If you answered No, the word snow is not found in the Book of Mormon, you would be in agreement with 90% of those in the Mesoamerican camp. They have said for so many years there is no snow in the Book of Mormon, yet most have not read that passage lately, or ever!
But these theorists would say, yea, but that was in a dream, Nephi wasn’t talking about real snow. Well, who was Nephi writing to? To his children and grand children and to us. Why would Nephi use the word snow if he had never experienced it? Why would he mention snow if his children wouldn’t understand what the word snow meant? Did you know the term “the whiteness of the driven snow” is not found in the Bible? They wouldn’t know about DRIVEN snow unless they lived in upstate New York or in Wyoming during winter.
CLIMATE
What was the nature of the climate of the Book of Mormon? One longstanding question has been that of snow. If the Book of Mormon lands were in North America, why was there no mention of snow? If I told you right now the word “snow” is in the Book of Mormon, what would you say? Over 80% of the people I speak to today say, “NO it isn’t”. Then I ask them to look it up, there is usually shock on their faces. From there it is easy to discuss this issue. We have been conditioned by the Mesoamerican Theorists that there is no snow mentioned in the Book of Mormon. I would also say that 40% of Heartlanders don’t even know that snow is mentioned in the Book of Mormon.
“Nephi recorded the description of his previous vision of the Tree of Life: “And I looked and beheld a tree… and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow” (1 Nephi 11:8). Nephi was addressing his own people after having separated from the Lamanites and wrote this description on the small Plates of Nephi, which he was commanded to make forty years after arriving in the Promised Land (2 Nephi 5:30-34). It was thirty years after he made the large set of plates which were used by his father Lehi to record his history and visions. Nephi’s children and grandchildren never lived in Jerusalem. The Nephites were living in the land choice above all others where “driven” snow must have been common in order for them to understand the analogy of “whiteness of the driven snow,” an expression not found in Hebrew Scripture.
As an example, Isaiah wrote: “…though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow…” a passage that was written on the Plates of Brass in the book of Isaiah (1:18). Nephi did not write, “they shall be as white as snow,” Nephi instead wrote, “…the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow.” In other words, the children and grandchildren of Nephi must have had experienced something similar to a blizzard—snow driven by the wind. Nephi may have experienced this weather condition in the Promised Land, and after living there for forty years, he knew that the generations of his people would understand this specific description as an analogy of the “whiteness” of the fruit of the Tree of Life. Nephi was commanded by God to write on the small plates “for the ministry of my people” (1 Nephi 9:3), suggesting this unique and specific analogy would have meaning to them.
By comparison Nephi records what his father, Lehi saw in the vision while in the Arabian wilderness: “Yea and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen” (1 Nephi 8:11). The phrase, “whiteness of the driven snow” is Nephi’s description, recorded forty years after arriving in the Promised Land, suggesting that he lived somewhere in North America where blizzards “drive” the snow, providing an analogy that had a special and understandable meaning for those who witnessed snow driven by strong winds.” (See p. 300, Annotated Book of Mormon “Four Seasons in the Promised Land.”)
Clark Kelley Price
“I want to mention something about the driven snow from an artist point of view. When the sun is at an angle and it hits the snow that is piled up or driven, it reflects so brilliantly that at certain angles it’s almost blinding to look at it. The top of the regular snow in most cases reflects the blue of the sky or the grey of the sky and really is not that white. But driven snow reflects that brilliant sunlight not off the surface but off the part of the snow that is driven or piled up and when it is in that condition it can be truly a bright white” – Clark Kelley Price, Professional Artist. See one of his brand new beautiful paintings below:
Actually, snow and hail are mentioned three times in the text in conjunction with dreams and exhortations (1 Nephi 11:8, Mosiah 12:6 and Helaman 5:12), but no mention is made that they experienced it happening. Both “rain” and “heat” are mentioned in seven verses; twice rain is mentioned as having occurred, once by the Nephites (Helaman 11:17) and once by the Jaredites (Ether 9:35), all other references are speaking in prophecy or metaphorically. There are three instances of observed normal weather phenomena and only two mention the most common—that of rain.
Only once is a hot day mentioned as having occurred as found in Alma 51:33 where it reads: “And it came to pass that when the night had come, Teancum and his servant stole forth and went out by night, and went into the camp of Amalickiah; and behold, sleep had overpowered them because of their much fatigue, which was caused by the labors and heat of the day.”
On This Day (3/16/1621): In 1621 Samoset, an Abenaki, became the first Native American to make contact with the English Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts. He is reported to have said, “Welcome, Englishmen! My name is Samoset.” On March 16, 1621, the settlers were more than surprised when Samoset strolled straight through the middle of the encampment at Plymouth Colony. (PS. Wouldn’t it be cold and maybe snowy at that time. Where are the Natives coats and warm clothing?)
This solitary reference has formed the foundation upon which many have speculated about the climate of the Book of Mormon. From this one verse it has been surmised that a tropical climate is indicated by the text. But does the text justify such an assumption?
Assuming that the term “heat of the day” refers to the outdoor temperature of that particular day, the timing of the battle is important for context: “And thus endeth the twenty and fifth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi” (Alma 51:37). The Nephites’ lunar calendar meant that the end of their year was the beginning of spring on their observed Jewish calendar.
Weather patterns may have been different anciently, so it may not have been unusual to experience warm temperatures in the Midwestern States in April (the beginning of the Jewish New Year.) Even so, temperature data shows that Cleveland, Ohio, a city noted for its cold winters, recorded highs of 83 degrees F in March, 1945 and 88 degrees F in April, 1986. Similarly, weather almanac’s for St. Louis, Missouri for the month of April have recorded average high temperatures of 67 degrees F and record high temperatures of 93 degrees F. Source: http://myforecast.co/bin/climate.m?city=22127&metric=false
Therefore, it is quite possible that Teancum found Amalickiah much fatigued due to an unseasonably warm day at the end of the 25th year of the reign of the judges in March or April, 67 B.C. There is no reason to assume a tropical climate is necessitated by the text when all that would be required is one of any number of warm sunny spring days in the North American Heartland.
In Helaman 11:17, it says, “that it [rain] did bring forth her fruit in the season of her fruit”. In North America what is the season of her fruit? Look at the picture lower left and see that typically in Ohio the harvest season is July, August, and September. In South America what is the season of her fruit? All the time! See the chart below right and you will notice things are abundant almost any time of the year in Brazil.
Click for sourceClick for source
Alma 46:40 it says, “And there were some who died with fevers, which at some seasons of the year were very frequent in the land—but not so much so with fevers, because of the excellent qualities of the many plants and roots which God had prepared to remove the cause of diseases, to which men were subject by the nature of the climate—”
At what seasons of the year would fevers be more likely? In South America there are basically two seasons. Hot and hotter. Or, warm and warmer. Rainy or not rainy? Dry or wet? In North America there are 4 seasons of the year and and at what time of the year are fevers and the flu more frequent?
Peak Month of Flu Activity 1982-1983 through 2017-2018
The Flu Season “While seasonal influenza (flu) viruses are detected year-round in the United States, flu viruses are most common during the fall and winter. The exact timing and duration of flu seasons can vary, but influenza activity often begins to increase in October. Most of the time flu activity peaks between December and February, although activity can last as late as May.” Center for Disease Control
“Remember that the southern hemisphere seasons are reversed – with summer roughly November to February, and winter in June to August. Peru is pretty much a year round destination thanks to its proximity to the equator. However, visit between January and March and you’ll be slap bang in the middle of the rainy season.” Responsible Travel
“My Soul Delighteth in the Scriptures” (2 Nephi 4:15) Nephi Searches the Plates of Brass by Clark Kelley Price
The Mothers of Invention of a Snowless Setting by Jonathan Neville
Below I will share highlights of a most enjoyable blog by Jonathan Neville, all about snow in the Book of Mormon. If you want the entire blog post visit here:
“Mesoamerican advocates have trained their followers well. If you engage in a conversation about Book of Mormon geography with people afflicted with Mesomania, within minutes they will say something such as, “If the Book of Mormon took place in North America, it would have mentioned snow.”
The argument is so irrational that we’re surprised it has endured, but I heard it again last week from a well-educated, experienced, long-time BYU-affiliated person who was perfectly serious.
The basic idea is explained throughout the publications of the citation cartel, so if you’re involved with this issue, you’ve surely seen or heard it.
Here’s one of the best explanations, this one from Jeff Lindsay, a persistent Mesoamerican advocate:
“If the Book of Mormon were based on elements from Joseph’s environment, and if he was describing a people who lived or at least fought major battles in the New York area (around the puny hill where the plates where buried, which many Mormons incorrectly and implausibly associated with the Hill Cumorah of the text), then we would expect the snow and cold of winter to play a key factor.”
First, the passage exemplifies the series of cascading assumptions that typify Mesoamerican “logic.”
Second, by rejecting the New York Cumorah and claiming that “many Mormons” are incorrect, the passage dismisses Joseph and Oliver as ignorant speculators who deceived the Church–but instead of mentioning them by name, he slyly includes them in the amorphous group “many Mormons.” (Note: few Mesoamerican advocates will openly admit they think this about Joseph and Oliver, but a few have. Whether they openly admit it or not, every Mesoamerican advocate rejects Joseph and Oliver. Every time you see a map (like the ones at BYU Studies I linked to yesterday) or see a display like the one in the North Visitors Center on Temple Square, or read an article promoting the Mesoamerican setting, or even look at the artwork in most chapels and the Arnold Friberg paintings set in Central America that are in missionary editions of the Book of Mormon, you are seeing an implicit repudiation of Joseph and Oliver. So it’s not shocking to us that Jeff Lindsay would write this. It’s typical.)
Third, we see this rejection of Joseph and Oliver framed as a proof of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon!
That’s my favorite element of the no-snow argument, actually. The “scholars and educators” are actually making the argument that if Joseph wrote the Book of Mormon, he would have mentioned snow as an integral part of the narrative. What they don’t mention is that “View of the Hebrews” also doesn’t mention snow (except when the immigrants came across the Bering Strait). Their argument actually bolsters the anti-Mormon claims. ____________________
Here is the genesis of the Mesomania about snow.
1 Nephi 11:8 describes the fruit on the tree of life by writing “the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow.”
This is the only mention of the term “snow” in the Book of Mormon (not counting the 116 pages). Presumably Nephi wrote this passage in the Old World, not the New World, and then, presumably, no one mentioned snow in the New World. Therefore, according to the citation cartel, the New World events of the Book of Mormon had to take place in a setting that lacked snow.
I know, you’re having trouble keeping a straight face reading their argument, but there’s more.
The “no snow” argument is really the inverse of the argument these same “scholars and educators” make about volcanoes. The text never mentions volcanoes, so these “scholars and educators” conclude the Book of Mormon had to take place in a setting that featured volcanoes.
Which is the same argument that the Book of Mormon had to take place in an area that featured tapirs and jungles and massive stone temples, none of which are ever mentioned or described in the text.
According to Mesomania logic, it is less likely that a feature of a geographical setting (i.e., snow) is actually found in that setting when it is mentioned in the text than when a feature (i.e., volcanoes) is not mentioned at all!
That’s only the beginning of this Alice-in-Wonderland logic invented by necessity.
The Fair blog at LDS Living has an all-time classic here.I’ll put my interlinear notes in red:
Weather in relation to Book of Mormon geography by FAIR Blog Opinions & Features
Comments by Jonathan Neville in Red [footnotes omitted] Snow [actually, “driven snow”] is only mentioned once in The Book of Mormon, and that is only when the Lehites were still in the Old World. [We don’t know when Nephi wrote this. Nephi wasn’t describing physical snow anyway; he was using “driven snow” as a metaphor, writing some time after the event (i.e., it’s just as likely he wrote chapter 11 in the New World as in the Old World). He wrote to his children (2 Ne. 26:1), so using “driven snow” as a metaphor while living in tropical Central America would be confusing at best, a contradiction to his insistence on writing in plainness (2 Nephi 32:7)]
This is very indicative of where The Book of Mormon took place. [I agree; it had to take place in an area that featured “driven snow,” especially since this is not a Biblical term.]
If they lived in an area that was cold, such as the area around the Great Lakes, surely the bitter winters known in that area would have been mentioned. [Lots of fallacies here, but I’ll just mention the obvious three. First, Nephi did mention driven snow. Second, Book of Mormon authors rarely mentioned weather, and when Mormon did (Alma 46:40), he mentioned “some seasons,” not just the two in Central America (rainy and dry). Third, this argument, if applied consistently, precludes Central America as a possible setting because the text never once mentions volcanoes, jungles, jade, tapirs, or even Mayans. But one thing we’ve learned from the citation cartel over the years: they don’t apply their arguments consistently.]
Other than the one reference , there is no mention of snow at all where the primary events of The Book of Mormon took place. [“Other than the one reference” is a classic dodge, isn’t it? If there were two references, the argument would be, “other than the two references.” This line of reasoning has no coherent limit. And the one mention is still one more than any mention of Mesoamerican features.]
John Lund states “The pilgrims of Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 often referenced the cold and the snow. If the major events of The Book of Mormon all happened around the New York Hill Cumorah, one would expect to hear about snow.”
[This is almost poetic, the ability to pack so many logical fallacies into two sentences. The pilgrims landed in winter and nearly starved. Lehi landed in the spring with plenty of time to plant crops and with abundant wildlife to eat in the meantime. Not even the text suggests that the major events of the Book of Mormon happened around Cumorah; only the final battles did. This is another fine example of a straw man fallacy (creating the straw man claim that the major events took place around Cumorah, then attacking that straw man on the ground that the text doesn’t mention snow). The poetry comes in adding “all” to major events. Needless to say, many of major events took place in and around Jerusalem, so this straw man fails on that account already. For that matter, why didn’t Nephi describe snow falling when he was confronting Laban, since snow is so common in Jerusalem now, according to these “scholars and educators.”]
However, the cold is not what we hear about. Instead, we hear phrases like “heat of the day”[This is a fun rhetorical trick. “Phrases like” implies there are other similar phrases, but there aren’t any! Plus, anyone who has been in the Midwestern U.S. or even western New York in the summer knows what “heat of the day” means. Besides, it’s easy to have a battle in the “heat of the day” even in cold weather. For example, in The Late War, we have this sequence (on p.49): “And when the battle waxed hot, and they began to rush upon one another with great violence, the small band of Columbia fought desperately, and the slaughter was dreadful; and the pure snow of heaven was sprinkled and stained with the blood of men!”], without any indication of a cold climate one would expect to see if The Book of Mormon took place in the North Eastern United States. [This reprise of the straw man expands the fake setting a little beyond the immediate proximity, but it’s no less misleading because of the straw man assertion that the Book of Mormon took place in the North Eastern U.S. Only the final battles took place at Cumorah.]
The Lehites came from the Middle East, travelled years through the vast Saudi Arabian deserts, and then we only hear about the heat of the new land. [I missed the part in the text where Nephi relates his encounter with all this heat in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia. Why was it okay for him to forget to mention the weather in the Old World, but he was supposed to describe it in detail in the New World?]
If it were a new, colder climate, it would most certainly be mentioned. [The “most certainly” argument is a lot of fun, especially when FairMormon doesn’t know what was on the 116 pages and Nephi specifically focused not on history (or climate) but on prophecies and promises (which Mesomania also treats with great sophistry). A generation removed from Nephi, people had no “Old World” to compare with, yet they still presumably understood Nephi’s “driven snow” metaphor because Nephi wrote in plainness. And look at how Mesomania really uses the “most certainly” argument. If there were volcanoes, jungles, jade, jaguars, tapirs, massive stone pyramids, and, especially, millions of Mayans, these “most certainly” would not be mentioned, according to Mesomania. Do these Mesoamerican promoting “scholars and educators” really expect us to buy this argument? The answer, of course, is yes. They do expect us to fall for these arguments. And thousands of their students have gone through BYU accepting these logical fallacies, which they have continued to prop up as Institute and Seminary and Sunday School teachers ever since.]
The rest of this awesome article is found on Fairmormon here. It’s more of the same nonsense, IMO.
Source: Book of Mormon Wars by Jonathan Neville
Art by Val Chadwick Bagley
See Annotated Book of Mormon by David Hocking and Rod Meldrum, page 16, 300, and 566
Just like your old road trips in the station wagon, take this huge 30″ x 20″ folding travel map with you (Pictured below) as you travel the Heartland of North America. On the back read all about the Heartland Geography and why it is significant. Below is the best short history of the Heartland Model and how it came to be. You can purchase this map and over 200 additional ones at the end of this blog.
The Book of Mormon is the Word of God
“At the onset, we stipulate that the spiritual messages of the Book of Mormon are more important than its geography. And yet the historicity—the historical accuracy—of the book is also important. The Book of Mormon could not accomplish its objective if it was not a true history of real people. As a restored history, it is a tangible symbol of the restored gospel. The book’s very existence is a manifestation of the reality of divine revelation in our day.
When we read the Book of Mormon under the light Joseph and Oliver provided, we see it in a completely new way. We come to realize that the Gospel was restored where it was lost. The light of the Gospel was extinguished in the Old World when the Apostles were killed and the Church fell into apostasy, but that light endured in the New World until the Nephite civilization was finally destroyed in New York around 400 A.D. What better place for the restoration of the Gospel than the scene of its disappearance? And from the New World, the gospel is taken back to the Old World.
We come to realize that the early history of the Church paralleled Nephite history, in reverse. The Nephites were destroyed in New York, so the Church was established there. The Nephites had been driven from Zarahemla and diminished on their way to Cumorah, so the Church grew on its way to Zarahemla from Cumorah. Joseph Smith was eventually buried in an ancient Nephite cemetery in Nauvoo—across the river from Zarahemla.
Finally, we come to realize that just as the Gospel was once taken from the entire Earth, now it is spreading to the entire Earth. And the Book of Mormon is the means for making that possible. Jonathan Neville The Annotated Book of Mormon by David Hocking and Rod Meldrum page 522
Why I love the Book of Mormon
“I was first taught and inspired about the North American Model by Rod Meldrum. The Works of Joseph maps included in this Annotated Edition of the Book of Mormon were created after being inspired while reading the book Moroni’s America by Jonathan Neville. However, I want others to know that the spiritual messages of the Book of Mormon are far more important than the geography. But I also believe the historical accuracy is critical to my full comprehension of the ‘most correct book’ (Joseph Smith Jr.) on the earth. Many Latter-day Saints agree that the Garden of Eden, Adam-ondi-Ahman, and Cumorah are located in North America, and most know that the New Jerusalem will be built upon the American Continent (Articles of Faith #10, Doctrine and Covenants 84:1-4). It just makes sense to me that the Book of Mormon history primarily occurred in the United States of America, as other sacred events did.
The maps have been created based on Joseph Smith’s writings that the Hill Cumorah is in Manchester, New York (Letter VII), that Joseph did have a vision of Zelph who was a Book of Mormon Chieftain in Illinois (Joseph Smith Papers), and Joseph did write a letter to Emma June 4, 1834 telling her that he was ‘wandering over the plains of the Nephites,’ in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. (Joseph Smith Papers). I also believe the Promised Land spoken of in the Book of Mormon is indeed the choice land of the United States. I desire that these visual representations of Book of Mormon events will inspire you and teach you more about the spiritual message of The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” Rian Nelson The Annotated Book of Mormon by David Hocking and Rod Meldrum page 522
2017 Overview of Book of Mormon Geography and Church History
My thesis: the Book of Mormon took place in North America, not Central America or anywhere else. Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith taught this clearly. Early Church authors, including Benjamin Winchester, William Smith, W.W. Phelps, and the Pratt brothers speculated about a setting in Central and/or South America. Winchester wrote editorials to that effect that were published anonymously in the 1842 Times and Seasons. Ever since, people assumed, incorrectly, that Joseph wrote or approved of these editorials. Over the years, scholars developed a theory that Cumorah was in Mexico, not New York. They elaborated on their theory to the point that it became the de facto theory in the Church. But it’s wrong and I hope the historical mistake gets corrected soon.
I’m an active member of the Church and I accept the Book of Mormon as an actual history of real people. There are a lot of active, inactive, and former members who question the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon. I wanted to know why. I started my blog bookofmormonwars.blogspot.com/ to explore issues related to Book of Mormon historicity and geography.
Preliminary matters
Many members of the Church are deeply attached to a particular setting for the Book of Mormon. If your ideas work for you—in the sense that your beliefs make the text more real for you and help you understand and apply its Gospel meaning—then that’s great. In my books and blogs I’m simply relating the facts as I understand them, along with inferences I consider reasonable. This understanding works for me. Your mileage may vary. Do what you think best.
Many active Church members tell me it doesn’t matter where the Book of Mormon took place because it is the message (about Christ and the Gospel) that is the most important. To me, that’s a non sequitur. Granted, the message about Christ and the Gospel is the most important, but that’s not the reason we have the Book of Mormon. That message could have been communicated through modern revelation. It could also have been communicated through parables—which is exactly what many active members of the Church think the Book of Mormon is, instead of an actual history.
I’m not saying active members need to be interested in Book of Mormon historicity and geography, but I am saying they need to recognize they are self-selected by their faith in the Book of Mormon. When we recognize that most members of the Church are not active, that nearly 40% of returned missionaries are now inactive or have left the Church, and that the conversion rate per thousand members of the Church is about 1/3 what it was just 35 years ago, maybe we’ll recognize one reason is because people don’t accept the Book of Mormon as a literal history.
I think the reason we have the Book of Mormon is (as the Title Page explains) to convince people that Jesus is the Christ, manifesting himself unto all nations. If, as I assert, the Book of Mormon is an actual history of real people, then the only explanation for it is what Joseph and Oliver said. And if it’s an actual history, then it took place somewhere—again, as Joseph and Oliver said.
Ultimately, the geography depends on where Cumorah is. I suspect most members of the Church—including me—think Cumorah is in New York. Many Church members are surprised to discover that is not what most LDS scholars and educators teach. I think the scholars are wrong.
Summary and thesis
This is a summary of the facts in Church history as I understand and interpret them. You may or may not have heard/read these things before. Some people will disagree with me about some of the details, but my point here is not to convince anyone. I’m just explaining my thesis. I’m not including any references or detail; I’ve provided hundreds of footnotes in my blogs and in my books for those interested.
My detailed thesis:
In 1827, Joseph Smith obtained a set of golden plates from a box made of stone and cement that Moroni built in the Hill Cumorah in western New York. He took this set of plates to Harmony, Pennsylvania.
In 1828, Joseph dictated the translation of the Book of Lehi from the Harmony plates. Martin Harris acted as scribe, along with Emma. Martin lost the 116 pages and we still don’t have them today.
In 1829, Joseph dictated the balance of the Harmony plates, from Mosiah through Moroni, to Oliver Cowdery, who acted as scribe. Joseph translated the Title Page, which was on the last leaf of the set of plates.
When they reached the end, Joseph and Oliver considered returning to the beginning and retranslating the Book of Lehi. However, Joseph received a revelation (D&C 10) that he should not retranslate the first part of the plates. Instead, he was directed to translate the Plates of Nephi to replace the lost 116 pages of manuscript. But Joseph didn’t have the plates of Nephi.
In May 1829, the Lord commanded Joseph to write to David Whitmer and ask him to convey Joseph and Oliver to David’s father’s home in Fayette. Oliver wrote the letter.
Before leaving Harmony, Joseph gave the set of plates to a heavenly messenger. He also arranged to have the Title Page printed and sent to a federal court in New York to register the copyright.
David drove his wagon to Harmony to pick up Joseph and Oliver. On their way to Fayette, they met an old man on the road. David asked if he wanted a ride, but the man declined, saying he was going to Cumorah. David had grown up in the area but had never heard of Cumorah. He turned to Joseph to inquire. When he turned back, the messenger had already left. Joseph said it was the messenger who had the plates.
The messenger went to Cumorah where, separate from Moroni’s stone box, there was a large underground room—a depository containing all the records of the Nephites. (Mormon 6:6) Mormon had moved the plates to Cumorah from the original storage place in the Hill Shim.
The messenger left the Harmony plates in the depository and retrieved the plates of Nephi. He took these to Fayette. He showed them to David’s mother before giving them to Joseph Smith.
Joseph and Oliver translated the plates of Nephi (1 Nephi through Words of Mormon) in Fayette. When they finished, Oliver, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris sought permission to see the plates.
An angel showed the plates to the Three Witnesses, turning each plate so they could see the engravings, but none of the witnesses touched the plates at the time.
A few days later, Joseph arranged to show the plates to eight other witnesses in the Palmyra area.
It’s unknown whether the Three Witnesses saw the Harmony plates or the Fayette plates, but I think they probably saw the Harmony plates, which Joseph later explained were the “Original Book of Mormon.” The reason is David said there was a portion of the plates that looked as solid as wood. I think this is the compartment that contained the Nephite interpreters.
The Eight Witnesses more likely saw the plates of Nephi (the Fayette plates) because none of them mentioned a solid portion. Joseph’s mother said he had obtained these plates from one of the Three Nephites, who was probably the messenger who got them from the depository and took them to Fayette.
Joseph and Oliver went to the depository on multiple occasions. Possibly they returned the Fayette plates there, then got them to show the Eight Witnesses, then returned them again.
From the time Joseph first announced he had found the plates in the Hill Cumorah, people had been digging in the hill seeking buried treasure. The Lord knew that once the statements of the witnesses were published in 1830, the treasure seekers would renew their efforts. Before Oliver Cowdery left on his mission to the Lamanites, he and Joseph, probably assisted by David Whitmer and Joseph’s brothers Hyrum and Don Carlos, moved the plates out of Cumorah to another location. I think they moved them to the Hill Shim where Ammaron had originally hidden them. It took several trips by wagon. None of the plates remained in Cumorah, as both David and Oliver explained.
All of the men involved operated under a vow of secrecy. Oliver and some of the others did tell Brigham Young and a few other people what happened. Possibly they told Brigham where they moved the plates, but if so, this has never been discussed publicly.
During Zion’s Camp, Joseph recognized the terrain as the plains of the Nephites. He wrote about it to Emma, who had been one of the original scribes. She knew what Joseph was referring to because they had discussed what Joseph learned from Moroni during his interviews, when Moroni told him all about Nephite society and showed him the people in vision.
Also on Zion’s Camp, Joseph had a vision of Zelph, a warrior in the final battles who was killed and buried in Illinois.
Joseph knew the Native American Indians who lived in the Great Lakes region were the descendants of Lehi’s people. He met with tribes from this area and told them their fathers had written the Book of Mormon.
At various times, Joseph tried to write a history of the Church, but events were unfolding so rapidly—and he was not comfortable writing because of his limited education—that the efforts never amounted to much. In October 1834, a significant anti-Mormon book, Mormonism Unvailed, was published in Painesville, Ohio, not far from Kirtland. Apparently in response, that same month Oliver began publishing a series of letters about Church history in the Church’s newspaper, the Messenger and Advocate, in Kirtland. Joseph assisted Oliver in writing them. Oliver wrote eight letters. In Letter VII, he described the Hill Cumorah and explained that the final battles of the Nephites and Jaredites took place in the mile-wide valley west of Cumorah and that Mormon’s depository was located in the same hill.
Oliver didn’t claim revelation on the point; he knew it was true because he and Joseph had actually visited the depository and saw all the Nephite records and artifacts. Joseph endorsed Letter VII and the rest of the letters by having his scribes copy them into his journal as part of his history.
Years later, Joseph gave express permission to Benjamin Winchester to republish the letters, including Letter VII, in the Gospel Reflector. He gave the letters to his brother, Don Carlos, to republish in the Times and Seasons. The following year, 1842, Joseph referred to Cumorah in D&C 128. Cumorah in New York was universally understood in Joseph’s day because Joseph and Oliver taught it, and they taught it because they had been inside Mormon’s depository and had moved the Nephite records.
Later, Joseph’s brother William republished the letters again in The Prophet, a Church newspaper based in New York. The letters were also republished in England in February 1844.
Apart from Cumorah, which Joseph mentioned in D&C 128, and Zarahemla, mentioned in D&C 125, the Prophet never officially identified specific Book of Mormon sites. He was faced with more pressing matters, including the troubles in Missouri, the thousands of converts coming to settle in Nauvoo, the need to build the temple and introduce all the temple ordinances before he died, and much more. It is possible he saw no need to elaborate beyond the location of Cumorah and the plains of the Nephites and Zelph’s mound; i.e., that was enough information for people to figure out the geography on their own.
From the outset of their missionary work, Parley P. Pratt, Benjamin Winchester, and other early missionary/authors were constantly being attacked by anti-Mormons. One persistent line of attack was the claim that Joseph had copied the Book of Mormon from a manuscript by Solomon Spaulding. Pratt and Winchester both responded to this claim. Another criticism focused on the text itself. The Book of Mormon describes advanced civilizations, but everyone knew the Indians were savages. Critics claimed the Book of Mormon merely repeated the legends of ancient civilizations in North America that were destroyed by the savage Indians. Pratt, Winchester, and others responded to these criticisms by pointing to discoveries of long-lost civilizations in Central America that built great stone pyramids and cities.
In 1842 Joseph Smith became the nominal editor of the Times and Seasons. From the early days of the Church, he knew it was important for the Church to have its own newspaper because he could not get fair coverage from the media. In 1832, W.W. Phelps, an experienced newspaperman, was called to publish a newspaper in Missouri—The Evening and the Morning Star. Oliver Cowdery was called to assist in editing. Phelps had a strident tone, though, and he wrote an article that inflamed the Missourians and led to the destruction of the printing press. Joseph sent Oliver back east to buy another press. Oliver set it up in Kirtland and continued the Evening and the Morning Star. He replaced it with the Messenger and Advocate. Eventually, Phelps and Oliver were excommunicated. Joseph started the Elders’ Journal, which listed himself as Editor, although his brother Don Carlos (who had learned the newspaper business from Oliver), was the acting editor.
When the Saints moved to Nauvoo, Don Carlos started the Times and Seasons. He died in September 1841, after which Ebenezer Robinson took over as publisher and editor. Winchester moved to Nauvoo and began working at the paper in November 1841, despite being severely disciplined by Joseph Smith on October 31. Every issue of the Times and Seasons from November 1 through February 15 contained at least one long article written by Winchester but published anonymously, giving credit only to the Gospel Reflector.
Joseph had misgivings about the operation of the paper. Based on his experience with Phelps and Oliver, he seemed willing to trust only his brother Don Carlos, but when Don died, Joseph was left with few options. The Lord answered his prayers with a revelation that the Quorum of the Twelve should take over the paper. They “suspended” Winchester, who moved back to Philadelphia and started work on his Synopsis and Concordance.
The Twelve purchased the printing shop from Robinson and, beginning on February 15, 1842, Joseph was listed as as printer, editor, and publisher. Wilford Woodruff managed the business affairs of the printing office and John Taylor assisted in writing. The printing office, which published a variety of material in addition to the Times and Seasons, had a staff of printers, proofreaders, and writers. In April, Joseph’s other brother, William, started a local paper called the Wasp. It was published from the same shop as the Times and Seasons and shared editorial content.
Joseph’s involvement at the Times and Seasons started with the publication of the Book of Abraham, the Wentworth letter, and the History of Joseph Smith, a compilation of material Joseph supplied to his clerks but did not write himself. By the spring of 1842, W.W. Phelps had moved to Nauvoo and was helping to write and edit material for the Times and Seasons.
Joseph was busy with many responsibilities, well documented in his journal. Editing the Times and Seasons was never mentioned in his journal. (Nor was printing the paper.) Although Joseph was the nominal editor, William soon became the acting editor of both newspapers, with the uncredited assistance of Phelps (although it is very difficult to determine which of them contributed what editorial content). Winchester, who had been sending material to the Times and Seasons since its very first issue in 1839, continued sending articles to the paper.
Because of his tenuous relationship with the Twelve, Winchester’s work was published anonymously and over the signature of the Editor. One example is the article “Try the Spirits,” published on 1 April 1842, which contains several passages that are nearly identical to portions of Winchester’s Synopsis and Concordance.
Later in the year, William published some of Winchester’s material over a pseudonym. Winchester continued adapting the material he was writing for his Synopsis and Concordance. As in the Gospel Reflector, Winchester’s main themes were baptism, opposing anti-Mormons, and proving the Book of Mormon with extrinsic evidence. Winchester wrote editorial comments about the works of Josiah Priest and Stevens and Catherwood. Three of these anonymous articles appeared in the September and October 1842 Times and Seasons, making an explicit link between the Book of Mormon and Central America. The one published on October 1 even claimed Zarahemla was in Quirigua, Guatemala. These issues contained letters that Joseph Smith wrote and sent to the newspaper because he was in hiding.
Joseph Smith usually saw the paper when everyone else did—after it was published. He was dismayed by the Oct. 1 issue. He realized that having his name listed as the nominal editor conferred an element of authority on the paper that was unwarranted and risky. He had already been told by others that William’s editorial approach reflected badly on the Church so he decided to remove William as editor of both papers. He, Joseph, decided that he would officially resign first and allow William to keep his name on the Wasp for a while longer, although John Taylor would take over both papers immediately in October.
Joseph faced a dilemma that his resignation alone would not resolve. His critics read every word of the Times and Seasons, looking for opportunities to criticize Joseph and the Church. The paper was struggling financially. If he were to recant the Zarahemla article, his critics would have a field day. The same October 1 issue contained the letter that would become D&C 128. If he retracted the Zarahemla article, his critics would say D&C 128 was also false doctrine. He decided to let the article go without comment. It was never cited again or even mentioned (until the 20th Century by LDS scholars who sought to promote a Mesoamerican theory of geography).
Subsequent editorials and news items mentioned both North American and Central American archaeological findings in connection with the Book of Mormon, but this was consistent with what was generally believed. An earlier article in the Times and Seasons had observed that the Aztec people had traditions that contained “Traits of the Mosaic History” which came from migrations from Wisconsin to Mexico. The Wisconsin people, like other Great Lakes tribes, were descendants of Lehi; naturally the accounts of Moses would accompany Israelites wherever they went, even when the stories had been corrupted by Lamanite interpretations.
The only geographic detail that was unambiguously established was the location of Cumorah in New York. During Joseph’s lifetime, everyone knew that Cumorah was in New York because Joseph made sure Letter VII was republished frequently enough for everyone to read and understand.
After Winchester and William Smith were excommunicated, they became persona non grata. Parley P. Pratt instructed Church members to stop buying Winchester’s books. William became President of the Quorum of the Twelve of the Strangites. In that capacity, he wrote a series of articles about the Book of Mormon, placing it in Central America.
Even today, William’s newspaper, the Wasp, is completely ignored at the recreated Printing Shop in Nauvoo. The Community of Christ has historical markers about the Wasp and reprints from its pages, but the LDS sites are silent about it. When I visited Nauvoo in 2015, the missionaries working in the printing shop had never even heard of the Wasp.
Despite his prominence in Nauvoo in 1841-1844—Winchester was President of the Nauvoo Literary Society in 1844—Winchester has largely vanished from Church history. Few LDS even know his name now. William Smith, too, has largely been ignored.
Once the Saints moved to Utah, the question of Book of Mormon geography was mostly ignored, except by Orson Pratt. Pratt did not adhere to the Zarahemla in Quirigua theory, however; he advocated a hemispheric model that put Zarahemla in South America near the Magdalena River. When he organized the Book of Mormon into chapter and verse, he included footnotes about geography that he specified were speculative, except for Cumorah, which he declared was in New York.
Later, in the 1920s, scholars in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proposed that the Book of Mormon took place in a “limited geography” much smaller than the hemispheric model. They settled on Central America. LDS scholars began adopting these ideas.
A dilemma arose. If Cumorah was in New York, how could all the rest of the Book of Mormon take place in Central America? The short answer: it couldn’t. This led to the development of the two-Cumorahs theory; i.e., the theory that the New York Cumorah is merely the place where Moroni buried the one set of plates in the stone and cement box. Moroni carried the plates all the way from Central America to New York because the “real” Cumorah—the site of the final battles of the Nephites and Lamanites—was located in Central America.
Joseph Fielding Smith, Church Historian and member of the Quorum of the Twelve, recognized that this “two-Cumorahs” theory would cause members of the Church to become confused and disturbed in their faith in the Book of Mormon. He denounced the theory. However, LDS scholars ignored him and continued developing the idea. When he was President of the Quorum of the Twelve in the 1950s, President Smith reiterated his warning about the two-Cumorahs theory. Again, he was ignored by LDS scholars.
By the 1980s, the two-Cumorahs Mesoamerican theory had become so widely accepted that it appeared in the Ensign magazine. Artwork based on the Mesoamerican theory became ubiquitous in Church meeting houses, magazines, media, manuals, and web pages. Changes in the artwork in the missionary editions of the Book of Mormon itself reflected the shift away from New York, as did displays in visitors centers.
Letter VII was ignored by the scholars. A symposium at BYU on the life of Oliver Cowdery included a section on Oliver’s letters, but did not mention Oliver’s observation about Cumorah. Letter VII cannot be found on lds.org except in one footnote in an article about Moroni’s message to Joseph Smith. It is included in the Joseph Smith Papers only because it was included in Joseph’s journal, but it is without comment.
LDS scholarly publications have published dozens of articles promoting the Mesoamerican theory. The prevailing consensus about Cumorah was expressed in a book titled Mormon’s Codex, published by Deseret Book and the Neal A. Maxwell Institute at BYU. There, the author, John L. Sorenson, wrote, “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.”
In other words, modern LDS scholars think Oliver Cowdery’s Letter VII is “manifestly absurd.”
LDS scholars have highly praised Mormon’s Codex. Terryl Givens wrote the Foreword, saying “So influential has Sorenson’s work on the Book of Mormon geography been that there is widespread consensus among believing scholars in support of what is now called the ‘Sorenson model,’ which identifies the scripture’s setting within a Mesoamerican locale.” (emphasis added)
If it is not already evident to my readers, I completely disagree with the LDS scholars who endorse the Mesoamerican theory. To paraphrase Mormon’s Codex, I think the Mesoamerican model is manifestly absurd. I realize that sounds harsh to those who believe in the Mesoamerican model, but Mormon’s Codex sounds harsh to those of us who accept Letter VII.
In my view, there are only two approaches to Book of Mormon geography.
You can accept Letter VII and believe the Hill Cumorah is in New York. You can reject Letter VII and put Cumorah somewhere else. Where else doesn’t really matter. Whether you concoct an abstract map or put Cumorah in Mesoamerica, Peru, Baja, or Eritrea, you’re rejecting Letter VII. You’re saying Joseph and Oliver were ignorant speculators who misled the Church about Cumorah being in New York.
For me, it’s an easy choice. Everything fits when you put the Cumorah pin in the map of New York.
Why I wrote about all of this.
People ask me why I’ve spent so much time working on these issues and writing about them. The short answer: because I think Book of Mormon historicity is an increasingly important and critical issue.
As I mentioned at the outset, there is a train of thought that people should accept the Book of Mormon on faith; i.e., they should respond to the Spirit that bears witness as they read the book. That seems axiomatic to me; of course people should respond in this way. So I have no problem with this train of thought—but this should not be the only train allowed on the track.
Using the train analogy, let’s say there is a track leading to God. One train carries people who have faith. They believe based on what they’ve been taught, what they’ve read, what they feel. All good. (For that matter, people of other religions also exercise faith that brings them to God, but that’s another topic.)
But more than one train can travel on a track, and the scriptures directly tell us that not everyone has this kind of faith. “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yeah, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom, seek learning even by study and also by faith (D&C 109:7). Faith is a gift of the Spirit, and everyone has different gifts.
As I read the promise in Moroni 10, it doesn’t apply exclusively to those who have a gift of faith to believe on words only. In verse 1, Moroni says he writes to his brethren, the Lamanites. IOW, the Lamanites are real, identifiable people. Then he gives a specific date: “more than four hundred and twenty years have passed away since the sign was given of the coming of Christ.” Then he says he will “seal up these records,” showing they are real, tangible items. Then he tells his readers to “ponder in your hearts” the things you have read. Think about them. Meditate. Then pray. The Holy Ghost will “manifest the truth of it unto you.”
Does this promise apply only to those on the faith train? I don’t think so. I think the Holy Ghost can manifest the truth of things through physical, extrinsic evidence as well.
This is the point Moroni makes starting in verse 8, when he emphasizes that “there are different ways that these gifts are administered.” Some have a gift to teach the word of wisdom, others the word of knowledge. That invokes D&C 109, where some don’t have faith so they can learn words of wisdom out of the best books.
Here’s where the issue of historicity seems to step on toes. I fully agree with Joseph Fielding Smith that the two-Cumorah theory causes members to become confused and disturbed in their faith. First, the two-Cumorah theory undermines the credibility and reliability of Oliver Cowdery, one of the three witnesses. According to LDS scholars, members should have complete confidence in Oliver as one of the Three Witnesses, but shouldn’t have confidence in him as the author of Letter VII. In other words, they ask you to believe what Oliver said about the restoration of the Priesthood, but they also ask you not to believe what he said about the repository in the Hill Cumorah in New York.
I find this irrational and confusing.
For decades, scholars have skirted the issue by avoiding Letter VII and discounting the repository as a “visionary” experience. But anti-Mormon web sites, easily accessible to anyone interested, don’t ignore Letter VII. People who search the Internet discover Letter VII and the disconnect between what Joseph and Oliver taught on one hand, against the current “widespread consensus among believing scholars” on the other hand.
Furthermore, it only exacerbates the problem when LDS scholars disagree with Joseph Fielding Smith. Now LDS students are supposed to follow the Prophet, but only if he agrees with the scholars. To me, that is completely backwards.
I won’t belabor the point. I commonly hear from people who were taught the Mesoamerican idea in Seminary, Institute, or Church schools (especially BYU), but who never believed it. That’s anecdotal, but what isn’t anecdotal is the number of people who leave the Church (or cease activity). Because the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion, false teachings about the book undermine faith. It’s that simple. When a student doesn’t believe what his/her religious teachers say about one topic, what impact does that have on other things the teachers say?
Just to be clear: I think the Mesoamerican theory is false, and CES teachers should abandon it as soon as possible. I think everyone who has promoted the Mesoamerican theory ought to reject it publicly and reaffirm the credibility and reliability of Oliver Cowdery.
I know that’s a lot to ask. And as I’ve said, I’m fine with people having different ideas. I’m fine with agreeing to disagree about things.
What I’m not fine with is suppressing important information.
I think every member of the Church should read Letter VII and make a decision about whether to accept it or not. Keep studying, thinking (pondering), teaching one another, and praying. Eventually we will all know the truth, and the truth will make us free.
All the best, Jonathan Neville Maps by Rian Nelson
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WINDOVER ARCHAEOLOGY SITE BREVARD COUNTY, FL THIS WAS ONE OF THE MOST INTACT CEMETERIES OF 6,000 B.C. THAT HAD EVER BEEN DISCOVERED.
HAPLOGROUP X is found in approximately 7% of native Europeans, and 3% of all Native Americans from North America. Overall, haplogroup X is found in around 2% of the population of Europe, the Near East and North Africa. It is especially common among Egyptians inhabiting El-Hayez Oasis. (14.3%) References at Wikipedia
RADIOCARBON DATING over the three seasons of excavation indicated ages ranging from 6,990 years to 8,120 years, plus or minus 70 years.
What is the Controversy Surrounding DNA and the Book of Mormon? By Rod Meldrum
“If The Book of Mormon is true (and I believe it is) then it is a literal historical record of real people in addition to its primary purpose of testifying of Jesus Christ. Lehi and his family, who came from the Holy Land area, where descendants of Joseph that was sold into Egypt. (1 Nephi 5:14). The three primary races of the earth, Asian (Oriental), African (Black) and European (Caucasian) are quite easily distinguished from each other through specific DNA markers or ‘signatures’ that delineate their ancestry. The Book of Mormon tells us that the descendants of Lehi, (including his wife Sariah, Ishmael and his wife, and Zoram) lived and multiplied to a great extent somewhere in the America’s. Since it is highly probable that Sariah, Ishmael, and Zoram were also of the same genetic stock (not Asian or African), their genetic signatures today would most certainly be classified by present day geneticists as ‘European’ rather than Asian or African. We do not know the exact makeup of Lehi’s DNA, but that does not preclude us from being able to make a direct connection to his ‘European/Caucasian’ heritage.
Preliminary DNA studies, performed on thousands of individual Native Americans from the Aleuts in Alaska, through North, Central, and South America, were completed. They were tested, studied and classified into one of 4 primary genetic groups called haplogroups.
These four founding groups, designated Haplogroups A, B, C and D are all Asian-based groups found in modern populations of Siberia and Asia today, which supports the dominant theory of the peopling of the New World (the America’s) by an overland migration across the Bering Strait during an ice age epoch. Initial studies indicated that there were no European type genetic DNA markers, which would lead to the conclusion that no migration or population expansion of an ‘Israelite’ group occurred anywhere in the America’s as is indicated by the Book of Mormon. This led to some LDS scientists viewing this as the ‘final straw’ for their belief and some were subsequently excommunicated from the church after writing books contrary to the teachings and doctrine of the gospel, but based on these initial scientific findings.
DNA vs The Book of Mormon is created
A small ‘Christian ministry’ capitalized on this small group of LDS scholars and scientists who left or were excommunicated from the church and documented their feelings and findings, producing a very powerful anti-Mormon video documentary (Picture left). This DVD has sold tens of thousands of copies since its introduction in early 2003. The revenue produced by this documentary has funded other ‘anti-Mormon’ videos. While the producers of these videos have offered them on their websites for free, they continue to sell thousands of the ‘hard’ copies. Who are buying these, as they are available for free, and why? The answer is that other Christian denominations are buying these up by the pallet load for free distribution in the neighborhood after neighborhood. Entire cities have been ‘blanketed’ by different Christian groups in an effort to thwart the evangelical efforts of the LDS Church. Cities from Springville, Utah to Gilbert, Arizona, and hundreds of cities in the ‘Bible belt’ have come under this siege.
Why is this being done?
Because for the first time other Christian denominations have something for which we, the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have provided no conclusive answers, although the subject has been addressed by numerous articles from LDS apologetic organizations. The simple fact is that no DNA findings support the dominant theory of the geography of the Book of Mormon in Mesoamerica. Since there is no DNA evidence supporting the claims of the Book of Mormon in Central America, those who believe in this geography must explain why there is no evidence of European lineages there. While some have addressed the issue (including FAIRMormon, Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, and Book of Mormon Central) with well-reasoned research that is certainly plausible, their explanations fall short of providing a solid answer that both addresses the DNA issues and validates the claims of The Book of Mormon.
The explanations fall into one of three primary categories.
We don’t have DNA samples from any of Lehi’s party, so we don’t even know what types of DNA we are looking to find.
Lehi’s group was small and as they intermingled with the existing Asian populations, their DNA was diluted to the point that it is no longer traceable.
It is possible that a ‘genetic bottleneck’ occurred that extinguished the DNA markers found in the original Book of Mormon peoples.
