The Christmas season is such a wondrous time for reflection, giving thanks, and counting the many blessings we have enjoyed throughout the year. May we remember, especially during this Christmas season, the significance of the Son of God coming to earth to redeem mankind from our mistakes and sin.
Here is a wonderful story you may not have heard before. From Firm Foundation we pray the Spirit of the Lord is with you and your family, during this wonderful Christmas Season.
Who Were the Shepherds in the Christmas Story?
by Rod L. Meldrum
“As we approach this sacred season of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, may we reflect on the miracle and blessing He was and is. As I’ve pondered on His holy birth, and the circumstances around it, I am reminded again of how the Lord goes about His mighty works.
The Holy Son of the most glorified and powerful eternal being, our Father in Heaven, was not provided with a wondrous palace, security, wealth and privilege befitting his status as God’s first born Son, but rather He showed his everlasting power through the simple, the meek, the lowly and the weak things of this world. His sacred Son wasn’t born amid the tumult and praise of the political, secular or religious superiors of his day, but in obscurity, vulnerability and to parents who were powerless because of their circumstances to provide much more than the most basic necessities of life at His birth.
I am reminded of how the Jews were anticipating a mighty king who was prophesied to deliver them. They presumed that God’s Son would enter this world provided with what men supposed would be needed to carry out this deliverance. Why would they not expect their deliverer to be born to parents who could provide a world-class education, money sufficient to procure status, authority and prestige so that other men would know of His leadership and knowledge and thus follow Him?
Instead His Holy Child was born in a stable and lovingly laid in a manger of hay by honest, hard-working parents of common status among the Jewish throngs. Indeed, His pre-mortal status was hidden and utterly concealed from the world. How ashamed many Jews must have felt when they realized they had been looking for the wrong identifying features of this humble Son of God sent to deliver them.
In like manner some have supposed that the Nephite civilization of the Book of Mormon should be identified by grand features and majestic ruins, signs of an overpowering and influential people that the world can look to because of their triumphant accomplishments. Yet the Book of Mormon speaks of a humble people who obeyed the Laws of Moses, dressed in inconspicuous clothing, and built homes and temples and cities of wood. It was the unrighteous that built large and spacious palaces to demonstrate their own greatness. In contrast to impressive structures, the righteous Nephites seemed to follow the Lord’s ways in putting people as a higher priority than power; of salvation over worldly possessions.
May we, as followers of Christ, strive to emulate and understand the true power of God’s example of His Son by humbly submitting ourselves and meekly seeking His will, realizing our weaknesses and asking for his grace to attend us. This is, I believe, a most wonderful way to celebrate His birth.
WHO WERE THE SHEPHERDS IN THE CHRISTMAS STORY? The Christmas story as taken from Luke 2:8-20:
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”
Most of us are very familiar with this passage, as reading it is a Christmas Eve tradition for many families. But who were the shepherds? Why were these men privileged to have angels appear to them? Was there any significance to these shepherds other than being humble keepers of sheep? Did the angels announce the birth of the Savior throughout the land, but this was the only account that was recorded in scripture? Or was there a greater purpose to the angelic revelation specific to these shepherds?
The Christmas story takes on added meaning when we consider that the shepherds who were abiding by their flocks in the fields were perhaps watching over temple sheep, sheep that were being bred and protected to be sacrificed at the temple in Jerusalem. The noted information relies heavily on the research of Cooper P. Abrams III in his article Where was the Birth Place of the Lord Jesus?
These shepherds may have been men who were accustomed to preparing lambs which symbolically represented the Messiah in their cleanliness, perfection, and their sacrifice on the altar of the temple. This gives added depth of meaning, if true, to these scriptures which tell of the angels who came to these shepherds to proclaim the birth of the Lamb of God, the Savior of mankind, who would offer the last and ultimate sacrifice.
A tower similar to what Migdal Eder might have looked like
But there are more interesting details. The place where the angels appeared to the shepherds is traditionally known as the Tower of the Flock, or Migdal Edar, which is very near Bethlehem. One commentator notes: “This watch tower from ancient times was used by the shepherds for protection from their enemies and wild beasts. It was the place ewes were brought to give birth to the lambs. In this sheltered building/cave the priests would bring in the ewes which were about to lamb for protection. These special lambs came from a unique flock which were designated for sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem.”
According to Edersheim in The Life And Times Of Jesus The Messiah, in Book 2, Chapter 6, it states, “This Migdal Edar was not the watchtower for the ordinary flocks that pastured on the barren sheep ground beyond Bethlehem, but it lay close to the town, on the road to Jerusalem. A passage from the Mishnah (Shekelim 7:4) leads to the conclusion that the flocks which pastured there were destined for Temple sacrifices.“
What are we to make of all of this information from the writings of the rabbis? First, we know that Migdal Edar was the watchtower that guarded the Temple flocks that were being raised to serve as sacrificial animals in the Temple. These were not just any flock. The shepherds who kept them were men who were specifically trained for this royal task. They were educated in what an animal, that was to be sacrificed, had to be and it was their job to make sure that none of the animals were hurt, damaged, or blemished.These lambs were apparently wrapped in swaddling cloths to protect them from injury which, of course, was also used to wrap the Christ Child.
Thus, with the establishment of Temple worship in Jerusalem, the fields outside of Bethlehem became the place where a special group of shepherds raised the lambs that were sacrificed in the Temple. Being themselves under special Rabbinical care, they would strictly maintain a ceremonially clean stable for a birthing place. The Tower of the Flock was used for birthing ewes, and the surrounding fields were where these shepherds grazed their flocks. These shepherds customarily kept their flocks outdoors twenty-four hours a day every day of the year, but brought the ewes in to deliver their lambs where they could be gently cared for. It was to this place that Joseph took Mary. It was in this special stable at “Migdal Edar” that Christ may have been born!
TOWER OF THE FLOCK There’s an obscure prophecy about the birth of Jesus that’s not just about the town of Bethlehem, it nails down Messiah’s birth to the square foot. You might not have heard this before, but it’s in the book of Micah. “And you, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, even the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.” – Micah 4:8 It’s a prophecy that the Messiah would be born not only in Bethlehem, but in the “Tower of the Flock.” So, what is that?More information here:
Luke 2:8-18 records that there were shepherds in the fields keeping watch over their sheep by night. Who then were these shepherds? Without question these were shepherds who resided near Bethlehem. They were none other than the shepherds from “Migdal Edar” who were well aware that the Targum (translations of the Hebrew Bible or portions of it into the Aramaic language. Thus the Targums were designed to meet the needs of unlearned Jews to whom the Hebrew of the Old Testament was unintelligible), hinted and many of the rabbis taught, that the Messiah might well be announced from “Migdal Edar” at Bethlehem. The angels only told the shepherds that they would find the Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. There was no need for the angels to give these shepherds directions to the birth place because they already knew. These were the men who raised sacrificial lambs that were sacrificed in the Temple. When the angelic announcement came, they knew exactly where to go, as Luke 2 indicates, for the sign of a manger could only mean their manger at the tower of the flock! You cannot explain the meaning or direction of the sign they were given or their response unless you have the right manger and the right shepherds!
Prophetically, Migdal Edar is the exact place in Bethlehem for Christ to be born. Micah was God’s prophet who was warning Israel of the coming captivity. He used the authenticating prophecy of the Assyrian captivity of the Northern Kingdom (soon to occur when he foretold it), to serve as a reminder to Israel of God’s promised Kingdom. God wanted them to know that even though they would be taken from their land because of their disobedience that He would restore them in time. Micah 4:7 establishes the context of the passage and clearly is a Messianic prophecy of the coming of the Millennial Kingdom when Jesus Christ will reign over Jerusalem forever. The… LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever. In other words God was assuring Israel that He would fulfill His promises to them of the Kingdom. In Micah 4:8 the word is rendered “tower of the flock” (marg., “Edar”), and is used as a designation of Bethlehem, which figuratively represents the royal line of David as sprung from Bethlehem.
In this setting, Micah (Micah 4:8) uses the prophecy of the Babylonian captivity of the Southern Kingdom as a pledge to guarantee (authenticating prophecy) of the birth of Christ at Migdal Edar at Bethlehem, which is exactly where it took place! Micah prophesied that as surely as Assyrians would soon carry away Israel in the North, so the Messiah would come and establish His kingdom, the “first dominion, the kingdom shall come to Jerusalem.” The verse states that as surely as Babylon would carry away the Judah, in the South, into captivity, so the Messiah would arrive at the Tower of the Flock. This prophecy was but one other evidence that later proved that Jesus was the Messiah, but one that Israel ignored in rejecting Him as their Messiah.
Typically, “Migdal Edar”, (the tower of the flock) at Bethlehem is the perfect place for Christ to be born. He was born in the very birthplace where tens of thousands of lambs, which had been sacrificed to prefigure Him. God promised it, pictured it and performed it at “Migdal Edar”. It all fits together, for that’s the place where sacrificial lambs were born! Jesus may not have been born, as has often been assumed, behind an inn, in a smelly stable, where the donkeys of travelers and other animals were kept. He was most likely born in Bethlehem, at the birthing place of the sacrificial lambs that were offered in the Temple in Jerusalem which Micah 4:8calls the tower of the flock.
John the Baptist in John 1:29 proclaimed of Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Jesus is presented in the Bible as being likened to a sacrificial lamb. It was not by chance but by choice that Christ identified His death with the time of the observance of the Passover. Peter spoke of our redemption as wrought by the “precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” ( 1 Pet. 1:19); and Paul told us that “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us” ( 1 Cor. 5:7). Even the first fulfilled type by which Christ is to be revealed in Heaven is as the Lamb (Rev. 5:6-13) Over 33 references in the Book of Mormon speak of Christ as the “Lamb of God” and as such the significance of this sacred prophesied birthplace on the outskirts of Bethlehem takes on new meaning.”
Enjoy the Christmas Holiday!
Rod L. Meldrum President, The FIRM Foundation
Tower of the Flock
“Jesus was not born behind an inn, in a smelly stable where the donkeys of travelers and other animals were kept. He was born in Bethlehem, at the birthing place of the sacrificial lambs that were offered in the Temple in Jerusalem which Micah 4:8 calls the “tower of the flock.” Where was the Birth Place of the Lord Jesus? by Cooper P Abrams III
The Tower of the Flock or Migdal Eder, Bethlehem — an early twentieth-century photographNatural limestone cave (above and below ground) where shepherds take shelter with their flocks at night.
Let’s address this and you can come up with your own conclusion.
Heritage is defined as:
a) Something that is handed down from the past, as a tradition:
b) Something that comes or belongs to one by reason of birth; an inherited lot or portion:
c) Something reserved for one:
Lineage is defined as:
a) direct descent from an ancestor
b) ancestry; family; stock
c) descendants from a common ancestor
Below is some very interesting information about heritage and lineage. Just as Lehi may have several heritages, Joseph Smith in a like manner has several heritages. There is also some interesting information about Joseph Smith’s DNA and showing he is of Irish descent.
LEHI’S MANY HERITAGES by Hugh Nibley.
“The caravans of Egypt and Israel pass each other, guided through the sands by those men of the desert (Arabs) who were the immemorial go-between of the two civilizations.
ARAB: Arab designates a way of life, and was applied by the Jews to their own relatives who remained behind in the wilderness. , Manasseh lived furthest out of Jerusalem and had contact with Arabs the most.
ISRAELI: Of Manasseh through Joseph and the 12 tribes of Israel.
EGYPTIAN: Language of Lehi consists of learning of Jews and language of Egyptians: Heritage, culture. Ammon was Manasseh’s nearest neighbor and is an Egyptian name.
HEBREW: Lehi means Jaw Bone in Hebrew. From Eber, Jewish because they live near and around Jerusalem. Learning of the Jews.
CHRISTIAN: Through Christ, and lived the law of Moses
Lehi in the Desert by Hugh Nibley Chapter 2 (numbering and subheadings added)
Joseph Smith was a pure Ephraimite
“It is the house of Israel we are after, and we care not whether they come from the east, the west, the north, or the south; from China, Russia, England, California, North or South America, or some other locality. … The Book of Mormon came to Ephraim, for Joseph Smith was a pure Ephraimite, and the Book of Mormon was revealed to him.” (Brigham Young Journal of Discourses 2:268–69.)
“Is it possible for the same person to be an Israelite by birth and yet be considered a Gentile?”
Although President Young identified Joseph Smith as a “pure Ephraimite” in the above quotation, so far as the Prophet’s family or blood lines were concerned, Brigham Young and others have recognized that (1) Joseph Smith was from a Gentile nation and (2) some of Joseph Smith’s progenitors may have come from bloodlines other than that of Ephraim. (See Journal of Discourses, 2:268.)
President Joseph Fielding Smith also provided insight on how the term Gentile could apply to Joseph Smith even though he was a descendant of Jacob (Israel) through Joseph, the father of Ephraim:
“In this Dispensation of the Fulness of Times, the gospel came first to the Gentiles and then is to go to the Jews. However, the Gentiles who receive the gospel are, in the greater part, Gentiles who have the blood of Israel in their veins. There is a very significant statement in the words of Moroni as recorded on the title page of the Book of Mormon that it was ” … ‘To come forth … by way of the Gentile. …’
“How did the Book of Mormon come forth? By the hand of Joseph Smith. Yet we read in the Book of Mormon [see 2 Ne. 3:7–15] that Joseph Smith is the descendant of Joseph who was sold into Egypt by his brethren, nevertheless he came by ‘way of the Gentile,’ according to Moroni’s prediction.” (Answers to Gospel Questions, 4:39.)
Thus, Joseph Smith was of the house of Israel so far as his family or blood lines were concerned, but he came from a Gentile nation and thus might also be considered a Gentile in the political or geographical sense.
Lehi= Manasseh; Ishmael= Ephraim; Mulek= Judah;
Mosaic of the 12 Tribes of Israel
“Whoever has read the Book of Mormon carefully will have learned that the remnants of the house of Joseph dwelt upon the American continent; and that Lehi learned by searching the records of his fathers that were written upon the plates of brass, that he was of the lineage of Manasseh. The Prophet Joseph informed us that the record of Lehi, was contained on the 116 pages that were first translated and subsequently stolen, and of which an abridgement is given us in the first Book of Nephi, which is the record of Nephi individually, he himself being of the lineage of Manasseh; but that Ishmael was of the lineage of Ephraim, and that his sons married into Lehi’s family, and Lehi’s sons married Ishmael’s daughters, thus fulfilling the words of Jacob upon Ephraim and Manasseh in the 48th chapter of Genesis, which says: “And let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the land.” Thus these descendants of Manasseh and Ephraim grew together upon this American continent, with a sprinkling from the house of Judah, from Mulek descended, who left Jerusalem eleven years after Lehi, and founded the colony afterwards known as Zarahemla and found by Mosiah—thus making a combination, an intermixture of Ephraim and Manasseh with the remnants of Judah; and for aught we know, the remnants of some other tribes that might have accompanied Mulek.” (Erastus Snow, JD 23:184) Also see page 9 of the Annotated Book of Mormon by David Hocking and Rod Meldrum Purchase Here
“Speaking about Lehi’s people, “Joseph wrote, “They were principally Israelites, of the descendants of Joseph.” It is possible that Joseph Smith was referring to Zoram after all, clarifying he was not a Jew. He may have been referring to those who accompanied the Mulekites (presumably Phoenicians). But it is also possible that he was referring to others who accompanied Lehi… To summarize: I think Lehi brought servants and landed in a mostly uninhabited area in Florida, among a small population of hunter/gatherers who lacked a well-organized society.” Jonathan Neville Moroni’s America page 84-86
Summary “DNA research into Joseph Smith Jr.’s genealogy has turned up a surprise, according to Ugo Perego, director of operations at the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation: A rare DNA marker shows that the assumption Smith’s family line came from England is probably wrong.
SANDY, Utah — DNA research into Joseph Smith Jr.’s genealogy has turned up a surprise, according to Ugo Perego, director of operations at the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation: A rare DNA marker shows that the assumption Smith’s family line came from England is probably wrong.
The Smiths were Irish.
Perego was speaking at the 10th annual Mormon Apologetics Conference presented by the Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research this week at the South Towne Exposition Center in Sandy. He recounted the investigation into Joseph Smith’s DNA and some of the results.
The primary means used to investigate Joseph Smith’s DNA was the Y chromosome — a part of DNA that is only passed from father to son and has few mutations.
Elaine Nichols, a specialist in Joseph Smith’s genealogy, according to Perego wrote in 1991 that Smith’s line can only be followed with confidence back to Robert Smith, possibly born in 1626. Robert Smith showed up in 1638 in Boston, Mass., as an indentured servant to another man. No parents known. No siblings known.
“At that time we thought: ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we can reconstruct the Joseph Smith genetic signature, the paternal-line signature … and then, somehow,… collect samples from Smiths in England, particularly in the area where we think (Robert Smith) came from, see if we find similar genetic signatures there, and perhaps bridge the gap between the Utah or Mormon Smiths and those in England — and find a way to bridge this genealogical gap using DNA,’” Perego said.
By using DNA samples from several known Joseph Smith Jr. and his father’s descendants, an accurate example of his Y chromosome DNA profile was identified. There was no need to test his blood or bones or hair or anything.
“If I had Joseph Smith standing by me and be able to (take a sample of his cells) and get some DNA from him, I wouldn’t know any additional information than what I already know based on the (samples) of his descendants. That is how accurate this information is,” Perego said.
Having this accurate DNA profile also enabled testing of his alleged descendants through polygamous or plural wives.
Perego showed part of a list of alleged children of Joseph Smith through other wives. The DNA of a number of the alleged children was identified and compared:
Moroni Pratt was not his child, contrary to what Fawn Brodie speculated in her critical biography of Joseph Smith, “No Man Knows My History.”
Zebulon Jacobs was not his child.
Oliver Norman Buell was claimed by Brodie to be a son of Joseph Smith. She had compared his photograph with Joseph Smith III. “Even the hairstyle was the same,” Perego said, eliciting some laughter from the crowd. But notwithstanding the physical similarities, Buell was not Smith’s child.
“My testimony of Joseph Smith has absolutely nothing to do with to what extent he practiced polygamy,” Perego said. “But there is an interesting situation in which there are literally thousands of people descended of these individuals that are wondering, based on what has been written, whether or not they are descendants of Joseph Smith, and so here you have a chance to tell these people how things are.”
Whether Joseph fathered some of the other children on the list may never be known, because some of them died too young to have any children themselves. “I’m not really in the business of going around and digging up graves and testing,” Perego said.
Perego then returned to his search for Joseph Smith’s ancestor in England. Because Joseph Smith’s last certain ancestor on the Smith paternal line, Robert Smith, was indentured to a man who had property in Kirton, Lincolnshire, England, the assumption was made that Robert Smith was also from Kirton.
Another Robert Smith was found there who had a son named Robert at about the correct time. This new Robert Smith was assumed to be the father of the younger indentured servant Robert Smith who came to America — even though the connection was weak. Smith is a common name, of course, and Robert was the most popular first name at the time.
This is where the trail goes completely cold using standard genealogical methods. Perego’s goal was to see if any traces of the Smith family DNA were still in the area. If Robert Smith came from that area, some matching DNA should remain in living Smiths. This would add some support to the genealogical record.
Perego wrote letters to 1,100 Smiths in the Lincolnshire area asking for DNA samples. Thirty-three people responded, but testing showed zero matches with Joseph Smith’s DNA.
The Joseph Smith DNA was unusual for Smiths — even among Smiths in the United States.
Without any success in the target area, Perego cast a wider net — using both Joseph Smith’s specific DNA Y chromosome profile and a “haplogroup” to look for matches. A haplogroup is a grouping of Y chromosome profiles that share similar characteristics. These haplogroups are usually very geographically specific.
First, Perego put the Joseph Smith DNA profile into the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation database of 23,403 Y chromosome DNA samples. He was looking for matches from about the time when Robert Smith came to America. He found close matches, many of which were Irish.
From there, Perego identified a part of Joseph Smith’s DNA that had a very rare marker called M222. With this “higher resolution” he found that the same marker was found in Northwest Ireland — with a little bit in Lowland Scotland.
Finally, Perego looked at a study published in 2006 that dealt with this same area of Ireland. A Y chromosome profile had been found that was attributed to the many descendants of “Niall of the Nine Hostages,” a fifth-century Irish warlord who was the ancestor of the kings of Ireland up to the 10th century. Perego compared that Y chromosome with Joseph Smith’s profile and found they matched very closely. This was another indication that Smith’s ancestors along his paternal line were not just Irish, but probably related to Irish royalty.
“Perhaps this indentured servant, this 12-year-old boy, was an Irish descendent, perhaps only one or two generations before they were living in Ireland … and moved to England,” Perego said. “Irish people were not viewed too well in England, perhaps there was a surname change. Perhaps Smith was not a Smith, was something else at some point.”
Perego speculated the Irish Smiths were likely not in England for many generations, otherwise he would have found a lot of genetic matches from the samples he collected from the English Smiths who live now in that area.
“I hope that that doesn’t change anybody’s testimony here,” he joked. “I feel OK about the Irish people.” E-mail: mdegroote@desnews.com
DNA tests rule out 2 as Smith descendants – Scientific advances prove no genetic link
By Carrie A. Moore, Deseret News Published: Saturday, Nov. 10 2007
LDS Church founder Joseph Smith married as many as 30 women.
Summary
After more than a century of speculation about whether LDS Church founder Joseph Smith had children with any of his plural wives, a local geneticist said he recently has crossed two such purported descendants off the list of potential candidates.
After more than a century of speculation about whether LDS Church founder Joseph Smith had children with any of his plural wives, a local geneticist said he recently has crossed two such purported descendants off the list of potential candidates.
Ugo Perego, director of operations at the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, told the Deseret Morning News that technological advances in DNA testing during the past couple of years have helped prove with “99.9 percent certainty” that two early Latter-day Saints thought by some to be Smith’s children are not his descendants. They are:
Mosiah Hancock, son of Clarissa Reed Hancock, who was married to Levi Hancock.
Oliver Buell, son of Prescindia Huntington Buell, who was married to Norman Buell.
Perego said that brings to five the number of people that some believed were Smith descendants whose paternal DNA does not match up with his. To date, at least seven other early Latter-day Saints have been identified in various historical documents or in later writings as potential Smith offspring, he said.
In 2005, Perego said DNA testing also ruled out three other alleged male descendants — Moroni Llewellyn Pratt (son of Mary Ann Frost Pratt, married to Parley P. Pratt), Zebulon Jacobs (son of Zina Diantha Huntington Jacobs Smith, married to Henry Bailey Jacobs) and Orrison Smith (son of Fanny Alger).
Some candidates are surrounded by what he called “strong historical evidences like journal entries,” while other alleged descendants have little historical basis to be related, other than “speculation based on conclusions that sometimes may have been too rushed,” Perego said.
In Hancock’s case, “historically, there is nothing about him. In fact, another son of Levi Hancock is more in question, named John Reed Hancock.” Mid-20th century historian and author Fawn Brodie, in her book “No Man Knows My History,” had “quite a lot about John Reed Hancock,” he said.
Brodie also believed Buell was Smith’s child, born during the early church’s days in Far West, Mo., he said. “She goes quite far to explain why she thought this was the case. The time was perfect because (Prescindia’s) husband was gone from the church, and there was a plural marriage that took place while he was gone.”
Brodie also offered as evidence a photo of Buell resembling two of Joseph and Emma Smith’s sons, writing that his “physiognomy … seems to weigh the balance overwhelmingly on the side of Joseph’s paternity.”
Historians say Smith was married to as many as 30 women before he was killed by a mob in June 1844.
Perego also has gathered DNA samples on about 120 descendants of Josephine Rosetta Lyon, daughter of Sylvia Sessions Lyon, who was one of Smith’s wives. But Y chromosome evidence, used to determine paternal relationships from father to son, is not present for Lyon because she is female. The effort to determine Lyon’s parentage is ongoing, he said.
His most recent findings were presented as a paper at the annual John Whitmer Historical Association conference in Kirtland, Ohio, in late September. The group’s officers since have asked Perego to put his presentation into an article format suitable for publication in their next annual journal.
