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SOME EVIDENCES OF THE BOOK OF MORMON Grant G. Pitcher, April, 2013

The Book of Mormon has now been with us for 170 years. It is still the most remarkable book in

the world. The more this book is studied (and the more our knowledge is expanded about the antiquities

of the ancient peoples of Palestine and the Americas that it talks of) the more evidence there is that a

young man in the back woods of frontier New York in 1830 with limited education could not have made

up this book on his own.

Many educated people have detailed some of these evidences. For the most part these have been

published by the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies FARMS organization. Some of these are taken from a FARMS video Evidences of the Book of Mormon by D. C. Peterson

Others are from my personal observation and from other books, some written on other topics but

in the course of their findings have brought to light something that relates to the Book of Mormon. For

example, when my wife and I were traveling in Mexico and were taking the guided tour of the

Presidents Palace when we were told about the mural in the main stair well. This, we were told, was commissioned in 1911 to be a painting showing the detailed official history of Mexico. This story was

repeated to us the next day when we were at Teotihuacan and attended a night presentation of that same

detailed history in color, music and professional narration.

To list but a few:

1. It is estimated that it took as little as 63 working days to translate or write the Book of

Mormon. Try and just write it out and copying it in longhand in that time, leave alone writing it for the

first time. Josephs education was about a third grade level and from the perspective of now knowing what the list of books were in his local library, which was very meager, it seems impossible to have

come from his own capabilities. For example he would have to have come up with this sentence, quoting

the Savior in complex Chiasmus, off the top of his head. 3Nephi 21:1-7 And verily I say unto you, I give unto you a sign, that ye may know the time when these things shall be about to take place that I shall gather in, from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel, and shall establish again among them my Zion; and behold, this is the thing which I

will give unto you for a sign for verily I say unto you that when these things which I declare unto you, and which I shall declare unto you hereafter of myself, and by the power of the Holy Ghost which shall be given unto you of the Father, shall

be made known unto the Gentiles that they may know concerning this people who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, and

concerning this my people who shall be scattered by them; verily, verily, I say unto you, when these things shall be made

known unto them of the Father, and shall come forth of the Father, from them unto you; for it is wisdom in the Father that

they should be established in this land, and be set up as a free people by the power of the Father, that these things might

come forth from them unto a remnant of your seed, that the covenant of the Father may be fulfilled which he hath covenanted

with his people, O house of Israel; therefore, when these works and the works which shall be wrought among you hereafter

shall come forth from the Gentiles, unto your seed which shall dwindle in unbelief because of iniquity; for thus it behooveth

the Father that it should come forth from the Gentiles, that he may show forth his power unto the Gentiles, for this cause that

the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent and come unto me and be baptized in my name and

know of the true points of my doctrine; that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel; and when these

things come to pass that thy seed shall begin to know these things it shall be a sign unto them, that they may know that the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the people who are

of the house of Israel.

2. Joseph always dictated to another person who acted as a scribe. He never had the scribe repeat

to him from past pages or even to remind him of where he had left off from the time before when the

translation was interrupted by persecution for several days, weeks or months. After Martin Harris lost

the first 116 pages he had to start over.

3. During this short time he also had to invent hundreds of new personal and geographic names

not found in the English language and keep them in genealogical and geographical order throughout the

book. For example in the latter part of the book he has Helaman 14:12 quoting Mosiah 3:8 and again

Alma 36:22 quotes 1Nephi 1:8.

4. A plausible and complex geography that remains consistent and is referred to throughout the

book with always the same positions relative to each other.

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5. The phrase And it came to pass is used over and over and it gathered many critics in the early days. In Genesis 39 the phrase is used to start a verse 11 times out of 28. In the book The Messiah

in Ancient America, 1987 by Warren Ferguson pp. 62, 63 it says Proto-Cholan is now considered to be the main Mayan dialect and the man named Schele, a professor of anthropology at the University of Texas, considered one of the leading scholars of ancient Maya hieroglyphs, also translated a Mayan hieroglyph as then it came to pass.

6. Witnesses to the plates and the divine nature of the Book of Mormon (11) who were friends of

Joseph Smith always had the same testimony of its truthfulness to their death. Some of these friends

were ex-communicated from the church but did not change their testimony.

7. Multiple authorship: Modern computers can now analyze and show specific styles for each

author. When this is done with the Book of Mormon, they found different styles, none of which is

Joseph Smiths. 8. Lehis Trail: The exodus of Lehi and his family from Jerusalem to the land Bountiful

describes in detail the ancient Frankincense trail. This ancient trade route has been validated in recent

years. This trail extends south of the Dead Sea on a course that goes to the top of the Gulf of Aqaba.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_CxzQKb1ZA Then through a range of mountains that today is called in Arabic the Boarders (J. Bancroft,

personal communication) (1Nephi 2:5 has them traveling in the boarders) then to a valley one mountain range inland (Lemuel?) from the Red Sea (near the Red Sea 1Nephi 2:5) an then turns slightly

to the south-southeast direction (1Nephi 16:13) to the boarders nearer the Red Sea (1Nephi 2:5). (Mt.) Jubal al Lawz (Mt. Sinai) is east of the Valley of Lemuel top center of photo.

9. The valley they camped in is described as having a river of water (1Nephi 2:6). Joseph did not know of deserts where water only flows during certain times. To him all rivers were called rivers

because they had water.

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10. It talks of Nephi having a steel bow during that trek that breaks toward the southern end of

the Red Sea. Remember they were in the wilderness for 8 years (1Nephi 17:4). In their 1996 book

Discovering Lehi by Lynn and Hope Hilton, which they wrote after spending 11 years traveling this

trail. They found, among many other things, that that area is extremely humid and warm. That type of

environment could indeed rust anything metal (p. 112) and, therefore, could be the cause of Nephis bow to weaken and break and also be the cause for the bows made from the soft wood of Israel to become

weak. This explains how the wooden bows of the others lost their springs (1Nephi 16:18-23). The Hiltons found a pomegrante wood that grows in this humid area that was hard and could be used for a bow (pp.112,113).

