Chapter XIV: Front Matter (14)

This prediction concerning his own death is all the more remarkable from the fact that he had been arrested upon false charges many times before this. But, being entirely innocent, it was impossible to convict him of any crime. The premonition he had when he surrendered to the demands of the Governor of Illinois, when he said "I am going like a lamb to the slaughter," was the unerring inspiration of God, which had ever been his guide through life.

The country the Prophet referred to as the "Rocky Mountains" was but little known at the time he spoke of it; and the Indian traders, and "trappers" who were familiar with the country said nothing could be raised there, and it was totally unfit for the establishment of a community of people. Five years after the prophecy was made many of the Saints were settled in the Rocky Mountains, and they and their descendants are becoming a "mighty people" in the midst thereof.

{259}

GATHERING PREDICTED.

On the 11th of September, 1831, the Lord said through Joseph Smith,

"For behold, I say unto you that Zion shall flourish, and the glory
of the Lord shall be upon her, and she shall be an ensign unto the
people, AND THERE SHALL COME UNTO HER OUT OF EVERY NATION UNDER
HEAVEN."

In 1831, when the above words were uttered, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was composed of people who were converted in the neighborhood where the Prophet and other leading men operated--only a small portion of the United States. Since then the work has spread throughout the world, and there are now gathered with the Saints people from nearly every nation under heaven.

JOSEPH SMITH AS AN EXPOUNDER OF SCRIPTURE.

The manner in which he expounded the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, and in which he harmonized passages that were apparently contradictory, and made every Bible doctrine so plain to the understanding, is strong proof that he was inspired of Heaven. No theologian of recent times has been able to do this as has been done by Joseph Smith, although many learned men have made the attempt.

CHURCH ORGANIZATION.

The wonderful church organization which was effected through him is in itself an evidence of his divine inspiration.

If a builder should succeed in erecting one of the most magnificent structures the world has ever seen, without any previous training and without any plans to guide him, he would be looked upon as the most remarkable genius that ever was known. The church organization instituted by Joseph Smith is like a complete structure, perfect in every detail, and yet built up piece by piece without any preconceived plan being drawn up or experiment being made, so far as the Prophet was concerned. The only idea he had of the grand system he was putting in order was revealed to him at various times as occasion required. But when the whole order of church government was revealed it was discovered to be perfect, and though the Church has now existed for sixty-eight years there has never arisen any occasion for changing the order laid down in the beginning. Its workings have been harmonious in every detail; and should the Church increase {260} in numbers indefinitely there would be no occasion for making any change in the system revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

ALL HIS WORKS PROCLAIM HIM A PROPHET.

A thorough acquaintance with the works of Joseph Smith must convince the student of them that he was truly a Prophet of God. If it be denied that he was such, how shall the superior wisdom that prompted his words and actions be accounted for? His ideas of theology, of philosophy, of statesmanship, and even astronomy and other branches of learning, were far in advance of what was known to the world in his day; and since then many of his doctrines have been accepted by the learned, and advocated as new discoveries. The most reasonable way of accounting for the wonderful works of Joseph Smith is to acknowledge that he was a Prophet of God, sent as a divine messenger to open up the dispensation of the fullness of times, and to prepare for the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose glorious reign is near at hand.

THE BOOK OF MORMON.

AN EVIDENCE OF THE INSPIRATION OF JOSEPH SMITH.

ITS PURPORT.

Before the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, the Prophet Joseph Smith brought forth a book--the most remarkable work of the age. It purports to give an account of the ancient people of the American continent and the dealings of the Lord with them. The Prophet claimed that it was translated by the power of the Lord from writings engraved upon plates that had the appearance of gold. The plates were found buried on the side of a hill in New York state, and their whereabouts was revealed to the Prophet by an angel.

This explanation of the origin of the book, called the Book of Mormon, was most incredible to many of those who heard it, for angels had long since ceased to visit mankind; and they had been taught that the age of prophets and revelation was past. But the fact that the book was in existence could not be denied, for it was printed and published to the {261} world. To charge Joseph Smith or any other man or set of men with having written it for the purpose of deception would be equal to attributing to man super-human wisdom, and ability that is possessed only by heavenly beings. It would be giving him much less credit for supernatural ability to accept his own claim that he was merely inspired of the Lord to bring the book forth; for all the learned men in the world could not by their own wisdom produce such a work as the Book of Mormon. As evidence of this assertion, it is only necessary to become acquainted with the contents of the book. If a person will take the pains to read it he will find it refers in the course of the narrative it contains, to many facts of history, and numerous geographical and geological statements. Besides, it teaches religious doctrines, and records a great many prophecies.

