more horrible to kill a man in his own house than in a field, because a man’s house is his place of most secure refuge, it ought surely to be deemed more atrocious to destroy a fetus in the womb before it has come to light.”7
But what impropriety could now legalize that which has been forbidden by the laws of God from the dawn of time? What twisted reasoning has transformed mythical concepts into contorted slogans assenting to a practice which is consummately wrong?
These slogans begin with proper concern for the health of the mother. Infrequently, instances may occur in which the continuation of pregnancy could be life-threatening to the mother. When deemed by competent medical authorities that the life of one must be terminated in order to save the life of the other, many agree that it is better to spare the mother. But these circumstances are rare, particularly where modern medical care is available.
Another sympathetic concern applies to pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. The tragedy of this despoilment is compounded because, in such relationships, freedom of choice is denied the woman who is innocently involved.
But less than 3 percent of all abortions are performed for these two reasons.The other 97 percent are performed for what may be termed “reasons of convenience.”
Some argue for abortion because a malformed child may result. The harmful effects of certain infectious or toxic agents in the first trimester of pregnancy are real…
The woman’s choice for her own body does not validate choice for the body of another. The expression “terminate the pregnancy” applies literally only to the woman. The consequence of terminating the fetus therein involves the body and very life of another. These two individuals have separate brains, separate hearts, and separate circulatory systems. To pretend that there is no child and no life there is to deny reality.
It is not a question of when “meaningful life” begins or when the spirit “quickens” the body. In the biological sciences, it is known that life begins when two germ cells unite to become one cell, bringing together twenty-three chromosomes from both the father and from the mother. These chromosomes contain thousands of genes. In a marvelous process involving a combination of genetic coding by which all the basic human characteristics of the unborn person are established, a new DNA complex is formed. A continuum of growth results in a new human being. The onset of life is not a debatable issue, but a fact of science…
Approximately twenty-two days after the two cells have united, a little heart begins to beat. At twenty-six days the circulation of blood begins.9
Scripture declares that the “life of the flesh is in the blood.” (Lev. 17:11.) Abortion sheds that innocent blood.
Now, as a servant of the Lord, I dutifully warn those who advocate and practice abortion that they incur the wrath of Almighty God, who declared, “If men … hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, … he shall be surely punished.” (Ex. 21:22.)
Of those who shed innocent blood, a prophet declared: “The judgments which [God] shall exercise … in his wrath [shall] be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.” (Alma 14:11.)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has consistently opposed the practice of abortion. One hundred years ago the First Presidency wrote: “And we again take this opportunity of warning the Latter-day Saints against those … practices of foeticide and infanticide…
Now, is there hope for those who have so sinned without full understanding, who now suffer heartbreak? Yes. So far as is known, the Lord does not regard this transgression as murder. And “as far as has been revealed, a person may repent and be forgiven for the sin of abortion.”13 Gratefully, we know the Lord will help all who are truly repentant… Russell M Nelson April 1985 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1985/04/reverence-for-life?lang=eng
May the world and especially the United Stated of America repent of this evil called abortion and may we respect all life. How can anyone who claims to be of the Lords side, be for taking the life of another. Scoffers may say about Biden, “Yea but he believes in other good things”, or “I can’t justify voting for Trump”, or “But Trump is a liar”, etc. If you vote for Biden it is my personal opinion that you are voting that abortion, even late-term abortion is ok by you. It is reprehensible.
Today we are in a state of Mobocracy, just as Joseph Smith was, and many others throughout this world. There is a ruling class and it is led by Satan. We know this is Satan’s world until the Lord comes again.
Many wonder why so much about war is written in the Book of Mormon. Maybe it is because it is happening continually and we must learn how to avoid it. Just as we can learn in our homes and with our friends how to avoid contention and anger, we must extend further and figure out how to stop arguing’s and quarreling among citizens.
One thing that has been on my mind lately is the condition of the Gadianton’s in our midst today. Who is our real enemy? It shouldn’t be man vs woman, or black vs white, or left vs right, but should be good vs evil, and God vs Satan. What can we do?
First we can stop arguing so much and begin listening and understanding each other. I am going to share a few things here that I believe, and I want to see what you will do with my opinions. First, I want you to know that I do not know any more than you about some things, but I share so you can evaluate a different view perhaps as it may benefit you.
Evil is in our Government
For example, I believe our current government has been taken over by an evil group of deep state and foreign actors. I believe the Nazi and Communists are alive and well in the UK, China and the USA. I still believe the 2020 election was stolen, and that needs to be made right. We have lost our rights. Look at the Ken and Barbie Cromar IRS battle that sent 75 swat members to kick them out of their own home twice, and it has been proven in court they owe no taxes. What about over 400 US citizens in jail today in Washington DC with no charges and no trials in long over a year? What about forcing our children to learn CRT and teachers being allowed to groom our children? What about all the illegals at our borders day after day? Shouldn’t we all agree that these things are wrong? Why is it then, I will probably get many that won’t even agree with me on these cut and dry issues. Come on folks let’s get some common sense. Don’t get mad at me, get mad at Satan.
Mobocracy happens without the rule of law. Look what happened to our beloved Prophet and Hyrum. Mobocracy. We know the pain it can create. Imagine the rule of a mob as in Seattle or Portland or any other city and how it can spread. We need to wake up and protect this great country. The Mob is louder than the civil people and we may pay a price.
At the dedication of the Kirtland Temple Joseph Smith said, “Have mercy, O Lord, upon the wicked mob, who have driven thy people, that they may cease to spoil, that they may repent of their sins if repentance is to be found;” D&C 109:50
A Cold Missouri Night
The key words are “if repentance.” We must be willing to forgive and yet that doesn’t mean give up. I hope and pray we have “much might” left in us to overcome the adversary in these terrible injustices.
Orson Pratt’s prophecy Posted: 27 Jun 2020 09:29 AM PDT Journal of Discourses, vol. 18, pp. 335-348
Daniel’s Vision—Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream—Its Interpretation—The Coming of the Ancient of Days—Joseph Smith’s Prophecy—Things Yet to Be Fulfilled—The Valley of God Where Adam Dwelt—The Establishment of the Kingdom of God—The Coming Millennium and Triumph of the Saints.
Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Eighteenth Ward Meetinghouse, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Feb. 25, 1877. Reported by Geo. F. Gibbs._____
“For instance, this great republic must pass away in the manner indicated unless the people repent. There is only one condition by which they can be preserved as a nation, and the Lord himself has decreed it. We can read it in the various revelations which God has given, respecting this land.
The Book of Mormon, for instance, speaks in many places, of the overthrow of the government that should exist on this land if they should reject the divine message contained therein. [We are there today]. Inasmuch as they repent not, the Lord has said that he would visit them in his anger, and that he would throw down all their strongholds. And he further says, that he will cut off their horses out of their midst. This will doubtless be done through some great calamity or disease.
He also says that he will cut off the cities of our land, that all manner of lying, deceits, hypocrisy, murders, priestcrafts, whoredoms and secret abominations shall be done away, having reference particularly to this nation. He says, too, “I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.” We are told, too, that the nature of these judgments is to be swift and terrible, coming upon them like a fierce wind, when they expect it not; when they are crying peace and safety, behold sudden destruction is at their doors….
It has been revealed that the time will come in the history of our nation, that one State will rise against another, one city against another, even every man’s hand shall be against his neighbor, until the whole Republic will be in general commotion and warfare. How and when this will take place, the Lord, in his wisdom, has not told us; but it is sufficient for us to say, that he has told us of the facts that such and such will be the case. For aught we know, the fulfillment of this prophecy may grow out of politics. [That seems obvious now]. If the people are very nearly equally divided in politics, this feeling may run so high, in years to come, as to be the direct cause of war. And if this should be the case, it would very naturally spread to every neighborhood in the Union.
One class of political opponents would rise up against the other class in the same city and country, and thus would arise a war of mobocracy. If a war of this description should take place, who could carry on his business in safety? Who would feel safe to put his crops in the ground, or to carry on any enterprise?
There would be fleeing from one State to another, and general confusion would exist throughout the whole Republic. Such eventually is to be the condition of this whole nation, if the people do not repent of their wickedness; and such a state of affairs means no more or less than the complete overthrow of the nation, and not only of this nation, but the nations of Europe, [Germany, UK, Italy, Ukraine?] which form the feet and toes of that great image. They are the powers to be first broken; it is not the nation representing the head of gold, the remnant of the Babylonish Empire that still exists in Asia, that will be attacked first, neither is it the Persians and Medes, whose descendants still live; but the Lord will first break up those kingdoms which represent the feet and toes of the image, of which I have been speaking. After that, he will proceed to break in pieces the kingdoms that represent the brass, the silver, and the gold. Some are to be spared for a little season. The kingdom of God is to roll forth…” https://jod.mrm.org/18/335 Source: Book of Mormon Consensus Jonathan Neville.
A Second Harvest
“I predict that one fine day the American people will come fully awake and cause that very monster to destroy its creator. True!The majority of our people are still being brainwashed, deceived, and deluded by our traitorous press, TV, and radio, and by our traitors in Washington, but surely by now enough is known about the UN to stamp out that outfit as a deadly poisonous rattlesnake in our midst.” Myron Fagen 1969
I feel it is important to speak about our current government. It effects almost everything we do. People say it is to controversial to speak about. I don’t. Government is spoken about all through the Book of Mormon and I think it is very important to demand an honest government in our day.
I know this past election was stolen and the Patriots will not let it stand. The results in many states could be given back to the correct winner. It’s in the Lord’s hands as I pray for the happiness of all the Lord’s people. For those of you who say, “Oh give it a rest, the election is over and just forget it”, I say to you, “If we are to be a great country we must have assurances this and future elections are valid.” Why would we allow the greatest democracy on earth to have fraudulent elections? We can’t and we won’t. The truth will be shown and you who mock will mourn.
Those of you who have given up, will have your eyes opened and you will see the “Second Harvest” as I call it may happen. That harvest is that gospel will now be allowed to go into China, Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia or other countries that need it. You watch the Lord open these doors for the truth of the Book of Mormon in the not too distant future. I am not sharing a revelation, I am just reminding us that the Prophet Joseph Smith stated: “The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.” (History of the Church, 4:540.)
I am just a guy who loves the Lord and sees something good possibly on the horizon for our world as a huge hope of mine before the Lord comes again.
Satan Bound
After the destruction of the wicked and the binding of Satan, the earth finally rests during the Lord’s thousand-year reign. But after the Millennium and before the final end, Satan is “loosed out of his prison” (Revelation 20:7) and is allowed once more to “deceive the nations” (v. 8). John sees the destruction of one last demonic army and the final judgment for all of God’s children (see Revelation 20:9–13). He hears Christ deliver a message echoing the ones delivered to the seven churches in Asia: “He that overcometh shall inherit all things” (Revelation 21:7). Finally he sees the faithful Saints who did overcome and are dwelling on the earth in celestial splendor (see Revelation 22).
President Ezra Taft Benson: “I testify that not many years hence the earth will be cleansed. … Jesus the Christ will come again, this time in power and great glory to vanquish His foes [destroy His enemies] and to rule and reign on the earth” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1988, 104; or Ensign, Nov. 1988, 87).
11 Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel.
12 Wherefore, he will bring them again out of captivity, and they shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheritance; and they shall be brought out of obscurity and out of darkness; and they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.
13 And the blood of that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads; for they shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood.
14 And every nation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord. And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it.
15 For behold, saith the prophet, the time cometh speedily that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the children of men; for the day soon cometh that all the proud and they who do wickedly shall be as stubble; and the day cometh that they must be burned.
16 For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous.
17 Wherefore, he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire.
18 Behold, my brethren, I say unto you, that these things must shortly come; yea, even blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke must come; and it must needs be upon the face of this earth; and it cometh unto men according to the flesh if it so be that they will harden their hearts against the Holy One of Israel.
19 For behold, the righteous shall not perish; for the time surely must come that all they who fight against Zion shall be cut off.
20 And the Lord will surely prepare a way for his people, unto the fulfilling of the words of Moses, which he spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that all those who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people.
21 And now I, Nephi, declare unto you, that this prophet of whom Moses spake was the Holy One of Israel; wherefore, he shall execute judgment in righteousness. 1 Nephi 22:11-21
The fight is here! I suggest you don’t listen to main stream news including Fox News. Find your own answers especially by pray and scripture reading, as the government and news, and big corporations are lying to us. We need personal prayer and faith more now than ever. I used to feel 80% of government, FBI, CIA, UN, NATO truly had the best interest of peace in mind, and now I feel maybe 30% or less of these entities even care about us as a nation.
Do as our Prophet has said, “Does God really want to speak to you? Yes! “As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course … as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints.”
You don’t have to wonder about what is true. You do not have to wonder whom you can safely trust. Through personal revelation, you can receive your own witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and that this is the Lord’s Church. Regardless of what others may say or do, no one can ever take away a witness borne to your heart and mind about what is true.
I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation, for the Lord has promised that “if thou shalt [seek], thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.” Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives by President Russell M. Nelson
I believe the Mississippi river is the greatest river in the world. It has been called the “Father of Waters” by Native Americans, Sidon by Nephites and possibly Pishon or Gihon in the Old Testament. (I explain below)
The River Sidon is the most important river in the Book of Mormon. It is important for its food, water, defense, travel, and importance to develop cities close by. In comparison, that is the value today of the Mississippi River. We believe they are one in the same river.
The River Sidon isn’t mentioned until 87 BC in Alma Chapter 2. That makes sense. We believe Lehi landed near Tallahassee Florida in c.589 BC, Nephi probably escaped into the mountains using the Chattahoochee River and settled near Chattanooga, Tennessee. Mosiah then joined the Mulekites near Nauvoo, Illinois on the Mississippi River. c. 130 BC. See complete Book of Mormon Timeline here:
From the Topical Guide- Sidon, River—most prominent river in Nephite territory
“In The Lost City of Zarahemla, I discussed the origin of the name and its relevance to Book of Mormon geography. I concluded that the Nephites inherited the name from the Mulekites, who in turn were influenced by the Phoenicians who presumably brought them to America.The name Sidon recognizes the river for its properties as a source of food, and also for its utility as a border, the same way the ancient city of Sidon was used to mark a border in the Old Testament. I proposed that references to the river Sidon in the Book of Mormon amount to references to the river border, particularly in connection with the narrow strip of wilderness.
I also pointed out that the phrase “head of Sidon” cannot mean the source, but instead means the confluence of rivers. [Map below] illustrates where the Mississippi joins the Missouri and Ohio Rivers. The Illinois River joins just north of the Missouri River. Somewhere in that area, or perhaps the entire section from the Missouri to the Ohio River, is the head of Sidon.” Moroni’s America Chapter 24. For a discussion on the direction the River Sidon flowed, and why we feel the Mississippi is indeed the River Sidon, see my blog here:https://www.bofm.blog/the-mississippi-is-the-river-sidon/
Since the Book of Mormon river SIDON passed through ZARAHEMLA, a city that was first settled by Mulekites, it is likely that this GN is of Mulekite origin. If it does derive from the biblical name for the Phoenician city SIDON (Hebrew ṣidon[1] Phoenician ṣdn, EGYPTIANddwn3, ASSYRIANṣiduna), as most commentaries suggest, this may denote the presence of Phoenician influence among the Mulekites. HALOT notes that the “etymology [of the Phoenician GN Sidon] is not absolutely certain.”[2]DNWSI gives “unknown meaning” for ṣdn, and “uncert[ain] meaning” for ṣd, and has no entry for ṣwd. It is possible that it may come from HEBREWṣwd, to catch, hunt, and if it does, –ôn may be the fairly common nominalizing ending. Source.
The verb צוד (sud) means to hunt or fish, or more general: to get meat rather than veggies, and by working for it in the wild rather than purchasing it at a store. This verb obviously has a very strong cognitive connotation in the Bible, which would concern an active pursuit of problems and their solutions, rather than learning from whatever happens (veggies) or absorbing other people’s theories at some school (food store)
Noun ציד (sayid) means a hunting or game. Noun ציד (sayyad) means hunter. Noun מצד (mesad) means fastness or stronghold (a typically defensive structure). Noun מצוד (masod) may mean siege works or hunting implement (like a net). Likewise, the nouns מצודה (mesoda) and מצודה (mesuda) mean net, fastness or stronghold.
Both nouns ציד (sayid) and צידה (seda) mean provisions or food. The denominative verb ציד (sid) means to supply oneself with food.
Sidon is the Greek name (meaning ‘fishery’) for the ancient Phoenician port city of Sidonia (also known as Saida) in what is, today, Lebannon (located about 25 miles south of Beirut). Along with the city of Tyre, Sidon was the most powerful city-state of ancient Phoenicia and first manufactured the purple dye which made Tyre famous and was so rare and expensive that the color purple became synonymous with royalty. The area of Sidon was inhabited as early as 4,000 BCE and Homer, in the 8th century, notes the skill of the Sidonians in producing glass. Glass production made Sidon both rich and famous and the city was known for being very cosmopolitan and ‘progressive’. The Princess Jezebel, who later would become Queen of Israel (as related in the biblical Books of I and II Kings) was the daughter of the King of Sidon, Ethbaal in the 9th century BCE, and married King Ahab of Israel to cement ties between the two kingdoms. The city is mentioned a number of times throughout the Bible and both Jesus and St. Paul are reported to have made visits there. Sidon is considered the ‘seat’ of the Phoenician Civilization in that most of the ships which would ply the seas and spread Phoenician culture were launched from this city’s port. Sidon was overthrown during the conquest of Phoenicia by Alexander the Great in 332 BCE and, like the rest of the fractured Phoenician civilization, was eventually absorbed by Rome and, finally, taken by the Arab Muslims. Source
Mississippi 3- River Divisions
The importance of the Mississippi river in the history of the Native Americans goes without saying. It could be called three different rivers as explained below and it could be the four rivers described in Genesis flowing out of Eden. (More below)
The Mississippi River can be divided into three sections: the Upper Mississippi, the river from its headwaters to the confluence with the Missouri River; the Middle Mississippi, which is downriver from the Missouri to the Ohio River; and the Lower Mississippi, which flows from the Ohio to the Gulf of Mexico. Source
Named by Algonkian-speaking Indians, Mississippi can be translated as “Father of Waters.” The river, the largest in North America, drains 31 states and 2 Canadian provinces, and runs 2,350 miles from its source to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River is truly one of the great forces that has shaped the United States into the country it is today. Although its role has changed over the past few centuries, the Mississippi has always been important to those who lived along its banks. Indigenous peoples fished its waters and depended on the waterway for transportation. Explorers and traders traveled the river in hopes of conquering more land and obtaining wealth for their countries. Settlers moved close to take advantage of the rich farmland the river provided. All of these pursuits resulted in a trade industry that brought about a social and economic transformation, when news and goods made their way downriver and livelihoods were provided. In fact, the Mississippi River’s economic and strategic value was so important that when Ulysses S. Grant won the siege of Vicksburg and control of the river during the Civil War, the Confederacy was dealt a serious blow. Today, although still used to transport goods, the river has taken on yet another identity: that of entertainer. Literature, pleasure boats, and floating casinos all showcase a new dimension of this magnificent river. https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9780738507453
THE NAMING OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BY MURIEL H. WRIGHT
While it is generally accepted that “Mississippi” is an Indian word meaning “the Father of Waters,” yet one seldom hears a discussion with reference to its real meaning nor to which Indian language it belongs, there being more than two hundred and fifty tribes or bands of Indians living in the United States, each having its own language or dialect.
There is a story among the Choctaws, who lived in the Lower Mississippi country before the tribe came to Oklahoma, that they and their kinsmen, the Chickasaws, migrated from a far western country long, long ago. When their leaders, the wise prophets of the two tribes, reached the great river, in the van of the people, they contemplated its broad waters and exclaimed, “Misha sipokni!” Misha in Choctaw means “beyond,” with the idea of far beyond; and sipokni means “age,” conveying the idea of something ancient. Therefore the words of the Choctaw and the Chickasaw prophets meant in substance, “Here is a river that is beyond all age,” or “We have come to the most ancient of rivers.”1
Editors Note: In the Bible what are the most ancient rivers called? In the Topical guide we read under RIVER:
“river running out of Eden waters garden, parts into four heads—Pison, Gihon, Hiddekel, Euphrates, Moses 3:10–14 (Abr. 5:10).”
When I type in a google search for, Where is the Garden of Eden? This is the first option:
Mesopotamia
The Garden of Eden is considered to be mythological by many scholars. [Wow this is how some of the same scholars feel about the Book of Mormon]. Among those who consider it to have been real, there have been various suggestions for its location: at the head of the Persian Gulf, in southern Mesopotamia (now Iraq) where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers run into the sea; and in Armenia.
Most Bible commentaries state that the site of the Garden of Eden was in the Middle East, situated somewhere near where the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are today. This is based on the description given in Genesis 2:8–14: The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden. . . . Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. The name of the first is Pishon . . . . The name of the second river is Gihon. . . . The name of the third river is Hiddekel [Tigris]. ;. . . The fourth river is the Euphrates.
Give these four rivers some thought as the great rivers spoken of in Genesis where the Garden of Eden happened in North America. It would make sense that the 4 Ancient Rivers would be located in North America. Could the Great Mississippi River of today be the same river called Pishon of the Old Testament and the River Sidon in the Book of Mormon? That is some food for thought don’t you think? The Map below seems logical as these ancient rivers going out of Eden..See blog here
Chronicles of Oklahoma continued. “In the earliest French records, the name was written “Malabouchi,”’ as given by the Gulf Coast Indians. Du Pratz, one of the early French writers in this country, attempted to explain the Indian name, Mechasipi, as a contraction of the words, Meact Chassipi, meaning “the ancient father of waters.”2
The great river was called “Mississippi,” by the Indians of the Northwest when that region was first visited by La Salle and Marquette in the seventeenth century, the source of the river being found in the country of the Algonquian stock, of which the Chippewa is the most important tribe. Mississippi, in the language of the Chippewa, is derived from the two words missi meaning “large,” and sippi meaning ‘flowing water,” which taken together literally mean “large river.”3
It is interesting to note that missi is the same as micco of the Creeks, meaning “great” as an adjective and “chief” as a noun. Michi of Michigan is the same word, and, also, the massa of Massachusetts is of like derivation.
The name would be more accurately spelled “Missisippi” in French, or “Misisipi” in Spanish, both being pronounced Meeseeseepee which is near the sound of the Indian words. The Spaniards of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries knew of the river as the “Rio del Espiritu Santo,” or the River of the Holy Ghost. They also called it the “Rio Grande del Florida,” or more simply the “Rio Grande.”
By the early French, it was given the name of “La Palisade,” on account of the large cottonwood trees that grew in abundance on the lower passes of the river. These trees were used by both the Indians and the French trappers for pirogues or dug-out canoes in this region, since the Lower Mississippi and its branches were dangerous for lighter craft on account of huge logs and snags that were washed down-stream during high water and lodged in the channels of the rivers. Then, too, birch trees did not grow in southern latitudes, so that birch bark canoes were left for use in the lakes and clear waters of the country in the North.
After the exploring expedition of La Salle, down the Mississippi, the French sometimes called the river, “the Colbert,” in honor of the minister and the favorite of Louis XIV. Jean Baptiste Colbert’s name was uppermost in the minds of the French people, for it was his genius that organized the finances of their country at that time, though his most lasting achievement was the establishment of the French marine. In connection with this latter work, James Thomson Shotwell, Professor of History in Columbia University, New York City, said in a biographical sketch of Colbert:
“Letters exist written by Colbert to the judges requiring them to sentence to the oar as many criminals as possible, including all those who had been condemned to death; and the convict once chained to the bench, the expiration of his sentence was seldom allowed to bring him release. Mendicants also, against whom no crime had been proved, contraband dealers, those who had been engaged in insurrections, and others immeasurably superior to the criminal class, nay innocent men—Turkish, Russian and negro slaves, and poor Iroquois Indians, whom the Canadians were ordered to entrap—were pressed into that terrible service. By these means the benches of the galleys were filled, and Colbert took no thought of the long unrelieved agony borne by those who filled them.”
After 1699, when D’Iberville was locating the first French colonies in the Lower Mississippi region, the river was called “Saint Louis,” in honor of the French King. Nevertheless, all its European names were forgotten at last, and the Indian name, “Mississippi,” given the great river in the dim ages of the past, remained for us today.
1 “A History of the Choctaw, Chickasaw and Natchez Indians,” by H. B. Cushman, pp. 62-4.
2 Much of the material in this article was kindly submitted by Dr. Dunbar Rowland, Director, Department of Archives and History of the State of Mississippi, Jackson, Miss.
3 Information obtained through J. N. B. Hewitt, Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology, Washington, D. C.
US State Names meaning in Native American. The People: Native American Legacy
Alabama: From the Alibamu, tribe of Indians, members of the Creek Confederacy. The name may have come from words in the Choctaw language, “Alba ayamute” meaning “I clear the thicket.”
Alaska: From the Aleut word “Alakshak”, meaning “peninsula”; used by the aleuts in referring to the part of the mainland that is now known as the Alaskan peninsula.
Arizona: Not yet really proved, but possibly from Papago Indian words for “small springs,” which the Spanish fitted to their own pronunciation.
Arkansas: From local Indians, The Quapaws, meaning “downstream people”. Called arkansa by the French.
Connecticut: From the Indian expression “quinnitukg-ut”, meaning “at the long tidal river.”
Hawaii: Possibly from “Havaiki” or “Hawaiki,” which according to legend was the name of the original homeland of the Polynesians.
Idaho: The New Book of Knowledge 1983 states: “According to the Idaho Blue Book, a settler corned the name and proposed it for the U.S. Territory created in 1861; it was rejected in favor of “Colorado” for that territory, but it became popular and was given to the territory (Idaho) created in 1863.”
In the book, “How we Name our States” Pauline Arnold, 1965, says that the word might be derived from the following:
Comanche “Idahi” Shoshone “ee-dah-how” which means something like “Good Morning” Salmon River Tribe of Indians “Ida” means salmon and “ho” means tribe so we might be saying “Salmon eaters”. Illinois: From the Indian word “ilhiniwek” or “illiniwek”. “Illini” meant “man” and the ending made the word plural. The French changed the word to illinois.
Indiana: From the word “Indian” plus the “a” ending used in many geographical names.
Iowa: From a Dakota Indian word: the name had many different spellings until it became “Ioway” and the “Iowa”.
Kansas: From “Kansa”, the name of a tribe of Indians who once lived in the area; first applied to the river, then to the state.
Kentucky: Probably related to the Iroquois Indian word “Kenta” — “level” or “Meadow-land” referring to the level land in the south central part of the state.
Massachusetts: From Massachuset Indians, who lived around the Blue hills near Boston, meaning “about the big hill”.
Michigan: Chippewa – “Michigama” meaning “Large lake” or “big water”.
Minnesota: Dakota – “Minisota” meaning “White water”.
Mississippi: Indian word meaning “big river”. (Choctaw meaning “Great water” or “Father of Waters”.)
Missouri: Indian mis meaning “big”. “Owners of big canoes”.
Nebraska: Oto Indians “Nebrathka” meaning flat water.
New Mexico: Named after an Aztec god named “Mertili”.
Ohio: Iroquois – “Oheo” meaning “beautiful”.
Oklahoma: Chocraw – “Oklahummaa” or “Oklahomma” meaning “red people”.
South & North Dakota: “Dahkota” meaning allies or friends — tribes who joined together in friendship.
Tennessee: Cherokee village “Tanasi” meaning “unknown”.
Texas: Caddo Indians – “Techas” meaning allies or friends.
Utah: Ute Indians called themselves “Yuta” meaning people who live high in the mountains”
Wisconsin: “Wishkonsing” — place of the beaver.
Wyoming: From Indian words meaning “On the Great Plain.”
Source: Department of Cultural Affairs- Nevada State Library and Archives
Spectacles stored inside a pocket on the back of the breastplate
The words about translation, “By the Gift and Power of God”, are, in my opinion scripturally proven below, to mean Joseph Smith used the spectacles fastened to a breastplate that were found in Cumorah in 1827, to aid Joseph in translation. The Lord calls them “these stones.” Where did the two stones come from? Moroni? Brother of Jared? Christ Himself? The Lord speaking to the Brother of Jared said, “these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things which ye shall write.” Ether 3:23. Yes “these stones” came from the Lord, and a single stone found by Joseph in a well, was not used in a hat to translate! Before you judge, study, read, and pray about this information.
A stone in a hat is not anywhere found in scripture, just in second-hand witnesses who never saw the translation instruments. Why would historians and intellectuals disagree? They haven’t studied the scriptures, or it is pride in group think, and those are the only reasons I can think of. I am not any smarter and I don’t have a higher educational degree, but I have common sense, and the Lord’s witness in Scripture. Read and pray for your own answer as President Nelson said, “Learn for yourself—right now at your age—how to receive personal revelation. And nothing will make a bigger difference in your life than that!” Russell M. Nelson Hope of Israel.
Scriptural Confirmation
1- ” He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants; Also, that there were two stones in silver bows—and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim—deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted “seers” in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book.” (Joseph Smith—History 1:34–35)
2- I looked in, and there indeed did I behold the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate, as stated by the messenger. The box in which they lay was formed by laying stones together in some kind of cement. In the bottom of the box were laid two stones crossways of the box, and on these stones lay the plates and the other things with them.: JSH 1:52
3- “With the records was found a curious instrument, which the ancients called “Urim and Thummim,” which consisted of two transparent stones set in the rim of a bow fastened to a breast plate. Through the medium of the Urim and Thummim I translated the record by the gift and power of God.” (Joseph Smith quote, Wentworth Letter).
4- “I commenced copying the characters off the plates. I copied a considerable number of them, and by means of the Urim and Thummim I translated some of them, which I did between the time I arrived at the house of my wife’s father, in the month of December, and the February following.” JSH 1:62
5- “These were days never to be forgotten—to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven, awakened the utmost gratitude of this bosom! Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth, as he translated with the Urim and Thummim, or, as the Nephites would have said, ‘Interpreters,’ the history or record called ‘The Book of Mormon.’ JSH 1:75*
“Two Stones, Fastened to a Breastplate” JSH 1:35
6- “And now he translated them by the means of those two stones which were fastened into the two rims of a bow…” Mosiah 28:13 “And whosoever has these things is called seer, after the manner of old times.” Mosiah 28:16. “And now, as I said unto you, that after king Mosiah had done these things, he took the plates of brass, and all the things which he had kept, and conferred them upon Alma, who was the son of Alma; yea, all the records, and also the interpreters, and conferred them upon him, and commanded him that he should keep and preserve them, and also keep a record of the people, handing them down from one generation to another, even as they had been handed down from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem.” Mosiah 28:20
7- “And now, I will speak unto you concerning those twenty-four plates, that ye keep them, that the mysteries and the works of darkness, and their secret works, or the secret works of those people who have been destroyed, may be made manifest unto this people; yea, all their murders, and robbings, and their plundering’s, and all their wickedness and abominations, may be made manifest unto this people; yea, and that ye preserve these interpreters…“And now, my son, these interpreters were prepared that the word of God might be fulfilled, which he spake, saying: I will bring forth out of darkness unto light all their secret works and their abominations; and except they repent I will destroy them from off the face of the earth; and I will bring to light all their secrets and abominations, unto every nation that shall hereafter possess the land.” Alma 37:21, 24-25 (The word “Directors” was changed to “Interpreters” in the 1920 version & forward of the Book of Mormon)
8- “He [Moroni] then proceeded and gave a general account of the promises made to the fathers, and also gave a history of the aborigenes of this country, and said they were literal descendants of Abraham. He represented them as once being an enlightened and intelligent people, possessing a correct knowledge of the gospel, and the plan of restoration and redemption. He said this history was written and deposited not far from that place, and that it was our brother’s privilege, if obedient to the commandments of the Lord, to obtain and translate the same by the means of the Urim and Thummim, which were deposited for that purpose with the record.” Letter IV Oliver Cowdery
“These Stones, Fastened to a Breastplate” by Anne Marie Oborn. This is how the Heartland Model describes the plausible translation with Oliver present.
9- “And behold, these two stones [different than the previous 16 stones] will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things which ye shall write. For behold, the language which ye shall write I have confounded; wherefore I will cause in my own due time that these stones [2 stones] shall magnify to the eyes of men these things which ye shall write.” Ether 3:23:24 (Parenthesis Added)
10- Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have written them. And he commanded me that I should seal them up; and he also hath commanded that I should seal up the interpretation thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the commandment of the Lord.” Ether 4:5
11 “I wrote with my own pen, the entire Book of Mormon (save a few pages) as it fell from the lips of the Prophet Joseph Smith, as he translated it by the gift and power of God, by means of the Urim and Thummim, or, as it is called by the book, “holy interpreters.” I beheld with my eyes, and handled with my hands, the gold plates from which it was translated. I also saw with my eyes and handled with my hands the “holy interpreters.” The book is true. Sidney Rigdon did not write it; Mr. Spaulding did not write it; I wrote it myself as it fell from the lips of the Prophet.” Restoration of All Things by Joseph Fielding Smith CHAPTER TWELVE, A TESTIMONY AGAINST THE WORLD Address delivered Sunday, August 20, 1944
Spiritual Validation
There is no scriptural quote that Joseph translated using a seer stone in a hat. Joseph may have owned a few seer stones, but he only used the two stones in a silver bow like spectacles to translate, according to scripture. Anything else that Emma, David Whitmer or Martin Harris said about the stone in the hat is conjecture and second-hand, as they never saw Joseph translate as Oliver Cowdery said, “I wrote with my own pen the entire Book of Mormon (save a few pages) as it fell from the lips of the Prophet as he translated it by the gift and power of God by means of the Urim and Thummim, or as it is called by that book, holy interpreters. I beheld with my eyes and handled with my hands the gold plates from which it was translated. I also beheld the Interpreters. That book is true. … I wrote it myself as it fell from the lips of the Prophet.” Rueben Miller Journal
Lucy Mack Smith said, “The thing which spoke of it had that Joseph termed a Key was indeed nothing more nor less than the Urim and Thummim by which the angel manifested those things to him that were shown him in vision, by the which also he could at any time ascertain the approach of danger either to himself or the record and for this cause he kept these things constantly about his person.”
It is reasonable that Joseph wore the breastplate under his shirt [constantly] and the spectacles were stored in a pocket on the inner side of the breastplate as William Smith said. “A pocket was prepared in the breastplate on the left side, immediately over the heart. When not in use the Urim and Thummim was placed in this pocket, the rod being of just the right length to allow it to be so deposited. This instrument could, however, be detached from the breastplate and his brother said Joseph often wore it detached when away from home, but always used it in connection with the breastplate when receiving official communications.” J. W. Peterson in The Rod of Iron I:3 (February 1924)
“Mother I have got the Key” by Anne Marie Oborn. This is how the Heartland Model describes the plausible translation with Emma present.
Also, Lucy said, “he [Joseph Smith] seemed to think more of the glasses or the Urim and Thummim than he did of the plates, for, says he, “I can see anything; they are marvelous.” Lucy also said, “I have likewise carried in my hands the sacred breastplate. It is composed of pure gold and is made to fit the breast very exactly.” Lucy Mack Smith
I personally believe Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery as eye witnesses to the translation, and I believe Lucy Mack Smith as an eyewitness of the three items, and I don’t believe the conjecture of David Whitmer, Martin Harris or Emma Smith, who are all loved by me, but none of them saw the “interpreters”, and only David and Martin saw the plates after the translation. Further blogs here and here!
Why is this important to me? All truth is important as Moroni said, “we may know the truth of all things.” This knowledge won’t get me into the Temple, but scripture says, “Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come. D&C 130:8-9
Send this blog to a friend and share what you believe. Be bold and courageous if you believe things that are different or unique. This is how you grow. Be willing to stand up for something. Of course sharing your witness of the Savior and the truth of the Book of Mormon are more important, but why not practice sharing other truths you gain by personal revelation if the spirit indicates? This helps me grow closer to the Lord. Don’t preach but teach!
I think it is a great time in life to stop trying to avoid trials. “Trials Happen.” Trials are necessary for spiritual growth. If you have never had trials and challenges, how can you ever appreciate the great things in your life? There must be an opposite in all things.
Of course I do know quite a few people who don’t seemingly have many trials. They have money, a happy marriage, a great job and seem happy in life. If having these great things and yet having no trials, I don’t think anyone could have as good of a life to come, without some trials to overcome. The more we have a challenge and overcome it, the more we learn on our path to Godhood.
Believe me, I don’t ask God for trials but they just keep coming, which I am grateful for. I have a wonderful Aunt Beth who always said to me “I never worry when I have a trial, I worry when I don’t have one, as they strengthen my testimony.”
Try this experiment. Next time you have a trial, stop for a moment and say. Thank you Lord for this trial. What is it I can learn from it? You can either get closer to the Lord or further from Him. It’s your choice.
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Why Return to Normal?
With the cry today by many to want to return to “normal” so to speak, makes me desire in never “going back.” I want to move forward in Christ. We are experiencing some evil times currently. Deep State governments which have been stolen. We are in a world wide situation where our political officials are “selected” not elected. Satan’s world is all around us with abductions, rape, murder, and even the little evils of the world in arguing, hating, doing what ever we would like, and forgetting God.
Lets clean up the system by personally contributing, and ask God to help us move forward. I invite each of you to attend our upcoming Firm Foundation Expo. We have discovered so many inspired and special speakers you have never heard before. Many people have approached us out of nowhere it seems, and they fit in with what Firm’s mission is, of bringing all unto Christ.
Listen to some of these speakers who will attend and the titles of their presentations:
Eric Moutsos- Cancel Culture and the Devil’s Demandments Greg Hughes- Utah’s Building Boom of Great and Spacious Buildings Jason Preston- The Royal Army of the Lord. Becoming Modern Day Sons of Helaman. Ridge Hartley- I Absolutely Love the Heartland Steven A. Bishop- Putting On Christ. The Knowledge of God through Redemption in Christ Morgan Philpot- The End of all Nations Joel Skousen- Giving a World Affairs Briefing Greg Matsen- Social Justice, The Tree of Life, & The Book of Mormon Tim Ballard- The Hidden War: The secret agenda to enslave our children in the name of liberating them.” Hannah Stoddard- Running Out of Time: The Call For “Joseph’s Boys” & Girls Today Rod Meldrum- The 10 Most Powerful Defenses of the Book of Mormon and Why they Matter Jonathan Neville- Confound the Wise: Restoring Translation to the Restoration Jen and Sophie Two Red Pills- Corruption, Collusion, Crimes, and Coverup: 21st Century Gadianton’s Kate Dalley- Underestimating Satan
We also have over 104 vendor tables and booths with speakers, authors and professionals to share their books and DVD’s and studies with you.
Extraordinary Measures
“It is now time that we each implement extraordinary measures — perhaps measures we have never taken before — to strengthen our personal spiritual foundations. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures.” Oct 3, 2021 President Nelson
“I admire men and women who have developed the questing spirit, who are unafraid of new ideas as stepping stones to progress. We should, of course, respect the opinions of others, but we should also be unafraid to dissent – if we are informed. Thoughts and expressions compete in the marketplace of thought, and in that competition truth emerges triumphant. Only error fears freedom of expression.
“And while all members should respect, support, and heed the teachings of the authorities of the church, no one should accept a statement and base his or her testimony upon it, no matter who makes it, until he or she has, under mature examination, found it to be true and worthwhile; then one’s logical deductions may be confirmed by the spirit of revelation to his or her spirit, because real conversion must come from within.” – Apostle Hugh B. Brown, “A Final Testimony,” from An Abundant Life, 1999 https://www.sciencemeetsreligion.org/lds/brown-final.php
Comfortable Gods
“Sadly enough, my young friends, it is a characteristic of our age that if people want any gods at all, they want them to be gods who do not demand much, comfortable gods, smooth gods who not only don’t rock the boat but don’t even row it, gods who pat us on the head, make us giggle, then tell us to run along and pick marigolds.” Holland, Jeffery R. “The Cost—and Blessings—of Discipleship.” Conference, April 2014.
Do We Really Want to Go Back to Normal?
“Here’s a question that keeps coming up in conversation and online: when will things go back to normal?
It’s natural to long for normalcy during a trial that doesn’t seem to have an end date. If only we knew the future—if only we knew the specific dates when this trial would be over—we could fortify ourselves by looking ahead to that goal. Unfortunately, the aspect of a trial that makes it so, well, trying is that we don’t see as far ahead as we’d like. We don’t know how long it will last. That’s why it’s natural to want what was normal.
