--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Sjodahl, J. M. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 25 number: 12 published: 1922-10 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'J. M. Sjodahl, "Archaeological Research and the Book of Mormon", *Improvement Era* 25, no. 12 (October 1922): 1104–1107.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera25012unse 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: improvementera25012unse start_page: 1104 end_page: 1107 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1922-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera25012unse publication_year: 1922 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 1922, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Archaeological Research and the Book of Mormon Archaeological Research and the Book of Mormon By J. M. Sjodahl In a conversation not long ago an assertion was made to the effect that "recent archaeological research accords wonder- fully with the historical facts set forth in the Book of Mormon" It has occurred to me that a further explanation of that state- ment might not he unacceptable, in view of the tremendous im- portance of the subject. For instance, modern research has called attention to a wide-spread American civilization that antedated that of the mound builders and the architects of ancient Mexico, Central and South America. It tells us that the mounds known as shell heaps, or kitchen middens, which dot the American coasts all the way round from Maine to California, mark the sites of ancient settlements of a race that attained some degree of civilization "at a period undoubtedly prehistoric, but not nec- essarily many thousands of years old," as John Fiske puts it. Dr. Dall, who made a special study of the shell heaps on the Aleutian Islands, reached the conclusion that the earliest de- posits there are about 3,000 years old, and, as those islands were peopled from the American side (Dr. Brinton, The American Race, p. 20) it is a safe (estimate that the earliest shell heaps on the continents date back at least 1,000 years earlier, that time being required for the necessarily slow movement north- ward from the original place of settlement, wherever that may have been. But by going back four thousand years we reach, almost, the date generally assigned for the building of the tower of Babel, when the Jaredites, according to the Book of Mormon, emigrated from somewhere in Asia to this side of the world. Is this not evidence of accord between the results ob- tained by archaeological research and the Book of Mormon? This question is emphasized by all the facts known of the shell heap people. They were fishers, subsisting chiefly on oysters, cockles, mussels and aquatic animals generally. They were also hunters and trappers, living on the products of the chase. They cultivated the land, for they had stone mortars in which to crush the grain. They believed in a hereafter, as evidenced by their tender care of their dead, and they very ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND BOOK OF MORMON 1105 likely engaged in devastating wars, for evidences of cannibal- ism have been found among the bones unearthed, and it is safe to say that cannibalism is but the twin brother of savage warfare, as history seems to prove. Dr. Foster, judging from the crania iexamined, concludes that the shell heap people pre- ceded the mound builders and were a different people. I am making no assertions that cannot be substantiated, but, if the Jaredites were the builders of the settlements of which the earliest shell heaps mark the sites, the accord between the Book of Mormon record of the Jaredites and the conclusions of modern research concerning the shell heap people is almost perfect. The shell heap people have certainly left their bones "scattered in the land northward" (Omni 22), as they were found, mixed with the bones of beasts, by the expedition of King Limhi (Mosiah 8:8). With regard to the present Indians, modern research has come to the conclusion, (1) That they are one race. Dr. Brinton includes even the Esquimaux in this classifi- cation. His observation is that the entire race is "singularly uniform in its physical traits, and individuals taken from any part of the continent could easily be mistaken for inhabitants of numerous other parts." He further argues that the culture of the native Americans strongly attest the ethnic unity of the race, and this, he says, applies equally to the ruins and relics of its vanished nations as to the institutions of existing tribes. The psychic identity of the American Indians, Dr. Brinton further points out, is illustrated in their languages, which not- withstanding their diversity in lexicography and surface morphology, are strikingly alike in their logical substructure, or what Humboldt