My Ancestor & Ancient Book of Mormon Finds in Utah

Wow! Last weekend's LDS General Conference was amazing! My most favorite, the most memorable, as well as historical. I am so excited to share my thoughts in this coming week's video message. Until then, as promised, here is the post as mentioned in last week's video message that I have been working on about some little known Utah history, Book of Mormon artifacts, and my Great, Great, Great Uncle who never married and left behind no posterity. As he has no descendants to tell his story, I happily take on the honor of doing so.

It was interesting to search the web for articles in connection to my ancestor George Keller. I found many online forums that shared their findings and several other versions of his story. Many articles, and passed down verbal accounts had several errors that simply were not true about me ancestor and our family. So while clearing up the facts, I'd like to present the story of My Great Great Great Uncle George Keller and his initial discovery of the cave at Temple Hill.

Recently In the News

My Dad called me the other night and encouraged me to check out the recent news articles in connection to George Keller. So, when I had a minute of free time, I did as he suggested and here is  a news article I found in the Sanpete Messenger.

MANTI—Artifacts discovered in a cave behind the Manti LDS Temple may have been left there by an ancient people that figure significantly in the history of the American continent as believed by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,  woman asserts, despite academic non-consensus about the origins of the items.

Utahna Jessop, a field researcher and teacher with the Ancient Historical Research Association, presented her ideas at a presentation delivered at Manti City Hall on Sept. 20. Jessop said believed that a cave full of Indigenous American artifacts found by John Brewer in 1955 was actually a repository and tomb for ancient Jaredites, a people mentioned in the Book of Mormon, a piece of scripture for Latter-day Saints.

Despite the lack of certain items purportedly left in the cave , and despite conflicting conclusions by scholars, which include a charge of possible forgery, Jessup says she hopes parts of the story may still be shown to be true.

“I’m a born skeptic myself, so I approach this whole thing with an attitude of ‘Oh, I’m not too sure about that,’” Jessop said. “But the more I studied, the more I saw that, ‘How can you refute it now, when we have actual scientific testing done, what can you say?’ Now, granted, it would help a lot if we could find the cave, if we could find the bodies, and then we’ll know for positive sure. What to say to the skeptics? ‘Do your research.’”

According to the Book of Mormon, when God scattered the people and confounded their languages at the Tower of Babel, a certain prophet and his family were commanded to build submarine-like boats (i.e., “barges”) and travel to the new world.

There, they grew into a mighty civilization that Mormon historian Hugh Nibley said was comparable to that of the Mongols. They flourished from the time they arrived in the Americas until their annihilation, through civil war, in 550 B.C. According to the book, they numbered over two million people before their destruction.

Jessop claims that the annihilation described in the Book of Ether does not require that every last Jaredite was killed, proposing that there could have been many individuals far away from the battlefield. She cited Brigham Young as having said that there had been Nephite and Lamanite (other Book of Mormon peoples), and Jaredite presences in the Sanpete Valley over the years.

She relayed the story of John Brewer, a Central Utah man who claimed that an Native American tomb he had found contained tools, pottery, brass bells, ancient records and mummies of people measuring over 8 feet tall.

Picture of Brewer's plates taken by a witness, shared at this link: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thetreasuresofutah/temple-hill-cave-in-manti-t1176.html

The records, Brewer said, were carved on metal plates bound together by rings, similar to Joseph Smith’s description of his “golden plates.” Brewer hypothesized that the records were classified according to their importance, with the most important records on gold, then in decreasingly valuable metals, then stone and finally clay.

He described the mummies as large, one male and one female, the man with red hair and a beard, the woman with blonde hair and a golden breastplate. Many of the Brewer plates, as they have come to be called, are in museum collections in Utah.

Jessop discussed the academic response to the Brewer artifacts, namely that of three professors at BYU and the University of Utah who had considered the case, two had decided it was a complete fraud. The third believed there was a possibility that the cave and the plates were what John Brewer claimed they were.

One “gold” plate from the cave had been tested to reveal its age and metallurgy, and was found to be a very recent creation made of brass similar in chemical composition to the metal found in bullet casings. However, in the testing of pieces of bark used to wrap a stone box with metal plates inside, the bark was found to be of the fourth century B.C.

Jessop cited a meeting between Brewer and LDS general authorities, including Apostle Mark E. Peterson, from which Jessop reported they verified Brewer’s claims and started plans to have the cave excavated by archaeologists working for BYU.

