That the ancient inhabitants of America were acquainted with the record of many events recorded in the Old Testament is amply shown by their traditions, their paintings, books and inscriptions.
Lord Kingsborough says concerning the Mexican Indians:
"I cannot fail to remark that one of the arguments which persuades me to believe that this nation descends from the Hebrews is to see the knowledge they have of the book of Genesis. . . . .
"It is impossible on reading what Mexican Mythology records of the war in heaven, and the fall of Zontemoque and other rebellious spirits; of the creation of light by the word of Toncatlecuti, and of the division of the waters; of the sin of Yzclacolinhqui, and his blindness and his nakedness; and of the temptation of Suchequecal and her disobedience in gathering roses from a tree, and the consequent misery and disgrace of herself and all her posterity, not to recognize scriptural analogies. But the Mexican tradition of the deluge is that which bears the most unequivocal marks of having been derived from a Hebrew source. This tradition records that a few persons escaped in the Ahuchueti, or ark of fir, when the earth was swallowed up by the deluge, the chief of whom was named Palecath of Cipaquetona: and he invented the art of making wine; that Xelua, one of his descendants, or at least one of those who escaped in the ark, was present at the building of a high tower, which the succeeding generation constructed with a view of escaping from the deluge, should it again occur: the Toncatlecutli, incensed at their presumption, destroyed the tower by lightning, confounded their language and dispersed them; and that Xelua led a colony to the new World."—Mexican Antiquities, Vol. VI, p. 401.
The same writer also makes the following statement respecting the ancient Americans' knowledge of the story of Moses:
"A very remarkable representation of the ten plagues which God sent on Egypt, occurs in the eleventh and twelfth pages of the Borgian Ms. Moses is there painted, holding up in his left hand his rod, which became a serpent; and, with a furious gesture, calling down the plagues upon the Egyptians. These plagues were frogs, locusts, lice, flies, etc., all of which are represented in the pages referred to; but the last and most dreadful were the thick darkness which overspread Egypt for three days, and the death of the firstborn of the Egyptians.
"The curious symbol of one serpent swallowing up others, likewise occurs in the nineteenth page of the same Ms. It is not extraordinary that the Mexicans, who were acquainted with one portion of the exodus—that relating to the children of Israel journeying from Egypt—should also not have been ignorant of another."
Bernardino de Sahagun, a Franciscan missionary and historian of the sixteenth century, author of "Historia Universal de Nueva Españia, says concerning the Aztec tradition of Eve:
"This woman was the first who existed in the world, and the mother of the whole human race; who was tempted by the serpent who appeared to her in the terrestrial paradise, and discoursed with her, to persuade her to transgress the command of God, and that is likewise true, that after having committed sin, etc., she bore a son and a daughter at the same birth, and that the son was named Cain and the daughter Calmana; and that afterwards she brought forth a second birth, Abel, and his sister Delborah, so that she bore them by twin birth."
Prof. Short, in his "North Americans of Antiquity," page 238, quotes from the native writer, Intellxochitl, as follows:
"It is found in the histories of the Toltecs, that this age and first world, as they call it, lasted seventeen hundred and sixteen years; then men were destroyed by tremendous rains and lightnings from the sky, and even all the land, without exception of anything, and the highest mountains were covered up and submerged in water 'caxolmoletli' or fifteen cubits, and here they add other fables of how men came to multiply from the few who escaped from this destruction in a toptlipetlacali, this word signifies a close chest."
"No tradition has been more widely spread among nations than that of a Deluge. . . . It was the received notion under some form or other, of the most civilized people in the Old World, and of the barbarians of the New. The Aztecs combined with this some particular circumstances of a more arbitrary character, resembling the accounts of the east. They believed that two persons survived the Deluge, a man named Coxcox and his wife. Their heads are represented in ancient painting, together with a boat floating on the waters at the foot of a mountain. A dove is also depicted, with a hieroglyphical emblem of language in his mouth, which he is distributing to the children of Coxcox, who were born dumb. The neighboring people of Michoacan, inhabiting the same high plains of the Andes, had a still further tradition, that the boat in which Tegpi, their Noah, escaped, was filled with various kinds of animals and birds. After some time, a vulture was sent out from it, but remained feeding on the dead bodies of the giants which had been left on the earth, as the waters subsided. The little humming bird, huitzitzilin, was then set forth, and returned with a twig in his mouth. The coincidence of both these accounts with the Hebrew and Chaldean narratives is obvious."—"Conquest of Mexico," by W. H. Prescott, (pages 463-4).
Fernando Montesinos, the Spanish historian of Peru says of the Peruvians:
"That nation was originated by a people led by four brothers, the youngest of these brothers assumed supreme authority, and became the first of a long line of sovereigns." (See Book of Mormon, Book of Jacob, 1: 9-11).
A writer by the name of C. W. Wandell says:
"There can be no well-founded objection to the Nephite record, from the material on which it is engraved; for the gold plate worn on Aaron's head, on which was written 'Holiness to the Lord,' proves that the idea was known to them. Bishop Watson says: 'The Hebrews went so far as to write their sacred books in gold, as we may learn from Josephus compared with Pliny.' (Watson's Bib. and Theo. Dic. Art. Writings).
"Nor is the modern, book-like form of the volume any argument against its antiquity; for Bishop Watson in the same place says: 'Those books which were inscribed on tablets of wood, lead, brass or ivory were connected together by rings at the back, through which a rod was passed to carry them.'"
