Sacred Metalic [sic] Plates

SACRED METALIC PLATES.

BY O. PRATT.

The Sacred Stones, with inscribed Hebrew characters, are creating quite a sensation among archaeologists. Ancient American history seems to be revealing itself from the archives of the tomb; and the learned are beginning to ask, Who were the people who constructed the ancient mounds of the New World, and wrote in ancient Hebrew characters, extracts and sentiments from the Hebrew Scriptures? The Nephite history, translated from the Gold Plates, and published nearly thirty-seven years ago, replies, that they were Israelites, not the ten tribes, but the descendants of Joseph and Judah. The Nephites were principally the descendants of Manasseh, the son of Joseph. The Prophet Nephi and his small company wore brought out of Jerusalem, eleven years before the Babylonish captivity, or six centuries before Christ; they sailed from the southern portions of Arabia over the Indian and Pacific oceans, landing on the Western coast of South America, not far from where now stands the city of Valparaiso, in Chili. In the first year of the captivity, the Lord led forth another small company from Jerusalem, under the leadership of Mulek, one of the sons of Zedekiah. Mulek was consequently a descendant of Judah, through the lineage of king David. This last company landed in North America, some distance North of the Isthmus of Darien, and soon after, emigrated into the northern portions of South America, where they dwelt, until they were discovered by the Nephites who united with them. This union took place some four centuries after the land was colonized from Jerusalem. During this long period, the Mulekites had become much degenerated: not having brought any copies of the Scriptures with them from Asia, their language had become so corrupted, that the two nations could not understand each other: but, by constant intercourse with the people of Nephi, they were reclaimed, and taught properly in the language and religion of their fathers.

But when did the Nephites send forth their colonies into North America? The Nephite history says, “And it came to pass that in the thirty and seventh year of the reign of the Judges,” (being the 546th year from the time Nephi left Jerusalem, and the 54th year before Christ,) “there was a large company of men, even to the amount of five thousand and four hundred men, with their wives and their children, departed out of the land of Zarahemla,” (the Northern part of South America,) “into the land which was northward.

And it came to pass that Hagoth, he being an exceeding curious man, therefore he went forth and built him an exceeding large ship, on the borders of the land Bountiful, by the land Desolation, and launched it forth into the west sea, by the narrow neck which led into the land northward. And behold, there were many of the Nephites who did enter therein, and did sail forth with much provisions, and also many women and children; and they took their course northward. And thus ended the thirty and seventh year. And in the thirty and eighth year, this man built other ships, the first ship did also return, and many more people did enter into it; and they also took much provisions, and set out again to the land northward. And it came to pass that they wore never heard of more. And we suppose that they were drowned up in the depths of the sea. And it came to pass that one other ship also did sail forth; and whither she did go, we know not. And it came to pass that in this year, there were many people who went forth into the land northward. And thus ended the thirty and eighth year. And it came to pass in the thirty and ninth year of the reign of the Judges, Shiblon died also, and Corianton had gone forth to the land northward, in a ship, to carry forth provisions unto the people who had gone forth into that land; therefore it became expedient for Shiblon to confer those sacred things, before his death, upon the son of Helaman, who was called Helaman, being called after the name of his father. Now behold, all those engravings which were in the possession of Helaman were written and sent forth among the children of men, throughout all the land.” (Book of Mormon p. 387)