These explanations are used to excuse the lack of DNA evidence in Central or Mesoamerica, in order to defend these geographical theories. This has lead LDS apologetic groups to claim that DNA research and findings cannot be used either to falsify the claims of the Book of Mormon, nor to provide evidence in it’s support. As a classic example of this argument read the Deseret News/Mormon Times article by Roger L. Hardy, and Daniel Petersen, a very vocal LDS apologist who is also a strong advocate of the Mesoamerican hypothesis. He mentions all three while promoting a new book on DNA which is actually mostly a collection of previously published articles, some of which are quite old in terms of the current DNA research field they are addressing. While each of these explanations have merit and are justifiably employed in defense of the Book of Mormon’s claims, there is another aspect that must be addressed. No less than seven times in the scriptures there are specific claims that in the latter days, there would remain on the Promised Land a “remnant” of the “House of Israel” or Lehi’s posterity which came through the lineage of Joseph of Egypt and his son Manasseh. Some LDS apologists have claimed that they ‘don’t expect to find” any DNA evidence in favor of the Book of Mormon. Why would any member of the church not expect to find evidence of the Book of Mormon’s claim that there will be a ‘remnant seed’ still in existence in the latter days? How can there be a ‘remnant’ if there is no actual genetic (DNA) connection to this lineage? This is the reason that I did not feel comfortable with the answers being provided by the LDS apologetic community, which created the desire for me to begin this research in 2003 and continue it today in 2021. Since the Book of Mormon is true (as previously admitted to as my bias) it stands to reason that it’s claims that Lehi’s seed would not be utterly destroyed must indicate that their genetics would still be found in order to fulfill the promises made by the Lord. If there is no genetic remnant, how can there be a differentiation between those who are actual descendants, and those who are Gentiles who are ‘grafted into’ the House of Israel? Why then would the Lord make that distinction?
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What is the Problem with those who say there is no DNA Evidence?
The problem is twofold. The anti-Mormon documentary producers were premature in their conclusions regarding DNA studies in the America’s as the research was not yet complete at the time of the release of their video. The second problem is that in order for DNA to be found relating to Book of Mormon people, we must be sure that we are looking for it in the correct location. What chance is there of finding supportive DNA or any other physical evidence for the truth of The Book of Mormon if we are looking for it in the wrong place?
Here is something also very prophetic:
When the Winter Olympic games were held in Salt Lake City in 2002, President Gordon B. Hinckley was asked by a reporter if he had a comment about the lack of DNA evidence for the Book of Mormon. He simply responded that all the information wasn’t in yet. Eleven years later, in 2013, National Geographic Magazine published an article titled: “Great Surprise”—Native Americans Have West Eurasian Origins.” The article presents data on a genome found that is related to present-day western Eurasian populations and modern Native Americans, not from East Asia—historically a puzzling finding. (https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/11/131120-science-native-american-people-migration-siberia-genetics/) In the article, ancient DNA researcher Eske Willerslev, of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. stated: “This [DNA] study changes this idea because it shows that a significant minority of Native American ancestry actually derives not from East Asia but from a people related to present-day western Eurasians.” Willerslev also said: “It’s approximately one-third of the genome, and that is a lot,” he added. “So in that regard I think it’s changing quite a bit of the history” – Published November 22, 2013.
READ “Rediscovering the Book of Mormon Remnant through DNA“
This short version article is here and the long version may be downloaded here, titled “Rediscovering the Book of Mormon Remnant through DNA” by Rod Meldrum effectively and powerfully addresses, and provides supporting evidence that answers both of these fundamental questions above. In addition, it goes back to the very foundations of the geographical theories to bring to light the knowledge that Joseph Smith had on the subject as well as an in-depth study of the internal geographic indications from The Book of Mormon itself. All of this information has now, for the first time, been combined to produce a clear geographical picture that is exciting because of its solid foundation of evidence that supports the validity and truthfulness of this literal ancient record. You are invited to explore the information from this article for yourself and ask the source of all truth of its validity.” Rodney Meldrum Pres. FIRM Foundation
Pierce Mounds Apalachicola, Florida near where we believe Lehi landed.
Maps showing the Distribution and concentrated areas of X2a mtDNA (Maternal DNA Haplogroup) in the Ojibwe of North American and the Galilean Druze in present day Israel : Centered in and around Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario in Canada, and the area between Mt Carmel and the Sea of Galilee in Israel.
Ojibwe (X2a mtDNA) : are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the second-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree. In the United States, they had the fourth-largest population among Native American tribes, surpassed only by Navajo, Cherokee and the Lakota. Because many Ojibwe were historically formerly located mainly around the outlet of Lake Superior, which the French colonists called Sault Ste. Marie, they referred to the Ojibwe as Saulteurs. Ojibwe who subsequently moved to the prairie provinces of Canada have retained the name Saulteaux. Ojibwe who were originally located about the Mississagi River and made their way to southern Ontario are known as the Mississaugas.
The Ojibwe peoples are a major component group of the Anishinaabe-speaking peoples, a branch of the Algonquian language family which includes the Algonquin, Nipissing, Oji-Cree, Odawa and the Potawatomi. The Ojibwe peoples number over 56,440 in the U.S., living in an area stretching across the northern tier from Michigan west to Montana. Another 77,940 of main-line Ojibwe; 76,760 Saulteaux and 8,770 Mississaugas, in 125 bands, live in Canada, stretching from western Quebec to eastern British Columbia.[citation needed] They are historically known for their crafting of birch bark canoes, sacred birch bark scrolls, use of cowrie shells for trading, cultivation of wild rice, and use of copper arrow points. In 1745 they adopted guns from the British to use to defeat and push the Dakota nation of the Sioux to the south.
Galilean Druze (X2a mtDNA): are centered in the following areas of Northern Israel. (Population figures and percentage of overall population):
In the Golan Heights: Majdal Shams (9,700 – 99.9%) Buq’ata (5,900 – 99.8%) Mas’ade (3,100 – 99.9%) Ein Qiniyye (1,735 – 98.9%)
The Druze revere the father-in-law of Moses, Jethro. According to the biblical narrative, Jethro joined and assisted the Israelites in the desert during the Exodus, accepted monotheism, but ultimately rejoined his own people. The tomb of Jethro near Tiberias is the most important religious site for the Druze community. The Druze conception of the deity is declared by them to be one of strict and uncompromising Unity. The main Druze doctrine states that God is both transcendent and immanent, in which he is above all attributes but at the same time he is present in all things. In God, there are no attributes distinct from his essence. He is wise, mighty, and just, not by wisdom, might and justice, but by his own essence. God is “the whole of existence”, rather than “above existence” or on his throne, which would make him “limited.” There is neither “how”, “when”, nor “where” about him; he is incomprehensible.
Druze citizens are prominent in the Israel Defense Forces and in politics. The bond between Jewish and Druze soldiers is commonly known by the term “a covenant of blood”
Lineage analysis within the mtDNA X-haplogroup of the Galilee Region is particularly enlightening. It should be noted that the estimated coalescence times for the major mtDNA X subhaplogroups X1 and X2 are 42,900±18,100 and 17,900±2,900 respectively. It is striking that those different lineages (from the same parental haplogroup) whose genetic divergence date back more than ten thousand years would remain so concentrated within such a small geographic region. Mutation rates for the mtDNA coding region, are not consistent with the possibility that this number of different coding region defined lineages within haplogroup X could have resulted from the recent expansion of a monophyletic clade within the past 1000 years.
Rather this combination among the Druze, of a large number of lineages, together with a high frequency of the haplogroup in which these lineages are found, suggests descent from an ancestral population, in which the X haplogroup was more abundant than it is in the contemporary Near East, and which reflects the prevailing Near East genetic landscape at that time, antedating the establishment of the Druze religion in 1017 A.C.E. This supports the notion that the Druze represent a refugium of the population genetic structure from the time period prior to the “Dawa”, and also confirms the hypothesis of high endogamy among the Druze. The refugium hypothesis based on mtDNA haplogroup X analysis was corroborated by the finding of high diversity for the Druze mtDNA haplogroups H and K, with the added finding of novel lineages not shared with nearby populations.
Furthermore, the formal rejection of the alternate hypothesis relating to immigration to the region of individuals sharing the same mtDNA haplogroup but with lineages that diverged in antiquity, further strengthens the Druze refugium model. Although, we cannot exclude the possibility that some ratio between non-random migration and colonization did occur during and following the “Dawa” period and generated the differences in haplogroup frequencies among the current Druze subregions, and between the Druze and other populations, this explanation is highly unlikely in face of the demographic modeling results.
The overall low migration rate between the Druze and all other nearby populations cannot explain the high diversity and high frequency of X haplogroup lineages in the Galilee region. Low migration rates were also evident between the Galilee Druze and Druze from other subregions. The finding of the enrichment of the NRY haplogroup K among the Galilee Druze with no detection in samples from other subregions, further supports the relative isolation of this region, even among the Druze. Taken together these findings support the hypothesis that the Galilee Druze are a further more isolated subpopulation of the Druze, who in turn represents a refugium of the population genetic architecture of the Near East in antiquity.
Demographic modeling can also provide estimates of divergence times for populations with shared ancestries. The demographic modeling in the current study indicates most recent divergence of the Druze from an ancestral population shared with Egyptians, Ashkenazi Jews, Adygeis and Greeks. The Egyptian shared ancestry is also consistent with Druze oral tradition. The migration rates of the Druze with these populations are exceedingly low, and this can be attributed to endogamy and geographic isolation following divergence.
It should be kept in mind however, that the computational algorithms used for the demographic modeling are designed for models involving an ancestral population which split and maintained constant migration rate among the two daughter populations. Such a simplified model does not take into account the effect of shared party migration, and therefore would tend to overestimate the migration rate, and underestimate the divergence time. Therefore the Druze would seem to have an even greater degree of genetic isolation, than indicated by these results of the demographic modeling.
The historical events and time frame for the loss or dilution of haplogroup X individuals is consistent with the population upheavals and patterns of migration that have characterized the Near East during the past two millennia at least. The preservation of this refugium of mtDNA lineage diversity among the Druze, mainly due to genetic isolation may be the result of their location in relatively more defensible mountainous regions, and the practice of conciliation with governing authorities and dissimulation called the “Taqiyya”, or due to other factors which facilitated preservation of societal integrity during periods of demographic and political change in the region.
Conclusions : The findings suggest that the Near East maternal genetic landscape differed substantially in the past from its current structure, and was enriched in diverse lineages of the mtDNA X haplogroup. These findings have been uncovered due to the unique demographic features of the Druze population, and the adjusted sampling method employed in the current study. The combination of a high frequency and diversity of the Druze mtDNA haplogroup X lineages, in a confined geographic region, and the low migration rate with nearby populations make it unlikely that this diversity was imported.
It is thus likely that the global diversity of this haplogroup evolved in the Near East and adjacent regions of western Eurasia, during a long incubation period coinciding with and following the most recent out of Africa expansion as dated by mtDNA coalescence simulations[44]. The Druze population of the Galilee represents a contemporary refugium of this past genetic landscape.
The absence of Haplogroup X in Mongolia and Siberia and a recently proven center of diffusion in Israel (Brown et al. 1998, Malhi and Smith 2002; Smith et al. 1999; Reidla 2003; Shlush et al. 2009) pose problems for the standard account of the peopling of the Americas. DNA Consultants Cherokee-descended customers include seven instances of haplogroup X. David E. Lewis (whose Cherokee name is Wayauwetsi) traces his unmatched X haplotype back to Seyinus, a Cherokee woman of the Wolf Clan born on or near the Qualla Boundary in North Carolina in 1862. Two cases represent descendants (unknown to each other, incidentally) of the Cherokee woman called Polly who was the namesake for the Qualla reservation (the sound p lacking in the Cherokee language and being rendered with qu).
Phoenicians: On the Y chromosome side of Shlush et al.’s study, male haplogroup K was found to have a relatively high frequency of 11% in the Galilee region (2008:2). K (renamed T in the revised YCC nomenclature) has long been suspected to be the genetic signature of the Phoenicians. A TV show by National Geographic appeared about a year ago titled Who Were the Phoenicians?, in which Spencer Wells of the National Genographic Project, unveiled this theory. Without a doubt it was the Phoenicians, whose name among themselves was Cana’ni or KHNAI ‘Canaanites’, not Phoenikoi ‘red paint people’ (Aubet 2001:9-12; cf. Oxford Classical Dictionary s.v. “Phoenicians” ), who are referenced by James Adair when he observes that “several old American towns are called Kan?ai,” and suggests that the Conoy Indians of Pennsylvania and Maryland were Canaanites and their tribal name a corruption of the word Canaan. The Conoy Indians are the same Indians William Penn around 1700 described as resembling Italians, Jews and Greeks. By about 1735 they had dwindled to a “remnant of a nation, or subdivided tribe, of Indians,” according to Adair (1930:56, 67, 68). One of the oldest Cherokee clans is called Red Paint Clan (Ani-wodi).
So do the two subclades of X and other haplogroups represent Old World and New World branches diverging from each other as long ago as 30,000 years, or do the Native American “anomalous” haplotypes come more recently from the same source in the East Mediterranean? DNA Consultants
The North American sub-clade X2a usually has C-T transitions np 16278 and np 16223,with the presence of DdeI sites np 1715 and np 10394.X2b varies from all its sister lineages [X2b-h] in Eurasia and Africa. The Vantage specimen” is the oldest human in North America to test for X2a. It predates the Norse settlement in Newfoundland, Canada.
However it does not predate the “possible speculative” arrival of a Phoenician or Carthagian woman with Hg X on board a vessel that could have been accidently blown across the Atlantic Ocean in a storm.
Kemp [2010] identified 7 Jemes individuals from New Mexico,who shared X2a1a1 genes and who probably had an affinity with the Sioux/Cheyenne. With the exception of one Ojibwa sample all of the Hg X specimens analysed by U Perago [2009] have the coding motif 8913-12397-14302.The anomalous Ojibwa did not cluster with any known X2a branches in North America or sister sub-clades in Eurasia. It “could” be another very rare founder. It has been designated assubgroup X2g.Private control region mutations distinguish two internal X2a branches ,which are X2a1 [143-16093] and X2a2 [225-16254C].X2a1 tends to be concentrated in the Great Lakes and Great Plains region X2a2 is less common [X2a1,19; X2a2,3; X2/,1].Some western fringe X2a specimens [eg: Nuu-Chah-Nuth,Yakima] lack characteristic X2a1 and X2a2 mutations [Ibid].
The current North American distribution of X2a tends to be concentrated in the vicinity of the Great Lakes/Great Plains with frequencies as high as 25% among some Algonquian people [eg: Ojibwa] with diminishing clines to the west and south. Frequency estimates range from Sioux ca 15%, Nuu-Chah-Nuth ca 13.5%,Navajo ca 6.5%,and Yakuma ca 4.8% [M Brown,1998]. There are a few single or very frequency occurrences of X2a lineages distal to the “Ojibwa core”. One X2a individual was identified among the Shuswap in the Caribou country of British Columbia and 5 0f 63 [7.9%] Nuu-Chah-Nuth samples off the west coast of British Columbia are probably X2a [there is not sufficient definitive data to substantiate this premise]. The above tend to support the theory that X2a was introduced to North America from NE Siberia and that a number of intermediate Hg X lineages have been lost. A Nonosabasat sample from Newfoundland, eastern Canada, had X2a[10693C,16189C, 16213A,16223T,!6278T].A number of single occurrences have been reported from the Gaspe Peninsula, Quebec Province, but the data has not been sighted. G Horvati [2011] stated that X2a was identified in 3 of 6 MicMac sequences.
The dearth of indigenous mtDNA samples from the Maritime Provines of Canada, Quebec and British Columbia severely detract from endeavours to reconstruct the migration paths of the initial X2a colonists to North America. Consequently there has been a significant degree of speculation about the entry point to North America and the coalescence dates of X2a.Its apparent, current concentration in the Great Lakes/Great Plains region is an anomaly, which can not be confidently reconciled with an Alaskan entry point. This genetic founding lineage was probably introduced to North America from NE Siberia after the glacial era, but the current dispersal pattern of X2a is not in total accord with this supposition. “If” the Ojibwa did move from Nova Scotia to the Great Lakes region ca 1400 ADE, the enigma gains in complexity.
M Kujanova [2009] identified three subgroup X2j specimens in North Africa. V Fernandes [2012] noted that X2j shared a mutation at position 12397 with the North American subgroup X2a.She cautioned that the mutation could be a recurrence and that X2j appears to have evolved recently. The rare North American X2g lineage is compatible with the spread of of Hg X from the Near East towards the New World as early as the emergence of the X2+225 clade [ibid].
The relative absence of haplogroup X2 in Asia is one of the major factors causing the current rethinking of the peopling of the Americas. However, the New World haplogroup X2a is as different from any of the Old World X2b, X2c, X2d, X2e, and X2f lineages as they are from each other, indicating an early origin “likely at the very beginning of their expansion and spread from the Near East”
The Solutrean Hypothesis postulates that haplogroup X reached North America with a wave of European migration about 20,000 BP by the Solutreans, a stone-age culture in south-western France and in Spain, by boat around the southern edge of the Arctic ice pack.
In 2008 a team of genetic scientists published the following: “Here we show, by using 86 complete mitochondrial genomes, that all Native American haplogroups, including haplogroup X, were part of a single founding population, thereby refuting multiple-migration models.” – Fagundes NJ, Kanitz R, Eckert R, et al. (March 2008). “Mitochondrial Population Genomics Supports a Single Pre-Clovis Origin with a Coastal Route for the Peopling of the Americas” Am. J. Hum. Genet. 82 (3): 583–92. doi:10.1016/j.ajhg.2007.11.013. PMC 2427228. PMID 18313026.
Did the maternal Haplogroup X2a originate in the Middle East 20,000 years ago or much much earlier in Canada ?
Soon we will know that the Ojibwe are truly Ani-Shin-Abe. Original and 1st peoples who have existed since the very beginning, in Canada and migrated much much later to Asia and the Middle East.
Distribution maps are worth 1000 words. Looking at the above concentrations it is clear that the areas of Central and North East Canada and the Middle East are connected via the maternal X DNA distribution. In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup X is a human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup. It has a widespread global distribution but no major regions of distinct localization.
Origin : mtDNA-based chart of possible large human migrations. The genetic sequences of haplogroup X diverged originally from haplogroup N, and subsequently further diverged about 30,000 years ago to give two sub-groups, X1 and X2.
Distribution : Overall haplogroup X accounts for about 2% of the population of Europe, the Near East, and North Africa. Sub-group X1 is much less numerous, and is largely restricted to North and East Africa, and also the Near East. Sub-group X2 appears to have undergone extensive population expansion and dispersal around or soon after the last glacial maximum, about 21,000 years ago. It is more strongly present in the Near East, the Caucasus, and Mediterranean Europe; and somewhat less strongly present in the rest of Europe. Particular concentrations appear in Georgia (8%), the Orkney Islands (in Scotland), (7%) and amongst the Israeli Druze community (27%). Subclades X2a and X2g are found in North America, but are not present in native South Americans
Druze: The greatest frequency of haplogroup X is observed in the Druze, a minority population in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, as much in X1 (16%) as in X2 (11%). The Druze also have much diversity of X lineages. This pattern of heterogeneous parental origins is consistent with Druze oral tradition. The Galilee Druze represent a population isolate, so their combination of a high frequency and diversity of X signifies a phylogenetic refugium, providing a sample snapshot of the genetic landscape of the Near East prior to the modern age.
North America : Haplogroup X is also one of the five haplogroups found in the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Although it occurs only at a frequency of about 3% for the total current indigenous population of the Americas, it is a bigger haplogroup in northern North America, where among the Algonquin peoples (Ojibwe) it comprises up to 25% of mtDNA types. It is also present in lesser percentages to the west and south of this area—among the Sioux (15%), the Nuu-Chah-Nulth (11%–13%), the Navajo (7%), and the Yakama (5%) – Wikipedia
Haplogroup X descends from the N Haplogroup, which dates to approximately 65,000 years ago. The origin of haplogroup X dates to approximately 30,000 years.
“Originally found in Europe and thought to be only distributed regionally, the finding of haplogroup X in the Americas startled the human population genetics community.” -FTDNA
Recently, it has been discovered that there are two major sub-lineages within haplogroup X, being X1 and X2.
This blog will discuss the origins of the X2 Haplogroup which appears predominantly in both North American Ojibwe and Israeli Druze.
Since these 2 distinct areas, the Great Lakes Region of Canada and the Sea of Galilee in Northern Israel are linked via maternal DNA,….
So then, did X mtDNA originate in the Near East (ie: Israel) or did it originate much earlier in the area of Lake Superior in Canada ?
It is likely that the Ojibwe people, the Anishinabe are actually the ancient ancestors to those living in Israel 21,000 years ago.
Galilean Druze and Miss Israel contestant Angelina Duah Fares (Pic Right)
I believe the Native Americans belief in the Great Spirit is very similar to our belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Especially the Cherokee of the Iroquois Language group, who have an oral history of sacred ceremonies and traditions that seem to be similar to Christian teachings and a lot of similarities with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Maybe these wonderful descendants of Joseph of Egypt have remembered some of the ancient ceremonies that were once part of the teachings found in the Book of Mormon. We know the Nephites and some righteous Lamanites practiced the Law of Moses and we also know the Lamanites are descendants of the Jews as D&C 29:26-27 says, “And again, I command thee that thou shalt not covet thine own property, but impart it freely to the printing of the Book of Mormon, which contains the truth and the word of God—Which is my word to the Gentile, that soon it may go to the Jew, of whom the Lamanites are a remnant, that they may believe the gospel, and look not for a Messiah to come who has already come.” D&C 29:26-27
Page 253 Annotated Book of Mormon by David Hocking and Rod Meldrum
We also read about the connection between Jew and Lamanite in the Book of Mormon and other scriptures saying, “Which is my word to the Gentile, that soon it may go to the Jew, of whom the Lamanites are a remnant, that they may believe the gospel, and look not for a Messiah to come who has already come.” D&C 19:27 “And then shall the remnant of our seed know concerning us, how that we came out from Jerusalem, and that they are descendants of the Jews.” 2 Nephi 30:4
Early church leaders and Prophets also made this connection of Jew and Lamanite. “The Church did move to the Rocky Mountains into the midst of the Indians or Lamanites -or more properly speaking the Jews-and here expect to live until we move to the spirit land or the Lord moves us somewhere else.” Oliver B. Huntington, “Prophecy,” Young Woman’s Journal 2, no. 7 (April 1891): 314-15
Elder Matthew Cowley and the Prophet Joseph Smith spoke of this wonderful connection of Jew and Lamanite.
“I would say to the Lamanites, if I could speak to them understandingly, that you are also a branch of the house of Israel, and chiefly of the house of Joseph, and your forefathers have fallen through the same examples of unbelief and sins, as have the Jews, and you, as their posterity, have wandered in sin and darkness for many generations; and you, like the Jews, have been driven and trampled under the foot of the Gentiles,[See chart below] and put to death through your wars with each other, and with the white man, until you are almost destroyed. But there is still a redemption and salvation for a remnant of you in the latter days. It is time for you to cease shedding each other’s blood or making war upon your fellow-man. Cease to destroy one another, learn to cultivate the earth, and raise your food therefrom; call upon the Great Spirit to protect you and deliver you from bondage and darkness, and the Great Spirit will hear you and deliver you, and a remnant of you will again become a delightsome people as your forefathers were when they kept the commandments of God.” Wilford Woodruff History of His Life and Labors AS RECORDED IN HIS DAILY JOURNALS PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION BY MATTHIAS F. COWLEY Salt Lake City, Utah 1909
“The Book of Mormon is a record of the forefathers of our western tribes of Indians; having been found through the ministration of an holy angel, and translated into our own language by the gift and power of God, after having been hid up in the earth for the last fourteen hundred years, containing the word of God which was delivered unto them. By it we learn that our western tribes of Indians are descendants from that Joseph who was sold into Egypt,and that the land of America is a promised land unto them, and unto it all the tribes of Israel will come, with as many of the Gentiles as shall comply with the requisitions of the new covenant. TEACHINGS OF THE PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH Page 17:
With all of these connections between the Jews and Lamanites, we can see how the similarities between the Cherokee’s (Native Americans of North America) religion and our Temple ceremonies could be similar. What a wonderful people these Lamanites were and are.
Cherokee and the Number 7
“The Great King commanded the people to rest every seventh day. The people were not to work on this day. It was a day of devotion for speaking about the Father God, his son and the spirit. It is believed that the number seven has become a holy number to the Cherokee, coming from the commandment of resting on the seventh day.
There are many evidences of the sacred number seven among the Cherokee: there are only seven clans: The Bird Clan, the Paint Clan, the Deer Clan, the Wolf Clan, the Blue Clan, the Long Hair Clan, and Wild Potato Clan.
Each clan has a chief. Also, the council house of the Cherokee is a seven-sided building, with each chief of the seven clans having a designated section in one of the seven council house chambers. In the middle of the council house, burns a fire kindled with seven different kinds of wood. One can recognize it in the seven heights or steps to the heavens. The seventh heaven is the highest, where one can reside with Yowa.
Still strong in the beliefs of the Cherokee is the remembrance of one called Iitza. The events of his life and death tell that Iitza died on a cross on Skull Mountain. He wore a red robe, which was made by a Cherokee woman. Upon his head he wore thistles or thorns, and died for the Cherokee people. It is believed by .the Cherokee that Iitza is Jesus and was Cherokee. This great chief, son of sky world, climbed a hill called Death Face Hill (which is also the same called Skull Mountain). There he hung for the Cherokee people, his side opened by an arrow.” A SPECIAL REPORT on the RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE of the CHEROKEE INDIANS By: J. Murray Rawson.
CHEROKEE TEMPLE ORDINANCES OF THE COUNCIL HOUSE
Cherokee Tribal Council House Representing the Seven Clans
The Cherokee Council House (which serves as a temple edifice as well) has seven walls; built in the fashion of a septagon. Each side is representative of the seven Cherokee clans, or family groups. Each side also has an entrance, and a specific place for the chief to sit. The high chief with his two counselors sit in the middle of the council house (or temple). This high chief is also known as the grand council head chief. There is also a sub-grand council head chief, and medicine man, who is referred to as the “right-hand man.” Next in order sit the clan chiefs, the sub-clan chiefs, and then all the other members of the offices of each clan, or family unit, who sit behind one another in rank. Each one has a delegated seat in the Council House. Lastly the members of each family group can also sit in council and listen to the words that are spoken. Meantime, while the elect officials speak, no one else will irreverence the occasion by their speech. Council House Museum
About one hundred yards away from the seven-sided council house (or temple), the actual temple sits atop a mound. Because today there exists no village, as existed anciently, the Ark is brought and set upon what would be a holy house, made with four sides. The Ark is set there with all of the necessary articles for a religious ceremony.
It must be remembered that during the ceremonial use of the Ark of the Covenant, it had to be situated near a place where water existed so the ordinances of baptism for the living and proxy-baptisms for the dead could be performed. In attending this ceremony, which was usually held for up to four days–depending upon the size of the people gathered for the ordinances to be performed–everyone was expected to walk or go by horseback into the farthest remote areas wherever the Ark was taken and placed.
The walls of the holy house built to perform the ordinances associated with the Ark of the Covenant had to be white. The entrance had to face east, and the exit west.
The pre-requisite for anyone going through the veils of the temple was marriage. One was also required to go through the ordinances of the temple with one’s mate. Those entering the temple must wear light colored clothing, although not necessarily white.
In entering the holy house (temple), one must pass through four veils in order to obtain a view of the Ark of the Covenant. There are altars between each veil passage-way, where incense is burned. In order to pass from one veil to the another, certain passwords and hand-grips must be given. (These hand ‘grips were shown to J. Murray Rawson). The passwords were said to be the names of the old Tribal leaders, and of Yowa.
Regarding the marriage ceremony, Indians (Cherokee) must be married before the Tribal Council. This marriage is for this life only. If Indians are worthy, after the first ceremony, they can then go to the holy house and be married for eternity by the medicine-man and witnessed by all the council chiefs. This marriage cannot be broken or changed. There is no divorce. However, transgression of the eternal marriage covenant will revoke it.
When a spouse and his mate enter the temple house, they first enter through the east and go through a white veil, which is called the first veil.Upon entering, the woman washes the man’s feet, and then his hands. In return, the man washes his woman’s feet and then her hands.
By knowing what ordinance the two are there to perform, the woman will then proceed to go with her husband through the various steps, or rooms. There are four steps that must be performed prior to arriving to the Ark of the Covenant, assuming (hypothetically) they both are there to receive the ordinance of marriage sealing for eternity.
The second room is the incense room. In this room, one can pray and burn incense. It is not unusual for one’s prayers to be answered there. If the medicine-man finds one worthy in this second room, he, or the high priest officiating, will give his decision and recommendation for that person to continue to the third room, where the altar is located. In this third room, the Altar Room, one is allowed to bring his sacrifice, and there sacrifice a bird, or some other type of small animal.
Because only a certain number of people are allowed to enter this Altar Room, certain restrictions are applied. Therefore, after all the sacrifices are received of the high priest there, each person in the room is allotted a specified amount of time to ask questions, to receive guidance and revelation. The offerings are then burnt, at that point, while special prayers are recited. Simultaneously, the person going through the ordinance fervently prays hoping his prayer to be answered, and that he may receive a blessing of the Lord.
As one is found worthy, the medicine man will send him onto the fourth room, wherein he must pass through the fourth veil. In this fourth room the Ark of the Covenant is located. The passageway into the fourth room, through the fourth veil, is also called the “gateway.” Passage is gained only through the use of certain passwords. The officiator returns the same words as have been given to him by the person going through the temple.
The passwords, basically, are the answers to these questions: “Who are you?” and “What do you believe in?” The person then gives the officiator a name for the first password, and tells him that he believes in “Amiiwah”, meaning the Laws of the Long House. Those laws are very similar to the Ten Commandments, and very specific. Therefore, these laws teach one to keep clean, pure and chaste, morally, so that one’s body is pure to progress (spiritually), and also pure to progress symbolically (physically) into the fourth room.
Location. Marker is near Oakville, Alabama, in Lawrence County. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Danville AL 35619, USA
Continuing, the medicine man will ask the person seeking passage through the “gateway” if he has kept the laws of his conviction (Amiiwah), and the person will answer him. Again he will ask the person another question: ‘Who is your master?” The person will then respond that his master is Ananyo’o–which means God. The person is then permitted to pass onward, to another high priest (or, brother), who asks him another question. The person will then respond according to the questions asked, which questions are determined by the purpose for which the person is going through this holy house. The person should be totally worthy to participate in the sacred rite.
Because there is no baptismal place inside the room were the Ark is located, a person understands that proxies to be performed for the departed (baptisms for the dead) must be done outside of the holy house. Nonetheless, while in this room, the participant will go before the Ark to pray, asking for certain blessings to be imparted to the deceased.
Another type of ordinance that could take place at this time, aside from proxy baptisms, would be sealings. One type of sealing that could be asked to be performed in front of the Ark would be a marriage sealing. One would do this by kneeling in front of the Ark, being careful not to touch it.
Therefore, according to the prayer(s) being offered, the medicine man will recognize the purpose of the participants. He will then ask questions pertaining to the same.
In the marriage ceremony, after the proper questions have been asked, the couple wishing to be married (sealed for eternity) will then go before the seven clan chiefs to ask their permission to be married. If one of the clan chiefs refuses permission, then the participants would again need to start from the beginning, asking the permission of all the clan chiefs until they are united in favor of granting permission.
Ceremonial Feather
The man then will proceed to the high priest, who will ask why he has brought the woman to be sealed to him. He will also be asked why he loves her; why he wants to be married to her; and why he wants to be sealed to her.
Of course, the significance of sealing a man and a woman together is to bind them for eternity after death, and not just for this life.
After the marriage prayers are said, the couple is counselled and reminded of their faithfulness, trust and loyalty to one another. This then becomes the contract between the two, wherein each person describes his contract to the other person, detailing what each would expect in that marriage. This marriage contract can be revoked only upon transgression of the marriage covenant–the oath.However, a divorce cannot end this marriage contract if the couple should decide they want to annul and end the marriage. The marriage is binding for all eternity.
After each participant has spoken his and her wishes of the marriage contract, then their wrists are cut and their blood exchanged. This was the custom in the old days; however, nowadays, the fingers are pricked with a needle, then they are joined together so that the blood exchange takes place. in like manner. These words are then spoken between the couple:·”Your blood is now my blood, and my blood is your blood; and now we are one, and no one will be able to break this marriage.”
The high priest and the other councilmen present will then approach the couple and will place their hands upon the heads of the married couple and will pray over them, asking for certain blessings upon the man. In the traditional way (the Old Days), these prayers used to be done by raising of both hands high into the air as certain blessings would be pronounced. Today that practice is done away. Rather, the placing of one’s hands upon the heads, shoulders, or some other part of the body is sufficient.
Entering into and going through the sacred ordinances of the temple ceremony has deep meaning to the Cherokee. Every person who will enter the temple to go through the four steps, passing each veil–from the first through the fourth–must know the exact passwords and responses to the questions that will be asked. Each. must repeat the same words and substance; each must be acquainted with ceremony and the purpose of his/her going through the ceremony.
If one is going for the purpose of being baptized for the dead, then one will also need to go to a river nearby, for which purpose its waters have been blessed. The person will be immersed into the river waters.This type of baptism is similar to the baptism for oneself.
Sweat Lodges
Prior to being baptized for the dead, the proxy must be worthy. The proxy must have fasted for four days and four nights, going completely without drink or nourishment for that period of time, in order to purify the body before performing the proxy baptism. This purification process also requires that the proxy go into a sweat-house, or sweat-lodge, and take a sweat bath. This allows one to sweat out the bad or evil spirits that may reside inside one’s body. The proxy is required to attend to a sweat bath at least twice a day during the four day ordeal. The person entering the sweat-house will wear light colored clothing, although it need not necessarily be white. This light colored clothing is necessary because the person will be entering into the temple.
During baptism–the proxy baptism, or baptism for oneself–one wears hardly any clothing. The reason for this is that anciently when buckskin was worn, it became wet and heavy and uncomfortable to wear.
It is the ancient belief, and right, that if two people who were married but not sealed according to the sealing ceremony, and one of the two had passed on in death, the survivor being worthy to enter the temple could invite a worthy brother or sister (as the case may be), or a blood relative, to stand in as proxy for the deceased companion. However, if no blood relative could be found, then the survivor wishing the ordinance of marriage sealing would have to fast and pray until someone was found, worthy enough, to stand in as the proxy. The religious rite would then take place, so that the sealing ceremony in the marriage covenant would take its binding power upon the living and the dead–this could happen even when they were unable to enter into the temple, because one or both were unworthy when they were both alive.
Both of the participants, the surviving spouse and the proxy standing would need to go through the ceremonial ordeal described earlier. The contract would be read by both people, the pricking of the finger and the exchanging of blood·, with the word exchange, as well a the final blessing being pronounced upon the two–all being done in the name of theFather God, the Son God and the Spirit God.As this was done, one of the four holy pipes would be presented to the Lord in the fashion of the four cardinal points. The pipe would then be taken to the woman and be placed on her forehead (and that was done in the name of the Father God), then the pipe would be placed on her left shoulder (which was done in the name of the Son God), and lastly, the pipe would be placed upon her right shoulder (which was done in the name of the Spirit God).The same rite would be performed upon the man, bringing the pipe to touch his forehead, his left shoulder, then the right shoulder in the same order and fashion as had been administered to the woman. This wedding was then celebrated with a feast.
It should be noted that Cherokee Indians also have two special hand grips that are both sacred and secret. These hand-grips were mentioned earlier. One is called the ‘‘brotherhood grip” and the other is called the “death covenant grip” which only certain people in the tribe receive. J. Murray Rawson was asked if he wore a “shield” with special marks on it. The response that was given pertaining to the Cherokee People was: “We wear a shield with marks on it.”
There also exists a secret assassination group in the Cherokee Nation who will kill anyone who breaks the laws of the holy ways of the Old Law covenant, which are sacred.” A SPECIAL REPORT on the RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE of the CHEROKEE INDIANS By: J. Murray Rawson.
Rod Meldrum also hosts a tour that visits the Eastern Cherokee Nation Museum in Cherokee, NC. It is one of the most fantastic Indian Museums you will see. To learn about our tours visit here or check out the information below.
Here is our Tour Manager: She has the confirmed updates. Jill Clifford: 801-683-0123 Email: [email protected]
Ever since the Prophet Joseph Smith and his entourage on the Zions Camp march discovered the grave of Zelph, as the Prophet described it, “on the plains of the Nephites,” apostles, succeeding prophets and others have reiterated the promises made in the Book of Mormon about the seed of Lehi–the Lamanites–and those fortunate enough to have made their way to the Promised Land. Prophetic statements and conference talks since then have confirmed what Mormon, Nephi, Moroni and others said about the people who inhabit this sacred land, that there are blessings and consequences connected with it.
Two of the Twelve Tribes of Israel didn’t receive a land inheritance in the Old World of Jerusalem. They were Levi and Joseph. They were replaced by Manasseh and Ephraim. So Joseph’s sons according to Pres Nelson, received an inheritance but “Joseph’s inheritance was to be a land choice above all others.” ‘Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance; the sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said unto them.’ Joshua 13:14 “So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.” Joshua 16:4. The land of Joseph was to be the United States of America as Genesis 49:22 says, “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall.”
I believe that the only Hill Cumorah is in Manchester, New York (Letter VII), that Joseph did have a vision of Zelph who was a Book of Mormon Chieftain in Illinois (Joseph Smith Papers), and Joseph did write a letter to Emma June 4, 1834 telling her that he was ‘wandering over the plains of the Nephites,’ in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. (Joseph Smith Papers).
Below are some of the quotes referred to earlier from prophets, apostles, and church leaders who speak of the Land of Joseph which was promised to Joseph son of Jacob, and his Promised Land of inheritance was the United States of America.
When still a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, President Russell M. Nelson said the following: “The Book of Mormon reveals the important interrelationships between the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement. One cannot fully comprehend the Atonement without first understanding the Fall; and the Fall of Adam cannot be fully understood without first understanding the Creation. These three great doctrinal pillars sustain each other in God’s eternal plan.
The Book of Mormon reveals that Joseph, the son of Jacob who was once sold into Egypt, foresaw the Prophet Joseph Smith and his day and noted that there would be many similarities in their lives. Centuries later, the Prophet Joseph stated, “I feel like Joseph in Egypt.” The Book of Mormon reveals that the inheritance of Joseph, son of Israel, was not forgotten when land was distributed to the tribes of Israel, as promised in the Abrahamic covenant. Joseph’s inheritance was to be a land choice above all others. It was choice not because of beauty or wealth of natural resources, but choice because it was chosen to be the repository of sacred writings on golden plates from which the Book of Mormon would one day come. It was choice because it would eventually host the world headquarters of the restored Church of Jesus Christ in the latter days. And it was choice because it is a land of liberty for those who worship the Lord and keep His commandments.”(President Russell M. Nelson President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles June 23, 2016. Seminar for New Mission Presidents)See my blog about Carefully Selected here
“And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of {wild bulls]: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.”Deut. 33:13-17
While involved with agricultural development in Zambia in May 2012, the author of Joseph’s Remnant-Lamanites in Today’s America (Purchase here), Allen C. Christensen, noted “the corn harvest was underway. The Zambian farmers were cutting their still-eared corn stalks and placing them in shocks that had the appearance of small Indian wickiups. He asked: “Why do you not just leave the eared corn stalk standing in the field until the corn kernels are sufficiently mature and the water content lowered to the point where the corn grain can be safely stored?” The local agricultural scientist explained: “We have a termite problem in our soil. The termites destroy the roots of the corn plant or stalk. The corn stalk with its heavy corn ears then falls to the earth, where it is then contaminated with aflatoxin molds that in turn render the corn kernels unsafe for consumption by human beings and simple-stomached food animals.”
Yes, America, really is a land of promise. (Journal of Allen C. Christensen, Volume XXX: 184-185.)
“Certain lands were given to Israel for an inheritance in time and in eternity. America is the land of Joseph; it was the home of Nephite Israel, who were of Joseph, for a thousand years, and it is the headquarters of the Church in this final dispensation in which the church and kingdom of God are in the lands of Ephraim.” (McConkie, Bruce R., A New Witness for the Articles of Faith [1985], 511.)
The Book of Mormon is a record of the forefathers of our western tribes of Indians; having been found through the ministration of an holy angel, and translated into our own language by the gift and power of God, after having been hid up in the earth for the last fourteen hundred years, containing the word of God which was delivered unto them. By it we learn that our western tribes of Indians are descendants from that Joseph which was sold into Egypt, and that the land of America is a promised land unto them, and unto it all the tribes of Israel will come, with as many of the Gentiles as shall comply with the requisitions of the new covenant. But the tribe of Judah will return to old Jerusalem.The city of Zion spoken of by David, in the one hundred and second Psalm, will be built upon the land of America, “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads” (Isaiah 35:10); and then they will be delivered from the overflowing scourge that shall pass through the land. But Judah shall obtain deliverance at Jerusalem. See Joel 2:32; Isaiah 26:20-21; Jeremiah 31:12, Psalm 1:5; Ezekiel 34:11-13. These are testimonies that the Good Shepherd will put forth His own sheep and lead them out from all nations where they have been scattered in a cloudy and dark day, to Zion, and to Jerusalem; besides many more testimonies which might be brought.
“And now I am prepared to say by the authority of Jesus Christ, that not many years shall pass away before the United States shall present such a scene of bloodshed as has not a parallel in the history of our nation; pestilence, hail, famine, and earthquake will sweep the wicked of this generation from off the face of the land, to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel from the north country. The people of the Lord, those who have complied with the requirements of the new covenant, have already commenced gathering together to Zion, which is in the state of Missouri; therefore I declare unto you the warning which the Lord has commanded to declare unto this generation, remembering that the eyes of my Maker are upon me, and that to him I am accountable for every word I say, wishing nothing worse to my fellow-men than their eternal salvation; therefore, “Fear God, and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come.” Repent ye, repent ye, and embrace the everlasting covenant, and flee to Zion, before the overflowing scourge overtake you, for there are those now living upon the earth whose eyes shall not be closed in death until they see all these things, which I have spoken, fulfilled. Remember these things; call upon the Lord while He is near, and seek Him while He may be found, is the exhortation of your unworthy servant. HC 1:301-315
“This beautiful region of country is…the land of Joseph or the Indians, as they are called…The world will never value the land of Desolation, as it is called in the Book of Mormon, for anything more than hunting ground, for want of timber and mill-seats: The Lord to the contrary notwithstanding, declares it to be the land of Zion which is the land of Joseph, blessed by him, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew… Thou [Jerusalem] shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land [Zion] any more be termed Desolate.” The Evening and Morning Star Vol. 1 No. 5 October 1832 Page 71 Editor WW Phelps
“To his steady drum roll about the Indian and his destiny, Phelps added his view of the land west of the Missouri settlements, which he called the “Far West.” Wasn’t this, the editor wondered, the land of the covenant, where the Book of Mormon Jaredites and Nephites had once roamed before meeting their destruction? While the world would never prize the area because of its want of timber and mill seats, Deity had a different view. This land was Zion, he argued, the land of Joseph, the receptacle of “the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills.” In a few sentences, Phelps wove together some of the images that Joseph Smith had been using when speaking of the western Zion and the soon-to-be redeemed Indian” Quoted in Seeking The “Remnant”: The Native American During The Joseph Smith Period by Ronald W Walker: Evening and the Morning Star 1 (October 1832): 137] Phelps was citing Deuteronomy 33:13-17 The editor later would help select Mormon settlement sites in Daviess County and may have had a role in choosing the name of the region’s most prominent town, Far West, thus giving another expression to his fascination with the western region. Certain lands were given to Israel for an inheritance in time and in eternity. America is the land of Joseph; it was the home of Nephite Israel, who were of Joseph, for a thousand years, and it is the headquarters of the Church in this final dispensation in which the church and kingdom of God are in the lands of Ephraim.” (McConkie, Bruce R., A New Witness for the Articles of Faith [1985], 511.)
“The Book of Mormon tells us that America is a land of promise, a land choice above all other lands. Nephi said that whosoever should possess it must serve the God of the land or they would be swept off. And we have read in the Book of Mormon of the nations that have been swept off because they ceased to worship the God who had led them and their forefathers here to this land. We have a great responsibility as citizens in this land, for the Lord said that he would fight its battles and be its king, if we will just serve him. So it’s appropriate at this time that we express our appreciation for this great land. I like the words Moses used when he gave a blessing to the twelve tribes of Israel. When he blessed Joseph he promised him a new land in the utmost bowels of the everlasting hills (see Deut. 33:15).Now that isn’t in Jerusalem because they don’t have everlasting hills over there, and the prophets have never predicted a regathering of all nations to the land of Israel. But they have predicted the gathering of Israel to this land of America, which is the land of Joseph.And we are the only people in the world who know what that land is that Moses promised to Joseph. It was so great in his eyes as he received the revelations of the Holy Spirit that in describing the land he used the word “precious” five times in just four verses…We have so much to be grateful for. We are not here by chance. We are here because of the sacrifices of our pioneer fathers who came to this choice land that the Lord, according to the Book of Mormon, had hidden away from the eyes of the world that it should not be overrun. He preserved it for us, for the day and time in which we now live here in these valleys of the mountains.” Thanksgiving Devotional LEGRAND RICHARDS of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Nov. 18, 1980
Prayer at Valley Forge-The painting and article “The Prayer at Valley Forge” [February insert] were very interesting and appropriate. There is another story, by B. H. Roberts, about George Washington and the Bible that really deserves retelling. It is found in the Contributor, vol. 10, p. 275:
A PROPHETIC INCIDENT: In the April number of the Century is a well-written and profusely illustrated article on the Inauguration of Washington, by Clarence Winthrop Bowen. Among the illustrations is a facsimile of the page of the Bible on which Washington laid his hand while taking the oath of office, and it is to this that I wish specially to call attention. … The Century article says:
“Secretary Otis of the Senate held before him (Washington) a red velvet cushion, upon which rested the open Bible. … ‘You do solemnly swear,’ said Livingston, ‘that you will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and will, to the best of your ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States’. … [Washington repeated the oath.] He then bowed his head and kissed the sacred book, and with the deepest feelings uttered the words, ‘So help me God!’”
The page of the Bible which Washington kissed, and on which his hand rested while taking the oath, is indicated in the Bible of the St. John’s Lodge [from which it was borrowed] by the leaf being turned down. A copper-plate engraving is on the opposite page illustrating the blessings of Zebulun and Issachar as pronounced upon them by the patriarch Jacob in Genesis 49, thirteenth and fourteenth verses respectively. The page on which Washington’s hand rested contains part of chapter forty-nine and also part of the fiftieth chapter down to verse eight inclusive.(Some have claimed this to not be true. Whatever page Washington touched was a blessed page in the Bible).
The particular thing which struck me as being a remarkable circumstance is that the page indicated contains the blessing of Jacob upon the head of his favorite son Joseph, which reads as follows: “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: “The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: “But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) “Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: “The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.”
Moses Ten Commandments Stones
To the Latter-day Saints the blessing of Joseph has a particular significance, for the reason that they, more than any other people, are familiar with his descendants, and the blessing promised them in which also they hope to participate. The Book of Mormon is a history, chiefly, of the descendants of Joseph; and in the mighty nations which have peopled the American continent, the Latter-day Saints see, in part, the fulfillment of the great blessings pronounced upon his head.
The article reviews Book of Mormon passages that refer to the seed of Jacob through Joseph coming to a promised land, including the comments made by the Savior when he visited them after his resurrection. Additional passages are reviewed that discuss the additional blessings pronounced upon Joseph by Moses. The author then says:
But what seems singular in connection with these promises made to Joseph and the account of their partial fulfillment in a portion of his posterity inhabiting America is, that after the nations, composed largely of his descendants, had been destroyed and other peoples from Europe—among whom, however, were also large numbers of the descendants of Joseph through the loins of Ephraim—had taken possession of the land, at the real establishment of that government which is destined to shape the destiny of the great continent of America—the land of Joseph—the very first executive chosen for that nation when being sworn to preserve, protect and defend the constitution of this land which God had inspired men to frame, he placed his hand upon the very page of the Bible containing the blessing pronounced upon the head of Joseph by the patriarch Jacob. …
Will men call this merely coincidence? Strange coincidence indeed it is, if that be all that it is. Observe that the forty-ninth chapter of Genesis is near the very first leaves of the Bible, and in laying the book open upon a velvet cushion for the use of one to be sworn, it would naturally be parted near the middle of the volume and not parted at the first few leaves.
