--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Jensen, Nephi collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 22 number: 10 published: 1919-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Jensen, Nephi, "First Nephi and Archaeology," *Improvement Era* 22, no. 10 (August 1919): 855–858.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera22010unse 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: improvementera22010unse start_page: 855 end_page: 858 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1919-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera22010unse publication_year: 1919 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 1919, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # First Nephi and Archaeology FIRST NEPHI AND ARCHEOLOGY 857 3. Professor Joyce gives even a clearer corroboration of Nephi's story of the peculiar compass which was used on the voyage across the ocean. To quote: "Manco, the leader, carried a golden staff, which, it was prophesied, would sink into the earth at the spot destined by fate for their future home. This staff was probably merely an implement for testing the depth of the soil, and thereby affording an indication of its agricultural quality" (lb 79). It will be observed that the characteristics of both Nephi's compass and "Manco's golden staff" were the same. Neither acted like the ordinary compass. Both assisted in the discovery of the "promised land." 4. Both Nephi and Joyce designate the land which the colony set sail for as the "promised land." "Ayar was the last to perish; he had developed wings, and when the travelers came in sight of their promised land, his brother bade him fly to the top of the hill, where afterwards stood the great Suntemple, and take possession" (lb 79). 5. Even the fact of the people of the colony being named after their first leader is preserved in the traditions. Mr. Joyce says: "The immigrants, called Cara, after their first leader, seized a number of villages, and, being better armed and more warlike than the aborigines, succeeded in establishing themselves firmly in the country." Is there not here a striking agreement between Nephi's story and the discoveries of archaeologists concerning five important historical incidents? What is the explanation of this harmony in the prophet's narrative, and the scientist's findings? Manifestly both are based upon facts. Can we escape the conclusion that the man who gave the Book of Mormon to the world had access to some source of truth concerning a hidden subject? First Nephi is undoubtedly history and not fiction. What was the source of this historical information, in 1829, the time when the Book of Mormon was published? How did the young farmer, Joseph Smith, discover that South America was settled by a colony led by four brothers; that the youngest of these brothers became the ruler; that after they had started on their journey to the "promised land" they returned to Jerusalem for certain brass plates; that they were guided on their voyage by a peculiar compass; that the land for which they set sail was to them a "promised land;" and that the people were named "Nephites" after their first ruler? I recently asked a very learned infidel this question, and he instantly replied: "I think Joseph Smith got his information from Spaulding's Manuscript." 858 IMPROVEMENT ERA When I asked my friend how Spaulding found out, he said, "He imagined it." But the skeptic's explanation does not explain. Is it thinkable that either Joseph Smith or Solomon Spaulding just "im- agined" all these things and that their guesses turned out to be facts? Is it not as easy to believe that Hamlet could be composed by shaking letters in a hat, as to believe that the man who gave the Book of Mormon to the world guessed at all these things and guessed right in every instance? Nor were there human sources available to either Spaulding or Joseph Smith in the early part of the nineteenth century from which either could have ascertained all this historical matter. Even Charles A. Shook, the only writer who has made any serious attempt to meet the claims of the Book of Mormon with arguments based upon archaeological discoveries, does not so much as hint at the availability of these historical facts to either Spaulding or Joseph Smith. Nor could the claim that these historical circumstances in First Nephi were accessible to either Joseph Smith or Solomon Spaulding, be sustained by any respectable proof. For, even at this late date, both Daniel Brinton and T. Athol Joyce agree that American archaeology is yet in its infancy. And with the alleged connection of Solomon Spaulding with the origin of the Book of Mormon completely exploded, it becomes solely a matter of determining how Joseph Smith was able to write all these undoubted historical incidents and circumstances into the first book of the American volume of scripture. What was his means of knowing all these things? He did not learn it from any book. There was no book at that time that contained this information. Nor did anyone tell him. For there was no one who could tell him. Ingersol, speaking of the Bible once said, "If a book had been found on the earth by the first man, it might have been regarded a work of God." With equal truth it can be said, if any man should find a book which no man could write, he would know that God at least assisted in its production. Is not the Book of Mormon such a book? Can anyone who is acquainted with the unnumbered evidences of the divinity of this Book doubt its inspiration ? As the voice of science, in ever increasing clearness, unites with the voice of the calm spirit of certainty that the Record breathes into the heart, we can but exclaim, "What hatV God wrought!" SCENE AT LOGAN TEMPLE, MAY 28, 1919 Here are lined up sixty-two automobiles waiting to take temple workers home, after the day's work in the holy house is done. Temple Work at Logan By Dr. M. C. Merrill, Horticulturist, Utah Agricultural College If any Latter-day Saint who, of course, has the interest of temple work at heart, would wish to see a sight to make him rejoice, let him pass by the Logan temple on almost any of its open days. Seeing is believing, and both seeing and believing are good for the soul. If he would feel even better about it, let him enter the temple and join the throngs there assembled. The Logan temple stands majestically on a beautifully prominent hill overlooking the city. It is just off the picturesque boulevard which connects the city and the Agricultural college. I frequently pass along the boulevard, on my way to and from the college. It has always been a matter of both interest and satisfaction to me to see the crowds of people entering the temple by morning, or leaving it by evening. Especially has this been the case since the opening following the influenza close-down of the winter. To accommodate the great numbers desiring to do temple work, it has been necessary to have three shifts during the day. 860 IMPROVEMENT ERA Hence, often as I have been returning from the college, about six o'clock, I have seen vast numbers of people leaving the towering building wherein they have been performing the gospel ordinances in a loving spirit of generosity, in order that longdeparted ancestors and relatives might also enjoy the gospel joys. I want to tell you it is a sight worth contemplating — to see young men and women in the prime of life, as well as the old and the gray and the feeble, unselfishly going to and from the holy structure day after day to perform this noble work. During the short days of winter the gathering would commence before sunup, and the work would continue until dusk was beginning to enwrap the world in darkness. All during the daylight hours, therefore, the hearts of these children of men were turned in good deeds and loving remembrance to their progenitors of generations back. Think you it is not a novel sight worth reflecting upon? Turn or go where you will, kind friends, where, in all this world, will you find such generous manifestations of devotion to kindred far distant in time and space as that to be seen in and about the temples of the Latterday Saints? Does it not thrill you with a convincingness of the divinity, the beauty, and the everlasting expanse of the glorious gospel work we are agents in performing? Yet, are you and I doing all that we might in the good cause? Are we doing our share? As I passed up the boulevard, on Wednesday, May 28, of this year, the view about the temple thrilled and cheered me exceedingly. I felt so joyous about it that I returned from the college immediately and had a picture taken of the scene, especially for the Era, that your readers might have some of the satisfaction of seeing what I saw. The automobiles that had brought the temple workers were lined up on each side of the street as close as they could stand for more than a block. I counted sixtytwo cars in that quiet, eloquent procession! Besides the people who came from the distance in this modern fashion, there were scores and scores of others who walked to the temple or went by street car. An interesting feature of the temple work in Logan is the fact that many parents who can make arrangements to leave their homes for the school year, move to this "Athens of Utah" with their families during that period. The children are put to work in the district school, those of high school age attend the Brigham Young College or the Logan High School, and the older ones enroll at the Agricultural College. Temple work and educational work among our people go hand in hand exceedingly well, and this is especially exemplified in Logan. Logan, Utah.