The list of approximately 12 people alleged to have been Smith’s children “may grow over time,” Perego said, noting historical documents continue to surface. “I’m not saying the list I have is definitive or complete at all. But out of those we have data for, there is no evidence from DNA at this point that Joseph Smith had any children from women other than Emma Smith.
“In the future, if DNA data will be able to be collected and tested, we might know otherwise. But right now, we’re able to eliminate five children from that list. There may be some cases we might never be able to test at all.”
While Y chromosome DNA is passed from father to son and is most accurate in identifying living people, mitochondrial DNA is passed from mother to daughter and is more often used in paleontology and archaeology, Perego said. As a result, there are distinct limitations on the testing that can be done to date because such testing on a living — and cooperative — male descendant requires an unbroken male line.
Perego has mapped Smith’s DNA by retrieving samples from living descendants of two sons he had with Emma Smith — Joseph Smith III and Alexander Hale Smith. “Their Y chromosomes were identical, so we know for 100 percent sure what Joseph Smith’s Y chromosome looked like. We can now use that standard to verify any other alleged sons,” which he did with those who have been eliminated as possible descendants.
“For 160 years people have been writing in books or speculating that these people could have been Joseph Smith’s children. When people write something in a book, many people refer to that almost as a fact. Brodie went on and on about Buell, talking about the timing and the picture — everything seems to indicate Buell was Joseph Smith’s son. But the DNA says otherwise.”
Perego said he was not only able to eliminate Smith as their father, but also was able to confirm that the men who were married to Hancock’s and Buell’s mothers were actually their biological fathers.
As he finds living descendants of people in question, Perego said he will be happy to continue to test them. “I think this will always be a work in progress. Hopefully, someday we’ll be able to test some of the girls as well, when genetic testing is developed to accurately conclude if some of these girls were or were not his descendants.”
Plural wife Sylvia Sessions Lyon left a deathbed affidavit for her daughter, Josephine, telling her that her father was Joseph Smith. In terms of circumstantial evidence, “that is probably the strongest case out there, but it involves a daughter. I’ve collected maybe 120 samples from descendants of Josephine, but as of today, there is not an accurate method” to prove parentage. (See 2016 results here. “Joseph Smith apparently was not Josephine Lyon’s father, Mormon History Association speaker says.”)
Perego’s work is an independent project that Sorenson has allowed him to work on, rather than something the foundation does full-time, he said. His motive, he said, is truth, not glory.
“As a scientist, I like to look for truth. If there is a book that says this person was Joseph’s son, and I have evidence that’s not right, it’s important for me to offer an alternative explanation from science that people can refer to. New authors in the future can then take that new genetic evidence into consideration.
“My goal is not at all a crusade to prove or disprove either that Joseph Smith practiced polygamy or that he had children from women other than Emma. I have no agenda to prove or disprove.
“There are legitimate cases of individuals studying family history who have a pedigree chart in front of them that shows” Smith as a third-great-grandfather.
“Because there is some evidence like a book or a rumor in the family, individuals don’t know who to put on their pedigree chart. We’re talking about real people who want to know who they are descended from.
“Most have told me they don’t really care if they come from Joseph Smith or from someone else. They just want to know which one.”
For information on DNA testing for family history research, see Sorenson’s Web site at www.SMGF.org.
There is ONLY ONE “Narrow Neck of Land” in the entire Book of Mormon. Ether 10:20
One of the most common questions asked about the North American setting is, “what about the narrow neck of land?” People have been taught to think the Book of Mormon describes two large land masses connected by the “narrow neck of land.” The hourglass shape has been depicted in many LDS publications. When we look on a globe, we immediately think of Panama as a narrow neck of land connecting North and South America. However, scholars have pointed out that a hemispheric interpretation of Book of Mormon geography contradicts the text; the distances are simply too great.
Instead, scholars have proposed a more limited territory. Two articles in the 1984 Ensign [i] introduced the limited model of Book of Mormon geography in Mesoamerica to a wide LDS audience. The author of those articles, John Sorenson, has also written that “A key feature of any geographical correlation must include a narrow neck of land connecting two sizable land masses… Only one geographical correlation avoids fatal flaws: The narrow neck of land was the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.” [ii]
Figure 5 is an application of this interpretation of the text. [iii]
It may be surprising to realize that the term “narrow neck of land” is used only once in the entire Book of Mormon. The passage is in Ether 10:20: “And they built a great city by the narrow neck of land, by the place where the sea divides the land.”
That’s it.
A single passage.
A passage describing the location of a Jaredite city. Nowhere in the Book of Ether does Moroni mention Nephite or Lamanite locations, except that the Jaredite hill Ramah is the same hill where Mormon hid the records (Ether 15:11). In the first verse of the first chapter, Moroni explained the territory addressed in the Book of Ether: “And now I, Moroni, proceed to give an account of those ancient inhabitants who were destroyed by the hand of the Lord upon the face of this north country.”
Despite its solitary appearance in Ether, many commentators have considered the “narrow neck of land” to be a defining feature of both Nephite and Jaredite lands. They think the verse in Ether refers to the same feature as a verse in Alma 22:32, which says “thus the land of Nephi and the land of Zarahemla were nearly surrounded by water, there being a small neck of land between the land northward and the land southward.” That interpretation is a mistake. Besides the difference in terminology (narrow does not mean small), the context and frame of reference of the two passages are entirely different, and they were written by different authors hundreds of years apart.
I’ll explain this in more detail in the next chapters, but notice that the small neck of land is an exception to the two lands being “nearly surrounded by water.” No location in Central America is nearly surrounded by water because at both ends there are enormous continents. In North America, both the land of Zarahemla and the land of Nephi are nearly surrounded by water, with a small neck of land between them, as I’ll explain.
Mesoamerican Neck
Furthermore, the narrow neck of land in Mesoamerica is over 100 miles wide. Many people have observed the incongruity of describing such a wide stretch of difficult terrain as “narrow.” A feature this wide might appear “narrow” from a satellite, but to someone on the ground, this Isthmus is as wide as the adjacent land.
When we read the text, we need to put ourselves in the place of the authors, in their time and place. They didn’t have satellites. They described their territory as they saw it, from the surface. Perspective is key.
[i] John L. Sorenson, “Digging into the Book of Mormon: Our Changing Understanding of Ancient America and Its Scripture,” parts 1 and 2, Ensign, September and October 1984. Available online at http://bit.ly/Moroni119 and http://bit.ly/Moroni120. Brother Sorenson wrote several other pieces for Church magazines on this topic.
[iii] John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon (FARMS 1985), 11. Online at fairmormon.org, http://bit.ly/Moroni139.
[1] In the year 2000, John Sorenson published Mormon’s Map, an overview of what The Book of Mormon text says about geography. He writes, “The nearest thing to a systematic explanation of Mormon’s geographical picture is given in Alma 22:27-34… He [Mormon] must have considered that treatment full and clear enough for his purposes, because he never returned to the topic.”[1] Sorenson takes the approach of creating an abstract map based on The Book of Mormon text, and then seeing if it fits in a real-world location. I agree with Sorenson about the importance of Alma 22, as well as the utility of creating an abstract map and finding a fit in the real world.
However, Sorenson’s analysis of Alma 22 seems to be influenced by the Times and Seasons article published on 1 October 1842, which declares that the Nephite city of Zarahemla “stood upon” “Central America or Guatimala [sic].” Sorenson cites this passage from the Times and Seasons, although he recognizes the “fact that the geography question had not been settled authoritatively.”[1] In Mormon’s Codex, Sorenson relegates the Times and Seasons articles to a footnote in support of his unequivocal conclusion: “Joseph Smith became convinced in the last years of his life that the lands of the Nephites were in Mesoamerica.”[1]
Sorenson’s assumptions about Central America lead him to a preconceived concept of Book of Mormon geography; i.e., a narrow neck of land between two larger land masses. Perhaps he felt somewhat bound by the Times and Seasons articles and his inference that Joseph Smith agreed with them. As such, Sorenson’s work could be viewed as an effort to vindicate the Prophet’s words. Page 31
NARROW NECK- Where Hagoth built his ships. On Lake Michigan lower east side following Lake Michigan’s coast along the St Lawrence Continental Divide to the St. Joe River. Anciently the Grand Kankakee Marsh extended south of Lake Michigan and the Great Black Swamp extended west of Lake Erie. The neck running E/W was 30 miles between Warsaw, IN and Merriam IN. Alma 63:5
NARROW NECK OF LAND- Lake Ontario divides the land at Hamilton, OT Canada, and Lake Erie divides the land at Buffalo, NY, and at Toledo, OH. In Central America the ”land divides the sea”. (Isthmus of Tehuantepec) Lake Ontario and Lake Erie are seas, where the “sea divides the land” as quoted in Ether. Ether 10:20. The N/S distance from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario is only about 24 miles wide.
SMALL NECK OF LAND- Allegheny, Susquehanna, and Genesee head-river gaps. (Triple Divide) Only 6 miles between each of these three river heads, where the two Continental Divides meet. (St Lawrence and Eastern Divide) Anciently this location was called the Forbidden Path, and was a strategic defensive location, hunting area, and buffer zone for the Native Americans to protect their south land. “Leading directly into the heart of the central New York Iroquois heartland, the Forbidden Path stood at a strategic transportation break linking river systems ultimately flowing into Chesapeake Bay, the Great Lakes, and the Ohio Valley.” (Journey on the Forbidden Path: Volume 89, Part 2 By Christian Frederick Post, John Hays) Alma 22:32. This is the gate of the Narrow Strip of Wilderness and the place which is the “Nearly” in “nearly surrounded by water.” Don’t confuse this location with the more well known, “Narrow Neck of Land.” (3 “NECKS” see # 3,4,5).
There are 3 unique mentions in the Book of Mormon about NECKS!
NARROW NECK OF LAND Ether 10:20
NARROW NECK Alma 63:5
SMALL NECK OF LAND Alma 22:32
These three unique mentions of NECK are all in different locations in North America. THE NARROW NECK OF LAND is defined below:
Lake Ontario (a sea) divides the land at Hamilton, OT Canada, and Lake Erie (s sea) divides the land at Buffalo, NY.
In Central America, the ”land divides the sea”. (Isthmus of Tehuantepec) which is opposite of what the scripture says about the “sea divides” the land.
Lake Ontario and Lake Erie are seas, where the “sea divides the land” as quoted in Ether. Ether 10:20. The N/S distance from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario is only about 24 miles wide and in Central America it is 140 miles, which doesn’t sound very narrow to me. In the Book of Mormon the Narrow Neck of Land is only described in the Book of Ether, so the Jaredites used it, not the Nephites. There is archaeological verification at the Niagara Peninsula that dates from 800 BC to 3000 BC which is the time of the Jaredites.
Nephite Lines and Necks
Main Map of the Narrow Neck of Land
This map below is the most clear map to view the Narrow Neck of Land. See the bright green figure below. This is only 3 miles wide from North to South. From the North of Lake Erie to the South shore of Lake Ontario is a total of 24 miles. My thesis says the Jaredites could travel from East to West along the (bright green figure), which runs on the north side of Lake Erie between the Lake itself and Lake Wainfleet which was an ancient time period lake. If Lake Wainfleet was dry that area would still be the watershed area (white dotted line) of today’s rivers that flow south into Lake Erie. You can see the Onondaga Formation extends the entire shore of Lake Erie and the Niagara Escarpment runs along the south shore of Lake Ontario, which are two huge obstacles for a Jaredite to transverse.
Narrow Neck of Land
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“And then, behold, other records have I, that I will give unto you power that you may assist to translate.” (Doctrine and Covenants 9:2)
Introduction to Doctrine and Covenants Section 10.
REVELATION given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Harmony, Pennsylvania, likely around April 1829, though portions may have been received as early as the summer of 1828. Herein the Lord informs Joseph of alterations made by wicked men in the 116 manuscript pages from the translation of the Book of Lehi, in the Book of Mormon. These manuscript pages had been lost from the possession of Martin Harris, to whom the sheets had been temporarily entrusted. The evil design was to await the expected retranslation of the matter covered by the stolen pages and then to discredit the translator by showing discrepancies created by the alterations. That this wicked purpose had been conceived by the evil one and was known to the Lord even while Mormon, the ancient Nephite historian, was making his abridgment of the accumulated plates, is shown in the Book of Mormon.” (see Words of Mormon 1:3–7, and Annotated Book of Mormon by David Hocking and Rod Meldrum p. 135).
“AND now, verily I say unto you, that an account of those things that you have written, which have gone out of your hands [the 116 pages translated from the Plates of Mormon], is engraven upon the Plates of Nephi; Yea, and you remember it was said in those writings [the Book of Lehi abridged by Mormon on his Plates of Mormon] that a more particular account was given of these things upon the Plates of Nephi. “And now, because the account which is engraven upon the Plates of Nephi is more particular concerning the things which, in My wisdom, I would bring to the knowledge of the people in this account—therefore, you shall translate the engravings which are on the Plates of Nephi, down even till you come to the reign of king Benjamin [the Book of Omni], or until you come to that which you have translated, which you have retained;* And behold, you shall publish it as the record of Nephi [1 Nephi through Omni]; and thus I will confound those who have altered My words [the stolen 116 pages; see Annotated Book of Mormon p. 136].
“I will not suffer that they [those who stole the 116 pages] shall destroy My work; yea, I will show unto them that My wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil. Behold, they have only got a part, or an abridgment of the account of Nephi [the 116 pages]. Behold, there are many things engraven upon the Plates of Nephi which do throw greater views upon My gospel; therefore, it is wisdom in Me that you should translate this first part of the engravings of Nephi, and send forth in this work. “And, behold, all the remainder of this work does contain all those parts of My gospel which My holy prophets, yea, and also My disciples [the Nephite prophets], desired in their prayers should come forth unto this people. And I said unto them, that it should be granted unto them according to their faith in their prayers; Yea, and this was their faith— that My gospel, which I gave unto them [the Nephites] that they might preach in their days, might come unto their brethren the Lamanites, and also all that had become Lamanites because of their dissensions. “Now, this is not all—their faith in their prayers was that this gospel should be made known also, if it were possible that other nations should possess this land; And thus they did leave a blessing upon this land in their prayers, that whosoever should believe in this gospel in this land might have eternal life; yea, that it might be free unto all of whatsoever nation, kindred, tongue, or people they may be. And now, behold, according to their faith in their prayers will I bring this part of My gospel to the knowledge of My people. Behold, I do not bring it to destroy that which they have received, but to build it up” (Doctrine and Covenants 10:38-52; bracketed comments and emphasis added).
*Retained: Joseph apparently retained some of what he translated with Martin Harris; i.e., page 117. This may be Words of Mormon 1:12-18, which flow into Mosiah 1. The current Mosiah 1 was originally Mosiah 3; i.e., the first chapter and a half of Mosiah was included on the 116 pages that were stolen. (Also, see Annotated Book of Mormon, “Two Sets of Plates,” p. 559. and below)
Annotated Book of Mormon by David Hocking and Rod Meldrum Page 559. Click to Enlarge
TWO SETS OF PLATES
“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 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. 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. Moroni put this set of plates into the stone box he constructed in a separate department of the Hill Cumorah, as Orson Pratt explained in 1882.** This was the “Original Book of Mormon” as Joseph Smith described it.
“Joseph translated all of these plates (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—except they didn’t have the plates of Nephi. (See p. xxxi, Doctrine and Covenants 10).
“Joseph gave the Harmony plates (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, see map at end of blog) brought the Small Plates of Nephi from the repository in the Hill Cumorah. Joseph, therefore, translated the Small Plates of Nephi in Fayette, NY” – Jonathan Neville, Whatever Happened to the Golden Plates?, Digital Legend [2016].
**“But the grand repository of all the numerous records of the ancient nations of the western continent, was located in another department of the hill, and its contents put under the charge of holy angels, until the day should come for them to be transferred to the sacred temple of Zion” – Orson Pratt, The Contributor, Salt Lake City, Vol. 03, No. 12 [Sep 1882], 357 Read the entire story with Jonathan Neville’s book below:
Whatever Happened to the Golden Plates? Jonathan Neville’s book above reflects one of the most basic questions people have when they first hear about the restoration.
Jonathan said, “People asked Joseph Smith and the other early saints this same question. How could anyone who hears the story not wonder what happened to the plates?
Although I do offer an answer to the question in this book, most of the book explains the new paradigm about the plates themselves.
Traditional Story
The traditional story is this: the angel Moroni showed Joseph a set of gold plates that he, Moroni, had placed in a stone box when he was still a mortal around 421 A.D. After 4 years, Joseph was allowed to remove the plates from the box. He took them to Harmony, PA, where he translated most of them (Book of Lehi through Book of Moroni). Then he went to Harmony and finished the translation from 1 Nephi through Words of Mormon. At that point, he returned the plates to the angel, who later showed them to the 3 witnesses. A few days later, Joseph showed the plates to the 8 witnesses near his parents’ home outside of Palmyra. Again, Joseph returned the plates to the angel and they haven’t been seen since.
The traditional story is fine as far as it goes, but when you think about it, it doesn’t make sense and it doesn’t explain numerous historical events.
Here are some examples.
1. The Title Page, which Joseph said was a literal translation from the last leaf of the plates, describes the contents of the plates as two abridgments, plus Moroni’s sealing. It says nothing about the original plates of Nephi.
2. Joseph translated the Title Page before he left Harmony. If it was the last leaf, then why didn’t he translate 1 Nephi – Words of Mormon in Harmony?
3. Joseph said the title page was from the “original Book of Mormon.”
4. Witnesses described the plates as 4″ thick and 6″ thick.
5. No one can explain where the unabridged plates of Nephi fit into the record if it was included in the plates Moroni gave Joseph.
New Paradigm
After assessing all the evidence, I concluded that the plates Joseph originally obtained from Moroni didn’t include the plates of Nephi. You’ll see that the more you think about it, the more obvious it is. I thought I’d write an article, but there was so much evidence that it grew into an entire book.
Here’s an example.
D&C 9 promises Oliver there would be “other records” for which he would have power to assist to translate. D&C 10 explains what these “other records” are; i.e., the plates of Nephi. But Joseph didn’t have the plates of Nephi when he was in Harmony.
Before he left Harmony, Joseph gave the plates to a divine messenger who returned them to the repository in the Hill Cumorah. From there, the messenger got the plates of Nephi and took them to Fayette so Joseph could translate 1 Nephi through Words of Mormon.
Implications
Once we understand that there were two sets of plates, we can reconcile the different accounts and make sense of these details of Church history.
We also understand that the repository Mormon referred to in Mormon 6:6 was actually in the Hill Cumorah in New York, as explained by several of the men who knew Joseph Smith, including Brigham Young, Wilford Woodruff, Heber C. Kimball, and Orson Pratt.
Obviously, if the repository was in the New York Cumorah, the entire premise for the Mesoamerican theory collapses.
You can expect Mesoamerican advocates to insist on the traditional one set of plates theory, but they won’t be able to show you evidence to support their idea.
Just remember it this way. There is one Cumorah and two sets of plates. Not two Cumorah’s and one set of plates.” Jonathan Neville
In the heart of the Navajo Nation, nestled amidst the crimson mesas and golden deserts, lived a woman named Desbah. She was known throughout her community for her deep connection with nature and her remarkable ability to play the Native American flute.
Desbah’s days were spent wandering the sacred lands, her feet moving in rhythm with the whispers of the wind. She had learned the art of flute- playing from her grandfather, who had passed down the knowledge of their ancestors. His words echoed in her mind as she played. The flute is a gift from the spirits. Let it carry your hearts song.
One sweltering summer afternoon, Desbah ventured farther into the desert than she had ever gone before. The relentless sun blazed overhead, and the land seemed to shimmer in the heat. Lost in the tranquility of the moment, she played her flute, the notes dancing with the gentle sway of the desert grass.
Desbah, Betty ‘Red Ants’ Mother
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the desert transformed. Desbah’s peaceful serenade attracted a curious, slithering presence. A rattlesnake, coiled and ready to strike, crept closer to the haunting melodies of her flute.
Desbah’s senses tingled with danger as she continued to play. In a heartbeat, the snake lunged toward her, its venomous fangs bared. Desbah instinctively raised her flute, using it as a barrier between her and the serpent. The snakes fangs sank into the wooden instrument, and its deadly venom flowed harmlessly into the flute.
Desperation filled the snakes eyes as it recoiled, realizing it had bitten an inanimate object. Desbah, trembling but unharmed, knew that the flute had saved her life. She gently set it down and watched as the snake slithered away into the night.
The flute, now marked with the snake’s venom, became even more sacred to Desbah. She returned to her community and shared her miraculous story. Her flutes haunting melodies took on a deeper resonance, carrying with them the power to protect and heal.
Years passed, and Desbah’s fame as a flute player spread far and wide. People from different tribes came to hear her play, to witness the magic that surrounded her. She became a guardian of the desert, using her flute to soothe troubled spirits and heal the sick.
Desbah’s flute had saved her life that fateful day, but it had also become a beacon of hope and resilience, a testament to the enduring connection between the Navajo people and the land that had sustained them for generations. And as long as her flute sang, Desbah’s spirit remained intertwined with the ancient rhythms of the desert, carrying the heart’s song of her people for all to hear.
Betty ‘Red Ant’ LaFontaine
2023 September
Email redant48@gmail.com
Betty and her husband Mike along with John Lefgren have a sacred project of rebuilding a replica 600 BC Phoenician Ship here. https://www.phoenicia.rocks/
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Which Book of Mormon Scripture Saved Tim Ballard from Being Killed by Human Traffickers?
“They were surrounded, their captors assuring them they were about to be killed. And in an area that was ruled by such men—where the traffickers were armed and Tim Ballard and the men of Operation Underground Railroad were not—what could stop them from following through with their threats?
“They told us, you’re up. You are going to die. And there was nothing we could do. . . . It was us with nothing and them with 400 weapons pointing at us,” Ballard says.
Ballard and his team had infiltrated the trafficking area by posing as doctors, and after treating the trafficking victims, “They decided: Why not just kill them and take their cars and take their money and take everything they have?” Ballard says. “Because there is no repercussion for us and there is no legal system that could hurt us.”
The traffickers even coerced the men, women, and children who Ballard’s team had just treated to turn against the anti-trafficking team.
After sending some of his men to try to calm the crowd to no avail, Ballard did something which, in his words, was not “tactically sound.”
Knowing he and his team needed a miracle, Ballard went to the one source that contained the kind of power he and his team were so desperately in need of. He entered one of the team’s vehicles and pulled out his Book of Mormon.
“And I just held it, and I thought of every miracle story of the Book of Mormon,” Ballard says, “of every angel story, because that’s what we needed; we needed an angel.”
His faith gave him hope that they were going to be okay, despite the seemingly insurmountable circumstances.
“I’ve been given assurances of the Lord that this work will go on,” Ballard says. “It wasn’t going to end right now. I had received those assurances—and so I could put my faith in those assurances.” Source
Here is the scripture that inspired Tim and gave him the courage and faith to overcome.
“Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him. And we did take courage with our small force which we had received, and were fixed with a determination to conquer our enemies, and to maintain our lands, and our possessions, and our wives, and our children, and the cause of our liberty.” Alma 58:11-12
Video Resurfaces of Tim Ballard Meeting Up With President Trump At White House to Discuss Child Trafficking At Southern Border
By Anthony ScottJul. 9, 2023
Tim Ballard, the founder of the anti-sex trafficking non-profit Operation Underground Railroad, meeting up with President Trump has gone viral in recent days.
The video from 2019 has resurfaced just days after Sound of Freedom hit number one in the box office.
Sound of Freedom is based on the true story on how former DHS special agent Tim Ballard left his job in order to rescue children from being sex-trafficked around the world.
In the new resurfaced video of Ballard meeting up with Trump, Ballard discusses how children are being trafficked along the Southern Border.
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Ballard told Trump “They brought this little girl through a part of the Southern Border where there was no wall. Easily got her to New York City and this is hard to hear but this is the truth.”
Ballard continued “This little girl was raped for money everyday 30 to 40 times a day.”
While many people in D.C. have dismissed Ballard and his effort to put an end to child trafficking, Trump listened intently to what the O.U.R. founder had to share.
A little unknown fact is that Trump even appointed Ballard in 2019 to the White House Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking.
