Show UNWITTING WITTING WITNESSES XI there th aare is frequent mention made 14 ahe tae book of mormon of tem nag and sanctuaries 44 ka of other places used for re oua purposes and were there strange and unreasonable adice existing against it this ue production would be es fedt the most moet valuable literary of the age but this in 13 otia blas bias is not now new to the book ous to its alte translation it passed h centuries of hatred and 44 arora iw ta be protected by its friends ak th the e fury of vandal eneal enemies les fire before it was committed to the 1 ft custody of the earth but withstanding it theand a thO And I 1 ng its unpopularity it j and wonderful aw salver so ilver itlay luny oi of the he writers on american tea Ment mention icat the existence of j 8 remains of sacrificial i meare are found entire and gj laal ape wad and dimensions are pantely Pa while burnt bones bonee fragments of altar vessels and other debris and signs of votive immolation have been discovered and even the ashes and marks of fire upon the stones have in some instances been made out nadaillac lac speaks of these altars and says they frequently consist of horizontal layers of gravel earth and sand these materials always cover an altar always on a level with the soil made of flat stones or of clay hardened in the sun or by b I 1 fire in some cases troughs or coffins co of stone are arranged around I 1 the altar the size of these altars varies some are only a few inches square ranging up to fifty feet long and fifteen wide all bear traces upon their surface of exposure to violent heat prehistoric pre historic america page these troughs and water coffins or cisterns recall the lavers appended to the mosaic altars and were used for washings purifications etc the deposits found under and in close proximity to the altars deserve the close attention of the interested reg reader der banier quoted in prehistoric pre historic america page says under one of these altars have been found thousands of specimens of hyaline hy allne quartz obsidian and manganese 9 arrow points ants of ad admirable mir workmanship six rise hundred hat eAds presenting a certain analogy with the european hatchets of st acherl these hatchets hat cheto averaged seven inches long by four inches wide lucien carr in his report to the peabody museum vol 2 page 90 speaks of whole magazines of spear heads arrow points hatchets ves axes daggers knives etc having been found burled in the earth it is well known that the custom of burying weapons and other insignia of rank or occupation with the dead body was practiced among the ancient races of shenew the new world but that many thousands of wea pons should be found in a single vault and aad large magazines of the ghastly instruments of deadly warfare should be stowed away in the bosom of the earth is remarkably strange and uncommon and cannot be accounted for by comparisons with the known custom of ef any people or of any age As a few of such inhumations of weapons have been disclosed by accident it is but reasonable to conclude that other and possibly more abundant deposits of this character might be revealed if a search were made for them this circumstance is the more inexplicable by the incongruity it presents of a voluntary weakening of the means of defense and opposition while all the surroundings indicate the presence of danger from a numerous and powerful enemy the whole country around abounds with military forts and defensive earth antly of an age corresponding with that of the style of the burled buried weapons and even if a temporary lull in hostilities should be conceived such conduct is inconsistent with the tice of all nations and tribes and contrary to the popular maxim m im in time of peace prepare for war but ano anomalous makus as this prodigal waste of property was the act itself and the motives which prompted 14 it are clearly recorded and explained in ia the book of mormon the account is thus given the Lama had been making vigorous and wrathful preparations of hostility and war against a portion of their brethren called antine anti ne phi gehis page hatred towards the deity or religious persecution was the animus of this violent opposition during a few years previous a great reformation had been effected among the people through th the e p reaching preaching and of several prophets who h had ad come among them A large number of the people were converted ands and in consequence became a sober and industrious community they desired peace and in the face of the terrible danger which threatened them they yielded to the softening influences which they had accepted and resolved not to fight with their brethren pages 5 A council of war or of peace rather was called by their leaders to determine what they should do to defend themselves against the danger that menaced them now there was not one soul among all the people who had been converted unto the lord that would take up arms against their brethren nay they would not even make any rations for war and also pre preparations yea their r king commanded comm commanded anaed them them that they should not now these are the words which he said unto the people concerning the matter I 1 thank my great god that he has given us a portion of his spirit to soften our hearts now my best