A historic record of the new world

By now I hope someone has wondered why I found the previous two postings worthy of posting on the blog.  It is because I believe in the Book of Mormon, a book that in my life goes right beside the Bible bceause I use it like I use the Bible for the word of God which it contains.  Because of my belief in these two books, I am unusually interested in the ancient civilizations that wrote them.  While the Bible describes some history and stories of the prophets of God in the middle east, the Book of Mormon recounts the history and prophets in the American Continents.
Let me show you how the Book of Mormon provides possible insight into the new World being settled twice and into the earthmovers of the Amazons.

Brief History of the New World Being Settled Twice
The Book of Mormon begins with the family of Lehi, a prophet who lived in the middle East in Jerusalem, but was guided by the Lord through the desert and across the ocean.  He brought with him his family and a few others who then became the inhabitants of the American Continents around 431 B.C.  Many years after Lehi and his family and a few friends arrived, their descendants discover a desolate land, desolate because of the swords, shields, and other weapons left from an epic battle in which most of the people died.  In this land they found a record, a history that recounts the beginning and destruction of this much earlier civilization, referred to as the people of Jared.  The people of Jared left the tower of Babel when God confounded everyone giving them different languages and were guided to the American continent where they became a large civilization.  So based on the writings in the Book of Mormon the New World, the American Continents, were settled twice.  First by the people of Jared from the tower of Babel and then by Lehi's family and friends.

Why the Ancient Inhabitants of the Amazons Moved the Earth
Lehi's descendants that followed the teachings of Christ, referred to as Nephites, had frequent wars throughout the years with Lehi's descendants who didn't believe in Christ or Heavenly Father, called Lamanites.  During a certain period of wars between the Lamanites and Nephites, a great Nephite leader named Moroni began surrounding their cities with ditches and timbers.  The text from the Book of Mormon reads as follows:

1  "And now it came to pass that Moroni did not stop making preparations for war, or to defend his people against the Lamanites; for he caused that his armies should commence in the commencement of the twentieth year of the reign of the judges, that they should commence in digging up heaps of earth round about all the cities, throughout all the land which was possessed by the Nephites.

  2 And upon the top of these ridges of earth he caused that there should be timbers, yea, works of timbers built up to the height of a man, round about the cities.

  3 And he caused that upon those works of timbers there should be a frame of pickets built upon the timbers round about; and they were strong and high.

  4 And he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those works of pickets, and he caused places of security to be built upon those towers, that the stones and the arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them.

  5 And they were prepared that they could cast stones from the top thereof, according to their pleasure and their strength, and slay him who should attempt to approach near the walls of the city.

  6 Thus Moroni did prepare strongholds against the coming of their enemies, round about every city in all the land."    (Alma 50:1-6 of The Book of Mormon).

A few chapters later we read about the ditched and mounds of earth again.

"... Teancum, by the orders of Moroni, caused that they should commence laboring in digging a ditch round about the land, or the city, Bountiful.

  4 And he caused that they should build a breastwork of timbers upon the inner bank of the ditch; and they cast up dirt out of the ditch against the breastwork of timbers; and thus they did cause the Lamanites to labor until they had encircled the city of Bountiful round about with a strong wall of timbers and earth, to an exceeding height.

  5 And this city became an exceeding stronghold ever after..."  (Alma 53:3-5 of The Book of Mormon)

The timbers of these defensive structures would have decayed, but the ditches and mounds of earth remain.  I wonder how many of these structures found in the Amazons result from fortification efforts.

Being a scientist I look for evidence.  Occossionally I run across little pieces of possible evidence supporting the Book of Mormon.  It is thrilling to find these, but they do not change my belief in the Book of Mormon because I have personally tested it and continue to test it.  Many years ago I decided to read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover, just as I read the Bible cover to cover.  I made a plan to read for 10 or 20 minutes every day.  Some days it was just reading for me, but then there were days when the words in the Book of Mormon penetrated to the very depths of my being.  Now years later I continue to read daily from the Book of Mormon and/or the Bible.  I continue to test it and enjoy the results that come from studying the Word of God.  Somedays it is merely reading, but many days as I read I am again touched by the power of God in ways that help me with the unique challenges I now face.  From my repeated experiences, I have to conclude that the Bible and Book of Mormon are both sacred writings preserved for us by the power of God.

If you haven't done so, read the Book of Mormon.  Make a goal and stick to it.  God will touch you in powerful yet simple ways as you do so.