Brewer’s cave is behind the Manti Temple, in an area that Brigham Young proclaimed to have been visited by the Book of Mormon figure Moroni, who dedicated the hill to have a temple on it.

http://sanpetemessenger.com/2017/10/04/historian-hopes-there-is-truth-to-story-of-book-of-mormon-era-artifacts-found-in-manti-cave/

Who Was George Keller?

George Keller

Several years ago, when my oldest was just a baby, I traveled one summer afternoon with my family down to visit my Grandma Cavner (My Dad's Mother) who lives in Manti, Utah.

While visiting with her in her home, we learned of some family history books she had in her home. I asked if I could see them. She was surprised that I had never seen them before. I happened to have my video camera with me (this was before smart phones and just around the time of digital cameras). As I saw that this book was filled with stories, personal accounts, and photos of ancestors I knew little about, I became so excited that I turned on my camera and filmed every page. I then went home and transcribed all the images into text and then took still shots of the images in my videos.

My Dad

While going through this book, I saw this image of George Keller. At first glance it looked like my dad. I wanted to know who this ancestor was, and why I had never heard of him. I showed the picture to my dad and said, "Dad, he looks just like you!" My dad replied, "Oh that's George Keller. He was actually adopted. He was the son of a Swedish immigrant and a freed black slave. Our family adopted him."

This was all new to me. Why had I never heard about George? Though we were not blood related, I had a black American ancestor who was sealed into our family (and looked like my dad). I wanted to learn more.

I learned that because of the stigma at the time, growing up in a small town of mostly all caucasian people, George never married. He never had children to carry on his story. Because he witnessed his father's death and was was unable to prevent it, I believe he carried around that guilt. He also never had the priesthood because of the era and his race. He must have felt like an outsider at times. My heart ached for this ancestor who I had never heard of until now.

My Dad has faint yet fond memories of George. He remembers visiting him as a boy, and George (an elderly man then) cooking up dinner in a frying pan. He remembers George being a very kind man. Many of the stories online about George Keller speak of him as belonging to a family of freed black slaves who settled in Sanpete County. This is not true. Here is a true account of George's bio that I transcribed from my Grandma's family history book about her Great Uncle. 

Sometime in the late 1870’s a Swedish convert and her daughter immigrated to America. Upon reaching New York her funds being low she secured employment in a hotel. While there she met another convert a Mr. Anderson, they married and together they came to Utah settling in Manti. About 7 months after her marriage to Mr. Anderson in 1879 she gave birth to a mulatto boy whom she named Joseph Anderson born the 25th of January 1880. Naturally her husband was infuriated. A few months later he went to Emery County to take up a fare and his wife remained in Manti with her daughter, then about 9 years of age, and her little son. All kinds of rumors were afloat about them mostly to the effect that he had written and told her she could come to him but that she could not bring the boy, she must dispose of him. Nobody wanted the boy and the town was waiting to see what would happen.  

One day Annie (my Great, Great, Grandmother) asked her if she would not be willing to take him. She was in poor health but she told Annie that if she would be willing to give him the care a child of his age would require she might go and ask for him. Annie then 14 years of age gladly consented to care for him and left immediately for the Anderson home. Millie, Eliza and Louise, the three youngest children ages 4,6, and 8 respectively were in raptures over the prospect of having a baby in the home and told their brother Jacob where Annie had gone. “We’ll have no n***** baby in our house” he said and hastily got on a horse and went after Annie forcing her to return home without completing her errand. Jacob was 12 years old and being the only boy among five girls was accustomed to having his own way. Annie came back and warned us to keep quite as she would try again the next day. You may be sure that we said nothing of her plans to our brother. 

The next day when he was away from home Annie went to Mrs. Anderson and asked for the child. The mother gladly consented and Annie brought him home that afternoon. His sister accompanied him to keep him from becoming frightened. She took him home that first night and brought him back the next morning and left him. He was 15 months old and just learning to walk. He was attractive, quick and an intelligent child and we all loved him. When our brother saw him he too was immediately won over whereby his name was changed to George Keller. He became a member of the family and was always treated as our very own. He never saw his mother again until one day when he was 6 years old she came to our house on some pretext. She took him on her lap, loved, kissed him, and wept. When she was gone he asked “Why did that woman hold me and cry?” Soon after that she left Manti and I think she never returned. 

The boy experienced a normal childhood but as he grew older he often seemed troubled and it was not until after Jacob Keller’s death in 1892 that he was told who his mother was. He was quiet and reserved. He lived with Jacob Keller Jr. on the farm in the summertime but lived at home and went to school in the winter. He loved animals and always had a fine riding horse. 

It was known that he went to see his own mother in later years who lived in Emery county Utah. She had experienced extreme poverty and he helped her. 

