Palenque Restored.
The Book of Mormon speaks of many temples and cities which were built by the people of this time, and no doubt this is one of them in ruins. But who is there that is able to tell the story of those mound builders, excepting their own revealed history?
It must be remembered that this last nation, called Nephites, became a very numerous people, and their history, which they were commanded of the Lord to keep on thin plates of gold, informs us that while they lived lives of purity, serving God prayerfully, they prospered exceedingly.
The precious metals abounded on this new and promised land, so beautifully [p.17] described by the ancient prophet Moses. This man of God, just before his death, blessed the children of Israel, and of Joseph, he said:
“Blessed of the Lord be this land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, and for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, and for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and the thousands of Manasseh.”
Now, if we can successfully establish this continent of America as being the land spoken of by Moses—which is verily true—then we shall find not only those lost nations but the present generation dwelling on this land abounding in the good things found even in the lasting hills, and a choice land above all others.
As evidence I will introduce the words of our famed patriarch, Father Jacob:
“Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches [children] run over the wall [the ocean]. The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him, but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; from thence is the Shepherd, the stone of Israel. Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors [Abraham and Isaac, whose land was Jerusalem] unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills [Rocky Mountains;] they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren [which was Joseph, sold by his brethren into Egypt].”
Father Lehi and his son Nephi and others, just before crossing the sea, or wall of waters, to this choice land of Jacob, searched the records which were brought from Jerusalem and these are the words which they found recorded: