White and bearded God.

White and bearded God.

In the Book of Mormon there is an account very intriguing: the visit of Jesus Christ in the American continent. When the Book of Mormon was published this was one of the things that really disturbed the anti Mormons> How Joseph Smith dared to put this account in his fake story?

Well after a  while this account has found many supporters, especially from Catholic priest and historians of the time of the New age here in this continent.

When the Spanish conquistadors and the  Catholic fathers first arrived on the shores of Mexico, and in South America, and when the English and French colonizers and missionaries first penetrated  Canada and United States, they received from the Indians tribes scattered in the western hemisphere several versions of a tradition of a " White and Bearded God" who had in the distant past visited their ancestors, taught them their culture, and mysteriously disappeared, but who would eventually return to them.

Although the traditions from the different Indian groups regarding the "White Bearded God" do not agree in details, there being a variety of versions, yet in the principal points these Indian traditions, from Canada to Chile have a close resemblance to one another.

Hubert Howe Bancroft, a famous historian wrote regarding this topic this:

Although bearing different names and appearing in different countries, the American culture heroes all present the same general characteristics. They are all described as white, bearded men, generally clad in long robes, appearing suddenly and mysteriously upon the scene of their labors. They at once set about improving the people by instructing them in useful and ornamental arts, giving them laws, exhorting them to practice brotherly love and other Christian virtues, and introducing a milder and better form of religion; having accomplished the mission, they disappeared as mysteriously and suddenly as they came; and finally they apotheosized and held in great reverence by a grateful posterity.

In such guise or on such mission did (the" White Bearded God" under such names as) Quetzalcoal appear in Cholula, Votan in Chiapas, Wixepechocha in Oajaca, Zamna and Cukulcan in Guatemala. Viracocha in Peru', Sume' in Brazil.

William Hickling Prescot in his book "The Conquest of Mexico described the "Fair God as follows.

He was said to have been tall of stature, with a white skin, dark hair, and a flowing beard....In a preceding I have noted the popular traditions respecting Quetzalcoal, that deity with a fair complexion and flowing beard, so unlike the Indian physiognomy, who, after fulfilling his mission of benevolence among them, embarked on the Atlantic Sea for the mysterious shores of Tlapallan. He promised, on his departure, to return at some future day..... and resume the possession of his empire. That day was looked forward to with hope or with apprehension, according to the interest of the believer, but with general confidence throughout the wide borders of Anahuac. Even after the Conquest, it still lingered among the Indian races, by whom it was as fondly cherished, as the advent of.....the Messiah by the Jews.

We have three different sources regarding this topic.

The Book of Mormon

The writings of Indians historians who wrote shortly following the Spanish conquest of the New world. These accounts were written primarily in Mexico and Guatemala. The authors accounted the traditions of their forefathers which had come to them either in oral or written form.

The writings of the early Spanish writers, who recorded the history and religious beliefs and customs of the native Americans shortly after the discovery of the New world. These writers were usually Catholic priests who spent many years doing missionary work among Indians. What they wrote they received directly from the aborigines, and became well informed regarding the religious customs, rites, practices and traditions of the Indians. I'd like to point out here. That these people knew about the flood and many other Jewish and Christians traditions, so if these are reliable because backed up by the Bible, why the White bearded God shouldn't be backed up by the Book of Mormon?

One of the most important of the Indian writers was Ixtilxochtil, who lived near City of Mexico about 1600.

He wrote a history of his ancestors and their descendants. His story began with the colonization of ancient America with three separate groups of people from Babel and western Asia. This writer claimed that he produced his history from written documents which had come to him from his ancestors by right of his position as prince in the royal family and also from the traditions he received from the old people.

Ixtilxochitl informs us that the head quarters of his ancestors or the Capital city at 132 B.C. was Huehuetlapallan, which means "ancient Bountiful land". Hue Hue is from the Nahua (Mexican) tongue and means "old, old" or ancient. Professor Marco E. Becerra of the Mexican Society of geography, in his book, on the native geographical names, of the state of Chiapas, says that Huehue-tlan means "bountiful place of the ancients" He locates it in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. Becerra shows that many of the places of Chiapas include this important name, Tula or Tulan or Tlan, meaning "bountiful" or "abounding". He uses the Spanish word abundancia to define it. Abundancia is defined : "abundance, opulence, fertility, plenty...... The ancient Maya term, Tutul-xiu, meaning abounding in plants, the equivalent in Hebrew of Zara-hemullah or Zarahemla.

