Black Elk’s Vision and Lehi’s Dream

Black Elk



This blog post is technically an extension of my previous post on Crazy Horse and Joseph Smith except this post deals with one of the main sources of my information for Crazy Horse, the one and only Sioux Oglala medicine man/healer and visionary Black Elk.  Much of the previous post’s information on Crazy Horse was taken from Black Elks accounts of his and his father’s dealings with Crazy Horse (Black Elks second cousin).  The source for most of this information was John G. Neihardt’s book “Black Elk Speaks” which shares the life story of Black Elk and covers the history of his people as well as his history of his visions and dealings that lead to him becoming a warrior and Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux.  While reading his story I couldn’t help but feel his love for his people and his family as well as his desire to understand his purpose here on earth. This desire was magnified by an early vision he received as a kid when he was about 9 years old when he had become very sick for several days and received an interesting vision.  He used this vision to search for understanding throughout his life; he even used it to gain insights into other visions he later received.  This blog post is in regards to one of his “later” visions he received and its comparison to Lehi’s dream which was also seen by his son Nephi. 

The vision I speak of happened in the spring of 1890 according to the book.  This would have roughly made Black Elk about 27 years old.  He was assisting in a dance on Wounded Knee Creek just below Manderson South Dakota.  During the ceremony Black Elk states he was taken into a vision and described the visions happenings as follows,

“As I touched the ground, twelve men were coming towards me, and they said: “Our Father, the two-legged chief, you shall see!”

Then they led me to the center of the circle where once more I saw the holy tree all full of leaves and blooming.

But that was not all I saw.  Against the tree there was a man standing with arms held wide in front of him.  I looked hard at him, and I could not tell what people he came from.  He was not a Wasichu (white man) and he was not an Indian.  His hair was long and hanging loose, and on the left side of his head he wore an eagle feather.  His body was strong and good to see, and it was painted red.  I tried to recognize him, but I could not make him out.  He was a very fine looking man.  While I was staring hard at him, his body began to change and became very beautiful with all colors of light, and around him was light.  He spoke like singing: “My life is such that all earthly beings and growing things belong to me.  Your father, the Great Spirit, has said this….

Then one of the twelve men took two sticks, one painted white and one red, and, thrusting them in the ground, he said: “Take these! You shall depend upon them.  Make haste!”….

There was a fearful dark river that I had to go over, and I was afraid.  It rushed and roared and was full of angry foam.  Then I looked down and saw many men and women who were trying to cross the dark and fearful river, but they could not.  Weeping, they looked up to me and cried: “Help us!”  But I could not stop gliding, for it was as though a great wind were under me.”

Black Elk entered this vision by being greeted by twelve men who advised him that “Our Father, the two legged chief, you shall see”. In the Book of Mormon Lehi was a prophet about 600 B.C. in Jerusalem who was given many visions.  One in particular was not only given to him but also to his son Nephi who was also a prophet.  Lehi and Nephi and their families and followers were led by the Lord to the Promised Land which is in the Americas (presumably in Central America).  Lehi’s children broke apart into two civilizations the Nephites and the Lamanites. It is commonly thought that these civilizations have contributed to some degree to the current Native American populations found throughout the Americas especially in Central America and the South Western United States.  I will be using both Lehi’s and Nephi’s accounts of this vision in comparison with that of Black Elks. 

Like Black Elk Nephi was also shown twelve men in 1 Nephi 11:29 he states,

“And I also beheld twelve others following him (Christ) and it came to pass that they were carried away in the Spirit from before my face, and I saw them not.”

Both Lehi and Nephi also saw a sacred and holy tree as well and Nephi referred to it as the “tree of life”.   Lehi explained it like this in 1 Nephi 8:10,

“And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.”

Nephi went into further detail saying,

“And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me: Look! And I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the tree which my father had seen; and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow.

  And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is precious above all. (1 Nephi 11:8-9)”

Now Black Elk also beheld a man standing in front of the tree who was not Native American or Caucasian but he had long hair and stood with his arms wide open.  He stated he was a very fine looking man and light shined all around him.  Nephi’s vision also beheld a man, the literal Son of God!