11. There is an area at the top of the Red Sea that on a map published in Latin in Amsterdam in

1661, called Licheni or in Greek Lechienoi which likely means people of Lehi. On a map published by Aramco Oil Co. it is called Lihyan. A strange coincidence with the name Lehi. (Hilton, pp80-94)

12. After traveling in a south-southeast direction they turned nearly eastward (1Nephi 17:1). In 1Nephi 16:34 Ishmael dies and is buried in the place called Nahom. A place called Nahom still exists

and is in an almost easterly direction from the southern part of the Red Sea and the fertile spot of Salalah

in Oman (Bountiful). (Hilton, pp. 124-127)

13. A likely spot for the land Bountiful has been found to exist on the southern shore of the Arabian peninsula in Oman. This place called Salalah contains trees, beaches and some small amounts

of coal and copper and manganese ore, which would have been available for the building and launching

of Nephis ship. Farnsworths book Americas Before Columbus p. 150 shows a well used chisel made of copper as hard as steel. (1Nephi 17:9) Something that cannot be done even today.

14. Olive tree symbol: We now know the ancient horticulture of the olive tree and it started

where Lehi came from in antiquity and is unique and accurately described in Jacob 5.

15. 3 Nephi 4:28: The leader was hanged upon a treewhen he was dead they did fell the tree to the earth. Ancient Jewish law says that when a person is hanged on a tree, the tree was to be cut down.

16. Metal Plates: Metal plates were not known when Joseph Smith lived. They have now been

found in fair abundance and actually started in Israel in about 700 BC.

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17. Joseph Smiths Description of the Gadianton robbers and their guerilla warfare exactly describes the modern practices of guerilla warfare around the world. They fight out of the hills or

inaccessible areas, they hit and run to demoralize and they do not want to be in control; but want to be

against. Joseph only knew of regular armies with uniforms who fought each other in the open. 18. Possible mistakes in the book. Such as the use of the word Alma as a mans name was in

question because in the 1800s it was an old womans name, but now we find that the term Alma was used even in the diggings of Ebla 2000 + BC as the name of a high priest. When phrases are repeated

like that found in Alma 24:19 where it says they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war, for peace. Instead of this being a mistake by Joseph, it is more than likely the original author was engraving on metal plates and could not erase so rephrased.

19. Born at Jerusalem, Alma 7:10 was thought to be a mistake because everyone knows that

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a separate town, but now ancient writings that have been found describe

Bethlehem as a town in the Land of Jerusalem. 20. The Book of Mormon was a product of the records of a community that was destroyed and

their records were buried. This is the same as we find in other places and especially in Palestine with

the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, some of which are on metal plates.

21. Lehi sees God: This is called Throne Theophany. Studies of the scriptures show that the prophets of old each had this opportunity to Stand in the council of the Lord (Jeremiah 23:18) and have been told to write down what they see in a book. Each have had similar experiences of seeing God

on his throne, Isaiah, Ezekiel, John, Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, Joseph Smith, etc.

22. Simile Curses or oaths that are taken: Alma 46:21-22 refers to the tearing of clothing to

emphasize their commitment to a verbal oath. (2Chronicles 34:19) These same types of actions are now

found in ancient military records where the tearing of clothing accompanies the oath taking.

23.The histories of the native people of North America (Seneca, Chippewa, Cheyenne, Hopi,

Zuni, Yaqui, Apache, Pawnee, etc.) (He Walked The Americas, by L. T. Hansen, 1963) and South

America (Aztec, Mayan, Tula, etc) are very similar and talk of a White bearded God who came from heaven and healed them, fed them and promised to return. These histories also talk of a great destruction

and there being no light and of a God who is the Son of a higher God and who gave His life and shed

His blood to bring back the sun. He then appeared as a pale skinned bearded being in glory and who.

came down and taught them how to live in peace. He then went back up into heaven and promised to

return.

In October of 2000 the CBC presented a television mini series on the history of Canada. In the

first episode they depicted Jacques Cartier as a white man with a beard who, when he first met the

Iroquois natives west of Montreal, found that they worshiped him as a God. The Chief even let two of

his sons go with him (as far as the chief was concerned, he was showing great trust as they were being

taken into the unknown) back to France.

In Central and South America this Great God (Spirit) who will return is represented by a

feathered serpent (the feathers of the beautiful Quetzel bird are used to represent the exquisite nature of

this divine being). In North America the most common symbol of leadership is the Eagle feather. These

are used on essentially all headdresses worn by the Chief of the Tribe and are representative of the King of the air and may represent the same Great Spirit (God) came from the sky and promised to

return. Coastal natives have the CROW to represent the God who made all and put the sun in the sky.

Legend, however, also has him taking the roll of the advisary as he plays tricks and deceives. Listen!

24. Helaman 3:7, 9, 11 says that they were expert in working cement. Americas Before Columbus pp.38 quotes In ancient times Chichen-Itza and all the great and lesser cities of the Yucatan peninsula were linked by a network of smooth hard-surfaced highways. The old roads went down to bed-rock and upon that solid foundation was built up a ballast of broken limestone with the larger stones

at the bottom. As the surface of the road was reached smaller stones were used and the crevices were

filled in. The whole face of the road was given a hard coating of mortar cement of lime and finely-sifted

white earth, known then and today as zac-cab.

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25 CHIASMUS: A style of writing used by God and His Prophets to emphasize a point and to evidently make it easier to remember. These are found in the Old and New Testaments, the D&C, P of GP, B of M and the modern prophets.

