Book of Mormon/Lamanites/Relationship to Amerindians/Statements/19th century

Statements made by Church leaders on the relationship between Amerindians and Lamanites (19th century)

1830s

1831

A critic of the Church wrote:

The Holy Bible professes to be a history of the peopling of the old continent–the Golden Bible of the new continent.^[1]

1833

Eventing and Morning Star:

We are glad to see the proof [from Central American ruins] begin to come, of the original or ancient inhabitants of this continent. It is good testimony in favor of the book of Mormon, and the book of Mormon is good testimony that such things as cities and civilization, "prior to the fourteenth century," existed in America. Helaman, in the book of Mormon, gives the following very interesting account of the people who lived upon this continent, before the birth of the Savior.^[2]

1837

William Smith:

Now, the beauty of this simile or figure can only be discovered by those who take the pains to contrast it with the literal fact as it occurred; the relation of which may be found in the Book of Mormon, first Book of Nephi, where a remnant of the branches or seed of Joseph are represented as crossing the sea, and settling this continent of North and South America.^[3]

1840s

1842

John E. Page:

The city [Moronihah] was in some region on the South of what is called at this time, North America, and at the time our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, near Jerusalem, in Asia. At that time there was a terrible destruction on this continent, because of the wickedness of the people, at which time those cities were destroyed . . . . And how was you destroyed? was the inquiry of those efficient antiquarians Messrs. Catherwood and Stephens, the charge d’affairs of these United States, as they sit on the wondrous walls of “Copan” . . . . Read book of Mormon, 3d edition, page 549. Let the reader observe, that the book of Mormon was published A. D. 1830. The discovery of this city by Messrs. Catherwood and Stephens was in 1840. Read Stephens’ travels in Central America, vol. i. page 130, 131, &c. Mr. Stephens states, “There is no account of these ruins until the visit of Col. Galindo in 1836, before referred to, who examined them under a commission from the Central American government.” Question.—If the book of Mormon is a fiction, no difference who wrote it, how did it happen to locate this city so nicely before it was known to exist till 1836 by any account that was extant in America, from which it could have been extracted?^[4]

Weekly Bostonian:

He introduced an account of many American antiquities together with the discoveries lately made by Mr. Stevens, that all go to prove that the American Indians were once an enlightened people and understood the arts and sciences, as the ruined cities and monuments lately discovered fully prove . . . . The Book of Mormon was not only a history of the dealings of God with the descendants of Joseph on this continent, previous to the crucifixion of our Lord, but also an account of the gospel as established among them by the personal appearance of Christ on this continent . . . ^[5]

1890s

== Notes ==

1. [note]  Wm. Owen, “A Comparison between the Book of Mormon and the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, or The Golden Bible vs. The Holy Bible,” Free Enquirer, New York, 10 September 1831.
2. [note]  "Discovery of Ancient Ruins in Central America," Evening and Morning Star 1 no. 9 (February, 1833), [71]. off-siteGospeLink
3. [note]  William Smith, "Evidences of the Book of Mormon," Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate 3 no. 4 (January, 1837), 434.
4. [note]  John E. Page, "To a Disciple," Morning Chronicle (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) (1 July 1842). off-site
5. [note]  Weekly Bostonian, 9 July 1842. Reprinted in the Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star 3/5 (September 1842): 87.