1.
Bern Switzerland Temple
–
The Bern Switzerland Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Though the building is located in Münchenbuchsee, its address is assigned to the neighboring municipality of Zollikofen. It was the first LDS temple to be built in Europe, the 2. 8-hectare lot was selected in July 1952 by LDS Church president David O. McKay and Samuel E. Bringhurst, then president of the Swiss-Austrian Mission. The architects were Edward O. Anderson and Wilhelm Zimmer, groundbreaking and dedication of the lot were performed by David O. McKay on 5 August 1953. He dedicated the temple on 11 September 1955, the temple was known as the Swiss Temple until the current naming convention for temples was adopted in the late 1990s. The Bern Switzerland temple has four rooms, seven sealing rooms. The presentation of the Endowment was particularly challenging in this temple, because it was the first international one and it was solved by using a film, dubbed in all required languages. Hinckley supervised the making of this film and was the person responsible for transporting the film to Switzerland. Since then all new temples have been equipped with recordings in lieu of live presentations by temple workers, today, only the Manti Utah Temple and the Salt Lake Temple use live presentation instead of film. After complete renewal of the interior, the temple was rededicated by Gordon B, in connection with the fiftieth anniversary of its dedication, a 4-metre-tall statue of the angel Moroni was erected on top of the tower on 7 September 2005. The Bern Switzerland temple is featured briefly in the Woodkid music videos for Iron and Run Boy Run
2.
Book of Mormon
–
It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith as The Book of Mormon, An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi. According to Smiths account and the narrative, the Book of Mormon was originally written in otherwise unknown characters referred to as reformed Egyptian engraved on golden plates. Critics claim that it was fabricated by Smith, drawing on material, the pivotal event of the book is an appearance of Jesus Christ in the Americas shortly after his resurrection. The Book of Mormon is divided into books, titled after the individuals named as primary authors and, in most versions, divided into chapters. It is written in English very similar to the Early Modern English linguistic style of the King James Version of the Bible, as of 2011, more than 150 million copies of the Book of Mormon have been published. The writings were said to describe a people whom God had led from Jerusalem to the Western hemisphere 600 years before Jesus birth. According to the narrative, Moroni was the last prophet among these people and had buried the record, which God had promised to bring forth in the latter days. e. Smiths description of these events recounts that he was allowed to take the plates on September 22,1827, exactly four years from that date, accounts vary of the way in which Smith dictated the Book of Mormon. Smith himself implied that he read the plates directly using spectacles prepared for the purpose of translating, other accounts variously state that he used one or more seer stones placed in a top hat. Both the special spectacles and the stone were at times referred to as the Urim and Thummim. During the translating process itself, Smith sometimes separated himself from his scribe with a blanket between them, additionally, the plates were not always present during the translating process and, when present, they were always covered up. Smiths first published description of the said that the plates had the appearance of gold. They were described by Martin Harris, one of Smiths early scribes, Smith called the engraved writing on the plates reformed Egyptian. A portion of the text on the plates was also sealed according to his account, in addition to Smiths account regarding the plates, eleven others stated that they saw the golden plates and, in some cases, handled them. Their written testimonies are known as the Testimony of Three Witnesses and these statements have been published in most editions of the Book of Mormon. Smith enlisted his neighbor Martin Harris as a scribe during his work on the text. In 1828, Harris, prompted by his wife Lucy Harris, Smith reluctantly acceded to Harriss requests. Lucy Harris is thought to have stolen the first 116 pages, after the loss, Smith recorded that he had lost the ability to translate, and that Moroni had taken back the plates to be returned only after Smith repented
3.
Origin of the Book of Mormon
–
There are several theories as to the actual origin of the Book of Mormon. Most adherents to the Latter Day Saint movement view the book as a work of inspired scripture, the most common belief of adherents is that promoted by Joseph Smith, who said he translated ancient golden plates inscribed by prophets. Smith claimed the angel Moroni, a prophet in the Book of Mormon narrative, directed him in the 1820s to a hill near his home in Palmyra, New York where the plates were buried. Besides Smith himself, there were at least 11 witnesses who said they saw the plates in 1829, several other witnesses observed Smith dictating the text that eventually became the Book of Mormon. There are differing views on the origin of the Book of Mormon, miraculous origins theories generally accept Joseph Smiths own account, that he translated an ancient record compiled and abridged by Mormon, a pre-Columbian resident of the Western Hemisphere. Variations of this theory include that the text is a divinely inspired narrative, regardless of its historicity. Joseph Smith as the author, without intentional assistance, possibly reflecting Smiths own life events. Theories of multiple authors posit collaboration with others to produce the Book of Mormon, generally citing Book of Mormon scribe Oliver Cowdrey or Sidney Rigdon as potential co-authors. According to the accounts of Joseph Smith and his associates, the record was engraved on thin, malleable sheets of metal with the appearance of gold. The engraving was reportedly of considerable skill, according to the narrative of the book, the prophet-historian Mormon abridged other records of the local civilizations from the preceding millennia. Mormon then gave the record to his son, Moroni, who inscribed a few words of his own. Near the end of Moronis life, he placed these plates along with other items in a stone box in a hillside near present-day Palmyra. By Smiths account, on September 21,1823, this same Moroni, now an angel, appeared to Smith to instruct him about this ancient record, Smith was shown the location of the plates, but was not immediately allowed to take them. After four years of meeting with the angel, Smith was finally entrusted with the plates. Through the power of God and the Urim and Thummim, he was able to translate the Reformed Egyptian inscriptions, Smith was commanded to show the plates to only certain people. Accounts by these individuals are recorded in the introduction of the Book of Mormon as The Testimony of the Three Witnesses, Smith taught—and most Mormons believe—that the existence of the Book of Mormon was prophesied by Biblical scripture. Further, this repetition fulfills prophecy that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word be established. LDS Church President Spencer W. Kimball stated, Prophets say the things because we face basically the same problems
4.
Golden plates
–
According to Latter Day Saint belief, the golden plates are the source from which Joseph Smith said he translated the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the faith. Some witnesses described the plates as weighing from 30 to 60 pounds, being golden in color, and being composed of thin metallic pages engraved on both sides and bound with three D-shaped rings. Smith said he found the plates on September 22,1823, at a hill near his home in Manchester, New York, Smith said the angel at first prevented him from taking the plates, but instructed him to return to the same location in a year. In September 1827, on his annual attempt to retrieve the plates, Smith returned home with a heavy object wrapped in a frock. Though he allowed others to heft the box, he said that the angel had forbidden him to show the plates to anyone until they had translated from their original reformed Egyptian language. Smith dictated the text of the Book of Mormon over the several years. He did this by using a stone, which he placed in the bottom of a hat. Smith published the translation in 1830 as the Book of Mormon, Smith eventually obtained testimonies from eleven men, known as the Book of Mormon witnesses, who said they had seen the plates. After the translation was complete, Smith said he returned the plates to the angel Moroni, therefore the plates cannot now be examined. In the words of Mormon historian Richard Bushman, For most modern readers, the plates are beyond belief, because Smith said he returned the plates to the angel Moroni after he finished translating them, their authenticity cannot be determined by physical examination. The golden plates were reportedly shown to close associates of Smith. Among these topics, the credibility of the plates has been, according to Bushman, the Book of Mormon itself portrays the golden plates as a historical record, engraved by two pre-Columbian prophet-historians from around the year AD400, Mormon and his son Moroni. Mormon and Moroni, the book says, had abridged earlier historical records from other sets of metal plates and their script, according to the book, was described as reformed Egyptian, a language unknown to linguists or Egyptologists. Scholarly reference works on languages do not acknowledge the existence of either a reformed Egyptian language or reformed Egyptian script as it has described in Mormon belief. No archaeological, linguistic, or other evidence of the use of Egyptian writing in ancient America has been discovered. Historically, Latter Day Saint movement denominations have taught that the Book of Mormons description of the origin is accurate. The Community of Christ, however, while accepting the Book of Mormon as scripture, non-believers and some liberal Mormons have advanced naturalistic explanations for the story of the plates. Smith is the source for a great deal of the story because much of it occurred at times when he was the only human witness
5.