Let others believe all this to be coincidence if they choose, but for my own part there is too much that is significant to assign it to that class of phenomena so conveniently disposed of by calling them coincidents. … —B. H. Roberts. May Ensign 1973 Comments
“And he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come—after it should be destroyed it should be built up again, a holy city unto the Lord; wherefore, it could not be a new Jerusalem for it had been in a time of old; but it should be built up again, and become a holy city of the Lord; and it should be built unto the house of Israel And that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type. For as Joseph brought his father down into the land of Egypt, even so he died there; wherefore, the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem, that he might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph that they should perish not, even as he was merciful unto the father of Joseph that he should perish not.” Ether 13:5-7
“Just as Jesus Christ has piloted to this land of America the vanguard of each succeeding civilization which has dwelt upon it, so has He made known to them His everlasting decree “that whoso should possess [it] should serve Him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off … when they … are ripened in iniquity”(Ether 2:8–9; emphasis added). “Our present civilization is no exception. We who live in America are under this everlasting decree. And the Lord has said, “My word shall be verified at this time as it hath hitherto been verified” (Doctrine and Covenants 5:20). Jesus Christ, the God of this land, led Columbus to it. He led the Pilgrims to Plymouth. He sustained and gave victory to the colonists. He established the Constitution of the United States(see Doctrine and Covenants 101:80).
Over a period of some twenty-six centuries He directed the writing of the Book of Mormon, which contains the record of the former inhabitants of this land. At His command, Moroni finished the record and hid it up in the Hill Cumorah, where, under his surveillance, it was safely preserved for some fourteen hundred years. “By the power of Jesus Christ, the God of this land, the record was brought forth, translated, and in 1830 published. For nearly 150 years now it has been bearing its message to all who will receive it. “After setting forth the everlasting decree concerning this land and reviewing the destruction of two civilizations, Moroni, seeing the present inhabitants of America, and knowing by the power of God that we would have the record, penned this message directly to those who inhabit this land: ‘And this cometh unto you … that ye may know the decrees of God—that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done’” (Ether 2:11). (Marion G. Romney, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, “America’s Promise,” Ensign [Sept. 1979]; emphasis added.) Quoted in Annotated Book of Mormon by David Hocking and Rod Meldrum Page 462.
Once this nation was well established, then the Church was restored and from here the message of the restored gospel has gone forth. All according to divine plan. This then becomes the Lord’s base of operations in these latter days. And this base will not be shifted out of its place—the land of America. This nation will, in a measure at least, fulfil its mission even though it may face serious and troublesome days. The degree to which it achieves its full mission depends upon the righteousness of its people. God has, through his power, established a free people in this land as a means of helping to carry forward his purposes.
“It was his latter-day purpose to bring forth his gospel in America, not in any other place. It was in America where the Book of Mormon plates were deposited. That was no accident. It was his design. It was in this same America where they were brought to light by angelic ministry. It was” . . . [here] “where he organized his modern Church, where he, himself made a modern personal appearance”(Editorial, Church News).” The Lord’s Base of Operations” Elder Ezra Taft Benson Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles Conference Report, April 1962, pp. 103-106
“And again, I command thee that thou shalt not covet thine own property, but impart it freely to the printing of the Book of Mormon, which contains the truth and the word of God—Which is my word to the Gentile, that soon it may go to the Jew, of whom the Lamanites are a remnant, that they may believe the gospel, and look not for a Messiah to come who has already come.” D&C 29:26-27
“Which is my word to the Gentile, that soon it may go to the Jew, of whom the Lamanites are a remnant, that they may believe the gospel, and look not for a Messiah to come who has already come.” D&C 19:27
“And then shall the remnant of our seed know concerning us, how that we came out from Jerusalem, and that they are descendants of the Jews.”2 Nephi 30:4
“Hearken, O ye elders of my church, saith the Lord your God, who have assembled yourselves together, according to my commandments, in this land, which is the land of Missouri, which is the land which I have appointed and consecrated for the gathering of the saints. Wherefore, this is the land of promise, and the place for the city of Zion. And thus saith the Lord your God, if you will receive wisdom here is wisdom. Behold, the place which is now called Independence is the center place; and a spot for the temple is lying westward, upon a lot which is not far from the courthouse. Wherefore, it is wisdom that the land should be purchased by the saints, and also every tract lying westward, even unto the line running directly between Jew and Gentile;” D&C 57:1-4
“At that time the Lamanites (or Jews) lived on the west and the Gentiles (or Whites) lived on the east. In this way you may interpret D&C 57:1-4 as separating the Jews and Gentiles or the Lamanites and Whites. “I would say to the Lamanites, if I could speak to them understandingly, that you are also a branch of the house of Israel, and chiefly of the house of Joseph, and your forefathers have fallen through the same examples of unbelief and sins, as have the Jews, and you, as their posterity, have wandered in sin and darkness for many generations; and you, like the Jews, have been driven and trampled under the foot of the Gentiles, and put to death through your wars with each other, and with the white man, until you are almost destroyed. But there is still a redemption and salvation for a remnant of you in the latter days. It is time for you to cease shedding each other’s blood or making war upon your fellow-man. Cease to destroy one another, learn to cultivate the earth, and raise your food therefrom; call upon the Great Spirit to protect you and deliver you from bondage and darkness, and the Great Spirit will hear you and deliver you, and a remnant of you will again become a delightsome people as your forefathers were when they kept the commandments of God.” (Wilford Woodruff History of His Life and Labors as recoded in his daily journals prepared for publication by Matthias F. Cowley, Salt Lake City, Utah 1909)
Who, then, are the Jews, and what part shall they yet play in the gathering of Israel and the return of their King? There is a maze of fuzzy thinking and shoddy scholarship, both in the world and in the Church, that seeks to identify the Jews, both ancient and modern, and to expound upon what they have believed and do believe. It is not strange that the divines of the day-not knowing that the kingdom is to be restored to Israel at that glorious day; not having the Book of Mormon and latter-day revelation to guide them-it is not strange that they come up with false and twisted views about the mission and destiny of the Jews. It is a little sad that church members sometimes partake of these false views and of this secular spirit so as to misread the signs of the times.
The term Jew is a contraction of the name Judah, but the Jews are not the members of the tribe of Judah as such. After the reign of Solomon, the Lord’s people divided into the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah. Nearly ten tribes served Jeroboam in Israel and two and a half tribes served Rehoboam in Judah. The Levites were scattered among all the tribes. Judah, Simeon, and part of Benjamin comprised the kingdom of Judah. In actual fact, and considering blood lineage only, both kingdoms had in them people from all of the tribes. Lehi, who lived in Judah and was a Jew, was of the tribe of Manasseh. The Jews were nationals of the kingdom of Judah without reference to tribal ancestry. Thus the descendants of Lehi, both the Nephites and the Lamanites, were Jews because they came out from Jerusalem and from the kingdom of Judah. (2 Ne. 33:8.)
The Jews today are also those whose origins stem back to the kingdom of their fathers. Clearly the dominant tribe–dominant, however, only in the sense of political power and rulership–was Judah. As to the bloodlines, who knows whether there are more of Judah or of Simeon or of Benjamin or of some other tribe among the Jews as we know them? Paul, a Jew, was of the tribe of Benjamin. The name Judea, now used as a noun, is actually an adjective meaning Jewish and is the Greek and Roman designation for the land of Judah.
Since the Ten Tribes were taken into Assyria and lost from the knowledge of their fellows more than a century before the Jews went into Babylonian captivity, the prophets began to speak of Jews and Gentiles and to consider as a Gentile everyone who was not a Jew. This classifies Ephraim and the rest of scattered Israel as Gentiles. Everyone, in this sense, who is not a Jew is a Gentile, a concept that will enable us, in due course, to set forth what is meant by the fulness of the Gentiles. (Bruce R. McConkie The Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man, p.221-222)
“But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.” Alma 30:44
“The above scripture means all things including science, philosophy, anthropology, biology etc. come from God. His knowledge and intelligence is eternal. Why would we ever deny there is a conflict between science and religion? I don’t, but many an intellectual does. I will share with you some Intellects or Professors at BYU who seem to be on the edge of a cliff with some of their teachings. I am not here to judge them but to make you aware of some of the worldly doctrine that permeates BYU and other College campuses in today’s “great and spacious” buildings. We must avoid teachings that are not of God but are of man. It is fine to know about and understand some of the science and information that is speculative, but not to embrace and teach it.” Editor
“All things that are upon the face of it (the earth)…do witness that there is a Supreme Being. Biological life includes all forms and species of living things I.e. plants, insects, fowls, mammals, fishes and microbial forms of organisms. Each of these witness an Intelligent design and Designer. Each have a DNA code that defines their entire life form.”
The DNA codes for complex proteins (I.e. hemoglobin, albumin, amylase, etc.) that perform specific functions. Hundreds of cell types are formed by the DNA code made by stem cells in the bone marrow. Most, if not all, of the proteins and enzymes can be mutated resulting in impaired function. Few mutations are beneficial; most are detrimental. Mutations have yet to be shown to create a new species. Worms will forever be worms, etc. The statistical probability of raw elements formed by random chance can produce a functional anything is beyond calculation.
Science has established a basis to study biological life in concert with the scripture that states that the Glory of God is intelligence. Biological life affirms this as an Intelligent Designer is behind each cell and cellular process that has been currently defined. So far Science has yet to demonstrate that it can reproduce the most basic form of organizing the chemicals that forms a base of the DNA molecule.
The term evolution should be abandoned and replaced with adaptation. Thousands of species have been shown to implement adaptation for survival. They are still the same species and their DNA code was designed to provide that mechanism for environmental challenges.
I studied hemoglobins and of the over 1000 structural variants and the varied forms of impaired globin chain assemblies, not one is beneficial. And hemoglobin is one of several thousand proteins that are in the human body.” David Hocking Managing Editor Annotated Book of Mormon
Church Leaders Gather at BYU’s Life Sciences Building for Dedication
By Marianne Holman Prescott, Church News staff writer2015
“There is no conflict between science and religion. Conflict only arises from an incomplete knowledge of either science or religion, or both,” Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said during the dedication of the new Life Sciences Building at Brigham Young University on April 9.
“This university is committed to search for truth and teach the truth,” said Elder Nelson. “All truth is part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether truth comes from a scientific laboratory or by revelation from the Lord, it is compatible…”
“Now I will confess a personal prejudice,” he said. “I think that a person can learn more by studying God’s creations than by studying the works of people, even by the most erudite and educated scholars.”
Elder Nelson was a world-renowned cardiothoracic surgeon at the time he was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1984. Of his early days of research into the workings of the human heart, he spoke of how crucial it was to combine the knowledge he had with personal revelation—providing the undergirding foundation to his work.
“The great privilege of studying God’s creations builds in its students a reverence for life and a testimony that we are literally created by Deity,” he said. “That reverence for our Creator represents true religion. The meaning of the word religion is literally ‘to ligate,’ or ‘to tie us once again,’ back to God.
“For students, there is nowhere better to confront the questions shared between science and religion than in the College of Life Sciences at Brigham Young University,” Elder Nelson said. “What a blessing this building will be…”
“During his life, John A. Widtsoe did as much as any contemporary to establish the link between science and the gospel,” he said. “With unparalleled spiritual and intellectual prowess and energy, he sought to erase the artificial distinction between scientific and religious truth. For him, science and religion were inextricably united.”
Just as the educators who came before, that same purpose remains today—to help students learn about scientific and religious truth in the same context.” Church Leaders Gather at BYU’s Life Sciences Building for Dedication Contributed By Marianne Holman Prescott, Church News staff writer 17 APRIL 2015
I want all my readers to know that I am very pleased with the integrity of the Church and its leaders. I am very supportive of the Colleges and education that the Church provides for us. BYU is an exceptional school, but like with anything else we must have the ability to know good from evil. The difference between learning from the Lord and a fallacy of Satan. With our gift of discernment through the power of the Holy Ghost, we can decipher. I am at times very fearful of many intelligent preachers and them forgetting about the children and focusing on the things that make money and influence themselves or the most important thing to them in society. We must have discernment. Satan wants each of us, and our best efforts need to be used to combat evil and focus on the Lord and His commandments. We will learn great things by understanding the story of Korihor.
Korihor: The Arguments of Apostasy
Chauncey C. Riddle, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Brigham Young University
By Chauncey C. Riddle
“Korihor appears out of nowhere, as it were, in the Nephite record. His entire story is contained in Alma 30, where he suddenly appears in the land of Zarahemla, preaching “unto the people against the prophecies which had been spoken by the prophets, concerning the coming of Christ.” (Alma 30:6.) What we know of his background is mostly from inference, but his arguments show that he was an educated man, in sophistry if not in the scriptures. But we know from his own final admission that Korihor once had a testimony: “I also knew that there was a God. But behold, the devil hath deceived me. … And I have taught his words; and I taught them because they were pleasing unto the carnal mind, … insomuch that I verily believed that they were true.” (Alma 30:52–53.) Thus Korihor’s life teaches us that having the truths of the gospel and being a covenant servant of Christ are in nowise guarantees of salvation. We are also reminded that the most powerful opposition to the work of the Savior on this earth comes from those who know the truth and then deliberately turn from it and seek to destroy others.”
Korihor took what might be called a philosophical approach to destroying faith in our Savior, an approach remarkably similar to that taken by many persons today in semiphilosophical attempts to “relieve” believers of what they are pleased to call their “naivete.” His arguments could not hurt those whose belief was born of genuine spiritual experience, but they were powerfully effective among those weak in the faith whose belief had not yet gone beyond words. An analysis of those arguments helps us to see how we can be strong in the faith in Christ. Let us select three of his arguments as examples.
We begin with Korihor’s argument for naturalistic empiricism (the belief that it is possible to know all truth through the senses—by experience and observation):
“Behold, these things which ye call prophecies, which ye say are handed down by holy prophets, behold, they are foolish traditions of your fathers.
“How do ye know of their surety? Behold, ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ.” (Alma 30:14–15.)
Now it is plain that empiricism has value. It is good for us to observe our surroundings carefully and to appreciate our sensations. How else would we walk or drive an automobile? Without sensation, how could we know beauty or communicate with friends and loved ones or appreciate the marvelous handiwork of the creations of our God? Sense experience is indeed a valuable part of this life; the error comes in supposing that it is the only way of knowing what we know.
What can our senses tell us about justice or mercy or the future? Nothing. Indeed, it works the other way. Only when we have acquired by some nonempirical means the concepts of justice and mercy, or an idea about some future event—only then can we recognize the significance of our sensory experiences relating to justice and mercy or the fulfillment of prophecy.
None of the more important questions we ask can be solved or answered by depending solely on sensation. Is there a God? Is man immortal? Is it good to be honest? What should I do next in my life? The answers to each and all of these more important questions must come by faith. Every man answers these questions and makes the great decisions of his life on the basis of his belief in and acceptance of someone or something he cannot see. No man knows by his senses that each man has a spirit separate from his physical body, but some have a testimony of that fact gained by faith.
The answer to Korihor is plain and simple: Our initial acceptance of Christ is not empirical, for we do not see him. But we have received into our lives a Holy Spirit that teaches us to understand the scriptures about Christ and to believe that he lives.We do not pretend that this is yet knowledge. It is faith. We believe in Christ without having seen him because we trust this Holy Spirit that has taught us so many good things. Korihor might by his argument be able to confuse someone who had never had revelation, but his contention is only a pathetic childishness to those who enjoy the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
A second argument used by Korihor might be called his humanism. In concert with the other humanists of the world, he insists that achievement and success come by human means, such as physical strength, skill, and reason:
“And many more such things did he say unto them, telling them that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength.” (Alma 30:17.)
Korihor would have us believe, like some authors of modern “success” books, that the solutions to our problems lie in sharp thinking and realistic approaches to life. But such persons define success in terms of wealth, social status, political power, and the glutting of the senses; and, as the servants of Christ know, if selfish attainments are one’s goal, the world is so constructed that one can indeed ignore the Savior and attain. But Korihor and his fellow humanists think that they are masterfully doing it on their own, not realizing that those who succeed at the expense of faith and love are on a down escalator and are being carefully guided, encouraged, aided, and comforted by their unseen mentor Satan. Their glorying in their own strength and accomplishments is a tribute to the cleverness of Satan, that devil who greases the sluiceway of sin.
Conversely, those who have accepted the gospel see that real success in this world is overcoming selfishness and turning one’s strength to righteousness, to blessing others. They know full well that this kind of success is an uphill, strained effort into the very teeth of the forces that make sin so easy. They know that it is not by any human means that one can overcome the world. After all we can do by human power, we are still nothing. It is only when the grace of God touches our lives that we can overcome evil and enact the precious mercies of righteousness. There can be no boasting, no pretension that anything human prospers us. The glory is all given unto God by those who are more than armchair servants of the Master.
The humanist argument is very persuasive to many because it is flattering. We do not naturally like to believe that without Him we can do nothing.Thus part of Satan’s entourage includes those who know the gospel is true but who insist they really don’t need much help except for a pointer or two and a little assistance in being resurrected. The servant of Christ is not persuaded, however. Long pleading with the Lord has stripped him of all humanistic pride.
A third argument used by Korihor is that of relativism: “… and whatsoever a man did was no crime.” (Alma 30:17.) A fuller statement of this attack by Korihor is as follows: Since (he claims) there is no god and men do not live after death, and since (he claims) all so-called “laws” and “commandments” are but social conveniences to give power to priests, the only important thing in life is to do what you want to do—if you can get away with it. How modern Korihor sounds! But the argument is timeless, as old as sin itself.
There are, of course, many versions of relativism (one would hardly expect relativism to be absolute). One version encourages enjoyment of the Church social organization without getting uptight about theology or religious commandments.
Another kind of relativism says that the commandments are great but open to broad private interpretation. A third acknowledges that there are commandments, but allows indulgence in sin since “nobody’s perfect.”A fourth version says that the commandments were okay when they were given, but they have become superfluous in our enlightened age. A fifth kind of relativism, that used by Korihor, says that the commandments were bad from the first; they are inhibitions on the soul of man that actually prevent him from ever achieving happiness. A sixth type, also used by Korihor, says that since one act is indifferent from another, it doesn’t matter what we do.
The great power of all relativistic approaches is that they allow the individual to judge his own actions. This is why almost any of the approaches strikes a responsive, sympathetic chord in all other relativists. Korihor found many who were pleased with his relativism, even though they may have rejected much else of what he said. “And thus he did preach unto them, leading away the hearts of many, causing them to lift up their heads in their wickedness.” (Alma 30:18.)
In stark contrast to the virtually infinite number of personal choices available in the broad way of relativism is the way of the Savior. That strait and narrow way is to do as he did: not to seek our own will, but to do the will of Him who sent us. It is to obey him in all things, obeying his word, which is his law, as it is freshly written in our hearts from revelation to revelation. It is to rely solely upon his merits, counting him as the only fountain of righteousness. It is being willing to die for his sake, crucifying the old person with worldly wants and desires in order to be born again “as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.” (Mosiah 3:19.)
Thus the gospel teaches a way that is absolute—absolute in that the formula for righteousness is always the same for every person and for every time and circumstance: take the name of Christ, always remember him, keep all of the commandments that he gives unto us. There is no other way to righteousness, for whatsoever is not of faith in Christ is sin.
Now it is little wonder that Korihor found much success in commending relativism to the members of the church in his time. For while the Church is true, the members of the Church here on earth have not yet overcome the world, although most are still trying. For many, the effort is hard, the price too great. Whether they leave the Church or not, they abandon the narrow way and settle for some variety of relativism.
But there is one thing relativism can never do, even within the Church. One who subscribes to any of the versions of relativism just listed will never (unless he repents) be brought to those sacrifices that will prepare his soul to spend an eternity in blessing others.Relativism can never purify heart and mind, or transform body and countenance into the image of the Savior.
Thanks be to our God that there is a way, strait and narrow though it be, to learn to love with a pure love! But the price is great. We must place all of our heart, might, mind, and strength at his disposal—always. We must count as dross and expendable everything of this world, including our own lives. This does not mean to deny life, but to live fully, enjoying the companionship of the Holy Ghost, working in a crescendo of works of love that will take us without faltering through the veil to results only understood in eternity.” By Chauncey C. RiddleEntire article here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1977/09/korihor-the-arguments-of-apostasy?lang=eng
Atheist and Agnostic
Agnostic definition is – a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (such as God) is unknown and probably unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god. Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods. Older dictionaries define atheism as “a belief that there is no God.” Atheists.org
Troubled Secularism
I continue to be troubled by the amount of secular learning our children are learning at elementary, junior high, high school, and especially at college. The Critical Race Theory (CRT) is happening everywhere and it is not good. It teaches Black people as always victims and White people are always aggressors and guilty of racism. There cannot be a unity there is always racism. This is wrong. The Savior said that we should become one just as He and His Father are one. I have no white guilt and I love all people regardless of their race or creed.
I do not have a degree in higher education but I have been around the block a few times and have studied hard about life and politics and religion. I am a life long and in good standing member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I am thankful for a strong testimony in our Savior and His scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. I have always loved BYU and especially their sports. I have recently become critical of many of the secular doctrines that BYU teaches. It hasn’t affected my testimony or love of the Prophet and Apostles by any means, but my concern is, are our children strong in spirit enough to withstand the many secular teachings at BYU. I am not judging the school but I am worried there are so many Professors not just teaching theory such as evolution, but teaching it as doctrine.
Elder Packer below has shared some amazing things about secular and spiritual learning. I feel if our professors followed his council, I would trust more of these Professors. Again I am not judging but making you aware what to look out for. Just because your children go to BYU or a religious school, secularism is everywhere to be found.
Boyd K Packer
“Historians seem to take great pride in publishing something new, particularly if it illustrates a weakness or mistake of a prominent historical figure. For some reason, historians and novelists seem to savor such things. If it related to a living person, it would come under the heading of gossip. History can be as misleading as gossip and much more difficult—often impossible—to verify. The writer or the teacher who has an exaggerated loyalty to the theory that everything must be told is laying a foundation for his own judgment. He should not complain if one day he himself receives as he has given. Perhaps that is what is contemplated in having one’s sins preached from the housetops.” The Mantle Is Far, Far Greater Than the Intellect Elder Boyd K. Packer
“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
All Lives Matter
“Combating racism and the Black Lives Matter movement were among the topics stressed in President Dallin H. Oaks’ BYU devotional address.
“Of course Black lives matter. That is an eternal truth all reasonable people should support,” said the first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
While Black lives will always matter, many have used the movement to stand for other things that don’t “command universal support,” President Oaks said, such as abolishing police or making constitutional government changes. He said these things are appropriate to discuss and seek for, but not under “what we hope to be a universally accepted message: Black lives matter.” President Dallin H. Oaks says Black lives matter, urges all to rely on Christ during challenges By Cassidy Wixom -October 27, 2020Full article here:
COLLEGE OF LIFE SCIENCES DIVERSITY COMMITEE BYUImpact Magazine page 27-28
ISABELLA ERRIGO STUDENT STEVEN PECK BIOLOGY LEN NOVILLA PUBLIC HEALTH RICK JELLEN PLANT & WILDLIFE SCIENCES JUAN ARROYO CELL BIOLOGY & PHYSIOLOGY SARAH RIDEE ERCISE SCIENCES LAURA JEFFERIES NUTRITION, DIATETICS & FOOD SCIENCE JOEL GRIFFIITS MICROBIOLOGY & MOLECULAR BIOLOOY
STEVEN PECK BIOLOGY
“I love being a part of the diversity committee in the College of Life Sciences. Helping students to become actively antiracist is one of the most important things I’ve done as a BYU faculty member. The affirmation Black Lives Matter has helped me see the importance of working towards a more inclusive BYU for all its students.” Steven Peck COLLEGE OF LIFE SCIENCES DIVERSITY COMMITEE BYU Impact Magazine page 27
This troublesome Newsweek article by Steven Peck still disturbs me after all these years. Read it below.
Also a very concerning article in LDS living is from an intelligent member of the church who affiliates with Bok of Mormon Central and other apologetic groups, here called 5 Answers to Difficult Questions About Noah and the Flood.
Back to the article at COLLEGE OF LIFE SCIENCES DIVERSITY COMMITEE BYU Impact Magazine page 27
“An evolutionary biologist who teaches at a college owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said that Mormons should feel comfortable accepting the theory of evolution, the Salt Lake City Tribune reported.
Brigham Young University biologist Steven Peck gave the Eugene England Memorial Lecture at Utah Valley University, a publicly-funded school, on Thursday. At the address, he delved into the rift between science and religion.” Read the entire article here:
ISABELLA ERRIGO STUDENT
“Inclusion is about making everybody feel safe, welcome, and valued, no matter their gender, race, ethnicity, religion, political ideology, cultural background, sexual orientation, etc. Improving inclusion in the life sciences is a feat that will require an active effort from all parties-faculty, staff, and students-but it is a feat that can take the appearance of many different actions. It may look like required lessons or classes in which uncomfortable conversations are had, where people are able to safely share their experiences and ask questions. It may look like participating in celebrations for different cultural and religious holidays. It may look like an invitation, words of encouragement, or an offer of help and assistance. Regardless of the action, the basis of improving inclusion is increasing compassion for our brothers and sisters. Because, ‘when we have more compassion for those who are different from us, we are able to lighten many of the problems and sorrows in the world'(Joseph B. Wirthlin).”
FAITH AND SCIENCE
FIVE TIPS TO FAIIHFULLY APPROACH THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN FAITH AND SCIENCE
Written By: Sydney Springer Illustrations By: Audrey White
AT THE DEDICATION OE THE LIEE SCIENCES BUILDING, President Russell M. Nelson said, “There is no conflict between science and religion. Conflict only arises from an incomplete knowledge of either science or religion, or both.” No one knows everything about religion or science yet. We must patiently learn from both as we address uncertainties that arise as the two converge. Biology professor Jamie Jensen provides five tips to faithfully approach the intersection of faith and science
l. UNDERSTAND THAT SCIENCE IS AGNOSTIC. Many people mistakenly believe that science is inherently atheistic. But rather, science is agnostic because it can’t prove the existence of God, and it can’t prove the absence of God either. Remember that knowledge, understanding, and acceptance of scientific explanations don’t require you to disregard your religion, and vice versa. Look to faith, not science, to prove that there is a God.
2. DO NOT PIN YOUR EAITH ON A “GOD OP THE GAPS.” Pinning your faith on a “God of the gaps” relies on God as an explanation for anything that science can’t currently explain. In ancient Greece, deities were created to explain weather patterns, but as soon as science provided reasonable explanations, their Gods disappeared. When science can finally account for these “gaps” in your knowledge, you enter problematic territory that has the potential to minimize the power of faith. You must build a foundation of faith in God’s ability to provide spiritual understanding, not His ability to fill the gaps in your current understanding.
3. TAKE TIME TO LEARN THE NATURE Of SCIENCE. In order to accept the truth in science, you must learn the nature of science. Educate yourself on the formation of scientific theory by familiarizing yourself with scientific exploration and justification methods. Doing so will help you recognize truth when you see it, be skeptical when it’s warranted, and feel less intimidated by the scientific field.
4. TAKETIME TO LEARN YOUR RELIGION. You will likely encounter a scientific principle that is contrary to what you have been taught in Sunday school. Before putting your faith on the line, the best course of action is educating yourself on official Church doctrine. The theory of evolution is a classic battle between religion and science. A little research will provide you with the response that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has no official stance on the subject. Avoid misunderstanding by taking time to learn how doctrine is established.
5. REMEMBER THAT YOUR SALVATION DOES NOT DEPEND ON YOUR UNDERSTANDING OR ACCEPTANCE OF SCIENCE. When it comes to faith and science, it is important to prioritize your faith. You don’t need to understand or accept everything in science to achieve salvation. Jensen says, “science is great, but if you struggle to reconcile it with faith, choose your faith until you can better understand science.” Faith and science can and should coexist in harmony.
Please be wise and aware of teachings in the world that are contrary to gospel teachings. Even my words need study and prayer as we all make mistakes. I love the Lord and His gospel and pray His spirit will be with each of you.
Is it our Duty to Love, or Love that encourages Duty? Living the Higher Law of the Lord requires Love and not Duty.
“The Savior’s ministry exemplifies the two great commandments: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” and “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37, 39). In that spirit, Jesus also taught, “Ye are they whom I have chosen to minister unto this people” (3 Nephi 13:25)… The separate programs of home teaching and visiting teaching are now a coordinated effort referred to as “ministering,” overseen by the elders quorum and Relief Society presidencies under the direction of the bishop. Ministering is Christlike caring for others and helping meet their spiritual and temporal needs.” The First Presidency April 2, 2018. Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, Henry B. Eyring.
“Why do some turn to God and others turn to blaming God?”
In this blog I share with you some incredible stories of faith and forgiveness among the Amish society and an African American community. They tell me that the Lord wants us to be one as a people. In fact I believe our fight in the world in regards to race and prejudice is one of the biggest stumbling blocks in our nation today. We must learn to repent and forgive.
Below is also a compelling video of the conversion of 3 Amish families to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What power and strength these families show after being literally shunned by their entire community.
Purge Iniquity
In a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith on September 11, 1831, the Lord charged every member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with the duty to judge and purge iniquity from the Church:
“Behold, I, the Lord, have made my church in these last days like unto a judge sitting on a hill, or in a high place, to judge the nations.
For it shall come to pass that the inhabitants of Zion shall judge all things pertaining to Zion.
And liars and hypocrites shall be proved by them, and they who are not apostles and prophets shall be known.” D&C 64:37-39
What is the difference between Forgiveness and Hate? Why do some turn to God and others turn to blaming God? Why is it harder to love than to hate? (Or is it?)
“O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!” Alma 29:1
The above is a favorite scripture of mine. My entire desire is to share the Gospel and to help others see that He loves us all. The Lord judges fairly and we as a people from a great country need to learn LOVE more!
“That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” John 1:9 All that were born on this earth made a promise in Heaven to follow Christ. Each of us received His Light. We need to learn and follow that Light..
“Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth”. Alma 29:1-2
We must repent often and sometimes daily. What am I doing today to repent? Am I adding to the world or am I taking away with judgement? My heart goes out to all oppressed and vilified people of this world especially those of a different color than I. It’s hard to imagine the hate and racism that has happened to many cultures. I do however believe that the Lord can help us all, white, black, and brown to forgive and love one another.
“For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil.” Why can’t we as Children of a Loving Father understand this simple sentence? We know in our heart what is good and what is not.
“Therefore, if a man bringeth forth good works he hearkeneth unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follow him; but whosoever bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a child of the devil, for he hearkeneth unto his voice, and doth follow him.” Alma 5:40-41
“And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the alight by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged.
Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the alight of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.” Moroni 7:18-19
“And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.” D&C 84:46
Below you will read two stories about forgiveness. 1- The forgiving Amish people who had their family members killed and they forgave, is an inspirational story. 2- There are some amazing members of a Charleston Church who are some of the greatest lovers of God you will ever want to meet. This is why I ask, “What is the difference between Forgiveness and Hate?”
Amish Girls Shot in an Amish School
Following the tragic Amish school shooting of 10 young schoolgirls in a one-room Amish school in October 2006, reporters from throughout the world invaded Lancaster County, PA to cover the story. (You can read the full story of the Amish school shooting here.) However, in the hours and days following the shooting a different, an unexpected story developed.
Amish Forgiveness in Response to School Shooting
In the midst of their grief over this shocking loss, the Amish community didn’t cast blame, they didn’t point fingers, they didn’t hold a press conference with attorneys at their sides. Instead, they reached out with grace and compassion toward the killer’s family.
The afternoon of the shooting an Amish grandfather of one of the girls who was killed expressed forgiveness toward the killer, Charles Roberts. That same day Amish neighbors visited the Roberts family to comfort them in their sorrow and pain.
Later that week the Roberts family was invited to the funeral of one of the Amish girls who had been killed. And Amish mourners outnumbered the non-Amish at Charles Roberts’ funeral.
It’s ironic that the killer was tormented for nine years by the pre-mature death of his young daughter. He never forgave God for her death. Yet, after he cold-bloodedly shot 10 innocent Amish school girls, the Amish almost immediately forgave him and showed compassion toward his family.
In a world at war and in a society that often points fingers and blames others, this reaction was unheard of. Many reporters and interested followers of the story asked, “How could they forgive such a terrible, unprovoked act of violence against innocent lives? Source
Watch an amazing Video of three Amish families in Ohio join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, below. Amish Latter-day Saints: Blending Two Worlds into One
How are we living? Are we striving to live the Higher Law? Higher Law vs. Lower Law Consecration vs Tithing Celestial Marriage vs. Temporal Marriage Spirit of the Law vs Letter of the Law Ministering vs Home Teaching Law of the Gospel vs Law of Moses Love vs Duty
Joseph Smith Loved All Isn’t Love what it is all about?
“While [Joseph was] acting as mayor of the city, a colored man named Anthony was arrested for selling liquor on Sunday, contrary to law. He pleaded that the reason he had done so was that he might raise the money to purchase the freedom of a dear child held as a slave in a Southern State. . . . Joseph said, ‘I am sorry, Anthony, but the law must be observed, and we will have to impose a fine.’ The next day Brother Joseph presented Anthony with a fine horse, directing him to sell it, and use the money obtained for the purchase of the child. (Mary Frost Adams, “Joseph Smith, the Prophet,” Young Woman’s Journal, December 1906, as quoted in Hyrum L. Andrus, Joseph Smith, the Man and the Seer (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1960), 33.)
On April 7, 1844, Joseph Smith arose at his final General Conference and delivered what many believe to be his greatest sermon. His topic, the relationship of man and God, transformed the understanding of members of the restored church. That same day, John Brown, a missionary in Mississippi, noted in his diary that “we ordained two elders the same day, brother James M. Flake & Washing[ton] N. Cook. I also baptized two black men, Allen & Green, belonging to Brother Flake.” John Brown, Reminiscences and Journals, April 3-7, 1844, p. 27, microfilm of holograph, MS 1636, LDS Church History Library.
“The first Sabbath after our arrival in Jackson county, Brother W. W. Phelps preached to a western audience over the boundary of the United States, wherein were present specimens of all the families of the earth; Shem, Ham and Japheth; several of the Lamanites or Indians–representative of Shem; quite a respectable number of negroes–descendants of Ham; and the balance was made up of citizens of the surrounding country, and fully represented themselves as pioneers of the West. At this meeting two were baptized, who had previously believed in the fulness of the Gospel.” HC 1:191 The First Sabbath in Zion.
Love the Native American’s
“…When…first commanded to testify of these things they [The Three Witness] demurred and told the Lord the people would not believe them for the book concerning which they were to bear record told of a people who were educated and refined, dwelling in large cities; whereas all that was then known of the early inhabitants of this country was the filthy, lazy, degraded and ignorant savages that were roaming over the land. The Lord told us, in reply that he would make it known to the people that the early inhabitants of this land had been just such a people as they were described in the book, and he would lead them to discover the ruins of great cities, and they should have abundant evidence of the truth of that which is written in the book…” – David Whitmer, Interview with James H. Hart (Richmond, Mo., 21 August 1883), as printed in Deseret Evening News, Salt Lake City, Utah as published in Annotated Book of Mormon by David Hocking and Rod Meldrum page 560.
The 5 minute song below titled “We Shall Remain” is beautiful and was shared by Betty Red Ant LaFontaine who of course loves this song. Native Americans do remain and we are thankful for them.
Kalolin Johnson – We Shall Remain (It Wasn’t Taken Away)
Victim’s Mother Tells Dylann Roof ‘I Forgive You’ as He’s Sentenced to Death!
Roof was sentenced to death for killing nine churchgoers at a Bible study.
By EMILY SHAPIROJanuary 11, 2017
Wife of Charleston Shooting Victim Says She’s Glad Sentencing Is OverRoof was sentenced to death today for killing nine churchgoers in 2015.
— — Felicia Sanders, the mother of one of the nine victims killed by Dylann Roof in a Charleston church, told Roof this morning at an emotional sentencing hearing, “I forgive you.”
“That’s the easiest thing I had to do. But you don’t want to help somebody who don’t want to help themselves,” she told her son’s killer, according to ABC affiliate WCIV. “May God have mercy on your soul.”
Sanders survived Roof’s shooting rampage on June 17, 2015, that killed nine black parishioners who had gathered at the Charleston, South Carolina, church for Bible study. She was there when her son, Tywanza Sanders, was shot to death.
A jury on Tuesday afternoon sentenced Roof to death. His formal sentencing was held today, during which Felicia Sanders and other family and friends of the victims addressed Roof directly in court. Roof did not look at them as they spoke. After the statements from family and friends, Roof declined to speak. Roof was then formally sentenced to death.
Dylann Roof is depicted during his sentencing hearing in federal court in Charleston, S.C., Jan. 11, 2017.Dylann Roof is depicted during his sentencing hearing in federal court in Charleston, S.C., Jan. 11, 2017.Robert Maniscalco
“You took my love away from me. And since June 17 I’ve gotten to know you,” Felicia Sanders said to Roof at his sentencing hearing, according to WCIV. “I know you because you are in my head all day.”
“I can’t hear balloons pop. I can’t see the fireworks,” she continued. She explained that she can’t shut her eyes to pray because she needs to keep them open to see those around her.
Tywanza Sanders’ father, Tyrone Sanders, said to Roof, “I need you to look at me.”
“You look at each individual in this room. Each and every one of us are a little different, but we are still human,” he said, according to WCIV. “Why you want to single out black people in a church I don’t know. But whoever your creator is needs to come be with you.”
Parents of Tywanza Sanders, Tyrone Sanders and Felicia Sanders comfort each other at the graveside of their son at Emanuel AME Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina, in this June 27, 2015 file photo.Parents of Tywanza Sanders, Tyrone Sanders and Felicia Sanders comfort each other at the graveside of their son at Emanuel AME Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina, in this June 27, 2015 file photo.Grace Beahm/The Post And Courier via AP Photo
According to WCIV, Tywanza Sanders’ sister, Shirrene Goss, told Roof, “One day it’s going to come to you and you’re going to realize you did not have to do this. And it’s going to bring you to your knees. And you’re going to have to ask — no — you’re going to have to beg, for forgiveness.”
“My brother didn’t deserve what he got,” she said. “None of the victims did. But you deserve every bit of the sentence you received.”
Roof, 22, was sentenced to death by the jury after three hours of deliberations on Tuesday. Roof was convicted of hate crimes resulting in death, among other charges, in his federal death penalty case. This is the first time a death penalty verdict was rendered in a federal hate crimes case, the Justice Department said.
Before the jury began deliberating, Roof told the jury Tuesday in a closing statement, “I still feel like I had to do it.”
Bethane Middleton-Brown, sister of the slain Rev. Depayne Middleton-Doctor, said to Roof today, according to WCIV, “I wanted to hate you, but my faith tells me no. I wanted to remain angry and bitter, but my view of life won’t let me.”
“You took someone precious from me, but my faith tells me she was a borrowed angel God called home,” she said, according to WCIV. To Roof, she said, “You can’t look at me, but when you’re alone you will hear my voice and see my face.”
Mourners pass by a make-shift memorial on the sidewalk in front of the Emanuel AME Church following a shooting by Dylann Roof in Charleston, S.C., June 18, 2015.Mourners pass by a make-shift memorial on the sidewalk in front of the Emanuel AME Church following a shooting by Dylann Roof in Charleston, S.C., June 18, 2015.Stephen B. Morton/AP Photo
Middleton-Doctor’s daughter, Gracyn, called Roof “Satan.”
“You will rot in hell where you belong,” she said, as Roof sat motionless, according to WCIV. “I hope your guilt eats you alive. While you’re pleading for life and begging for your life, I hope God forgives you, the one sin I’m not sure even he can forgive. … This spawn of Satan will not steal our joy.”
Middleton-Doctor’s niece addressed Roof as “the devil sitting here today.”
“How dare you sit here every day looking dumb-faced, acting like you did nothing wrong, and had the nerve to insinuate you were misled. How dare you even smile or smirk. … I’ve wanted to wipe that smile off your face myself,” she said, according to WCIV. “You are the biggest coward I have ever seen in my life because you can’t be a man and look at us. … It really shows the kind person you are, excuse me, the kind of animal you are. I have many choice words I would love to say to you, but God is working on me so I will not.”
She said Roof’s mission “failed” because the tragedy brought people closer together.
Rose Simmons, daughter of the slain Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr., told Roof, “I loved my father. I was just like him. And I’m going to miss him and I will miss getting to know him all over again in my adult life. But I don’t grieve so much for my father because I know he and his eight precious eternal comrades, they are at this very moment experiencing the greatest peace, and that’s a peace not found here on this earth.”
She said she’s not surprised Roof hasn’t shown accountability, sorrow or remorse. “I know at this time it’s not there.”
This file photo taken on June 19, 2015 shows a Charleston County Sheriff booking photo of suspect Dylann Roof.This file photo taken on June 19, 2015 shows a Charleston County Sheriff booking photo of suspect Dylann Roof.Charleston County Sheriff/AFP Photo/Getty Images
Rev. Simmons’ son, Dan Simmons Jr., said to Roof, “I forgive you.”
“I know that you don’t understand that, but God requires me to forgive you. I forgive you. He also requires me to plead and pray for you, and I do that,” Simmons Jr. said, according to WCIV. “Understand that as you have been judged, know that you have an opportunity to ask for forgiveness. Know that you can change your life. Stay focused. I guarantee if you choose to serve him you will have a better life.”
Rev. Sharon Risher, daughter of slain churchgoer Ethel Lance, said she’s against Roof’s death sentence. “I still don’t want you to die,” Risher said, adding she wants him to sit in a jail cell.
Risher told Roof, WCIV reported, “You have opened doors, and given me a platform. … Hopefully you will get to read the newspapers because you will get to see me crusading for each of those nine people. … May God have mercy on you.”
J. Denise Cromwell, left, hugs her daughter, Asia Cromwell, center, and a friend Sandy Teckledburg outside the Emanuel AME Church after a memorial in Charleston, S.C., June 19, 2015.J. Denise Cromwell, left, hugs her daughter, Asia Cromwell, center, and a friend Sandy Teckledburg outside the Emanuel AME Church after a memorial in Charleston, S.C., June 19, 2015.Stephen B. Morto/AP Photo
Lance’s son, Gary Washington, spoke today through sign language interpreters. He recounted the tragic moment he was told his mother was dead, and he said that since the shooting, he’s been left with no one to take care of him the way his mother could, WCIV reported. Washington said to Roof, “I know you’ll be burning in hell.”
Gail Jackson, niece of slain churchgoer Susie Jackson, said to Roof that to see him sit in court every day and never apologize hurts her.
She said she hopes his soul burns in hell. She added she hopes God has mercy on Roof’s mother’s soul.
Melvin Graham, brother of slain churchgoer Cynthia Hurd, said to Roof, the hate “you possess is beyond human comprehension.”
Melvin Graham, brother of slain churchgoer Cynthia Hurd, is depicted speaking to Dylann Roof in court in Charleston, S.C., Jan. 11, 2017.Melvin Graham, brother of slain churchgoer Cynthia Hurd, is depicted speaking to Dylann Roof in court in Charleston, S.C., Jan. 11, 2017.Robert Maniscalco
Graham said Roof wanted to start a race war, but instead started a love war; Graham said how Hurd was honored with a library, scholarships, a fellowship and more.
“When my sister was executed, it tore me apart,” Graham said. He said he and his sister used to go on walks, so after her funeral, he carried her the last steps of the way at the cemetery.
Jennifer Pinckney, whose husband, South Carolina State Sen. Clementa Pinckney, was killed in the shooting, told WCIV today that she’s glad that the process is over.
She had testified during the trial, saying her husband was a loving, devoted and involved father to their two young daughters, ages 12 and 7. She and her younger daughter were in an office at the church on the night of the shooting. They hid under a desk as gunshots rang out and put their hands over each other’s mouth.
Today Jennifer Pinckney said her daughters “miss daddy.”
“He was our rock,” she said, adding, “my girls have been strong. I’ve been very proud of them.”
Blondelle Gadsden, sister of slain churchgoer Myra Thompson, said she still wonders how a 21-year-old could carry out this attack, according to WCIV. Gadsden said she may not get those answers, but said she has gained a greater sense of God and an appreciation of her family — especially her parents -– after the attack.
Brenda Hargrove, aunt of slain churchgoer Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, spoke of her niece’s sweet spirit and their family’s close bond. Hargrove said her church in New Jersey gave Coleman-Singleton a memorial service.
U.S. Attorney Beth Drake of the District of South Carolina said Tuesday, “Motivated by racist hatred, Dylann Roof murdered and attempted to murder innocent African-American parishioners as they worshiped in the historic Mother Emanuel church.”
Men from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. lead a crowd of people in prayer outside the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., June 19, 2015.Men from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. lead a crowd of people in prayer outside the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., June 19, 2015.Stephen B. Morton/AP Photo
“But, contrary to Roof’s desire to sow the seeds of hate, his acts did not tear this community apart. Instead of agitating racial tensions as he had hoped, Roof’s deadly attack inside Mother Emanuel became an attack on all of us, and the community stood in solidarity. Now, following a trial, the jury has rendered a sentence that underscores the severity of his crimes,” Drake said.
Roof’s family said in a statement, “We will always love Dylann. We will struggle as long as we live to understand why he committed this horrible attack, which caused so much pain to so many good people. We wish to express the grief we feel for the victims of his crimes, and our sympathy to the many families he has hurt. We continue to pray for the Emanuel AME families and the Charleston community.”
Roof’s defense said in a statement that the “sentencing decision means that this case will not be over for a very long time. We are sorry that, despite our best efforts, the legal proceedings have shed so little light on the reasons for this tragedy.”
Roof also faces a state trial in which he may again face the death penalty.
If you do what you have always done, you will get what you’ve always received. Things that don’t change stay the same and things that stay the same become obsolete. We as Americans must get a check up from the neck up to get rid of (As Zig Zigler said), Stinkin’ Thinkin’.
Again I ask the question, “Why do some turn to God and others turn to blaming God?” You choose.
Subject: The “Missing Chapter” from Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson
Dear Friends,
I, Dave Hocking sent an email a while back, with a link to a “missing chapter” from The Teachings of the Prophets: Ezra Taft Benson Manual. Go to the bottom, click on the link, and listen to a compilation talk by President Benson! This critical talk is called the “Missing Chapter” because it is not included in the Teachings of the Presidents, Ezra Taft Benson Manual, here.
Well, well, well!! It is interesting to discover that the Correlation Committee not only censored Joseph when he said things they did not agree with…they censored President Benson, as well! This censorship is on a VERY relevant topic for TODAY!!!!!!! It has EVERYTHING to do with what we are going through right now!
Did you notice he said not to get involved in Socialism (and Communism)? He was telling us about the secret combinations going on right under our noses! Every member of the Church should hear this immediately and make a copy of the transcript and paste it in their Ezra Taft Benson Manual, if they have a hard copy! He was a watchman on the tower and his critical message was taken from our view with censorship!! I would hope it would be corrected in the online manual!