calls their "inner form." This unity is, finally, indicated by their social institu- tions, their arts, myths, traditions, and religious rites. Is not the unity of the Indian race the teaching of the Book of Mormon? (2) That "the primitive lines of emigration, so far as they relate to North America, were probably from the south to the north; nor is there wanting historical evidences of such a move- ment." I quote this from Dr. Foster, Prehistorical Races of the United States; p. 380. Later movements were from the north to the south. Mexi- can records mention an empire from which the so-called Toltecs came, which was broken up by foreign invasion or internal dis- turbances. It is said that after thirteen years of conflict they finally moved southward into Mexico, where they founded the 1106 IMPROVEMENT ERA city of Tollan. (James C. Southall, Recent Origin of Man, p. 532.) That the Toltecs could not have been very numerous when they arrived in Mexico is clear from the fact that some stu- dents of archaeology do not even regard them as a separate tribe, while others hold that they had formed an empire in Mexico, which was broken up by the Aztecs in the 10th century of our era. Are not these movements, first from south to north, when the Nephites retreated before Lamanite hordes, and then from north to south, after the battles of Cumorah, as for the first movement expressly taught in the Book of Mormon, and, as for the second, implied in the flight of Coriantumr to Zarahemla, and the escape of Nephites "into the south countries" (Mor- mon 7:15)? (3) That whatever the origin of the Indian civilization and whatever modifications it may have had, due to either in- ternal or external causes, it still retains unmistakable marks of its relationhsip with the civilizations of Asia and Egypt, and especially the Semitic branch of the eastern culture. This is my own conclusion based on Indian myths and tra- ditions, and numerous words of Hebrew and Egyptian origin, as disclosed by modern research. Such Indian words as Abnaki, Manta, Scyri, Lamano, Andes, Malqui, Izamal, Ehejeh, Rama, Apa, Ishu, and scores of others are, clearly of Asiatic relationship, and many are pure Hebrew or Egyptian. I am afraid I have already written more than I intended to do, but I cannot resist the temptation to trespass a little longer by adding the following: According to Adair some North American Indians, at a cer- tain festival sing these mystic words: "Yo Meshica, He Meshica, Va Meshica." If this is true we have here a song, or anthem, consisting of the words Yoheva Meshica, almost identical with the Hebrew, Jehovah Mashiach, or The Lord Messiah. The Hebrews never pronounced the word Jehovah, and the correct pronunciation of it was finally lost, and is lost to this day. Possibly these Indians have preserved the pronunciation of it as received from their Lamanite, or Nephite ancestors, in this song, in which the sacred word is found in three syllables between the word Messiah. Adair also claims that he heard Indians sing another song, "Shiluh yo, Shiluh he, Shiluh va," in which the word Yoheva is found between the word Shiluh, thrice repeated. But ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND BOOK OF MORMON 1107 Shiluh is evidently the Hebrew Shiloh, of the Exodus, which also refers to the Messiah, and means "messenger" or perhaps "peace-maker,"1 referring to the great Prince of Peace.* Logan, Utah The Brook The happy, dashing, splashing brook First leaps the mountain's nigged sides, Then finds a quiet, shady nook, Then through the meadows smoothly glides. O'er pebbled bed it ripples on And, ever running night and day, It sings the same sweet, joyous song In winter's frosts or balmy May. No dreary clouds can make you sad, O brook, with dimpled, smiling face; In fiercest storms you still are glad, And gaily glide from place to place, You bathe the fleet bird's ebon wing, You quench the thirsty lowing herds, And while you serve, you play and sing A song as sweet as any bird's. Upon your dimpled, sparkling breast The white swan floats with graceful pose And seeks a quiet nook to rest, Among the lilies finds repose. Upon your soft, green, flow'ry bank The pilgrims, with sore, weary feet, In times of old, have stood, and drank Your pearly nectar, cool and sweet. Through verdant valley on you flow, Now running east, now running west, You give your blessings as you go, Your precious gifts to man and beast. Happy brook, so bright and cheery, So inviting, so inspiring; Always doing, never weary, Never ceasing, never tiring. Samuel B. Mitton *Dr. Boudinot in hisv A Star in the West, p. 231, says he heard the Jehovahvsong in an Indian gathering, where several tribes — the Senecas among others — were represented, and that there could be no deception about it, the pronunciation being "distinct and clear," though guttural.