LookinforLucy, asked this question:

Again I ask ---- If the Jewish followers of Lehi were indeed Jewish and did indeed come out of Israel ---- How did they become Asian by the time they reached the Americas?

Well my answer is for someone who was a previous member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints aka the Mormons aka the LDS Church, she certainly must not have read the Book of Mormon.

In the story I related on the people who left with Lehi, a small band of people who went to a specific area of the North and South American Continents, there was a certain man named Zoram, who was a slave in the house of Laban.

We do not know the nationality of Zoram, however we do know that he joined with the people of Lehi and Ishmael and this small band of people made their way across the desert to the departure as I have previously indicated.

As for the peoples of Asian descent, we don't know yet.

What we do know is that the people of Noth and South America have very similar DNA, the exception is the Alaskan people.

Perhaps since it only took 176 years for proof of a portion of the Book of Mormon to be substiantiated it will not be long before more of it is substianated.

I can certainly say that outside of the writings found there is little proof of the Old Testament. For that portion of Scripture we basically are going on the oral traditions of the children of Isreal. We know that there are times and correlations between the writings and known Kings and such at the times.

We have the same in the Book of Mormon. Why is it so hard to believe that it is possible that it could be true?

We can only speculate why it bothers people so much that Joseph Smith Jun. was a Prophet of God.

Starting tomorrow I will be doing a series of posts that deal with the teachings of the Prophets, that people claim are against what the Bible teaches.

I will let all of you decide for yourselves. Do the Prophets teach of God and the Son and the Holy Ghost and our ability to be resurrected and live with him again or not?

Take care and have a great evening! Beth.

As I have indicated on several other blogs and my own I am now ready to post newly presented evidence that was found in 1989, 1994 and and documented between 11 September 2001 and 2004.

This was no feat to do for the people who authenticated the writing of the beginning of the Book of Mormon.

The first thing I want to point out is that there are some things regarding the time period of the translation of the Book of Mormon that simply were incapable of being known much less to Joseph Smith Jun.

1.) During the time of the translation of the Book of Mormon it was believed that the Arabian Peninsula was completely desolate from shore to shore.

2.) Joseph Smith Jun. Could not know of the existence of ore in Southern Arabia. He could not know of the existence of caves of honey in Southern Arabia. He could not have known that there are and were trees capable of building a sea worthy vessel. He could not have know of the plant called a Dwarf Palm that when platted together for a type of hemp that becomes a very tough cordage when exposed to water instead of disintegrating as other types of vines. He could not have known of the fruit of figs, limes, olives and the jasmine and the pistachios, just to name a few of the fruits available in Southern Arabia.

3.) Joseph Smith Jun. Could not know these things as no one except for the Arabs knew of these things and they did not know of them as a country as they were a very tribal and territorial nomadic group of people. And the area where these things are found are beyond the most hostile dessert areas of the time.

So keep this in mind when I quote a few scriptures of the Book of Mormon, and then tell you of what has been found and where.

THE FIRST BOOK OF NEPHI
HIS REIGN AND MINISTRY
An account of Lehi and his wife Sariah and his four sons, being called, (beginning at the eldest) Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi. The Lord warns Lehi to depart out of the land of Jerusalem, because he prophesieth unto the people concerning their iniquity and they seek to destroy his life. He taketh three days’ journey into the wilderness with his family. Nephi taketh his brethren and returneth to the land of Jerusalem after the record of the Jews. The account of their sufferings. They take the daughters of Ishmael to wife. They take their families and depart into the wilderness. Their sufferings and afflictions in the wilderness. The course of their travels. They come to the large waters. Nephi’s brethren rebel against him. He confoundeth them, and buildeth a ship. They call the name of the place Bountiful. They cross the large waters into the promised land, and so forth. This is according to the account of Nephi; or in other words, I, Nephi, wrote this record.