Joseph Smith
–
Joseph Smith Jr. was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was twenty-four, Smith published the Book of Mormon, by the time of his death fourteen years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of followers and founded a religious culture that continues to the present. In 1830, Smith published what he said was an English translation of these plates, the same year he organized the Church of Christ, calling it a restoration of the early Christian church. Members of the church were later called Latter Day Saints, or Mormons, in 1831, Smith and his followers moved west, planning to build a communalistic American Zion. They first gathered in Kirtland, Ohio, and established an outpost in Independence, Missouri, during the 1830s, Smith sent out missionaries, published revelations, and supervised construction of the expensive Kirtland Temple. In 1844, Smith and the Nauvoo city council angered non-Mormons by destroying a newspaper that had criticized Smiths power, after Smith was imprisoned in Carthage, Illinois, he was killed when a mob stormed the jailhouse. Smith published many revelations and other texts that his followers regard as scripture and his teachings include unique views about the nature of God, cosmology, family structures, political organization, and religious collectivism. Joseph Smith Jr. was born on December 23,1805, in Sharon, Vermont, to Lucy Mack Smith and her husband Joseph Sr. a merchant, after suffering a crippling bone infection when he was seven, the younger Smith used crutches for three years. During the Second Great Awakening, the region was a hotbed of religious enthusiasm, although Smiths parents disagreed about religion, the family was caught up in this excitement. Smith later said he became interested in religion at about the age of twelve, he participated in church classes, as a teenager, he may have been sympathetic to Methodism. With other family members, Smith also engaged in folk magic. Both his parents and his grandfather reportedly had visions or dreams that they believed communicated messages from God. Smith said that although he had become concerned about the welfare of his soul, years later Smith said that in 1820 he had received a vision that resolved his religious confusion. While praying in an area near his home, he said that God, in a vision, had told him his sins were forgiven. Smith said he told the experience to a preacher, who dismissed the story with contempt, but the experience was largely unknown, even to most Mormons, until the 1840s. Although Smith may have understood the event as a conversion, this First Vision later grew in importance among Mormons. Smith said he attempted to remove the plates the next morning but was unsuccessful because the angel prevented him, Smith reported that during the next four years, he made annual visits to the hill but each time returned without the plates. Meanwhile, the Smith family faced financial hardship due in part to the November 1823 death of Smiths oldest brother Alvin, Family members supplemented their meager farm income by hiring out for odd jobs and working as treasure seekers, a type of magical supernaturalism common during the period
6.
Oliver Cowdery
–
Oliver H. P. Cowdery was, with Joseph Smith, an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836. He was the first baptized Latter Day Saint, one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormons golden plates, one of the first Latter Day Saint apostles, in 1838, Cowdery left and was excommunicated from the church founded by Smith and later became a Methodist. In 1848, he returned to the Latter Day Saint movement and was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Cowdery was born October 3,1806, in Wells, Vermont. His father, William, a farmer, moved the family to Poultney in Rutland County, in his youth, Cowdery hunted for buried treasure using a divining rod. At age 20, Cowdery left Vermont for upstate New York and he clerked at a store for just over two years and in 1829 became a school teacher in Manchester, New York. Cowdery met Joseph Smith on April 5, 1829—a year and a day before the founding of the church—and heard from him how he had received golden plates containing ancient Native American writings. Cowdery told Smith that he had seen the plates in a vision before the two ever met. From April 7 to June 1829, Cowdery acted as Smiths primary scribe for the translation of the plates into what would become the Book of Mormon. Cowdery also unsuccessfully attempted to translate part of the Book of Mormon by himself, before meeting Cowdery, Smith had virtually stopped translating after the first 116 pages had been lost by Martin Harris. But working with Cowdery, Smith completed the manuscript in a short period. Cowdery and Smith said that on May 15,1829, they received the Aaronic priesthood from the resurrected John the Baptist, one of the three announced that he was the Apostle Peter and said the others were the apostles James and John. Later that year, Cowdery reported sharing a vision, along with Smith and David Whitmer, Martin Harris said he saw a similar vision later that day. Cowdery, Whitmer and Harris signed a statement to that effect and their testimony has been published in nearly every edition of the Book of Mormon. When the church was organized on April 6,1830, Smith became First Elder, Cowdery held the position of Assistant President of the Church from 1834 until his resignation/excommunication in 1838. Cowdery was also a member of the first presiding high council of the church, organized in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1834. On December 18,1832, Cowdery married Elizabeth Ann Whitmer and they had five children, of whom only one daughter survived to maturity. Cowdery helped Smith publish a series of Smiths revelations first called the Book of Commandments and later, as revised and expanded, the Doctrine and Covenants. Cowdery was also the editor, or on the board, of several early church publications, including the Evening and Morning Star, the Messenger and Advocate
7.
Book of Mormon witnesses
–
The Book of Mormon witnesses are a group of contemporaries of Joseph Smith who said they saw the golden plates from which Smith said he translated the Book of Mormon. The most significant witnesses are the Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses, all three witnesses eventually broke with Smith and were excommunicated from the church. In 1838, Joseph Smith called Cowdery, Harris, and Whitmer too mean to mention, in 1839 Cowdery published a tract rejecting the Latter Day Saints and in 1840 become a member of the Methodist Protestant Church. Harris and Cowdery rejoined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shortly before their deaths, the Eight Witnesses were the second of the two groups of special witnesses to the Book of Mormons golden plates. They were all members of the Whitmer or Smith families, Christian Whitmer, Jacob Whitmer, Peter Whitmer, Jr. John Whitmer, Hiram Page, Joseph Smith, Sr. Hyrum Smith, and Samuel Harrison Smith. Joseph Smith Sr. was Josephs father, and Hyrum and Samuel H. Smith were his brothers, Christian, Jacob, Peter Jr. and John were David Whitmers brothers, and Hiram Page was his brother-in-law. Unlike the Three Witnesses, the Eight testified that both saw and handled the plates. Another difference is that the Eight testified they were shown the plates by Joseph Smith rather than by an angel as had the Three Witnesses, Christian Whitmer died in 1835 and his brother Peter Whitmer, Jr. died the following year. None of the Eight Witnesses is known to have denied his testimony to the authenticity of Book of Mormon or the golden plates, Joseph Smith made no mention of this visitation in his journal. According to Grant Palmer, the Book of Mormon witnesses had a nineteenth-century magical mindset rather than a rationalist perspective and they believed in what was called second sight. Traditionally, this included the ability to see spirits and their places within the local hills. A number of the possessed and used seer stones, Oliver Cowdery was a rodsman. As Tufts University professor John L. Brooke has observed, many of the earliest Mormons were very much attuned to the powers of witchcraft. All the witnesses were family, close friends, or financial backers of Joseph Smith, Cowdery, Page, and the five Whitmers were related by marriage. Mark Twain later joked, I could not feel more satisfied, after Smiths death, James Strang, claiming to be Smiths chosen successor, also produced buried plates and the testimony of eleven witnesses to their authenticity. Apologists note that after being excommunicated, Harris and Cowdery later returned to the church
8.
