INDIRECT EXTERNAL EVIDENCES--AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES. PRELIMINARY
CONSIDERATIONS.
In dealing with the indirect external evidences to the truth of the
Book of Mormon supplied by American antiquities, embracing in that term
archaeology, mythology, traditions, ethnology, languages, etc., it
should be observed that the Book of Mormon is not a specific work upon
any of these subjects. Nor is it a work on physical geography; nor even
a history, in the modern sense of that term. Furthermore, while the
purpose of the book is mainly religious, it is not a formal treatise
even upon religion. But while the Book of Mormon has limitations in
all the directions noted, it is a fact that American antiquities,
mythologies, traditions, etc., may be of great importance in sustaining
its truth. I therefore begin the consideration of this branch of
evidence by inquiring what conditions respecting the location and
nature of American monuments of civilization the Book of Mormon demands.
I.
_What the Book of Mormon Requires as to the Location and Character
of the Jaredite Civilization._
It has been shown in a preceding chapter [1] that the first people who
inhabited North America after the flood were a colony that came from
the Euphrates Valley, about the time of the confusion of languages at
Babel, under the leadership of a prophet of the name of Moriancumr,
and his brother Jared; that this colony made their first settlement
somewhere in the region of country known in modern times as Central
America; that they called their first city Moron, which from the time
of its establishment, with brief, intermittent periods, remained the
seat of government and the chief center of the civilization of the
great Jaredite nation, up to the time of the latter's destruction, in
the early part of the sixth century B. C.--a period of sixteen hundred
years.
From the City of Moron the Jaredites extended their colonization
schemes southward along the isthmus to South America, and northward to
the great lakes. Their greatest activities, however, and the centers
of their civilization were in Central America; and it is there we must
look for the most extensive and enduring monuments of civilization
in the western world; and expect the monuments to have some of the
characteristics of the monuments of the ancient civilization of the
Euphrates Valley. [2]
II.
_What the Book of Mormon Requires as to the Location, Extent and
Nature of the Nephite Civilization._
In considering this subject I shall take no account of the colony
of Mulek beyond noting the fact that previous to the union of their
descendants, with the Nephites under Mosiah I, about two hundred years
B. C., they did not affect to any considerable extent the civilization
of the country, and hence I shall consider them under the same head as
the Nephites.
Concerning the Nephites and their civilization, the Book of Mormon
requires the proof that a colony of Israelites left Jerusalem about six
hundred years B. C., carrying with them the Hebrew Scriptures; that
they made a voyage from thence to the west coast of America; that there
were four brothers in the colony, among whom there was a contention
about leadership; that the younger brother had the greater weight of
influence with the colony, and became practically its leader; that
they were directed in their journey by miraculous means--an instrument
consisting of a ball of brass with spindles in it which indicated
the direction of their travels, receiving upon its burnished surface
from time to time instructions for their guidance--called by them
Liahona; that because of jealousies among the four brothers the colony
was divided, [3] the younger brother leading away northward the more
righteous part of the colony from which separation arose two people,
one civilized, the other, in comparison with the first, barbarous; that
the civilized people, those following the younger brother, removed
gradually northward because of the repeated depredations of their
relentless enemies, the Lamanites; that during the period of some four
hundred years they removed from the place of their first landing to a
region of country northward; that in this land about two hundred B. C.