Before his meeting with Trump, Ballard also met with Ivanka Trump and a group of Senators in 2017 to promote legislation which aimed to prevent human trafficking.
*There is a slight chance Ken Krogue will be able to get Tim Ballard to speak for him on Fri Sept 15 from 5-6 pm We will let you know.
Many Mormon scholars believe the Book of Mormon happened in Mesoamerica, but there is overwhelming evidence suggesting it happened in America’s Heartland. This video may or may not convince you.
Disclaimer: The Hitler video is not real. It is on you tube by a avatar named John the Apostle whom I don’t know. I understand he has done other Hitler spoofs on different subjects. Please enjoy it as fun, as it does not reflect the opinions of any member of Firm Foundation or its guest speakers. Enjoy!
By the way if you would like to inquire about one of Rod Meldrum’s tours for real, visit here and here and here:
This Video about Zelph is about Real Events
On the lighter side, enjoy this real video about Zelph who according to the Joseph Smith Papers and the History of the church, was a righteous white Lamanite who fought for the Nephites on one of the last battles of the book of Mormon. His skeleton was found near Valley City, Illinois. Read the details here:
Our friend Kels Goodman does an outstanding video for us all.
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There are Hundreds of Native Traditions about a “Sacred Book”
Within the traditions of the Native Americans of North America (Lamanites) you will find hundreds of stories about a “sacred book“, or “a book“, or ” a record“, or “a history of our forefathers“, or “a book of plates“, or “a history of our people“, and many times these Natives talk about it being buried in a hill or the ground. There is such a connection between these Native American Lamanites and the Book of Mormon which was written by their forefathers.
Red Cloud-Sitting Bull-Chief Joseph-American Horse
There is a familiar story comparing these Native American traditions with the story we know about the Lamanites seeking to destroy the records kept by the Nephites. It should be remembered that these records of the Nephites ultimately became the records of the Lamanites also. After all who was this record speaking of; both Nephi a Nephite, and Samuel a Lamanite. Because of the false traditions of their fathers, Lamanites would constantly try and destroy Nephite records.
These “Sacred Book” stories are heard of from Native Americans from North America and seldom heard about from those of South and Central America. Many of those who believe in the Mesoamerican Theory, say the Mayan have a written record, which they do, and the Natives of North America don’t, as a proof that the Book of Mormon geography was from Mesoamerica. Remember the Lamanites of the Book of Mormon had only oral records and no written ones, as they continued to try and destroy the written records of the Nephites.
The oral tradition of the North American natives is more of a indication that the Lamanites began in North America. These many “Sacred Book” stories you will read in this blog, validate that. The original Lamanites of North America knew about Mormon or a great prophet who kept records and how their oral traditions would always speak about there forefathers trying to destroy those records. Below you will find many references to “this Sacred Book” or the Lamanite North American traditions about this book, called the Book of Mormon.
Book, Is the Book of Mormon of 2nd Nephi
In July of 2024 by good friend Betty LaFontaine told me about this important scripture I had read many times before, but she emphasized the importance of the word “book”.
In 2 Nephi 3:22-24 it says “And now, behold, my son Joseph, after this manner did my father of old prophesy. Wherefore, because of this covenant thou art blessed; for thy seed shall not be destroyed, for they shall hearken unto the words of the book. And there shall rise up one mighty among them, who shall do much good, both in word and in deed, being an instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders, and do that thing which is great in the sight of God, unto the bringing to pass much restoration unto the house of Israel, and unto the seed of thy brethren.” (From Joseph Smith with the Book of Mormon shared with the Seed of Joseph or the Native AmericanLamanites). 2 Nephi 3:22-25
This is a time where Lehi was blessing his youngest son Joseph before Lehi was to pass away and reminded him that young Joseph’s seed would always remain as they will hearken unto the words of this BOOK! this is the same “book”, I speak about below from the traditions of many Lamanites from North America.
Book of Mormon: Sacred Book of the Indians
MORMON APOLOGIST E. Cecil McGavin, in relating to his readers some ancient traditions of the North American Indians, made this remarkable statement in 1947:
The American aborigines, “assert that a book was once in possession of their ancestors; and along with this recognition they have traditions that the Great Spirit used to foretell to their fathers future events; that he controlled nature in their favor; that angels once talked with them; that all the Indian tribes descended from one man who had twelve sons; that this man was a noble and renowned Prince, having great dominions; and that the Indians, his posterity, will yet recover the same dominion and influence. They believe by tradition that the spirit of prophecy and miraculous interposition once enjoyed by their ancestors will yet be restored to them, and that they will recover the book, all of which have been so long lost.” Mormonism & Masonry, (Salt Lake City: Stevens & Wallis, Inc., 1947), pp. 154-155.
If true, this old tradition provides a potentially important link between the American tribes and a (presumably) non-American “renowned Prince” who had “twelve sons,” and whom the heavenly angels hold in great respect. McGavin insinuates that the prince was the Patriarch Jacob and that the native Americans are descended from one of his sons — Joseph to be exact — and that the lost book was a volume of divinely revealed prophecies and holy records. In short, the lost book the Indians expect to recover is the Book of Mormon, that improbable 1830 publication of Joseph Smith, Jr.
Is it true?
Perhaps that question is still a bit premature. Perhaps the more useful question at this point would be, Where did the author come across this wonderous nugget of supposedly ancient information? Tracking the Source of the “Lost Book”
Elder McGavin was not the first LDS writer to relate this unusual story. A very similar quote (with a reference citation matching one of McGavin’s) can be read in a Mormon magazine published in 1886. There the writer, George Reynolds, the former private secretary to Brigham Young, has this to say:
A book published in London, England, in 1833, by a Mr. C. Colton, on the origin of the American Indians bears testimony to this same tradition. It is therein stated: “They assert that a book was once in possession of their ancestors, and along with this recognition they have traditions that the Great Spirit used to foretell to their forefathers future events; that he controlled nature in their favor; that angels once talked with them; that all the Indian tribes descended from one man, who had twelve sons; that this man was a notable and renowned prince, having great dominions, and that the Indians, his posterity, will yet recover the same dominion and influence. They believe, by tradition, that the spirit of prophecy and miraculous interposition, once enjoyed by their ancestors, will yet be restored to them, and that they will recover the book, all of which has been so long lost.” “View of the Hebrews” Juvenile Instructor XXXVII:19 (Oct. 1, 1902)
Elder Reynolds is not exactly specific about which “Mr. C. Colton” he is quoting from. He says he is referring to a certain 1833 “book published in London… on the origin of the American Indians.” Luckily only one book fits that description. Two other LDS writers provide its title, after quoting from the same text:
Jacob and his twelve sons are found in the legends of the American Indians. Some of the tribes “used to build an altar of twelve stones in memory of a great ancestor of theirs who had twelve sons.”
“They have traditions that all Indian tribes descended from one man who had twelve sons. That this man was a notable and renowned prince, having great dominion; and that the Indians, his posterity, will yet recover the same dominion and influence.” (Calvin Colton, Origin of the American Indians, London, 1833., cf. Mill. Star 6:67.) John A. Widtsoe and Franklin S. Harris, Jr. Seven Claims of The Book of Mormon Independence: Zion’s Printing and Pub. Co., 1935, 1937, p. 101
The Rev. Calvin Colton (1789-1857) is not known to have ever produced a book called Origin of the American Indians, but he did write one with this lengthy title: “Tour of the American Lakes, and among the Indians of the North-west territory, in 1830: disclosing the character and prospects of the Indian race.” Since that book was published (in two volumes) in London in 1833, it appears to be the work cited by McGavin, Reynolds, Widtsoe and Harris.
The next question that might be asked is, Where did Rev. Colton get his information? According to his book, he conducted research into the situation and background of the American Indians during his 1830 “Tour of the American Lakes.” He then sailed off to London to work as a correspondent for the New York Observer, during which time he published a plethora of books on America.
It appears, however, that Colton did not glean all of his information on this topic from interviews with the Indians and their neighbors. He himself admits to deriving part of his material from a previously published source. In the case of the “lost book” story, Colton does his reporting in the first chapter of the second volume of Origin of the American Indians. That particular chapter is sub-titled “The Honourable Elias Boudinot’s theory…” and in it Colton agrees with practically everything Boudinot (the celebrated Presbyterian statesman and author, 1740-1821) said about the Indians in his 1816 book, in support of the conclusion, “that they are Hebrews.” Although Colton does not give his readers a precise citation from Boudinot’s 1816 A Star in the West, it is obvious that the former author appropriated the “lost book” story from the former. On page 11 of vol. 2, Colton says:
The offer of Christianity and of the Bible to the Indians of North America, with an account of its origin and claims, has, in several instances quite remote from and independent; of each other, met this remarkable reception: “This book once belonged to our ancestors!” And along with this recognition, they have traditions, that the Great Spirit used to foretell to their fathers future evens; that he controlled nature in their favour; that angels once talked with them, that all the Indian tribes descended from one man, who had twelve sons; that this man was a notable and renowned prince having dominion over all the earth; and that the Indians, his posterity, will yet recover the same dominion and influence. They believe by tradition, that the spirit of prophecy and of miraculous interposition, once enjoyed by their ancestors, will yet be restored to them, and that they shall recover the book — all of which have been so long lost. Rev. Calvin Colton’s 1830 book (Above articles compiled by Dale R. Broadhurst These articles are written from Mr. Broadhurst’s position as one who wants to tie the Book of Mormon with the Spaulding manuscript which I don’t believe. He quotes some great information however from reliable sources which speak about the traditions of Native Americans with this Sacred Book.)
Below you will find articles about the Sacred Book of the Native Americans.
1- Cattaraugus/Wyandot/Delaware/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
2- Blackfoot/The Three Nephites
“When Elder Melvin J. Ballard visited the Ft. Peck and Blackfoot reservations he said he met many who knew him as soon as they saw him and asked for the “Book” which he was to bring them. They said they had seen him in dreams, bringing to them a “Book.” When he handed them the Book of Mormon they adopted it gladly, and could read and understand it. He declared that it was his belief that one of the “Three Nephites” had been laboring among them for years teaching them the gospel and preparing them for our missionaries when they should come.” Redemption of the Lamanites By Annie W. Holdaway Genealogist and Recorder, Lamanite Genealogical Society
3. Stockbridge/Hebrew
In 1837, Elder Parley P. Pratt, one of the early defenders of the church, wrote a work entitled, “A Voice of Warning,” which has been published in many different editions in Europe and America. In the edition of 1885, published at Lamoni, Iowa, page 82, there is a quotation from Mr. Boudinot, which reads as follows:
Mr. Boudinot in his able work, remarks concerning their language: “Their language in its roots, idiom, and particular construction, appears to have the whole genius of the Hebrew; and what is very remarkable, and well worthy of serious attention, has most of the peculiarities of the language, especially those in which it differs from most other languages. There is a tradition related by an aged Indian of the Stockbridge Tribe, that their fathers were once in possession of a ‘Sacred Book‘ which was handed down from generation to generation, and at last hid in the earth, since which time they have been under the feet of their enemies. But those oracles were to be restored to them again, and then they would triumph over their enemies and regain their ancient country, together with their rights and privileges.” — An aged Indian of the Stockbridge tribe.” See Broadside Picture above Quoted as the last line.
4. Cherokee/Liahona and Ark
“We had a war long ago with a light skinned people around the Great Lakes. We conquered them but we had so much respect for their warrior chief that we buried him at the mouth of the Oswego River that is in New York State. We don’t discuss this very much because it is an embarrassment to us.” President Rawson then asked why this is an embarrassment, and the Chief replied, “Our history is written on metal platesand buried in a hill in New York, but we don’t know which hill… It is the belief of the Cherokee People that they came to the land of the New World from the direction of the East Ocean riding on a white cloud. There seems to be in the legend, the existence of some type of round instrument which directed the voyage. Although not totally clear, it seems that the instrument which directed the voyage was ball-shape and contained another like it within itself. It contained a liquid, making the floating devices within to congregate at times to give direction to the eyes of the beholder…In those days when the Cherokee were a God-loving people, living in peace among themselves, they lived as one people, dwelling in half-moon shaped council houses. They had gone from living in caves to living in log-cabins. They still kept the sacred records of metal, some of which had come across the ocean waters with them, and others which they had continued keeping and making, scribing upon them as had been done before by the leaders of the People. They, too, had possession of the Ark of the Covenant, which they also had brought with them from their place of origin, existing across the eastern waters.” Talk given to missionaries in training at the MTC, Provo, Utah 1979, by President Murray J. Rawson. Purchase complete copy here: https://www.bookofmormonremnants.com/store.html
5. Tohono O’odham Nation (Papago)/Liahona/Stone Book
“The Papagos believed they crossed the ocean and came to this land, that in the ships and on the trails they were guided by a ball. In this ball was a needle that pointed the direction they were to go. In the Papago language yet today, the name of this ball is ‘Liahona…
Among the Hopis, too, at the present time, is a “stone book.” I have seen it, but only a few white men have had that privilege. I cannot describe it because I have promised not to speak of it. I can only say that at a distance of four or five, feet anyone would easily take it for a modern book. Their stories say that the mate to this book will be brought back to them. The books will be opened, and someone will be able to read the message in them.” Indian Tradition by Golden Buchanan Read more HERE:
6. Delaware/Hill Cumorah
According to Parley P. Pratt, in 1831 some early elders of the Church were discussing the Book of Mormon with the Delaware Indians of Kansas, the first such meeting with Indians since the Restoration. The spokesman was Oliver Cowdery, who included in his remarks the following:
“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 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. . . . 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, SLC, 1938, pp. 55-56
7. Ephraimites and Lamanites/Remnant of Israel/Original Settlers/Ancient Plates
Oliver Cowdery wrote that the Ephraimites and the Lamanites were the “original settlers of this continent,” and that “an ancient prophet caused the plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated to be buried nearly two thousand years ago, in which is now called Ontario County, New York.
In this same issue, W. W. Phelps wrote that it was “by that book [the Book of Mormon] I learned that the poor Indians of America were of the remnants of Israel.” Many other times editor Phelps identified the land of America as being the place where at least some Book of Mormon history took place, including the last battles of both the Jaredites and the Nephites (see Messenger and Advocate, vol. 2, October 1835, and the letter of W. W. Phelps to Oliver Cowdery in that same issue.) Oliver Cowdery Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate, July 1835, pp. 158-159
8. Lamanites/Native American chiefs/Joseph Presides over Day of the Lamanite/Blossom as the Rose/ A People of Destiny
“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 Americansas 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
9. American Aborigines/Prince and 12 Sons/Lost Book
MORMON APOLOGIST E. Cecil McGavin, in relating to his readers some ancient traditions of the North American Indians, made this remarkable statement in 1947:
The American aborigines, “assert that a book was once in possession of their ancestors; and along with this recognition they have traditions that the Great Spirit used to foretell to their fathers future events; that he controlled nature in their favor; that angels once talked with them; that all the Indian tribes descended from one man who had twelve sons; that this man was a noble and renowned Prince, having great dominions; and that the Indians, his posterity, will yet recover the same dominion and influence. They believe by tradition that the spirit of prophecy and miraculous interposition once enjoyed by their ancestors will yet be restored to them, and that they will recover the book, all of which have been so long lost.” Mormonism & Masonry, (Salt Lake City: Stevens & Wallis, Inc., 1947), pp. 154-155.
If true, this old tradition provides a potentially important link between the American tribes and a (presumably) non-American “renowned Prince” who had “twelve sons,” and whom the heavenly angels hold in great respect. McGavin insinuates that the prince was the Patriarch Jacob and that the native Americans are descended from one of his sons — Joseph to be exact — and that the lost book was a volume of divinely revealed prophecies and holy records. In short, the lost bookthe Indians expect to recover is the Book of Mormon, that improbable 1830 publication of Joseph Smith, Jr. Is it true? Perhaps that question is still a bit premature. Perhaps the more useful question at this point would be, Where did the author come across this wonderous nugget of supposedly ancient information?
10. American Indians/Will recover the Book/Natives descendants from Jacob and 12 sons/Altar of 12 Stones
Tracking the Source of the “Lost Book”
Elder McGavin was not the first LDS writer to relate this unusual story. A very similar quote (with a reference citation matching one of McGavin’s) can be read in a Mormon magazine published in 1886. There the writer, George Reynolds, the former private secretary to Brigham Young, has this to say:
A book published in London, England, in 1833, by a Mr. C. Colton, on the origin of the American Indians bears testimony to this same tradition. It is therein stated: “They assert that a book was once in possession of their ancestors, and along with this recognition they have traditions that the Great Spirit used to foretell to their forefathers future events; that he controlled nature in their favor; that angels once talked with them; that all the Indian tribes descended from one man, who had twelve sons; that this man was a notable and renowned prince, having great dominions, and that the Indians, his posterity, will yet recover the same dominion and influence. They believe, by tradition, that the spirit of prophecy and miraculous interposition, once enjoyed by their ancestors, will yet be restored to them, and that they will recover the book, all of which has been so long lost.” “View of the Hebrews” Juvenile Instructor XXXVII:19 (Oct. 1, 1902)
Elder Reynolds is not exactly specific about which “Mr. C. Colton” he is quoting from. He says he is referring to a certain 1833 “book published in London… on the origin of the American Indians.” Luckily only one book fits that description. Two other LDS writers provide its title, after quoting from the same text:
Jacob and his twelve sons are found in the legends of the American Indians. Some of the tribes “used to build an altar of twelve stonesin memory of a great ancestor of theirs who had twelve sons.”
“They have traditions that all Indian tribes descended from one man who had twelve sons. That this man was a notable and renowned prince, having great dominion; and that the Indians, his posterity, will yet recover the same dominion and influence.” (Calvin Colton, Origin of the American Indians, London, 1833., cf. Mill. Star 6:67.)
11. Origin of the American Indian/They are Hebrews/Tour of the American Lakes/This Book once Belonged to our Ancestors
The Rev. Calvin Colton (1789-1857) is not known to have ever produced a book called Origin of the American Indians, but he did write one with this lengthy title: “Tour of the American Lakes, and among the Indians of the North-west territory, in 1830: disclosing the character and prospects of the Indian race.” Since that book was published (in two volumes) in London in 1833, it appears to be the work cited by McGavin, Reynolds, Widtsoe and Harris.
The next question that might be asked is, Where did Rev. Colton get his information? According to his book, he conducted research into the situation and background of the American Indians during his 1830 “Tour of the American Lakes.” He then sailed off to London to work as a correspondent for the New York Observer, during which time he published a plethora of books on America.
It appears, however, that Colton did not glean all of his information on this topic from interviews with the Indians and their neighbors. He himself admits to deriving part of his material from a previously published source. In the case of the “lost book” story, Colton does his reporting in the first chapter of the second volume of Origin of the American Indians. That particular chapter is sub-titled “The Honourable Elias Boudinot’s theory…” and in it Colton agrees with practically everything Boudinot (the celebrated Presbyterian statesman and author, 1740-1821) said about the Indians in his 1816 book, in support of the conclusion, “that they are Hebrews.” Although Colton does not give his readers a precise citation from Boudinot’s 1816 A Star in the West, it is obvious that the former author appropriated the “lost book” story from the former. On page 11 of vol. 2, Colton says:
The offer of Christianity and of the Bible to the Indians of North America, with an account of its origin and claims, has, in several instances quite remote from and independent; of each other, met this remarkable reception: “This book once belonged to our ancestors!”And along with this recognition, they have traditions, that the Great Spirit used to foretell to their fathers future events; that he controlled nature in their favour; that angels once talked with them, that all the Indian tribes descended from one man, who had twelve sons; that this man was a notable and renowned prince having dominion over all the earth; and that the Indians, his posterity, will yet recover the same dominion and influence. They believe by tradition, that the spirit of prophecy and of miraculous interposition, once enjoyed by their ancestors, will yet be restored to them, and that they shall recover the book — all of which have been so long lost. John A. Widtsoe and Franklin S. Harris, Jr. Seven Claims of The Book of Mormon Independence: Zion’s Printing and Pub. Co., 1935, 1937, p. 101
Wolf Point Montana Branch
Elder and Sister Melvin J. Ballard and missionaries meeting with Montana Native Americans. (Unfortunately the tribal name was not recorded) Photo Courtesy Ballard Family.
“Today there are about 400-500 members in the Wolf Point Branch but only 100 regularly attend church meetings. Their conversions were prompted not only by the temporal assistance the Church gives, but also by belief in those who came to teach them. On Chicken Hill, there is a Mormon church building today, but many years ago, when Melvin J. Ballard was traveling through on train, he asked the train to stop so he could get out. There he had a vision in which he saw many Indians on the hill and among them stood Christ. Another legend attributes one of their Indian wise men with having a dream and prophesying to his people that there would be a great book that would come to them. And there were also healings and a miracle; Looking, a blind Indian, was given a blessing and received his sight. Sheldon Headdress enthusiastically stated that the Mormons were a very positive presence but when questioned more, he conceded that not all of his Indian acquaintances have appreciated the Christian influences” Sheldon Headdress, interview by author, 28 April 2000, Ft. Peck Reservation/Missoula, phone interview. Sheldon Headdress was recently the Branch President of the Wolf Point branch and being a Mormon is unsurprisingly very positive in his views about the religion.
University of Montana Scholar Works at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 2004 Mormon movement to Montana Julie A. Wright The University of Montana Page 84
“A star in the West : or, A humble attempt to discover the long lost ten tribes of Israel, preparatory to their return to their beloved city, Jerusalem” BY ELIAS BOUDINOT, L L.D. Chapter IV
Our southern Indians have also a tradition among them which they firmly believe, that of old time, their ancestors lived beyond a great river. That nine parts of their nation, out of ten, passed over the river, but the remainder refused, and staid behind. That they had a king when they lived far to the west, who left two sons. That one of them, with a number of his people, travelled a great way for many years, till they came to Delaware river, and settled there. That some years ago, the king of the country from which they had emigrated, sent a party in search of them. This was at the time the French were in possession of the country on the river Alleghany. That after seeking six years, they found an Indian who led them to the Delaware towns, where they staid one year. That the French sent a white man with them on their return, to bring back an account of their country, but they have never been heard of since.
It is said among their principal, or beloved men, that they had it handed down from their ancestors, that the book which the white people have was once theirs. That while they had it they prospered exceedingly but that the white people bought it of them, and learnt many things from it; while the
Indians lost their credit, offended the great spirit, and suffered exceedingly from the neighboring nations. That the great spirit took pity on them and directed them to this country. That on their way they came to a great river, which they could not pass, when God dried up the waters and they passed over dry shod. They also say that their forefathers were possessed of an extraordinary divine spirit, by which they foretold future events, and controlled the common course of nature, and this they transmitted to their offspring, on condition of their obeying the sacred laws. That they did by these means bring down showers of plenty on the beloved people. But that this power for a long time past, had entirely ceased.
The reverend gentlemen mentioned in the introduction, who had taken so much pains in the year 1764 or 5, to travel far westward, to find Indians who had never seen a white man, informed the writer of these memoirs, that far to the northwest of the Ohio, he attended a party of Indians to a treaty, with Indians from the west of the Mississippi. Here he found the people he was in search of — he conversed with their beloved man who had never seen a white man before, by the assistance of three grades of interpreters. The Indian informed him, that one of their most ancient traditions was, that a great while ago, they had a common father, who lived towards the rising of the sun, and governed the whole world. That all the white people’s heads were under his feet. That he had twelve sons, by whom he administered his government. That his authority was derived from the great spirit, by virtue of some special gift from him. That the twelve sons behaved very bad and tyrannized over the people, abusing their power to a great degree, so as to offend the great spirit exceedingly. That he being thus angry with them, suffered the white people to introduce spirituous liquors among them, made them drunk, stole the special gift of the great spirit from them, and by this means usurped the power over them, and ever since the Indians heads were under the white people’s feet. But that they also had a tradition, that the time would come, when the Indians would regain the gift of the great spirit from the white people, and with it their ancient power, when the white people’s heads would be again under the Indian’s feet.
