The Articles of Faith Part 35

[816] Moses Thatcher, _Contributor_, vol. ii, p. 227, Salt Lake City, 1881.

[817] See Note 2.

[818] Moses Thatcher, _Contributor_, vol. ii, p. 228.

=28.= Prof. Short, quoting from Clavigero, says: "The Chiapanese have been the first peoplers of the New World, if we give credit to their traditions. They say that Votan, the grandson of that respectable old man who built the great ark to save himself and family from the deluge, and one of those who undertook the building of that lofty edifice, which was to reach up to heaven, went by express command of the Lord to people that land. They say also that the first people came from the quarter of the north, and that when they arrived at Soconusco, they separated, some going to inhabit the country of Nicaragua, and others remaining at Chiapas."[819]

[819] John T. Short, _North Americans of Antiquity_, p. 204 (Harper Bros., New York; 2nd ed., 1888). See also _Contributor_ (Salt Lake City, vol. ii, p 259).

=29. II. Concerning the Successive Occupation of America by Different Peoples in Ancient Times.=--It has been declared by eminent students of American archeology that two distinct cla.s.ses, by some designated as separate races, of mankind inhabited this continent in early times: Prof. F. W. Putnam[820] is even more definite in his a.s.sertion that one of these ancient races spread from the north, the other from the south. This is in agreement with the Book of Mormon record, which describes the occupation of the continent by the Jaredites and the Nephites in turn, the former having established themselves first in North America, the latter in South America. H. C. Walsh, in an article ent.i.tled "Copan, a City of the Dead,"[821] gives many interesting details of excavation and other work prosecuted by Gordon under the auspices of the Peabody expedition; and adds, "All this points to successive periods of occupation, of which there are other evidences."[822]

[820] Putnam, _Prehistoric Remains in the Ohio Valley_, Century Magazine, March 1890.

[821] See _Harper's Weekly_ (New York), October, 1897; article by Henry C. Walsh.

[822] See Note 3.

=30. III. Concerning the Advent of at least One Division of the Ancient Americans from the East, probably from Asia; and their Israelitish Origin.=--Confirmatory evidence of the belief that the aboriginal Americans sprang from the peoples of the eastern hemisphere is found in the similarity of record and tradition on the two continents, regarding the creation, the deluge, and other great events of history. Boturini,[823] who is quoted by most writers on American archeology says: "There is no Gentile nation that refers to primitive events with such certainty as the Indians do. They give us an account of the creation of the world, of the deluge,[824] of the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel, and of all other periods and ages of the world, and of the long peregrinations which their people had in Asia representing the specific years by their characters; and in the seven Conejos (rabbits) they tell us of the great eclipse that occurred at the death of Christ, our Lord."

[823] Chevalier Boturini; he spent several years investigating the antiquities of Mexico and Central America, and collected many valuable records, of most of which he was despoiled by the Spanish; he published a work on the subject of his studies in 1746.

[824] See Note 4.

=31.= Similar evidence of the common source of eastern and western traditions of great events in primitive times is furnished in the writings of Short, already quoted, and by Baldwin,[825]

Clavigero,[826] Kingsborough,[827] Sahagun,[828] Prescott,[829]

Schoolcraft,[830] Squiers,[831] Adair,[832] and others.[833]

[825] Baldwin, _Ancient America_ (Harper Bros., New York, 1871).

[826] Clavigero, quoted by Prof. Short in _North Americans of Antiquity_.

[827] Lord Kingsborough, _Mexican Antiquities_ (1830-37.)

[828] Bernardo de Sahagun, _Historia Universal de Nueva Espana_.

[829] W. H. Prescott, _Conquest of Mexico_ (see pp. 463-64).

[830] Schoolcraft, _Ethnological Researches_ (1851); see vol. i.

[831] Squiers, _Antiquities of the State of New York_, 1851.

[832] Adair, _History of the American Indians_, London, 1775.

[833] See Bancroft's _Native Races_, etc., vols, iii and v; Donnelly's _Atlantis_, p. 391 (1882).