“And behold this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God. (1 Nephi 11:7)”

Now Nephi’s vision went into further detail into the things that the Son of God would do and how he would be born which are details that were obviously not included in Black Elks vision.  I would like to skip to the end of Black Elk’s vision where he sees “a fearful dark river….which rushed and roared and was full of angry foam…and many people who tried to cross this river but they couldn’t”.  A similar river was seen in Lehi’s dream as he recalled,

“…I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I beheld a river of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking of the fruit. (1 Nephi 8:13)”

His son Nephi was able to receive further clarification about this river in his vision when an angle advised in 1 Nephi 12:16,

“…Behold the fountain of filthy water which thy father saw; yea, even the river of which he spake; and the depths thereof are the depths of hell.”

So we see that there are multiple similarities between the visions of Lehi/Nephi and that of Black Elk.  Interestingly enough both Nephi and Black Elk feared for their people and their welfare as if these visions were to lead them in future events to help save them.  Nephi had seen the entire destruction of his people in vision and Black Elk had seen signs he hoped would offer future assistance.  It is this future assistance which I would like to shift the focus too.  I will have to back track to a point in Black Elks vision where he stated,

The Bible and the Book of Mormon
(The Stick of Judah and the Stick of Joseph)

“Then one of the twelve men took two sticks, one painted white and one red, and, thrusting them in the ground, he said: “Take these! You shall depend upon them.  Make haste!”….

Joseph Smith taught that the Biblical prophecy given by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37:16-17) regarding the “two sticks” one of Judah and one of Ephraim was fulfilled through the combination of the Bible and the Book of Mormon, the Bible being the record of Judah and the Book of Mormon being the record of Ephraim.  Could this “two stick” prophecy about the Bible and Book of Mormon have been a sign for Black Elk to look for throughout his life?  Could the truths contained in these “sticks” have been and still be part of the answer needed to help redeem these Native cultures to their fullness?  The Book of Mormon cover page seems to think so when it states,

“Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile…Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever… And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations”

On top of all of the above noted parallels and similarities there are a lot of interesting symbolism taking place in the background of these visions and prophecies.  One in particular is that the one of the twelve men who appeared to Black Elk took the two sticks and “thrust them in the ground”…as noted above these could very well be interpreted to be the Bible and the Book of Mormon.  The Book of Mormon is noted as being “A voice from the dust” meaning that it was a record that was sealed up and buried in the ground only to be revealed at a later date.  Could this stick thrust in the ground be a hint at the voice from the dust connection?  I find the parallels stunning and the possible message intriguing especially for the future of the Sioux people for whom Black Elks vision was shared.  If this is indeed the case I hope that the time will come when the connection will be made and the prophecies tested!  Exciting things may still await.  

Joseph Smith and Crazy Horse

Black Elk and Elk

I have posted blog posts in the past based off of books about Native American chief’s or shaman or other important individuals such as “The Sun Chief” about Don C. Talayesva or “Big Snow Falling” about Albert Yava.  This post is more of the same but with a slight twist. The research for this post is mainly from John G. Neihardt’s book “Black Elk Speaks” about the Oglala Sioux Holy Man Black Elk and his visions and dealings throughout his life.  The caveat is that this post isn’t necessarily about Black Elk but rather it’s about his father’s cousin, the great Sioux Oglala leader and warrior Crazy Horse.  It is Black Elks description and stories about Crazy Horse that are significant and interesting when compared to the life of Prophet Joseph Smith.  Now it appears there have been others who may have noted some of these interesting comparisons but I felt I would add my version to the list. 