CHAPTER 1
Nephi begins the record of his people—Lehi sees in vision a pillar of fire and reads from a book of prophecy—He praises God, foretells the coming of the Messiah, and prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem—He is persecuted by the Jews. [About 600 B.C.]
1:1 I, NEPHI, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.
2 Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.
3 And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge.
4 For it came to pass in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days); and in that same year there came many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed.
5 Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people.
6 And it came to pass as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly.
7 And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen.
8 And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.
9 And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day.
10 And he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament.
11 And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and the first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read.
12 And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord.
13 And he read, saying: Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen thine abominations! Yea, and many things did my father read concerning Jerusalem—that it should be destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof; many should perish by the sword, and many should be carried away captive into Babylon.
14 And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!
15 And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him.
16 And now I, Nephi, do not make a full account of the things which my father hath written, for he hath written many things which he saw in visions and in dreams; and he also hath written many things which he prophesied and spake unto his children, of which I shall not make a full account.
17 But I shall make an account of my proceedings in my days. Behold, I make an abridgment of the record of my father, upon plates which I have made with mine own hands; wherefore, after I have abridged the record of my father then will I make an account of mine own life.
18 Therefore, I would that ye should know, that after the Lord had shown so many marvelous things unto my father, Lehi, yea, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, behold he went forth among the people, and began to prophesy and to declare unto them concerning the things which he had both seen and heard.
19 And it came to pass that the Jews did mock him because of the things which he testified of them; for he truly testified of their wickedness and their abominations; and he testified that the things which he saw and heard, and also the things which he read in the book, manifested plainly of the coming of a Messiah, and also the redemption of the world.
20 And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also sought his life, that they might take it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.

==Now we know that this time of the reign of the King Zedekiah was around 600 BC.==

CHAPTER 2
2 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness.
3 And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him.
4 And it came to pass that he *departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness.
5 And he came down by the borders near the shore of the Red Sea; and he traveled in the wilderness in the borders which are nearer the Red Sea; and he did travel in the wilderness with his family, which consisted of my mother, Sariah, and my elder brothers, who were Laman, Lemuel, and Sam.
12 And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them.
16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers.
17 And I spake unto Sam, making known unto him the things which the Lord had manifested unto me by his Holy Spirit. And it came to pass that he believed in my words.
CHAPTER 3
1 AND it came to pass that I, Nephi, returned from speaking with the Lord, to the tent of my father.
2 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, saying: Behold I have dreamed a dream, in the which the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brethren shall return to Jerusalem.
3 For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a genealogy of my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass.
4 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness.
5 And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord.
6 Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured.
7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

==Here I will interject that Laban is the eldest brother of Lehi, it was the tradition of the Jewish people that the eldest son be the person who was responsible for keeping the records of the Jews, the Torah, and the genealogies of the family.

Nephi and his brothers did go back to get the records and the first time the approached Laban and asked and he denied them the records. The second time they tried to buy the records with all of the gold, silver and precious things from their father’s house, he took the precious things and tried to have them killed. The third time Nephi went alone to get the plates and a way was provided for him to do so.==

CHAPTER 4
3 Now behold ye know that this is true; and ye also know that an angel hath spoken unto you; wherefore can ye doubt? Let us go up; the Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban, even as the Egyptians.
4 Now when I had spoken these words, they were yet wroth, and did still continue to murmur; nevertheless they did follow me up until we came without the walls of Jerusalem.
5 And it was by night; and I caused that they should hide themselves without the walls. And after they had hid themselves, I, Nephi, crept into the city and went forth towards the house of Laban.
6 And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.
7 Nevertheless I went forth, and as I came near unto the house of Laban I beheld a man, and he had fallen to the earth before me, for he was drunken with wine.
8 And when I came to him I found that it was Laban.
9 And I beheld his sword, and I drew it forth from the sheath thereof; and the hilt thereof was of pure gold, and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine, and I saw that the blade thereof was of the most precious steel.
10 And it came to pass that I was constrained by the Spirit that I should kill Laban; but I said in my heart: Never at any time have I shed the blood of man. And I shrunk and would that I might not slay him.
11 And the Spirit said unto me again: Behold the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands. Yea, and I also knew that he had sought to take away mine own life; yea, and he would not hearken unto the commandments of the Lord; and he also had taken away our property.
12 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands;
13 Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.
14 And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise.
15 Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law.
16 And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass.
17 And again, I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands for this cause—that I might obtain the records according to his commandments.
18 Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword.
19 And after I had smitten off his head with his own sword, I took the garments of Laban and put them upon mine own body; yea, even every whit; and I did gird on his armor about my loins.
20 And after I had done this, I went forth unto the treasury of Laban. And as I went forth towards the treasury of Laban, behold, I saw the servant of Laban who had the keys of the treasury. And I commanded him in the voice of Laban, that he should go with me into the treasury.
21 And he supposed me to be his master, Laban, for he beheld the garments and also the sword girded about my loins.
30 And it came to pass that when the servant of Laban beheld my brethren he began to tremble, and was about to flee from before me and return to the city of Jerusalem.
31 And now I, Nephi, being a man large in stature, and also having received much strength of the Lord, therefore I did seize upon the servant of Laban, and held him, that he should not flee.
32 And it came to pass that I spake with him, that if he would hearken unto my words, as the Lord liveth, and as I live, even so that if he would hearken unto our words, we would spare his life.
33 And I spake unto him, even with an oath, that he need not fear; that he should be a free man like unto us if he would go down in the wilderness with us.
34 And I also spake unto him, saying: Surely the Lord hath commanded us to do this thing; and shall we not be diligent in keeping the commandments of the Lord? Therefore, if thou wilt go down into the wilderness to my father thou shalt have place with us.
35 And it came to pass that Zoram did take courage at the words which I spake. Now Zoram was the name of the servant; and he promised that he would go down into the wilderness unto our father. Yea, and he also made an oath unto us that he would tarry with us from that time forth.

