The Book Of Mormon 2
1. Concerning the Ancient Colonization of America-A recognized authority on American antiquities gives the following evidence and inference: "One of the arts known to the builders of Babel was that of brick-making. This art was also known to the people who built the works in the west. The knowledge of copper was known to the people of the plains of Shinar; for Noah must have communicated it, as he lived a hundred and fifty [350] years among them after the flood. Also copper was known to the antediluvians. Copper was also known to the authors of the western monuments. Iron was known to the antediluvians. It was also known to the ancients of the west. However, it is evident that very little iron was among them, as very few instances of its discovery in their works have occurred; and for this very reason we draw a conclusion that they came to this country soon after the dispersion."
Lowry, in his "Reply to official inquiries respecting the Aborigines of America," concludes concerning the peopling of the western continent, "that the first settlement was made shortly after the confusion of tongues at the building of the Tower of Babel."
Professor Waterman of Boston says of the progenitors of the American Indians: "When and whence did they come? Albert Galatin, one of the profoundest philologists of the age, concluded that, so far as language afforded any clue, the time of their arrival could not have been long after the dispersion of the human family."
Pritchard writes of America’s ancient inhabitants, that "the era of their existence as a distinct and isolated race must probably be dated as far back as that time which separated into nations the inhabitants of the old world, and gave to each branch of the human family its primitive language and individuality."
A native Mexican author, Ixtilxochitl, "fixes the date of the first people of America about the year 2000 B.C.; this closely accords with that given by the Book of Mormon, which positively declares that it occurred at the time of the dispersion, when God in His anger scattered the people upon the face of the whole earth." "Referring to the quotations from Ixtilxochitl, seventeen hundred and sixteen years are said to have elapsed from the creation to the flood. Moses places it sixteen hundred and fifty-six, a difference of only sixty years. They agree exactly as to the number of cubits, fifteen, which the waters prevailed over the highest mountains. Such a coincidence can lead to but one conclusion, the identity of origin of the two accounts."
John T. Short, quoting from Clavigero, says: "The Chiapanese have been the first peoplers of the New World, if we give credit to their traditions. They say that Votan, the grandson of that respectable old man who built the great ark to save himself and family from the deluge, and one of those who undertook the building of that lofty edifice, which was to reach up to heaven, went by express command of the Lord to people that land. They say also that the first people came from the quarter of the north, and that when they arrived at Soconusco, they separated, some going to inhabit the country of Nicaragua, and others remaining at Chiapas."
2. Concerning the Successive Occupation of America by Different Peoples in Ancient Times-It has been stated by eminent students of American archeology that two distinct classes, by some designated as separate races of mankind, inhabited this continent in early times. Professor F. W. Putnam is even more definite in his assertion that one of these ancient races spread from the north, the other from the south. Henry C. Walsh, in an article entitled "Copan, a City of the Dead," gives many interesting details of excavation and other work prosecuted by Gordon under the auspices of the Peabody expedition; and adds, "All this points to successive periods of occupation, of which there are other evidences."
3. Concerning the Advent of at Least One Division of the Ancient Americans from the East, Probably from Asia; and Their Israelitish Origin-Confirmatory evidence of the belief that the aboriginal Americans sprang from the peoples of the eastern hemisphere is found in the similarity of record and tradition on the two continents, regarding the creation, the deluge, and other great events of history. Boturini, who is quoted by writers on American archeology, says: "There is no Gentile nation that refers to primitive events with such certainty as the Indians do. They give us an account of the creation of the world, of the deluge, of the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel, and of all other periods and ages of the world, and of the long peregrinations which their people had in Asia representing the specific years by their characters; and in the seven Conejos (rabbits) they tell us of the great eclipse that occurred at the death of Christ, our Lord."
Similiar evidence of the common source of eastern and western traditions of great events in primitive times is furnished in the writings of Short, already quoted, and by Baldwin, Clavigero, Kingsborough, Sahagun, Prescott, Schoolcraft, Squiers, and others.
John T. Short adds his testimony to the evidence of the aboriginal inhabitants of America being of "Old World origin," but admits his inability to determine when or whence they came to this continent. Waterman, before cited, says: "This people could not have been created in Africa, for its inhabitants were widely dissimilar from those of America; nor in Europe, which was without a native people agreeing at all with American races; then to Asia alone could they look for the origin of the Americans."
Lord Kingsborough, in his comprehensive and standard work, refers to a manuscript by Las Casas, the Spanish Bishop of Chiapa, which writing is preserved in the convent of St. Dominic, Mexico; in this the bishop states that a knowledge of the Godhead was found to exist among the natives of Yucatan. One of the bishop’s emissaries wrote: "He had met with a principal lord who, on his questioning him respecting the faith and ancient religion which prevailed in that country, informed him that they knew and believed in God who resided in heaven; and that this God was the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and that the Father was named Ycona, who had created men and all things; and that the Son was called Bacab, who was born of a virgin named Chibirias, who was in heaven with God; and that the name of the mother of Chibirias was Ischel; and that the Holy Ghost was called Echuah. Bacab, the Son, they said, was put to death by Eopuco, who scourged him and put a crown of thorns upon his head, and placed him with his arms stretched out upon a beam of wood, to which they believed that he had not been nailed but tied: and that he died there, and remained during three days dead; and that on the third day he came to life and ascended into heaven, where he is with his Father: and immediately afterwards Echuah came, who is the Holy Ghost, and filled the earth with whatsoever it stood in need of."