Reformed Egyptian
–
Joseph Smith, the movements founder, published the Book of Mormon in 1830 as a translation of these golden plates. Scholarly reference works on languages do not, however, acknowledge the existence of either a reformed Egyptian language or reformed Egyptian script as it has described in Mormon belief. No archaeological, linguistic, or other evidence of the use of Egyptian writing in ancient America has been discovered. C. Or early Demotic, a derivative of hieratic, perhaps used in northern Egypt fifty years before the time that the Book of Mormon prophet-patriarch Lehi is said to have left Jerusalem for the Americas. Smith said when he had finished the translation, he returned the plates to the angel Moroni, a manuscript known as the Caractors document has been widely identified as the same transcript. Handwriting analysis has suggested that this document was written by John Whitmer, Anthon wrote, to the contrary, that he had believed from the first that Harris was the victim of fraud. Standard language reference works contain no reference to reformed Egyptian, no non-Mormon scholars acknowledge the existence of either a reformed Egyptian language or a reformed Egyptian script as it has been described in Mormon belief. For instance, in 1966, John A. Wilson, professor of Egyptology at the University of Chicago, wrote, in no case has a professional Egyptologist been able to recognize these characters as Egyptian hieroglyphs. From our standpoint there is no such language as reformed Egyptian, klaus Baer, another Egyptologist at the University of Chicago, called the characters of the Caractors document nothing but doodlings. An early-20th-century scholar said that the Caractors document looked more like deformed English, although some Mormons have attempted to decipher the Caractors document, according to Brigham Young University Egyptologist John Gee, the corpus is not large enough to render decipherment feasible. Other Mormon apologists have suggested that the characters resemble those of shorthand for various languages including Hebrew, Demotic, Hieratic, Coptic, Mayan/Olmec, hugh Nibley argued that a revealed text in English is preferable to trying to understand the original language. According to this definition Bokovoy argues, archaeologists have uncovered important examples of reformed Egyptian, Egyptian language Book of Abraham John Gee, Some Notes on the Anthon Transcript, Mormon apologetics. William J. Hamblin, Reformed Egyptian, Mormon apologetics, brant Gardner, Searching for Reformed Egyptian, Mormon apologetics. Richard G. Grant, Reformed Egyptian, In the Language of My Fathers, jerald and Sandra Tanner, A book excerpt critical of Book of Mormon archeology Martin Harris testimony in Times and Seasons. Summary of skeptical material about the Anthon Transcript from Utah Lighthouse Ministries
9.
Alma the Elder
–
According to the Book of Mormon, Alma was a Nephite prophet who established the Church of Jesus Christ in the Americas during the reign of the wicked King Noah. It is believed that he was born in roughly 174 BC. while a young man, Alma was one of several corrupt priests who served King Noah in the land of Nephi. About 148 BC, a prophet named Abinadi was arrested for preaching repentance and condemning the wickedness of Noah, brought before the king and his priests, Abinadi emphatically urged them to repent and obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. Of all who heard him, only Alma was touched by Abinadis words, when Alma began to defend Abinadi the king had Alma cast out and Abinadi burned alive. Fleeing for his life, Alma went into hiding and wrote down what Abinadi had said before the court, at a hidden retreat in the wilderness called the waters of Mormon, Alma baptized his listeners and organized the church of Christ among them. In time, King Noah found out where Almas congregation was meeting, being warned by God of the armys coming, Alma quickly led his band of approximately 450 converts into the wilderness for eight days, finally stopping in an uninhabited land which they named Helam. The people of Alma established the city of Helam there and prospered for many years, the people of Alma joyfully united with the Nephites and helped to strengthen the church of Christ in Zarahemla. Zarahemlas King Mosiah soon authorized Alma to serve as the first high priest over the Church in Zarahemla, Alma continued in this capacity for many years. When Almas son, Alma the Younger, and the four sons of King Mosiah came of age they rebelled against the church and were numbered among the unbelievers. However, as they went about to destroy the church an angel appeared and, in a similar to that of Saul on the road to Damascus. Like Saul, their subsequent efforts on behalf of the church overshadowed their previous efforts to destroy the church, shortly before his death, Alma conferred the office of high priest upon his son. The Book of Mormon states that Alma the Elder lived to fulfil the commandments of God. Alma had several descendants in the Book of Mormon narrative as shown in the family tree below, At the time Joseph Smith dictated the Book of Mormon. Recent historical research indicates it may have been a name among Jewish people around 600 B. C. which is the time Lehi left Jerusalem according to the Book of Mormon. A potential Hebrew meaning of the name may be lad of God and “He is bound. ”Alma may possibly be traced to the Arabic root ‘alama/’ ‘alima, suggesting “knowing, erudite, distinguished, chief, chieftain. Book of Mosiah The Record of Zeniff Lambert, L. Gary, Alma1, in Ludlow, Daniel H, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, New York, Macmillan Publishing, pp. 32–33, ISBN 0-02-879602-0, Church Discipline in the Book of Mosiah. In Nyman, Monte S. Tate, Charles D. Jr, the Book of Mormon, Mosiah, Salvation Only Through Christ. Provo, Utah, Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, williams, Clyde J. Deliverance from Bondage
10.
Captain Moroni
–
According to the Book of Mormon, Captain Moroni was an important Nephite military commander and patriot who lived during the 1st century BC. He is perhaps best known for raising a title of liberty as a call to arms for his people to defend their country, family, freedom, peace and he is first mentioned in the Book of Alma as the chief captain over the Nephites. Captain Moroni is presented as a righteous and skilled military commander, among his accomplishments were his extensive preparations for battle and his fierce defense of the right of the Nephites to govern themselves and worship as they saw fit. Captain Moroni shares a name with the prophet Moroni, the former is indexed in the LDS edition of the Book of Mormon as Moroni1, according to the Book of Mormon, Moroni was only twenty and five years old when he was appointed chief captain of the Nephites. The appointment came in response to a war with Lamanites and Zoramites. The Lamanite army attacked the Nephites in the land of Jershon, in this war, Moroni set to work readying the Nephite people with body armor for the first time. He sent spies to investigate the Lamanites weaknesses, following which he led his troops with the plan to surround those of the Lamanites, Moronis overriding objective was to defend his people and their right to worship their God as they pleased. Ultimately, Moroni met this objective, which resulted in keeping many of the Lamanites from ever coming to combat against the Nephites again, Moroni introduced to the Nephites revolutionary strategies in military tactics, safety, and precaution. He kept the people safe, while praying, guiding and leading his armies by divine intervention. He was also known by his people for his ideology and integrity and willingness to support the causes of personal freedom gaining the peoples trust. Moroni is associated with the title of liberty, a standard which he raised to rally the Nephites to defend their liberties from a group of dissenters who wanted to establish their leader as a king. With these words, he rallied his people to defend their families and their freedom, Moroni put to death any dissenters who did not flee and who would not support the cause of freedom, and his “title of liberty” was raised over every Nephite tower. According to the Book of Mormon, Moroni sought to strengthen the Nephites spiritually so as to be prepared against the Lamanites. Moroni had written to Pahoran for help in the war, Moroni wrote again, chastising Pahoran in the process for failing to respond, even threatening to stir up insurrections against what he perceived to be the non-responsive government authorities. Pahoran wrote back, saying that the king-men had driven him from the judgment seat, Moroni left command of his armies in the hands of his deputies and led an insurrection of the people against the king-men. The leader of the king-men, Pachus, was killed and his followers were taken prisoner, Moroni and Pahoran regained control of the city of Nephihah, which they had lost, restoring the previous form of government by judges. After fortifying the Nephites lands, Moroni transferred command of his armies to his son Moronihah, four years later, in the 36th year of the reign of the judges, Moroni died. According to the chronology of years, listing the time from when Moroni took command of the armies at age 25, the narrative of Captain Moroni plays a significant role in how members of the LDS Church understand and justify the political realities of war and violence
11.