Those who are to him as brother and sisters entertain the kindest of feelings and deepest sympathy for him. When he reached maturity he went to Southern Utah where he was given positions of trust and responsibility as sheep and cattle foreman by men who had known him from boyhood. They knew him to be honest, honorable and highly respected in the community where he was raised.  

In winter of 1949 he had the misfortune of having his hands frozen which necessitated the amputation of his fingers. In spite of this handicap he continued to be self supporting at the age of 70. This was a pathetic incident in his life. 

I, Ellen Munk Crawford can truly say that my grandmother Keller loved George very much for I well remember seeing him put his arms around her and of her telling him what a good fine boy he was. Her sympathy for him and his gratitude towards her formed a bond of love that is hard to describe. She has been heard to say that George had never spoken a cross or unkind word to her. He now resides on the Keller farm where he hopes he will make his home as long as he lives. 

Jacob Keller met with many serious accidents any one of which might had cost him his life and appeared much more serious at the time than the one which did prove fatal. He had not been feeling well for some time and when he felt himself slipping from a small load of hay he did not have the strength to hold on. George the adopted boy was driving and Jacob called him to stop. But the boy could not stop the horses soon enough and father fell to the ground striking his head on the handle of a pitchfork. Dr. H. S. Allen stayed at his bedside all night long but there was nothing to be done he did not regain consciousness. The next day the bishop requested Anna Keller to bathe the feet of her husband as a sacred right as Martha did the feet of Jesus. The bishop then pronounced a blessing upon him commanding his spirit to God. During the sacred service in which his family and bishop encircled about his bed he slipped peacefully away on October 5th 1892 at the age of 55 years and 4 months.

George Keller Observes 86

The Ephraim Enterprise

Friday Feb, 4 1966

January 25th was the 86th birthday of George Keller. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Anderson. “George” as he was known was legally adopted by Jacob Keller Sr. and his wife Anna R. Keller of Manti. At the age of 8 years he was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints this was in 1900. 

We who knew and loved George knew of his early experiences. Some of these were not so pleasant because he was a mulatto (black and white mix) but nevertheless he was taught to work as a youngster living on the Keller farm in the summer and in the winter time living in town so that he could attend school. He was a normal child in every respect, very attractive, intelligent and quick to respond to those in association. Not once did he hesitate to use his natural musical talent. He played the organ, harmonica and guitar. He also possessed a wonderful sense of humor which was enjoyable  to his friends and relatives. Even now he loves to talk, laugh and joke with all his associates. 

George completed his elementary grades. Some of his teachers were a Mr. Noyes of Ephraim, William Anderson, Millie Keller, and Leonard Billings of Manti. He loves the church and although he was not permitted to hold the priesthood George graduated from seminary after attending for three years regularly. An outstanding quality which this man has always possessed is that of honesty. In his entire life he has never been in jail or has he ever been dismissed from a job. Paul Smith of Manti has said many times “George could be trusted with any amount of money” and he has been at various times. Even though time is constantly passing by and age making it more difficult for George to see clearly he still maintains a kind and considerate attitude toward everyone. 

I recently visited at the home where George resides. He has repeatedly expressed deep appreciation for the people in his life other than family members. Some of these were Rastus Madson of Mount Pleasant, Parley Madsen of Manti, Cameron Brinkerhoff and Leo Bowns of Provo, Emery King known as the King Bros. Teasdale. 

When he was 22 years old his real mother Mrs. Anderson came to Torrey from Emery about 5 miles to ask forgiveness for giving him away. Although his hurt was extremely deep, and her apparent guilt a gnawing agony he calmly told her that there was nothing to talk about and that he was grown now and expressed the love he had for those who took him in and cared for him up to this time. 

While working in the Henry Mountains he rode his spirited saddle horse within a half mile of his mother’s house every two weeks following the pass to Camp Boulder constantly reminded of what might have been. George was working for the King Brothers living in the Henry Mountains when he got his hands frozen. He visited at Paulsen’s Café very often. It was on one of these visits to Richfield when because of a terrific storm he fell dazed from the winter cold into the deep snow drift barrow pit. Because he was on his way back to the Henry Mountains he was all alone in the dark of the night. He said, “I will always be grateful to the girl who worked in Pace’s Clothing Store in Richfield. She was on her way to work the next morning when she noticed him nearly frozen to death and summoned help. Officers came to his aid, took him to the Richfield hospital where his serious condition necessitated immediate amputation of all fingers to the middle joint.  This old man at 86 has not forgotten the bitter agony of this accident. He said, “I was in the Richfield Hospital for 53 days and all the hospital attendants were so nice to me".  Jess Keller was the one who picked George up at the hospital. He stayed with him for a few days then he went to Provo for medical help. He told Jess and Halbert Keller they would reject him when they saw him but the hospital attendants were very kind and considerate. This was in 1951 and he stayed one month because he had the flu and it developed into pneumonia. 

