THE MOUND BUILDER
AND THE INDIAN.
ACCORDING TO THE
BOOK OF MORMON.
BY C. W. CLARK,
Official of the Reorganized Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
In relating the story of Prehistoric
America as outlined in
the Book of Mormon it is the purpose of
the writer to avoid
religious issues and controversies, as
far as possible, and to
present simply the statements and
portray the record in a way
that will bring out only such parts as
will be of interest to
student of archaeology. But it will be
necessary to introduce
a few of the religious facts that bear
upon the statements con-
necting the life and manners of the
people of which the Book
of Mormon purports to be a record.
The Book of Mormon tells of three groups
of population
that inhabited the continents of North
and South America in
times past. These groups were, first,
the Jaredites who came to
this continent in boats or barges
shortly after the building of the
tower of Babel. This division traversed
southern Europe, crossed
the Atlantic Ocean, and landed at or
near the peninsula of
Yucatan. On account of wars among them,
this civilization
became extinct about 600 B. C., but
during the time of their
sojourn they built many cities and
traveled in a northerly direc-
tion, and this northern travel may
account for one class of
mounds, a few of which we find in Ohio,
and large numbers
in the state of Wisconsin. These mounds
are known as effigy
mounds, including the great serpent
mound in Southern Ohio.
We will speak of these later. The second
colony of which the
book relates left Jerusalem about the
year 600 B. C. and origi-
nated with Lehi and his four sons. These
people crossed the
deserts of Arabia and eventually, after
a long voyage, arrived
on this continent on the Peruvian
portion of the coast of South
America. On account of the rebellious
disposition of the two
older brothers, sons of Lehi, Laman and
Lemuel, against divine
(267)
268
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications.
instructions, the younger brother Nephi,
third son of Lehi, was
chosen by instructions of the father
Lehi as leader. The
father claimed divine manifestation
evidenced the approval of
this choice. Nephi having become leader,
the two older brothers
and their families rebelled and withdrew
from association with
the younger brothers Nephi and Sam,
fourth son of Lehi.
Thus originated the two groups of people
known in the Book
of Mormon respectively as Nephites and
Lamanites. The for-
mer became the Mound Builder of the
higher class, or those
who built such fortifications as the
enclosures at Circleville,
Marietta and Fort Hill in Butler county,
Ohio, and perhaps
also Fort Ancient, Warren county. As to
the apparent difference
in construction between Fort Ancient and
the forts above re-
ferred to, the writer's personal opinion
would be that Fort
Ancient was constructed by the
Jaredites, the colony which had
preceded the Nephites. The Lamanites
became the familiar
American Indian, and were probably the
builders of the type
of mounds known as Burial Mounds. Thus
the book gives
the Mound Builders and the American
Indian a common origin.
But the latter were cursed with a skin
of darkness on account
of their unbelief and wickedness in a
similar manner as the
descendants of Ham were cursed. Baldwin
in his "Ancient
America" refers to a statement,
made by Montessinos, concern-
ing tradition among the ancient
Peruvians that four brothers
originated their civilization, a younger
brother assumed com-
mand which caused a rebellion, and
finally descendants of the
younger brother became the founders of a
long line of their
sovereigns. Nadillac in his
"Prehistoric America" refers to a
tradition of seven families as the
originators of this civilization.
In the Book of Mormon while the story of
the four brothers is
most important and seems to have much to
do with their history,
it cannot be overlooked that there were
two sons born to Lehi,
Jacob and Joseph, on their way to the
American continent, and
that they brought with them Zoram, a
servant of Laban, who
was one of the tribe of Manassah and
undoubtedly had been a
distant relative of Lehi in Palestine.
Thus we have the seven
families represented by the six sons
above named of Lehi and
Zoram, These people were, according to
the Book of Mormon,
The Mound Builder and the
Indian. 269
descendants of Joseph, who was sold into
Egypt, and who had
come to America by instructions from
their Heavenly Father.
Being descendants of Joseph through
Manassah these people
claimed to be learned in the language
and arts of the Egyptians,
and also the learning of the Jewish
nation. They believed that
they had come to Joseph's land (America)
a land promised
in Genesis, 49 chapter, 22d to 26th
verses inclusive, and Deut.,
33 chapter, 13th to 17th verses
inclusive. Therefore having
acquired the arts and learning as above
they began to make im-
provements along the line of implements,
buildings, etc. This we
shall describe from time to time as we
advance in our narra-
tion. The land to which they had
immigrated was to be a
choice land, as promised them. The two
brothers (Laman and
Lemuel), who rebelled and became the
Lamanites, had been
warned by the voice of prophecy many
times so that they were
aware of the curse that was resting upon
them for being dis-
obedient. They brought with them records
engraved on plates
of brass containing the Mosaic Law so
that they were taught
the story of the creation and the flood,
which traditions we
find quite prominent among the Indian
today, and the records
of which are often freely discussed by
noted archaeologists.
The Nephites and Lamanites were well
acquainted with the
traditions of Egypt on account of their
being descendants of
Manassah having undoubtedly learned them
through the con-
nection of Joseph with Pharaoh's court.
