"Civil Rights" - Not What You Think?

Last week I had a dream that President Ezra Taft Benson was visiting my city here in Layton. He was standing inside of a building overseeing all the people coming in and out. I’m not sure what kind of a building it was because I wasn’t shown the outside, just the lobby. I was one of the many people coming in and out through the glass doors, going about like busy ants. President Benson was commending us for our work on making final preparations before the Lord returns. He had an assignment of sorts to oversee all that we were doing and to give us counsel as we rushed to get things done. I recognized other people coming and going who also live here in Layton. Because we were in a building, I believe that symbolizes “building” the Kingdom. We knew we had just a few more minutes to wrap up our work before the Lord would arrive. 

President Benson passed away in 1994, but in my dream, it was 2020 and he was sent on assignment to oversee the work that was being done. President Benson who was the prophet during my youth, was known for his strong and vocal stance against socialism, Marxism, and communism as well as sounding the alarm on conspiracy truth. President Benson had good reason to do so, because of his political background he was well educated on the workings inside our nation. Also, as one of the Lord’s Twelve Apostles, he was an advocate for the voice of the Lord; later becoming ordained as the 13th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Benson served two terms under U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, while being member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In 1968 the John Birch Society made an effort to nominate Benson as a presidential candidate to which he declined, and he was also invited to run as Vice President to a Democrat nominee, to which he also declined. 

Since having this dream, I’ve seen President Benson’s words and talks popping up all over the place. Last weekend, this particular talk stood out to me. President Benson gave this address in 1967. During this time in American history, dangerous left political groups such as the Ku Klux Klan attacked both black and white Republicans who were for civil rights (1). It was during this time that Christian minister, Dr. Martin Luther King led the movement for civil rights in a divided part of the country where blue southern-state Democrat governors, were fighting to keep segregation. Six months later during the week of the next general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a U.S. presidential election year, Dr. King would be assassinated. 

The 1968 election year was tumultuous; it was marked by the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and subsequent riots across the nation, the assassination of Bobby Kennedy, and widespread opposition to the Vietnam War across university campuses. 

Though President Benson was speaking about the current issues of 1967, it is clearly a voice from the past speaking to us in our day. Just like the election year of 1968, we have seen the division of left and right intensify and we have heard the same shout of “racism” and “protesting for justice” spike across our nation every four years – always during an election year. Fifty-three years ago, President Benson shed light on this matter. Here are some excerpts from his 1967 conference address.

“Prophesying of our day, Nephi said, ‘. . . they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.’ (2 Ne. 28:14.)”

“…it is the precepts of men versus the principles of God. The more we follow the word of God, the less we are deceived, while those who follow the wisdom of men are deceived the most.”

“The world largely ignores the first and great commandment—to love God—but talks a lot about loving their brother. They worship at the altar of man. Would Nephi have slain Laban if he had put the love of neighbor above the love of God? Would Abraham have taken Isaac up for a sacrifice if he had put the second commandment first?”

“That's why the Church, under the inspiration of the Lord, encourages its members to first look to themselves, then their family, then the Church and if need be to other voluntary agencies to help solve the problems of poverty, unemployment, hunger, sickness, and distress. Those who are not moved by that same inspiration turn instead to government. Such man-made course of action does little good compared to the Lord's approach and often results in doing great harm to our Father's children, even though the intentions may seem to have been noble.”

“Therefore, if you desire to help your fellowmen the most, then you must put the first commandment first.”

“…the same masters of deceit are showing the same false solicitude for the unfortunate in the name of civil rights. Now there is nothing wrong with civil rights; it is what's being done in the name of civil rights that is alarming.”

“As far back as 1928, the Communists declared that the cultural, economic, and social differences between the races in America could be exploited by them to create the animosity, fear, and hatred between large segments of our people that would be necessary beginning ingredients for their revolution. Three-fold attack. Briefly, the three broad objectives were and are as follows: 1) Create hatred, 2) Trigger violence, 3) Overthrow established government”

“First, create hatred. Use any means to agitate blacks into hating whites and whites into hating blacks. Work both sides of the split. Play up and exaggerate real grievances. If necessary, don't hesitate to manufacture false stories and rumors about injustices and brutality. Create martyrs for both sides. Play upon mass emotions until they smolder with resentment and hatred.”

