---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Mansfield, M. W.
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 7
number: 4
published: 1904-02
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'M. W. Mansfield, "Jacob’s Isle," *Improvement Era* 7, no. 4 (February 1904): 264–269.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0704unse
  transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers.
  identifier: improvementera0704unse
start_page: 264
end_page: 269
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1904-02)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0704unse
  publication_year: 1904
  note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1904, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Jacob’s Isle

<!-- page:264 -->

JACOB'S   
        ISLE.
VIEWSIhELD 
        in 
        chapter 
        XI 
        OF  
        MANUAL 
        MODIFIED
CONCERNING 
        THIS 
        SUBJECT. 
        .,
BY 
        M.   
        W.  
        MANSFIELD, 
        TEASDALE,  
        UTAH.
Jacob, 
        son 
        of 
        Lehi, 
        in 
        speaking 
        to 
        the 
        people 
        of 
        Nephi, 
        in 
        the
land 
        of 
        Nephi, 
        said: 
        "We 
        have 
        been 
        led 
        to 
        a 
        better 
        land, 
        for 
        the
Lord 
        has 
        made 
        the 
        sea 
        our 
        path, 
        and 
        we 
        are 
        upon 
        an 
        isle 
        of 
        the
sea. 
        But 
        great 
        are 
        the 
        promises 
        of 
        the 
        Lord 
        unto 
        they 
        who 
        are
upon 
        the 
        isles 
        of 
        the 
        sea" 
        (II 
        Nephi 
        10: 
        20, 
        21).
The 
        promises 
        of 
        the 
        Lord 
        to, 
        and 
        description 
        of 
        lands 
        occu-
pied by, 
        those 
        of 
        the 
        people 
        of 
        Israel 
        who 
        are 
        and 
        have 
        been 
        upon
the 
        isles 
        of 
        the 
        sea, 
        so 
        far 
        as 
        we 
        know, 
        the 
        promises 
        and 
        ancient
description 
        of 
        the 
        lands, 
        are 
        found 
        in 
        the 
        Bible 
        and 
        other 
        sacred
books; 
        and, 
        as 
        Jacob 
        had 
        the 
        writings 
        of 
        the 
        prophets 
        on 
        the 
        brass
plates, 
        he 
        doubtless 
        referred 
        to 
        them 
        for 
        the 
        promises 
        to 
        Israel,
upon 
        the 
        isles 
        of 
        the 
        sea. 
        Let 
        us 
        see 
        from 
        those 
        writings 
        in
what 
        sense 
        the 
        term 
        "isles" 
        was 
        used, 
        and 
        to 
        what 
        land 
        ref-
erence was 
        made 
        by 
        the 
        prophets.
First, 
        Moses 
        said 
        in 
        Genesis 
        10: 
        5: 
        "By 
        these 
        were 
        the 
        isles 
        of
the 
        Gentiles 
        divided 
        in 
        their 
        lands, 
        every 
        one 
        after 
        his 
        tongue, 
        after
their 
        families, 
        in 
        their 
        nations." 
        Referring 
        to 
        the 
        seed 
        of 
        Japheth
dividing 
        their 
        country 
        among 
        themselves, 
        and 
        that 
        on 
        the 
        main
land 
        of 
        Asia, 
        he 
        uses 
        the 
        term 
        "isles" 
        in 
        speaking 
        of 
        their 
        land,
and 
        any 
        land 
        may 
        be 
        termed 
        an 
        isle 
        in 
        the 
        same 
        sense.
In 
        Zeph. 
        2: 
        11, 
        the 
        prophet 
        says: 
        "The 
        Lord 
        will 
        be 
        terrible
unto 
        them, 
        for 
        he 
        will 
        famish 
        all 
        the 
        gods 
        of 
        the 
        earth, 
        and 
        men
shall 
        worship 
        him, 
        every 
        one 
        from 
        his 
        place, 
        even 
        all 
        the 
        isles 
        of
the 
        heathen." 