the more righteous part of the people again separated from the rest
and made their way still further northward to the great valley of what
they called the Sidon river, and there united with the descendants of
Mulek's colony and formed the Nephite-Zarahemla nation, but they were
called Nephites; that this people extended their cities and provinces
throughout the northern part of the north continent, colonizing even a
portion of the narrow neck of land connecting the two continents; that
they were in frequent conflict, and waged great wars with the barbarous
people who still pressed upon them from the south; that in the year 55
B. C. they began migrating northward from Central America; that ship
building was inaugurated by one Hagoth on the west side of Central
America; that the people moved northward in great numbers by means of
these vessels as well as by land; that two of these vessels going far
northward, drifted out into the great ocean and were lost--at least
to the Nephites; that there were frequent wars between the civilized
people and the barbarians; that the birth of Messiah was evidenced
by the appearance of a new star in the heavens, and by a night which
continued brilliant as day from the setting of the sun to the rising
thereof; that at the crucifixion of Messiah, during the three hours
that he hung upon the cross at Jerusalem, the western world was visited
by an unparalleled series of cataclysms which convulsed the whole land,
destroying many cities, some being buried by mountains that were thrown
up by convulsions of the earth, and others being sunk in the depths of
the sea; that these dreadful convulsions of the earth were followed
by three days of total darkness; that some time after these awful
cataclysms the risen Messiah appeared in person to a multitude in the
region of country in South America east and south of the Isthmus of
Panama and including part of that Isthmus, [4] that he proclaimed his
relationship to God, held himself forth as the Son of God, taught the
doctrine of the Atonement, instituted the Christian sacraments of baptism
and the Lord's supper, chose twelve disciples and authorized the
organization of a church to teach the doctrine of Christ and perfect, by
its watchful care, those who accepted it; that this introduction of the
gospel of Christ was followed by a period of universal peace and
prosperity--a veritable golden age--through nearly three centuries;
that after this the people declined in moral and spiritual excellence
until they were in complete apostasy; that a series of civil wars and
the rise of robber bands undermined government, and that about the
close of the fourth century, A. D., the government was destroyed, the
people divided into small bands or tribes and anarchy prevailed.
Only two other remarks are necessary to complete the consideration of
what the Book of Mormon Nephite period requires of American antiquities
in order to derive from them evidence in support of its truth. The
first of these is the fact that Nephite occupancy of the western world
is confined for the most part, at least, to the north continent; that
while it is true that their settlements in the north became somewhat
extensive, the progress of them was checked by frequent wars between
Nephites and Lamanites, and also by the depredations of robber bands
which infested the land up to the time of the crucifixion of Messiah;
that at the crucifixion of Messiah occurred these tremendous cataclysms
which convulsed the whole land resulted in the destruction of so many
of the people that during this period of some eighty-eight years--from
55 B. C. to 33 A. D.--the period of time the Nephites spread out over
the north continent, previous to the advent of Messiah, they could not
have erected many monuments of civilization that would survive the
ravages of ages. After the destruction which swept over both western
continents during the crucifixion of Messiah, the people were so
reduced in numbers that it would be some time before they could begin
to occupy the land to any great extent, still, during the more than
two hundred years of righteousness and peace which followed Messiah's
advent among them, the Nephites doubtless became very numerous and the
arts of peace would very greatly develop. At the close of this period,
however, civil wars again checked their progress, and they entered upon
that period of rapid decline in all that makes for the stability of
government and permanency of civilization, until at the close of the
fourth century A. D., anarchy prevailed only to be followed by Lamanite
barbarism, which exerted its every effort to destroy government,
overthrow civilization, and destroy every monument and vestige of that
religion against which chiefly the Lamanites had waged war. [5]
In the second remark referred to a moment since, I would call attention
to the fact that there exists evidence which leads one to believe
that the Nephites constructed their buildings of perishable material;
chiefly, I think, of wood, a circumstance which will go far towards
accounting for the fact that there is but little evidence of the
existence of a great civilized nation possessing temples, synagogues,
palaces, etc., in the northern part of North America. The Nephite
civilization rose to its highest development previous to the coming
of the Messiah in the south part of the north continent. The reasons
for this conclusion are to be found in several passages of the Book
of Mormon, where the specific statement is made that the people were
taught to work in all manner of wood, iron, copper, etc.; but no
mention is made of their being skilled in the working of stone. For
example, the first Nephi says: "And I did teach my people to build
buildings; and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of
copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of
precious ores, which were in great abundance." [6] Again, in the book
of Jarom, it is written: "And we multiplied exceedingly, and spread
upon the face of the land, and became exceeding rich in gold, and in
silver, and in precious things, and in fine workmanship of wood, in
buildings, and in machinery, and also in iron and copper, and brass and
steel, making all manner of tools of every kind to till the ground, and
weapons of war." [7] After migrations into the north continent began,
one of the things which seemed to be a cause of regret on the part of
the Nephites was the lack of timber in that land. Referring to this,
Mormon, in his abridgment of Helaman's reference to it, says: "And now
no part of the land was desolate, save it were for timber. * * * And
there being but little timber upon the face of the land [northward],
nevertheless the people who went forth became exceedingly expert in
the working of cement; therefore they _did build houses of cement in
the which they did dwell_;" but this period brings them into the south
part of the north continent. "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 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 scare 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 of cement." [8] These statements, I believe, justify the conclusion
that the Nephites, in the main, used timber--perishable material--for
building purposes, and hence the monuments of their civilization so
far as architectural remains are concerned in the most northern parts
occupied by them have very largely perished, as well in the north as in
the south, except perhaps to the extent that they may have rebuilt and
reoccupied some of the old Jaredite cities in the north continent.