He went back to the Keller farm for a while then returned to work for the King Brothers now able only to do little kid jobs like tending the rams etc. He received $100 a month for this. George did not have a home after the Keller’s died and he missed them and the kindness they gave him. After his mother and step father left Emery they went to Price and that is where they died. George would like to know his real mother’s name and also where she is buried. Anyone knowing anything about this he would appreciate if this information could be relayed to him. Neil Nielsen Manti/Sterling resident had often told him that he was born in the room next to where he lived. How sad it was the Neil could not have told George more before he passed away at his home in Sterling. 

It was most pleasant to visit with George to have him relate various incidents in his life. I hope that sometime soon you can take time out to visit with him.  To those who may have any facts concerning Mr. Keller, I would appreciate hearing from you. 

George's Discovery

I could not find any mentioning of Brewer Cave in our family history. According to sources shared online,

"Sometime after the turn of the last century, young George Keller and a lad named Lone Eagle were playing among the foothills of the Rocky Mountains above the farm owned by George's father near Manti, Utah... Coming to a massive overhang, the Indian boy pointed to a hole in the mountain side and explained, "This is a special place, the Cave of the Great Spirit. My father says it is the holy place of a people who are dead, and that a Great Chief protects those who are buried there. My father was shown this place by his father when he was a kid. You are the only person other than our people who knows about this place. You must promise not to tell anyone of our secret! Follow me and I will show you inside." The friends explored the site together, and from the cave floor George picked up a few flint heads to play with in his room back home. Over the years, he kept his promise and never told anyone about the chamber guarded by the spirit of a great Indian chief. Lone Eagle eventually moved away, and George worked on the Keller farm. He lived in a hillside shed above the farm, not far from the cave of his boyhood experience, to the east. But he rarely visited the site again and took no further interest in it, until he met John Brewer, many years later." 
http://www.artbulla.com/zion/batcreek.html

Here is the account of Mr. John Brewer who later re-discovered the caves as shown to him by my ancestor George Keller. These are excerpts from John Brewer's journal.

MARCH 30, 1955

Went to work for Mr. Jack Shand, in Manti. While out in the field he came and ask me to go to the Keller Ranch to get some equipment. I met a Mr. George Keller and we got to talking about the fair. I mentioned that I was going to try and set up an arrowhead collection to put on display. He then told me about a cave back of the temple hill. He told me there were lots of arrowheads there.

MAY 10, 1955

I went and looked for the place but I couldn't find it so I went and ask[ed] him again where it was but all that I could get was a laugh from him. I thought that he was pulling a fast one on me so I let it go at that. I told Jack about it and he said to offer him some wine and I might get him to tell me then.

MAY 19, 1955

I went out to the Keller place and offered him some wine with the promise that he would show me the place he had told me about a while back. He said that he would not only show me the place but he would show me the spot himself if I would get him another bottle. I got the bottle and he showed me the place. No wonder I couldn't find it, I was on the wrong hill. It wasn't on the temple hill at all but the one in back of it. I went into the cave and found 30 arrowheads right off. I went back to the truck and thanked the old man. I then ask how he came to know of the cave and he said that he and an Indian boy played there as an old hideaway. He said he had a lot of fun there.

Who Was John Brewer?

John Brewer and wife 1955

"Brewer lived with his wife in the small town of Moroni, Utah, where he did odd jobs for farmers in the area. For recreation, he collected Indian arrow-heads, and eventually assembled an impressive collection. In early spring, 1955, his numerous artifacts were displayed at the Sanpete County fair, held annually at Manti. While discussing his finds with friends at a local cafe, he was approached by a now elderly negro, George Keller, who told Brewer about a secret cave where many more arrowheads were to be found.

"As Brewer recorded in his personal journal for May 10, "I went and looked for the place but I couldn't find it so I went and asked him (Keller) again where it was but all that I could get was a laugh from him. I thought that he was pulling a fast one on me so I let it go at that." Nine days later, "I went out to the Keller place and offered him some wine with the promise that he would show me the place he had told me about a while back. He said that he would not only show me the place but that we would go in! "No wonder I couldn't find it; I was on the wrong hill. I went into the cave and found 30 arrowheads right off. I went back to the truck and thanked the man. I then asked how he came to know of the cave and he said that he and an Indian boy played there as an old hideaway." 