        This 
        passage 
        shows 
        that 
        the 
        term 
        "isles" 
        is 
        used 
        in
reference 
        to 
        all 
        the 
        lands 
        of 
        the 
        heathen 
        in 
        all 
        parts 
        of 
        the 
        earth,
without 
        reference 
        as 
        to 
        the 
        situation 
        as 
        to 
        water 
        surroundings.

<!-- page:265 -->

JACOB'S 
        ISLE. 
        265
Lands 
        distant 
        from 
        Palestine, 
        where 
        the 
        sea 
        separated 
        them
from 
        that 
        land, 
        are 
        referred 
        to 
        by 
        the 
        prophets 
        as 
        isles 
        of 
        the 
        sea.
"Wherefore, 
        glorify 
        ye 
        the 
        Lord 
        in 
        the 
        fires 
        [valleys], 
        even 
        the
name 
        of 
        the 
        Lord 
        God 
        of 
        Israel 
        in 
        the 
        isles 
        of 
        the 
        sea" 
        (Isaiah 
        24:
15).
The 
        promises 
        made 
        to 
        Israel 
        that 
        are 
        scattered 
        abroad 
        on 
        the
isles 
        of 
        the 
        sea 
        are 
        mentioned 
        by 
        Isaiah 
        in 
        part, 
        and 
        I 
        refer 
        now 
        to
his 
        words, 
        quoted 
        in 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        (I 
        Kephi 
        21:
        1): 
        "Hearken,
0 
        ye 
        house 
        of 
        Israel, 
        all 
        ye 
        that 
        are 
        broken 
        off 
        and 
        are 
        driven 
        out,
because 
        of 
        the 
        wickedness 
        of 
        the 
        pastors 
        of 
        my 
        people; 
        yea, 
        all 
        ye
that 
        are 
        broken 
        off 
        that 
        are 
        scattered 
        abroad, 
        who 
        are 
        of 
        my 
        peo-
ple, 0 
        house 
        of 
        Israel. 
        Listen, 
        0 
        isles, 
        unto 
        me, 
        and 
        hearken 
        ye
people 
        from 
        far; 
        the 
        Lord 
        hath 
        called 
        me 
        from 
        the 
        womb; 
        from
the 
        bowels 
        of 
        my 
        mother 
        hath 
        he 
        made 
        mention 
        of 
        my 
        name." 
        (See
also 
        Isaiah 
        49: 
        1).
"The 
        words 
        of 
        Zenos, 
        which 
        he 
        spake 
        concerning 
        the 
        three
days 
        of 
        darkness, 
        which 
        should 
        be 
        a 
        sign 
        given 
        of 
        his 
        (Christ's)
death, 
        unto 
        those 
        who 
        should 
        inhabit 
        the 
        isles 
        of 
        the 
        sea; 
        more 
        es-
pecially given 
        unto 
        those 
        who 
        were 
        of 
        the 
        house 
        of 
        Israel: 
        * 
        * 
        *
And 
        the 
        rocks 
        of 
        the 
        earth 
        must 
        rend; 
        and 
        because 
        of 
        the 
        groan-
ings 
        of 
        the 
        earth, 
        many 
        of 
        the 
        kings 
        of 
        the 
        isles 
        of 
        the 
        sea 
        shall 
        be
wrought 
        upon 
        by 
        the 
        Spirit 
        of 
        God 
        to 
        exclaim. 
        The 
        God 
        of 
        nature
suffers" 
        (I 
        Nephi 
        19: 
        10, 
        12).
Did 
        the 
        three 
        days 
        of 
        darkness 
        come 
        upon 
        the 
        face 
        of 
        this
land? 
        If 
        so, 
        is 
        not 
        this 
        one 
        of 
        the 
        isles 
        of 
        the 
        sea 
        referred 
        to,
which 
        would 
        be 
        inhabited 
        by 
        some 
        of 
        the 
        house 
        of 
        Israel? 