It is not surprising
that we find them building on this
continent great pyramids
of exact geometrical construction such
as are found in Uxmal
and also other large structures
resembling Egyptian architecture
although undoubtedly the pyramids were
built by the Jeradites
rather than the Nephites as we will
explain later. We are told
by Priest in his "American
Antiquities" that the art of em-
balming was known and practiced by the
American pre-historic
people. This is also confirmed by
Tschudi in his "Peruvian
Antiquities." In no other country
was this art practiced to
such a great state of perfection as in
Ancient Egypt, and it
must be remembered that Joseph's wife
was a daughter of one
of the Egyptian priests, and that the
practice of embalming in
Egypt was performed by those holding the
priesthood. John
270 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. |
|
The Mound Builder and the
Indian. 271
Delafield on page 33 of his book,
"American Antiquities", com-
ments on the traditions of the flood and
tower of Babel, calling
particular attention to the fact that
the traditions of the Ameri-
can continent were the same as the
traditions of these events
which followed the Semetic race, and he
also speaks of the
nature of the hieroglyphics which were
the same as those of
the Egyptians. The Book of Mormon story
of the voyage says
that they sailed for many days and after
arriving on this conti-
nent in which is now the land of Peru,
they began to plant seed
and cultivate the soil which brought
forth in abundance. They
also found upon the land various
animals, including the horse,
left here by their predecessors, the
Jeradites. The question of
the horse existing on this continent has
been a disputed point.
Delafield on page 94 insists that there
were no horses on this
continent and ascribes their absence as
a reason, or one of the
reasons, for his belief that the
inhabitants came across by the
way of Alaska. However, we are informed
by Priest on page
151, Nadaillac on pages 25 and 42, the
National Geographic
Magazine, also by Columbian
Encyclopedia, that the horse did
exist on this continent prior to the
time of its discovery by
Columbus, but had become extinct, the
evidence of which we
shall discuss later. The book also says
that they found gold,
silver and copper ores from which they
made plates like those
they had brought from Jerusalem, and
that on these plates they
made a record of their great events. It
is asserted that the
Lord brought Lehi and his descendants
here to raise up to Him-
self a righteous branch of the
descendants of Joseph, and in
support of this believers of the Book of
Mormon refer to the
37th chapter of Ezekiel and the 29th
chapter of Isaiah to show
that this is in harmony with promises
previously made by the
Lord.
We have promised to abstain from religious discussion
arising from our point of view, but it
is necessary to express
certain statements that an understanding
may be had of the story
of the Book.
In the second book of Nephi we are told
that he began to
educate his people along very practical
lines. Perhaps a quota-
tion here may better illustrate what was
taught them. We find
272
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
in the fourth chapter as follows:
"And I did teach my people
to build buildings, and to work in all
manner of wood and of
iron and of copper and of brass and of
steel and of gold and
of silver and of precious ores which
were in great abundance.
And I Nephi did build a temple and did
construct it after the
manner of the temple of Solomon save it
were not built of so
many precious things, but the manner of
construction was like
unto Solomon's temple, and the
workmanship thereof was ex-
ceeding fine."
It must be remembered that these people
left Jerusalem ac-
cording to the Book of Mormon about 600
B. C., so that they
had opportunity of knowing all about the
construction of
Solomon's temple. In this same chapter
is told the story of
how the Lord put the curse of dark color
upon the Lamanites
so that they would not be attractive to
the Nephites, and later
it was told the Lamanites that the Lord
would not permit any
kings to rise up to rule the people that
should inhabit this con-
tinent. Whether it is admitted or not
that this statement is
inspired it must be agreed that it seems
to be remarkably ful-
filled, particularly as this statement
was addressed to the gentile
nations. The remarkable historic cases
of the failure of Don
Pedro in Brazil and of Maximilian in
Mexico seem to have
been in fulfillment of it. Enumerating
the different tribes and
their branches that settled in America
we find that Jacob, the
brother of Nephi, enumerates them as Nephites, Jacobites,
Josephites, Zoramites, Lamanites,
Lemuelites and Ishmaelites,
the descendants of Ishmael, who did not
personally come to
America but whose sons and daughters
intermarried with the
other tribes. These branches all became
in time either Lamanites
or Nephites.
It will be noted that there are just
seven names here given
which correspond to the seven families,
tradition of which is
mentioned by Nadillac in his
"Prehistoric America". It is
common tradition with most people that
the Book of Mormon
supports the practice of polygamy but
the contrary is the truth
of the matter, for in the Second chapter
of Jacob, the Lord,
speaking to Nephites, told them that
they thought to excuse
themselves for polygamy because David
and Solomon had
The Mound Builder and the
Indian. 273
many wives, and adds that this was an
abomination before him,
as he had brought them forth that they
might be a righteous
people. Then he issued this commandment:
"For there shall
not any man among you have, save it be
one wife, and of
concubines he shall have none". The
Nephites had departed
from the law of monogamy and had
inaugurated the practice
of polygamy, but the Lord tells them he
will not permit it,
and in the same chapter the Lord praises
the Lamanites by
saying in spite of their wickedness they
had not departed from
the law of monogamy. We find today that
very few tribes of
Indians practice polygamy.
We are told in various places that the
Nephites were in-
structed in the arts of war and that the
Lamanites were con-
tinually coming against them in battle.
It was necessary then
for them to learn to make darts and
javelins for their defense,
also other articles and tools, even
tools of copper.
An interesting topic is the
consideration of their fortifica-
tions. In view of what we know today, as
has been explained
to us by noted writers along these
lines, we believe that their
fortifications present a remarkable
likeness to those found
among the remains of the Mound Builders,
so called. Mr. E. O.
Randall in his history of the State of
Ohio, Volume 1 of the
Rise and Progress of an American State,
by Randall and Ryan,
says that in Butler county, Ohio, the
fortification known as
Fortified Hill is built after the manner
of the famous Tlascalan
forts of Mexico with the same special
forms of gateways,
and on page 23 of Vol. 1 of this work
the inference is drawn
that the Mound Builders or at least the
builders of this class
of fortifications suggest a racial
relationship to the ancient
Aztecs and Toltecs. Additional testimony
is also given on page
28 of this same work where the author
quotes from Professor
Moorehead as follows: "The skulls
were well shaped and of
two types of mentality, a lower and
higher order."