A writer in the Foreign Quarterly Review for October, 1836, says:
"Lastly, the eye of the antiquarian cannot fail to be both attracted and fixed by evidences of the existence of two great branches of the hieroglyphical language—both having striking affinities with the Egyptian, and yet distinguished from it by characteristics perfectly American. One is the picture-writing peculiar to the Mexicans, and which displays several striking traits of assimilation to the anaglyphs, and the historical tablets of the Egyptian temples. The second is a pure hieroglyphical language, to which little attention has hitherto been called, which appears to have been peculiar to the Tultecan or some still more ancient nation that preceded the Mexicans; which was as complete as the Egyptian in its double constituency of a symbolic and a phonetic alphabet, and which, as far as we can judge, appears to have rivalled the Egyptian in its completeness, while in some respects it excelled it in its regularity and beauty."
Dr. August Le Plongeon, the eminent archaeologist of New York, in the Review of Reviews for July, 1895, announces the discovery of the sacred alphabet of the Mayas (the Indian tribe of Central America) is practically identical with that of the Egyptians, and that the grammatical structure of the two tongues is strikingly similar, many words and characters having the same meaning in both. His conclusion is that both these people acquired the art of writing from a common source.
This is in strict harmony with the statements made in the Book of Mormon. Nephi states in the first chapter of his book (Book or Mormon, page 1) that he made his record, which was sacred, in "the language of the Egyptians." Mosiah confirms this statement (Mosiah 1: 4); and Mormon says that it was written in characters which his people called "reformed Egyptian," (Mormon 9: 32).
The Book of Mormon states that the descendants of the colonists from the Tower of Babel and of those from Jerusalem attained to a high degree of civilization, were acquainted with many arts; and also that they became very wicked, and destroyed each other in fiercely-fought battles. (See Mormon, chapter 6; also Ether, 15: 2). The record gives the information that the first nation cultivated all kinds of fruit and grain; that they manufactured silk and fine linen, and possessed gold, silver and other precious things; that they had domestic animals, such as cattle, sheep, goats, swine, horses, elephants and others. (See Book of Ether, 9: 17, 18, 19). The second nation found these same animals in the country (see I Nephi 18: 25). It is also recorded that the latter people built cities (Alma 21: 2) and temples (II Nephi 5: 16); that they had coins of gold and silver (Alma 9: 4-19), and used these and other metals in the arts, (Jarom 1: 8); and that many records were kept by the people, (Helaman 3: 13).
The evidences that the ancient peoples of America were highly civilized are numerous and undisputable. Only a very few of the many descriptions of ancient ruins discovered in various parts of America are given in the following extracts:
"Much has been done in recent years to throw light upon the history of the ancient races of the east, but comparatively little interest has been taken, even by American archaeologists and scientists, in the ancient and marvelous civilization whose traces are to be found scattered over our continent, particularly in Central America and Mexico. That a civilization once flourished in these regions, much higher than any of the Spanish conquerors found upon their arrival, there can be no doubt. By far the most important work that has been done among the remains of the old Maya civilization has been carried on by the Peabody Museum of Harvard College, through a series of expeditions it has sent to the buried city now called Copan, in Spanish Honduras. In a beautiful valley near the borderland of Guatemala, surrounded by steep mountains and watered by a winding river, the hoary city lies wrapped in the sleep of ages. The ruins at Copan, although in a more advanced state of destruction than those of the Maya cities of Yucatan, have a general similarity to the latter in the design of the buildings and in the sculptures, while the characters in the inscriptions are essentially the same. It would seem, therefore, that Copan was a city of the Mayas; but if so it must have been one of their most ancient settlements, fallen into decay long before the cities in Yucatan reached their prime. The Maya civilization was totally distinct from the Aztec or Mexican; it was an older and also a much higher civilization.
"So far the Peabody expeditions have confined their attention to the temples and palaces, and though for several seasons quite a little army of natives has been engaged in excavating, yet the work that has been accomplished amounts to little in comparison with that which remains to be done. To clear the main structure alone will be the work of years. Could the vast structures be restored, our greatest buildings would seem as pygmies in comparison; and certainly no city of the modern world could boast such a profuseness and richness of carved and sculptured ornamentations." —Henry C. Walsh, in Harper's Weekly, October, 1897.
Mr. Bradford in his researches into the origin of the red race, adopts the following conclusions in regard to the ancient occupants of North America:
"That they were all of the same origin, branches of the same race and possessed of similar customs and institutions.
"That they were populous and occupied a great extent of territory.
"That they had arrived at a considerable degree of civilization, were associated in large communities and lived in extensive cities.
"That they possessed the use of many of the metals, such as lead, copper, gold, and silver, and probably the art of working in them.
"That they sculptured in stone and sometimes used that material in the construction of their edifices.
"That they had the knowledge of the arch of receding steps; of the art of pottery, producing urns and utensils formed with taste and constructed upon the principles of chemical composition; and the art of brick-making.
"That they worked the salt springs, and manufactured salt.
"That they were an agricultural people, living under the influence and protection of regular forms of governments.
"That they possessed a decided system of religion, and a mythology connected with astronomy, which, with its sister science, geometry, was in the hands of the priesthood.
"That they were skilled in the art of fortification.
"That the epoch of their original settlement in the United States is of great antiquity; and
"That the only indications of their origin to be gathered from the locality of their ruined monuments, point toward Mexico." —Baldwin's Ancient America.
"Yucatan is the grave of a great nation that has mysteriously passed away and left behind no history. Every forest embosoms the majestic remains of vast temples, sculptured over with symbols of a lost creed, and noble cities, whose stately palaces and causeways attest in their mournful abandonment the colossal grandeur of their builder. They are the gigantic tombs of an illustrious race, but they bear neither name nor epitaph. The conscience-stricken awe with which the Indian avoids them as he relates a confused tradition of a whole people extinguished in blood and fire by his forefathers—a ferocious and cannibal race delighting in human sacrifices—are all that even conjecture can say of the manner in which the ancient occupants of Yucatan were blotted, en masse, from the page of existence. The barbarous exterminators remained the masters of the country, and built them rude huts under the shadow of those immense edifices which are still the marvel and the mystery of Yucatan. On many of these singular edifices is stamped the blood-red impress of a human hand—a fit symbol of the rule of blood to which it has so constantly been the victim. This 'bloody hand' was imprinted with evident purpose on the still yielding stucco of the new-built walls, and presents every line and curve in life-like distinctness; but the explanation of the symbol is unknown."—New York Sun, June 8, 1848.