This style is seen in Isaiah 6:10. Also in Isaiah 2:3-5. In Malachi 4:5-6

A. Make the heart A. before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord

B. of this people fat, and make their ears B. shall turn the heart of the fathers

C. heavy, and shut their eyes; C. to the children

C. lest they see with their eyes, C. and the heart of the children

B. and with their ears, B. to their fathers

A. and understand with their heart, A. lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

New Testament Mathew 6:24 Doctrine and Covenants 107:60-63 Pearl of Great Price Abraham 2:9-11

A. No man can serve two masters A. there must be presiding elders A. I will make thee a great nation B. for either he will hate the one B. also priest to preside B. and thou shalt be a blessing C. and love the other; C. also teachers to preside unto thy seed that they shall C. else he will hold to the one D. in like manner the deacons bear that Priesthood B. and despise the other D. wherefore, from deacon to teacher C. for as many as receive this A. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. C. to teacher to priest Gospel shall be called after thy name B. and from priest to elder C. shall bless thee, as their father A. severally as they are appointed B. I will bless them in thy seed (that is, thy Priesthood)

A( the literal seed of the body) shall all the families of the earth be blessed

Pres. Hinckley, Guam, Jan. 31, 2000 Pres. Thomas S. Monson Feb. 1, 2013 A. The Lord expects us to be good A. our opportunities to serve one another are limitless

parents, fathers and mothers B. We're surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, B. He expects husbands to treat their our comfort, our support, our kindness

wives with deference and respect C. whether they be family members, ward members, friends, acquaintances,

B. He expects wives to treat their or even strangers

husbands with kindness. C. As we serve our fellow man A. He expects us to be good parents B. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these

to our children A. May we ever be found performing such service.

Book of Mormon Alma 36:1-30. A. My son, give ear to my words vs. 1

B. Keep the commandments and ye shall prosper in the land

C. Captivity of our fathers vs. 2

D. Surely God did deliver them

E. Trust in God vs. 3

F. Support in trials, trouble, and afflictions

G. I know this not of myself but of God vs. 4

H. Born of God vs. 5

I. Seek no more to destroy the church of God vs. 9

J. Fell to the earth vs. 10

K. Limbs paralyzed

L. The agony of conversion vs 11-16

M. I remember the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world vs. 17

M. I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me vs. 18

L. The joy of conversion vs. 19-22 no more pain, what joy, marvelous light, exquisite, sweet, praising.

K. Limbs received their strength again vs. 23

J. Stood upon my feet

I. Labored without ceasing to bring souls unto repentance vs. 24

H. Many have been born of God vs. 26

G. Knowledge is of God

F. Supported under trials and troubles, yea afflictions vs. 27

E. Trust in him

D. He will deliver me

C. Egypt captivity vs. 28-29 B. Keep the commandments and ye shall prosper in the land vs. 30

A. This according to his word

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26. When my wife and I were visiting the ruins at Teotihuacan, about 30 miles out of Mexico

City, we enjoyed seeing the pyramid of the Sun and of the Moon and the great Avenue of the Dead that

connects them. That evening we were invited to stay for the night show where the official history of

Mexico was to be presented with lights, music and narrations by famous movie stars. We were so

impressed that we bought a copy of the script. The following are direct quotes from that script.

TEOTIHUACAN LEGEND PRESENTATION

At the beginning of time when the Gods created the world, it was a monstrous emptiness

without form, (Moses 2:2) without man or animals, without trees of life of any kind. And there was no

light .... (Abraham 4.26)

... The Gods ... gathered in council ... they spoke among themselves. ... Who will take upon

himself the labor, who will declare that day shall come and light be born?

... I ... with quetzal feathers ... I will bring light to the earth. Lord of the shells, favorite God

among Gods ... What is your sacrifice?

... I sacrifice ... the blood of my Godhead.

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... The sacrifice is noble ... But remember! You must give your blood and your life.

... Which other God is willing to make this sacrifice ...? I, Nanahuatzin, I hunger to become

sun: Lust has eaten up my body...

I, Nanahuatzin, crave to become sun. Wretched Nanahuatzin... You also claim this honor!

So be it ... the chosen (Lord of the shells) you are the first. (Moses 4:1-4, Abraham 3:27,28)

Quetzalcoatl says "The earth is empty. The earth must be filled with people again.

(I will take) my faithful dog with me. We'll go together.

... By heaven! we'll take the bones ... I will make a sacrifice. I will draw off my own divine

blood. I will shape the new men. ...When men had once more been created and inhabited the earth, the Gods saw they must be

fed. (Abraham 4:28)

All of you -- listen to me! Everyone listen. Today, the life of the god who gave us light and

warmth has ended. (Helaman 14:20)

... There is danger that the sun will not rise again.

... Go to your homes. All of you. Pray to the Gods. Put out all the fires in your homes, put out

the torches. (3 Nephi 8:20,21)

... The sun has been born: The God-man who feeds the new sun with the blood of his heart.

(3 Nephi 10:9)

In the temples the fires are rekindled. The women and children come out of their hiding

places ... and sing ... and make offerings ... While the new sun, the young sun, triumphantly and

gloriously lights up the heavens. (3 Nephi 10:10)

The chief priest, who was a God himself was called Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent. He

can rise and he can perfect himself. (3 Nephi 11:8; 27:27) It was Quetzalcoatl who taught his people the

arts and trades to build temples and to grow crops.

Yes. The Gods have declared that men have the right to live and have food. we'll teach them

how to grow sweetcorn. And the earth will be rich. ( 4 Nephi 3,18,22,23)

... So all the people gathered together in Teotihuacan. Here in this city they worshipped. And

here were established the high priests.

They called the place the City of the Dead because when the priests and the lords died they

were buried here. But as they said: "When we die, we do not really die; we live, we rise again, we go on

living, we wake up from a sleep. And we are happy when we wake up."

They were able to speak to the dead when they died. If it was a man, they addressed him as a

divine being. (4 Nephi 5)

Here, where Quetzalcoatl, reptile and bird, is a people symbol of the mediator -- here in

Teotihuacan, open your hearts to the ancient faith that the world shall be saved from darkness.

This white bearded God left and promised to come again so when Cortes landed on the east coast of Mexico in 1519, the people thought that he was the return of their white bearded God and fell at

his feet. The confusion was, however, only temporary as Cortes plundered the country, the Aztecs knew

that this was not the one. Cortes executed 6,000 Aztecs in Cholula alone. 27. The Old and New Testaments of the Bible talk of and prophecy that the Book of Mormon

would come forth in our day. That Christ would visit those people in America and they would hear His voice and there would be one fold and one shepherd. It is only logical that God loves all His children and those living in the Americas could not hear the prophets in Israel, so he spoke to prophets in their

own land.