IMPOSSIBLE TO WRITE WITHOUT DIVINE AID.

Now just consider what an impossible task it would be for any man, without divine aid, to write an historical narrative of this character. It is filled with hundreds of statements concerning history, geography, geology, and religion, and yet does not contain one assertion regarding any of these subjects that does not agree in perfect harmony with what is known respecting them. It might be claimed that with a great amount of research it would be possible for a writer to do this; its statements agree also with every fact respecting the topics it mentions, that has become known during the many years of research since the Book was published, and that, too, in this age of critical investigation.

Again, the book contains as much reading matter as does the Old Testament. It is a continuous, unbroken history of a people for a thousand years, written originally by a succession of historians. Facts mentioned by one writer are referred to quite frequently by another, so that it would be no easy matter for a most careful writer with all the ingenuity that man is capable of exercising to originate a work of such character and magnitude without it making contradictions of itself.

PROPHECIES IN THE BOOK OF MORMON.

Whatever success an impostor might have in deceiving people with a fictitious book, there are some things he cannot do. Should he succeed in making the book consistent with all known truths of history, science and religion, he would find it impossible to make accurate predictions concerning {263} the future. This power is not possessed by man, unless conferred upon him by the Lord. The Book of Mormon cannot therefore be classed among human impositions, for it contains prophecies that were not fulfilled at the time it was published, but that have since been verified.

Speaking of the coming forth in this age of the record which he compiled, the Prophet Mormon says,

"And it shall come in a day when the blood of saints shall cry unto
the Lord, because of secret combinations and the works of darkness."

The Book of Mormon was printed before the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, so that it could not be told at that time, except by inspiration that the blood of saints in the present age should cry unto the Lord, because of the works of darkness. There was no religious persecution going on at that time; but it was not long before the blood of many of the Latter-day Saints was shed as the result of persecution.

A BIBLE! A BIBLE!

The Prophet Nephi, referring also to the period when the record should be revealed in the latter time, and when the Lord should proceed to recover His chosen people, the house of Israel, records the words of the Lord to him as follows:

"And my words shall hiss forth unto the ends of the earth, for a
standard unto my people, which are the house of Israel. And because
my words shall hiss forth, many of the Gentiles shall say, a Bible!
a Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible."

Since the publication of the Book of Mormon the Lord's words have gone forth "unto the ends of the earth," and the Latter-day Saints who have carried His words and declared them in nearly all countries have usually been answered with these words, "A Bible! a Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible." The general belief is that the Bible is the only book in existence containing the word of the Lord.

ISAIAH'S PROPHECY.

The Prophet Nephi reiterates the prediction recorded in the twenty-ninth chapter of Isaiah, concerning the coming forth of a book, and which the Latter-day Saints maintain refers to the Book of Mormon. The prophecy is as follows:

"And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book
that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying,
Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
and the {263} book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying,
Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore
the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their
mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their
heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the
precept of men: therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous
work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the
wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of
their prudent men shall be hid. . . . . And in that day shall the
deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall
see out of obscurity, and out of darkness." (Isaiah 29: 11, 12, 13,
14, 18).

The first part of this prophecy was literally fulfilled when a man named Martin Harris, with the permission of Joseph Smith, took a copy of some of the characters from which the Book of Mormon was translated--the "words of a book"--to Professor Anthon, a learned professor of languages in New York City, and the latter made the statement, "I cannot read a sealed book." Unwittingly, he used almost the identical words of Isaiah's prediction.

"And the book is delivered to him that is not learned,"--this was fulfilled when the book was delivered to Joseph Smith, an unlearned youth. How accurately this prophecy was fulfilled is shown by the fact that the _words_ of the book were delivered to the man that was learned, while the book itself was delivered to him that was not learned.

The portion of the prophecy which reads: "Therefore, behold I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder," is also being fulfilled. The work done by the Lord through the instrumentality of His servant Joseph Smith and the Latter-day Saints, is looked upon as marvelous even by those who do not believe Joseph Smith to be a prophet, nor the Latter-day Saints to be inspired of Heaven, for this work attracts the attention of the whole world. An acquaintance with what the Lord has done and with what is now being done through their ministry is of sufficient importance to be called "a marvelous work and a wonder." The Gospel has been preached in nearly all the civilized and several of the uncivilized nations, a church has been established that attracts the attention of all the world, and its name and the prophet's name are known among every nation; a commonwealth has been built up that has won the admiration of all that are acquainted with it; people from all nations have been gathered together to form this commonwealth; and missionaries by the thousands are sent to proclaim to mankind everywhere the glad tidings of the "marvelous work."