CHAPTER 5
10 And after they had given thanks unto the God of Israel, my father, Lehi, took the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, and he did search them from the beginning.
11 And he beheld that they did contain the five books of Moses, which gave an account of the creation of the world, and also of Adam and Eve, who were our first parents;
12 And also a record of the Jews from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah;
13 And also the prophecies of the holy prophets, from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah; and also many prophecies which have been spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah.
14 And it came to pass that my father, Lehi, also found upon the plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers; wherefore he knew that he was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that Joseph who was the son of Jacob, who was sold into Egypt, and who was preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he might preserve his father, Jacob, and all his household from perishing with famine.
15 And they were also led out of captivity and out of the land of Egypt, by that same God who had preserved them.
16 And thus my father, Lehi, did discover the genealogy of his fathers. And Laban also was a descendant of Joseph, wherefore he and his fathers had kept the records.
17 And now when my father saw all these things, he was filled with the Spirit, and began to prophesy concerning his seed—
18 That these plates of brass should go forth unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people who were of his seed.
19 Wherefore, he said that these plates of brass should never perish; neither should they be dimmed any more by time. And he prophesied many things concerning his seed.

==Now this is how the family of Lehi came into possession of the plates of brass. Mormon compiles an abridgement of the plates of brass onto the plates of gold; therefore there are two different sets of plates that were translated by Joseph Smith Jun. After giving Martin Harris the 116 pages of the translations of the plates of brass, Joseph Smith Jun. Lost the ability to translate for a year. He also lost the ability to ever translate the plates of brass. He instead translated the plates of gold. Which is the Book of Mormon, he being the same Mormon that abridged the plates of brass.

Now that I have established a history of how and why the family of Lehi left Jerusalem, I will establish the truth of their time in the wilderness up to the point that they set sail for and landed in the promised land.

Again as you read these upcoming passages keep in mind that Joseph Smith Jun, nor anyone else in the civilized world could have known about Arab traditions for burials, nor of the aforementioned things.==

CHAPTER 7
1 AND now I would that ye might know, that after my father, Lehi, had made an end of prophesying concerning his seed, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto him again, saying that it was not meet for him, Lehi, that he should take his family into the wilderness alone; but that his sons should take daughters to wife, that they might raise up seed unto the Lord in the land of promise.
2 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded him that I, Nephi, and my brethren, should again return unto the land of Jerusalem, and bring down Ishmael and his family into the wilderness.
3 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did again, with my brethren, go forth into the wilderness to go up to Jerusalem.
4 And it came to pass that we went up unto the house of Ishmael, and we did gain favor in the sight of Ishmael, insomuch that we did speak unto him the words of the Lord.
5 And it came to pass that the Lord did soften the heart of Ishmael, and also his household, insomuch that they took their journey with us down into the wilderness to the tent of our father.

==Now it is important that I should point out that Laman and Lemuel did continually rebel against Lehi, their father, Nephi and once Ishamael joined they did rebel against him. I will leave out most of their rebellions. Earlier in the post I put in a scripture regarding an angel of the Lord that spake to them. Several times an angel of the Lord speaks to Laman and Lemuel and they repent and then rebel again. It is an on going theme in the Book of Mormon.==

CHAPTER 16
7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, took one of the daughters of Ishmael to wife; and also, my brethren took of the daughters of Ishmael to wife; and also Zoram took the eldest daughter of Ishmael to wife.
12 And it came to pass that we did take our tents and depart into the wilderness, across the river Laman.
13 And it came to pass that we traveled for the space of four days, nearly a south-southeast direction, and we did pitch our tents again; and we did call the name of the place Shazer.