The term Tlapallan sometime appears in the old accounts as Tulapan, meaning "bountiful land capital". Pan is Maya for center or capital.

Bernardino de Sahagun, a catholic missionary came to Mexico in 1529 and stayed there until his death 1590. He was an historian of marked importance/ He wrote "Historia de Las cosas de Nueva Espana"

What it is interesting about his book is that the book was lost and unknown for nearly 300 years after it was written, after it was discovered in a convent in Spain, and the first publication of it appeared in Mexico 1829, surely it was not available to Joseph Smith

Jaun de Torquemada was a catholic padre. He came in Mexico in the sixteenth century

this is from his work Jaun de Torquemada "Monarquia Indiana (Madrid, Spain 1723) vol 2 pp 40-50

This Quetzalcoatl, according to true histories, was the Great Priest of the City of Tula ( Bountiful)....They say of Him that he was a "White Man", large of body, wide forehead, large eyes,, long a black hair, large and round beard..... in spiritual and ecclesiastical matters this Queztalcoatl was supreme and as a Great Priest.. He never wanted nor permitted sacrifices of blood of dead men, nor of animals, but only of bread and roses and flowers. He very efficiently prohibited and forbade wars, robberies and death and other harm they inflicted on each other. They say that whenever they mentioned deaths or wars or other evils in front of him, he would turn his head and stop his ears in order not to see or hear them. Also, in him is praised the fact that he was very chaste and very honest, and very moderate in many other things.

For this it seems that the Indians who made and make human sacrifices were not following the will of him.

Some people have maintained that the whole Quetzalcoatl myth was a Spanish invention. Paul Hermann declares  in "Conquest by man (New York 1954) pp 171-172

"How clumsy it all was, how small the propaganda value of this story to the cause of Spain! For if a militarily and culturally superior victor is to impose his gods on a subjugated people, he will naturally depict these gods as the quintessence of himself. But this is exactly what the Spaniard did not do, if they invented the story. On the contrary, Quetzalcoatl's appearance was so portrayed that the Aztecs could not fail to notice how little like the blond god the dark Spaniard were. The Aztecs were bound to conclude sooner or later that they could not be the sons of the light God at all. If the Spanish conquistadores did not portray the White Savior of the Indians after their own image, however, then he cannot be a Spanish invention and the myth must be Indian in origin. Carefully considered this leaves no other conclusion open than that the Light God Quetzalcoatl was a real person, that he was neither an invention of Spanish propaganda nor a legendary figment of Indian imagination.

Dr. Brington wrote

"This extraordinary fact naturally suggests the gravest suspicion that these stories were made up after the whites had reached the American shores, and nearly all historians have summarily rejected their authenticity, on this account. But a most careful scrutiny of their source positively refutes this opinion. There is irrefrangibly evidence that these myths, and this ideal of the hero god, were intimately and widely current in America long before any one of its millions of inhabitants had ever seen a white man.

The more refined and higher moral practices were accredited by the native Americans has having been given to their ancestors by the "White bearded God"

Dr> Brington wrote:

Whence comes the manifest and undeniable improvement occasionally witnessed as, for example, among the Aztecs, the Peruvians, and the Mayas? The reply is, by the influence of great men, who cultivated within themselves, a pure faith, lived it in their lives, preached it successfully to their fellows, and, at their death, still survived in the memory of their nation unforgotten models of noble qualities. Where, in America, is any record of such men? We are pointed, in answer, to Quetzalcoatl, Viracocha, Itzamna, and their congeners."

Later in his book Dr. Bringotn pointed out that all of these "Fair gods" seemed to have taught similar doctrines to their respective people. Evidence indicates that they were all perhaps the same individual, coming down, however, through Indian traditions under various names.