The writer believes that this is the
correct view point and
it is in confirmation of the Book of
Mormon story. The state
of Ohio, part of Pennsylvania, and
Western New York are
conceded to be the location of the last stand
made by this re-
markable people. Today an army in
retreat would not erect
Vol. XXVI-18
274 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
great and permanent fortifications; so
east of Ohio there are
fewer evidences of their fortified work.
Admiral Lindsay Brine
in describing the American Indians,
their ancient earth works
and temples, and speaking particularly
of a work at Circleville,
Ohio, quotes from Caleb Atwater in
regard to this fortification
as follows: "There are two forts,
one an exact circle and the
other an exact square, the former is
surrounded by two en-
bankments with a deep ditch between
them, the latter is en-
compassed by one wall without any ditch.
There are eight
gateways or openings leading into the
square fort and only
one in the circular fort. The extreme
care of the authors of
these works to protect and defend every
part of the circle is
nowhere visible about this square fort.
The former has a
deep ditch encircling it, the latter has
none. The round fort
was picketed in, if we are to judge from
the appearance on and
about the walls. Half way up the outside
of the inner wall is
a place distinctly to be seen where a
row of pickets once stood
and where it was placed when this work
of defence was origi-
nally erected." Some of the
articles found in the circular fort
show that this was a domestic abode while
the square construc-
tion was the fort proper. A similar
structure does not appear
at Fort Ancient. This leads the writer
to believe that Fort
Ancient was probably the work of an
earlier civilization as
we do not find the same evidence of the
building of ditches
for defence, or other special
preparations that we find at Circle-
ville to defend the domestic portion of
their people, although
this is mere conjecture on the part of
the writer, as Fort Ancient
may have been hurriedly built to defend
against attack. Now
let us see if the above fortifications
are in harmony with the
Book of Mormon theory. In chapter 21 of the book of
Alma,
we find the following: "Maroni on
the other hand had been
preparing the minds of the people to be
faithful unto the Lord
their God, Yea he had been strengthening
the armies of the
Nephites and erecting small forts or
places of resort; throwing
up banks of earth round about to enclose
his armies, and also
building walls of stone to encircle them
about, round about their
cities and the borders of their
lands." Also, "and behold the
city had been rebuilt -and they had cast
up dirt round about
The Mound Builder and the
Indian. 275
to shield them from the arrows and
stones of the Lamanites."
And again, "Behold how great was
their (the Lamanites) dis-
appointment for behold the Nephites had
dug up a ridge of
earth around about them which was so
high that the Lamanites
could not cast their stones and arrows
upon them save it was
by the place of entrance. Now at this
time the chief captains
of the Lamanites were astonished
exceedingly because of the
wisdom of the Nephites in preparing
their places of security."
Also "For they (the Lamanites) knew
not that Moroni had
fortified or had built forts of
securities in all the lands around
about." . . . "Now behold the Lamanites could not
get
into their forts of security by any
other way save by the en-
trance because of the highness of the
bank which had been
thrown up and the depth of the ditch
which had been dug
round about; save it were by the
entrance . . . The cap-
tains of the Lamanites brought up their
armies before the place
of entrance and began to contend with
the Nephites to get into
their place of security." And in
the 22nd chapter of Alma,
"They should commence in digging
heaps of earth round about
all their cities, throughout all the
land which was possessed by
the Nephites and upon the top of these
ridges of earth he caused
that there should be timbers, yea, works
of timber built up
to the height of a man round about the
cities, and he caused that
upon those works of timbers there should
be a frame of pickets
built upon the timbers round about; and
they were strong and
high and he caused towers to be erected
that overlooked those
works of pickets."
We might also quote from the 24th, 25th
and 29th chapters
of the same book which deals largely
with the wars and which
we believe will bear remarkable
resemblance to the means of
defense prepared by the Mound Builders
in the State of Ohio,
the remains of which, without this
solution, appear to remain
an unanswerable riddle, and a means of
much philosophy without
reaching a definite result. The circles
represent the camps
of the women and children while the
square forts were no doubt
erected to defend in the best possible
way the places of entrance.
Note the sketch herewith of the
Circelville fort, taken from
Admiral Brine's works. We believe at
least the solution is
276
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
reasonable and worthy of consideration,
and will bear as much
inspection as the famed Atlantis theory
of Donnelly or the
theory of migration from Wales, Denmark,
or Delafield's idea
of the Behring Strait passage way. We
are told that they built
towers in many places for two purposes,
that of defense and
for religious worship. Early in their
history the Nephites sent
out an exploring party to discover the
Lamanites' defenses, and
this party discovered that another
people had landed on the
northwest coast and migrated to the
northeast coast of South
America. This latter people having been
led there by one
of the sons of Zedikiah about the time
he was led into
captivity. This being the tender plant
referred to in Ezekiel,
17th chapter. The people of Zarahemla
became associated
with the Nephites. It must be remembered from time to
time dissenting Nephites associated
themselves with the Lam-
anites so that some of the traditions of
the Mound Builders
would be found among the American
Indians of today. It
might be well to here discuss the reason
why the Mound
Builders erected Serpent Mounds or other
effigy Mounds in
various places, as for instance, the
Serpent Mound in Adams
county, Ohio, and others in different
localities representing the
Bear, Tortoise, Elephant, etc. It will
be remembered, no doubt,
that coming from Palestine and being of
the line of Joseph,
through his son Manassah, the Mound
Builders were versed,
no doubt, in the religious traditions of
the Egyptian Courts, as
about the first thing that the children
of Israel wanted to do
after escaping from Egypt was to set up
an image of an animal
that they could worship. George Rawlinson in his book,
"Religions of Egypt and
Babylon" and also Heroditus in his
history bring out the fact with
reference to idol worship that
the Egyptian either worships the animal
itself or else images
of the various animals and that while
some would worship
crocodiles, others would worship the
sacred bulls or other
animals. Thus when the people on this
continent crowded
northward from the tropical regions and
neglected the worship
of the true God, they no doubt erected
Mounds that best suited
their fancy of the divinity they
worshiped. This same feature
The Mound Builder and the
Indian. 277
we find today in some tribes of Indians
in their devotion to
the totems.