“Second, trigger violence. Put the emotional masses into the streets in the form of large mobs, the larger the better. It makes no difference if the mob is told to demonstrate ‘peacefully’ so long as it is brought into direct confrontation with the antagonist. Merely bringing the two emotionally charged groups together is like mixing oxygen and hydrogen. All that is needed is one tiny spark. If the spark is not forthcoming from purely spontaneous causes, create it.”

“Third, overthrow established government. Once mob violence becomes widespread and commonplace, condition those who are emotionally involved to accept violence as the only way to "settle the score" once and for all. Provide leadership and training for guerilla warfare. Institute discipline and terrorism to insure at least passive support from the larger, inactive segment of the population. Train and battle-harden leadership through sporadic riots and battles with police. Finally, at the appointed time, launch an all-out simultaneous offensive in every major city.”

“This plan is as follows: Using unidentified Communist agents and non-Communist sympathizers in key positions in government, in communications media, and in mass organizations, such as labor unions and civil rights groups, demand more and more government power as the solution to all civil rights problems.Total government is the objective of Communism.”

“Without calling it by name, build Communism piece by piece through mass pressures for presidential decrees, court orders, and legislation that appear to be aimed at improving civil rights and other social reforms. If there is social, economic, or educational discrimination, then advocate more government programs and control.”

“And what if riots come? Then more government housing, government welfare, government job training, and, finally, federal control over police. Thus, the essential economic and political structure of Communism can be built entirely "legally" and in apparent response to the wishes of the people who have clamored for some kind of solution to the problems played-up, aggravated, or created outright by Communists for just that purpose.”

“After the machinery of Communism is firmly established, then allow the hidden Communists one by one to make their identities known. Liquidate first the anti-Communists and then the non- Communist sympathizers who are no longer needed in government. The total state mechanism can now openly and "peacefully" be transferred into the hands of Communists. Such is the so-called proletarian revolution. Such has happened in other, once free, countries. It has already started here.”

“We must support our local police in their difficult task of keeping law and order in these trying times. Police should not be encumbered by civilian review boards or asked to be social workers. They have their hands full just trying to keep the peace. Recent soft-on-crime decisions of the Supreme Court, which hamper the police in protecting the innocent and bringing the criminal to justice, should be reversed. Persistent cries of "police brutality" should be recognized for what they are—attempts to discredit our police and discourage them from doing their job to the best of their ability.”

“Salaries should be adequate to hold on to and attract the very finest men available for police work. But, in questions of money, great care should be taken not to accept grants from the federal government. Along with federal money, inevitably there will come federal controls and guidelines that not only may get local police embroiled in national politics but may even lead to the eventual creation of a national police force. Every despotism requires a national police force to hold the people in line. Communism is no exception. Our local police should remain free from federal control.”

“The solution to most, if not all, of the current problems involving civil rights is less government, not more.”

“individual citizens must stand up and assume more than their share of the responsibility. The speaker's platform, hand distribution of literature, study clubs, home discussions—all must be pressed into service.”

“The success or failure of Americans of all races to meet this challenge may well determine the fate of our country. If we fail, we will all lose our civil rights, black man and white man together, for we will live under perfect Communist equality—the equality of slaves.”

“As President McKay has stated, ‘The position of this Church on the subject of Communism has never changed. We consider it the greatest satanical threat to peace, prosperity, and the spread of God's work among men that exists on the face of the earth.’”

“He has also counseled that ‘next to being one in worshiping God, there is nothing in this world upon which this Church should be more united than in upholding and defending the Constitution of the United States’”.

“May we unite behind the Prophet in opposing the Communist conspiracy and preserving our freedom and our divine constitution, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.” (2)

Though President Benson clearly saw the civil rights movement as a sheep's costume cloaking a ravenous wolf, in other words something seemingly good being manipulated and used for a dark agenda, his counselor in the First Presidency, Gordon B. Hinckley (who later became 15th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), worked to make peace with the NAACP and helped name a state holiday in Utah after Dr. Martin Luther King.  

And just this month, President Russell M. Nelson joined NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson, Leon Russell, NAACP chairman of the board, and The Rev. Amos C. Brown, NAACP chairman emeritus of religious affairs, in a joint op-ed posted on Medium early Monday under the title "Locking arms for racial harmony in America."