The Book does not spend an inordinate amount of time speaking about Crazy Horse but what little it does say, shows that Black Elk and his father held Crazy Horse in high regards.  The first correspondence noted is Black Elk quoting his father who is describing the vision Crazy Horse had that led to him being called Crazy Horse,

“he said that Crazy Horse dreamed and went into the world where there is nothing but the spirits of all things.  That is the real world that is behind this one, and everything we see here is something like a shadow from that world.  He was on his horse in that world, and the horse and himself on it and the trees and the grass and the stones and everything were made of spirit, and nothing was hard, and everything seemed to float.  His horse was standing still there, and yet it danced around like a horse made only of shadow, and that is how he got his name, which does not mean that his horse was crazy or wild, but that in his vision it danced around in a queer way.”[1]

This world of spirits seen by crazy horse correlates very well with what Joseph Smith described as the spirit world.  Joseph Smith taught,

“the righteous and the wicked all go to the same world of spirits until the resurrection.”[2]

During a funeral sermon Joseph touched on the location of this spirit world when he taught that righteous spirits,

“are exalted to a greater and more glorious work; hence they are blessed in their departure to the world of spirits. Enveloped in flaming fire they are not far from us.”[3]

And to show his belief in this teaching he also stated to Benjamin F. Johnson while visiting the Johnson farm,

 “From a boy I have been persecuted  . . . Why should I not wish for my time of rest?” And then he said, “I would not be far away from you, and if on the other side of the veil I would still be working with you, and with a power greatly increased, to roll on this kingdom.”  [4]

We also find in Doctrine and Covenants section 77 the teachings revealed to Joseph Smith that things in the spirit world are like those in this temporal world,

“that which is spiritual being in the likeness of that which is temporal; and that which is temporal in the likeness of that which is spiritual; the spirit of man in the likeness of his person, as also the spirit of the beast, and every other creature which God has created.”[5]

Possible Photo of Crazy Horse

We can see that the revelations received by and the teachings given from Joseph Smith relate directly to what Crazy Horse saw in his vision.  Crazy Horses vision offers an interesting parallel to the Joseph’s teachings because they were received in a different context but still attest to similar truths but his vision isn’t the only correlation the two have in common.  It was taught that Crazy Horse also carried a sacred stone with him one that he had either seen in a vision or used to see a vision.   Black Elk shared the following,

“They used to say too that he carried a sacred stone with him, like one he had seen in some vision, and that when he was in danger, the stone always got very heavy and protected him somehow.  That, they used to say, was the reason no horse he ever rode lasted very long.”

Now Joseph Smith was known to have had or used at least one if not multiple seer stones also referred to as a peep stone during his lifetime.  Now whether the seer stone offered him direct protection like the stone that Crazy Horse used it is not known.  But we do know that visions and revelations were directly tied to Joseph Smith’s seer stone including his ability to translate ancient texts like prophets of old.  It was Joseph Smith’s seer stone that helped him translate what we now have as the Book of Mormon.     After Joseph Smith’s death his wife Emma Smith was remarried (Emma Smith Bidamon) and gave the following account of Joseph’s use of the stones during the translation process.

“Now the first that my husband translated, [the book] was translated by use of the Urim, and Thummim, and that was the part that Martin Harris lost, after that he used a small stone, not exactly, black, but was rather a dark color.”[6]

Joseph Smith jr.

Another account of Joseph’s use of the seer stones was given by David Whitmer one of the original three witnesses of the Book of Mormon who described how Joseph Smith would use the stone to translate. 

“Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man.” [7]

So the visions the seer stone and the similar understanding and teachings of the spirit world were not the only things that these two leaders had in common.  They were similar in death as well.  Both were not captured before being killed or martyred but they turned themselves in.  Joseph and his brother Hyrum were shot at Carthage Jail and Crazy Horse was stabbed with a bayonet during a scuffle at Fort Robinson.  Both deaths are shrouded in controversy.  On the disposal of Crazy Horses body Black Elk recounts the following,

“When it was day, Crazy Horse’s father and mother brought him over to our camp in a wagon. Then they put him in a box…They fastened the box on a pony drag and went away alone toward the east and north…the old people never would tell where they took the body of their son.”[8]

Sketch of Crazy Horse by Mormon Missionary

Upon the death of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum their bodies were taken back to Nauvoo IL the next day in a wagon where they were cleaned and examined.  On June 29^th 1844 there was a public viewing after which the empty coffins weighted with sandbags were used to avoid any theft or destruction at the public burial.  The coffins with the actual bodies of the brothers were first buried under the Nauvoo House only to later be moved and reburied under an out-building on the Smith homestead.