Mr. McKenzie in his History of the Fur Trade, and his journey through North-America, by the lakes, to the South-Sea, in the year , says, ” that the Indians informed him, that they had a tradition among them, that they originally came from another country inhabited by wicked people, and had traversed a great lake, which was narrow, shallow and full of islands, where they had suffered great hardships and much misery, it being always winter, with ice and deep snows — at a place they called the Coppermine River, where they made the first land, the ground was covered with copper, over which a body of earth had since been collected to the depth of a man’s height. They believe also that in ancient times their ancestors had lived till their feet were worn out with walking, and their throats with eating. They described a deluge, when the waters spread over the whole earth, except the highest mountain, on the top of which they were preserved. They also believe in a future judgment.” McKcnzie’s history, page 113.
The Indians to the eastward say, that previous to the white people coming into the country, their ancestors were in the habit of using circumcision, but latterly, not being able to assign any reason for so strange a practice, their young people insisted on its being abolished. Source: https://archive.org/details/starinwestorhumb00boud
Priest’s American Antiquities
If such may have been the fact, that a part of the Ten Tribes came over to America, in the way we have suposed, leaving the cold regions of Assareth behind them [p. 813] in quest of a milder climate, it would be natural to look for tokens of the presence of Jews of some sort, along countries adjacent to the Atlantic. In order to this, we shall here make an extract from an able work: written exclusively on the subject of the Ten Tribes having come from Asia by the way of Bherings Strait, by the Rev. Ethan Smith, Pultney, Vt., who relates as follows: Joseph Merrick, Esq., a highly respectable character in the church at Pittsfield, gave the following account: That in 1815, he was leveling some ground under and near an old wood shed, standing on a place of his, situated on Indian Hill. He ploughed and conveyed away old chips and earth to some depth. After the work was done, walking over the place, he discovered, near where the earth had been dug the deepest, a black strap as it appeared, about six inches in length, and one and a half in breadth, and about the thickness of a leather trace to a harness.
He perceived it had at each end a loop of some hard substance, probably for the purpose of carrying it. He conveyed it to his house, and threw it into an old toolbox. He afterwards found it thrown out of doors, and he again conveyed it to the box. After some time he thought he would examine it; but in attempting to cut it found it as hard as bone; he succeeded, however in getting it open, and found it was formed of two pieces of thick raw-hide, sewed and made water tight with the sinews of some animal; and in the fold was contained four folded pieces of parchment. They were of a dark yellow hue, and contained some kind of writing. The neighbors coming in to see the strange discovery, tore one of the pieces to atoms, in the true Hun and Vandal style. The other three pieces Mr. Merrick saved, and sent them to Cambridge.—where they where examined, and discovered to have been written with a pen in Hebrew, plain and legible.
The writing on the three remaining pieces of parchment, was quotations from the Old Testament. See Deut. vi. chap. from the 4th to the 9th verse, inclusive—also, xi. chap. 13–21, and Exodus, chap. 13—13—11,—16 inclusive, to which the reader can refer, if he has the curiosity to read this most interesting discovery. These passages as quoted above, were found in the strap of raw hide; which unquestionably had been written on the very pieces of parchment now in the possession of the Antiquarian Society, before Israel left the land of Syria, more than 2,500 years ago.
Dr. West of Stockbridge, relates that an old Indian informed him, that his fathers in this country, had not long since, been in the possession of a book, which they had for a long time, carried with them, but having lost the knowledge of reading it, they buried it with an Indian chief—View of the Hebrews, p. 223.
It had been handed down from family to family, or from chief to chief as a most precious relic, if not as an amulet, charm, or talisman, for it is not to be supposed, that a distinct knowledge of what was con[t]ained in the strap could have long continued among them, in their wandering condition, amid woods and forests.
“It is said by Calmet, that the above texts are the very passages of Scripture, which the Jews used to write on the leaves of their phylacteries. These phylacteries were little rolls of parchment whereon were written certain words of the law. These they wore upon their forehead, and upon the wrist of the left arm.”—Smith’s view vf the Hebrews. p. 220.
The following month, the Times and Seasons cited yet more from Priest, but also quoted from Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews, concerning some pieces of old parchment that had been discovered in the summer of 1815 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, that appeared to have writing on them. The parchment pieces were said to have been sent by their discoverer, Joseph Merrick, Esq., “a highly respectable character,” to Cambridge, where they were examined, and discovered to have been “written in Hebrew with a pen, in plain and intelligible writing.”[39] The article continued with an account of one “Dr. West of Stockbridge,” who “relates that an old Indian informed him, that his fathers in this country had not long since, been in the possession of a book, which they had for a long time, carried with them, but having lost the knowledge of reading it, they buried it with an Indian chief.”[40] For obvious reasons this account resonated with the Saints; it spoke of antiquated records, supposedly written in Hebrew, which were buried in the earth by a people who had lost their knowledge. As to the actual origin of the parchment, one of the first scholars to examine it was the Reverend William Allen, president of Bowdoin College (and former minister of the First Congregational Church in Pittsfield). He noted in a letter dated March 30, 1821, that the Joseph Merrick farm, where the parchment was discovered, had employed German and British prisoners during the War of 1812, and it was likely dropped by “a concealed Jew” among the prisoners as they worked his land. Allen opined that the general lack of deterioration of the phylactery and its contents indicated that they were relatively recent rather than ancient productions.[41]From Priest’s American Antiquities.
Two Flat Sticks
“The imperishable inscriptions of metal plates have told us the history of that mysterious people who fought their final battles in the land of many waters.
“Furthermore, the Book of Mormon emphasizes the fact that the land of many waters was ‘an exceeding great distance’ from the land of Zarahemla; that there were more streams, rivers, lakes, and fountains in that area than were to be found in any lands where these early people had dwelt.
“Middle America is not a land of many waters. Its ancient hills are not marked with tokens of fortifications; its skeletal remains do not tell of a bitter war of extermination, comparable at all to the evidence in western New York. If we are to find that historic land where the drums of war called forth the warriors until the land was covered with the bodies of the dead, we must go northward ‘an exceeding great distance,’ as the Jaredites and Nephites did many centuries ago.
“In the forepart of the last month, about three hundred and sixty Indian, of the Kickapoos and Pattowattamies, 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
Last month I did a blog here about the ridiculous “Family Friendly” drag show, that was held next door to BYU’s campus. One of our supporters at Firm Foundation named Defending Utah, was instrumental in spreading the word about this vulgar and “Non Family Friendly” event.
Good news happens when we as Christians and concerned citizens reach out and say “no” to these evils. Defending Utah today just announced the great article below to show these drag events have been cancelled in Utah, Idaho, Texas and many other places, as sponsors now understand how wrong they were. “A win for the good guys.”
The Scriptures are not Silent
“Homosexual behavior and other sexual perversions are an abomination—The land expels those nations that practice sexual abominations.” Leviticus 18 Title Statement LDS KJV Bible
“And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, [Sacrificing children to the idol of Baal] neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord. Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it isabomination. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.” Lev 18:12-23,29
“There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the Lord thy God.” Deut 23:17-18
“But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die: But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter:” Deut 22:25-26
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
“Without naturalaffection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;” 2 Timothy 3: 3-5
‘Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost?” Alma 39:5
Come to the Expo to see presentations about saving our Constitution and our children!
May we all stop having a blind eye to pernicious, evil and pedophilia types of behavior. May we also be aware that there is more out there we should be aware of, in order to keep our children safe.
It is happening at our front door and many don’t know it. It took me just 10 minutes to find five or 6 six articles about sex abuse and evil and child sacrifice and witches right here in my home state. Glance through them. You don’t need to read them to be appalled, just be aware that evil is everywhere. I will then end on a good note. One where our friends at Defending Utah were instrumental in stopping these Gay Parties here in Utah and many mother states.
Please wake-up and do something. Write your Congressman or Senator, teach your children, volunteer at schools, get involved in the political discussion, don’t let our evil government win. Satan has control of them I believe. Biden is not a good man, neither is Mitt Romney. I judge people by their actions and words.
I just wrote Mitt Romney the following letter:
I have written you a few times before and you did respond to me which I appreciate. I’m just not sure you personally saw my emails.
I voted for you to be a support to our “Conservative Values” here in Utah. In my opinion you have not lived up to those values. Most times we hear about you Nationally, (which is more than locally) you are frequently against the Republican Majority.
You were quoted today by The Republic Brief who said, “Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who voted last year to impeach Trump on the charge of inciting an insurrection on Jan. 6, said pardoning people who invaded the Capitol to stop Biden’s election would be wrong.” Republic Brief
Those citizens should not even be held. Can you name the crime they have committed? I want to speak to your heart. These many illegal prisoners have not even been charged with a crime on Jan 6th and they sit in prison over a year and a half? That is wrong and evil. Where are your values Brother Romney?
You act like you have been manipulated someway. It would be better for you to repent, than ignore any serious wrong you have committed. Don’t you see the errors of your staying silent to our citizens in prison? You certainly don’t represent our great State of Utah. I am embarrassed as our State feels so disappointed in you.
Thanks for listening, Rian Nelson
His response on Sept 13, 2022 at 1 pm was the following:
Dear Mr. Nelson,
Thank you for contacting me to share your views and concerns, and thank you for your patience waiting for my response. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on issues affecting our nation and our state.
Serving and advocating for the people of Utah is my highest priority. I rely deeply on your perspective and experiences to help guide my approach as the United States Senate considers policy issues that affect all of us. As your senator, my commitment is to do what I believe is in the best interests of Utah and our country.
Thank you again for contacting me. Please reach out anytime about this or any other matter of concern. You may also be interested in visiting my website for news and legislative updates, or signing up to receive weekly e-newsletters and other important information.”
Sincerely, Mitt Romney United States Senator
My response just a few minutes later on Sept 13, 2022 is the following.
Dear Mr. Romney:
I just received your email response to me that took less than one day to reach me.
You said in that email, “thank you for your patience waiting for my response.” It took no patience on my part which is a key indicator to me you personally, Mr. Romney did not read my email. I know your busy, but some things can’t be faked. Whatever assistant you had write this response did not even respond to my concerns.
Your email also said, “I appreciate hearing your thoughts on issues affecting our nation and our state.” I know you appreciate me contacting you, but I don’t believe you really care, as my question was very direct and your people just ignored it.
Your email said, “Serving and advocating for the people of Utah is my highest priority. I rely deeply on your perspective and experiences” No sir Mr. Romney I don’t think you rely on my opinion at all. Your interns return mail like they don’t care either. Couldn’t you at least train your interns to try and address my issue, which is this: Why do you allow citizens with no crimes charged against them for over a year now, sit in jail in Washington DC because of a political issue of Jan 6th? You are not a truthful person in not answering my question, and I am very tired of your typical democratic spin. Please send me a heartfelt response if you can.
Rian Nelson
Today is Sep 19, 2022 and i haven’t received a response yet. I hope Romney addresses this most serious issue. I had friends at the Jan 6th support rally in Washington DC and they weren’t there to riot, but to support our Republic. Now they are still in prison and being tortured. What happened to our Constitution? Biden and the leadership hate our Country that is all I could think at this point.
Here are the quickly found articles about evils in Utah.
Utah Ritualized Sexual Abuse Investigation: David Leavitt Under Investigation For Suspicion Of Human Trafficking
Posted on June 30, 2022AuthorDerrick Broze
“As County Attorney David Leavitt loses his race, new reports implicate him in an ongoing federal investigation into human trafficking. What does this mean for the Utah County Sheriff’s inquiry into “ritualized sexual abuse”?
Thirty days after announcing an investigation into “ritualized child sexual abuse”, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office continues to receive tips concerning organized sex rings and allegations of ritualistic rape and murder.” Source
FIND COVENS, GROUPS & ORGANIZATIONS
A Networking Resource for Finding Covens, Pagans, Spiritual Groups or Like-Minded Individuals in Utah
ARE YOU A SEEKER LOOKING FOR A COVEN, GROUP, MEET UP? WITCHES AND PAGANS DO NOT PROSELYTIZE SO IT’S UP TO THE SEEKER TO SEARCH, CONTACT AND FIND TEACHERS. THIS IS JUST A RESOURCE FOR YOU TO REACH OUT.
We are happy to present this page for covens, groups and organizations in the locations listed below. This information on these pages is presented as submitted, we do not know many of the groups that are represented here and only remove groups if serious verifiable allegations are brought to our attention. We encourage you to please use your discretion when meeting strangers, and due diligence in researching the tradition and reputation of the leaders. We suggest you read this BLOG post prior to meeting possible teachers, as well as the DISCLAIMER page. Source
21 arrested in Utah sex trafficking operation. It’s ‘not even the tip of the iceberg,’ police say
By Pat Reavy, KSL.com Mar 24, 2022,
“A recent operation headed up by the Utah County Sheriff’s Office to combat human sex trafficking resulted in 21 arrests and three women being rescued, according to the sheriff’s office.
But Sheriff’s Lt. Jason Randall, head of the investigations unit, said despite the success of the operation, it represented just a small fraction of the overall problem of sex trafficking in Utah and throughout the nation.” Source
Utah Ritualized Child Sexual Abuse Investigation: Is There A History Of Ritual Abuse In Utah?
by Derrick Broze The Last American Vagabond
“In the nearly 4 weeks since the Utah County Sheriff’s Office announced an investigation into allegations of “ritualized child sexual abuse” in three Utah counties, they have received more than 120 tips in the form of phone calls, texts, and emails. UCSO Public Information Officer Sgt. Spencer Cannon told the Salt Lake Tribune that the office has “pulled in” sergeants with experience in sex assault cases to help review the information.” Source
Former Utah mayor, LDS bishop arrested after child sex abuse allegations
“Police say the man held a “position of trust” over the three alleged victims.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune)
“The Davis County Justice Center and jail pictured on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Carl Johnson, a former mayor and LDS bishop, was arrested and booked into the Davis County jail on suspicion of seven counts of aggravated abuse of a child on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022.
By Jessica Miller
“A one-time Utah mayor and former bishop for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was arrested Wednesday after police say he sexually abused at least three children.
Carl Johnson, 77, was arrested in Orem and booked into the Davis County jail on suspicion of seven counts of aggravated abuse of a child.” Source
CLAIM: Ongoing Underground Military Operations, D.U.M.B.S. and Adrenochrome Facilities Dismantled
SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 2021 BY STILLNESS IN THE STORM
“Update: Unfortunately the links and videos used as source material here have been removed. The ideas contained therein are recorded below as text. While we can’t review the source material we can still contemplate the ideas herein presented and use them as tools to expand our understanding. If you have the original material please send me a link so I can post it here.
(Stillness in the Storm Editor) Rumors continue to circulate that alliance forces are taking down deep state child sex abuse facilities and tunnels.
The following post is a synopsis of these claims, which are unsupported and unverified by evidence. That doesn’t mean they’re untrue. It just means, at present we lack the information we need to confirm or deny them.” Source
Here is some Good News
“Family-Friendly” Drag Shows – CANCELLED!
September 16, 2022Jane Jones
To all of the parents, patriots, and protectors of children who showed up to protest “family-friendly” drag shows, well done! Particularly those who showed up in Provo, UT at the beginning of this month. Immediately after the videos and images of cross dressers showing too much skin and lewd dancing in front of children went viral, two shows in Idaho were cancelled.
It seems likely that Utah, with a predominantly Christian/LDS population, made enough noise to make Idaho, a similarly predominant Christian/LDS state, listen up.
The festival organizers released a statement on Thursday announcing the “difficult decision” to “postpone” the performance involving minors “due to increased safety concerns.”
The Daily Wire previously reported that Zions Bank publicly withdrew its participation from the event on Wednesday, citing concerns over the drag performance involving children as young as 11. Since then, five additional sponsors have dropped out for the same reason, including Idaho Power, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW), agribusiness company Simplot, Idaho Central Credit Union (ICCU), and CapEd Credit Union. Based on the sponsors’ levels and the pricing brochure, Zions Bank committed to an $18,000 sponsorship, Simplot pledged $6,000, Idaho Power committed $3,000, and CapEd Credit Union and ICCU both pledged $1,500. DHW had more than one Orange Level sponsorship and committed at least $18,000.
Soon after, the Southeastern-Idaho Pride drag show in Pocatello, Idaho was also cancelled. According to the marketing material, “The free event aims to bring the fun and inviting spirit of drag to those who aren’t typically able to attend shows in their traditional setting (bars, clubs, etc.).”
Their official statement says that they have cancelled their show due to “misinterpretation of marketing material”… If you’re also confused by this reason, a popular social media page that has been tracking “family-friendly” drag shows created a nice illustration of the point here.
Once again, GREAT JOB!
We have a responsibility to protect the innocent from exposure to lewd, sexual things like drag shows. Fortunately, this counter-movement has swept across the country as more LGBT groups try to push “all age” “family-friendly” “child drag” shows. Here are some examples:
“And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:6-7.)
No room in the inn. If, as we believe, it was April and not December, then it was very likely Passover season in Jerusalem. This could explain the reason Joseph took Mary on the rigorous, sixty-mile journey to Judea when she was in the final month of her pregnancy. The Roman “taxing” mentioned by Luke was more accurately a census or enrollment. Each family head had to register and give an accounting of their property so that taxes could be levied. But while there was considerable flexibility in timing allowed to meet this requirement, if it was Passover season, that would allow them to meet two responsibilities. The Mosaic Law required that every adult male bring his sacrifices before the Lord (i.e., to the temple) each year at Passover. (See Ex. 23:14-19.) So by choosing this time of year, Joseph could fulfill both requirements.
Today we can hardly conceive of the magnitude of this most important of all Jewish festivals. From all over the empire, Jews returned to their homeland at Passover. Though determining exactly how large Jerusalem was during this period is difficult, a fairly accurate guess would place the population between one and two hundred thousand. Josephus tells us that during Passover “innumerable multitudes came thither [to Jerusalem] out of the country.” In another place, he was even more specific. Because the Paschal lamb had to be totally consumed by the family in the ritual meal, tradition stated that no fewer than ten and no more than twenty could gather for each lamb sacrificed. (See Ex. 12:10.) Josephus tells us that during one Passover of his time (about A.D. 70, 256,500 lambs were sacrificed. Even using the more conservative figure of ten, that still means the population of Jerusalem at Passover had swollen by more than 1000 percent to the staggering number of nearly three million people.
The throngs must have been incredible, the facilities throughout the city taxed beyond belief. And with Bethlehem only six miles south of Jerusalem, no wonder there was no room at the inn. Luke probably could have said with equal accuracy, “There was no room anywhere.”
Often in the art and literature surrounding the Christmas story, the unknown, unnamed innkeeper of the scriptural account is viewed as selfish and uncaring, an insensitive oaf unmoved by the plight of a woman heavy with child. This may make for interesting art and literature, but it is not justified by the scriptural record. In the first place, the “inns” of the Middle East were not quaint and homey little buildings with thatched roofs and latticed windows from which warm lamplight beckoned the weary traveler. The inns of the Holy Land were typically large, fortress-like buildings, built around a spacious open square. Called khans or caravanserai, they provided stopping places for the caravans of the ancient world.
Just as modern hotels and motels must provide parking for automobiles, so did a caravanserai have to provide a place where the donkeys, camels, and other animals could be safely cared for. Inside the khan, which was usually of two-story construction, all the “rooms” faced the courtyard. They were typically arched, open antechambers facing out onto the square. Here the traveler could build a small fire or sleep within clear view of his animals and goods. “In these hostelries, bazaars and markets were held, animals killed and meat sold, also wine and cider; so that they were a much more public place of resort than might at first be imagined.”
Even if there had been room at the inn, a caravanserai was hardly the ideal place for a woman in labor. Perhaps the innkeeper, moved with compassion at Mary’s plight and knowing of her need and desire for privacy, offered them his stable. Perhaps Joseph found the place on his own. The scriptures do not say. But one thing is very probable, and this contradicts another popular misconception. The birth likely did not take place in a wooden shed with pitched roof as is so commonly depicted in nativity scenes around the world. LDS Living
Model “tower of the flock” in Israel.
Micah 4:8 – The “Tower of the flock” is where the King will come.
Micah 4:8 says that the Messiah’s birth at Migdal Eder, the tower of the flock, is evidence that Jesus will one day come back to Jerusalem and set up his kingdom. The tower of the flock, Migdal Eder, is at the edge of the Shepherd’s fields where Priestly Shepherd’s watched over their lambs that were to be sacrificed at the Temple about three miles away in Jerusalem. Therefore, the sacrificial lamb, Jesus Christ, had to be born at Migdal Eder.
In Bethlehem today stands the Church of the Nativity. Beneath the church is a large grotto or cave. In southern Judea, including the area around Bethlehem, limestone caves are common. Such caves provided natural shelter for the flocks and herds of ancient Israel. They were warm, safe from inclement weather, and could easily be blocked to keep the animals safe for the night. The tradition that this grotto was the stable of Luke’s account is very old and accepted by many scholars. President Harold B. Lee, then of the Council of the Twelve, visited this grotto in 1958 and confirmed that in his mind it was “a hallowed spot, . . . a sacred place.”
So there in the sheltered warmth of the cave, beneath the limestone hills of Bethlehem, He who was to become the Good Shepherd—not of the sheep that grazed the hills of Israel, but of the human flock—was born and cradled in a manger.
That seems almost beyond our comprehension. Here was Jesus—a member of the Godhead, the Firstborn of the Father, the Creator, Jehovah of the Old Testament—now leaving His divine and holy station; divesting Himself of all that glory and majesty and entering the body of a tiny infant; helpless, completely dependent on His mother and earthly father. That He should not come to the finest of earthly palaces and be swaddled in purple and showered with jewels but should come to a lowly stable is astonishing. Little wonder that the angel should say to Nephi, “Behold the condescension of God!” (1 Ne. 11:26.)
Announcement to the Shepherds
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-12.)
One of these verses is frequently misquoted: “Keeping watch over their flocks by night.” But the verse does not say flocks, plural, but flock, singular. One scholar explained the significance: “There was near Bethlehem, on the road to Jerusalem, a tower known as Migdal Eder, or the watchtower of the flock. Here was the station where shepherds watched the flocks destined for sacrifice in the temple. . . . It was a settled conviction among the Jews that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, and equally that he was to be revealed from Migdal Eder. The beautiful significance of the revelation of the infant Christ to shepherds watching the flocks destined for sacrifice needs no comment.” The flock mentioned in the scripture, then, apparently was the one used for temple sacrifices, and the shepherds thus had responsibility for the most important flock in the region.
Sometimes in translation the power of the original language is considerably lessened. While the words, in English, of the angel to the shepherds are beautiful and significant, we miss much of the electrifying impact the original words must have had on those men of Judea. Let us just examine two or three of the phrases as we assume they were given in Aramaic to the shepherds that night.
“In the city of David.” We have already seen that the Jews expected Bethlehem to be the birthplace of the Messiah. This in part stemmed directly from the prophet Micah, who centuries before had specified the place. (See Micah 5:2.)
“Is born a Savior.” The word that meant “Savior” was Yeshua. In the Greek New Testament that name was transliterated into Hee-ay- sous, or, in English, “Jesus.” When the angel announced to Joseph that Mary would bear a son, note what he said: “Thou shalt call his name Jesus [Yeshua]: for he shall save the people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:21, italics added.)
“Which is Christ.” Our English word Christ is derived directly from the Greek, Christos. It means “the anointed one.” Christos was a direct translation of the Hebrew word, Messhiach, which meant exactly the same thing—the anointed one. Messhiach is of course transliterated into English as “Messiah.”
“The Lord.” The simple title, “Lord,” is perhaps the most significant of all, yet we totally miss its importance in the translation. In the Old Testament the name of God was written with four Hebrew consonants: YHVH. Because they did not write vowels, there has been some debate as to its proper pronunciation. Modern scholars often write it as YAHVEH, but the King James translators wrote it as JEHOVAH.
The Jews of ancient times, however, viewed the name as being so sacred that it should not be pronounced out loud. Whenever they found it written, they would substitute the Hebrew word Adonai, meaning the Lord. The translators who produced the King James Version of the Old Testament honored that tradition of the Jews, and where they found the name YHVH, they wrote in (with very few exceptions) “the Lord.” However, adonai can also be used as a title of respect for men, such as in the phrase, “My lord, the king.” To distinguish between the two uses, the translators wrote Lord in small capital letters if it represented the name of deity, and regular upper and lower case letters if used normally. (See, for example, 2 Sam. 15:21, where both uses are found in the same verse.) The declaration of the angel to the shepherds obviously used Lord or Adonai in reference to deity; literally it could be translated Jehovah.