It's so important that we stand up to injustice when we see it happen. We are all God's children and we must protect our brothers and sisters of all races, ethnicities, backgrounds, genders, and faiths. At the same time while doing so, we must all use our best judgment in discerning groups and movements promoting these causes, as to who are the sheep and who are the wolves dressed as sheep. We can support a principle without having to join an organization or group. Rather than basing our decisions on whether or not we will be liked or unpopular, we should be basing our decisions on truth, led by the Spirit, and supported by the word of God. We must always stand up for God and defend His laws. Let us put the Lord first in all that we do, and He will support us in our efforts to love and protect our fellow man. Let us defend His laws over the precepts of men. ❤️

References:

(1) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_rights_movement
(2) - https://sites.google.com/site/heavenlybanner/crtool?fbclid=IwAR0V-LPyBFuRV06pXp3TsgKs4bGUBnkEF-dRhoQNwaMANNGX_IRkJRcZIfk

Coming into the Promised Land!

Let's compare what's going on here in America with the Passover, Exodus, and entry into the Promised Land. Also there's a Noah comparison to be talked about. Things are bad, and will get worse before the Savior comes, but the good news is that he is coming and things will get better!

Archbishop's Powerful Letter to President Trump!

Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò warns the president that the current crises over the coronavirus pandemic and the George Floyd riots are a part of the eternal spiritual struggle between the forces of good and evil. It appears that this crisis is even causing division within the Catholic church, and other churches for that matter. 

This paragraph in his letter to the president was the most profound:

"And it is disconcerting that there are Bishops – such as those whom I recently denounced – who, by their words, prove that they are aligned on the opposing side. They are subservient to the deep state, to globalism, to aligned thought, to the New World Order which they invoke ever more frequently in the name of a universal brotherhood which has nothing Christian about it, but which evokes the Masonic ideals of those want to dominate the world by driving God out of the courts, out of schools, out of families, and perhaps even out of churches."


Mr. President,

            In recent months we have been witnessing the formation of two opposing sides that I would call Biblical: the children of light and the children of darkness. The children of light constitute the most conspicuous part of humanity, while the children of darkness represent an absolute minority. And yet the former are the object of a sort of discrimination which places them in a situation of moral inferiority with respect to their adversaries, who often hold strategic positions in government, in politics, in the economy and in the media. In an apparently inexplicable way, the good are held hostage by the wicked and by those who help them either out of self-interest or fearfulness.

            These two sides, which have a Biblical nature, follow the clear separation between the offspring of the Woman and the offspring of the Serpent. On the one hand there are those who, although they have a thousand defects and weaknesses, are motivated by the desire to do good, to be honest, to raise a family, to engage in work, to give prosperity to their homeland, to help the needy, and, in obedience to the Law of God, to merit the Kingdom of Heaven. On the other hand, there are those who serve themselves, who do not hold any moral principles, who want to demolish the family and the nation, exploit workers to make themselves unduly wealthy, foment internal divisions and wars, and accumulate power and money: for them the fallacious illusion of temporal well-being will one day – if they do not repent – yield to the terrible fate that awaits them, far from God, in eternal damnation.

In society, Mr. President, these two opposing realities co-exist as eternal enemies, just as God and Satan are eternal enemies. And it appears that the children of darkness – whom we may easily identify with the deep state which you wisely oppose and which is fiercely waging war against you in these days – have decided to show their cards, so to speak, by now revealing their plans. They seem to be so certain of already having everything under control that they have laid aside that circumspection that until now had at least partially concealed their true intentions. The investigations already under way will reveal the true responsibility of those who managed the Covid emergency not only in the area of health care but also in politics, the economy, and the media. We will probably find that in this colossal operation of social engineering there are people who have decided the fate of humanity, arrogating to themselves the right to act against the will of citizens and their representatives in the governments of nations.

            We will also discover that the riots in these days were provoked by those who, seeing that the virus is inevitably fading and that the social alarm of the pandemic is waning, necessarily have had to provoke civil disturbances, because they would be followed by repression which, although legitimate, could be condemned as an unjustified aggression against the population. The same thing is also happening in Europe, in perfect synchrony. It is quite clear that the use of street protests is instrumental to the purposes of those who would like to see someone elected in the upcoming presidential elections who embodies the goals of the deep state and who expresses those goals faithfully and with conviction. It will not be surprising if, in a few months, we learn once again that hidden behind these acts of vandalism and violence there are those who hope to profit from the dissolution of the social order so as to build a world without freedom: Solve et Coagula, as the Masonic adage teaches.