President Benson said “what I am about to share is true”!!! When a prophet of God is speaking and says something is true, should we not hearken to his words??? How can we possibly adequately hearken to his words when we do not have all of his words??? It is so wrong! This manual was used in Gospel Doctrine classes around the world with the intent of teaching the members of the Church what President Benson taught us…and one of his most critical talks was omitted? I am upset right now!!
Joseph Smith Censored
In regards to censoring the Prophet joseph Smith in the Wentworth Letter in Chapter 38 page 441 of the Joseph Smith Manual, it needs a correction, as well!! (See my blog exposing this tragedy here)
Who could we possibly contact to make that request to the Brethren that these two online manuals be rectified? I Wonder if Boyd Tuttle could help with it?? In fact, I have Boyd Tuttle’s email address! I am going to take the time to write him, explain the situation, and ask him if he can help with this or at least direct me to someone…besides the correlation department…who will hear me!!! (If you personally can help or know a General Authority who you can share it with).
There has GOT to be a way to get to the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve!! The correlation department is intercepting everything members try to get to the Brethren. The Brethren probably have no clue what the saints are struggling through…other than they see membership declining rapidly! When they cannot hear from us, how can they know what we are struggling with?? Do you think the Brethren are aware of this censorship????? I do not! And I will tell you why!
I cannot speak for the omission in President Benson’s Manual, but I know for a fact that President Gordon B. Hinckley was prophet when the Joseph Smith Manual was first published in 2007!! In 2001, he started the publication of the Joseph Smith Papers so the Church would be “transparent”!! He said the Church needed very little revelation today because Joseph had been told so much…”we just need to study Joseph’s writings” said he!!! So, are we to assume President Hinckley knew of and/or approved of the censorship in the Wentworth Letter in the Joseph Smith Manual??? Indeed not!! It is a direct contradiction of everything President Hinckley was doing and saying at the time concerning the Prophet Joseph!!! Is this just me making a mountain out of a mole hill, or is censoring the words of prophets a serious transgression…and should it not be rectified?
I am probably reacting this way because, on a smaller scale, this is reminiscent of the mainstream media today…they print what they want us to know! It must fit their agenda or it does not make it in print! I am sick and tired of both! I want truth! I am so hungry for the whole truth!
And while I am at it, I am going to write the Ensign Magazine (Facebook Liahona is the new name replacing Ensign) and ask if they would publish Oliver and Joseph’s Eight Letters from 1835 during 2021 while we are studying D&C! (Will some of you readers join me)? What better time to have the history of the Church up to 1835, which was written by THE two most competent men to report on the subject—Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery—in our most prominent Church magazine? Joseph had them printed in his own personal journal and in every church magazine and publication available until his martyrdom! And then other apostles and prophets had them published again and again…once even in England. The final publication was in the New Improvement Era in 1899, entered by Joseph F. Smith—the most renown Church Historian in the history of the Church.
The Ensign [Liahona] is our most read and popular Church magazine today! Why have they never printed the Eight Letters?? (You can read the eight letters here). Stop and think for a minute! Doesn’t that give cause for reflection and questions? Why would they not want to publish them if Joseph and many of the early brethren did so?? There are less popular Church magazines that might consider publishing the Eight Letters! Ya think??
I have a possible explanation to the question above! Do you realize we have a slightly different history of the Church than the early saints had! They all knew and believed Cumorah was in NY and not in Mesoamerica! They all knew and believed that the Native American Indians were descendants of the Lamanites!! After all, the Lord sent the very FIRST missionaries to the Lamanites —the Native American Indians—in New York, Missouri, and Ohio. (See D&C 28, 30, and 32).
Interesting information about where the Mesoamerican Theory came from by Stephen Reed
Our good friend Stephen Reed offers the following to a follower of the Mesoamerican Model.:
“The Two Cumorah Mesoamerica geography theory for The Book of Mormon, was created by a member of the RLDS Church named Louis E. Hills in 1917. That’s during World War I. It’s mentioned in The Saint’s Herald of April 1917.
It was rejected by the First Presidency of the RLDS Church in a public statement dated November 15, 1921, published in the Saints’ Herald on December 13, 1921.
It was also again rejected by The RLDS First Presidency in January 1923 at the conclusion of a Church Committee called The Committee on Book of Mormon Archaeology specifically appointed to review L.E. Hills’ theory. The Committee’s report and The First Presidency’s acceptance of that report was published February 14, 1923 in The Saints’ Herald.
After 1917 up to 1923, when L.E. Hills’ ideas were being reviewed by his Church peers, he wrote two books, then a third in 1924, in an effort to convince his detractors.
There was then a public debate about his map and ideas in 1924 in Independence, MO also mentioned in The Saints’ Herald.
What [Mesoamerican Theoriest] have been defending are [Hillls] Maps and ideas in his books which were copyrighted in his name. Those copyrights have long ago expired and his maps and ideas are now in the Public Domain.
Anyone can resell them, similar to anyone who can resell Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”
What [Mesoamerican Theorists] have been promoting has been rejected by a grandson of The Prophet Joseph Smith and his cousin President Joseph Fielding Smith.
I’ve placed most of this information on my blog. Good Luck!
Meso Logo for Book of Mormon Central
What I failed to mention, is that there are now members of Community of Christ and Restoration Branch who currently promote the ideas of Louis. E. Hills, since he was an earlier member of the RLDS Church. There are two organizations. Their websites are: HillCumorahExpeditionTeam.com hceti.org BOMF.org
To Any Mesoamerican Theorists, Stephen suggests, Maybe you could contact them and share your LDS M2C ideas, since your ideas came from them.
Good Luck in defending M2C!
They did NOT go to Mesoamerica to the preach to the Lamanites! Joseph and the early Church leaders taught the Indians that the Book of Mormon was a history of their ancestors, it was of great worth to them, and that they were ancestors of the Jews from Jerusalem. This is what the early brethren knew and much of this information is found in the Eight Letters! Oddly enough, not all of the members of the Church today believe these things!”
Here are other scriptures and proofs that the Native American and the Jews are related:
“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 enlightned 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.” Excerpt from Letter IV
(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
In the Wentworth Letter Joseph Smith said, “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 Saviour 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 blessing, as was enjoyed on the eastern continent…” The Wentworth Letter, Joseph Smith Jr.
“I am asked to occupy the few minutes yet remaining: If the Spirit gives me liberty I will pursue the train of thought that has passed through my mind while Brother Richards has been speaking upon the spirit that has gone abroad upon the remnants of the house of Israel who occupy this land, the American Indians whom we understand to be the descendants of the Nephites, the Lamanites, the Lemuelites and the Ishmaelites who formerly possessed this land, whose fathers we have an account of in the Book of Mormon.” The Indians—The Influence of the Elders Among Them in the Interest of Peace, Etc. Discourse by Elder Erastus Snow, delivered at Logan, Sunday Afternoon, February 5th, 1882
This has always been a mighty land in God’s plan. It was in the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman prior to his death, called the great high priests together and there bestowed upon them his last blessing. The Lord appearing there proclaimed Adam to be Michael, the Prince, the Archangel. (D&C 107:53-54) It is to that same spot that Adam, as the Ancient of Days, shall come to visit his people (D&C 116), where judgement shall be set and the books opened. (Daniel 7:9 ff; Revelation 20:4) It is here on this land that the New Jerusalem shall be built “unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph” — ourselves and those others the literal descendants of Lehi. (Ether 13:5 ff; 1 Nephi 14:1-2, 2Nephi 10:18) And finally, it is here on this hemisphere that Zion shall be built. (Tenth Article of Faith.) It is this fact and this purpose, the building of Zion on this hemisphere, which is Zion, which seems to be the dominant elements in all of God’s dealings with them who possess this land, for Isaiah, speaking more than twenty-five hundred years ago, declared that “out of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3.) President J. Reuben Clark, Jr The Glorious Purpose page 103
This has always been a mighty land in God’s plan. It was in the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman prior to his death, called the great high priests together and there bestowed upon them his last blessing. The Lord appearing there proclaimed Adam to be Michael, the Prince, the Archangel. (D&C 107:53-54) It is to that same spot that Adam, as the Ancient of Days, shall come to visit his people (D&C 116), where judgement shall be set and the books opened. (Daniel 7:9 ff; Revelation 20:4) It is here on this land that the New Jerusalem shall be built “unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph” — ourselves and those others the literal descendants of Lehi. (Ether 13:5 ff; 1 Nephi 14:1-2, 2Nephi 10:18) And finally, it is here on this hemisphere that Zion shall be built. (Tenth Article of Faith.) It is this fact and this purpose, the building of Zion on this hemisphere, which is Zion, which seems to be the dominant elements in all of God’s dealings with them who possess this land, for Isaiah, speaking more than twenty-five hundred years ago, declared that “out of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3.) President J. Reuben Clark, Jr The Glorious Purpose page 103
“Spoke of the righteousness of Lehi and of the great faith of Nephi in doing whatsoever the Lord commanded him. Also spoke of those, who, because of iniquity, had been cut off from among the Nephites and cursed with a dark skin, like unto the Lamanites, the blood of Lehi and Nephi had been transmitted unto the people of this land, many of whom have the features and manners of the American Indians. Asked the Lord that if this were true, that he would not forget the integrity of his servants Lehi and Nephi, and would verify the promises made unto them concerning their descendants in the last days, upon this people, for we felt that they were a worthy nation.” Dedication of Japan by Heber J. Grant
In 1927, Janne M. Sjödahl a Swedish immigrant and convert to the LDS church, wrote a book on one of the founding works in the area of Book of Mormon studies. In his book he said; “The Onondagas: These have special interest… It appears from this, that this warrior, Zelph, was an Onondaga, as well as a “white” Lamanite, and that the Onondagas (of New York), consequently must be of Lamanite lineage. It also appears that at least some of the mounds in the Ohio Valley were erected by the descendants of Lehi” J.M. Sjodahl, An Introduction to the Study of the Book of Mormon.
“I think it’s important to realize that the title page of the Book of Mormon says, “written to the Lamanites.” That’s one of the very first things it says. I think Latter-day Saints today think well, the Book of Mormon is written for us. Well it was, written for the entire world, but of course Mormon, Moroni in their understanding of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, they fully realized that this book, this record, would eventually come forth to their descendants to the descendants of Lehi, and his family. And, this is clear to Joseph Smith. There’s no question in my mind that Joseph Smith knows from the very beginning this record needs to be received and given to and accepted by Lamanite descendants. And in 1830, to Joseph Smith and the Church members, a Lamanite meant to them, a North American Indian. There’s just no question.” Alexander L. Baugh BYU Church History Department; transcribed from the documentary “History of the Saints” Mission to the Lamanites Part 1.
So what did Robinson mean when he said they discovered the remains of a “Nephtish” structure? It is important to note that the early Latter-day Saints clearly believed that the native North American tribes were descendants of the earlier Nephite-Lamanite civilization. With this belief, Robinson probably used the word “Nephitish” to indicate that the structure or altar was built by, or originated with, the North American Indians. He may have also used “Nephitish” to mean that the altar was of ancient origin. Therefore, what Robinson was attempting to describe were the remains of what appeared to be a sacred altar structure erected by early Native Americans.” (Alexander L. Baugh, “Joseph Smith in Northern Missouri,” in Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer, ed. Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Kent P. Jackson (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010), 291–346.)
Joseph said that “the Book of Mormon is a record of the forefathers of our western tribes of Indians . . . By it we learn that our western tribes of Indians are descendants from that Joseph that was sold into Egypt, and that the land of America is a promised land unto them.” Joseph Smith’s Letter to The American Revivalist Feb 2, 1833 (Quoted in Dean C. Jessee, The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1984), p. 273)
“He told me of a sacred record which was written on plates of gold, I saw in the vision the place where they were deposited, he said the Indians were the literal descendants of Abraham…” Joseph Smith Journal, November 9, 1835; The Joseph Smith Papers: Journals Volume 1:1832-1839 (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2008), 88-89.
“The first Sabbath after our arrival in Jackson county, Brother W. W. Phelps preached to a western audience over the boundary of the United States, wherein were present specimens of all the families of the earth; Shem, Ham and Japheth; several of the Lamanites or Indians–representative of Shem; quite a respectable number of negroes–descendants of Ham; and the balance was made up of citizens of the surrounding country, and fully represented themselves as pioneers of the West. At this meeting two were baptized, who had previously believed in the fulness of the Gospel.” HC 1:191 The First Sabbath in Zion.
“Ultimately, what did Joseph accomplish? By the gift and power of God, he translated the Book of Mormon which revealed who the Native Americans are, their heritage of prophets and priests, of repentance and righteousness, and of pride and destruction. It discloses promises to this remnant of Israel, so diligently sought by their ancestors and vouchsafed by the covenants of the Lord. It proclaims their glorious future in the face of their state of poverty. In a personal way, Joseph seemed to feel a kinship to this people whose culture was so very distant from his own. He knew he and they were both descendants of Joseph of old, the son of Israel. He knew that Joseph of old, their prophet ancestor, had foretold that a mighty seer would be raised up from his posterity to bring to pass much restoration to the remnant of his seed (2 Nephi 3:6–12). From his early tutoring by Moroni to his personal visits with numerous Native American chiefs, Joseph Smith sought to bring to this chosen people the glad tidings of the restoration.
But what did he see in the way of fulfillment for his efforts? In mortality he saw very little, but in vision he must have seen the Lamanites “blossom as a rose” (D&C 49:24)…
Joseph Smith stands at the head of this last, greatest of all dispensations (see JD 8:224). From his position today in the spirit world, he undoubtedly presides over the day of the Lamanite which now has arrived (see Kimball “The Day of the Lamanites”). In that sphere, with the cultural biases, the language difficulties, and the centuries of tradition put aside, one wonders if Joseph is not now preaching those very words and seeing the budding and blossoming of that rose which will, in due course, both there and here, reach the perfection of its bloom. Let us be true to the Book of Mormon, true to the revelations and efforts of the Prophet Joseph regarding the Native Americans as a people of destiny, and thus true to the Lord God who gave Joseph the vision of the blossoming rose and who will, assuredly, lead us to its fulfillment.” Byron R. Merrill, “Joseph Smith and the Lamanites,” in Joseph Smith: The Prophet, The Man, ed. Susan Easton Black and Charles D. Tate Jr. (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1993), 187–202
“As I read the Book of Mormon, it seemed to me that it was about my American Indian ancestors. It tells the story of a people, a part of which were later described as “Lamanites,” who migrated from Jerusalem to a “land of promise” (1 Nephi 2:20) about 600 B.C.” Larry Echo Hawk, “Come Unto Me, O Ye House of Israel,” Ensign, [Nov. 2012].
Scriptural Proof, “the Jew, of whom the Lamanites are a remnant”
2 Nepht 30:4 And then shall the remnant of our seed know concerning us, how that we came out from Jerusalem, and that they are descendants of the Jews.
I Nephi 1:2 Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.
I Nephi 3:3 For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a genealogy of my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass.
D&C 29:26-27 “And again, I command thee that thou shalt not covet thine own property, but impart it freely to the printing of the Book of Mormon, which contains the truth and the word of God—Which is my word to the Gentile, that soon it may go to the Jew, of whom the Lamanites are a remnant, that they may believe the gospel, and look not for a Messiah to come who has already come.”
D&C 19:27“Which is my word to the Gentile, that soon it may go to the Jew, of whom the Lamanites are a remnant, that they may believe the gospel, and look not for a Messiah to come who has already come.”
2 Nephi 30:4“And then shall the remnant of our seed know concerning us, how that we came out from Jerusalem, and that they are descendants of the Jews.”
David Hocking Continues…
“I also think it is very interesting that BYA (Brigham Young Academy at that time) sent an expedition of professors and others to Guatemala in 1900 to look for Zarahemla! It is true! I have a copy of a newspaper article that tells all about it! So the last time the Eight Letters were published in Church Publications (other than the JS Papers after 2000) was 1899! Mmmmmm! I think it is possible to connect some dots here! What do you think? The BYU scholars became the interpreters of our Church History because the Brethren were running a world-wide Church and did not have time to research. (See the 1981 article by Elder Boyd K. Packer entitled “The Mantel is Far, Far Greater than the Intellect” to verify my last statement.)
However, it is not just censorship. When all of the prophets since 1830 claim that Cumorah is in New York and the Meso Scholars claim Cumorah is in Mesoamerica, they are repudiating the prophets!!! And they are leading many astray in the process!
These BYU scholars….the interpreters of our Church History…will have a lot to answer for one day!!! Deliberately censoring and hiding the words of prophets from the ears of the saints to support their own agenda and repudiating prophets of God to support their own agenda are not small transgressions!!!!!!!! It is serious to me…I resent it and find it hard to overlook! How dare they change the words of prophets and then hand their philosophies to us to read and study !! I understand that they have done many good things and produced many things of great worth for the Church. But I have learned that when it comes to their beloved Mesoamerica Model, there is no room for discussion! The case has been opened and it is now shut! And they will resort to censorship and repudiating prophets to make it fit their agenda! That is absolutely wrong!
But now we find censorship in President Benson’s Manual, and it had nothing to do with the Meso Model. It has motivated me to try to do all that I can to amend this situation! And the only thing I know to do is to try to contact someone and let them know how it is breaking my heart. Do you think I am crazy? (Please help me). I am a simple member of the Church! But I love this Gospel with all of my heart! It is true and it is from the Lord! It hurts my heart to witness this! Evidently, this is a test for us because the Lord would intervene if it were not! Truth will eventually win, and the Lord will give us all light and knowledge! But I think He wants us to try to help and share with those we love!
If you can help David Hocking get the word out please contact him at [email protected]
Video: The “Missing Chapter” from Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson
“Whenever the God of Heaven establishes by revelation his design, Satan always comes among men to pervert the doctrine, saying, ‘Believe it not.’ He often establishes a counterfeit system, designed to deceive the children of men” (“A Vision and a Hope for the Youth of Zion” [President Ezra Taft Benson Brigham Young University devotional, Apr. 12, 1977], 3, speeches.byu.edu).
An Angel of Light
I truly believe our country is close to the end. I have no idea if that is a few months a few years or 10 years or more, but we are close to losing the blessings of this great country. Why? Because I feel there is so much wickedness and desire for money and power now in our world than ever before.
I believe Satan is appearing as that angel of light to deceive us. Our constitutional rights are being ripped from us. This was a fraudulent election and I strongly feel the Lord will step in and help us. I pray the Lord will spare us a little longer. At the core of most Liberals are evil ideas of abortion, no freedom of speech nor worship, no right to bear arms, and socialism. I believe the Republican Party is as corrupt, but I believe in the honorable results will come with the Lord in charge. I believe he loves America and we as a people. I pray the Lord will help our courts of law come to the correct and proper decisions.
Complaining or kicking against the pricks is wrong and will lead you nowhere but the bottom. Remember the quote, “Obedience is greater than Sacrifice?” (see 1 Samuel 15:22). With our leaders it is better to simply be obedient through prayer, than worry about why they are asking you to do something. “Just Do It”. Not blind obedience, but faithful obedience. If the Book of Mormon is the truth (and it is), then obey it. If Joseph Smith is and was a Prophet (which he is and was), just obey him. Stop trying to find fault with Brother Joseph. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true and I continue to strive to be obedient to our leaders teachings. The difference between a righteous and a wicked person is simply this. The righteous are continually being obedient and repenting. The evil don’t have a desire to obey anything and they are never repenting.
We bind the adversary and his mortal minions only as we bind our appetites.—Neal A. Maxwell “The Man of Christ,” Ensign (May 1975).
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you” (James 4:7–8).
“When we yield to temptation just once, we give Satan ammunition in the form of a memory,”Elder Lynn G. Robbins of the Seventy Sept 2013
Can Satan??
..appear as an angel of Light? ..read our thoughts? ..bruise our heel? ..enter the temple? ..appear as a dove? ..tempt us beyond our ability to overcome? ..tempt little children?
Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote: “Since the day in which Satan spoke by the mouth of the serpent to entice Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit (Moses 4:5–21), Satan has been called ‘that old serpent.’ (Rev. 12:9; 20:2; D&C 76:28; 88:110.) Choice of the name is excellent, indicating as it does a cunning, sly, subtle, and deceitful craftiness” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 704).
“Being cursed is the very opposite of being blessed; God’s blessing graciously invokes good, whereas his curse justly invokes evil upon one deserving it. Thus Satan was informed through symbolic terms that he would not have the privilege of earth life that even cattle and beasts have” (Ellis T. Rasmussen, A Latter-day Saint Commentary on the Old Testament [1993], 16).
Moses 4:21. The “Seed of the Woman” Refers to the Savior, Jesus Christ
Elder James E. Talmage (1862–1933) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote: “Adam, the patriarch of the race, rejoiced in the assurance of the Savior’s appointed ministry, through the acceptance of which, he, the transgressor, might gain redemption. Brief mention of the plan of salvation, the author of which is Jesus Christ, appears in the promise given of God following the fall—that though the devil, represented by the serpent in Eden, should have power to bruise the heel of Adam’s posterity, through the seed of the woman should come the power to bruise the adversary’s head. It is significant that this assurance of eventual victory over sin and its inevitable effect, death, both of which were introduced to earth through Satan, the arch-enemy of mankind, was to be realized through the offspring of woman; the promise was not made specifically to the man, nor to the pair. The only instance of offspring from woman dissociated from mortal fatherhood is the birth of Jesus the Christ, who was the earthly Son of a mortal mother, begotten by an immortal Father. He is the Only Begotten of the Eternal Father in the flesh, and was born of woman” (Jesus the Christ [1916], 43).
“And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” Romans 16:20
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15
Can Satan Read our Thoughts?
Surely then Satan and his followers have some knowledge of our thoughts and tendencies. He has knowledge that is superior to man’s knowledge, but he lacks the wisdom to properly use his knowledge for good purposes. Some people are like that and often find themselves opposing even that which is right and true. Satan is a great deceiver, a liar. He appeared unto Korihor in the form of an angel and said unto him: “Go and reclaim this people [the faithful believers in God], for they have all gone astray after an unknown God. And he said unto me: There is no God; yea, and he taught me that which I should say. And I have taught his words; and I taught them because they were pleasing unto the carnal mind; and I taught them, even until I had much success, insomuch that I verily believed that they were true; and for this cause I withstood the truth, even until I have brought this great curse upon me.” (Alma 30:53.)
Satan and his aides no doubt may know our inclinations, our carnal tastes and desires, but they cannot compel a righteous person to do evil if he seeks help from the Lord. Too many try to blame Satan when in reality the fault lies within themselves because they yield to his enticements.
He delights in introducing to the world innovations and practices that lead to unhappiness and misery, all the while making it appear that such evil practices are now acceptable. “It is he who inspires every evil teaching, every evil thought even in false religions, creeds, and organizations.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 297.)
D&C 6:16 Yea, I tell thee, that thou mayest know that there is none else save God that knowest thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart.
“Satan cannot know our thoughts unless we speak them.” James E. Faust, “The Great Imitator,” Ensign (November 1987).
Why Does God Allow Satan to Tempt Us?
God allows Lucifer and his agents to tempt us so that we may more deliberately choose between good and evil. The Lord could banish Satan and his angels from the earth and remove temptations from men, but “it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet.” (D&C 29:39.)
Satan knows all the tricks. He knows where we are susceptible to temptations and how to entice us to do evil. He and his messengers suggest evil, minimize the seriousness of sin, and make evil inviting.
“He will appear to us in the person of a friend or a relative in whom we have confidence. He has power to place thoughts in our minds and to whisper to us in unspoken impressions to entice us to satisfy our appetites or carnal desires and in various ways he plays upon our weaknesses and desires.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Melchizedek Priesthood Course of Study, 1972–73, p. 298.)
Does Satan Force our Obedience?
We learn from the scriptures that Lucifer, a brilliant, influential character who had considerable authority in the premortal world, rebelled against the plan whereby Jesus Christ would become the Savior and Redeemer of mankind. Lucifer’s plan, which was proposed and rejected, was based on forcible compliance to law without the blessing of free agency. Along with Lucifer one-third of the heavenly host rebelled also and vowed their allegiance to him. Lucifer and his followers were cast out and denied forever the blessing of mortal bodies.
“And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.” (Moses 4:4.)
Can Satan Tempt us Beyond our Ability to Overcome?
“One of the most impressive doctrines found in the Book of Mormon is that Satan’s power over a person increases as that person becomes more wicked, until eventually the person is “taken captive by the devil” and bound with the “chains of hell.” (Alma 12:11.) Satan’s method is to influence the thoughts of men, tempting them and enticing them, always working “in the hearts of the children of men.” (2 Ne. 28:20.) Nephi chillingly describes the method: “He whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.” (2 Ne. 28:22.)
But Satan’s power is not unrestrained. Joseph Smith taught that Satan has no power over us unless we give it to him. (See Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1938, p. 181.) And Nephi explained that the righteousness of a people deprives Satan of his power, “for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness.” (1 Ne. 22:26.)… Free agency demands that neither the Holy Spirit nor the evil spirit have power to control the person against his will….
We’re promised that we won’t be tempted beyond our ability to withstand, we can consistently choose to resist all forms of temptation, if that is our desire. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (see 1 Cor. 10:13)
President Kimball has written, “Temptations come to all people. The difference between the reprobate and the worthy person is generally that one yielded and the other resisted.” (The Miracle of Forgiveness, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969, p. 86.)
By desiring to serve God with all our heart, might, mind, and strength, we can eliminate Satan’s power over us—which is the power to cause us misery. The battle for the souls of men is fought within every heart, and each of us has the power of victory. As we seek to follow the Savior, we should strive to have such pure thoughts that it will make little difference who knows them” Lawrence R. Peterson, Jr., high councilor, Salt Lake Brighton Stake.
Can Satan Tempt Little Children?
Temptation is a test of a person’s ability to choose good instead of evil. It is an enticement to sin and follow Satan instead of God. Part of the experience of this life is to learn to overcome temptation and to choose right over wrong. Modern revelation indicates that Satan does not have power to tempt little children until they begin to be accountable for their actions (see Doctrine and Covenants 29:4).
Can Satan Appear as an Angel of Light?
“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
“But behold, the devil hath deceived me; for he appeared unto me in the form of an angel, and said unto me: Go and reclaim this people, for they have all gone astray after an unknown God.” Alma50:33
Just as there are righteous spirits committed to the accomplishment of God’s work, so there are evil spirits committed to the destruction of His work. “These are fallen angels,” President Charles W. Penrose explained, “who were cast down for transgression, as mentioned by Jude (verse 6), chief among whom on this earth is Lucifer or Satan, who has sought on many occasions to appear as an ‘angel of light’ to deceive and lead astray, and who tempted the Son of God, but failed in his efforts as he did with Moses and with the Prophet Joseph Smith. (See Luke 4:1–13; … Moses 1:12–22; Doctrine & Covenants 128:20.) That great spiritual personage was an angel of God in his ‘first estate’, and yet never had a body of flesh, but ‘was in authority in the presence of God’ as a spirit, before he rebelled and was ‘thrust down.’ (Doctrine & Covenants 76:25–28.)” (“Who and What Are the Angels?” p. 951.)
Satan attempts to deceive by counterfeiting the light that accompanies the spirit of a just man made perfect. A just man made perfect who comes as a messenger will appear in his glory, “for that is the only way he can appear” (D&C 129:6). The Prophet Joseph Smith once said, “Wicked spirits have their bounds, limits and laws, by which they are governed … and, it is very evident that they possess a power that none but those who have the priesthood can control” (History of the Church, 4:576).
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “An angel of God never has wings. Some will say that they have seen a spirit; that he offered them his hand, but they did not touch it. This is a lie. First, it is contrary to the plan of God: a spirit cannot come but in glory; an angel has flesh and bones; we see not their glory. The devil may appear as an angel of light. Ask God to reveal it; if it be of the devil, he will flee from you; if of God, He will manifest Himself, or make it manifest. We may come to Jesus and ask Him; He will know all about it.” (History of the Church, 3:392.)
Can Satan Enter the Temple?
“As he observed human behavior, Joseph Fielding wondered about the nature of evil and its source. He asked his father [Joseph F.] whether Satan was the sole source of evil and to what extent Satan was restricted from sacred places, such as the temple. An avid student of Church history, even at this early age, Joseph Fielding knew that once, during the apostasy at Kirtland, a number of disgruntled members tried to take over the Church. In a meeting at the Kirtland Temple in late 1837, Brigham Young vigorously defended Joseph Smith. A scuffle ensued, during which some minor damage was done to the temple. Joseph Fielding cited the incident in his question regarding Satan’s influence and human agency:
You ask, Can a man do any wrong without first being tempted of Satan? All men have their agency, the spirit of Satan leads to error and darkness and wrong doing. If a man does wrong, it is because he yields to the spirit of evil, thereby exercising his agency. If he does good, it is in accordance with the spirit that is of God, and he uses his agency in that as well. Those who overcome evil in this life will be beyond the power of Satan in the life to come. In other words, Satan’s power ends in this world so far as the righteous are concerned, for they arise above him and above his influence; and power is not given to him to tempt them in the spirit world, they having overcome him in this. So far then as the righteous are concerned, Satan is effectually bound, whether it is in this life or in the life to come. But as mortality is never free from its own weaknesses there is no perfect safety in this sphere without the presence continually of the influence of the Holy Spirit. Satan can enter any place where he is invited or permitted to enter by man. If wicked men enter the house of God or have dominion in it, Satan will have access there, but where the righteous rule and the righteousness of God prevails, there Satan cannot come, at least with power.
You ask the question, Can a man do wrong in the temple if Satan is not there to urge him on? In the case you cite with reference to the Kirtland Temple it would seem that Satan himself had taken possession of the minds of those men, and if not in the temple in person, his power was certainly manifested through his agents there, who were apostates. I repeat, Satan, by his presence or power, can go anywhere that man can go who invites him or yields to him and his influence. The prevalence of the spirit of apostasy on the occasion you refer to gave the adversary almost full control at that time in the temple, and it is only by the power of righteousness that Satan and his influence was expelled therefrom. As to whether the binding of Satan is a literal binding as with a chain or not, it matters not. I am inclined to believe that the chain spoken of in the Bible, with which Satan is to be bound, is more figurative than real. He will be bound both by the faith of the righteous and the decrees of the Almighty during the Millennial reign and will be cast down into hell, as the prophets have said, and shall not be at liberty to molest the children of men until the end of the thousand years.” Joseph F. Smith, From Prophet to Son: Advice of Joseph F. Smith to His Missionary Sons, compiled by Hyrum M. Smith III and Scott G. Kenney [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1981], 70
Strange Interview with the Evil One
“On one occasion I heard the late Apostle Marriner W. Merrill, President of the Logan Temple, relate this extraordinary incident:
He was sitting in his office one morning, he said, when he noticed from the window a company of people coming up the hill to the Temple. As they entered the Temple grounds they presented rather a strange appearance, not only in dress but in their mode of travel. Some were riding on horses, others were in conveyances, and still others were afoot. He wondered who they could be as he was not looking for a company of such size that particular morning. They dismounted from their horses, stepped down from their conveyances, put their animals under the shade and walked about complacently as if they had a perfect right to be there.
A little later a person unknown to Brother Merrill entered the room. Brother Merrill said to him: “Who are you and who are these people who have come up and taken possession of the Temple grounds unannounced?” He answered and said: “I am Satan and these are my people.” Brother Merrill then said: “What do you want? Why have you come here?” Satan replied: “I don’t like the work that is going on in this Temple and feel that it should be discontinued. Will you stop it?” Brother Merrill answered and said emphatically, “No, we will not stop it. The work must go on.” “Since you refuse to stop it, I will tell you what I propose to do,” the adversary said. “I will take these people, my followers, and distribute them throughout this Temple district, and will instruct them to whisper in the ears of people, persuading them not to go to the Temple, and thus bring about a cessation of your Temple work.” Satan then withdrew.
President Merrill, commenting on this strange interview with the Evil One, said that for quite a period of time the spirit of indifference to Temple work seemed to take possession of the people and very few came to the House of the Lord. The presumption was that Satan had carried out his threat which caused a temporary lull in Temple work.
It is not to be wondered at that Satan, who is the enemy of all righteousness, is displeased with Temple work.” Rudger Clawson: [Church Section, The Deseret News, Dec. 12, 1936, Vol. 344, No. 61] https://josephsmithfoundation.org/01-can-satan-enter-the-temples/
The Devil cannot come in the Sign of a Dove
The question arose from the saying of Jesus—”Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” How is it that John was considered one of the greatest of prophets? His miracles could not have constituted his greatness.
First.He was entrusted with a divine mission of preparing the way before the face of the Lord. Whoever had such a trust committed to him before or since? No man.
Secondly.He was entrusted with the important mission, and it was required at his hands, to baptize the Son of Man. Whoever had the honor of doing that? Whoever had so great a privilege and glory? Whoever led the Son of God into the waters of baptism, and had the privilege of beholding the Holy Ghost descend in the form of a dove, or rather in the sign of the dove, in witness of that administration? The sign of the dove was instituted before the creation of the world, a witness for the Holy Ghost, and the devil cannot come in the sign of a dove.The Holy Ghost is a personage, and is in the form of a personage. It does not confine itself to the form of the dove, but in sign of the dove. The Holy Ghost cannot be transformed into a dove; but the sign of a dove was given to John to signify the truth of the deed, as the dove is an emblem or token of truth and innocence.
Thirdly. John, at that time, was the only legal administrator in the affairs of the kingdom there was then on the earth, and holding the keys of power. The Jews had to obey his instructions or be damned, by their own law; and Christ Himself fulfilled all righteousness in becoming obedient to the law which he had given to Moses on the mount, and thereby magnified it and made it honorable, instead of destroying it. The son of Zacharias wrested the keys, the kingdom, the power, the glory from the Jews, by the holy anointing and decree of heaven, and these three reasons constitute him the greatest prophet born of a woman.
Second question:—How was the least in the kingdom of heaven greater than he:
In reply I asked—Whom did Jesus have reference to as being the last? Jesus was looked upon as having the least claim in God’s kingdom, and [seemingly] was least entitled to their credulity as a prophet; as though He had said—”He that is considered the least among you is greater than John—that is I myself.”https://byustudies.byu.edu/further-study-lesson/volume-5-chapter-13/History of the Church Volume 5, page 256-2
A Sure Foundation
“Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall” (Helaman 5:12).
to bring people to Christ through evidence of the Book of Mormon that causes them to realize that it is a literal historical and prophetic account of real people and events thereby encouraging them to read, study and ponder the book – which ultimately builds and strengthens testimonies of its truthfulness through the Holy Spirit,
to utilize the prophecies and promises in the Book of Mormon to increase awareness and understanding of the ancient prophetic history that took place in a long established covenanted and promised land – which today is found within the borders of the nation-state called The United States of America,
to conduct research in a multiplicity of scientific and scholarly fields of endeavor which may provide secular support for the historicity of the Book of Mormon – including, but not limited to such disciplines as genetics, archaeology, climatology, anthropology, history, religion, geography, linguistics, mythology, meteorology, astronomy, metallurgy, architecture, ancient texts, Jewish customs, zoology, agronomy, oceanography, geophysics, etc.,
to correlate, publish and offer through our bookstore works of LDS scholars and researchers involving the Heartland Book of Mormon Geography Model and related research in support of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and the gospel of Jesus Christ,
to produce, provide and encourage well-researched articles, papers, books, films, newsletters and presentations in support of the Book of Mormon through the Heartland Model,
to create one or more online repositories of knowledge, research and educational materials pertaining to evidence of the Book of Mormon’s historicity through the Heartland Model,
to organize, conduct and sponsor events such as presentations, symposiums, firesides, webinars, and conferences providing educational opportunities for all interested,
to objectively evaluate and review the assertions, articles, books, films, speeches and conferences of individuals or organizations promoting the plethora of Book of Mormon historical settings, and when said research is critical of the Heartland Model, to correct erroneous, unfounded, misrepresented, ill-conceived or poorly researched information as it pertains the Heartland Model through dispassionate instruction and education in a respectful and Christ-like manner that seeks to avoid confrontation and contention,
to provide further on-location educational opportunities through travel and tours to visit proposed Book of Mormon sites and museums in conjunction with Church History and United States history,
to provide forums (blog, Facebook, etc.) where responsible scholars, researchers, and interested individuals can discuss and present ideas and discoveries consistent with the Heartland Model setting for the Book of Mormon, and
to organize and engage the many thousands of volunteers who have offered to help with this research and organization.
Thank you all for your love and support. Rodney L Meldrum President
Shawnee and Cherokee Indian Burials and What they Teach
Monday, April 23, 2012
Shawnee Indian stone covered burial mound within the walls of Fort Ancient, Ohio
“Shawnee Indian stone covered burial mound within the walls of Fort Ancient, Ohio. Universities continue to destroy these burial mounds by not recognizing the Shawnee as their builders and circumventing the Native American Graves
Protection Act of 1993
New Podcast
In order to state clearly the argument based upon these works it is necessary to present a brief explanation. There are several forms and varieties of Indiana stone graves or cists found in the mound builders area, some being of cobble stones, others of slabs; some round, others polygonal; some dome-shaped, others square, and others box shaped, or parallelograms. Reference is made at present only to the last mentioned—the box shaped type, made of stone slabs. If the evidence shows that this variety is found only in certain districts, pertains to a certain class of works, and is usually accompanied by certain types of art, we are warranted in using it as an ethnic characteristic, or as indicating the presence of particular tribes. If it can be shown that graves of this form are found in mounds attributed to the so- called mound-builders, and that certain tribes of Indians of historic times were also accustomed to bury in them, we are warranted in assuming that there was a continuity of custom from the mound-building age to historic times, or that graves found in the mounds are probably attributable to the same people (or allied tribes) found using them at a later date. This conclusion will be strengthened by finding that certain peculiar types of art are limited to the regions where these graves exist, and are found almost exclusively in connection with them. These graves, as is well known, are formed of rough and unhewn slabs or flat pieces of stone, thus: First, in a pit some 2 or 3 feet deep and of the desired dimensions, dug for the purpose, a layer of stone is placed to form the floor; next, similar pieces are set on edge to form the sides and ends, over which other slabs are laid flat, forming the covering, the whole when finished making a rude, box-shaped coffin or sepulcher.” (Think Moroni’s stone box at Cumorah like pictured below).
Where did 3 Pillars of the Stone Box Come From?
“This box was sufficiently large to admit a breast-plate, such as was used by the ancients to defend the chest, &c. from the arrows and weapons of their enemy. From the bottom of the box, or from the breast-plate, arose three small pillars composed of the same description of cement used on the edges; and upon these three pillars was placed the record of the children of Joseph, and of a people who left the tower far, far before the days of Joseph… I must not forget to say that this box, containing the record was covered with another stone, the bottom surface being flat and the upper, crowning. But those three pillars were not so lengthy as to cause the plates and the crowning stone to come in contact.” Oliver Cowdery, “Letter VIII,” October 1835See my blog here)Shawnee and Cherokee Indian Burials and What they Teach continues, “Sometimes one or more of the six faces are wanting; occasionally the bottom consists of a layer of water-worn boulders; sometimes the top is not a single layer of slabs, but other pieces are laid over the joints, and sometimes they are placed shingle-fashion. These graves vary in length from 14 inches to 8 feet, and in width from 9 inches to 3 feet.It is not an unusual thing to find a mound containing a number of those cists arranged in two, three, or more tiers. As a general rule, those not in mounds are near the surface of the ground, and in some instances even projecting above it. It is probable that no one who has examined them has failed to note their strong resemblance to the European mode of burial. Even Dr. Joseph Jones, who attributes them to some “ancient race,” was forcibly reminded of this resemblance, as he remarks: In looking at the rude stone coffins of Tennessee, I have again and again been impressed with the idea that in some former age this ancient race must have come in contact with Europeans and derived this mode of burial from them. [Footnote: Aboriginal Remains of Tennessee, pp. 34,35]
The presence of stone graves of the type under consideration in the vicinity of the site of some of the “over hill towns” of the Cherokees on the Little Tennessee River, presented a difficulty in the way of the theory here advanced, as it is well known that the Cherokees and Shawnees were inveterate enemies from time immemorial. But by referring to Schoolcraft’s History of the Indians the following statement solves the riddle and confirms the theory: A discontented portion of the Shawnee tribe from Virginia broke off from the nation, which removed to the Scioto country, in Ohio, about the year 1730, and formed a town known by the name of Lulbegrud, in what in now Clark County [Kentucky], about 30 miles east of this place [Lexington]. This tribe left this country about 1730 and went to East Tennessee, to the Cherokee Nation. [Footnote: Vol. 1, p. 301. Some years ago Mr. George E. Sellers discovered near the salt spring in Gallatin County, Ill., on the Saline River, fragments of clay vessels of unusually large size, which excited much interest in the minds of antiquarians, not only because of the size of the vessels indicated by the fragments, but because they appeared to have been used by some prehistoric people in the manufacture of salt and because they bore impressions made by some textile fabric. In the same immediate locality were also discovered a number of box-shaped stone graves. That the latter were the work of the people who made the pottery Mr. Sellers demonstrated by finding that many of the graves were lined at the bottom with fragments of these large clay “salt pans.” [Footnote: Popular Science Monthly, vol. II, 1877, pp. 573-584.] Mention of this pottery had been made long previously by J. M. Peck in his “Gazetteer of Illinois.” [Footnote: 1834, p. 52.]
He remarks that “about the Gallatin and Big Muddy Salines large fragments of earthenware are very frequently found under the surface of the earth. They appear to have been portions of large kettles used, probably, by the natives for obtaining salt.” The settlement of the Shawnees at Shawneetown, on the Ohio River, in Gallatin County, in comparatively modern times, is attested not only by history but by the name by which the town is still known. There is evidence on record that there was an older Shawneetown located at the very point where this “salt-kettle” pottery and these stone graves were found. This is mentioned in the American State Papers [Footnote: Public Lands, Class VIII, vol.2, p. 103, Gales and Seaton ed.] in the report relating to the famous claim of the Illinois and Wabash Land Companies. The deed presented was dated July 20, 1773, and recorded at Kaskaskia, September 2, 1773. In this mention is made of the “ancient Shawnee town” on Saline Creek, the exact locality of the stone graves and suit-kettle pottery. The modern Indian village at Shawneetown on the Ohio River had not then come into existence, and was but in its prime in 1806, when visited by Thomas Ashe. [Footnote: Travels in America, 1808, p. 265.] As proof that the people of this tribe were in the habit of making salt the following evidence is presented: Collins, in his “History of Kentucky”, [Footnote: Vol. 2, p. 55.] gives an account of the capture and adventures of Mrs. Mary Ingals, the first white woman known to have visited Kentucky. In this narrative occurs the following statement: The first white woman in Kentucky was Mrs. Mary Ingals, nee Draper, who, in 1756 with her two little boys, her sister-in-law, Mrs. Draper, and others was taken prisoner by the Shawnee Indians, from her home on the top of the great Allegheny ridge, is now Montgomery County, W. Va. The captives were taken down the Kanawha, to the salt region, and, after a few days spent in making salt, to the Indian village at the mouth of Scioto River.
By the treaty of Fort Wayne, June 7, 1803, between the Delawares, Shawnees, and other tribes and the United States, it was agreed that in consideration of the relinquishment of title to “the great salt spring upon the Saline Creek, which falls into the Ohio below the mouth of the Wabash, with a quantity of laud surrounding it, not exceeding 4 miles square,” the United States should deliver “yearly, and every year for the use of said Indians, a quantity of salt not exceeding 150 bushels.” [Footnote: Treaties of United States with Indian tribes, p. 97.] Another very significant fact in this connection is that the fragments of large earthen vessels similar in character to those found in Gallatin County, Ill., have also been found in connection with the stone graves of the Cumberland Valley, and, furthermore, the impressions made by the textile fabrics show the same stitches as do the former. Another place where pottery of the same kind has been found is about the salt-lick near Saint Genevieve, Mo., a section inhabited for a time by Shawnees and Delawares. [Footnote: C.C. Royce in American Antiquarian, vol. 3, 1881, pp. 188, 189.] Stone graves have been found in Washington County, Md. [Footnote: Smithsonian Report for 1882 (1884), p. 797.] History informs us that there were two Shawnee settlements in this region, one in the adjoining county of Maryland (Allegany), and another in the neighborhood of Winchester, Va. [Footnote: C. C. Royce in American Antiquarian, vol. 3, 1881, p. 186. Virginia State Papers, 1. p. 63.]
See the textile material found on these copper Celts in Illinois at Zelph’s Mound dated from 62 to 120 AD
Mr. W. M. Taylor [Footnote: Smithsonian Report for 1877, p. 307. Mentions only known instance of mound with Delaware Village.] mentions some stone graves of the type under consideration as found on the Mahoning River, in Pennsylvania. An important item in this connection is that these graves were in a mound. He describes the mound as 35 feet in diameter and 5 feet high, having on one side a projection 35 feet long of the same height as the mound. Near by a cache was discovered containing twenty one iron implements, such as axes, hatchets, tomahawks, hoes, and wedges. (See picture above) He adds the significant statement that near the mound once stood the Indian (Delaware) village of Kush-kush-kee. Graves of the same type have been discovered in Lee County, Va. [Footnote: Eleventh Report of the Peabody Museum, 1878, p. 208.] Others have been found in a mound on the Tennessee side, near the southern boundary of Scott County, Va. Allusion has already been made to the occasional presence of the Shawnees in this region. In the map of North America by John Senex, Chaonanon villages are indicated in this particular section. The presence of these graves in any part of Ohio can easily be accounted for on the theory advanced, by the well-known fact that both Shawnees and Delawares were located at various points in the region, and during the wars in which they were engaged were moving about from place to place; but the mention of a few coincidences may not be out of place.
“In the American Antiquarian for July, 1881, is the description of one of these cists found in a mound in the eastern part of Montgomery County. Mr. Royce, in the article already referred to, states that there was a Shawnee village 3 miles north of Xenia, in the adjoining county, on Mad River, which flows into the Miami a short distance above the location of the mound.
The Righteous Native Americans
“Now, to my story again. Besides the Delawares, Shawnees, Kickapoos, Wyandots, Pottowattomies, Senecas, Osages, Choctaws, Cherokees, Kaskaskias, Kansas, &c. &c. which our nation and the missionaries are domesticating as they are gathered, upon the southern limits of the land of Israel, the Pawnees, the Sioux, the Rickarees, the Mandans, the Nespersees, the Blackfeet, the Sacs, the Foxes, and many other tribes, rove and hunt from prairie to prairie, from river to river, from hill to hill, and from mountain to mountain, and live, and are blessed before the face of heaven daily as well as their contemporary whites; and, perhaps I may add, are as justifiable before God, as any people on the globe, called heathens. No church bell from its elevated steeple, rings “Go to meeting; it is Sunday,” while a dozen lesser ones, for stages and Steam boats, peal a ding dong “for parties of pleasure, as a holiday,” among these rude sons of the west.—And it is a difficult matter to make one soul of them believe the Great Spirit ever said, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,” while they know, that the majority of the white nation, use it for a holiday.No politicians boast of freedom and equal rights, while thousands are imprisoned for debt, or are in bondage: No; when the tribes are at peace, the Indian is free; his land is free; his game is free; his time is free, and all is free.” LETTER NO. II. From WW Phelps to Oliver Cowdery Liberty, Mo. Nov. 6, 1834
Shawnee and Cherokee Indian Burials and What they Teach continues, “Stone graves have been found in great numbers at various points along the Ohio from Portsmouth to Ripley, a region known to have been occupied at various times by the Shawnees. Similar graves have been discovered in Ashland County. [Footnote: Smithsonian Report for 1877, pp. 261-267.] These, as will be seen by reference to the same report (page 504), are precisely in the locality of the former Delaware villages. The evidence is deemed sufficient to show that the Shawnees and Delawares were accustomed to bury in stone graves of the type under consideration, and to indicate that the graves found south of the Ohio are to be attributed to the former tribe and those north to both tribes.As graves of this kind are common over the west side of southern Illinois, from the month of the Illinois to the junction of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, attention is called to some evidence bearing on their origin. Hunter, who traveled in the West, says that some of the Indians he met with during his captivity buried their dead in graves of this kind. According to a statement made by Dr. Rau to Mr. C. C. Jones, and repeated to me personally, “it is a fact well remembered by many persons in this neighborhood [Monroe County, III.] that the Indians who inhabited this region during the early part of the present century (probably Kickapoos) buried their dead in stone coffins.” [Footnote: Antiquities So. Indians, p. 220.]