=32.= Prof. Short adds his testimony to the evidence of the aboriginal inhabitants of America being of "Old World origin," but admits his inability to determine when or whence they came to this continent.[834] Waterman, before cited, says: "This people could not have been created in Africa, for its inhabitants were widely dissimilar from those of America; nor in Europe, which was without a native people agreeing at all with American races; then to Asia alone could they look for the origin of the Americans."[835]

[834] John T. Short, _North Americans of Antiquity_ (1888).

[835] Extract from lecture by Prof. Waterman, delivered in Bristol, England, 1849; quoted in pamphlet by Edwin F. Parry, _A Prophet of Latter Days_, Liverpool, 1898.

=33.= It has been demonstrated that the aboriginal tribes were accustomed to practice under certain conditions the rites of circ.u.mcision,[836] baptism, and animal sacrifice.[837] Herrera, a Spanish writer of three centuries ago, states that among the primitive inhabitants of Yucatan baptism was known by a name that meant to be born again.[838]

[836] Lord Kingsborough.

[837] Donnelly's _Atlantis_, p. 144.

[838] Tract, _A Prophet of Latter Days_, by Edwin F. Parry, p.

106.

=34.= But it is not alone in the matter of custom and tradition relating to pre-Christian times that so marked a resemblance is found between the peoples of the old and the new world. Many traditions and some records, telling of the pre-destined Christ and His atoning death, were current among the native races of this continent long prior to the advent of Christian discoverers in recent centuries.

Indeed, when the Spaniards first invaded Mexico, their Catholic priests found a native knowledge of Christ and the G.o.dhead, so closely corresponding with the doctrines of orthodox Christianity, that they, in their inability to account for the same, invented the theory that Satan had planted among the natives of the country an imitation gospel for the purpose of deluding the people. A rival theory held that Thomas, the apostle, had visited the western continent, and had taught the gospel of Christ.[839]

[839] See Pres. John Taylor's _Mediation and Atonement_, p. 201.

=35.= Lord Kingsborough, in his comprehensive and standard work, refers to a ma.n.u.script by Las Casas the Spanish Bishop of Chiapa, which writing is preserved in the convent of St. Dominic; in this the Bishop states that a very accurate knowledge of the G.o.dhead was found to exist among the natives of Yucatan. One of the bishop's emissaries wrote that "he had met with a princ.i.p.al lord, who informed him that they believed in G.o.d, who resided in heaven, even the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father was named Yeona, the Son Bahab, who was born of a virgin, named Chibirias, and that the Holy Spirit was called Euach. Bahab, the Son, they said, was put to death by Eupuro, who scourged Him, and put on His head a crown of thorns, and placed Him with His arms stretched upon a beam of wood; and that, on the third day, He came to life, and ascended into heaven, where He is with the Father; that immediately after, the Euach. came as a merchant, bringing precious merchandise, filling those who would with gifts and graces, abundant and divine."[840]

[840] Kingsborough's _Antiquities of Mexico_.

=36.= Rosales affirms a tradition among the Chileans to the effect that their forefathers were visited by a wonderful personage, full of grace and power, who wrought many miracles among them, and taught them of the Creator who dwelt in heaven in the midst of glorified hosts.[841] Prescott refers to the symbol of the cross which was found, by the Catholics who accompanied Cortez, to be common among the natives of Mexico and Central America. In addition to this sign of a belief in Christ, a ceremony akin to that of the Lord's Supper was witnessed with astonishment by the invaders. The Aztec priests were seen to prepare a cake of flour, mixed with blood, which they consecrated and distributed among the people, who, as they ate, "showed signs of humiliation and sorrow, declaring it was the flesh of Deity."[842]

[841] Rosales, _History of Chile_. See Pres. Taylor's _Mediation and Atonement_, p. 202.

[842] Prescott, _Conquest of Mexico_, p. 465.