==Now at this time it is believed they were following the Trail of Incense.==

34 And it came to pass that Ishmael died, and was buried in the place which was called Nahom.
35 And it came to pass that the daughters of Ishmael did mourn exceedingly, because of the loss of their father, and because of their afflictions in the wilderness; and they did murmur against my father, because he had brought them out of the land of Jerusalem, saying: Our father is dead; yea, and we have wandered much in the wilderness, and we have suffered much affliction, hunger, thirst, and fatigue; and after all these sufferings we must perish in the wilderness with hunger.

==Now there are two important things here. The reason the daughters of Ishmael are so upset is that their father is being buried in a place that is not the land of their fathers. The are also tired of having to wait until food is found in the wilderness all the while walking and being pregnant and having babies and so forth.

The second important thing is that in 1829 no one in the world knew of the place called Nahom, not even the Arabians as this place has ceased to exist at that by 1829. It was not discovered until 1994 when several burial grounds were discovered and unearthed. Now they did find markings in Arabic regarding the Nama, which means to cut stone, so it is assumed they were stone cutters which is later verified.

What is most interesting is that one of the unearthed burial mounds was a man advanced in years who was not buried after the traditions of the Arabs, but after the traditions of the Jewish people.

Now following the Trail of Incense you will find the next city and that is Marib. What is found at Marib is just outside of the temple there which have cuttings from the people of Nahom, their markings are on the stone statues and other offerings to the gods there, three alters are found. These alters are not in the temple but outside of it. As the temple is for the Arabic people and not for the Jewish people Lehi would not have entered into the temple nor would he have allowed anyone in his family to enter into the temple.

On these three alters are markings regarding Nahom and Ishmael and they date back to roughly 600 BC.==

CHAPTER 17
1 AND it came to pass that we did again take our journey in the wilderness; and we did travel nearly eastward from that time forth. And we did travel and wade through much affliction in the wilderness; and our women did bear children in the wilderness.
2 And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the men; and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings.
3 And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.
4 And we did sojourn for the space of many years, yea, *even eight years in the wilderness.

==Now they had finished their journey in the sands of the desert. They had not used fire to cook their food or for light for the area they were in had no law, just warring tribes.==

5 And we did come to the land which we called Bountiful, because of its much fruit and also wild honey; and all these things were prepared of the Lord that we might not perish. And we beheld the sea, which we called Irreantum, which, being interpreted, is many waters.
6 And it came to pass that we did pitch our tents by the seashore; and notwithstanding we had suffered many afflictions and much difficulty, yea, even so much that we cannot write them all, we were exceedingly rejoiced when we came to the seashore; and we called the place Bountiful, because of its much fruit.

==Again I ask in 1829, how could Joseph Smith Jun. Have known that there was a place with much fruit and wild honey by the sea of many waters?==

7 And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been in the land of Bountiful for the space of many days, the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying: Arise, and get thee into the mountain. And it came to pass that I arose and went up into the mountain, and cried unto the Lord.
8 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters.

==I will ask the question how could Joseph Smith Jun. Know that the ships that the Arabian people and the Jewish people were not constructed in the same manner as ships in 1829. He knew nothing regarding the customs of the people of 600 BC.==

9 And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me?
10 And it came to pass that the Lord told me whither I should go to find ore, that I might make tools.

==Now there are two possible areas that could have been where the family of Lehi stopped and called Bountiful. This is a lush area of Yemen called Wadi Sayq it is just South of Oman.

On the East end there is a place called Khor Kharfot and on the West end there is a place called Wadi Sayq.

The East end has all of the things talked about by Nephi, the lushness, the fruit, the honey, there were trees capable of building a sea worthy ship namely Umbrella Trees, Baski and Laniu trees. Any of these were capable of being used to frame and create a ship also the Dwarf Palm is there. The most significant thing is that there is a mountain which could be climbed in a few hours and most importantly there is an ore deposit that has two types of ore veins that are combined and just laying on the rocks to be picked up with your hands.
There is also flint just laying around on the ground.
Another interesting find is that in the caves of honeycombs they found drawings of a ship very different from the ones used by the Arabian people. They were dated and found to be from around 600 BC.==

11 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make a bellows wherewith to blow the fire, of the skins of beasts; and after I had made a bellows, that I might have wherewith to blow the fire, I did smite two stones together that I might make fire.
12 For the Lord had not hitherto suffered that we should make much fire, as we journeyed in the wilderness; for he said: I will make thy food become sweet, that ye cook it not;
16 And it came to pass that I did make tools of the ore which I did molten out of the rock.