BIBLE PROPHECIES OF THE BOOK OF MORMON

The message of the BOOK OF MORMON is that He did and we have the writings of those

prophets in that book. If this is true the two books, THE BIBLE & THE BOOK OF MORMON. should

agree with each other and even they would prophecy of each other. That is to say the Lord would surely

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"do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.' (Amos 3: 7) and would let them

know what He was going to do.

OTHER SHEEP

John 10:14-16 -- Other sheep I have which are not of this fold... they shall hear my voice 3 Nephi 15:21-24 -- 'Ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have.... ye have both heard

my voice and seen me,...

PURPOSE

1 Nephi 13:23-25, 29,40 Nephi is shown a book that is a record of the Jews that is plain and

pure when it was first given.... precious things taken out of the book-. BOOK OF MORMON is to make

known those truths that were taken out and shall establish the truth of the first.

Knowing that scripture needs to be translated by revelation (2 Peter 1:19-20) and that the

Bible has undergone numerous translations it is a wonder that they are as pure as they are. Translators

without inspiration can only interpret from their experience; for example one tried to translate from one

language to another the phrase from Matthew 26:41 which says the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. And got the ghost indeed is anxious but the meat is bad. In the new Bible used by many today Luke 24:37, 39 are translated to be and supposed that they had seen a ghost and for a ghost hath not

JOSEPH

1 Nephi 5:14; 6:2 Lehi sees from the Brass Plates that he is a descendant of Joseph son of

Jacob.

Genesis 49:1, 10, 22, 24 Jacob gives his sons prophetic blessings...Judah to be the rulers (1

Chron.5:1,2); ..... Joseph's descendants to be many... a branch of his descendants will be as it were

beside a 'well' and will run over the wall. This can be interpreted to mean that since a branch growing by a well whose path of growth takes it over the wall would necessitate it going over the water in the

well Likewise a descendant of Joseph is going to take his family across the water..- 'to the utmost

bounds of the everlasting hills' and his inheritance shall be greater than those blessings of Abraham and

Isaac, Jacob's progenitors. This would mean that Joseph's descendants will go over the water to a land

larger than those lands given to Abraham and Isaac, to the 'utmost' or furthest from Palestine; to the

other side of the world... to a land known for its 'everlasting hills'. 'The only land that fits this description

is the Western Hemisphere of North & South America.

STICKS

2 Nephi 3:7, 12 Fruit of the loins of Joseph and Judah shall write books that grow together.

Ezekiel 37:15-17, 18-21 The Lord tells Ezekiel to prophecy of the coming forth of two sticks

or books.... One the record of the Jews (Judah) the other the record of the descendants of Joseph.... The

BIBLE and THE BOOK OF MORMON. The first (The Bible) is to be in the hands of his people then

the Lord (I) will cause the record, or stick, of Joseph to he put with the BIBLE... After these two books

are brought together and are before 'their eyes' the Lord will start to gather the children of Israel back to

their homeland..... The first migration of Jews to Palestine began in 1865 with the official recognition of

that independent Nation of Palestine coming in 1948. If the Jews are being gathered into their own land

then the two books must be here to be seen and used. If not the BIBLE & THE BOOK OF MORMON

then what and where are they?

When the Book of Mormon comes people will say 'A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible,

and there cannot be any more Bible ...... (2 Nephi 29. 3 - 7).

SEALED BOOK

PEARL of GREAT PRICE JS HIST 2:59, 64, 65 Joseph Smith, who never had been to high

school or college, receives entire book.... copies some of the words and gives them to Martin Harris to

take them to a learned professor for conformation. The professor wants the whole book but is told that

part of the plates were sealed.... The professor then says I cannot read a sealed book.

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Isaiah 29:1-4, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 18, 24 Isaiah talks of It as being destroyed as Ariel (Jerusalem)... This nation will speak out of the ground or 'dust' and will have a familiar spirit. The earth will be staggering for the truth because there are no prophets. A sealed book is given to one that is

unlearned and the words of the book are given to one that is learned and he says he can't read a sealed

book... The people of the earth are ready for a 'marvelous work and a wonder deaf shall hear and blind shall see they that erred shall learn doctrine.

DANIEL

Daniel 2:19, 31-45 Daniel is shown the dream of king Nebuchadnezzar and it's

interpretation.... he sees a great figure of a man head of gold (his kingdom), breast and arms of silver

(Belshazzar - Persia), belly and thighs of brass (Egypt) legs of iron (Rome), feet of clay and iron

(breakup of roman empire into many kingdoms or what we are today), stone cut out of the mountain

without hands that breaks the image at the feet and fills the earth (the Kingdom of God is created by God

not man and shall never be destroyed.... it will fill the earth)

2 Nephi 3:7-15 Joseph tells of a future prophet with his name and he will be named after his

father (Joseph Smith Jr.) that will save his people.

Moses 7:62 Righteousness (Book of Mormon) to be sent from heaven "to sweep the earth as

with a flood'

28. From Hugh Nibleys book Lehi in the Desert and the World of the Jaredites he has the Jaredites traveling from the Tower of Bable across Asia, then leaving for the Americas from around

present day Korea.

News Week had this article entitled They Went Thataway. The vases found along the coasts of south and Central America looked familiar with the Joman culture of Japan that thrived between 3000 and 2000 BC. or about 2500 BC; about the time of the tower of Babel.

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After the Jaredites left the Tower of Babel and traveled across Asia to probably the area of

Korea just south of Japan they then crossed over the Pacific in dish shaped boats that had no sails. The

journey took them 344 days on the water (Ether 6:11). We now know that the ocean currents move from

Asia to the Americas in 344 days.

The native people of Japan are the Ainu, a white skinned people who once ruled the country.

Could it be that some of the Jaredites didnt get on the dish shaped barges and so stayed and settled the land?

