Divine Origin of the Book of Mormon (13 June 1881)

DIVINE ORIGIN OF THE BOOK OF MORMON.

BY APOSTLE MOSES THATCHER.

[Concluded from page 356.]

Thus from a copy of a single ancient Indian book which fortunately escaped the fate of the many which furnished fuel for numerous fanatical bonfires, we learn sufficient we think, to convince every thoughtful, unprejudiced reader that at least one important branch of the ancient inhabitants of America possessed, previous to the conquest of the country by the Spaniards, very remarkable knowledge of matters pertaining to the creation of the world The questions therefore, naturally arise, where, and when did they become possessed of this knowledge? so far as the Christian civilized world is generally informed, the great lawgiver muses was the first to write and give detailed information upon this important and extremely interesting subject Did the knowledge had by the Quiches come from that source and if so, when and in what manner did it reach this continent? On the other hand if the writings of the inspired historian were not the source from whence they derived their information of the creation, where did they get it? did God, through their prophets and revelatory reveal it to them direct? let us consider these questions with the view of throwing light, if we can, upon a mystery which has seemed greatly ho puzzle tho wise of several generations, This having been and shill remaining the case it may be well for our readers to remember that “the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God.”

Before referring for information to the Book of Mormon, we will make a few comments on a paragraph which we have already quoted from “The North Americans of Antiquity,” as follows, “the copy is stated ambiguously to have been made to replace the original ‘Popol Vuh’ — national book which was lost how a book that had been lost could be copied literally the Father (Ximinez) falls to tell us.” Now, we have already shown by quotations from Baldwin (p. 193) that the “Popol Vuh” was written in the year 1558, as an “abridged reproduction” of a very ancient Quiche book. Francisco Ximinez made his translation about one hundred and sixty years later, and which may indeed have been a literal copy of the abridgment, but not of the original, to which he doubtless refers as having been lost. Again, Ximinez having “about A.D. 1720 and subsequently,” may have secured a literal copy of the “abridged reproduction,” which may also have been afterwards lost. We have an account of other lost books, which were probably of greater value, and which would prove, by reason of their details, far more interesting, if we had them, than even the original unabridged “Popol Vuh’’ would be likely to do if we had it.

In the year 1735, the Countess Santibany, who claimed to be a descendant of Montezuma, employed, as her agent, Chevalier Boturini, to go from Italy to America, in her interest. He remained in Mexico and Central America eight years, and succeeded in making, during that time, the finest collection of ancient manuscripts known to have been gathered together on this continent; and the value of which he fully understood. His diligence and years of labor were rewarded, when about to leave Mexico, by being thrown into prison and robbed of his treasure by the Spanish viceroy. Succeeding finally in leaving with a portion of his collection, he was captured by an English cruiser and again despoiled. Preserving from the wreck of his former magnificent collection only sufficient material from which to compile one small volume of less than three hundred pages, which was published at Madrid, by Juan de Zuruga, A.D. 1746. The manuscripts of which he had been despoiled in Mexico were sold seventy years later, at auction. Humboldt, being present at the time, secured a portion of them. M. Aubin, having secured the remainder, made additions thereto, and took them to France; and it is believed that his is the best collection now in Europe. Desire Charnay, in part five of “The Ruins of Central America,” published in “The North American Review” of January 1881, says that the historian Veytia, who bad the privilege of examining the Boturini collection, “bitterly bemoans the loss of the most precious of all these documents, the Teoamoxtli— Book of God, or of divine and sacred things— a work composed by Hueman,1 a sort of Toltec Bible, containing the laws, the religious precepts, the traditions, and all facts relating to Toltec history, from the remotest period.”

We make the following quotation from the inspired historian Moses: “So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth; and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.” (Gen. xi, 8, 9.)