But the truth is, whatever will become “normal” on the other side of the coronavirus crisis will not be the old normal. It will be something new. We are not going back.
So here’s the question I hope we will begin to ask instead: Do we really want to go back to normal? Was the old normal good? Were we really flourishing in the old normal? Was the old normal spiritually healthy?
Old Normal What was the old normal? A world with less and less in-person interaction, looser commitments, increasing polarization, and, above all, loneliness.
Let’s look again at the old normal: 1- Americans have been interacting less with their neighbors as the years go by, choosing instead the virtual neighborhoods of Facebook and Instagram, often at the expense of knowing the names and stories of the people who live only yards away. (It’s hard to follow Jesus’s command to love your neighbor when you don’t know your neighbor’s name.)
2- In the past 30 years, our commitments have grown looser, with civic groups on the decline as well as a drop in church attendance. Fewer and fewer Christians attend church every week, preferring a hit-and-miss pattern that easily allows other responsibilities and leisure activities to impinge upon the regular rhythm of meeting together.
3- Family time has suffered; parents are more and more focused on job security and maximizing their efficiency, while ensuring they have enough time leftover to binge watch the latest offering on Netflix.
4- We are more committed to consuming entertainment than we are to cultivating or creating something. We eat out more and cook less. We are less likely to pick up an instrument or learn a new craft. We play more games on our phone than we do with our families and friends. Reading has shifted away from deep concentration required by books in favor of newsflashes and commentaries we digest as bite-sized chunks of information while scrolling on social media.
5- Political polarization has increased, in part due to an over-focus on national politics to the neglect of the community closest to us and the places we could actually make the most difference. By catastrophizing whatever happens at the national level, the fever of D.C. anxiety spreads to the whole country, leaving us restless and suspicious. The list could go on: the deaths of despair, the opioid crisis, our loss of social solidarity and moral bearings, the evidence of lingering racial disparities, and a weary sense of meaningless across the country. That’s the “old normal.” It’s no wonder studies show a decline in overall happiness among Americans in recent decades, especially among younger Americans who have never known life to be any different and yet who sense that settling for being “lonely together” is not a worthy aspiration.
Building a New Normal The question we should ask, then, is not when will we get back to normal but should we want to go back to normal? And the follow-up question: What should the new normal be?
What if this crisis is a divine disruption that allows us to rethink ourselves, to rethink our lives, to reconsider our habits?
What if this crisis is a divine opportunity to reflect on what matters most and to order our lives accordingly?
What if we now have the opportunity to make different decisions—to prayerfully discern how to create and cultivate a new and better normal on the other side of this crisis?
What if we now have the chance to reset our expectations, to refocus our attention on what matters most, and to recommit to the people we’re called to love and serve?
What if this season of total reliance on technology for spreading communication helps us see the limits of technology for building and sustaining community?
What if this period of forced isolation can help us see the end result of radical individualism’s trajectory, so that in the end we come out of our enclaves and homes with a stronger commitment to our communities, our churches, and our country?
Let’s not go back to normal. Let’s come away from this challenge with a new vision of what normal could be.” by TREVIN WAX
My purpose in this blog is to give you a strong indication that only God and the Spirit of Christ confirm truth. Doctrine is handled with church leadership, but personal revelation can assist you in finding and verifying truth to your spirit.
These edits or mistakes by Historians and Scholars just shows me the reason we should not depend on all church manuals and other books for complete truth, even if they hold the stamp of church approval, doesn’t make them truth. Yes they are great books and good resource material, but your personal study into any book can be known to you as truth, by revelation if you so desire. That’s what makes our challenge on earth so difficult, for even Satan can appear as an angel of light.
I don’t want you to believe me alone, as I am only a man, but I would appreciate you reading and studying some of this information just as you consider other apologetics and church manuals. The Brethren trust these Historians or they wouldn’t have hired them, but that alone doesn’t mean they don’t make mistakes and insert their own biases into some things. May the Lord bless you.
“What that Historian did with the Reputation of the President of the Church was not Worth Doing.”
Elder Packer said, “Some historians write and speak as though the only ones to read or listen are mature, experienced historians. They write and speak to a very narrow audience. Unfortunately, many of the things they tell one another are not uplifting, go far beyond the audience they may have intended, and destroy faith. What that historian did with the reputation of the President of the Church was not worth doing. He seemed determined to convince everyone that the prophet was a man. We knew that already. All of the prophets and all of the Apostles have been men.It would have been much more worthwhile for him to have convinced us that the man was a prophet, a fact quite as true as the fact that he was a man.” The Mantle Is Far, Far Greater Than the Intellect Elder Boyd K. Packer
Quotes about Intellectual Opinions
“Mormonism, as it is called, must stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith. He was either a Prophet of God, divinely called, properly appointed and commissioned or he was one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen. There is no middle ground. If Joseph was a deceiver, who willfully attempted to mislead people, then he should be exposed, his claims should be refuted, and his doctrines shown to be false” .Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1 (Bookcraft, 1960), 188
I have come to believe that it is the tendency for many members of the Church who spend a great deal of time in academic research to begin to judge the Church, its doctrine, organization, and leadership, present and past, by the principles of their own profession. Ofttimes this is done unwittingly, and some of it, perhaps, is not harmful. The Mantle Is Far, Far Greater Than the Intellect Elder Boyd K. Packer
“This problem has affected some of those who have taught and have written about the history of the Church. These professors say of themselves that religious faith has little influence on Mormon scholars. They say this because, obviously, they are not simply Latter-day Saints but are also intellectuals trained, for the most part, in secular institutions. They would that some historians who are Latter-day Saints write history as they were taught in graduate school, rather than as Mormons.” The Mantle Is Far, Far Greater Than the Intellect Elder Boyd K. Packer
“President Brigham Young admonished Karl G. Maeser not to teach even the times table without the Spirit of the Lord. How much more essential is that Spirit in the research, the writing, and the teaching of Church history.” The Mantle Is Far, Far Greater Than the Intellect Elder Boyd K. Packer
I don’t believe these quotes above were said too long ago for us to believe them today. Why do we at times become complacent with older quotes of Prophets and look for new and out of the box thinking? I love the quotes above and know many intellectuals at BYU and in may Stakes, try too much to come up with new and seemingly progressive ideas. Say no the revisionists, and stick with traditional values which are still important today. It’s been a few years since the amazing “Faith Crisis” books of the Stoddard’s have come to light, but they are more relevant today than ever. I challenge you to read them and have your children who may have a faith crisis read them. All will learn that it’s ok to be traditional.
Why Edits by either our Church History Department, or Correlation?
Why do we keep finding information in our Church Manuals that has been in my opinion, most likely edited by either our Church History Department, or Correlation, or someone in those departments that has biased opinions? If we have found these few examples over the years, how many other alterations will we find? I believe about 70-80% of scholars and intellectuals who work for the church, believe and teach that the Book of Mormon events happened in Mesoamerica, [Groupthink], so they also have to find a hill Cumorah somewhere in Mexico to validate their theory. The official Church position is neutrality about where the BofM events happened. I believe events happened in North America.
Teachings of the Presidents, Brigham Young Manual, Chapter 47
When Joseph first received the knowledge of the plates that were in the hill Cumorah, he did not then receive the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood, he merely received the knowledge that the plates were there, and that the Lord would bring them forth. … He received the knowledge that [early inhabitants of the Americas] were once in possession of the Gospel, and from that time he went on, step by step, until he obtained the plates, and the Urim and Thummim and had power to translate them.
When Joseph first received the knowledge of the plates that were in the hill Cumorah, he did not then receive the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood, he merely received the knowledge that the plates were there, and that the Lord would bring them forth, and that they contained the history of the aborigines of this country. He received the knowledge that they were once in possession of the Gospel, and from that time he went on, step by step, until he obtained the plates, and the Urim and Thummim and had power to translate them.
This edit above is obvious to me that someone didn’t want our teaching manual to print a correct quote, probably because of their own bias about the Mesoamerican theory.
Elder Oaks said, “I maintain that the issue of the historicity of the Book of Mormon is basically a difference between those who rely exclusively on scholarship [Mesoamecanist] and those who rely on a combination of scholarship, faith, and revelation [Heartlanders]. Those who rely exclusively on scholarship reject revelation and fulfill Nephi’s prophecy that in the last days men “shall teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance” (2 Ne. 28:4). — Dallin H. Oaks, 29 October 1993, Complete article here- The Historicity of the Book of Mormon (Parentheses, words, color, and emphasis added.)
Why was it omitted? We can only guess. What words were edited? Read for your self the 900 words left out of our manual and decide yourself. Personally I believe a historian or editor who may have a different belief in geography than I do, may have done it. How else can it be explained? In no way do I believe the Prophet or Apostles had any knowledge of the omission and they would not do such a thing. They are men of God whom I love and respect. The Church is neutral on where the geography of the Book of Mormon happened and that is fine with me. Personally I don’t have to be neutral and I believe strongly that the Nephites began in Florida and up to the Heartland of the United States. See my blog here, and here for details.
The Wentworth Letter
Joseph Smith said, “I was also informed concerning the aboriginal inhabitants of thiscountry[When you click on the link available at the JSP on the word “country”, the note says, “United States of America. North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time …”]
JSP continued, “and shown who they were, and from whence they came; a brief sketch of their origin, progress, civilization, laws, governments, of their righteousness and iniquity, and the blessings of God being finally withdrawn from them as a people, was [also] made known unto me; I was also told where were deposited some plates on which were engraven an abridgment of the records of the ancient prophets that had existed on this continent. The angel appeared to me three times the same night and unfolded the same things. After having received many visits from the angels of God, unfolding the majesty and glory of the events that should transpire in the last days, on the morning of the 22nd of September, A.D. 1827, the angel of the Lord delivered the records into my hands. These records were engraven on plates which had the appearance of gold. Each plate was six inches wide and eight inches long, and not quite so thick as common tin. They were filled with engravings, in Egyptian characters, and bound together in a volume as the leaves of a book, with three rings running through the whole. The volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed. The characters on the unsealed part were small, and beautifully engraved. The whole book exhibited many marks of antiquity in its construction and much skill in the art of engraving. With the records was found a curious instrument, which the ancients called “Urim and Thummim,” which consisted of two transparent stones set in the rims of a bow fastened to a breastplate. Through the medium of the Urim and Thummim I translated the record by the gift and power of God. *In this important and interesting book the history of ancient America is unfolded, from its first settlement by a colony that came from the Tower of Babel at the confusion of languages to the beginning of the fifth century of the Christian era. We are informed by these records that America in ancient times has been inhabited by two distinct races of people. The first were called Jaredites and came directly from the Tower of Babel. The second race came directly from the city of Jerusalem about six hundred years before Christ. They were principally Israelites of the descendants of Joseph. The Jaredites were destroyed about the time that the Israelites came from Jerusalem, who succeeded them in the inheritance of the country. The principal nation of the second race fell in battle towards the close of the fourth century. The remnant are the Indians that now inhabit this country. This book also tells us that our Savior made His appearance upon this continent after His Resurrection; that He planted the gospel here in all its fulness, and richness, and power, and blessing; that they had apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists—the same order, the same priesthood, the same ordinances, gifts, powers, and blessings, as were enjoyed on the eastern continent; that the people were cut off in consequence of their transgressions; that the last of their prophets who existed among them was commanded to write an abridgment of their prophecies, history, etc., and to hide it up in the earth; and that it should come forth and be united with the Bible for the accomplishment of the purposes of God in the last days. For a more particular account I would refer to the Book of Mormon, which can be purchased at Nauvoo, or from any of our traveling elders.” Portion of the Wentworth Letter by Joseph Smith *Highlighted areas in orange above omitted from Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah, [2011] Chapter 38, p. 441; first paragraph: “. . . This book . . . tells us . . .” See Joseph Smith Papers here: Letter from John Wentworth, 25 May 1844 Download Audio Here
From Saints Volumes
“We have discovered more revisionist history in the SAINTS book. Three revelations (D&C 28, 30 & 32) were given to Joseph Smith to send the first 4 missionaries on a singular mission to….the LAMANITES! Every revealed call said so. The Lord himself even proclaimed He would go with them as their advocate. SAINTS completely censors the word “Lamanites” from these revelations, claiming instead that the missionaries were simply “on their way to the West” (p103) or Oliver’s “mission to the West” (p108) where “the Lord had called them to preach to the American Indians…” (p105), which term is absent from any of the revelations while redacting the term “Lamanites” which was used in every one of the revelations. Why? Mesomania, of course. If the American Indians were Lamanites, that makes it more difficult to accept the Meso theories. So, to keep it geography neutral, they altered the Lord’s very words to accommodate M2C.” Jonathan Neville (Mesoamerican 2-Cumorah Theory)
Rod Meldrum explains this error in the video clip below:
A Church article under History Topics said, “The Book of Mormon was published the same year the Indian Removal Act passed. It gave Church members a different perspective on the past history and future destiny of American Indians. The early Saints believed that all American Indians were the descendants of Book of Mormon peoples, and that they shared a covenant heritage connecting them to ancient Israel. They often held the same prejudices toward Indians shared by other European Americans, but Latter-day Saints believed Native Americans were heirs to God’s promises even though they now suffered for once having rejected the gospel. This belief instilled in the early Saints a deeply felt obligation to bring the message of the Book of Mormon to American Indians.
Within months of the founding of the Church in 1830, Latter-day Saint missionaries journeyed to Indian Territory, on the borders of the United States. Parley P. Pratt reported that William Anderson (Kik-Tha-We-Nund), the leader of a group of Delaware (Lenape) who had relocated to the area near Independence, Missouri, warmly received the missionaries, and an interpreter told Oliver Cowdery that the “chief says he believes every word” of the Book of Mormon. However, a government agent soon barred them from further evangelizing among Indians in the area because they had not secured proper authorization. Latter-day Saint interactions with American Indians remained sparse for the next few years, though Pratt and others still spoke of a day when Indians would embrace the Book of Mormon.
Joseph Smith preaching to American Indians.
Amid troubles in Missouri during the 1830s, Church leaders were cautious about contact with local Native groups, having been accused by their enemies of using missionary work to cultivate sedition among the Indians. During the 1840s, Joseph Smith and the First Presidency sent missionaries to the Sioux (Dakota), Potawatomi (Bodéwadmi), Stockbridge (Mahican), and other Indian peoples residing in Wisconsin and Canada. Delegations from the Sauk (Asakiwaki) and Fox (Meskwaki) tribes met in Nauvoo with Joseph Smith, who told them of the Book of Mormon and plans to raise up a New Jerusalem. Two years later, Potawatomi leaders asked Joseph and the Mormons to lend aid and join an alliance of confederated tribes. Joseph declined but assured them the Book of Mormon could light the way toward peaceful relationships. After Joseph’s death, the Council of Fifty, under Brigham Young’s leadership, discussed a broader alliance with Indian nations but ceased diplomatic efforts in 1846 in order to organize the Saints’ migration west.” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/american-indians?lang=eng
2016 Doctrine and Covenants Study Manual by Bruce Lloyd
“This 2016 Doctrine and Covenants study manual refers to the Lamanite Mission and the Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, but it doesn’t mention that Parley told the Delaware Indians about Moroni and the metal plates deposited in the hill Cumorah in western New York near Palmyra. The Preface to Revelations in Context states: “The stories in this collection, which treat almost all of the sections in the Doctrine and Covenants, were written by historians in the Church History Department. In telling these stories, the authors brought to bear both their faith in the restored gospel and their training and expertise in American and Mormon history. Particularly important to this series was the Joseph Smith Papers Project, which has provided a foundation of meticulous scholarship upon which all historical interpretation of Joseph Smith’s life and work should build. Citations to the Joseph Smith Papers in Revelations in Context typically direct the reader to the documents and materials generously made available on josephsmithpapers.org.” Sadly, Saints, The Standard of Truth, 1815-1846, Vol 1, calls it a “mission to the West” vice “mission to the Lamanites” on pages 98 and 108. Footnote 22 on page 98 refers to: Doctrine and Covenants 30:5–8 (Revelation, Sept. 1830–D, at josephsmithpapers.org); Doctrine and Covenants 32 (Revelation, Oct. 1830–A, at josephsmithpapers.org); Joseph Smith History, 1838–56, volume A-1, 60, in JSP, H1:458–60 (draft 2); Givens and Grow, Parley P. Pratt, 36.Doctrine and Covenants 30:5–8Revelation, Sept. 1830–DDoctrine and Covenants 32Revelation, Oct. 1830–AJoseph Smith History, 1838–56, volume A-1, 60
The footnote is flawed. It should point to Oliver’s preaching to the Delaware Indians and Moroni and the Hill Cumorah. I guess flawed narrative has to point to a flawed footnote. Why no mention of Section 28? I don’t know what is on page 36 of Parley P. Pratt. My missionary Triple Combination (Copyright 1970) that I used in the Ontario Quebec Mission from Nov 1971 to Nov 1973 uses the words “mission to the Lamanites” in the section headings for Sections 28 (mentions Lamanites 3 times in the scriptural text) and 30 (Lamanites mentioned 1 time in the scriptural text). The section heading to Section 32 mentions “Lamanites” once and “Indian tribes in the west” once. The scriptural text uses the words “into the wilderness among the Lamanites.” My 1980 Copyright Triple Combination scriptures in Section 28 in the heading doesn’t say anything about Oliver’s mission to the Lamanites and has several fewer sentences than the 1970 version. The subheading for verses 1-7 does state, “Oliver Cowdery is to preach to the Lamanites.” The scriptural text does mention Lamanites 3 times like the 1970 version. Section 30 has different verbiage and no reference to Oliver Cowdery’s mission to the Lamanites in the heading. The subheading for versus 5-8 does state, “Peter Whitmer, Jun., is to accompany Oliver Cowdery on a mission to the Lamanites.” The scriptural text does mention Lamanites 1 time like the 1970 version. Section 32 has different verbiage in the heading and deletes the word “yearning” from “yearning desires.” The last sentence from the 1970 version has been excluded in the 1980 version, “The missionaries admonished to confine themselves to the expounding of the written word, as they shall be given understanding thereof.” The subheading for verses 1-3 does state, “preach to the Lamanites.” The scriptural text matches the 1970 version and uses the words “into the wilderness among the Lamanites.” As you can see, the 1980 version is drifting away from the “mission to the Lamanites” verbiage. I didn’t compare with the online version.” Bruce Lloyd Pleasant Grove, UT
Why “Saints” doesn’t use the word “Cumorah” in their book. (In the editor’s own words below.)
Saints and Book of Mormon Geography Jed Woodworth and Matt Grow 12 October 2018 Source
Woodworth and Grow in black and red text below. My words in blue below.
“Since the publication of Saints, Volume 1: The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846, some concern has been expressed online and to us personally that the text of the book has expressed a preference against a “heartland” model of Book of Mormon geography. We have been disappointed to read online commentary from individuals favoring a “heartland” model of Book of Mormon geography that asserts Saints works in subtle (and even conspiratorial) ways to suppress their views. This is not true.
Much of the concern has resulted because the word “Cumorah” does not appear in Saints.This omission has led some to believe that we left out that word in order to speak against a “heartland” model. We assure you that this is simply not the case. We have worked on Saints for many years, Matt as a general editor of Saints and Jed as a review editor of Volume 1. In those capacities, we have read all the draft chapters and editorial comments accompanying these drafts. No one under our observation—writers, editors, external reviewers, General Authority reviewers—has expressed any concern about the word “Cumorah” or articulated any need to expunge it from the record. To our knowledge, there have been no discussions about the need to put down one theory of Book of Mormon geography in order to promote another. Maybe, “there have been no discussions about the need to put down one theory of Book of Mormon geography in order to promote another” but is sounds like it HAS happened here.
The purpose of Saints is to present a compelling narrative of the faith and sacrifice of early Latter-day Saints, not to weigh in (subtly or otherwise) on the various theories of Book of Mormon geography. [Weighing in for a compelling narrative would include well known places such as “The Sacred Grove” and” The Hill Cumorah” and “The First Vision.”]
Woodworth and Grow continue, “We have sought to uphold the Church’s position of neutrality on these theories: “Though there are several plausible hypotheses regarding the geographic locations of Book of Mormon events, the Church takes no official position except that the events occurred in the Americas.”1
[We agree the Church takes no official position. That should mean you consider a Heartland Model and a Baja Model, and A Zarahemla Centric model correct? There are many claims of geography in the United States of America and within the “Americas”, correct? Why won’t you allow any of these theories on your websites and in your books discussing these other positions, as you only stick with your pet theory Mesoamerican? In other words stop acting like you are neutral like the Church, because you aren’t. You don’t allow for any dialogue except Mesoamerican in your books and magazines and websites. Just come clean like we have. We are not neutral as we believe the Book of Mormon events happened in the Heartland of the USA.
Why don’t you come out and say as all your writings show, that you are not neutral as you believe Book of Mormon events happened in Mesoamerica? A little honesty would help. In the Book of Mormon Central Logo (left) it shows symbols for Egypt, Latin, Greek, and Mesoamerica. Why? Putting an ancient Hopewell symbol should be a possibility, correct?
Woodworth and Grow continue “The preface to Saints explains that the book is a narrative history. Narrative histories are governed by rules, and one of the rules implemented by our writing team is that characters are to live in the “narrative present” and not be burdened by the understanding of later time periods. Our rule states: “The whole story as we understand it will be told, but readers will be following that story scene-by-scene, or even volume-by-volume, as the narrative progresses. If readers desire a broader view of the story or want additional information, extensive footnotes are included, and other in-depth material is available online, including links to essays, videos, and other sources.” (See my blog here that explains more detains about Saints leaving out the word “Cumorah” in the Saints books.)” Woodworth and Grow
Church Historians Opinions
Truth comes from Personal and Doctrinal Revelation from Christ, and Scriptures translated correctly from Christ, not opinion. Information that comes from You or Myself, or from Church Historians, or BYU Intellects, is all the same. We read, we study, we pray, and we stick to our biases. If we don’t have revelation, the second best choice is Canonized Scripture.
A quote by Book of Mormon Central, from the article titled “The Spectacles, the Stone, the Hat, and the Book: A Twenty-first Century Believer’s View of the Book of Mormon Translation”, by Roger Nicolson says, “These accounts come from both believing and nonbelieving sources, and some skepticism ought to be employed in choosing to accept some of the interpretations offered by some of these sources as fact.” This quote above, is why we should learn from the scriptures about the true instruments used to translate the Book of Mormon.
Actual Instruments Used in Translation
Because there is no official Church Doctrine on the translation method, Scriptures can prove Joseph’s Translation Tools and Method. No one can accurately define exactly what the “gift and power of God” means, but we know Joseph used what was found in the stone box. Plates, breastplate, spectacles. That’s it! How they worked or what the Spirit did to assist Joseph we know not, but those three instruments WERE used.
Because Joseph was commanded to not show anyone these 3 items unless commanded, I show two paintings by Ann Marie Oborn that will show you what the scriptures suggest in my opinion.Full Blog Here
Debate Should End with Scriptures Message
Many of today’s Church Historians get it wrong about several important issues. I am not smarter than they, nor do I have a higher degree of learning than they do, and I also know some of these Historians and I know many have the same strong testimony about the Book of Mormon that I do. I just have done some research by reading and pondering the following scriptures, that answer a big question for me. What instrument(s) did Joseph Smith use to translate the gold plates?Answer: “These Stones, Fastened to a Breastplate…” JSH 1:35. No where in the scriptures does it say a stone in a hat was used to translate. It should end there, to those who believe in the scriptures.
One Question, Two Opinions:
Is there a Cave in Hill Cumorah New York, containing all the
Nephite & Jaredite Records?
Absolutely, Yes says FIRM
Absolutely Not, says FAIR
Defining Apologetics
Apologetics cannot prove that the Church is true, but it can show you answers that may help you in knowing the Church is true, especially through personal revelation.
FIRM and FAIR are both similar organizations as both are made up of great spiritual people who love the Lord and the Book of Mormon. Both claim to have answers to many challenging or even difficult gospel questions that may encourage or assist people to better understand the truthfulness of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Neither organization speak in behalf of, or for the Church. Doctrine in the Church only comes from the Prophet and Apostles who both organizations support. Some have called these organizations, Apologists for the Church. (Others include, Book of Mormon Central, and The Interpreter).
The purpose of LDS Apologetics is to provide solid or well reasoned information that makes sense in answering supposed church related difficult questions, so that a conclusive decision of the truth of the Gospel and Church can be determined by study and prayer through the Spirit.
Austin Farrer, an English Anglican philosopher, theologian, and biblical scholar wrote, in the mid-19th century, “Though argument does not create conviction, lack of it destroys belief. What seems to be proved may not be embraced; but what no one shows the ability to defend is quickly abandoned. Rational argument does not create belief, but it maintains a climate in which belief may flourish.”
Truth and Spiritual things must be spiritually discerned. A personal witness from the Holy Ghost must be the primary evidence for the reality of God, the divinity of Christ and the authority of the scriptures. “No man can say that the Jesus is the Lord,” wrote Paul, (I Corinthians 12:3) “but by the Holy Ghost.” Faithful, reasoned and rational argument, however, can open hearts and minds to the witness of the Spirit. Apologetics cannot prove that the Church is true, but it can show you answers that may help you in knowing the Church is true, especially through personal revelation.
Personal Revelation
Art by Ken Corbett
As our dear Prophet said, “Does God really want to speak to you? Yes! “As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course … as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints.
You don’t have to wonder about what is true. You do not have to wonder whom you can safely trust.Through personal revelation, you can receive your own witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and that this is the Lord’s Church. Regardless of what others may say or do, no one can ever take away a witness borne to your heart and mind about what is true.
I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual abilityto receive personal revelation, for the Lord has promised that “if thou shalt [seek], thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.” Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives by President Russell M. Nelson
Question: Is there a cave in the Hill Cumorah containing the Nephite records?
We quote FAIR here:
“Brigham Young related a story about how the plates were returned to Moroni in a cave in the Hill Cumorah
On June 17, 1877, Brigham Young related the following at a conference:
I believe I will take the liberty to tell you of another circumstance that will be as marvelous as anything can be. This is an incident in the life of Oliver Cowdery, but he did not take the liberty of telling such things in meeting as I take. I tell these things to you, and I have a motive for doing so. I want to carry them to the ears of my brethren and sisters, and to the children also, that they may grow to an understanding of some things that seem to be entirely hidden from the human family. Oliver Cowdery went with the Prophet Joseph when he deposited these plates. Joseph did not translate all of the plates; there was a portion of them sealed, which you can learn from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. When Joseph got the plates, the angel instructed him to carry them back to the hill Cumorah, which he did. Oliver says that when Joseph and Oliver went there, the hill opened, and they walked into a cave, in which there was a large and spacious room. He says he did not think, at the time, whether they had the light of the sun or artificial light; but that it was just as light as day. They laid the plates on a table; it was a large table that stood in the room. Under this table there was a pile of plates as much as two feet high, and there were altogether in this room more plates than probably many wagon loads; they were piled up in the corners and along the walls. The first time they went there the sword of Laban hung upon the wall; but when they went again it had been taken down and laid upon the table across the gold plates; it was unsheathed, and on it was written these words: “This sword will never be sheathed again until the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God and his Christ.” [1]
Art by Jon McNaughton
Editors Note by FIRM: Left off of the Brigham Young quote above is the final sentence by Brigham saying, “I tell you this as coming not only from Oliver Cowdery, but others who were familiar with it, and who understood it just as well as we understand coming to this meeting. . . . [Don] Carlos Smith was a young man of as much veracity as any young man we had, and he was a witness to these things. Samuel Smith saw some things, Hyrum saw a good many things, but Joseph was the leader.” This adds additional witnesses to Brigham’s own words.
FAIR Continues, “The geologic unlikelihood of a cave existing within the drumlin in New York called “Hill Cumorah” suggests that the experience related by the various witnesses was most likely a vision.
There are at least ten second hand accounts describing the story of the cave in Cumorah, however, Joseph Smith himself did not record the incident. [2] As mentioned previously, the Hill Cumorah located in New York state is a drumlin: this means it is a pile of gravel scraped together by an ancient glacier. The geologic unlikelihood of a cave existing within the hill such as the one described suggests that the experience related by the various witnesses was most likely a vision, or a divine transportation to another locale (as with Nephi’s experience in 1 Nephi 11:1). John Tvedtnes supports this view:
“The story of the cave full of plates inside the Hill Cumorah in New York is often given as evidence that it is, indeed, the hill where Mormon hid the plates. Yorgason quotes one version of the story from Brigham Young and alludes to six others collected by Paul T. Smith. Unfortunately, none of the accounts is firsthand. The New York Hill Cumorah is a [drumlin] laid down anciently by a glacier in motion. It is comprised of gravel and earth. Geologically, it is impossible for the hill to have a cave, and all those who have gone in search of the cave have come back empty-handed. If, therefore, the story attributed to Oliver Cowdery (by others) is true, then the visits to the cave perhaps represent visions, perhaps of some far distant hill, not physical events.[3]”
Given that the angel Moroni had retrieved the plates from Joseph several times previously, it is not unreasonable to assume that he was capable of transporting them to a different location than the hill in New York. As Tvedtnes asks, “If they could truly be moved about, why not from Mexico, for example?”[3] Written by FAIRMORMON
Jump up↑Cameron J. Packer, “Cumorah’s Cave,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 13/1 (2004): 50–57. off-sitewiki
↑ Jump up to:3.03.1John A. Tvedtnes, “Review of Little Known Evidences of the Book of Mormon by Brenton G. Yorgason,” FARMS Review of Books 2/1 (1990): 258–259. off-site
As you read our answer about the truth as we understand it coming from Brigham Young, in regard to him saying there was a cave at Cumorah, understand the basic differences between our two apologetic opinions below.
FIRM Says:
We believe Brigham Young, Oliver Cowdery, Samuel Smith, Don Carlos Smith, and Hyrum Smith wouldn’t have made these stories up about the cave at Cumorah, and they are true based on information. FAIR says:
“There are at least ten second hand accounts describing the story of the cave in Cumorah”, so they insinuate you should believe none of them for the only reason that they are second hand.
Art by Val Bagley
FIRM Says:
We don’t believe these stories were simply dreams or visions, but are the witnessed words as best written down by others about a literal cave in New York. FAIR Says:
“The experience related by the various witnesses was most likely a vision.” Since they have not found such a cave they are dismissing it. FIRM Says:
How do you know a drumlin could not have a natural or a man made cave in it? (See my blog here, where I have shown an actual picture taken in about 2009 of a man made cave in hill the NY Cumorah by a reputable friend. FAIR Says:
“Geologic unlikelihood of a cave existing within the drumlin in New York called “Hill Cumorah” FIRM Says:
Hill Cumorah is in New York where all the records of both Jaredites and Nephites were buried. This is the same hill where both final battles occurred. (Many quotes here) FAIR Says:
The final battles of Cumorah and Ramah occurred somewhere in a hill in Mexico. There was not room on hill Cumorah in New York for millions of people.” FIRM Says:
There is no need to have millions of people “on” Hill Cumorah as that speaks against the scripture saying, “we did march forth to the land of Cumorah, and we did pitch our tents “around about” the hill Cumorah; Mormon 6:4. [Not “on” the Hill, around about].
FAIR Says:
The Sword of Laban and Liahona were buried in the hill in New York with the plates, breastplate and spectacles.
FIRM SAYS: Buried in the stone box of hill Cumorah in New York were the following. Gold Plates, Breastplate, Two clear stones fastened to a silver bow like a pair of spectacles. (JSH 1:35) There was no sword or Liahona, as they were in the Cave at Cumorah.
FIRM SAYS FINALLY:
At some point you must trust the combined words of prophets and leaders when they speak themselves, and you must also believe the scriptures, and most of all you should pray about what you find, as Moroni said, “we may know the truth of all things”. This is also why FIRM believes there is only one Hill Cumorah in New York and the Book of Mormon was not translated ever using a stone in a hat. No scripture says that, but here are many scriptures that say Joseph used the Interpreters and Urim and Thummim, (JSH 1:35,52,62,75*; Mosiah 28:13, 20; Ether 3:22-23; 4:5; Alma 37:21, 24-25) As you see in the painting below it is shown as the most likely way the various translations were done. (With Emma and with Oliver)
“Mother I have got the Key” by Anne Marie Oborn- The plates, and spectacles were hidden by the linen and the hat, the breastplate is under Joseph shirt. Joseph was commanded to not show those items unless told. No Curtain was used. (See blog here)
“These Stones, Fastened to a Breastplate” by Anne Marie Oborn- None of the three items are hidden, as we know through scripture that Oliver described the method of translation saying, “Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth, as he translated with the Urim and Thummim, or, as the Nephites would have said, ‘Interpreters,’ the history or record called ‘The Book of Mormon.'” JSH 1:75*
FIRM believes the Doctrine and Covenants Commentary below. A most reliable source about the Cave in Cumorah.
1950 Revised Edition of the Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, a most amazing book that speaks a lot about North American verification of Book of Mormon geography. Three First Presidencies and other General Authorities, share their witnesses!
The First Presidency in 1923 of Heber J Grant, Charles W. Penrose and Anthony W. Ivins and again in 1950 The Publication Committee of Joseph Fielding Smith, Harold B. Lee and Marion G. Romney, assigned by Pres George Albert Smith, approved some historical information from Church History that has much to do with Book of Mormon Geography. The last edition of the commentary was also published in 1978 by Deseret Book and approved by Pres Spencer W. Kimball, N. Eldon Tanner and Marion G. Romney. What great strength this gives us about the truth of the existence of this Cave at Cumorahand there being 2 sets of plates as the Doctrine and Covenants says in D&C 10.
Two Discussions- Two Sets of Plates, and a Cave at Cumorah
Summary of what the First Presidency Approved in Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants.
1- There existed two separate sets of plates that Joseph translated. The original plates found in the Stone Box at Cumorah which included the lost 116 pages and the Small Plates of Nephi that were in the Cave at Cumorah. D&C 10 says, “And now, verily I say unto you, that an account of those things that you have written, which have gone out of your hands, is engraven upon the plates of Nephi; Yea, and you remember it was said in those writings that a more particular account was given of these things upon the plates of Nephi. And now, because the account which is engraven upon the plates of Nephi is more particular concerning the things which, in my wisdom, I would bring to the knowledge of the people in this account—Therefore, you shall translate the engravings which are on the plates of Nephi, [2nd set of plates] down even till you come to the reign of king Benjamin, or until you come to that which you have translated, which you have retained; And behold, you shall publish it as the record of Nephi; and thus I will confound those who have altered my words.” D&C 10:38-42
2- There existed in Hill Cumorah a Cave in a separate place other than the stone box where Joseph found the plates. This cave was in the same Hill Cumorah and contained the Sword of Laban, Liahona, and wagon loads of plates from previous generations. [See quotes below]
3- A messenger named *Nephi, one of the 3 Nephites, took the plates from Joseph Smith in Harmony when he was finished with them. This same messenger refused a ride in David Whitmer’s wagon as Nephi was going to Cumorah, while Whitmer, Cowdery and Smith were going to Fayette. *“I have heard my grandmother (Mary Musselman Whitmer) say on several occasions that she was shown the plates of the Book of Mormon by a holy angel, whom she always called Brother Nephi.” John C. Whitmer’s 1878 account, as recorded by Andrew Jenson [Page 37] (see his Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia 1:283, Salt Lake City, Utah: 1901):
4- This same messenger [Nephi] showed the second set of plates to Mary Whitmer, David’s mother in Fayette before Joseph began translating this second set of plates, which would become 1 Nephi to Mosiah in our current Book of Mormon. This replaced the Book of Lehi which was the Lost 116 pages.
5- You will see below that three different First Presidencies approved of the fact there was a Cave at Cumorah and that fact is found in Doctrine and Covenants Commentary 1923.
One quote below (In Green) is from Journal of Discourses by Brigham Young, about the Cave at Cumorah existing in upstate NY and wasn’t just a dream or vision somewhere in Mexico as some suggest. It was the place that all of the Nephite and Jaredite records and the Liahona, Sword of Laban and other artifacts were stored.
Here is what Orson Pratt taught about the two depositories in the Hill Cumorah. “These new plates were given to Moroni to finish the history. And all the ancient plates, Mormon deposited in Cumorah, about three hundred and eighty-four years after Christ. When Moroni, about thirty-six years after, made the deposit of the book entrusted to him, he was, without doubt, inspired to select a department of the hill separate from the great depository of the numerous volumes hid up by his father. The particular place in the hill where Moroni secreted the book, was revealed, by the angel, to the prophet Joseph Smith, to whom the volume was delivered in September, A.D. 1827. But the grand repository of all the numerous records of the ancient nations of the western continent, was located in another department of the hill, and it’s contents under the charge of holy angels, until the day should come for them to be transferred to the sacred temple of Zion.” 1866 Orson Pratt Millennial Star (28 (27): 417)
Two Sets of Plates by Jonathan Neville
A second bit of history (In Green Below)from David Whitmer about a messenger appearing to him and Oliver and Joseph on the way to Fayette who was carrying the plates Joseph just finished translating in Harmony. They were in a knapsack on his back. The messenger appeared to them riding in the wagon and was taking this first set of plates to the Cumorah Cave, where the messenger would deposit them. The messenger then retrieves the “Small Plates of Nephi” [D&C 10:38] from the Cave at Cumorah, and later shows this second set of plates to Mary Whitmer and then to Joseph to translate in Fayette. This set of plates replaced the Book of Lehi or the lost 116 pages which was part of the first set of plates.
Editor’s Note: It has also become a problem as some scholars insist the Gold Plates were simply a prop and Joseph Smith never translated from them. There is also a rumor many scholars insist that most of the Book of Mormon was transcribed by Joseph Smith looking into a hat with a seer stone and repeating the words on the stone he saw, to Oliver Cowdery. I hope you as a concerned member to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be aware of these possible misconceptions and stick with what the scriptures say and with what the Prophets teach. Although I believe Joseph had such seer stones, I don’t believe any of the Book of Mormon was translated using a seer stone in a hat, but was translated by the gift and Power of God, using the Urim and Thummim, or Interpreters as called in the Book of Mormon, which consisted of a large breastplate and two clear stones in the rims of a bow like a pair of spectacles. The breastplate was hidden under Joseph’s shirt and this farmers hat was used as a prop to block the sight of the spectacles from Emma Smith.See complete blog here:
Oliver Cowdery said, “I wrote, with my own pen, the entire Book of Mormon (save a few pages) as it fell from the lips of the Prophet Joseph, as he translated it by the gift and power of God, by the means of the Urim and Thummim, or as it is called by the book, Holy Interpreters. I beheld with my eyes, and handled with my hands, the gold plates from which it was transcribed. I also saw with my eyes and handled with my hands the Holy Interpreters.”
Presidencies Speak of True Geography
Doctrine and Covenants Commentary Revision 1950
Between 1913 and 1916 Hyrum Smith of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles along with Elder Janne M. Sjodahl articulated a commentary of the Doctrine of Covenants which was approved by these two Presidencies as accurate and approved history as contained in the D&C Commentary of 1923 and 1950.
[The Doctrine and the Covenants Commentary] “A doctrinal and exegetical commentary on the book of scripture, known as the “Doctrine and Covenants” (the “D&C”), sacred to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” The Doctrine and the Covenants Commentary by Hyrum M. Smith (Picture left)
Exegetical Definition:
The message finds its sole source in Scripture. The message is extracted from Scripture through careful exegesis. The message preparation correctly interprets Scripture in its normal sense and its context. The message clearly explains the original God-intended meaning of Scripture. The message applies the Scriptural meaning for today.
The Doctrine and Covenants Containing Revelations Given To Joseph Smith, Jr., The Prophet, with an Introduction and Historical and Exegetical Notes By Hyrum M Smith, of the Council of the Twelve Apostles. And Janne M. Sjodahl.
“Commentaries on the Doctrine and Covenants follow the pattern of many biblical commentaries, supplying the historical context, that is, the time, circumstances, and situation of the revelations. In the most recent (1981) edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, headnotes for each section have been added or enlarged, with a brief synopsis of the historical setting. Additional notes and explanations are provided by the various separately published commentaries discussed here. Commentaries written by members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are given special consideration. Others are recommended as helps to the membership of the Church to provide historical insight to their study of the scriptures.