Mandan Indians and the "White bearded God"

Paul Hermann "Conquest by man (New York 1954 pag 175

Long before the first missionaries reached the Mandan, they are alleged to have known of a gentle, kindly god who was born of a virgin and died a death of expiation; they told of a miracle having close affinities with the feeding of the five thousand; they related the story of the first mother of mankind and her fall, of the ark, and of the dove with the green twig in its beak; they believed in a personal devil who sought to win over and subjugate to himself the world of men.

The Pueblo Indians of Arizona and New Mexico had a god and his name was Montezuma, very close to Quetzalcoatl. It was claimed to be born of a virgin mother of exquisite beauty and most charitable disposition. P. De Roo in volume I pag 106 of the History of America before Columbus wrote:

The many sided culture hero of the pueblos, Montezuma, is the center of a group of the most poetic myths found in any ancient American mythology. The Pueblos believed in a Supreme being, a Good Spirit so exalted and worthy of reverence that his name was considered too sacred to utter, as , with the ancient Hebrew's, Jehovah was the unmentionable name. Nevertheless, Montezuma was the equal of this Great Spirit, and was often considered with the Sun. Mr. Bancroft says, "Under restrictions, we may fairly regard him as the Melchisedec, the Moses, and the Messiah of the Pueblo desert wanderers."

Itzamna God of the Itzas.

The Catholic priests discovered in Yucatan that these people worshipped a "Fair God" very close to Quetzalcoatl.

T.A. Willard informs us that Itzamna was regarded as the light and the life of the world:

"Father Bernardo de Lizana, one of the most devout priests of his time, stated in his history of Yucatan, written in 1633, that Itzamna was called Kabul, the Skillful Hand, with which he performed miracles, curing the sick by placing his hands on them. "He was a king, a priest, a legislator, a ruler of benevolent character, like Christ," wrote the historian. "He came from the east and founded the Itza civilization." It was said Itzamna could revive the dead.... Through many writings we are shown that Itzamna was one vital influence in implanting the ancient civilization of Yucatan so firmly that it spread out for hundreds of miles. Herrera, the celebrated Mexican historian, states in his work that "The one who first discovered the letters of the Maya language and who made the computations of the years, months and katuns......was Kinich Ahau who was also called Zamna or Itzamna...... In Documentos Ineditod Relaciones de Yucatan, the reader will find many confirmations of the similarity between this (Itza- Mayas) religion and that of the Christian doctrine. Itzamna was considered the Son and disciple of the one and only God, Hunab-KU, upon whose altars were place only fruits and flowers. Human sacrifice and other pagan practices were unknown to these people. When the Mexican captain, Kukulcan (or topiltzin) as the old writers called him, entered the country, he supplanted this Christ-like religion with an idolatrous one, and introduced human sacrifices and other abominations."

Bernardo de Lizana in his book History of Yucatan and spiritual conquest, published in 1633 A.D. gives us much information that he received from the Itza Indians of Yucatan regarding their god.

"In the city of Itzamal (now called Izamal) there are five very high pyramids, all ruined, on dry stone with their forces and supports which serve to raise the stones high. Today no complete edifices are seen, but the signs and vestiges are apparent. On one of them in the southern part, the ancients had a most celebrated idol which they called Itzamatul (Itzamna), which means he who receives and possesses the grace or dew or substance from the sky. And this idol had no other name because they say that he was a King and great Lord of this land, who was obeyed as the Son of God, and when they asked him what he was called or who he was, he would say nothing but these words, "I am the dew or substance of the sky and clouds."

This great kings died and they raised altars to him and he was an oracle and afterwards it will be seen that they built another temple and for what. When this king, who was afterwards deified, lived, the people consulted him about the things that happened in some remote parts and he told them of present and future things. At the same time they carried their dead to him and he brought them back to life, and the sick got well, and for this he was greatly venerated and with reason, for if it were true that he was a Son of God, who only can give life to dead and health to the sick, since it is impossible for an ordinary man, nor the demons, but only the same God, who is the Lord of life and death. The people believed this, and did not know another god, and for this they said he resurrected and cured them"

William Montgomery Mc Govern, an English explorer in his book "Jungle paths and Incas ruins" pages 276-280

"Waco....was a combination of the ideas of tribal hero and high good god.....He....came to be regarded much as Christians regard the supreme Deity....Wako created the earth, the sun, the moon, and lighting and thunder.... and created a woman.....