        We 
        find
that 
        this 
        land 
        was 
        inhabited 
        by 
        Israel 
        at 
        the 
        time 
        of 
        the 
        cruci-
fixion, and 
        the 
        three 
        days 
        of 
        darkness 
        came 
        upon 
        this 
        land, 
        also
great 
        destruction. 
        Hence, 
        Zenos 
        refers 
        to 
        this 
        land 
        of 
        America 
        in
his 
        "isles 
        of 
        the 
        sea," 
        where 
        the 
        "sign" 
        should 
        be 
        given.
I 
        think 
        it 
        is 
        admitted 
        on 
        all 
        sides 
        that 
        there 
        is 
        no 
        recorded
changes 
        of 
        this 
        land 
        from 
        the 
        days 
        of 
        Jared 
        to 
        the 
        tim.e 
        of 
        the
great 
        separation 
        at 
        Christ's 
        death. 
        If 
        asything 
        of 
        the 
        kind 
        had 
        oc-
curred to 
        the 
        knowledge 
        of 
        historians 
        of 
        that 
        day, 
        they 
        would, 
        in
all 
        probability, 
        have 
        left 
        the 
        same 
        on 
        record. 
        The 
        Jaredite 
        histo-
rians refer 
        to 
        this 
        land 
        as 
        the 
        promised 
        land, 
        from 
        which 
        we 
        infer
unity 
        and 
        not 
        separation.
In 
        the 
        days 
        of 
        Heth, 
        a 
        king 
        of  
        the 
        Jaredites, 
        poisonous 
        ser-

<!-- page:266 -->

266 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
pents 
        drove 
        the 
        flocks 
        of 
        that 
        people 
        through 
        the 
        narrow 
        neck 
        of
land 
        into 
        the 
        land 
        known 
        as 
        Zarahemla; 
        later, 
        from 
        this 
        north
country. 
        Clearly 
        showing 
        that 
        the 
        land 
        of 
        North 
        and 
        South
America 
        was 
        at 
        that 
        time 
        joined 
        by 
        the 
        narrow 
        neck 
        of 
        land. 
        The
flocks 
        of 
        the 
        Jaredites 
        could 
        not 
        pass 
        a 
        strait 
        connecting 
        the 
        sea
and 
        the 
        ocean, 
        if 
        one 
        existed 
        at 
        that 
        time. 
        The 
        people 
        of 
        Mulek
landed 
        first 
        in 
        the 
        north 
        land, 
        and 
        subsequently 
        moved 
        southward
into 
        the 
        land 
        of 
        Zarahemla, 
        and 
        no 
        mention 
        is 
        made 
        of 
        any 
        water
which 
        they 
        crossed 
        in 
        that 
        journey. 
        The 
        prophet 
        Nephi 
        includes
North 
        America 
        in 
        the 
        term, 
        ''this 
        land," 
        in 
        speaking 
        of 
        the 
        mighty
nation 
        of 
        the 
        Gentiles 
        which 
        should 
        be 
        raised 
        up 
        on 
        the 
        American
continent, 
        because 
        it 
        is 
        on 
        the 
        north 
        land 
        where 
        the 
        nation 
        is; 
        and
he 
        was 
        in 
        South 
        America 
        (I 
        Nephi 
        22:
        7). 
        The 
        expedition 
        from 
        the
land 
        of 
        Nephi 
        sent 
        by 
        King 
        Limhi 
        to 
        find 
        Zarahemla, 
        passed 
        far
into 
        North 
        America, 
        and 
        returned, 
        but 
        they 
        evidently 
        found 
        no
water 
        to 
        cross 
        in 
        their 
        track, 
        as 
        no 
        mention 
        is 
        made 
        of 
        any.
This 
        company 
        of 
        men 
        traveled 
        from 
        the 
        land 
        of 
        their 
        fathers'
first 
        inheritance
        —
        the 
        land 
        of 
        Nephi, 
        and 
        returned 
        there, 
        and 
        there-
fore no 
        strait 
        of 
        water 
        separated 
        the 
        land 
        of 
        Nephi 
        from 
        Zarahem-
la, or 
        some 
        m.ention 
        would 
        have 
        been 
        made 
        of 
        the 
        same. 