CHAPTER 18
1 AND it came to pass that they did worship the Lord, and did go forth with me; and we did work timbers of curious workmanship. And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship.
2 Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the manner of men; but I did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men.
3 And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things.
4 And it came to pass that after I had finished the ship, according to the word of the Lord, my brethren beheld that it was good, and that the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine; wherefore, they did humble themselves again before the Lord.
5 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came unto my father, that we should arise and go down into the ship.
6 And it came to pass that on the morrow, after we had prepared all things, much fruits and meat from the wilderness, and honey in abundance, and provisions according to that which the Lord had commanded us, we did go down into the ship, with all our loading and our seeds, and whatsoever thing we had brought with us, every one according to his age; wherefore, we did all go down into the ship, with our wives and our children.
7 And now, my father had begat two sons in the wilderness; the elder was called Jacob and the younger Joseph.
8 And it came to pass after we had all gone down into the ship, and had taken with us our provisions and things which had been commanded us, we did put forth into the sea and were driven forth before the wind towards the promised land.
23 And it came to pass that after we had sailed for the space of many days *we did arrive at the promised land; and we went forth upon the land, and did pitch our tents; and we did call it the promised land.
24 And it came to pass that we did begin to till the earth, and we began to plant seeds; yea, we did put all our seeds into the earth, which we had brought from the land of Jerusalem. And it came to pass that they did grow exceedingly; wherefore, we were blessed in abundance.
25 And it came to pass that we did find upon the land of promise, as we journeyed in the wilderness, that there were beasts in the forests of every kind, both the cow and the ox, and the ass and the horse, and the goat and the wild goat, and all manner of wild animals, which were for the use of men. And we did find all manner of ore, both of gold, and of silver, and of copper.

==Now it is believed that the El Nino winds were the winds used to propel the ship towards the American Continents. It is also believed that they landed on the coast of either Guatemala or El Salvador.
There are more specifics which I have not included as I have tried to be informative, yet be as brief as possible. There is more information regarding the finding of the Wadi Sayq valley at: http://ldsmag.com/bookofmormon/060118bountiful.html

And of course if you wish to verify it against the Book of Mormon it is available at: lds.org==

Thank you to all who have read and I will be thrilled to answer any questions or comments. Take care. Beth.

THIRD NEPHI
THE BOOK OF NEPHI
THE SON OF NEPHI, WHO WAS THE SON OF HELAMAN

CHAPTER 9

In the darkness the voice of Christ proclaims the destruction of many people and cities for their wickedness—He also proclaims his divinity, announces that the law of Moses is fulfilled, and invites men to come unto him and be saved. [A.D. 34]

1 AND it came to pass that there was a voice• heard among all the inhabitants of the earth, upon all the face of this land, crying:

2 Wo, wo, wo unto this people; wo unto the inhabitants of the whole earth except they shall repent; for the devil laugheth•, and his angels rejoice, because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people; and it is because of their iniquity and abominations that they are fallen!

3 Behold, that great city Zarahemla have I burned• with fire, and the inhabitants thereof.

4 And behold, that great city Moroni have I caused to be sunk• in the depths of the sea, and the inhabitants thereof to be drowned.

5 And behold, that great city Moronihah• have I covered with earth, and the inhabitants thereof, to hide their iniquities and their abominations from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints shall not come any more unto me against them.

6 And behold, the city of Gilgal have I caused to be sunk, and the inhabitants thereof to be buried up in the depths of the earth;

7 Yea, and the city of Onihah and the inhabitants thereof, and the city of Mocum and the inhabitants thereof, and the city of Jerusalem• and the inhabitants thereof; and waters• have I caused to come up in the stead thereof, to hide their wickedness and abominations from before my face, that the blood• of the prophets and the saints shall not• come up any more unto me against them.

8 And behold, the city of Gadiandi, and the city of Gadiomnah, and the city of Jacob, and the city of Gimgimno, all these have I caused to be sunk, and made hills• and valleys in the places thereof; and the inhabitants thereof have I buried• up in the depths of the earth, to hide their wickedness and abominations from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints should not come up any more unto me against them.

9 And behold, that great city Jacobugath, which was inhabited by the people of king Jacob, have I caused to be burned with fire because of their sins and their wickedness•, which was above all the wickedness of the whole earth, because of their secret• murders and combinations; for it was they that did destroy• the peace of my people and the government of the land; therefore I did cause them to be burned, to destroy• them from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints should not come up unto me any more against them.

10 And behold, the city of Laman, and the city of Josh, and the city of Gad, and the city of Kishkumen, have I caused to be burned with fire, and the inhabitants thereof, because of their wickedness in casting out the prophets, and stoning those whom I did send to declare unto them concerning their wickedness and their abominations.