This historical item carries us back in our researches, according to Bible chronology, four thousand one hundred and twenty-seven years; a date beyond that which the scientists of our age have been able to definitely fix the fir-t inhabiting of these continents. By it we not only learn that the Lord did confound the language of the people at the tower of Babel, but that he also “scattered them abroad upon the face of all the earth.” Now, how could this be accomplished without scattering some of them upon the Western Hemisphere, as well as others upon the Eastern? Was not the former, at that date of the world’s history, a part of “the face of all the earth,” as well as the latter? A supposition that it was not, would be so weak and inconsistent, so utterly opposed to reason, as well as to the developments of science, that it must fail to find among the thoughtful either support or credence. That the people were “scattered” upon the face of the old world is a fact so well authenticated and so well understood, that we deem it unnecessary to adduce historical citations in relation thereto. We may, however, be, by some considered not only presuming, but egotistical, in venturing the assertion that when the histories, pertaining to America, which have been preserved shall have been as carefully and diligently studied as those pertaining to the old world have been, the fact that a portion of the people who were at the tower of Babel, when the language of all the earth was confounded, were “scattered” from thence upon the face of the new world, will be equally and generally as well understood. Thus the declaration of the historian Moses, that the Lord did scatter them “abroad upon the face of all the earth” shall be fully verified by the writings of those who were far removed from his earthly stage of action. And thus, though dead, their words still magnify and praise and do continue to honor the name of Him that made the heavens and the earth, and all things that therein are. We will here make a few quotations from the Book of Mormon, bearing upon this subject:

“And now I, Moroni, proceed to give an account of those ancient inhabitants who were destroyed by the hand of the Lord upon the face of this north country (North America). And I take mine account from the twenty and four plates which were found by the people of Limhi, which is called the book of Ether. And as I suppose that the first part of this record, which speaks concerning the creation of the world, and also of Adam, and an account from that time even to the great tower (Babel), and whatsoever things transpired among the children of men until that time, is had among the Jews; therefore I do not write those things which transpired from the days of Adam until that time; but they are had upon the plates, and whoso findeth them, the same will have power that he may get the full account.” (Book of Ether, i: 1-4; Book of Mormon, n. e., p. 570-1.) “Which Jared came forth with his brother and their families, with some others and their families, from the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, and sware in his wrath that they should be scattered upon all the face of the earth; and according to the word of the Lord the people were scattered.” (Ib. p. 571, v. 33.)

Here, then, we find the inspired record of the historian Moses, written upon the Eastern Hemisphere, confirmed by the no less inspired writings of the historian Ether, who wrote nearly twenty-five hundred years ago upon the Western Hemisphere; bearing testimony, not only of the creation, but of the fact of his forefathers having been brought to America from the tower at the time the Lord confused the language of all the earth. Later we shall refer frequently to the book of Ether, as abridged by Moroni about A.D. 400. The latter was a descendant of Nephi, the youngest of four brothers, who, with their father’s family and a few others, came to America from Jerusalem during the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, 600 B.C. To the emigration of this family, as well as to those of Jared and his brother and their families aud friends, we shall, in the course of this series, frequently refer, making detailing comparisons between the Book of Mormon record of these wanderings and the knowledge of the same, which to us through the writings of the early Spanish historians, who followed closely Indian records and traditions at the time of, and subsequent to, the conquest. At present, however, it is only to our purpose to add that Nephi, being favored of the Lord, secured, on leaving Jerusalem, the records, engraven on brass plates, of his forefathers; and among these, as he states, was a copy of the five books of Moses. Hence, we learn that there were at least two records existing in America at a very remote period (600 B.C.), containing, among other things, an account of the creation; the first being written upon the gold plates of Ether, which were found by the people of Limhi, and the second upon the brass plates brought by Nephi from Jerusalem.

Having secured this information, it no longer appears difficult to understand how the Quiches and other branches of the original inhabitants of America became possessed of facts which, though adulterated by the errors of superstitious vagaries, introduced, no doubt, by false priests and uninspired writers subsequent to the death of their prophets, comes to us, nevertheless, sufficiently clear and comprehensive to convince, we trust, every honest reader desiring the truth, that one of two things occurred, namely: that the ancient inhabitants of this country brought a knowledge of the creation of the world with them from the Eastern to the Western Hemisphere, or that God who revealed the facts pertaining thereto to Moses there, did likewise to those living here; for the two accounts are too nearly identical to indicate separate or distinct original sources.