{264} Since the restoration of the Gospel with all its blessings in these latter days the remainder of Isaiah's words have been verified. The deaf have been healed and enabled to "hear the words of the book," and the blind have had their sight restored, and have thus been enabled to "see out of obscurity, and out of darkness."

BOOK GIVES A TEST OF ITS TRUTH.

The last chapter in the Book of Mormon contains these words:

"And when ye shall receive these things," [the records contained
in the Book of Mormon] "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 a real intent,
having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you,
by the power of the Holy Ghost."

Here is a promise that no impostor would dare to make, for he could not expect it to be fulfilled, and it would only furnish a means of detecting his deception.

The spirit in which the Book of Mormon is written is of such a nature that it impresses the reader with the honesty and earnestness of the writer. Its language is very plain, showing that the writer made no attempt at literary embellishment, but had only one object in view, which was to state the simple facts, and make the Gospel plain for the benefit of mankind. The style of the writing is peculiar to itself, and different from all other writings extant. These facts concerning the character of the book prove its authenticity.

ATTESTED BY DIRECT EVIDENCE.

The truth of the Book of Mormon is attested by the strongest direct evidence that it is possible to obtain. To show this it will perhaps be as well to consider what constitutes direct evidence. Evidence is understood to be the means of proving an unknown or a disputed fact. There is what is called "circumstantial evidence" and "direct evidence." The first is that kind of testimony which deals with circumstances that are connected with the fact to be proven. As, for example, footprints in the snow, are proof to an observer of them that someone has been where the snow lies since it fell, although the observer has not seen any person there. The marks in the snow are circumstantial evidence that he is correct in his conclusion. Direct evidence is the testimony of a witness to what he has seen, felt, or known by his own senses.

{265} It is a question of dispute whether direct or circumstantial evidence is the stronger, though the first is usually considered so. As against direct evidence it is claimed that witnesses may be mistaken, deceived or may wilfully falsify, while circumstances it is said cannot mislead.

The evidences already set forth to prove the truth of the Book of Mormon are what would be called circumstantial. The only evidence mankind have, aside from inspiration, that the Bible is true is indirect or circumstantial. What is unique about the Book of Mormon is that it is sustained by direct testimony, corroborated by circumstantial evidence which proves that the witnesses were not mistaken nor deceived, and that they did not tell falsehoods. Following the title page of the Book of Mormon is printed the testimony of three witnesses, who give their deposition in the following earnest and emphatic words:

TESTIMONY OF THREE WITNESSES.

"Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people unto
whom this work shall come, that we, through the grace of God the
Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which
contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and
also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of
Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken; and we
also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of
God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a
surety that the work is true. And we also testify that we have seen
the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown
unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare with
words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and
he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the
plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the
grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld
and bear record that these things are true; and it is marvelous
in our eyes, nevertheless the voice of the Lord commanded us that
we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the
commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. And we know
that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the
blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat
of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And
the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,
which is one God. Amen.

"Oliver Cowdery,

"David Whitmer,

"Martin Harris."

No stronger testimony of the existence of a fact ever has been or can be given than this. Nothing less than a direct revelation from heaven to an individual personally can furnish him more convincing proof than is given by the testimony of {266} these three witnesses. What greater evidence can one ask or desire than this? Here is the most solemn statement made by three men, of sound mind and strict veracity who say the voice of God declared unto them that the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and that an angel from heaven showed them the plates from which the record was translated, and that they know it to be true. Such testimony would be ample to establish a claim in any court on earth.

TESTIMONY OF WITNESSES UNCHANGED.

Many years after the first publication of the Book of Mormon with the names of the three witnesses attached, a gentleman inquired of Oliver Cowdery if he believed the Book of Mormon to be true. The questioner read from the book the names of the three witnesses, and exclaimed, "Mr. Cowdery, do you believe this book?"

"No, sir," was Cowdery's reply.

"But," said the gentleman, "your name is attached to it, and you declare here that you saw an angel, and also the plates from which the book purports to be translated; and now you say you don't believe it. Which time did you tell the truth?"

Mr. Cowdery replied, "My name is attached to that book and what I there have said is true. I did see this; I know I saw it, and faith has nothing to do with it, as a perfect knowledge has swallowed up the faith which I had in the work, knowing, as I do, that it is true."