            Although it may seem disconcerting, the opposing alignments I have described are also found in religious circles. There are faithful Shepherds who care for the flock of Christ, but there are also mercenary infidels who seek to scatter the flock and hand the sheep over to be devoured by ravenous wolves. It is not surprising that these mercenaries are allies of the children of darkness and hate the children of light: just as there is a deep state, there is also a deep church that betrays its duties and forswears its proper commitments before God. Thus the Invisible Enemy, whom good rulers fight against in public affairs, is also fought against by good shepherds in the ecclesiastical sphere. It is a spiritual battle, which I spoke about in my recent Appeal which was published on May 8.

            For the first time, the United States has in you a President who courageously defends the right to life, who is not ashamed to denounce the persecution of Christians throughout the world, who speaks of Jesus Christ and the right of citizens to freedom of worship. Your participation in the March for Life, and more recently your proclamation of the month of April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month, are actions that confirm which side you wish to fight on. And I dare to believe that both of us are on the same side in this battle, albeit with different weapons.

For this reason, I believe that the attack to which you were subjected after your visit to the National Shrine of Saint John Paul II is part of the orchestrated media narrative which seeks not to fight racism and bring social order, but to aggravate dispositions; not to bring justice, but to legitimize violence and crime; not to serve the truth, but to favor one political faction. And it is disconcerting that there are Bishops – such as those whom I recently denounced – who, by their words, prove that they are aligned on the opposing side. They are subservient to the deep state, to globalism, to aligned thought, to the New World Order which they invoke ever more frequently in the name of a universal brotherhood which has nothing Christian about it, but which evokes the Masonic ideals of those want to dominate the world by driving God out of the courts, out of schools, out of families, and perhaps even out of churches.

            The American people are mature and have now understood how much the mainstream media does not want to spread the truth but seeks to silence and distort it, spreading the lie that is useful for the purposes of their masters. However, it is important that the good – who are the majority – wake up from their sluggishness and do not accept being deceived by a minority of dishonest people with unavowable purposes. It is necessary that the good, the children of light, come together and make their voices heard. What more effective way is there to do this, Mr. President, than by prayer, asking the Lord to protect you, the United States, and all of humanity from this enormous attack of the Enemy? Before the power of prayer, the deceptions of the children of darkness will collapse, their plots will be revealed, their betrayal will be shown, their frightening power will end in nothing, brought to light and exposed for what it is: an infernal deception.

            Mr. President, my prayer is constantly turned to the beloved American nation, where I had the privilege and honor of being sent by Pope Benedict XVI as Apostolic Nuncio. In this dramatic and decisive hour for all of humanity, I am praying for you and also for all those who are at your side in the government of the United States. I trust that the American people are united with me and you in prayer to Almighty God.

            United against the Invisible Enemy of all humanity, I bless you and the First Lady, the beloved American nation, and all men and women of good will.


+ Carlo Maria Viganò

Titular Archbishop of Ulpiana

Former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America

Ancient Israelites in North America - A Look at DNA!

My friends and I often have conversations about very intriguing topics. This most recent one was too good not to share. 

We had been talking about our love for the "Hidden in the Heartland" series that you can now watch in Amazon prime. They are short episodes that show a great amount of evidence and archeological finds here in North America that seem to confirm that the Book of Mormon took place in the Heartland.

The question of a friend came up;

"I'm wondering if you have you heard where the natives from Mexico, south and Central America may be from? Wasn’t Lehi from Manasseh?  I had a close friend who was from Colombia and he was from the tribe of Manasseh. 

Do you think that are still part of Lehis people?"

Our friend Beth responded;

"Yes the DNA testing done shows the Mesoamerican tribes are linked more to Asian peoples. The North American tribes, mainly of the NE United States, carry a maternal haplogroup only found in a few other rare places in the world - one of those being Israel, and more specifically Nazareth. I just learned that about a month ago that specifically it's linked to Nazareth.

I have a fascinating book that explores the phenotypes (outer genetic characteristics) of the North American natives and Mesoamerica natives compared to different groups of people in the world. I’ll see if I can find it and send pictures. Seeing the pictures of side by side comparisons, it was very clear who the ancestors of both groups were, even without the DNA evidence to back it up.

