New Book of Mormon Evidences

NEW BOOK OF MORMON EVIDENCES

Elder J. M. Sjodahl

RECENT exploration of the French aviators, Captain Cormiglion Molinier and Andrew Malraux, should be of special interest to students of the Book of Mormon.

M. Malraux, about a month ago, reported that he and his companion had flown over the ruins of an ancient city which they believed to be the remains of the once great capital of the Queen of Sheba. They gave the location as near the Persian Gulf, about one thousand miles southeast of Jerusalem.

The report dwells particularly on the fact that the Arabs living there are so hostile that a landing among them would be death to explorers, even if they could overcome the difficulties of procuring food and water. In fact, a later attempt to land near the ruins had to be abandoned on account of the murderous hostility of the natives.

This is, indeed, in my judgment, an instructive commentary on the account of Nephi of the journey of Lehi and his companions from Jerusalem to the coast of the ocean. For they must have passed through this territory.

Lehi travelled, as is well known, southward to the Red Sea, and then three days along the coast of that water to a valley which they called Lemuel, watered by the river Laman (1 Nephi 2:8, 14) …

When they were ready to continue their journey, they crossed the river and travelled four days south-southeast, to a place which they called Shazer (1 Nephi 16:13). Then they travelled for “many days,” in the same direction, still following the coast of the Red Sea (1 Nephi 16:17). Their camping place here is not mentioned by name (1 Nephi 16:17). Again they travelled for “many days” to a place called Nahom. It was here that Ishmael died (1 Nephi 33:34).

This may, possibly, have been in the vicinity of Medina, or Mekka. At any rate, here they changed their course to “nearly eastward” (1 Nephi 17:1), and continued in this direction for eight years, until they came to a place by the ocean, which they called Bountiful (1 Nephi 17:5).

Now, Nephi in his account of this extraordinary journey tells us that the travellers suffered “much affliction, hunger, thirst,” as well as fatigue. He notes specially that they had to eat “raw meat,” not being permitted to make “much fire.” The Lord would make the food palatable, and He would also be their “light” (1 Nephi 17:2, 12, 13).

The obvious inference is that Lehi and his company were travelling through a hostile country, avoiding the common trade routes, and not betraying their whereabouts, not even by smoke from camp fires. Fire for sacrifices they probably had, according to the Mosaic law, but not fire for their own comfort. It is this detail of the Book of Mormon account of the sufferings of the colony of Lehi across the Arabian peninsula, that receives a new illustration in the report of the French explorers concerning the hostility of the Arabs, even now.

But why this hostility at the time of Lehi?

That is an interesting story of its own.

ACCORDING to the Old Testament accounts, the tribe of Simeon received its portion in the southern part of Palestine adjacent to the magnificent portion of Judah. The tribe, at the time of the entrance into Canaan, had been reduced from 59,300 able-bodied men at the time of the Exodus (Numbers 1:23), to 22,000 on reaching Canaan (Numbers 24:14). That, naturally, meant a corresponding loss of prestige. The cities and villages allotted to the tribe of Simeon, and occupied by that tribe until the time of David, are enumerated in 1 Chronicles 4:24-38. Afterwards however, some of these cities are mentioned as belonging to Judah (1 Kings 19:3), wherefore there must have been a serious clash between the two tribes. Later, some of the Simeonites emigrated to a place called “Gedor,” which is said to be on “the east side of the valley,” while another part, 500 strong, went to Mount Seir, where they took possession of the land of the Amalekites. The tribe of Simeon was thus scattered over a wide area of the Arabian peninsula. It is stated that they increased greatly (1 Chronicles 4:38).

Some even are of the opinion that the chief and best features of the religion that bears the name of Mohammed were really originated by the Simeonites, who had left Palestine. They believe that it was some of the scattered members of this tribe who made Mekka a sacred place, in imitation of Jerusalem.

Be this as it may. But with this bit of history in mind, we can understand why Lehi could not travel openly, on the regular trade routes between India and Syria, or India and Egypt, and why they had to exercise the greatest precautions and shun the inhabited regions. A little band of Jews from Jerusalem would have been destroyed by the fugitive descendants of Simeon; that is, by Arabs, who always have entertained feelings of resentment and contempt for the Jews.

Another kind of evidence has recently been furnished by Dr. Byron Cummings, professor of Archaeology at the University of Arizona. The professor has recently returned from an expedition into Mexico, and, as a result of research there, he is convinced that the prehistoric Indians of Northern Chihuahua were related to the Pueblo Indians of Arizona and New Mexico.

According to an Associated Press dispatch, Dr. Cummings said that in almost every detail of building construction of the great pueblos on the mesas of Chihuahua were indications that the builders were related to the ancient inhabitants of Arizona and New Mexico. He also found a similarity in pottery.

For years, scientists have wondered whether the Northern Mexico Indians of the Archaic age and those of Arizona, known as the Gila people, were related. Dr. Cummings said he believes the two came from the same family, and, while they undoubtedly possessed some distinguishing tribal characteristics, they belonged to the same great pueblo family that swept up from Central Mexico thousands of years ago and spread over Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and possibly some other more northern states. Dr. Cummings led his party first to Colonia Dublan, Casa Grandes and Colonia Juarez and then southwestward into the Sierra Madre, to visit the pueblos, believed to have been built between 700 and 1200 years ago.

One great ruin was found near Casa Grandes. It covers much more ground than the Casa Grande of Arizona, Dr. Cummings said. A series of 15 great mounds may be seen, which “must have covered structures once at least four stories high with an immense wall,” he said.

To students of the Book of Mormon the importance of correct knowledge of the connection between the occupants of the “ Narrow Neck of Land ” and those of the North and the South is apparent. It is this connection that scientific research is gradually establishing.

By and by the scientific evidence for the Book of Mormon will be as complete as that for the Bible, and more so. All the world will be made to realize that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of the Lord, and that the Book of Mormon is a great beacon light on the road to the redemption of mankind from all evils— financial, political and moral.—(Deseret News, April 21, 1934.)