Now we begin to sense the impact of the angel’s words upon these shepherds. In essence, here is his pronouncement: “Unto you is born this day in the city prophesied to be the birthplace of the Messiah, Yeshua [or Jesus], the Savior, who is the Anointed One (the Messiah), and who is also Jehovah, the God of your fathers.”
“And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:16-19.) “The Birth of Jesus Christ Was on This Wise” by LDS Living
Where was the Birth Place of the Lord Jesus? by Cooper P Abrams
The Nativity scene we see so often is of Jesus being born in a stable that sheltered animals has always bothered me. I grew up in a small town in rural eastern North Carolina and I have seen a lot of stables. Even the best kept ones are dirty smelly places because they house animals. I have never been able to understand how such an unclean place where donkeys and other animals resided was where Mary gave birth to the Lord Jesus Christ. Several years ago, a pastor friend of mine sent me an article that gave biblical evidence that Jesus was not born in an animal stable behind an inn where donkeys and other animals were kept, but in a more appropriate place. The following is the result of my research.
The Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Is this the birth place of Jesus Christ?
Tradition, not the Bible, says that Jesus’ birth place was in cave over which the Basilica of the Nativity was built in Bethlehem. Roman Emperor Constantine, built a Basilica1 over this cave in the 4th Century at the request of his mother, Helena. It was destroyed and the present basilica was built by Emperor Justinian in 530 AD. Origen of Alexandria (185 – 254 AD) wrote that it was generally accepted that Jesus was born in a cave at Bethlehem which could be visited in his day.
Clearly the city of Jesus’ birth was Bethlehem as Micah 5:2 prophesied and as the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John confirm. (Matt. 2:1; Luke 2:4, 15; John 7:42) Luke proclaims the birth place as Bethlehem, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” 1 Samuel 17:15, confirms Bethlehem as the City of David, “But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.” But where in Bethlehem was Jesus born? The fact is that the New Testament does not mention the exact place in Bethlehem of where Jesus was born. Nowhere does the Bible record that Jesus was born in stable attended by donkeys, chickens, and cows as many nativity scenes present. In the past it was speculated that because there was no room for Joseph and Mary in the Inn, and that he was born in the stable behind the inn where the animals were kept. This conjecture is false and is a good example that shows us we should not apply speculation to God’s word. All the New Testament specifically says is that Jesus was laid in a manger in Bethlehem.
The popular conception that the word “manger” refers to a trough where animals were fed may be accurate. However, it could mean simply a stall. The Greek word which is translated in our English Bibles “manger” is Yatnh phat-ne (pronounced fat’-nay). The definition of the word is of a “stall” where animals are kept and in Luke 13:15 is translated as such. In the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) the word means a stall or a crib (See Proverbs 14:4). The question is what kind of “stall” or manger is the New Testament referring to and what kind of animal was fed or housed there.
Stone Manger “But that manger in Bethlehem was not the wooden feed box we have come to imagine. It was not used for hay. And it was not made of poles or planks, lashed together with cords, as so often portrayed in Christmas art. The temporary cradle in which the newborn Jesus was laid was actually a manger cut from stone. How could we know all this, you may rightly ask? For over thirty years now I have worked in Israel as a researcher and field archaeologist, specializing in the material and cultural backgrounds of the biblical narratives. During all those years I have also taught New Testament courses at seminaries and for university religious studies programs. I’ve taught thousands of university students in Jerusalem and in the Galilee, and taken them over a hundred times for field study in every location from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Because I personally regard the New Testament gospel accounts as authentic and reliable, in my teaching I combine the biblical texts with critically valuable information provided by historical geography and contemporary archaeological research. The result is a realistic and more authentic understanding of scripture that goes beyond mere textual studies. It is a fusion which may properly be referred to as “contextual studies.”’ Stone Manger: The Untold Story of the First Christmas By Jeffrey R. Chadwick
Although the New Testament does not tell us where in Bethlehem Jesus was born, the Old Testament does. Micah 4:8 states, “And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.” Thus the Old Testament clearly states that the Messiah would be born at the “tower of the flock” (Hebrew: Migdal Edar).
The phrase “tower of the flock” is the Hebrew phrase “Migdal Edar” [mig-dawl ay-der] and means a “watch tower of the flock”. In ancient times this was a military tower erected to view into the valley on the edge of Bethlehem to protect the city. Several of these military towers are recorded in the Old Testament (See Judges 8:71, 9:46, 9:51; 2 Kings 9:17, 18:8; Nehemiah 3:1) The tower at Bethlehem is first mentioned in Genesis 35:21, “And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar” (“tower of Edar” – Migdal Edar). After Jacob left Bethel he came to Edar (the tower) and there Rachel began hard labor and as she delivered Benjamin she died and was buried there in Ephratah which is Bethlehem” (Gen. 35:19). After burying Rachel, Jacob moved his flocks beyond the tower of Edar. This would pinpoint the location as being near to what is present day Bethlehem. Clearly, this establishes that Migdal Edar, “the tower of the flock” was in Bethlehem in Bible times.
Tower of the Flock Migdal EdarRachel’s Tomb Before it was annexed by Israel (before 1995)Rachel’s Tomb today (since 1995)
The oldest tradition, based upon Genesis 35:16-20; 48:7, points to a place one mile north of present day Bethlehem and 4 miles from Jerusalem. We do not know what were the bounds of ancient Bethlehem when Christ was born there, but we know the area called Bethlehem was larger than it is today. The references to present day Migdal Edar are in reference to present day Bethlehem and not the Bethlehem of biblical times which was certainly greater. Genesis 35:19 and 48:7 both state that Rachel was buried at “Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.” “And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.” (Genesis 35:19)“And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem.” (Genesis 48:7) It must be noted that Ephrath or Ephrathah was the ancient name for the area that later was called Bethlehem. According to Genesis 35:19, after Jacob buried Rachel he “moved his flocks beyond the tower of Edar” or “Migdal Edar.” The location of Rachel’s tomb today is outside, on the outskirts of present day Bethlehem, but clearly it was not when Jacob, buried his wife there. Clearly the area which is called Bethlehem in biblical times covered a greater area than does present day Bethlehem and the Tower of the Flock was in that city.
This watch tower from ancient times was used by the shepherds for protection from their enemies and wild beasts. It was also the place ewes were safely brought to give birth to the lambs. In this sheltered building/cave the priests would bring in the ewes which were about to lamb for protection. These special lambs came from a unique flock that was designated for sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Short states, “According to Edersheim in The Life And Times Of Jesus The Messiah, in Book 2, Chapter 6, states, “This Migdal Edar was not the watchtower for the ordinary flocks that pastured on the barren sheep ground beyond Bethlehem, but it lay close to the town, on the road to Jerusalem. A passage from the Mishnah (Shekelim 7:4) 3 leads to the conclusion that the flocks which pastured there were destined for Temple sacrifices.“
In addition, Migdal Edar is also mentioned by the Jewish Targums and is translated “The Anointed One of the flock of Israel”. 5 Thus, Targum Yonatan, cited by Rabbi Munk, paraphrases Genesis 35:23 and Micah 4:8, “He spread his tent beyond Migdal Edar, the place where King Messiah will reveal Himself at the end of days.” What are we to make of all of this information from the writings of the rabbis? First, we know that Migdal Edar was the watchtower that guarded the Temple flocks that were being raised to serve as sacrificial animals in the Temple. These were not just any flock and herd. The shepherds who kept them were men who were specifically trained for this royal task. They were educated in what an animal, that was to be sacrificed, had to be and it was their job to make sure that none of the animals were hurt, damaged, or blemished.”6 These lambs were apparently wrapped in “swaddling cloths” to protect them from injury and also were used to wrap the Lord Jesus.
Thus, with the establishment of Temple worship in Jerusalem, the fields outside of Bethlehem became the place where a special group of shepherds raised the lambs that were sacrificed in the Temple. Being themselves under special Rabbinical care, they would strictly maintain a ceremonially clean stable for a birthing place. The Tower of the Flock was used for birthing ewes, and the surrounding fields were where these shepherds grazed their flocks. These shepherds customarily kept their flocks outdoors twenty-four hours a day every day of the year, but brought the ewes in to deliver their lambs where they could be carefully cared for. It was to this place that Joseph took Mary. It was in this special place at “Migdal Edar” that Christ was born! How do we know? Micah 4:8 tells us so!
Prophetically, “Migdal Edar” is the exact place in Bethlehem for Christ to be born. Micah was God’s prophet who was warning Israel of the coming captivity. He used the authenticating prophecy of the Assyrian captivity of the Northern Kingdom (soon to occur when he foretold it) to serve as a reminder to Israel of God’s promised Kingdom. God wanted them to know that even though they would be taken from their land because of their disobedience that He would restore them in time. Micah 4:7 establishes the context of the passage and clearly is a Messianic prophecy of the coming of the Millennial Kingdom when Jesus Christ will reign over Jerusalem forever. “. . .LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.” In other words God was assuring Israel that He would fulfill His promises to them of the Kingdom. In Micah 4:8 the word is rendered “tower of the flock” (marg., “Edar”), and is used as a designation of Bethlehem, which figuratively represents the royal line of David as sprung from Bethlehem.
In this setting, Micah (Micah 4:8) uses the prophecy of the Babylonian captivity of the Southern Kingdom as a pledge to guarantee (authenticating prophecy) of the birth of Christ at “Migdal Edar” at Bethlehem which is exactly where it took place! Micah prophesied that as surely as Assyrians would soon carry away Israel in the North, so the Messiah would come and establish His kingdom, the “first dominion, the kingdom shall come to Jerusalem.” The verse states that as surely as Babylon would carry away the tribe of Judah, in the South, into captivity, so the Messiah would arrive at the Tower of the Flock. This prophecy was one other evidence that later proved that Jesus was the Messiah, but one that Israel ignored in rejecting Him as their Messiah.Who were the shepherds who first received the news of the birth of the Messiah?
Luke 2:8-18 records that there were shepherds in the fields keeping watch over their sheep by night. Who then were these shepherds? Without question these were shepherds who resided near Bethlehem They were none other but the shepherds from “Migdal Edar” who were well aware that the Targum hinted and many of the rabbis taught that Messiah might well be announced from “Migdal Edar” at Bethlehem. The angels only told the shepherds that they would find the Babe wrapped in “swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” There was no need for the angels to give these shepherds directions to the birth place because they already knew. These were the men who raised sacrificial lambs that were sacrificed in the Temple. When the angelic announcement came, they knew exactly where to go, as Luke 2 indicates, for the sign of a manger could only mean their manger at the tower of the flock! You cannot explain the meaning or direction of the sign they were given or their response unless you have the right manger and the right shepherds!9
Typically, “Migdal Edar”, (the tower of the flock) at Bethlehem is the perfect place for Christ to be born. He was born in the very birthplace where tens of thousands of lambs, which had been sacrificed to prefigure Him. God promised it, pictured it, and performed it at “Migdal Edar”. It all fits together, for that’s the place the place where sacrificial lambs were born! Jesus was not born behind an inn, in a smelly stable where the donkeys of travelers and other animals were kept. He was born in Bethlehem, at the birthing place of the sacrificial lambs that were offered in the Temple in Jerusalem which Micah 4:8 calls the “tower of the flock.”
John the Baptist in John 1:29 proclaimed of Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Jesus is presented in the Bible as being “in type” as a sacrificial lamb. It was not by chance but by choice that Christ identified His death with the time of the observance of the Passover. Peter spoke of our redemption as wrought by the “precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot”( 1 Pet. 1:19); and Paul told us that “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us” ( 1 Cor. 5:7). Even the first fulfilled type by which Christ is to be revealed in Heaven is as the Lamb (Rev. 5:6-13)10 .
Is the cave under the Basilica of the Nativity the birth place of Jesus?
Edersheim says that Migdal Edar was close to the town, on the road to Jerusalem. A modern topographical map shows the traditional place of the Shepherd’s Field as being about 300 meters from the Basilica of the Nativity on the edge of Bethlehem. The site has a long history as the place of the birth of Christ going back to Origen of Alexander in the 2nd Century who said that Jesus was born in a cave located in Bethlehem. It is entirely possible that this cave or grotto was used to keep sheep and that this is where the tower of the flock was located, but it has not been proved. Other’s have purported the location of the “tower of the flock” in another location in the vicinity which has not been thoroughly excavated. The tower of the flock being a tower built of stones does not exist today and archaeology has not found its ruins. However, based on biblical record, Micah 4:8, and other evidences we must conclude that it was not the stable of an inn where donkeys and other animals were kept was not a tower.
God’s word tells us that Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, of Judah in the city of David at a place called the “tower of the flock,” It is not important that we can go today to the exact spot where He was born. And even if we could, would that help us spiritually? I have been to Israel and seen Jerusalem, and many of biblical places, but what I saw has little semblance to what it looked like in Jesus’ day.
For a time I tried to imagine what it looked like during Bible times, but it proved to be a futile effort. As a student of the Bible I also realized that God is not through with this area and this very place the Lord Jesus will return and set up His earthly Kingdom, which He promised to the Jews. It is going to greatly changed again in the future. What really got my spirits lifted and my mind souring was the realization that as a child of God, born again by the Holy Spirit, saved by God’s free gift of grace, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, I too one day will return to Israel and will abide in His Millennial Kingdom and serve the Lord throughout all eternity. His coming, His life, death, burial and resurrection has assured me of that truth. The significance of His birth is that in God’s time Jesus came exactly as God promised and that as sure as His past promises have been kept, so will His promises for the future. By the way, that was the promise in Micah 4:8. I rejoice and thank God for His sure promises.
Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”
The Christmas season is such a wondrous time for reflection, giving thanks, and counting the many blessings we have enjoyed throughout the year. May we remember, especially during this Christmas season, the significance of the Son of God coming to earth to redeem mankind from our mistakes and sin.
Tower of the Flock
SHEPHERD SYMBOLISM FROM THE FIRST CHRISTMAS
by Rod L. Meldrum
As we approach this sacred season of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, may we reflect on the miracle and blessing He was and is. As I’ve pondered on His holy birth, and the circumstances around it, I am reminded again of how the Lord goes about his mighty works.
The Holy Son of the most glorified and powerful eternal being, our Father in Heaven, was not provided with a wondrous palace, security, wealth and privilege befitting his status as God’s first born son, but rather He showed his everlasting power through the simple, the meek, the lowly and the weak things of this world. His sacred Son wasn’t born amid the tumult and praise of the political, secular or religious superiors of his day, but in obscurity, vulnerability and to parents who were powerless because of their circumstances to provide much more than the most basic necessities of life at his birth.
I am reminded of how the Jews were anticipating a mighty king who was prophesied to deliver them. They presumed that God’s Son would enter this world provided with what men supposed would be needed to carry out this deliverance. Why would they not expect their deliverer to be born to parents who could provide a world-class education, money sufficient to procure status, authority and prestige so that other men would know of his leadership and knowledge and thus follow him?
Instead His Holy Child was born in a stable and lovingly laid in a manger of hay by honest, hard-working parents of common status among the Jewish throngs. Indeed, His pre-mortal status was hidden and utterly concealed from the world. How ashamed many Jews must have felt when they realized they had been looking for the wrong identifying features of this humble Son of God sent to deliver them.
In like manner some have supposed that the Nephite civilization of the Book of Mormon should be identified by grand features and majestic ruins, signs of an overpowering and influential people that the world can look to because of their triumphant accomplishments. Yet the Book of Mormon speaks of a humble people who obeyed the Laws of Moses, dressed in inconspicuous clothing, and built homes and temples and cities of wood. It was the unrighteous that built large and spacious palaces to demonstrate their own greatness. In contrast to impressive structures, the righteous Nephites seemed to follow the Lord’s ways in putting people as a higher priority that power; of salvation over worldly possessions.
May we, as followers of Christ, strive to emulate and understand the true power of God’s example of His Son by humbly submitting ourselves and meekly seeking His will, realizing our weaknesses and asking for his grace to attend us. This is, I believe, a most wonderful way to celebrate His birth.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”
Most of us are very familiar with this passage, as reading it is a Christmas Eve tradition for many families. But who were the shepherds? Why were these men privileged to have angels appear to them? Was there any significance to these shepherds other than being humble keepers of sheep? Did the angels announce the birth of the Savior throughout the land, but this was the only account that was recorded in scripture? Or was there a greater purpose to the angelic revelation specific to these shepherds?
The Christmas story takes on added meaning when we consider that the shepherds who were abiding by their flocks in the fields were perhaps watching over temple sheep, sheep that were being bred and protected to be sacrificed at the temple in Jerusalem. The noted information relies heavily on the research of Cooper P. Abrams III in his article Where was the Birth Place of the Lord Jesus?
These shepherds may have been men who were accustomed to preparing lambs which symbolically represented the Messiah in their cleanliness, perfection, and their sacrifice on the altar of the temple. This gives added depth of meaning, if true, to these scriptures which tell of the angels who came to these shepherds to proclaim the birth of the Lamb of God, the Savior of mankind, who would offer the last and ultimate sacrifice.
A tower similar to what Migdal Eder might have looked like
But there are more interesting details. The place where the angels appeared to the shepherds is traditionally known as the Tower of the Flock, or Migdal Edar, which is very near Bethlehem. One commentator notes: “This watch tower from ancient times was used by the shepherds for protection from their enemies and wild beasts. It was the place ewes were brought to give birth to the lambs. In this sheltered building/cave the priests would bring in the ewes which were about to lamb for protection. These special lambs came from a unique flock which were designated for sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem.”
According to Edersheim in The Life And Times Of Jesus The Messiah, in Book 2, Chapter 6, it states, “This Migdal Edar was not the watchtower for the ordinary flocks that pastured on the barren sheep ground beyond Bethlehem, but it lay close to the town, on the road to Jerusalem. A passage from the Mishnah (Shekelim 7:4) leads to the conclusion that the flocks which pastured there were destined for Temple sacrifices.“
What are we to make of all of this information from the writings of the rabbis? First, we know that Migdal Edar was the watchtower that guarded the Temple flocks that were being raised to serve as sacrificial animals in the Temple. These were not just any flock. The shepherds who kept them were men who were specifically trained for this royal task. They were educated in what an animal, that was to be sacrificed, had to be and it was their job to make sure that none of the animals were hurt, damaged, or blemished.These lambs were apparently wrapped in swaddling cloths to protect them from injury which, or course, was also used to wrap the Christ Child.
Thus, with the establishment of Temple worship in Jerusalem, the fields outside of Bethlehem became the place where a special group of shepherds raised the lambs that were sacrificed in the Temple. Being themselves under special Rabbinical care, they would strictly maintain a ceremonially clean stable for a birthing place. The Tower of the Flock was used for birthing ewes, and the surrounding fields were where these shepherds grazed their flocks. These shepherds customarily kept their flocks outdoors twenty-four hours a day every day of the year, but brought the ewes in to deliver their lambs where they could be gently cared for. It was to this place that Joseph took Mary. It was in this special stable at “Migdal Edar” that Christ may have been born!
TOWER OF THE FLOCK There’s an obscure prophecy about the birth of Jesus that’s not just about the town of Bethlehem, it nails down Messiah’s birth to the square foot. You might not have heard this before, but it’s in the book of Micah. “And you, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, even the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.” – Micah 4:8 It’s a prophecy that the Messiah would be born not only in Bethlehem, but in the “Tower of the Flock.” So, what is that?More information here:
Luke 2:8-18 records that there were shepherds in the fields keeping watch over their sheep by night. Who then were these shepherds? Without question these were shepherds who resided near Bethlehem. They were none other than the shepherds from “Migdal Edar” who were well aware that the Targum (translations of the Hebrew Bible or portions of it into the Aramaic language. Thus the Targums were designed to meet the needs of unlearned Jews to whom the Hebrew of the Old Testament was unintelligible), hinted and many of the rabbis taught that the Messiah might well be announced from “Migdal Edar” at Bethlehem. The angels only told the shepherds that they would find the Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. There was no need for the angels to give these shepherds directions to the birth place because they already knew. These were the men who raised sacrificial lambs that were sacrificed in the Temple. When the angelic announcement came, they knew exactly where to go, as Luke 2 indicates, for the sign of a manger could only mean their manger at the tower of the flock! You cannot explain the meaning or direction of the sign they were given or their response unless you have the right manger and the right shepherds!
Prophetically, Migdal Edar is the exact place in Bethlehem for Christ to be born. Micah was God’s prophet who was warning Israel of the coming captivity. He used the authenticating prophecy of the Assyrian captivity of the Northern Kingdom (soon to occur when he foretold it) to serve as a reminder to Israel of God’s promised Kingdom. God wanted them to know that even though they would be taken from their land because of their disobedience that He would restore them in time. Micah 4:7 establishes the context of the passage and clearly is a Messianic prophecy of the coming of the Millennial Kingdom when Jesus Christ will reign over Jerusalem forever. The…LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever. In other words God was assuring Israel that He would fulfill His promises to them of the Kingdom. In Micah 4:8 the word is rendered “tower of the flock” (marg., “Edar”), and is used as a designation of Bethlehem, which figuratively represents the royal line of David as sprung from Bethlehem.
In this setting, Micah (Micah 4:8) uses the prophecy of the Babylonian captivity of the Southern Kingdom as a pledge to guarantee (authenticating prophecy) of the birth of Christ at Migdal Edar at Bethlehem which is exactly where it took place! Micah prophesied that as surely as Assyrians would soon carry away Israel in the North, so the Messiah would come and establish His kingdom, the “first dominion, the kingdom shall come to Jerusalem.” The verse states that as surely as Babylon would carry away the Judah, in the South, into captivity, so the Messiah would arrive at the Tower of the Flock. This prophecy was but one other evidence that later proved that Jesus was the Messiah, but one that Israel ignored in rejecting Him as their Messiah.
Typically, “Migdal Edar”, (the tower of the flock) at Bethlehem is the perfect place for Christ to be born. He was born in the very birthplace where tens of thousands of lambs, which had been sacrificed to prefigure Him. God promised it, pictured it and performed it at “Migdal Edar”. It all fits together, for that’s the place where sacrificial lambs were born! Jesus may not have been born, as has often been assumed, behind an inn, in a smelly stable where the donkeys of travelers and other animals were kept. He was most likely born in Bethlehem, at the birthing place of the sacrificial lambs that were offered in the Temple in Jerusalem which Micah 4:8calls the tower of the flock.
John the Baptist in John 1:29 proclaimed of Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Jesus is presented in the Bible as being likened to a sacrificial lamb. It was not by chance but by choice that Christ identified His death with the time of the observance of the Passover. Peter spoke of our redemption as wrought by the “precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” ( 1 Pet. 1:19); and Paul told us that “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us” ( 1 Cor. 5:7). Even the first fulfilled type by which Christ is to be revealed in Heaven is as the Lamb (Rev. 5:6-13) Over 33 references in the Book of Mormon speak of Christ as the “Lamb of God” and as such the significance of this sacred prophesied birthplace on the outskirts of Bethlehem takes on new meaning.
Enjoy the Christmas holiday!
Rod L. Meldrum President
The FIRM Foundation
“Jesus was not born behind an inn, in a smelly stable where the donkeys of travelers and other animals were kept. He was born in Bethlehem, at the birthing place of the sacrificial lambs that were offered in the Temple in Jerusalem which Micah 4:8 calls the “tower of the flock.” Where was the Birth Place of the Lord Jesus? by Cooper P Abrams III
The Tower of the Flock or Migdal Eder, Bethlehem — an early twentieth-century photograph
Natural limestone cave (above and below ground) where shepherds take shelter with their flocks at night.
We will have 5 rooms for speakers on Thursday and Friday Sept 23-24, including the Main Stage. On Saturday Sept 25, we will only have the Main Stage with speakers as the breakout rooms were not available.
Each day at Noon and 4:30 pm on Thurs. and Fri. we will hear a brief Demonstration or Presentation on the main stage from several of our larger sponsors. (Prize giveaways) Also on Sat. at noon we will hear from a main sponsor. Please join us on Saturday from 3:30 to 5 pm for a huge Native American Panel and Dancing Celebration organized by Mike “Painted Pony” and Betty “Red Ant” LaFontaine.