It can be seen that both Joseph Smith and Crazy Horse lived very separate and different lives that in many ways seem to have mirrored each other in certain aspects and they each have left their influence on the future generations of their people and followers.  It is interesting that a Mormon missionary in 1934 after investigating Crazy Horses sister made the above referenced sketch of Crazy Horse.  Upon completion Crazy Horses sister claimed the depiction was accurate.

---

[1] Niehardt John G. Black Elk Speaks pg 85

[2] Teachings of The Prophet Joseph Smith, Pg. 310

[3] Teachings, page. 326

[4] LDSLiving Magazine, Life After Death: 6 Insights into the Spirit world 11/17/2014

[5] D&C 77:2

[6] Emma Smith Bidamon to Emma Pilgrim, 27 March 1870, “Early Mormon Documents, 1:532.

[7] David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ, Richmond, Mo.: n.p., 1887, p. 12.

[8] Niehardt John G. Black Elk Speaks pages 143-144.

Is Zarahemla Across the River From Nauvoo, IL? The Answer is a Resounding No!

Early Formation of Maya Sedentary Life and the Combination of Book ofMormon Populations

 

Ceibal Guatemala

So in the wee hours of the morning while going through my nightly routine of surfing the internet before dozing off into oblivion I happened across an interesting article on www.populararchaeology.com entitled, “Archaeologists Discover Clues to Early Formation of Maya Sedentary Life”.  I mean what screams I should lose more sleep like “Maya Sedentary Life”?   My thoughts exactly!

In the article Takeshi Inomata from the University of Arizona and his international team (who have been collecting this data since 2005) have evaluated “detailed stratigraphic and ceramic data, along with an analysis of radiocarbon dates, to develop a detailed, “high-resolution” chronology of Ceibal (Seibal)”.  Ceibal is part of the Mayan lowlands and was originally built around 950 BC in Guatemala.  In this chronology they have been studying how small mobile forager groups combined into larger communities.  

The common thought process is that these smaller mobile groups stayed separate and maintained their own community.   The data collected by Inomata suggests otherwise and states that ceremonial complexes built during this time period were few and far between and only existed in a number of important communities in the Mayan lowlands.  It also suggests that the ceremonies performed and the building of the ceremonial complexes were the cause of the gathering of these mobile forager groups and tribes into one location.  This gathering resulted into the development of larger sedentary communities.  In his own words Inomata stated, 

"It is probable that public ceremonies, as well the construction of ceremonial complexes, provided opportunities for groups with different lifestyles to gather and collaborate," He also stated that "Such collective activities possibly played a central role in facilitating social integration among diverse participants and eventually, in spreading more sedentary ways of life."

Takashi Inomata’s Ceibal research is quite comparable to the combination of the Nephite community under the leadership of the first King Mosiah and the Mulekites in the Land of Zarahemla as noted in Omni 1:15-19 around 300 BC.  Here we have two smaller communities combining to form one larger community.  It is interesting that King Mosiah from the smaller Nephite community became the king over all the Nephites and Mulekites but this is another discussion for another day.  

Sorenson Book of Mormon Geography Map

In John Sorenson’s Mormon’s Codex he proposes that the modern day site for the ancient Zarahemla would be Santa Rosa Guatemala in the central depression of Chiapas.  The area and timing of Santa Rosa fits the Book of Mormon’s description and history of Zarahemla.  It was a small society that was influenced by the Olmec which is exactly what would be expected if the Mulekites had been influenced by the surrounding culture of the remaining Jaredites when they arrived.  Its history technically dates back to 1000 BC so when the Nephites combined with the Mulekites they are entering into an community that already has an existing structure but the history of Santa Rosa show signs of further development during the late Preclassic time period.  