A few days previous to his death David Whitmer, another of the witnesses, called his family and a number of his friends together and delivered to them his dying testimony. To his physician he said, "Dr. Buchanan, I want you to say whether or not I am in my right mind before I give my last testimony." The doctor replied,

"Yes, you are in your right mind, for I have just had a conversation with you."

Then, addressing all who were gathered at his bedside, he said, "Now you must be faithful in Christ. I want to say to you all that the Bible and the record of the Nephites (Book of Mormon,) are true, so you can say that you have heard me bear my testimony on my deathbed. All be faithful in Christ and your reward will be according to your works. God bless you all. My trust is in Christ forever, worlds without end. Amen."

Martin Harris, the third witness, continued to testify to {267} the truth of his statement concerning the Book of Mormon until the day of his death, which occurred July 10, 1875. The three men were regarded by their neighbors as strictly truthful and honest.

TESTIMONY OF EIGHT WITNESSES.

Besides the three above named witnesses, there are eight others whose testimony concerning the Book of Mormon is given to the world. Their testimony is as follows:

"Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people unto
whom this work shall come, that Joseph Smith, Jr., the translator
of this work, has shewn unto us the plates of which hath been
spoken, which have the appearance of gold; and as many of the
leaves as the said Smith has translated, we did handle with our
hands; and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of which has the
appearance of ancient work, and of curious workmanship. And this we
bear record with words of soberness, that the said Smith has shewn
unto us, for we have seen and hefted, and know of a surety that the
said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken. And we give
our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that we have
seen; and we lie not, God bearing witness of it.

"Christian Whitmer, Hiram Page, Jacob Whitmer, Joseph Smith, Sen.,
Peter Whitmer, Jr., Hyrum Smith, John Whitmer, Samuel H. Smith."

SECULAR PROOF OF THE BOOK OF MORMON.

Proof that the Book of Mormon is authentic will also establish the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Herewith are presented some of the external or outside evidences of the truth of that remarkable work known as the Book of Mormon.

The principal statements contained in the Book of Mormon concerning which there is a possibility of confirmation or corroboration in the annals of modern exploration and research are these:

1. That America was once peopled by a colony who went from Asia at the time of the confusion of tongues, when the inhabitants of the earth undertook to build the Tower of Babel; and that these colonists and their descendants flourished for a period of some sixteen or seventeen centuries, being a highly civilized race, but finally became extinct.

2. That America was again peopled, this time by a colony of the Hebrew race which came from Jerusalem 600 years B. C. That they observed the laws of Moses, had a record of the creation, the flood, etc.

{268} 3. That they, too, developed into a great and highly civilized commonwealth.

4. That they had a knowledge of the coming of the Christ, and that He appeared unto them and taught them the Gospel.

5. That terrible convulsions and destruction of life and property took place at the time of Christ's crucifixion.

COLONISTS FROM THE TOWER OF BABEL.

The Book of Mormon states that a man named Jared, and his brother, and their families, with some other men and their families, being led by the Lord, went from the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, and crossed over to America in barges. There they multiplied and became a great nation, spreading over the land northward, or North America. Finally, about 600 years before Christ the nation became extinct through internal warfare. (See Book of Ether).

Josephus, the Jewish historian, speaking of the events at the time of the dispersion from the Tower of Babel says

"After this they were dispersed abroad, on account of their
languages, and went out by colonies everywhere; and each colony
took possession of that land which they light upon, and _unto
which God led them_; so that the whole continent was filled with
them, both the inland and maritime countries. There were some also
who _passed over the sea in ships_, and inhabited the islands."
--_Antiquities of the Jews_, Book I, Chapter 5.

This account of course does not state specifically that any colony went to America, but it says that colonies went EVERYWHERE, and that some of the people went in ships to distant lands, and to places where God led them.

That two distinct races of civilized beings inhabited ancient America is testified to by a number of archaeologists and explorers. A correspondent to the St. Louis (Missouri) _Globe-Democrat_ writing from Tombstone, Arizona, in 1895, says:

"The remarkable picture rocks and boulders, with strange symbols
upon them, left by the pre-historic races of Arizona, have been
the cause of much discussion among those who have seen them as to
who these ancient hieroglyphic-makers were. These rock records may
be divided into three different kinds, which, it is thought, were
made by _two different races. The first, or very ancient race_,
left records on rocks, in some instances of symbols only, and in
other instances of pictures and symbols combined. The later race,
_which came after the first race had vanished_, made only crude
representations of animals, birds or reptiles, not using symbols or
combinations of lines."