        Not 
        only
in 
        the 
        travels 
        of 
        this 
        company, 
        but 
        in 
        all 
        of 
        the 
        movements 
        of 
        the
peoples 
        of 
        the 
        Nephite 
        and 
        Lamanite 
        nations, 
        from 
        Nephi 
        to 
        Zara-
hemla, and 
        vice 
        versa, 
        no 
        mention 
        is 
        made 
        of 
        any 
        water 
        to 
        be
crossed, 
        and 
        I 
        think 
        it 
        is 
        impossible 
        that 
        these 
        lands 
        could 
        have
been 
        thus 
        separated. 
        Jacob 
        was 
        in 
        the 
        land 
        of 
        Nephi 
        when 
        he
made 
        the 
        statement 
        above 
        quoted, 
        and 
        hence 
        could 
        not 
        have 
        re-
ferred to 
        any 
        portion, 
        but 
        to 
        the 
        whole 
        land, 
        of 
        North 
        and 
        South
America, 
        as 
        an 
        isle 
        of 
        the 
        sea. 
        He 
        knew 
        of 
        Zenos' 
        prophecy, 
        and 
        of
Nephi's 
        vision 
        in 
        which 
        he 
        saw 
        the 
        three 
        days 
        of 
        darkness 
        being 
        on
the 
        land, 
        and 
        hence 
        it 
        is 
        only 
        a 
        proper 
        conclusion 
        that 
        this 
        "prom-
ised land" 
        was 
        on 
        an 
        "isle 
        of 
        the 
        sea." 
        I 
        do 
        not 
        think 
        that 
        anyone
will 
        contend 
        that 
        Jacob 
        had 
        traveled 
        over 
        the 
        land 
        suflEiciently 
        to
know, 
        from 
        that 
        source, 
        the 
        shape 
        and 
        extent 
        of 
        the 
        country, 
        but
that 
        he 
        based 
        his 
        remark 
        upon 
        those 
        things 
        I 
        have 
        referred 
        to, 
        or
made 
        the 
        same 
        under 
        the 
        inspiration 
        of 
        the 
        Spirit 
        of 
        God.
Mormon 
        says: 
        "The 
        land 
        of 
        Nephi 
        and 
        the 
        land 
        of 
        Zarahemla
were 
        nearly 
        surrounded 
        by 
        water, 
        there 
        being 
        a 
        small 
        neck 
        of 
        land
between 
        the 
        land 
        northward 
        and 
        the 
        land 
        southward"(Alma22:32).

<!-- page:267 -->

JACOB'S 
        ISLE. 
        267
This 
        remark 
        was 
        made 
        describing 
        conditions 
        as 
        they 
        were 
        before
the 
        great 
        storm 
        and 
        upheavals, 
        at 
        the 
        time 
        of 
        the 
        Savior's 
        death.
This 
        is 
        the 
        same 
        condition 
        that 
        exists 
        today, 
        as 
        the 
        lands 
        of 
        Nephi
and 
        Zarahemla 
        comprised 
        the 
        land 
        south, 
        or 
        South 
        America. 
        This
is 
        one 
        of 
        the 
        great 
        evidences, 
        that 
        the 
        land 
        north 
        and 
        south 
        were
joined 
        by 
        the 
        narrow 
        neck 
        or 
        isthmus, 
        as 
        is 
        the 
        case 
        today, 
        which
the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        affords.
It 
        will 
        not 
        do 
        to 
        say 
        that 
        at 
        the 
        time 
        of 
        Zenos' 
        prophecies,
and 
        when 
        Nephi 
        received 
        his 
        vision, 
        that 
        this 
        country 
        of 
        North 
        and
South 
        America 
        was 
        broken 
        into 
        small 
        or 
        large 
        islands, 
        and 
        subse-
quently connected 
        by 
        the 
        disturbances 
        at 
        the 
        time 
        of 
        the 
        Savior's
crucifixion, 
        because 
        there 
        is 
        no 
        evidence 
        on 
        which 
        to 
        base 
        the
statement; 
        but, 
        on 
        the 
        contrary, 
        much 
        to 
        support 
        the 
        opposite 
        con-
tention of 
        unity. 
