The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-10-18
MORMON HrERoGhYPH1cs.
Members of the Church Believe Their
Writings Are Very Ancient.

Writings Are Very Ancient.
Believing that hieroglyphic writings
may be found which will substant1ate
the history Of the human race and the
doctrines Of Mormonism as laid down
in the Book of Mormon, it is not I'M
probable that a committee Of scien-
fists and scholars from the Mormon
church at Salt Lake City. Utah, will
come to Mexico soon to explore the
ruins Of Teotihuacan, where Prof
Batres. of the National Museum is now
ensased in excavation work, says The
Mexiean Herald. Bishop w W. Cluf,
of the Mormon church, who was in
the city yesterday, stated that the
Book of Mormon processes to give the
history of the earliest inhabitants Of
America, covering period Of 1900
wears. from the year 500 before Christ
until the year 500 after Christ, and
that the characters in which the book
is written correspond in a great
measure to the hieroglyphics which
have been found on many Mexican
ruins, notably those at Teotihuacan.
e.In the Book Of Mormon said
Bishop cluff, cit is professed to tell Of
the peoples that inhabited this CONT
nent prior even to the coming Of the
savior. The original plates Of the
book are in a language resembling
kthe ancient cahalistic markings Of the
earlier orientals.
go the minds of some Of our most
able scholars it seems plausible to ac-
cept the theory that the new world
was populated by the old Mongolian
race, and confirmation Of this is Civ
zen BY the passages in our Book OF
Mormon, on which the Mormon
church is founded It has always
been attempted to prove that the
aborigines of america were the direct
descendants Of the Mongolians, and
much controversy has resulted there
from. Many times the wise men have
stated that they have found inscrip-
tions which are in the same language
as the Book of Mormon, but in each
instance it appears that they have
not been exactly correct in their state
: nnents. If this can be done and the
writing proved to be the same tongue
as that of the Book of Mormon it will
go, a long way to authenticate the
statement that our book is founded
on a. real race history and religious
history.
For many years it has been the
belief of our scholars that if we ever
were 10 receive substantiation Of the
Book Of Mormon it was TO come from
the ruins OF Mexico and not those of
any. other country. Some OF our wis
est authorities hold TO the belief that
the writings on the Mexican ruins Will
correspond in language to the Book Of
Mormon, and recent finds in Mexico
have proved that they are not far
wrong in their surmise. Recent exca-
vations at Teotihuacan have created
much comment among the learned
men of our people, and it is thought
that they will find inscriptions of in
-terest in that place. When I return to
sSalt Lake City I will lay before them
what I have heard and learned con-
cerning the Teotihuacan ruins and
hieroglyphics, and I believe that they
Will send down commission to in
spect the writings with a view to de-
termining scientifically whether or not
they are of the same class as the Book
OF Mormon writings. Should it prove
to be the case we will have found the
historical confirmation for which we
have been searching for many years
--~ze--s-s>->- >->->uz---
So TN.,;,s