Show MORE diore EVIDENCE OF THE authenticity OF THE VIE BOOK OF MORMON LAST saturday we published an article from fidi the san francisco chronicle ona lecture lately delivered by churchill before the california academy edy of science the lecturer advanced the theory that at one time there was an immense body of land densely populated by inhabitants well advanced in the arts of civilization in the south 1 pacific laci fie fic ocean parallel with south america A glance at the map shows that that part of the ocean is dott I 1 edwith numerous small li islands lands nialand amoni the principal of which is easter island I 1 awe vc quote from the chronicle ui f w d 4 the chief reasons for bell beil believing e ving that Oce anica aulca was once a continent are two first the existence in a laige number of islands of architectural and artistic remains which imply a civilization and a population far beyond what the islands now present and second the fact that everywhere between theis the ls Is lands the sea bottom even at a depth of 2000 fathoms and abid over is found to consist of coral coral detritus and coral mixed with sand and lava the coral insect cannot live below 50 or feet beneath the surface of the water comparing this fact with the existence of coral at a depth of 2000 fathoms darwin came to the conclusion that the bottom of the sea must have subsided since that coral was deposited dana took up the theory amplified and elaborated it and it is now generally accepted the miniva and scientific press of san Francis coalso treats upon captain Chur chills lesture iee lee ture regarding which it says uis ills his paper referred especially to the gigantic sculptured figures still to be seen upon easter island and evidently the work of a different race than th that at which now inhabits the island and one much more numerous since the le works referred to are on too large irge a scale to have been constructed except by many hands lie ile argued that a vast cont continent I 1 once existed where there is now nothing but a waste of ocean dotted with countless isles and islets of varying ake and character the majority showing in their formation the traces of that former volcanic action which either up heaved them from the depths of the sea or shattered and sunk surk the continent on which they are now the only vestige easter island it Is believed was once the home of a population numbering many thousands of whom scarce any now remain besides dwelling upon the sculptured figures to be found there captain churchill laid much stress upon the hieroglyphic tablets of wood discovered upon easter island and which are tile the only instance of a written language in Oc eanica he thought sufficient attention had not been given them the governments of the united states land and germany are taking steps to prosecute investigations re regarding ardi ardt D this most interesting subject tile file the latter country is showing ands unusual ual activity in it ana will f furnish a corps of eng engineers I 1 i and scientists that the researches may be thoroughly and intelligently made france has also of late been making advances toward establish establishing in a protect protectorate 6 over easter island the results of the promised researches will be awaited with considerable interest by many people among whom are the latter day saints who will be able to observe in these developments additional evidences of the authenticity of the book of oi dior Alor mormon mors as they tend to establish the tho theory of its narrative it is reported in an account given b by a german vessel which lately visited visite easter island that it Is strewn with lar jar large e stone images and sculptured ta tablets bits the inhabitants of the island know nothing about the tile remains and even tradition gives no account of a people living there when their ancestors arrived it is more than probable that before these investigations are concluded the fact will be revealed that by a fearful convulsion of nature an immense area of country once united with what is abw south america was sunk under the sea carrying into eternity with awful suddenness a dense and the cities they had built the book of mormon shows that what now constitutes south and central traia merica america was thickly inhabited by the people of whom it is ii a history and that because of the existence of wickedness great destruction occurred at the time of the crucifixion of arist by which the face of nature was transformed the savior subsequently visiting and ministering to those other sheep aliee who were were spared out of the wreck the description of the scenes be begins beins L ins on page pale we quo quote to some portions bea bearing ring upon the submerging of a mighty surface of land and the city of moroni did sink into the depths of the sea and the inhabitants thereof were drowned and ahe city of and the inhabitants thereof and the city of mo alo cum curn and the inhabitants thereof and the city of Jerusa lemand iemand the inhabitants thereof and th tha vaters gators aters have I 1 caused to comel come dp J ihl 6 stead thereof to hide their aad eions from befrs bay big fage fade face that the blood of the p tin and d the the saints shall not come up any more unto me against them assuming the correctness of the book of mormon hormon there is a solution of the mystery us to why the present inhabitants of easter ihland have no traditions in relation to its ancient people the evidences of whose advancement van cement in the arts still exist it is because the they are not their dencen i cants all tj the original population having been buried beneath the ocean i the island must therefore have been e copied 0 pl ed again subsequent to the e ruction est s t r u ebion by another race this solution is made ali ail all ail the more striking when we consider that the tribes in south central and North america all have traditions regarding 9 ardi their thel forefathers and in relation t to the e vast and imposing ruins to be found especially in the two first of the divisions mentioned and all traditions and discoveries to date either sustain or harmonize with the book of mormon nothing of A so called prehistoric character havin bavin gayet goyet been developed that conflicts with it it is somewhat singular that the article in the chronicle should coincide with the book of mormon formon statements in theorizing upon the manner in which the thed great body ot of land disappeared under the tile expanse of water we quote from its article was it the work of an earthquake and did the land suddenly drop out of si sight kt in the flash bash of a second hurling hurlin its occupants into eternity with such awful swiftness that none nobe could realize what was the terrible catastrophe which had overwhelmed them we venture to remark that if the bedok of mormon were taken a as a base in the proposed investigation into this interesting subject it would tend greatly to accelerate discoveries and go be a potent aid in the formation of just conclusions we do not anticipate however that it will cut any figure n the search people prefer to denounce it as a fraudulent production without giving it the slightest consideration the latter day saints however rejoice in the tile fact that evera ever pre discovery in regard t to 0 this land is confirmatory of the genuineness of its claim to authenticity |