        "Isles 
        of 
        the 
        sea," 
        in 
        prophetic 
        language, 
        simply
means, 
        "countries 
        of 
        the 
        sea." 
        Modern 
        geographical 
        terms 
        do 
        not
fully 
        explain 
        terms 
        used 
        by 
        prophets 
        and 
        historians 
        thousands 
        of
years 
        ago, 
        even 
        after 
        the 
        translation 
        into 
        English 
        of 
        those 
        terms,
but 
        they 
        must 
        be 
        understood 
        in 
        the 
        sense 
        in 
        which 
        they 
        were 
        used
at 
        that 
        time.
The 
        continents 
        of 
        Europe, 
        Asia 
        and 
        Africa 
        constitute 
        the 
        main
land 
        on 
        the 
        earth, 
        and 
        all 
        other 
        lands, 
        in 
        the 
        light 
        of 
        prophecy,
are 
        "isles," 
        or 
        countries 
        of 
        the 
        sea.
The 
        small 
        islands 
        near 
        the 
        land 
        of 
        North 
        and 
        South 
        America
no 
        doubt 
        constituted 
        part 
        of 
        the 
        isles 
        referred 
        to 
        by 
        Zenos, 
        and 
        no
doubt 
        some 
        of 
        the 
        isles 
        of 
        the 
        Pacific 
        were 
        included 
        also.
REMARKS 
        ON 
        THE 
        FOREGOING 
        ARTICLE.
BY  
        ELDER  
        B.  
        H.  
        ROBERTS.
The 
        ascertainment 
        of 
        truth, 
        not 
        the 
        maintenance 
        of 
        personal
opinions, 
        I 
        take 
        it, 
        is 
        the 
        attitude 
        of 
        every 
        true 
        student 
        and 
        teach-
er. This 
        principle 
        I 
        have 
        endeavored 
        to 
        make 
        my 
        guide 
        in 
        all
research; 
        and 
        have 
        sought 
        to 
        avoid 
        the 
        pride 
        of 
        opinion 
        which
would 
        tempt 
        one 
        at 
        times, 
        to 
        be 
        slow 
        to 
        accept 
        the 
        truth 
        when
discovered, 
        because 
        contrary 
        to 
        views 
        already 
        entertained.  
        There-

<!-- page:268 -->

268 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
fore, 
        while 
        not 
        accepting 
        everything 
        set 
        forth 
        in 
        the 
        preceding
paper, 
        nor 
        taking 
        time 
        to 
        comment 
        on 
        minor 
        points, 
        I 
        desire 
        to 
        say-
that 
        the 
        writer 
        of 
        it 
        has 
        contributed 
        a 
        very 
        important 
        idea 
        con-
cerning "Jacob's 
        Isle," 
        and 
        one 
        which 
        will 
        call 
        for 
        a 
        modification
of 
        the 
        views 
        set 
        forth 
        in 
        chapter 
        XI 
        of 
        our 
        present 
        Manual, 
        on
that 
        subject. 
        By 
        further 
        research, 
        after 
        reading 
        the 
        preceding
article, 
        I 
        discovered 
        that 
        the 
        Jews 
        in 
        their 
        scriptures 
        speak 
        of
isles 
        in 
        three 
        senses:
"First," 
        (following 
        Kitto) 
        "that 
        of 
        dry 
        land 
        in 
        opposition 
        to
water, 
        as, 
        'I 
        will 
        make 
        the 
        rivers 
        islands' 
        (Isaiah 
        42: 
        15), 
        i. 
        e., 
        dry
up 
        the 
        rivers, 
        converting 
        their 
        courses 
        into 
        land. 