Also, if you compare a Hindu temple from India with the Mesoamerica temples, they are the same.

Jewish temples did not have stairs. There’s a Mosaic law about it. One of the rabbi’s told that to either Rod or Wayne while on a tour of Jerusalem. He said staired temples were for the gentiles. The Hebrews had ramps so they could gradually ascend up to the temple without flashing people in the crowd from underneath. It was a way to keep modesty. 

The temples in Mesoamerica all have stairs. The Hopewell temples all had ramps! Wayne has a whole magazine dedicated to the parallels between the Hindus and the Aztecs. I’ll see if I can find that too.

So, we know some things that I think will help answer your question about Lehi’s seed:

1) there were already groups here when Lehi arrived. The Nephites went north, but the Lamanites joined with and mixed with some of the groups already here. We can pick this up from clues in the scriptures - their skin turned darker within a generation and they become way more numerous than the nephites very quickly too. 

2) The BOM ends with the restrictions of the Nephite people in 400 AD. It was another 1000 years before Columbus came and all the conquistadors of South America. A LOT of history happened in that time.

From what I’ve studied and come across, there were multiple times of groups conquering each other and the Lamanite bloodlines being mixed into the non-Lehi descendant bloodlines that were already in South America. 

For example, I’ve mentioned the period of 400 years when the “snake people” of Mexico (so either Mayans or Aztecs, can’t remember which) came up to the Georgia area, made the natives their slaves (so made the Lamanite descendants slaves), ruled over them, mixed with them, adopted some of their traditions and stories, and then eventually went back down to Mexico. During this time, they forced their slaves to recreate some of their temples they left behind. There wasn’t all the rock, so it was built of dirt. Let me see if I can find a picture of it for you. It’s still there today for tours and everything. 

The chief of that tribe that had been made slaves told this part of their history to Wayne May while he toured it. 

 

It’s called the Etowah Indian Mounds. It’s very different looking from the Hopewell mounds left behind. This clearly had a link to the ancient tribes of Mexico. So, right there you have one case of the Lamanite bloodlines mixing in with the people of Mexico. They would have taken back some of the traditions and stories the Lamanites had.

Another example is I believe the Inca or another Peruvian group. I wish I remembered that one better. Either they came north or northern people’s went south. But there was a lot of mixing in the 1,100 years after the Nephites were destroyed! 

So, yes, I really do believe the native peoples of South America are descendants of Lehi and probably why they join the church in higher numbers than other places. They are helping fulfill the promise made to Enos.

The other thing to remember is that Christ visited more than just the Book of Mormon people. He told them he had other sheep to visit as well. The book, "He Walked the Americas", explores the stories different native groups have passed down of the white bearded prophet that visited their people. I’ve read through most of those accounts and see a common theme of him teaching peace, loving one another, and higher farming technologies. For instance, it was the great white bearded prophet that taught Squanto’s people how to put a fish under their corn before planting. Squanto taught it to William Bradford, and it ended up saving the lives of the Pilgrims.

So yes, I do also believe he visited the Aztec and Mayan people of Mexico as well! I don’t believe it’s what our Book of Mormon account is, but there seems to be much of the doctrine he would have taught left behind and shown on their temple walls as well. They also have their traditions of him coming to visit.

Maternal haplogroup is what they call a special marker that is passed from mother to daughter. It’s almost like a fingerprint identification that gets passed on in our genes. So you each carry the one that came from your mother’s mother’s mother’s mother’s mother, etc, back through time. 

There is a book called “The 7 daughters of Eve” that traces the 7 ancient women who each had a genetic mutation or variant which created their own unique haplogroup. Those had branches and mutations as well until we have many maternal haplogroups today.

So above, they are showing the different groups of Maternal haplogroups that are found in the Americas among native women. 

If you read through it, it explains how haplogroup X is found in Israelite women and NE America’s, but not Mesoamerica women.

The Haplogroups A, B, C, & D are all found in Mesoamerica, and they are all Asian. 

I think the pictures comparing faces of women from Asia compared to Mayan and Aztec women is fascinating. Same with a Galilean woman compared to North American Indian woman.

I also ended up copying that whole chapter above because they delve a bit into how Israelite genetics shows up in the British Isles!