=37.= The Mexicans recognize a Deity in Quetzalcoatl, the traditional account of whose life and death is closely akin to our history of the Christ, so that, says President John Taylor, "we can come to no other conclusion than that Quetzalcoatl and Christ are the same being."[843]

Lord Kingsborough speaks of a painting of Quetzalcoatl, "in the att.i.tude of a person crucified, with the impression of nails in his hands and feet, but not actually upon the cross." The same authority further says: "The seventy-third plate of the Borgian MS. is the most remarkable of all, for Quetzalcoatl is not only represented there as crucified upon a cross of Greek form, but his burial and descent into h.e.l.l are also depicted in a very curious manner." And again:--"The Mexicans believe that Quetzalcoatl took human nature upon him, partaking of all the infirmities of man, and was not exempt from sorrow, pain, or death, which he suffered voluntarily to atone for the sins of man."[844]

[843] _Mediation and Atonement_, p. 201; see Note 5.

[844] Lord Kingsborough, _Antiquities of Mexico_; see quotations by Pres. John Taylor, _Mediation and Atonement_, p. 202.

=38.= The source of this knowledge of Christ and the G.o.dhead, to account for which gave such trouble to the Catholic invaders and caused them to resort to extreme and unfounded theory, is plainly apparent to the student of the Book of Mormon. We learn from that sacred scripture, that the progenitors of the native American races, for centuries prior to the time of Christ's birth, lived in the light of direct revelation, which, coming to them through their authorized prophets, showed the purposes of G.o.d respecting the redemption of mankind; and, moreover, that the risen Redeemer ministered unto them in person, and established His Church among them with all its essential ordinances. The people have fallen into a state of spiritual degeneracy; many of their traditions are sadly distorted, and disfigured by admixture of superst.i.tion and human invention; yet the origin of their knowledge is plainly authentic.

=39. IV. Concerning the Common Origin of the Native Races on this Continent.=--That the many tribes and nations among the Indians and other "native races" of America are of common parentage is very generally admitted; the conclusion is based on the evident close relationship in their languages, traditions, and customs. "Mr. Lewis H. Morgan finds evidence that the American aborigines had a common origin in what he calls 'their system of consanguinity and affinity.'

He says, 'The Indian nations from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains, and from the Arctic sea to the Gulf of Mexico, with the exception of the Esquimaux, have the same system. It is elaborate and complicated in its general form and details; and, while deviations from uniformity occur in the systems of different stocks, the radical features are in the main constant. This ident.i.ty in the essential characteristics of a system so remarkable tends to show that it must have been transmitted with the blood to each stock from a common original source. It affords the strongest evidence yet obtained of unity in origin of the Indian nations within the regions defined.'"[845]

[845] Baldwin's _Ancient America_, p. 56; see citations of conclusions regarding the characteristics of aboriginal Americans by Bradford, in the same work.

=40.= Baldwin further quotes Bradford's summary of conclusions regarding the origin and characteristics of the ancient Americans, amongst which we read:--"That they were all of the same origin, branches of the same race, and possessed of similar customs and inst.i.tutions."[846] Adair writes:--"All the various nations of Indians seem to be of one descent;" and in support of this conclusion he presents abundant evidence of similarity of language, habits, and customs, religious ceremonies, modes of administering justice, etc.[847]

[846] The same.

[847] Adair's _History of the American Indians_, London, 1775.

=41. Written Language of the Ancient Americans.=--To these secular, or extra-scriptural, evidences of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon may be added the agreement of the record with recent discoveries regarding the written language of these ancient peoples. The prophet Nephi states that he made his record on the plates in "the language of the Egyptians,"[848] and we are further told that the brazen plates of Laban were inscribed in the same.[849] Mormon, who abridged the voluminous writings of his predecessors, and prepared the plates from which the modern translation was made, employed also the Egyptian characters. His son Moroni, who completed the record, declares this fact; but, recognizing a difference between the writing of his day and that on the earlier plates, he attributed the change to the natural mutation through time, and speaks of his own record and that of his father, Mormon, as being written in the "reformed Egyptian."[850]

[848] I Nephi i, 2.