Dr. Shoemaker, who resided on a farm near Columbia, in 1861, showed Dr. Rau, in one of his fields, the empty stone grave of an Indian who had been killed by one of his own tribe and interred there within the memory of some of the farmers of Monroe County. An old lady in Jackson County informed one of the Bureau assistants that she had seen an Indian buried in a grave of this kind. It is doubtful whether Dr. Rau is correct in ascribing these graves to the Kickapoos, as their most southern locality appears to have been in the region of Sangamon County. [Footnote: Reynolds’s Hist. Illinois, p. 20.] It is more probable they were made by the Kaskaskias, Tamaroas, and Cahokias. Be this as it may, it is evident that they are due to some of the tribes of this section known as Illinois Indians, pertaining to the same branch of the Algonquin family as the Shawnees and Delawares.”
Joseph Smith Speaks with Many Tribes in Nauvoo
“I accordingly went down, and met Keokuk, Kis-Ku-Kosh, Appenoose, and about one hundred chiefs and braves of those tribes (Sac, Fox), with their families.” … and instructed them in many things which the Lord had revealed unto me concerning their fathers, and the promises that were made concerning them in the Book of Mormon.” Joseph Smith Papers; History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 Addenda page 10-11
“In the forepart of the last month, about three hundred and sixty Indian, of the Kickapoos and Pottawattamie’s, pitched their tents on the east before this town, and tarried one night. They were on their way to the place assigned them for the land of their inheritance, being gathered by the government of the United States, fulfilling that scripture spoken by the mouth of Isaiah, which says, Behold thus saith the Lord God, I lift up my hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people, and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. Their agent remarked that “they drunk no spiritous liquors,” and those who saw them can bear testimony that they were quiet and inoffensive, and different from any other tribes that have been gathered. They have a prophet, in whom they place great confidence, and he instructs them that the day is nigh, when the Great Father will send his Son on the earth; then (as he says) white man and red man be one. Their idea of what is to come to pass in the last days, the resurrection of the righteous, and their living on earth with the Lord while wickedness ceases to trouble the saints, seem to be correct as far as we could ascertain. They are very devout apparently and pray night and morning; even children and all. They have two flat sticks about one foot long, tied together, on which are several characters, which, they say, the Great Father gave to their prophet, and mean as much as a large book. They say one of these sticks, is for the old book that white man has, (the Bible) the other for the new book, (Book of Mormon) white man has it written on paper, Great Father writes it in red man’s heart. They seem to Pray from these sticks– and worship on the Sabbath with great solemnity, commencing with a salutation from the greatest or oldest to the least that can walk, and ending with the same token of friendship. Should we have time to make them a visit, we may be more particular hereafter. *From Arkansas to the Missouri, the remnants are gathering together in rapid succession, and all, as far as we have been able to ascertain, have an idea that the Great Spirit is about to do something great and good for the red man.”Evening and Morning Star (Kirtland 1835-1836 ISRAEL WILL BE GATHERED. Page 201
Editor’s Note: With all the talk about stone graves, one must remember that the dead were buried in shallow graves or not at all at times of war. Think about the Nephite warrior Zelph whose body was found only a few inches from the surface according to over 7 witnesses found in 1834 during Zion’s Camp. See article about Zelph HERE
Shawnee and Cherokee Indian Burials and What they Teach continues, “That the stone graves of southern Illinois (Zelph’s Mound pictured left is in Valley City, Illinois 100 to 380 AD) were made by the same people who built those of the Cumberland Valley, or closely allied tribes, is indicated not only by the character of the graves but by other very close and even remarkable resemblances in the construction and contents as well as in the form and size of the mounds; the presence of hut-rings in both localities, and the arrangement of the groups. Taking all the corroborating facts together there are reasonable grounds for concluding that graves of the type now under consideration, although found in widely-separated localities, are attributable to the Shawnee Indians and their congeners, the Delawares and Illinois, and that those south of the Ohio are due entirely to the first named tribe. That they are the works of Indians must be admitted by all who are willing to be convinced by evidence. The fact that in most cases (except when due to the Delawares, who are not known to have been mound-builders) the graves are connected with mounds, and in many instances are in mounds, sometimes in two, three, and even four tiers deep, proves beyond a doubt that the authors of these graves were mound-builders.
Heaps or Mounds in the Book of Mormon
“And the bodies of many thousands are laid low in the earth, while the bodies of many thousands are moldering in heaps upon the face of the earth; yea, and many thousands are mourning for the loss of their kindred, because they have reason to fear, according to the promises of the Lord, that they are consigned to a state of endless wo.” Alma 28:11“Nevertheless, after many days their dead bodies were heaped up upon the face of the earth, and they were covered with a shallow covering.” Alma 16:11“They did cast up mighty heaps of earth to get ore, of gold, and of silver, and of iron, and of copper.” Ether 10:23
Shawnee and Cherokee Indian Burials and What they Teach continues, The importance and bearing of this evidence does not stop with what has been stated, for it is so interlocked with other facts relating to the works of the “veritable mound-builders” as to leave no hiatus into which the theory of a lost race or a “Toltec occupation” can possibly be thrust. It forms an unbroken chain connecting the mound-builders and historical Indians which no sophistry or reasoning can break. Not only are these graves found in mounds of considerable size, but they are also connected with one of the most noted groups in the United States, namely, the one on Colonel Tumlin’s place, near Cartersville, Ga., known as the Etowah mounds, (Picture below) of which a full description will be found in the Fifth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology.
In the smallest of the three large mounds of this group were found stone graves of precisely the type attributable, when found south of the Ohio, to the Shawnees. They were not in a situation where they could be ascribed to intrusive burials, but in the bottom layer of a comparatively large mound with a thick and undisturbed layer of hard-packed clay above them. It is also worthy of notice that the locality is intermediate between the principal seat of the Shawnees in the Cumberland Valley, and their extreme eastern outposts in northeastern Georgia, where both tradition and stone graves indicate their settlement. The tradition regarding this settlement has been given elsewhere. [Footnote: Am. Antiq, vol. 7, 1885, p. 133] In these graves were found the remarkable figured copper plates and certain engraved shells, of which mention has been made by Mr. W. H. Holmes [Footnote: Science, vol. 3, 1884, pp. 436-438.] and by myself [Footnote: Ibid., pp. 779-785.] in Science. It is a singular corroboration of the theory here advanced that the only other similar copper plates were found at Lebanon, Tenn., by Prof. F. W. Putnam; in a stone grave in a mound at Mill Creek, southern Illinois, by Mr. Earle; in a stone grave in Jackson County, Ill., by Mr. Thing; in a mound of Madison County, Ill., by Mr. H. R. Howland; and in a small mound at Peoria, Ill., by Maj. J. W. Powell. All, except the specimens found by Professor Putnam and Mr. Howland, were secured by the Bureau of Ethnology, and are now in the National Museum.
There can be but little doubt that the specimens obtained from simple stone graves by Professor Putnam and Mr. Thing are to be attributed to Indian burials, but surely not to Indian manufacture. We have, therefore, two unbroken chains connecting the Indians of historic times with the “veritable mound builders,” and the facts which form the links of these chains throw some additional light on the history of that mysterious people, the Shawnees. It may be stated here that in the report relating to the claim of the Wabash Land Company [Footnote: American State Papers, Land Affairs, Appendix, p. 20.] is a statement giving a list of articles furnished the Indians, among which we notice nine ear wheels. These we suppose to be the same as the spool shaped ear ornaments (picture above) found in stone graves and elsewhere.
The engraved shells also form a link which not only connects the mound-builders with historic times but corroborates the view advanced in regard to the Shawnees, and indicates also that the Cherokees were mound-builders. But before introducing this we will give the reasons for believing that the mounds of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina are due to the last-named tribe. Source: https://moundbuilder.blogspot.com/2012/04/native-american-stone-mounds.html
Additional Artifacts and Maps below
Page 289 Annotated Book of Mormon by David Hocking and Rod Meldrum. Head-plates and breastplates from Ross County, Ohio
I have noticed some peculiar beliefs behind some very intellectual men and women that are good active members, but they seem to promote their own theories much of the time. They seem to promote a liberal set of principles and don’t seem to be that proud about the United States of America as the Lord’s choice for a Promised Land. They call others Nationalists, or ultra right wing. They also tend to believe the untrue science (In my opinion) that the earth is billions of years old.
Here are some generalizations by me, of how many of these Intellectuals seem to believe much of the following:
-They believe in Christ and the Gospel -They believe in the most of the Doctrines of the Church -They believe the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve with an occasional slip up. -They believe in past Prophets and Apostles mostly. (Many likely disagreeing with Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Joseph Fielding Smith, Ezra Taft Benson, and David O. McKay. -They believe members of the Quorum of the Seventies mostly but have a several different opinions. -They believe their peers, and scholars as each tries to prove their own theory, whether it is consistent with the scriptures or not. -They believe the Prophet Joseph Smith often, but put him down, or try and make him human quite often.
I realize I am generalizing, and I am far from perfect, but I am trying to make a point. In my opinion it seems many historians, professors and intellectuals try and bring Joseph Smith down just a notch more often than anyone else as Elder Packer says below.
“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
Many have collected dinosaur remains all over and they have no lingering doubt concerning their reality. Thousands of specimens have been found and excavated. However, simply because we acknowledge the existence of dinosaurs does not mean we must accept that it took millions of years for their appearance/disappearance. Many people see the dinosaur bones, but feel there is no direct Biblical supporting evidence for their creation. I think the existence of dinosaurs is very plausible and even supported in the Bible. The word “Dinosaur” does not even appear in the KJV of the Bible and that makes perfect sense. Because In 1842, the English naturalist Sir Richard Owen coined the term Dinosauria, derived from the Greek deinos, meaning “fearfully great,” and sauros, meaning “lizard.”
“Gen 1:24-25 “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”
Among the beasts of the Earth, there were animals of all sizes, great and small, including those we know today as dinosaurs. We know they were here because we see their remains, but where did they go? Intermittent extinction of animals is ongoing, but the greatest mass-extinction event to occur on the Earth, the global, Universal Flood, witnessed the sudden end of 75% of all land species, including plants and animals, and 95% of all marine species. When this transpired about 4,400 years ago, tens, even hundreds-of-millions of animals perished, most obliterated by the forces of the great Deluge, but some remains survived because of a very unique, perfectly balanced environment of heat, pressure, water, and ocean chemistry, known as a hypretherm. Those fossil remains show us that the continents were all once connected, that all dinosaurs died in a flood environment (worldwide, all dinosaur fossils are found in flood sediment), and that the extinction event happened in the springtime. In fact, fossilization of dead animals is not happening today; it only happened during the Great Flood.” Russ Barlow, editor of the Universal Model, New Millennial Science
“Through the ages, some without scriptural understanding have tried to explain our existence by pretentious words such as ex nihilo (out of nothing). Others have deduced that, because of certain similarities between different forms of life, there has been a natural selection of the species, or organic evolution from one form to another. Still others have concluded that man came as a consequence of a “big bang” that resulted in the creation of our planet and life upon it. To me, such theories are unbelievable!”
“We are children of God, created by him and formed in his image. Recently I studied the scriptures simply to find how many times they testify of the divine creation of man.Looking up references that referred either to create or form (or their derivatives) with either man, men, male, or female in the same verse, I found that there are at least fifty-five verses of scripture that attest to our divine creation. So, we can either believe in evolution or the scriptures, not both.”The Magnificence of Man RUSSELL M. NELSON of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles March 29, 1987
“Evolutionary theories assume that hundreds of millions of years were involved, first in the creation of the earth as a habitable globe, and again in the evolution of spontaneously generated, single celled forms of life into the complex and multitudinous forms of life now found on its face. We have rather specific scriptural indications that the creative period was of relatively short duration.” Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 255
James and Hannah Stoddard have some amazing information. I love how they have shown through prophets and scripture that the age of the earth is not what most people believe. Much of science has done a terrible job of sharing truths of the Bible and Book of Mormon. The Joseph Smith Foundation are faithful people who share truth and ask you to pray about it, just as we should do about everything.
Do the revelations teach a 7,000 year temporal existence of the earth? Can the scriptures and writings of the presidents of the church be harmonized with the scientific principle of Uniformitarianism?
Questions Answered: Do the revelations teach a 7,000 year temporal existence of the earth? Have latter-day Prophets supported this view? Can the scriptures and writings of the presidents of the church be harmonized with the scientific principle of Uniformitarianism?
Commentary
The scriptures are very clear that the earth has a temporal or mortal existence of 7000 years. John the Revelator saw by revelation the history of this earth. This history was divided into 1000 year increments or seven seals. The Prophet Joseph Smith was given a revelation explaining the teachings of John the Revelator concerning the seven seals spoken of in his work. Part of this explanation explains that the Lord created the earth in 6 days on His time, resting on the seventh, and that this earth will likewise continue for a 7000 year temporal existence.
. . . as God made the world in six days, and on the seventh day he finished his work, and sanctified it, and also formed man out of the dust of the earth, even so, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years will the Lord God sanctify the earth, and complete the salvation of man . . .1
Additionally, the Lord explained that the book, which John saw, which was sealed on the back with seven seals represents:
. . . the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God; the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or it temporal existence.2
The seven thousand years of this earth’s temporal existence? This scripture is very clear and definite as to the continuance of this earth. Some however, have suggested that it does not mean what it clearly says. What is the proper scriptural interpretation of this phrase? President Joseph Fielding Smith in explanation of Doctrine and Covenants 77 taught:
Here is a definite statement by revelation to us that this earth will go through 7,000 years of temporal existence. Temporal, by all interpretations, means passing, temporary or mortal. This, then, has reference to the earth in its fallen state, for the earth was cursed when Adam . . . transgressed the law. Before that time this earth was not mortal any more than Adam was.3
Mortality, with death, blood and sin will only continue on this earth for a time of 7000 years. These teachings differ significantly from those suggested by most modern scientists. President Smith explained:
. . . we can hardly be justified in trying to harmonize the days of creation with the extended periods of millions of years according to the reckoning of so-called scientists.4
There was no death, reproduction or sin prior to the Fall of Adam for man and all animal life. Therefore, as the scriptures teach, there was no change and all things existed in a state of peace until Adam brought death into the world5. The question then is, how long has it been since the Fall occurred? How long has death and mortality with blood, reproduction and sin been a part of this world? The following Presidents of the Church have made statements declaring that the temporal or mortal fallen earth is approximately 6,000 years old:
Joseph Smith Brigham Young John Taylor Wilford Woodruff Joseph F. Smith George Albert Smith Joseph Fielding Smith
Some of these statements will be summarized here. President Joseph Fielding Smith answered the question of the age of the earth authoritatively:
We have evidence beyond dispute that Adam was driven out of the Garden of Eden about 6,000 years ago, or perhaps a short time less. It is possible for us, by using the Bible chronology and that given by the Lord in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants to figure this almost accurately.6
As President Smith taught, we have the genealogy from Adam to Jesus Christ. We also have many other evidences from the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants that substantiate this genealogy. Additionally, the Lord, in revelation to the prophet Joseph Smith, taught that it was 1,830 years from the birth of Christ to the organization of the Church. The time from the Fall of Adam can be calculated quite precisely to about 6,000 years. But, what of the teachings of those who claim that death and procreation have been a part of this earth for millions of years? Again, President Smith taught:
. . . a man is willfully blind who would push these days back tens of thousands of years, much less, hundreds of thousands of years.7
In addition to the words of President Joseph Fielding Smith and the standard works, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught specifically concerning the mortal probation of this earth.
The world has had a fair trial for six thousand years; the Lord will try the seventh thousand Himself;8
These are the teachings of the Lord through the scriptures, the Prophet Joseph Smith and President Joseph Fielding Smith. Have there been other witnesses among the Lord’s prophets? President Brigham Young often alluded to the mortal period of the earth. On one occasion he taught, as the Prophet had, that the devil has had influence on this earth for about six thousand years:
The devil says, “I have had power over the earth for six thousand years, and do you think I am going to loose my grasp upon it? No, I will hold it, and before ever the Latter-day Saints obtain one foot of inheritance upon it they will have to contest it inch by inch.”9
The devil says, “I have had power over the earth for six thousand years . . .
President Young also taught:
After passing over the ages and generations of the children of men for about six thousand years, we will come to the present congregation . . . .10
. . . the ages and generations of the children of men [are] about six thousand years . . .
Other prophets have added their witness. President John Taylor taught in the same manner:
Let us ask what the nations of the earth have accomplished for the last six or seven thousand years. What great work have they achieved?11 . . . nations of the earth . . . for the last six or seven thousand years.
President Wilford Woodruff taught in like manner as well:
The Lord Almighty never created a world like this and peopled it for six thousand years, as He has done, without having some motive in view.12 . . . created the world . . . and peopled it for six thousand years . . .
President Woodruff also taught that we are in fact living in the last six thousand years:
We are living in the dispensation and generation to which Jesus referred–the time appointed by God for the last six thousand years, through the mouths of all the prophets and inspired men who have lived and left their sayings on record, in which his Zion should be built up and continue upon the earth.13
In addition to the early brethren, Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve has taught more recently:
If . . . [one] accepts the untrue theory that death has been present on the earth for scores of thousands or millions of years, he must reject the revealed truth that there was no death either for man or animals or plants or any form of life until some 6000 years ago when Adam fell.14
Therefore, we have the witness of the Lord in the scriptures, the witness of several of the Presidents of the Church and other additional witnesses that mortality with birth and death has been continuing on this earth for about 6,000 years, rather than the millions of years that some would desire us to believe.
But what about all of this evidence that has been accumulated? What about dating techniques that prove the earth is extremely old? Radiometric dating is a technique used to date materials based on a knowledge of the decay rates of naturally occurring isotopes, and the current abundances. It is the principal source used by most scientists in acquiring information about the age of the Earth and a significant source of information in formulating theories regarding evolutionary change. These theories are dependant upon a theory known as uniformitarianism. Uniformitarianism in the scientific community refers to the theory that the same natural processes that shape the universe occurred in the past as they do now, and that the same laws of physics apply in all parts of the knowable universe. For research on the age of the earth that agrees with the writings of the prophets and the revelations in scripture, please see the video Thousands, Not Billions. Evidence has been accumulated showing the inaccuracy of current dating methods. There are discrepancies of many millions of years when using one dating technique versus another, carbon 14 has been found in diamonds and helium has been found in rocks in the Grand Canyon. What will scientists in the future, who have faith in the scriptures, find?
Where did the idea of millions or billions of years as opposed to the Biblical and Prophetical record come from? Excellent videos explaining this history include: Millions of Years: Where Did the Idea Come From?and Origin of Old-Earth Geology and Christian Compromise I & II. These videos explain that the men who devised the theories of a very old earth were atheists and deists who rejected the scriptures as revealed by God. They also rejected scriptural concepts including miracles, resurrection, visions and so forth. Any belief that God upheld or interfered in the history of the earth or the dealings of those upon it was rejected.
Charles Lyell was one of the chief proponents of moving away from the Biblical chronology given by Moses as it appears in scripture. Lyell was one of the most influencial individuals in the formulation of Darwin’s thoughts. In a letter Lyell revealed his plan for destroying the scriptural interpretation of the history of the earth:
If we don’t irritate, which I fear that we may . . . we shall carry all with us. If you don’t triumph over them, but compliment the liberality and candor of the present age, the bishops and enlightened saints will join us in despising both the ancient and modern physico-theologians . . . I conceived the idea five or six years ago, that if ever the Mosaic geology could be set down without giving offence, it would be in an historical sketch . . . Let them feel it, and point the moral.15
Lyell desired to do away with the words of Moses and other prophets whom he felt were ignorant leaders of the superstitious. Lyell was clever however and knew that at that time he could not come out in a direct attack upon what was considered the word of God. His plan instead included providing a rework of history and a knew way of looking at the geological record found in the earth. Additionally, Lyell proposed a knew view of the scriptures. Most of the moral or spiritual portions could be promoted as inspired, while the history and practical part should be rejected as in error. This exclusion of science from the Bible and scripture was his aim. Science dealt with facts, while scripture dealt with the heart and emotion.
I have always been strongly impressed with the weight of an observation of an excellent writer and skillful geologist who said that ‘for the sake of revelation as well as of science—of truth in every form– the physical part of Geological inquiry ought to be conducted as if Scriptures were not in existence’.”16
This separation of the spiritual and the temporal is discussed further in the FAQ dealing with Religion and Science. Of special note in this work is this statement by Henry Cole concerning the scriptural compromise that occurred in the late 18th and earth 19th century.
Many reverend Geologists, however, would evince their reverence for the divine Revelation by making a distinction between its historical and its moral portions; and maintaining, that the latter only is inspired and absolute Truth but that the former is not so. . . .”17.
How do these philosophies appear when placed along side the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Word of God? First, has this earth continued with the same conditions from the Creation until now? Has the atmosphere always been the same? Remember that, according to the scriptures and words of prophets, this earth was created without death, sin and reproduction in a paradisiacal state. Man was not mortal; animals were not dying and decaying. Even after the Fall, the scriptures and words of the prophets again teach that Adam and the patriarchs lived often to near one thousand years. Note these statements, given by direct revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith proving that man lived far longer in the early ages of the earth than he does today:
Adam:
199 years, Ordained son, Seth, D&C 107:42
“From Adam to Seth, who was ordained by Adam at the age of sixty-nine years,”
Enos:
134 years + 4 months, ordained by grandfather Adam, D&C 107:44
“Enos was ordained at the age of one hundred and thirty-four years and four months, by the hand of Adam.”
Cainan:
87 years, ordained by great-grandfather Adam, D&C 107:45
“God called upon Cainan in the wilderness in the fortieth year of his age; and he met Adam in journeying to the place Shedolamak. He was eighty-seven years old when he received his ordination.”
Mahalaleel:
496 years + 7 days, ordained by great-great grandfather Adam, D&C 107:46
“Mahalaleel was four hundred and ninety-six years and seven days old when he was ordained by the hand of Adam, who also blessed him.”
Jared:
200 years, ordained by great-great-great grandfather Adam, D&C 107:47
“Jared was two hundred years old when he was ordained under the hand of Adam, who also blessed him.”
Enoch:
430 years, D&C 107:49 (translated)
“And he saw the Lord, and he walked with him, and was before his face continually; and he walked with God three hundred and sixty-five years, making him four hundred and thirty years old when he was translated.”
Methuselah:
100, ordained by (5 greats) grandfather Adam, D&C 107:50
“Methuselah was one hundred years old when he was ordained under the hand of Adam.”
From these scriptures above we can see that Adam lived to ordain his 5th great-grandson at the age of 100 years old (the grandson was 100) to the Priesthood. Adam by this time was several hundred years old. Adam also ordained his 2nd great-grandson at the age of 496 years and 7 days of age. From this we know from direct revelation from the Lord that Adam lived well over 500 years. All of this was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith from the Lord in section 107 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Additionally, the Lord here declares that Enoch was 430 years old when he was translated. The word of the Lord is clear that the patriarchs lived several hundred years compared with the relatively short life-times of individuals today. Clearly their bodies were more healthy than their descendents today, and the connditions on the earth permitted their bodies to age at a different rate than bodies age today. If their bodies aged at a far different rate, could could other aging have occurred far differently than it does today. Obviously, the assumptions of uniformitarianism break down if the word of the Lord is to be believed. All things have not continued the same from the beginning. Again the theories of men are in opposition to the word of God.
Does this sound like the atmosphere and conditions of the earth have always been the same? If man lived many hundreds of years as the revelations of God clearly attest, clearly changes have occurred in the system in which we live. How exactly would science date a paradisiacal earth, created in a Terrestrial sphere with different laws and principles? How would science date an earth that once supported human life spans for nearly a thousand years? Is it any wonder that the dating techniques employed by modern science are flawed?
Additionally, the second principle of uniformitarianism states that the same laws of physics that exist upon this earth apply throughout the entire universe. Again, from what we know of the Gospel of Jesus Christ does this sound true? For a discussion of this principle please see the FAQ on God being the Creator of natural laws.
Long before science had conceived of the idea of Pangaea, or an original state of the earth with all the continents joined together in one land mass, the Word of the Lord declared that such was the case. Much later science began to see signs that this was indeed the case. Now this is an accepted theory in scientific circles. For a discussion of what this means to the age of the earth please see the FAQ on this subject.
What other assumptions have modern scientists made that do not harmonize with the scriptures and word of God through prophets?
Prophetic Statements
Joseph Smith
The world has had a fair trial for six thousand years; the Lord will try the seventh thousand Himself;18
Brigham Young
The devil says, “I have had power over the earth for six thousand years, and do you think I am going to loose my grasp upon it? No, I will hold it, and before ever the Latter-day Saints obtain one foot of inheritance upon it they will have to contest it inch by inch.”19
After passing over the ages and generations of the children of men for about six thousand years, we will come to the present congregation and say the right of heirship is the same now that it was in the beginning.20
John Taylor
Let us ask what the nations of the earth have accomplished for the last six or seven thousand years. What great work have they achieved?21
. . . after the flood, in the days of Peleg, the earth was divided.—See Genesis 10:25,—a short history, to be sure, of so great an event; but still it will account for the mighty revolution, which rolled the sea from its own place in the north, and brought it to interpose between different portions of the earth, which were thus parted asunder, and moved into something near their present form . . . 22
And when I cast mine eyes over our own land, and see . . . rocks having been rent, and torn asunder, from centre to circumference; I exclaim, Whence all this?
“When I read the Book of Mormon, it informs me, that while Christ was crucified among the Jews, this whole American continent was shaken to its foundation, that many cities were sunk, and waters came up in their places; that the rocks were all rent in twain; that mountains were thrown up to an exceeding height; and other mountain became vallies: the level roads spoiled; and the whole face of the land changed.—I then exclaim, These things are no longer a mystery; I have now learned to account for the many wonders, which I everywhere behold, throughout our whole country; when I am passing a ledge of rocks, and see they have all been rent and torn asunder, while some huge fragments are found deeply imbedded in the earth, some rods from whence they were torn, I exclaim, with astonishment, These were the groans! the convulsive throes of agonizing nature! while the Son of God suffered upon the cross!23
Wilford Woodruff
We are nearing the end of the 6th thousand years . We have the history, or a partial history, of the dealings of God with the nations from the day of Father Adam down as contained in the Bible and the Book of Mormon , from which we may learn many valuable lessons.24
The Lord Almighty never created a world like this and peopled it for six thousand years , as He has done, without having some motive in view.25
We are living in the dispensation and generation to which Jesus referred–the time appointed by God for the last six thousand years , through the mouths of all the prophets and inspired men who have lived and left their sayings on record, in which his Zion should be built up and continue upon the earth.26
My mind reverts to the channels of communication from God to man. Here we have the Bible which gives a history and prophecy of the prophets from Adam down to our own day extending through a period of near 6,000 years .27
Joseph F. Smith
Some . . . limit the power of God to the power of men, and we have some of these among us and they have been among our school teachers. They would have you disbelieve the inspired accounts of the Scriptures . . . but we know better . . . . And I say, beware of men who come to you with heresies that things come by laws of nature of themselves, and that God is without power. — Logan Journal, April 7, 1914. 28
George Albert Smith
Adam and Eve were the children of God ; they were our first parents , and every human being that has lived upon the earth descended from them. God gave them their agency to decide for themselves in all matters and held them responsible for their conduct. They received their instructions in the Garden of Eden from our Heavenly Father and those teachings were preserved for succeeding generations.
Biblical chronology indicates that nearly six thousand years ago our first parents began their earth life. The Lord instructed them how they should conduct themselves, and his prophets divinely commissioned to speak for him, have taught Adam’s descendants through the ages how to live to be happy in mortality and so qualify that when the time comes for them to die, they may pass into immortality taking with them the riches of their characters and the knowledge they have gained here.29
I wonder if we appreciate what it is to live today with all the advantages gained in the nearly six thousand years since our first parents came into the world .30
Joseph Fielding Smith
Question asked of Joseph Fielding Smith: “Since reading your book, Man: His Origin, and Destiny , I have been troubled by your difference in view of organic evolution and the age of man and the teachings of some of our most outstanding scientists who maintain that scientific evidence prove the earth and man to be much older than you claim. Your statements are contrary to what I have been taught and believe.”
President Smith’s Answer : If what I have written is in criticism of the present theories in relation to organic evolution and the age of man upon the earth, in which you believe, then I can readily see why you disagree with what I have taught. I will state frankly and positively that I am opposed to the present biological theories and the doctrine that man has been on the earth for millions of years. I am opposed to the present teachings in relation to the age of the earth which declare that the earth is millions of years old. Some modern scientists even claim that it is a billion years old . Naturally, since I believe in modern revelation, I cannot accept these so-called scientific teachings, for I believe them to be in conflict with the simple and direct word of the Lord that has come to us by divine revelation.31
Here is a definite statement by revelation to us that this earth will go through 7,000 years of temporal existence. Temporal, by all interpretations, means passing, temporary or mortal. This, then, has reference to the earth in its fallen state, for the earth was cursed when Adam . . . transgressed the law. Before that time this earth was not mortal any more than Adam was. 32I have here a clipping from “Believe It Or Not” by Ripley which I cut out of the paper January 15, 1941; it is too small for you to see, but I will gladly pass it around. In this Ripley shows that you could take all the land surface of the earth, if you had the power to do so, and fit it like a jigsaw puzzle altogether again. You hang a map up on the wall and take a look at it; and if you have one you do not care much about, take your scissors and clip out along the coast of South America and North America and see if you cannot fit them together with the coastline of Europe and Africa.”In the restoration of all things this is going to be accomplished. I am not saying that because of any statement that is made by some scientist. I am not saying it because I have imagined such a thing, because I have looked at a map. I am saying it because the Lord Himself has said it. If you are willing for me to depart from the standard works of the Church and present to you some of the sayings that have been made by some of the leaders of the Church, I would like to read one or two things to you; at least, to show that I am not so far off the track. I have good company, anyhow. When I have the Prophet Joseph Smith and Brigham Young and Parley P. Pratt and Orson Pratt and John Taylor and others all on my side, I think I have some pretty good company, and I would rather have that company than this uncertain company that has an idea that things began way back millions, no, billions of years ago in the sea and have developed to what they are now. 33
We have evidence beyond dispute that Adam was driven out of the Garden of Eden about 6,000 years ago, or perhaps a short time less. It is possible for us, by using the Bible chronology and that given by the Lord in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants to figure this almost accurately.34
. . . a man is willfully blind who would push these days back tens of thousands of years, much less, hundreds of thousands of years.35
TIME ELEMENT IN THE CREATION. This earth was created on the Lord’s time, which is celestial time. By revelation we know exactly the nature of that time, and just how many days of celestial time were required to create this earth . Moreover, we know how long this earth has endured, approximately, and how long it will endure according to our present rate of reckoning. The Lord revealed to Abraham:
“And the Lord said unto me, by the Urim and Thummim, that Kolob was after the manner of the Lord, according to its times and seasons in the revolutions thereof; that one revolution was a day unto the Lord, after his manner of reckoning, it being one thousand years according to the time appointed unto that whereon thou standest. This is the reckoning of the Lord’s time, according to the reckoning of Kolob….
“And thus there shall be the reckoning of the time of one planet above another, until thou come nigh unto Kolob, which Kolob is after the reckoning of the Lord’s time; which Kolob is set nigh unto the throne of God to govern all those planets which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest.”
CELESTIAL TIME USED IN CREATION. Also: “Fig. 1. Kolob, signifying the first creation, nearest to the celestial, or the residence of God. First in government, the last pertaining to the measurement of time. The measurement according to celestial time, which celestial time signifies one day to a cubit. One day in Kolob is equal to a thousand years according to the measurement of this earth, which is called by the Egyptians Jah-oh-eh.”
When this earth was created, it was not according to our present time, but it was created according to Kolob’s time , for the Lord has said it was created on celestial time which is Kolob’s time. Then he revealed to Abraham that Adam was subject to Kolob’s time before his transgression. “Now I, Abraham, saw that it was after the Lord’s time, which was after the time of Kolob; for as yet the Gods had not appointed unto Adam his reckoning.”
AGE OF THE EARTH SINCE ADAM. We have evidence beyond dispute that Adam was driven out of the Garden of Eden about 6,000 years ago, or perhaps a short time less. It is possible for us, by using the Bible chronology and that given by the Lord in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants to figure this almost accurately.
In the Book of Revelation, chapters five to 10, we have the story of the opening of the seven seals by the Lamb, each seal representing 1,000 years of the temporal existence of this earth. In the Doctrine and Covenants, section 88:92-116, we have the confirmation of this with other detail in regard to the opening of the seals. In section 77:6-15, we have more information in relation to the opening of these seals, with the following significant detail:
Verse 6: “Q. What are we to understand by the book which John saw, which was sealed on the back with seven seals?
“A. We are to understand that it contains the revealed will, mysteries, and works of God; the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence .”
TEMPORARY EXISTENCE OF EARTH. Here is a definite statement by revelation to us that this earth will go through 7,000 years of temporal existence. Temporal, by all interpretations, means passing, temporary or mortal. This, then, has reference to the earth in its fallen state, for the earth was cursed when Adam, who was given dominion over it, transgressed the law. Before that time this earth was not mortal any more than Adam was. This we learn from other scriptures; for instance, see 2 Nephi 2:22 .
In verse 12, section 77 the Prophet by inspiration from the Lord, sets days of a thousand years off against years of our measurement, in these words:
“We are to understand that as God made the world in six days, and on the seventh day he finished his work, and sanctified it, and also formed man out of the dust of the earth, even so, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years will the Lord God sanctify the earth, and complete the salvation of man, and judge all things, and shall redeem all things , except that which he hath not put into his power, when he shall have sealed all things, unto the end of all things; and the sounding of the trumpets of the seven angels are the preparing and finishing of his work, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years -the preparing of the way before the time of his coming.”
CREATION DID NOT TAKE MILLIONS OF YEARS. Here we have the Prophet comparing the days of creation with seven periods of 1,000 years each, corresponding to days, according to the Lord’s time, in harmony with the teaching of Abraham and the other scriptures. The earth’s temporal existence, according to this, is to endure for just one week, or seven days of 1,000 years each. Moreover, since the earth was built according to the celestial time, which is the Lord’s days, which he clearly defined to Abraham, we can hardly be justified in trying to harmonize the days of creation with the extended periods of millions of years according to the reckoning of the so-called scientists .
Both from the Bible and from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, we know that the flood came in the year 1600 from the driving of Adam out of the Garden of Eden. We know that Abraham was living in the days of Shem, son of Noah, if not in the days of Noah himself. Profane history corroborates the history of Israel and Abraham. So a man is willfully blind who would push these days back tens of thousands, much less, hundreds of thousands of years.
MEANING OF THE MERIDIAN OF TIME. Moreover, our Savior came in the meridian of time. That dispensation is called the dispensation of the meridian of time. This means that it was about half way from the beginning of “time” to the end of “time.” Anyone who desires can figure it for himself that our Lord came about 4,000 years from the time of the fall. The millennium is to come some time following the 2,000 years after his coming. Then there is to be the millennium for 1,000 years, and following that a “little season,” the length of which is not revealed, but which may bring “time” to its end about 8,000 years from the beginning.
We have seen that the Lord had not given to this earth its present time until after the fall. Before that time it was subject to Kolob’s time, which is eternal time. After the temporal existence of the earth is finished, it will again go back on celestial time, and there shall be “time no longer.” This does not mean that the inhabitants of the earth, who will be celestial beings, will not reckon by time, but by a different time-Kolob’s time which the Lord says is his time.
If men prefer to believe the strong delusions taught by evolutionists, rather than what the Lord has revealed, we cannot help it, but it certainly shows in them a lack of faith, which is not to their credit.36
In respect to President Joseph Fielding Smith’s words on this subject President Ezra Taft Benson added his testimony (Please see the reference for context): It is also apparent to all who have the Spirit of God in them that Joseph Fielding Smith’s writings will stand the test of time.37
APOSTASY COMES WHEN TRUTH NOT TAUGHT. Modern education declares that there never was such a thing as the fall of man, but that conditions have always gone on in the same way as now in this mortal world . Here, say they, death and mutation have always held sway as natural conditions on this earth and everywhere throughout the universe the same laws obtain . It is declared that man has made his ascent to the exalted place he now occupies through countless ages of development which has gradually distinguished him from lower forms of life.
Such a doctrine of necessity discards the story of Adam and the Garden of Eden, which it looks upon as a myth coming down to us from an early age of foolish ignorance and superstition. Moreover, it is taught that since death was always here, and a natural condition prevailing throughout all space, there could not possibly come a redemption from Adam’s transgression, hence there was no need for a Savior for a fallen world.
Is it any wonder, under such circumstances, that churches are deserted; that more than half of the population of this country has become indifferent, if not antagonistic, to religion? This, also, is just as true of other lands.38
Darwinist and Neo-Darwinist Statements
Charles Lyell
If we don’t irritate, which I fear that we may . . . we shall carry all with us. If you don’t triumph over them, but compliment the liberality and candor of the present age, the bishops and enlightened saints will join us in despising both the ancient and modern physico-theologians . . . I conceived the idea five or six years ago, that if ever the Mosaic geology could be set down without giving offence, it would be in an historical sketch . . . Let them feel it, and point the moral.39
I have always been strongly impressed with the weight of an observation of an excellent writer and skillful geologist who said that ‘for the sake of revelation as well as of science—of truth in every form– the physical part of Geological inquiry ought to be conducted as if Scriptures were not in existence’.40
Scriptures
D&C 77:12 . . . as God made the world in six days , and on the seventh day he finished his work, and sanctified it, and also formed man out of the dust of the earth, even so , in the beginning of the seventh thousand years will the Lord God sanctify the earth, and complete the salvation of man . . .
D&C 77:6 . . . the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God; the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance , or it temporal existence.
D&C 77:6-7 Q. What are we to understand by the book which John saw, which was sealed on the back with seven seals?
A. We are to understand that it contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God; the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence.
Q. What are we to understand by the seven seals with which it was sealed? A. We are to understand that the first seal contains the things of the first thousand years, and the second also of the second thousand years, and so on until the seventh.
D&C 88:108-110 And then shall the first angel again sound his trump in the ears of all living, and reveal the secret acts of men, and the mighty works of God in thefirstthousand years. And then shall the second angel sound his trump, and reveal the secret acts of men, and the thoughts and intents of their hearts, and the mighty works of God in the second thousand years— And so on, until the seventh angel shall sound his trump; and he shall stand forth upon the land and upon the sea, and swearin the name of him who sitteth upon the throne, that there shall be time no longer; and Satan shall be bound, that old serpent, who is called the devil, and shall not be loosed for the space of a thousand years.
JST 2 Peter 3:3-6; 8 Knowing this first, that in the last days there shall come scoffers, walking after their own lusts. Denying the Lord Jesus Christ, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things must continue as they are and have continued as they are from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that of old the heavens, and the earth standing in the water and out of the water, were created by the word of God; And by the word of God, the world that then was, being overflowed with water perished; . . . But concerning the coming of the Lord, beloved, I would not have you ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. ”
Supporting Statements
Henry Cole
Many reverend Geologists, however, would evince their reverence for the divine Revelation by making a distinction between its historical and its moral portions; and maintaining, that the latter only is inspired and absolute Truth but that the former is not so. . . .41
Bruce R. McConkie
If . . . [one] accepts the untrue theory that death has been present on the earth for scores of thousands or millions of years, he must reject the revealed truth that there was no death either for man or animals or plants or any form of life until some 6000 years ago when Adam fell.42
↑ Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:79
↑ Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:81
↑ Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Five 1842-43 p.252
↑ Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 12, p. 271, August 16th, 1868
↑ Journal of Discourses, Vol.6, p.307, Brigham Young, April 8, 1853
↑ Journal of Discourses, Vol. 8, p. 2, John Taylor, February 19, 1860
↑ Journal of Discourses 25:9, January 6, 1884. The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p. 8
↑ Journal of Discourses, Vol. 14, p. 5, Wilford Woodruff, January 1, 1871
↑ Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 3: 97.
↑ Letter written to George Poulette Scrope in 1830, then published in Life, Letters and Journal of Charles Lyell, Mrs. Charles Lyell, ed. (London: John Murray, 1881), pp. 270-271
↑ Charles Lyell, quoted in M.J.S. Rudwick, “Charles Lyell Speaks in the Lecture Theatre,” Brit. J. Hist. Sci., IX:2:32 (July 1976), p. 150
↑ Henry Cole, Popular Geology Subversive of Divine Revelation (London: Hatchard and Son, 1834), p. ix-x, 44-45 (footnote)
↑ Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith , Section Five 1842-43 p.252
↑ Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith , Section Five 1842-43, p.252
↑ Journal of Discourses , Vol. 12, p. 271, Brigham Young, August 16th, 1868
↑ Journal of Discourses , Vol.6, p.307, Brigham Young, April 8, 1853
↑ Journal of Discourses , Vol. 8, p. 2, John Taylor, February 19, 1860
↑ John Taylor, The Government of God [Liverpool: S. W. Richards, 1852], 110.
↑ John Taylor, The Government of God [Liverpool: S. W. Richards, 1852], 105.
↑ Wilford Woodruff, Journal of Discourses , 26 vols. [London: Latter-day Saints’ Book Depot, 1854-1886], 24: 53
↑ Journal of Discourses 25:9, January 6, 1884. The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p. 8
↑ Journal of Discourses , Vol. 14, p. 5, Wilford Woodruff, January 1, 1871
↑ Wilford Woodruff, Journal of Discourses , 26 vols. [London: Latter-day Saints’ Book Depot, 1854-1886], 22: 331
↑ Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine: Selections from the Sermons and Writings of Joseph F. Smith, compiled by John A. Widtsoe [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1939], 372.
↑ President George Albert Smith, Conference Report, April 1945 , Third Day—Morning Meeting 135
↑ President George Albert Smith, Conference Report, October 1949 , First Day—Morning Meeting 4
↑ Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 5: 112.
↑ Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:79-80
↑ Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:79
↑ Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:81
↑ Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols., edited by Bruce R. McConkie [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954-1956], 1: 81.
↑ Ezra Taft Benson, This Nation Shall Endure [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1977], 26.
↑ Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:315.
↑ Letter written to George Poulette Scrope in 1830 , then published in Life, Letters and Journal of Charles Lyell , Mrs. Charles Lyell, ed. (London: John Murray, 1881), pp. 270-271
↑ Charles Lyell, quoted in M.J.S. Rudwick, Charles Lyell Speaks in the Lecture Theatre, Brit. J. Hist. Sci., IX:2:32 (July 1976), p. 150
↑ Henry Cole, Popular Geology Subversive of Divine Revelation (London: Hatchard and Son, 1834), p. ix-x, 44-45 (footnote)
↑ Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 3: 97.
D&C 77:12
D&C 77:6
Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:79-80
Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:80
Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:79
Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:81
Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Five 1842-43 p.252
Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 12, p. 271, August 16th, 1868
Journal of Discourses, Vol.6, p.307, Brigham Young, April 8, 1853
Journal of Discourses, Vol. 8, p. 2, John Taylor, February 19, 1860
Journal of Discourses 25:9, January 6, 1884. The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p. 8
Journal of Discourses, Vol. 14, p. 5, Wilford Woodruff, January 1, 1871
Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 3: 97.
Letter written to George Poulette Scrope in 1830, then published in Life, Letters and Journal of Charles Lyell, Mrs. Charles Lyell, ed. (London: John Murray, 1881), pp. 270-271
Charles Lyell, quoted in M.J.S. Rudwick, “Charles Lyell Speaks in the Lecture Theatre,” Brit. J. Hist. Sci., IX:2:32 (July 1976), p. 150
Henry Cole, Popular Geology Subversive of Divine Revelation (London: Hatchard and Son, 1834), p. ix-x, 44-45 (footnote)
Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith , Section Five 1842-43, p.252
Journal of Discourses , Vol. 12, p. 271, Brigham Young, August 16th, 1868
Journal of Discourses , Vol.6, p.307, Brigham Young, April 8, 1853
Journal of Discourses , Vol. 8, p. 2, John Taylor, February 19, 1860
John Taylor, The Government of God [Liverpool: S. W. Richards, 1852], 110.
John Taylor, The Government of God [Liverpool: S. W. Richards, 1852], 105.
Wilford Woodruff, Journal of Discourses , 26 vols. [London: Latter-day Saints’ Book Depot, 1854-1886], 24: 53
Journal of Discourses 25:9, January 6, 1884. The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p. 8
Journal of Discourses , Vol. 14, p. 5, Wilford Woodruff, January 1, 1871
Wilford Woodruff, Journal of Discourses , 26 vols. [London: Latter-day Saints’ Book Depot, 1854-1886], 22: 331
Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine: Selections from the Sermons and Writings of Joseph F. Smith, compiled by John A. Widtsoe [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1939], 372.
President George Albert Smith, Conference Report, April 1945 , Third Day—Morning Meeting 135
President George Albert Smith, Conference Report, October 1949 , First Day—Morning Meeting 4
Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 5: 112.
Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:79-80
Joseph Fielding Smith, Signs of the Times [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1952], 23 – 24.
Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:79
Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:81
Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols., edited by Bruce R. McConkie [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954-1956], 1: 81.
Ezra Taft Benson, This Nation Shall Endure [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1977], 26.
Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:315.
Letter written to George Poulette Scrope in 1830 , then published in Life, Letters and Journal of Charles Lyell , Mrs. Charles Lyell, ed. (London: John Murray, 1881), pp. 270-271
Charles Lyell, quoted in M.J.S. Rudwick, Charles Lyell Speaks in the Lecture Theatre, Brit. J. Hist. Sci., IX:2:32 (July 1976), p. 150
Henry Cole, Popular Geology Subversive of Divine Revelation (London: Hatchard and Son, 1834), p. ix-x, 44-45 (footnote)
Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 3: 97.
Please watch Stephen’s video from out last Virtual Conference in April 2021. Login and do a search for his name and you will find it. bookofmormonevidencestreaming.comPRESENTATION: “THE TWO-CUMORAH SOLUTION”
As an Analyst for an International Bank for the past eleven years, Steve has a penchant for solving problems.
He doesn’t accept the current dogma by Book of Mormon Scholars, despite their advanced degrees, claiming that the Prophet Joseph Smith learned the geography of The Book of Mormon from a travel book with pictures, published in 1842 by John Lloyd Stephens.
(A travel book with pictures? Seriously? Is that the best analysis you’ve got?)
Then Book of Mormon geography miraculously turned into a restricted Mesoamerica setting with the original Hill Cumorah, not in New York, but located somewhere in Central America.
Below his information is amazing and will shed a new light on where the original 2-Cumorah Theory came from!His references are solid and you will enjoy his fantastic wit and sense of humor. Email him as he is very happy to speak about all the research he has done.[email protected].
The Origin of the Two Cumorah Mesoamerica Geography Theory for The Book of Mormonby Stephen Reed Mesa, AZ
I’ll be blunt. The so-called Two Cumorah Mesoamerica Geography Theory for The Book of Mormon, is completely false. There’s no truth to it.