In most of the rest of the book, he makes comparisons between Semitic vs Asiatic phenotypes...or in other words, the physical facial differences between Israeli & middle eastern groups and Asian groups. Asian groups tend to have flatter foreheads and noses whole semeric groups have rounder foreheads and prominent noses. I think there’s a difference with the jaw too, but can’t remember what. So with that in mind, he looks at the profiles of various figures...

The first group of pages I posted above also ended up going into Ephraim. This is the haplogroup and DNA evidence that shows the tribe of Ephraim ended up in the British isles. 

These three pictures are exploring how the modern descendants of these groups still match up with ancient carvings of their ancestors.

This compares a Mayan woman with an ancestral carving with a Filipino man.

Mayan statue with a Siberian man.

This shows links between Mayan statues and Chinese statues. Even the dress and necklaces.

Now Jewish compared with Mayan and Northern American profiles.

These three pictures show how even the custom of dress and jewelry was similar to Semitic peoples. Braided hair as well, meaning the dress, hair, hat and jewelry customs of North American Indians are similar to Semitic tribes in the Middle East.

And these compare ancient and modern Jews with northern American Indian people.

Then he goes through and compares famous leaders with Semitic peoples. This page above has a historical quote from someone that heard Lincoln say he supposed he was Hebrew in origin, even though his ancestral lines with British and Dutch.

And then here it compares Joseph Smith’s family with Jewish faces as well. It amazed me the comparison of his son to a Samaritan priest - they look like twins! Then Joseph’s uncle, nephew and his own death mask.

So yes - there is quite a bit of evidence out there linking the North American Indian tribes to Israel, while the complete opposite for linking MesoAmerican tribes to them.

The man that wrote this book above is not associated with the FIRM foundation. I know he likes Wayne May’s research, but this was his own. The book was mainly focused around exploring a mummy from Egypt he thought might be Joseph of Egypt based on phenotype profile and other clues. I’ve only seen him at a conference one time. He has done this research independently and reached the same conclusion Wayne is finding with the artifact evidence.

Another interesting thing that came to mind about this topic. The MicMac Indians of NE US and Canada area. Their script and customs match up with two things - the ancient script of an Irish people, and the script copied down from the gold plates to show the professor. They all match up. 

Meaning, the Micmac people (who have many Jewish customs, including the mosaic marriage laws for widows, hair, hats, etc), have links to the BOM peoples as well as a group in Ireland. Which is another evidence showing up that some Nephites ended up in Europe!

Book of Mormon above showed to the professor.

Compared with Micmac Indian script (of Nova Scotia).

And then someone not of our faith compared it to this Irish script and tried to use that to prove the BOM as made up. The Stoddards heard it in a presentation at a homeschool conference. They looked into it and saw the Ancient Irish script had not been published in a time that Joseph Smith would have seen it, and he could not have used it to “make up” the BOM script above.

In comparison - here is Mayan script. It’s not even close.

Lindsey, I remember you talking about finding a connection between the Chichen Itza work and it being with the Cherokee as well on your trip to Mexico. I have wondered if that connection and the many parallels you saw between the two came from the time when the Mayan came up and invaded Georgia for 400 years. The Cherokee were very close to that area being in western North Carolina and I’m sure the two cultures mixed quite a bit. Enough to have the similar words and stories you found between the two on your vacation.

There’s info out there on this topic as well if wanting to search it further.

My son brought this to me tonight and I thought it was pretty neat! Goes back to this Heartland model topic (and tornadoes! Another theme we’ve talked about! 😅) Note that this “shafts in the whirlwind” phenomenon is something that occurs here in the Heartland.

This goes on to explore that topic further. Note how Mesoamerica doesn’t even have the right conditions for whirlwinds! The hearland of America’s does."

The question came up as to why the European Christians of the Bible Belt (who were among the many groups that came to America seeking religious freedom), have had a strong stance against the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon. 

I had replied;

"I’ve pondered this before about the Bible Belt. I remember when we visited Tennessee a few years ago and we learned from a Dolly Parton show, all about her ancestors from the Smokey Mountains. They all came from Scotland. I had no idea at the time and it intrigued me. I remember several years ago a German family came to America seeking refuge because they were about to be arrested because the parents were trying to homeschool and that’s against the law in Germany. They were a Christian family with 7 kids (I think). So they felt led to Tennessee. They came for refuge in the Smokey Mountains. I can’t remember what happened to them but I think I heard the German government summoned them back and they were forced out of the U.S. anyways it had me again pondering about the settlers of that area. So interesting about why one group was so resistant?"