11 And because they did cast them all out, that there were none righteous among them, I did send down fire• and destroy them, that their wickedness and abominations might be hid from before my face•, that the blood of the prophets and the saints whom I sent among them might not cry unto me from• the ground against them.

12 And many• great destructions have I caused to come upon this land, and upon this people, because of their wickedness and their abominations.

13 O all ye that are spared• because ye were more righteous• than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal• you?

14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come• unto me ye shall have eternal• life. Behold, mine arm• of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.

15 Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created• the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I• am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name.

16 I came unto my own, and my own received• me not. And the scriptures concerning• my coming are fulfilled.

17 And as many as have received me, to them have I given• to become the sons of God; and even so will I to as many as shall believe on my name, for behold, by me redemption• cometh, and in• me is the law• of Moses fulfilled.

18 I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha• and Omega, the beginning and the end.

19 And ye shall offer up unto me no• more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.

20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice• unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.

21 Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin.

22 Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as• a little• child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid• down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved.

This is what was offered to the people who remained upon the face of the American continents after the great destructions of the wicked cities and peoples.

There were many more things said unto these people, too much to put here but in Chapter 10 we read:

18 And it came to pass that in the ending of the thirty and fourth year, behold, I will show unto you that the people of Nephi who were spared, and also those who had been called Lamanites•, who had been spared, did have great favors shown unto them, and great blessings poured out upon their heads, insomuch that soon after the ascension• of Christ into heaven he did truly manifest himself unto them—

19 Showing• his body unto them, and ministering unto them; and an account of his ministry shall be given hereafter. Therefore for this time I make an end of my sayings.

CHAPTER 11

The Father testifies of his Beloved Son—Christ appears and proclaims his atonement—The people feel the wound marks in his hands and feet and side—They cry Hosanna—He sets forth the mode and manner of baptism—The spirit of contention is of the devil—Christ’s doctrine is that men should believe and be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. [A.D. 34]

1 AND now it came to pass that there were a great multitude gathered• together, of the people of Nephi, round about the temple which was in the land Bountiful•; and they were marveling and wondering one with another, and were showing one to another the great• and marvelous change which had taken place.

2 And they were also conversing about this Jesus Christ, of whom the sign• had been given concerning his death.

3 And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice• as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small• voice it did pierce• them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn.

4 And it came to pass that again they heard the voice, and they understood• it not.

5 And again the third time they did hear the voice, and did open• their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came.

6 And behold, the third time they did understand the voice which they heard; and it said unto them:

7 Behold my Beloved• Son, in• whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.

8 And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw• a Man descending• out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them.

9 And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:

10 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.

11 And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup• which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking• upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will• of the Father in all things from the beginning.

12 And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied• among them that Christ should show• himself unto them after his ascension into heaven.

13 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying:

14 Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust• your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel• the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God• of Israel, and the God of the whole earth•, and have been slain for the sins of the world.

15 And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did• feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.

16 And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they did cry out with one accord, saying:

17 Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did aworship him.

After this Christ taught the people all that he had taught to the Isrealites. He also called prophets and the quorum of twelve apostles and a quorum of seventy. He organized the Church in the American Continents just as he had organized the Church which now was under the direction of Peter.

He also healed the sick and afflicted. And after he left there was peace in the land for 200 years.

These records were abridged by Mormon whose name is the title for the Book of Mormon. These are the plates of Gold that were interpreted by Joseph Smith Junior.

If you would like to read more just go to lds.org

There is also a new video link that goes along with this teaching.
http://www.lds.org/gems/easter2006

I hope you view the video it is very short. I am happy to testify to you that on this Easter weekend. There is a documentation of the others that Christ had to go to when he talked to his disciples in the New Testament.

These people in the American Continents are some of the others that Christ spoke of.

Have a Happy Easter and remember why we have the season of Easter it is to celebrate the Atonement, Crusafixation and Resurection of Jesus Christ. He died that we all may live again. The atonement gives us the ability to repent and come unto him and live with him forever. This above all else in our life should be our goal.

Beth.