Most people today promoting it, act is if they know nothing of its origin. And the ones who do, are hiding the truth of it. Shame on them.
Coined M2C, by Brother Jonathan Neville, for “Mesoamerica Two Cumorahs,” it was actually created in a house by its owner, located at 201 S. Willis Ave. in Independence, Missouri. Don’t believe me? Read on and learn.
The Two Cumorah idea was actually contrived separately and earlier than the restricted Mesoamerica Geography Theory.
As early as 1901, members of The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (RLDS Church) were debating the location of The Hill Cumorah. This is found in “Autumn Leaves” a publication for the youth. This is a mere 57 years after the death of The Prophet Joseph Smith!
This is a screen shot from page 474 from that 1901 publication found at HathiTrust:
Note the name, H.A. Stebbins. It will be mentioned later.
To paraphrase, “Resolved, our present maps are correct. But many expressed themselves surprised at the evidence the negative side could show, that Cumorah being in New York is not correct.”
Well, that’s interesting. RLDS Members in 1901 debating the location of The Hill Cumorah on their maps. What maps are these?
The six maps created by the RLDS Committee on American Archaeology. Here’s Map No. 5 of the six maps.
Notice how the Land of Zarahemla is placed in the country of Colombia along the north-flowing Rio Magdalena as the River Sidon. The Hill Cumorah is correctly placed in upstate New York. This posed a problem for RLDS students of The Book of Mormon. The ones who actually studied the Book.
The distance was too far for King Limhi’s “rescue party” looking for the Land of Zarahemla. These Nephites somehow left the Land of Nephi (in Ecuador and Peru) and as they moved northward, they completely missed locating Zarahemla (in Colombia), entered the Isthmus of Darién or Panama, then traveled the length of Central America and Mexico then the breadth of North America. Then they discovered in upstate New York the Prophet Ether’s 24-gold plates, retrieving them and some oversized armor and rusted swords.
On their return trip, they again traveled the breadth of North America and the length of Central America, again missing the land of Zarahemla and arrived back at the Land of Nephi, where they were corralled by Lamanites. “To my mind it is very unlikely.”
So wrote RLDS Member A.B. Hanson in the earlier 1900 Autumn Leaves:
Of course, he was intelligent enough to mention the unlikely possibility of the Jaredite Coriantumr, wounded, of having traveled from upstate New York to Colombia to meet up with the people of Mulek only to live with them for nine moons. Hanson then demanded answers from RLDS Book of Mormon scholars.
These maps were so popular they were created as wall hangings, hung in homes and used for class lectures. “Map Lectures” are mentioned in “Autumn Leaves.”
This one recently sold at Boston Rare Maps, and has the address of 100 S. Willis written in the lower right corner. “Keep Dry.” They were made of cloth. Essentially, a wall rug.
What was the solution? Well, the First Quorum of Seventy of The RLDS Church convened a meeting. The first item on the agenda was, “Where is the Hill Cumorah?” by A. B. Phillips. Then a discussion on Archaeology and The Book of Mormon. This was announced in the RLDS publication, The Saints’ Herald of March 8, 1911.
Notice who was in attendance, L.E. Hills. Remember that name, please, as well as the earlier name of H.A. Stebbins. The location of the meeting was to be announced on the bulletin board in the church building. This was not a large group of RLDS members folks. It never rivaled the membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located in Utah.
Then this article, the entirety can be read in The Saint’s Herald of March 15, 1911, written by H.A. Stebbins and on my blog. To save space here, this is only the first page.
Thus, was introduced, what I call “The Two Cumorah Solution.” Notice that the Prophet Joseph Smith had nothing to do with it. This is 1911, now 67 years after his death.
Within a span of a lifetime after The Prophet’s death, some fellow believers in The Book of Mormon in Independence, were confused as to the location of The Hill Cumorah, because of improperly created hemispheric maps, for The Book of Mormon.
But why did H.A. Stebbins, who was involved with the earlier debate on the location of Cumorah in the basement of the Lamoni, Iowa church building in 1901, write this article some seven days after the announced March 8, 1911 meeting of the First Quorum of Seventy?
It’s because H.A. Stebbins’ February 1896 Book of Mormon lectures given in The Stone Church in Independence, was the “trigger” for the creation the RLDS “Committee on American Archaeology” in the April 1896 RLDS General Conference meeting. Stebbins’ lectures were very popular. They are available online today.
In his lectures, Stebbins placed The Book of Mormon in Mexico, and in Central and South America. The Committee’s maps were based off of his lectures as well as his other writings as early as the 1870s, which I won’t link to here. He was born in January of 1844, in Ohio, five months before the death of Joseph Smith and joined the RLDS Church in 1863 after returning from the Civil War.
Instead of suggesting the maps were wrong, Stebbins decided it was better just to move the original Hill Cumorah to Central America. Then he came up with the idea that the Prophet Moroni, the last Nephite survivor, traveled from Central America to New York with the gold plates. (Apparently, the Sierra Madres of Mexico and the Rocky Mountains weren’t a good place to bury the plates. Instead, after travelling thousands of miles, a tiny hill in upstate New York sufficed.)
This, Dear Reader, is how the Two Cumorah theory came about. Read his three-and-half page article on my blog or in The Saint’s Herald, and you’ll notice the same arguments being used today, by purveyors of M2C.
So how did the Mesoamerica version come to be? That was created by L.E. Hills. Do you remember that name? He was a member of the First Quorum of The Seventy.
He created three maps and wrote three books on the subject in his home at 201 S. Willis. Here they are below.
L.E. Hills died in 1925 after being struck by an automobile. His copyrights are expired and his works are in the Public Domain. Thus, anyone can resell them. And anyone has. And you’ve been duped!
In his 1924 book, Hills referred back to the Two Cumorah idea and H.A. Stebbins March 15, 1911 article. In fact, Hills wrote in his book, that Stebbins sent him that article published 13 years earlier. Stebbins approved of Hills’ ideas before Stebbins died in 1920. He never saw Hills’ 1924 book.
Thus, Henry A. Stebbins created “2C” or Two Cumorah. Louise E. Hills added “M” for Mesoamerica. And M2C was born, as early as 1917.
And you’ve been sold snake-oil by modern-day LDS Book of Mormon Scholars and BYU Professors, to place in your Lamp of Testimony. How’s that now working out for you?
I will end my message here. I have a lot more of this history that I could share. But I don’t want to bore any reader of this blog. If anyone wants me to continue with more information, contact Bro. Rian Nelson, the owner of this blog, who I thank for inviting me here.
Thank you,
Stephen Reed
Steve is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, residing in Mesa, Arizona. He is a nobody. That is, neither famous nor popular. But he has access to The Internet where he discovered all of this information.
And you can too, from the clutches of the Censors at Book of Mormon Central and The Interpreter Foundation, which are the remnants of F.A.R.M.S. (as well as FAIRLDS and their other affiliates) and who resold L.E. Hills’ works and maps, without attributing Louise Edward Hills as their source. Nor Henry A. Stebbins.
You can learn more by visiting his simple blog at https://twocumorahsolution.blogspot.com It’s free. And you won’t be insulted with PayPal buttons on every page, begging for donations.
——–//——–
The Three books and Maps by L.E HillsAll Three Books are at HathiTrust, scanned by Google
The United States of America has been and is truly great. Today it is receiving relentless attacks from some very unpatriotic people. We are in a battle and it is time to stand up and applaud the goodness of these United States. We know this land will not be possessed by a disobedient people. We have time to save our land, but it is becoming a challenge. Today’s headlines say it all. Which side are you on?
Gordon B. Hinckley
“I should like to say a few words about America…No land is without its beauty, no people without their virtues, and I hope that you who come from elsewhere will pardon my saying a few words concerning my own native land, America…surely this is a good land, a choice land, a chosen land. To me it is a miracle, a creation of the Almighty.” Gordon B. Hinckley Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled”, BYU Speeches of the Year, October 29, 1974, pp. 267-68 )
“I would that all men could believe in the destiny of America as did the early pioneers: that it is the land of Zion; that the founders of this nation were men of inspired vision; that the Constitution as written by the inspiration of heaven must be preserved at all costs. “I make a further plea that the citizens of this favored land live righteously that they might enjoy the fruits of their righteousness in this land of promise.”Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled Gordon B. Hinckley of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Oct. 29, 1974 • Devotional
Zion and Jerusalem By Joseph Fielding Smith
Improvement Era Vol. XXII JULY 1919 No. 9
The following question is from a reader of the Improvement Era, in the Southern States:
Referring to Isaiah 2:2-3, please explain whether it is the New Jerusalem that is to be built in the land of Zion, or Jerusalem that is to be built on the eastern continent, from whence the word of the Lord will go forth in the last days.”
The scripture in question is as follows:
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s House shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
The statement is very clear that two separate cities, or centers, are mentioned by Isaiah. In modern revelation this is confirmed, and we are informed just where the city of Zion — which is the New Jerusalem — shall be built.
In order to get a proper understanding of this question, it is necessary to explain the fact that Palestine is to be the gathering place of the tribe of Judah “and the children of Israel his companions,” after their long dispersion as predicted by the prophets. America is the land of Zion. It was given to Joseph, son of Jacob, and his descendants to be an everlasting inheritance. The children of Ephraim (son of Joseph) “and all the house of Israel his companions,” will be gathered to Zion, or America.
In the blessing given by Jacob to his son Joseph the inheritance of America is foreshadowed and predicted in the following words:
Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: * * *
The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.”
We have Learned from the Book of Mormon and Modern Revelation America is the Promise Land.
“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. Monson 2011 (Ordained an Apostle, 1963; ordained President of the Church, 2008)
President Monson may believe the United States is the Promised Land of the Book of Mormon. Why do Mesoamericanists believe the entire continent of the Americas is the Promised land? You mean Greenland, Guatemala, and the Northwest Territories are the Promised Lands? I love all of God’s children in the entire world and God loves us all the same, but seriously? If a person from Greenland comes to the United States legally as a citizen that person can also live in the Promised Land, correct? I’m sure Greenland has much beauty on its own, but it is not the Promised Land, is it? I am not belittling other lands. I’m just making a statement. Why is the United States and Israel the two Promised Lands? Because Christ chose them. See 3 Nephi 20:22,29 Rian Nelson
Joseph Fielding Smith continues, “Because of his faithfulness and integrity, Joseph received greater blessings than the progenitors of Jacob, and was rewarded with the land of Zion. His brothers, with malicious intent, separated him and cast him out from among them. The Lord, in rewarding him, separated him from his brothers — the other tribes of Israel — and gave him an inheritance in a land that is choice above all other lands, which, we have learned from the Book of Mormon and modern revelation, is America.
In this great day of gathering, the Lord has commanded that those of the house of Israel who are scattered among the Gentiles should flee unto Zion, and those who are of the house of Judah should flee unto Jerusalem, “unto the mountain of the Lord’s house,” which is their gathering place. (Doc. and Cov.133:12,13.)
In each land a holy city shall be built which shall be the capital from whence the law and the word of the Lord shall go forth to all peoples. The Savior said to the Nephites: “Behold, this people will I establish in this land, unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob; and it shall be a New Jerusalem. And the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people; yea, even I will be in the midst of you” (3 Nephi 20:22).
Moroni, writing of the Jaredites, has said: “Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land; and he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come; after it should be destroyed, it should be built up again a holy city unto the Lord, wherefore it could not be a New Jerusalem, for it had been in a time of old, but it should be built up again, and become a holy city of the Lord; and it should be built unto the house of Israel.”
We are informed in the revelations given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, that the city of Zion and the New Jerusalem is one and the same. In a number of revelations the Lord speaks of the New Jerusalem which is to be built. (See sections 28, 42, 45, 84.) In Sec. 45:66, 67, we read: “And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the Saints of the Most High God; and the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion” (See also sections 57:2 and 58:7).
In section 84:2, we read: “Yea, the word of the Lord concerning his Church established in the last days for the restoration of his people, as he has spoken by the mouth of his prophets, and for the gathering of his Saints to stand upon Mount Zion, which shall be the city of New Jerusalem.“
Jerusalem of old, after the Jews have been cleansed and sanctified from all their sin, shall become a holy city where the Lord shall dwell and from whence he shall send forth his word unto all people. Likewise, on this continent, the city of Zion, New Jerusalem— shall be built, and from it the law of God shall also go forth. There will be no conflict, for each city shall be headquarters for the Redeemer of the world, and from each he shall send forth his proclamations as occasion may require. Jerusalem shall be the gathering place of Judah and his fellows of the house of Israel, and Zion shall be the gathering place of Ephraim and his fellows, upon whose heads shall be conferred “the richer blessings.”
“Because of his faithfulness and integrity, Joseph received greater blessings than the progenitors of Jacob, and was rewarded with the land of Zion. His brothers, with malicious intent, separated him and cast him out from among them. The Lord, in rewarding him, separated him from his brothers — the other tribes of Israel — and gave him an inheritance in a land that is choice above all other lands, which, we have learned from the Book of Mormon and modern revelation, is America… We are informed in the revelations given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, that the city of Zion and the New Jerusalem is one and the same. In a number of revelations the Lord speaks of the New Jerusalem which is to be built…” Zion and Jerusalem by Joseph Fielding Smith, Improvement Era Vol. 22 JULY 1919
Quotes that Support the Land Joseph as the United States of America
“The Book of Mormon reveals that Joseph, the son of Jacob who was once sold into Egypt, foresaw the Prophet Joseph Smith and his day and noted that there would be many similarities in their lives. Centuries later, the Prophet Joseph stated, “I feel like Joseph in Egypt.” The Book of Mormon reveals that the inheritance of Joseph, son of Israel, was not forgotten when land was distributed to the tribes of Israel, as promised in the Abrahamic covenant. Joseph’s inheritance was to be a land choice above all others. It was choice not because of beauty or wealth of natural resources, but choice because it was chosento be the repository of sacred writings on golden plates from which the Book of Mormon would one day come. It was choice because it would eventually host the world headquarters of the restored Church of Jesus Christ in the latter days. And it was choice because it is a land of liberty for those who worship the Lord and keep His commandments.” President Russell M. Nelson President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles June 23, 2016. Seminar for New Mission Presidents
The Book of Mormon is a record of the forefathers of our western tribes of Indians; having been found through the ministration of an holy angel, and translated into our own language by the gift and power of God, after having been hid up in the earth for the last fourteen hundred years, containing the word of God which was delivered unto them. By it we learn that our western tribes of Indians are descendants from that Joseph which was sold into Egypt, and that the land of America is a promised land unto them, and unto it all the tribes of Israel will come, with as many of the Gentiles as shall comply with the requisitions of the new covenant. But the tribe of Judah will return to old Jerusalem. The city of Zion spoken of by David, in the one hundred and second Psalm, will be built upon the land of America, “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads” (Isaiah 35:10); and then they will be delivered from the overflowing scourge that shall pass through the land. But Judah shall obtain deliverance at Jerusalem. See Joel 2:32; Isaiah 26:20-21;Jeremiah 31:12,Psalm 1:5; Ezekiel 34:11-13. These are testimonies that the Good Shepherd will put forth His own sheep, and lead them out from all nations where they have been scattered in a cloudy and dark day, to Zion, and to Jerusalem; besides many more testimonies which might be brought.
And now I am prepared to say by the authority of Jesus Christ, that not many years shall pass away before the United States shall present such a scene of bloodshed as has not a parallel in the history of our nation; pestilence, hail, famine, and earthquake will sweep the wicked of this generation from off the face of the land, to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel from the north country. The people of the Lord, those who have complied with the requirements of the new covenant, have already commenced gathering together to Zion, which is in the state of Missouri; therefore I declare unto you the warning which the Lord has commanded to declare unto this generation, remembering that the eyes of my Maker are upon me, and that to him I am accountable for every word I say, wishing nothing worse to my fellow-men than their eternal salvation; therefore, “Fear God, and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come.” Repent ye, repent ye, and embrace the everlasting covenant, and flee to Zion, before the overflowing scourge overtake you, for there are those now living upon the earth whose eyes shall not be closed in death until they see all these things, which I have spoken, fulfilled. Remember these things; call upon the Lord while He is near, and seek Him while He may be found, is the exhortation of your unworthy servant. HC 1:301-315
“This beautiful region of country is…the land of Joseph or the Indians, as they are called…The world will never value the land of Desolation, as it is called in the Book of Mormon, for any thing more than hunting ground, for want of timber and mill-seats: The Lord to the contrary notwithstanding, declares it to be the land of Zion which is the land of Joseph, blessed by him, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew… Thou [Jerusalem] shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land [Zion] any more be termed Desolate.” The Evening and Morning Star Vol. 1 No. 5 October 1832 Page 71 Editor WW Phelps
“To his steady drum roll about the Indian and his destiny, Phelps added his view of the land west of the Missouri settlements, which he called the “Far West.” Wasn’t this, the editor wondered, the land of the covenant, where the Book of Mormon Jaredites and Nephites had once roamed before meeting their destruction? While the world would never prize the area because of its want of timber and mill seats, Deity had a different view. This land was Zion, he argued, the land of Joseph, the receptacle of “the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills.” In a few sentences, Phelps wove together some of the images that Joseph Smith had been using when speaking of the western Zion and the soon-to-be redeemed Indian” Quoted in Seeking The “Remnant”: The Native American During The Joseph Smith Period by Ronald W Walker: Evening and the Morning Star 1 (October 1832): 137] Phelps was citing Deuteronomy 3313-17 The editor later would help select Mormon settlement sites in Daviess County and may have had a role in choosing the name of the region’s most prominent town, Far West, thus giving another expression to his fascination with the western region.
Certain lands were given to Israel for an inheritance in time and in eternity. America is the land of Joseph; it was the home of Nephite Israel, who were of Joseph, for a thousand years, and it is the headquarters of the Church in this final dispensation in which the church and kingdom of God are in the lands of Ephraim.” (McConkie, Bruce R., A New Witness for the Articles of Faith [1985], 511.)
“The Book of Mormon tells us that America is a land of promise, a land choice above all other lands. Nephi said that whosoever should possess it must serve the God of the land or they would be swept off. And we have read in the Book of Mormon of the nations that have been swept off because they ceased to worship the God who had led them and their forefathers here to this land. We have a great responsibility as citizens in this land, for the Lord said that he would fight its battles and be its king, if we will just serve him. So it’s appropriate at this time that we express our appreciation for this great land. I like the words Moses used when he gave a blessing to the twelve tribes of Israel. When he blessed Joseph he promised him a new land in the utmost bowels of the everlasting hills (see Deut. 33:15). Now that isn’t in Jerusalem because they don’t have everlasting hills over there, and the prophets have never predicted a regathering of all nations to the land of Israel. But they have predicted the gathering of Israel to this land of America, which is the land of Joseph. And we are the only people in the world who know what that land is that Moses promised to Joseph. It was so great in his eyes as he received the revelations of the Holy Spirit that in describing the land he used the word “precious” five times in just four verses…We have so much to be grateful for. We are not here by chance. We are here because of the sacrifices of our pioneer fathers who came to this choice land that the Lord, according to the Book of Mormon, had hidden away from the eyes of the world that it should not be overrun. He preserved it for us, for the day and time in which we now live here in these valleys of the mountains.” LEGRAND RICHARDS of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Nov. 18, 1980 • Devotional
“Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.” Isaiah 9:21
Those of us who believe in the Heartland theory are not Neutral on Geography. We believe the events of the Book of Mormon happened in North America in the Book of Mormon Promised Land of the United States, and some of us are “for profit” as a business earning enough to continue to share information with our followers.
Book of Mormon Central, The Interpreter, FairLDS or FairMormon, Meridian Magazine, and other Apologetic Groups focus on and believe in the Mesoamerican theory of geography in the Book of Mormon. The reason they act neutral is because the Church is neutral. We have no problem with the Church’s stand, but these Apologetics are not being honest.
The reason we feel they promote only Mesoamerica is their very websites say so.. They won’t allow any articles or speaking about the Heartland theory on their website. They don’t want live debates with us and they won’t invite us to speak at any of their events, as we have invited them to Heartland events and heard from some of those who believe in the Mesoamerican theory. Their mission statements contain information that their focus is in Mesoamerica. We don’t have a problem with these Apologists to focus on Mesoamerica as that is their agency. We just wish they would be honest in their work. If you ask many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints if these various Apologists are neutral they would probably say yes. Why else would the Church have links on their websites that link to these various Apologetic sites? Most of these Apologists are also listed as Non-Profit companies. That simply means all the money that is donated to them, they can use it for research and/or large salaries for those who are not officially employees, but volunteers. We love these brethren and their websites have a lot of very valuable gospel material. I use them regularly to get their opinions on many things not including geography, the method of translation of the plates, or the hill Cumorah being in Mexico somewhere. We love our Church just as we know those who believe in the Mesoamerican theory love the Church.
“The FIRM Foundation (Foundation for Indigenous Research and Mormonism) is an organization dedicated to showing forth evidence for the Book of Mormon in order to provide The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint members with well-researched information enabling them to powerfully and respectfully defend its historicity and thus its truthfulness – with the ultimate goal of bringing people unto Christ.
The FIRM Foundation believes The Book of Mormon events in the New World occurred in North America in the Heartland of the United States. This is the reason many call us “Heartlanders.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is neutral on this subject. Our information is based on our own personal beliefs in regard to: archaeology, anthropology, text of the Book of Mormon, distances, geology, and we believe the many rivers were the highways of the ancients including the Nephites.
No information or opinions of the FIRM Foundation represent The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The owner and employees are members of the LDS Church and in good standing. FIRM Foundation is not neutral in our opinion about the geography of the Book of Mormon.” Rod Meldrum
“I know the Brethren of the Church take a neutral position on the geography of the Book of Mormon. I love and support the Brethren. For you and me to take a neutral stand is not required. The Lord told us to read and study, and in the promise to Moroni, He said we may know the truth of ALL things, and I feel that could include knowing the location of the Book of Mormon events if that is desirable. I believe knowledge of the Spirit and of the head, are both important in learning truth. As Elder Holland in 2018 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.”
I think there is importance in the Brethren being neutral on Geography, Evolution and other difficult issues. They want us to gain our own witness to secondary information. They have given us sound doctrine and that is what we should focus on. I know through the Spirit that the Book of Mormon is true. However, I love to seek for other truth and as Moroni has said “I may know the truth of all things.
I believe our friend Jonathan Neville has shared some great information below in regard the beliefs of Book of Mormon Central and others like them including The Interpreter, FairMormon, Meridian Magazine and others. I want you to have some information that I think is good to explain the various beliefs. Again we love these other groups and pray that we may all love each other and the Lord.” Rian Nelson
Here’s the Dilemma “I fully share the objectives of Book of Mormon Central (BMC) in terms of sharing the Book of Mormon. I love all the people associated with BMC and its affiliates. They’re all wonderful people. I support about 90% of what they do and wish I could support the rest. However, I think their focus on M2C undermines their objectives for all the reasons I’ve explained.
At the very least, they should represent all faithful views and interpretations of the Book of Mormon, but they refuse. They have earned the nickname Book of Mormon Central America because that’s the only theory of geography they permit on their web site. They continue to censor alternative faithful views.
Like its predecessor FARMS, BMC is the antithesis of diversity and neutrality, but for obvious reasons they want everyone to think they follow the Church’s policy of neutrality on Book of Mormon geography issues, as well as the policy against contention.
Let’s see what the reality is.
As always, I’m eager to correct any errors in this material, so if there are any, please let me know by email. _____
First, let’s review the history of M2C.
1917 map of M2C by L.E. Hills
M2C originated over 100 years ago with the work of RLDS scholars, including Stebbins and Hills. You can see the 1917 map by Hills to the left. Some details in the map are different from some modern M2C maps, but the Hills map clearly shows Cumorah/Ramah in Central America.
Cumorah was part of the contest between the RLDS and LDS, as I discussed in more detail here.
In the late 1800s, the President of the RLDS Church was Joseph Smith III, the son of Joseph Smith Jr. RLDS missionaries were coming to Utah and converting LDS members to their church. By one count, 3,000 LDS in Utah converted to the RLDS church.
In response, Brigham Young called Joseph F. Smith, the 27-year-old son of Hyrum Smith, to the First Presidency, where he served the remainder of his life.
Joseph Smith III and Joseph F. Smith were first cousins. Their rivalry was partly doctrinal but also familial.
RLDS scholars developed M2C about the time that LDS President Joseph F. Smith focused on the New York Cumorah. As editor of the Improvement Era in 1899, President Smith republished Letter VII, reaffirming President Cowdery’s declaration that it was a fact that the hill Cumorah in New York was the scene of the final battles of the Nephites and Jaredites, as well as the location of Mormon’s depository of Nephite records.
After he became President of the Church, Joseph F. Smith wanted to purchase the Hill Cumorah in New York. RLDS scholars were saying, in effect, “go ahead, but the real Cumorah is in Mexico.”
Over the objections of LDS Church leaders such as Joseph Fielding Smith, LDS scholars adopted the RLDS theory. Today’s M2C is the result. _____
The clearest statement of the philosophical basis for M2C was provided by Dr. John Sorenson, author of Mormon’s Codex and other M2C books and articles found in BMC’s archive. Original in blue, my comments in red.
What may startle some about this situation is that most of what Joseph Smith said or implied about geography indicates that he did not understand or was ambiguous about the fact, as it turns out, that Mesoamerica was the particular setting for Nephite history.
Notice: Brother Sorenson announces that the Mesoamerican setting is a fact.
That is how M2C intellectuals define “neutrality,” and that’s what “neutrality” means to their followers, employees, and donors. They are “neutral” only about where in Mesoamerica the Book of Mormon took place, but they insist it could have taken place only somewhere in Mesoamerica.
Continuing: Until he encountered the Stephens’s book, Joseph gave no hint that he was aware that such a limited area with a distinctive civilized culture even existed in the Americas. Even with Stephens’s material in mind, he made no more than a passing attempt to relate the Book of Mormon’s story to the newly-found ruins. And in the long run, the little blip on the Latter-day Saints’ mental screen caused by the explorer’s book faded as the mistaken folk view reasserted its dominance.
Notice what he’s saying here. All the prophets and apostles who declared and affirmed that Cumorah was in New York were misleading members of the Church with a “mistaken folk view.”
That’s the essence of M2C. You can ask anyone associated with Book of Mormon Central what they think about the teachings of the prophets about Cumorah. After trying to evade the question, they will eventually admit they agree with Brother Sorenson. They might try to persuade you that they are “neutral” because they disagree with Brother Sorenson about which river is Sidon, or exactly where in Mesoamerica a particular city or feature is located, but they agree with everything he wrote in the quotation above. That’s the essence of M2C.
We have Hebrew (Old Testament). We have Egyptian (Book of Abraham) We have Greek (New Testament). And we have Mayan (Book of Mormon).
That’s as non-neutral as it gets. The logo is a carryover from the old FARMS, which was also 100% M2C, as discussed below.
This logo, heavily promoted with millions of dollars, announces to the world that there is no room for an interpretation of the Book of Mormon outside Mesoamerica. _____ Now, the people involved.
We love all these brothers and sisters. They are all wonderful, faithful, smart, etc. But they all have one thing in common: complete fidelity to M2C. Some of them are active in social media, pushing M2C aggressively. Maybe we’ll look at some examples of their work, but anyone following this topic knows what I’m referring to.
It is difficult to find more dogmatic groupthink than what exists among the BMC staff.
I tried really hard, though, and came across this group.
Actually, there was more “neutrality” about President Trump among the Democrats at Jim Clyburn’s recent fish fry than there is “neutrality” about Book of Mormon geography at BMC.
_____
The BMC editorial position, demonstrated in their archive as well as their regular Kno-Why series, focuses purely on M2C.
They oppose the New York Cumorah at every opportunity because they equate M2C with the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. It’s M2C or bust. This explains why they think the stakes are so high, and why M2C promoters have such an emotional attachment to M2C.
Purchase Here This also explains why so many people (including BYU professors) lose their faith in the historicity of the Book of Mormon when they realize M2C is based on circular reasoning and illusory evidence (as well as the repudiation of the teachings of the prophets). Long ago, Joseph Fielding Smith warned that M2C would cause members of the Church to become confused and disturbed in their faith in the Book of Mormon. BMC rejects his warning, along with the teachings of all the prophets and apostles who have taught that the Hill Cumorah is in New York. BMC coordinates its M2C messages with several affiliates who also promote the same M2C message, including Fairmormon and the Interpreter. https://bookofmormoncentral.org/content/affiliates
The M2C editorial position is at the core of their approach to the Book of Mormon. BMC and the Interpreter had their origins in FARMS, an organization that was known for its dogmatism and aggressive apologetics. The BMC archive contains some of the FARMS material.
Let’s look at how M2C is incorporated in BMC’s official policies.
The legal organization behind Book of Mormon Central is the Book of Mormon Archaeological Forum, Inc., a 501 (c) 3 non-profit public charity chartered in the state of Utah in 2004. When people donate to BMC, they are really donating to BMAF. BMC donors are supporting the dissemination of M2C, as we discussed here.
And that’s perfectly fine, so long as they know what they’re doing.
For decades, BMAF’s mission statement read:
If you can’t read it, it says:
The Book of Mormon Archaeological Forum (BMAF) is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization dedicated as an open forum for presentation, dissemination, and discussion of research and evidences regarding Book of Mormon archaeology, anthropology, geography and culture within a Mesoamerican context.Our goals are (1) to increase understanding of the Book of Mormon as an ancient Mesoamerican codex, (2) to correlate and publish works of LDS and CofC scholars, (3) to help promote unity and cooperation among scholars and students of the Book of Mormon, and (4) to provide a forum where responsible scholars can present current ideas and discoveries.
After I publicized this mission statement, they changed the statement to what it currently reads:
MISSION STATEMENT
The Book of Mormon Archaeological Forum (BMAF) is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization dedicated as an open forum for presentation, dissemination, and discussion of research and evidences regarding Book of Mormon archaeology, anthropology, geography and culture within Mesoamerican and other ancient contexts.
Even when they made this change, they could not bring themselves to endorse neutrality. The “other ancient contexts” they refer to here are in the Old World. They are not referring to anywhere in the Americas other than Mesoamerica. This is evident in all their work. Anyone can see it for themselves.
BMC continues “to increase understanding of the Book of Mormon as an ancient Mesoamerican codex.” You can see it in the archive, their Kno-Whys, their social media work, their firesides, their coordinated efforts with other members of the M2C citation cartel, etc.
I’ve mentioned a few examples previously in this blog, which you can see by searching for “KnowWhy,” “Kno-Why” or “no-wise” in the search box. For example:
Book of Mormon Central Policy on Book of Mormon Geography – June 2016
Book of Mormon Central at this time is officially geography neutral. We seek deep understanding of the Book of Mormon text. We hope diligent students work together to achieve working consensus on the geographic correlation issue. Until that happens, our selection of exegetical material is guided by these principles:
In our hierarchy of evidence, the text itself is primary because it is closest to the divine.
If profound and compelling location-specific insights shed light on the text, we highlight these regardless of their geographic provenience.
We favor authors with credentials in their areas of interest.
We favor formally published works from reputable presses.
We welcome good work from any geographic persuasion that is responsive to these principles.
This is all window-dressing for Church leaders and donors. I’ve discussed the implementation here:
I’ll conclude this post with another official statement and its implementation by a BMC employee who demonstrates the deep emotional attachment BMC has with M2C.
Book of Mormon Central Social Media Policy
Joseph Smith emphatically taught, “Friendship is one of the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism. [It is designed] to revolutionize and civilize the world, and cause wars and contentions to cease and men to become friends and brothers” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 316). At Book of Mormon Central we strive to represent the very best of professional and personal characteristics in our private and public lives. The message of the Book of Mormon is so compelling and transformative that we have no need to engage in any form of negative public discourse, including in our professional and private social media accounts. Our tremendous work is our defense. We let it speak for itself. Diligently pursuing our mission is the most powerful and convincing way we can answer any contrary individuals or organizations.
To see how that policy is implemented, look at the following social media post by a BMC employee, one that Dan Peterson at the Interpreter endorses. (We aren’t putting any of Dan’s posts here because, technically, he’s not listed under BMC’s directory.)
You have abundantly proven that you are not somebody who can have a rational argument in good faith with an “M2C intellectual.” You have, repeatedly, demonized and belittled and cast aspersion on anybody who doesn’t accept your dogmatic interpretation of early Mormon historical sources relevant to Book of Mormon geography. This isn’t just a matter of having differences of opinion. As your blog posts have more than demonstrated, you have a personal vendetta against the “citation cartel” (which is, in reality, peer reviewed academic scholarship, as opposed to your own brand of trashy Internet pseudo-scholarship) and anybody who is out of step with your narrow and uncompromising Heartland apologetics.
I suspect I know why you are so personally angry and upset at “M2C intellectuals.” It must be very frustrating that your pseudo-scholarship which you’ve invested so much time and energy into is not making mainstream inroads in Mormon studies. It must be frustrating to be a laughingstock at the Church History Department and amongst BYU faculty. It must be frustrating that the best you can do is publish semi-coherent ramblings on obscure personal blogs or with no-name presses. But just know that it isn’t anything personal: it’s because both your Mormon history and your Book of Mormon geography are nonsense and you’re a deeply unpleasant person to interact with..
I don’t know why you have chosen to become such a fanatic over this one issue, but I will say that it is genuinely sad that your testimony is so fragile that even the slightest contradiction of your pet theory causes your cognitive dissonance to flair up like lights on a Christmas tree.
I am content with what I wrote in my post and in the KnoWhy, and I’ll allow readers to decide for themselves which explanation they find more persuasive. I will not, however, waste further time or attention on your shenanigans. Like I said, since you refuse to engage people who disagree with you in good faith, and since you’re a close-minded fanatic, it would be utterly pointless for me to engage you any further.
I will just say this one thing: for all of your self-righteous preening about how you accept the apostles and the prophets, and how “M2C intellectuals” are subversive apostates, it is breathtakingly hypocritical for you to lambast the Church History Department and BYU faculty and Seminaries & Institutes faculty for not kowtowing to your theories, since all of them are ultimately hired by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. It is astoundingly hypocritical for you to criticize the “Correlation Department” of the Church, which approves “M2C” artwork and videos and articles in Church publications, when, again, the First Presidency and the Twelve are a part of Correlation. It is monstrously hypocritical of you to accuse Saints of being “revisionist history” attempting to deceive people about Book of Mormon geography when Saints has been authorized, reviewed, and approved by the First Presidency and the Twelve.
So please, Jonathan, spare us all the self-righteous BS about how “M2C intellectuals” are trying to get people to disbelieve the prophets and apostles.
Because guess what: as long as you keep doing what you’re doing, you are, in fact, doing the exact same thing. As long as you keep screaming about “M2C intellectuals” ruining the Church, you’re actually telling people to disbelieve the modern prophets and apostles who keep hiring them to work for the Church and guide the Church’s membership in intellectual and historical matters.
“Physician, heal thyself!” _____
That last sentence is good advice for everyone.
Source: About Central America by Jonathan Neville
An Absurd Character Assassination From a Meso-Blogger called Peter Pan here
Titled: Neville-Neville Land Refuting the errors of Jonathan Neville and the Heartland hoax
“Jonathan Neville has continued his long slide into apostasy by claiming that today’s Church leaders are no longer teaching important truths in General Conference.
This is the same pattern the Latter-day Saints have seen time and time again since 1830: Someone accuses the prophet and other general authorities of being “out of the way,” while they themselves claim to know the truth. Sooner or later, they declare the Church to be in apostasy and break off to form their own church. There have been hundreds of such offshoots; one recent example is the cult of Denver Snuffer. Heartlanders like Jonathan Neville aren’t far behind them.” Peter Pan
Below is another article by Peter Pan who gets our position very wrong.
FIRM Foundation accuses the Church of deceiving the elect HERE
By Peter | Tags: Apostasy, Church leadership, Conspiracy theories, First Presidency, Heartland hoax, Rodney Meldrum, Seer stones, Self-awareness
“The Foundation for Indigenous Research and Mormonism Foundation (or “FIRM Foundation”) was formed by Rodney Meldum in 2008. It is the leading organization in the “Heartland” Book of Mormon movement.
Jonathan Neville is a frequent contributor to the FIRM Foundation’s website and frequent speaker at their conferences. He’s also collaborated with Rod Meldrum on Heartland publications, including their Annotated Edition of the Book of Mormon. Neville isn’t responsible for things done by the FIRM Foundation, but he is an important individual within that circle.
On February 17, 2020, the FIRM Foundation posted the following on their Facebook page:
FIRM Foundation Facebook post from February 17, 2020 (Note: The date of Ezra Taft Benson’s BYU address was October 25, 1966, not 1996.)
Here we see yet another example of Heartlanders accusing the Church and its leaders of being fallen or in apostasy and needing correction. According to Rodney Meldrum’s FIRM Foundation, the Church today is teaching “things that do not square with the truth” because the devil is “trying to deceive the very elect.” That, according to them, is why Church publications include statements about Joseph Smith engaging in supposedly “occultic” practices like using seer stones. The Heartlanders are, of course, “the wheat,” while everyone else who believes these supposedly false teachings—including President Russell M. Nelson himself—are “the tares.”
This has been a significant step taken by all apostate groups before they split from the main body of the Church: Accuse its leaders of being “out of the way” and not teaching true principles. The leaders and followers of such groups, of course, believe that they are teaching the truth and that the leaders of the Church need to come into alignment with them.” Peter Pan
Rian Nelson’s Response:
“I wish Peter and his Pan would fess up to his secrecy. What is he hiding? I personally put up the quote above from Pres Benson last Feb. It fit perfectly into my feelings that many in the church even the very elect will be deceived. My mind has never been on the General Authorities or leadership of the church although some GA’s have led some astray in the past. The Brethren are NOT leading anyone into apostacy and they are men who I and all those at the firm foundation love and respect. Please
President Nelson and the Apostles are wonderful men and lead and guide the Lord’s true Church. I have always felt as has Rod or any other person associated with the FIRM Foundation that we love and follow the Lord through His Apostles and Prophets. Mr. Peter Pan is lying and it is not right to promote such slander. If any of you reading this post decide to email him please be nice and loving as we don’t want to treat others as he is treating us.
We advise our Heartland supporters and all people to be kind to those of other Apologetic groups just as we should be kind to all of God’s children. We are simply requesting an honest treatment from these other groups and find some way of working together to build the Lord’s Kingdom and share Christ together with the world.” Rian Nelson
Note: Josiah Stowell would have seen the Original Set of Plates buried in the Stone Box that Joseph received which were translated at the Hale home in Harmony, PA. As we will explain, there is a second set of plates called “The Small Plates of Nephi” that were in the Cave at Cumorah that were first seen by Mary Whitmer which were translated at the Whitmer Farm. See blog about Mary Whitmer and others seeing the plates.
TWO SETS OF PLATES; ONE HILL CUMORAH
(1)= The Smaller Stone Box where the Original Plates were found by Joseph with the Spectacles and Breastplate. (2) =The Cave at Cumorah that had many plates including the Small Plates of Nephi, and the Liahona and Sword.
“I [Mormon] made this record out of the Plates of Nephi, and hid up in the hill Cumorah all the records which had been entrusted to me by the hand of the Lord, save it were these few plates (1) which I gave unto my son Moroni” (Mormon 6:6). “The depository in the Hill Cumorah in New York was the site of all the Nephite records.(2) Mormon gave his abridgment of the Large Plates of Nephi to Moroni, who added the abridgment of the Book of Ether along with his commentary and included his own record whereupon he “sealed” the record.(1) Moroni put this set of plates into the stone box (1) he constructed in a separate department (2) of the Hill Cumorah, as Orson Pratt explained in 1882. The plates in the stone box (1) were called the “Original Book of Mormon” as Joseph Smith described it.
“Joseph translated all of these plates (1) (except the sealed portion) in Harmony, PA with Oliver Cowdery as the scribe. He translated the title page there, which was on the last leaf of the plates. Then he and Oliver discussed going back to re-translate the Book of Lehi, the original translation of which Martin Harris had lost. Instead, the Lord told them they’d have to translate the plates of Nephi (2)—except they didn’t have the plates of Nephi. (See p. xxxi, Doctrine and Covenants 10).
“Joseph gave the Harmony plates (1) (the Plates of Mormon) to a divine messenger before leaving Harmony. After Joseph, Oliver, and David Whitmer arrived in Fayette, a messenger (probably the same one) brought the Small Plates of Nephi (2) from the repository in the Hill Cumorah. Joseph, therefore, translated the Small Plates of Nephi in Fayette, NY” (2) – Jonathan Neville, Whatever Happened to the Golden Plates ?, Digital Legend [2016].
Map Josiah Stowell’s Home and Area
1- South Bainbridge Joseph Smith Jr. and Emma Hale were married here on January 18, 1827 (see JS—H 1:57). 2- Colesville The first branch of the Church was organized at the Joseph Knight Sr. home, in Colesville Township, in 1830. 3- Joseph Smith Jr. Home in Harmony Much of the translation of the Book of Mormon was completed here. The priesthood was restored nearby in 1829 (see D&C 13; 128:20; JS—H 1:71–72). 4-Fayette The Three Witnesses saw the gold plates and the angel Moroni here (D&C 17). The Book of Mormon translation was completed here in June 1829. The Church was organized here on April 6, 1830 (see D&C 20–21).
Joseph Hires with Josiah Stowell (Stoal) JSH 1:56
“In the year 1823 my father’s family met with a great affliction by the death of my eldest brother, Alvin. In the month of October, 1825,I hired with an old gentleman by the name of Josiah Stoal, who lived in Chenango county, State of New York.He had heard something of a silver mine having been opened by the Spaniards in Harmony, Susquehanna county, State of Pennsylvania; and had, previous to my hiring to him, been digging, in order, if possible, to discover the mine. After I went to live with him, he took me, with the rest of his hands, to dig for the silver mine, at which I continued to work for nearly a month, without success in our undertaking, and finally I prevailed with the old gentleman to cease digging after it. Hence arose the very prevalent story of my having been a money-digger.
Josiah Stoal (Stowell)
During the time that I was thus employed, I was put to board with a Mr. Isaac Hale, of that place; it was there I first saw my wife (his daughter), Emma Hale. On the 18th of January, 1827, we were married, while I was yet employed in the service of Mr. Stoal.
Owing to my continuing to assert that I had seen a vision, persecution still followed me, and my wife’s father’s family were very much opposed to our being married. I was, therefore, under the necessity of taking her elsewhere; so we went and were married at the house of Squire Tarbill, in South Bainbridge, Chenango county, New York. Immediately after my marriage, I left Mr. Stoal’s, and went to my father’s, and farmed with him that season.
At length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate.On the twenty-second day of September, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven, having gone as usual at the end of another year to the place where they were deposited, the same heavenly messenger delivered them up to me with this charge: that I should be responsible for them; that if I should let them go carelessly, or through any neglect of mine, I should be cut off; but that if I would use all my endeavors to preserve them, until he, the messenger, should call for them, they should be protected.
I soon found out the reason why I had received such strict charges to keep them safe, and why it was that the messenger had said that when I had done what was required at my hand, he would call for them. For no sooner was it known that I had them, than the most strenuous exertions were used to get them from me. Every stratagem that could be invented was resorted to for that purpose. The persecution became more bitter and severe than before, and multitudes were on the alert continually to get them from me if possible. But by the wisdom of God, they remained safe in my hands, until I had accomplished by them what was required at my hand. When, according to arrangements, the messenger called for them, I delivered them up to him; and he has them in his charge until this day, being the second day of May, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.” JSH 1:56-60
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Archaeological and Historical Evidence- Josiah Stowell
“Josiah Stowell (or “Stoal”), was the first person other than Joseph Smith to feel and heft the plates. Later, though, Stowell actually “testified under oath that he saw the plates the day Joseph first brought them home. As Joseph passed them through the window, Stowell saw a corner of the plates as a portion of the linen was pulled back. Stowell gave the court the dimensions of the plates and explained that they consisted of gold leaves with characters written on each sheet.
“it was unknown to Smith, that witness, (Josiah Stowell), saw a corner of the Bible, (Book of Mormon plates), so called by Smith; told the witness the leaves were of gold; there were written characters on the leaves; prisoner was commanded to translate the same by the Lord; and from the Bible got from the hill, as aforesaid, the prisoner said he translated the book of Mormon….” Two 1830 Court Cases belowSource
“It resembled a stone of a greenish caste; should judge it to have been about one foot square and six inches thick.” Josiah Stowell
(The most likely reason the plates had a greenish caste is that copper turns that color after of a few years, so the corners could well have ben a little greenish tint. This shows also, the plates were not made of gold but the majority were copper with a small amount of other ore. People have said if the plates were solid gold they may have weighed nearly 100 pounds).
The purpose of this blog is to make my readers aware of the new evil that is before us. A man named Phil Davis and his group called Doctrine of Christ, as he is up to deceiving the elite, the vulnerable or anyone who will listen. Please avoid him just as you are avoiding the Denver Snuffer, Mormon Stories with John Dehlin, Jeremy Runnels with the CES Letter and other evil anti-Mormon groups. If you would like to know details of these groups and others who are anti-Mormon please contact our wonderful friend Hannah Stoddard at: [email protected]
Official Position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
“We urge Church members to be cautious about participating in any group that promises-in exchange for money-miraculous healings or that claims to have special methods for accessing healing power outside of properly ordained priesthood holders,” said church spokesman Eric Hawkins.
Boyd K. Packer said,
“Many an academic giant is at once a spiritual pygmy and, if so, he is usually a moral weakling as well. Such a man may easily become a self-appointed member of a wrecking crew determined to destroy the works of God.
“Beware of the testimony of one who is intemperate, or irreverent, or immoral, who tears down and has nothing to put in its place.” (In Conference Report, Apr. 1974, p. 138; or Ensign, May 1974, p. 95.)
President Joseph F. Smith said,
Purchase Stoddard’s Faith Crisis Volume 1 NEW! May 2020 WE WERE NOT BETRAYED
“Among the Latter-day Saints, the preaching of false doctrines disguised as truths of the Gospel, may be expected from people of two classes, and practically from these only, they are:
“First—the hopelessly ignorant, whose lack of intelligence is due to their indolence and sloth, who make but feeble effort, if indeed any at all, to better themselves by reading and study; those who are afflicted with a dread disease that may develop into an incurable malady—laziness.
“Second—the proud and self-vaunting ones, who read by the lamp of their own conceit; who interpret by rules of their own contriving; who have become a law unto themselves, and so pose as the sole judges of their own doings. More dangerously ignorant than the first.” (Juvenile Instructor, Mar. 1906, p. 178.)
Keys for Avoiding Deception
Enrichment J: Keys for Avoiding Deception, Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual (2002)
Introduction Since the councils in the premortal world Lucifer has “sought … the misery of all mankind” (2 Nephi 2:18). He “sought to destroy the agency of man” (Moses 4:3), “to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive … even as many as would not hearken unto [the Lord’s] voice” (Moses 4:4). President Joseph F. Smith warned the Saints of the continuation of Satan’s workings: “Let it not be forgotten that the evil one has great power in the earth, and that by every possible means he seeks to darken the minds of men and then offers them falsehood and deception in the guise of truth. Satan is a skillful imitator, and as genuine gospel truth is given the world in ever increasing abundance, so he spreads the counterfeit coin of false doctrine. Beware of his spurious currency, it will purchase for you nothing but disappointment, misery and spiritual death. The ‘father of lies’ he has been called, and such an adept has he become through the ages of practice in his nefarious work, that were it possible he would deceive the very elect.” (Juvenile Instructor, Sept. 1902, p. 562.)
