Christ in the Americas

In 3 Nephi 11:13-15 it states, "and it came to pass that the Lord spoke unto them saying; arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.  And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands nad in his feet: and ths they did do going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record that it was he of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.
In 3 Nephi 17:25 we seethat more than 2500 felt the prints in the Saviors hands, feet and side at Bountiful.  If each person took on average 15 seconds to do so, this would have roughly taken about 10 hours and 45 minutes, which is quite an accomplishment when compared to our average 8 hour work day, just so the Savior could prove to each individual who he truly is.

Christ at Bountiful

Ancient Cement Cities (in the lands Northward)

Helaman 3:9,12

9. and the people who were in the land Northward did dwell in tents, and in houses of cement, and they did suffer whatsoever tree should spring up upon the face of the land that it tshould grow up, that in time they might have timber to build their houses, yea, their cities, and their temples, and their synagogues, and their sanctuaries, and all manner of their buildings.
12. and it came to pass that there were many of the people of Ammon, who were lamanites by birth, did also go forth into this land.

If the Book of Mormon did in fact take place in Mesoamerica one can follow the cement cities of Palenque, Monte Alban, El Tajin, Teotihuacan, La Quemada, and Paqime all the way to modern day Arizona and the lands of the Hopi and other Pueblo tribes who are a peaceful people like the people of Ammon and who dwell in a form of cement pueblos.  Of course many of these cities do date to Book of Mormon times and many others are after but one has to take into consideration the migration timeframes and understand that the Pueblo people (Hopi) are a migrating people. 

Ancient Cement Cities Map

Urim and Thummim

"on the morning of September 22nd, after Joseph had returned from the hill, he placed the article (Nephite interpreters) of which he spoke into my hands, and, upon examination, I found that it consisted of two smooth three cornered diamonds set in glass, and the glasses were set in silver bows, which were connected with each other in much the same way as old fashioned spectacles." -Lucy Mack Smith (History of Joseph Smith by his Mother Lucy Mack Smith)

The meaning of the words Urim is rendered as haw-oo-reem, or lights; Thummim is rendered veh-hat-toom-meen, or perfections; the septuagint render them as revelation and truth. - Popular Bible Encyclopedia

Urim and Thummim

Quetzalcoatl (Feathered Serpent)

The story of the life of the Mexican divinity, Quetzalcoatl, closely resembles that of the Savior, so closely, indeed, that we can come to no other conclusion than that Quetzalcoal and Christ are the same being.  But the history of the former has been handed down to us through an impure Lamanitish source, which has sadly disfigured and perverted the original incidents and teachings of the Savior's life and ministry. (President John Taylor)

The symbolism behind the Feathered Serpent as Quetzalcoatl makes more since when we look at what it actually is.  The feathers represet the macaw bird common among Mesoamerica who flies in the sky.  And the serpent represents the snake that lives below the ground.  This symbolism is that of Jesus who ascened above all things (like a bird) and below all things (like a snake).  I find this as great imagery...with purpose.

Quetzalcoatl the Feathered Serpent

Lachoneus and Gidgiddoni

Lachoneus and Gidgiddoni were some of the greatest political and military leaders of the Nephites and kind of go under the raidar when compared to other heroes of the scriptures.  They were able to devise a plan that single handedly put an end to the Gadianton robbers. Unfortunatly they Nephites and Lamanites eventually sunk back into sin and pride which lead to the Gadianton robbers forming and prospering again. 

In 3 Nephi 3:16,19 it says, " and so great and marvelous were the words and prophecies of Lachoneus that they did cause fear to come upon all people; and they did exert themselves in their might to do according to the words of Lachoneus.

and in verse 19 it says, now it was the cusom among all the Nephites to appoint for their Chief Captains (save it were in their times of wickedness) someone that had the spirit of revelation and also prophecy; therefore, this Gidgiddoni was a great prophet among them, as also was the Chief Judge. (meaning Lachoneus).

Lachoneus and Gidgiddoni

And It Came To Pass (uitya)

The phrase "and it came to pass" occurs in the english translation of the Book of Mormon 1,381 times.  Add to this derivatives of the phrase such as "now it came to pass", "for behold it came to pass", "but behold it came to pass", and "it shall come to pass", and it adds to over1500 times.  The phrase is not unique to the Book of Mormon.  It occurs 526 times in the Old Testament and 87 times in the New Testament.  This fact suggests tht the phrase "and it came to pass" is hebrew in orgin and correlates with 1 Nephi 1:2.

Glyphs of the 7th century AD Maya ruins at Palenque, as well as the ruins of Copan which date to at least 426 AD both have been found to contain the "and it came to pass" "i-u-ti" and "utiya" glyphs...as well as many other locations according to Daniel Johnson, author of "An LDS Guide To Mesoamerica".  The great american author Mark Twain said that if you took out all of the "and it came to pass(es)" out of the Book of Mormon you would only have a pamphlet.

"And It Came To Pass" Maya Glyph "utiya"

Abish

Abish is distinguished because she is one of only three women named in the Book of Mormon.  One sentence found in Alma 19:16 is very informative, "she having been converted unto the Lord for many years, on account of a remarkable vision of her father." As Daniel H. Ludlow explains in his book "A Companion To Your Study of The Book of Mormon" this statement may have two possible interpretations.  One is that Abish had a vision and in her vision she saw her father, the other is that the vision is actually had by her father.  Regardless of which is corect this conversion of Abish plays an important role in a large number of Lamanites.

Abish

Father Lehi

We honor father Lehi as one of the great and noble ones; as the head of a major dispensation of the gospel of Jesus Christ; the father of a multiude of nations; as a prophet, seer, and revelator; a loving, caring parent and husbandk; a man of courage and convictions; one given a land inheritance forever for himself and posterity; a pioneer and explorer, a patriarch and inspired scribe; an examplar and a true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.  As his vision extended forward, may hiposterity of today extend their visio backward to the greatness of this exemplary patriarch.

                                                                                               - H. Don L Peterson

Father Lehi