We are told that the Nephites built
towers for religious
purposes and also for watch towers. The
towers for religious
use were generally built upon elevated
ground to which they
could ascend and thus speak to advantage
to a large concourse
of people. Nadillac tells us of a tower
in Peru where the
natives that had not yet come under the
gentle (?) touch of
Spanish civilization, in passing, fall
down or bow reverently be-
fore this tower as if it were some
sacred place and yet this
tower shows such age as to be classed
with the oldest remains.
In the writer's mind there is little
doubt that the Pyramids
of Egypt and of South America are due to
the same original
cause, and no doubt will remain a great
mystery until we are
able to fathom the real meaning of the
Egyptian Pyramids.
But let it be remembered that, according
to the Book of Mormon,
the civilization representing the
Jaredites date back to the tower
of Babel. Is it not possible that the
Pyramids of Egypt and
of Central America might have originated
in one and the same
idea that rested in the minds of those
who attempted to erect
the tower of Babel in order to frustrate
the commands of God.
Be this as may, the weight of evidence
shows two civilizations
existed in America before the race of
Indians.
There seems to be, on careful research,
two classes or
more of Mounds, and the writer believes
that there are clearly
three classes of Mounds. The
fortifications for defense which
give every evidence of a great
intelligence, were built, undoubt-
edly, by the Nephites on similar models
to those which they
had erected from stone and other building
material in South
and Central America. Thus the mounds or
fortifications in
Butler County constructed with the
Tlascalan gates or entrance
was probably built by the same race that
inhabited Central
America and Mexico. This mound is
referred to by Mr. Ran-
dall in "The History of Ohio,"
by Randall and Ryan.
The burial mounds were probably built by
the dissenting
Nephites and Lamanites, particularly
those mounds in which
the remains of man are found commingled
with the remains of
278 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. |
|
The Mound Builder and the
Indian. 279
animals. While the effigy mounds
previously referred to could
be ascribed to the previous civilization
of the Jaredites.
Professor W. C. Mills has stated that in
some of the mounds
are found instruments of bone and stone
used for warfare, to-
gether with those of copper, which
indicate two grades of
civilization and that the more crude
civilization overcame the
intelligent and their burial in the same
mound does not neces-
sarily indicate their association in
daily life. This would be in
perfect harmony with the Book of Mormon
story in which
mention is made of the fortifications
that were erected for
defense, etc. It is a notable fact that
mounds of defense are
scarcely known in the Northwest while in
the state of Wis-
consin are found many mounds in the form
of effigies of
animals, such as the elephant and bear
and others, mounds of
defense are not found to any great
extent in this territory.
This statement is borne out by Professor
A. B. Stout, of the
University of Wisconsin in the Ohio
State Archaeological and
Historical reports. This shows
conclusively that the States of
Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York were the
last great battle-
field of the cultured race that was
forced from its home in
South and Central America through the
great Mississippi
Valley until at last reaching the
territory above referred to,
they were met by an overwhelming force
as cited in the Book
of Mormon in some of its closing
chapters, and this civilization
was blotted out.
The Lamanites were now supreme and long
before the white
man of the present age reached the
shores of this continent, the
remains of this cultured race were a
mere tradition and only
through these traditions are we led to
the evidence of the past.
We are told in the book of Mosiah that
the people were taught
to till the ground and in the
publication known as the National
Geographic Magazine, we learn explorers
have discovered re-
markable traces of the ability of the
ancient inhabitants of Peru
in agriculture. Insomuch that they built
terraces around the
mountains and remarkable as it may seem,
the remains in Peru
of this form of agriculture are
corroborated by the evidences of
this method employed in Palestine.
We are told also in the Book of Mormon
that these people
280 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications.
were taught to weave and spin and any
one who has had the
opportunity of viewing the charred
remains as shown in the
display at the Ohio State Archaeological
and Historical Society
museum must agree that there was at
least marked evidence of
ability along that line.
The remains of their cities show a
remarkable knowledge
of architecture. The use of cement, so
frequently mentioned
in the Book of Mormon, is substantiated
by nearly every writer
on this subject from the time of
Stephens and Catherwood to
the present day. Some of the ancient
roads constructed are
still a wonder and an object of
admiration. In any event there
is an amazing amount of evidence, which
renowned archaeolo-
gists have produced in connection with
the early inhabitants of
Peru and Mexico connecting them with
Egypt and Southern
Asia. Delafield mentions in his
publication that there was a
tradition of the tower of Babel and the
Semetic account of the
flood and refers to the fact that the
hieroglyphics resemble
those of the section of the country
ascribed to them by the
Book of Mormon, namely, Southern Asia,
Palestine and Egypt.
We are told also by such writers as
Prescott, Tschudi, Priest
and others that the use of iron and
copper was known to them,
and while some writers deny the use of
iron, yet on a whole,
there are several evidences that tend to
show that the use of
those metals was known, as the Book of
Mormon states. In
many places in the Book of Mormon towers
are spoken of, and
Admiral Linley Brine speaks of a cairn
or tower built near
Fort Ancient which stood quite high,
which was built, no doubt,
not only as a place of defense, but as a
place where the chief
priest or rulers would gather and
discourse to the people.
We are told that in the region of the
Cliff Dwellers there
were built estufas or places of meeting
where they held council.
From all that can be learned there seems
to be a sort of rever-
ence for the estufas that indicated
their use for some of those
purposes by the Cliff Dwellers or Pueblo
Indians.