"In the shaft of J. L. Duncan and Co., on the ridge between the Middle and South Yubas, in this county, at the distance of 176 feet below the surface of the ground, was found, on the 26th December, a curiously-fashioned glass bottle or jar, which was dug up in hard cement. After removing the reddish coating, an eight of an inch thick, which attached to the outside, and thoroughly washing it, it was found to be of a light color and perfectly transparent. It somewhat resembled a small-sized pickle-jar, but has a longer neck and a flat bottom. It must have been lying in the silent spot where it was found for many hundred years."—Nevada Journal.
"I must not, however, forget to mention that there has lately been discovered, in the province of Vera Paz, 150 miles north-east of Guatemala, buried in a dense forest, and far from any settlements, a ruined city, surpassing Copan or Palenque in extent and magnificence, and displaying a degree of art to which none of the structures of Yucatan can lay claim."—From a letter by Mr. E. G. Squier, read before the American Ethnological Society, October 17, 1849.
"While some hands were digging out a cellar in Botetourt County, Va., they came upon a quantity of coin, consisting of some eight pieces, in an iron box about 14 inches square. The coin was larger than a dollar, and the inscription in a language wholly unknown to any person in the vicinity. Upon digging down some 16 inches lower, they came to a quantity of iron implements of singular and heretofore unseen shape. Several scientific gentlemen have examined into the matter, and have come to the conclusion that the coins, together with the other curiosities, must have been placed there at an extremely early date, and before the settlement of the country." —New York Despatch.
The Book of Mormon states that at the time of the Savior's crucifixion a great and terrible destruction took place upon the continent of America. It also contains a record of the Savior's appearance and ministry on that continent after His resurrection. (See III Nephi).
Concerning the destruction that occurred at the time of the crucifixion, the record says:
"And it came to pass in the thirty and fourth year, in the first month, in the fourth day of the month, there arose a great storm, such an one as never had been known in all the land;
"And there was also a great and terrible tempest; and there was terrible thunder, insomuch, that it did shake the whole earth as if it was about to divide asunder;
"And there were exceeding sharp lightnings, such as never had been known in all the land.
"And the city of Zarahemla did take fire;
"And the city of Moroni did sink into the depths of the sea, and the inhabitants thereof were drowned;
"And the earth was carried up upon the city of Moronihah, that in the place of the city thereof, there became a great mountain;
"And there was a great and terrible destruction in the land southward.
"But behold, there was a more great and terrible destruction in the land northward; for behold, the whole face of the land was changed, because of the tempest, and the whirlwinds, and the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the exceeding great quaking of the whole earth;
"And the highways were broken up, and the level roads were spoiled, and many smooth places became rough,
"And many great and notable cities were sunk, and many were burned, and many were shook till the buildings thereof had fallen to the earth, and the inhabitants thereof were slain, and the places were left desolate;
"And there were some cities which remained; but the damage thereof was exceeding great, and there were many in them who were slain." (Ill Nephi 8: 5-15).
Mr. William Niven, a well-known American mineralogist of New York gives the following account of discoveries he made in the mountains of the state of Guerrero, Mexico. His exploring trip was taken in the year 1894:
"About noon we camped at a spring in a deep canyon. The guide promised to show us the first sign of ruins at a place called Yerba Buena. We soon saw the first evidences of pre-historic structures, which, however, were little more than foundations. But the surprise at the top of the hill removed all doubts of the Indian's veracity, for there before us was what was once evidently a great temple, occupying a space of 200x300 feet. Climbing to the top of one tower I found it covered with charcoal dust to the depth of eighteen inches. Then we mounted our horses and traveled till dusk, nearly ten miles, among the ruins of what was at one time a great city. The houses, substantially built of stone and lime, had been from fifty to eighty feet square. The ruins were found only on the ridges of the mountains, while on the sides near the summit were visible many foundations. After descending from the summit 400 or 500 feet there were no signs of ruins of any description. . . . The ruins which I was fortunate enough to discover in Guerrero are very extensive—much more so than I at first supposed. At a rather rough estimate I should say that territory of over 900 square miles was literally covered, foot by foot, with sections of ruins. Every ridge and hilltop bore the remains of ancient temples, some of them mammoth in proportions. . . . The ruins have the appearance of belonging to one vast city, and subsequent investigations bore out my first impressions on the matter. During the time I was occupied in excavating I visited the ruins of twenty-two temples, with altars in the centre of all of them from five to twenty feet high and from ten to fifteen feet square."
Mr. Niven, in giving his opinion about the destruction of the great city says:
"Who were these people and how came they to disappear I cannot answer. My impression is that once upon a time the country was one vast plain. It was probably submerged by a titanic convulsion of nature, and with it disappeared its people and their primitive civilization. Later the land was thrust up again, as we see it now, a barren, desolate waste. As the nearest water supply is several miles distant, and that only a small spring, it is evident that some great transformation in nature has taken place since the land was populated."
How the ruined city visited by Mr. Niven came to be located upon mountain ridges can be understood from what is recorded in the Book of Mormon. The city of Moronihah is mentioned as one which was destroyed by being covered with earth and a mountain being raised in place of it. It is quite probable that this pre-historic city situated in the interior of Mexico met a similar fate to that of Moronihah, and was thrown up into its present position by some mighty upheaval of the earth's crust, for it is not at all likely that the city was originally built upon a mountain. Mr. Niven's impression that the country was once a vast plain is consistent with what may be inferred from the account given in the Book of Mormon; and his belief that the remarkable transformation of the country was caused by some great convulsion of nature is also in harmony with the statements made in the sacred book, and goes to confirm the truth of it.