Wako, I discovered, was reverenced above all as the giver of culture. It was Wako who taught human beings how to prepare the feather ornaments, and who told them how and when they were to dance....According to my informants, Wako suddenly appeared as a full grown man among human beings, first of all at Ipanore, but subsequently at many other places. Wherever he appeared a cataract sprang up. Altogether Wako stayed on the earth a whole year. During this time he particularly instructed the members of each tribe how they were to prepare kashiri and kaapi....He therefore gave long instructions to all the assembled men and beasts as to what they were to do and how they were to behave. he then ascended into the sky. As He disappeared, he sent down a pounder, or drumstick, which was ever since been used by the Indians in honor of their lawgiver.

Since Wako disappeared from the world, he has continued to exist somewhere in the high heavens.

Similarities Between Indian traditions and Christianity.

Miles Poindexter compares the Spanish priest' interpretation of Jehovah with the belief held by the Indians of Peru at the time of the Spanish conquest.

"The Incas' idea of God as the Creator was almost identical with that of the Spanish invaders, except that Viracocha of the Incas as their ancestors  and the beneficent Creator and preserver of all things, was a nobler conception, in some respects than the Jehovah of the Spanish priests; and the Amautas' conception, both of the age and of the method of creation of the world, was more enlightened than that of the Europeans, both conceptions were evidently from the same source.

Dr. P. De Roo gives considerable evidence to sustain this point, that is, Christianity was taught in ancient Americas. The Christian missionaries were surprised to find that the natives had many Christian doctrines. He declares in his book "History of America before Columbus (Philadelphia 1900) volume 1 pag 423-24

"Most ancient and modern authors agree in saying that the Christian religion had been taught to the Indians in pre Columbian days. Bastian establishes this opinion by the numerous analogies he points out between the religious belief and practices of the Christians and those of Americans aborigines. Von Humboldt admits the parity to be so striking as to have given the Spanish missionaries a fine opportunity to deceive the natives by making them believe that their own was none other than the Christian religion....Quite a number of ancient writers, such as Garcilasso de la Vega, Solorzano, Acosta and others are equally explicit in asserting that several Christian tenets and practices were found among our aborigines."

Dr. P. De Roo in the same Opera citato pag 111- 112 196-197 449 558

That these Indians, and probably several more congenial tribes, were Christians, in the broad sense of the word, at the time of their (the Europeans) landing on America soil can scarcely be doubted. They knew and worshipped the one eternal spiritual and unbiquitous God who "caused" or created the heavens and the earth and all they contain; they knew of the happiness of our first parents eating the "fat fruit" of Eden, and of the "bad spirit" who brought them to sin, misfortune, and death; and, as they were acquainted with the circumstances of the dire tragedy, we may readily infer that they were not altogether ignorant of its most important particular: the promise of a Redeemer, which constitutes the deepest foundation of Christianity...

It is almost certain that the Christian religion was preached at various times in America before Columbus' discovery; and while Christianity accepts all the fundamental tenets of Jewish dogmas and morals, and highly respects the typical liturgy of the Old Testament there is no reason to disbelieve that the apparently Judaic vestiges may be explained by the fact of early Christian mission. The alleged similarities actually bear the imprint of Christian teaching to such an extent as to make the judicious Waldeck assert that, "If the Toltecs were Jews, they must have visited the Old world to obtain the Christian dogma apparent in their cult.

The vestiges of former Christianity in America.... have led the enthusiastic Lord kingsborough, Brasseur de Bourbourg, and several more to believe that the American redskins are descendant of Israel

The Mexican archaeologist Laurette Sejourne, designates Quetzalcoatl as" the founder of Nahuatl culture and places that event at about the time Christ began the Christian era in the old world,

President John Taylor in his book Mediation and Atonement (Salt lake City 1882) pag 201-203

"Modern revelation has restored another most important key to unlock the mystery of the almost universal knowledge of the Redeemer and of the plan of the atonement. It is found in the statement of that Jesus, after his resurrection, visited at least the inhabitants of two distinct portions of the earth, which could not have been reached through the ministry of his Jewish Apostles. These two peoples were the Nephites on this land, and the ten Tribes in their distant northern home. The knowledge that the Mexicans and other aboriginal races of America had, at the time of their discovery by the Spaniard, of the life of the Savior, was so exact, that the Catholics suggested two theories (both incorrect, however) to solve the mystery. One was that the devil had invented an imitation gospel to delude the Indians; the other, that the apostle Thomas had visited America and taught its people the plan of salvation.