We now approach the proposition: Who
were these cliff
dwellers that seemed to make their homes
in places that man
could not approach easily and which were
so carefully guarded?
We are told by the Book of Mormon that
there originated at
one time a powerful league of men who
desired to rule and
The Mound Builder and the
Indian. 281
live by plunder. These people were bound
together by secret
oaths not to reveal each other or their
secrets, so that they might
get gain without labor, but rather by
exploitation of their fellow-
men. They were compelled finally to
withdraw from their
neighbors and dwell upon the borders of
the land of the
Nephites. They builded their
fortifications in the rocks and
made war with their former brethren-not
after the manner
of soldiers-or even after the manner of
the Lamanites, but
sought to prey upon them and rob and
slay. These people were
known in the Book of Mormon as the
Gadianton robbers. In
speaking of them the book says,
"and they did commit murder
and plunder and then they would retreat
back into the mountains
and into the wilderness and secret
places, hiding themselves that
they might not be discovered. . . . Now
behold these rob-
bers did make great havoc, yea even
great destruction of Nephites
and also among the people of the
Lamanites." And in another
place we find the following: "and
it came to pass that the ninety
and third year did also pass away in
peace, save it were for
the Gadianton robbers, who dwelt upon
the mountains and who
did infest their lands, for so strong
were their holds and their
secret places that the people could not
overpower them." This
history gives a reason for the
remarkable cliff dwellings which
have stood for centuries as silent proof
of a people that must
have builded for a purpose, and that
purpose for secrecy and
defense. Of course, these robbers must
needs have been called
upon to defend themselves and we find
that the book unveils a
mystery so profound that we view with
awe the structures that
were left as silent evidence of the
remarkable civilization, the
result of careful study, and an
organized effort that cannot be
found today among the scattered remnants
of this once powerful
and cultured race. How often have we
wished that:--
Out of the past their rocks would deign
to tell,
The history of this bright and cultured
man,
The story which the bleak cliffs hold so
well,
A culture which at best we only scan
By the remains which the dark past has
left
And as we view their cliffs and dell and
field
We know that history is of much bereft
Unless of their past a record does
reveal.
282 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
The Book of Mormon does give a record
and explains their
reason for so erecting marvelous cliff
dwellings.
We now approach a period in history that
has a remarkable
amount of tradition to support it, -
that is, the tradition of a
great continental cataclysm which nearly
obliterated the people
and destroyed much that had been done in
the way of building,
etc. Baldwin in his "Ancient
America," on page 176, makes
reference to this event. Ignatius
Donnelly in "Atlantis," on
page 102, speaks of a
tradition in the Popul Vul or Sacred Book
of Central America and I will quote some
of the most descriptive
portions: "They were ingulfed and a
resinous thickness de-
scended from Heaven, the face of the
earth was obscured ..
There was heard a great noise above
their heads as if produced
by fire." And on page 126 of the same
work we find in quoting
De Bourbourg that originally a part of
the American continent
not now existing extended into the ocean
and that this por-
tion of the continent was destroyed by
frightful convulsions.
Stephens, in his "Travels in
Yucatan," speaking of the
ruins of Mayapas, and of a cave in
particular, says that
marine shells were in such a state as to
indicate that the whole
country, or at least a portion of it,
had been once, possibly
at no very remote period, everflowed by
the sea. Bear in mind
that it was in the neighborhood of
Central America that the
events referred to, which I shall quote
later, relate. Abbie
Brasseur de Bourborger, as recorded by
Nadillac, on pages
16 and 17, tells us that these
traditions of this cataclysm
exist in Mexico, Bolivia, and Peru.
Also, he tells us that
the region of Sierra Nevada, where he
affirms that the
discovery of implements and weapons were
found at depths
of several hundred feet, were witnesses
that the remarkable
convulsions of nature extended over this
territory. And Ban-
croft in volume four, page 647, of
"Native Races of the Pacific
State" says in quoting Captain
Walker: "A storm of fire
had passed over the town, the stones are
calcined by the flames.
The very rock from which the chief
building arises there gives
traces of fusion, everything testifies
to the intensity of the heat."
And, finally, Susan E. Wallace, in her
book "On the Land of
the Pueblos," portrays with
remarkable force the history of an
The Mound Builder and the
Indian. 283
event, which has left marks that will
not be obliterated, which
must be described as something more than
an earthquake and
of which the hot springs are the last of the active evidences.
Now let us see if we can determine the
purpose that led
up to this event. We believe that the
history thereof will be
best described by quoting sentences from
the Book of Mormon
itself, for we have arrived now at a
time when the book tells us
that the Christ was crucified at
Jerusalem. Simultaneous with
the rending of the veil of the temple at
Jerusalem came this
catastrophe of which we shall quote:
"And it came to pass
in the thirty and fourth year in the
first month in the fourth
day of the month there arose a great
storm, such an one as
never had been known in all the land,
and there was also a
great and terrible tempest and there was
terrible thunder; inso-
much as it did shake the whole earth as
if it were about to divide
asunder and there was exceeding sharp
lightnings, such as never
had been known in all the land, and the
city of Zarahamela did
take fire and the city of Moroni did
sink into the depths of the
sea, and the inhabitants thereof were
drowned, and the earth
was carried up upon the city of
Moronihah, that in the place
of the city thereof there became a great
mountain and there
was a great and terrible destruction in
the lands southward,
but behold there was a more great and
terrible destruction in
the land northward, for behold, the
whole face of the land was
changed. .. . And many smooth places
became rough and
many great and notable cities were sunk
and many were burned.