Another testimony to the destruction that took place, evidences of which still remain, is given in the following extract from the San Francisco Herald:
"Captain Walker assures us that the country from the Colorado to the Rio Grande, between the Gila and San Juan, is full of ruined habitations and cities, most of which are on the table-land. . . . On that occasion he had penetrated about midway from the Colorado into the wilderness, and had encamped near the Little Red River, with the Sierra Blanca looming up to the south, when he noticed at a little distance, an object that induced him to examine further. As he approached, he found it to be a kind of citadel, around which lay the ruins of a city more than a mile in length. It was located on a gentle declivity that sloped towards Red River, and the lines of the streets could be distinctly traced, running regularly at right angles with each other. The houses had all been built of stone, but all had been reduced to ruins by the action of some great heat, which had evidently passed over the whole country. It was not an ordinary conflagration, but must have been some fierce, furnace-like blast of fire, similar to that issuing from a volcano, as the stones were all burnt—some of them almost cindered, others glazed as if melted. This appearance was visible in every ruin he met with. A storm of fire seemed to have swept over the whole face of the country, and the inhabitants must have fallen before it. In the centre of this city we refer to rose abruptly a rock of 20 or 30 feet high, upon the top of which stood a portion of the walls of what had once been an immense building. The outline of the building was still distinct. . . . All the south end of the building seemed to have been burnt to cinders and to have sunk to a mere pile of rubbish. Even the rock on which it was built appeared to have been partially fused by the heat."
In an article which appeared in the San Francisco Bulletin several years ago, Dr. D. L. Yates, says:
"It was said that California possesses some of the oldest known relics on the continent. The first authenticated record of the original occupants was found on the Table Mountain region in Tuolumne County, and is of an age prior to the great volcanic outburst. Fossil remains of the rhinoceros and an extinct horse are found under the lava layers forming the Table Mountains, which are 1,400 feet thick, 1,700 feet wide and many hundreds of feet high, where the river beds have been washed out and have been covered again to the depth of from three thousand to four thousand feet more since the flow of the lava. This lava rests on a bed of detritus, which is often entered by running tunnels. The human relics and stone implements found in these formations give evidence of human habitants differing from any known since. There have been found spear heads, a pipe of polished stone, two scoops of steleitic rock (resembling the grocer's scoop), an implement of aragonite, resembling an unbent bow, but the use of which is unknown and cannot be conjectured, a stone needle, with notches at the larger end, and the finest charmstones that have ever been found.
"There have been brought to light the fossils of nine mastodons, twenty elephants, various pachyderms in the Table Mountains, numerous evidences of animal life in the calcareous formations in the Texas flats, obsidian spear heads, fossils of the elephant, horse and camel about Hornites, bones and evidences of pre-historic human industry in Tulare, and in Trinity and Siskiyou many proofs of the contemporaneous existence of man and extinct mammals."
The Philadelphia Record, z, few years ago published the following despatch from Fort Davis, Texas:
"A strange discovery has been lately made by a surveying party of the Kansas City, El Paso and Mexico Railroad, at a point in Southern Mexico, not very far from Las Cruces. Here, amid a tremendous lava flow, a veritable sea of obsidian or black glass, a hidden city has been discovered. . . .
"The obsidian, molten or black glass at the moment of cooling evidently became agitated, for it now lies in ragged waves and billows of fantastic shape, some of the ridges from twelve to fourteen feet high and capped like the sea waves with a combing crest of greenish white. The action of the winds and elements have literally burned some parts of this region into powdered dust.
"At the northern extremity, where the unknown city lies partly uncovered, the ruins of gigantic stone buildings peer forth into the light of day. Some of these buildings are simply tremendous. . . .
"The whirlwind and sand augers have scooped out the dust, and thus exposed the city. No legend or story exists to show how or when it was founded, or whether it was abandoned or destroyed. The latter seems most likely, and probably, too by an earthquake, at some remote period which threw the lava and fire up. No volcano is known to exist in the neighborhood."
Many discoveries have been made that give evidence of great eruptions in America. The San Francisco Herald stated some years ago that Mr. Butterfield, in running a tunnel in Table Mountain, near Sonora, California, found a trunk of a large pine tree, one hundred and ten feet from the surface of the ground.
Morse's Universal Geography states that in Cincinnati the stump of a tree was found ninety-nine feet below the surface of the ground, and another stump containing marks of an axe and iron rust was found ninety-four feet deep in the earth. Ancient implements have been found at various depths in the earth, and in widely separated parts of the country, which all go to confirm the account given in the Book of Mormon concerning what happened upon the American continent at the time of the crucifixion.
James Wells, D.D., in the Sunday Magazine, says:
"A Savior, at once human and divine, has a supreme place in the creed of the Red-man. The thoughtful Indians also felt the pressure of the solemn facts and needs of life. They groped in the darkness, and stretched forth hands of entreaty to God. In their deep need, they yearned for a teacher and helper; and somehow or other, they believed that he had come, or would yet come to them. They had dim, confused suggestions and cravings that could find their realization only in Christ. Their traditions are rich in myths and legends which cluster round Hiawatha, the messenger and representative of God. They regard Hiawatha as the relative of the Great Spirit and they call him 'uncle,' that is, kinsman. Schoolcraft has collected the Hiawatha legend in a very interesting book.
"Hiawatha was a sort of Red Indian Messias. Though a heavenly being he was born a child on earth, and his birth was wondrous. He came into the world long ago and instituted 'the Grand Medicine.' He had super-human powers, and used them all to bless men. In sending him, the Creator smiled upon His helpless children. All the evil spirits strove against him, but he conquered them and gained strength from the struggle. He used to spend days in fasting and prayer, and he went about continually doing good. He prophesied that, after he had left them, they would take to quarreling and fighting, and that they would be driven from their hunting-grounds far westward. He told them of the isles of the blest and the land of the hereafter. They also believe that he conducts souls to the other world; and they expect him to come again to the earth."