As you can see by the schedule below, I am still waiting for topics of some of our speakers presentations. This list of speakers and times will change. If you need to change your time, please contact Rian @ riannelson@aol.com
Within a month or so after the Live Expo Sept 23-25, we will make available all presenters who speak in video format and recorded, and you will have an opportunity to view the recorded videos later at your leisure.
There is a concessions stand at the event that will be available. Please don’t bring any outside food into the Expo Center. More details visit herehttps://bookofmormonevidence.org/events/
Speakers (Updated Aug 11)
The times and speakers will change and the topics will be updated as we get additional information from the various speakers.
FIRM Foundation’s 28th International Book of Mormon Evidence Conference Featuring LIVE Expo Thurs, Fri, Sat- Sept 23-25, 2021 9 AM to 9 PM
Mountain America Expo Center 9575 South State Street. Sandy, UT 84070 Prepare Now. More Info to Come! Put it on your Calendar. No Family Pass but Children under 18 are FREE!
Expo Layout Our event is in the middle of the large building in Exhibit Hall 3, at the Mountain America Expo Center
Vendors (Updated Aug 10)
Vendor spaces may change at any time.
For Details Text or Call Rian Nelson801-931-9031riannelson@aol.com
Rod Meldrum’s friend David Osmond called him to join David at Glenn Beck’s Ranch. David was singing at an event to be produced by Glenn Beck. David’s mom and dad is Alan and Suzanne Osmond, Rod’s great friends who support the Heartland Model big time. Of course most of you know David Osmond, as the Osmond who took over Donnie’s role as Joseph and the Technicolor Dream-coat in Chicago. He has recorded albums all over the country and David will be singing some special music at a big July 2nd Glenn Beck special called “Restoring Hope”.
David, Glenn and Dance TeamWatch a rehearsal video here.
Tim Ballard
Our great friend, Tim Ballard will also be in attendance on Glenn’s July 2nd show with some of his patriotic stories about America. Don’t forget to check out Tim’s new book called, The Pilgrim Hypothesis” available here:
You can all watch it on July 2nd at 8 pm on Glenn’s Blaze TV here:
Rod spent some great time with Glenn and David and the crew of entertainers and performers as he watched some wonderful singing and dancing. Rod had the opportunity to meet Glenn’s wonderful wife and his son and daughters. Glenn had asked Rod to bring all his gear with him including Universal Model Rocks, Moroni armor, swords and artifacts, Hebrew Rocks, and all of his books and DVD’s. Glenn had been reading the Annotated Book of Mormon and was very impressed with it. Of course Glenn has to stay neutral as an active Latter-day Saint, as he can’t turn off his huge Christian audience by promoting the Church. It’s sad, but that is the way it has to be.
Rod began sharing some of the items he brought that Glenn could share on the air. Things about the Mound builders and Hopewell and Adena. Rod gave Glenn a Title of Liberty Flag and told Glenn he could promote the Title of Liberty and Glenn said, “I wish I could”. Rod turned to page 297 in the Annotated Book of Mormon and read to Glenn George Washington’s similar Title of Liberty” that says,
“The unnatural Contest between the English Colonies and Great-Britain, has now risen to such a Heighth, that Arms alone must decide it. The Colonies, confiding in the Justice of their Cause, and the Purity of their Intentions, have reluctantly appealed to that Being, in whose Hands are all human Events….
Come then, my Brethren, unite with us in an indissoluble Union, let us run together to the same Goal.—We have taken up Arms in Defence of our Liberty, our Property, our Wives, and our Children, we are determined to preserve them, or die. We look forward with Pleasure to that Day not far remote (we hope) when the Inhabitants of America shall have one Sentiment, and the full Enjoyment of the Blessings of a free Government” George Washington’s Address to the Inhabitants of Canada (14 September 1775)
That was some information Glenn said would be amazing to share about George Washington. Glenn had never seen that quote before.
Glenn’s family was so impressed with the Enhydro rocks (rocks with water inside), and Rod’s story about the age of dinosaurs. Glenn was fascinated with Rod’s replica’s of the Holy Stones and Bat Creek Stone and he asked all kinds of questions about those.
Glenn was excited to share this information on future episodes on radio or TV. Stay tuned for other updates as Rod continues to share his message about the wonderful Book of Mormon with all.
On a fun side-note, before Rod visited with Glenn, David and Glenn were in the middle of a rehearsal and David mentioned Rod Meldrum’s name to Glenn about America’s Covenant and how inspirational Rod’s materials were. Glenn said to David, “Meldrum? isn’t he dead?” David laughed and said no I can get him on the phone right now. David called Rod and that’s how Rod got connected with Glenn again. We are so happy that Rod isn’t dead yet aren’t we?
Get ready for a very special Fourth of July celebration. America needs hope now more than ever, and we plan of doing our part. Join us virtually, July 2nd 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Tl9eDwDWVF
The poem was published on November 10, 1855, by Ticknor and Fields and was an immediate success. In 1857, Longfellow calculated that it had sold 50,000 copies.[6]
Longfellow chose to set The Song of Hiawatha at the Pictured Rocks, one of the locations along the south shore of Lake Superior favored by narrators of the Manabozho stories. The Song presents a legend of Hiawatha and his lover Minnehaha in 22 chapters (and an Introduction). Hiawatha is not introduced until Chapter III.
In Chapter I, Hiawatha’s arrival is prophesied by a “mighty” peace-bringing leader named Gitche Manito.
Chapter II tells a legend of how the warrior Mudjekeewis became Father of the Four Winds by slaying the Great Bear of the mountains, Mishe-Mokwa. His son Wabun, the East Wind, falls in love with a maiden whom he turns into the Morning Star, Wabun-Annung. Wabun’s brother, Kabibonokka, the North Wind, bringer of autumn and winter, attacks Shingebis, “the diver”. Shingebis repels him by burning firewood, and then in a wrestling match. A third brother, Shawondasee, the South Wind, falls in love with a dandelion, mistaking it for a golden-haired maiden.
In Chapter III, in “unremembered ages”, a woman named Nokomis falls from the Moon. Nokomis gives birth to Wenonah, who grows to be a beautiful young woman. Nokomis warns her not to be seduced by the West Wind (Mudjekeewis) but she does not heed her mother, becomes pregnant and bears Hiawatha.
In the ensuing chapters, Hiawatha has childhood adventures, falls in love with Minnehaha, slays the evil magician Pearl-Feather, invents written language, discovers corn and other episodes. Minnehaha dies in a severe winter.
The poem closes with the approach of a birch canoe to Hiawatha’s village, containing “the Priest of Prayer, the Pale-face.” Hiawatha welcomes him joyously; and the “Black-Robe chief” brings word of Jesus Christ. Hiawatha and the chiefs accept the Christian message. Hiawatha bids farewell to Nokomis, the warriors, and the young men, giving them this charge: “But my guests I leave behind me/ Listen to their words of wisdom,/ Listen to the truth they tell you.” Having endorsed the Christian missionaries, he launches his canoe for the last time westward toward the sunset and departs forever.
Book of Mormon as compared with Longfellow’s “Song of Hiawatha”
Thanks to my good friend Jayne Corbett for sharing this article with me.
This particular article is a reprint from an early Foundation for Research on Ancient America newsletter no. 36 dated January 14, 1981 pg. 4 written by Gordon W. Harrison, of Sharon, Pennsylvania:
There is an incident told in Alma 14, of the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi taking their swords and all their weapons which were used for the shedding of man’s blood and burying them deep in the earth. They made a covenant with God that they would never again shed the blood of man.
It is an unlikely story, isn’t it? So unlikely, in fact, that I would be willing almost to wager that there is only one other place in all this world that such a story as that can be found. That is in Longfellow’s “Song of Hiawatha.”
I had a little of “Hiawatha” in high school. About all I could remember of it was their God Gitche Manito, Nokomis and the shores of Gitche Gumee, Hiawatha’s birch bark canoe and Minnehaha. I had never read all of the poem but I liked what I read so well that I could not forget it. Many years later, after I had become a member of the Reorgnized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and had become familiar with the Book of Mormon, thoughts of Hiawatha came back to me and I inquired about it at the library. I took home a book of Longfellow’s poems with “The Song of Hiawatha” in it.
I began reading, without the slightest idea of what I was going to find. I had not read very far before I discovered that I was receiving one of the greatest surprises of my life, for I was actually reading a short version of much of the Book of Mormon. With poetic license, Longfellow tells what the Indians believed in the way of legends and traditions as they were handed down through the ages, and of the things that had happened in the lives of their forefathers in the long ago.
They believed in God who was their Creator and Master of Life. It was he who gave them everything. Hiawatha was their prophet and teacher and deliverer. He had a wondrous birth and being, much different from anyone else’s. In the first chapter God calls all the Indian tribes together and reprimands them for their fighting. He commands them to be at peace with one another and to live toghther as brothers, and counsels them in these words:
“I will send a Prophet to you, a Deliverer of the nations, who shall guide you and shall teach you, who shall toil and suffer with you. If you listen to his counsels, you will multiply and prosper; if his warnings pass unheeded, you will fade away and perish!”
He commanded them to bathe in the stream before them and wash themselves clean, which they did. This referred, no doubt, to their baptism, as it was remembered. God commanded them at the same time to bury their war-clubs and weapons (so like the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi):
“Then upon the ground the warriors threw their cloaks and shirts of deer-skin, threw their weapons and their war-gear, leaped into the rushing river, washed the war-paint from their faces. Clear above them flowed the water, clear and limpid from the footprints of the Master of Life descending; dark below them flowed the water, soiled and stained with streaks of crimson, as if blood were mingled with it!” If we could see the water after our baptism, as God sees it, maybe it would look that way, too.
“From the river came the warriors, clean and washed from all their war-paint; on the banks their clubs they buried, buried all their warlike weapons. Gitche Manito, the mighty, the Great Spirit, the creator, smiled upon his helpless children!” Where else can you read a story like that except in the Book of Mormon? And about the same people!
I suggest that you read “The Song of Hiawatha” studiously. You will find many things in it similar to the Book of Mormon. Longfellow said he got these legends and traditions from the Indians and he published his poem in 1855. Joseph Smith got his record from God and published it in 1830.
Longfellow’s poem, Chapter 5, tells about Hiawatha’s prayer and fasting. Chapter 6 tells about the singer, singing of death, and life undying, in the land of the Hereafter. So the Indians knew about that. Chapter 13 says, “Buried was the bloody hatchet,” and “the dreadful war-club,” and all the “war-like weapons.” The warcry was forgotten and there was peace among the nations. They went about their hunting and their possessions were unmolested. Was this the “Golden Age” of the Nephites?
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<p style=”text-align: left;”>I know there is a God just by looking at the world He created. Just as no man could have written that book, no man could explain the creation of the earth without God. It didn’t just appear from nothing, which is common sense. Our Prophet Joseph Smith said, “I looked upon the sun, the glorious luminary of the earth, and also the moon, rolling in their majesty through the heavens, and also the stars shining in their courses and the earth also upon which I stood, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of heaven and the fish of the waters, and also man walking forth upon the face of the earth in majesty, and in the strength of beauty whose power and intelligence in governing the things which are so exceedingly great and marvelous. . . . And when I considered upon these things, my heart exclaimed, ‘<span style=”color: #ff0000;”>Well hath the wise man said, it is a fool that saith in his heart there is no God</span>.’ My heart exclaimed, ‘All these bear testimony and bespeak an omnipotent and omnipresent power, a being who maketh laws and decreeth and bindeth all things in their bounds.’” <em>Joseph Smith Letterbook 1, p. 2–3, Joseph Smith Papers, Church History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah; spelling and punctuation modernized.<img class=”wp-image-9578 size-full aligncenter” src=”https://www.bofm.blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/cc6.jpg” alt=”” width=”962″ height=”720″></em></p>
It seems there are two varying opinions on climate change. It is either caused by man or it is not. First I don’t believe climate change was caused by man, but man has a stewardship to love this earth and keep it clean. I believe temperatures of the earth go up and they go down and God is the creator of all and has the greatest say of these things. Moreover there is an eternal law that regulates this earth that was created by the Savior. I truly believe the vast majority of people think it is politically correct to say that man causes climate change in order to scare us, make money, and act as if they are in control of this earth. Many of these people don’t believe in God and want nothing to do with Him. They hate the judgement of anyone especially from God. <img class=”wp-image-9575 size-full aligncenter” src=”https://www.bofm.blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/cc2.jpg” alt=”” width=”971″ height=”593″>
Elder Steven E. Snow said, “I am struck by the loving care taken by the Lord in creating this earth as depicted in one of our Church’s most sacred religious ceremonies performed in temples around the world. I believe we ought to emulate that same sense of care and concern toward the earth and its resources. Too often we are a “throw-away people,” as President Spencer W. Kimball described. Some live lavishly in the moment without a thought for the future. Others believe that because “the earth will [one day] be renewed and receive its paradisaical glory” that we have free license to be wasteful. But that’s not how it works. God made us stewards over His creations and, as such, He expects accountability. believe it is unbecoming of a Latter-day Saint to willfully deface and defile the earth….
As Latter-day Saints we tend to focus on our ecclesiastical and family stewardship’s, which is well and good. But I believe we will also be held accountable for how we treat one another, the community in which we live, and the land that surrounds us, even the earth itself. That stewardship has never been more urgent. Our generation, more than any other, has the ability to irretrievably change the land. Financial rewards provide tremendous pressure to unleash our technology to reinvent our surroundings. There will be growth; change will come. But failure to care for the land on which we live means turning our backs on the heritage laid down carefully and at such great cost by our forefathers—and will leave us immeasurably poorer.” <em>The Moral Imperative of Environmental Stewardship By Elder Steven E. Snow of the Seventy Oct 2018</em>
<img class=”alignleft wp-image-9574 ” src=”https://www.bofm.blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/cc1.jpg” alt=”” width=”298″ height=”147″>“Stewardship in the Church is a very important matter. The Lord has mentioned it in the revelations. We are stewards over these earthly blessings which the Lord has provided, those of us who have this soil and this water. We have no moral latitude, it seems to me. In fact, we are morally obligated to turn this land over to those who succeed us—not drained of its fertility but improved in quality, in productivity, and in usefulness for future generations.” <i>The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson</i>, 645.
<h3>Liberty vs. Freedom?</h3>
“Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose [first choice] liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose [second choice] captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.” (2 Nephi:2:27; emphasis added.)
Liberty then is far more important than simple freedom. Freedom means we can do anything we want, as we are free to choose, but we must live with the consequence. Liberty means we can do what ever we choose under God’s Laws as there is always a blessing to obedience of His law. This is why the United States of America in not a Democracy meaning the majority rules. The United States has a Republic form of government in which elected individuals represent the citizen body and exercise power according to the rule of law under the Constitution. God’s law then is to love the earth and respect it, and if we don’t we will not receive the blessings associated.<img class=”size-full wp-image-9573 aligncenter” src=”https://www.bofm.blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/cc.jpg” alt=”” width=”590″ height=”332″>
<h3>Right vs Wrong?</h3>
It seems on every important subject there are two sides. In movies there is good and evil, in church there is right and wrong, in science there is evolution and creation, in geography there is the heartland or mesoamerica, in school there is the young earth or the old earth theory, in beliefs there is a God or not, is global warming caused by man or by God, in LDS homes there is you can watch the Super Bowl or you can’t, in politics there is Democrat or Republican, in life there is abortion or right to life. I think I can sum it up from the scriptures, <em>”For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.” 2 Nephi 2:11</em>
I believe Satan says, “The Book of Mormon is absolutely the word of God, but its not that important to read it.” or Satan says, “the Book of Mormon is false, why not look around for something better.” I believe the simple answer is usually correct. The answer that makes most sense to our spirits. Why? Because our Spirit is eternal and will live forever, and these bodies are corruptible and invoke wrong choices. We need this opposite as part of the Lord’s plan. It’s obviously not that easy but, generally if things make sense, that’s the best answer. You need a whole bunch of research and prayer for ultimate truth, but start with what makes sense.
<span style=”color: #ff0000;”>Many thanks to my good friend Bernell Loveridge for sharing the following article with me and gave me the idea to blog about this topic.</span>
<h3>Climate Change – The Great Inoculation</h3>
<div class=”post-meta”>By Gary C. Lawrence · January 14, 2020 Meridian Magazine</div>
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When there’s no breaking news about impeachment, elections, international tensions, or the economy, we always have climate change to fill the news hole.
<span style=”color: #ff0000;”><img class=”size-medium wp-image-9576 alignleft” src=”https://www.bofm.blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/cc4-300×169.jpg” alt=”” width=”300″ height=”169″>From one side, we hear that human activity is endangering the planet – that man’s excessive fossil fuel use releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and traps heat thus causing global warming. Such heat-producing carbon emissions melt arctic ice, increase sea levels, cause famines, and spawn hurricanes. </span> Further, it even causes earthquakes in that hurricanes by definition come with lower atmospheric pressures which allow earthquake faults to move more easily and release accumulated strain. <span style=”color: #ff0000;”> In short, every geological or weather-related or crop-failing phenomenon can be linked to climate change.</span>
Proponents of these arguments predict what will happen if we fail to curb carbon emissions and do not transform our energy system away from fossil fuels:
<ul>
<li>Civilization as we know it will end by 2030.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Meltdown of polar ice sheets will accelerate.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Many cities will be flooded.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Starvation will be widespread.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Temperatures will be hotter.</li>
</ul>
<span style=”color: #ff0000;”>From the other side of the debate, we hear the argument that climate change is a natural process of ups and downs, that temperature variations remain within the bounds of natural fluctuations over the centuries, and human activity has minimal impact. </span> Further, that human-produced gases are naturally absorbed by “carbon sinks” (oceans, forests) and that sea levels have been steadily rising for thousands of years and <span style=”color: #ff0000;”>have nothing to do with human behavior.</span>
As reasons not to panic, they cite their opponents’ predictions on Earth Day 1970:
<ul>
<li>Civilization will end within 15 or 30 years unless immediate action is taken. (Harvard biologist George Wald)</li>
<li>Population will outstrip food supplies and 100 to 200 million people per year will starve to death by 1980. (Paul Ehrlich, population expert)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>By 1995, between 75 and 80 percent of all the species of living animals will be extinct. (Dr. S. Dillon Ripley, secretary of the Smithsonian Institute)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>By the year 2000, the entire world, with the exception of Western Europe, North America, and Australia, will be in famine. (Peter Gunter, university professor)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>By 1985, urban dwellers will have to wear gas masks to survive air pollution that will have reduced the amount of sunlight reaching earth by one half. (Life magazine)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>By the year 2000, there won’t be any more crude oil. (Ecologist Kenneth Watt)</li>
</ul>
<p style=”text-align: left;”><span style=”color: #ff0000;”><img class=”alignright size-full wp-image-9581″ src=”https://www.bofm.blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/cc9.jpg” alt=”” width=”330″ height=”222″>No one argues that we need not care for the environment, and few will claim man has been a great steward. </span> But the question is whether this lack of stewardship, combined with substantial use of fossil fuels, is a sufficient explanation for hurricanes, famines, earthquakes, and the like.</p>
As pro and con arguments continue, the important thing to note is the debate centers on one main variable: <span style=”color: #ff0000;”><strong>the role of man</strong>.</span> Both sides seem to assume man is the sole determinant of weather events and the only question is the extent.
So for non-atheists the obvious question: <span style=”color: #ff0000;”>What about the role of God?</span> Does He ever intervene by sending climate events – perhaps (just speculating, mind you) to prod His children to change their ways?
Numerous times of course (about a dozen famines alone are mentioned in the Old Testament) and my favorite in the Book of Mormon is when Nephi, son of <span style=”color: #ff0000;”>Helaman, specifically prayed for a famine in the land “to stir them up in remembrance of the Lord their God…” Lasted three years; the people got the message. Those who survived.</span>
More importantly for this discussion, will message-bearing, weather-related events happen before the Second Coming? Yes, including …
<ul>
<li>D&C 5: desolating scourge</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>D&C 29: earth shall quake / sun darkened / moon turned to blood / stars fall from heaven / great hailstorm to destroy the crops of the earth / plague of flies</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>D&C 43: heavens shall shake and the earth shall tremble</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>D&C 45: desolation / earth in commotion / iniquity shall abound / desolating sickness / earthquakes in diverse places / signs and wonders in heaven above and earth beneath / blood and fire and vapors of smoke / sun darkened and moon turned to blood and stars fall from heaven / earth reel to and fro and the heavens also shall shake</li>
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But not everything that happens can be attributed solely to God or solely to man. <span style=”color: #ff0000;”>I submit there are three sources of environmental disasters:</span>
<ol>
<li><span style=”color: #ff0000;”>Man</span> indeed causes a share through poor stewardship of land and resources, and by specific actions such as 200 identified cases of arson now contributing to the horrific wildfires in Australia.</li>
</ol>
<ul>
<li><span style=”color: #ff0000;”>Natural forces</span> contribute a portion because there must be opposition in all things in a world specifically designed for things to go wrong that we may be tested.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style=”color: #ff0000;”>God</span> will send specific catastrophic events at times of His choosing as special messages to His children to change their ways.</li>
</ul>
So why the emphasis on only one source? Why the lack today of even a rudimentary discussion that God might – just might – send an occasional weather event for His own purposes? <span style=”color: #ff0000;”>Why have we not heard or read any references to God in climate-change debates?</span>
<em><strong>Because that is how the adversary wants it.</strong></em>
<span style=”color: #ff0000;”><img class=”aligncenter wp-image-9579 size-full” src=”https://www.bofm.blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/cc7.jpg” alt=”” width=”384″ height=”240″>He inoculates against God’s warnings</span> that may be attached to certain hailstorms, floods, famines, earthquakes, and scourges by focusing the debate on man’s mismanagement of the environment. He tolerates no other explanation. And he doesn’t care which side is speaking or which side wins. <span style=”color: #ff0000;”>He enjoys the debate as he conditions people that they need not change their iniquitous ways.</span>
To re-emphasize: If Satan can maintain the focus on <span style=”color: #ff0000;”>man’s environmental behavior and ignore man’s moral behavior</span>, when earthquakes, hurricanes and famines occur, he will have conditioned people to shrug them off as … mere climate change.
<span style=”color: #ff0000;”>Indeed, the Great Inoculation.”</span>
<em>By Gary C. Lawrence, Meridian Magazine (Italics and color added)</em>
“Men must become harmless before the brute creation, and when men lose their vicious dispositions and cease to destroy the animal race, the lion and the lamb can dwell together, and the sucking child can play with the serpent in safety” <em>Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith</em>, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 71.
“You are here commencing anew. The soil, the air, the water are all pure and healthy. Do not suffer them to become polluted with wickedness. Strive to preserve the elements from being contaminated by the filthy, wicked conduct and sayings of those who pervert the intelligence God has bestowed upon the human family.” <em>Brigham Young Journal of Discourses, 8:79.</em>
<img class=”size-full wp-image-9582 alignleft” src=”https://www.bofm.blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/cc10.png” alt=”” width=”334″ height=”235″>“Things upon the earth, so far as they have not been perverted by wickedness, are typical of things in heaven. Heaven was the prototype of this beautiful creation when it came from the hand of the Creator, and was pronounced ‘good.’” <em>Joseph F. Smith Journal of Discourses 23:175.</em>
“As beneficiaries of the divine Creation, what shall we do? We should care for the earth, be wise stewards over it, and preserve it for future generations. And we are to love and care for one another.” <em>Russell M. Nelson “The Creation,” Ensign, May 2000, 84.</em>
So we ask the question, Were the Mayans & Aztecs Scattered by the Gentiles? The simple answer is No! However the Native American Lamanite in the USA was SMITTEN and SCATTERED.
Annotated Book of Mormon page 253. click to Purchase .
We believe the Lamanites and Jews (who were one in the same mixed race), were smitten and scattered for their unbelief. The Jews have been scattered all over the world. The Native Americans were pushed and scattered to lands west of the Mississippi. Who has smitten and scattered these groups? The Gentiles or the Europeans and others who were non-Jewish.
