More Book of Mormon Evidence

MORE BOOK OF MORMON EVIDENCE.

An American paper of recent date, the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, gives An account of a relic of American antiquity. This relic is said to be a sword of bronze and hammered iron, bearing inscriptions, the character of which is acknowledged to be Chaldaic. It was secured some seven years ago by a curiosity dealer who purchased it from an Indian in Yucatan, and it is now the property of Senor Gonzale M. Moliner, a resident of the city of Mexico, who will soon lay it before the Smithsonian Institute. A full description of the the sword with its ancient writings is given In the account. To the Latter-day Saints this discovery is not at all strange, though to the world in general it may be mysterious. The paper commenting on this discovery, says:—

There will shortly be presented to the savants of Europe and America a relic of antiquity rescued from the dust of the dim dawn of human life in the Western World, which promises to at once throw light on the origin of man in the Western Hemisphere, and prove the open sesame to further reading of the early races of the Earth in the far east.

It is with difficulty that one can suppress a smile on reading this comment. For more than sixty years the “Open Sesame” to the history of the people who once dwelt on the American continent as well as the early races of the far east so far as the American ancients are connected with them, has been in existence and has been offered to the world as a solution to the mystery enveloping this ancient people, but it has been rejected by the majority. That “open sesame” is the Book of Mormon.

Archaeologists are laboring assiduously to unearth relics supposed to be hidden in the ruined cities of Central and the northern part of South America, in the ancient mounds, and in the habitations and tombs of the cliff-dwellers. To them each discovery forms a key to a portion of the history they seek. The discovery of a sword bearing Chaldean characters is of the greatest value in their eyes. But the discovery of a number of gold plates covered with characters, some of which may have been similar if not identical with those found on the sword, is considered of no value. This may seem a paradox, but it is nevertheless true. The cause for this lies in the fact that the discovery of these plates was not a matter of chance or accident, and the translation of their inscriptions was not the work of man’s wisdom. To be plainer: Joseph Smith was guided by the instructions of an angel to the spot where these plates lay hidden, and they were translated by the power of God instead of by the imperfect knowledge of the ancient languages possessed by man to-day. For these reasons that discovery has been, and is still, rejected.

Let us look at it from another point of view. The sword recently discovered, even if the inscriptions upon it be read aright, can indicate only in an indefinate way the origin of the people once occupying America. It can not give their history in any degree whatever. In fact it will only intensify the mystery inasmuch as it will destroy former theories of the origin of the Indians. The Book of Mormon, however, tells us all that can be desired. It gives the names of two families that left Jerusalem 600 years before Christ and were miraculously guided to the western coast of South America, where they took up their abode. They were of Israelitish descent; one family consisted of the father, Lehi, his wife and four unmarried sons, the other of the father, Ishmael, his wife, two sons and their families, and five daughters; they were also accompanied by Zoram a servant of one of the Fathers in Israel. On the American continent they grew into a mighty people; but dissensions had arisen, even on the journey, and these gradually grew into hatred, the two oldest sons of Lehi rebelling. Two distinct people were thus formed, one being called Lamanites, and the other Nephites. The Lamanites, being wicked, were cursed by God and became a dark skinned people. They were the pro genitors of the American Indians. The Nephites were a white people that became skilled in manufacture, agriculture and architecture. The two peoples were most of the time at war with each other, the Nephites, who were generally defending themselves against Lamanite attacks, finally being exterminated, God having forsaken them because they had dwindled into unbelief and wickedness. Of all this the Book of Mormon informs us. It gives a history of the religion of these people, of their wars with each other, of the coming of the Savior, of the upheavals and convulsions of nature at the time of His crucifixion and death during which many of their largest cities were buried in the earth, of the Savior’s visit to this people after His resurrection, of the establishment of His church among them, of their extinction and the burial of their records—all this is told by the Book of Mormon. It furnishes a complete history and clears all mystery regarding the ancient inhabitants of America.

The recent discoveries only serve to substantiate the Book of Mormon and its descriptions of cities, localities, customs, etc., matters which in past years have been ridiculed as impossible. As recent discoveries in Asia are verifying the truth of the Bible so these discoveries in America are adding evidence to the truth of the Book of Mormon. Yet this latter, the greatest discovery of all, is rejected.

Can we expect anything else? Scarcely. We see thousands abandoning the Gospel as taught in the Scriptures and delving into the myths and traditions of oriental religions for what they call original truths, rummaging among the ruins of what once was in preference to accepting the plain truth as given by the Savior. So to-day we see the scientific world searching among the ruins of cities built hundreds and thousands of years ago, to learn a little of America’s ancient inhabitants, in preference to accepting their entire history at the hands of the instruments chosen by God to bring it to light. But let the world go on in their endeavor to get at the truth without the aid of revelation. All that they do discover will become simply additional evidence of the truth of the Book of Mormon and the latter-day work begun in this century. J.V.B.