Ether (Book of Mormon prophet)
–
According to the Book of Mormon, Ether is a Jaredite prophet, one of the last surviving Jaredites, and primary author of the Book of Ether. According to Hugh W. Nibley, the name Ether, athira, means the one who left a trace, in all Semitic languages it is the same, and it means to leave a track, to trail somebody. Ethers grandfather Moron, had been king of the Jaredites, Moron was overthrown and dwelt in captivity all the remainder of his days. Ethers father, Coriantor, was born while his father was captive, Ether was a prophet of the Lord and lived in the days of Coriantumr, and Coriantumr was king over all the land. The people rejected his teachings concerning a New Jerusalem, causing him to hide in a cave, Ether was compelled to preach to Coriantumr, who also rejected his word. Monte J. Brough said the following about him, Ether, as my personal mentor of some years, has helped me understand how hope and it is this hope for a better world that is the foundation of the great plan of happiness. This profound hope. is part of the process of bringing stability into our lives, in facing tragedy, it is instructional to observe those who have complete and total faith in the reality of the mansions of our Father. This faith does result in a testimony of Jesus Christ and the process of the Atonement, man must hope, or he cannot receive the blessing of the great plan of happiness, which provides peace and understanding for mortal mankind. It is this more excellent hope that allows us to accept whatever trial or test comes to us, as each of us faces personal tragedy, we can have a much better acceptance of the final results because of the prophet Ethers example. According to Daniel H. Ludlow, it is not clear, the following evidences have been cited which might indicate that they did practice polygamy, Many of the men had large numbers of sons and daughters. For example, the brother of Jared had 22 sons and daughters and Orihah had 31 sons, riplakish had many wives and concubines. He was condemned by the Lord for his wickedness, but it is not clear whether or not this condemnation was because of his many wives. In Ether 14,2 it states that every man kept the hilt of his sword in his hand, in the defence of his property and his own life and of his wives. This verse seems to indicate that the people practiced polygamy, H. Donl Peterson notes that Moroni could have empathized with Ether, since both were prophets of God sent to preach to a people who were past feeling and who did reject all the words of the prophets. List of Book of Mormon prophets Mahonri Moriancumer, the brother of Jared Donaldson, the Plates of Ether and the Covenant of the Book of Mormon. In Nyman, Monte S. Tate, Charles D. Jr, fourth Nephi, From Zion to Destruction. Provo, Utah, Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, Ether and Mormon, Parallel Prophets of Warning and Witness. In Nyman, Monte S. Tate, Charles D. Jr, fourth Nephi, From Zion to Destruction
12.
Nephi, son of Lehi
–
Nephi is one of the central figures described in the Book of Mormon. He was the son of Lehi, a prophet, founder of the Nephite people, Nephi was the fourth of six sons of Lehi and Sariah. He is believed to have born in 615 BC. Nephi and his family lived in Jerusalem, circa 600 BC, during the reign of King Zedekiah, until Lehi was commanded by God to take his family, before their flight, Nephis father prophesied the impending destruction and captivity of Jerusalem by the armies of Babylon. Nephi also mentions having sisters, though he does not mention their names or birth orders, Nephi and his family left Jerusalem, traveled to the Red Sea, and then journeyed three days further into the wilderness, stopping in a valley by a river near the Red Sea. Some modern scholars have suggested that the location of their camp was near the city of present-day al-Bad, in the Tabuk region of Saudi Arabia, Lehi then sent his 4 sons back to Jerusalem to get the brass plates. After successfully obtaining the Brass Plates, they were commanded to return to Jerusalem a second time to bring Ishmaels family for the purpose of providing spouses for Lehis children. When Nephi was asked to return to Jerusalem, he responded to his father, I will go, a powerful man named Laban was in possession of the Plates of Brass, a record kept by the Jews which contained their laws, customs, history, and lineage. Nephi and his brothers tried three times to get the plates from Laban. First, they sent Laman, who simply asked Laban for the plates, Laban tried to kill Laman, accusing him of being a thief. Laman fled back to his brothers, extremely upset, the second time, Nephi convinced his brothers to try to buy the plates using their abandoned wealth. Laban wanted the riches but wouldnt give up the plates, sending his servants to kill them and they ran for their lives and their wealth fell into Labans possession. The four brothers hid in a cave, Laman and Lemuel started to beat their younger brothers severely. An angel appeared and stopped them, telling Laman and Lemuel that, because of his righteousness, the Lord had made Nephi a teacher, finally, Nephi returned to try one last time. Before he got to the house of Laban, he found a man passed out in the street. Nephi was then commanded by the Lord to kill Laban, at first, Nephi struggled with the idea, because he had never before shed the blood of man. The Spirit convinced him that it is better for one man to perish than for a nation to dwindle. Nephi followed through with the command and then dressed himself in Labans clothing and he returned to Labans house and ordered Zoram, one of Labans servants, to bring him the Plates of Brass
13.
Historicity of the Book of Mormon
–
The question of the historical authenticity of the Book of Mormon has long been a source of contention between most members of the Latter Day Saint movement and non-members. Most, but not all, Mormons hold the books connection to ancient American history as an article of their faith, however, this view finds no acceptance outside of Mormonism. The theory that the Book of Mormon is an ancient American history is considered to fall outside academic credibility, the Book of Mormon gives an account of two civilizations formed by families who migrated to the Americas. One group of families came from Jerusalem in 600 B. C. another group came much earlier, when God confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel, that group is known as the Jaredites. After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, Latter Day Saints claim that these Lamanites are among the ancestors of the American Indians. The dominant and widely accepted view among Latter Day Saints is that the Book of Mormon is a true, a contemporary Mormon view is that these civilizations rose and fell in Mesoamerica. Civilizations of their magnitude and duration would be expected to leave extensive archaeological records, several Mesoamerican civilizations did exist in the time period covered by the Book of Mormon, including the Olmec, Zapotec and Maya. The Olmec and Zapotec civilizations developed a system that may have served as the model for the later Mayan writing system. The Maya developed a calendar and were advanced in astronomy. The Book of Mormon mentions several animals, plants, and technologies for which there is no evidence in pre-Columbian America, the Smithsonian Institution has stated that none of the principal food plants and domestic animals of the Old World were present in the New World before Columbus. Adherents of the Latter Day Saint movement give varied responses to these criticisms, some point to what they claim is evidence for the presence of these items and locations. Others invoke the limited model, regarding the events of the Book of Mormon as taking place in such a geographically limited area that no evidence should be expected. Some counter that the used in the Book of Mormon refer not to the animals, plants and technologies that they do presently. In a 1961 newsletter, Ferguson predicted that although nothing had been found, in 1972, Christian scholar Hal Hougey wrote to Ferguson questioning the progress given the stated timetable in which the cities would be found. Replying to Hougey as well as secular and non-secular requests, Ferguson wrote in a letter dated June 5,1972, I had sincerely hoped that Book-of-Mormon cities would be positively identified within 10 years—and time has proved me wrong in my anticipation. I should say—what is in the ground will never conform to what is in the book, the archaeological investigations of NWAF-sponsored projects have contributed towards the documentation and understanding of pre-Columbian societies, particularly in Mesoamerica. Currently, BYU maintains 86 documents on the work of the NWAF at the BYU NWAF website, an additional criticism of the historical authenticity of the Book of Mormon concerns linguistics. According to the text, the Nephites and the Lamanites initially spoke Hebrew, the non-canonized introductory paragraph to the LDS Church 1981 edition of the Book of Mormon stated that the Lamanites were the principal ancestors of the American Indians
14.