Prescott, in his "Conquest of Mexico," page 465, speaks of the astonishment of the Catholic priests, who accompanied the expedition of Cortez, and found Christian rites practiced by Indians. He says:
"They could not suppress their wonder, as they beheld the cross, the sacred emblem of their own faith, raised as an object of worship in the temples of Anahuac. They met with it in various places; and an image of a cross may be seen at this day, sculptured in bas-relief on the walls of one of the buildings of Palenque, while a figure bearing some resemblance to that of a child is held up to it, as if in adoration. Their surprise was heightened, when they witnessed a religious rite which reminded them of the Christian communion. On these occasions, an image of the tutelary deity of the Aztecs was made of flour of maize mixed with blood, and, after consecration by the priests, was distributed among the people, who, as they ate it, 'showed signs of humiliation and sorrow, declaring it was the flesh of the Deity.' How could the Roman Catholic fail to recognize the awful ceremony of the eucharist? . . . . . With the same feeling they witnessed another ceremony, that of the Aztec baptism. . . . The Jewish and Christian schemes were strangely mingled together, and the brains of the good fathers were still further bewildered by the mixture of heathenish abominations, which were so closely intertwined with the most orthodox observances. In their perplexity they looked on the whole as the delusion of the devil, who counterfeited the rites of Christianity and the traditions of the chosen people, that he might allure his wretched victims for their own destruction."
"Las Casas, bishop of Chiapa, relates in his apology, which is in Ms., in the convent of St. Dominic, that when he passed through the kingdom of Yucatan, he found there a respectable ecclesiastic, of mature age; he charged him to proceed into the interior of their country, giving him a certain plan of instruction, in order to preach to them: at the end of a year, thus he wrote to the bishop—he had met with a principal lord, who informed him that they believed in God, who resided in heaven, even the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father was named Yeona, the Son Bahab, who was born of a virgin, named Chibirias, and that of the Holy Spirit was called Euach. Bahab, the Son, they said, was put to death by Euporo, who scourged Him, and put on His head a crown of thorns, and placed Him with His arms stretched upon a beam of wood, and that on the third day He came to life, and ascended into heaven, where He is with the Father; that immediately after the Euach came in His place as a merchant, bringing precious merchandise, filling those who would with gifts and graces, abundant and divine."—Antiquities of Mexico.
"The virgin is represented by the Indian paintings, of whom the great Prophet should be born, and that His own people would reject and meditate evil against Him, and would put Him to death; accordingly He is represented in the paintings with His hands and feet tied to the tree."—Monarquia Indiana.
Rosales in the "History of Chili," says,
"The inhabitants of this extreme southern portion of America, situated at the distance of so many thousand miles from New Spain, and who did not employ paintings to record events, accounted for their knowledge of some doctrines of Christianity by saying, that in former times they had heard their fathers say, a wonderful man had come to that country, wearing a long beard, with shoes and a mantle such as the Mexicans carry on their shoulders, who performed many miracles, cured the sick with water, caused it to rain that their crops of grain might grow, kindled fire at a breath, healing the sick, and giving sight to the blind, and that he spoke with as much propriety and elegance in the language of their country, as if he had always resided in it, addressing them in words very sweet and new to them, telling them that the Creator of the universe resided in the highest place of heaven, and that many men and women resplendent as the sun dwelt with Him."
Herrera, a Spanish historian of the sixteenth century, in his history of America, volume 4, page 172, says, "Baptism was known in Yucatan; the name they gave it signified to be born again."
The foregoing testimony taken from the works of secular writers confirms in a remarkable manner the historical part of the Book of Mormon, and is a strong proof that that record is authentic. Much more evidence of a similar character is to be had, but space will not admit of it here. The proof adduced in support of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon by the discoveries and observations of modern explorers is made the more forcible by the fact that they who have furnished it were not believers in the divinity of the book. Many, if not all of them, published to the world the results of their researches, and their conclusions respecting them, without knowing anything about the contents of the book, and therefore they had no predilection for it. It might be truthfully added that among all the discoveries made that furnish any information respecting the ancient Americans nothing has been found to conflict with or disprove any assertion contained in that most remarkable volume, the Book of Mormon.
No attempt has been made herein to present an exhaustive treatise on Joseph Smith's divine mission. The evidences of his inspiration have been referred to very briefly; and hundreds of other proofs equally strong, and which are well known, have not even been mentioned.
The Latter-day Saints do not, however, depend upon outward evidences for their knowledge that Joseph Smith was a prophet. They have placed their trust in the promise of the Savior, as recorded by John:
"My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."
They have also accepted the admonition of the Apostle James:
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."
They have sought to do the will of the Lord, and have prayed to Him for wisdom and their prayers have been answered. They have received a testimony from above that the Gospel as revealed anew through the Prophet Joseph Smith is true. This same source of divine information is open to every one who will humble himself, and will obey the Gospel, with an honest desire to serve the Lord.
A Glorious Thought—Should Prophets be Expected in our day?—God's Word Indicates that a Prophet should Come—Prophets sent to Announce all Important Events—Positive Promise of the Lord to send a Messenger—Necessity of Prophets and Apostles in the Church—Church Founded upon Prophets and Apostles—Power given Apostles and Prophets—Object of Inspired Men in the Church-How long they should Remain—Is the Canon of Scripture Full?—Without Modern Revelation Bible Prophecies Cannot be Fulfilled—Treatment of Prophets in Past Ages—Jesus a Stumbling Stone—Many Prophets Rejected—Persecution to Follow all Inspired Teachers—Conclusions Drawn from Scriptures Quoted.