It is during this growth time period that Sorenson notices an interesting occurrence on one of the temple mounds from that area. He quotes Agustin Delgado (Delgado, Agustin. Archaeological Research at Santa Rosa, Chiapas and in the Region of Tehuantepec. BYU, New World Archaeological Foundation. 1965, p. 79) who said:

"The plaster floor continued in both trench extensions. In contact with it, both above and below, was a thin layer of gravel. That below was of different natures to either side of the medial line of the temple. To the north it was composed of larger fragments of broken stone, while to the south it was natural gravel. The difference was probably due to different sources of material." (Delgado 1965, p. 29).

Another archaeologist working at Santa Rosa expanded the analysis of this unusual gravel sub-floor: "To the north the gravel was broken and to the south it was rounded. I supervised that excavation and, upon noting the difference, carefully searched the gravel, finding no mixture whatever. Not only does the difference suggest two sources of materials but it may be taken to imply two separate groups, each working on its section. Further, the medial line runs roughly east-west." (Brockington, Donald L. The Ceramic History of Santa Rosa, Chiapas, Mexico. BYU. New World Archaeological Foundation. 1967, p. 60-61.)

So with the findings of Delgado and Brockington as noted above, the sub-floor contained two different types of gravel that were separated by a north/south medial line and with the south gravel being a rounded type of gravel and the north gravel being a broken edgier type and upon his supervision he found absolutely no mixture in these types of gravel between the two groups.  Brockington concludes that may imply that two separate groups worked on this section of the temple mound.  This would seem to be a possible confirmation to Takeshi Inomata’s research.  Both of which also fit well with a Book of Mormon setting for the combination of the Nephites and Mulekites or people of Zarahemla.  It will take more time for more of Inomata’s findings to be published and available to the general public and these may shed more light on other ways that these migrating foraging groups combined and may also bring to light interesting insights in to other groups in the Book of Mormon that later combined such as the People of Ammon and the Nephites, Zoramites and Lamanite populations as well as smaller Nephite dissenters and Lamanites.  We will have to stay tuned for more. 

Divine Kingship in Mesoamerica and the Book of Mormon

Weights and Measures from the Old World to the New

"Laws of Eshnunna" tablets found at
(Tell Harmal) Baghdad, Iraq.

The early stages of the Nephite civilization began with a population of more or less around 50 people.  It is assumed that due to the difficult process and circumstances the time allotted in getting from the old world to the new that this would be enough to deculturalize this small group of refugees.  If that was indeed the case by the time they arrived from Jerusalem to what has been assumed was somewhere in Mesoamerica (possibly southwestern Guatemala) shortly after 600BC than within a few hundred years they had become a very cultured civilization through mixing with the indigenous population.  By 82 BC they had established a form of government consisting of judges and a court system with laws and regulations for the Nephite civilization.  This same level of sophistication was incorporated all the way down to a monetary system of weights and measures of goods designed for barter and daily wages.  It states in Alma chapter 11 the names of the different weights and measurements of gold, silver, barley and other grains and how they coincide for daily use.  These names and measurements were established by the Nephite king at the time named Mosiah.

Other old world ancient civilizations appear to have used a similar code of conduct for their wages and barter system.  This can be seen in the "Laws of Eshnunna" which consists of two tablets found at Shaduppum (Tell Harmal) Baghdad, Iraq.  They were unearthed in 1945 and 1947 and are copies of an older source that dates back to 1930 BC. Similar to the barter system established among the Nephites the Laws of Eshnunna allowed people to deal confidently with barley, silver, oil, lard, wool, salt, bitumen and different forms of copper.  Both appear to have been instituted by kings and established daily wage value as well as penalties. 