An early (1916) and still useful one-volume commentary was written by Hyrum M. Smith, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Janne M. Sjodahl. Doctrine and Covenants Commentary contains the text of the Doctrine and Covenants and gives historical background and commentary for each section. It is extensively footnoted with exegetical notes. The volume was later supplemented and expanded under the direction of Joseph Fielding Smith, Harold B. Lee, and Marion G. Romney of the Quorum of the Twelve in 1950.” Doctrine and Covenants Commentaries Author: Garrett, H. Dean
Preface To the Revised Edition of the Doctrine and Covenants Commentary
In the preface to the 1950 Revised Edition of the Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, we find the following:
“While laboring in the European Missions, Elder Hyrum M. Smith, of the Council of the Twelve Apostles, and Elder Janne M. Sjodahl, were impressed very fervently with the desire to prepare a commentary dealing with the revelations given by the Lord to the Prophet Joseph Smith. In their odd moments, when not otherwise engaged, during the years 1913-1916, these brethren carried on a careful research and study and prepared this volume which has met with popular favor.
For a number of years, the commentary has been out of circulation, and because of the increasing demand for it, the First Presidency instructed the Publication Committee to take the matter in hand and revise the volume ready for a re-printing. This the committee has done and after many months of labor has fulfilled the assignment given.
Since the time of the first publication many world-wide events of the greatest importance have occurred many of which have a bearing on the fulfillment of the prophecies found in the Doctrine and Covenants; these have been noted. The Doctrine and Covenants is a sacred volume of Scripture, and in the revision and preparation of the book, the members of the committee have felt their weakness in commenting on these sacred commandments and revelations coming from the Lord.”
THE PUBLICATION COMMITTEE 1950
(Note; Not the First Presidency) Joseph Fielding Smith
Harold B. Lee
Marion G. Romney
1950 First Presidency
(Who assigned Publication Committee)
George Albert Smith
J. Reuben Clark
David O McKay
Within this Commentary are two sections which contain comments pertinent to Book of Mormon geography.
1.The first has to do with Section 9. This section is a revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, to Oliver Cowdery, at Harmony, Pennsylvania in April, 1829. Oliver had attempted to translate without success. Verse 1-2 are as follows:
“Behold, I say unto you, my son, that because you did not translate according to that which you desired of me, and did commence again to write for my servant, Joseph Smith, Jun., even so I would that ye should continue until you have finished this record, which I have entrusted unto him. And then, behold, other records have I, that I will give unto you power that you may assist to translate. . . .”
In a verse note on the bottom of page 45 we find the following:
Otherrecords] Other Nephite records. Oliver Cowdery, if he had remained faithful, would have had the privilege of assisting in their translation. He, however, was outside the Church, because of transgression, for eleven years, and although he was again received in full fellowship, some of the blessings he had lost could not be recovered.” 1950 Revised Edition of the Doctrine and Covenants Commentary page 45-46
Then in a related “General Notes” on a page which follows we find the following:
“Other records” are referred to in the 2nd paragraph of page 47 below. On that subject President Brigham Young makes the following statement: [The “Cave Story” is then recited as it appears in the 1877 notation– which is a discourse by Brigham Young delivered at a Special Conference held at Farmington, Utah on June 17,1877.]
Note*That such a story would be included in the 1923 edition is significant; that such a story would be upheld by Apostles in the publication committee of the Revised Edition is also significant.
2. The second has to do with Section 84, a revelation on Priesthood. Verse 42 reads: ” . . . and even I [the Lord] have given the heavenly hosts and mine angels charge concerning you.” In a comment on this verse we find the following:
“I have given * ** * charge concerning you] Note that the Lord in conferring the Priesthood upon the Elders present when this Revelation was given, assured them that angels had been appointed to guard them. The first Christians believed in guardian angels. . . .”
The following anecdote, which was told by David Whitmer to Elders Orson Pratt and Joseph F. Smith in 1878, may be retold here: [The David Whitmer story of meeting an angel “going to Cumorah” –see the 1878 notation– is then recited.]
Note*This story, like the Cave Story, reinforces the New York Hill Cumorah as a repository of the Nephite records. Since the last edition of the book would be published in 1978 by Deseret Book, these stories (reviewed by Apostles) would add authoritative weight to a New York Hill Cumorah viewpoint.
1978 First Presidency
Spencer W, Kimball
N. Eldon Tanner
Marion G. Romney
Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 17 June 1877 below:
“You hear a great deal said about finding money. There is no difficulty at all in finding money, but there are a great many people who do not know what to do with it when they do find it. This is the great defect with the human family. I could relate many very singular circumstances. I lived right in the country where the plates were found from which the Book of Mormon was translated, and I know a great many things pertaining to that country. I believe I will take the liberty to tell you of another circumstance that will be as marvelous as anything can be. This is an incident in the life of Oliver Cowdery, but he did not take the liberty of telling such things in meeting as I take. I tell these things to you, and I have a motive for doing so. I want to carry them to the ears of my brethren and sisters, and to the children also, that they may grow to an understanding of some things that seem to be entirely hidden from the human family. Oliver Cowdery went with the Prophet Joseph when he deposited these plates. Joseph did not translate all of the plates; there was a portion of them sealed, which you can learn from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants.
General Notes Page 47
“When Joseph got the plates, the angel instructed him to carry them back to the hill Cumorah, which he did. Oliver says that when Joseph and Oliver went there, the hill opened, and they walked into a cave, in which there was a large and spacious room. He says he did not think, at the time, whether they had the light of the sun or artificial light; but that it was just as light as day. They laid the plates on a table; it was a large table that stood in the room. Under this table there was a pile of plates as much as two feet high, and there were altogether in this room more plates than probably many wagon loads; they were piled up in the corners and along the walls. The first time they went there the sword of Laban hung upon the wall; but when they went again it had been taken down and laid upon the table across the gold plates; it was unsheathed, and on it was written these words: ‘This sword will never be sheathed again until the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God and his Christ.’ I tell you this as coming not only from Oliver Cowdery, but others who were familiar with it, and who understood it just as well as we understand coming to this meeting, enjoying the day, and by and by we separate and go away, forgetting most of what is said, but remembering some things. So is it with other circumstances in life. I relate this to you, and I want you to understand it. I take this liberty of referring to those things so that they will not be forgotten and lost. Carlos Smith was a young man of as much veracity as any young man we had, and he was a witness to these things. Samuel Smith saw some things, Hyrum saw a good many things, but Joseph was the leader.
Now, you may think I am unwise in publicly telling these things, thinking perhaps I should preserve them in my own breast; but such is not my mind. I would like the people called Latter-day Saints to understand some little things with regard to the workings and dealings of the Lord with his people here upon the earth. I could relate to you a great many more, all of which are familiar to many of our brethren and sisters.” Brigham Young Journal of Discourses 1XIX., p. 38).”1950 Revised Edition of the Doctrine and Covenants Commentary page 47-48 The crossed out lines above are not seen in the Commentary, I included them so you could see what was left out.
“The following anecdote, which was told by David Whitmer to Elders Orson Pratt and Joseph F. Smith in 1878, may be retold here:
“When I was returning to Fayette, with Joseph and Oliver, all of us riding in the wagon. Oliver and I on an old- fashioned wooden spring seat and Joseph behind us — while traveling along in a clear open space, a very pleasant, nice-looking old man suddenly appeared by the side of the wagon and saluted us with, ‘Good morning, it is very warm,’ at the same time wiping his face or forehead with his hand. We returned the salutation, and, by a sign from Joseph, I invited him to ride if he was going our way; but he said very pleasantly, ‘No, I am going to Cumorah.’ This name was something new to me; I did not know what Cumorah meant. We all gazed at him and at each other, and as I looked around inquiringly of Joseph, the old man instantly disappeared, so that I did not see him again.” Whitmer described his appearance and added, it was the messenger who had the plates [of the Book of Mormon], who had taken them from Joseph just prior to our starting from Harmony”(Andrew Jensen, Historical Record, p. 209)”.1950 Revised Edition of the Doctrine and Covenants Commentary page 508
Quotes from D&C Commentary 1950
D&C Sec 3:19 Page 22 Commentary
The First Presidency in 1923 of Heber J Grant, Charles W. Penrose and Anthony W. Ivins and again in 1950 The Publication Committee of Joseph Fielding Smith, Harold B. Lee and Marion G. Romney, assigned by Pres George Albert Smith, approved some historical information from Church History that has much to do with Book of Mormon Geography. The last edition of the commentary was also published in 1978 by Deseret Book and approved by Pres Spencer W. Kimball, N. Eldon Tanner and Marion G. Romney.
Notice what D&C 3:19 says: “And for this very purpose are these plates preserved, which contain these records—that the promises of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he made to his people;”
Notice what the Commentary from these inspired Prophets says:
19. For this very purpose) The Book of Mormon plates were preserved and translated in order that all these should be brought to a knowledge of the Savior. It may be concluded, then, that among the American Indians and the Polynesians who are mostly the descendants of the Lamanites, is also a sprinkling of the descendants of the Nephites who may have escaped the general destruction. D&C Sec 3 page 22 Doctrine and Covenants Commentary by Sjodahl and Smith
D&C Sec 5 Page 30
31. Except Thou do this] Unless the Prophet followed the instructions here given, the plates and the sacred instrument would be taken from him.
This is a remarkable Revelation. It furnishes an irrefutable proof that the Prophet Joseph actually had the plates. He promised that Martin Harris, on certain conditions, which he could easily comply with, should obtain a view of them. Such a promise, if the records had not been in existence, would have been impossible to redeem. It would have been mere buffoonery. The fraud would have been detected at once. The promise was repeated a few months later (Sec 17) to two more witnesses. Joseph had the plates and the Urim and Thummim, and this Revelation proves the truth of that assertion.
D&C 6 Page 32
According to his own statement at Council Bluffs on October 21st, 1848, Oliver Cowdery wrote the entire Book (save a few pages) as the words fell from the lips of the Prophet, “as he translated it by the gift and power of God, by the means of the Urim and Thummim, or, as it is called by that Book, ’holy interpreters.’” So that the testimony of Oliver Cowdery was as firm in 1848, two years before his death as it was in 1829, when he first accepted the gospel, although he had been outside the Church for eleven years. When Joseph and Oliver had been engaged on the Book of Mormon a few days, this Revelation was received.
1923 First Presidency
Heber J Grant
Charles W. Penrose
Anthony W. Ivins
Source:MUCH OF THIS BLOG WAS USED FROM: A Chronology of LDS Thought on Book of Mormon Geography of the New World Statements by Church Authorities 1921 —–> 1980 Copyright 2003 by Alan C. Miner. All rights reserved
Janne M. Sjodahl Deseret News Press, 1923, 1932. Reprinted in 1950, 1951, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1971, 1978.
In the preface to the Original Edition, we find the following:
Before laying aside the pen, I may be permitted to express my grateful acknowledgment of the services rendered by Elder Orson F. Whitney and Elder Joseph Fielding Smith, of the Council of the Twelve, who, together with Elder Hyrum M. Smith, carefully read the manuscript of this Commentary before it was given to the printer; also to Elder George F. Richards, of the Council of the Twelve and President of the European mission, and to Elders John E. Cottam, George F. Richards, Jr., and Junius F. Wells, fellow-laborers int he British mission, for most valuable assistance.
Liverpool, May 1, 1919. J. M. Sjodahl.
Art by Val Chadwick Bagley showing these two historical narratives in pictures. Purchase his entire book here:
Our special guest at the 30th International Book of Mormon Evidence Conference, is our good friend, Tim Ballard. There is no one more patriotic, more in tune with the founding fathers, the abolitionist movement, the Pilgrims and Native Americans, and the founding of America than Tim. He has teamed up with Glenn Beck and with David Barton supporting many fantastic foundations including Nazarene Fund, Operation Underground Railroad, Wall Builders, and Children Need Families.
The Title of Tim’s Live Presentation on Sat Oct 22, 2022 at the Salt Palace is: The Hidden War: The secret agenda to enslave our children in the name of liberating them.”
Hear Tim Ballard and the Following: Dean Sessions, Hannah Stoddard, Rod Meldrum, David Doane, Bob Wright, Jonathan Neville, Jen and Sophie Two Red Pills, and Kate Dalley from 9 am to 7 pm Sat Oct 22.
If you haven’t subscribed to our Streaming service, you can view over 800 presentations by our previous speakers, like Rod Meldrum, Wayne May, Hannah Stoddard and hundreds more. Streaming Membership Here
Pilgrims
“The Declaration of Independence states that one of our unalienable rights is the pursuit of happiness. It is clear from the records of both Virginia and Massachusetts at the time that this phrase meant the right to privately own property. However, what is also clear is that the unalienable right we have is to pursue happiness and not obtain happiness.
Today Americans often mistake the meaning of this phrase and think that their government owes them happiness in all flavors, to be claimed by them at any time.
What Leo Martin has done is to clearly articulate the meaning of this phrase by going to the root of our country, the Pilgrims. No other people at the time of our nation’s initial development portray, as families and a migrating Church, the meaning of pursuing happiness under the Hand of a Sovereign God better than this tiny band!
Though never in a majority and never wealthy; these Pilgrims considered themselves to be rich in spiritual treasure. Though they never sought a shrine to honor themselves, centuries of Americans have honored them as the spark, the root and founders of our God-given liberties… sadly, today the contribution made by these humble and truly great founders has mostly been forgotten.
It is time we returned to what truly made America great. It is time we remembered the true source of the liberty they sparked when they first invoked the Biblical covenant that brought God’s protection and blessings upon the land. They humbly pledged to serve God and manifest that by simple faith, heart-felt devotion and iron-clad character. While the seeds they planted eventually grew into a tree much larger, more glorious and diverse than they may have ever anticipated, their love of family, their commitment to liberty and justice, and their faith in God stand as a beacon pointing us today in the direction to which our nation must turn to recover from her profound amnesia.
Let this little book, written by the great historian-patriot, Leo Martin, be read and re-read to your children and grandchildren, that the stories of our past may come alive again.” By Leo Martin of Plymouth, MA
INVOKE THE AMERICAN COVENANT
“Call down the blessings of heaven on this nation by helping us finish Lincoln’s work to liberate all His children from the darkness of human slavery and educate on liberty.” Americancovenant.org
Once on Tim’s website, Scroll down the main page to Videos to watch
AMERICA IS A COVENANT LAND—AND THAT STILL MATTERS! By Tim Ballard
“I do declare that I thought all London was afloat.”[i] So exclaimed one witness who, in August 1776, stood on the shores of New York harbor awaiting sure destruction. What the witness beheld was the largest naval fleet ever sent from one nation to another nation at that point in history. The British were coming in grand style to quash the American rebellion once and for all. When the British first arrived in with 400 sleek British ships and 32,000 men under the command of General William Howe, he offered a pardon to the rebels, to which Washington answered, “Those who have committed no fault want no pardon.”1
The Battle of Long Island by Alonzo Chappel
What was America to do? Her cause was all but lost. Certainly General Washington, waiting in relative safety in New York City, would not walk into this British trap. Certainly he would not lead his men—his citizen-soldiers—eastward across the mile-wide East River, to meet the foe in direct combat. Certainly he would not allow his army to become trapped on Long Island with such a lethal and fearsome enemy. The British not only outnumbered the Americans 2 to 1, and not only did the British overwhelm them in terms of skill and resources, but the Red Coats were en route to surround Long Island. Land troops rushed westward toward Washington, while state-of-the-art British war ships made their way up the East River.
Map showing Howe’s attack upon Washington’s forces on Long Island – Library of Congress
And yet, inexplicably, Washington did just that. Virtually all of the Continental soldiers found themselves—at the behest of their leader—caught in the ultimate British trap. The Red Coats proceeded to brutalize the Americans at Long Island in the first major battle of the war. All the Americans could do was flee with all their might westward back toward the river in hopes of escaping back into the city. Caught! The British ships were already positioning themselves in the East River to cut off the evacuation.
At this point, it might have been said that George Washington was one of the most foolhardy military commanders in history. Or perhaps there was something else. Perhaps George Washington was in possession of a secret—a secret that would be responsible not only for liberating the Americans at Long Island, but for securing American independence and creating the greatest nation ever known to mankind.
Washington directed a few of his soldiers to stoke the campfires and make the British believe the Americans were bedding down for the night. Confidently, the British went to sleep knowing they would fully conquer the rebels—whom they called the “ramble in arms”—in the morning. In the meantime, however, Washington ordered his thousands of troops to evacuate across the river, under the cover of darkness.
At this very moment, while the British fleet was racing up the East River intending to crush any such rebel evacuation attempt, a ferocious wind began pushing the British vessels backwards. A total of five ships carrying over seventy-two guns attempted—but failed—to advance up the river to cut off the Americans.[ii] Washington thus gained a small window of opportunity to evacuate his troops from this would-be British slaughterhouse. Though at first the same wind that disrupted the British was also obstructing the American effort to cross the river, a little after nine, the wind miraculously shifted to a westerly direction, facilitating the exodus with most favorable conditions.[iii]
Washington overseeing the retreat from Long Island
But even with the favorable wind, the night was fading fast. The rising sun would soon expose Washington’s scheme to the full view of the British. Another miracle was needed. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, David McCullough, explains:
Troops in substantial number had still to be evacuated and at the rate things were going, it appeared day would dawn before everyone was safely removed. But again the “elements” interceded, this time in the form of pea-soup fog. It was called “a peculiar providential occurrence,” “manifestly providential,” “very favorable to the design,” “an unusual fog,” “a friendly fog,” “an American fog.” “So very dense was the atmosphere,” remembers Benjamin Tallmadge, “that I could scarcely discern a man at six yards’ distance.” And as daylight came, the fog held, covering the entire operation no less than had the night…while over on the New York side of the river there was no fog at all.[iv]
The Americans had escaped! The Revolution would live on! It was a miracle!
“That the rebel army had silently vanished in the night right under their very noses,” according to McCullough, “was almost inconceivable.” British Major Stephen Kemble wrote in his diary that “[i]n the morning, to our great astonishment, [we] found they had evacuated…and the whole escaped to…New York.” British General James Grant wrote, “We cannot yet account for their precipitate retreat.”[v]
THE MIRACLE BEHIND THE MIRACLE
Indeed, Washington knew a secret. It was the secret responsible for the miracle. That secret was his knowledge of God’s covenant upon the land America.
On May 15, 1776, shortly after the Continental Army’s initial arrival at New York, months before the British invasion, Washington prepared his men. Not only did he prepare them physically, but spiritually also. He called them to the covenant. In a General Order, he declared:
Instant to be observed [on Friday the 17th] as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer, humbly to supplicate the mercy of Almighty God, that it would please him to pardon all our manifold sins and transgressions, and to prosper the Arms of the United Colonies, and finally establish the peace and freedom of America, upon a solid and lasting foundation.[vi]
Then again on July 2, Washington in another General Order would remind his men that “the fate of unborn Millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army…Let us therefore rely upon the goodness of the Cause, and the aid of the Supreme Being, in whose hands Victory is.”[vii] Two days later, in Philadelphia, these same sentiments would be immortalized by the Continental Congress in the Declaration of Independence, which concludes, “And for support of this Declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”
Washington was so convinced of his utter dependence upon this covenant relationship with God that he would continue to extend reminders and calls to repentance. On July 9, Washington issued another General Order in which he called for chaplains in each regiment to ensure that the soldiers “attend carefully upon religious exercises.” The order concluded with the following: “The blessing and protection of Heaven are at all times necessary but especially so in times of public distress and danger—the General hopes and trusts, that every officer and man, will endeavor so to live, and act, as becomes a good Christian soldier defending the dearest Rights and Liberties of his country.”[viii] Just days before battle would commence, Washington issued yet another General Order in which he recommended the keeping of the Sabbath and pleaded with his men to shun the immoral temptations that abounded in the city, exhorting them to “endeavor to check [such behavior] and…reflect, that we can have little hopes of the blessing of Heaven on our Arms, if we insult it by our impiety and folly.”[ix]
Washington Praying Credit: Library of Congress
That Washington was assured the Lord would provide in the upcoming battle is evidenced by the army’s positive response to their commander-in-chief’s spiritual encouragements. One observant New Yorker, unaccustomed to seeing a pious group of soldiers, wrote of his surprise to see how Washington’s men attended prayers “evening and morning regularly.” “On the Lord’s day,” commented the observer, “they attend public worship twice, and their deportment in the house of God is such as becomes the place.” Washington’s trusted officer, Henry Knox, wrote to his wife that he would daily “rise with or a little before the sun and immediately, with part of the regiment attend prayers, sing a psalm or read a chapter [from the Bible].”[x] They were trying diligently to keep their end of the covenant.
The faith and influence of Washington was extended through other revolutionary leaders who caught his vision and acted upon it. One such leader, Connecticut Governor Jonathon Trumbull, upon learning of Washington’s impending battle, called for nine fresh regiments to march in support of Washington (and this was in addition to the five regiments he had already sent). Trumbull’s call to arms sounded much like something Joshua might have said in the camp of Israel: “Be roused and alarmed to stand forth in our just and glorious cause. Join…march on; this shall be your warrant: play the man for God, and for the cities of our God! May the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, be your leader.”[xi]
THE NEPHITES KNEW
Captain Moroni raised up his constitution [declaration?], even the Title of Liberty. As the banner unfurled, he had something profound to say to his nation: “Come forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a covenant that they [we] will maintain their [our] rights, and their [our] religion, that the Lord God may bless them [us].”[xii] As he raised the banner, Moroni provided proof to the Nephites as to why they were a covenant people living on a covenant land. “[We must] preserve our liberty as a remnant of Joseph; yea let us remember the words of Jacob, before his death.”[xiii]
CAPTAIN MORONI AND TITLE OF LIBERTY
These words of Jacob included a promise to his son Joseph, that his seed would be “a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall.” It was a promise of a new land across the sea from the Old World—a land of peace and prosperity. It was a Promised Land protected by “the hands of the mighty God of Jacob” and blessed with blessings “that prevailed…unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.” In our seminary manuals and Church curriculum, we learn of modern revelation that teaches us that this land promised to the seed of Joseph was in the New World—in the Americas. The marvelous blessing from Jacob to Joseph is found in Genesis 49.[xiv]
So important is this blessing of Joseph’s promised land, that it was first suggested by the Lord to Joseph’s great-grandfather Abraham, at the conception of his great covenant that was to bless the world. Part of that Abrahamic covenant promises that the great patriarch would be the “father of many nations” and many lands, and that “in [his] seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.”[xv]
Father Lehi understood as well. Before he crossed “over the wall” of water to the Promised Land, he sent his boys back to Jerusalem to acquire the Brass Plates. Why? Was he afraid he would not have material for Sunday School lessons in the New World? No, he was afraid his people would forget who they were, and thus forget the covenant they would need to live by. In explaining to his sons why they needed to return for the plates, he stated:
I am a descendant of Joseph who was carried captive into Egypt. And great were the covenants of the Lord which he made unto Joseph. Wherefore, Joseph truly saw our day. And he obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of Israel.[xvi]
Like Captain Moroni, Lehi knew who he was. He would fulfill the prophecies and promises given to Joseph in Genesis 49. He was to possess a Promised Land. “And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments” declares the Book of Mormon, “…it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity.”[xvii] The Book of Mormon nations were continually told: “Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land.”[xviii]
THEREFORE….WHAT?
Why does the Book of Mormon include all this talk of a covenant land? There are at least two reasons. First, the Lord desires to show that it is this covenant upon the land that will protect and preserve the people, thus allowing them to live in liberty. When they are righteous, the blessings flow. When they are not, captivity becomes their reality. This is the constant theme and trend laced throughout the Book of Mormon. And second, the Lord wants to teach us today that America is still a covenant land, and that the rules still apply.
The Nephites knew that without a covenant land and a covenant people in the world, the adversary would have free reign to buy up armies and navies and rule with blood and horror upon this earth. He will crush the agency of man, as was his goal from the beginning. For without full agency, man can hardly access the gospel of salvation. Satan has been successful. But God has not been idle in this fight. He would provide another promised land, as He had for the Nephites, for His latter-day children. He would not let His gospel fall victim to the adversary’s attack on liberty. That promised land was always to be the United States of America!
Consider how even a cursory review of American history reveals a consistent pattern: where goes the adversary, with its political and military tools of oppression and thus spiritual obstruction, there goes America to confront and defeat it; and where goes America to confront and defeat it, there goes the heavenly influence of the constitutional principles of liberty and free agency; and where go these divine principles, there goes man’s opportunity for personal growth and the introduction and advancement of God’s restored gospel. Wherever America has engaged evil in the world (whether through example, diplomacy, or even war), temples have eventually followed.
It should be of little wonder that God Himself declared that He had “established” the American nation for the very purposes outlined above: for the “rights and protection of all flesh…that every man may act…according to the moral agency which I have given unto him.”[xix]
So important is the United States to God’s plan, that its covenant status is clearly described in the Book of Mormon. The resurrected Christ, while administering to the Nephite nation, pronounced that latter-day America would “be set up as a free people by the power of the Father…that the covenant of the Father may be fulfilled.”[xx] Nephi knew that these national covenant blessings would provide the foundation for the Restoration of the gospel in the latter days. He describes that latter-day Restoration in his concluding prophecies recorded in 1 Nephi 13. But shall we forget how Nephi began 1 Nephi 13? He understood that a foundation would first be laid before the Restoration could be launched. That foundation would be the American Covenant.
THE AMERICAN COVENANT RESTORED
Nephi had a vision of latter-day America. That vision culminated in the Restoration of the gospel. But first his eyes were opened to the latter-day national covenant-makers who would make it all possible.
In his vision, Nephi “beheld a man among the Gentiles.” Nephi declared, “I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.”[xxi] Some two thousand years later, Christopher Columbus boarded a ship for that promised land and recorded words that might cause us to wonder if somehow he had accessed Nephi’s prophecy even before it had been made available to mankind. For he declared, “Our Lord unlocked my mind, sent me upon the sea, and gave me fire for the deed. Those who heard of my enterprise called it foolish, mocked me, and laughed. But who can doubt but that the Holy Ghost inspired me?”[xxii]
Christopher Columbus
Astonishingly, Columbus declared that his discovery of the New World “came to pass as Jesus Christ our Savior had predicted and as He had previously announced through the mouths of His holy prophets.”[xxiii] With the discovery completed, Columbus believed, and thus stated, that “the gospel must now be proclaimed to so many lands in such a short time.”[xxiv] More specifically, Columbus taught that his work would lead to what he called “the recovery of God’s Holy City and Mount Zion, and…the evangelization of the isles of the Indies and of all other peoples and nations.”[xxv] No wonder he had been seen in vision by an ancient prophet of God.
Nephi also beheld the latter-day settlers of the land. He saw that they “had gone forth out of captivity [and] did humble themselves before the Lord.”[xxvi] He saw that they brought the Bible with them to the New World. Nephi declared that the book they had was “a record of the Jews, which contains the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel.”[xxvii] In fulfillment of Nephi’s prophecy, over two thousand years later, the Pilgrims and Puritans did come to the land and they did invoke the covenant. They even referred to themselves as the “New Israel.”[xxviii]
Pilgrims praying on shores of Promised Land
They followed the words of their inspired leader, John Winthrop, who echoed the words of Father Lehi, declaring: “Thus stands the cause between God and us, we are entered into Covenant with him for this work….if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken and so cause Him to withdraw his present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword through the world.” Winthrop called upon his people to live the commandments that God might make them a “City upon a Hill.”[xxix]
Nephi’s vision extended into the American Revolution. Declared Nephi, “And I beheld that their mother Gentiles were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them. And I beheld that the power of God was with them…[they] were delivered by the power of God.”[xxx] The evidence of this prophetic fulfillment is overwhelming.
We discussed one such miracle at Long Island. But this was not the exception to the Revolution—this was the rule. Similar miracles (even more amazing, in some instances, than Long Island) were witnessed on the battlefields at Boston, Trenton, Princeton, Yorktown, and others. These stories have been intentionally hidden from us by secular historians—but these stories were very real to those who lived them. In the middle of the war, George Washington stood and said, as he did so often, that “Providence has heretofore saved us in remarkable manner and on this we must principally rely.”[xxxi] Covenant words.
THE GREATEST DAY NEVER CELEBRATED
“The smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained.”[xxxii] With independence secured, George Washington stood in Federal Hall, New York City, and declared these covenant words while being inaugurated as the first president of the United States. The date was April 30, 1789—the day the Constitution, even that document which, according to revelation, was based in “holy principles” established to protect “moral agency” for “all flesh,”[xxxiii] came into being. But it was clearly much more than an inauguration. It was the day the covenant was officially invoked over all the land.
Washington taking oath—Allyn Cox
Just before Washington invoked the national covenant through his “Smiles of Heaven” speech, he was sworn in as the first president of the United States. The details of this ceremony were profound. He called for a Bible. He raised his right arm to the square (making the sign of a covenant/oath) while placing his left hand upon the sacred book. After repeating the constitutional oath, he declared, “So help me God,” then bowed down reverently and kissed the Bible.
Few have cared to notice what biblical passage Washington chose to place his hand upon. In fact, historians and commentators, if they choose to note anything about the particular scripture, simply muse at why a deliberate man like Washington, who knew posterity would be watching, did not choose a more important scripture. For the scripture he chose seems irrelevant to most—just some Old Testament babble. In a move almost too astonishing to believe, Washington had placed his hand directly upon Genesis 49—his fingers literally laying upon the words “Joseph is a fruitful bough, whose branches run over the wall…”[xxxiv]
It was the same covenant and prophecy Father Lehi recognized as the purpose of his migration to the Promised Land. It was the same covenant and prophecy Captain Moroni directly referenced as he raised the Title of Liberty, while invoking the national covenant. George Washington did the same thing. Like Moroni, he invoked the covenant using language that was undeniably covenant language, then he hoisted up America’s Title of Liberty (indeed, it marked the day the Constitution came into effect), and then he referenced the exact same ancient prophecy that speaks of America and her covenant.
After the ceremony, Washington descended to the street to be greeted by throngs of Americans. He then led a procession through the streets of New York City. The newly elected congressmen and senators followed close behind. They entered St. Paul’s Chapel. The first joint session of congress commenced. It consisted of a prayer in a church.
Many secularists believe today that such government-sponsored invocations to God are unconstitutional—that they violate the separation of church and state. But they are wrong. The Founders understood the great difference between “separation of church and state” and “separation of God and state.” The former is a righteous principle that keeps the government out of religious denominations and religious denominations out of the government. The latter, however, leaves us vulnerable and unprotected. It exposes us to the designs of the Evil One.
As Ronald Reagan declared, “Freedom prospers only where the blessings of God are avidly sought and humbly expected.” Quoting William Penn, Reagan continued, “If we will not be governed by God, we must be governed by tyrants.”[xxxv] As evidenced through their words and deeds, the Founding Fathers understood this point clearly.
If secularists are correct, then they would have to admit that the Constitution was violated on April 30, 1789. They would have to make the outrageous claim that on the very day the Constitution was activated, it was simultaneously violated by the very people who brought it to light. Are they willing to say that?
Perhaps we should turn our hearts to the Founders of the nation who understood truth. Or we can ignore them to our own national demise.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
Today we face serious trouble in this nation. Our economic collapse calls for a new domestic policy. Real threats from hateful terrorist nations and groups call for a new foreign policy. We can debate and discuss policy options all day long (and we should), but it means absolutely nothing if we ignore what the founders left for us—even the key to national salvation. That key is God and covenant. They understood it. They used it to defeat the most powerful military force on the planet, which had landed on their shores (talk about serious trouble!). They used it to create the most powerful and prosperous nation the world has ever known. Against all odds, it worked for them! And, even against all odds, it will work for us today to accomplish our righteous national goals.
So here we are over 200 years later. Next week, we have choices to make that will affect the direction of this nation. It is bigger than one man or one party. This is not about politics—it is about the salvation of this nation and the covenant that built it. The main questions Americans should ask themselves as they enter the polling place are, Which option brings this nation closer to God and covenant? Which potential leaders will more likely turn the nation to righteousness, thus allowing us to merit the covenant blessings from the God of this land? If we can’t get this part right, no policy plans or initiatives will matter anyway.
President Gordon B. Hinckley once issued the following warning to the nation. In light of what American history teaches us, there can be no better national counsel than this:
For a good while there has been going on in this nation a process that I have termed the secularization of America….we as a nation are forsaking the Almighty, and I fear that He will begin to forsake us. We are shutting the door against the God whose sons and daughters we are….Future blessings will come only as we deserve them. Can we expect peace and prosperity, harmony and goodwill, when we turn our backs on the Source of strength? If we are to continue to have the freedoms that evolved within the structure that was the inspiration of the Almighty to our Founding Fathers, we must return to the God who is their true Author….God bless America, for it is His creation. [xxxvi]
[i] David McCullough, 1776, 134, 148.
[ii] McCullough, 1776, 184.
[iii] David McCullough, “What the Fog Wrought,” What If? The World’s Foremost Military Authorities Imagine What Might Have Been, James Cowley, ed., 197.
[iv] McCullough, “What the Fog Wrought,” 198; McCullough, 1776, 191.
[v] McCullough, 1776, 191-192.
[vi] Bennett, The Spirit of America, 393.
[vii] Novak, Washington’s God, 71.
[viii] Bennett, The Spirit of America, 390.
[ix] Novak, Washington’s God, 89.
[x] McCullough, 1776, 123, 147.
[xi] Jonathon Trumbull, as quoted in Marshall and Manuel, 394.
[xiv] For more information on how this prophecy connects to the New World, see LDS Church Old Testament Student Manuel, Second Edition, Revised (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981), 98-99; LDS Church Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2002), 40-41.
[xxii] Columbus, as quoted in Jacob Wasserman, Columbus, Don Quixote of the Seas, translated by Delno C. West and August Kling (Gainseville, FL: 1991).
[xxiii] Columbus, as quoted in Christopher Columbus, Libro de las profecias , translated by Delno C. West and August Kling (Gainseville, FL: 1991).
[xxiv] Christopher Columbus, as quoted in Steven Waldman, Founding Faith: Providence, Politics and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America (New York: Random House, 2008), 4.
[xxv] Carol Delaney (2006), “Columbus’s Ultimate Goal: Jerusalem.” Comparative Studies in Society and History,48, p. 268.
[xxviii] See William J. Bennett, The Spirit of America (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1997), 366.
[xxix] John Winthrop, “A Model of Christian Charity,” Winthrop Papers, 1498-1649, Vol. 2 (Boston: The Massachusetts Historical Society), 282-95; See also H. Sheldon Smith et al, American Christianity, An Historical Interpretation with Representative Documents, Vol.1: 1607-1820 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1960), 102.
What is a Liberal? From Oxford Dictionary, “open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values.” Open to new opinions is good isn’t it? Of course it is. But what if the new opinion is to change a proven or traditional law that God has given us? What if we get a majority of opinion that agree with us and disagree with what a so called God says? Does everyone have a right to their own opinion? Of course. This is the tricky part. Not all people have faith in God and don’t even believe in God. Shouldn’t we respect their opinion? Of course, but we don’t have to agree with their opinion do we? No! There is a God! This is 100% for me, by FAITH and study and prayer.
What is a conservative? Oxford says, “holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics or religion.” It seems to me that a Conservative is one who treats values coming from God as traditional. I think a conservative has a strong faith in God and chooses to follow Him, and I believe a liberal can have faith in God but tends to believe in man more than God. Both a liberal and a conservative, sin and make mistakes, but conservatives seem to be more forgiving than a liberal. Conservatives seen to judge others more harshly especially if the other one doesn’t seem to love God. I believe Liberals are more inclusive to anyone regardless of race or religion. These things are very simplified but I find them basically true in the world today.
The point? As you listen to President Lee below, you will see that he believes basically what I do. I’m sure he loves all people as I do, but there is a profound difference between a conservative and a liberal. They both have good qualities, but I believe that having faith in the Son of God is far more important than believing in the arm of flesh. I am not saying a Conservative is better than a Liberal as I will not judge, but I know I am a Conservative and I believe it is the best way for anyone to live. I also believe in a Conservative Government of Freedom in a Capitalist society with high morals. I believe our Creator gave us all Life, Liberty and Happiness and no man can take those things from us. I believe in the 10 Commandments and I believe The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true and the Book of Mormon is the Word of God and Joseph Smith is and was a prophet of God. We have a living Prophet today even President Russell M Nelson.
“The self-called liberal [in the Church] is usually one who has broken with the fundamental principles or guiding philosophy of the group to which he belongs.” John A. Widstoe
There are those in the Church who speak of themselves as liberals who, as one of our former presidents has said, “read by the lamp of their own conceit.” Joseph F. Smith
Tradition says, “hold the Rod”
Thank you Kevin Price again for sharing a profound article with me.
The Iron Rod
by Harold B. Lee Address delivered at general conference Sunday afternoon, April 4, 1971
I sincerely pray for the spirit of this great conference during the few moments that I shall stand here.
Sometime ago there appeared in the Wall Street Journal a thought-provoking article, written by an eminent theologian at the Columbia University, under the subject heading “An Antidote for Aimlessness,” which you recognize as a condition that is prevalent in the world today. I quote from this article by Rabbi Arthur Herlzterg:
“What people come to religion for, is an ultimate metaphysical hunger, and when that hunger is not satisfied, religion declines … the moment that clerics become more worldly, the world goes to hades the faster.
“… Religion represents the accumulation of man’s insight over thousands of years into such questions as the nature of man, the meaning of life, the individual’s place in the universe. That is, precisely, the question at the root of man’s restlessness.
“Man seeks something to end his state of confusion and emptiness … in the latest parlance, an antidote for aimlessness. We do not know if the truths of religious tradition can be interpreted to satisfy this need, but we are sure that here, not in political activism, is religion’s path to relevance.”
As an answer to those who may be wandering aimlessly, searching for something to satisfy their need and to end their state of confusion and emptiness, I would like to introduce a few thoughts by relating a remarkable vision which came to an ancient prophet by the name of Lehi—600 years before Christ. To the faithful members of the Church this will be an oft-related incident recorded in the Book of Mormon. To those not of our faith this may, if they will ponder seriously, be very significant in the light of many trends in our modern society.
Think of the Rod as God directing you to him.
In this dream, or better called a vision, the prophet Lehi was led by a heavenly messenger through a dark and dreary waste to a tree laden with delicious fruit which proved to be very satisfying to his soul. He beheld a river of water nearby along which was a straight and narrow path leading to the tree laden with delicious fruit. Between the river bank and the path was a rod of iron, presumably to safeguard the travelers from falling off the narrow path into the river.
As he looked, he saw large groups of people crowding forward to gain access to the spacious field where the tree with fruit was located. As they pressed forward along the path, a great mist of darkness arose, so dense that many who started lost their way and wandered off and were drowned in the murky water or were lost from view as they wandered into strange paths. There were others, however, likewise in danger of being lost because of the blinding mist, who caught hold of the iron rod and, by so doing, held their course so that they too could partake of the delicacies which had beckoned them to come, despite the hazardous journey. Across, on the opposite side of the river, were multitudes of people pointing fingers of scorn at those who made the journey safely.
As with many other ancient prophets in biblical history, dreams or visions of this nature were effective means by which the Lord communicated with his people through prophet-leaders. Just so, this dream had great significance, as the Lord revealed to the prophet Lehi. The tree laden with fruit was a representation of the love of God which he sheds forth among all the children of men. The Master himself, later in his earthly ministry, explained to Nicodemus how that great love was manifested. Said he: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”; and then the Master added: “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16–17.)
The rod of iron as seen in the vision interpreted was the word of God, or the gospel of Jesus Christ, which led to the tree of life that the Master explained to the woman at the well in Samaria was as “a well of [living] water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14.)
Those, as seen in the vision, who were across the river pointing fingers of scorn represented the multitudes of the earth which are gathered together to fight against the apostles of the Lamb of God. The scorners, so the Lord revealed, represented the so-called wisdom of the world, and the building itself in which they were gathered was the “pride of the world.” (See 1 Ne. 11–12.)
If there is any one thing most needed in this time of tumult and frustration, when men and women and youth and young adults are desperately seeking for answers to the problems which afflict mankind, it is an “iron rod” as a safe guide along the straight path on the way to eternal life, amidst the strange and devious roadways that would eventually lead to destruction and to the ruin of all that is “virtuous, lovely, or of good report.”
These conditions as they would be found in the earth when these scriptures, now called the Book of Mormon, were to be brought forth were foreseen by the prophets. As I read some of these predictions, I would have you think of conditions with which we are surrounded today:
“And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts; unto … envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities … because of the pride of your hearts.
“… behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.” (Morm. 8:36–37.)
The apostle Paul also spoke of a time of peril when “men [would] be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
“Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those things that are good,
“Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. …” (2 Tim. 3:2–5.)
There are many who profess to be religious and speak of themselves as Christians, and, according to one such, “as accepting the scriptures only as sources of inspiration and moral truth,” and then ask in their smugness: “Do the revelations of God give us a handrail to the kingdom of God, as the Lord’s messenger told Lehi, or merely a compass?”
Unfortunately, some are among us who claim to be Church members but are somewhat like the scoffers in Lehi’s vision—standing aloof and seemingly inclined to hold in derision the faithful who choose to accept Church authorities as God’s special witnesses of the gospel and his agents in directing the affairs of the Church.
There are those in the Church who speak of themselves as liberals who, as one of our former presidents has said, “read by the lamp of their own conceit.”(Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine [Deseret Book Co., 1939], p. 373.) One time I asked one of our Church educational leaders how he would define a liberal in the Church. He answered in one sentence: “A liberal in the Church is merely one who does not have a testimony.”
Dr. John A. Widtsoe, former member of the Quorum of the Twelve and an eminent educator, made a statement relative to this word liberal as it applied to those in the Church. This is what he said:
“The self-called liberal [in the Church] is usually one who has broken with the fundamental principles or guiding philosophy of the group to which he belongs. … He claims membership in an organization but does not believe in its basic concepts; and sets out to reform it by changing its foundations. … “It is folly to speak of a liberal religion, if that religion claims that it rests upon unchanging truth.”
And then Dr. Widtsoe concludes his statement with this: “It is well to beware of people who go about proclaiming that they are or their churches are liberal. The probabilities are that the structure of their faith is built on sand and will not withstand the storms of truth.” (“Evidences and Reconciliations,” Improvement Era, vol. 44 [1941], p. 609.)
Here again, to use the figure of speech in Lehi’s vision, they are those who are blinded by the mists of darkness and as yet have not a firm grasp on the “iron rod.”
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, when there are questions which are unanswered because the Lord hasn’t seen fit to reveal the answers as yet, all such could say, as Abraham Lincoln is alleged to have said, “I accept all I read in the Bible that I can understand, and accept the rest on faith.”
How comforting it would be to those who are the restless in the intellectual world, when such questions arise as to how the earth was formed and how man came to be, if they could answer as did an eminent scientist and devoted Church member. A sister had asked: “Why didn’t the Lord tell us plainly about these things?” The scientist answered: “It is likely we would not understand if he did. It might be like trying to explain the theory of atomic energy to an eight-year-old child.”
Wouldn’t it be a great thing if all who are well schooled in secular learning could hold fast to the “iron rod,” or the word of God, which could lead them, through faith, to an understanding, rather than to have them stray away into strange paths of man-made theories and be plunged into the murky waters of disbelief and apostasy?
I heard one of our own eminent scientists say something to the effect that he believed more professors have taken themselves out of the Church by their trying to philosophize or intellectualize the fall of Adam and the subsequent atonement of the Savior. This was because they would rather accept the philosophies of men than what the Lord has revealed until they, and we, are able to understand the “mysteries of godliness” as explained to the prophets of the Lord and more fully revealed in sacred places.
There were evidently similar questions and controversies in the Master’s time. In one terse answer, he gave the essential ingredients to safety amidst the maze of uncertainty:
To settle an apparent controversy among his disciples as to who would be the greatest in the kingdom of God, he said: “… except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of [God].” (Matt. 18:3.)
To become converted, according to the scriptures, meant having a change of heart and the moral character of a person turned from the controlled power of sin into a righteous life. It meant to “wait patiently on the Lord” until one’s prayers can be answered and until his heart, as Cyprian, a defender of the faith in the Apostolic Period, testified, and I quote, “Into my heart, purified of all sin, there entered a light which came from on high, and then suddenly and in a marvelous manner, I saw certainty succeed doubt.”
Conversion must mean more than just being a “card carrying” member of the Church with a tithing receipt, a membership card, a temple recommend, etc. It means to overcome the tendencies to criticize and to strive continually to improve inward weaknesses and not merely the outward appearances.
The Lord issued a warning to those who would seek to destroy the faith of an individual or lead him away from the word of God or cause him to lose his grasp on the “iron rod,” wherein was safety by faith in a Divine Redeemer and his purposes concerning this earth and its peoples.
The Master warned: “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better … that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matt. 18:6.)
The Master was impressing the fact that rather than ruin the soul of a true believer, it were better for a person to suffer an earthly death than to incur the penalty of jeopardizing his own eternal destiny.
The apostle Paul impressed also the danger of false teachings by bad example. Said he: “But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. …
“And through thy knowledge shall the weak … perish, for whom Christ died?
“But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.” (1 Cor. 8:9, 11–12.)
Speaking to the learned and highly sophisticated generation in his time, the prophet Jacob said something which seems to be so often needed to be repeated today: “… When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. …
“But to be learned is good if they hearken to the counsels of God.” (2 Ne. 9:28–29.)
We fervently thank the Lord for the faithfulness and devotion of many in and out of the Church who are in high places in business, in governmental circles, in the legal profession, doctors, trained social workers, nurses, and those in the fields of the sciences and the arts. Particularly are we grateful for those who accept positions of leadership in the Church, who serve as home teachers or class leaders in the priesthood or in the auxiliaries, who make themselves available for volunteer service in helping to care for the unfortunate in all lands and among minorities within and without the Church, and in giving particular attention to the needs of the widows and the orphans.
I say to all such, as did Jesus to Zacchaeus: “This day is salvation come to [their] house.” (Luke 19:9.) These are they who are holding fast to the “iron rod” which can lead us all, in safety, to the tree of life.
I read recently from a column in the Washington Post, by George Moore, who styled himself as the “hermit of Mount Vernon.” (Mount Vernon, of course, was the ancestral home of George Washington.) In this article he said, “I have spent the last twenty years of my life at Mount Vernon reducing my ignorance.” He claimed that a person never learns anything until he realizes how little he knows. In this article he makes this most illuminating observation about George Washington:
“Washington never went to school. That’s why he was an educated man, he never quit learning.”
What George Moore said of himself I suppose could be said of many of you and of myself: “I have spent more than three score years of my life reducing my ignorance.”
Therein, it is my conviction, is the challenge to all who achieve distinction in any field. Some quit learning when they graduate from a school; some quit learning about the gospel when they have completed a mission for the Church; some quit learning when they become an executive or have a prominent position in or out of the Church.
Remember, as George Moore said of Washington, “We can become educated persons, regardless of our stations in life, if we never quit learning.”
The late President Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote this: “Any man who does his work well, who is justifiably self-confident and not unduly disturbed by the jeers of the cynics and the shirkers, any man who stays true to decent motives and is considerate of others is, in essence, a leader. Whether or not he is ever singled out for prominence, he is bound to achieve great inner satisfaction in turning out superior work.
“And that, by the way, is what the good Lord put us on this earth for.” (“What Is Leadership?” Reader’s Digest, June 1965, p. 54.)
With the restoration of the true gospel of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the Church in the dispensation of the fulness of times, we were given instructions by revelation, the magnitude of which, as the late President Brigham H. Roberts explained, was “not merely as to whether baptism should be by immersion or for the forgiveness of sins, but the rubbish of accumulated ages was swept aside, the rocks made bare, and the foundations of the Kingdom of God were relaid.”
It may seem preposterous to many to declare that within the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may be found a bulwark to safeguard against the pitfalls, the frustrations, and the wickedness in the world. The plan of salvation formed in the heavens points clearly to the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life, even though there are many who refuse to follow that way.
In a great revelation, the Lord gave instruction by commandment to the leaders of the Church of that early day that they should be seekers after truth in many fields.
First, of course, he commanded that they should “teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom … in all things that pertain [to] the kingdom of God. …” (D&C 88:77–78.)
The Conservative desires to hold the rod, Liberals don’t think they need a rod.
Then he counsels as to the wide sweep of learning about which we should seek. His church was not to be an ignorant ministry in various fields of secular learning.
And then the Lord addressed his revelation to all others who may not have faith: “… seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” (D&C 88:118.)
One might well ask: How does one get “learning by faith”? One prophet explains the process: First, one must arouse his faculties and experiment on the words of the Lord and desire to believe. Let this desire work in you until ye believe in a manner that you can give place even to a portion of the word of the Lord; then, like a planted seed, it must be cultivated and not resist the Spirit of the Lord, which is that which lighteneth everyone born into the world; you can then begin to feel within yourselves that it must be good, for it enlarges your soul and enlightens your understanding and, like the fruit of the tree in Lehi’s vision, it becomes delicious to the taste. (See Alma 32.)
It was an English novelist who was quoted as saying: “He who seeks God has already found him.”
Let no one think that “learning by faith” contemplates an easy or lazy way to gain knowledge and ripen it into wisdom.
From heavenly instructions and added to which are the experiences of almost anyone who has sought diligently for heavenly guidance, one may readily understand that learning by faith requires the bending of the whole soul through worthy living to become attuned to the Holy Spirit of the Lord, the calling up from the depths of one’s own mental searching, and the linking of our own efforts to receive the true witness of the Spirit.
The mission of this church is to bear witness of the truths of the gospel and put to flight the false teachings on every side that are causing the restlessness and the aimlessness that threaten all who have not found the straight path and that which could be an anchor to their souls.
My fervent prayer is that I may hold up that true Light of Christ to all the world. I would that all may know with assurance, as I, from study, prayer, and faith, know for a certainty, as the Master declared to Martha, who was mourning the death of Lazarus, that the Lord and Master is indeed “the resurrection, and the life; [and] he that believeth in [him], though he were dead, yet shall he live:
“And whosoever liveth and believeth in [him] shall never die. …” (John 11:25–26.)
I thank the Lord that I can answer, as did Martha and as did Peter of old: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matt. 16:16.)
“Yea, Lord: I believe … thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” (John 11:27.)
To this I do bear my solemn witness, in the sacred name of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, even so. Amen.
Ether – Moroni – D&C 84 Link Confirms North American Location of Cumorah By Samuel Dunaway – September 27, 2022
“I have been blessed by meeting a very spiritual man named Sam Dunaway. We met in Colorado while both working there in 1983. Our friendship led to a time when I could see that Sam was down and somewhat depressed as he was working so hard and not seeing many results. While having some time together alone, I felt a strong presence of the Spirit at this time and I could feel Sam’s anguish. I knew without a doubt, Sam needed what I had, a personal witness that the Lord loves us. I bore a quick testimony to Sam, as I had simply said, “I think you need to find God.” He replied, “Is your church open to new-comers?”, and from there the witness of truth has followed Sam throughout his life. He touched me with his simple, immediate response in humility. He felt the Spirit and is now a special witness of the Savior today, and a very special friend.” Rian Nelson
Sam’s Testimony
I take personal responsibility for the contents of this article, knowing that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints takes no position on any proposed Book of Mormon sites.
The reason I have written this article is to present grounds for agreement among church members. This subject has no bearing on the basis of a personal testimony, which is given by the Holy Ghost. However, it does give credence to the Lord’s admonition “I say unto you, be one” See D&C 38:27, 1 Cor 1:10, Moses 7:18.
For too long there has been confusion on the subject of the hill Cumorah and location of the sacred records while the Nephites possessed them, as well as the location of the Nephite and Lamanite inhabitants. Such confusion is neither warranted nor appreciated especially when the Book of Mormon is clear. I testify that the Book of Mormon contains the word of God, as made known to me by the Holy Ghost. Although locations and evidences being temporal are secondary and will never prove the divinity of the Book of Mormon, they are an important part of our heritage. Were it not so, the Church would not have acquired historic sites.
Far too many have been negatively impacted by our lack of oneness. At the very least, we are required to cease contending amongst ourselves and to stop confusing our converts and our youth. We owe them a basis of strength which is supportive, keeping them from being blown about by every wind of doctrine against us by our enemies.
Reminder… ‘too often, due to the “natural man” and woman in us, you and I are sometimes that enemy.’ (Elder Holland, Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually)
*For the purpose of this article, North American Continent includes the contiguous United States and Canada. Central American Continent would include areas from Mexico to Panama.
Joseph Smith and the Angel Moroni by Tom Holdman (Stained glass) Hill Cumorah Visitors Center, Palmyra, New York
1. Everyone who studies the Book of Mormon must agree that at least one Nephite, Moroni, and numerous Lamanites, who hunted him (Mormon 8:7), existed on the North American continent at the time he hid the few plates that his father Mormon gave him in the earth. See Mormon 6:6, 8:4, 8:14, Moroni 20:2. They remained hidden in a prominent hill in New York until Moroni directed Joseph Smith concerning the plates. See JSH 1:51.
2a. The Nephites were very careful to document who had possession of the records, and where the records were located when not in the personal possession of the record keeper. See Mormon 1:3-4, 2:17, 6:6, Ether 15:33. This careful practice was performed the entire time that the Nephites had the records. There is even detail recorded about the Jaredite plates found by Limhi’s people during their expedition, as well as a record of Coriantumr, the Jaredite, dwelling with the people of Zarahemla. See Mosiah 8:9, Omni 1:21. The Nephites were meticulously serious about accurately preserving the records; to the degree that when Jesus personally reviewed their records, he corrected a single error. See 3 Nephi 23:7-13.
2b. Two separate hills are recorded as repositories where the records were located or hidden. One is named Shim and the other Cumorah. Due to the careful and accurate process the Nephites practiced, only one hill named Cumorah existed. If there were a duplicate named hill, it would have been recorded in the Book of Mormon. No such licensure was given by the Nephites, nor is found in writings expressly authored by Joseph Smith. We know exactly where the sole hill Cumorah is located.
Ether – Moroni – D&C 84 Link (3 and 4a):
3. The prophet Ether references the place of “a New Jerusalem on this land” (Ether 3:3, 3:2-8). We know the place of the New Jerusalem by revelation (D&C 84:2-4), to be in western Missouri. Coriantumr was king over all the land (Ether 12:1) in which Ether lived. Coriantumr was unaware that another people were being established in the land (Ether 13:21) until Ether told him. Therefore Coriantumr’s kingdom could not have spanned beyond the land area of the continent upon which they dwelt. He was simply unable to maintain so large a kingdom, losing it to other peoples. Where then were Coriantumr and Ether? In order for Ether to correctly and emphatically declare “this land” four times in Ether 13, as being the future place of the New Jerusalem, he must needs have been standing on the North American continent. Otherwise standing on Central or South American Continents, he would have had to declare “the land northward“. Therefore, we know that at least two million Jaredites inhabited this land of North America. See Ether 15:2.
4a. The final battles of the Jaredites, also the Nephites and Lamanites, are identified by Moroni as being by the hill Ramah, which was the Jaredite name for the hill Cumorah, where Mormon “did hide up the records”. See Ether 15:11, Mormon 6:6. Therefore the hill Cumorah exists on the same land that Ether declared as the land where the New Jerusalem would be built. Because the final battles of the Nephites and Lamanites were also upon the North American Continent, at least two hundred thirty thousand Nephites (Mormon 6:10-15) and greater numbers of Lamanites, existed upon the same.
4b. It is highly plausible, given the circumstances of record relocation, that the hill Shim exists in close proximity to the hill Cumorah. During the midst of terrible battles and at great peril, Mormon made the decision to move several sets of heavy permanent records on plates of various metals between the hills for security and safe keeping. We know that one of Mormon’s main tasks was to abridge records onto the gold plates which included the plates of Nephi. In addition, the Jaredite plates, which Moroni later abridged, brass plates and sword taken from Laban, as well as the Liahona would have been part of the relocation. I’m not sure of other records that were in his possession. Mormon also had to keep the plates away from extremely corrupt and greedily depraved Nephites. My point is that it was not easy to orchestrate the move in a secure fashion.
5. Since the Nephites and Lamanites existed in such great numbers in North America, as indicated indirectly by Moroni, we must agree that they inhabited the land for a period of at least several decades during which continual battles and wars occurred, beginning in 321 AD. See Mormon 1:8.
I invite any reader to share with me your specific information about this research as well as any changes you feel are necessary.
Samuel Dunaway
Personal background:
●Born in Illinois in 60s.
●Spent much time as a young boy hiking and building forts in the woods.
●Some older boys in the neighborhood searched for arrow heads.
●Moved to Colorado and joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1983.
●Rian Nelson introduced me to the Church. While he shared his testimony with me, he did not mention anything about evidences of the Book of Mormon.
●Gained a testimony of Church gospel and doctrine based on revelation from Holy Ghost, thus desiring baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
●Since reading the Book of Mormon for the first time, I believed that Moroni buried plates in the hill Cumorah in New York.
●Heard various versions and theories about where the Nephites and Lamanites may have lived in the intervening years.
●Gave the prevailing theories a lot of thought but never came to any sound conclusions regarding proposed Central or South America locations.
●Confusion regarding the various theories resulted in many questions including the following:
-How did Mormon relocate several records over such a vast distance to the hill Cumorah and in the midst of terrible battles?
‐How did Moroni carry heavy plates with him while wandering northward, evading Lamanite hunters and continuing to write the record?
●In 2016 I began to study evidences relating to Book of Mormon peoples.
●Have found some North America location theories to be extraneous but well documented as a whole.
●In 2018 I was pleasantly surprised to learn of Rian’s involvement in research supporting such evidences.
●My divine testimony of the truth of the Book of Mormon remains separate from any evidences.
The understanding of who the Lamanites are, and where they lived, has been a topic of interest for many years in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was taught in the 1970’s what is called the “Hemispheric Model” about the Book of Mormon. (Map Left)Meaning, that generally speaking all of the Lamanites lived in South America and all the Nephites lived in North America and the “Narrow Neck of Land” was Central America. That has now become obsolete to most people in the Church, whether they believe in a Mesoamerican, a Heartland, a Baja theory, or any other theory about Book of Mormon Events.The consensus opinion of both Heartlanders and Mesoamericanists is, the Book of Mormon had to be contained into a smaller geographical area of about 7-900 miles east to west and 4-600 miles north to south. That means either the Nephites lived in the Heartland of North America from about Zarahemla (Montrose, IA) to the Hill Cumorah near Palmyra NY (800 to 850 miles across the Land Zarahemla and Bountiful) and from about Mackinaw City, Michigan in the north to the Cincinnati, OH on the Ohio River (500-550 miles through the Land of Zarahemla and Bountiful)The reason is, that the distances required to make that old Hemispheric Model a reality has created an almost consensus opinion that it just doesn’t make sense anymore. A “Limited Geography Model” or today what is called (Hinterland Model) is now the consensus.Either the Lehites sailed southwest from Oman and around Africa and they landed in North America near Florida to begin civilization, or they sailed southeast towards the tip of India and through the islands of Malaysia and the Philippines continuing east on the huge Pacific ocean and then landing on the west coast near Chile or Central America. My mariner friend, British Naval Captain Philip Beal from England, estimated this voyage time in a sailing vessel across the Pacific to be 14 to 18 months.
Heartlanders believe after landing near Tallahassee, Florida, the Nephites escaped from Laman and Lemuel north possibly on the Chattahoochee River that goes all the way through Unicoi Gap, GA into Tennessee, then on the Tennessee River north to Missouri, and traveling east across what Joseph Smith called “Plains of the Nephites, (JS Papers) Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio and ended at NY Cumorah. (This is the same pattern as the Ancient Hopewell Culture who historically traveled that same route and direction from 550 BC to 400 AD). Our friend Philip Beale estimates the time to accomplish this route in a sailing ship to be 4 to 6 months. Philip has proven that on two different voyages, one in 2009 and the other in 2020 in a replica Phoenicia sailing ship. (see blog)This is a far better common sense length of time. Philip said, “The sailing ship could make the 18 month voyage, from Oman to the west coast of Chile, but is would be empty with no surviving passengers.”
Map left is today’s (2022) Mesoamerican Map called a “Fantasy Map” that the CES and all of BYU uses it as the authentic placement map of the Book of Mormon Cities. Map right is today’s (2022) Heartland Map which shows the correct north directions without having to turn the map. Yes Zarahemla is still south or southwest of Cumorah. The red line is the Ohio/Allegheny Rivers, which was the narrow strip of wilderness that separated the Nephites and the Lamanites. The narrow neck of land (Ether 10:20) was actually a Jaredite landmark and it is the Niagara Peninsula.
Mesoamericanists believe the Nephites traveled from Honduras to Guatemala, to Chiapas, Oaxaca to Mexico City and Cumorah may be west of Tampico. But as you can see by the map above, today’s (2022) Mesoamerican’s have had to turn their 1917 map 90 degrees north so that the proper directions are where “north” actually means “north” because on the 1917 map “north” really meant “west” as you can see below.
M2C means Mesoamerican 2-Cumorah Theory! Map by L.E. Hills 1917
In April 1917, an RLDS scholar of the Book of Mormon (named L.E. Hills) published a map that depicted M2C. (Mesoamerica 2 Cumorah Theory)
Scriptures Explain the Correct Theory
I believe the best evidence of who the Book of Mormon Lamanites are, comes from the Lord in D&C 32:2-3: “And that which I have appointed unto him is that he [Parley P. Pratt] shall go with my servants, Oliver Cowdery and Peter Whitmer, Jun., into the wilderness among the Lamanites. And Ziba Peterson also shall go with them; and I myself will go with them and be in their midst; and I am their advocate with the Father, and nothing shall prevail against them.” These first missionaries to the Lamanites first visited the Cattaraugus Indians in Buffalo NY, then the Wyandot Indians in Sandusky, OH, and finally the Shawnee and Delaware Indians in MO. It seems that we know from the Lord that these Native American Tribes are Lamanites. See Church Article Here! We will discuss this in more detail below.
Many dedicatory prayers by Prophets at Temples in South and Central America have mentioned that the people have, “the blood of Father Lehi”, or Prophets refer to “Lehi’s blood” or “Lehi’s descendants,” or even the “Lamanites,” how should we understand these terms? Who are the Lamanites? To help answer this question let’s first discuss an issue called “the Hinterlands.”
Mormon could not “write the hundredth part” of the events of his people. For this reason we have the record of the Nephites from Mormon’s abridgement, but we don’t have the written record of those who lived in the periphery or “Hinterland.” See Words of Mormon 1:5, Ether 15:33, Isaiah 18:1
You Choose Which Limited Geography Makes Sense
Defining Hinterlands
The Hinterland Hypothesis (DVD) Heartland Core – Mesoamerican Periphery $19.95
“Hinterlands is defined here as meaning the unknown area of North and South America that are not within the scope of the writings of the Book of Mormon. In other words, since we believe main events of the Book of Mormon happened in a limited area of North America around the Great Lakes in the east, and Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and Missouri to the west, and south in Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia, and Florida, all other areas will be discussed as “The Hinterlands”. We propose that Mesoamerica is the Hinterlands along with many other areas of the continent. As Mormon has said, “…I shall take from the plates of Nephi; and I cannot write the hundredth part of the things of my people (Words of Mormon 1:5). There are many people in South and Central America that are Lamanites and part of the Hinterlands.” Jonathan Neville
Enlarge
In other words, if the Book of Mormon events took place in Mesoamerica, then every other area would be the “Hinterlands” where other Lamanites may have migrated and lived. If however the events of the Book of Mormon took place in the Heartland of the United States (As we believe they did), then every other area outside of this limited Heartland area would contain migrating Lamanites, including the western United States, Canada, Mexico, and South and Central America. Heartland Core – Where the main Nephite and Lamanite events occurred! Mesoamerican Periphery – Where Nephites and Lamanites migrated to outside of this core! (See map to the right)
Confusion about Cumorah, “Lamanites,” and the prophets by JONATHAN NEVILLE
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“For several months, people have asked how the statements of prophets and apostles regarding Lamanites in Latin America and the Pacific fit with the North American setting. I’ve addressed the question several times, but not as thoroughly as I suppose I should, so here are my thoughts on the topic. A basic criticism of the North American setting (Moroni’s America or the Heartland model) is that in temple dedicatory prayers and other comments, modern prophets and apostles have said Lamanites live throughout the Americas, from at least Cardston, Alberta, to São Paulo, Brazil. Some people think I’ve ignored these statements. I haven’t ignored them; I just don’t think they tell us anything about Book of Mormon geography.
It’s difficult to understand the rationale of this criticism in the first place. It appears to rely on the premise that Lehi’s descendants were isolated and never interacted with other indigenous people in the Western Hemisphere.
For example, when President Hinckley’s 1983 temple dedicatory prayer said the Saints in Mexico “have in their veins the blood of Father Lehi,” the premise would mean that Mexico must be where the Book of Mormon took place. But such a premise contradicts the statements themselves, which, as I noted, identify Lamanites throughout the hemisphere. (Someone could argue that the narrative took place throughout the hemisphere such that Lehi’s descendants were restricted to one hemisphere, but I don’t think anyone makes that argument any longer, at least not from Alberta to southern Brazil).
Whether the Book of Mormon narrative took place in New York, Tennessee, Illinois, Baja, Mexico, Guatemala, Panama or Chile, people from all those areas interacted with one another over the thousands of years they shared the continent.
In other words, generalized statements of the prophets and apostles about the Lamanites tell us nothing about Book of Mormon geography except that it took place in the Western Hemisphere (but one could dispute even that). They certainly don’t contradict the North American setting or establish a justification for a non-New York Hill Cumorah.
I think the entire New World narrative of the Book of Mormon took place in North America,meaning from Florida to Canada and from the Atlantic to the Midwest (as far west as Missouri and Iowa). By the authors’ own admission, the narrative is merely a brief sketch; it covers less than 1% of the history of the Nephites and even less of the history of the Lamanites. Since before Lehi arrived, people throughout the Americas traded and intermarried. Lehi’s little colony grew to a large civilization in part by absorbing indigenous people (as well as the people of Zarahemla). After the Nephites were annihilated around 385 A.D., the Lamanites continued to live on the land, but their history is lost to us. We must resort to anthropology and archaeology, which indicate ongoing interaction throughout the Americas before and after 385 A.D.
With this background, how could “the blood of Father Lehi” not be found throughout the Americas?
There is no problem harmonizing the New York Cumorah with the statements of prophets and apostles regarding Lamanites or descendants of Lehi throughout the Americas (and in the Pacific). (See my addtional blog here: https://www.bofm.blog/the-hinterlands-lamanites-in-the-americas/
That said, there is an ongoing controversy about DNA. Critics ask how “Lamanite blood” can be found in people whose DNA shows they are overwhelmingly Asian in origin. It’s a valid question about definitions.
When prophets refer to “Lehi’s blood” or “Lehi’s descendants,” or even the “Lamanites,” are they referring to people whose DNA contains markers showing Israelite origin? If so, then the indigenous people of Latin America don’t qualify (unless we want to say Asians are Israelites, which broadens the term beyond usefulness). But if the prophets are referring to links in heredity, however tenuous, then the indigenous people of Latin America cannot be disqualified. Such links cannot be disproven because you can be descended from a person even if you don’t possess DNA markers that link you to that person. (The problems with the DNA criticism are discussed in the notes below.*)
To be sure, we would expect to find the highest concentration of relevant DNA markers in the areas where Lehi’s descendants lived in the highest concentrations; i.e., in the northeastern U.S. (and the Midwestern areas where they were forced to move). After all, the Lord designated the tribes in New York, Ohio, and Missouri as Lamanites when he sent Oliver Cowdery and others on a mission to these tribes (D&C 28, 30, 32). Joseph Smith told these tribes the Book of Mormon was their history.
That expectation seems to be borne out when we consider the X haplogroup.** The X haplogroup is the only non-Asian haplogroup found among indigenous Native Americans.
As the map depicts, the highest concentrations of X haplogroup in the world are in the Middle East and in the Northeastern U.S. and Canada. This isn’t “proof” of Lehi’s DNA for the reasons I mention in the notes, but it does correspond to our expectations of a genetic link between indigenous people in these two areas–expectations raised by Joseph Smith and the Lord Himself in the Doctrine and Covenants. Based on those expectations, the X haplogroup works as a proxy for Lehi’s ancestry.
In 1981, the Church added an introduction to the Book of Mormon that reads “After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are the principal ancestors of the American Indians.” That introduction was changed in 2007 to read “After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians.” This is how the introduction reads today.
As used in these sentences, who are the “American Indians?”
I’ve seen all kinds of semantic gyrations about this term, but a typical dictionary will provide an explanation similar to this one: “Usage Note: In principle, American Indian can apply to all native peoples throughout the Americas except the Eskimo, Aleut, and Inuit, but in practice it is generally restricted to the peoples of the United States and Canada. For native peoples in the rest of the hemisphere, usage generally favors Indian by itself or, less frequently, the contractions Amerindian or Amerind.”
If we look at the map, it is apparent that although the X haplogroup is concentrated in the Northeast, it spreads through much, but not all, of the American Indians in the United States and Canada. Therefore the 2007 change to the Introduction makes sense; i.e., the Lamanites may not be the principal ancestors of the American Indians, but they are among those ancestors–especially for those American Indians living in the Northeast.
But the X haplogroup does not appear among the indigenous people in Latin America.
From the New York Cumorah perspective, the prophets’ identification of Lamanites throughout the hemisphere works not because of DNA, but because of the assumption that over the centuries, trade and intermarriage would have distributed the “blood of Lehi” widely, albeit in concentrations too dilute to detect with DNA. [Here is a great article from National Geographic.]
From the non-New York Cumorah perspective, however, it’s a different problem. Advocates of these theories must assume that the areas where we would expect to find the most evidence of Middle-Eastern DNA (Mesoamerica, Chile, Peru, Baja, etc.) actually have so little it is undetectable. Meanwhile, indigenous people living in the Northeastern U.S.–the area they claim cannot be the setting for the Book of Mormon–have the highest concentration of X haplotype in the world outside of the Middle-East.
IOW, if we support what the prophets have said about the Lamanites, then the North American setting is the best explanation for the various statements about Lamanites throughout the hemisphere.
There is another little-known aspect of this Lamanite question. In the Wentworth letter, Joseph Smith wrote “The principal nation of the second race [the Nephites] fell in battle towards the close of the fourth century. The remnant are the Indians that now inhabit this country.”
Plenty of ink has been spilled parsing this statement. Although Joseph was writing from Nauvoo, Illinois, to Mr. Wentworth of Chicago, Illinois, Mesoamerican advocates have claimed that the term “this country” actually refers to the entire hemisphere. I leave it to the reader to decide whether that’s a plausible interpretation of what Joseph intended or what Mr. Wentworth would understand.
More significant is what Joseph deleted when he wrote those sentences.
The Wentworth letter was largely based on a missionary pamphlet written by Orson Pratt. Joseph (and/or his assistants) edited the pamphlet by changing details in some areas and by deleting large sections in others.
The first sentence of the two I quoted is identical to the one in Orson Pratt’s pamphlet. But Joseph’s second sentence–“The remnant are the Indians that now inhabit this country”–replaces 2,700 words of Orson Pratt’s speculation about Lehi’s descendants inhabiting all of North and South America. I view this significant editing as a specific repudiation of Pratt’s hemispheric model, but it is only apparent when we look at how Joseph edited Pratt’s pamphlet.
There is a “Mormon Chess” element of this discussion as people position their pieces (quotations) to defend their queens (theories). In many cases, there is a perception of conflict among the authorities (e.g., a New York Cumorah is inconsistent with a Guatemalan City of Nephi). These conflicts lead people to seek a hierarchy of authority; e.g., a Rook is worth more than a Knight which is worth more than a pawn, so the scriptures are worth more than a conference talk which is worth more than a dedicatory prayer.
You can see how such an approach quickly descends into chaos and confusion.
In my view, it is more valuable to harmonize the various statements of the prophets whenever possible and to clarify issues by isolating them for analysis. The Cumorah question is independent of the Lamanite and scope of geography questions, so I’ll look at it next.
Cumorah
Lately I’ve focused on the question of Cumorah because, in my view, it is the keystone of Book of Mormon geography. (In this post, I’m not indulging the dodge of the two-Cumorahs theory. When I say Cumorah, I mean the Cumorah of Mormon 6:6; i.e., the hill where Mormon hid the repository and where the final battles of the Nephites and Jaredites occurred.)
I don’t think there is any conflict among statements by Church authorities about Cumorah. Cumorah is the one unambiguous pin in the map we’ve been given, and I think it’s way past time that all Latter-day Saints agree that Cumorah is in New York, for all the reasons I’ve given in my blogs, books, and presentations.
Others disagree. They claim Cumorah is in southern Mexico, Baja, Panama, Chile, and places in Africa and Asia.
This is why I frame the Cumorah issue as a choice between two positions:
Either Cumorah is in New York, or it is elsewhere.
The corollary: if it’s not in New York, I don’t think it really matters where it is, because in that case we are talking about a non-literal text; i.e., a parable at best.
I say this because the New York Cumorah has been a constant since before the text was translated through General Conference talks by prophets and apostles at least through the 1970s. Letter VII is explicit and unambiguous, and it has been republished multiple times.
So how, people ask, can anyone think Cumorah is not in New York?
The only reason–the only reason–is because they think the New York Cumorah conflicts with their preferred theories about Book of Mormon geography.
Here is the basic argument. Let’s say you believe the Book of Mormon events took place in Baja, or Chile, or Central America (including Mesoamerica). You find all kinds of correspondences that you think corroborate your interpretation of the text. You develop an abstract map and superimpose it on the actual geography, or the hypothetical ancient geography of your choice. You decide where Cumorah must be, based on your theory and interpretation of the text.
But you conclude that New York doesn’t fit. What then?
You write (or think) something along the lines of the famous quotation by John Sorenson: “There remain Latter-day Saints who insist that the final destruction of the Nephites took place in New York, but any such idea is manifestly absurd.”
[For those new to this topic, Brother Sorenson was a long-time BYU professor whose book, Mormon’s Codex, was widely praised by LDS scholars and educators as his “magnum opus.” The quotation is a direct repudiation of the prophets and apostles who have spoken on this issue, and yet everyone who promotes a non-New York Cumorah embraces the Sorenson position.]
To support the non-New York Cumorah theories, LDS scholars and educators have sought to obscure the issue by conflating it with the question of the “Lamanites.”
The Lamanites
As noted at the outset, several prophets and apostles have made statements about the Lamanites, including sometimes in temple dedicatory prayers. There are good lists at FairMormon. The 19th Century is here. The 20th Century ishere. The 21st Century ishere. (Notice, that list includes no statements about Cumorah.)
These statements have been cited to criticize the North American setting, including the New York Cumorah. I’ve already explained why I don’t think that argument works, and why these statements actually are more consistent with a New York Cumorah than any non-New York Cumorah. But it’s useful to take a closer look at the temple dedicatory prayers that are so frequently cited.
Generally, the views expressed in these statements reflect a hemispheric concept of Lamanite people; i.e., the “descendants of Lehi” are identified as residing in the land around Cardston, Alberta, (Heber J. Grant’s dedication of the Cardston temple in 1923) all the way south to Sao Paulo, Brazil (President Kimball’s dedication of the Sao Paulo temple in 1978).
The prototype for temple dedicatory prayers is D&C 109, the dedication of the Kirtland temple. Verses 65-66 refer to the “remnants of Jacob” this way: “65 And cause that the remnants of Jacob, who have been cursed and smitten because of their transgression, be converted from their wild and savage condition to the fulness of the everlasting gospel; 66 That they may lay down their weapons of bloodshed, and cease their rebellions.” In context, this terminology refers to the American Indians in the United States, a discussion we can have if anyone doesn’t see that.
In my database of temple dedicatory prayers, I note that the term Lamanites has not been used since 1978. The most specific identification of Lamanites was in the 1975 Mesa Arizona rededicatory prayer: “Thou didst acknowledge the role of the Lamanite, especially in this temple, and numerous of the sons and daughters of Lehi have found in these sacred precincts peace, knowledge and solace to their souls.“
The term Lehi has been used more recently and more frequently, but an interesting trend has developed that coincides with the changes to the Introduction to the Book of Mormon.
First, look at the 1983 Mexico City temple dedication: “Bless Thy saints in this great land and those from other lands who will use this temple. Most have in their veins the blood of Father Lehi. Thou hast kept Thine ancient promise. Many thousands “that walked in darkness have seen a great light.””
The 1986 Lima Peru temple prayer includes this passage: “We are particularly mindful this day of the sons and daughters of Lehi. They have known so much of suffering and sorrow in their many generations. They have walked in darkness and in servitude. Now Thou hast touched them by the light of the everlasting gospel. The shackles of darkness are falling from their eyes as they embrace the truths of Thy great work. Surely father Lehi has wept with sorrow over his posterity. Surely he weeps today with gladness, for in this holy house there will be exercised the fullness of the priesthood to the blessing, not only of those of this and future generations, but also to the blessing of those of previous generations.”
The 2000 Tuxtla Gutierrez Mexico Temple: “We invoke Thy blessings upon this nation of Mexico where so many of the sons and daughters of Father Lehi dwell.“
The 2002 Snowflake Arizona temple: “We are grateful that this Thy house will be available to the sons and daughters of Lehi who live nearby. Let the scales of darkness fall from their eyes and bring a fulfillment of the ancient promises made concerning them. May this house become a hallowed sanctuary for many of these, our brothers and sisters.”
After 2002, I can’t find any examples of a dedicatory prayer specifically stating where Lehi’s descendants live. This includes temples throughout Latin America, including the rededications of the Mexico City temple in 2008 and 2015.
Now, notice the timing of the Introduction:
It was added to the text in 1981, when it said the Lamanites “are the principal ancestors of the American Indians.”
It was changed in 2007 to read the Lamanites “are among the ancestors of the American Indians.”
I’m not saying the change in the Introduction drove the changes in the temple dedicatory prayers. It may be an example of coincidence and not causation. But it could also be a shift in understanding that appears in both the Introduction and the temple dedicatory prayers.
That said, I note that dedications of temples in Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Honduras, Brazil, and Guatemala include this sentence: “We thank Thee for the sacred record of Lehi, Nephi and Jacob, Alma and Mosiah, Benjamin and Mormon, and of Moroni.”
The 2011 dedication of the Quetzaltenango Guatemala temple included these sentences: “Thou kind and gracious Father, our hearts are filled with gratitude for Thy remembrance of the sons and daughters of Lehi. Thou hast heard their cries and seen their tears. Thou hast accepted their righteous sacrifices.” The 2013 dedicatory prayer of the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple included these: “Our hearts are filled with gratitude for Thy blessing of the sons and daughters of Lehi. Thou hast heard their cries and seen their tears. Thou hast accepted their righteous sacrifices.”
These sentences could be interpreted to imply Lamanites live in Guatemala and Honduras, but they could also be of more general application, like the expression of gratitude for the Book of Mormon that immediately follows in both prayers.
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Hinterlands
In 2013, there was a brilliant article and presentation titled “Heartland as Hinterland: The Mesoamerican Core and North American Periphery of Book of Mormon Geography.” It was an attempt to explain Joseph Smith’s statements about the Nephites in North America by attributing them to Nephites who had escaped to the north. In my view, the article introduced a valuable concept, but got the geography and evidence backward; i.e., the core of Book of Mormon geography is in North America, while Mesoamerica is the periphery. I have a chapter about this in the Second Edition of The Lost City of Zarahemla (picture right) so I won’t repeat the discussion here, but if you read the article, I’d like to point out a few key points.
First, the premise relies on the anonymous 1842 articles in the Times and Seasons. I’ve offered considerable evidence that Joseph Smith had nothing to do with these articles, but instead they reflected the views of Benjamin Winchester, William Smith, John E. Page, and others. In fact, the article quotes John E. Page for authority.
Second, notice that the article includes a section on Cumorah that never even mentions Letter VII. It’s as if Letter VII didn’t exist, which is what you’ll see in all the publications by Mesoamerican proponents. Nor does it refer to the repository in the New York hill that Joseph and Oliver visited, even though it quotes Mormon 6:6.
Third, the article contains a claim that the term “plains of the Nephites,” which Joseph used to describe the Midwestern states he crossed during Zion’s Camp, “are never mentioned in the Book of Mormon.” Yet the article acknowledges “there are multiple plains attested to in the text.” The argument is summarized here: “Plains in the text of the Book of Mormon are always attached to a specific city. Those in Joseph’s letter to Emma are not.” Think about that one.
I mention this article here because it is the best one I know of that seeks to justify the Mesoamerican setting in the light of Joseph’s own statements about North America. Because it omits key facts such as Letter VII, it succeeds for Mesoamerican proponents who seek to confirm their biases. But it is also important because it addresses a key point in relation to the statements of the prophets about Lamanites throughout the hemisphere.