In 1968 Dr. Paolo Matthiae of the Univ. of Rome hit an archeological find of some ruins in north

Syria on the northern edge of the ancient fertile crescent called EBLA. It was first found by looking into an obvious circular mound on an otherwise flat plain. He found the mound to be man made and it

formed a massive wall with a magnificent gate. Finally in 1975 Dr. Matthiae found the main archive of

more than 15000 cuneiform tablets that told of a great kingdom that was destroyed about the 23rd

century BC. It is said that those ancient librarians, who looked after these tablets, could switch with the

utmost ease from one language to another with some words written in as yet an incomprehensible

tongue. The circular nature of the find even looks like the foundations of the drawings of the biblical

Tower of Bable. This Kingdom controlled an area from the River Nile to the River Euphrates (Genesis

16:18) and represents the same area given to Abraham. This could be the same Kingdom of the ancient

HYKSOS or SHEPHERD KINGS (Noah, Shem-Melchizedek, to Abraham) that ruled Egypt during

Josephs time. In the center of the find he found a Temple with 3 main rooms and a smaller room on the end of the third. The first room has what looks like a baptismal font, the second has two dish shaped

basins carved out of a large stone. Relief stone carvings on the walls show men with odd shaped hats

and aprons with leaves. EBLA AN EMPIRE REDISCOVERED by Paolo Matthiae, NATIONAL

GEOGRAPHIC Dec. 1978, p730-759

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29.

The artist, Rivera asserts that he was not only enthusiastic about his representation of Mexicos past but also meticulous in

his historical research: I took care to authenticate every detail by exact research, because I wanted to leave no opening for

anyone to try to discredit the murals as a whole by charge that any detail was a fabrication. (Rivera, Diego (1991 My Art, My

Life-An Autobiography (with Gladys March) (New York: Dover) p. 101)

The Book of Mormon describes a period of 200 years of peace in the land following the appearance

of Christ. This is now being taught in the official history of Mexico, that following the visit of the white bearded

God who brought back the sun there was a period of peace 200 years in length. In the Palace of the President in

Mexico City there is a mural painted by commission in the main stair well. The guide told us that it was painted in

1929 and told the official history of Mexico. The first part of the picture, which covers the north wall of the stair

well, shows a black topped arch with a partly exposed upside down sun at the top. Then in the upper right the

white bearded God, Quetzalcoatl, is descending from the sky. The guide said that there was great upheaval and

dense blackness that covered the land and the God had to give his life to bring the sun back. The God came and

taught certain disciples how to live and they taught the people. There was peace in the land for 200 years then

they became full of pride and began to control others to carry their burdens, then came the wars and the rest of the

countys history. 30. 1Nephi 13:12 states that a man among the gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my

brethren by the many waters; and the Spirit of God came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters unto my brethren, who were in the promised land.. The man spoken of was Columbus.

Christopher Columbus was not a gentile but a Jew living among the gentiles. He always knew that the Holy Spirit was guiding him and spurring him on to the land across the sea. When he was 25 he was

shipwrecked at sea and holding onto just an ore he was about to give up when he heard a voice What have you done with your youth? Did I give you that abundance of seamanship and that ability of hand and mind for depicting the world with its lands and seas,to waste it ? Awake, Christoforo, awake and serve Me. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS by Don Cristobal Colon, 1940.

Ancient maps that predate the crusades of 1214 A.D. have been found as copies made in 1513 but only

found in 1929. These maps show North and South America and their relationship with Africa and Europe, along

with the islands of the Caribbean (Maps of The Ancient Sea Kings by Charles H. Hapgood). Columbus could have

seen these maps and knew exactly where he was going.

Columbus was not the first to visit the New World but it was his visit that sparked the major

European migration.

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31. The Book of Mormon speaks of having Chariots Alma 18:9, 20:6; 3 Nephi 3:22. Archeologists have long held, and especially back in Josephs time; that the ancient Aztec and Mayan people did not know about the wheel. Now there are toys being discovered from that era with wheels

that still work and large wheels with square axle holes can be seen in Bolivia.

32. Alma 48:8 tells of Moroni who builds walls of stone to encircle their cities. Pictures of the zig-zaging (a type of wall that would be designed for best defense) walls of Sacsahuaman fortress

near Cuzco are seen to be made of great stones. The walls are 15 feet high and are built in three tiers.

Some of these stones weigh about 100 tons (15x8x5ft. or 4.5x2.5x1.5m) and are put together so

professionally that a knife blade still cannot fit between them.

33. Izapa Stela #5 found just north of the Guatemala border in southern Mexico near the west

coast in 1935. It seems to be a representation of Lehis account of his vision of THE TREE OF LIFE found in 1Nephi chapter 8. The main object is a tree with fruit that has its roots going down to a 'river' under the ground. The tree is surrounded by an old bent man and a female figure on the left and a larger

(1Nephi 4:31) figure with a stylus in his hand accompanied by other smaller figures on the right.

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Tree of Life representations of ancient religious symbols are found in various places in

Mesopotamia, Assyria and the ancient arts of the Near East.

These two name glyphs" have now been deciphered.. One of them, carved above the old bearded man (ie., the person corresponding to the prophet Lehi of the Book of Mormon), strangely

depicts a great face profile, emphasizing the jaws or the cheek portion: in other words, it may be an

indirect or symbolic recording of this persons name by simply giving its particular meaning, that of jaws or cheek. Now this happens to be the meaning of the ancient Hebrew name Leh-hee which is translated in the Old Testament as Lehi. (Judges 15:9)

A final test of the Book of Mormon identity of the six persons depicted in the Izapa carving is

provided by the meaning of the second name-glyph, which is found above the large young man holding

the stylus-like object. Now this second glyph has been found to be both a Maya and an Egyptian symbol.

The name in its Mayan form is unknown, but in its Egyptian use it signifies the name Nepri (pronounced

Nepee) 34. Matthew 18:16 in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be

established John 8:17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. John 5:31-47 Jesus not only bears his own witness of his divine nature but adds another (the Holy Ghost), John (the Baptist), his works, the Father himself, the scriptures and Moses.

