As an example, could he have known
about the fantastic ruins that stretched from Chile to Ecuador, and were
scattered all over Peru and Western
Bolivia? Could he have known the historicity of this extremely unique area—the
Andean lands of South America where he wrote that Lehi landed?
Ruins found in the Andean area of South America. There are currently
thousands of such sites scattered all over Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Chile, that date into B.C. times and have very similar construction indicating a common source of building
In looking at the dates when these
ruins were first discovered:
• Kuelap first discovered in 1843 (a
year after Williams death) by Juan Crisotomo Nieto, but not photographed and
written about until 1930s
• Pachacamac, first written about by E.G.
Squier, 1877, but not truly recognized until Max Uhle rediscovered in in 1903,
and 1939 by Dr. Alberto Glesecke, which led to the archaeological work there of
Tello, Strong, Corbett and Borja.
• Tiwanaku was first discovered in
1850s, first drawings and descriptions written in 1860 by Ephraim George
Squier, first map drawn in 1876 by Alphons Stuhbel, and a book containing the
first major account of the ruins along with major photographic documenttion
was published in 1892 by B. von Grumbkow
• Caral pyramids
first discovered in 1905, and rediscovered in 1941 by Gordon R. Willey and John
M. Colbert
• Machu Picchu was first discovered in
1911 by Hiram Bringham
• Sayacmarca was discovered in 1912 by
Hiram Bingham
• Concha Marca was discovered in 1913
by Hiram Bingham
• Chavin de Huantar discovered in 1919
by Julio C. Tello
• Ingapirca was discovered in 1919 when
excavating for a farm
• Great Wall of Peru discovered in 1931 by Shippee and Johnson from the air
• Great Wall of Peru discovered in 1931 by Shippee and Johnson from the air
• Colca Canyon first discovered in
1930s and rediscovered in 1980s
• Nazca Lines first discovered in 1939
by Toribio Mejia Zesspe
• Gran Pajaten first discovered in 1964
by Carlos Tomas Torrealva Juarez
• Sacsayhuaman first described in print
by John Hemming, 1970
• Cuidad Perdida discovered in the
1970s when an airplane spotted it from above
• Chan Chan was discovered in the 1980s
by Dr. Walter Alva
• Lord of Sipan first discovered in
1987 by Walter Alva
• Ollantaytambo, discovered in 1853 by
Charles Markham, and later Squier, Wiener and Middendorf
• Also, Marcahuamachuco, discovered in
1900; Huacas del Sol y de la Luna, discovered in 1910; Choquequirao, discovered
in 1834 but forgotten, rediscovered in 1909 by Hiram Bingham; Paititi,
discovered in 2008; Huaro, discovered in 1995 by Julinho Zapata; Huaro,
discovered in 1995 by Julinho Zapata
In short, the discoveries of the vast
ruins of the Andean area in South America were not known until long after
William’s death, most not until the 20th century.
Nor was it known that the history of
these early people that they had built one of the most intricate road systems
known in the world, rivaling that of the Romans; that they practiced
circumcision; that they had built a system of temples, palaces, and buildings
rivaling anything built elsewhere; that they had built docks along sea ports
that could handle hundreds of ships; that they had built numerous forts and
outer resorts, and miles of defensive walls that were all pointed toward
defending against southern invasion; that their construction methods were
beyond anything built anywhere in the world until modern times; that they
mummified and buried their dead much like the Egyptians; that their legends
spoke of coming from the east across the great seas; that they were capable of
making “fine-twined” linen and silk; that they had fevers due to climate with
plants that cured fevers; a natural narrow neck (26-miles wide) of land
separating the land from a land to the north, with a narrow passage within it;
a culture and society dominated by religion; four brothers who were the first
settlers; a land far to the north containing many waters, lakes
and fountains; mountains “whose height is great”; extensive irrigation
technology; skeletal remains of great battles; and numerous other situations
that match Book of Mormon writings in the Land of Promise.
How could Frederick G. Williams know of any of this in the
1830s, and write that this was Lehi’s landing site?
Such a coincidence would be beyond
description and certainly not believable—the odds would be millions to one!
Yet, Mesoamerican, Great Lakes, and other Theorists, bent on their own little
models and beliefs, ignore all this and toss William’s written statement aside,
claiming it was not a revelation.
But revelation or not, the fact remains
that in the 1830s, he wrote down that Lehi landed along the 30º South Latitude
in Chile! And all these remarkable coincidences just happen to exist in that
location. What a remarkable prediction! Nowhere else in the entire Western Hemisphere
could Williams have chosen that would have had so many perfect matches to the
Land of Promise!
How could he have known all this? Was it simply a coincidence? I think not!
Very cool!! I agree, not merely a coincidence!
ReplyDelete