In order to be able to discern the deceptions, imitations, and counterfeits, one must be able to recognize manifestations that are real, legitimate, and true. The Savior warned that in the last days “there shall also arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch, that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant” (JS—M 1:22). It is important to understand the principles that will enable one to avoid the deceptions of Satan.” Source
Question: What do you get when you combine Denver Snuffer with Chad Daybell?
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“Answer: Phil Davis [And as I understand the money supporter, Justin Griffin]
“There is a disturbing movement among members of a group called the ‘Doctrine of Christ’ to believe that Brigham Young killed Joseph Smith. Members of the ‘Doctrine of Christ’ group are disaffected members of the Church who are influenced by a man named Phil Davis. He is a single man living in Utah County who use to own a Chocolate Factory.
Every person with truth in their heart should stare at such an evil falsehood. For it is a grievous matter to see members of the Church- who are duped by the devil- gather themselves together and cause others to stumble after them. The Doctrine of Christ website states that they are “An open community of believers who seek to learn, follow, teach and value the ‘doctrine of Christ’ above all else”.
However, if you examine them you will not find anything but contradiction and rejection to every principle of truth restored by the Prophet Joseph Smith. In addition to this diabolic claim that Brigham Young killed Joseph Smith,Phil Davis also teaches his followers that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints DOES NOT have the Melchizedek Priesthood. And the story gets even more sinister… Phil Davis claims that Joseph Smith has returned to the earth and is translating the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon.YES!! They really believe he is working with a reincarnated Joseph Smith to restore a terrestrial order to the earth. Unfortunately, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will not have access to the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon, according to Davis. Only those who have received a “baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost” performed by a person or angel with the Melchizedek Priesthood will have the sealed portion.
Avoid Evil
The allegations and charges made by Phil Davis and ‘Doctrine of Christ’ members about Brigham Young and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have serious and eternal implications for members of the Church that demand close investigation. Let’s Begin our Investigation of Phil Davis In a podcast archived on their website called “Personal Experiences and Waking up to Christ” recorded on April 9, 2020, Phil Davis tells his eager and gullible listeners a wild, sensational, and very disturbing experience he claims he had in 2015 after he spent a few days camping with some friends at Parowan Gap in Central Utah. If you have read this far, get some popcorn. Phil’s story will have you on the edge of your seat. It is unlike anything you have ever read in scripture. It is so sensational in fact that there is not a single person in all of the scriptures who has ever had a more spectacular spiritual experience than Phil Davis. Are you ready for it? Please try not to laugh because there are people that hang on to every word Phil says and follow him without reservation. We should pray for them.
Phil describes Parowan Gap as a temple site with an ancient blood and peace altar. He and his unidentified buddies went to spend a few days in Parowan Gap to “make themselves more Holy”. When they get there he claims ‘the spirit’ told him to build an altar. Before I continue, I just want to point out that there are two kinds of “spirits”. The Holy Spirit and the Unholy Spirit. Not all inspiration is from God. The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1831, ‘Behold, verily I say unto you, that there are many spirits which are false spirits, which Have gone forth in the earth, deceiving the world”. According to Phil Davis, the “spirit” tells him to build an altar. So they build an altar. Then the “spirit’ tells him to pitch the doors of his tent to surround the altar. He and his buddies spend the rest of the night around this altar. Then they retire to their tents to have all-night prayers with the intention that they would assemble together again at 4 am around the altar. However, Phil missed three nights of sleep in preparation for this trip so he was physically ill from lack of sleep so he fell asleep and couldn’t wake up until 9 o’clock the next morning. They resume their worship around the altar when the “spirit” tells Phil to take the sacrament. As he is taking the sacrament, the sun comes up over the horizon and he begins to visualize that Christ is also ascending over the horizon and light, glory, and fire are coming off of Christ’s body. Phil then begins to visualize Christ’s light, glory, and power coming into his body and it initiates a baptism of fire. Phil then begins to proclaim the Hosanna shout as loud as he can. As he was proclaiming the Hosanna shout fire comes down from the sky and the altar becomes a temple altar. Then another man joins in and starts proclaiming the Hosanna shout and fire comes down from the sky again and the altar now becomes an altar in the Holy of Holies.
Avoid this Movie By Phil Davis and Justin Griffin
At this point, Phil discovers that his Spirit is no longer in his body and he is transfigured like Moses. He finds himself standing outside a large stone building in a location he has never been before. He ascends the steps and comes to a large door. The door has a series of locks on it and he looks down at his waist and sees a set of keys. He precedes to unlock the locks on the door and goes inside. Inside he sees a very narrow set of stairs without handrails. Phil then precedes to wash in a large basin of water and a man comes forward and begins to clothe him in a white robe. Then the man brings forward armor and a sword and Phil is clothed with the armor. He then ascends the stairs and comes to a second door with no locks. He opens the door and it looks like he is looking into the center of the sun. He enters the door and begins to ascend upward at a rapid speed. He then finds himself standing in a room high above the earth. In the middle of the room was who he alleges is Jesus Christ. Phil tells this being he believes to be Christ that he desires to be a witness to the atonement. He claims he is taken to Gethsemane where he witnesses the atonement in 3rd person but also gets to enter Christ’s body (that’s not creepy at all) to actually feel the pain of Christ’s suffering.
Several months later Phil goes to his private altar up Provo canyon where his spirit leaves his body and again he is in “Christ’s” presence. He parts several veils and Christ presents him to the Father. He then has a vision open up of the “end times” and he asks Christ to be sent on a mission and as his spirit is standing above his body a horizontal portal opens up and he goes inside and finds himself in a strange land where he saves a Christian lady from being killed by Muslims. He enters the portal again and then finds himself back in his body. He concludes by describing his experience by stating and I quote: “So in preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in Glory, the heavens are again opened in ways that have not been opened since the days of Joseph Smith”. Clearly alleging that the heavens have been sealed until he had this experience.
These sensational experiences are similar to what Chad Daybell and several other excommunicated energy healers have described. The scriptures warn us about Satan transforming himself into an angel of light in order to deceive and devour the weak-minded and those who lack knowledge. Altars are for consecrated temples that have been set apart by those who hold Priesthood keys and preside over the Church. Individuals who build “altars” in the mountains and worship around them are acting outside the bounds of Priesthood authority and they open themselves up to the Devil who is anxious to flatter them with “spiritual experiences”. In conclusion, These are the people who want you to believe that Brigham Young killed Joseph Smith that Joseph Smith has returned to the earth and is working with Phil Davis. They also want you to believe the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not have the Melchizedek Priesthood so you need a man like Phil Davis who can provide a Melchizedek Priesthood baptism in order to enter into the Terrestrial Order. #DOCTRINEOFCHRIST #theveryelectwillbedeceived”. By LDS Energy Healing/Emotion Code Exposed
Many of the Quotes below are from: Keys for Avoiding Deception from the Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual.
Joseph Smith’s Instructions
Joseph Smith helped restore the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods.
The Prophet Joseph Smith instructed that the manifestation of these gifts was not for public display but rather to benefit those who were already believers and who were striving to build the work of God (see History of the Church, 5:27–29). The nature of the gifts of the Spirit is that their effects are not readily visible when they are received. The Prophet said: “There are several gifts mentioned here, yet which of them all could be known by an observer … ? The word of wisdom, and the word of knowledge, are as much gifts as any other, yet if a person possessed both of these gifts, … who would know it? Another might receive the gift of faith, and they would be as ignorant of it. Or suppose a man had the gift of healing or power to work miracles, that would not then be known; it would require time and circumstances to call these gifts into operation.” (History of the Church, 5:29–30.)
Some Manifestations Are Not of the Spirit
Using the Doctrine and Covenants as a guide, Elder Marion G. Romney provided the following rules to aid in discerning the differences of manifestations:
“By the statement in the revelation on spiritual gifts, ‘… it is given by the Holy Ghost to some to know the diversities of operations, whether they be of God, … and to others the discerning of spirits’ [D&C 46:16, 23], it appears that there are some apparently supernatural manifestations which are not worked by the power of the Holy Ghost. The truth is there are many which are not. The world today is full of counterfeits. It has always been so. …
“The Saints were cautioned by the Lord to walk uprightly before him, doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving, that they might ‘… not be seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of devils, or the commandments of men.’ [D&C 46:7.] …
“These citations not only sustain the proposition that there are counterfeits to the gifts of the spirit, but they also suggest the origin of the counterfeits. However, we are not required to rely alone upon their implications, plain as they are, for the Lord states specifically that some of the counterfeits ‘… are of men, and others of devils.’ [D&C 46:7.]
“Some of these counterfeits are crude and easily detected, but others closely simulate true manifestations of the spirit. Consequently, people are confused and deceived by them. Without a key, one cannot distinguish between the genuine and the counterfeit.” (In Conference Report, Apr. 1956, p. 70.)
Distinguishing between the Manifestations of the Spirit and the Counterfeits
The Prophet Joseph Smith emphasized the importance of being able to discern or distinguish between manifestations of the Spirit and counterfeits, between the genuine and the false. “A man must have the discerning of spirits before he can drag into daylight this hellish influence and unfold it unto the world in all its soul-destroying, diabolical, and horrid colors; for nothing is a greater injury to the children of men than to be under the influence of a false spirit when they think they have the Spirit of God. Thousands have felt the influence of its terrible power and baneful effects. Long pilgrimages have been undertaken, penances endured, and pain, misery and ruin have followed in their train; nations have been convulsed, kingdoms overthrown, provinces laid waste, and blood, carnage and desolation are habiliaments in which it has been clothed.” (History of the Church, 4:573.)
The Doctrine and Covenants teaches: “And that which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness. That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day. … And I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you.” (D&C 50:23–25.)
There are manifestations of supernatural power outside the Church. The Prophet Joseph Smith noted: “One great evil is, that men are ignorant of the nature of spirits; … and imagine that when there is anything like power, revelation, or vision manifested, that it must be of God” (Teachings, p. 203.) He noted keys for telling when a gift is from God. Of manifestations that overwhelm or incapacitate a person with something inexpressible, he asked: “Is there any intelligence communicated?” (p. 204). Of manifestations in which a person writhes or babbles or loses control, he said, “Now God never had any prophets that acted in this way; there was nothing indecorous in the proceeding of the Lord’s prophets in any age [see 1 Corinthians 14:32]” (p. 209). “A man must have the discerning of spirits … to understand these things. … ‘Christ ascended into heaven, and gave gifts to men; and He gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers.’ [See Ephesians 4:8, 10.] And how were [they] chosen? By prophecy (revelation) and by laying on of hands—by a divine communication, and a divinely appointed ordinance—through the medium of the Priesthood, organized according to the order of God” (p. 206).
President Harold B. Lee,
Cautioned that some people may not follow the line of authority in the Church:
“We call upon you holders of the priesthood to stamp out any such [false doctrines] and to set to flight all such things as are creeping in, people rising up here and there who have had some ‘marvelous’ kind of a manifestation, as they claim, and who try to lead the people in a course that has not been dictated from the heads of the Church.
Joseph Smith wrote: “The great difficulty lies in the ignorance of the nature of spirits, of the laws by which they are governed, and the signs by which they may be known; if it requires the Spirit of God to know the things of God; and the spirit of the devil can only be unmasked through that medium, then it follows as a natural consequence that unless some person or persons have a communication, or revelation from God, unfolding to them the operation of the spirit, they must eternally remain ignorant of these principles. … Whatever we may think of revelation, … without it we can neither know nor understand anything of God, or the devil.” (History of the Church, 4:573–74.)
Joseph F. Smith, Anthon H. Lund, and Charles W. Penrose wrote in 1913 about those who make false claims or declare erroneous doctrines:
“When visions, dreams, tongues, prophecy, impressions or any extraordinary gift or inspiration conveys something out of harmony with the accepted revelations of the Church or contrary to the decisions of its constituted authorities, Latter-day Saints may know that it is not of God, no matter how plausible it may appear. Also they should understand that directions for the guidance of the Church will come, by revelation, through the head. All faithful members are entitled to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for themselves, their families, and for those over whom they are appointed and ordained to preside. But anything at discord with that which comes from God through the head of the Church is not to be received as authoritative or reliable. In secular as well as spiritual affairs, Saints may receive Divine guidance and revelation affecting themselves, but this does not convey authority to direct others, and is not to be accepted when contrary to Church covenants, doctrine or discipline, or to known facts, proven truths, or good common sense. No person has the right to induce his fellow members of the Church to engage in speculations or take stock in ventures of any kind on the specious claim of Divine revelation or vision or dream, especially when it is in opposition to the voice of recognized authority, local or general. The Lord’s Church ‘is a house of order.’ It is not governed by individual gifts or manifestations, but by the order and power of the Holy Priesthood as sustained by the voice and vote of the Church in its appointed conferences.
“The history of the Church records many pretended revelations claimed by imposters or zealots who believed in the manifestations they sought to lead other persons to accept, and in every instance, disappointment, sorrow and disaster have resulted therefrom. Financial loss and sometimes utter ruin have followed. …
“Be not led by any spirit or influence that discredits established authority, contradicts true scientific principles and discoveries, or leads away from the direct revelations of God for the government of the Church. The Holy Ghost does not contradict its own revealings. Truth is always harmonious with itself. Piety is often the cloak of error. The counsels of the Lord through the channel he has appointed will be followed with safety. Therefore, O! ye Latter-day Saints, profit by these words of warning.” (In Clark, Messages of the First Presidency, 4:285–86.) Source of most quotes here
Joseph Smith’s Historically Verifiable Written Statements
“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 Accounts and 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
Faithful Question
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 some of your relatives maybe didn’t like 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 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.” 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 was 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.
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.”
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
1875 Leslies illustrated June 5 – Mormons baptise Indians at St. George Utah.
“The Church did move to the Rocky Mountains into the midst of the Indians or Lamanites -or more properly speaking the Jews-and here expect to live until we move to the spirit land or the Lord moves us somewhere else.” Oliver B. Huntington, “Prophecy,” Young Woman’s Journal 2, no. 7 (April 1891): 314-15
[The Heartland Research Group headed by John Lefgren PhD, with Mike and Betty Lafontaine, have 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.
The most exciting news in many years, is the 600 BC replica ‘Phoenicia’ is being re-assembled on the banks of the Mississippi River near Montrose, Iowa. Mike and Betty LaFontaine purchased the original Philip Beale ‘Phoenicia’ which sailed over 30,000 nautical miles from the Old world to America in 2009 and another voyage in 2020.
This area of Iowa across the river from Nauvoo, Illinois is very sacred that the ‘Phoenicia’ sits on. The Heartland Research Group also owns significant land in Montrose Iowa as you see below.
Mike and Betty LaFontaine awarding Captain Philip Beale with a hand made drum constructed by Mike and Painted by Betty, after the Captains last voyage on the ‘Phoenicia’ in 2020.
“For my people, the Dine’ oral tradition says that we came to this land from the East direction, at first light as the sun rises we give thanks for all we have in the east direction. Our homes face the east direction, we believe to have come here from the east by The Holy People.
When I first learned of the Phoenicia and its beginning and how it sailed here to North America she fascinated me, especially learning of replication of a 600 BC ship. The timeline of The Book of Mormon and the stories of my people coming to this sacred land America. I believe The Phoenicia is a special ship, I believe she has a Spirit of discovery and a mission. In 2019 she came to the shore of Ft Lauderdale, I boarded her and instantly felt her Spirit, I thought of how it was very possible a ship like her came to North America carrying my Ancestors of The Book of Mormon! She had a rough couple of years and even made it through a bad Tropical storm, and had some damage. Mike and I drove to Ft Lauderdale in December 2021 to see her. As I walked around and touched her worn wood I instantly felt a strong presence, she lives! She has a story to tell, others need to see her, touch her and hear her story.
Her figurehead a horse head on the bow of the ship was damaged but still made her beautiful presence known. She lives and must live on were my thoughts, when we visited her that day in the shipyard in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. She will need love and care to bring her back to where she will continue her story. Philip Beale sailed her to America to tell a story without really knowing our story and the time era of 600 BC and what that means to us. May we continue her story here in America” Red Ant
600 BC Phoenicia Expedition Ship with Horse-Head Prows
“The Heartland Research Group is a grassroots, boots-on-the-ground organization that believes that the historical narrative of the Book of Mormon took place in the Heartland of North America. The HRG is active in archaeological research and in the acquisition, restoration and display of ancient American artifacts. The HRG is currently preparing an ancient ship replica called the “Phoenicia” for display. The ships construction design is patterned after a shipwreck dating to 600 BC. The Phoenicia ship made modern voyages, first around Africa and then also from the Middle East to Florida in 2019 – proving that voyages around Africa or from Sidon to North America were feasible anciently.” Heartland Research Group
We invite you to support our efforts financially so we can complete these worthy goals! See their website here: phoenicia.rocks
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.
Hugh Nibley said, “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.
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. 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. Source Here and Here
Art by Ken Corbett and Rian Nelson
*Is there evidence for the transfiguration of Brigham Young?
James F. Stoddard IV and Aaron R. Halsell
“The day is Thursday, August 8, 1844. Six weeks to the day have passed since the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith on June 27, 1844. The majority of the Twelve Apostles have recently returned from missions1 and some are still stunned and disheartened by the loss of their Prophet. Upon their arrival they find “Sidney Rigdon busy among the Saints, trying to establish his claim to the presidency of the Church.”2 According to a report issued by the Times and Seasons:
[A] special meeting of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, convened at the stand in the city of Nauvoo, President Brigham Young, called the audience to order, and arranged the several quorums according to their standing, and the rules of the church. The meeting had been previously called, as stated, to choose a guardian, or trustee for said church.3
Sidney Rigdon
Opinions differ,4 either Sidney Rigdon, former First Counselor in the First Presidency,5 or the Quorum of the Twelve with Brigham Young at their head. The audience is divided as the polished and eloquent Sidney Rigdon commences his message. The old gentleman is charismatic and the arguments are compelling to some of the flock.6
Brigham Young, a man fiercely loyal to the Prophet Joseph Smith, current President of the Twelve and later to become known as the “Lion of the Lord”, takes the stand. Suddenly, the people arise “en-masse to their feet astonished.”7 One eyewitness later remembered, “it appeared that Joseph had returned and was speaking to the people.”8 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”.9 William Hyde later remembers:
[Brigham Young] then called upon the saints to know if they would receive the Twelve and let them stand in their place as the First Presidency of the Church in the absense of Joseph. The vote was unanimous in the affirmative. On this day it was plainly manifest that the mantle of Joseph had rested upon President Young.10James F. Stoddard IV and Aaron R. Halsell
Here are other evidences to pray about as you decide where the Book of Mormon Events happened. I believe the events happened right here in the USA.
Nephitish Altar
“…The remains of an old Nephite altar’” read from the sign at Adam-Ondi-Ahman
“George W. Robinson, a scribe of Joseph Smith who was with him at the time, writes: “We next kept [traveling] up the river mostly in the timber for ten miles, until we came to Colonel Lyman Wright’s who lives at the foot of Tower Hill. A name appropriated by President Smith in consequence of the remains of an old Nephitish Altar and Tower where we camped for the Sabbath.” (Scott H. Faulring ed., An American Prophet’s Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith, SLC: Signature Books, 1989, p. 184.) 1838 Joseph Smith, Jr. History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3:34-35 Quoted in Step by Step through the Book of Mormon by Alan C. Miner
“So what did Robinson mean when he said they discovered the remains of a “Nephtish” structure? It is important to note that the early Latter-day Saints clearly believed that the native North American tribes were descendants of the earlier Nephite-Lamanite civilization. With this belief, Robinson probably used the word “Nephitish” to indicate that the structure or altar was built by, or originated with, the North American Indians. He may have also used “Nephitish” to mean that the altar was of ancient origin. Therefore, what Robinson was attempting to describe were the remains of what appeared to be a sacred altar structure erected by early Native Americans.” (Alexander L. Baugh, “Joseph Smith in Northern Missouri,” in Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer, ed. Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Kent P. Jackson (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010), 291–346.) See article here about other Altars
Hopewellian Stone Tower
“We have been to Adam-Ondi-Ahman, and there are large stones scattered around on top of Tower Hill that are the remains of a structures, so it was apparently a Hopewellian stone tower or altar as indicated by Joseph. In connection with this, George W. Robinson in 1838 also wrote: “President Smith and myself . . . returned to the camp in Robinson’s Grove . We next scouted west in order to obtain some game to supply our necessities but found or killed none. We [found] some ancient antiquities about one mile west of the camp, which consisted of stone mounds , apparently laid up in square piles, though somewhat decayed and obliterated by the almost continual rains. Undoubtedly these were made to seclude some valuable treasures deposited by the aborigines of this land.” Faulring, Scott H. ed., 1989, An American Prophet’s Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith, Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books, p. 185, spelling corrected
Zelph of Zarahemla
Zelph a Man of God by Ken Corbett
“Before breaking camp the morning of June 3, the Prophet Joseph Smith, accompanied by several of the men, went to observe a large mound which was located approximately one mile below the Phillip’s Ferry crossing. It was of unusual size and lay within the proximity of a number of smaller mounds. Heber C. Kimball and Wilford Woodruff recorded in their journals that the mound was one hundred feet high and three hundred feet above the level of the river. The height of the mound enabled the men to look over the tops of the trees and view the surrounding area. At the crest of the mound, human bones were strewn around the base of what appeared to be a three-tiered altar. Heber C. Kimball wrote that the arrangement of the stones resembled the ancient order or altars..
Zelph in vision by Ken Corbett
The men were curious about the area, the mounds, and particularly about the scattered bones. As they began to descend the mound, Joseph Smith suddenly stopped, pointed to the ground, and said, “Brethren, dig in there.” When the earth had been removed to the depth of one or two feet, the men found the skeleton of a large man. Journal accounts state that, “the bones were all there and in a good state of preservation.” Buried in the backbone, between the ribs of the man was a stone arrowhead which Milton Holmes took. Examining the skeleton more closely, it was noted that one of the thigh bones had been previously broken and knitted together. The thigh bones and the arrowhead were taken back to camp and placed in Wilford Woodruff’s wagon. The skeleton was unusually large . It was estimated to be over eight feet tall.” James L. Bradley, Zion’s Camp 1834: Prelude to the Civil War (Salt Lake City: Publishers Press, 1990), p. 207.
Letter to Emma by Ken Corbett
“The whole of our journey, in the midst of so large a company of social honest and sincere men, wandering over the plains of the Nephites, recounting occasionally the history of the Book of Mormon, roving over the mounds of that once beloved people of the Lord, picking up their skulls & their bones, as a proof of its divine authenticity… During our travels we visited several of the mounds which had been thrown up by the ancient inhabitants of this country-Nephites, Lamanites, etc.” Joseph Smith Papers Letter to Emma Smith, 4 June 1834 Page 56
“On the top of the mound were stones which presented the appearance of three altars having been erected one above the other, according to the ancient order; and the remains of bones were strewn over the surface of the ground. The brethren procured a shovel and a hoe, and removing the earth to the depth of about one foot, discovered the skeleton of a man, almost entire, and between his ribs the stone point of a Lamanitish arrow, which evidently produced his death. Elder Burr Riggs retained the arrow. The contemplation of the scenery around us produced peculiar sensations in our bosoms; and subsequently the visions of the past being opened to my understanding by the Spirit of the Almighty, I discovered that the person whose skeleton was before us was a white Lamanite, a large, thick-set man, and a man of God. His name was Zelph. He was a warrior and chieftain under the great prophet Onandagus, who was known from the Hill Cumorah, or eastern sea to the Rocky mountains. The curse was taken from Zelph, or, at least, in part-one of his thigh bones was broken by a stone flung from a sling, while in battle, years before his death. He was killed in battle by the arrow found among his ribs, during the last great struggle of the Lamanites and Nephites.” Joseph Smith Papers History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834], Page 483
Book of Mormon City Manti
“The camp passed through Huntsville, in Randolph County, which has been appointed as one of the stakes of Zion, and is the ancient site of the City of Manti…” Millennial Star, vol. 16, p. 296 “September 25, 1838. We passed through Huntsville, Co, seat of Randolph Co, Pop. 450, and three miles further we bought 32 bu. of corn off one of the brethren who resides in this place. There are several of the brethren round about here and this is the ancient site of the City of Manti, which is spoken of in the Book of Mormon and this is appointed one of the Stakes of Zion, and it is in Randolph County, Missouri, three miles west of the county seat.” Journal of Samuel D. Tyler, filed in Church Historian’s Office. Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 3: 239 History of Joseph Smith page 296
“We came through Huntsville, the county seat of Randolph county . . . A mile and a half west of Huntsville we crossed the east branch of Chariton (River), and one and a half miles west of the river we found Ira Ames and some other brethren near the place where the city of Manti is to be built, and encamped for the night on Dark creek, six miles from Huntsville. Traveled this day seventeen miles. Distance from Kirtland, seven hundred and fifty-five miles.” Joseph Smith Documentary History of the Church, 3:10:144:1
Joseph Smith accompanied several Church members in exploring the area around Lyman Wight’s northern Missouri home. In his journal, A. Jenson wrote: “The [Kirtland] camp passed through Huntsville, in Randolph County, which has been appointed as one of the stakes of Zion, and is the ancient site of the City of Manti.” A. Jenson, Historical Record, Book 1, p. 601Millennial Star 16:296
Indians that now Inhabit this Country
“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…” Wentworth Letter reprinted in Ensign July 2002
Joseph said that “the Book of Mormon is a record of the forefathers of our western tribes of Indians . . . By it we learn that our western tribes of Indians are descendants from that Joseph that was sold into Egypt, and that the land of America is a promised land unto them.” Joseph Smith’s Letter to The American Revivalist Feb 2, 1833 (Quoted in Dean C. Jessee, The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1984), p. 273)
“He told me of a sacred record which was written on plates of gold, I saw in the vision the place where they were deposited, he said the Indians were the literal descendants of Abraham…” Joseph Smith Journal, November 9, 1835; The Joseph Smith Papers: Journals Volume 1:1832-1839 (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2008), 88-89.
“Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites—Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel;” BofM Title Page
“You shall go unto the Lamanites and preach my gospel unto them;… and no man knoweth where the city Zion shall be built, but it shall be given hereafter. Behold, I say unto you that it shall be on the borders by the Lamanites. D&C 28:8-9
The Lamanites that were first taught the gospel, as Parley Pratt says were the Native American Indians of the United States. There were two tribes of the Iroquois, Wyandot, and Cattaraugus, and two from the Algonquian, the Delaware or Leni Lape, and the Shawnee.
“Once the red men were many; they occupied the country from sea to sea — from the rising to the setting sun; the whole land . . . Thousands of moons ago, when the red men’s forefathers dwelt in peace and possessed this whole land the Great Spirit talked with them, and revealed His law and His will and much knowledge to their wise men and prophets. This they wrote in a Book . . . written on plates of gold and handed down from father to son for many ages and generations. It was then that the people prospered and were strong and mighty; they cultivated the earth, built buildings and cities and abounded in all good things, as the pale faces now do . . . This Book, which contained these things was hid in the earth by Moroni, in a hill called by him Cumorah, which hill is now in the state of New York, near the village of Palmyra, in Ontario county . . . 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 viz.: the Cattaraugus Indians, near Buffalo, N.Y., the Wyandots, of Ohio and the Delawares, west of Missouri.”Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, pp. 56-6; Documentary History of the Church Vol 1: Footnotes 183:2-18
“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… west of Missouri.” Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, p 56-61
“Now, to my story again. Besides the Delawares, Shawnees, Kickapoos, Wyandots, Pottowattomies, Senecas, Osages, Choctaws, Cherokees, Kaskaskias, Kansas, &c. &c. which our nation and the missionaries are domesticating as they are gathered, upon the southern limits of the land of Israel, the Pawnees, the Sioux, the Rickarees, the Mandans, the Nespersees, the Blackfeet, the Sacs, the Foxes, and many other tribes, rove and hunt from prairie to prairie, from river to river, from hill to hill, and from mountain to mountain, and live, and are blessed before the face of heaven daily as well as their contemporary whites; and, perhaps I may add, are as justifiable before God, as any people on the globe, called heathens. No church bell from its elevated steeple, rings “Go to meeting; it is Sunday,” while a dozen lesser ones, for stages and Steam boats, peal a ding dong “for parties of pleasure, as a holiday,” among these rude sons of the west.—And it is a difficult matter to make one soul of them believe the Great Spirit ever said, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,” while they know, that the majority of the white nation, use it for a holiday. No politicians boast of freedom and equal rights, while thousands are imprisoned for debt, or are in bondage: No; when the tribes are at peace, the Indian is free; his land is free; his game is free; his time is free, and all is free.” LETTER NO. II. From WW Phelps to Oliver Cowdery Liberty, Mo. Nov. 6, 1834
“I accordingly went down, and met Keokuk, Kis-Ku-Kosh, Appenoose, and about one hundred chiefs and braves of those tribes (Sac, Fox), with their families.” … and instructed them in many things which the Lord had revealed unto me concerning their fathers, and the promises that were made concerning them in the Book of Mormon.” Joseph Smith Papers; History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 Addenda page 10-11
Joseph Knew where the Book of Mormon took Place
“From this time forth, Joseph continued to receive instructions from the Lord, and we continued to get the children together every evening, for the purpose of listening while he gave us a relation of the same. I presume our family presented an aspect as singular as any that ever lived upon the face of the earth–all seated in a circle, father, mother, sons, and daughters, and giving the most profound attention to a boy, eighteen years of age, who had never read the Bible through in his life: he seemed much less inclined to the perusal of books than any of the rest of our children, but far more given to meditation and deep study… During our evening conversations, Joseph would occasionally give us some of the most amusing recitals that could be imagined. He would describe the ancient inhabitants of this continent, their dress, mode of traveling, and the animals upon which they rode, their cities, their buildings, with every particular; their mode of warfare; and also their religious worship. This he would do with as much ease, seemingly, as if he had spent his whole life with them.” Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1844–1845 Book 4 Joseph Smith Papers
One Cumorah
“I do not believe that the classrooms or the pulpits of our Church are for laboratory purposes in which to experiment with new doctrines and speculative notions. They are exclusively for the use of those who are willing to convert men and women and boys and girls to the truth. . . . I do not believe we should give credence to the highly speculative theories about Book of Mormon geography. I do not believe that there were two Hill Cumorahs, one in Central America and the other one up in New York, for the convenience of the Prophet Joseph Smith, so that the poor boy would not have to walk clear to Central America to get the gold plates. I do not believe we can be good Latter-day Saints and question the integrity of Joseph Smith. I do not believe we can be good Latter-day Saints and question the testimony of the eleven witnesses of the Book of Mormon. I do not believe you have a testimony of the truth if you question the accuracy of the translation of the Book of Mormon.” Mark E. Petersen LDS Conference Reports, Sunday afternoon, April 5, 1953
“…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. Moreover, the Prophet Joseph Smith himself is on record, definitely declaring the present hill called Cumorah to be the exact hill spoken of in the Book of Mormon. Further, the fact that all of his associates from the beginning down have spoken of it as the identical hill where Mormon and Moroni hid the records, must carry some weight. It is difficult for a reasonable person to believe that such men as Oliver Cowdery. Brigham Young, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, David Whitmer, and many others, could speak frequently of the Spot where the Prophet Joseph Smith obtained the plates as the Hill Cumorah, and not be corrected by the Prophet, if that were not the fact. That they did speak of this hill in the days of the Prophet in this definite manner is an established record of history.” Doctrines of Salvation Joseph Fielding Smith Chapter 12
The United States is the Land of the Book of Mormon
“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 promised Ensign Dec. 2012
“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)
President Monson believes the United States is the Promised Land of the Book of Mormon. Why do Mesoamericanists believe the entire continent of the Americas is the Promised land? You mean Greenland, Guatemala, and the Northwest Territories are the Promised Lands? I love all of God’s children in the entire world and God loves us all the same, but seriously? If a person from Greenland comes to the United States legally as a citizen that person can also live in the Promised Land, correct? I’m sure Greenland has much beauty on its own, but it is not the Promised Land, is it? I am not belittling other lands. I’m just making a factual statement. Why is the United States and Israel the two Promised Lands? Because Christ said so. See 3 Nephi 20:22,29 Rian Nelson
Gadianton Robbers
“Upon one occasion President Brigham Young was in the Tabernacle at St. George and was speaking on the spirit world. He stated that it was not far from us and if the veil could be taken from our eyes there wouldn’t be either a man, woman or child who would dare go out of “this tabernacle as the spirits of the Gadianton robbers were so thick out there. This is where they lived in these mountains,” said he.” Crowther, Duane S., 1967, Life Everlasting, Bookcraft, SLC, UT, p. 165, as quoted from N. B. Lundwall, Temples of the Most High, p. 89.
“Of course, the significance of this statement makes sense only in light of the land of Zarahemla being in the United States. The Nephites wouldn’t have gone all the way from Mexico into the United States to hunt the Gadianton Robbers, nor would the Gadiantons have gone into the United States to hide from Nephites in Mexico. It is clear that since the Gadianton Robbers were hiding out in Utah in the St. George region, the Land of Zarahemla must have been in the United States as well. The “mountains” mentioned in the following scriptures, therefore, are the Rocky Mountains of the United States.” Josephsmithacademy.org
First of all I want to share with you some wonderful and amazing quotes and information from or about our Prophet Wilford Woodruff. These are not in any particular order, but ones I have saved and shared many times. Many of them dealing directly with the geography of the Book of Mormon, proper translation, prophecy, and many other things.
Then I will share with you an article in Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation, when a celebration of his 90th birthday at the Salt Lake Tabernacle on 1 March 1897, he was greeted by the largest crowd ever assembled in that building. And then I will share with you an amazing vision, written and put on video recorded in Woodruff’s journal called John Taylor’s Last Days Vision. We don’t know for sure if it was a vision of John Taylor’s or someone else, but it must have been significant if it was recorded by Wilford Woodruff, who is known as one of the greatest record keepers in the entire church. In fact you will love this quote from Elder Boyd K. Packer about President Wilford Woodruff as Pres. Woodruff warned, “I will here say that God has inspired me to keep a Journal History of this Church, and I warn the future Historians to give Credence to my History of this Church and Kingdom; for my Testimony is true, and the truth of its record will be manifest in the world to Come.”(The Mantle Is Far, Far Greater Than the Intellect Elder Boyd K. Packer)
If I were you, I wouldn’t discount any quotes or information attributed to Wilford woodruff unless it comes directly from the Lord through much prayer. You can read the Journal of Wilford Woodruff here. Here.
Amazing Quotes by or about Wilford Woodruff 100 Foot High Mounds
“During our travels we visited many mounds thrown up by the ancient inhabitants, the Nephites and Lamanites.” History of the Life and Labors of Wilford Woodruff. As recorded in his daily journals prepared for publication by Matthias Cowley the Deseret News Salt Lake City, Utah 1909 page 41
“Before breaking camp the morning of June 3, the Prophet Joseph Smith, accompanied by several of the men, went to observe a large mound which was located approximately one mile below the Phillip’s Ferry crossing. It was of unusual size and lay within the proximity of a number of smaller mounds. Heber C. Kimball and Wilford Woodruff recorded in their journals that the mound was one hundred feet high and three hundred feet above the level of the river. The height of the mound enabled the men to look over the tops of the trees and view the surrounding area. At the crest of the mound, human bones were strewn around the base of what appeared to be a three-tiered altar. Heber C. Kimball wrote that the arrangement of the stones resembled the ancient order or altars..
Zelph Bones in Woodruff’s Wagon
“The men were curious about the area, the mounds, and particularly about the scattered bones. As they began to descend the mound, Joseph Smith suddenly stopped, pointed to the ground, and said, “Brethren, dig in there.” When the earth had been removed to the depth of one or two feet, the men found the skeleton of a large man. Journal accounts state that, “the bones were all there and in a good state of preservation.” Buried in the backbone, between the ribs of the man was a stone arrowhead which Milton Holmes took. Examining the skeleton more closely, it was noted that one of the thigh bones had been previously broken and knitted together. The thigh bones and the arrowhead were taken back to camp and placed in Wilford Woodruff’s wagon. The skeleton was unusually large . It was estimated to be over eight feet tall.”James L. Bradley, Zion’s Camp 1834: Prelude to the Civil War (Salt Lake City: Publishers Press, 1990), p. 207.
Wilford Woodruff kneeling by Joseph as they witness many human bones of the Nephites around them. Art by Ken Corbett, created by Rian Nelson.
In the Joseph Smith Papers, Joseph Smith had a vision that was written down by Wilford Woodruff, Heber C. Kimball, George A. Smith and many others. “On the top of the mound were stones which presented the appearance of three altars having been erected one above the other, according to the ancient order; and the remains of bones were strewn over the surface of the ground. The brethren procured a shovel and a hoe, and removing the earth to the depth of about one foot, discovered the skeleton of a man, almost entire, and between his ribs the stone point of a Lamanitish arrow, which evidently produced his death. Elder Burr Riggs retained the arrow. The contemplation of the scenery around us produced peculiar sensations in our bosoms; and subsequently the visions of the past being opened to my understanding by the Spirit of the Almighty, I discovered that the person whose skeleton was before us was a white Lamanite, a large, thick-set man, and a man of God. His name was Zelph.
Zelph a Man of God by Ken Corbett
He was a warrior and chieftain under the great prophet Onandagus, who was known from the Hill Cumorah, or eastern sea to the Rocky mountains. The curse was taken from Zelph, or, at least, in part-one of his thigh bones was broken by a stone flung from a sling, while in battle, years before his death. He was killed in battle by the arrow found among his ribs, during the last great struggle of the Lamanites and Nephites.” Joseph Smith Papers History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834], Page 483
Lamanites
“Oliver Cowdery, even in that early day, had found the Navajos in the far Southwest, and he reported it to the brethren, feeling that it was a very important thing. Then Wilford Woodruff said this further, as he went down into the southwest, in New Mexico, and visited among the Indians there. He said: “In my short communication of the second inst., I promised to give a fuller account of my visit to the Isletas which I will now endeavor to do. The Isletas are one of the Pueblo groups down in New Mexico. I view my visit among the Nephites one of the most interesting missions of my life, although short. I say Nephites, because if there are any Nephites on this continent, we have found them among the Zunis, the Lagunas, and the Isletas, for they are a different race of people, altogether, from the Lamanites.I class the Navajo, Moquis (Hopis) and Apaches with the Lamanites, although they are in advance of many Indian tribes of America. I class the Zunis, Lagunas, and Isletas among the Nephites. And then he goes on to say, that as soon as they dismissed this particular meeting among the Isletas, and were going to leave, one of the Nephites arose. . . full of the spirit of the Lord and said, “Friends, why do you dismiss us and leave us this way? This is the first time we have heard of our forefathers and the gospel and the things we have looked for from the traditions of our fathers. If our wives and children are weary, let them go home. We want to hear more. We want you to talk all night. Do not leave us so.” The Work Among the Lamanites Elder Spencer W. Kimballl, Conference Report, October 1950, pp. 63-69
“This work will fill the Rocky Mountains with tens of thousands of Latter-day Saints, and there will be joined with them the Lamanites who dwell in those mountains who will receive the gospel of Christ from the elders of Israel, and they will be united with the Church and the kingdom of God, and bring forth much good” (Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p. 30).
“I would say to the Lamanites, if I could speak to them understandingly, that you are also a branch of the house of Israel, and chiefly of the house of Joseph, and your forefathers have fallen through the same examples of unbelief and sins, as have the Jews, and you, as their posterity, have wandered in sin and darkness for many generations; and you, like the Jews, have been driven and trampled under the foot of the Gentiles, and put to death through your wars with each other, and with the white man, until you are almost destroyed.But there is still a redemption and salvation for a remnant of you in the latter days. It is time for you to cease shedding each other’s blood or making war upon your fellow-man. Cease to destroy one another, learn to cultivate the earth, and raise your food therefrom; call upon the Great Spirit to protect you and deliver you from bondage and darkness, and the Great Spirit will hear you and deliver you, and a remnant of you will again become a delightsome people as your forefathers were when they kept the commandments of God.” Wilford Woodruff History of His Life and Labors AS RECORDED IN HIS DAILY JOURNALS PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION BY MATTHIAS F. COWLEY Salt Lake City, Utah 1909
About Cumorah
[Heber C. Kimball] “prophesied that when the final last struggle came to this nation it would be at the Hill Cumorah where both of the former Nations [Jaredite and Nephite] were destroyed”(abt. Heber C. Kimball) Wilford Woodruff’s Journal 6:305, December 17, 1866
“[Joseph] went [into] a Cave in the Hill Comoro with Oliver Cowdry & deposited those plates upon a table or shelf. In that room were deposited a large amount of gold plates containing sacred records… Joseph Smith said that cave contained tons of choice treasures & records.” Wilford Woodruff Journal, 11 December 1869
“Brigham Young said in relation to Joseph Smith’s returning the plates of the Book of Mormon that he did not return them to the box from where he had received [them]. But he went into a cave in the Hill Cumora [sic] with Oliver Cowdery and deposited those plates upon a table or shelf and in that room were deposited a large amount of gold plates, containing sacred records, and when they first visited that room the sword was drawn from the scabbord [sic] and lain upon the table and a messenger who was the keeper of the room informed them that that sword would never be returned to its scabbord until [sic] the Kingdom of God was established upon the earth and until it reigned triumphant over evy [sic] Joseph Smith said the cave contained tons of choice treasures and records.” 1869, Wilford Woodruff recorded this following a meeting of the Salt Lake City School of the Prophets:
“I rejoice in the goodness and mercy of the God of Israel In Preserving the precious Book of Mormon & bringing it to light in our day & generation. It teaches the honest & humble mind the great things of God that were performed in the land of promise now called America in Ancient days and also the great things of God that are nigh even at the doors.” Wilford Woodruff, Journal, 2 November 1845
About Joseph Smith
“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.
“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.
Proper Translation
And, as has been stated during this Conference, he brought forth the Book of Mormon-the stick of Joseph in the hands of Ephraim-in fulfillment of the testimony of Isaiah, translating that record through the Urim and Thummim, thereby revealing to us the history of the early inhabitants of this Continent. (1889, October, 6th Session, President Wilford Woodruff)
A Place Called Zarahemla
“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.
I was present at the meeting when this took place 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.” Autobiography of Edward Phillips (1813-1896)
Wilford Woodruff- Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation by Lawrence R. Flake
When the venerable President Wilford Woodruff entered the Salt Lake Tabernacle 1 March 1897, he was greeted by the largest crowd ever assembled in that building.
The congregation was made up mostly of children gathered to honor him on his ninetieth birthday. The building was beautifully decorated and was draped with large banners bearing the words “Glory to God,” “Honor to His Prophet,” “We honor the man honored by God,” and “1807–1847–1897.” [1]
When the children arose and sang “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet,” President Woodruff was overcome with emotion. Later he wrote, “The scene completely overpowered me. The events of my childhood and early manhood came to my mind. I remembered vividly how I prayed to the Lord that
I might live to see a prophet or an apostle who would teach me the gospel of Christ. Here I stood in the great Tabernacle filled with ten thousand children, with Prophets, Apostles, and Saints. My head was a fountain of tears.” [2]
As a boy in Connecticut, Wilford had made friends with an old gentleman by the name of Robert Mason. This great and spiritual man possessed the gift of prophecy, and among the truths revealed to him was the fact that the kingdom of God would soon be reestablished on the earth. He gained this knowledge by seeing a vision and hearing a heavenly voice in the year 1800. When Father Mason related this experience to Wilford in about 1830, the old man declared that although he himself would not become part of the restored kingdom in this life, he would know of its establishment before his death and that Wilford Woodruff would become a leading figure in this great work. [3]
When two Mormon elders came to Richland, New York, where Wilford was living in 1833, the young man immediately accepted the gospel and was baptized. By letter he informed Robert Mason that the kingdom had been restored and that he was dedicating his life to building it. Father Mason rejoiced in this knowledge and died soon afterward. When the doctrine of baptism for the dead was revealed, Elder Woodruff performed this ordinance in behalf of his noble friend. [4]
Once he had found the truth, Wilford became one of the greatest missionaries of this dispensation. Ten of his first fifteen years in the Church were spent on missions in the United States and Great Britain. On one of his missions to the eastern states he carried a letter of introduction from the Prophet Joseph Smith, which stated in part, “He [Wilford] is, in the language of the Hebrews, ‘The friend of Israel’and worthy to be received and entertained as a man of God. Yea he has (as had the ancient apostles) the good word that leadeth unto Eternal Life.” [5]During his ministry Elder Woodruff baptized over two thousand people. A few years before his death he calculated that he had traveled nearly 175,000 miles, held over 7,500 meetings, preached 3,526 discourses, and organized more than fifty branches as he had labored in Europe, twenty-three states, and five territories of the Union. He offered dedicatory prayers for the Nauvoo, St. George, Manti, and Salt Lake temples. [6]
President Woodruff often referred to the fact that Satan wanted to keep him from making his contribution to the building of the kingdom: “The devil has sought to take away my life from the day I was born. . . . I seemed to be a marked victim of the adversary.”[7] On twenty-seven distinct occasions, most of them before he joined the Church, Wilford had been the victim of near-fatal accidents, ranging from falling into scalding water to nearly freezing to death. But the Lord miraculously preserved him for a great work. [8]
Ordained an apostle in 1839, Elder Woodruff faithfully supported Joseph Smith until the Prophet’s assassination five years later. Only a few weeks before the tragedy, Joseph sent Elder Woodruff on a mission to the East, warning him that if he did not go, he too would die. A week after the news of the martyrdom reached him in Boston, Elder Woodruff recorded in his journal, “Elder B. Young arived in Boston this morning. I walked with him to 57 Temple st. . . . Br Young took the bed and I the big Chair, and I here veiled my face and for the first time gave vent to my grief and mourning for the Prophet and Patriarch of the Church Joseph and Hiram Smith who were murdered by a gentile mob. After being bathed by a flood of tears I felt composed.” [9] The same kind of love and loyalty Elder Woodruff had for Joseph Smith was freely given to Brigham Young and John Taylor as presidents of the Church for forty years before he himself ascended to that holy calling at the age of eighty-two.
First Presidency, 1889–98. Left to right: George Q. Cannon, President Wilford Woodruff, and Joseph F. Smith
When Elder Woodruff became president of the Church, the Saints were in the midst of severe persecutions as a result of the practice of plural marriage. The government had confiscated the property of the Church, and leaders and hundreds of other prominent men had been forced into hiding to avoid imprisonment. Fear of arrest kept Elder Woodruff himself from attending the funeral of President Taylor, who died in exile. He watched the service from a building across the street from Temple Square, as he had also done for the funeral of his first wife, Phoebe Carter, a few months earlier. In 1890 President Woodruff withdrew the priesthood authority to perform plural marriages and announced in the Manifesto the cessation of the practice. Although some members of the Church were troubled by this action, the prophet made it very clear that he had only done as the Lord had directed. “I should have gone to prison myself . . . had not the God of heaven commanded me to do what I did,” he declared. “It was all clear to me. I went before the Lord, and I wrote what the Lord told me to write.” [10] He also taught, “I say to Israel, the Lord will never permit me nor any other man who stands as the President of this Church, to lead you astray.. . . If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out of my place.” [11]
Wilford Woodruff’s entrance into the spirit world at the age of ninety-one must have been a very natural thing for him, for he had received visitors from that sphere on many occasions. Some of those visitors were Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, George A. Smith, and Jedediah M. Grant. George Washington and many other prominent men of the past sought the blessings of the temple at the hand of this spiritual servant of the Lord: “Two weeks before I left St. George, the spirits of the dead gathered around me, wanting to know why we did not redeem them. . . . These were [the] signers of the Declaration of Independence, and they waited on me for two days and two nights.”[12] He further recorded: “I straightway went into the baptismal font and called upon brother McCallister to baptize me for the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and fifty other eminent men, making one hundred in all, including John Wesley, Columbus, and others; I then baptized him for every President of the United States, except three; and when their cause is just, somebody will do the work for them.” [13]
Editors note:The current President, Ulysses S. Grant, was the only President living. As you see the list of baptized Presidents, you see that they are done in order, with two noticeable absences: Martin Van Buren and James Buchanan. Martin Van Buren is infamous in LDS history. The Prophet Joseph petitioned President Van Buren for redress on account of their sufferings in Missouri. The President replied, “Gentlemen, your cause is just, but I can do nothing for you. … If I take up for you I shall lose the vote of Missouri.”
