--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Thornton, H. Newton collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 24 number: 12 published: 1921-10 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'H. Newton Thornton, "A Record of the Mighty Dead on this Continent to be Preserved," *Improvement Era* 24, no. 12 (October 1921): 1084–1085.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera24012unse 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: improvementera24012unse start_page: 1084 end_page: 1085 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1921-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera24012unse publication_year: 1921 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 1921, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # A Record of the Mighty Dead on this Continent to be Preserved A Record of ihe Mighty Dead on this Continent to be Preserved By H. Newton Thornton, Member of American Institute of Architects, and President of the Idaho Society of Architects And I will show unto this people that I had oilier sheep, and that they were a branch of the house of Jacob; And I will bring to light their marvelous works, which they did in my name. (Doctrine and Covenants 10:60, 61.) More external evidence of the historical credibility and truth of the Book of Mormon is seen in the fact that an appro- priation of $50,000 has been approved by the Mexican Govern- ment through President Obregon for the reconstruction of the Ruins of San Juan De Teotihuacan. San Juan is the site of the two great pyramids in Mexico^ one to the sun and the other to the moon. Adjacent to these pyramids scientists have discovered a buried city which is said to have flourished probably three or four thousand years ago. j The reconstruction of these great pyramids built by ancient civilizations around San Juan has more than passing significance to the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in that the boy prophet Joseph Smith made record of the existence of extensive and highly developed civilizations on this continent long before modern research and scientists definitely came to these conclusions. Increasing evidence continues to come forth, declaring the authenticity and inspiration of the Book of Mormon, showing that the population of Central America was at one time very dense, and a high degree of civilization attained, by some ex- perts declared to be higher even than that of Europe in the time of Columbus, and as in the old world, empire succeeded empire, until the last great battles extinguished then?. Today A RECORD OF THE MIGHTY DEAD 1085 the remnants of the tribes of the American Indians are part of what is left to tell the story. Modern research declares that the great pyramids of San Juan now to be repaired by the Mexican Government furnish matter of admiration to all intelligent persons, in that they to- gether with nearly all the ancient works found in this country are built pointing to the four cardinal points and that these great pyramids were used exclusively for astronomical observations as were the pyramids of Egypt. We are over-joyed in confirmation of these facts when we read in the Book of Mormon evidence that the Nephites had a knowledge of modern astronomy concerning the movement of the earth and the planetary system, and we feel to concur with the noted scientists of today that the ancients had a knowledge of many of the scientific facts that were later discovered by Copernicus, Kepler and others. Congratulations to the Mexican government for its desire to preserve a record of the mighty dead on this continent; and, in the words of Ruskin, "The time has come when those build- ing stones are to be held sacred because their hands have touched them." Idaho Falls, Idaho