Rosales affirms a tradition among the Chileans to the effect that their forefathers were visited by a wonderful personage, full of grace and power, who wrought many miracles among them, and taught them of the Creator who dwelt in heaven in the midst of glorified hosts. Prescott refers to the symbol of the cross, which was found by the followers of Cortez to be common among the natives of Mexico and Central America. In addition to this sign of a belief in Christ, a ceremony suggestive of analogy to the sacrament of the communion was witnessed with astonishment by the invaders. Aztec priests were seen to prepare a cake of flour, mixed with blood, which they consecrated and gave to the people, who, as they ate, "showed signs of humiliation and sorrow, declaring it was the flesh of Deity."
The Mexicans recognize a Deity in Quetzalcoatl, the traditional account of whose life and death is closely akin to our history of the Christ, so that, says President John Taylor, "we can come to no other conclusion than that Quetzalcoatl and Christ are the same being." Lord Kingsborough speaks of a painting of Quetzalcoatl, "in the attitude of a person crucified, with the impression of nails in his hands and feet, but not actually upon the cross." The same authority further says: "The seventy-third plate of the Borgian MS. is the most remarkable of all, for Quetzalcoatl is not only represented there as crucified upon a cross of Greek form, but his burial and descent into hell are also depicted in a very curious manner." And again: "The Mexicans believe that Quetzalcoatl took human nature upon him, partaking of all the infirmities of man, and was not exempt from sorrow, pain, or death, which he suffered voluntarily to atone for the sins of man."
The source of this knowledge of Christ and the Godhead is apparent to the student of the Book of Mormon. We learn from that scripture that the progenitors of the native American races, for centuries prior to the time of Christ’s birth, lived in the light of direct revelation, which, coming to them through their authorized prophets, showed the purposes of God respecting the redemption of mankind; and, moreover, that the risen Redeemer ministered unto them in person, and established His Church among them with all its essential ordinances. The people have fallen into a state of spiritual degeneracy; many of their traditions are sadly distorted and disfigured by admixture of superstition and human invention; yet the origin of their knowledge is plainly authentic.
4. Concerning a Common Origin of Native American Races-That the many tribes and nations among the Indians are of common parentage is generally admitted; the conclusion is based on the evident close relationship in their languages, traditions, and customs. "Mr. Lewis H. Morgan finds evidence that the American aborigines had a common origin in what he calls ‘their system of consanguinity and affinity.’ He says, ‘The Indian nations from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains, and from the Arctic sea to the Gulf of Mexico, with the exception of the Esquimaux, have the same system. It is elaborate and complicated in its general form and details; and, while deviations from uniformity occur in the systems of different stocks, the radical features are in the main constant. This identity in the essential characteristics of a system so remarkable tends to show that it must have been transmitted with the blood to each stock from a common original source. It affords the strongest evidence yet obtained of unity in origin of the Indian nations within the regions defined."’
Bradford’s summary of conclusions regarding the origin and characteristics of the ancient Americans sets forth: "That they were all of the same origin, branches of the same race, and possessed of similar customs and institutions."
Written Language of the Ancient Americans-To these secular, or extra-scriptural, evidences of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon may be added the agreement of the record with discoveries regarding the written language of these ancient peoples. The prophet Nephi states that he made his record on the plates in "the language of the Egyptians," and we are further told that the brazen plates of Laban were inscribed in the same. Mormon, who abridged the voluminous writings of his predecessors, and prepared the plates from which the modern translation was made, also employed Egyptian characters. His son Moroni, who completed the record, declares this fact; but, recognizing a difference between the writing of his day and that on the earlier plates, he attributed the change to the natural mutation through time, and speaks of his own record and that of his father, Mormon, as being written in the "reformed Egyptian."
But the Egyptian is not the only eastern language found to be represented in the relics of American antiquities; the Hebrew occurs in this connection with at least equal significance. That the Hebrew tongue should have been used by Lehi’s descendants is most natural, inasmuch as they were of the House of Israel, transferred to the western continent directly from Jerusalem. That the ability to read and write in that language continued with the Nephites until the time of their extinction is evident from Moroni’s statement regarding the language used on the plates of Mormon: "And now, behold, we have written this record according to our knowledge, in the characters which are called among us the reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech. And if our plates had been sufficiently large we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been altered by us also."
The following instances are taken from an instructive array brought together by Elder George Reynolds. Several of the early Spanish writers claim that the natives of some portions of the land were found speaking a corrupt Hebrew. "Las Casas so affirms with regard to the inhabitants of the island of Hayti. Lafitu wrote a history wherein he maintained that the Caribbee language was radically Hebrew. Isaac Nasci, a learned Jew of Surinam, says of the language of the people of Guiana, that all their substantives are Hebrew." Spanish historians record the early discovery of Hebrew characters on the western continent. "Malvenda says that the natives of St. Michael had tombstones, which the Spaniards digged up, with several ancient Hebrew inscriptions upon them."
In all such writings, the characters and the language are allied to the most ancient form of Hebrew, and show none of the vowel signs and terminal letters which were introduced into the Hebrew of the eastern continent after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity. This is consistent with the fact that Lehi and his people left Jerusalem shortly before the captivity, and therefore prior to the introduction of the changes in the written language.
Another Test-Let not the reader of the Book of Mormon content himself with such evidences as have been cited concerning the authenticity of this reputed scripture. There is promised a surer and a more effectual means of ascertaining the truth or falsity of this volume. Like other scriptures, the Book of Mormon is to be comprehended through the spirit of scripture, and this is obtainable only as a gift from God. But this gift is promised unto all who shall seek for it. Then to all let us commend the counsel of the last writer in the volume, Moroni, the solitary scribe who sealed the book, afterward the angel of the record who brought it forth: "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."