Criticism of the Book of Mormon
–
The Book of Mormon is a religious text published in 1830 by American religious leader Joseph Smith. Smith claimed to receive a set of plates from an angel named Moroni that contained a record of ancient inhabitants of the Americas. Smith was then charged by the angel with translating the writing on the plates by the power of God, the resulting text became the Book of Mormon. Because of its origins, and its asserted historicity, it has been the subject of criticism relating to its origin, text. Scholars reject Smiths explanation of the origin of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith said that the Book of Mormon was originally an ancient native-American record written on golden plates, and that God gave him the power to translate it into English. Critics note that there is no proof of the existence of golden plates. While none of these men ever retracted their statement, critics nevertheless discount these testimonies for varying reasons, one of which is because most of these men were closely interrelated. In later years Martin Harris, one of the witnesses, is recorded to have confessed that none of the saw the plates with their natural eyes. Most linguists, archeologists, and historians do not regard the Book of Mormon to be of ancient origin, in 1834 a publication by Eber D. Howe claimed that Smith had plagiarized an unpublished manuscript written by Solomon Spalding, two separate sets of witnesses, a set of three and a set of eight, testified as having seen the golden plates, the record from which the Book of Mormon was translated. Additionally, each of the Three Witnesses left the church during Joseph Smiths lifetime, Harris and Cowdery later returned to the church. However, the Institute for Religious Research disputes the sincerity of their conversion, apologists note that the witnesses in most cases affirmed their witness until their death, and claim that the aforementioned affidavits and letters are either fraudulent, or otherwise not reliable. In 1881 Whitmer, the one witness who never returned to the church, historians view the language patterns, phrases, and names in the Book of Mormon as evidence that it is not authentic. Joseph Smith claimed to have translated the Book of Mormon from a language called Reformed Egyptian, archaeologists and Egyptologists have found no evidence that this language ever existed. However, Hugh Nibley, a Mormon apologist, argues that Reformed Egyptian is actually Meroitic Egyptian, supporters of the Book of Mormon claim it uses chiasmus—a figure of speech utilizing inverted parallelism—and claim it is evidence to support the books ancient origin. Critics such as Jerald and Sandra Tanner argue that chiasmus in the Book of Mormon are a characteristic of Joseph Smiths speech pattern and they cite chiasmus in the Doctrine and Covenants and the Book of Moses which were not translated from an ancient text as evidence. Critics claim that language patterns in the Book of Mormon indicate that it is merely a repetition of patterns found in the Old Testament. They point out that the Book of Mormon contains many words, some critics theorize that Smith derived the account of the golden plates from treasure-hunting stories of William Kidd
15.
Anachronisms in the Book of Mormon
–
Mormon scholars and apologists respond to the anachronisms in several ways. The list below summarizes the most prominent anachronisms, as well as perspectives of Mormon scholars, Smith claimed to translate the original text of the plates into English, the book says that the text was written on the plates in Reformed Egyptian. The Book of Mormon was published in 1830, the Book of Mormon is said to have taken place somewhere in the Americas from c.2500 BC to 400 AD, thus placing its events within the pre-Columbian era. Critics claim that the origin lies firmly in the 19th century. Unlike the Bible, no manuscripts in the original language of the Book of Mormon are known to exist. No Reformed Egyptian manuscripts or plates have ever been excavated by archaeologists, critics and supporters disagree as to whether other archaeological findings support or disprove the historicity of the Book of Mormon. Book of Mormon prophets quote chapters 48 through 54 of the Book of Isaiah after having left the Jerusalem around 600 BC, since Isaiah died around 698 BC, under traditional biblical belief, there would be no conflict. However, modern scholars assert that these chapters were not written by Isaiah. Baptism is mentioned as a ritual that is taught and performed among the Nephite civilization, however, a practice similar to baptism is known to have been practiced by the Jewish Essenes between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD. Horses are mentioned 14 times in the Book of Mormon, and are portrayed as an part of the cultures described. There is no evidence that existed on the American continent during the timeframe of the Book of Mormon. Horses evolved in North America, but are believed to have become extinct on the American continent at the end of the Pleistocene, horses did not reappear in the Americas until the Spaniards brought them from Europe. They were brought to the Caribbean by Christopher Columbus in 1493, apologists assert that there is fossil evidence that some New World horses may have survived the Pleistocene–Holocene transition. Others believe that the horse in the Book of Mormon does not refer to members of the genus Equus. FARMS apologist Robert R. Bennett stated that as a comparison, archaeological remains of horses have been found at the Hun sites of Boroo Gol, Mankhan as well as at various grave sites directly preceding the Huns. Before the announcement in a 1988 publication of two samples, there was no archaeological evidence to confirm the existence of lions in that region. Elephants are mentioned twice in a verse in the Book of Ether. The source of extinction, known as the Quaternary extinction event is speculated to be the result of human predation
16.
Archaeology and the Book of Mormon
–
Since the publication of the Book of Mormon in 1830, both Mormon and non-Mormon archaeologists have attempted to find archaeological evidence to support or criticize it. The Book of Mormon describes Gods dealings with three civilizations in the Americas over the course of several hundred years, the book primarily deals with the Nephites and the Lamanites, who it states existed in the Americas from about 600 BC to about AD400. It also deals with the rise and fall of the Jaredite nation, while archaeology in the Americas is not as mature as Old World archaeology, insights into pre-Columbian civilizations, technologies, movements, and history have been established. Some contemporary Book of Mormon scholars suggest that the Jaredites may have been the Olmec, other Book of Mormon scholars disagree and point to some nineteenth-century archaeological finds are not interpreted by as proving the historicity or divinity of the Book of Mormon. Numerous observers have suggested that the Book of Mormon appears to be a work of fiction that parallels others within the 19th-century mound-builder genre that were pervasive at the time. During the early 1980s, rumors circulated in Mormon culture that the Book of Mormon was being used by the Smithsonian to guide primary archaeological research. In 1998, the Smithsonian revised the form letter and stated that Book of Mormon had not been used by the Smithsonian in any form of archaeological research. Mormon scholars speculated that this was because the version of the letter contradicts some aspects of research published by Smithsonian staff members. Non-Mormon scholars note that the Smithsonian has not retracted any of its previous statements, terryl Givens speculates that the change in the statement was an effort to avoid controversy. Critics of the Book of Mormon have argued there are words. These relate to artifacts, animal, plant, or technology that critics believe did not exist in the Americas during the Book of Mormon time period. The list below summarizes a few of the criticisms in the Book of Mormon, as well as perspectives. Horses were re-introduced to the Americas by Christopher Columbus in 1493, alternately, Mormon apologist Robert R. Bennett suggests that the word horse in the Book of Mormon may have referred to a different animal, such as a tapir. Elephants are mentioned twice in the earliest Book of Mormon record, Critics argue that the archaeological record suggests that all elephant-like creatures became extinct in the New World around 10,000 BC. The source of extinction is speculated to be the result of human predation. A small population of mammoths survived on St and this evidence has long been a topic of debate with most archaeologists concluding that the elephantine remains were improperly dated, misidentified, or openly fraudulent. There are six references to cattle made in the Book of Mormon, further, there is currently no archeological evidence of American bison having been domesticated. Thus, they claim the term cattle may refer to mountain goats, llamas, sheep are mentioned in the Book of Mormon as being raised in the Americas by the Jaredites between 2500 BC and 600 BC
17.