{269} Chamber's Encyclopaedia, under the subject heading "Nicaragua" contains this statement:

"Nicaragua, like the states north of it, was a center of Aztec
civilization; but the Aztecs were preceded by another race likewise
civilized, who have left stone sculptures and monumental remains."

That the origin of the extinct race which formerly inhabited North America is believed by students of American antiquity to date back to the time of the building of the Tower of Babel the following gives evidence:

"One of the arts known to the builders of Babel was that of
brickmaking. 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 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 very soon after the dispersion_.--(Priest's _American
Antiquities_, 1833).

The following is from Rev. D. Lowry's Reply to Official Inquiries respecting the Aborigines of America, written in 1848, and given in Schoolcraft's "Ethnological Researches," &c., vol. iii., published in 1853.

"In view of the best light and information which I have been
able to collect on the subject, my opinion is that the earliest
inhabitants of America were the descendants of Ham, the youngest
son of Noah; and that THE FIRST SETTLEMENT WAS MADE SHORTLY AFTER
THE CONFUSION OF TONGUES AT THE BUILDING OF THE TOWER OF BABEL.
Moses tells us that about that period 'the Lord scattered the
people abroad upon the face of the whole earth.' (Gen. 2: 8, 9).
America, then, according to this portion of sacred history, was at
that time re-occupied by man; for the writer could not have meant
by 'all the earth' only about one-half of it."

Professor T. H. Lewis, an archaeologist of St. Paul, Minnesota, (U. S. A.), who a few years since, made some explorations among the mounds and earthworks of North Dakota, is of the opinion that there were two separate races in Ancient America. He derived this opinion from examining mounds and their contents, which are found in that locality and in many other parts of North America. (Correspondent to Denver _News_, 1890.)

Professor F. W. Putnam, in an article in the _Century Magazine_ for March, 1890, on "Prehistoric Remains in the Ohio Valley," advocates his belief, based upon discoveries and {270} observations in ancient burying grounds, that two races have inhabited America in olden times, and that one originated from the north and the other from the south.

The Book of Mormon makes it clear that the Jaredites occupied that part of the country known as North America, (See Book of Omni, 1: 23), while the race that succeeded them originated in South America, but spread towards the north. (See Book of Alma, 22: 30-34).

A correspondent writing to the New York _Herald_ from San Diego, California, under date of December 10, 1849, says:

"Unlike anything heretofore discovered on this continent, or indeed
in the whole world, we here have presented to our views, as we now
firmly believe, the unbroken history of a people that existed not
only for a great length of time since the building of the Egyptian
pyramids, but contemporary with them, and, what is more wonderful
still, far back and yet still farther into the mazes of antiquity."

In Harper's _Weekly_ for October, 1879, (published in New York), is an article by Henry C. Walsh, entitled "Copan: a City of the Dead." In it he says:

"During the progress of the excavations made by the last Peabody
expedition Mr. Gordon discovered a stone pavement at the southern
end of the great plaza. By digging downwards he came to the walls
and chambers of a building more ancient than and of a different
character from those now above the surface. Here were found
tablets inscribed with characters varying materially from those
on the known monuments. In the adjoining structures above ground
were found blocks of stone, used in the construction, which
had evidently been cut from older sculptures. _All this points
to successive periods of occupation_, of which there are other
evidences."

ORIGIN BEFORE THE CHRISTIAN ERA.

The Book of Mormon states that about 600 years before the birth of Christ a small colony of the Hebrew race left Jerusalem and was led by the Lord to the shores of America. This colony was composed, on the commencement of its journey, of two heads of families, Lehi and Ishmael, their wives and children, and a man named Zoram. They observed the law of Moses, and took with them a record of their forefathers, containing the five books of Moses, giving an account of the creation of the world, of Adam and Eve, and also of the Jews from the beginning down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah. This record was engraved on plates of brass. The youngest of the four sons of Lehi, Nephi by name, was the leading spirit in the company. He also commenced a record of their doing, which he engraved {271} upon plates of metal in the language of the Egyptians, and in what their descendants called reformed Egyptian characters. (See I Nephi, also Mosiah 1: 4, and Mormon 9: 32-33).

That the origin of the American Indians dates back to some period before the Christian era is testified to by a number of archaeologists. Professor Waterman, of Boston, Massachusetts, in a lecture delivered in the Fine Arts Academy, Bristol, in 1849, speaking of the time the forefathers of the Indians went to America, says:

"When and whence, then, 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. Dr.
Morton, after a series of investigations of many of the human
crania found in the sepulchral mounds concluded that they must have
dated back _at least_ 2000 _or_ 3000 _years_. It would not seem
that all the family to which they belonged came with them, as they
were but representatives of a people still in existence in the Old
World, or who had become extinct since they emigrated. This people
could not have been created in Africa, for its inhabitants were
widely dissimilar to 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 American."