The last section of the article has this heading: “Evidence for Mesoamerican/North American Interaction.” It includes this observation:
“In 2003 a study was done that compared the DNA of the Ohio Hopewell with fifty indigenous populations from both North and Central America, and they found Central American and even South American markers. This, of course, demonstrates that the interaction between the two regions involved more than just the trading of goods and ideas. For the genetic markers to be so prevalent it is likely that there was a significant amount of procreation, more than is likely than from the occasional Mesoamerican merchant passing through town.”
There is increasing acceptance of the idea that Mayans migrated northward when much of their core civilization collapsed around 800-900 A.D. A month ago I was in Paducah, Kentucky, where a placard pointed out that the Mississippian culture, “around 700 years ago, exhibit a series of parallel, if not diffused cultural traits originating from Mesoamerica.” Later, these groups returned to their homeland in Central America, taking with them the heredity that the prophets have mentioned.
In conclusion, I think the statements by the prophets and apostles about the Hill Cumorah being in New York, starting with 1835 Letter VII and continuing through General Conference in the 1970s, are conclusive and should be accepted by all LDS. The objections to that position–that the New York hill doesn’t match the text and/or is too far from some other preferred setting–are unpersuasive because they are not supported by facts and they use circular reasoning to confirm the predetermined conclusions about the other preferred settings.
I also think the statements by the prophets and apostles about the identity and location of the Lamanites fall into two camps. Joseph Smith was specific when he identified the Lamanites as the American Indians living in the United States. He never identified any other group as Lamanites. However, some of his contemporaries, and several later prophets and apostles, have identified groups throughout the Western Hemisphere and even in the Pacific islands as Lamanites (or descendants of Lehi).
I don’t think these two camps conflict. Joseph (and the Lord, in the D&C) were specific because they were identifying people who had the highest concentration of Lehi’s blood. Others were more generalized because they were identifying people who have, or may have, more attenuated heredity linked to Lehi, even though it doesn’t show up in their DNA.
The generalized Lamanite statements have no bearing on the New York Cumorah issue one way or the other, because a New York Cumorah can coexist with a wide dispersal of Lehi’s posterity.
However, I think Joseph Smith’s specific statements about the Lamanites fully corroborate his statements on the North American setting generally and the New York Cumorah specifically.
NOTES:
* The first response to criticism based on DNA is that we don’t know what DNA Lehi’s group brought with them. To write the famous Wentworth letter, Joseph Smith edited an earlier pamphlet by Orson Pratt. Orson had written, “The second race came directly from the city of Jerusalem, about six-hundred years before Christ, being Israelites, principally the descendants of Joseph.” Joseph Smith changed that to read “The second race came directly from the city of Jerusalem, about six hundred years before Christ. They were principally Israelites, of the descendants of Joseph.” This is a significant change. Joseph Smith is telling us that Lehi’s group were not all Israelites. And we don’t even know what DNA markers the Israelite portion had.
The second response is that DNA only preserves limited markers; it’s not a complete genealogy.
** There is controversy about the X2 haplotype that is beyond the scope of this post, but if anyone’s interested, we can discuss it in another post. The controversy involves the split between different groups with distinctive X2 haplotype attributes. The prevailing view, based on mutation rates derived from evolutionary theory and the millions of years it has taken to evolve, holds that the X2 in the Americas split off 10,000 years or more before the present time. This would mean Lehi’s group was too recent so the ancient American people must have descended from another unknown group that had the X2 haplotype. The alternative view, based on mutation rates derived from observation, concludes that the X2 haplotype split off from the Middle-Eastern group around 600 B.C.
We are in a constant battle between good and evil. The purpose of life is not to avoid trials, but to embrace what you are to learn from God with your existing trial. As long as you are repenting and turning to God often, you will overcome evil. His goal is to bring to pass our immortality and a life with Him.
Who is the Whore of all the Earth?
“11 I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people., and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.
12 And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw.
13 And it came to pass that I beheld that the great mother of abominations did gather together multitudes upon the face of all the earth, among all the nations of the Gentiles, to fight against the Lamb of God.
14 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. There are millions of great people all over the world who love God, and repent and love everyday. We must not forget this. I do not lump all people in the same category, and I don’t say all evil people are of Satan. It depends whether society is trying to be better and not simply getting worse. Each of us have vast swings between right and wrong. I am happy to not be a judge, “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:” John 5:22. He is fair and loves us, He just hates the sin.
15 And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of God was poured out upon that great and abominable church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth.
16 And as there began to be wars and rumors of wars among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations, the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold, the wrath of God is upon the mother of harlots; and behold, thou seest all these things—
17 And when the day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots, which is the great and abominable church of all the earth, whose founder is the devil, then, at that day, the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants, which he hath made to his people who are of the house of Israel. 1 Nephi 14:11-17
This is the situation we are in Today on September 24, 2022. The end of Shemita and the beginning of a new Jubilee
The Book of Mormon Current as the Daily News!
“Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, 1st Counselor to President Ezra Taft Benson, proclaimed that the Book of Mormon “is as current as the morning newspaper”, “in its descriptions of the problems of today’s society.” The Power of the Book of Mormon, Ensign June 1988
The American Prophet Moroni testified that “Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.” Mormon 8:35
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Using these two quotations as a guide, author Rod Meldrum explores some of the Book of Mormon prophecies that pertain to our day and compare them directly with news headlines from the mainstream media of the USA. To understand the signs of our day, we must read the Book of Mormon!
Trailer Here! Using the two quotations above as a guide, author Rod Meldrum explores some of the Book of Mormon prophecies that pertain to our day and compare them directly with news headlines from the mainstream media of the USA. WE STILL HAVE TIME!
The Book of Mormon Prophets warned a very specific nation about the consequences of being wicked, upon God’s Promised Land. Rod’s DVD discusses the 4 Sacred Covenants that George Washington invoked at St. Paul’s Cathedral during his inauguration – the same sacred ground the New York Twin Towers collapsed on during 9-11. Take a trip through current news headlines and see why America’s promised blessings are now being revoked, leaving her in grave peril and judgment from God. With this warning will the people living in our nation, foretold by ancient prophets in the Book of Mormon still serve Jesus Christ, the God of this sacred covenant land? Shemita in 2022 on will happen on September 25th. What may we see or what may happen if anything?
The Year of the Jubilee!
“Now the Jubilee Year in Israel, as revealed in the Bible is significant in God’s prophetic calendar. The word “jubilee”—literally, “ram’s horn” in Hebrew—is defined in Leviticus 25:9 as the sabbatical year after seven cycles of seven years (49 years). The fiftieth year was to be a time of celebration and rejoicing for the Israelites. The ram’s horn was blown on the tenth day of the seventh month to start the fiftieth year of universal redemption. The Year of the Jubilee involved a year of release from indebtedness (Leviticus 25:23-38) and all types of bondage (vv. 39-55). All prisoners and captives were set free, all slaves were released, all debts were forgiven, and all property was returned to its original owners. In addition, all labour was to cease for one year, and those bound by labour contracts were released from them. One of the benefits of the Jubilee was that both the land and the people were able to rest. This Jubilee also relates to the work of salvation where, through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles through repentance and faith in Jesus for salvation, can be set free from slavery to Satan and to sin and delivered from this present evil age.
Who is this Whore over the Whole Earth?
10 Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.
11 And now, my son, all men that are in a state of nature, or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness.” Alma 41:10-11
The Whore is obviously that which gives us the wrong kind of happiness. Power and money end soon, Life Eternal with God does not. “No man can servetwo masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.” 3 Nephi 13:24. Whom do we serve? “Choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
In my opinion there are many names for evil who we may be serving and don’t even realize it. It is easy to be deceived. For many years I have loved sports. As a young boy I loved watching the NBA. Today however they seem to be all about money and power and that has driven the game into much evil. It is hard to watch now. Players are cocky, and arrogant, as it has lost its spirit. In the same way I used to think the CIA was a cool organization and wouldn’t it be nice as a young man to be a secret agent? Not today. The CIA is the center of evil at the higher ends. I am sure there are a few good agents, but like in the NBA there are very few who seek the Lord’s work. Now that is being judgmental, but what is wrong with that? I am not judging them as an individual but as a group or agency, so I an not deceived as them being an organization of light.
The Book of Mormon says, “And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.” 2 Nephi 9:9
Consider each of these names or subjects below and as the Lord says, “search the scriptures” John 5:39.
Who are they? Do they have my best interest at heart? This is where one of my favorite scriptures comes in which says, “it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.” D&C 121:39.
That is the problem with almost all the names below. (Actually it is greater than “almost all, if that is possible)?
Here is evil! The Cabal, Illuminatti, Nazi, Communist, Bolshevik, Khazarian, Zionists, Synagogue of Satan, Cult of Baal, Baphomet, Malta, Templars, Jesuits, CIA, Masons, Ndrahgheta, NATO, Black Nobility, Holy Roman Empire, The Crown, Atonists, Sabbatian Frankists, Saturnist, Pharaohs, Akhenaten, Lilith, Osiris, Black Nobility, Black Pope, Rothchild, Rockefeller, Vatican, Zion of the Alps, World Economic Forum, UN, FBI, CDC, Saudi Royals, Octogone Group, Isis, Dutch East India, 13 Families, Grand Orient, CCP, Mossad, MI6, Antifa, Arab Spring, Jihadist, Black Lives Matter, Main Stream Media, WHO, Pontifical Swiss Guard, Big Pharma, Big Tech, Hollywood, Cults, Occult, Evil Movies and Music, Black cube, Hexagon Group, Pharmacia, Adrenochrome, Sex Trafficking, Bilderberg, Cults of Abraham, Council of 50, League of Nations, Committee of 300, and many more!
Not every aspect of everything I listed is totally evil but they are all either total or very near as of today. For example there are good movies and evil movies, good pharmacists and evil pharmacists, good ball players and evil ball players. There are always two sides. There are people in Hollywood who may be good, but I am afraid the vast majority are very evil in my opinion. Great people work at McDonald’s but many evil people at the top who run it are evil. Not the managers and burger flippers, the large corporate offices and those who make the billions of dollars are part of D&C 121:39. “Almost All.”
The fact is there are two sides in war today. I believe the evil are the creator of both sides of war as the Lord would have no part in it. Unfortunately the US Government today I believe is more evil than good. Yes our Constitution is God-Given but evil people are in control of it. There are over 80% of all Countries that have 15-20% who are evil as their leaders, but there are 60-70% or more that really are wonderful people in all places in the world.
Humility is Good
Why do most of us have to be “compelled” to be humble? We wait until difficulties arrive and then turn to God? We would same time and anguish if we just became “humble because of the word.”
13 And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall be saved.
14 And now, as I said unto you, that because ye were compelled to be humble ye were blessed, do ye not suppose that they are more blessed who truly humble themselves because of the word?” Alma 32:13-14
Why Are Many Not Chosen?
I am not a conspiracy theorists by saying these things. I know there are only two paths, “Enter ye in at the straitgate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because straitis the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Matt. 7:13-15. I am a truth-Seeker and I see a little bit of truth in most things.
“And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few” 1 Nephi 14:12. Why? Because it is harder and takes more effort. It’s easy to go see a movie, and difficult to sit through Sacrament Meeting, but why? Focus, and Desire, and the humility of our Spirit.
And again, it showeth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them.” 2 Nephi 31:9. Straight gates are always harder to enter. Being politically correct and acting Woke, are easy and there are plenty that act this way.
Good vs Evil and God vs Satan. That’s it. Satan pits Man vs Woman, Black vs White, Abortion vs Life, Gay vs Straight, Vaxxed vs non-Vaxxed, Democrat vs Republican, Community vs Individual, Left vs Right. Anything Satan does is Divide and Conquer or by Hook or by Crook. (Think what the Pharaohs carried in each hand). All the Lord does is bring us together, both Black and White, Bond and Free, Rich and Poor.
We read in D&C 121, “34 Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
35 Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—
36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.
37 That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.
38 Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.
39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
40 Hence many are called, but few are chosen.” D&C 121:34-40
Today, Many are not Chosen Because of the Whore
Who is Today’s Whore Over the whole Earth? The Deep State
“Noun- Plural Deep States: : an alleged secret network of especially nonelected government officials and sometimes private entities (as in the financial services and defense industries) operating extralegally to influence and enact government policy
The power of the deep state comes from experience, knowledge, relationships, insight, craft, special skills, traditions, and shared values. Together, these purported attributes make nameless bureaucrats into a super government that is accountable to no one. That is a scary prospect.David Rothkopf
What the archbishop suspected was a crime stage-managed by Turkey’s “deep state“—an opaque underworld where powerful elements within the state, especially the military and security services, act in conjunction with violent extremist groups … as well as the apolitical criminal underworld, to undertake special, illegal operations in the political interest of the country’s ruling elite. John Eibner” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deep%20state
Where did the The Deep State Theory Originate?
“Although the term ‘deep state’ is thought to have originated in Turkey in the 1990s, belief in the concept of a deep state has been present in the United States since at least the 1950s. A 1955 article in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, quotes Americans sharing their belief in the existence of a “dual state”: a hidden national security hierarchy and shadow government that monitors and controls elected politicians.
In 2014, former Congressional staffer Mike Lofgren alleged that there was a deep state protecting “powerful vested interests” and that a “web of entrenched interests in the US government and beyond … dictate America’s defense decisions, trade policies and priorities with little regard for the actual interests or desires of the American people“.
In 2017, former Democratic U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich alleged that there were individuals in the intelligence community attempting to sabotage relations between the United States and Russia.
Political scientist George Friedman alleges that such a deep state has existed since 1871, when the president’s power over federal employees was restricted. Historian Alfred W. McCoy argued that the increase in the power of the United States Intelligence Community since the September 11 attacks “has built a fourth branch of the U.S. government” that is “in many ways autonomous from the executive, and increasingly so”. Wikipedia
The “Deep State” Theory, Explained
“Instead of a group comprised exclusively of government entities, Lofgren calls the deep state in the United States “a hybrid association of elements of government and parts of top-level finance and industry that is effectively able to govern the United States without reference to the consentof the governed as expressed through the formal political process.” The Deep State, wrote Lofgren, is not “a secret, conspiratorial cabal; the state within a state is hiding mostly in plain sight, and its operators mainly act in the light of day. It is not a tight-knit group and has no clear objective. Rather, it is a sprawling network, stretching across the government and into the private sector.”
In some ways, Lofgren’s description of a deep state in the United States echoes parts of President Dwight Eisenhower’s 1961 farewell address, in which he warned future presidents to “guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.” https://www.thoughtco.com/deep-state-definition-4142030
An Answer to the Deep State Today?
The Book of Mormon of course, was written for our day. We hear this and we understand the importance of that statement, and today I would like to share a message in a way we can understand the time we live in today. We can understand evil and war and at the same time rejoice in Christ and thank Him for the revelations in the Book of Mormon.
I realize the Nephite record mentions much about war and bloodshed, much about evil and abominations. I don’t think wars and evil are included in the record to scare us or to glorify sin, but to perhaps to make us think, as Amulek said, “We shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.” Alma 11:42 We should look inward at ourselves, not outward about evil and war and what tragedy may come upon us. Look to God and live as the scriptures say.
“Behold, I say unto you that ye would be more miserable to dwell with a holy and just God, under a consciousness of your filthiness before him, than ye would to dwell with the damned souls in hell.” Mormon 9:4. It’s hard to even imagine living with God and being filthy.
Can Miracles Cease?
There is only one reason miracles could cease among us. “And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust.” Mormon 9:20
We live in a day today as Mormon describes below. Think of the deceptions of our government, the evil of Gadianton’s, the killing of children, and the committing of murder today. Today is even as Sodom and Gomorrah and is probably worse.
Jesus Christ hath Shown you unto Me.
“Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth; there shall be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceiving’s, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day.” Mormon 8:31
35 Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing. Mormon 8: 35
“Declare their sin to be even as Sodom, and they cannot hide it. Wo unto their souls, for they have rewarded evil unto themselves! 2 Nephi 13:9
“The Lord will discover their secret parts. 2 Nephi 13:17
Sodom and Gomorrah
6 And the angels which kept not their firstestate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.” Jude 1:6-7
Gainsaying of Core
In every generation there are those who creep into the church and engage in the gainsayingofCore: coming against the Word of God. Core, a close relative to Moses, was unwilling to face Moses directly. Instead he spread his disgruntlement to others, convincing men of renown to outnumber and rise up against the man of God https://rumble.com/vp5dx5-jude-111-the-gainsaying-of-core-jude-series-16.html
Great Pit vs Stumbling Blocks
1 And it shall come to pass, that if the Gentiles shall hearken unto the Lamb of God in that day that he shall manifest himself unto them in word, and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of their stumbling blocks—
2 And harden not their hearts against the Lamb of God, they shall be numbered among the seed of thy father; yea, they shall be numbered among the house of Israel; and they shall be a blessed people upon the promised land forever; they shall be no more brought down into captivity; and the house of Israel shall no more be confounded.
3 And that great pit, which hath been digged for them by that great and abominable church, which was founded by the devil and his children, that he might lead away the souls of men down to hell—yea, that great pit which hath been digged for the destruction of men shall be filled by those who digged it, unto their utter destruction, saith the Lamb of God; not the destruction of the soul, save it be the casting of it into that hell which hath no end.
4 For behold, this is according to the captivity of the devil, and also according to the justice of God, upon all those who will work wickedness and abomination before him. 1 Nephi 14: 1-4
Secret Combinations Then and Now
John F. Kennedy said, “This deadly challenge imposes upon our society two requirements of direct concern both to the press and to the President–two requirements that may seem almost contradictory in tone, but which must be reconciled and fulfilled if we are to meet this national peril.
I refer, first, to the need for a far greater public information; and, second, to the need for far greater official secrecy.The very word “secrecy” is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it.
Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions. Even today, there is little value in insuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment…
It requires a change in outlook, a change in tactics, a change in missions–by the government, by the people, by every businessman or labor leader, and by every newspaper. For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence—on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations.
Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed. It conducts the Cold War, in short, with a war-time discipline no democracy would ever hope or wish to match…
Every newspaper now asks itself, with respect to every story: “Is it news?” All I suggest is that you add the question: “Is it in the interest of the national security?” And I hope that every group in America–unions and businessmen and public officials at every level– will ask the same question of their endeavors, and subject their actions to the same exacting tests… Without debate, without criticism, no Administration and no country can succeed–and no republic can survive.
That is why the Athenian lawmaker Solon decreed it a crime for any citizen to shrink from controversy. And that is why our press was protected by the First Amendment– the only business in America specifically protected by the Constitution- -not primarily to amuse and entertain, not to emphasize the trivial and the sentimental, not to simply “give the public what it wants”–but to inform, to arouse, to reflect, to state our dangers and our opportunities, to indicate our crises and our choices, to lead, mold, educate and sometimes even anger public opinion.”
THE PRESIDENT AND THE PRESS: ADDRESS BEFORE THE AMERICAN NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION, APRIL 27, 1961 President John F. Kennedy Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York City April 27, 1961 JFK Library
It is time to wake up
That doesn’t mean we have to study nor even dwell on anything evil or wrong. That does mean we need to write congress, tell our neighbor, be on the look out of abused and trafficked children, talk to our school boards, reject these pride parades and evil in our neighborhoods. And stay close to the Lord.
Also, come and enjoy our 30th Book of Mormon Evidence Conference. Ourspeakers will give you hundreds of ways to help and make this world better.
Easy answer.Secret societies and secret combinations. Moroni wouldn’t[t even detail the evil associated with these evils spoken of in Ether. What caused the destruction of the Jaredites and Nephites is the same that will destroy us. We must know who they are and what they do to avoid the evil of these Deep State entities.
The Book of Ether Chapter 8 says, “And Akish did administer unto them the oaths which were given by them of old who also sought power, which had been handed down even from Cain, who was a murderer from the beginning. And they were kept up by the power of the devil to administer these oaths unto the people, to keep them in darkness, to help such as sought power to gain power, and to murder, and to plunder, and to lie, and to commit all manner of wickedness and whoredoms.” Ether 8:15-16
18 And it came to pass that they formed a secret combination, even as they of old; which combination is most abominable and wicked above all, in the sight of God;
19 For the Lord worketh not in secret combinations, neither doth he will that man should shed blood, but in all things hath forbidden it, from the beginning of man.
20 And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had among all people, and they are had among the Lamanites.
21 And they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi.” Ether 8:18-21
In the scriptures in Section 61 there is a warning concerning the waters that seems to me that focus specifically on the Missouri River (“these waters”). Many of the water routes to Zion and even more generally all water routes may be more challenging than traveling by land. It is not clear from Section 61 if these verses curse all waters, including lakes and ponds or even in that matter a bathtub or a swimming pool. There is much “Mormon lore” out there.
In section 61 it seems to me more of a general warning, as the saints were not treating each other very good at all while in that canoe, and so I am sure the spirit of contention being near made it easy for William Phelps and Joseph to see the destroyer on the waters as that is where their contention was happening.
“The connection between missionary policy and the reference to the “destroyer” riding the face of the waters in D&C 61 is a persistent Mormon urban legend. One must consider that LDS missionaries frequently travel by water to reach remote islands. Before the advent of modern air travel, all overseas missionaries were required to travel by ship to Europe, Asia, and other foreign lands. Missionaries, of course, bathe and perform baptisms in water.
The Church has a general policy prohibiting full-time missionaries from swimming. This is simply a safety precaution to prevent drowning or other water related accidents. There are a number of other mission rules that vary depending upon the mission. For example, some missions prohibit missionaries from playing basketball. Rock climbing is usually a prohibited activity. Mission rules are designed to keep missionaries safe by preventing them from participating in high-risk physical activities.” Source
“Section 61, The Lord Has Blessed the Land and Cursed the Waters,” Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual (2002), 131–32
Historical Background
This revelation was received by the Prophet Joseph Smith on the bank of the Missouri River, McIlwaine’s Bend, on 12 August 1831. The Prophet wrote:
“On the 9th, in company with ten Elders, I left Independence landing for Kirtland. We started down the river in canoes, and went the first day as far as Fort Osage, where we had an excellent wild turkey for supper. Nothing very important occurred till the third day, when many of the dangers so common upon the western waters, manifested themselves; and after we had encamped upon the bank of the river, at McIlwaine’s Bend, Brother Phelps, in open vision by daylight, saw the destroyer in his most horrible power, ride upon the face of the waters; others heard the noise, but saw not the vision. “The next morning after prayer, I received the following: [D&C 61].” (History of the Church, 1:202–3.)
The Lord commanded the elders to bear record of Satan and his power upon the waters (see D&C 61:4, 19), and of the power of God for the benefit of the faithful (see vv. 1, 6). To fulfill this responsibility, it would be necessary for them to come in contact with people, hence, the Lord’s reminder that while traveling by canoe they were not able to meet people who needed to hear the gospel message (see vv. 3–5, 20–22, 30–32).
President Joseph Fielding Smith pointed out how “in the beginning the Lord blessed the waters and cursed the land, but in these last days this was reversed, the land was to be blessed and the waters to be cursed. A little reflection will bear witness to the truth of this declaration.
In the early millenniums of this earth’s history, men did not understand the composition of the soils, and how they needed building up when crops were taken from them. The facilities at the command of the people were primitive and limited, acreage under cultivation was limited, famines were prevalent and the luxuries which we have today were not obtainable.
Someone may rise up and say that the soil in those days was just as productive as now, and this may be the case. It is not a matter of dispute, but the manner of cultivation did not lend itself to the abundant production which we are receiving today. It matters not what the causes were, in those early days of world history there could not be the production, nor the varieties of fruits coming from the earth, and the Lord can very properly speak of this as a curse, or the lack of blessing, upon the land.In those early periods we have every reason to believe that the torrents, floods, and the dangers upon the waters were not as great as they are today, and by no means as great as what the Lord has promised us.
The early mariners among the ancients traversed the seas as they knew them in that day in comparative safety. … Today this manner of travel in such boats would be of the most dangerous and risky nature. Moreover, we have seen the dangers upon the waters increase until the hearts of men failed them and only the brave, and those who were compelled to travel the seas, ventured out upon them.
In regard to the Missouri-Mississippi waters, we have seen year by year great destruction upon them, and coming from them. Millions upon millions of dollars, almost annually are lost by this great stream overflowing its banks. Many have lost their lives in these floods as they sweep over the land, and even upon this apparently tranquil or sluggish stream there can arise storms that bring destruction. Verily the word of the Lord has been, and is being, fulfilled in relation to those waters. While the Lord has spoken of the sea heaving itself beyond its bounds, and the waves roaring, yet we must include the great destruction upon the waters by means of war, and especially by submarine warfare as we have learned of it in recent years.” (Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:224; see also Genesis 3:17–19; Ether 7:23–25; 9:16, 28; Revelation 16:1–6; Alma 45:16; D&C 59:3; 16–19.)
“The interpretation history of section 61 is a good example of what happens when scripture is not read in context and when it is too quickly applied universally instead of limited to the situation it was originally about. It does not say that Satan controls the water.
The Missouri River was well known to be dangerous, “ever-varying,” and full of submerged trees that could capsize or sink a steamboat, not to mention a canoe.1 Joseph and the elders launched their canoes at the Missouri River landing just north of Independence, Missouri, and headed home to Ohio. They camped at Fort Osage and “had an excellent wild turkey for supper.” The good food did little to keep the men satisfied under the stressful conditions.
During their second day on the river, “a spirit of animosity and discord” infected the group. “The conduct of the Elders became very displeasing to Oliver Cowdery.” He prophesied, “As the Lord God liveth, if you do not behave better, some accident will befall you.” 2 At some point William Phelps “saw the Destroyer, in his most horrible power, ride upon the face of the waters, ”though what that means is uncertain and ought not to be interpreted to mean that Satan controls the waters without more revelation.3
Contention continued the next day. Joseph got frustrated. Some of the elders refused to paddle, and at least one of the canoes hit a submerged tree and nearly capsized. Joseph urged the frightened group to get off the river. Some of the men called him a coward. They landed on the north side of the river at McIlwaine’s Bend (now Miami), set up camp as best they could, and convened a council to address the contention. Some of the elders were critical of Oliver’s rebuke. Some criticized Joseph for being “quite dictatorial.” Joseph got defensive and the council went on for some hours until, early in the morning, everyone reconciled.4
Speaking of section 61, Joseph’s history says, “The next morning after prayer, I received the following.” 5. John Whitmer described the revelation as a “commandment given Aug 12th 1831 on the Bank of the River Destruction (or Missorie) unfolding some mysteries.”6
In section 61, the omnipotent Lord commands the elders gathered on the banks of the Missouri River to hear and obey him. He forgives their sins. He mercifully forgives the sins of all who humbly confess them. He says they don’t all need to travel quickly down the river while settlers on either side need to be taught the gospel. The Lord explains that he let the elders experience the river’s terrors so they could testify of the danger to others.
The Lord has angrily decreed that water will be a destructive element, especially the Missouri River. But he holds mankind in his hands and will preserve the faithful among this group of elders from drowning. The Lord has kept the group together this long so they can be corrected and purified from their sins, become unified, and thus escape the punishment for their wickedness. Now it’s time to split up, and the Lord gives specific assignments and instructs Sidney Gilbert, the bishop’s assistant, to give them enough money to fulfill their assignments.
Close reading of section 61 shows that the Lord controls the waters, not Satan. That is true for dry land as well. God blessed the waters during the creation process. He later cursed them (see Revelation 8:8–11). The day will come when only the honest-hearted will be able to safely travel to Zion by water. The Lord explains that after the Fall he cursed the land for Adam’s sake, but in the latter days he blessed it to be fertile for the Saints’ sake. The Lord commands the elders to warn the other Saints not to travel on the dangerous Missouri River without faith.
William Phelps carried out the commandment in this revelation to tell all the Saints about the dangers of traveling to Zion in Missouri on the Missouri River. He published the revelation in the Church’s newspaper, The Evening and the Morning Star, along with an editorial listing the most notable “risks and dangers.” First, there were frequent disasters on the river. Second, he warned, there was cholera, a devastating water borne illness “which the Lord has sent into the world, and which may, without repentance, ravage the large towns near the waters, many years, or, at least, till other judgments come.”7
Phelps also wrote a short history of his stay in Missouri, in which he told how section 61 influenced his return to Ohio: I, in company with Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery and others started by water for Ohio, but being cautioned in a Revelation given at, McElwain’s bend, that Missouri River was cursed, all the company save myself and brother Gilbert left the river and proceeded by land. I was assured by revelation, to be safe by land or water. 8″ Harper, Steven C.. “Section 61.” In Doctrine and Covenants Contexts, 140-142. Springville, UT: Book of Mormon Central, 2021.
Notes:
1 See “Historical Introduction” to “Revelation, 12 August 1831 [D&C 61],”p. 101, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed September5, 2020.
2 Eber D. Howe, Mormonism Unvailed(Painesville, Ohio, 1834), 204.
3 “History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834],” p. 142, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed September 5, 2020; Richard Lyman Bushman, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling (New York: Knopf, 2005), 164.
4 Ezra Booth to Edward Partridge, September 20, 1831, in the Ohio Star, November 24, 1831.
5 “ History, 1838 – 1856, volume A-
1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834],” p. 142, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed September 5, 2020.
6 “Revelation, 12 August 1831 [D&C 61],” p. 101, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed September 5, 2020
7 William Phelps, “The Way of Journeying for the Saints of the Church of Christ,” The Evening and the Morning Star (December 1832): 1:52–53.
8 Short History of WW Phelps’ Stay in Missouri, Church History Library, Salt Lake City
Truth comes from Personal and Doctrinal Revelation from Christ, and Scriptures translated correctly from Christ, not opinion. Information that comes from You or Myself, or from Church Historians, or BYU Intellects, is all the same. We read, we study, we pray, and we stick to our biases. If we don’t have revelation, the second best choice is Canonized Scripture.
A quote by Book of Mormon Central, from the article titled “The Spectacles, the Stone, the Hat, and the Book: A Twenty-first Century Believer’s View of the Book of Mormon Translation”, by Roger Nicolson says, “These accounts come from both believing and nonbelieving sources, and some skepticism ought to be employed in choosing to accept some of the interpretations offered by some of these sources as fact.”
This quote above, is why we should learn from the scriptures about the true instruments used to translate the Book of Mormon.
Actual Instruments Used in Translation
Because there is no official Church Doctrine on the translation method, Scriptures can prove Joseph’s Translation Tools and Method. No one can accurately define exactly what the “gift and power of God” means, but we know Joseph used what was found in the stone box. Plates, breastplate, spectacles. That’s it! How they worked or what the Spirit did to assist Joseph we know not, but those three instruments WERE used.
Because Joseph was commanded to not show anyone these 3 items unless commanded, I show two paintings by Ann Marie Oborn that will show you what the scriptures suggest in my opinion.
Oliver Testifies He sees all Three Instruments
When Cowdery returned to Church membership in 1848 he spoke to an Iowa conference. His words there were recorded by Reuben Miller: “I wrote with my own pen the entire Book of Mormon (save a few pages) as it fell from the lips of the Prophet as he translated it by the gift and power of God by means of the Urim and Thummim, or as it is called by that book, holy interpreters. I beheld with my eyes and handled with my hands the gold plates from which it was translated. I also beheld the Interpreters. That book is true. … I wrote it myself as it fell from the lips of the Prophet.”
The Miller journal can be tested by comparing it with official records of the Cowdery speeches, and it is clearly accurate. Thus the above words are likely to be Cowdery verbatim. This judgment is essential because in the report Oliver Cowdery says, “I … handled with my hands the gold plates.” Yet another Witness, David Whitmer, insisted that he had never handled the plates; he only watched as the angel in the vision displayed the plates and other sacred objects. Since Whitmer and Cowdery were together at this impressive vision, one must infer that Cowdery did not handle the plates at that time. Thus a distinction emerges between the key secretary and his witness brother-in-law: at some time during the translation process Oliver Cowdery evidently handled the plates. “By the Gift and Power of God” By Richard Lloyd Anderson
Debate Should End with Scriptures Message
Many of today’s Church Historians get it wrong about several important issues. I am not smarter than they, nor do I have a higher degree of learning than they do, and I also know some of these Historians and I know many have the same strong testimony about the Book of Mormon that I do. I just have done some research by reading and pondering the following scriptures, that answer a big question for me. What instrument(s) did Joseph Smith use to translate the gold plates?Answer: “These Stones, Fastened to a Breastplate…” JSH 1:35. No where in the scriptures does it say a stone in a hat was used to translate. It should end there, to those who believe in the scriptures.
Proper method of translation on the left. Art by Anne Marie Oborn
“In Joseph Smith’s day, some individuals claimed that they had a gift to “see,” or receive divine or supernatural messages, through seer stones. These beliefs came from the Bible and from European cultural traditions brought to early America by immigrants.” Church History Topics-Seer Stones.
Many so-called seer stones or peep-stones were found all over New York. Joseph Smith is known to have a brown and a white stone that were not used for translation.
Are we Entitled to our own Seer Stone?
This map below shows the approximate location of the retrieval sites and the dig sites of many so-called seer stones in New York. David Whitmer and family, and Hiram Page found stones near Ithaca, NY. Joseph’s brown stone was found near the south shore of Lake Erie near Chautauqua Lake and Joseph’s white stone was found just west of Palmyra on the Chase farm. There was also a Nauvoo stone found. Each stone represented is similar to its actual looks. The Jack Belcher stone here is a picture of the actual stone found near Harmony that was sold recently for $75,000. I have also added the location of Book of Mormon cities and sites as the Heartland theory believes. Notice the Oswego River where the Native American Traditions say Mormon was buried by them after a large battle?
“Joseph Smith, Jr. said, every man who lived on the earth was entitled to a seer stone, and should have one, but they are kept from them in consequence of their wickedness.” – Prophet Brigham Young, “History of Brigham Young,” Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star, v. 26, February 20, 1864
“The power of seership is one of the greatest gifts ever given to man; and the time is not far distant when every man who bears the Priesthood will be a seer. But it can only be when men have proved themselves able to withstand all of the false deceptions of the devil. Today the powers of crystal ball gazers, astrologers, ouija boards, etc., are abounding because men have forsaken or rejected the true seers of God. Thousands of people seek unto ‘wizards who peep and mutter’ etc., but they will not seek unto the living God. I can say to all the inhabitants of the earth that before what is called spiritualism was ever known in America, I told the people that if they would not believe the revelations that God had given, He would suffer the devil to give revelations that they–priests and people would follow after. . . I told the people that as true as God lived, if they would not have the truth they would have error sent to them, and they would believe it.” (Brigham Young, Des. News, June 18, 1871, p. 308) (See Revelation 2:17 and D&C 130:11)
What is Doctrine and what is simply Opinion? We can know through our Prophets and Personal Revelation.
The Church information about, “Book of Mormon Translation” is an essay that says many things that I believe are opinion and suggestion based to help us in our research and study. Just like with Geography, I don’t believe it’s necessary that the Brethren will tell us things that don’t relate to our Salvation. I also believe that many intellects and historians suggest to the Brethren ideas and suggestions and when our Prophets and Apostles feel it is doctrine they will tell us.
Historians after much study will give the Brethren their best information they have researched, about geography, history, and translation, and that becomes the information the Church uses to help us. I just believe as Moroni said, “we may know the truth of all things.” Neither I nor these Historians know what doctrine for the Church is, that is up to our Prophet and apostles, so it is up to each of us individually to research and pray on our own for personal revelation that may benefit us in a personal way.
That is why I feel strongly that the translation was done using the “Interpreters” [two stones fastened to a breastplate] and the geography of the Book of Mormon began in North America. It’s a personal feeling or revelation to me. If the Brethren ever said otherwise, I will listen to and pray about what they say and receive, and follow doctrine based on faith and our Prophets leadership.
Pres. Nelson said, “You don’t have to wonder about what is true. You do not have to wonder whom you can safely trust. Through personal revelation, you can receive your own witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and that this is the Lord’s Church. Regardless of what others may say or do, no one can ever take away a witness borne to your heart and mind about what is true.
I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation, for the Lord has promised that “if thou shalt [seek], thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.” Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives by President Russell M. Nelson
In the Translation Essay mentioned above, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “The other instrument, which Joseph Smith discovered in the ground years before he retrieved the gold plates, was a small oval stone, or “seer stone.” As a young man during the 1820s, Joseph Smith, like others in his day, used a seer stone to look for lost objectsand buried treasure. As Joseph grew to understand his prophetic calling, he learned that he could use this stone for the higher purpose of translating scripture.” In red above is possible information from Church Historians who explain history and other things to the Brethren who ask, or ask to be informed. It could also be true, but I don’t believe it is doctrine. No where in scripture will you find the information in red above.
I believe Joseph Smith used the Urim and Thummim and by the power of the Lord translated the Book of Mormon. Even though I believe Joseph had a seer stone or two, I don’t believe he necessarily used that stone to translate the plates.
I love Elder Uchtdorf’s comparison with seer stones and cell phones, as that makes sense we can understand in today’s world. I know the Lord can use any object He desires to share revelation with Prophets. I believe what Elder Uchtdorf’s words are very important to study about the translation, that will have a great deal to do with my learning as I pray to know more. This comparison is good, as the righteous have been promised a seer stone eventually.
See D&C 130:10-11 here: “Then the white stone mentioned in Revelation 2:17, will become a Urim and Thummim to each individual who receives one, whereby things pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms will be made known; And a white stone is given to each of those who come into the celestial kingdom, whereon is a new name written, which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it. The new name is the key word.”
Like I have said many times, if the Prophets and Apostles tell me it is doctrine that the main Book of Mormon events happened in Mesoamerica, or if they tell me that at one time Adam was an ape, or that only a seer stone was used to translate the Book of Mormon, or that Joseph Smith never looked at the plates but he just read the words off of a rock, or that Noah’s flood was not real, I would have a hard time believing it as it doesn’t make sense, but with much prayer and study I would follow the living Prophet Russell M. Nelson and the apostles who speak the truth to us. They also expect us to make good decisions and not have to be told all things.
Interpreters or Urim & Thummim = Spectacles fastened to a Breastplate
Spectacles fastened to a Breastplate
From the scriptures we learn that Joseph used the spectacles attached to the breastplate called Interpreters for the proper translation. “Oliver Cowdery describes these events thus: “These were days never to be forgotten—to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven, awakened the utmost gratitude of this bosom! Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth, as he translated with the Urim and Thummim, or, as the Nephites would have said, ‘Interpreters,’ the history or record called ‘The Book of Mormon.” JSH1:75*
“Also, that there were two stones in silver bows—and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim—deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted “seers” in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book.” JSH 1:35
About SITH. (Stone in the Hat Theory) by Jonathan Neville
“Have you ever thought about how silly the seer stone in a hat really is? The idea that whole sentences appeared on the 3x4x5cm oval shaped opaque stone is totally wrong for many reasons.
The Book of Mormon didn’t have punctuation. It was added by the typesetter. Some say the average sentence length is about 25 words. That many words wouldn’t fit on a small object unless it was a size 1 font and that would be unreadable. It would also be very hard to read at the ends of the oval where it curves from the flatter part of the stone with the best chance for some kind of focal distance.
No special lighting was required to use the Urim and Thummim or Liahona (words would appear on spindle from time to time) or a modern-day teleprompter? Why would God provide an underpowered seer stone that couldn’t be read in normal lighting conditions?
The seer stone in a hat story is simply an attempt to discredit the truth and destroy Joseph Smith. Sadly, Intellectuals and scholars are trying to hijack church history.
Art Left by Anne Marie Oborn
Joseph’s history in the PGP uses the term Urim and Thummim 6 times–never the seer stone. With your head buried in a hat, the focal distance would be too close, out of focus, and unreadable! It would also be hard for the scribe to hear your muffled voice buried in a hat.
I’m sick of Sunday School teachers saying the seer stone in a hat is like your cell phone screen. You can’t read it very well in broad daylight. That is because your phone is designed for long battery life. If your phone had enough power you could read the screen on a sunny day. Also, Joseph was inside a house with small windows and low lighting conditions. Why would he bury his face in a hat with even less light?
Can you imagine how uncomfortable that would be to be bent over a hat with your voice muffled? It would be hard for the scribe to hear and for Joseph to breath.
Art by Anthony Sweat
Do you remember how Joseph described Moroni’s visit in the log home in 1823? He said the light around Moroni seemed brighter than farther away. Why would God give Joseph an underpowered teleprompter? Why put limits on God?