“And it came to pass in the forty and sixth year, yea, there was much contention and many dissensions; in the which there were an exceeding great many who departed out of the land of Zarahemla, and went forth unto the land northward to inherit the land; and they did travel to an exceeding great distance, insomuch that they came to large bodies of water, and many rivers; yea, and even they did spread forth into all parts of the land, into whatsoever parts it had not been rendered desolate, and without timber, because of the many inhabitants who had before inherited the land.1 And now no part of the land was desolate save it were for timber, &c.; but because of the greatness of the destruction of the people who had before inhabited the land, it was called desolate. And there being but little timber upon the face of the land, nevertheless the people who went forth, became exceeding expert in the working of cement; therefore they did build houses of cement, in the which they did dwell. And it came to pass that they did multiply and spread, and did go forth from the land southward to the land northward, and did spread insomuch that they began to cover the face of the whole earth, from the sea south to the sea north, from the sea west to the sea east. And the people who were in the land northward, did dwell in tents, and in houses of cement, and they did suffer whatsoever tree should spring up upon the face of the land, that it should grow up, that that in time they might have timber to build their houses, yea, their cities, and their temples, and their synagogues, and their sanctuaries, and all manner of their buildings. And it came to pass as timber was exceeding scarce in the land northward, they did send forth much by the way of shipping; and thus they did enable the people in the land northward, that they might build many cities, both of wood and cement. And it came to pass that there were many of the people of Ammon, who were Lamanites, by birth, did also go forth into this land.

And there were many records kept of the proceedings of this people, by many of this people, which are particular, and very large, concerning them; but behold, a hundredth part of the proceedings of this people, yea, the account of the Lamanites, and of the Nephites, and their wars, and contentions, and dissentions, and their preaching, and their prophecies, and their shipping, and their building of ships, and their building of temples, and of synagogues, and their sanctuaries, and their righteousness, and their wickedness, and their murders, and their robbings, and their plundering, and all manner of abominations, and whoredoms, cannot be contained in this work; but behold there are many Books, and many records of every kind, and they have been kept chiefly by the Nephites, and they have been handed down from one generation to another by the Nephites.” p. 393.

During the first ten years, after the Nephite emigration commenced from South to North America, there must undoubtedly have been several hundred thousand souls spread over the North wing of the continent. Many of these were settled along the western coast, while others afterwards boldly penetrated into the great interior, travelling a great distance, and font tied colonies, near “LARGE BODIES OF WATER, AND MANY RIVERS.” From the description, their country must have bordered upon the great lakes, in the vast region of the mounds, embracing some fifteen hundred thousand square miles in the great Mississippi valley. It must be borne in mind, that this great influx of Israelites from the South to the North, commenced near the beginning of the first half century before Christ. And during the next four centuries, the whole continent both North and South, became densely populated.

But they were divided into two separate nations, the Lamanites occupying South, and the Nephites, North America. This Was their position three hundred and seventy-five years after Christ, at which period, after the continent had been convulsed by war for fifty years, the Lamanites began to prevail over the Nephites, and drove them from the Isthmus, and from various parts of the land, burning and destroying their towns and cities. And finally, in the three hundred and eighty-fourth year after Christ, the whole Nephite nation having been collected in the interior of the State of New York, were overpowered and destroyed, the Lamanites alone remaining in possession of the land. The Prophet Moroni, who had possession of the Gold Plates, kept himself hid from the Lamanites, and continued his history, until four hundred and twenty years after Christ, and being commanded of the Lord, hid up the Plates in the hill Cumorah, in Ontario county, in the State of New York, where they remained a little over fourteen centuries, being discovered to Joseph Smith by an angel of God, and obtained by him, Sept. 22nd, 1827.

These plates were seen by twelve men who lived in that part of the State, four of whom, including the translator, also saw them in the hands of an holy angel in his glory, and heard the voice of God, testifying to the correctness of their translation by the Prophet Joseph Smith, through the gift and power of God: after which the plates, by the command of God, were again hid up, under the charge of the-angel, to be hereafter revealed in the Lord’s own due time. The English translation was published early in the spring of 1830. The solemn testimonies of the twelve witnesses, are prefixed to the printed editions, in the eight different languages into which this ancient American Bible has already been translated.

Before proceeding further, we unhesitatingly say, that there are no discoveries, since the New World was revealed to Europeans, that, in the least, militate against the true and faithful history, which God has revealed in the wonderful Book of Mormon. But, on the contrary, there is a world of evidence, derived from both internal and external sources, from American antiquities, and from the religious customs, traditions, and languages of the aborigines, to establish the divine authenticity of that sacred Rook upon a basis, as firm and immoveable as the Rock of ages.