Not only does the above quotation express the opinion of scholars that the race referred to originated before the Christian era, but that it originated in Asia, which agrees with the statements in the Book of Mormon.

The following is taken from the Abbé Don Lorenzo Hervas' Letter to the Abbé Clavigero upon the Mexican Calendar, translated by Cullen and published in England in 1787:

"This Calendar has not been the discovery of the Mexicans, but a
communication from some more enlightened people; and as the last
are not to be found in America, we must seek for them elsewhere,
in Asia or in Egypt. This supposition is confirmed by your
affirmation, that the Mexicans had their Calendar from the Toltecas
(originating from Asia), whose year, according to Boturini, was
exactly adjusted by the course of the sun, _more than a hundred
years before the Christian era_."

Dr. Wendell Mees, of Ithaca, New York, in an article published in a Scandinavian paper, _Verdens Gang_, sets forth his views in regard to the origin of the Aztecs, or ancient inhabitants of Mexico. He is of the belief that they went over to America "_as early as the fourth century before Christ_."

OF HEBREW ORIGIN.

The evidences that the American Indians are of Hebrew origin are quite numerous and most conclusive.

{272}

The following is from Adair's "_History of the American Indians_," published in London, in 1775:

"All the various nations of Indians seem to be of one descent. They
call a buffalo, in their various dialects, by one and the same
name, 'Yanasa.' And there is a strong similarity of religious rites
and of civil and martial customs among all the various American
nations of Indians we have any knowledge of on the extensive
continent, as will soon be shown. Their language is copious
and very expressive, for their narrow orbit of ideas, and full
of rhetorical tropes and figures, like the orientalists. . . .
From the most exact observations I could make in the long time
I traded among the Indian Americans, I was forced to believe
them lineally descended from the Israelites, either while they
were a maritime power or _soon after the general captivity_: the
latter, however, is the most probable. ... As the Israelites were
divided into tribes, and had chiefs over them, so the Indians
divide themselves. Each tribe forms a little community within the
nation; and as the nation hath its particular symbol, so hath each
tribe the badge from which it is denominated. The sachem of each
tribe is a necessary party in conveyances and treaties, to which
he affixes the mark of his tribe, as a corporation with us doth
their public seal. If we go from nation to nation among them, we
shall not find one who doth not lineally distinguish himself by
his respective family. . . . Every town has a state-house, or
synedrion, as the Jewish sanhedrim, where, almost every night,
the head men convene about public business. . . . These Indian
Americans pay their religious devoir to _Loak Ishtohoollo-Aba_,
'the great, beneficent, supreme, holy spirit of fire,' who resides
(as they think) above the clouds, and on earth also with unpolluted
people. He is with them the sole author of warmth, light, and
of all animal and vegetable life. They do not pay the least
perceivable adoration to any images, or to dead persons, neither
to the celestial luminaries, nor evil spirits, nor any created
being whatsoever. . . . They flatter themselves with the name
_hottuh oretoopah_, 'the beloved people,' because their supposed
ancestors, as they affirm, were under the immediate government of
the Deity, who was present with them in a very particular manner,
and directed them by prophets, while the rest of the world were
aliens and outlaws to the covenant. . . . The Indian language and
dialects appear to have the very idiom and genius of the Hebrew.
Their words and sentences are expressive, concise, emphatical,
sonorous, and bold, and often, both in letters and signification,
synonymous with the Hebrew language. . . They use many plain
religious emblems of the Divine names, Yohewah, Yah, and Ale; and
these are the roots of a prodigious number of words through their
various dialects. . . In conformity to, or after the manner of the
Jews, the Indian Americans have their prophets, high priests, and
others of a religious order. As the Jews had a sanctum sanctorum,
or most holy place, so have all the Indian nations. . . . . The
Indian tradition says that their forefathers were possessed of
an extraordinary divine spirit, by which they foretold things
future, and controlled the common course of nature; and this they
transmitted to their offspring, provided they obeyed the sacred
laws annexed to it. . . . As the prophets of the Hebrews had
oracular {273} answers, so the Indian magi (who are to invoke Yo
He Wah and mediate with the supreme holy fire, that he may give
seasonable rains), have a transparent stone of supposed great power
in assisting to bring down the rain. . . . The Hebrews offered
_daily sacrifice_. . . . The Indians have a similar religious
service. . . . The Indians have among them the resemblance of the
Jewish _sin offering_ and _trespass-offering_. . . . The Indians
observe another religious custom of the Hebrews in making a
_peace-offering_. . . . They always celebrate the annual expiation
of sins in their religious temples. The red Hebrews imagine their
temples to have such a typical holiness, more than any other
place, that if they offered up the Annual Sacrifice elsewhere,