Because the Laws of Eshnunna predate the Book of Mormon by over 1300 years some antagonists would be quick to call for more evidence like this dating to Book of Mormon timeframes (600BC-400AD).  Although less than 2% of all known ruin sites in Mesoamerica have been excavated we do have some promising leads of archaeological evidence especially in the area of a site known as El Zotz.  El Zotz is a Mayan archaeological site in Guatemala just west of Tikal.  In 2010 Stephen Houston of Brown University led the excavation of a tomb that roughly dated between 350-400 AD.  According to partially deciphered hieroglyphics on the tombs walls the occupants name translates into "Red Turtle" or "Great Turtle".  Inside the tomb were found many relics and objects.  Of particular interest was a pile of 15 hematite cubes or ingots precious pigment.  Kristina Cheung, in her peer review of the findings entitled, "Inferring Ancient technology and Practices of the Elite Maya Kingship Through the Application of Materials Engineering Characterization Modalities" states the following,

Hematite Ingots found in tomb at El Zots Guatemala
(top right hand corner)

"The specular hematite ingots (15 of them) found at this archaeological site are the first of this quantity and form to be recorded in the Maya region.  The pigment is not indigenous to the area, which confirms that these ingots must have been imported from other parts of the Maya area such as central Mexico.  The scarcity of the pigment ingots is the most likely due to their status as valued trade objects."

Stephen Houston himself stated, "I would also note what came as a great surprise to me was the presence of balls of basically cubes of precious imported pigment which was remarkably uniform in height and these appear to be literally a kind of trade ingot of a precious substance that's been heaped like so much gold in a Swiss Bank vault in the corner of the tomb.  And it's some of the first evidence we have ever seen of systems of measurement used by traders in the Maya lowlands."

So these precious hematite uniformed sized ingots appear to be some of the first evidences we have of a uniform system of measurement that would have been used by traders throughout the area when dealing with specific materials.  Future excavations throughout the area will hopefully be able to support these findings.  This would line up great with the claims quoted above by King Mosiah in the Book of Mormon  and would have been something that would have been considered ridiculous by naysayers of the Book of Mormon at the time of its translation in the early 1800's.  It goes to show that with a little time and patience things that at one point may have seemed outlandish such as a civilization in the new world that was on a level of sophistication that it would allow for it's own monetary system, may not be as absurd as once thought.  In fact it seems to be logically right on target with the original suggestion of the Book of Mormon.   

Cortez, the Aztecs and Judges in The Book of Mormon

Aztec Marketplace

I want to post this interesting little tid-bit that I had stumbled across from John Sorenson a while back but for one reason or another I haven't put anything together for it. Of the many interesting parallels that can be found between the cultures of the Mayans and Aztecs when compared to those of the Nephites and Lamanites found in the Book of Mormon it is the interesting but often overlooked quick convergences like this that I really love.  It is as follows,

"Of the many other areas showing parallels to the Book of Mormon, consider the Mesoamerican justice system.  John Sorenson explains, (Images of Ancient America: Visualizing Book of Mormon Life, (Provo, Utah: Research Press, 1998), p. 116):

 "One of the primary duties of a ruler was to settle disputes among his people.  Sometimes that could be done by him personally, but in a population of much size, he would not have time to deal with every conflict.  Judges were delegated to carry out that duty.

Hernan Cortez

Cortez , for example, described the situation at the great market in the Aztec capital: "There is in this square a very large building, like a Court of Justice, where there are always ten or twelve persons, sitting as judges, and delivering their decisions upon all cases which arise in the markets." [Fernando Cortees:His Five Letters of Relation to the Emperor Charles V, ed. and transl. Francis A. MacNutt Mexico: Rio Grande Press, 1977) 1:259] In public assemblies, the Spaniards observed native police officers with pine cudgels (a short stout stick used as a weapon) who enforced order if required to do so by the authorities."

In the Book of Mormon Mosiah 29:25 it speaks of the time when the king of the land Mosiah proposes that a judge system with a Chief Judge at their head should be installed because unrighteous kings lead their people into sin.  The time keeping from this point on is referred to as the first year of the 'reign of the judges' continuing from the forward to the 2nd,3rd, and 4th year of the reign of the judges and so on. 

"Therefore, choose you by the voice of this people judges, that ye may be judged according to the laws which have been given you by our fathers, which are correct, and which were given them by the hand of the Lord."