Limited geography model
–
These models, developed in an effort to reconcile claims in the Book of Mormon with archaeology and geography, have situated the books events in South America, Mesoamerica, and the Great Lakes area. One popular LDS theory places the setting for the Book of Mormon in the vicinity of Mexico, others recognize a setting among the mound builders as the books original setting. This North American setting has gained support from some members of the LDS community. The mound builder setting parallels traditional settings of the Book of Mormon accepted during the 19th century and these models have not changed the academic consensus outside the Latter Day Saint movement that the Book of Mormon is not an accurate description of ancient American history. Proponents of these theories find support in the text of the Book of Mormon, there are significant challenges to the Central American setting, as the Hill Cumorah and the remains of Zelph were found many thousands of miles away from Mesoamerica. Archaeological evidence supporting the Book of Mormons Mound-builder literary setting is not interpreted by mainstream academia as proving the historicity or divinity of the work. The Book of Mormon is regarded by historians and literary experts as a work of 19th century American literature, in the Mound-builder genre. The Book of Mormon describes a journey by a group of people led by a prophet named Lehi from the Old World to the New World in approximately 600 B. C, the Book of Mormon also describes the journey of 2 other groups to America. One group was the people of Mulek, who was the son of Zedekiah, the group left Jerusalem within a few years of Lehis departure, but was not known to the people of Lehi until some time between 323 and 130 B. C. Another group described in detail in the Book of Mormon. The only Jaredite to encounter the people of Mulek was named Coriantumr, from 1952 onward, LDS scholar Hugh Nibley repeatedly argued that the assumption that there were no other people present in the New World at the time of Lehis arrival might be incorrect. In 1980 Nibley, referring to archaeological evidence, stated that the assumption of an empty New World represented a simplistic reading of the Book of Mormon, early in the twentieth century RLDS members proposed a limited Mesoamerican geography for the Book of Mormon. This geographical and population model was published in the official church magazine, The Ensign. This was followed by a book on the subject by LDS anthropologist John L. Sorenson in 1985, in the 1920s, LDS General Authority and historian B. H. Roberts questioned the assumption of a geography and population model for the Book of Mormon. To make this possible the area occupied by the Nephites and Lamanites would have to be extremely limited, much more limited, I fear. The proposal of a geography is coupled with the proposal that the American continents were already populated at the time of the arrival of Lehis group. The presence of inhabitants on the American continents long before the arrival of Lehis party is supported by existing archaeological data
18.
LDS cinema
–
LDS or Mormon cinema usually refers to films with themes relevant to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The terminology has also used to refer to films that do not necessarily reflect Mormon themes but have been made by Mormon filmmakers. Many of these films are screened extensively within high LDS population centers such as Utah, Idaho, LDS cinema films might be considered distinct from LDS Church movies like Legacy and Testaments, since they are commercial and not produced for teaching or proselytizing LDS doctrine. LDS cinema is usually produced and directed by Latter-day Saints, the films typically have LDS themes and are often marketed especially toward Latter-day Saints, though there has been an effort to cross over into more mainstream themes. Films about Latter-day Saints are nothing new, the Church sponsored the production and release of the feature-length films One Hundred Years of Mormonism and The Life of Nephi. Films about Mormons, especially lurid pulp fiction-inspired tales of hypnotic missionaries and Western pioneer stories, were a staple of the silent, black. With films made primarily by LDS filmmakers for an LDS audience, the LDS Cinema movement began around 1999, when Richard Dutchers company Zion Films released Gods Army commercially. The film, which was produced on a budget of $300,000, grossed about $2.5 million at the box office, observing the market success of Gods Army, many other LDS studios began producing films. The acclaimed World War II movie Saints and Soldiers is perhaps the most successful crossover LDS film to date, more accessible films have been thought by some as likely to ensure larger potential markets. However, accessibility has not necessarily translated into greater box office earnings or critical acclaim than achieved by the more insider-oriented LDS Cinema films, LDS comedies in particular have been panned by critics, who have branded most efforts thus far inaccessible and unfunny to those outside the intended market. Such movies have frequently been perceived as overly reliant upon the extensive knowledge of LDS practices. One aspect of the culture of LDS cinema is heightened concern over MPAA film ratings, many Mormons feel disinclined to view movies rated R, so LDS film producers risk greatly diminished revenue for exceeding a PG or PG-13 rating. One PG-13 film, The Book of Mormon Movie, Vol.1, producers defended the scene as essential. Some critics leveled a common complaint about the MPAA – that it awards a rating to movies not produced by the major film studios. Nonetheless, producers re-edited the movie to earn a PG rating for DVD distribution, another film, Saints and Soldiers received an R-rating prior to film festival screening. Producers edited the movie to receive PG-13 for commercial distribution, wagon Master – Forced out of Crystal City, a group of Mormons head west in search of the promised land. Messenger of Death – A film about an attempt by a company to start a family feud among fundamentalist Mormons to take the familys land for the company. Gods Army – The first general release, modern Mormon cinema film, about LDS missionaries, Gods Army 2, States of Grace – A sequel to Gods Army, by Richard Dutcher Brigham City – A murder mystery, also by Dutcher
19.
The Life of Nephi
–
The Life of Nephi is a 1915 lost film financed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The three-reel film was the first attempt to create an adaptation of the Book of Mormon. The Life of Nephi was produced by the brothers Chet and Shirl Lawson and was shot in Salt Lake City with a non-professional cast. The Life of Nephi had its premiere in Salt Lake City on October 25,1915. No print of the film is known to survive, although 40 hand-painted slides based on scenes from the production remain extant, LDS cinema LDS movies Nephi, son of Lehi The Life of Nephi. Mormon Literature & Creative Arts Database
20.
The Book of Mormon Movie
–
The Book of Mormon Movie, Volume 1, The Journey is a 2003 American adventure drama film directed by Gary Rogers and written by Rogers and Craig Clyde. A film adaptation of the first two books in The Book of Mormon, a text of scripture, the film was given a limited theatrical release on September 12,2003. The movie is based on the first two books of the Book of Mormon and it is the story of Lehi, his wife Sariah, and their four sons, Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi. Lehi leaves Jerusalem in 600 B. C. after having prophesied concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and he journeys into the wilderness with his family. He sends Nephi and his brothers back to Jerusalem after the brass plates, the sons and daughters of Lehi marry the sons and daughters of Ishmael. They take their families and continue into the wilderness, nephis brothers rebel against him, he confounds them, and builds a ship. They cross the sea to the land in the Americas. Lehi dies in the promised land, nephis brethren rebel against him again. The plot concludes with Nephi departing again into the wilderness, rogerss inspiration was the Cecil B. DeMille 1956 version of The Ten Commandments and he envisioned The Book of Mormon as one long historical epic. His plan was to make nine films that cover the story of the book. The films length is two hours, and it was revealed on the DVD commentary that the first cut of the film was two hours and forty minutes, noah Danby was cast as Nephi because of his strong resemblance to the art of Arnold Friberg. He had never read the Book of Mormon prior to his casting, the desert scenes were filmed in Utah in the spring, and it was very cold. The great and spacious building was a five-foot miniature, the boat does not appear in the theatrical version of the scene in which the family arrives in the promised land. It was digitally added to that scene for the DVD version, mike Ripplinger directed and filmed the behind the scenes portion on the DVD release. The costume designer used Mormon art and illustrations to guide her selections, the film was mentioned in Paul C. Gutjahrs 2012 book The Book of Mormon, A Biography, the film was rated PG-13 for a scene of violence, having contained an image of Nephi with blood splatter on his face after beheading Laban. This image was removed for home media releases, and the received a PG rating on DVD
21.