. . And there were some who were carried
away in the
whirlwinds. . . . And the face of the
whole earth became
deformed because of the tempests; and
the thunderings; and the
lightnings, and the quaking of the
earth, and behold the rocks
were rent in twain. They were broken up
on the face of the
whole earth, insomuch that they were
found in broken fragments
and in seams and in cracks upon all face
of the land.
For behold they did last for about the
space of about three
hours and it was said by some that the
time was greater . . . .
There was pitch darkness upon all the
face of the land.
And there was not any light seen,
neither fire nor glimmer,
neither the Sun, nor the Moon, nor the
Stars, for so great
284
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications.
were the mists of darkness which were
upon the face of the
land. 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 the people
continually. And
in some places they were heard to say,
'Oh, that we had repented
before this great and terrible
day.'" (Chapter 4, book of
Nephi, in Book of Mormon.)
I do not wish to make any comments but
want to ask how
much out of harmony with modern
discovery is this little-under-
stood and much misrepresented Book of
Mormon. Another
quotation, worthy of citation, is found
in "New Light on the
Great Pyramids," by Alfred Ross
Parsons, as follows: "From
the New York Herald, October 5th, 1894,
'Word comes from
Bogota that the remains of a prehistoric
city have been dis-
covered near the crater of the volcano
of Purace in the Andes
mountains. Professor Gutierrich, who
made excavations on the
spot, found there the bones of a race of
giants who attained the
height of eight to ten feet. The buried
city embraces hundreds
of acres and contains the ruins of great
buildings with immense
granite columns, remains of an aqueduct
in an almost perfect
state of preservation have also been
found.'" How, like the
fate of the city Moronihah referred to!
We leave the reader
to judge for himself.
We now take up the subject of the
tradition which would
indicate that the Saviour himself, came
to the American con-
tinent. The Book of Mormon features this
idea and indicates
that He here taught the same doctrine He
did on the Eastern
continent, and for the same purpose. He
also told the inhabi-
tants that they were the people of whom
it was said, "Other
sheep have I which are not of this fold,
they, too, must hear my
voice." We do not wish to slight
this subject but lack of space
compels us to treat the matter briefly
for the purpose of show-
ing it is in harmony with the general
traditions. We need but
mention Lord Kingborough's work wherein
he quotes from
Humboldt in regard to the Mexican
Quetzalcotal, who by tradi-
tion was born of a virgin without man by
the power of divine
will and that the Son was both God and
man; that he had ex-
isted, previous to his incarnation, from
eternity; that he had
The Mound Builder and the
Indian. 285
descended to reform the world and was
crucified for the sins of
mankind. We find also from the same work
that the sign Nahuy
Olluy or four earthquakes was dedicated
to Quetzalcotal as a
sign of his first coming to the ancient
Mexicans and which sign
they expected would accompany his second
advent. Desire
Charney in his "Ancient Cities of
the New World" says that
this great Prophet, Priest and King
departed for the East,
promising to return to reign over them
again. Nadillac, on page
527, refers to a tradition that a white
man wearing a long beard
had taught them many good things and had
disappeared to re-
turn to earth in about 2,000 years and
finally Susan E. Wallace
tells us in her book "The Land of
the Pueblos" of the time
when the savage hailed a white man as a
child of the sun and
brought their blind to have their eyes
opened and their sick
that by the laying on of his hands they
might be healed. Mothers
brought their children for blessings,
and all their traditions point
to the second advent of this wonderful
individual who would not
fail to come and redeem his promise.
Today we blush for shame when we think
how the trusting
savage was betrayed at the hands of
those who sought only gold
and territory and who pushed back the
natives of the soil from
their former possessions, and we can
only say, "0 civilization,
what terrible crimes have been committed
in your name." And
today the red man is the last remnant of
a people who was once,
as we believe, a righteous and
intelligent race, but because of
his disobedience was punished much in
the same manner as the
descendants of the tribes of Jacob.
We believe from the quoted evidence that
it is at least a
thought worthy of consideration that the
Christ did visit this
continent and leave with his people here
the traditions which we
have cited, a religion in conformity to
that taught in the New
Testament Scripture.
Now as it is true that in the histories
of other nations evi-
dence of revolutionary movement,
particularly, of a religious
character, shows that influence to be
but ephemeral; so our
history points to the fact that after a
few decades had passed
these people turned to their former
sinful ways and began to
fight against each other. The Book of
Mormon shows their
286 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. |
|
The Mound Builder and the
Indian. 287
course was northward (See maps). This is
also sustained by
Nadillac, Baldwin and Priest, while
those of the higher type
were gradually driven from their former habitations. They
came through the Mississippi Valley
continually pressed on every
hand by the Lamanites and dissenting
Nephites until they reached
the valley of the Ohio and its
tributaries and there made their
last stand against the intruders until,
as their mute remains
testify, they were overcome. According
to the Book of Mormon
chronology, about the year 400 the last
of the faithful Nephites
were overcome and slain. This data is
also in harmony with
modern research, and here - in this Ohio
country-it was that
fortifications were built in manner
similar to those which I de-
scribed previously, duplicating in
earthworks many of the forms
of defense known to them before being
overrun by their
enemies. As a crowded, fleeing nation
has no time to build
cities, the circular enclosures were no
doubt places to defend
their helpless ones, while their
warriors fought within the square
fort at the entrance or fort of
protection; retreating to the circle
only as a last resort, and dwelling, as
they must have done, in
tents. Their specimens of fortifications
show art combined with
strength, and are truly marvelous pieces
of architecture.