Later Beth said;

"A distant cousin sent me this book in the mail today. It’s quite thick, about 900 pages, and was more than I wanted to pay on Amazon. She saw me talking in a group about groups of people that came to America and thought I would enjoy this book. She had the thought to send it to me, and so gifted it! It’s been so interesting so far!

It details the 4 different British groups that came to America and the differences between them.  Which parts of England and explores the differences in dialect, religious views and practices, child naming and reading approaches, and general views on law and morals. It’s pretty fascinating! But neat she thought to even send it to me as this has been a topic of interest for a while and she had no idea. This is not even what I was talking about in the post she read.

These are the four groups it explores. What really gets me is she wrote and said she had the thought to send this to me on the day we were all wondering why there was such a difference between New England descendants that joined the church and other groups that ended up in the south and didn’t join the church. This book basically traces those groups histories and early time in America!

The first group discussed in this book is the New Englanders, the second group is the Jamestown group, third is the Quakers of Pennsylvania, and 4th is the Scotts to the Appalachia and south! Exact groups we had been talking about!"

I replied;

"I have always been fascinated with facial genetics and the study of where certain facial features originate. I once spent an entire day (several years ago) reading about it. I’ve not been able to find that website since but it was old research and photos from the 40’s-50’s of people all over the world. I remember I found an image of a woman who I felt looked just like me! I love history and I love learning about people and their origins."

Some other parts of our long conversation:

Beth said,

"Lehi landed in the Florida panhandle area. There’s a ton of evidence for it I can go into more detail with if you want. But the Lamanites stayed there and Nephi and his people went North until they got to northern Georgia and a Tennessee area. about the Chattanooga area of Tennessee is where they think the temple was built at a big flat overlook that is still considered sacred by native Americans. Basically that area was the land of Nephi. Lots of copper mines in that area. 

Then later they went west and found the land of Zarahemla. Wayne May found evidence of the temple being right across from Nauvoo. Nauvoo was a Hopewell Indian burial ground. Those are believed to be Nephites. So basically, Joseph, Hyrum and Emma are buried literally in a Nephite Burial ground. Which is amazing. 

The area that Wayne found the ancient temple evidence is in the place the Lord told JOseph Smith to name Zarahemla.

But it all goes with the theme we’ve talked about with the British lands - the Lord uses patterns of bringing his people to sacred areas over and over. Cumorah and the sacred grove, Kirtland and Bountiful, Nauvoo and Zarahemla, Jackson county and the Garden of Eden, Adam Ondi Ahman and the early saints, and Far West and what I think was a place that had to do with Noah. 

The Mulekites and Jaradites entered in by way of the northern areas - st Lawrence canal and Great Lakes. They settled that Canada and northern Michigan area and then eventually came down to the Nauvoo area. 

Wayne Maye does a whole lecture on how he has a theory that anytime you get an antichrist or trouble maker in the Nephites, it’s usually a Mulekite. They are usually noted to be very large in stature (Jaradites were the Adena - giants 9 feet tall), and they usually had some wicked Jaradite practices or philosophies. It was really interesting theory and now that he’s pointed it out, I see the pattern all the time when reading the BOM.

Real quick, from what I’ve studied, the Nephites and Lamanites did spread out a bit. I remember reading in Ether and there is a part where a king and his sons had to go East and hide for a while because someone had taken over the kingdom. Knowing the artifacts show the Adena (that’s the name of the native people that match up with the Jaradite timeline) - knowing where Adena settlements and burial sites are concentrated (Michigan and Ohio), I was looking at the map for which part of the coast they would have gone to. And then Wayne maye shared about some houses in the ground that are kind of like caves they found some where, that date to the Adena people. Anyway, always made me wonder if that’s where they hid out for a number of years.

They believe the Cherokees are the Lamanites that made an oath with Moroni to no longer fight with the Nephites and went eastward. And the Lamanite converts of Ammon were given land around St Louis area. Anyway, it is really fun to study up on.