Was Joseph Smith a Prophet?—Testimony of His Works—Judging by the Fruits—Joseph Smith's Claim—His Claim Compared with Scripture—Predictions that the Gospel should be Restored—Joseph Smith Treated the same as Ancient Prophets—Account of Some of his Works—Bible Prophecies Fulfilled—Church Organization the Same as Formerly—Same Doctrines as in Former Days—The Holy Ghost Received—How to Obtain Proof—Outward Proofs—Testimony of Witnesses—Ancient Prophecies Being Fulfilled—The Gathering of Israel—Gathering Peculiar to Latter-day Saints—Events in the History of the Saints—Words of the Psalmist Fulfilled—Isaiah's Prediction Fulfilled—A Prophecy of Malachi—Salvation for the Dead—Facts Proven.
Joseph Smith's Works—Evidence of his Inspiration—Scriptural Tests—Prediction of the Angel—None can Stop God's Work—"A Marvelous Work"—Testimony of Disinterested Men—Prophecy about War—Fulfilled 28 years Afterwards—Predicted Men's Lives Would be Spared—The Saints' Exodus Foretold—Gathering Predicted—Joseph Smith as an Expounder of Scripture—Church Organization—All his Works Proclaim him a Prophet.
The Book of Mormon—An Evidence of the Inspiration of Joseph Smith—Its Purport—Impossible to Write Without Divine Aid—Prophecies in the Book of Mormon—A Bible! A Bible!—Isaiah's Prophecy—Book Gives a Test of its Truth—Attested by Direct Evidence—Testimony of Three Witnesses—Testimony of Witnesses Unchanged—Testimony of Eight Witnesses—Secular Proof of the Book of Mormon—Colonists from the Tower of Babel—Origin Before the Christian Era—Of Hebrew Origin—Indian Customs—Indian Practice Resembling the Passover—Tradition of a Sacred Book—Acquainted with the Old Testament Record—Tradition of Moses—Tradition of Eve—Tradition of the Flood—Led by Youngest Brother—Engraved on Plates of Metal—Egyptian Writings—Evidences of Advanced Civilization—Ruins Discovered—Indians all of One Origin—Ruins in Yucatan—Ancient Glass Jar—A Ruined City—Ancient Coins and Implements—Destruction at the time of the Crucifixion—Ruins on the Ridge of a Mountain—Destroyed by the Action of Heat—Remains Found under Lava Beds—Discovery of a Hidden City—Evidences of Great Eruptions—The Messiah Known to the Ancient Inhabitants of America—The Cross as an Emblem—Knowledge of the Godhead—Tradition of the Christ—Strong Proofs of the Truth of the Book of Mormon—Conclusion.
1. See Tract No. 3, "Marks of the Church of Christ."
BY EDWIN F. PARRY, LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.
OUTWARD SIGNS BY WHICH CHRIST'S GOSPEL MAY BE KNOWN—CHARACTER OF HIS CHURCH KNOWLEDGE THE OUTCOME OF TRUE FAITH—HOW IT MAY BE OBTAINED—AN ILLUSTRATION—PARABLE OF THE SOWER—WHERE IS THE TRUE GOSPEL AND CHURCH OF CHRIST?
There are many religions in the world. Teachers of one form of religion will tell us they are right. Those who teach another form will make the same claim for themselves. All religions have some truth, or people would not believe in them.
The Savior taught only one form of religion. That one is called the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It embraces all truth, and contains nothing but truth.
"There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all." (Ephesians 4: 4, 5, 6).
All Christians believe that salvation is only to be gained through Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
The holy scriptures justify us in rejecting all religions that do not teach belief in Christ.
There are many varieties of religion even among Christian believers. But the whole truth is what we want. None but the true Gospel can be acceptable to the Lord.
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." (Matthew 6: 33).
How are we to know which religion contains all truth?
The Bible will assist us in making this discovery. It tells us many things which Jesus taught as His Gospel. Any teaching contrary to what He gave cannot be true.
"Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1: 8).
The Gospel which the Savior taught has not changed. It is the same to-day as it was when He dwelt upon the earth.
The first and principal doctrine taught by Christ was faith.
"God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3: 16).
Our Savior knew that if people truly had abiding faith in Him they would follow Him. They would love Him and obey all His teachings.
"He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also." (John 14: 13).
"If a man love me, he will keep my words." (John 14: 23).
Another commandment taught by Christ was that of repentance. True repentance is sorrow for sins and a turning away from them. The first words recorded of the Savior's preaching were:
"Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4: 17).
Deep humility always accompanies true faith and repentance. Without it men cannot be saved.
"Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." (Luke 18: 17).
In the days of Christ's ministry, those who believed on Him and sincerely repented of their sins were then ready to receive the next ordinance of the Gospel. They were humble and willing to obey.
Christ was baptized Himself. He told John it was necessary for Him "to fulfill all righteousness." He taught that it was necessary for all men to be baptized.
"Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3: 5).
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." (Mark 16: 16).
Christ's disciples also taught the same. When those who believed Peter's preaching on the day of Pentecost asked what they should do to be saved, he replied,
"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2: 38).
These passages of scripture prove that Jesus and His disciples taught baptism.
The last passage quoted shows that the gift of the Holy Ghost was to be given to those who obeyed the principles of faith, repentance and baptism.
The teachings of the Savior show that it is necessary to observe the ten commandments given through Moses. Upon one occasion a man asked what good thing he should do to gain eternal life. Jesus replied, "Keep the commandments," and then named some of them. (Matthew 19: 17, 18).
Besides the ten commandments, the Savior gave new ones which He said should be obeyed. Many of these are recorded in the fifth, sixth and seventh chapters of Matthew.
In our search for the true Gospel we can safely reject any teaching that does not agree with Christ's word. Anyone who says we can be saved without obeying His commandments is in error.
"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5: 19).
"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (I John 2: 4).
Any teacher who adds to these any doctrines of men is a false teacher, and should not be followed.