In Joseph Smiths time the Native American cultures were looked upon as a savage and primitive people hardly capable of putting together such a complex society that composed of markets, merchants, judges and different classes of citizens as was later found in Mesoamerica.  Although it was during Joseph Smiths lifetime that the knowledge of Mesoamerica spawned, it was still in its infancy when the Book of Mormon was translated. Meaning that this is another direct hit for the Book of Mormon.


 

The Ancient and the Academic Hugh Nibley’s Teachings, Dealings and Understanding of the Hopi

I am posting a link to an article I wrote a while a go for the Book of Mormon Archaeological Forum entitled, 'The Ancient and the Academic Hugh Nibley’s Teachings, Dealings and Understanding of the Hopi".  Its a great read and I had fun collecting the material that I used to put this together.  It is a collection of three of my favorite subjects, the Hopi, Hugh Nibley and the gospel. I have posted the link below.  I hope you enjoy it and please feel free to leave me any feedback.  Thanks!


http://www.bmaf.org/node/451
 

Since I've Been Gone

Picture from Mark's Blog of Jadeite item plaque -
masks & ceremonial knife from Guatemala

I would like to apologize that I haven't been able to post very much research here lately.  I have been extremely busy with work, my artwork, Book of Mormon research, and my children's soccer games (in no particular order).  With that said I have a remedy for the situation.  I promise I will be posting much more in the very near future.  I would also like share the blog of a friend of mine Mark Cheney.  His blog is called "The Book of Mormon & My Maya Travels & Collection"  Its a fascinating blog and his collection of items insights and the pictures he shares are truly priceless to those of us who can't get enough of this stuff. 



He has contributed multiple articles through BMAF.org (Book of Mormon Archaeological Forum) and is also the author of novel entitled "Mark of the Jaguar, A Book of Mormon Adventure In The Land of the Maya"  Listen to the description of this novel and tell me you're not intrigued!!!!

"MARK OF THE JAGUAR, a landmark novel, a unique Book of Mormon adventure AFTER 421 A.D. and before Columbus! Based on real archaeological finds in Mesoamerica, the land of the Maya, this tale follows a young man as he is trained as a shaman, healer, scribe and stonecutter, as he accepts the challenge given by his old mentor from his death bed. Yax Kan will do what is needed to find the truth about Kukulkan, the white and bearded god represented by the feathered serpent. Who is he? Is he worthy of worship - even to the point of human sacrifice? Come join Yax Kan in some life-changing experiences that will thrill and delight!"

I have included the like to his blog and would advise following him as I have.  I promise you will not be disappointed! I have also included the link to his book, "The Mark of Jaguar" below.  Please follow him and don't be shy on sharing his posts with your friends and family via Facebook or email. 



Author House Bookstore Link for the Book:
http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000732724/MARK-OF-THE-JAGUAR.aspx

Link to Marks Blog:
http://mayacollection-cheney.blogspot.com/

Link to one of Marks articles on BMAF.org entitled, "Samabaj, The Underwater Village In Lake Atitlan and the Book of Mormon":

http://www.bmaf.org/sites/bmaf.org/files/image/samabaj.pdf

Some ruins from Samabaj in Lake Atitlan

 

Ammon and the Monsters of Mesoamerica

Ammon before King Lamoni

This post is in regards to an idea that crossed my mind while doing some family scripture study and reading about Ammon in Alma 19:26 which states:

"But others rebuked them all, saying that he was a monster, who had been sent from the Nephites to torment them."

The story line is when Ammon is preaching the gospel to King Lamoni and his family and they all fall into a trance including his wife the Queen, servants as well as Ammon while either retaining a remission of their sins or being overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit.  It is during this scenario that Abish a servant of the Queen draws the communities attention to what has happened in the confines of the King's home.  When people gather to see what has happened many say because the King allowed Ammon a Nephite (their sworn enemies) among their community, others say it is because King Lamoni killed his servants whenever they lost his sheep at the waters of Sebus.  At one point some people refer to Ammon as the Great Spirit or as someone who was sent by the Great Spirit and others referred to him as a monster that had been sent by the Nephites to torment the Lamanites.  As I have mentioned numerous times in this blog, I tend to look for hints of Mesoamerica in the text of the Book of Mormon.  I couldn't help but wonder if the use of the word "monster" is referring to something similar to the Mesoamerican or Mayan belief in monsters or creatures?