THIRD NEPHI
THE BOOK OF NEPHI
THE SON OF NEPHI, WHO WAS THE SON OF HELAMAN

CHAPTER 8

Tempests, earthquakes, fires, whirlwinds, and physical upheavals attest the crucifixion of Christ—Many people are destroyed—Darkness covers the land for three days—Those who remain bemoan their fate. [A.D. 34]

1 AND now it came to pass that according to our record, and we know our record to be true•, for behold, it was a just• man who did keep the record—for he truly did many• miracles• in the name• of Jesus; and there was not any man who could do a miracle in the name of Jesus save he were cleansed every whit from his iniquity—

2 And now it came to pass, if there was no mistake made by this man in the reckoning of our time, the *thirty• and third year had passed away;

3 And the people began to look with great earnestness for the sign which had been given by the prophet Samuel, the Lamanite, yea, for the time that there should be darkness• for the space of three days over the face of the land.

4 And there began to be great doubtings and disputations among the people, notwithstanding so many signs had been given.

5 And it came to pass in the *thirty• and fourth year, in the first month, on the fourth day of the month, there arose a great storm, such an one as never had been known in all the land.

6 And there was also a great and terrible tempest; and there was terrible thunder•, insomuch that it did shake• the whole earth as if it was about to divide asunder.

7 And there were exceedingly sharp lightnings, such as never had been known in all the land.

8 And the city• of Zarahemla did take fire.

9 And the city of Moroni• did sink• into the depths of the sea, and the inhabitants thereof were drowned.

10 And the earth was carried up upon the city of Moronihah•, that in the place of the city there became a great mountain•.

11 And there was a great and terrible destruction in the land southward.

12 But behold, there was a more great and terrible destruction in the land northward; for behold, the whole• face of the land was changed, because of the tempest and the whirlwinds, and the thunderings and the lightnings, and the exceedingly great quaking of the whole earth;

13 And the highways• were broken up, and the level roads were spoiled, and many smooth places became rough.

14 And many great• and notable cities were sunk•, and many were burned•, and many were shaken till the buildings thereof had fallen to the earth, and the inhabitants thereof were slain, and the places were left desolate.

15 And there were some cities which remained; but the damage thereof was exceedingly great, and there were many in them who were slain.

16 And there were some who were carried away in the whirlwind•; and whither they went no man knoweth, save they know that they were carried away.

17 And thus the face of the whole earth became deformed, because of the tempests, and the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the quaking of the earth.

18 And behold, the rocks were rent in twain; they were broken up upon the face of the whole earth, insomuch that they were found• in broken fragments, and in seams and in cracks, upon all the face of the land.

19 And it came to pass that when the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the storm, and the tempest, and the quakings of the earth did cease—for behold, they did last for about the space of three• hours•; and it was said by some that the time was greater; nevertheless, all these great and terrible things were done in about the space of three hours—and then behold, there was darkness• upon the face of the land.

20 And it came to pass that there was thick darkness upon all the face of the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof who had not fallen could feel• the vapor• of darkness;

21 And there could be no light, because of the darkness, neither candles, neither torches; neither could there be fire kindled with their fine and exceedingly dry wood, so that there could not be any light at all;

22 And there was not any light seen, neither fire, nor glimmer, neither the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars, for so great were the mists of darkness which were upon the face of the land.

23 And it came to pass that it did last for the space of three days that there was no light seen; and there was great mourning and howling• and weeping among all the people continually; yea, great were the groanings of the people, because of the darkness and the great destruction which had come upon them.

24 And in one place they were heard to cry, saying: O that we had repented before this great and terrible day, and then would our brethren have been spared, and they would not have been burned• in that great city Zarahemla.

25 And in another place they were heard to cry and mourn, saying: O that we had repented before this great and terrible day, and had not killed and stoned the prophets, and cast them out; then would our mothers and our fair daughters, and our children have been spared, and not have been buried up in that great city Moronihah•. And thus were the howlings of the people great and terrible.

This is the sign that was given to the people on the American Continents that the Son of God was first crucified, when the three hours he suffered on the cross the world suffered with him. And then the three days of darkness happened while he was in the tomb.

My next post will be the last part of how the people left alive saw the Resurected Jesus Christ.

Beth.

THIRD NEPHI
THE BOOK OF NEPHI
THE SON OF NEPHI, WHO WAS THE SON OF HELAMAN

And Helaman was the son of Helaman, who was the son of Alma, who was the son of Alma, being a descendant of Nephi who was the son of Lehi, who came out of Jerusalem in the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, the king of Judah.

CHAPTER 1

Nephi, son of Helaman, departs out of the land, and his son Nephi keeps the records—Though signs and wonders abound, the wicked plan to slay the righteous—The night of Christ’s birth arrives—The sign is given and a new star arises—Lyings and deceivings increase, and the Gadianton robbers slaughter many. [Between A.D. 1 and 4]

1 NOW it came to pass that the *ninety and first year had passed away and it was six• hundred years from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem; and it was in the year that Lachoneus• was the chief judge and the governor over the land.