"In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Mark 7: 7).
The teachers of many forms of religion claim that they teach these doctrines of the Gospel of Christ. How are we to decide which one is right?
The Savior has furnished a test by which we can prove false teachers. He says, "Beware of false prophets." (Matthew 7: 15). He further adds, "Ye shall know them by their fruits." (10). "By their fruits" means by their works or by their teachings. False prophets or teachers teach falsehoods, and their works are evil. True prophets teach truth, and live righteously. They will not teach anything contrary to the words of the Savior.
The Savior tells us how we might know true believers. He says,
The nineteenth verse of the sixteenth chapter of Mark states that these signs did follow the believers in the days of Christ's early apostles. These signs are outward evidences that people are true believers in the Gospel. The absence of them is a proof that faith is lacking, for the same cause will always produce the same effect.
If a person truly believes in the Gospel, sincerely repents of his sins, is baptized for the remission of sins, and has hands laid upon him for the reception of the Holy Ghost, he should know that he has received the true Gospel.
"Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." (John 7: 16, 17).
The Holy Ghost was promised to those who obeyed the Gospel. To all who receive it, it bears witness to the truth of the Gospel.
"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me." (John 15: 26).
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth." (John 16: 13).
If people receive the Holy Ghost they will be led into all truth, according to the promise of Christ. If they are led into all truth they will be led to understand and believe alike.
Jesus told how His disciples may be known:
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13: 34, 35).
When people are divided in their religious views it shows that they do not love each other, and are not the disciples of Christ. If they did love each other they would be united. If they possessed the Holy Spirit they would be joined together in love.
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." (Galatians 5: 22, 23).
When Jesus dwelt upon the earth He organized a church. Those who believed on Him and obeyed the Gospel became members of that one church.
The Apostle Paul told the Ephesian saints they were established upon the foundation of apostles and prophets.
"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." (Ephesians 2: 19, 20).
He had reference in these words to the church of Christ.
He again likened the church to the body of a man. (I Corinthians 12). He showed that the members of the church were like the members of a man's body, and altogether they made a complete whole.
"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles." (I Corinthians 12: 12, 13).
St. Paul continues by explaining that all the members of the body of Christ, or officers of the church of Christ, are dependent upon each other, and each is needed in his place. One cannot do without the other, any more than a man's body can be complete without every limb and organ.
This same apostle names some of the officers of the church of Christ. He also names in the same connection some of the gifts that are always to be found in that church.
"And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." (I Corinthians 12: 28).
In another place he tells the reason for having these officers in the church.
These officers were to continue in the church, "till we all come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God." (Eph. 4: 13).
People differ in their opinions regarding the Gospel. There is, therefore, a need of apostles and prophets to declare the word of God to them. His revealed word will settle all differences and bring those who believe on it to a unity of the faith.
The scriptures just quoted prove that apostles and prophets must always be in the church of Christ. Any church not founded upon apostles and prophets, with Christ as the chief corner stone, is not the true church of Christ. Any religious organization that rejects these and the other officers mentioned as belonging to Christ's church, or does away with the miracles, gifts of healing, helps, governments, and diversities of tongues, is not the true church.
When Jesus called unto Him twelve apostles He "gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." (Matthew 10: 1). When He sent them out to preach the Gospel, He told them to say, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." He also told them to "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils." (Matthew 10: 7, 8).
Men have no right to choose for themselves to be Christ's apostles or ministers of His Gospel. He said to His disciples,
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you." (John 15: 16).
St. Paul says concerning the holy priesthood of Christ,
"No man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." (Hebrews 5: 4).
He also says, "God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers." (I Corinthians 12: 28). This shows that it was not man's right to place men in positions in the church, unless God authorized them to do so.
Jesus said John the Baptist was the greatest of prophets, yet he did not presume to baptize with the Holy Ghost, although he had the right to baptize with water. John understood that men should be specially authorized to act in any calling.
We read in the scriptures, (Acts 1: 13-17), that certain Jews at one time undertook to act in the name of the Lord. They tried to cast out evil spirits. But they had no authority, and were overpowered by the evil spirits, and duly punished for taking upon themselves to act in the name of the Messiah without authority.
From the scriptures mentioned, together with many others of like character, we may conclude that Christ's true apostles have power over unclean spirits and over diseases. They also have authority to act in His name. We can as well conclude that those who think it unnecessary to be authorized to minister in the ordinances of the Gospel are in error. Men may without authority attempt to teach the same doctrines as Jesus taught; they may organize a church after the same pattern; and some may even perform miracles by the power of the evil one, as did the magicians before Pharaoh in the days of Moses; but without authority from heaven to do so their pretensions are vain. We may justly reject any who may have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.
The disciples of Christ were told that they would have to suffer persecution. The Savior informed them that this should be the case, and led them to expect it.
"If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. . . If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you." (John 15: 19, 20).
"Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you: for so did their fathers to the false prophets." (Luke 6: 26).
The Apostle Paul says, "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (II Timothy 3: 12).
Most of the marks pointed out herein are outward signs by which the true Gospel and church of Christ may be known. The disciples of Jesus may always be recognized by the following signs which have already been pointed out:
They will Obey and Teach the Ordinances that Christ has said Must be Obeyed.
Those Ordinances are:
First, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ;
Second, Repentance;
Third, Baptism by Immersion for the Remission of Sins;
Fourth, Laying on of Hands for the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
They will Teach the Necessity of Obeying all the Lord's Commandments.
The Signs or Blessings Promised the Believers will Follow them,
They will be United, and will Love one Another.
They will be Organized into a Church after the Pattern Mentioned in the Scriptures.
They will have Apostles and Prophets at their Head, who will have Power and Authority to Act in Christ's Name.
They will be Persecuted as Long as Wickedness Reigns in the Earth.
The pointing out of the marks by which the disciples of Christ are to be known may assist one in searching for the truth. But faith on the part of the individual himself is needed to guide him. It is very important to salvation.