Actun Tunichil Muknal cave in Belize

In Mesoamerican religions and folklore the belief of monsters is very common place.  A monster could be anything form the Hauy Chivo which is a legendary Mayan creature that is half-man half-beast who is often noted as a sorcerer or shaman with the ability to transform himself into a supernatural animal (also known as a Nagual or Shape-shifter) to the Vision Serpent who was a religious symbol used by the Maya to describe a vehicle by which the sun, starts and the moon would cross the heavens (often associated with Quetzalcoatl).  There are many types of monsters that are associated with mountains or caves and their ability to bring those who enter to a sacred area.  There are many cave entrances that have been carved to have the face of a monster or being, usually with the cave's entrance being the creature's mouth.  Water was also commonly associated with caves or mountains so it was also considered to have spiritual significance.  Cenotes are pits or sinkholes that expose ground water and are commonly used as places of sacrifice.  Anthropologists James E. Brady and Wendy Ashmore had this to say about the use of caves and cenotes as places of implication,

"Desire to be near the sacred has influenced Mesoamerican settlement.  Mountains and caves were important elements in Mesoamerican creation myths.  Mesoamerican belief systems link water to fertility and mountains give flowing water and rainfall through caves.  Accordingly, these natural features were considered sacred and were sought out by Mesoamerican migrants looking for a new home.  A cave could be considered an axis mundi if it marked the center of a village.  The Late Post classic site of Mayapan incorporated several cenotes into its ceremonial groups and the Cenote Ch'en Mul is at the site core.  At Dos Pilas house platforms were often in front of cave entries and the tunnel went beneath the platform."

As noted above there were ties between these caves associated with water or cenotes that were common as a spiritual place or an axis mundi, a place where the heavens and underworld meet this world.  This creating a place where the unexplained or mythical beings or creatures could be accessed.  This is seen with the Hopi sacred Kachinas and the sipapuni which is a hole to the underworld.  Could the Lamanites actually have held the water of Sebus as a ceremonial place or axis mundi where a deity or monster such as Ammon could surface?

The waters of Sebus were a place where the Lamanites took the kings flocks (and I suppose other Lamanite flocks) to get water and graze.  It was at these waters of Sebus that Ammon first displayed deity like attributes when he slayed Lamanites who attempted to scatter the kings flocks by using only his sling and some stones.  He then smote off the arms of any of those who attempted to confront him in their anger with his sword.  It was such an astonishing feet that his fellow servants saved those smitten arms to display to the King as a show of Ammon's power.

It was common practice among the Lamanites to attempt to scatter the flocks in this ways as if it were a game of chivalry according to Alma 18:7 which states,

"Now it was the practice of these Lamanites to stand by the waters of Sebus to scatter the flocks of the people,  that thereby they might drive away many that were scattered unto their own land, it being a practice of plunder among them."

With the above referenced information I ask is it plausible that those of the community who had gathered and witnessed the things that had happened to the King and his family, including his servants and Ammon, could they be referring to Ammon as a "monster" in the sense of  Mesoamerican terms of a "monster" or supernatural being who may have some association with an axis mundi at the waters of Sebus?  It could make sense in a Mesoamerican setting.  I suppose if we had more information about the waters of Sebus such as where it's headwaters existed (possibly from a cave or a mountain) and any other settings or uses for the waters such as a place of ceremony or sacrifice (or other games of chivalry) as cenotes were commonly used for, then we could obtain further clarification or if the use of the word "monster" were more frequently used in the Book of Mormon than we could reference this with stronger ties.  Until then I offer this as an area opened for further thought and discussion.