"Nearly twenty years later, I was personally introduced to John Brewer, and he told me about his discovery of the Manti cave in an area behind Temple Hill. We met at Provo, Utah, in the company of Dr. Paul R. Cheesman, head of Book of Mormon Studies in the Department of Religion at Brigham Young University. Brewer impressed me as a soft spoken, kindly man, but without much worldly experience. He told us about his encounter with old George Keller and the difficulties he experienced while locating the secluded cave. In his search for more arrowheads at the site, he was surprised to find a set of stone steps carved into the cave floor. Clearing away some debris, he claimed the steps led to an entrance of a "tomb." Entering this chamber, he saw ten stone boxes. He opened five of them; they all contained small, metal plates inscribed with an unknown script. Nearby lay two large stone coffins. Opening them both, he found they contained mummified human remains. One body allegedly had red hair with skin still attached to its bones, while the other was blond."

http://www.artbulla.com/zion/batcreek.html

Here are drawings by John Brewer of the mummies known as the "Manti Mummies" that he discovered.

Male mummy (red hair)

Female mummy (blond)

This excerpt from the book,  Treasures of the Ancients by Stephen B. Shaffer (p. 31-32, Cedar Fort inc. 1996) details the account of the discovery.

Dr. Heinerman followed Brewer into a tunnel that had been dug on a downward track, barely
squeezing and squirming like a worm through the narrow passageway. After a short distance he
came to an opening, and reaching down felt the edge of a set of stairs that led into a chamber. The chamber was about twenty feet long and fourteen feet wide. The air was stifling and breathing was very labored. Several inches of fine dust covered everything, and puffed up with each step
that they took. About twenty-five stone boxes were stacked against one wall and another twenty against the other wall. Most were wrapped with a cover of juniper bark with pine pitch smeared all over them to make them waterproof. 

In a smaller chamber were two mummies of large stature. Dr. Heinerman describes the mummies: “The texture of their skin was soft, almost moist, like tanned leather. In the cave I saw an abundance of weapons, swords, tools, copper and metal plates of various sizes, all of which were very curious. Some of the copper, plates were of a strange composition, shattering like glass into fibrous pieces, not unlike the windshield of a car, if dropped. I believe that this chamber houses at least two different ages of antiquities.”

http://greaterancestors.com/man-of-manti-utah/

The Location of Brewer Cave

The hill known as "Temple Hill" was built on a rattlesnake infested stone quarry. According to folklore, a Native American chief pointed to the temple hill, saying the place was the site of an ancient temple and altar but warned people not to explore the dangerous caves beneath the hill. Other versions of this legend state a tunnel under the hill was dug by a pioneer convinced he'd see chambers from ancient inhabitants. After a dream warned him to stop digging or he'd meet a terrible fate, he ignored the warning and was later found dead in the tunnel, supposedly killed by a heart attack.

When the pioneers first arrived in Manti in November 1849, they arrived to three feet of snow and very little protection. The Saints dug into a hillside, living out of caves and grottos that protected them from the ravaging winter winds and cold.

However, when spring came, the Saints quickly discovered they had tunneled into a massive rattlesnake nest, with hundreds of snakes suddenly swarming their camps. Miraculously, though, no one was injured or bitten by the snakes.

The hill that once saved the Saints physically soon became the site for a temple where Saints could obtain spiritual salvation.

http://www.ldsliving.com/Random-Interesting-Fact-The-Only-Temple-You-Could-Go-Through-Without-a-Recommend/s/83133

Here are photos taken of the area near the cave which includes a large alter-like stone, as well as cave entrance. The owner of these photos has stated,

"I read that Temple Hill was sacred to the Indians, & was one of the main reasons for Isaac Morley wanting to settle there as he was deeply interested in it. It's definitely a special place & there is probably a lot we don't know about it. The stories of the Brewer Cave, Noah's Ark launching place, Moroni's Spring, Eagle Mountain, etc. just add to the mystery of Sanpete Valley & I'd love to find out if there is any truth to any of these claims."

 https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thetreasuresofutah/temple-hill-cave-in-manti-t1176.html

A sacred site indeed, according to this fact site, The morning of the site dedication of the Manti Utah Temple, Brigham Young took Warren S. Snow aside and said, "Here is the spot where the Prophet Moroni stood and dedicated this piece of land for a temple site, and that is the reason why the location is made here, and we can't move it from this spot."

Lastly, here is a video made of a presentation given by Utahna Jessop, the researcher mentioned in the beginning of this post. If you have any information to add to this post, please share!