        In 
        Isaiah 
        20: 
        6,
the 
        isle 
        of 
        Ashdod 
        means 
        the 
        country, 
        [i. 
        e. 
        of 
        Ashdod] 
        and 
        is 
        so
rendered 
        in 
        the 
        margin. 
        In 
        Isaiah 
        23:2,6, 
        'the 
        isle,'
        means 
        the
country 
        of 
        Tyre, 
        and 
        in 
        Ezekiel 
        27: 
        6, 
        7, 
        that 
        of 
        Chittim 
        and
Elisha.    
        See 
        also 
        Job 
        22: 
        30.
"Second, 
        it 
        is 
        used 
        both 
        in 
        Hebrew 
        and 
        English, 
        according 
        to
its 
        geographical 
        meaning; 
        for 
        a 
        country 
        surrounded 
        by 
        water, 
        as
in 
        Jeremiah 
        47: 
        4, 
        'the 
        isle 
        (margin) 
        of 
        Caphtor,' 
        which 
        is 
        prob-
ably that 
        of 
        Cyprus. 
        'The 
        isles 
        of 
        the 
        sea' 
        (Esther 
        10: 
        1), 
        are
evidently 
        put 
        in 
        opposition 
        to 
        'the 
        land,' 
        or 
        continent. 
        In 
        Psalm
97: 
        1, 
        'the 
        multitude 
        of 
        the 
        isles' 
        seem 
        distinguished 
        from 
        the
earth 
        or 
        continents, 
        and 
        are 
        evidently 
        added 
        to 
        complete 
        the
description 
        of 
        the 
        whole 
        world.
"Third: 
        The 
        word 
        is 
        used 
        by 
        the 
        Hebrews 
        to 
        designate 
        all 
        those
countries 
        divided 
        from 
        them 
        by 
        the 
        sea. 
        In 
        Isaiah 
        11: 
        11, 
        after 
        an
enumeration 
        of 
        countries 
        lying 
        on 
        their 
        own 
        continent, 
        the 
        words,
*and 
        the 
        islands 
        of 
        the 
        sea,' 
        are 
        added 
        in 
        order 
        to 
        comprehend 
        those
situated 
        beyond 
        the 
        octian. 
        The 
        following 
        are 
        additional 
        instances
of 
        this 
        usage 
        of 
        the 
        word, 
        which 
        is 
        of 
        very 
        frequent 
        occurrence:
Isaiah 
        42: 
        10; 
        59: 
        18; 
        66: 
        19; 
        Jeremiah 
        25: 
        22; 
        Ezekiel 
        27: 
        3, 
        15;
Zephaniah 
        2: 
        11. 
        It 
        id 
        also 
        observed 
        by 
        Sir 
        Isaac 
        Newton 
        (comment-
ing no 
        Daniel, 
        p. 
        276), 
        'By 
        the 
        earth 
        the 
        Jews 
        understood 
        the 
        great 
        con-
tinent of 
        Asia 
        and 
        Africa, 
        to 
        which 
        they 
        had 
        access 
        by 
        land; 
        and 
        by 
        the
isles 
        of 
        the 
        sea 
        they 
        understood 
        the 
        places 
        to 
        which 
        they 
        sailed 
        by 
        sea,
particularly 
        all 
        Europe.'
        "
Substantially 
        the 
        same 
        views 
        as 
        the 
        foregoing 
        are 
        maintained
in 
        Smith's 
        DictiDnary 
        of 
        the 
        Bible 
        (Hackett's 
        edition), 
        art. 
        "Isle."
It 
        is 
        this 
        third 
        sense  
        in 
        which 
        the 
        Hebrews 
        used 
        the 
        terra

<!-- page:269 -->

JACOB'S 
        ISLE. 
        269
"isle," 
        ''isles," 
        or 
        "isles 
        of 
        the 
        sea," 
        that 
        is 
        contended 
        for 
        by
Mr. 
        Mansfield. 