Passage to Zarahemla
–
Passage to Zarahemla is an adventure film directed and written by Chris Heimerdinger. It tells the story of a pair of siblings seeking to find a new life following the abrupt death of their mother. Their exploits lead them to a home in Utah and eventually a thrilling confrontation with their past. It is based partly on Book of Mormon people, including the Zarahemla of the title and it is only the second commercial theatrical release of a film with the Book of Mormon as a principal theme, the first being The Book of Mormon Movie. This movie is based on the novel by the same name, the movie version of Passage to Zarahemla, was released to theaters October 15,2007. The film ranked 4th overall in Utah the first week of its release, the film was released to DVD in June 2008. Kerra and Brock McConnell are orphans on the run, the story begins with its focus on a group of hunters illegally hunting game out in the woods. Originally thought to be dead, the hunters target springs back to life and flees into the heavy brush, determined not to let the game suffer, one of the hunters decides to pursue the elk in its flight. After some amount of exploration he finds his elk. hanging over a branch, hearing noises he turns around to an arrow shot at him and screams. Kerra and Brock are introduced to the line at their mothers funeral. In an effort to keep the two together, Kerra decides that they must pack up their belongings and escape before the return of the social worker assigned to their case. Brock, having prior association with a gang and a criminal record. The two drive off in a fury in an effort to escape, remembering a relative from early on in her childhood, Kerra plots a course for Leeds, Utah, a small LDS rich community in the southern part of the state. With the stolen car having problems, the pair is unable to travel any further until it is fixed, shortly after their arrival, Kerra is confronted by her cousins with stories from her early childhood days. These stories recall strange noises in the woods behind their house, one night after the siblings arrival, an earthquake shakes the area with the epicenter believed to be near the property of their Aunt Corrine and Uncle Drew. Following the quake, Kerra is reunited with her childhood friend Kiddoni. As the story progresses, the time portal gap expands and eventually allows the Nephite, Brock on the other hand is unaware of this time rift and eventually finds himself captured by the Gadianton armies. It is at time that he comes into contact with a scraggly-bearded individual from modern times named Chris
22.
Mormonism
–
Mormonism is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity. Joseph Smith founded the movement in Western New York in the 1820s, during the 1830s and 1840s, it distinguished itself from traditional Protestantism. Mormonism represents the non-Protestant faith taught by Smith in the 1840s, other sects include Mormon fundamentalism, which seeks to maintain practices and doctrines such as polygamy, and various other small independent denominations. The word Mormon originally derived from the Book of Mormon, a text published by Smith. The book describes itself as a chronicle of early peoples of the Americas. Based on the name of book, early followers of Smith were more widely known as Mormons. The term was considered pejorative, but Mormons no longer consider it so. It also accepts the Pearl of Great Price as part of its canon, and has a history of teaching eternal marriage, eternal progression. Cultural Mormonism, a lifestyle promoted by Mormon institutions, includes cultural Mormons who identify with the culture, Mormonism originated in the 1820s in western New York during a period of religious excitement known as the Second Great Awakening. After praying about which denomination he should join, Joseph Smith, called the First Vision, Smith claimed God the Father instructed him to join none of the existing churches because they were all wrong. Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and other followers, began baptizing new converts in 1829. Formally organized in 1830 as the Church of Christ, Smith was seen by his followers as a modern-day prophet. Joseph Smith claimed The Book of Mormon was translated from writing on plates in a reformed Egyptian language, translated with the assistance of the Urim and Thummim. Both the special spectacles and the stone were at times referred to as the Urim and Thummim. He said an angel first showed him the location of the plates in 1823, buried in a nearby hill, Smith began dictating the text of The Book of Mormon around the fall of 1827 until the summer of 1828 when 116 pages were lost. Translation began again in April 1829 and finished in June 1829, saying that he translated it by the gift, after the translation was completed, Smith said the plates were returned to the angel. During Smiths supposed possession, very few people were allowed to witness the plates, the book described itself as a chronicle of an early Israelite diaspora, becoming the indigenous peoples of the Americas, written by a people called the Nephites. According to The Book of Mormon, Lehis family left Jerusalem at the urging of God c.600 BC, the Nephites are described as descendants of Nephi, the fourth son of the prophet Lehi
23.
Angel
–
An angel, especially according to Abrahamic religions and Zoroastrianism, is a spiritual being superior to humans in power and intelligence. Most of them either as intermediaries between Heaven and Earth, or as guardian spirits. They are studied in the doctrine of angelology. In Christian Science, the angel is used to refer to an inspiration from God. In fine art, angels are depicted as having the shape of human beings of extraordinary beauty, they are often identified using the symbols of bird wings, halos. The word angel in English is a blend of Old English engel, both derive from Late Latin angelus messenger, which in turn was borrowed from Late Greek ἄγγελος ángelos. According to R. S. P. Beekes, ángelos itself may be an Oriental loan, the words earliest form is Mycenaean a-ke-ro attested in Linear B syllabic script. The ángelos is the default Septuagints translation of the Biblical Hebrew term mal’ākh denoting simply messenger without specifying its nature. In the Latin Vulgate, however, the meaning becomes bifurcated, if the word refers to some supernatural being, the word angelus appears. Such differentiation has been taken over by later vernacular translations of the Bible, early Christian and Jewish exegetes, in Zoroastrianism there are different angel-like figures. For example, each person has one guardian angel, called Fravashi and they patronize human beings and other creatures, and also manifest Gods energy. In the commentaries of Proclus on the Timaeus of Plato, Proclus uses the terminology of angelic, according to Aristotle, just as there is a First Mover, so, too, must there be spiritual secondary movers. The Torah uses the terms מלאך אלהים, מלאך יהוה, בני אלהים and הקודשים to refer to beings traditionally interpreted as angels, later texts use other terms, such as העליונים. The term מלאך is also used in books of the Tanakh. Depending on the context, the Hebrew word may refer to a messenger or to a supernatural messenger. Daniel is the first biblical figure to refer to individual angels by name, mentioning Gabriel in Daniel 9,21 and these angels are part of Daniels apocalyptic visions and are an important part of all apocalyptic literature. One of these is hāšāṭān, a figure depicted in the Book of Job, philo of Alexandria identifies the angel with the Logos inasmuch as the angel is the immaterial voice of God. The angel is something different from God himself, but is conceived as Gods instrument, in post-Biblical Judaism, certain angels took on particular significance and developed unique personalities and roles
24.
Cumorah
–
Cumorah is a drumlin in Manchester, New York, United States, where Joseph Smith said he found a set of golden plates which he translated into English and published as the Book of Mormon. In the text of the Book of Mormon, Cumorah is a located in a land of the same name. The LDS Church has no position on the matter, and while these hypotheses are not held by some leaders and members of the LDS Church. The hill named Cumorah in Manchester, New York is where Smith said he discovered the golden plates contained the writings of the Book of Mormon. Smith wrote, On the west side of hill, not far from the top, under a stone of considerable size, lay the plates. Smith visited the hill each year on September 22 between 1823 and 1827 and was instructed by a messenger, whom Smith identified as the Angel Moroni. Smith was finally allowed to take the record on September 22,1827, eleven other men gave written testimony that they had also seen them and held them in their hands. The hill, which was unnamed prior to 1829, is situated a few miles from Smiths boyhood home on a farm that was owned by a local farmer. This farm was 4 miles south of Palmyra, on the road toward Canandaigua from Palmyra to Manchester, and is not far from Carangrie Creek. According to geologists, the hill was formed during the retreat of the Ice Age glaciers, since 1829, the Latter Day Saints have called the hill Cumorah, and local non-Mormons have called it Mormon Hill or Gold Bible Hill. The hill has also been called Inspiration Point, the hill and surrounding land was purchased in the 1920s by the LDS Church under the direction of church president Heber J. Grant. The transaction involved two separate purchases, the purchase of the Inglis farm, and the purchase of the Sexton farm. The LDS Church has constructed a monument that is topped with a statue of the Angel Moroni on the top of the hill, the stone box, described by Joseph Smith, as the location where the plates were found has not been located on the hill. In a letter, Oliver Cowdery, gives the location as the west side of the hill, shortly after Smith announced he had the plates, some local residents unsuccessfully searched the hill for a freshly dug hole where the plates might have come from. They did note a significantly sized hole on the East side of the hill that had been dug years previously by treasure seekers. In the Book of Mormon, Cumorah is mentioned in six verses, five in chapter 6 and one in chapter 8 of a subpart of the book, according to the record, Mormon is the caretaker of the records of his people, which are written on gold plates. His people, called the Nephites, were near to being destroyed by the Lamanites who had had many wars with the Nephites. Mormon wrote to the leader of the Lamanites to ask that he may gather his people unto the land of Cumorah, by a hill which was called Cumorah, Cumorah is described as being in a land with many waters, rivers, and fountains
25.