James Buchanan was the President during the so-called “Utah War”, sending Johnston’s Army to stop a rebellion that hadn’t begun. President Heber J. Grant had the work of these three men done
Wilford Woodruff’s public discourses and his seven-thousand-page journal record hundreds of spiritual manifestations, including raising one of his five wives from the dead. He left a posterity of thirty-three children. At President Woodruff’s funeral, his first counselor, George Q. Cannon, described him as “probably as angelical as . . . any person who has ever lived upon the earth. . . . He was a heavenly being. It was heaven to be in his company.” [14] Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation Lawrence R. Flake
Notes
[1] “Does Anyone Recall Pres. Woodruff’s 90th Birthday,” Church News, 15 September 1973.
[2] Matthias F. Cowley, ed., 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 (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1964), 615.
[3] Thomas G. Alexander, Things in Heaven and in Earth: The Life and Times of Wilford Woodruff, a Mormon Prophet (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1991), 19.
(Source: Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, June 15, 1878, “A Vision, Salt Lake City, Night of Dec 16, 1877”)
NOTE: There are some that dispute whether or not it was John Taylor that had this vision. The vision does, in fact, come from the journal of Wilford Woodruff. It is verified that it was not Wilford Woodruff that had the vision. Many believe it to be John Taylor’s vision.
I went to bed as usual at about 7:30PM. I had been reading a revelation in the French language. My mind was calm, more so than usual if possible, so I composed myself for sleep, but could not. I felt a strange feeling come over me and apparently became partially unconscious. Still I was not asleep, nor exactly awake, with dreary feeling. The first thing that I recognized was that I was in the tabernacle of Ogden, Utah. I was sitting in the back part of the building for fear they would call on me to preach, which however they did, for after singing the second time they called me to the stand.
I arose to speak and said that I didn’t know that I had anything especially to say, except to bear my testimony of the Latter-day work, when all at once it seemed as if I was lifted out of myself and I said, “Yes, I have something to say and that is this: Some of my brethren have been asking, “What is becoming of us? What is the wind blowing?” I will answer you right here what is coming very shortly.”
I was then in a dream, immediately in the city of Salt Lake, and wandering around in the streets and in all parts of the city, and on the doors of the houses I found badges of mourning and I could not find a house but was in mourning. I passed my own house and found the same sign there, and I asked the question, “Is that me that is dead?” Someone gave me the answer, “No, you will get through it all.”
It seemed strange to me that I saw no person in the streets in all my wandering around the country. I seemed to be in their houses with the sick, but saw no funeral procession, nor anything of the kind, but the city looking still and as though the people were praying. And it seemed that they had controlled the disease, but what the disease was I did not learn; it was not made known to me. I then looked over the country, north, east, south, and west, and the same mourning was in every land and in every place.
The next thing I knew I was just this side of Omaha. It seemed though I was above the earth, and looking down upon it. As I passed along upon my way east I saw the road full of people, mostly women, with just what they could carry in bundles on their backs, traveling to the mountains on foot. I wondered how they would get through with such a small pack on their backs. It was remarkable to us[?] that there were so few men among them. It didn’t seem to me as though the cars were running, the rails looked rusty and the roads abandoned; and I have no conception of how I traveled as I looked down upon the people.
I continued east by the way of Omaha and Council Bluffs, which were full of disease. There were women everywhere. The state of Illinois and Missouri were in a tumult, men killing one another, women joining the fighting, family against family in the most horrid manner.
I imagined next that I was in Washington and I found desolation there. The White House was empty and the Halls of Congress the same, and everything in ruins. The people seemed to have left the city and left it to take care of itself.
I was in Baltimore. In the square where the Monument of 1812 stands in front of the Charles Hotel. I saw dead piled up so as to fill the street square.I saw mothers cutting the throats of their own children for their blood. I saw them suck it from their throats to quench their own thirst and then lie down and die. The water of Chesapeake Bay was stagnant, and the stench arising from it on account of their throwing their bodies into it so terrible, that the very smell carried death with it. I saw no man except they were dead or dying in the streets and very few women. Those I saw were crazy and in an ugly condition. Everywhere I went I beheld the same sights all over the city; it was terrible beyond description to look upon.
I thought this must be the end; but no, I was seemingly in an instant in the city of Philadelphia. There everything was still. No living soul was there to greet me. It seemed the whole city was without any inhabitants. In the south of Chestnut Street and in fact everywhere I went, the putrefaction of the dead caused such a stench that it was impossible for any living thing to breathe, nor did I see any living thing in the city.
Next I found myself in Broadway, in the city of New York, and there it seemed the people had done the best they could to overcome the disease, but in wandering down Broadway I saw the bodies of beautiful women lying, some dead and others in a dying condition, on the sidewalks. I saw men come out of cellars and ravish the persons of some that were yet alive and then kill them and rob their bodies of all the valuables they had upon them. Then before they could get back to the cellar they would roll over a time or two and die in agony. In some of the back streets I saw them kill some of their own offspring and eat their raw flesh, and in a few minutes die themselves. Everywhere I went I saw the same scene of horror and destruction and death and rapine.
No carriages, buggies, or cars were running; but death and destruction were everywhere. Then I saw fire start and just at that moment a mighty East wind sprang up and carried the flames over the city and it burned until there was not a single building left standing there, even down to the waters edge. Wharves and shipping all seemed to burn and follow in common destruction where the “great city” was a short time ago. The stench from the bodies that were burning was so great that it was carried a long distance cross the Hudson Bay and carried death and destruction wherever it penetrated. I cannot paint in words the horror that seemed to compass me about; it was beyond description of man.
I supposed this was the end; but it was not. I was given to understand the same horror was being enacted all over the country, east, west, north, and south. Few were left alive, still there were some.
Immediately after I seemed to be standing on the left bank of the Missouri River, opposite the City of Independence, but there was no city. I saw the whole state of Missouri and Illinois and all of Iowa, a complete desert with no living being there. A short distance from the river however, I saw twelve men dressed in temple robes, standing in a square or nearly so (and I understood it represented the Twelve Gates of the New Jerusalem.) Their hands were uplifted in consecration of the ground and laying the corner stone of the temple. I saw myraids of angels hovering over them, and saw also an immense pillar of clouds over them and heard the angels singing the most heavenly music. The words were “Now is established the Kingdom of God and his Christ, which shall never more be thrown down.”
I saw people coming from the river and from the desert places a long way off to help build the temple and it seemed that hosts of angels all helped to get material to build with and I saw some of them who wore temple clothes come and build the temple and the city, and all the time I saw the great pillar of clouds hovering over the place.
Instantly, however, I found myself again in the tabernacle at Ogden. And yet, I could still see the building go on and I got quite animated in calling on the people in the tabernacle to listen to the beautiful music, for the angels were singing the same music I had heard before. “Now is established the Kingdom of God and his Christ, which shall never more be thrown down.”
At this I seemed to stagger back from the pulpit and Brother Francis D. Richards and some others caught my arm and prevented me from falling. Then I finished so abruptly. Still even then I had not fainted, but was simply exhausted.
Then I rolled over in bed and awoke just as the city clock was striking twelve. Source
https://youtu.be/R9UOhWIkS-Y
This video may be the most important video on coming future events you have ever seen. The first part is a dream or a vision first had in 1878. Usually attributed to Wilford Woodruff. Sometimes it is attributed to John Taylor. Sometimes it is attributed to someone else. Whoever had this dream recounted a vivid and frightening view of war, disease and famine that might shortly overtake this world. The detail of this dream is quite remarkable. It is astonishing that a man could foresee the nuclear age decades before it actually happened. The second and third parts I am not interested much in but it is attached to this video. I just think the first video about that may have been seen by John Taylor is very interesting not just reading it but seeing the visuals as well. The second part is a prophecy given in 1917. It too provides a look at the coming nuclear age and a potential attack by nuclear submarines from foreign powers. The third part is Chapter 18 from the Book of Revelation in the Bible. By James Mahony –
Brenton G. “Brent” Yorgason (May 25, 1945 in Mount Pleasant, Utah – October 28, 2016) was an American novelist and writer who used themes about members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the United States. Many of his works were written in cooperation with his brother, Blaine M. Yorgason. Wikipedia
Brent’s greatest love was teaching the youth of the Church. His training enabled him to counsel and coach countless people through difficult times. He was never too busy to respond to the needs of others. He served as Bishop twice and as 1st counselor in the Sandy Granite Stake Presidency.
Dr. Yorgason was most well-known as a prolific author and renowned speaker. As a member of the National Speaker’s Association, he was renowned as a keynote speaker. In all, he wrote and published 105 books, over 40 of which were biographies. He became one of the most popular authors ever to write for the Latter-day Saint fiction market. He enjoyed writing many books with his brother Blaine. The paintings they did together were used as the covers of many of their books. He loved to include others as co-authors, especially his wife Margaret as they laughed, wept and worked together. Bio Here
Dr. Yorgason says, “The Book of Mormon records that due to the wickedness of the Nephite civilization they were destroyed by their brothers the Lamanites. The final battles of this unholy war took place near a hill that was called Cumorah. At Cumorah, hundreds of thousands of Nephites were slain, and the prophet/historian Moroni buried the history of his people in that hill (Mormon 6:2-15; 8:1-5). Hundreds of years later, that same history was unearthed in upstate New York, by the boy prophet Joseph Smith and translated to become the Book of Mormon (Joseph Smith–History 1:51-52).
In New York State Bulletin #2 it is documented that several miles south of “Mormon Hill,” as it was then called, a site was found where flint arrowheads and spear points and many unfinished weapons were found in great abundance.” All of the above sources are cited in Brenton G. Yorgason, Little Known Evidences of the Book of Mormon, 1989, p. 10.
In 1843–1848, he engaged in journalism in Hartford, Connecticut and then edited the Chillicothe, Ohio, weekly newspaper the Scioto Gazette. During this period, Squier collaborated with physician Edwin H. Davis on the book, Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley, which was issued in 1848. The work was a landmark in American scientific research, the study of the prehistoric Mound Builders of North America, and the early development of archaeology as a scientific discipline. This publication to the right is an actual reprint of the very first publication of the Smithsonian Institution with explorations in 1848.
E.G. Squire said, “When Joseph Smith made his “fantastic” claims and published the Book of Mormon as an ancient history of the American Indians, some scoffed at the idea that a major battle had anciently taken place in the local vicinity. However, evidence was soon produced that documented that this region of the country did indeed once possess a heavy Indian population, and that a terrible battle had taken place in that locality.
Writing in 1851, E. G. Squier says that in the region: “Human bones of men, women, and children of both sexes were thrown together promiscuously by the thousands.” He notes large quantities of pottery, pipes, flint arrow-heads, stone hatchets and other implements were also found there. He further states that the ancient relics unearthed in the vicinity (which he estimates to be several hundred years old) showed considerable evidence of Hebrew origin.”(See E. G. Squier, Antiquities of New York, 1851, pp. 137-138.)
Dan Vogel
Daniel Arlon Vogel (born 1955) is an independent researcher, writer, and author on a number of works that include Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet. and is most known for his work on early Mormon documents.
Vogel’s scholarship on the topic [Joseph Smith] has been debated by Mormon apologists and scholars who have stated that he is critical of Mormon faith claims. He has also been criticized by ex-Mormons and anti-Mormons for not being sufficiently critical of Joseph Smith… In the LDS historical community, Vogel’s work has received significant recognition… Wikipedia
As I read Vogel he has many good insights that should be considered, but he also has a definite bias you want to be careful of. Vogel assumes Joseph Smith to be the author of the Book of Mormon and takes the position that the book may be used as a “primary source document” that represents a reflection of Smith’s own life. Events portrayed in the Book of Mormon are compared to specific events in Smith’s life to illustrate similarities and to deduce Smith’s thoughts and aspirations during these periods. As usual, read and study and let the Spirit of the Lord guide you. Below are two of his quotes.
“In the 1834 Unitarian (Boston) reported that the Mormons “Suppose the mounds throughout the western states, which have heretofore excited so much curiosity, are the remains of the cities of the Nephites and Lamanites.” Edward Stuart Abdey wrote in 1835 that “the mounds of earth, which, as they now exist in that part of the country, have given rise to so much interest and speculation, are referred to, by the preachers of the Mormon faith, as proofs of these theocratic tribes. And Mormon elder Charles Thompson added in an 1841 pamphlet that such similarities were “sufficient to show to the public that the people whose history is contained in the Book of Mormon, are the authors of these works.”Vogel, Dan, 1986, Indian Origins and the Book of Mormon, Salt Lake City
Dan Vogel writes, “that shortly after the Book of Mormon’s publication, David Marks visited the Ohio mounds and like many wondered who had built them. When he was told that the Book of Mormon gave a history of them, and of their authors, he became anxious to get a copy even though he doubted its historicity”. (Dan Vogel, Indian Origins and the Book of Mormon, SLC: Signature Books, 1986, p. 32)
Editor’s Note: How can anyone doubt Joseph, is what I say all during Vogel’s words. Many times he is just quoting a good source and giving his biased opinion, and other times he is supportive of what the newspaper or person said about Joseph. I also know with a deep conviction that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and I know how to separate bad intent that may be shared by someone who thinks the Book of Mormon is just a novel or story. Why then do I want you to read Vogel? Some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints read Vogel and think he is a good member of the Church and get confused with his teachings at times. With a strong witness of truth most of you reading this already posses, isn’t it learning and knowledge we seek and sometimes even someone with a ton of knowledge of historical value, will surprise us and give us some nuggets that teach our spirits?
Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet by Dan Vogel
“Joseph Smith claimed that the burial mounds in the region contained the bodies of destroyed Nephites when, on 4 June 1834 during a trip through Illinois with a company of Mormons, he wrote to his wife that he and others had been “wandering over the plains of the Nephites, recounting occasionally the history of the Book of Mormon, roving over the mounds of that once beloved people of the Lord, picking up their skulls and their bones, as proof of its divine authenticity.”31 The previous day Smith made an inspired declaration about a skeleton they had unearthed from an Indian burial mound, saying it was that of “Zelph”—“a white Lamanite” and “a warrior and chieftain under the great prophet Onandagus, who was known from the Hill Cumorah, or eastern sea to the Rocky mountains. … He was killed … during the last great struggle of the Lamanites and Nephites.”32
“Truly rock-ribbed faith and uncompromised conviction comes with its most complete power when it engages our head as well as our heart… 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… I believe God intends us to find and use the evidence He has given—reasons, if you will—which affirm the truthfulness of His work…—we still need that spiritual confirmation in the heart of which we have spoken—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
Vogel continues, “It was, in fact, in the vicinity of Manchester, New York, that the last stand of the Nephites was said to have taken place about A.D. 385, according to Smith. In 1835, under Smith’s supervision, Oliver Cowdery included in his account of early Mormon history a description of the Manchester hill from which Smith took the gold plates, including the following: “At about one mile west rises another ridge of less height, running parallel with the former … [and] between these hills, the entire power and national strength of both the Jaredites and Nephites were destroyed. … [Mormon] deposited … all the records in this same hill, Cumorah.”33In 1842, Smith described his interviews with the angel on the hill’s summit as “Glad tidings from Cumorah!” (D&C 128:20). Similar statements from his associates indicate that Cumorah was located in western New York, not in Central America as some have suggested.34 Despite the long distance between Panama and New York, neither Smith nor his followers saw this as a problem until 1885 when the Reverend M. T. Lamb made it an issue.35Hemispheric geography had come part and parcel with Smith’s adaptation of the mound builder myth, including the assumption that the South American and Mexican ruins were built by the same white-skinned agriculturalists who had built the earth works in North America and who destroyed by the ancestors of the Great Lakes tribes.36
Hemispheric Model
“Evidence indicates that early members of the Church did not pay a great deal of attention to Book of Mormon details about distances.[p] The “Hemispheric” or “Two-Continent” model proposes that Book of Mormon lands stretch many thousands of miles over much of South and North America. There is no first hand, verifiable statement by Joseph Smith endorsing this view. One of the earliest advocates of a hemispheric setting was the young missionary Orson Pratt, who as early as 1832 publicly promoted the idea that Lehi “crossed the water into South America”.[88] For some who read the Book of Mormon, with maps of the Western Hemisphere in view, the Isthmus of Panama seems an easy fit for the Book of Mormon’s “narrow neck of land”. Pratt claimed that the “running battle”, culminating in the destruction of the Nephite nation, started at “the Isthmus of Darien” (Panama) and “ended at Manchester” (western New York).[89] Pratt never attributed his geography (or one like it) to Joseph Smith. Pratt in fact, indicated that the South American landing idea was supposition, not revelation.[90] Pratt’s geographic views were published in the 1879 edition of the Book of Mormon, but retracted from later editions.” Hemispheric Models Wikipedia
Today not one of the maps representing all the various geography of the Book of Mormon believe in the Hemispheric Model. Not even the Mesoamericans or the Heartlanders believe the Hemispheric Model any more because the vast distance in miles make it impossible to say all of North America is where the Nephites lived and and the Lamanites lived in South America.” Some contemporaries of Joseph Smith described a hemispheric model. There was quite a bit of speculation about where the Book of Mormon events took place, but very little speculation about any site for Cumorah other than New York. They insist that most of the events in the Book of Mormon took place in Central America. Therefore, they reason, a New York Cumorah means a hemispheric model; All Theorists today believe in a Limited Model whether in North or South America. Editor
“The only thing Letter VII establishes is that Cumorah–the Cumorah of the final battles, the Cumorah of Mormon 6:6, etc.–is the hill in New York where Joseph obtained the plates.
It’s true that some contemporaries of Joseph Smith described a hemispheric model. There was quite a bit of speculation about where the Book of Mormon events took place, but zero speculation about any site for Cumorah other than New York. The 1879 Orson Pratt footnotes are a perfect example. I have a separate post on that scheduled for later this week.
It is because of this unanimous and universal understanding about the New York Cumorah that I say Cumorah is a pin in the map. It’s the touchstone between our modern world and the world of the Nephites and Jaredites. It’s the one sure thing we can rely on, and it was given to us unambiguously and definitely by Joseph and Oliver in Letter VII.” Jonathan Neville
Not Utterly Destroyed
Vogel continues, “Returning to Mormon’s account, one learns that some Nephites “dissented over unto the Lamanites” (6:15), which contradicts the previously unqualified predictions that they would be “utterly destroyed”(Mosiah 12:8; Alma 9:24; Hel. 7:24; 15:17). Later, Smith corrects this where, in dictating the replacement portion of the book, he has Lehi tell his son Joseph that his “seed shall not utterly be destroyed” (3:2-3).37
When Mormon closes his account, he reminds latter-day Indians that they are Israelites, that they must repent, and that they “must lay down [their] weapons of war, and delight no more in the shedding of blood, and take them not again, save it be that God shall command you” (7:2-4; emphasis added). Of course, the possibility that latter-day Indians might take up arms is left open, but it would be appropriate only if instructed to by God through Smith. Mormon states that he has made his record so that the Indians might more easily believe in the Bible and thereby accept the gospel of Jesus Christ (v. 9). After declaring that the Indians are “a remnant of the seed of Jacob” and of the “first covenant,” Mormon promises that it will be well with them on judgment day if they submit to baptism (v. 10). With this, his account concludes, and he turns the record over to Moroni.
“Abundant Evidence of the Truth of that which is Written in the Book”
“When…first commanded to testify of these things they [The Three Witness] demurred and told the Lord the people would not believe them for the book concerning which they were to bear record told of a people who were educated and refined, dwelling in large cities; whereas all that was then known of the early inhabitants of this country was the filthy, lazy, degraded and ignorant savages that were roaming over the land. The Lord told us, in reply that he would make it known to the people that the early inhabitants of this land had been just such a people as they were described in the book, and he would lead them to discover the ruins of great cities, and they should have abundant evidence of the truth of that which is written in the book…” – David Whitmer, Interview with James H. Hart (Richmond, Mo., 21 August 1883), as printed in Deseret Evening News, Salt Lake City, Utah as published in Annotated Book of Mormon by David Hocking and Rod Meldrum page 560.
Vogel continues, “For reasons not entirely clear, Moroni waits sixteen years before finishing the history (8:1, 6). When he finally writes, he says he intends to be brief, declaring: “I have but few things to write, which things I have been commanded by my father” (v. 1). He complains that there is little room left for writing on the plates and that he has no means of making more plates (v. 5). Yet, he continues for another fifty-five pages (first edition pages), finishing his father’s record and adding two more books: the Book of Ether, which is a history of the Jaredites, and his own book. Concerning the final battle and the death of his father, Moroni writes:
“And now it came to pass that after the great and tremendous battle at Cumorah, behold, the Nephites who had escaped into the country southward were hunted by the Lamanites, until they were all destroyed. And my father also was killed by them, and I even remain alone to write the sad tale of the destruction of my people. … And whether they will slay me, I know not. Therefore I will write and hide up the records in the earth; and whither I go it mattereth not. … I am alone … I have not friends nor whither to go. (8:2-4)
Vogel says, “Smith may have identified with this situation. His brother Alvin had died, his family was divided over religion, former friends had become enemies, and he was living with his in-laws, who disapproved of him, as did the Methodists and others in Harmony. Smith may have become alienated from his own feelings and realized that he did not have any real connection to other people. His secret mission to save his family and the world and to assume the prophetic mantle insured that his feelings of “otherness” and “aloneness” would continue.
The remainder of Mormon’s section of the Book of Mormon (8:14-9:37) consists of Moroni’s closing exhortation, including a statement to future readers that seems well suited to those who had attempted to steal the gold plates: “The plates thereof are of no worth, because of the commandment of the Lord. For he truly saith that no one shall have them to get gain; but the record thereof is of great worth” (8:14). To those who threatened Smith with physical harm, saying “show unto me [the plates], or ye shall be smitten,” Moroni warns that there are consequences to seeking what is “forbidden of the Lord” (8:18-20).
The fact that Smith withheld the plates from public view was a point of contention in Harmony. Isaac Hale said that in that case, the plates should be removed from the house—which is to say that the box should be removed from the house—and that “if he did not, I was determined to see it.”38 Others in Harmony said that Smith promised to show them the plates and then changed his mind.39 If Smith did make any such statements, it could have been diversionary because he seemed to have had no intention of showing his enemies the plates.
Moroni describes what America will be like when the Book of Mormon appears, offering several predictions. First, “it shall come in a day when it shall be said that miracles are done away. … Yea, it shall come in a day when the power of God shall be denied, and churches become defiled and [will] be lifted up in the pride of their hearts” (8:26, 28). True, Smith lived in a day when miracles were denied by deists, skeptics, and rationalists; but it was also a time when revivalists were experiencing visions, speaking in tongues, and healing the sick. Smith likely referred to the rejection of a specific kind of miracle—the coming forth of new revelation.” Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet by Dan Vogel Chapter 21 Mormon and Moroni–The Final Struggle
Quotes about Cumorah’s Location and the Cave
1. “At one time a fierce battle was fought near where Buffalo, N.Y., now stands, wherein two million were lying strewn upon the earth, slain in battle and no one to bury them, till the stench drove them southward to the Hill Ramah, which was called Cumorah by the Nephite race.” Reminiscences of Joseph the Prophet, by Edward Stevensonm1893
2. “It was at this time that Mormon deposited in the Hill Cumorah all the records that had been entrusted to him except a few plates that he gave to his son Moroni. (See Mormon 6.) About A.D. 420, Moroni placed these plates with those his father, Mormon, had already deposited in the hill. (See Moroni 10:1-2.)” A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, p. 73. By LeGrand Richards
3. “This Book, which contained these things, was hid in the earth by Moroni, in a hill called by him, Cumorah, which hill is now in the State of New York, near the village of Palmyra, in Ontario County.” Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, p. 43.
4. “[Joseph] went [into] a Cave in the Hill Comoro with Oliver Cowdry & deposited those plates upon a table or shelf. In that room were deposited a large amount of gold plates containing sacred records… Joseph Smith said that cave contained tons of choice treasures & records.” Wilford Woodruff Journal, 11 December 1869
F. “Joseph and others… went into a cave in the hill Cumorah, and saw more records than ten men could carry… There were books piled up on tables, book upon book. Those records this people will yet have, if they accept of the Book of Mormon and observe its precepts, and keep the commandments.” Heber C. Kimball
NOTES
31. Joseph Smith to Emma Smith, 4 June 1834, in Dean C. Jessee, ed., The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, 2nd. ed. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co.; Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 2002), 345-46.
32. Joseph Smith Jr., History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ed. B. H. Roberts, 7 vols., 2nd ed. rev. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1948), 2:79-80 (cf. Times and Seasons 6 [1 Jan. 1846]: 1076). Onandagus is no doubt inspired by the Onondaga Indians of central New York State. Kenneth W. Godfrey argues that those who refer to the Zelph incident as evidence against the Limited Tehuantepec Theory of Book of Mormon geography do so “on inconclusive grounds” (Kenneth W. Godfrey, “The Zelph Story,” Brigham Young University Studies 29 [Spring 1989]: 31-56). Godfrey’s oft-cited essay, however, contains many inaccuracies, not the least of which is his suggestion that Smith’s history was emended to exclude references to “the Nephites” and “the Hill Cumorah,” possibly at Smith’s instigation (47). However, these alterations were made sometime after publication of the Zelph story in the Times and Seasons in 1846 and, hence, without Smith’s participation. His assertion that “the earlier accounts do not expressly identify Zelph with the Nephites, as do the later accounts” (42) is equally false. Within months of the return of Smith and his men to Kirtland, Ohio, E. D. Howe reported that after disinterment of the bones, “Smith made a speech, prophesying or declaring that they were the remains of a celebrated General among the Nephites, mentioning his name and the battle in which he was slain, some 1500 years ago” (E. D. Howe, Mormonism Unvailed [Painesville, OH: E. D. Howe, 1834], 159). Godfrey equivocates about every key word in the Zelph accounts, but his questioning of “the plains of the Nephites” in Smith’s letter to Emma is especially strained. “Evidently these plains were in some respect associated with, or comparable to, the battlefields of the Nephites,” Godfrey argues, “but beyond this it is unclear what Joseph meant by this expression” (46). The balance of the sentence, that they were standing on the mounds of that “once beloved people of the Lord” and “picking up their skulls and their bones” as “proof” of the Book of Mormon’s “divine authenticity,” makes it abundantly clear that Smith intended “the plains of the Nephites” to be understood literally.
33. Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate 1 (July 1835): 158 (EMD 2:449).
34. One of the speculative apologists is John L. Sorenson, who has written that Cumorah was located about eighty-five miles northwest of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the Tuxtla Mountain chain near Tres Zapotes in south-central Veracruz (John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book; and Provo, UT: FARMS, 1985], 347-50). This suggestion is problematic. Mormon describes the region around Cumorah as “a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains” (Morm. 6:4). Helaman 3:4 describes it as a land with “large bodies of water and many rivers,” stating that it is located “an exceeding great distance” into the land northward. Traditionally, these two passages of the Book of Mormon have been thought to point to the Great Lakes Region. By comparison, Tres Zapotes is not “an exceeding great distance” from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Some writers have proposed two lands of many waters and lakes: one the land of Cumorah—which they say is the Papaloapan Lagoon System just west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec—the other farther west and north in the Valley of Mexico (Ibid., 267). The Book of Mormon gives no indication that such a division was implied. If this were the case, one would expect Mormon, the editor, to explicitly distinguish the area of many waters in Helaman 3:4 from the more famous “land of many waters” of Cumorah. David A. Palmer argues that “it would be fruitless to argue over how far an ‘exceeding great distance’ was to a Nephite” (In Search of Cumorah: New Evidences for the Book of Mormon from Ancient Mexico [Bountiful, UT: Horizon Publishers, 1981], 79). But if eighty-five miles or so to Tres Zapotes is “an exceeding great distance” to a Nephite, then what about the 120 miles across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which the Book of Mormon describes as “only the distance of a day and a half’s journey for a Nephite” (Alma 22:32)? Or what about the 155 miles from Kaminaljuyu (Nephi) to Santa Rosa (Zarahemla), spoken of as being a short distance apart? Along with the two-Cumorah theory comes the problem of explaining how the plates (not to mention the entire Nephite library) came to be in New York thousands of miles from their supposed location in Central America. (For the story of Smith, Cowdery, and others seeing the Nephite library inside the New York hill, see EMD 3:379-82.) John A. Widtsoe suggested that the plates could have been “moved from place to place by divine help” (John A. Widtsoe, “Is Book of Mormon Geography Known?” Improvement Era 53 [July 1950]: 547). But the more popular explanation is that “Moroni carried the plates by himself to the Palmyra, New York area and buried them there” (Palmer, In Search of Cumorah, 20; and Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, 44). This explanation is problematic because Moroni makes it clear that he buried the plates in the vicinity of the Nephites’ destruction, not 2,000 miles away in some remote region. When Moroni begins writing sixteen years after the Nephites’ destruction, we learn that he remained in the area to observe the activities of the Lamanites, at risk of being captured (Morm. 8:1-13). Uncertain about his future, Moroni buries the plates (8:3-4). When he returns twenty years later, he observes the “exceedingly fierce” wars among the Lamanites and declares: “I make not myself known to the Lamanites lest they should destroy me” (Moro. 1:1-2). After writing his final exhortation, he bids farewell: “And I seal up these records … I soon go to rest in the paradise of God” (10:2, 34). Thus, Moroni is old and ready to die when he hides the plates in the same hill around which the Nephites were destroyed. On these and other difficulties facing the new geographers, see Earl M. Wunderli, “Critique of a Limited Geography for Book of Mormon Events,”
35. See M. T. Lamb, The Golden Bible; or, The Book of Mormon. Is it from God? (Salt Lake City: Salt Lake Herald, 1885), 96-106, 205-6, 308-16. See also Vogel and Metcalfe, American Apocrypha, viii-ix.
36. See chapters 8 and 17.
37. See chapter 25.
38. “Mormonism,” Susquehanna Register, and Northern Pennsylvanian 9 (1 May 1834): 1 (EMD 4:286).
39. See the statements of Alva Hale, Nathaniel Lewis, and Joshua McKune in ibid. (EMD 4:291, 294, 325).
Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet by Dan Vogel
How Can Anyone Doubt Joseph?
“Joseph Smith claimed that the burial mounds in the region contained the bodies of destroyed Nephites when, on 4 June 1834 during a trip through Illinois with a company of Mormons, he wrote to his wife that he and others had been “wandering over the plains of the Nephites, recounting occasionally the history of the Book of Mormon, roving over the mounds of that once beloved people of the Lord, picking up their skulls and their bones, as proof of its divine authenticity.”31 The previous day Smith made an inspired declaration about a skeleton they had unearthed from an Indian burial mound, saying it was that of “Zelph”—“a white Lamanite” and “a warrior and chieftain under the great prophet Onandagus, who was known from the Hill Cumorah, or eastern sea to the Rocky mountains. … He was killed … during the last great struggle of the Lamanites and Nephites.”32
“Truly rock-ribbed faith and uncompromised conviction comes with its most complete power when it engages our head as well as our heart… 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… I believe God intends us to find and use the evidence He has given—reasons, if you will—which affirm the truthfulness of His work…—we still need that spiritual confirmation in the heart of which we have spoken—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
Vogel continues, “It was, in fact, in the vicinity of Manchester, New York, that the last stand of the Nephites was said to have taken place about A.D. 385, according to Smith. In 1835, under Smith’s supervision, Oliver Cowdery included in his account of early Mormon history a description of the Manchester hill from which Smith took the gold plates, including the following: “At about one mile west rises another ridge of less height, running parallel with the former … [and] between these hills, the entire power and national strength of both the Jaredites and Nephites were destroyed. … [Mormon] deposited … all the records in this same hill, Cumorah.”33In 1842, Smith described his interviews with the angel on the hill’s summit as “Glad tidings from Cumorah!” (D&C 128:20). Similar statements from his associates indicate that Cumorah was located in western New York, not in Central America as some have suggested.34 Despite the long distance between Panama and New York, neither Smith nor his followers saw this as a problem until 1885 when the Reverend M. T. Lamb made it an issue.35Hemispheric geography had come part and parcel with Smith’s adaptation of the mound builder myth, including the assumption that the South American and Mexican ruins were built by the same white-skinned agriculturalists who had built the earth works in North America and who destroyed by the ancestors of the Great Lakes tribes.36
Hemispheric Model
“Evidence indicates that early members of the Church did not pay a great deal of attention to Book of Mormon details about distances.[p] The “Hemispheric” or “Two-Continent” model proposes that Book of Mormon lands stretch many thousands of miles over much of South and North America. There is no first hand, verifiable statement by Joseph Smith endorsing this view. One of the earliest advocates of a hemispheric setting was the young missionary Orson Pratt, who as early as 1832 publicly promoted the idea that Lehi “crossed the water into South America”.[88] For some who read the Book of Mormon, with maps of the Western Hemisphere in view, the Isthmus of Panama seems an easy fit for the Book of Mormon’s “narrow neck of land”. Pratt claimed that the “running battle”, culminating in the destruction of the Nephite nation, started at “the Isthmus of Darien” (Panama) and “ended at Manchester” (western New York).[89] Pratt never attributed his geography (or one like it) to Joseph Smith. Pratt in fact, indicated that the South American landing idea was supposition, not revelation.[90] Pratt’s geographic views were published in the 1879 edition of the Book of Mormon, but retracted from later editions.” Hemispheric Models Wikipedia
Today not one of the maps representing all the various geography of the Book of Mormon believe in the Hemispheric Model. Not even the Mesoamericans or the Heartlanders believe the Hemispheric Model any more because the vast distance in miles make it impossible to say all of North America is where the Nephites lived and and the Lamanites lived in South America.” Editor
“The only thing Letter VII establishes is that Cumorah–the Cumorah of the final battles, the Cumorah of Mormon 6:6, etc.–is the hill in New York where Joseph obtained the plates.
It’s true that some contemporaries of Joseph Smith described a hemispheric model. There was quite a bit of speculation about where the Book of Mormon events took place, but zero speculation about any site for Cumorah other than New York. The 1879 Orson Pratt footnotes are a perfect example. I have a separate post on that scheduled for later this week.
It is because of this unanimous and universal understanding about the New York Cumorah that I say Cumorah is a pin in the map. It’s the touchstone between our modern world and the world of the Nephites and Jaredites. It’s the one sure thing we can rely on, and it was given to us unambiguously and definitely by Joseph and Oliver in Letter VII.” Jonathan Neville
Not Utterly Destroyed
Vogel continues, “Returning to Mormon’s account, one learns that some Nephites “dissented over unto the Lamanites” (6:15), which contradicts the previously unqualified predictions that they would be “utterly destroyed”(Mosiah 12:8; Alma 9:24; Hel. 7:24; 15:17). Later, Smith corrects this where, in dictating the replacement portion of the book, he has Lehi tell his son Joseph that his “seed shall not utterly be destroyed” (3:2-3).37
When Mormon closes his account, he reminds latter-day Indians that they are Israelites, that they must repent, and that they “must lay down [their] weapons of war, and delight no more in the shedding of blood, and take them not again, save it be that God shall command you” (7:2-4; emphasis added). Of course, the possibility that latter-day Indians might take up arms is left open, but it would be appropriate only if instructed to by God through Smith. Mormon states that he has made his record so that the Indians might more easily believe in the Bible and thereby accept the gospel of Jesus Christ (v. 9). After declaring that the Indians are “a remnant of the seed of Jacob” and of the “first covenant,” Mormon promises that it will be well with them on judgment day if they submit to baptism (v. 10). With this, his account concludes, and he turns the record over to Moroni.
“Abundant Evidence of the Truth of that which is Written in the Book”
“When…first commanded to testify of these things they [The Three Witness] demurred and told the Lord the people would not believe them for the book concerning which they were to bear record told of a people who were educated and refined, dwelling in large cities; whereas all that was then known of the early inhabitants of this country was the filthy, lazy, degraded and ignorant savages that were roaming over the land. The Lord told us, in reply that he would make it known to the people that the early inhabitants of this land had been just such a people as they were described in the book, and he would lead them to discover the ruins of great cities, and they should have abundant evidence of the truth of that which is written in the book…” – David Whitmer, Interview with James H. Hart (Richmond, Mo., 21 August 1883), as printed in Deseret Evening News, Salt Lake City, Utah as published in Annotated Book of Mormon by David Hocking and Rod Meldrum page 560.
Vogel continues, “For reasons not entirely clear, Moroni waits sixteen years before finishing the history (8:1, 6). When he finally writes, he says he intends to be brief, declaring: “I have but few things to write, which things I have been commanded by my father” (v. 1). He complains that there is little room left for writing on the plates and that he has no means of making more plates (v. 5). Yet, he continues for another fifty-five pages (first edition pages), finishing his father’s record and adding two more books: the Book of Ether, which is a history of the Jaredites, and his own book. Concerning the final battle and the death of his father, Moroni writes:
“And now it came to pass that after the great and tremendous battle at Cumorah, behold, the Nephites who had escaped into the country southward were hunted by the Lamanites, until they were all destroyed. And my father also was killed by them, and I even remain alone to write the sad tale of the destruction of my people. … And whether they will slay me, I know not. Therefore I will write and hide up the records in the earth; and whither I go it mattereth not. … I am alone … I have not friends nor whither to go. (8:2-4)
Smith may have identified with this situation. His brother Alvin had died, his family was divided over religion, former friends had become enemies, and he was living with his in-laws, who disapproved of him, as did the Methodists and others in Harmony. Smith may have become alienated from his own feelings and realized that he did not have any real connection to other people. His secret mission to save his family and the world and to assume the prophetic mantle insured that his feelings of “otherness” and “aloneness” would continue.
The remainder of Mormon’s section of the Book of Mormon (8:14-9:37) consists of Moroni’s closing exhortation, including a statement to future readers that seems well suited to those who had attempted to steal the gold plates: “The plates thereof are of no worth, because of the commandment of the Lord. For he truly saith that no one shall have them to get gain; but the record thereof is of great worth” (8:14). To those who threatened Smith with physical harm, saying “show unto me [the plates], or ye shall be smitten,” Moroni warns that there are consequences to seeking what is “forbidden of the Lord” (8:18-20).
The fact that Smith withheld the plates from public view was a point of contention in Harmony. Isaac Hale said that in that case, the plates should be removed from the house—which is to say that the box should be removed from the house—and that “if he did not, I was determined to see it.”38 Others in Harmony said that Smith promised to show them the plates and then changed his mind.39 If Smith did make any such statements, it could have been diversionary because he seemed to have had no intention of showing his enemies the plates.
Moroni describes what America will be like when the Book of Mormon appears, offering several predictions. First, “it shall come in a day when it shall be said that miracles are done away. … Yea, it shall come in a day when the power of God shall be denied, and churches become defiled and [will] be lifted up in the pride of their hearts” (8:26, 28). True, Smith lived in a day when miracles were denied by deists, skeptics, and rationalists; but it was also a time when revivalists were experiencing visions, speaking in tongues, and healing the sick. Smith likely referred to the rejection of a specific kind of miracle—the coming forth of new revelation.” Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet by Dan Vogel Chapter 21 Mormon and Moroni–The Final Struggle
Quotes about Cumorah’s Location and the Cave
1. “At one time a fierce battle was fought near where Buffalo, N.Y., now stands, wherein two million were lying strewn upon the earth, slain in battle and no one to bury them, till the stench drove them southward to the Hill Ramah, which was called Cumorah by the Nephite race.” Reminiscences of Joseph the Prophet, by Edward Stevensonm1893
2. “It was at this time that Mormon deposited in the Hill Cumorah all the records that had been entrusted to him except a few plates that he gave to his son Moroni. (See Mormon 6.) About A.D. 420, Moroni placed these plates with those his father, Mormon, had already deposited in the hill. (See Moroni 10:1-2.)” A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, p. 73. By LeGrand Richards
3. “This Book, which contained these things, was hid in the earth by Moroni, in a hill called by him, Cumorah, which hill is now in the State of New York, near the village of Palmyra, in Ontario County.” Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, p. 43.
4. “[Joseph] went [into] a Cave in the Hill Comoro with Oliver Cowdry & deposited those plates upon a table or shelf. In that room were deposited a large amount of gold plates containing sacred records… Joseph Smith said that cave contained tons of choice treasures & records.” Wilford Woodruff Journal, 11 December 1869
F. “Joseph and others… went into a cave in the hill Cumorah, and saw more records than ten men could carry… There were books piled up on tables, book upon book. Those records this people will yet have, if they accept of the Book of Mormon and observe its precepts, and keep the commandments.” Heber C. Kimball
NOTES
31. Joseph Smith to Emma Smith, 4 June 1834, in Dean C. Jessee, ed., The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, 2nd. ed. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co.; Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 2002), 345-46.
32. Joseph Smith Jr., History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ed. B. H. Roberts, 7 vols., 2nd ed. rev. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1948), 2:79-80 (cf. Times and Seasons 6 [1 Jan. 1846]: 1076). Onandagus is no doubt inspired by the Onondaga Indians of central New York State. Kenneth W. Godfrey argues that those who refer to the Zelph incident as evidence against the Limited Tehuantepec Theory of Book of Mormon geography do so “on inconclusive grounds” (Kenneth W. Godfrey, “The Zelph Story,” Brigham Young University Studies 29 [Spring 1989]: 31-56). Godfrey’s oft-cited essay, however, contains many inaccuracies, not the least of which is his suggestion that Smith’s history was emended to exclude references to “the Nephites” and “the Hill Cumorah,” possibly at Smith’s instigation (47). However, these alterations were made sometime after publication of the Zelph story in the Times and Seasons in 1846 and, hence, without Smith’s participation. His assertion that “the earlier accounts do not expressly identify Zelph with the Nephites, as do the later accounts” (42) is equally false. Within months of the return of Smith and his men to Kirtland, Ohio, E. D. Howe reported that after disinterment of the bones, “Smith made a speech, prophesying or declaring that they were the remains of a celebrated General among the Nephites, mentioning his name and the battle in which he was slain, some 1500 years ago” (E. D. Howe, Mormonism Unvailed [Painesville, OH: E. D. Howe, 1834], 159). Godfrey equivocates about every key word in the Zelph accounts, but his questioning of “the plains of the Nephites” in Smith’s letter to Emma is especially strained. “Evidently these plains were in some respect associated with, or comparable to, the battlefields of the Nephites,” Godfrey argues, “but beyond this it is unclear what Joseph meant by this expression” (46). The balance of the sentence, that they were standing on the mounds of that “once beloved people of the Lord” and “picking up their skulls and their bones” as “proof” of the Book of Mormon’s “divine authenticity,” makes it abundantly clear that Smith intended “the plains of the Nephites” to be understood literally.
33. Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate 1 (July 1835): 158 (EMD 2:449).
34. One of the speculative apologists is John L. Sorenson, who has written that Cumorah was located about eighty-five miles northwest of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the Tuxtla Mountain chain near Tres Zapotes in south-central Veracruz (John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book; and Provo, UT: FARMS, 1985], 347-50). This suggestion is problematic. Mormon describes the region around Cumorah as “a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains” (Morm. 6:4). Helaman 3:4 describes it as a land with “large bodies of water and many rivers,” stating that it is located “an exceeding great distance” into the land northward. Traditionally, these two passages of the Book of Mormon have been thought to point to the Great Lakes Region. By comparison, Tres Zapotes is not “an exceeding great distance” from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Some writers have proposed two lands of many waters and lakes: one the land of Cumorah—which they say is the Papaloapan Lagoon System just west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec—the other farther west and north in the Valley of Mexico (Ibid., 267). The Book of Mormon gives no indication that such a division was implied. If this were the case, one would expect Mormon, the editor, to explicitly distinguish the area of many waters in Helaman 3:4 from the more famous “land of many waters” of Cumorah. David A. Palmer argues that “it would be fruitless to argue over how far an ‘exceeding great distance’ was to a Nephite” (In Search of Cumorah: New Evidences for the Book of Mormon from Ancient Mexico [Bountiful, UT: Horizon Publishers, 1981], 79). But if eighty-five miles or so to Tres Zapotes is “an exceeding great distance” to a Nephite, then what about the 120 miles across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which the Book of Mormon describes as “only the distance of a day and a half’s journey for a Nephite” (Alma 22:32)? Or what about the 155 miles from Kaminaljuyu (Nephi) to Santa Rosa (Zarahemla), spoken of as being a short distance apart? Along with the two-Cumorah theory comes the problem of explaining how the plates (not to mention the entire Nephite library) came to be in New York thousands of miles from their supposed location in Central America. (For the story of Smith, Cowdery, and others seeing the Nephite library inside the New York hill, see EMD 3:379-82.) John A. Widtsoe suggested that the plates could have been “moved from place to place by divine help” (John A. Widtsoe, “Is Book of Mormon Geography Known?” Improvement Era 53 [July 1950]: 547). But the more popular explanation is that “Moroni carried the plates by himself to the Palmyra, New York area and buried them there” (Palmer, In Search of Cumorah, 20; and Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, 44). This explanation is problematic because Moroni makes it clear that he buried the plates in the vicinity of the Nephites’ destruction, not 2,000 miles away in some remote region. When Moroni begins writing sixteen years after the Nephites’ destruction, we learn that he remained in the area to observe the activities of the Lamanites, at risk of being captured (Morm. 8:1-13). Uncertain about his future, Moroni buries the plates (8:3-4). When he returns twenty years later, he observes the “exceedingly fierce” wars among the Lamanites and declares: “I make not myself known to the Lamanites lest they should destroy me” (Moro. 1:1-2). After writing his final exhortation, he bids farewell: “And I seal up these records … I soon go to rest in the paradise of God” (10:2, 34). Thus, Moroni is old and ready to die when he hides the plates in the same hill around which the Nephites were destroyed. On these and other difficulties facing the new geographers, see Earl M. Wunderli, “Critique of a Limited Geography for Book of Mormon Events,”
35. See M. T. Lamb, The Golden Bible; or, The Book of Mormon. Is it from God? (Salt Lake City: Salt Lake Herald, 1885), 96-106, 205-6, 308-16. See also Vogel and Metcalfe, American Apocrypha, viii-ix.
36. See chapters 8 and 17.
37. See chapter 25.
38. “Mormonism,” Susquehanna Register, and Northern Pennsylvanian 9 (1 May 1834): 1 (EMD 4:286).
39. See the statements of Alva Hale, Nathaniel Lewis, and Joshua McKune in ibid. (EMD 4:291, 294, 325).
Dylann Roof is depicted during his sentencing hearing in federal court in Charleston, S.C., Jan. 11, 2017.Dylann Roof is depicted during his sentencing hearing in federal court in Charleston, S.C., Jan. 11, 2017.Robert Maniscalco
Gordon B. Hinckley
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
We have Hebrew (Old Testament).