        And 
        while 
        the 
        Jews 
        at 
        times 
        used 
        the 
        term
as 
        we 
        use 
        it 
        in 
        English, 
        meaning 
        a 
        small 
        division 
        of 
        land 
        sur-
rounded by 
        water, 
        it 
        is 
        a 
        fact 
        that 
        it 
        was 
        frequently 
        used
in 
        this 
        latter 
        sense, 
        viz., 
        as 
        referring 
        to 
        all 
        those 
        lands 
        distant 
        from
Jerusalem, 
        that 
        had 
        to 
        be 
        reached 
        by 
        crossing 
        the 
        sea, 
        without
reference 
        to 
        their 
        being 
        either 
        islands 
        or 
        continents, 
        as 
        we 
        under-
stand the 
        terms; 
        that 
        is 
        the 
        literary 
        sense 
        or 
        use 
        of 
        the 
        word
among 
        the 
        Jews. 
        And 
        if 
        it 
        was 
        in 
        this 
        literary 
        sense 
        rather 
        than 
        in
the 
        physical 
        one 
        that 
        Jacob 
        used 
        it—
        and 
        it 
        must 
        be 
        conceded 
        that
that 
        is 
        most 
        likely,
        —
        then 
        it 
        would 
        relieve 
        us 
        of 
        the 
        necessity 
        of
maintaining 
        that 
        the 
        Nephites, 
        in 
        the 
        days 
        of 
        Jacob, 
        occupied 
        an
island
        ; 
        that 
        is, 
        a 
        small 
        body 
        of 
        land
        —
        as 
        contrasted 
        with 
        a 
        conti-
nent—
        surrounded 
        by 
        water. 
        And 
        such, 
        I 
        believe, 
        is 
        the 
        reasonable
conclusion 
        to 
        arrive 
        at, 
        and 
        one 
        that 
        may 
        reasonably 
        be 
        accepted,
instead 
        of 
        the 
        views 
        on 
        that 
        head 
        set 
        forth 
        in 
        our 
        Manual, 
        chap-
ter XL 
        This 
        would 
        reduce 
        the 
        value 
        of 
        chapter 
        XI 
        to 
        being 
        merely
a 
        valuable 
        collection 
        of 
        the 
        accounts 
        of 
        those 
        mighty 
        cataclysms, 
        in
various 
        parts 
        of 
        the 
        earth, 
        that 
        would 
        make 
        it 
        easy 
        to 
        believe 
        that
such 
        cataclysms 
        as 
        are 
        described 
        in 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Mormon 
        are 
        not
only 
        possible 
        but 
        probable.
CIGARETTES 
        AND 
        CRIME.
Magistrate 
        Crane, 
        of 
        Harlem, 
        New 
        York, 
        police 
        court, 
        recently 
        de-
clared against 
        cigarettes 
        in 
        most 
        vigorous 
        language. 
        Here 
        are 
        some 
        of
his 
        sayings, 
        which 
        have 
        great 
        weight 
        because 
        of 
        his 
        long 
        experience 
        with
crime:
''Every 
        cigarette 
        means 
        a 
        dream 
        of 
        some 
        future 
        crime,
"The 
        first 
        cigarette 
        a 
        boy 
        or 
        man 
        smokes 
        is 
        the 
        first 
        step 
        in 
        a 
        future
criminal 
        career.
"Cigarettes 
        mean 
        death 
        before 
        it 
        is 
        due."
Of 
        everybody 
        arraigned 
        before 
        him, 
        irrespective 
        of 
        the 
        charge, 
        he
inquired: 
        "Do 
        you 
        smoke 
        cigarettes?" 
        If 
        the 
        prisoner 
        admitted 
        that 
        he
did, 
        he 
        was 
        lectured, 
        and 
        if 
        he 
        said 
        "No," 
        the 
        magistrate 
        compelled 
        him
to 
        hold 
        up 
        his 
        hands 
        that 
        his 
        fingers 
        might 
        be 
        examined 
        for 
        nicotine
stains.