A worthy witness is one who, through personal experience, can attest to and bear testimony

of a truth that is real. When that testimony is written down it becomes a testament.

We now have the Old Testament and the New Testament that testify that God is real and that

Jehovah (Jesus Christ) is the Son of God and the Redeemer of this world. Now the Book of Mormon,

Another Testament is a third witness to the world that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Redeemer

of the world.

35. Discovering Lehi, 1996, by Lynn and Hope Hilton, p.59; new Bible map #2; and The

Gold of Exodus, (The Discovery of The True Mount Sinai) 1998, by Howard Blum all question the location of

the traditional Mt. Sinai. Most now agree that it is the same as the mountain known as (Mt) Jubal al Lawz which is on the west side of the valley of Lemuel. This puts it in the land of Midian in Moses time; the place Elijah heard the still small voice (map #9); the place Lehi stops, possibly where Jesus went to Egypt as a child (map #8); maybe where John the Baptist was when he came from the

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wilderness; maybe where Jesus went to fast; and maybe where Paul went for three years (Gal 1:17, 18)

when he went to Arabia.

36. The Book of Mormon: Internal Evidences Hebraisms and other Literary Forms

Journey of Faith tracks the journey started in 600 bc by the Israelite Prophet Lehi and his family

as they made their exodus from Jerusalem across the Arabian desert to the coast, and there to the New

World. Lehis son, Nephi, begins the account in 600 bc, preserving it by engraving on metal plates. The narrative did not come to light until the 1820s, when by divine revelation, Joseph Smith was directed to

the plates and unearthed them from a hill in upstate New York. From them he translated the Book of

Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

The Book of Mormon contains accounts by many different people, mostly prophets, over a

thousand years, harmonized and abridged into a whole narrative by a father and son, Mormon and

Moroni, who lived around 400 ad. The account centers on the visit of Jesus Christ to the Nephite people

in the Americas after His resurrection. Although discovery of archaeological evidence of the Nephite

civilization in the Old and New World is in its infancy, a reasonable amount of work has been done on

the text itself that sheds light on its ancient origins.

The first part of this article presents some snippets of information gleaned from the text that

point to its ancient setting and the character of its original language as inscribed on metal plates by

Nephite and Jaredite authors.[1]

One of the most distinct characteristics of the language in the Book of Mormon is the somewhat

literal translation of what is now obvious are Hebraisms. As Professor Donald W. Parry asserts,

Because some form of Hebrew was used among the Nephites, the Book of Mormon reads like an ancient Hebrew bookeven in its English translation.[2] Parry gives us just one of many examples with what is termed plural amplification. He explains that in order to amplify or emphasize an idea, biblical Hebrew sometimes uses a noun in the plural when a singular is expected. Here are some examples

there shall be bloodsheds (2 Nephi 1:12)

the understandings of the children of men (Mosiah 8:20)

great condescensions unto the children of men (Jacob 4:7)

labor with their mights (Jacob 5:72)

great slaughters with the sword (1 Nephi 12:2)[3]

In his work on the Original and Printers Manuscripts, Royal Skousen has uncovered one frequent expression that does not ring true in English, but makes perfect sense in Hebrew:

In the original text of the Book of Mormon we find a number of occurrences of a Hebrew-like

conditional clause. In English, we have conditional clauses like if you come, then I will come, with then being optional. In Hebrew this same clause is expressed as if you come and I will come. In the original text of the Book of Mormon, there were at least fourteen occurrences of this non-English

expression.

A stunning seven examples of this are found in one passage in the Original Manuscript, Helaman

12:1321, as detailed by Skousen:

13 yea and if he sayeth unto the earth move and it is moved

14 yea if he sayeth unto the earth thou shalt go back that it lengthen out the day for many hours

and it is done .

16 and behold also if he sayeth unto the waters of the great deep be thou dried up and it is done

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17 behold if he sayeth unto this mountain be thou raised up and come over and fall upon that city

that it be buried up and behold it is done . . .

19 and if the Lord shall say be thou accursed that no man shall find thee from this time

henceforth and forever and behold no man getteth it henceforth and forever

20 and behold if the Lord shall say unto a man because of thine iniquities thou shalt be accursed

forever and it shall be done

21 and if the Lord shall say because of thine iniquities thou shalt be cut off from my presence

and he will cause that it shall be so. [4]

Perhaps the most celebrated literary form in the Book of Mormon is that of chiasmus. First

discovered in the Book of Mormon by John W. Welch while he was on an LDS mission in Regensburg,

Germany, chiasmus or poetic parallelism is a nested ancient Hebraic form of explaining an idea, where

the ideas are set out in series of statements and then repeated with the first being last. The central theme

is found, not surprisingly, in the center of the chiasmus.

Welch describes the first chiasmus he confirmed in the Book of Mormon:

I do not believe that I ever would have found this through my own intellectual efforts. Indeed, I

probably would not have found it at all except for the typesetting in that particular edition of the

German Book of Mormon, for the two central words in Mosiah 5:11 were stacked right on top of each

other. In good typesetting, one should never stack words at the end of a line, because a stack can trip the

eye as it goes from the end of one line to the beginning of the next. But as I read down the left column on

this page, the two words bertretung and bertretung jumped right out (that German translation of the

two English words transgression and transgress had used the same word). I immediately looked in the

line below and saw the word ausgerottet (meaning blotted out) and in the line above, again, ausgerottet

(blotted out). And above that, linken Hand (left hand) of God, and down below, linken Hand, again. The

chiastic pattern in this passage appeared instantly, as follows:

And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon him the name of Christ must be called by some other name; therefore, he findeth himself on the left hand of God. And I would that

ye should remember also, that this is the name that I said I should give unto you that never should be

blotted out, except it be through transgression; therefore, and this word marks a turning point, take heed that ye do not transgress, that the name be not blotted out of your hearts. I say unto you, I would

that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on

the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also,

the name by which he shall call you.[5] Hugh Nibley and others have done extensive research into the names used in the Book of