The Book of Mormon avers, and the writer
believes, that
sufficient evidence can be produced to
show that these people
were acquainted with the use of iron and
steel. But on the
contrary many have asserted that because
no such evidence was
found its use was unknown, much in the
same manner as one
might assert that because he had never
seen a steamship that
there was no such production. William
Pidgeon in his traditions
of the "De Coo Dah" refers to
the finding of pieces of copper
with iron rust about it as if the
decayed object might have been
the remains of a sword, and Donnelly in
his "Atlantis" states
that the ancient Peruvians worked
excellent iron mines on the
west shore of Lake Titicaca. It was
remarkable, says Molina,
that iron which was thought unknown to
the ancient Americans
had specific names in some of their
tongues. He states also that
the Mound Builders fashioned implements
from meteoric iron.
Caleb Atwater in his "Archaeologia
Americana", as recorded in
Admiral Brine's work, refers to a sword
found in the mound at
288 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
Circleville, the handle made of an elk's
horn, but the article
found showed an oxide which must have
resulted from iron or
steel. It is not surprising that nothing
but oxide remains when
we consider that a possible period of
1,000 years had passed
away before the white man came to this
country, and then a
long period intervened before
investigators of the mounds could
have revealed their contents. The same
author states that in the
same mound was found an oxide which
undoubtedly resulted
from a plate of iron.
The remains of Mexico reveal many idols
in the forms of
animals, such as were worshiped in
southern Asia and Egypt.
These Mexicans remains find their last
expression in the effigy
mounds of which the great Serpent Mound
in Adams county is
a type.
Perhaps it might be well to consider
some of the evidences
in favor of there having been at least
two civilizations on this
continent prior to the American Indian,
the story of which is
recorded in the Book of Mormon.
William Pidgeon in his tradition of the
"De Coo Dah" (on
page 176) says that the conclusion must
be drawn that at least
two distinct races occupied portions of
the northwest territory
and that both races became ultimately extinct
anterior to the
occupation of the country by the present
Indian race. Many
modern investigators believe the Indian
and Mound Builders had
the same origin, but the same
authorities are forced to admit a
racial distinction between them. Pidgeon makes inferences,
drawn from Indian traditions that there
was a great war be-
tween the Indian and Mound Builders and
that finally the In-
dian race predominated. Stephens and
Catherwood, in Volume
II, Harper & Brother's edition of
"Central America, Chiapas
and Yucatan," page 186, writes as
follows: "Comparing the
remains of Santa Cruz del Quiche with
those of Copan and
Quirigua points out that there were no
evidence of these places
[cities] being built by the same people
but on the contrary all
indications considering these remains
point to the fact that
Copan and Quirigua were cities of
another race of much older
date." And in volume one of
"Travels in Yucatan," page 304,
speaking of Uxmal, the author says the
building possesses a
The Mound Builder and the
Indian. 289
curious feature-it is erected over and
completely enclosed a
smaller one of older date. Notice on the
map the point of the
Jaredite landing and their line of
travels and there will be
seen, by comparison with the Nephite
map, the relation of the
two civilizations in the territory they
covered and how well the
story in the Book of Mormon is verified
by these discoveries.
Statements in the Columbian Encyclopedia
and other works
definitely testify that the horse
existed on the American continent
in pre-historic times. This knowledge
was first narrated in
the Book of Mormon (1830). We are told
further in this
book that the Jaredites and Nephites
were learned in fine work-
manship of stone and wood, and every
explorer who has visited
the mines of Central America and Peru
expresses surprise at
the wonderful remains there observed.
Admiral Brine, refer-
ring to a lintel found at Uxmal, says,
"No attention has, how-
ever, been directed to the artisan
qualities of the workman who
shaped and fitted the lintels, which,
however, proves that the
workers in wood were as skillful as the
masons. The lintels
were made of wood harder than mahogany
and it is doubtful if
a good carpenter's plane could give them
a smoother surface."
This quotation agrees with the fourth
chapter, second book of
Nephi, Book of Mormon, as follows:
"And I did teach my
people to build buildings and to work in
all manner of wood,
copper, iron, brass and of steel and of
gold and silver, and of
precious ores, which were in great
abundance."
Concerning the animals that were upon
this continent we
find in the Book of Ether a statement as
follows: "And the
Lord began again to take the curse off
the land . . . inso-
much that they became exceeding rich,
having all manner of fruit
and of grain and of silks and of fine
linens and of gold, and of
silver and of precious things and also
all manner of cattle, of oxen
and cows and of sheep and of swine and
of goats and also many
other kinds of animals which were useful
for the good of a
man and they also had horses and asses
and there were elephants
and cureloms, and cumoms all of which
were useful unto man
and more especially the elephants and
cureloms and cumoms."
This statement refers to the first or
Jaredite civilization, which
became extinct before the year 600 B.
C., and bears out the
Vol. XXVI-19.
290 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
writer's idea that the people of the
earlier civilization were the
originators of the Effigy Mounds. Dr.
Peet in his "Prehistoric
America" refers to the images and
remains of the elephant and
mastodon as found in various places and
as the Book of Mormon,
which was written from plates supposed
to have been inscribed
several centuries ago, it is possible
that the Mastodon may have
been one of the animals to which
reference is above made.
Nadaillac in his work says on page 25 as
follows: "Mixed up
promiscuously with the human remains
were found those of
several animals, chiefly feline and
cervine, still extant in some
regions together with others belonging
to species which have
now migrated or become extinct". On
page 27 the same author
refers to the fact that several species
of animals have disappeared
from the western hemisphere since the
arrival of man, and this
bears out the statements contained in
the Book of Mormon.
The above is also confirmed by articles
in the National
Geographic Magazine.
As we stand upon the ancient
battlefields in Ohio where,
according to tradition, have perished
two powerful civilizations,
it is a source of much pleasure to the
writer to note that at last
there has appeared a record of these
people, the study of which
record we see agrees with authenticated
accounts by scientific
investigators and that this record shows
that the same divine
providence which overshadowed the
Hebrews in their migrations
also protected the sons of Joseph and
their posterity when faith-
ful, and we can see how He has created
of one blood all nations
and has determined the bounds of their
habitation.