“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
We also know that Lehi was a direct descendant of Manasseh and the daughters of Ishmael were Ephraimites. Further we understand the people of Mulek to be from the tribe of Judah, and the Mulekites and Nephites combined together into a mixed race. We also know the Jaredites were of Asian descent. See article here:
Can you see the great mixture of people at Hill Cumorah? The most important thing was to know that the seed of Lehi was left at that hill. The Lamanites had a mixture of Joseph and Judah and they remained in North America previous to Columbus.
“And it came to pass that I beheld many multitudes of the Gentiles upon the land of promise, and I beheld the wrath of God, that it was upon the seed of my brethren, and they were scattered before the Gentiles and were smitten.” (1 Nephi 13:14)
“And also that a knowledge of these things must come unto the remnant of these people, and also unto the Gentiles, who the Lord hath said should scatter this people, and this people should be counted as naught among them—therefore write a small abridgment, daring not to give a full account of the things which I have seen, because of the commandment which I have received, and also that ye might not have too great sorrow because of the wickedness of this people.” (Mormon 5:9)
On the other hand have the Mayans and Aztecs been smitten and scattered? They may have been oppressed but not scattered. The Mayans of 700 AD are the fathers of the Mayans of 2018 today. Most of the Mayans have come from Asia, and they weren’t scattered by the Gentiles. There has been only Asian DNA found for the people of Central and South America. On the other hand DNA of the Native Americans near the Great Lakes has matched DNA among the Iraqi Jew, the Ashkenazi Jew and other Jews. See blog post here: DNA article here:
Elder Larry J. Echo Hawk, General Authority Seventy (left), talks about his great-grandfather (right) during his June 27 LDS Business College devotional address at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square. Click for Article
Elder Larry Echo Hawk, Emeritus General Authority, a descendant of the Pawnee Indian tribe describes his great-grandfather being forced from their native homeland in the Midwest:
“On the title page [of the Book of Mormon] I read that it is “written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the House of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile.” In the introduction to the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, it says that the Lamanites “are among the ancestors of the American Indians.” 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. It is an account of God’s dealings with these ancient inhabitants located somewhere on the American continents…Their prophets foretold that many multitudes of Gentiles would eventually come to this land of promise and the wrath of God would be upon the Lamanites and they would be scattered, smitten, and nearly destroyed.
Elder Echo Hawk’s grandfather. A photo taken by a photographer who traveled throughout Indian country taking pictures of Native Americans. Photo courtesy of Elder Larry J. Echo Hawk.
“My great-grandfather Echo Hawk, a Pawnee Indian, was born in the mid-1800s in what is now called Nebraska. When he was 19 years of age, the Pawnee people were forced to give up their 23-million-acre (9.3 million-hectares) homeland to make room for settlers. In 1874 the Pawnee people were marched several hundred miles south to a small reservation located in the Oklahoma Indian Territory… “The Book of Mormon has a special message for descendants of the Lamanites, a remnant of the house of Israel. Nephi expressed this message while interpreting his father’s vision of these latter days: “And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the House of Israel, and that they are the covenant people of the Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by Him…” (1 Nephi 15:14)” – Elder Larry Echo Hawk, “Come Unto Me, O Ye House of Israel,” Ensign, [Nov. 2012].
“The population of Pawnee people had declined from over 12,000 to less than 700 upon their arrival in Oklahoma. The Pawnee, like other tribes, had been scattered, smitten, and nearly destroyed” – Larry Echo Hawk, “Come Unto Me, O Ye House of Israel,” Ensign, [Nov. 2012].
Moral Decay In Our Universities by Guest blogger David W. Allan
As early as 1636 many private institutions, beginning with Harvard, religious instruction was woven into the fabric of student life. As universities became secularized, the lack of ethical standards have increased among college students. This trend has many Americans worried about the decay of moral values that is evident on college campuses today.
More Harm Than Good
When Dennis Prager was interviewing Jordan Peterson as shared in this blog article, Dennis asked the poignant question, “If all North Americans graduating HS decided, ‘I’m not going to college.’ Would North America be a better or worse place?”
Jordan replied, “I believe our universities, not necessarily colleges, do more harm than good now… The post-modern collectivist doctrine is so psychologically and politically toxic. [They] deny the existence of the individual… The idea that human beings are made in the image of God, fundamentally.” [This concept is being attacked by academia and being replaced by Darwinian evolution.] “The idea of the sovereignty of the individual…”
The Natural Man – An Enemy to God
I find that as Jordan continues his attack on the evil in the world, his language, but in his vocabulary, is similar to the profound pronouncement of King Benjamin, “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth of the natural man, and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord…” (Mosiah 3:19) Not only does Jordan see the evil nature of man, but also the many organizations bringing about evil in the world and they hate him for what he is doing – including most of the media and many university professors.
Three False Traditions
1. Charles Darwin gave the world the false tradition that the Bible story of creation is not true and that humankind evolved from lower forms of life.
2. Then Lewis Henry Morgan and John Wesley Powell gave America the false tradition of social evolution – labeling the American Indians as savages.
3. The third big satanic false tradition was the introduction of political evolution by Fredrich Engels and Karl Marx – making the state sovereign instead of the individual.
The Lord warned us that the two main ways Satan has of deceiving us are (false) traditions and disobedience (D&C 93:36). How appropriate is that warning to America?
Teaching Staff – Spiritual to Secular
Who do universities hire when they replace staff or add to? The insightful political historian, Trevor Loudon, points out that over the decades, the conservatives tend to be more open minded and will hire people from both the conservative and liberal camps.
However, the liberals, who are on board, want their own kind and tend to fill the staff with liberals. Hence, we have what we have today, as Jordan sadly shares, and our universities are filled with professors who believe in the above false traditions with devastating effects on the students. Satan’s main goal is to take them away from the Christ and from them knowing they are children of God. The sovereignty of the individual is paramount in God’s plan of happiness.
My Own Alma-Mater
As a university example, take my own alma-mater, Brigham Young University, a Christian university, which has been traditionally a conservative school. How it has changed! When I did my undergraduate program to get my BS in physics in 1960, I had a great experience. To have opening prayer as we began our Calculus Class was awesome to me. I cannot think of one bad teacher, but lots of very good ones.
My religion classes were inspiring, and I learned a ton. Later, when I was in my graduate program at the University of Colorado and took a physics class in mechanics and did well in his class, my professor asked me where I went to school. When I told him, he smiled. He could tell I had been taught well.
Darwinian evolution
To contrast the changes that have occurred at BYU, in the recent BYU Alumni magazine, I was appalled to see a picture of a permanent display being set up at the Bean Museum showing the evolution of humankind. There is a major misunderstanding about evolution. The Law of Evolution is totally valid, and data exist showing evolution within a species or kind. This is seen as Divine design allowing each kind to adapt to the environment. But there are no reliable data showing evolution across kinds. No data; no validation. Yet, the world believes it.
Any good scientist knows, you cannot prove a theory true, but if you have reliable falsification data, a theory can be proven false. Using the most credible scientists and with reliable data in support, I show the theory of organic evolution to be false in Chapter 6 of my book. Yet Darwinian evolution is taught pervasively in our universities across the world – including BYU.
Darwinism Is Effectively Dead
In 1980, Harvard paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould stated, “that neo-Darwinism ‘is effectively dead, despite its persistence as textbook orthodoxy,’ the weight of critical opinion in biology has grown steadily with each passing year.”[1] Stephen C. Meyer’s book, Signature in the Cell, shares a great example showing scientifically that DNA is Intelligently Designed (ID). Stephen Meyer says of Darwin’s work:
“On the Origin of Species seized the attention of the scientific community like a thunderclap. Darwin’s analogy to artificial selection was powerful, his proposed mechanism of natural selection and random variation easily grasped, and his skill in dispensing with potential objections unrivalled. Moreover, the explanatory scope of his argument for universal common descent constituted something of a tour de force. By the close of the Origin it seemed to many that Darwin had dispensed with every conceivable objection to his theory but one. [2]”
That “one” objection was having no data to show cross-kind evolution!
As Meyer further states, “Darwin was puzzled by a pattern in the fossil record that seemed to document the geologically sudden appearance of animal life in a remote period of geologic history…” Darwin gave a copy of the Origin to Louis Agassiz — considered to be the greatest natural scientist of the time — and asked him to read it with an open mind. As Meyer reports, Agassiz “concluded that the fossil record, particularly the record of the explosion of Cambrian animal life, posed an insuperable difficulty for Darwin’s theory.” In other words, the data contradict the theory.
Yet, the masses adopted the theory and ignore the data. In 1909, Cambridge University had an enormous 100-year anniversary celebrating Darwin’s birth. But now time has proven the erroneous nature of his theory and substantiated Agassiz’s conclusion. This has enormous ramifications to our universities and to society as a whole!
Brigham Young University – Evolution vs Intelligent Design
Thirty years ago they did a survey of BYU students and 12 % believed in evolution. After taking BIO100, that percentage increased to 38%. A recent survey taken showed 38% of the BYU students believing in evolution; then after taking BIO100 that increased to 62%. Currently, only 22% of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in evolution.
So our BYU students go there as creationists and come out evolutionists, and many of them lose their faith. Jordan was right; I believe most universities “do more harm than good now…” In spite of the down turn in faith at BYU, I still believe that BYU, as a whole, is doing more good for their students than many other universities. Their basic morality and faith are Christ centered. However, there are some departments which teach concepts that are contrary to basic Christian beliefs.
What Can We Do About It?
We need now more than ever to take our education of ourselves and our children into our own hands — to come to the TRUTH’s of God in our own homes. “Trust no one to be your teacher… except he be a man of God…” (Mosiah 23:17) “…seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom, seek learning by study and also by faith.” (D&C 109:7) If you listen to the Spirit, you can even find some truths on the internet
In 2010 I wrote an article, “Christ is Coming. How can we Best Prepare?” How to avoid being deceived. I also share the solutions to several false traditions in my book.
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints introduced this year the “Come follow Me” program, which is designed to do help us learn the gospel in the home. And we especially need to help our children “understand” and internalize the doctrine of repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, (D&C 68:25) who is the God of this the “Promised Land.” The need for us as Americans to repent is of paramount importance.
Jesus defines “eternal life” as knowing the Father and the Son, (John 17:3), which is the greatest of all the gifts of God (D&C 14:7). His infinite atonement is the path to bring us and our loved ones to the fullness of joy promised: Is there anything more important to learn, to live, and to share? Let us balance the secular appropriately with the spiritual with the focus, “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matt. 6:33)
Within the traditions of the Native Americans of North America (Lamanites) you will find hundreds of stories about a “sacred book”, or “a book”, or ” a record”, or “a history of our forefathers”, or “a book of plates”, or “a history of our people”, and many times these Natives talk about it being buried in a hill or the ground. There is such a connection between these Native American Lamanties and the Book of Mormon which was written by their forefathers.
There is such a familiar story comparing these Native American traditions with the story we know about the Lamanites seeking to destroy these records kept by the Nephites. It should be remembered that these records of the Nephites ultimately became the records of the Lamanites also. After all who was this record speaking of; both Nephi a Nephite, and Samuel a Lamanite.
These “Sacred Book” stories are heard of from Native Americans from North America and seldom heard about from those of South and Central America. This is not a proof that the Book of Mormon events happened in North America, but it is a very powerful indication that these Native Americans have incredibly similar stories as found in the story of the Book of Mormon.
Below you will find many references to “this Sacred Book” or the Lamanite traditions about this book.
Book of Mormon: Sacred Book of the Indians
MORMON APOLOGIST E. Cecil McGavin, in relating to his readers some ancient traditions of the North American Indians, made this remarkable statement in 1947:
The American aborigines, “assert that a book was once in possession of their ancestors; and along with this recognition they have traditions that the Great Spirit used to foretell to their fathers future events; that he controlled nature in their favor; that angels once talked with them; that all the Indian tribes descended from one man who had twelve sons; that this man was a noble and renowned Prince, having great dominions; and that the Indians, his posterity, will yet recover the same dominion and influence. They believe by tradition that the spirit of prophecy and miraculous interposition once enjoyed by their ancestors will yet be restored to them, and that they will recover the book, all of which have been so long lost.” Mormonism & Masonry, (Salt Lake City: Stevens & Wallis, Inc., 1947), pp. 154-155.
If true, this old tradition provides a potentially important link between the American tribes and a (presumably) non-American “renowned Prince” who had “twelve sons,” and whom the heavenly angels hold in great respect. McGavin insinuates that the prince was the Patriarch Jacob and that the native Americans are descended from one of his sons — Joseph to be exact — and that the lost book was a volume of divinely revealed prophecies and holy records. In short, the lost book the Indians expect to recover is the Book of Mormon, that improbable 1830 publication of Joseph Smith, Jr.
Is it true?
Perhaps that question is still a bit premature. Perhaps the more useful question at this point would be, Where did the author come across this wonderous nugget of supposedly ancient information? Tracking the Source of the “Lost Book”
Elder McGavin was not the first LDS writer to relate this unusual story. A very similar quote (with a reference citation matching one of McGavin’s) can be read in a Mormon magazine published in 1886. There the writer, George Reynolds, the former private secretary to Brigham Young, has this to say:
A book published in London, England, in 1833, by a Mr. C. Colton, on the origin of the American Indians bears testimony to this same tradition. It is therein stated: “They assert that a book was once in possession of their ancestors, and along with this recognition they have traditions that the Great Spirit used to foretell to their forefathers future events; that he controlled nature in their favor; that angels once talked with them; that all the Indian tribes descended from one man, who had twelve sons; that this man was a notable and renowned prince, having great dominions, and that the Indians, his posterity, will yet recover the same dominion and influence. They believe, by tradition, that the spirit of prophecy and miraculous interposition, once enjoyed by their ancestors, will yet be restored to them, and that they will recover the book, all of which has been so long lost.” “View of the Hebrews” Juvenile Instructor XXXVII:19 (Oct. 1, 1902)
Elder Reynolds is not exactly specific about which “Mr. C. Colton” he is quoting from. He says he is referring to a certain 1833 “book published in London… on the origin of the American Indians.” Luckily only one book fits that description. Two other LDS writers provide its title, after quoting from the same text:
Jacob and his twelve sons are found in the legends of the American Indians. Some of the tribes “used to build an altar of twelve stones in memory of a great ancestor of theirs who had twelve sons.”
“They have traditions that all Indian tribes descended from one man who had twelve sons. That this man was a notable and renowned prince, having great dominion; and that the Indians, his posterity, will yet recover the same dominion and influence.” (Calvin Colton, Origin of the American Indians, London, 1833., cf. Mill. Star 6:67.) John A. Widtsoe and Franklin S. Harris, Jr. Seven Claims of The Book of Mormon Independence: Zion’s Printing and Pub. Co., 1935, 1937, p. 101
The Rev. Calvin Colton (1789-1857) is not known to have ever produced a book called Origin of the American Indians, but he did write one with this lengthy title: “Tour of the American Lakes, and among the Indians of the North-west territory, in 1830: disclosing the character and prospects of the Indian race.” Since that book was published (in two volumes) in London in 1833, it appears to be the work cited by McGavin, Reynolds, Widtsoe and Harris.
The next question that might be asked is, Where did Rev. Colton get his information? According to his book, he conducted research into the situation and background of the American Indians during his 1830 “Tour of the American Lakes.” He then sailed off to London to work as a correspondent for the New York Observer, during which time he published a plethora of books on America.
It appears, however, that Colton did not glean all of his information on this topic from interviews with the Indians and their neighbors. He himself admits to deriving part of his material from a previously published source. In the case of the “lost book” story, Colton does his reporting in the first chapter of the second volume of Origin of the American Indians. That particular chapter is sub-titled “The Honourable Elias Boudinot’s theory…” and in it Colton agrees with practically everything Boudinot (the celebrated Presbyterian statesman and author, 1740-1821) said about the Indians in his 1816 book, in support of the conclusion, “that they are Hebrews.” Although Colton does not give his readers a precise citation from Boudinot’s 1816 A Star in the West, it is obvious that the former author appropriated the “lost book” story from the former. On page 11 of vol. 2, Colton says:
The offer of Christianity and of the Bible to the Indians of North America, with an account of its origin and claims, has, in several instances quite remote from and independent; of each other, met this remarkable reception: “This book once belonged to our ancestors!” And along with this recognition, they have traditions, that the Great Spirit used to foretell to their fathers future evens; that he controlled nature in their favour; that angels once talked with them, that all the Indian tribes descended from one man, who had twelve sons; that this man was a notable and renowned prince having dominion over all the earth; and that the Indians, his posterity, will yet recover the same dominion and influence. They believe by tradition, that the spirit of prophecy and of miraculous interposition, once enjoyed by their ancestors, will yet be restored to them, and that they shall recover the book — all of which have been so long lost. Rev. Calvin Colton’s 1830 book (Above articles compiled by Dale R. Broadhurst These articles are written from Mr. Broadhurst’s position as one who wants to tie the Book of Mormon with the Spaulding manuscript which I don’t believe. He quotes some great information however from reliable sources which speak about the traditions of Native Americans with this Sacred Book.)
Below you will find articles about the Sacred Book of the Native Americans.
1- Cattaraugus/Wyondat/Delaware/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
2- Blackfoot/The Three Nephites
“When Elder Melvin J. Ballard visited the Ft. Peck and Blackfoot reservations he said he met many who knew him as soon as they saw him and asked for the “Book” which he was to bring them. They said they had seen him in dreams, bringing to them a “Book.” When he handed them the Book of Mormon they adopted it gladly, and could read and understand it. He declared that it was his belief that one of the “Three Nephites” had been laboring among them for years teaching them the gospel and preparing them for our missionaries when they should come.” Redemption of the Lamanites By Annie W. Holdaway Genealogist and Recorder, Lamanite Genealogical Society
3. Stockbridge/Hebrew
In 1837, Elder Parley P. Pratt, one of the early defenders of the church, wrote a work entitled, “A Voice of Warning,” which has been published in many different editions in Europe and America. In the edition of 1885, published at Lamoni, Iowa, page 82, there is a quotation from Mr. Boudinot, which reads as follows:
Mr. Boudinot in his able work, remarks concerning their language: “Their language in its roots, idiom, and particular construction, appears to have the whole genius of the Hebrew; and what is very remarkable, and well worthy of serious attention, has most of the peculiarities of the language, especially those in which it differs from most other languages. There is a tradition related by an aged Indian of the Stockbridge Tribe, that their fathers were once in possession of a ‘Sacred Book‘ which was handed down from generation to generation, and at last hid in the earth, since which time they have been under the feet of their enemies. But those oracles were to be restored to them again, and then they would triumph over their enemies and regain their ancient country, together with their rights and privileges.” — An aged Indian of the Stockbridge tribe.” See Broadside Picture above Quoted as the last line.
4. Cherokee/Liahona and Ark
“We had a war long ago with a light skinned people around the Great Lakes. We conquered them but we had so much respect for their warrior chief that we buried him at the mouth of the Oswego River that is in New York State. We don’t discuss this very much because it is an embarrassment to us.” President Rawson then asked why this is an embarrassment, and the Chief replied, “Our history is written on metal platesand buried in a hill in New York, but we don’t know which hill… It is the belief of the Cherokee People that they came to the land of the New World from the direction of the East Ocean riding on a white cloud. There seems to be in the legend, the existence of some type of round instrument which directed the voyage. Although not totally clear, it seems that the instrument which directed the voyage was ball-shape and contained another like it within itself. It contained a liquid, making the floating devices within to congregate at times to give direction to the eyes of the beholder…In those days when the Cherokee were a God-loving people, living in peace among themselves, they lived as one people, dwelling in half-moon shaped council houses. They had gone from living in caves to living in log-cabins. They still kept the sacred records of metal, some of which had come across the ocean waters with them, and others which they had continued keeping and making, scribing upon them as had been done before by the leaders of the People. They, too, had possession of the Ark of the Covenant, which they also had brought with them from their place of origin, existing across the eastern waters.” Talk given to missionaries in training at the MTC, Provo, Utah 1979, by President Murray J. Rawson. Purchase complete copy here: https://www.bookofmormonremnants.com/store.html
5. Tohono O’odham Nation (Papago)/Liahona/Stone Book
The Liahona by Ken Corbett
“The Papagos believed they crossed the ocean and came to this land, that in the ships and on the trails they were guided by a ball. In this ball was a needle that pointed the direction they were to go. In the Papago language yet today, the name of this ball is ‘Liahona…
Among the Hopis, too, at the present time, is a “stone book.” I have seen it, but only a few white men have had that privilege. I cannot describe it because I have promised not to speak of it. I can only say that at a distance of four or five, feet anyone would easily take it for a modern book. Their stories say that the mate to this book will be brought back to them. The books will be opened, and someone will be able to read the message in them.” Indian Tradition by Golden Buchanan Read more HERE:
6. Delaware/Hill Cumorah
According to Parley P. Pratt, in 1831 some early elders of the Church were discussing the Book of Mormon with the Delaware Indians of Kansas, the first such meeting with Indians since the Restoration. The spokesman was Oliver Cowdery, who included in his remarks the following:
“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 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. . . . 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, SLC, 1938, pp. 55-56
7. Ephraimites and Lamanites/Remnant of Israel/Original Settlers/Ancient Plates
Oliver Cowdery wrote that the Ephraimites and the Lamanites were the “original settlers of this continent,” and that “an ancient prophet caused the plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated to be buried nearly two thousand years ago, in which is now called Ontario County, New York.
In this same issue, W. W. Phelps wrote that it was “by that book [the Book of Mormon] I learned that the poor Indians of America were of the remnants of Israel.” Many other times editor Phelps identified the land of America as being the place where at least some Book of Mormon history took place, including the last battles of both the Jaredites and the Nephites (see Messenger and Advocate, vol. 2, October 1835, and the letter of W. W. Phelps to Oliver Cowdery in that same issue.) Oliver Cowdery Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate, July 1835, pp. 158-159
8. Lamanites/Native American chiefs/Joseph Presides over Day of the Lamanite/Blossom as the Rose/ A People of Destiny
“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 Americansas 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
9. American Aborigines/Prince and 12 Sons/Lost Book
MORMON APOLOGIST E. Cecil McGavin, in relating to his readers some ancient traditions of the North American Indians, made this remarkable statement in 1947:
The American aborigines, “assert that a book was once in possession of their ancestors; and along with this recognition they have traditions that the Great Spirit used to foretell to their fathers future events; that he controlled nature in their favor; that angels once talked with them; that all the Indian tribes descended from one man who had twelve sons; that this man was a noble and renowned Prince, having great dominions; and that the Indians, his posterity, will yet recover the same dominion and influence. They believe by tradition that the spirit of prophecy and miraculous interposition once enjoyed by their ancestors will yet be restored to them, and that they will recover the book, all of which have been so long lost.”Mormonism & Masonry, (Salt Lake City: Stevens & Wallis, Inc., 1947), pp. 154-155.
If true, this old tradition provides a potentially important link between the American tribes and a (presumably) non-American “renowned Prince” who had “twelve sons,” and whom the heavenly angels hold in great respect. McGavin insinuates that the prince was the Patriarch Jacob and that the native Americans are descended from one of his sons — Joseph to be exact — and that the lost book was a volume of divinely revealed prophecies and holy records. In short, the lost bookthe Indians expect to recover is the Book of Mormon, that improbable 1830 publication of Joseph Smith, Jr. Is it true? Perhaps that question is still a bit premature. Perhaps the more useful question at this point would be, Where did the author come across this wonderous nugget of supposedly ancient information?