Why didn’t the Lord give the Brother of Jared a hat along with the 2 seer stones? Don’t be swayed by the foolish revisionist history and their bogus artwork depicting the FALSE seer stone in a hat translation method! Eber D. Howe tried to sell that false notion in Mormonism Unvailed [sic] in 1834. David Whitmer tried to perpetuate the lie it in his 1887 tirade, AN ADDRESS TO ALL BELIEVERS IN CHRIST. David was a faithful witness for the Book of Mormon. However, he opposed Joseph on the Restoration of the Priesthood, Doctrine and Covenants, etc. and he started his own church. He is definitely not a creditable source for the translation method.
D&C 17:1 says the 3 Witness would be able to view the plates, breastplate, Urim and Thummim, Sword of Laban and the Liahona. No seer stone is mentioned.
Hiram Page Seer Stone
Also remember that Hiram Page tried to lead the church astray with a seer stone in 1830 (D&C 28). Satan loves a counterfeit!
How many revelations were given in the Doctrine and Covenants via a seer stone? Zero. How many revelations were given via the Urim and Thummim? At least 8 sections (Sections 3, 6, 7, 11, 14, 15, 16, and 17).Why would God preserve the Urim and Thummim and records for about 4,000 years if a seer stone was used? Mormon and Moroni spent many years abridging all the records. That would be a huge waste if the plates were not even used as many scholars now claim. The seer stone in a hat doesn’t pass the common sense test! Follow the prophets, not the intellectuals and scholars.” Bruce Lloyd as told by “About Central America Jonathan Neville | 6/5/20 URL: https://wp.me/p741A5-Tm
I share a few comments about two books, “From Darkness Unto Light by Michael Hubbard McKay, Gerrit J. Dirkmaat and “Joseph Smith’s Seer Stones” by Michael Hubbard MacKay and Nicholas J. Frederick. My comments will be in RED and the Historian Richard Bushman’s comments will remain in BLACK
Foreword by Richard Bushman about “From Darkness Unto Light” by Michael Hubbard McKay, Gerrit J. Dirkmaat
My comments in Red and Richard Bushman’s in Black
“This volume is the first of what could be many potential histories coming out of the Joseph Smith Papers Project. Michael Hubbard MacKay and Gerrit Dirkmaat have been editors of the Documents series, which is just beginning to appear. The results of this research can be partially found in the introductions, headnotes, and footnotes of The Joseph Smith Papers volumes, but the findings will be properly valued only when integrated into the narrative of early Church history. [I personally don’t think the idea of a stone in a hat adds value into Church history. It only moves the Church backwards in an old sectarian notion that began in the book “Mormonism Unvailed” in 1834, that said the stone in the hat was ever used for translation.] Only then will readers grasp what the new discoveries mean. [The old discoveries, not new discoveries, are the same old dogma that my mother used to tell me about saying, that Joseph never used an occultic seer stone to translate]. The two authors have done just that for Joseph Smith’s early years from the recovery of the plates in September 1827 through the publication of the Book of Mormon in March 1830.
Books like this one will bring Latter-day Saint readers up to date on the results of the latest historical research. [These historians say the latest historical research are quotes from Martin Harris, David Whitmer, William McClelland, and Emma Smith, that say very late in the Church history, that a stone in a hat was used. I believe the first hand witnesses, Joseph Smith and Oliver, and the 8 passages of scripture that say the “Interpreters” (spectacles and breastplate attached) were the only instruments used]. While, like all histories, From Darkness unto Light is necessarily an interpretation, the authors base their story firmly on the original sources. [Yes, original sources from Martin and David and Emma who all never saw the spectacles and breastplate]. They get down to what historians consider to be the bedrock of historical construction. [Wow!] Working from original materials, the authors introduce readers to aspects of early Church history that are well known to historians but that are not necessarily common knowledge in the Church. [That’s precisely the point. Historians dig up things from the past and revisit them to bring up new ideas for which they can become peer reviewed and develop a pet theory that makes them look smart]. MacKay and Dirkmaat also reveal brand new findings in this work. They speak at length, for example, about Joseph Smith’s use of two seer stones in translation. In translating, Joseph probably first used the stones set in spectacles that came with the plates, and then, for most of the translation period, substituted one of the stones he had found. [Bushman says probably first used the spectacles and then substituted one of the stones he found. Based on what? I say the spectacles and breatplate together were used for the entire translation]. Joseph put the seer stone in a hat to exclude the light [Why did the Lord not make powerful enough seer stone light for Joseph?], and read off the translated text by looking in the stone. All the while, the plates lay wrapped in a cloth on the table. Apparently Joseph did not look at the plates through most of the translation. [Then explain to me why Nephi, Mormon and others were so diligent it writing on and securing the plates, if Joseph would later just ignore them totally? Silly]!
This description will startle Latter-day Saints who are familiar with artistic depictions showing Joseph Smith translating with a finger on the plates while he writes down the words as they come to him. [Picture left: I am familiar with pictures of Joseph’s finger on the plates following the words, but that is also incorrect. I ask a question here, where was the breastplate this entire time, and why would the Lord put a breastplate with the spectacles in the stone box with the plates, if they were never intended to be used later? I’ll show you how the breastplate was used in my article at the bottom, titled, Joseph’s Three Sacred Artifacts for Translation]. The image of Joseph with his face in the hat as he translates is not so well known and is much less decorous, [decorous meaning: Suitable to a character, or to the time, place, and occasion; marked with decorum; becoming; proper; seemly; befitting], which may shock some readers. [Yes the picture on the right shocks me, doesn’t it you?]But it is essential that the Church at large become aware of what historians have discovered in the sources. Failure to acknowledge these factual accounts, almost all of them in friendly sources, can devastate Latter-day Saints who run across them. Feeling that the Church has covered up the truth, they become disillusioned and even angry. This book is an attempt to repair the misconceptions so that the next generation of Latter-day Saints will be better informed. [As a non-historian and slightly educated man, I don’t believe the Church has ever covered up truth. I believe many revisionist historians in the Church have covered the truth to spread their theory of importance so their buddies will think the are smart as they are peer reviewed. Sad!I am not disillusioned as believe I have come up with the Lord’s help a possible scenario that explains your Historic covering up, titled, Joseph’s Three Sacred Artifacts for Translation]
For years Mormon scholars simply disregarded critical sources, such as the affidavits concerning the Smith family in E. D. Howe’s Mormonism Unvailed. [So E.D. Howe an anti-Mormon’s affidavits are now credible]? They felt the critical writings were too biased to be of any use. But in recent years, automatic exclusion of negative reports is no longer the practice. Everything has to be examined and evaluated. MacKay and Dirkmaat work on the principle that bias must be taken into account in analyzing any historical source. The art of the historian is to extract useful information from original sources whether negative or positive. [Who determines if it is negative or positive sources? Oh, the Historians, I see!] The notes of From Darkness unto Light show the authors ranging through sources all across the spectrum. The result is a much enriched and compelling narrative, [I call it non-compelling and made up history trying to tear down traditional sources of Joseph and Oliver] one that will hold up under critical scrutiny.” Richard Bushman Forward to From Darkness Unto Light by Michael Hubbard McKay, Gerrit J. Dirkmaat
Introduction From Darkness Unto Light by Michael Hubbard McKay, Gerrit J. Dirkmaat
Again my comments in RED and McKay & Dirkmaat in black
The actual process by which the Book of Mormon was translated, according to the witnesses of the event and the earliest sources, is generally unknown to members of the Church. [No it isn’t. Read JSH 1:34-35, 42, 62, and 75, Mosiah 28:13, 20 (History of the Church, 4:537). Ether 3:22-23, 4:5, Lucy Mack Smith and more]. Because Joseph Smith only explained[?Only?] that “through the medium of the Urim and Thummim I translated the record by the gift, and power of God,” little emphasis has been placed upon the actual process of translation. Although the well-known “History of Joseph Smith” recounts Joseph Smith’s explanation of the device found with the plates as being composed of two stones, [Yes that is what Lucy Mack Smith says]most artists’ renderings depicting these events generally excluded images of the stones entirely, and no attempts were made to show the stones being used in the way witnesses described. [Why did they do this since the spectacles were found in the stone box and not a single peep stone]. These artists’ paintings powerfully conveyed an image to modern Latter-day Saints of Joseph Smith sitting at a table with the plates in front of him, his finger running over the top of the characters, with Oliver Cowdery dutifully seated across from him taking the dictation down. Thus generations of Mormons have come to imagine the translation process in much the same way reflected in these portrayals, a process by which the miracle of translation occurred by Joseph Smith looking at the plates and speaking a translation to Cowdery without the use of any external tools or the seer stones themselves, despite the testimonies of witnesses that the process occurred very differently. Those witnesses make the use of the stones the central aspect of the translation. They give an account of Joseph Smith placing various seer stones into a hat in order to block out the external light. Then God caused words to appear on the shining stones that translated the reformed Egyptian text into English. [Witnesses you speak of are David, Martin and Emma who never saw the spectacles nor the breastplate, but they all saw Joseph’s brown stone as he had it with him a lot. Don’t you think these so called witnesses just assumed that Joseph used that rock they so often saw him with? I do].
By Anthony Sweat
Those who are antagonistic toward the Church and Joseph Smith have used this discrepancy between witnesses of the translation and average members of the Church as a cudgel to beat upon the faith of believers. The very use of these witness statements by antagonistic or disrespectful authors or television programs to create a deprecating image of Joseph Smith has further alienated members from a proper understanding of the translation process. These detractors highlight the apparent ridiculousness of a scene that involves Joseph translating with his head buried in a “magic” hat, knowing that such imagery would offend the sensibilities of twenty-first-century Mormons. [Then why do you use that magic hat imagery if it is silly, and hard to believe? Why not believe what Oliver said, “Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth, as he translated with the Urim and Thummim, or, as the Nephites would have said, ‘Interpreters,’ the history or record called ‘The Book of Mormon.’ Also the Interpreters are: “the spectacles and the breastplate attached” as Joseph said, “With the records was found a curious instrument which the ancients called ‘Urim and Thummim,’ which consisted of two transparent stones set in the rim of a bow fastened to a breastplate. Through the medium of the Urim and Thummim I translated the record by the gift, and power of God.” Times and Seasons, 1 March 1842,” p. 707, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed February 13, 2021,https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/times-and-seasons-1-march-1842/5
Although the witnesses’ explanations of the translation process differ from what is generally understood by Church members, the testimonies of these witnesses affirm that the use of the seer stones—placed as they were in a hat to block out the light so the words of God could be read—was the greatest evidence to them of the miraculous nature of the translation. Detractors make light of the translation process. However, they do so without informing their readers that their very sources for such apparently disdainful evidence stated that because of the use of a seer stone in the translation process, they had a greater testimony of the seership of Joseph Smith.[Detractors make light of the translation, because of the use of a single seer stone. Readers think the Church is crazy because they know the spectacles and breastplate were in the stone box and so why not use them? You cannot find anywhere in the Scriptures where it says Joseph used a “seer stone”, “seers stone”, “stone”, or “peep stone”, NOT ONE!]
Minerva Teichert
One way we attempt to deal with the problem of the inaccurate portrayal of the translation process is by adding depictions of the translation to this book. These images [the ones below marked with the name Anthony Sweat] were created by Anthony Sweat, assistant professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University. In addition to skillfully crafted artwork of the events surrounding the translation that more closely align with the testimonies of scribes and witnesses, Sweat has performed detailed and informative research on how images of the translation have been used over time. The appendix of this book contains his exclusive essay, “By the Gift and Power of Art,” which will help readers understand where the more well-known images of the translation originated and how their less accurate depictions have come to dominate the LDS imagination when considering the translation of the gold plates. [There are currently only two pictures (shown above right and left) in all the work of art found in the Church that even comes close to the proper translation and in both pictures they show a breastplate. Why did Anthony Sweat leave out pictures of the breastplate being used?]
Our book attempts to capture the first-person [You mean the first-person Joseph Smith or Oliver Cowdery, or the first person you think is accurate?] point of view of Joseph Smith and those who witnessed the translation and publication of the Book of Mormon. Though we have taken into account the perspectives of detractors and nonbelievers in our analysis, [But have you taken the perspective of Rod Meldrum, Hannah Stoddard, and Rian Nelson, who are not detractors?] the purpose of our book is to understand the coming forth of the Book of Mormon as a miracle, which can best be understood through the accounts of those closest to the process and by those who believed. To Joseph Smith and his friends and family, the miraculous translation process was a reality. In other words, our approach asks the question “How would Joseph and his family explain to others the translation process?” [Joseph would explain the translation process by saying how he used the spectacles and breastplate that cam in the stone box and how he was also able to keep them hidden as he promised. See my article below titled, Joseph’s Three Sacred Artifacts for Translation]
Each of the chapters presented in our book offers new material, [What is new? The old idea of Joseph using a peep stone in a hat? That is revisionist, not new material]. both in sources and in interpretation. In a mostly narrative format, we examine the primary events in the coming forth of the Book of Mormon from September 1827 to September 1830—only occasionally pausing to note significant changes in the story. This book is intended to bring the reader closer to the most important events in this chronology of events through the eyes of those who experienced them. [So you quote the scripture by Oliver and Joseph, or do you use the second hand information from Emma, David and Martin?] Its scope does not include larger topics such as the influence of broader religious cultures, nor does it generally attempt to place the coming forth of the Book of Mormon within the context of national trends, politics, or Protestantism, except in those times when it is clear that those broader influences were cognizant to Joseph Smith and his colleagues. This does not mean that we do not contextualize and historicize each account to understand it better, but we do attempt to let those closest to Joseph Smith be heard in their own words, while acknowledging that they had their own biases reflected in their accounts and interpretations. [Yes Emma’s testimony was given very near her death and she did not have time to edit the comments that were used. David Whitmer’s comments were all after he had left the church and called Joseph a fallen Prophet. Not great references. What about when Oliver said, “I wrote with my own pen the entire Book of Mormon (save a few pages) as it fell from the lips of the Prophet as he translated it by the gift and power of God by means of the Urim and Thummim, or as it is called by that book, holy interpreters. I beheld with my eyes and handled with my hands the gold plates from which it was translated. I also beheld the Interpreters. That book is true. … I wrote it myself as it fell from the lips of the Prophet.” When Cowdery returned to Church membership in 1848 he spoke to an Iowa conference. His words above were recorded by Reuben Miller]
In many ways, our book is an attempt to recapture the religious value of the translation and publication of the Book of Mormon in the minds of believing members. We are not making claims or an argument about the reality of the plates, nor are we making arguments about the historicity of the plates, which can be found in other publications. Instead, this book tries to get at the heart of what Joseph Smith and those closest to him believed about the translation and publication of the Book of Mormon. [We are very happy to know you are not trying to say the plates never existed, only that Joseph never looked at them to translate. What exactly is the difference]?
Nevertheless, no work of history nor any examination of sources that speak of heavenly manifestations and the visitations of angels can demonstrate the reality of these miraculous events. Miracles are by definition events that cannot be replicated by mortal beings absent of the intervention of God. [I agree we all know the Book of Mormon is true by the Spirit and not by the translation method]. In this sense, logic and historical method cannot fully prove or disprove the miraculous claims made by Joseph Smith or the scribes who worked with him on the translation. Just as one cannot prove with historical sources or scientific inquiry alone the reality of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection or of the efficacy of his Atonement to save men and women from sin and death, faith and belief are the necessary ingredients for one to come to know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that he performed the work of a seer in bringing forth the words of the Book of Mormon from darkness unto light. [We do however have the word on an Apostle, Jeffrey R. Holland who said, “Truly rock-ribbed faith and uncompromised conviction comes with its most complete power when it engages our head as well as our heart… Two manifestations, two witnesses if you will—the force of fact as well as the force of feeling.” Jeffery R. Holland 2017. This shows me that Moroni’s promise that, I “may know the truth of all things”, is true. My head and heart, my spiritual witness and the physical witness of things both work together, just as the attached spectacles with the breastplate represent Joseph’s head and heart together to have the amazing ability to translate “by the gift and power of God”] What historians can demonstrate, however, is how the witnesses to these events explained them, how they understood them, and how they came to believe, as Wilford Woodruff did, that Joseph Smith had been called by God to translate gold plates and publish that translation as the Book of Mormon.” From Darkness Unto Light by Michael Hubbard McKay, Gerrit J. Dirkmaat(Items in red above are from Rian Nelson)
Joseph Smith’s Seer Stones / Michael Hubbard MacKay and Nicholas J. Frederick.
Below are some note worthy quotes from Hubbard and Frederick. If you didn’t already know, most of these historians lean towards a a Mesoamerican theory of geography. The four paragraphs below however, let you see some of their thoughts about the Native Americans in North America and how influential these North American Indians were to the restoration and to Joseph Smith.
“Coupled with Christian interests, scholars like Samuel L. Mitchill of Columbia College examined Indian ruins in New York, claiming that Native American races had once met there in battle, resulting in the extermination of one race by another. Mitchill was well known enough to have reached public conscientiousness in Palmyra, having been mentioned in the Palmyra Freeman, and Martin Harris eventually visited him in February of 1828 to see if he could translate some of the characters on the gold plates.” Joseph Smith’s Seer Stones / Michael Hubbard MacKay and Nicholas J. Frederick. BYU Religious Studies Center, 2016.
Despite Joseph’s own later reticence to ascribe supernatural forces to his treasure seeking, he did maintain a connection with the sacred nature of the land. The very land where Joseph found his seer stones held divine providence in the minds of Americans, and Joseph’s claim that the stones came from Native Americans harmonized with a greater public perception of an underlying sacred Native American mythos surrounding the lands in which they now lived.
Joseph bound together the ideas of sacred land, ancient Native American artifacts, and digging for money with seer stones. He believed that he plucked his seer stones from a blessed landscape where they had been buried by ancient inhabitants and under the direction of God. The idea of America as a sacred place was not foreign to Americans, who believed “manifest destiny” was exhibited through the ancient inhabitants, who were considered by many to be Israelites. To Joseph, these ideas were inseparable.
Even as the idea of peoples from ancient Israel currently living in America was challenged, ancient artifacts were being regularly uncovered, and scholars at the American Philosophical Society eagerly compared Native American writing to European, Egyptian, and even Hebrew.” Joseph Smith’s Seer Stones/ Michael Hubbard MacKay and Nicholas J. Frederick. BYU Religious Studies Center, 2016.
SEER STONES: ANCIENT ROOTS AND RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE
MacKay and Frederick in BLACK, my words in RED
This connection between Native Americans and Joseph Smith’s religious endeavors extended to his brown and white seer stones. William Stafford claimed that someone might find a stone in brass kettles or certain kinds of pots buried in the mounds, insisting that seer stones were being recovered that had a Native American origin. These artifacts were very clearly man-made items, and if a seer stone was found within a kettle, then it must have had some value or purpose as evidenced by the belief that the hands of those who made the kettle must have placed the stone inside. Brigham Young likely had these Native American kettles in mind when he stated that “[Joseph] got [the seer stone] in an Iron kettle 15 feet under ground. “Apparently, the idea of Joseph Smith’s seer stones being anciently deposited by Native Americans became a natural assumption for some and suggested a similar origin for the Nephite interpreters.According to Joseph’s narrative, the Nephite interpreters originated with the ancient American inhabitants, [Brother of Jared See Ether chapters 3 and 4 below] as the ancient prophet Moroni supposedly placed them in the ground for Joseph to find. At least one of the other two seer stones also shows signs of being prepared anciently.
[It should have been obvious to these authors to add to this dialogue the FACT that Ether 3:24 speaks about this very thing. Why did the authors say, “as the ancient prophet Moroni supposedly placed them in the ground for Joseph to find. At least one of the other two seer stones also shows signs of being prepared anciently?”MacKay & Frederick]
[These authors MacKay and Frederick should have said for sure the place these two stones originated, if they would have accurately quoted Ether 3:23 below in orange.Then they would not have to say supposedly.]
“And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up, that no one can interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language that they cannot be read.
And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things which ye shall write.
For behold, the language which ye shall write I have confounded; wherefore I will cause in my own due time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of men these things which ye shall write.
And when the Lord had said these words, he showed unto the brother of Jared all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be; and he withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth.” Ether 3:22-25
“Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have written them. And he commanded me that I should seal them up; and he also hath commanded that I should seal up the interpretation thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the commandment of the Lord.” Ether 4:5
Tying these strings together, Joseph Smith was highly influenced by the Second Great Awakening, marked by revivals and itinerant preachers, but he was also naturally affected by the Christian conceptualization of America. The patriotic sense of success was bound with the divine providence of the United States, an idea given weight by the belief that Native Americans were heirs of the biblical Israelites. Pulling ancient artifacts from the soil seemed only to support his religious longings and sense of calling, even if they were driven by local searches for buried treasure. Before the Book of Mormon provided the narrative, Joseph Smith’s brown and white stones were artifacts of an ancient past and an expression of his religious devotion in the nineteenth century. Joseph Smith’s Seer Stones/ Michael Hubbard MacKay and Nicholas J. Frederick. BYU Religious Studies Center, 2016.[Probably true, but these brown and white stones had nothing to do with the translation.]
Witnesses Movie by The Interpreter uses Martin’s supposed story
Some of the earliest witnesses remembered his seer stones as Native American artifacts. Martin Harris, an associate of the Smiths prior to Joseph’s recovery of the gold plates in 1827, apparently experienced Joseph using a single seer stone to help him find a toothpick he had lost.[This story was used in the Witnesses movie just released by Daniel Peterson and The Interpreter Foundation. We are not sure if this second have information is correct]. He remembered, “Joseph had had this stone for some time [before 1827]. There was a company there in that neighborhood, who were digging for money supposed to have been hidden by the ancients.” Having known about his earlier seer stone retrieval, he was initially skeptical of Joseph when he first heard about his retrieval of the gold plates. Harris immediately thought “the money-diggers had probably dug up an old brass kettle, or something of the kind.” William Stafford also claimed that Smith searched for brass kettles filled with treasure, and Harris may have been referencing Smith’s retrieval of a kettle that could have had Joseph Smith’s seer stone inside. Even the retrieval of the gold plates suggested that items were being prepared for the restoration of the gospel by Native Americans. See MacKay and Dirkmaat, From Darkness unto Light, chs. 2–3; “Mormonism—No. II,” Tiffany’s Monthly 5 (August 1859): 167.
“Seer Stone v Urim & Thummim Book of Mormon Translation on Trial” Magic & Treasure Digging by James and Hannah Stoddard
“Richard L. Bushman, progressive historian and author of Rough Stone Rolling, would later echo this argument, adding that Joseph was “involved in magic,” had “treasure-seeking greed,” and that magic was a “preparatory gospel” in training the young man as a prophet of God. However, Bushman argued that “all sorts of treasure seekers were also serious Christians,” so to him, it just wasn’t a big deal:
It was no more scandalous than say gambling, playing poker today. A little bit discredited and slightly morally disreputable but not really evil. And when it was found that all sorts of treasure seekers were also serious Christians, why not the Smiths too? So, instead of being a puzzle or a contradiction, it was just one aspect of Smith family culture and not really anything to be worried about.
Contrary to Bushman’s claims, when Mormonism Unvailed was published in 1834, accusing the Smith family of involvement in magic, treasure digging, etc. the public was incensed! The First Presidency reported that Hurlbut’s claims “fired the minds of the people with much indignation” against Joseph Smith and the Church. No good Christian in Joseph Smith’s day heard Hurlbut and thought, “Those Smiths are kind of weird but no big deal.”
The accusations of magic and treasure digging Hurlbut & Howe conjured up carried grave implications for early 19th century Americans, and they published them with the specific intent of destroying Joseph Smith’s character. Just as his enemies had hoped, the publication resulted in increased and intense persecution. When “serious Christians” in Joseph Smith’s day—and this is true as well for serious Christians in our day—heard that Joseph Smith was “expert in the arts of necromancy” and that he had spent his boyhood “digging into the hills and mountains” searching for gold, the slanders destroyed his credibility and impeded interest in the ongoing work of the Restoration of the Gospel. Viewed as “blots” on the character of the young Prophet, most of the persecution leveled against the Church in 1834 was rooted firmly in these scandalous tales.”
Joseph’s Three Sacred Artifacts for Translation [A short version of “Mother I have got the Key” a 26-page PDF in 2-pages], by Rian Nelson
The Prophet Joseph Smith stated, “On the west side of this hill not far from the top, under a stone of considerable size, lay the plates, deposited in a stone box.” “Having removed the earth, I obtained a lever, which I got fixed under the edge of the stone, and with a little exertion raised it up. I looked in, and there indeed did I behold the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate…” Joseph Smith-History 1:51-52
1- The Key
Plain lens spectacles
On the night of Sept 22, 1837, after Joseph returned from the Hill Cumorah (End of 4th year of Moroni’s instructions), Lucy Mack Smith said, “I trembled so much with fear lest all might be lost again by some small failure in keeping the commandments, that I was under the necessity of leaving the room to conceal my feelings. Joseph saw this and followed me. “Mother,” said he. “Do not be uneasy. All is right. See here,” said he, “I have got the key.”
I knew not what he meant, but took the article in my hands and, examining it with no covering but a silk handkerchief, found thatit consisted of two smooth three-cornered diamonds set in glass, and the glasses were set in silver bows connected with each other in much the same way that old-fashioned spectacles are made. (See picture upper right). He took them again and left me but did not tell me anything of the record….
Diamond’s set in glass as Lucy describes the spectacles
That of which I spoke, which Joseph termed a key, was indeed nothing more nor less than a Urim and Thummim by which the angel manifested those things to him that were shown him in vision; by which also he could at any time ascertain the approach of danger, either to himself or the record, and for this cause he kept these things constantly about his person.” History of Joseph Smith, by Lucy Mack Smith
Joseph loved this “Key”, as through it he could see all things as prophets of old have as well. “After breakfast [on the day he received the plates and the Urim and Thummim] Joseph [Smith] called me into the other room and he set his foot on the bed and leaned his head on his hand and says… “it is ten times better than I expected.” Then he went on to tell the length and width and thickness of the plates, and said he, “they appear to be gold.” But he seemed to think more of the glasses or the Urim and Thummim than he did of the plates, for, says he, “I can see anything; they are marvelous.”Joseph Knight’s Recollection of Early Mormon History, BYU Studies, Vol. 17, No. 1; spelling modernized
2- Breastplate “After bringing home the plates, Joseph now commenced work with his father on the farm in order to be as near as possible the treasure that was committed to his care.
Front of Breastplate
Back of Breastplate with Pocket
Soon after this, he came in from work one afternoon, and after remaining a short time, he put on his greatcoat and left the house. I was engaged at the time in an upper room in preparing some oilcloths for painting. When he returned, he requested me to come downstairs. I told him that I could not leave my work just then, yet upon his urgent request, I finally concluded to go down and see what he wanted, upon which he handed me the breastplate spoken of in his history. It was wrapped in a thin muslin handkerchief, so thin that I could see the glistening metal and ascertain its proportions without any difficulty.“
William Smith’s Description
With these quotes below, I am assuming William Smith saw the Urim and Thummim and maybe even the translation process. He gives an amazing description of the entire process. Of course we don’t know about the authenticity, but I am intrigued by William being quoted as saying, “[Joseph] always used it in connection with the breastplate when receiving official communications, and usually so when translating as it permitted him to have both hands free to hold the plates.”
The spectacles fit in a pocket on the back side of the breastplate next to the chest of Joseph Smith.
William Smith’s description: “A silver bow ran over one stone, under the other, around [sic] over that one and under the first in the shape of a horizontal figure 8…[T]hey were much too large for Joseph and he could only see through one at a time using sometimes one and sometimes the other.” These stones, he continued, “were attached to the breastplate by a rod which was fastened at the outer shoulde[r] edge of the breastplate and to the edge of the silver bow.” (Tyrell Givens, By the Hand of Mormon, p.22)
Another account from William Smith: “Among other things we inquired minutely about the Urim and Thummim and the breastplate. We asked him what was meant by the expression “two rims of a bow,” which held the former. He said a double silver bow was twisted into the shape of the figure eight, and the two stones were placed literally between the two rims of a bow. At one end was attached a rod which was connected with the outer edge of the right shoulder of the breast-plate. By pressing the head a little forward, the rod held the Urim and Thummim before the eyes much like a pair of spectacles. A pocket was prepared in the breastplate on the left side, immediately over the heart. When not in use the Urim and Thummim was placed in this pocket, the rod being of just the right length to allow it to be so deposited. This instrument could, however, be detached from the breastplate and his brother said Joseph often wore it detached when away from home, but always used it in connection with the breastplate when receiving official communications, and usually so when translating as it permitted him to have both hands free to hold the plates.” (J. W. Peterson in The Rod of Iron I:3 (February 1924)
Article titled “Joseph’s Three Sacred Artifacts for Translation” continues, “It was concave on one side and convex on the other and extended from the neck downwards as far as the center of the stomach of a man of extraordinary size. It had four straps of the same material for the purpose of fastening it to the breast, two of which ran back to go over the shoulders, and the other two were designed to fasten to the hips. They were just the width of two of my fingers (for I measured them), and they had holes in the end of them to be convenient in fastening. The whole plate was worth at least five hundred dollars. After I had examined it, Joseph placed it in the chest with the Urim and Thummim (Picture left).” History of Joseph Smith, by Lucy Mack Smith
Alvin’s Box
3- Gold Plates “I have myself seen and handled the golden plates; they are about eight inches long, and six wide; some of them are sealed together and are not to be opened, and some of them are loose. They are all connected by a ring which passes through a hole at the end of each plate and are covered with letters beautifully engraved. I have seen and felt also the Urim and Thummim. They resemble two large bright diamonds set in a bow like a pair of spectacles. My son puts these over his eyes when he reads unknown languages, and they enable him to interpret them in English. I have likewise carried in my hands the sacred breastplate. It is composed of pure gold and is made to fit the breast very exactly.” Lucy Mack Smith (in Henry Caswall, The City of the Mormons; or, Three Days at Nauvoo, in 1842, 2nd ed. revised and enlarged, London: J. G. F. & J. Rivington, 1843
Interpreters (Breastplate + Spectacles) Joseph’s “Key” is certainly not a seer stone. It is the spectacles acting as a key to unlock the breastplate for a connected view of revealing “by the Gift and Power of God.”
“And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things which ye shall write” Ether 3:23. We will call the Key with the Breastplate, “Interpreters” as Moroni first said, “I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the commandment of the Lord”Ether 4:5.
As you read the Book of Mormon there is only one word that describes what to call the breastplate with the two stones in the rims of a bow.” INTERPRETERS. Nowhere in the entire Book of Mormon will you hear the term Urim and Thummim or seer stone or single stone. It also mentions Interpreters once in the PGP in JSH 1:75* That means whenever we say the word “Interpreters” we mean the breastplate with the spectacles as one unit.
There are thousands of Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that believe the Interpreters are the instrument that Joseph Smith found with the gold plates buried in the hill of Cumorah. These Interpreters began their journey near hill Ramah in upstate New York as the Lord touched these two stones and asked the Brother of Jared to seal these stones up with the interpreters to come forth at a later date to be translated and as we know Joseph Smith was that person.
“Again, he told me, that when I got those plates of which he had spoken—for the time that they should be obtained was not yet fulfilled—I should not show them to any person; neither the breastplate with the Urim and Thummim; only to those to whom I should be commanded to show them; if I did I should be destroyed.”(Joseph Smith History 1:35,42)
The breastplate would have been worn under Joseph’s shirt and Joseph’s eyes would be looking through the glasses and seeing the gold plates on the table. The Large farmers hat would be placed as a shield or prop between Joseph and Emma with the hat blocking the eyes of Emma so she could not see the plates or the glasses. Joseph would hold the hat brim with one hand and have his other hand on top of the plates with his finger pointing at the text on the plates or to use his hand in turning the pages.
The spectacles or “key” would have been attached to the breastplate on the right side of Joseph with a downward slant so when Joseph bends over the spectacles, they would be directly over the gold plates. On the back of the breastplate is a pocket to store the glasses on Josephs left and over his heart. So, whenever we say the word “Interpreters” we mean the breastplate with the spectacles as one unit.
Prepared from the Beginning “And now he translated them by the means of those two stones which were fastened into the two rims of a bow. Now these things were prepared from the beginning, and were handed down from generation to generation, for the purpose of interpreting languages; And they have been kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he should discover to every creature who should possess the land the iniquities and abominations of his people; And whosoever has these things is called seer, after the manner of old times.” Mosiah 28: 13-16
Conclusion
If an individual seer stone was used it would contradict all the scriptures, which we find that are the “true word of the Lord”, and that is what I rely upon when understanding the proper method of translation. This is the scripture that sums up the “Proper Translation” in my opinion. “He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants; Also, that there were two stones in silver bows—and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim—deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted “seers” in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book.”JSH 1:34-35.” Joseph’s Three Sacred Artifacts for Translation by Rian Nelson
As the quote from JSH 1:34-35 says, “and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim.” No stone in a hat is mentioned, and how could a single seer stone be called a Urim & Thummim? After reading this scripture it says the two stones in silver bows were fastened to a breastplate and called Urim & Thummim. I believe Joseph’s scriptural words.
Contents of the Box (No Liahona nor Sword of Laban. They were in another part of the hill called the Cave at Cumorah 1-Gold Plates 2- Spectacles 3- Breastplate
Many Archaeologists and Historians in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are constantly saying, “There is no evidence on Hill Cumorah of swords, or bones or arrowheads found on the hill. We have to have proof”, they say. Well, I will share with you here an abundance of evidence on and near the Hill Cumorah that will show there was a huge battle near Hill Cumorah. It is as well known in the Church as it is with non member archaeologists.
Mesoamericanists say the hill of Cumorah was “clean” meaning there is no proof of cooper and steel and arrowheads located there. That is just flat out wrong if you follow just a few of the evidences I have searched for and found. Ask the CES and BYU Professors where all those same tools and artifacts are located on some hill in Mexico that they have not even identified. These intelligent people are great believers in the spirit of the Book of Mormon just like I am, but they are “looking in the wrong place.”
The Church has purchased the ancient hill Cumorah in 1923, they haven’t purchase any Mesoamerican hill have they? Why do intellectual people ignore the information right in front of them? Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said,
“…This modernistic theory of necessity, in order to be consistent, must place the waters of Ripliancum and the Hill Cumorah some place within the restricted territory of Central America, notwithstanding the teachings of the Church to the contrary for upwards of 100 years. Because of this theory some members of the Church have become confused and greatly disturbed in their faith in the Book of Mormon. It is for this reason that evidence is here presented to show that it is not only possible that these places could be located as the Church has held during the past century, but that in very deed such is the case… It is known that the Hill Cumorah where the Nephites were destroyed is the hill where the Jaredites were also destroyed. This hill was known to the Jaredites as Ramah. It was approximately near to the waters of Ripliancum, which the Book of Ether says, “by interpretation, is large, or to exceed all…
It must be conceded that this description fits perfectly the land of Cumorah in New York, as it has been known since the visitation of Moroni to the Prophet Joseph Smith, for the hill is in the proximity of the Great Lakes and also in the land of many rivers and fountains.”.” Doctrines of Salvation Joseph Fielding Smith Chapter 12
The Narrow neck of Land the Mesoamericanists mention above can’t be located in Mexico because the quote in Ether 10:20 says, the Narrow neck of Land will be “where the seas divides the land”, not where the land divides the sea, as it clearly shows with the land of Central America’s land dividing the seas. We believe the “real” Narrow Neck of Land is the Niagara Peninsula which is land that has been divided by the seas of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. IT JUST MAKES SEENSE. See map below:
Mesoamerican Neck
As you view the map below, you will see archaeological evidence of many forts, artifacts, bones, skeleton’s and weapons from the ancient NY area according to the NY Archaeological Society, and other historical books I share below.
See the line of red dots along the yellow dotted lines above? This is plausibly the Narrow Passage spoken of in the book of Mormon in Helaman 4:7 “And there they did fortify against the Lamanites, from the west sea, even unto the east; it being a day’s journey for a Nephite, on the line which they had fortified and stationed their armies to defend their north country.”
And the line of red dots just north of and parallel with the Narrow Passage is the line Bountiful and the land Desolation where is says in Alma 22:32. “And now, it was only the distance of a day and a half’s journey for a Nephite, on the line Bountiful and the land Desolation, from the east to the west sea; and thus the land of Nephi and the land of Zarahemla were nearly surrounded by water, there being a small neck of land between the land northward and the land southward.”
This is exactly what Governor Clinton DeWitt described in the quote below.
ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF LAKE ERIE, THERE IS A SERIES OF OLD FORTIFICATIONS, RUNNING FROM THE CATTARAUGUS CREEK TO THE PENNSYLVANIA LINE, A DISTANCE OF FIFTY MILES; some are two, three, and four miles apart, and some within half a mile. Some contain five acres… Still further south, there is said to be another chain of forts running parallel with the former, and about the same distance from them as those are from the lake… Whether the nations, which possessed our western country before the Iroquois, had erected those fortifications to protect them against their invaders, or whether they were made by anterior inhabitants, are mysteries which cannot be penetrated by human sagacity; nor can I pretend to decide whether the Eries or their predecessors raised the works of defense in their territory; but I am persuaded that enough has been said to demonstrate the existence of a vast population, settled in towns, defended by forts, cultivating agriculture, and more advanced in civilization than the nations which have inhabited the same countries since the European discovery.” Clinton, De Witt. A Memoir On The Antiquities Of The Western Parts Of The State Of New-York
Here is a closer up map of that exact area in my map below.
Bone Heaps on the Genesee River
“My flats were cleared before I saw them; and it was the opinion of the oldest Indians that were at Genishau, at the time that I first went there, that all the flats on the Genesee river were improved before any of the Indian tribes ever saw them. I well remember that soon after I went to Little Beard’s Town, the banks of Fall-Brook were washed off, which left a large number of human bones uncovered. The Indians then said that those were not the bones of Indians, because they had never heard of any of their dead being buried there; but that they were the bones of a race of men who a great many moons before, cleared that land and lived on the flats” (Nephites, Jaredites). A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison Author: James E. Seaver 1823 Chapter VII page 61
“In the position of the skeletons, there was none of the signs of ordinary Indian burial; but evidences that the bodies were thrown in promiscuously, and at the same time. The conjecture might well be indulged that it had been the theatre of a sanguinary battle, terminating in favor of the assailants, and a general massacre, A thigh bone of unusual length, was preserved for a considerable period by a physician of Lockport, and excited much curiosity.” (Turner, p. 27) [Sanguinary means: Eager for bloody violence; bloodthirsty].
One Half Mile from Mormon Hill
“In 1922 “on the Rose farm, one half mile from Mormon Hill” a number of large skeletons, stone implements, copper ornaments, a copper axe of unusual type, and other articles were found. At this historic spot were found “many of unusual physique, tall, long-limbed, finely formed skulls, teeth finely shaped.” (Fred Haughton, Seneca Nation, p. 48)
Previous Superior Native Cultures
“The battles are described as often having culminated in the destruction of previous, superior Native cultures which had taken final refuge in forts at the tops of hills, including the general region of the hill known to Mormons as Cumorah.In the town of Camillus, in the same county of Onondaga . . . there are two ancient forts . . . One is on a very high hill, and its area covers about three acres. . . . The ditch was deep and the eastern wall ten feet high. In the centre was a large lime stone of an irregular shape.” A Memoir on the Antiquities of the Western Parts of the State of New-York, Addressed to the Honourable Samuel L. Mitchill, a Vice-President of the Literary and Philosophical Society of New York . . . by Dewitt Clinton . . . Read Before the Society November 13th, 1817De Witt Clinton (1769-1828)
War with a Light Skinned People
“Chief of Seminole Tribe: “We had a war long ago with a light skinned people around the Great Lakes. We conquered them but we had so much respect for their warrior chief that we buried him at the mouth of the Oswego River that is in New York State. We don’t discuss this very much because it is an embarrassment to us. President Rawson then asked why this is an embarrassment, and the Chief replied, “ Our history is written on metal plates and buried in a hill in New York, but we don’t know which hill!” (Talk given to missionaries in training at the MTC, Provo, Utah 1979, by President Murray J. Rawson).