beloved av brethren e ren since nee god 0 hath th taken away our stains and our swords have become bright then let us stain our swords no more with the blood of our brethren and now my brethren if I 1 our brethren seek to destroy us behold we will hide away our swords yea even we will bury them deep in the earth and now it came to pass that when the king had maile made an end of these sayin sayings B and all the people 0 p le were assembled assem together tt they e y took their swo swords rd a and all the weapons which were used for the shedding of mans blood and they did bury them deep in the earth and this they did it being bein in their view a testimony to GOT god and aad also to men that they never would use weapons again for the shedding of mans blood and this they did vouching and covenanting with god that rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own 1 li I es pages 7 further references are made to this voluntary interment of the instruments st of human slaughter by the anti nephi gehis on pages the translator of the book boob of mormon was was not an explorer an antiquarian nor a reader of archaeological literature previous to or at the time of his inspired labor neither had the strange discoveries of the buried weapons been published at that time joseph smith could not have known until he read the account given by alma upon the plates that any such mementoes of the mellowing influences of the gospel were reposing in the bosom of the earth the motive which pro prompted apted this remarkable sacrifice was the noblest that ever warmed the human heart the peaceful determination was waa fixed by the seal of an oath and bound the devotees throughout their whole lives Trad traditions Mons of this memorable transaction mager linger among the today and it is customary with some of the tribes at the conclusion of a treaty of peace to bind the covenant by the ceremony of burying the hatchet deep in the earth undoubtedly the oaths were taken at the sacred altars and the religious complexion which is given to this Int interesting resting episode harmonizes with the association of the relics found around the native shrines with the pious interment of the wea weapons pODS the hebraic character of the altars troughs etc has already been mentioned but there are still other analogous features stamped upon these remains of jewish worship squier mentions engraved scrollwork cut out of very thin plates of mica and pierced with holes so that they could be suspended upon certain parts of the clothing or person calling to mind again the custom of wearing phylacteries but the reader should not conclude from what has been said of the character of numerous re religious structures found upon the land of america that all the sacred ruins discovered have this distinctive tive character there existed at least two other classes of buildings devoted to religious purposes there were bodies of apostates called dissenters and a numerous class of idolaters idol idola aters tors among the descendants ts of the colony from jerusalem and they also built their peculiar temples and sacred places on page of the book of mormon we read and now in this two hundred and first year after christ there began to be among them those who were lifted up in pride such as the wear ing or costly apparel and ana au all manner of fine pearls and of the fine things of the world and from that time forth they did have their goods and their substance no more common among them and they began be to be divided into classes and they ey began to build up churches unto themselves to get gain and began to deny the true church of christ there were many churches in the land yea there were many churches which professed to know the chef christ and yet they did deny the more parts of his gospel insomuch mu ch that they did receive all ali manner of wickedness and did administer that which was wred sacred unto him to whom it had been forbidden because of unworthiness and this church did multiply exceedingly because of iniquity and because of the power of satan who did get hold of their hearts page for this people shall be scattered and shall become a dark a filthy and a loathsome people beyond the description of that which ever haw that been even tha amongst us yea which hath bath been among aifong the lamen ites andthil and this because of their unbelief and idolatry 11 1 1 page and they did also march b forward forlaw against the city Tean cum and did da of forth out H drive the inhabitants her and did take many prison onera both women and children an and d did lu offer them up as sacrifices unto tb their idol gods page had come t the and when they second time the Nep hites we driven and slaughtered with on an e 11 beeding great slaughter their wo W men and their children were afia T sacrificed unto idols page 06 see also page that th prom from the foregoing we learn false and perverted systems of ra ligion with all the errors and arroll arroo ties of paganism existed upon abo w continent of america in very caw times it would therefore be qu quite consistent to find remains of beaten temples and other tokens of w the worship of false gods aj sad but to preserve congruity that harmona harmony which we have haves bo to exist between the bookoff book of MO naw ia mon record and the remains