it would not atone for the people. . . . The Hebrews had various
_ablutions_ and _anointings_, according to the Mosaic ritual,
and all the Indian nations constantly observe similar customs
from religious motives. . . . In the coldest weather, and when
the ground is covered with snow, against their bodily ease and
pleasure, men and children turn out of their warm houses or stoves,
reeking with sweat, singing their usual sacred notes, _Yo, Yo_,
&c., at the dawn of day, adoring Yo He Wah, at the gladsome sight
of the morn; and thus they skip along, echoing praises, till they
get to the river, when they instantaneously plunge into it. . . .
This law of purity (bathing in water) was essential to the Jews,
and the Indians to this day would exclude the men from religious
communion who neglected to observe it. . . . 'Tis well known that
oil was applied by the Jews to the most sacred as well as common
uses: their kings, prophets, and priests, at their inauguration
and consecration, were _anointed with oil_. . . . Like the Jews,
the greatest part of the Southern Indians _abstain_ from the most
things that are in themselves, or in general apprehension of
mankind, loathsome, or _unclean_. . . . They reckon all birds of
prey and birds of night to be unclean and unlawful to be eaten. . .
None of them will eat of any animal whatsoever, if they either know
or suspect that it died of itself. . . . They reckon all those
animals to be unclean that are either carnivorous or live on nasty
food, as hogs, wolves, panthers, foxes, cats, mice, rats. . . . The
Indians, through a strong principle of religion, abstain in the
strictest manner from eating the _blood_ of any animal. . . . The
Indian _marriages, divorces_, and _punishments_ of _adultery_ still
retain a strong likeness to the Jewish laws and customs in these
points. . . . . Many other of the Indian _punishments_ resemble
those of the Jews. . . The Indians strictly adhere more than the
rest of mankind to that positive, unrepealed law of Moses, 'He
who sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.' . . .
There never was any set of people who pursued the Mosaic law of
_retaliation_ with such a fixed eagerness as these Americans. . .
They forgive all crimes at the Annual Atonement of sins, except
murder, which is always punished with death. . . . The Israelites
had _cities of refuge_, or places of safety, for those who killed
a person unawares and without design. . . . According to the same
particular divine law of mercy, each of these Indian nations have
either a house or town of refuge, which is a sure asylum to protect
a manslayer, or the unfortunate captive, if they can once enter
into it Before the Indians go to war, they have many preparatory
ceremonies of _purification_ and _fasting_, like what is recorded
of the Israelites. . . . The Indian ark is deemed so sacred and
dangerous to be touched, either by their own sanctified warriors
or the spoiling enemy, that they durst not {274} touch it upon
any account. . . . The warriors consider themselves as devoted
to God, apart from the rest of the people, while they are at war
accompanying the sacred ark with the supposed holy things it
contains. . . . When they return home victorious over the enemy,
they sing the triumphal song to Yo He Wah, ascribing the victory to
him, according to a religious custom of the Israelites, who were
commanded always to attribute their success in war to Jehovah, and
not to their swords and arrows.

"The Indian manner of _curing their sick_ is very similar to that
of the Jews. They always invoke Yo He Wah a considerable space of
time before they apply any medicines, let the case require ever so
speedy an application. The more desperately ill their patients are,
the more earnestly they invoke the Deity on the sad occasion. . . .
The Indians deem the curing their sick or wounded a very religious
duty, and it is chiefly performed by their supposed prophets and
magi, because they believe they are inspired with a great portion
of divine fire. . . . The surviving brother, by Mosaic law, was to
_raise seed_ to a deceased brother who left a widow childless, to
perpetuate his name and family, and inherit his goods and estate,
or be degraded. The Indian custom looks the very same way; yet
it is in this as in their law of blood--the eldest brother can
redeem. . . Emanuel de Moraes and Acosta affirm that the Brazilians
marry in their own family or tribe. And Jo. de Laet says they call
their uncles and aunts 'fathers and mothers,' which is a custom of
the Hebrews and of all our North American Indians; and he assures
us they mourn very much for their dead, and that their clothes are
like those of the early Jews. . . Acosta writes that the clothes
of the South American Indians are shaped like those of the ancient
Jews. . . Laet, (in his description of America), and Escarbotus
assure us they often heard the South American Indians to repeat the
sacred word _Halliluiah_, which made them admire how they first
attained it. And Malvenda says that the natives of St. Michael had
tombstones, which the Spaniards digged up, with several ancient
Hebrew characters upon them. Peter Martyr writes that the Indian
widow married the brother of her deceased husband, according to
the Mosaic law. . . . Robert Williams, the first Englishman in New
England, who is said to have learned the Indian language, in order
to convert the natives, believed them to be Jews."