10. American indians/Will recover the Book/Natives descendants from Jacob and 12 sons/Altar of 12 Stones
Tracking the Source of the “Lost Book”
Elder McGavin was not the first LDS writer to relate this unusual story. A very similar quote (with a reference citation matching one of McGavin’s) can be read in a Mormon magazine published in 1886. There the writer, George Reynolds, the former private secretary to Brigham Young, has this to say:
A book published in London, England, in 1833, by a Mr. C. Colton, on the origin of the American Indians bears testimony to this same tradition. It is therein stated: “They assert that a book was once in possession of their ancestors, and along with this recognition they have traditions that the Great Spirit used to foretell to their forefathers future events; that he controlled nature in their favor; that angels once talked with them; that all the Indian tribes descended from one man, who had twelve sons; that this man was a notable and renowned prince, having great dominions, and that the Indians, his posterity, will yet recover the same dominion and influence. They believe, by tradition, that the spirit of prophecy and miraculous interposition, once enjoyed by their ancestors, will yet be restored to them, and that they will recover the book, all of which has been so long lost.” “View of the Hebrews” Juvenile Instructor XXXVII:19 (Oct. 1, 1902)
Elder Reynolds is not exactly specific about which “Mr. C. Colton” he is quoting from. He says he is referring to a certain 1833 “book published in London… on the origin of the American Indians.” Luckily only one book fits that description. Two other LDS writers provide its title, after quoting from the same text:
Jacob and his twelve sons are found in the legends of the American Indians. Some of the tribes “used to build an altar of twelve stonesin memory of a great ancestor of theirs who had twelve sons.”
“They have traditions that all Indian tribes descended from one man who had twelve sons. That this man was a notable and renowned prince, having great dominion; and that the Indians, his posterity, will yet recover the same dominion and influence.” (Calvin Colton, Origin of the American Indians, London, 1833., cf. Mill. Star 6:67.)
11. Origin of the American Indian/They are Hebrews/Tour of the American Lakes/This Book once Belonged to our Ancestors
The Rev. Calvin Colton (1789-1857) is not known to have ever produced a book called Origin of the American Indians, but he did write one with this lengthy title: “Tour of the American Lakes, and among the Indians of the North-west territory, in 1830: disclosing the character and prospects of the Indian race.” Since that book was published (in two volumes) in London in 1833, it appears to be the work cited by McGavin, Reynolds, Widtsoe and Harris.
The next question that might be asked is, Where did Rev. Colton get his information? According to his book, he conducted research into the situation and background of the American Indians during his 1830 “Tour of the American Lakes.” He then sailed off to London to work as a correspondent for the New York Observer, during which time he published a plethora of books on America.
It appears, however, that Colton did not glean all of his information on this topic from interviews with the Indians and their neighbors. He himself admits to deriving part of his material from a previously published source. In the case of the “lost book” story, Colton does his reporting in the first chapter of the second volume of Origin of the American Indians. That particular chapter is sub-titled “The Honourable Elias Boudinot’s theory…” and in it Colton agrees with practically everything Boudinot (the celebrated Presbyterian statesman and author, 1740-1821) said about the Indians in his 1816 book, in support of the conclusion, “that they are Hebrews.” Although Colton does not give his readers a precise citation from Boudinot’s 1816 A Star in the West, it is obvious that the former author appropriated the “lost book” story from the former. On page 11 of vol. 2, Colton says:
The offer of Christianity and of the Bible to the Indians of North America, with an account of its origin and claims, has, in several instances quite remote from and independent; of each other, met this remarkable reception: “This book once belonged to our ancestors!”And along with this recognition, they have traditions, that the Great Spirit used to foretell to their fathers future events; that he controlled nature in their favour; that angels once talked with them, that all the Indian tribes descended from one man, who had twelve sons; that this man was a notable and renowned prince having dominion over all the earth; and that the Indians, his posterity, will yet recover the same dominion and influence. They believe by tradition, that the spirit of prophecy and of miraculous interposition, once enjoyed by their ancestors, will yet be restored to them, and that they shall recover the book — all of which have been so long lost. John A. Widtsoe and Franklin S. Harris, Jr. Seven Claims of The Book of Mormon Independence: Zion’s Printing and Pub. Co., 1935, 1937, p. 101
Wolf Point Montana Branch
Elder and Sister Melvin J. Ballard and missionaries meeting with Montana Native Americans. (Unfortunately the tribal name was not recorded) Photo Courtesy Ballard Family.
“Today there are about 400-500 members in the Wolf Point Branch but only 100 regularly attend church meetings. Their conversions were prompted not only by the temporal assistance the Church gives, but also by belief in those who came to teach them. On Chicken Hill, there is a Mormon church building today, but many years ago, when Melvin J. Ballard was traveling through on train, he asked the train to stop so he could get out. There he had a vision in which he saw many Indians on the hill and among them stood Christ. Another legend attributes one of their Indian wise men with having a dream and prophesying to his people that there would be a great book that would come to them. And there were also healings and a miracle; Looking, a blind Indian, was given a blessing and received his sight. Sheldon Headdress enthusiastically stated that the Mormons were a very positive presence but when questioned more, he conceded that not all of his Indian acquaintances have appreciated the Christian influences” Sheldon Headdress, interview by author, 28 April 2000, Ft. Peck Reservation/Missoula, phone interview. Sheldon Headdress was recently the Branch President of the Wolf Point branch and being a Mormon is unsurprisingly very positive in his views about the religion.
University of Montana Scholar Works at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 2004 Mormon movement to Montana Julie A. Wright The University of Montana Page 84
“A star in the West : or, A humble attempt to discover the long lost ten tribes of Israel, preparatory to their return to their beloved city, Jerusalem” BY ELIAS BOUDINOT, L L.D. Chapter IV
Our southern Indians have also a tradition among them which they firmly believe, that of old time, their ancestors lived beyond a great river. That nine parts of their nation, out of ten, passed over the river, but the remainder refused, and staid behind. That they had a king when they lived far to the west, who left two sons. That one of them, with a number of his people, travelled a great way for many years, till they came to Delaware river, and settled there. That some years ago, the king of the country from which they had emigrated, sent a party in search of them. This was at the time the French were in possession of the country on the river Alleghany. That after seeking six years, they found an Indian who led them to the Delaware towns, where they staid one year. That the French sent a white man with them on their return, to bring back an account of their country, but they have never been heard of since.
It is said among their principal, or beloved men, that they had it handed down from their ancestors, that the book which the white people have was once theirs. That while they had it they prospered exceedingly but that the white people bought it of them, and learnt many things from it; while the
Annotated Book of Mormon. Purchase here.
Indians lost their credit, offended the great spirit, and suffered exceedingly from the neighboring nations. That the great spirit took pity on them and directed them to this country. That on their way they came to a great river, which they could not pass, when God dried up the waters and they passed over dry shod. They also say that their forefathers were possessed of an extraordinary divine spirit, by which they foretold future events, and controlled the common course of nature, and this they transmitted to their offspring, on condition of their obeying the sacred laws. That they did by these means bring down showers of plenty on the beloved people. But that this power for a long time past, had entirely ceased.
The reverend gentlemen mentioned in the introduction, who had taken so much pains in the year 1764 or 5, to travel far westward, to find Indians who had never seen a white man, informed the writer of these memoirs, that far to the northwest of the Ohio, he attended a party of Indians to a treaty, with Indians from the west of the Mississippi. Here he found the people he was in search of — he conversed with their beloved man who had never seen a white man before, by the assistance of three grades of interpreters. The Indian informed him, that one of their most ancient traditions was, that a great while ago, they had a common father, who lived towards the rising of the sun, and governed the whole world. That all the white people’s heads were under his feet. That he had twelve sons, by whom he administered his government. That his authority was derived from the great spirit, by virtue of some special gift from him. That the twelve sons behaved very bad and tyrannized over the people, abusing their power to a great degree, so as to offend the great spirit exceedingly. That he being thus angry with them, suffered the white people to introduce spirituous liquors among them, made them drunk, stole the special gift of the great spirit from them, and by this means usurped the power over them, and ever since the Indians heads were under the white people’s feet. But that they also had a tradition, that the time would come, when the Indians would regain the gift of the great spirit from the white people, and with it their ancient power, when the white people’s heads would be again under the Indian’s feet.
Mr. McKenzie in his History of the Fur Trade, and his journey through North-America, by the lakes, to the South-Sea, in the year , says, ” that the Indians informed him, that they had a tradition among them, that they originally came from another country inhabited by wicked people, and had traversed a great lake, which was narrow, shallow and full of islands, where they had suffered great hardships and much misery, it being always winter, with ice and deep snows — at a place they called the Coppermine River, where they made the first land, the ground was covered with copper, over which a body of earth had since been collected to the depth of a man’s height. They believe also that in ancient times their ancestors had lived till their feet were worn out with walking, and their throats with eating. They described a deluge, when the waters spread over the whole earth, except the highest mountain, on the top of which they were preserved. They also believe in a future judgment.” McKcnzie’s history, page 113.
The Indians to the eastward say, that previous to the white people coming into the country, their ancestors were in the habit of using circumcision, but latterly, not being able to assign any reason for so strange a practice, their young people insisted on its being abolished. Source: https://archive.org/details/starinwestorhumb00boud
Priest’s American Antiquities
If such may have been the fact, that a part of the Ten Tribes came over to America, in the way we have suposed, leaving the cold regions of Assareth behind them [p. 813] in quest of a milder climate, it would be natural to look for tokens of the presence of Jews of some sort, along countries adjacent to the Atlantic. In order to this, we shall here make an extract from an able work: written exclusively on the subject of the Ten Tribes having come from Asia by the way of Bherings Strait, by the Rev. Ethan Smith, Pultney, Vt., who relates as follows: Joseph Merrick, Esq., a highly respectable character in the church at Pittsfield, gave the following account: That in 1815, he was leveling some ground under and near an old wood shed, standing on a place of his, situated on Indian Hill. He ploughed and conveyed away old chips and earth to some depth. After the work was done, walking over the place, he discovered, near where the earth had been dug the deepest, a black strap as it appeared, about six inches in length, and one and a half in breadth, and about the thickness of a leather trace to a harness.
He perceived it had at each end a loop of some hard substance, probably for the purpose of carrying it. He conveyed it to his house, and threw it into an old toolbox. He afterwards found it thrown out of doors, and he again conveyed it to the box. After some time he thought he would examine it; but in attempting to cut it found it as hard as bone; he succeeded, however in getting it open, and found it was formed of two pieces of thick raw-hide, sewed and made water tight with the sinews of some animal; and in the fold was contained four folded pieces of parchment. They were of a dark yellow hue, and contained some kind of writing. The neighbors coming in to see the strange discovery, tore one of the pieces to atoms, in the true Hun and Vandal style. The other three pieces Mr. Merrick saved, and sent them to Cambridge.—where they where examined, and discovered to have been written with a pen in Hebrew, plain and legible.
The writing on the three remaining pieces of parchment, was quotations from the Old Testament. See Deut. vi. chap. from the 4th to the 9th verse, inclusive—also, xi. chap. 13–21, and Exodus, chap. 13—13—11,—16 inclusive, to which the reader can refer, if he has the curiosity to read this most interesting discovery. These passages as quoted above, were found in the strap of raw hide; which unquestionably had been written on the very pieces of parchment now in the possession of the Antiquarian Society, before Israel left the land of Syria, more than 2,500 years ago.
Dr. West of Stockbridge, relates that an old Indian informed him, that his fathers in this country, had not long since, been in the possession of a book, which they had for a long time, carried with them, but having lost the knowledge of reading it, they buried it with an Indian chief—View of the Hebrews, p. 223.
It had been handed down from family to family, or from chief to chief as a most precious relic, if not as an amulet, charm, or talisman, for it is not to be supposed, that a distinct knowledge of what was con[t]ained in the strap could have long continued among them, in their wandering condition, amid woods and forests.
“It is said by Calmet, that the above texts are the very passages of Scripture, which the Jews used to write on the leaves of their phylacteries. These phylacteries were little rolls of parchment whereon were written certain words of the law. These they wore upon their forehead, and upon the wrist of the left arm.”—Smith’s view vf the Hebrews. p. 220.
The following month, the Times and Seasons cited yet more from Priest, but also quoted from Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews, concerning some pieces of old parchment that had been discovered in the summer of 1815 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, that appeared to have writing on them. The parchment pieces were said to have been sent by their discoverer, Joseph Merrick, Esq., “a highly respectable character,” to Cambridge, where they were examined, and discovered to have been “written in Hebrew with a pen, in plain and intelligible writing.”[39] The article continued with an account of one “Dr. West of Stockbridge,” who “relates that an old Indian informed him, that his fathers in this country had not long since, been in the possession of a book, which they had for a long time, carried with them, but having lost the knowledge of reading it, they buried it with an Indian chief.”[40] For obvious reasons this account resonated with the Saints; it spoke of antiquated records, supposedly written in Hebrew, which were buried in the earth by a people who had lost their knowledge. As to the actual origin of the parchment, one of the first scholars to examine it was the Reverend William Allen, president of Bowdoin College (and former minister of the First Congregational Church in Pittsfield). He noted in a letter dated March 30, 1821, that the Joseph Merrick farm, where the parchment was discovered, had employed German and British prisoners during the War of 1812, and it was likely dropped by “a concealed Jew” among the prisoners as they worked his land. Allen opined that the general lack of deterioration of the phylactery and its contents indicated that they were relatively recent rather than ancient productions.[41]From Priest’s American Antiquities.
Two Flat Sticks
“The imperishable inscriptions of metal plates have told us the history of that mysterious people who fought their final battles in the land of many waters.
“Furthermore, the Book of Mormon emphasizes the fact that the land of many waters was ‘an exceeding great distance’ from the land of Zarahemla; that there were more streams, rivers, lakes, and fountains in that area than were to be found in any lands where these early people had dwelt.
“Middle America is not a land of many waters. Its ancient hills are not marked with tokens of fortifications; its skeletal remains do not tell of a bitter war of extermination, comparable at all to the evidence in western New York. If we are to find that historic land where the drums of war called forth the warriors until the land was covered with the bodies of the dead, we must go northward ‘an exceeding great distance,’ as the Jaredites and Nephites did many centuries ago.
“In the forepart of the last month, about three hundred and sixty Indian, of the Kickapoos and Pattowattamies, 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
For more about the Lamanite traditions see my two blogs below:
A Psalm of praise. 1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. 2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
Elder B. H. Roberts
Elder B. H. Roberts of the Seventy was a chaplain in the United States Armed Forces during World War I. The war finally ended, and the peace treaty was signed on November 11, 1918. Two weeks later, on Thanksgiving Day, a group of American soldiers were gathered together in France “in one grand Thanksgiving service. “The large attendance included high-ranking military officers and the services were conducted by the chaplains, who were seated on the grandstand.
“Elder Roberts was relegated to one of the rear seats. He had not been asked in advance to participate on the program, therefore, it was with great surprise that he heard the chaplain in charge announce: ‘Elder Roberts, the Mormon chaplain from Utah, will now step up and read the Thanksgiving Psalm.’
“Elder Roberts had never heard of the Thanksgiving Psalm but, hiding his personal embarrassment and possible impending embarrassment to the Church, he arose and walked to the podium, not knowing what he should say.
“Years later he testified that, during the long walk to the front, he distinctly heard an audible voice announce: ‘The 100th Psalm.’
“It was as clear as though another person had spoken at his side.
“Elder Roberts faced the crowd, paused, then opened his Bible and read Psalm 100. …
“After Brother Roberts had closed his Bible and was returning to his seat, he noticed that his fellow chaplains refused to look at him; their eyes were immovably fixed on the floor. … It was then he realized that his part on the program had been a deliberate attempt to embarrass him, the Church and the priesthood. He acknowledged the help which he had received from the Lord in his moment of need and, when he returned to his tent that night, he checked the Book of Psalms, discovering that the 100th Psalm contained the most pertinent and appropriate sentiments on Thanksgiving” (“Inspiration Key to Thanksgiving Psalm,” Church News, Nov. 22, 1975, 12).
Shared with me by my great friend Allen C. Christensen
“I love the Book of Mormon as it is a special witness of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the “Key Stone” of our religion. How I love President Thomas S. Monson’s last talk as he urges us to read and follow this amazing book. I am so thankful to his many years of service on our behalf for the Lord.
President Russell M Nelson is also a Prophet of God, of this I am so sure. He has taken the mantle and you can feel his love for each of us. Oh, how I pray we follow these chosen Prophets. There are no better words than to hear from them below. I pray you will be touched by their words.” Rian Nelson
The Power of the Book of Mormon By President Thomas S. Monson
Thomas S. Monson by Ken Corbett. Click to see Ken’s other art.
“I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day.
My dear brothers and sisters, I greet you most warmly as we are met again in a great general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Before I begin my formal message today, I would like to announce five new temples which will be built in the following locations: Brasília, Brazil; greater Manila, Philippines, area; Nairobi, Kenya; Pocatello, Idaho, USA; and Saratoga Springs, Utah, USA.
This morning I speak about the power of the Book of Mormon and the critical need we have as members of this Church to study, ponder, and apply its teachings in our lives. The importance of having a firm and sure testimony of the Book of Mormon cannot be overstated.
We live in a time of great trouble and wickedness. What will protect us from the sin and evil so prevalent in the world today? I maintain that a strong testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of His gospel will help see us through to safety. If you are not reading the Book of Mormon each day, please do so. If you will read it prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, the Holy Ghost will manifest its truth to you. If it is true—and I solemnly testify that it is—then Joseph Smith was a prophet who saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Because the Book of Mormon is true, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s Church on the earth, and the holy priesthood of God has been restored for the benefit and blessing of His children.
If you do not have a firm testimony of these things, do that which is necessary to obtain one. It is essential for you to have your own testimony in these difficult times, for the testimonies of others will carry you only so far. However, once obtained, a testimony needs to be kept vital and alive through continued obedience to the commandments of God and through daily prayer and scripture study.
My dear associates in the work of the Lord, I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives. I so testify with all my heart in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”
Russell M. Nelson by Ken Corbett- Click to see his website
President Nelson’s Book of Mormon Lists Oct 2017
The Book of Mormon is:
Another testament of Jesus Christ. Its major writers—Nephi, Jacob, Mormon, Moroni—and its translator, Joseph Smith, were all eyewitnesses of the Lord.
A record of His ministry to people who lived in ancient America.
True, as attested by the Lord Himself.
The Book of Mormon affirms:
The individual identity of Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
The necessity of the Fall of Adam and the wisdom of Eve, that men might have joy.
The Book of Mormon refutes notions that:
Revelation ended with the Bible.
Infants need to be baptized.
Happiness can be found in wickedness.
Individual goodness is adequate for exaltation (ordinances and covenants are needed).
The Fall of Adam tainted mankind with “original sin.”
The Book of Mormon fulfills biblical prophecies that:
“Other sheep” shall hear His voice.
God will do “a marvelous work and a wonder,” speaking “out of the dust.”
The “stick of Judah” and the “stick of Joseph” will become one.
Scattered Israel will be gathered “in the latter days” and how that will be done.
The land of inheritance for the lineage of Joseph is the Western Hemisphere.
The Book of Mormon clarifies understanding about:
Our premortal existence.
Death. It is a necessary component of God’s great plan of happiness.
Postmortal existence, which begins in paradise.
How the resurrection of the body, reunited with its spirit, becomes an immortal soul.
How our judgment by the Lord will be according to our deeds and the desires of our hearts.
How ordinances are properly performed: for example, baptism, sacrament, conferring the Holy Ghost.
The Atonement of Jesus Christ.
The Resurrection.
The important role of angels.
The eternal nature of priesthood.
How human behavior is influenced more by the power of the word than the power of the sword.
The Book of Mormon reveals information previously unknown:
Baptisms were performed before Jesus Christ was born.
Temples were built and used by people in ancient America.
Joseph, 11th son of Israel, foresaw the prophetic role of Joseph Smith.
Nephi (in 600–592 BC) foresaw the discovery and colonizing of America.
Plain and precious parts of the Bible have been lost.
The Light of Christ is given to each person.
The importance of individual agency and the need for opposition in all things.
Warnings about “secret combinations.”
The above list is from President Russell M Nelson, then President of the Quorum of the Twelve, General Conference talk Oct 2017Read and view video Here
“It is the house of Israel we are after, and we care not whether they come from the east, the west, the north, or the south; from China, Russia, England, California, North or South America, or some other locality. … The Book of Mormon came to Ephraim, for Joseph Smith was a pure Ephraimite, and the Book of Mormon was revealed to him.” (Brigham Young Journal of Discourses 2:268–69.)
SANDY, Utah — DNA research into Joseph Smith Jr.’s genealogy has turned up a surprise, according to Ugo Perego, director of operations at the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation: A rare DNA marker shows that the assumption Smith’s family line came from England is probably wrong.
Without any success in the target area, Perego cast a wider net — using both Joseph Smith’s specific DNA Y chromosome profile and a “haplogroup” to look for matches. A haplogroup is a grouping of Y chromosome profiles that share similar characteristics. These haplogroups are usually very geographically specific.
DNA tests rule out 2 as Smith descendants – Scientific advances prove no genetic link
One of the most common questions asked about the North American setting is, “what about the narrow neck of land?” People have been taught to think the Book of Mormon describes two large land masses connected by the “narrow neck of land.” The hourglass shape has been depicted in many LDS publications. When we look on a globe, we immediately think of Panama as a narrow neck of land connecting North and South America. However, scholars have pointed out that a hemispheric interpretation of Book of Mormon geography contradicts the text; the distances are simply too great.
It may be surprising to realize that the term “narrow neck of land” is used only once in the entire Book of Mormon. The passage is in Ether 10:20: “And they built a great city by the narrow neck of land, by the place where the sea divides the land.”
However, Sorenson’s analysis of Alma 22 seems to be influenced by the Times and Seasons article published on 1 October 1842, which declares that the Nephite city of Zarahemla “stood upon” “Central America or Guatimala [sic].” Sorenson cites this passage from the Times and Seasons, although he recognizes the “fact that the geography question had not been settled authoritatively.”[1] In Mormon’s Codex, Sorenson relegates the Times and Seasons articles to a footnote in support of his unequivocal conclusion: “Joseph Smith became convinced in the last years of his life that the lands of the Nephites were in Mesoamerica.”[1]
The traditional story is this: the angel Moroni showed Joseph a set of gold plates that he, Moroni, had placed in a stone box when he was still a mortal around 421 A.D. After 4 years, Joseph was allowed to remove the plates from the box. He took them to Harmony, PA, where he translated most of them (Book of Lehi through Book of Moroni). Then he went to Harmony and finished the translation from 1 Nephi through Words of Mormon. At that point, he returned the plates to the angel, who later showed them to the 3 witnesses. A few days later, Joseph showed the plates to the 8 witnesses near his parents’ home outside of Palmyra. Again, Joseph returned the plates to the angel and they haven’t been seen since.
Betty ‘Red Ant’ LaFontaine
Notice: Last day for Early-Bird Tickets to our Conference:
Video Resurfaces of Tim Ballard Meeting Up With President Trump At White House to Discuss Child Trafficking At Southern Border
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 
Elder Reynolds is not exactly specific about which “Mr. C. Colton” he is quoting from. He says he is referring to a certain 1833 “book published in London… on the origin of the American Indians.” Luckily only one book fits that description. Two other LDS writers provide its title, after quoting from the same text:
“Which is Christ.” Our English word Christ is derived directly from the Greek, Christos. It means “the anointed one.” Christos was a direct translation of the Hebrew word, Messhiach, which meant exactly the same thing—the anointed one. Messhiach is of course transliterated into English as “Messiah.”
MORMON APOLOGIST E. Cecil McGavin, in relating to his readers some ancient traditions of the North American Indians, made this remarkable statement in 1947:
Elder McGavin was not the first LDS writer to relate this unusual story. A very similar quote (with a reference citation matching one of McGavin’s) can be read in a Mormon magazine published in 1886. There the writer, George Reynolds, the former private secretary to Brigham Young, has this to say:
The Rev. Calvin Colton (1789-1857) is not known to have ever produced a book called Origin of the American Indians, but he did write one with this lengthy title: “Tour of the American Lakes, and among the Indians of the North-west territory, in 1830: disclosing the character and prospects of the Indian race.” Since that book was published (in two volumes) in London in 1833, it appears to be the work cited by McGavin, Reynolds, Widtsoe and Harris.
“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 
“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 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 
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 
A book published in London, England, in 1833, by a Mr. C. Colton, on the origin of the American Indians bears testimony to this same tradition. It is therein stated: “They assert that 
The next question that might be asked is, Where did Rev. Colton get his information? According to his book, he conducted research into the situation and background of the American Indians during his 1830 “Tour of the American Lakes.” He then sailed off to London to work as a correspondent for the New York Observer, during which time he published a plethora of books on America.
Ken Corbet is our featured artist in the new Annotated Book of Mormon.