The question may be asked, how can this faith so necessary to salvation be gained?
"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10: 17).
When one hears the Gospel of Christ—the "glad tidings of great joy"—naturally he should wish it were true, because it is so good. That wish or desire will help greatly to awaken belief in his mind. When a person hopes a thing is true he becomes interested in finding out if it be true. Prejudice is a foe to faith. It often causes one to turn away from that which is good.
It is necessary for every individual to know for himself concerning the truth of the Gospel of Christ.
"This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17: 3).
There is a way to get this knowledge. That way is similar to the way in which we obtain other knowledge. It is by putting works with our faith.
"Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments." (I John 2: 3).
Faith comes by hearing, knowledge by doing. Knowledge is the result of faith.
When a child is told that he can learn to read and write by following the instructions of his teacher he is likely to believe it. If he is told so by his parents or some one whose word he can rely upon he will believe with much assurance or confidence, which is called faith. That faith causes him to act. He follows the instructions of his teacher, and in time learns to read and write. His faith is then turned to knowledge. He does not depend upon the testimony of some one else. He knows from actual experience that the arts of reading and writing can be learned by taking the course marked out. It is the same with the Gospel. When it is obeyed it brings knowledge to the individual.
One of our Savior's parables shows very beautifully how the word of God, when received in the heart, begins to grow and expand. In His parable of the sower He likens the word of God, or the Gospel, to a seed. (Luke 8: 5-16). Embodied within a tiny seed is the germ or source of a most marvelous power. It is one of the greatest forces of the natural world. Under proper conditions that little mite of matter is capable of the most remarkable development. When a gardener obtains a precious kind of seed, or one that will produce a desirable fruit, he will preserve it with care. He will thoroughly prepare the soil in which he plants it, and will do all in his power to favor its growth. The desire to receive the good fruit he has been told it will produce makes him hope that the seed is good. That hope or wish will inspire him with enough faith to make the test.
In due time after planting he finds that the seed has commenced to grow. It puts forth tiny leaves that appear above the soil, and his faith is strengthened. He is assured that the seed had the germ of life within it when he received it. He continues to favor its growth, by keeping down the weeds, by protecting it from the scorching heat of the sun and the blighting breath of the wind and frost. By doing this the gardener sees that the plant continues to increase in size and strength. Thread-like roots spread out in all directions beneath the soil to secure hold therein, as well as to procure sustenance for its life and growth A tender twig shoots upward to receive additional sustenance from the air and the sunlight. Day by day and year by year the plant continues to grow and gain strength, until eventually it becomes a mighty tree. The heat of the sun now only causes it to grow the stronger, and the fierce winds to make its root more firmly planted, so that no ordinary force can resist its power of expansion.
In due season the tree produces fruit of its kind. Its seeds ripen and fall to the earth, and they in turn grow, and thus the species is perpetuated forever.
With the ripening of the fruit the faith of the man who planted the tree is ripened into perfect knowledge. He knows what was told him about the seed was true, having thoroughly tested it.
The word of God, or the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is in character like the seed. As the seed contains within it such great physical force, so the word of God possesses most wonderful spiritual power. When the Gospel of Christ is heard by one who has a desire to obtain its fruits, that desire will awaken within him a spark of belief. That belief will cause him to prepare his heart for the reception of the word of God. He will plant it there by seeking to obey its teachings. When once planted there, if cherished, shielded and protected it will grow. Its effect will be similar to that of the seed buried in good soil. Its roots of faith will sink deep in the heart and become firmly planted there. Hope, like a tender twig, will spring heavenward. By this the person will know that the seed was good Day by day and year by year it will strengthen, until neither the heat of temptation nor the storms of adversity can disturb it or uproot it from the heart. It, too, in time will bring forth fruit, the fruit of eternal life. Such is the wonderful character of the word of God, or the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The reader may ask the question, Is the Gospel of Christ, with all its attendant powers, gifts and blessings, upon the earth to-day? If it is, it must be of the character described herein. It must be the same as it was anciently, for it is everlasting and unchangeable in its nature.
There is a church that claims to teach the very same doctrines that Christ taught. Its members claim to enjoy the same blessings promised the believers. They claim to have the same organization, with living apostles and prophets at the head. These officers claim to have received the same power and authority as Christ's first apostles had. They and their followers have been evil spoken of and persecuted for their religion ever since they were first organized as a church. They manifest all the outward signs by which the followers of Christ may be known. They make the same promises as the former disciples of Jesus made to those who obey the Gospel. The many thousands who have accepted their teachings and obeyed them testify that the promises made to them have been received.
The claims of the members of this Church are different from those of all other professors of religion. They claim to have received their doctrines and their authority direct from heaven, by the visitation of holy angels. There is no other source from which it could be received. The name by which this Church is known is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Lord in a revelation commanded His latter-day disciples to take upon themselves this name.
The message of the restoration to earth of the true Gospel of Christ is a glorious one. All who hear it should rejoice in the contemplation that the Lord has again spoken from heaven. The message is such a good one that all mankind should desire and hope that it is true. If they will do this, they will be led to investigate it. Then they will learn for themselves that it is indeed the Gospel of Christ.
The Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, bear witness to the truth of this divine message which they are proclaiming to the nations of the earth. They kindly ask all to lay aside prejudice and examine their claims in the spirit of humility and prayer.
"Do you suppose that this people will ever see the day that they will rest in perfect security, in hopes of becoming like another people, nation, state, kingdom or society? They never will. Christ and Satan never can be friends. Light and darkness will always remain opposites."
—Brigham Young.
"Though our religious principles are before the world, ready for the investigation of all men, yet we are aware that the sole foundation of all the persecution against us has arisen in consequence of calumnies and misconstructions, without foundation in truth or righteousness."
—Joseph Smith.