Archaeological Evidence for the Ancient Hopewell and Adena Culture
The purpose of the information below is to share with you significant archaeological evidence for the ancient Hopewell and Adena Culture nearby the Hill Cumorah. There is evidence of fortifications, pottery, copper, weapons, palisades, forts, mass burials, mounds, tools and other artifacts all around this area. I believe the Hopewell culture matches up with the Nephite culture extraordinarily well. (See Map Above) The Hopewell originated in 600 BC at the panhandle of Florida from Crystal River to Pensacola, Florida. History documents this. The Hopewell then traveled north into Georgia and Tennessee. There is evidence of a huge society of the Hopewell from Missouri to Illinois to Indiana and then to Ohio which was the dominant historical area of this people. History shows the end of the Hopewell civilization around the year 400 AD. Historians say the Hopewell just disappeared and historians have no idea what happened. I feel I have a good idea. The final battle at Cumorah was 385 AD. This is some of the best evidence of a possible link to the Hopewell and the Nephites.
My friend who is a very loving Christian Preacher and an Avocational Archaeologist, who has lived in Ohio his entire life, jokes with me and says, “I know the people of Ohio as Hebrews and you know them as Nephites. We have found the same people.” Doesn’t it really make sense that there has to be traces of Hebrew where Lehi and Nephi lived? Search for yourself. Many signs show Hebrew influence in North America and especially in Ohio. It’s sad that many professionals say all the artifacts are a hoax. They have to say that for over 20 various items that have been discovered. See my blog here and here:
After reading the material from only these two sources, you will come away with amazing enthusiasm that ancient people lived in North America during the same time period as the Nephites and the Jaredites. Those that lived from about 1,500 BC to 200 BC were historically called the Adena culture. See my blog here.
To access my two main sources of this blog, visit the links below:
THE ARCHEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK BY ARTHUR C. PARKER, ARCHEOLOGIST
New York State Museum JOHN M. CLARKE, Director
List of Sites Page 654 Ontario County, NY (Time Period 100 BC to 1700 AD)
1- Village and palisaded hilltop stronghold on Boughton hill 1 1/ 4 miles south of the village of Victor. This famous site is on the farms of M. E. McMahon, W. B. Moore and W. J. Greene. It occupies the top of Boughton hill and lies along the 800 feet contour line, which is 250 feet above the village of Victor. The hill points northward and is bounded on the eastern, western and northern sides by precipitous slopes that drop to the valleys of two brooks, both of which flow into the Mud creek. The westmost brook is known as White brook and takes its beginning in a spring on the side of a hill. This site is that of the Gandagora which was destroyed by DeNonville in 1687. It was visited by Greenhalgh in 1677 who said it resembled Onondaga. Before its destruction the Jesuits had established in this village, a mission which they called St Jacques, so that there are fairly adequate contemporaneous accounts of the village and its occupants. The site was excavated by Frederick Houghton for the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences. His excavations are described in volume 10, number 2, of the bulletin of the society.
2- Fort and stronghold site known as Fort hill 11/2 miles west of Boughton hill in an air line. This corresponds with DeNonville’s account of the ” picket fort at the top of a little mountain, scarped on all sides.” Some fifty years ago traces of the earthwork or palisaded bases were to be seen, but this wall has now been destroyed by cultivation.
Fig. 84 Pottery vessel found in a grave on the site of Gandougarae, East Bloomfiel
3 Burial place I mile from Boughton hill on the John Bunce farm ‘his is directly south and on the east side of the Bloomfield road near the county line. This site was excavated by Frederick Houghton who found more than fifty pits containing human remains and many objects of European manufacture intermixed with articles of native lake.
4 Village site on the farms of Jesse and George Marsh, and a burial site on Ira DeLong and David Thompson’s farms. This site is near the northeast corner of East Bloomfield and on lot 13. It is about one-fourth of a mile east of Mud creek and on the eastern slope of brook running into it. Without doubt it is the site of the Jesuit mission of St Michel, which was occupied mostly by the captive Neuter and Huron converts after the destruction of their nations, in historical accounts the site is known as Gandougarae.
5 Burial place near this village on the farm of Ira DeLong, excavated by Frederick Houghton.
6 Burial place also connected with the Gandougarae site on le farm of George Marsh, which has been excavated by Heman Coates, Fred Hamlin, William L. Bryant and Frederick Houghton. Mr. Houghton has described the site on page 42 of his monograph in the ” Seneca nation, from 1655 to 1687.”
7 Village and burial site on lot 35, East Bloomfield, on the Henry Fox farm. It is on the bank of Mud creek and most of the graves are found in the heavy red clay.
8 Village site on the Appleton farm on the eastern bank of Fish creek, at the forks of the road 2 miles northeast of Holcomb station. The village tract covers a considerable area of land and European objects have been found.
9 Village and burial site on the Beale farm, lot 7, East Bloomfield. This is on the south side of Cherry street one-half of a mile west of the road from Victor to Holcomb and just south of the Victor Township line. It is 1 1/ 2 miles south of Boughton hill and occupies an irregular knoll surrounded on three sides by small streams. Mr Houghton estimates the area as 15 acres. The usual material found on sites of the early historic period are present. Burials were located by Houghton on a knoll on the western edge of the village. They were- deep in the clay and sand and sometimes as many as six bodies were found in the burial pits. Houghton records thirty-four graves and describes the site on page 239 of the ” Seneca Bulletin.”
Sketch map of the Marsh site, East Bloomfield (after Follett) (Site 4} The Factory Hollow Site
10 Extensive village site on the Augusta Warren farm, lot 75, West Bloomfield, near the railroad station. The site occupies the rolling land along the eastern site of Honeoye creek. Between the site which lies on the hill some 50 feet above the creek and the stream itself are wide flats some 200 to 300 feet from the base of the hill. The site seems to have been occupied for an extended period and has two cemeteries. More than twenty entire pottery vessels were found in the burials, together with many articles of shell, bone, stone and wood.
11 Village and burial site at Factory Hollow on lot 64, West Bloomfield. The site occupies the abrupt terrace above the Honeoye outlet and above the eastern slope. The hill is very steep ; a village i burial site lay upon its top 100 feet above the valley. The burials were found along the western edge of the hill a little distance from the main village site. Here more than one hundred graves have been opened but very few objects of European occupation have been found except brass kettles. The village site proper occupied the wider portion of the hill at the southern end and all along the edge of the numerous refuse deposits that contained many bone implements, notched and serrated potsherds, and other discarded and broken material. Locally the place is known as the ” Shattock site ” and the hill as ” Fort hill.” The period is the beginning of European contact.
12 On his map of the Seneca country, Gen. J. S. Clark placed an Indian village almost in the center of the town of East Bloomfield. Mr Hildburgh reported a cemetery there.
13 Village site reported by Fred H. Hamlin on lot 16, East Bloomfield, on the Nead farm.
14 Village site on the Andrews farm at the north angle of the road northwest of Bristol.
15 Just southeast of this in the upper portion of the valley of Mud creek is a river site on the Sears farm.
16 Site on the Jackson farm in the northeast corner of Bristol township, just south of the Richmond Mills road and southwest of Bristol hill.
17 Village and hilltop stronghold on the George Reed farm near the western boundary of Richmond township and on the southeast side of the Hemlock lake outlet. This site is on a sand hill that lies between two small streams running into the outlet; on the north side is a high slate bank running down into the brook. A pathway down the upper slope of this bank leads to a fine spring which probably supplied water for the village. The opposite ravine is less deep but separates the tract of land from the gradual sloping hillside beyond. Throughout the site, especially the lower portion facing the valley, many pits have been found from which excavators have taken numerous objects of flint and bone. The hillside refuse deposit are especially rich, but no object of European origin has yet been discovered. The site seems in every way a precolonial Seneca village; the type of the potsherds discovered are similar to those found on the sites of the colonial period throughout the region. The State Museum has a collection of some one thousand specimens taken from the site by Alva H. Reed. For detailed description
18 Burial site on lot 25 on the John C. Briggs farm west of the site of Honeoye, in the town of Richmond. About twenty skeletons have been found in a gravel pit. A small village site is just to the northeast.
19 Burial site on lot 23 in Richmond, on the Blackner farm, reported by Albert Van Buren.
20 Honeoye, at the foot of Honeoye lake one-half of a mile east of the outlet and south of Mill creek, was burned in 1779 (Sullivan, p. 130). There were recent articles on Phelp’s flat near the old Indian castle at the foot of the lake (Turner, P. & G., p. 199, 203). Clark placed the village on his map west of the outlet, but there are two older sites there, one village and one cemetery.
21 A small cemetery was 3 miles south of Canandaigua, west of the lake.
22 Randall reported a small cemetery 3 miles west of Canandaigua on a flattened ridge.
23 A mile east of Canandaigua was an oval work on a hillside overlooking the lake, with one gateway and half the wall remaining. The turnpike road from Canandaigua to Geneva passed through it. An early cemetery also (Squier, p. 55, pi. 6, no. 2). This appears in figure 66. Schoolcraft placed it on Fort Hill a mile north of Canandaigua and 1000 feet around (Schoolcraft, Report, p. 109).
24 Mr Hildburgh located a village and cemetery on Arsenal hill one-half of a mile west of Canandaigua, lot 32.
25 Village or camp at the north end of the lake near the outlet and camps along that stream.
26 There was an early site on the east side of the lake a little south of this.
27 On the west shore, just south of Canandaigua, was another early site with caches. A small burial site (21) is nearby (Clark).
28 Graves have been found near the courthouse and a cemetery just west of the village.
29 Ossuary containing eighteen skeletons was found in the park at the outlet. Mrs F. F. Thompson has erected a marker to these ” unknown graves.”
30 Relics have been reported from Squaw island, at the foot of Canandaigua lake.
31 A grave of burned clay was opened on the east side of Canandaigua lake in July 1893. It was 4 miles south of Canandaigua and one-half of a mile east of Gage’s landing. ” Many early relics were found in the vicinity.”
32 Village site on Darwin McClure’s farm, lot 20, Hopewell, 3 miles southeast of Canandaigua, one-half of a mile north of the turnpike. A recent cemetery is not far away, and modern relics have been found. The site is probably that of one of the Onaghee villages.
33 Burial site on the Albert Rose farm I mile north of Machester. Several graves have been opened and relics believed by Mr Follett to be of ” mound-builder origin ” have been found. Mr Follett describes a native copper axe from this site and says it is of an unusual type.
34 A small village was west of Manchester Center, on the south bank of Canandaigua outlet, nearly 21/2 miles northwest of the village west of Clifton. Earthenware and articles of stone occur. It was probably a fishing camp.
35 A large fortified town was in the town of Phelps, on the south side of the bluff facing Canandaigua outlet. A wall has been described there. No recent articles have been found; all are of stone or clay. The .site is northwest of the village of Phelps.
36 Five miles northwest of Geneva, in Phelps, was a stockade on Fort hill. This was not far from a hill on which was an earthwork. It was a long parallelogram through which the road ran, on one side of which the post holes remained. There were caches and early relics (Squier, p. 87, 88, pi. 13, no. 2).
37 Large village site just northeast of Naples, and lying between Naples and Old creek. The occupation is Algonkian. No bone articles are found. D. D. Luther has collected a large number of implements from this and adjacent sites.
38 Burial site in Naples village. Iroquoian. Pipes have been found.
39 Small village site with burials on the west side of Honeoye lake on the California ranch. Four skeletons were exhumed here during highway excavations.
40 Earthwork 3 1/2 miles northwest of Geneva, east of the Castle road. It was 800 feet long and an early site on high ground (Squier, p. 55, pi. 7, no. 1). There are graves in the southern part.
41 Among the pine barrens on Mr Swift’s farm 3 miles north of Geneva is a small site, with early relics, reported by Dr W. G. Hinsdale.,
42 In Geneva, on the old DeZeng place, west of Main street, were many early relics and also camps near the south end of Main street on the south side of Glass Factory bay.
43 Kashong, on Kashong creek, 7 miles south of Geneva, was burned in 1779, but the recent site is hardly well defined. A recent cemetery was opened near the lake in 1889.
44 Village and burial site on Wilson creek, lot 32, Seneca.
45 A small cemetery was opened near Melvin hill in 1896. The heads of skeletons were to the west.
46 There is a scattered site with early relics on the farm of John Laws on the county line north of the Waterloo road.
47 George S. Conover reported a group of recent sites on Burrell creek, which are here placed under one number. The creek is very crooked and the lots are not in regular order.
48 There was an orchard and a small cemetery on lot 36, Seneca, east of the creek on the Rupert farm. Fireplaces have been found.
49 A mile east of this and south of the creek was a recent village and cemetery on the old Wheadon farm, on lot 12.
50 A recent cemetery without relics and with longitudinal burial was on the Rippey farm, lot 9, south of the creek.
51 A trail from the southeast came to the center of the old Brother farm on which there was a village. It followed the highway north- westerly.
52 Site west of Flint on Flint creek. Stone age material. Reported by H. C. Follett.
53 Canaenda was removed to lot 32 on Burrell creek where there, was a large cemetery mostly on N. A. Read’s farm about 25 rods southwest of the creek. On that farm and east of the creek was one of the principal sites of the town.
54 On lot 31, west of the creek, was another recent cemetery.
55 Lodge sites and a cemetery were on the Hazlet farm, lot west of Burrell creek.
56 Burial mound, recent, at Clifton Springs ; explored by J. Sanborn.
57 Early village site just south of Clifton Springs, nearly a mil south of the Canandaigua outlet. It occupied a little over 2 acres. Explorations by J. W. Sanborn in 1889 revealed fireplaces very numerous and close together. It seems to have been long inhabited and was of early date. There are fragments of decorated pottery fine celts and arrowheads. Articles of bone have been found, none of shell. Reported by Irving W. Coates.
58 Early village, reported by Mr Coates, is 1 l / 2 miles west of one at Clifton Springs. The relics are similar to those found the site above mentioned excepting that no bone articles have been found. It was a small village, but the few fireplaces are large and deep. The site is a mile south of the Canandaigua outlet one-fourth of a mile west of Fall brook.
59 Skeletons have been exhumed and relics found at Littleville, a hamlet on the creek south of Shortsville. Some of the latter indicate early visitors, and several trails converged at the ford there.
60 Three-fourths of a mile south of Chapinville, near the creek, was a workshop. Flint chips, unfinished weapons and fine stone articles were once frequent there. Some other reputed Indian sites which he had not personally examined, Mr Coates did not describe.
61 Small village site reported by J. H. V. Clarke.
62 Village of Kanadesaga, situated just west of the city of Geneva. This was one of the important Seneca towns burned by General Sullivan in the punitive raid of 1779. Squier, who visited the site in 1840, said that the palisade traces were distinct, due to the fact that the Indians in ceding the lands stipulated that this, their famous town site, should not be used for cultivated ground. Their plea was, ” Here sleep our fathers, and they can not rest well if they hear the plow of the white man above them.” When Sullivan destroyed the village it consisted of fifty houses with adjacent fields of corn and large orchards. The raiders destroyed the corn, hay and other stored food and cut down the orchards. In robbing the houses they found many trinkets, pelts and other things of value. Near the village was a mound in which the body of a giant Seneca was reputed by tradition to be buried. In the center of the village was a stockade built by Sir William Johnson. Morgan and Squier have written in an interesting manner concerning Ga-nunda-sa-ga and the records of Sullivan’s expedition give a contemporary description of it. The Rev. Samuel Kirkland spent some time here and had an interesting adventure. It was here that the great Gaiyengwahtoh or Disappearing Smoke lived.
63 Village site and stockade site 2 miles southwest of Geneva.
64 Small village site a mile east of Littleville, and southwest of Manchester, on the southern portion of lot 25. Here have been found many beautiful specimens of chalcedony points. Mr Follett says that here in a lump of hard clay found 3 feet below the surface were found five ancient looking and crude chert points.
65 Camp site, evidently an extensive and permanent one, is situated just one-fourth of a mile north of
64. There is a fine spring here known as ” The Indian spring.” Relics of many sorts are found in the adjacent fields, but mostly on the Follett farm. There are places where the arrow and spear points are crude and primitive; other places where there is plain evidence of European contact, as Mr Follett points out in the instance of the finding of a copper spoon with a bullet hole through the bowl.
66 Village and camp sites at the head of Honeoye lake on the farm of Delevan Alger. Bolo stones or grooved weights have been found here, according to Mr Follett, who also reports several perforated disks of sandstone. Mr Dewey has two specimens of these from this site.
67 Village and camp sites on the east side of Honeoye lake, where hammer stones and notched points have been found.
This is the end of information about Ontario County, in THE ARCHEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK BY ARTHUR C. PARKER. There are hundreds of other pages of additional counties in New York as well. It’s amazing information.
RESOURCE #2
THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF NEW YORK STATE BY WILLIAM A. RITCHIE
E-G-Squire Antiquities of New York In earlier articles we have discussed the skillful and precise construction of great cities, large temple mounds and military defenses. The information in these articles has come from a variety of sources, including personal visits to the sites. Some of the best information on the ancient civilizations of North America has been provided by Ephraim George Squier (1821 – 1888). Along with his research and publishing partner Edwin Hamilton Davis (1811 – 1888), he unknowingly provided us with great insight into the lives, religions, cities and social networks of the people of the Book of Mormon.
In his book, Antiquities of the State of New York, Squier chronicles something much different than is found in his previous publications, Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley and Aboriginal Monuments of the State of New York. Instead of descriptions of beautifully aligned cities, or carefully laid out military forts, he reports of works “constructed in haste for temporary purposes”. He details evidence of “indiscriminate massacres” and “bone-pits”.
Connections to the Book of Mormon Joseph Knew Mormon Media Network Final Battle near Buffalo NYIn the Book of Mormon, in the 6th chapter of Mormon, the Nephites gather to the land Cumorah for the final battles with the Lamanites. If, as we have proposed in a previous article, the land Cumorah was in upstate New York near the Hill Cumorah, Rochester, and Buffalo, then the following passage from Squier’s chapter Ancient Work near Buffalo takes on significant meaning.
“Tradition fixes upon this spot as the scene of the final and most bloody conflict between the Iroquois and the ‘Gah-kwas’ or Erie — a tradition which has been supposed to derive some sanction from the number of fragments of decayed human bones which are scattered over the area.” (Antiquities of the State of New York, E. G. Squire, M. A., 1851, page 74)
Tens of Thousands Killed “And Lamah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Gilgal had fallen with his ten thousand; and Limhah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Jeneum had fallen with his ten thousand; and Cumenihah, and Moronihah, and Antionum, and Shiblom, and Shem, and Josh, had fallen with their ten thousand each.” (Mormon 6:14)
The number of people slaughtered at Cumorah seems incomprehensible. Many non-believers cite these passages as evidence of Joseph Smith’s great imagination. Surely there would be evidence today of such large numbers of dead people. While excavating along the banks of the Erie Canal the following was recorded:
“In excavating the canal through the bank bordering the flats, perhaps thirty rods south of the fort, another burial-place was disclosed, evidently more ancient, for the bones crumbled to pieces almost immediately upon exposure to the air, and the deposits were far more numerous than in that near the river. The number of skeletons are represented to have been countless, and the dead had been buried in a sitting posture.” (Antiquities of the State of New York, E. G. Squier, M. A., 1851, page 144)
“One of these pits discovered some years ago, in the town of Cambria, Niagara County, was estimated to contain the bones of several thousand individuals.” (Ibid, page 99)
Squier uncovered evidence of savage warfare, which left “bone-heaps” and “bone-pits” throughout the Finger Lakes region of New York (Cumorahland).
“Besides the various earth-works, there are a number of other interesting objects of antiquarian interest in this county. Among them may be mentioned the ‘bone-pits’ or deposits of human bones. One is found near the village of Brownsville, on Black River. It is described as a pit, ten or twelve feet square, by perhaps four feet deep, in which are promiscuously heaped together a large number of human skeletons.” (Ibid, page 29 – italics in the original)
“Near the town of Fulton, on the west side of Oswego River, is an eminence called ‘Bone Hill’ in which have been found great numbers of human bones promiscuously heaped together. They are much decayed. Intermixed with them were discovered a number of flint arrow-heads.” (Ibid, page 31 – italics in the original)
In Genesee County the ruins of a large enclosure were discovered.
“It was called the ‘Bone Fort’ from the circumstance that the early settlers found within it a mound, six feet in height by thirty at the base, which was entirely made up of human bones slightly covered with earth. A few fragments of these bones, scattered over the surface, alone mark the site of the aboriginal sepulcher. The popular opinion concerning this accumulation is, that it contained the bones of the slain, thus heaped together after some severe battle.”
“There have also been discovered some heaps of small stones; which have been supposed to be the missiles of the ancient occupants of the hill, thus got together to be used in case of attack.” (Ibid, pages 66 and 69)
VIctor-New-York The “bone-pits” found in New York differ in one important way from burial grounds in the Mississippi Valley. Unlike those in Mississippi, the Cumorahland pits and mounds appear to be created in great haste. A mound near Greene Township, NY, near the Chenango River was discovered and excavated.
“Great numbers of human bones were found ; and beneath them, at a greater depth, others were found which had evidently been burned. No conjecture could be formed of the number of bodies deposited here. The skeletons were found lying without order, and so much decayed as to crumble on exposure. At one point in the mound a large number, perhaps two hundred, arrowheads were discovered, collected in a heap. They were of the usual form, and of yellow or black flint.” (ibid, pages 47 and 48)
The End of Two Great Nations The Book of Mormon tells of two great battles of genocide that took place in Cumorahland, the Jaredites and centuries later the Nephites. Could the two layers of burials described above be evidence of the end of these great civilizations?
In a previous article, we discussed the bones, arrowheads, and weapons that continue to be found in the Finger Lakes region of New York. There are many contemporary firsthand accounts of massive graves throughout the area known as Cumorahland. Students of the Book of Mormon looking for evidence of the great battles of the Jaredites and the Nephites can look in the Land of Many Waters in Upstate New York.
Where are the bones and steel? “In short, a bone is a living, self-maintaining, self-repairing organ—not an inert, cement-like substance that would tend to passively disintegrate with the passage of time. Bone is quite resistant to degradation but will eventually be broken down by physical breaking, decalcification, and dissolution. The rate at which bone is degraded, however, is highly dependent on its surrounding environment. When soil is present, its destruction is influenced by both abiotic (water, temperature, soil type, and pH) and biotic (fauna and flora) agents.” Ken Saladin, Textbook author, human anatomy and physiology.
How long for a sword to decompose: “It mostly depends on where it’s been stored. Wood, leather and iron materials don’t do well with moisture. If left in the rain or in a moist humid place, after a few months The sword will be completely worthless. Is long as it’s kept in a dry relatively clean location away from scavengers, years. Most iron swords are found under the dirt or mud where they fell during battle, and are completely useless by the time they are found. The metal would survive intact the longest, and if the location is wet it’s best for to be either underground or underwater completely. Trust is a byproduct of oxidation, and water speeds up the process. Underwater the oxygen available is limited to whatever is suspended in water, so counterintuitively it’s better to be at the bottom of the lake then laying in a puddle.” Greg Pavelka, Biomedical Technician
Bone Heaps on the Genesee River
“My flats were cleared before I saw them; and it was the opinion of the oldest Indians that were at Genishau, at the time that I first went there, that all the flats on the Genesee river were improved before any of the Indian tribes ever saw them. I well remember that soon after I went to Little Beard’s Town, the banks of Fall-Brook were washed off, which left a large number of human bones uncovered. The Indians then said that those were not the bones of Indians, because they had never heard of any of their dead being buried there; but that they were the bones of a race of men who a great many moons before, cleared that land and lived on the flats”. A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison Author: James E. Seaver 1823 Chapter VII page 61
“About three hundred acres of my land, when I first saw it, was open flats, lying on the Genesee River, which it is supposed was cleared by a race of inhabitants who preceded the first Indian settlements in this part of the country. The Indians are confident that many parts of this country were settled and for a number of years occupied by people of whom their fathers never had any tradition, as they never had seen them. Whence those people originated, and whither they went, I have never heard one of our oldest and wisest Indians pretend to guess. When I first came to Genishau, the bank of Fall Brook had just slid off and exposed a large number of human bones, which the Indians said were buried there long before their fathers ever saw the place; and that they did not know what kind of people they were. It however was and is believed by our people, that they were not Indians.” A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison Author: James E. Seaver 1823 Chapter IX
See Mary Jameson (Gardeau) on the Genesee River below.
To satisfy the critic who believes the archaeological record of Western New York is complete, with no anomalies, we offer the fact that large bones, i.e. GIANTS were discovered there, which leaves a gapping hole in the status quo:
Some skeletons, almost entire have been exhumed, many of giant size, not less than seven to eight feet in length. (O. Turner, Pioneer History of the Holland Purchase of Western New York, p. 35)
Human bones of gigantic proportions were discovered in such a state of preservation as to be accurately described and measured. The cavities of the skulls were large enough in their dimensions to receive the entire head of a man of modern times, and could be put on one’s head with as much ease as a hat or cap. (Harvery Rice, Pioneers of the Western Reserve, p. 303)
Erie County has yielded a vast store of ancient monuments, including many giant skeletons, spear points, war hatchets, and other weapons that seem too large for an average sized man to wield. Bones of “giant size” have been uncovered. (C. H. Johnson, History of Erie County, p. 124)
In 1922 “on the Rose farm, one half mile from Mormon Hill” a number of large skeletons, stone implements, copper ornaments, a copper axe of unusual type, and other articles were found. At this historic spot were found “many of unusual physique, tall, long-limbed, finely formed skulls, teeth finely shaped.” (Fred Haughton, Seneca Nation, p. 48)
Brine lists “large skulls” among the skeletons he examined. (Lindsay Brine, American Indians, – Their Ancient Earthworks, p. 97)
In the position of the skeletons, there was none of the signs of ordinary Indian burial; but evidences that the bodies were thrown in promiscuously, and at the same time. The conjecture might well be indulged that it had been the theatre of a sanguinary battle, terminating in favor of the assailants, and a general massacre, A thigh bone of unusual length, was preserved for a considerable period by a physician of Lockport, and excited much curiosity. (Turner, p. 27)
Were there giants in the Book of Mormon, if so, where?
Jaredites in the Land Northward:
And the brother of Jared being a LARGE and mighty man…(Ether 1:34)
And they were LARGE and mighty men as to the strength of men. (Ether 15:26)
Zarahemlaites in the Land Southward:
And they came down again that they might pitch battle against the Nephites. And they were led by a man whose name was Coriantumr; and he was a descendant of Zarahemla; and he was a dissenter from among the Nephites; and he was a LARGE and a mighty man. (Helaman 1:15)
Last month I did a blog here about the ridiculous “Family Friendly” drag show, that was held next door to BYU’s campus. One of our supporters at Firm Foundation named Defending Utah, was instrumental in spreading the word about this vulgar and “Non Family Friendly” event.
Good news happens when we as Christians and concerned citizens reach out and say “no” to these evils. Defending Utah today just announced the great article below to show these drag events have been cancelled in Utah, Idaho, Texas and many other places, as sponsors now understand how wrong they were. “A win for the good guys.”
The Scriptures are not Silent
“Homosexual behavior and other sexual perversions are an abomination—The land expels those nations that practice sexual abominations.” Leviticus 18 Title Statement LDS KJV Bible
“And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, [Sacrificing children to the idol of Baal] neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord. Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it isabomination. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.” Lev 18:12-23,29
“There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the Lord thy God.” Deut 23:17-18
“But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die: But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter:” Deut 22:25-26
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
“Without naturalaffection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;” 2 Timothy 3: 3-5
‘Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost?” Alma 39:5
Come to the Expo to see presentations about saving our Constitution and our children!
May we all stop having a blind eye to pernicious, evil and pedophilia types of behavior. May we also be aware that there is more out there we should be aware of, in order to keep our children safe.
It is happening at our front door and many don’t know it. It took me just 10 minutes to find five or 6 six articles about sex abuse and evil and child sacrifice and witches right here in my home state. Glance through them. You don’t need to read them to be appalled, just be aware that evil is everywhere. I will then end on a good note. One where our friends at Defending Utah were instrumental in stopping these Gay Parties here in Utah and many mother states.
Please wake-up and do something. Write your Congressman or Senator, teach your children, volunteer at schools, get involved in the political discussion, don’t let our evil government win. Satan has control of them I believe. Biden is not a good man, neither is Mitt Romney. I judge people by their actions and words.
I just wrote Mitt Romney the following letter:
I have written you a few times before and you did respond to me which I appreciate. I’m just not sure you personally saw my emails.
I voted for you to be a support to our “Conservative Values” here in Utah. In my opinion you have not lived up to those values. Most times we hear about you Nationally, (which is more than locally) you are frequently against the Republican Majority.
You were quoted today by The Republic Brief who said, “Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who voted last year to impeach Trump on the charge of inciting an insurrection on Jan. 6, said pardoning people who invaded the Capitol to stop Biden’s election would be wrong.” Republic Brief
Those citizens should not even be held. Can you name the crime they have committed? I want to speak to your heart. These many illegal prisoners have not even been charged with a crime on Jan 6th and they sit in prison over a year and a half? That is wrong and evil. Where are your values Brother Romney?
You act like you have been manipulated someway. It would be better for you to repent, than ignore any serious wrong you have committed. Don’t you see the errors of your staying silent to our citizens in prison? You certainly don’t represent our great State of Utah. I am embarrassed as our State feels so disappointed in you.
Thanks for listening, Rian Nelson
His response on Sept 13, 2022 at 1 pm was the following:
Dear Mr. Nelson,
Thank you for contacting me to share your views and concerns, and thank you for your patience waiting for my response. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on issues affecting our nation and our state.
Serving and advocating for the people of Utah is my highest priority. I rely deeply on your perspective and experiences to help guide my approach as the United States Senate considers policy issues that affect all of us. As your senator, my commitment is to do what I believe is in the best interests of Utah and our country.
Thank you again for contacting me. Please reach out anytime about this or any other matter of concern. You may also be interested in visiting my website for news and legislative updates, or signing up to receive weekly e-newsletters and other important information.”
Sincerely, Mitt Romney United States Senator
My response just a few minutes later on Sept 13, 2022 is the following.
Dear Mr. Romney:
I just received your email response to me that took less than one day to reach me.
You said in that email, “thank you for your patience waiting for my response.” It took no patience on my part which is a key indicator to me you personally, Mr. Romney did not read my email. I know your busy, but some things can’t be faked. Whatever assistant you had write this response did not even respond to my concerns.
Your email also said, “I appreciate hearing your thoughts on issues affecting our nation and our state.” I know you appreciate me contacting you, but I don’t believe you really care, as my question was very direct and your people just ignored it.
Your email said, “Serving and advocating for the people of Utah is my highest priority. I rely deeply on your perspective and experiences” No sir Mr. Romney I don’t think you rely on my opinion at all. Your interns return mail like they don’t care either. Couldn’t you at least train your interns to try and address my issue, which is this: Why do you allow citizens with no crimes charged against them for over a year now, sit in jail in Washington DC because of a political issue of Jan 6th? You are not a truthful person in not answering my question, and I am very tired of your typical democratic spin. Please send me a heartfelt response if you can.
Rian Nelson
Today is Sep 19, 2022 and i haven’t received a response yet. I hope Romney addresses this most serious issue. I had friends at the Jan 6th support rally in Washington DC and they weren’t there to riot, but to support our Republic. Now they are still in prison and being tortured. What happened to our Constitution? Biden and the leadership hate our Country that is all I could think at this point.
Here are the quickly found articles about evils in Utah.
Utah Ritualized Sexual Abuse Investigation: David Leavitt Under Investigation For Suspicion Of Human Trafficking
Posted on June 30, 2022AuthorDerrick Broze
“As County Attorney David Leavitt loses his race, new reports implicate him in an ongoing federal investigation into human trafficking. What does this mean for the Utah County Sheriff’s inquiry into “ritualized sexual abuse”?
Thirty days after announcing an investigation into “ritualized child sexual abuse”, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office continues to receive tips concerning organized sex rings and allegations of ritualistic rape and murder.” Source
FIND COVENS, GROUPS & ORGANIZATIONS
A Networking Resource for Finding Covens, Pagans, Spiritual Groups or Like-Minded Individuals in Utah
ARE YOU A SEEKER LOOKING FOR A COVEN, GROUP, MEET UP? WITCHES AND PAGANS DO NOT PROSELYTIZE SO IT’S UP TO THE SEEKER TO SEARCH, CONTACT AND FIND TEACHERS. THIS IS JUST A RESOURCE FOR YOU TO REACH OUT.
We are happy to present this page for covens, groups and organizations in the locations listed below. This information on these pages is presented as submitted, we do not know many of the groups that are represented here and only remove groups if serious verifiable allegations are brought to our attention. We encourage you to please use your discretion when meeting strangers, and due diligence in researching the tradition and reputation of the leaders. We suggest you read this BLOG post prior to meeting possible teachers, as well as the DISCLAIMER page. Source
21 arrested in Utah sex trafficking operation. It’s ‘not even the tip of the iceberg,’ police say
By Pat Reavy, KSL.com Mar 24, 2022,
“A recent operation headed up by the Utah County Sheriff’s Office to combat human sex trafficking resulted in 21 arrests and three women being rescued, according to the sheriff’s office.
But Sheriff’s Lt. Jason Randall, head of the investigations unit, said despite the success of the operation, it represented just a small fraction of the overall problem of sex trafficking in Utah and throughout the nation.” Source
Utah Ritualized Child Sexual Abuse Investigation: Is There A History Of Ritual Abuse In Utah?
by Derrick Broze The Last American Vagabond
“In the nearly 4 weeks since the Utah County Sheriff’s Office announced an investigation into allegations of “ritualized child sexual abuse” in three Utah counties, they have received more than 120 tips in the form of phone calls, texts, and emails. UCSO Public Information Officer Sgt. Spencer Cannon told the Salt Lake Tribune that the office has “pulled in” sergeants with experience in sex assault cases to help review the information.” Source
Former Utah mayor, LDS bishop arrested after child sex abuse allegations
“Police say the man held a “position of trust” over the three alleged victims.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune)
“The Davis County Justice Center and jail pictured on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Carl Johnson, a former mayor and LDS bishop, was arrested and booked into the Davis County jail on suspicion of seven counts of aggravated abuse of a child on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022.
By Jessica Miller
“A one-time Utah mayor and former bishop for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was arrested Wednesday after police say he sexually abused at least three children.
Carl Johnson, 77, was arrested in Orem and booked into the Davis County jail on suspicion of seven counts of aggravated abuse of a child.” Source
CLAIM: Ongoing Underground Military Operations, D.U.M.B.S. and Adrenochrome Facilities Dismantled
SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 2021 BY STILLNESS IN THE STORM
“Update: Unfortunately the links and videos used as source material here have been removed. The ideas contained therein are recorded below as text. While we can’t review the source material we can still contemplate the ideas herein presented and use them as tools to expand our understanding. If you have the original material please send me a link so I can post it here.
(Stillness in the Storm Editor) Rumors continue to circulate that alliance forces are taking down deep state child sex abuse facilities and tunnels.
The following post is a synopsis of these claims, which are unsupported and unverified by evidence. That doesn’t mean they’re untrue. It just means, at present we lack the information we need to confirm or deny them.” Source
Here is some Good News
“Family-Friendly” Drag Shows – CANCELLED!
September 16, 2022Jane Jones
To all of the parents, patriots, and protectors of children who showed up to protest “family-friendly” drag shows, well done! Particularly those who showed up in Provo, UT at the beginning of this month. Immediately after the videos and images of cross dressers showing too much skin and lewd dancing in front of children went viral, two shows in Idaho were cancelled.
It seems likely that Utah, with a predominantly Christian/LDS population, made enough noise to make Idaho, a similarly predominant Christian/LDS state, listen up.
The festival organizers released a statement on Thursday announcing the “difficult decision” to “postpone” the performance involving minors “due to increased safety concerns.”
The Daily Wire previously reported that Zions Bank publicly withdrew its participation from the event on Wednesday, citing concerns over the drag performance involving children as young as 11. Since then, five additional sponsors have dropped out for the same reason, including Idaho Power, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW), agribusiness company Simplot, Idaho Central Credit Union (ICCU), and CapEd Credit Union. Based on the sponsors’ levels and the pricing brochure, Zions Bank committed to an $18,000 sponsorship, Simplot pledged $6,000, Idaho Power committed $3,000, and CapEd Credit Union and ICCU both pledged $1,500. DHW had more than one Orange Level sponsorship and committed at least $18,000.
Soon after, the Southeastern-Idaho Pride drag show in Pocatello, Idaho was also cancelled. According to the marketing material, “The free event aims to bring the fun and inviting spirit of drag to those who aren’t typically able to attend shows in their traditional setting (bars, clubs, etc.).”
Their official statement says that they have cancelled their show due to “misinterpretation of marketing material”… If you’re also confused by this reason, a popular social media page that has been tracking “family-friendly” drag shows created a nice illustration of the point here.
Once again, GREAT JOB!
We have a responsibility to protect the innocent from exposure to lewd, sexual things like drag shows. Fortunately, this counter-movement has swept across the country as more LGBT groups try to push “all age” “family-friendly” “child drag” shows. Here are some examples:
The Nephite Culture of the Book of Mormon from 600 BC to 400 AD, has so many amazing similarities to the Hopewell Culture in the United States during the same time period. Many archaeologists, scientists and historians who aren’t members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, know and believe the history of the Hopewell Culture and verify the dating which parallels the Book of Mormon. Below you will a fantastic article of a discussion between Archaeologist of Ohio William Mills in 1917 with James E. Talmadge.
I have shared information about these similarities you can watch on video here if you are a subscribing member. Currently we have over 800 fantastic videos you can choose from.
If you would like to subscribe to view videos online, you will receive a complimentary pass to our Oct 20-22 Expo in Salt lake this year. Visit HERE or click on the picture below.
The Hopewell & Nephites- Parallel Histories
“The Hopewell culture describes the common aspects of a segment of Native American culture that flourished along rivers in the northeastern and Midwestern United States from approximately 400 B.C. to 500 A.D., a time period that nearly matches the span of the developed Nephite societies. The Hopewell peoples were not a single culture or society, but a widely dispersed set of related populations as shown on the map on the left. They were connected by a common network of trade routes, in what is known as the “Hopewell exchange system.” The name ‘Hopewell’ was chosen by Warren K. Moorehead, known as the ‘Dean of American archaeology,’ after his explorations in 1891 and 1892 of a group of mounds in Ross County, Ohio.
He named the mounds after Mordecai Hopewell, the owner of the land. Subsequently all mounds that have similar identifications are named as the Hopewell Mound Builders within an interaction sphere.
Currently, the Hopewell interaction sphere has come to encompass regions from the Southeastern United States as far south as the Crystal River Indian Mounds in Florida up to the southeastern Canadian shores of Lake Ontario in the north. Within this geographic area, inter societal exchanges were common along major waterways. The Hopewell exchange system received materials from all over what is now the heartland of the United States. Many objects created by the Hopewell cultures have been excavated and show a remarkable degree of commonality to items described within the text from the Nephite and Lamanite civilizations. In 1848, Ephraim George Squier, A.M., and Edwin Hamilton Davis, M.D., published the book, Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley: Comprising the Results of Extensive Original Surveys and Explorations.
The work was a landmark in American scientific research and was the genesis of archaeology as a scientific discipline. More importantly, the book was the first volume of the Smithsonian Institution’s Contributions to Knowledge series and the Institution’s first publication. Among Squier and Davis’ most important achievements was their systematic approach to analyzing and documenting the sites they surveyed, including Seip Mound, southwest of Chillicothe, Ohio (survey Plate XXI, No. 2 shown below on the left), which they discovered in 1846, and the mapping of the Mound City Group, also in Chillicothe, Ohio, which has been restored using their data and is now part of Hopewell Culture National Historical Park.
Squier and Davis collection of ancient Mound objects can now be seen at the British Museum in London, England. A few of their maps will be used in this edition as most of those mounds they identified have been destroyed by population growth that demanded land as the United States expanded westward. Their drawings are left to us to study of what was a highly educated, cultured and civilized society with roads, highways and cities rivaling the sizes of those in Europe.
Click to Enlarge
The Annotated Edition of the Book of Mormon highlights various excavated artifacts throughout the text that come from the “Mound Builder’s” earth or “dust” (Isaiah 29:4), like those found at Zelph’s Mound, providing physical or “circumstantial evidences” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Five [1842-43], 267) showing those mound builders shared common associations with the Nephite cultures.