Mormon, some of which have Egyptian as well as other Semitic roots. The study of these names, a

project known as the Book of Mormon onomasticon spearheaded by BYU Professor Paul Y. Hoskisson,

is ongoing.[6] But here is one intriguing observation by the great Hugh Nibley:

There is one name that always gave this writer a jolt: Hermounts. What a name! Like nothing

you ever heard before. . . . What is Hermounts? It is not a person; it is the name used to designate

wilderness country, which was infested by wild and ravenous beasts (Alma 2:37). Right away we thought of Min (good old Book of Mormon Ammoron) of Hermonthis, the Egyptian Pan, the God of wild

places and wild animals. Some explain the name Hermonthis as meaning House of Month (good old Book of Mormon Manti!), referring to the shrine of the southern frontier. Month is the patron of war and colonization, and next to Ammon, Manti is the most common name of the persons and places in the

Book of Mormon. Whatever the real explanation, Hermounts does not offend the ear anymore. If the

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Egyptians want to designate their wild country as Hermonthis and the Nephites as Hermounts, that is

their business.[7]

[1] The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship has published several books that

throw light on the ancient origins of the Book of Mormon from the text alone. For instance, Daniel C.

Peterson, Donald W. Parry, and John W. Welch, eds., Echoes and Evidences of the Book of

Mormon (Provo, UT: FARMS, 2002); Noel B. Reynolds, ed., Book of Mormon Authorship: The

Evidence for Ancient Origins; and Reynolds, ed., Book of of Mormon Authorship Revisited: New Light

on Ancient Origins (Provo, UT: FARMS, 1997). The Institutes flagship publication, now titled Journal of Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture, has published many articles dealing with internal

and external evidences over the years.

[2] Donald W. Parry, Hebraisms and Other Ancient Peculiarities in the Book of Mormon, in Echoes and Evidences.

[3] Parry, Hebraisms. [4] Royal Skousen, The Original Language of the Book of Mormon: Upstate New York Dialect,

King James English, or Hebrew? JBMS 3/1 (1994). [5]John W. Welch, The Discovery of Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon: Forty Years

Later, JBMS 16/2 (2007). Since that time many parallelisms have been identified. See John W Welch, Chiasmus in Antiquity; and Donald W. Parry, Poetic Parallelisms in the Book of Mormon: The

Complete Text Reformatted (Provo, UT: Neal A. Maxwell Institute, 2007).

[6] For an introduction to this project, see Paul Y. Hoskisson, Seeking Agreement on the Meaning of Book of Mormon Names, JBMS 9/1 (2000).

37. The plates of brass spoken of in 1Nephi 4:13; 1Nephi 5:11-16 indicates that these were

very important to have, not only so that they would not dwindle in unbelief but also that they might prove their genealogy.

After the destruction of Jerusalem in about 587 BC (another little fact Joseph had to have

right) the people of Israel were taken captive to Babylon for a period of 70 years (Jerimiah25:11-12;

29:10). Joseph had to have known the exact time to pick for Lehi to leave Jerusalem when he states that

it was in the first year of the reign of Zedekiah or about 600 BC. We now know that Zedekiah started his reign on10 March 597 BC. See Ensign, October, 1998 p. 64, by J. P. Pratt.

Jeremiah 52:5, 27 states that it was in the eleventh year of Zedekiah that Judah was carried away captive. 2Nephi 1:4 Lehi sees that Jerusalem had been destroyed; and had we remained in Jerusalem we should also have perished.

The prophet Ezra, the Scribe, along with Nehemiah, the cup bearer, were the first to return to

Jerusalem in the month of Nissan (Nehemiah 2:1, the first month). Ezra 2:62 They sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found. Could it be, realizing that this phrase can have many meanings, that they could not find their book of the law (the plates of brass) which contained their genealogy (1Nephi 5:14)? The last time the Old Testament seems to mention the

book of the law is in 2Chronicles 34:18-19 and 2Kings 23:1-3 in about 640 BC. It was not until the seventh month of their return that Ezra the scribe brought the law before the congregation, Nehemiah 8. Ezra read them the book of the law for seven days. Could it be that during that first seven months Ezra was inspired to rewrite the Old Testament so that they could once again have a

Book of The Law? In the Bible Dictionary under Ezra it says A good many traditions have gathered round the name of Ezra. He is said to have formed the canon of Hebrew scripture. From Prideaux, The Connected History of the Old and New Testaments and in Adam Clarke, The Holy Bible we read

The great work of Ezra was, his collecting together and setting forth a correct edition of the Holy Scriptures. For they hold that all the Scriptures were lost and destroyed in the Babylonian captivity, and that Ezra restored them all again by Divine revelation. He disposed them in their proper order; and settled the canon of Scripture for his time. It is interesting to read 1Nephi 13:23 where the Bible is

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referred to as Behold it proceedeth out of the mouth of a Jew and it is a record of the Jews. (Italics added)

38. Many Christian religious scholars through the centuries have tried to explain their

religious beliefs by trying to write them down in an authoritarian way; or to try and write like the

Scriptures so people would follow them. None, however, reached that status but instead their writings

have become just another book with an opinion of belief with their name as the author. The Book of

Mormon stands alone in claiming to be a new book of Christian Scripture, written by prophets who had

the authority of God. It carries with it a voice that has a familiar spirit (Isaiah 29:4) and on almost every page it testifies that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Redeemer of the world. It is the most

perfect book ever written. The promise is to all as an invitation from the prophet Moroni 10:3-5.

Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that

ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men,

from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in

your hearts.

And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the

Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true, and if ye shall ask with a sincere

heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of

the Holy Ghost.

And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKrpkpVxFi0 http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2wI8lE/:6oMPJ8ig:jlSA3nub/www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwXRt13AJD0/

Book of Mormon Challenge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCjLf6yBkCA

By Elder & Sister Owens, a Missionary couple

If one scoffs at the explanation of the Book of Mormon, he is in so many words claiming it to be false: that it is a

deceiving fraud formulated through the efforts and talents of common man. What is produced by one man can

always be duplicated by another man. The challenge the Book of Mormon makes to the world is that of

duplication. Because the book complies with every one of the following conditions, and in order for you to

produce a similar record, you must comply with the same conditions. here is the challengecan you accept it?