Latter Day Saint movement
–
The Latter Day Saint movement is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 15 million members, the vast majority of adherents belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with their predominant theology being Mormonism. The LDS Church self-identifies as Christian, based on the teachings of this book and other revelations, Smith founded a Christian primitivist church, called the Church of Christ. The Book of Mormon attracted hundreds of followers, who later became known as Mormons, Latter Day Saints. In 1831, Smith moved the headquarters to Kirtland, Ohio. After the church in Ohio collapsed due to dissensions, in 1838, Smith and the body of the moved to Missouri. After Smiths death in 1844, a crisis led to the organization splitting into several groups. The largest of these, the LDS Church, migrated under the leadership of Brigham Young to the Great Basin, the LDS Church officially renounced this practice in 1890, and gradually discontinued it, resulting in the Utah Territory becoming a U. S. state. This change resulted in the formation of a number of small sects who sought to maintain polygamy and other 19th-century Mormon doctrines and practices, other groups originating within the Latter Day Saint movement followed different paths in Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. For the most part these groups rejected plural marriage and some of Smiths later teachings, the largest of these, the Community of Christ, was formed in Illinois in 1860 by several groups uniting around Smiths son, Joseph Smith III. Most existing denominations that adhere to the teachings of Smith have some relationship with the movement. The driving force behind and founder of the Latter Day Saint movement was Joseph Smith, Smith and Cowdery also explained that the angels John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John visited them in 1829 and gave them priesthood authority to reestablish the Church of Christ. The first Latter Day Saint church was formed on April 6,1830, consisting of a community of believers in the western New York towns of Fayette, Manchester, the church was formally organized under the name of the Church of Christ. In 1844, William Law and several other Latter Day Saints in church leadership positions publicly denounced Smiths secret practice of polygamy in the Nauvoo Expositor, the city council of Nauvoo, Illinois, led by Smith, subsequently had the printing press of the Expositor destroyed. In spite of Smiths later offer to pay damages for destroyed property, critics of Smith, some called for the Latter Day Saints to be either expelled or destroyed. These various claims resulted in a succession crisis, many supported Brigham Young, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, others Sidney Rigdon, the senior surviving member of the First Presidency. These various groups are referred to under two geographical headings, Prairie Saints and Rocky Mountain Saints. Today, the vast majority of Latter Day Saints belong to the Utah-based The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the second-largest denomination is the Missouri-based Community of Christ which reports over 250,000 members
26.
Three Witnesses
–
The Three are part of twelve Book of Mormon witnesses, who also include Smith and the Eight Witnesses. The joint statement of the Three Witnesses—Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris, All three men eventually broke with Smith and the church he organized, although Harris and Cowdery were eventually rebaptized into the church after Smiths death. Whitmer founded his own Church of Christ, All three men upheld their testimony of the Book of Mormon at their deaths. On Sunday, June 28,1829, Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, after some time, Harris left the other three men, believing his presence had prevented the vision from occurring. The remaining three again knelt and said they saw a light in the air overhead and an angel holding the golden plates. Smith retrieved Harris, and after praying at some length with him, and we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us, wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true. And we also testify that we have seeen the engravings which are upon the plates, and they have shewn unto us by the power of God. And it is marvellous in our eyes, nevertheless, the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it, wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, the testimony was moved to the beginning of the Book of Mormon in later editions, with standardized spelling. The Three Witnesses were closely associated with Joseph Smith, Jr. at the time he founded the church, Martin Harris made a significant financial contribution to the printing of the Book of Mormon. In addition, it has argued that Smith and the Witnesses had a similar magical worldview. Grant H. Palmer wrote that moderns tend to read into testimonies a rationalist perspective rather than a nineteenth-century magical mindset and they shared a common world view, and this is what drew them together in 1829. As a group, the Three Witnesses served only one role in the church before they were excommunicated in 1837–38. After Smith had selected the council of the Twelve Apostles, the Three Witnesses called out the twelve men, Oliver Cowdery was a school teacher and an early convert to Mormonism who served as scribe while Smith dictated what he said was a translation of the Book of Mormon. Like Smith, who was a distant relative, Cowdery was also a hunter who had used a divining rod in his youth. Cowdery asked questions of the rod, if it moved, the answer was yes, if not, Cowdery also told Smith that he had seen the golden plates in a vision before the two ever met. Before Cowdery served as one of the Three Witnesses, he had experienced two other important visions. Cowdery said that he and Smith had received the Aaronic priesthood from John the Baptist in May 1829, one of the three persons claimed to be the Apostle Peter and named the others James and John
27.
Pre-Columbian era
–
For this reason the alternative terms of Precontact Americas, Pre-Colonial Americas or Prehistoric Americas are also in use. In areas of Latin America the term used is Pre-Hispanic. Other civilizations were contemporary with the period and were described in European historical accounts of the time. A few, such as the Maya civilization, had their own written records, because many Christian Europeans of the time viewed such texts as heretical, men like Diego de Landa destroyed many texts in pyres, even while seeking to preserve native histories. Only a few documents have survived in their original languages, while others were transcribed or dictated into Spanish, giving modern historians glimpses of ancient culture. Indigenous American cultures continue to evolve after the pre-Columbian era, many of these peoples and their descendants continue traditional practices, while evolving and adapting new cultural practices and technologies into their lives. Now, the study of pre-Columbian cultures is most often based on scientific. Asian nomads are thought to have entered the Americas via the Bering Land Bridge, now the Bering Strait, genetic evidence found in Amerindians maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA supports the theory of multiple genetic populations migrating from Asia. Over the course of millennia, Paleo-Indians spread throughout North and South America, exactly when the first group of people migrated into the Americas is the subject of much debate. One of the earliest identifiable cultures was the Clovis culture, with sites dating from some 13,000 years ago, however, older sites dating back to 20,000 years ago have been claimed. Some genetic studies estimate the colonization of the Americas dates from between 40,000 and 13,000 years ago, the chronology of migration models is currently divided into two general approaches. The first is the short chronology theory with the first movement beyond Alaska into the New World occurring no earlier than 14, 000–17,000 years ago, followed by successive waves of immigrants. The second belief is the long chronology theory, which proposes that the first group of people entered the hemisphere at an earlier date, possibly 50. In that case, the Eskimo peoples would have arrived separately and at a later date, probably no more than 2,000 years ago. The North American climate was unstable as the ice age receded and it finally stabilized by about 10,000 years ago, climatic conditions were then very similar to todays. Within this timeframe, roughly pertaining to the Archaic Period, numerous archaeological cultures have been identified, the unstable climate led to widespread migration, with early Paleo-Indians soon spreading throughout the Americas, diversifying into many hundreds of culturally distinct tribes. The paleo-indians were hunter-gatherers, likely characterized by small, mobile bands consisting of approximately 20 to 50 members of an extended family and these groups moved from place to place as preferred resources were depleted and new supplies were sought. During much of the Paleo-Indian period, bands are thought to have subsisted primarily through hunting now-extinct giant land animals such as mastodon, Paleo-Indian groups carried a variety of tools