Lehi’s party arrived in the Promised Land in roughly 590 B.C. as a small group. Within a few years, those who followed Nephi separated themselves from those who followed Laman and Lemuel. By 570 B.C. the two groups, the Nephites and the Lamanites, were then living in separate geographical regions with different lifestyles. The Nephites settled in a small region maintaining their flocks, herds and crops while the followers of Laman lived as wanderers feeding off of wild animals, “becoming wicked and wild and ferocious, yea, even becoming Lamanites” (Helaman 3:16).
By 500 B.C., one hundred years after leaving Jerusalem, the populations were now well into the second and third generations and growing rapidly. In 279 B.C., king Mosiah leaves the land of their first inheritance, the land of Nephi, and finds the people of Zarahemla, who are more numerous than his group (Omni 1:17), and joins with them. After learning their language, he discovers that their history parallels their arriving in the land at about the same time period when both founding groups fled Jerusalem.
The geography of the City of Lehi to Cumorah makes sense in the North America map. The map on the right is a pretend area of the world that Mesoamericanists try and force to fit the geography in Central America. It just doesn’t make sense.
It is quite reasonable then, that by 200 to 100 B.C., the best dating of the beginning of the Hopewell societies, that the population within the Hopewell interaction spheres parallels the history and culture within the pages of the Book of Mormon (see Appendix, pp. 538-539, for a list of 50 correlations).
Moroni, the last Nephite prophet and historian to write on his metal plates, describes the destruction of his people in about 421 A.D. Remarkably, the culture of the Mound Builders suddenly collapses between 400-500 A.D. Those groups of “Mound Builders,” who exhibited similar characteristics of the Nephites, in the working in metals, in making fine jewelry and cloth, in implementing battle armaments such as head-plates, arm-shields, breastplates, etc., and engaging in similar military tactics of digging ditches around high banks of earth such as this recorded event: “Now behold, the Lamanites could not get into their forts of security by any other way save by the entrance because of the highness of the bank, which had been thrown up and the depth of the ditch, which had been dug round about, save it were by the entrance” (Alma 49:18), have all disappeared from history.
The early European settlers of North America observed Native American Indians as just savages, yet in a revelation given through the prophet Joseph Smith to Parley P. Pratt, Oliver Cowdery and Ziba Peterson, in Manchester, NY, early October 1830 the Lord declared: “And now concerning My servant Parley P. Pratt, behold, I say unto him that as I live I will that he shall declare My gospel and learn of Me, and be meek and lowly of heart. And that which I have appointed unto him is that he shall go with My servants, Oliver Cowdery and Peter Whitmer, Jun., into the wilderness among the Lamanites. And Ziba Peterson also shall go with them; and I Myself will go with them and be in their midst; and I am their advocate with the Father, and nothing shall prevail against them” (Doctrine and Covenants Section 32:1-3: emphasis added).
The Lord has declared where some of the surviving Lamanites were and are—and He will be a personal guide to the help His servants in teaching them their House of Israel heritage.” Annotated Book of Mormon by David Hocking and Rod Meldrum pages 536-537. Charts below are from page 538 and 539 of the same book. Purchase Here
Parallels of the Hopewell Culture as described by William C. Mills, Chief Archaeologist of Ohio, with the Book of Mormon [May 20, 1917; Sunday] by James E Talmage
“Attended Sunday School and afternoon service in Hawthorne Hall, and was a speaker at each assembly. Evening meetings here, as also in Brooklyn, have been discontinued for the summer. The attendance both at Sunday School and afternoon meeting was surprisingly large in view of the fact that many of the Utah college students have left for the vacation period. This evening at the hotel I had a long and profitable consultation with Professor Wm. C. Mills, State Archaeologist of Ohio. He is continuing his splendid work of exploration in the Ohio mounds, and I went over with him again the remarkable agreement between his deductions and the Book of Mormon story. He has reached the following (10) conclusions: The area now included within the political boundaries defining the State of Ohio was once inhabited by two distinct peoples, representing two cultures, a higher and a lower.
These two classes were contemporaries; in other words, the higher and the lower culture represented distinct phases of development existing at one time and in contiguous sections, and furnish in no sense an instance of evolution by which the lower culture was developed into the higher.
These two cultural types or distinct peoples were generally in a state of hostility one toward the other, the lower culture being more commonly the aggressor and the higher the defender.
During limited periods, however, the two types, classes, or cultures, lived in a state of neutrality, amounting in fact to friendly intercourse.
The numerous exhumations of human bones demonstrate that the people of the lower type, if not indeed both cultures, were very generally affected by syphilis, indicating a prevalent condition of lasciviousness.
Their (are) two peoples or cultures…the lower culture was most commonly the assailing party, while the people of the higher type defended as best they could but in general fled.
As a further consequence of this belligerent status they buried their dead, with or without previous cremation, in such condition as to admit of expeditious covering up of the cemeteries by the heaping of earth over the sepulchers [sic], in which hurried work the least skilled laborers and even children could be employed.
From a careful collating of data it is demonstrated that the general course of migration through the area now defined as the State of Ohio was inward from the west and outward toward the east.
Professor Mills states that no definite data as to the age of these peoples have as yet been found, but that the mounds may date back a few hundred years or even fifteen hundred or more.
Several years ago I placed a Book of Mormon in the hands of Professor Mills and, while he is reticent as to the parallelism of his discoveries and the Book of Mormon account, he is impressed by the agreement.”
James E. Talmage 20 May 1917 See copies below from William Mills 1914 publication called Archaeological Atlas of Ohio
Chart above courtesy of Wayne May Ancient American Magazine here William Mills 1914 publication called Archaeological Atlas of Ohio. Entire book here:
DOES THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON MATTER?
When Christ appeared to the Nephites as the resurrected Savior, He blessed them, He taught them He prayed with them and for them. He also quoted to them the words of Isaiah. He reminded them that they had been given THIS LAND for their inheritance and were warned that they would not be allowed to remain on THIS LAND if they did not remain faithful. This emphasis shows the significance of THIS LAND to the Book of Mormon people, and the people who would be brought by the hand of God to THIS LAND and now occupy THIS LAND.
With over 1400 references to “this land” in the Book of Mormon, I’m not sure how the Book of Mormon prophets could have made it clearer. THIS LAND matters. Geography matters. Those of us on THIS LAND the “promised land,” the Land of Liberty, the Land of the New Jerusalem need to know who we are. America is THIS LAND. America is a covenant land. I live on THIS LAND. Even the chapter heading of 3 Nephi also confirms this truth. The geography of the Book of Mormon matters to me.” Rod Meldrum FIRM Foundation President
Hopewell and Nephites-Same Travel PatternWhy Lehi Landed in Florida. (Apalachicola, FL Lehi’s City)Laman and Lemuel Chased the Nephites North to Unicoi Gap, GA (Nephi’s Valley)Mosiah Left the Land of Nephi by way of the Tennessee River To Zarahemla at Montrose Iowa.Mosiah meets the Mulekites in the Land Zarahemla bway of Mosiah’s River (Tennessee runs North)The first mission to the Lamanites was in NY, OH, and MO, October 1830 (D&C 28,30, and 32). The first missionaries of the LDS Church in Mexico came in 1874. The first missionaries arrived in Guatemala in 1947. The Lord said, ” I myself will go with them and be in their midst.” D&C32;3
Find More Information
You can discover more information about the connection between the Hopewell, Nephites, and Jews in Ohio in the my book, Moroni’s America-Land Bountiful Edition seen below. This 60 Map Bountiful Edition is available in a great package below.
Heartland Map Package: Moroni’s America-Maps Edition 150 Pages, AND Moroni’s America-Land Bountiful Edition 60 Maps. 210 Total Maps, PLUS receive the All-New 20″ x 30″ Folding Travel Map. Buy ALL THREE and Save 18% here.
Below is some information from the Bountiful Edition map book.
“There was a wall at the Great Circle at the Hopeton site. For those of you interested in dry archeological research, here is more about an interesting and recent discovery at the Hopeton Great Circle (adjacent to the Cedar Bank site near Chillicothe OH and also adjacent to the Chillicothe Ward building). Typically, I try to remain abreast with the research happening each year in Ohio and nearby. I spoke with an archaeologist last summer [2017] at the site, and learned of his confirmation of anomalies indicated by a an extensive magnetometry survey.
The other day in conversation, we discussed more details regarding the findings. It appears the Great Circle has evidences of a wooden fence, where the at least 6 ft height 1050 ft diameter earthen wall (enclosing 20 acres) was located. Indications are a pattern of very large posts spaced every 6 meters. This excavation last season revealed a post mold to be 96cm (about 38 inches) in diameter and 1.13 meters deep. One can estimate the height from that data. Indications are that smaller posts existed between the larger ones. The Hopeton site is significant in its location in relation to Cedar Bank, Sugarloaf, Mound City, and Dunlap Works and likely others. The current Chillicothe Ward building aligns with the Cedar Bank site (specifically the platform mound) and is within sight of Sugarloaf and in association with other major earthworks, including Hopeton.
I am pretty sure Church engineering had not considered the earthworks when the building was designed.” Anthony George Lifelong Resident of Chillicothe, Ohio and Archaeological Researcher as quoted in Moroni’s America Land Bountiful Edition by Rian Nelson and Jonathan Neville
Hebrew & Hopewell DNA “A lady by the name of Lisa Mills did her doctoral thesis on the Hopewell. She sampled 49 Hopewell burials from Mound City in Chillicothe, Ohio. They were originally excavated by Shetrone in the mid-20th century. Of the 49 she extracted Mt/DNA from 64% of them. What is significant is she found Haplogroup X in several remains. Haplogroup X is a marker that originated in Galilee. This in my opinion strongly suggests contact by the Hebrews with Hopewell. Richard D. Moats, Avocational Archaeologist, Archaeoastronomer
Joseph knew and he knows that the Book of Mormon events began in the United States of America, in my strong opinion. The First Indian Mission, Joseph sent missionaries. Parley P. Pratt said, “Thus ended our first Indian Mission, in which we had preached the gospel in its fullness, and distributed the record of their forefathers among three tribes, viz: the Cattaraugus Indians, near Buffalo, N. Y., the Wyandots of Ohio, and the Delawares west of Missouri.” (Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City [1874], 41-44, posthumous.) (See D&C 28, 30, 32)
First Mission to the Lamanites D&C 28, 30, 32
Prophets Know and Knew
In my opinion those who believe the Book of Mormon began somewhere else, are only guessing and have developed “group think”, which means they have too much vested in research, opinion, and money, to ever deny what Elder Perry said, “The United States is the promised land foretold in the Book of Mormon—a place where divine guidance directed inspired men to create the conditions necessary for the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Elder L. Tom Perry Ensign Dec. 2012
I also believe what our Prophet President Monson said, “The Lord gave a divine promise to the ancient inhabitants of this favored country (the United States): ‘Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ. (Ether 2:12).
Our Heavenly Father inspired the leaders of…the United States of America, that they might together, under His direction, having been raised up by God for the purpose, establish the Constitution of this country and…Bill of Rights, that by the year of our Lord 1805 [there would be] a climate where our Heavenly Father could send into this period of mortality a choice spirit who would be known as Joseph Smith, Jr.” Teachings of Thomas S. Monson by Thomas S. Monson2011 (Ordained an Apostle, 1963; ordained President of the Church, 2008)
Joseph Smith’s Historically Verifiable Written Statements
Native Americans with a proper greeting
“Nearly all those familiar with the early statements by the Prophet touching on potential Book of Mormon lands know that he clearly indicated them to be in North America. This is evident in the historically verified accounts wherein he declared revelation such as in the Wentworth Letter, the American Revivalist Account, the Zelph Accountsand Joseph’s handwritten letter to Emma while on Zion’s camp. In addition, the prophet revealed a Nephite altar at Adam-ondi-Ahman, mentioned the land of Manti was near Huntsville, Missouri, and revealed that this land was “the borders of the Lamanites” (see D&C 54:8). Furthermore he received revelation from the Lord for the location of Zarahemla (see D&C 125:3) and New Jerusalem (see D&C 84:1-6) which Christ Himself declared to be on Book of Mormon lands (3 Nephi 20:22), both of which are absolutely located in North America. These accounts and their indications are not speculation based, but historically documented.” By Rod Meldrum
Let me ask you a question. If you have a great great… grandfather (Let’s call him Bill), who lived during the time of Joseph Smith, and Bill personally knew and loved Joseph as a true prophet of God, wouldn’t that be exciting to explore the relationship of Bill and Joseph? Maybe some of you already have that relative. As you research and find out about the close relationship that Bill has with Joseph and the other Apostles, and Bill’s testimony of these men, wouldn’t you be so pleased to find out all you could know about their relationship? (I know a few of your relatives may have not liked Joseph, but we are not talking about those relatives).
What if you found out Bill was present with Wilford Woodruff in Nauvoo when he told Bill, as Wilford pointed out a spot to on the opposite side of the Mississippi River about a mile and a half above Montrose, IA, and said “there would be a city and a temple built there and the place would be called Zarahemla.” Would you believe Bill? Of course you would, as you had studied and found out Bill was a good active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had prayed about it. What if it was Bill’s witness after Joseph had passed away, that he saw the countenance of Brigham Young as “it appeared that Joseph had returned and was speaking to the people?” Bill said, As Brigham Young commences speaking, hundreds in the audience believe “in every possible degree it is Joseph’s voice, and his person, in look, attitude, dress and appearance it is Joseph himself, personified.” Oliver Huntington.
You want to and probably would believe Bill after prayer correct? Let’s say you prayed earnestly about that fact, and you received a personal witness that you indeed know that Bill believed Wilford Woodruff and Bill were present at the talk by Brigham Young and Bill knew that Brigham was to be the next Prophet. Is that even possible? Of course it is. I can hear the non-believers say, “I don’t believe Bill”, or “he was lying”, or “Joseph didn’t mean it was a Book of Mormon city”, or “I still believe Zarahemla was somewhere in Mesoamerica.” What is the difference between you believing Bill and others not believing him? Is it because you are related to Bill and you are biased. Or is it because you have prayed about it and studied it out and you thought it was very important to know, and you believed what Moroni told you and that you could “know the truth of all things?”
Why do many people in the Church today not want to believe Bill, or Edward Phillips, or D&C 125? Why is their heart so hard? Why is it that you believe so strongly in Bill and Joseph, and others in the church don’t? It’s probably because you want to believe, and you pray in faith to believe and others may only think of their bias that Zarahemla was in Mexico or some other place. You see, to believe it takes faith, study, and prayer. This is what I believe, that the Zarahemla of the Book of Mormon was indeed across the river near Montrose, Iowa. It is a part of my testimony and I don’t have a relative named Bill, but through faith I really believe this.
Now you know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has not spoken on whether the Zarahemla of D&C 125 means it was a city in the Book of Mormon, but some of the General Authorities and many members believe personally that Iowa is the place of the ancient Zarahemla. In other words knowing this is not church doctrine but it is true all the same. Is it that important you know the answer? Maybe. To me it is very important as I look for additional evidences of the Book of Mormon not just my witness of the spirit, but as Elder Holland said, “Truth borne by the Holy Spirit comes with, in effect, two manifestations, two witnesses if you will—the force of fact as well as the force of feeling.” In the same talk Elder Holland said, “but not to seek for and not to acknowledge intellectual, documentable support for our belief when it is available is to needlessly limit an otherwise incomparably strong theological position and deny us a unique, persuasive vocabulary in the latter-day arena of religious investigation and sectarian debate.” The Greatness of the Evidence By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland August 16, 2017
I believe the Book of Mormon Zarahemla is near Montrose, Iowa, just as I believe there is only one Hill Cumorah in upstate New York.
City Opposite of Nauvoo
Below is a revelation, not a statement, not an idea, not conjecture, a revelation. If the Lord planned the name Zarahemla as just another name and not one in the Book of Mormon, the Lord may have called it in D&C 125 the New Zarahemla, signifying a different location as in the city of the New Jerusalem.
Zelph of Zarahemla
D&C 125:3-4
“Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Nauvoo, Illinois, March 1841, concerning the Saints in the territory of Iowa.” (Heading of D&C 125)
“Let them build up a city unto my name upon the land opposite the city of Nauvoo, and let the name of Zarahemla be named upon it.
And let all those who come from the east, and the west, and the north, and the south, that have desires to dwell therein, take up their inheritance in the same, as well as in the city of Nashville, or in the city of Nauvoo, and in all the stakes which I have appointed, saith the Lord.” D&C 125:3-4
Zarahemla According to Neville
“When Joseph Smith purchased the land for Nauvoo, he actually purchased far more land across the river in Iowa, as this map (left) from the Joseph Smith papers shows. If this area–designated in the 1800s as the “half-breed tract”–was the location of the ancient city of Zarahemla, the location could explain why the people were wealthy and why they had problems with pride, etc. (Of course, every human society has problems of pride, envy, etc.
However, Alma focuses particularly on this when he’s in the city of Zarahemla.) People ask if there is archaeological evidence for a city in this area. There is archaeological evidence of settlements along the river, north and south of this site, that date to Book of Mormon times, but nothing that can be identified as the city of Zarahemla, per se. The city of Zarahemla and its inhabitants were burned (3 Nephi 8:8). Later, the city was built again (4 Nephi 1:8) but the city is not mentioned afterward. It could have been destroyed again, of course. The river could have flooded the city, deposited sand over it, or any number of other possibilities.”
[The Heartland Research Group headed by Wayne May, John Lefgren PhD, and Kevin Price PhD, has been doing research near Nauvoo and Montrose, Iowa for several years now looking for evidence of Zarahemla. They have found evidence for ancient fires pits in the area and a possible location of a temple mound. See their website here: https://zarahemla.site/]
Neville continues, “For now, I note that it’s a location that seems to fit the text nicely. Another consideration is that D&C 125 hints at this site as the location of ancient Zarahemla. Another interesting aspect of Alma 5 is the mention of sheep, shepherds, and wolves. There must have been sheep in the city of Zarahemla. We’ve already stipulated that, because the Nephites “strictly” observed the Law of Moses, but Alma emphasizes the point is repeated here.
v. 37: ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness nevertheless have gone astray, as sheep having no shepherd, v. 38: ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd. v. 39: And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye? v. 59: For what shepherd is there among you having many sheep doth not watch over them, that the wolves enter not and devour his flock? v. 60: if you will hearken unto his voice he will bring you into his fold, and ye are his sheep; and he commandeth you that ye suffer no ravenous wolf to enter among you, that ye may not be destroyed.
These metaphors would be ineffective if the people living in Zarahemla did not have sheep. In verse 59, Alma abandons the metaphorical use and speaks directly to actual shepherds. Some species of sheep that are indigenous to North America have survived to the present day, including the Bighorn and Dall. Anciently, their populations were in the millions. Although confined mainly to the western US, Canada, and northern Mexico. Wolves are indigenous to North America and were ubiquitous throughout North America before the Europeans arrived. They were part of Native American Indian legends and mythology. Their devastating impact on domesticated animals led to federal government programs to eradicate wolves from grazing areas. See this article.
Because Alma discussed wolves in this sense, I think it’s possible that whatever domesticated sheep the Nephites had–whether related to the other indigenous North American species or species Lehi brought with him–were killed off after the destruction of the Nephite society. The situation could be similar to that of horses, where recent research has shown the traditional explanation for horses–that the Spanish brought them all–is not consistent with the actual records. See excellent article on horses:https://byustudies.byu.edu/system/files/pdfs/54_3JohnsonHard.pdf.”
Source: 2016 Gospel Doctrine Resource by Jonathan Neville
Law of Moses
No Sheep, Goats, Bullocks, Rams, Doves, Wheat, or Barley in Mesoamerica during the time of the Nephites. They couldn’t practice the Law of Moses unless they lived in North America.
“If my insistent harping on central Asia annoys you, let me remind you again that the book of Ether gives us no choice. It never lets us forget that what the Jaredite kings did was a conscious imitation and unbroken continuation of the ways of “the ancients,” of “them of old” on the other side of the water. This, incidentally, is another indication that we are not to regard the Jaredite migration as taking place immediately after the flood, for the fall of the tower saw the destruction of an ancient and established order. The Jaredites left their homeland driving great herds of cattle before them in the immemorial Asiatic manner, and even if they had never been nomads before, they certainly lived the life of the steppes during those many years before they set sail (Ether 3:3), and when they embarked, they crammed all they could of their beasts into their small boats, “flocks and herds” and other beasts (Ether 6:4), and upon reaching the New World continued to cultivate “all manner of cattle, of oxen, and cows, and of sheep” just as their ancestors had in the old country (Ether 9:18). Now you know, how the Nephites could have had sheep in North America brought to this land by the Jaredites. The Nephites could continue practicing the Law of Moses in the land of The New Jerusalem.” (2 Nephi 25:24 Mosiah 2:3) Hugh Nibley from Lehi in the Desert; The Great Open Spaces
3 Essential Truths about Nephite Observance of the Law of Moses
By Kendra Burton
“First Truth: Not only did the Nephites “strictly” keep the law of Moses (as indicated in 37 verses in the Book of Mormon (see Alma 30:3, Mosiah 13:29-30, Jarom 1:5), but they did so with delight as it was seen by them as both a collection of types of Christ and a means of coming unto Him. Occasionally even the Lamanites were known to “strictly” observe the law (Hel. 13:1). Second: In “observing to keep the commandments of the Lord in all things, according to the Law of Moses” (2 Ne. 5:10), the Nephites would have necessarily observed all the feasts or “holy days” given to Moses by Jehovah. These are recorded in Exodus and Leviticus and are known as “holy convocations” or “rehearsals” and they typify the life and mission of Jesus Christ in profoundly beautiful ways. Third: It was absolutely essential for these Jewish Lehites to be brought to a land that would provide an abundance of all the plants and animals required to keep the Law of Moses, with its concomitant Holy Days or festivals. Based on the latest archeological findings, it can now be irrefutably shown that the Heartland of North America is the only location in the Western Hemisphere where all ten of the essential items were found anciently including; lambs, oxen, goats, doves, barley, wheat, grapes, and altars made of stacked, unhewn stones. These aforementioned items have not been found in the archaeological record of the pre-Columbian peoples of Mesoamerica.” Amberli Nelson MBA Hebrew/Jewish Symbology Expert
Edward Phillips- Saint and Witness of Zarahemla
“I was one of the forty-six preachers that Brother Woodruff speaks of in his “Leaves of My Journal.” The forty-six were baptized except one, that was Phillip Holdt. Brother Woodruff baptized me at Hill Farm where he baptized six hundred. He told me not long ago, that less had apostatized out of that lot than any other of the same number in the church.” Edward Phillips
“I was standing by the temple talking to Brother Woodruff and he pointed out a spot to me on the opposit[e] side of the river about a mile and a half above Montrose, and said there would be a city and a temple built there and the place would be called Zarahemla.” Edward Phillips. More from his autobiography below.
Mesoamerican Theories of Zarahemla
Mesoamerica “Book of Mormon Lands” tour promoter Dr. John L. Lund, released a historically incorrect and misleading article in a newsletter and paid advertisement eblast (http://ldsliving.com/e/2012/db02_29_2012.html ) published Feb. 29, 2012. Lund’s piece, Joseph Smith Identified Zarahemla as Being in Guatemala, proclaims that an article appearing in the Times and Seasons on October 1, 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois was emphatically “written by Joseph Smith.” Read more here:
In March 1841, a revelation known as Section 125, gave a name and location of a city. While the Lord had previously named Adam – ondi – Ahman and the New Jerusalem as being in the state of Missouri, perhaps this revelation has named yet another city in ancient America. The Lord said to Joseph: “Let them build up a city unto my name upon the land opposite the city of Nauvoo, and let the name of Zarahemla be named upon it”. We first learned of the name Zarahemla in the Book of Mormon. However, very early in Church History documents, the name Zarahemla was disassociated with the revelation. Writers of the history of this period began to attribute the naming of Zarahemla to other persons who were contemporary with the Prophet Joseph or even to the Prophet himself rather than to the Lord and they made it appear that the word Zarahemla was used pre-1841 when the Lord actually gave the revelation to Joseph. We have learned from historic and current Church History publications the following clarifications about the naming of Zarahemla:
1. Joseph Smith DID NOT use the word Zarahemla in 1839. (Joseph Smith Papers, Journals, vol. 1, p. 336)
Thus, we have learned, that any use of the name Zarahemla prior to March 1841 is not correct and was inserted in historical accounts after 1841. Surely, further investigation is warranted as to why the Lord used such a name in the revelation.
Again do you remember Bill? Read study and pray and you will know the truth.
Autobiography of Edward Phillips (1813-1896)
This sketch was written by Sylvia Phillips, then a fourteen year old granddaughter of Edward Phillips, as he dictated it to her in the year 1889. Italicized portions are apparently Phillips’ corrections/additions. Typescript in hands of family.
Edward Phillips, son of William and Mary Phillips, born in Oxenhall Parrish [Parish], Glouscestershire [Gloucestershire], England, April 2, 1813. He was christened April 3, 1813.
Edward Phillips
When [I was] six months old my father moved to Leigh, Worcestershire, Upper Sandlin, and there rented a farm of one hundred acres for three years. From there moved to Black House, Creadley, Herefordshire, and rented a farm of seventy-five acres for four years then returning to Upper Sandlin and rented that farm again for three years. From there he moved to Creadley and rented another farm. While working there he was taken sick and died at Longley Groen [Green], Suckley, Worcestershire, November 29, 1825, at the age of sixty-two. He married Mary Ann Pressdee in Worcestershire, being about ten years her senior. She was the mother of eleven children. From that time I employed myself farming and learning blacksmithing. I joined the society called the “United Brethern” whose president and leader was Thomas Kington. Everything worked well with us until within a year of the time Brother Wilford Woodruff arrived in our neighborhood. It seemed to me that we had come to a precipice and could not go any farther until Brother Wilford Woodruff placed a bridge over that precipice and we went on with glad hearts rejoicing. I went to hear him preach at Ridgeway Crossing on or about March 15, 1840. A day or two following I went to Hill’s Farm to hear him speak. When I started my good old mother said, “Edward, I should think you will not come back without being baptized.” I obeyed this council. I was the only male member of my father’s family who received the gospel. My sister Susan followed suite.I was one of the forty-six preachers that Brother Woodruff speaks of in his “Leaves of My Journal.” The forty-six were baptized except one, that was Phillip Holdt.Brother Woodruff baptized me at Hill Farm where he baptized six hundred. He told me not long ago, that less had apostatized out of that lot than any other of the same number in the church.
I[n] a few days after I was baptized, I was ordained a priest and put in charge of two branches, Ashfield and Crocutt, with George Brooks as my addistant [assistant]. This was near Sherrage, Leigh, Worcestershire. In the fall of that year, I was ordained an elder at the conference, under the hands of Brother Woodruff, and was sent to preach the gospel with Elder John Gaily to the Forest of Deane and Glouscestershire [Gloucestershire]. There I had the privilege of visiting my father’s family. We traveled and preached nearly a year and many were brout [brought] into the church under our administration. My mother embraced the gospel about this time under the hands of Brother Woodruff at a place called Moorings Cross, Maythen Parrish [Parish], Herfordshire [Herefordshire], 1841.
I left my home to emigrate to America. I went to Gloucester and in company with one hundred saints went to Bristol and boarded the “Carolina” for America. We set sail for Quebec, August 8th, 1841. We had a tedious voyage of eight weeks and three days, but landed safely. Thomas Richardson was our President. We set sail for Quebec, from Quebec we went to Montreal by steamer, and from Montreal through the lock to Kinston and then we sailed along Lake Ontario to Lewiston. We had a fine view of the city of Toronto. From Lewiston we boarded the train (which was drawn by mules) from Niagara Falls.
The next day we boarded the train for Buffalo and arrived at that place after dark. We put up at the Farmer’s Exchange for a week because of sickness. We then boarded the Chespeake [Chesapeake] for where now stands the great city of Chicago. We hired a man there to take us to Nauvoo with a team which contract he filled. We arrives [arrived] at Nauvoo in the latter part of October, 1841, on Saturday. On Sunday, I was anxious to see the Prophet. I attended meeting there and saw him for the first time. I did not need an introduction for I knew him the moment I saw him. He preached the gospel of salvation to us that morning which caused my heart to rejoice. Next day, Monday, I went to work in quarrying rock for the temple, (that was my first days work in America) near the upper Stone House on the Mississippi River. I continued to work on the temple and the Nauvoo House, most of the winter. I boarded with an old friend by the name of Jenkins, a shoemaker. There I fell in love with my present wife, who had preceeded [preceded] me a few weeks to America.
Zelph in Vision by Ken Corbett
On the 2nd of August of the next year, being one year from the time I left home, we were married by Heber C. Kimball near Camp Creek in Hancock County. She bore me fifteen children, nine of whom are still living, three of whom were born in Illinois, and the two first, a boy and a girl, died there. We were driven from their graves at the point of a bayonet, which was very grievous to us. I had some land and made me a nice home near where they were buried. I was working in the field near the house when the news came that the Prophet and his brother were killed at Carthage Jail.This made me shed bitter tears for I felt they were two good friends and I knew Joseph was a true prophet of God. He had said that he would go and die for the people. I was under arms in Nauvoo when he gave himself up to die for the people. He discharged us and told us to go home and he would go and die for us. We would gladly have gone and stood between him and death, but he would not let us. I was ready and willing to go. We were quartered at the tithing yard and slept in the Nauvoo Exposition Building. We went one day for foliage for our horses, and met Gen. Joseph Smith with his staff in the street. He cheered us and said, “Well done, boys.” We had been out inspecting the ground where we expected to meet our enemies. Word came to our Captain one night that the pickett guard was driven in and we were ordered out in the dead of night to go and meet the mob. I was determined to go and assist, so I borrowed a horse from a boy who did not like to go himself. Nevertheless this proved to be a false alarm and I went back disappointed. The prophet said he would go and die for us. He did and was butchered in cold blood. I was not there when he was killed, but I went later and took my wife with me to show her the well, curb, and the window where he jumped out when he was shot.
I have a Patriarchal blessing hanging in a frame in my room, which was pronounced upon my head by the prophet and patriarch, Hyrum Smith, in the fall of 1844[1843?], which is worth more than gold to me – Gold is no name for it. The predictions are being literally fulfilled every day. I know if I prove faithful it will all come to pass. I knew then and also know now that Joseph was a true prophet of God, and that the mantle of Joseph fell on Brigham Young who was his legal successor.
We all thought Joseph had come back to us!
I was present at the meeting when this took place (Read about that meeting below with the *) and heard with my own ears and saw with my own eyes. We all thought Joseph had come back to us although we knew he was in his grave. I was standing by the temple talking to Brother Woodruff and he pointed out a spot to me on the opposit[e] side of the river about a mile and a half above Montrose, and said there would be a city and a temple built there and the place would be called Zarahemla. I was at Nauvoo when the temple was finished and dedicated. I went up into the tower and wrote my name there. As I understand, the wicked have burned that temple to the ground and it is all destroyed like the Jerusalem temple. But I expect to see that temple re-erected and the one built on the opposite side of the river to match.” Edward Phillips Source Here and Here
At our 30th Book of Mormon Evidence conference we have an outstanding lineup. This blog, I want you to get to know an amazing man. He has been a huge “Rod fan” since 2011 when he was in Deseret Book and found some very negative notes in Rod’s books trying to sabotage our friend Rod. Ridge took care of the problem as you will read below, and Rod and Ridge have been best of friends since. I don’t know of any single person who has given away more copies of Rod’s books than Ridge.
Seriously, counting books and brochures and testimonies etc he has touched the lives of well over 3,000 individuals praising the Heartland to all he meets all over the world. You have to hear him speak, Thur Oct 20 from 6 to 7 pm
Caution: If you get into a conversation about the Heartland with Ridge, he talks “almost” as much as Rod. If you have a less active friend or family member, get Ridge on them quickly, and they will become converted after hearing Ridge. He is amazing!
Thurs Oct 20, 2022 6 Pm to 7 Pm Presentation:
“I Absolutely Love the Heartland”
Ridge grew up in Kaysville, Utah and graduated from Davis High in 1986. He is grateful to his amazing parents, Jerry and Patty Hartley, who helped him gain a powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon, the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the restoration of the Gospel.
The greatest Prophet, Joseph Smith has been a hero to him since he was a young boy. Mr. Hartley served a full-time mission to Raleigh North Carolina from 1987 to 1989. He graduated from Weber State in 1992. Mr. Hartley has enjoyed doing missionary work ever since his full-time mission.
Mr. Hartley has been in the financial planning and venture capital business for many years. He and his partner Pat enjoy raising capital for amazing companies.
He has three fabulous children who he enjoys spending quality time with. He was recently remarried in the Bountiful Temple to Niki, who is a great blessing in his life. His hobbies include, playing and watching sports, fishing, and hunting.
Mr. Hartley was very blessed to meet Rod Meldrum about 10 years ago. Ridge was at Desert Book and excited when he saw Rod’s book titled “Exploring the Book of Mormon in America’s Heartland.” He noticed an insert in the book that was telling people to not read this book and was a dishonest book, and that really upset Ridge. He called the phone number in the book and spoke to Rod to tell him what was happening. They eventually found the Salt Lake Attorney responsible, but Rod didn’t try and get back at him.
And Ridge, has thanked that attorney ever since, as his careless act has truly motivated Ridge to share Rod’s book with the world. Ridge is on fire with spreading the Heartland message and has given away at least 500 books or more since this time. Ridge also supports others who promote the Book of Mormon in the Heartland including Wayne May, Jonathan Neville, Val Bagley, Steve Smoot, and Rian Nelson. Mr. Hartley says sharing this additional information makes doing missionary work, more fun than he has ever had.
(L to R) Ridge Hartley, Elder Dale G. Renlund, Cynthia Tsai, Pat Hanley
Mr. Hartley was instrumental in working with a business acquaintance named Cynthia Tsai and with longtime friend of many of our current Apostles, Mr. Hal Jensen, who made it possible for the Prophet Russell M. Nelson to be invited to the 2018, 4th International Vatican Conference “Unite to Cure”. President Nelson was unable to attend since just becoming the Prophet, so he had Elder Dale G. Renlund attend and speak in his place. Elder Renlund had the opportunity to share his Gospel and medical message to millions of people all over the world. What a blessing. Ridge will speak more about that in his presentation at the FIRM Foundation.
(L to R) Hal Jensen, Monsignor Tomasz Trafny, Dr. Robin L. Smith, President Russell M. Nelson, Cynthia Ekberg Tsai, Pat Hanley, Ridge Hartley
In the picture to the right is Hal Jensen, Monsignor Tomasz Trafny who serves as head of the Science and Faith Department of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Culture, Robin L. Smith MD MBA, Pres Russell M. Nelson, Cynthia Ekberg Tsai, the CEO of Healthquest, a company known as a prominent global biotechnology and medical technologies advisory firm, and is adept in providing insights and seed funding to rising entrepreneurs, Pat Hanley, Ridges’ business partner, and Ridge Hartley. Information here: https://vaticanconference2018.com/
Ridge appreciates the Heartland group for bringing forth the correct information of what Joseph Smith and other prophets have taught about the United States being the Covenant Nation, where God brought the Jaredites, Nephites and Mulekites for their inheritance.
His deep belief is, that as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we can and should do so much more in sharing the Gospel message to the world. When we teach and share what the Prophet Joseph taught about the true Book of Mormon Geography, and proper method of translation called “Interpreters”, which included the breastplate and two stones in a silver bow, we can all better understand the spirit of truth received from reading that wonderful book.
You will love Ridge as we all do! Listen to this video he did with Rod
More Precious… than all the Wealth of the World
A stone in a hat is not anywhere found in scripture, just in second-hand witnesses who never saw the translation instruments. Why would historians and intellectuals disagree? They haven’t studied the scriptures, or it is pride in group think, and those are the only reasons I can think of. I am not any smarter and I don’t have a higher educational degree, but I have common sense, and the Lord’s witness in Scripture. Read and pray for your own answer as President Nelson said, “Learn for yourself—right now at your age—how to receive personal revelation. And nothing will make a bigger difference in your life than that!” Russell M. Nelson Hope of Israel.
There is no scriptural quote that Joseph translated using a seer stone in a hat. Joseph may have owned a few seer stones, but he only used the two stones in a silver bow like spectacles to translate, according to scripture. Anything else that Emma, David Whitmer or Martin Harris said about the stone in the hat is conjecture and second-hand, as they never saw Joseph translate as Oliver Cowdery said, “I wrote with my own pen the entire Book of Mormon (save a few pages) as it fell from the lips of the Prophet as he translated it by the gift and power of God by means of the Urim and Thummim, or as it is called by that book, holy interpreters. I beheld with my eyes and handled with my hands the gold plates from which it was translated. I also beheld the Interpreters. That book is true. … I wrote it myself as it fell from the lips of the Prophet.” Rueben Miller Journal 
“Mormonism, as it is called, 
“This problem has affected some of those who have taught and have written about the history of the Church. 
As you read our answer about the truth as we understand it coming from Brigham Young, in regard to him saying there was a cave at Cumorah, understand the basic differences between our two apologetic opinions below.
1950 Revised Edition of the Doctrine and Covenants Commentary
THE PUBLICATION COMMITTEE 1950
“
Notice what the Commentary from these inspired Prophets says:
1923 First Presidency
Current Streaming Subscribers can listen to Tim’s previous Firm Foundation Presentations below:
The reason I have written this article is to present grounds for agreement among church members. This subject has no bearing on the basis of a personal testimony, which is given by the Holy Ghost. However, it does give credence to the Lord’s admonition “I say unto you, be one” See D&C 38:27, 1 Cor 1:10, Moses 7:18.
4b. It is highly plausible, given the circumstances of record relocation, that the hill Shim exists in close proximity to the hill Cumorah. During the midst of terrible battles and at great peril, Mormon made the decision to move several sets of heavy permanent records on plates of various metals between the hills for security and safe keeping. We know that one of Mormon’s main tasks was to abridge records onto the gold plates which included the plates of Nephi. In addition, the Jaredite plates, which Moroni later abridged, brass plates and sword taken from Laban, as well as the Liahona would have been part of the relocation. I’m not sure of other records that were in his possession. Mormon also had to keep the plates away from extremely corrupt and greedily depraved Nephites. My point is that it was not easy to orchestrate the move in a secure fashion.
I invite any reader to share with me your specific information about this research as well as any changes you feel are necessary.
the Lamanites are, and where they lived, has been a topic of interest for many years in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was taught in the 1970’s what is called the “Hemispheric Model” about the Book of Mormon. (Map Left)
Heartlanders believe after landing near Tallahassee, Florida, the Nephites escaped from Laman and Lemuel north possibly on the Chattahoochee River that goes all the way through Unicoi Gap, GA into Tennessee, then on the Tennessee River north to Missouri, and traveling east across what Joseph Smith called “Plains of the Nephites, (JS Papers) Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio and ended at NY Cumorah. (This is the same pattern as the Ancient Hopewell Culture who historically traveled that same route and direction from 550 BC to 400 AD). Our friend Philip Beale estimates the time to accomplish this route in a sailing ship to be 4 to 6 months. Philip has proven that on two different voyages, one in 2009 and the other in 2020 in a replica Phoenicia sailing ship. 
Lately I’ve focused on the question of Cumorah because, in my view, it is the keystone of Book of Mormon geography. (In this post, I’m not indulging the dodge of the two-Cumorahs theory. When I say Cumorah, I mean the Cumorah of Mormon 6:6; i.e., the hill where Mormon hid the repository and where the final battles of the Nephites and Jaredites occurred.)
For a FREE download of Rod’s 170 page book titled, “Book of Mormon Remnant through DNA”, visit our 
In the early millenniums of this earth’s history, men did not understand the composition of the soils, and how they needed building up when crops were taken from them. The facilities at the command of the people were primitive and limited, acreage under cultivation was limited, famines were prevalent and the luxuries which we have today were not obtainable.
In regard to the Missouri-Mississippi waters, we have seen year by year great destruction upon them, and coming from them
The Missouri River was well known to be dangerous, “ever-varying,” and full of submerged trees that could capsize or sink a steamboat, not to mention a canoe.1 Joseph and the elders launched their canoes at the Missouri River landing just north of Independence, Missouri, and headed home to Ohio. They camped at Fort Osage and “had an excellent wild turkey for supper.” The good food did little to keep the men satisfied under the stressful conditions.
32 Village site on Darwin McClure’s farm, lot 20, Hopewell, 3 miles southeast of Canandaigua, one-half of a mile north of the turnpike. A recent cemetery is not far away, and modern relics have been found. The site is probably that of one of the Onaghee villages.
51 A trail from the southeast came to the center of the old Brother farm on which there was a village. It followed the highway north- westerly.