Squier's "Antiquities of the State of New York," published in Buffalo, in 1851, confirms a number of the statements made by Adair, which are reproduced in the above extracts from his "History of the American Indians." Squier's work also mentions other similarities that exist between the customs of the Israelites and the Indians.

INDIAN CUSTOMS.

Schoolcraft's "Ethnological Researches," Vol. I (published in 1851) says respecting some of the Indians' customs:

"In regard to the manners, customs, habits, &c, of the wild tribes
of the Western territory, a true and more correct type than any
I have ever seen may be found in the ancient history of the Jews
or {275} Israelites after their liberation from Egyptian bondage.
The 'Medicine Lodge' of the Indian may be compared to the place of
worship or tabernacle of the Jews; and the sacrifices, offerings,
purifications, ablutions, and anointings may be all found amongst
and practiced by those people. The manner of mourning for a
deceased relative is very similar to that of the Israelites. . . .
There could be very numerous and similar analogies made between the
manners and customs of those people and those of the Jews."

The following is taken from Civero and Von Tscudi's "_Peruvian Antiquities_," translated from the original Spanish by Dr. Hawks, and published in New York in 1854.

"Like the Jews, the Indians offer their first fruits; they
keep their new moons, and the feast of expiations at the end
of September, or in the beginning of October; they divide the
year into four seasons, corresponding with the Jewish festivals.
According to Charlevoix and Long, the brother of a deceased husband
receives his widow into his house as a guest, and after a suitable
time considers her as a legitimate consort. In some parts of North
America circumcision is practiced, and of this Acosta and Lopez
de Gomara make mention. But that which most tends to fortify the
opinion as to the Hebrew origin of the American tribes, is a
species of ark, seemingly like that of the Old Testament; this the
Indians take with them to war: it is never permitted to touch the
ground, but rests upon stones or pieces of wood, it being deemed
sacrilegious and unlawful to open it or look into it. The American
priests scrupulously guard their sanctuary, and the high priest
carries on his breast a white shell adorned with precious stones,
which recalls the _Urim_ of the Jewish high priest; of whom we are
also reminded by a band of white plumes on his forehead."

INDIAN PRACTICE RESEMBLING THE PASSOVER.

"It is not generally known that there is a marvelous coincidence
between the traditional stories of the North American Indians and
the Bible story of the Israelites in Egypt. For instance, in the
spring of each year, about the time of the Jewish Passover, a white
dog--the animal must be without spot and blemish--is sacrificed
by the Blood Indians of North-West Canada. The coincidence would
be greater if a sheep were used; but there _are no sheep_ in the
territory, and hence a white dog is used. The blood of the animal
is then sprinkled on the entrances to the Indian tepees or wigwams.
The flesh, of the animal is afterwards roasted at midnight, and the
whole camp partake of it, _with loins girt_, and in full marching
order, just as the Israelites did in the time of Pharaoh. When
the food has been eaten, the entire camp silently march into the
woods, a distance of several miles. There the medicine-men go
apart, and privately plant some tobacco-seed, the fruit of which,
when ripe, is used for the same ceremony the following year. This
is a marvelous coincidence, and the missionaries to that region
say the custom has been handed down from times immemorial. This
curious tradition is now published for the first time."--_Sunday
Companion_, November 28, 1896.

{276}

TRADITION OF A SACRED BOOK. A work on the origin of the American Indians, by C. Colton, (London, 1833), says respecting their traditional belief:

"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 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 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."

This tradition is a remarkable corroboration of the record contained in the Book of Mormon.

The testimony on record to prove that the Ancient Indians are of Israelitish origin is too voluminous to reproduce here. The above is sufficient and conclusive. Lord Kingsborough's great work on the "Antiquities of Mexico," published in 1830-37, was written especially to prove that the Indians were Israelites.

ACQUAINTED WITH THE OLD TESTAMENT RECORD.

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 {277} 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.

TRADITION OF MOSES.

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."

TRADITION OF EVE.

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:

TRADITION OF THE FLOOD.