An Israelitish origin, then, is what is required for the second race
inhabiting America; a landing in South America; a gradual movement
northward until they took possession of the north as well as the south
continent; their civilization of a lighter order so far as expressed
in solidity of buildings or the number of cities, and spread over a
more extensive area than that of the Jaredites; an intermixture of
the monuments of the one, with the ruins of the other; knowledge of
the Mosaic institutions and history of the ancient world, through the
Hebrew scriptures; special signs at Messiah's birth, and appalling
cataclysms throughout the land at his crucifixion; the appearing of
Messiah to them and the establishment of a Christian church; the
overthrow of the Nephite government and civilization about the opening
of the fifth century A. D. These are the main facts for which we seek
proofs in American antiquities, so far as the Nephite period of the
Book of Mormon is concerned.
Of course it may be possible that in the present state of knowledge
of American antiquities evidences for all these facts may not now be
obtainable; but if evidences tending to prove them can be pointed out
at all, it will be so much in favor of the Book of Mormon. Meantime the
reader should be cautioned not to expect too much from the character
of the evidence now to be considered, nor should he be discouraged if
in quantity and clearness it falls below his expectations. It must be
remembered that examination of our American antiquities, especially
in Central America, has not yet been made as thoroughly as it will
be; there are many buried cities and other monuments yet to be heard
from, [9] as also, a better understanding of those monuments of ancient
American civilization already brought to light. Moreover, it should be
remembered that for many ages the Bible stood practically without the
advantages of monumental testimony in its support. Not until modern
times have learned men penetrated the eastern countries to return
ladened with exact knowledge of monumental testimony to the truth of
the Bible. Not until the discovery and translation of the Rosetta
Stone, early in the last century, was an impetus given to explorations
in Egypt, the Sinaitic Peninsula, Palestine and the Euphrates
valley--Bible lands--resulting in that collection of collateral
evidence for the truth of the Bible noted in a former chapter. One
should not be impatient, then, if the Book of Mormon has to wait some
time yet for the development of that fulness of monumental testimony
to its truth which I am sure lies hidden in the, as yet, imperfectly
known, and still less perfectly understood, antiquities of the western
hemisphere.
Footnotes
1. See chapter X.
2. See chapter X.
3. II Nephi 5:1-13.
4. The Nephite land of Bountiful.
5. Mormon 8:1-10.
6. II Nephi 5:15.
7. Jarom 1:8.
8. Helaman 3:6-11.
9. On this point Mr. Baldwin says: "To understand the situation of most
of the old ruins in Central America, one must know something of the
wild condition of the country. Mr. Squier says: 'By far the greater
proportion of the country is in its primeval state, and covered with
dense, tangled, and almost impenetrable tropical forests, rendering
fruitless all attempts at systematic investigation. There are vast
tracts untrodden by human feet, or traversed only by Indians who have a
superstitious reverence for the moss-covered, and crumbling monuments
hidden in the depths of the wilderness. * * * For these and other
reasons, it will be long before the treasures of the past, in Central
America, can become fully known.' A great forest of this character
covers the southern half of Yucatan, and extends far into Guatemala,
which is half covered by it. It extends also into Chiapa and Tabasco,
and reaches into Honduras. The ruins known as Copan and Palenque are in
this forest, not far from its southern edge. Its vast depths have never
been much explored. There are ruins in it which none but wandering
natives have ever seen, and some, perhaps, which no human foot has
approached for ages. It is believed that ruins exist in nearly every
part of this vast wilderness." _Ancient America_, pp. 94, 95.