2 And Nephi•, the son of Helaman, had departed out of the land of Zarahemla, giving charge unto his son Nephi•, who was his eldest son, concerning the plates• of brass, and all• the records which had been kept, and all those things which had been kept sacred from the departure of Lehi out of Jerusalem.

3 Then he departed• out of the land, and whither• he went, no man knoweth; and his son Nephi did keep the records in his stead, yea, the record of this people.

4 And it came to pass that in the commencement of the ninety and second year, behold, the prophecies of the prophets began to be fulfilled more fully; for there began to be greater• signs and greater miracles wrought among the people.

5 But there were some who began to say that the time was past for the words to be fulfilled, which were spoken• by Samuel, the Lamanite.

6 And they began to rejoice over their brethren, saying: Behold the time is past, and the words of Samuel are not fulfilled; therefore, your joy and your faith concerning this thing hath been vain.

7 And it came to pass that they did make a great uproar throughout the land; and the people who believed began to be very sorrowful, lest by any means those things which had been spoken might not come to pass.

8 But behold, they did watch steadfastly for that• day and that night and that day which should be as one day as if there were no night, that they might know that their faith had not been vain.

9 Now it came to pass that there was a day set apart by the unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions should be put• to death except the sign• should come to pass, which had been given by Samuel the prophet.

10 Now it came to pass that when Nephi, the son of Nephi, saw this wickedness of his people, his heart was exceedingly sorrowful.

11 And it came to pass that he went out and bowed himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily to his God in behalf of his people, yea, those who were about to be destroyed because of their faith in the tradition of their fathers.

12 And it came to pass that he cried mightily unto the Lord all• that day; and behold, the voice• of the Lord came unto him, saying:

13 Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign• be given, and on the morrow• come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets.

14 Behold, I come• unto my own, to fulfil• all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation• of the world, and to do the will, both• of• the Father and of the Son—of the Father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given.

15 And it came to pass that the words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled, according as they had been spoken; for behold, at the going down of the sun• there was no• darkness; and the people began to be astonished because there was no darkness when the night came.

16 And there were many, who had not believed the words of the prophets, who fell• to the earth and became as if they were dead, for they knew that the great plan• of destruction which they had laid for those who believed in the words of the prophets had been frustrated; for the sign which had been given was already at hand.

17 And they began to know that the Son of God must shortly appear; yea, in fine, all the people upon the face of the whole earth from the west• to the east, both in the land north and in the land south, were so exceedingly astonished that they fell to the earth.

18 For they knew that the prophets had testified of these things for many years, and that the sign which had been given was already at hand; and they began to fear because of their iniquity and their unbelief.

19 And it came to pass that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning again, according to its proper order; and they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be aborn, because of the sign• which had been given.

20 And it had come to pass, yea, all things, every whit, according to the words of the prophets.

21 And it came to pass also that a new star• did appear, according to the word.

22 And it came to pass that from this time forth there began to be lyings• sent forth among the people, by Satan, to harden their hearts, to the intent that they might not believe in those signs and wonders which they had seen; but notwithstanding these lyings and deceivings the more• part of the people did believe, and were converted unto the Lord.

23 And it came to pass that Nephi went forth among the people, and also many others, baptizing unto repentance, in the which there was a great remission of sins. And thus the people began again to have peace in the land.

24 And there were no contentions, save it were a few that began to preach, endeavoring to prove by the scriptures• that it was no more expedient to observe the law of Moses. Now in this thing they did err, having not understood the scriptures.

25 But it came to pass that they soon became converted, and were convinced of the error which they were in, for it was made known unto them that the law was not yet fulfilled•, and that it must be fulfilled in every whit; yea, the word came unto them that it must be fulfilled; yea, that one jot or tittle should not pass away till it should all be fulfilled; therefore in this same year were they brought to a knowledge of their error and did confess• their faults.

26 And thus the ninety and second year did pass away, bringing glad• tidings unto the people because of the signs which did come to pass, according to the words of the prophecy of all the holy prophets.

In this way the people who were brought to the land of the North and South American Continents were allowed to know when the Son of God had been born. They also were told by Samuel the Lamanite when the Son of God would die.

In the next thirty-three years there came a great wickedness upon the Nephites and Laminites, both being descendants of the Prophet Lehi who left Jeruselam just over 600 years earlier.

In part two I shall discuss how the people on the American Continents knew of the death of Christ.

Beth.