I 1 i upon the face of the land the si siga goo ba of of american paganism should the ancient oriental types A great deal has been wa written ritten us ar on this subject and much tion has been indulged in as to bow bov old the heat heathenish honish customs of the world were introduced ipox I 1 0 continent the most fruitful field for exploration has been POM magnificent v tOW where some most ples have been discovered on we page of prehistoric pre historic AO ica we read 1110 A hill near the covered with granite bloc blocken rj sculptured and converted I 1 into n ow 8 I 1 of galleries ornamented with raf of races and niches the temple mr y converted into a Domlnic DominicI ian 0 1 vent occupies one side of a at ciot court which preserves its an the name Juli ampa the field 0 01 y sun the inner and outer W 0 aeto is said were covered with sneed sh awl Y gold oy this last remark is ates aquier who testifies to in various houses in BD of gold preserved as rell relics came from the temple he sa 00 u these plates were scarcely scarce i oy thick as a sheet of paper jle midst of other symbols 0 of ma 1 animate and inanimate were we ble manifestations of the aft being I 1 in n the center was fag fountain of considerS considerable bOe tag great beauty the stone y acco fal to to Garci lasso was like the aad walls covered with gold eft water flowed into it abrou through ge b vS not leave we pipes we will lucsy of yucay without speaking of a tower situated on an isolated oca and alad made of rough stones are niches ani an 3 outside are na CUIP tares 1 representing a serpent to most likely a temple the re pew eau veneration of the ancient pe buus aryans for isolated rocks ju justifies stifles I 1 idea the indians of today we ve inherited the superstition of their bleir forefathers and none of them would ouid dare to pass this tower with bowing profoundly to it throw h og down dow 11 a stone and muttering an kloc evocation aaion T h he 6 leading features of the reous belief of the ancient aka 4 were strictly Judal cal and attie descriptions read like passages in josephus they believed in the mortality of the soul and in a aie life of pleasure or pain the who had well employed his thae lle went to the world above where 8 reward awaited him if on the contrary 11 ry he had led a bad life he flung into the world below 1116 sue future life whether happy or berwise er wise was held to be entirely alte ew and natural this is clearly wn from the nature of the sub acee accompanying the burial of the ue dead food ornaments wea POU wl etc discovered in their ares ates while hile the book of mormon con tuna As a mine of archaeological wealth t destruct and delight the wonder og scientist it is moreover a ebee repository tory of precious gems at gospel truth of orthodox doc talles and apostolic teachings U 8 veat great diversity of opinion upon adious matters has long existed in aa le christian world many honest w sincere writers in past ages aake labored earnestly to promote t MIty ty in principle and tace to such and to all truth loving J we lej the history of the christian goh in the earliest times and the ae testimony of apostles and other io ful witnesses have been held 14 the highest esteem and eagerly g ht after that there were ern ftak the churches even in the t times the epistles to the co ab nb the galatians and the V fc 8 16 bre are standing proofs there dantano and eminent testimony tea jah 14 rw to in after ages things grew atalloh ua worse those errors which in the first century were but the u and the tender blade have an ant 4 the e lapse of ages brought forth abundant harvest of apostasy corruption how precious SS must be the recorded words of ta wa were known to be author 0 it dmd uncorrupted witnesses of 1 and his doctrines ool rin the aie j 0 mormon contains the of those who assoni abed with jesus jesua christ after his crucifixion also much of his personal teachings together with doctrines precepts aud and prophecies of holy and inspired men foxe author of the book of martyrs calls the three hundred yea years ra next after christ the primitive church see acts and monuments book by others the term is applied to the christian community comprehended within the lives of the apostles all of whom passed from mortal view before the close of the first century A D the names of a few writers writer called holy fathers who lived in those early times are preserved and held in profound veneration because of their opportunities of being acquainted quainter quain ted d with the doctrines and order of the church in its purest times st demons clemens of rome borne supposed to be the same as mentioned by paul in phil iv 3 and claimed by the catholics to be the first pope is credited with being the author of apostolic canons J constitutions homilies homilius ho milies and epistles to which is attached the greatest importance because of their antiquity ignatius polycarp justin martyr irenaeus Iren ceus and some others who lived in the second century are names of great consideration because of their association with the infant church the authority of saint ignatius is particularly venerable because he not only lived in the age of christ but it is believed that he was one of the children brought to him and taken up in his arms and blessed on this account he |