I. Write a History of Ancient Tibet covering a period from 2200 B.C. to 400 AD. Why ancient Tibet? Because you know no

more about Tibet than Joseph Smith (or anyone else) knew about Ancient America.

2. Youre 23 years of Age. 3. You have had no more than Three Years of Formal School Education, and have spent your life in backwoods farming

communities.

4. Your History must be written on the basis of what you now know. There was no library that held information for Joseph

Smith. Your must use none. There is to be no research of any kind.

5. Your book must be 522 pages and over 300,000 words in length.

6. Other than a few grammatical corrections, you must have no changes in the text. The first editions as you dictate it to your

secretary must Stand Forever.

7. This record is to contain the History of Two Distinct and separate Nations or groups of people.

8. You must describe their Religious, economic, political, and their society, including the names of their coins.

9. Change your style of writing many times. Many Ancient authors contributed to the Book of Mormon, each with his own

style.

10. Weave into your history the Religion of Jesus Christ and the Pattern of Christian living.

11. You must claim that your smooth narrative is not fiction with moral value, but true and Sacred History.

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12. You must include in your book Fifty-Four chapters dealing with Wars, Twenty-One historical chapters, Fifty-Five

chapters on Visions and Prophecies, and remember, when you begin to write Visions and Prophecies you must have your

record agree meticulously with the Bible. You must write seventy-one chapters on Doctrine and Exhortation, and here too,

you must check every statement with the Scriptures or yours will be proven to be a fraud. You must write Twenty-One

chapters on the Ministry of Christ, and everything you claim he said and did and every Testimony you write in your book

about Him must agree absolutely with the New Testament.

13. Many of the Facts, Claims, Ideas, and Statements given as absolutely True in your writings must be entirely inconsistent

with the prevailing beliefs of the world. Some of these worldly beliefs must prove to be the direct opposite of your claims.

14. Included in your narration will be authentic modes of Travel, whether or not those Ancient people used Fire, description

of their Clothing, Crops, Mourning Customs and Types of Government. You must invent about 280 New Names that will

stand up under scrutiny through the years as to their proper application and derivation.

15. You will have to use properly, figures of speech, similes, metaphors, narrations, exposition, description, oratory, epic,

lyric, chiasmus and parables.

16. You must invite the ablest scholars and experts to examine the text with care, and you must strive diligently to see that

your book gets into the hands of those eager to prove it a forgery, and who are most competent to expose every flaw in it.

17. Thorough investigation, Scientific and Historical evidence, and archeological discovery for the next

175 years must verify its claims and prove detail after detail to be true for many of the details you put in your history are still

buried beneath the soil of Tibet.

18. You must publish it to every Nation, Kindred, Tongue, and People declaring it to be the word of God and Another

Witness for the Lord Jesus Christ.

19. The book must not contain any absurd, impossible, or contradictory statement that will contradict any other statement

elsewhere in the volume.

20. Many theories and ideas as to its origin must arise, and after discovering and examining the facts, they must fall. You

have claimed that your knowledge had come from a Divine Origin, and this claim continues to stand as the only possible

explanation. The strength of this explanation must not decrease as time passes, but actually increase to the point where it

becomes the only logical explanation.

21. Your record is to fulfill many Bible Prophecies, even in the exact manner in which it shall come forth, to whom delivered,

its purposes, its accomplishments.

22. Call down an Angel form Heaven in the middle of the day and have him Bear Testimony to four honest, dignified citizens

of your community that the record is the word of God. These witnesses must bear the Angels testimony to the World, not for

profit or gain. but under great Sacrifice and severe persecution, even to their Death Beds. You must put that testimony to the

test by becoming like one of these men. (Joseph was murdered)

23. Thousands of great men, intellectual giants, national and international personalities and scholars for 125 years must

accept your history and its teachings even to the point of laying down their lives rather thin deny their testimony of it.

24. You must include within the record this promise, And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true, and rye shall ask with a sincere heart,

with real intent, having faith in Christ, He will manifest the truth of it unto you be the power of the Holy Ghost. 25. Millions must bear record to the World for the next 175 years that they know the record to be True because they put the

promise to the test and found it to be true. The truth of it was manifested to them by the Holy Ghost.

26. Over 50,000 competent young men, at any given time, must be so sold on your book that they gladly give up two or more

years of their lives to take it to all parts of the World for distribution. They not only pay their own way during these years, but

also return Bearing Testimony that the time spent will remain as one of the highlights of their lives. They receive nothing in

return for their efforts but the Joy of having shared your book with others.

27. Your book must not only raise the standards of millions of people but also do it in such a way that they become one of the

Great Moral, ethical and dynamic Marvels of the day. They must become world renowned for this.

28. For the next 20 years you must watch those that follow you, your family and dearest of your loved ones be persecuted,

driven time after time from their homes, beaten, tortured, starved, frozen and killed. Tens of thousands must undergo the

most Extreme Hardships in your presence just because they believe your claims concerning the origin and Content of what

you have written on Ancient Tibet.

29. You must gain No Wealth from your work, but many times lose all that you have. Like those that believe you, you must

submit yourself to the most Vile Persecution. And finally after 20 years of this, give your own Life in a very Savage and

Brutal Manner for your Testimony concerning your History Book. This must be done willingly on your part.

30. Start right now and produce this record, which covers 2600 Years of History, doing it, not in the Peaceful Atmosphere of

your community, but under the most trying of circumstances, which includes being driven from your home several times and

receiving constant threats upon your life. Please have your book completed, talk a friend into mortgaging his Farm to raise

money to have it printed all in 60 days.

There is only one answer -- THE BOOK OF MORMON; it is a Divine Record, if not, its origin must be stated and its claims

must be explained by the critic. It Isnt Enough To Merely Discard It As False And Forget About It.