This subject introduces itself into Ohio
history not only
because are found in this state abundant
records of the other-
wise unfathomable past. Here the Indian
pushed back the
greater civilization and in turn was
deprived of his great in-
heritance. But we believe that this is a
matter of interest inas-
much as the people who accept the Book
of Mormon as cor-
roborative evidence of the Bible, early
in their career built
a temple that still stands in Northern
Ohio known as the Kirt-
land Temple.
For the benefit of the readers of the
Ohio State Archaeolog-
ical and Historical Quarterly, who may
not be familiar with the
The Mound Builder and the
Indian. 291
relation of the Book of Mormon to the
prehistoric earth works
of Ohio and the relation of the church
of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints to the history of Ohio, a few
words of explanation,
in conclusion, are in order. In 1827
Joseph Smith, Jr., then a
young man, resident of Palmyra, New
York, began his transla-
tion of the sacred writings on the gold
plates, known as the
Record of Mormon, which translation, in
addition to the Bible,
constitutes not only the faith and
teachings of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints but
also is a religious history
of the aborigines of America, as is
brought out in the narrative
statement of the article herewith
written. In 1831 Smith moved
with his followers to Kirtland, Lake
county, Ohio. Here the
members of the new sect rapidly
increased in number and the
building known as the Kirtland Temple
was erected, a building
still standing and the object of
historic interest to innumerable
visitors. Here the church thrived and
was thoroughly organized,
with Joseph Smith, Jr., as its chief
head. The name of the sect
adopted was "The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints."
From Kirtland, they went to Jackson
County, Missouri.
While there, religious persecution
became intolerable, which
forced them to make their departure.
Their next place of set-
tling was Illinois. There they founded
and built the city of
Nauvoo. Again religious persecution became very intense.
Joseph Smith was arrested on a pretense
of treason. Of this
charge he was acquitted. He was
immediately rearrested on
some false accusations. With his brother
and two others, he
was committed to jail without a hearing,
although protest was
offered by their council. While in jail,
they were attacked by a
drunken mob of about two hundred, which
fired, killing Smith
and his brother Hyman, on June 27, 1844.
The iniquity of polygamy, as condemned
in the Book of
Mormon, was taught to be a great evil by
Joseph Smith. Brig-
ham Young, one of the disciples of the
church, became the chief
apostate and usurper, taking the
leadership of the church without
authority and taking such as would
follow him, migrated to the
wilds of Utah, at Salt Lake City, in the
year of 1852, eight
years after the death of Smith.
292
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications.
Brigham Young instituted the nefarious
doctrine of polyg-
amy into the apostate Latter Day Saint
Church, headquarters at
Salt Lake City.
The original Latter Day Saints faith, as
established by
Joseph Smith, Jr., was adhered to by
bands and followers
remaining or originating in various
places in the middle
west.
These representatives of the original church are
strong and outspoken opponents of the
doctrine and practice of
polygamy. A portion of the original
organization retained an
existence in Kirtland and claimed the
property as against the
Utah branch. In 1880 the "Reorganized Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints" as the
eastern remnant of the true
faith designated themselves, brought
suit to affirm their title to
the Kirtland Temple. The Utah Mormon
church was made
defendant. The decision of the Ohio
court, Judge L. S. Sher-
man presiding, was not only that the
Kirtland Temple belonged
to the "reorganized"
organization, but that the reorganization
represented the true and lawful
continuation of, and successor
to, the said original Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day
Saints, instituted in 1830, and was
entitled in law to all its
rights and property, but the court also
held that polygamy and
kindred false doctrines were only
promulgated and exclusively
adopted by the church in Utah.
This Ohio trial and court decision
therefore legally estab-
lished the fact that while the church of
Utah had departed from
the faith, doctrine and usages of the
original church and the
clear teachings of the Book of Mormon,
the reorganized church
now existing in Ohio, and in other
localities of the country, has
never departed from the true principles
and practices of the
original church and not only does the
Ohio church abhor but
denounces the doctrine of celestial
marriages, plurality of wives
and Adam-worship.
THE MOUND BUILDER
AND THE INDIAN.
ACCORDING TO THE
BOOK OF MORMON.
BY C. W. CLARK,
Official of the Reorganized Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
In relating the story of Prehistoric
America as outlined in
the Book of Mormon it is the purpose of
the writer to avoid
religious issues and controversies, as
far as possible, and to
present simply the statements and
portray the record in a way
that will bring out only such parts as
will be of interest to
student of archaeology. But it will be
necessary to introduce
a few of the religious facts that bear
upon the statements con-
necting the life and manners of the
people of which the Book
of Mormon purports to be a record.
The Book of Mormon tells of three groups
of population
that inhabited the continents of North
and South America in
times past. These groups were, first,
the Jaredites who came to
this continent in boats or barges
shortly after the building of the
tower of Babel. This division traversed
southern Europe, crossed
the Atlantic Ocean, and landed at or
near the peninsula of
Yucatan. On account of wars among them,
this civilization
became extinct about 600 B. C., but
during the time of their
sojourn they built many cities and
traveled in a northerly direc-
tion, and this northern travel may
account for one class of
mounds, a few of which we find in Ohio,
and large numbers
in the state of Wisconsin. These mounds
are known as effigy
mounds, including the great serpent
mound in Southern Ohio.
We will speak of these later. The second
colony of which the
book relates left Jerusalem about the
year 600 B. C. and origi-
nated with Lehi and his four sons. These
people crossed the
deserts of Arabia and eventually, after
a long voyage, arrived
on this continent on the Peruvian
portion of the coast of South
America. On account of the rebellious
disposition of the two
older brothers, sons of Lehi, Laman and
Lemuel, against divine
(267)