From what I’ve seen, the pilgrims felt part of Israel. They felt they were modern day Israel. They followed the patterns of covenant keeping people’s....which means their ancestors probably were as well (Covenant Keepers). The Jamestown crew was more out for land, adventure, fortune, and business. It was a place for the children of wealthy nobleman to go and make their fortune, because they weren’t the oldest son inheriting their father’s fortune back in England. Also a lot of criminals or people who had debts were sent there. Their death rate was horrific - 2 of every 3 people died their first year in Jamestown during the first decade or so it was getting going. So 2/3 of the people died. For the pilgrims, 1/2 died the first winter. So...they actually survived better somehow. 

Anyway, people both coming out of England, but such different focuses! I remember reading that when the Jamestown church burned or was knocked down somehow, they just didn’t even rebuild it for years. They had other priorities.

I know that my ancestors that come from that area went across the bay and settled in the Delmarva peninsula. The state of Virginia said they had to be Church of England. So my ancestors left with many others, and crossed the state lines into Delaware. Freedom of religion was important to them. 

But the group you see join the early church in droves are the descendants of the pilgrims. I think they definitely had royal bloodlines. 

Maybe the Jamestown group did too, but it was like the Israelites that were a tad slower at being valiant centuries ago??? Who knows. But history does tend to point to there being a difference somehow.

Many of the tribes that are thought to be Nephite descendants are found in the NE region with the “Algonquin” tribes. Once you get toward the South, you run into tribes that have more Lamanite stories in their traditional stories. 

The Indians that helped both groups (pilgrims and Jamestown) were Algonquin. Which is interesting.

My ancestor at Jamestown was adopted by Chief Powhatan (Pocahontas’ dad) for a number of years so he could learn their language. He took a native girl to wife and had a child (also my ancestor). 

So because of that connection to the Algonquin tribes, when I come across their chiefs and kings in the record books, I actually get to submit them for temple work! I think that is the coolest thing. Many of their tribes are wiped out by now, so there are no other descendants doing it. I hope that it is somehow helping Nephite descendants on the other side. On my dad’s side is Choctaw Indian from the South...lamanite. Which again, is cool to see those family names be done as well. 

I have a book from a lecture I went to where a guy studied the different tribes and noticed a distinct pattern between tribes that were Nephite descendants and tribes that were Lamanite descendants. He also goes through and shows how all these customs the native Americans had parallel ancient Hebrew customs. 

The native people of Mesoamerica march up DNA wise to Asians, and their architecture mimics the Hindu temples of India. I do believe Christ visited them as well. But I don’t believe it was the visit we read about in 3 Nephi. 

Also, it was either the Mayan or Aztec that came up to the Georgia area and for about 400 years made the Lamanite people there slaves. They eventually went back to Mexico with many inter marriages. My personal thought is they would have taken many of the stories of Christ back down with them when that happened.

I could go on about all this for a while 😅 It really is exciting to think about it all happening here! There’s also the research showing evidence Nephites ended up in Europe. I remember the impression I had one day that when William Bradford met Squanto, it was the bringing back together of Nephite and Lamanite bloodlines. I was surprised to hear Lindsey say the same, and they also said the same in the Stoddard’s documentary of Nephites in Europe. 

So...that may very well tie in to the Pilgrim bloodlines as well, If they had Nephite ancestry!

I remember reading an article last year about this abandoned City in England they discovered. As I read how it was set up for defense, I was amazed at how much it paralleled Moroni’s own strategy for defending cities. It made me wonder if Nephites ended up back in England somehow. After wondering that, the Stoddard’s came out with their research showing that yes, there is tons of evidence for that! 

I feel like it gives a different perspective when you read the BOM and they talk about talking to their descendants and writing this book for their descendants...and you realize that literally means most of us as a people today in America! And other places throughout it the world. Prophets have confirmed Nephites ended up in Both Japan and New Zealand. The Stoddard’s found evidence for England, Netherlands, & Germany. It seems their bloodlines are mixed in throughout the world. The BOM really is for everyone."

I replied;

"I saw this article today and thought it was interesting." The article shows the map below of the native nations here in America. 

https://www.ancient-origins.net/history/why-isn-t-map-history-books-007401?utm_source=sumome&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=sumome_share

Beth said;

"Saw this map today of the 11 different groups of settlers in the US" She compared it side by side to the native nations map.