NephiCode: Book of Mormon Proof Found in Ecuador

The Mystery of the Father Crespi Collection: A Forgotten Connection to Ancient Jaredite History?

For many years, my understanding of Book of Mormon geography was shaped under the spiritual guidance of my father, Del DowDell. Through his 30 years of research, he theorized that the ancient Jaredites of the Book of Mormon lived primarily in the region we know today as Ecuador. With this background, imagine my surprise and intrigue when I stumbled upon documentation of a little-known, 1975 BYU- sponsored expedition to Ecuador. This expedition, undertaken with the backing of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, aimed to investigate rumors of ancient metal plates—possibly made of gold, silver, and copper—as well as artifacts that included chariots hidden within subterranean caves in Ecuador.

The story of this expedition unfolds with twists of fate, fascinating discoveries, and a touch of divine intervention. Initially, the trip seemed destined for disappointment when the opportunity to explore the alleged cave systems fell through. However, Paul R. Chessman, then head of Book of Mormon Studies at BYU, made a pivotal decision. Instead of abandoning the trip, he redirected the team to visit a contact he had made years prior—a Catholic priest named Father Carlos Crespi.

Meeting Father Crespi: A Scholar and Protector of Ancient History

Father Crespi, then in his 80s, greeted the group warmly, displaying a sharp intellect and an unassuming humility. This was no ordinary parish priest; Crespi held doctorates in anthropology, engineering, and music and had spent more than five decades serving the indigenous people of Ecuador. What the expedition team encountered next defied logic and belief—a trove of ancient artifacts that historians and archeologists could only dream of.

Father Crespi’s collection, lovingly preserved over decades, was a sight to behold. The expedition team saw, touched, and photographed thousands of items that proved a lost civilization with advanced knowledge, language and global connections. Among the treasures were gold, bronze, and silver plates engraved with hieroglyphs and pictographs. The engravings included known and unknown languages and featured motifs that resembled ancient Egyptian, Libyan, Assyrian and Persian art styles.

Picture from the Crespi Collection, 1975

One particularly astonishing piece, dubbed the “Massanessa Plaque,” announced the death of a Libyan-Egyptian king in 148 BC. This artifact, analyzed by Dr. Barry Fell of Harvard University, further lent credibility to the hypothesis that the Americas were linked to Old World civilizations. Other plates depicted elephants, jaguars, snakes, chariots, and horses—details eerily consistent with descriptions in the Book of Mormon. The collection also included stone tablets etched with mysterious scripts, vibrant gold masks, and intricate ceramics. One interesting item was a large Elephant Tusk with intricate carvings over the whole tusk. Tools, swords, weapons, and ornaments—untarnished by time—lined the shelves. Hide scrapers, spears, axes, and idols carved with distorted features completed the array, stacking the room from floor to ceiling with treasures of the past.

A Second Visit and a Disappearing Treasure

The team’s initial visit was extraordinary, but it would not be their last attempted encounter with Father Crespi’s collection. Later that year, in December 1975, the group attempted a second visit. However, upon their arrival in Cuenca, they were informed that Father Crespi had passed away. This turned out to be “Fake News” — Father Crespi was gravely ill but would recover and live for three more years. What they discovered during this second trip was even more disheartening: the situation surrounding the collection had changed drastically.

The Ecuadorian government had “reportedly” intercepted a shipment of artifacts en route to Rome, escalating tensions around the collection. Specialists were brought in to evaluate the items, categorizing many as forgeries or of little value. From approximately 8,000 ceramic pieces, hundreds were transferred to the National Bank Museum for cataloging and display. Yet, the metallic artifacts—the gold, bronze, and silver plates—were deemed “worthless” and allegedly melted down or used as construction material for local infrastructure. Stones with engravings, including depictions of step pyramids and chariots, were reportedly repurposed as fill for a road bridge.

Speculations of a coverup have since swirled. Some theorize that agents of the Vatican, alongside Ecuadorian government officials, sought to suppress the collection’s implications. As a Catholic priest, Father Crespi’s connection to the Vatican may have played a role in the artifacts being on the Vatican’s radar. Could it be that the revelations these artifacts hinted at—a narrative of ancient civilization in the Americas—were too controversial or damaging to their doctorine?

My Father’s Philosophy and the Forgotten Expedition

When I first shared the documentation of this trip with my father, his reaction was characteristically measured. Del DowDell, ever the scholar, examined the material with interest but ultimately decided against incorporating it into his work. His focus was clear: the Book of Mormon and its text were his foundation, followed by documented modern prophecy. For him, the Crespi Collection, while fascinating, remained low on his priority of low level evidence.

This response taught me a great deal about my father’s research philosophy. He prioritized scripture and the verified words of modern prophets over anecdotal accounts and undocumented claims. Yet, for me, the Crespi story was too compelling to ignore. After my fathers passing, I found myself drawn to this forgotten chapter of Church and South American history, delving into researching the trip. After a year, I discovered a small amount of original photos and notes from the expedition. Holding Dr. Chessman’s original handwritten notes and viewing the original photographs from that trip was an unforgettable experience. Even through all my research, I would only find about 5% of the original photographs from the expedition… where are the other 95% of the collection, I hope to find out some day.

A Conspiracy of Silence?

Why have so few people heard of the Crespi Collection or the Church-sponsored expedition that documented it? The answer might lie in a troubling pattern. History is rife with attempts to erase or suppress records of ancient peoples. From the Lamanites’ efforts to destroy evidence of the Nephites to the Spanish conquistadors’ systematic plundering of native artifacts, much of the past has been lost to conquest and greed. If remnants of a hidden history were to surface today, would those who control such discoveries allow them to see the light of day?

It’s tempting to dismiss such questions as “conspiracy theories,” but the disappearance of the Crespi Collection begs for answers. The photographs and firsthand accounts from the 1975 expedition remain some of the last known documentation of this extraordinary cache of artifacts. What happened to the gold plates, the engraved stones, and the depictions of chariots? Why were these items melted down or hidden away?

The Crespi Collection stands as a tantalizing mystery, a glimpse into a lost world that aligns remarkably with the Book of Mormon’s narrative. It challenges us to reconsider what we think we know about the ancient Americas and the lengths to which some might go to keep the past buried.