The story of the life of the Mexican divinity, Quetzalcoatl, closely resembles that of the savior; so closely, indeed, that we can come to no other conclusion that that Quetzalcoatl and Christ are the same being. But the history of the former has been handed down to us through an impure Lamanitish source, which has sadly disfigured and perverted the original incidents and teachings of the Savior's life and ministry.

In the tradition with regard to this special God, we have an almost complete life of the Savior, from the announcement of his birth to his virgin mother. by an angel. to his resurrection from the grave..... The Book of Mormon alone explains the mystery. The account there given of Christ's ministrations amongst the forefathers of these peoples  makes the whole thing plain. We understand, through that record, how and by what means they obtained this great knowledge, and can also readily perceive how the unworthy descendants of those whom the Savior visited, gradually add much childish rubbish to the original facts; making their story, like almost all other mythology, an unseemly compound of heavenly truth and puerile fable. But, in view of these facts, when all things are considered, it is almost a wonder that so much of the truth was retained to the days when America became known to the Europeans.

In 1527 When the Spanish landed on the west coast of South America and when they walked between a crowd of dark skinned natives they dropped to their knees and groveled in the dust like paying a tribute to some divinity. and they were whispering the word :" Viracocha, Viracocha.' One of the conquistadores Pedro de Candia was irritated so he lifted his gun from his shoulder and fired a shot into the air. The natives became terrified and they whispered "Illa Tiki, Illa Tiki" that it means "the god of lightning"

Viracocha means "lord" in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, in practice it is identical with "white man"

Viracocha, according to Peruvian traditions, was the god who created the heavens and the earth and gave to mankind his religion, came to the ancient Peruvians and lived among them for some period, performed miracles and then disappeared suddenly as he had arrived.

Dr Philip Ainsworth Means in his book "Ancient civilization of the Andes pag 422 (New York 1931)

THE CREATOR GOD MOST CELEBRATED IN THE chronicles OF Peru IS KNOWN UNDER VARIOUS NAMES.... HE HAS GENERALLY BEEN REFERRED TO AS VIRACOCHA OR AS PACHA-CAMAC, THE FORMER DESIGNATION BEING USED IN THE HIGHLANDS, THE LATTER ON THE COAST. BOTH OF THEM, HOWEVER, ARE QUECHUA AND, CONSEQUENTLY, MORE OR LESS LATE IN DATE. IT SEEMS CLEAR ENOUGH THAT THE PRE-INCAIS NAMES FOR THE CREATOR GOD WERE CON, CON TICI, ILLA TICI, AND SUNDRY APPROXIMATIONS THERETO, SOMETIMES PREFIXED TO THE NAME VIRACOCHA IN LATER TIMES.

Thor Heyedahl author of the famous Kon Tiki explains:'

With the prefix Illa meaning "light" and Con, being an alternative name for the creator, we know that the early Peruvian culture hero Con Tici or Illa Tici was venerated as Tici the creator and Tici the Light.

Tici is a word of ancient origin, adopted in Quechua mythology from an earlier language, distinct from their own. It is preserved as a live word in Quechua dialects either as tecsi or ticsi, meaning "origin". Thus Markham says, in referring to Blas Valera, the best informed mestizo chronicler of the sixteenth century, whose major works are unfortunately lost:" The names given for God by Valera, as used by the ancient Peruvians, are also given by some others of the best authorities. They are Illa Tici Uira Cocha. The first word means light. Tici is the foundation of things, or beginning.

Sarmiento de Gamboa wrote in his book "History of the Incas pag 247 248

Ticci Viracocha sent a great flood to punish the sins of the first men, but the ancestors of the Cuzcos were saved and so left some descendants. Viracocha suddenly appeared on the Titicaca plateau  to help restore mankind and give them light. All agree that Viracocha was the creator of these people. They have the tradition that he was a man of medium height, white and dressed in a white robe like an alb secured around the waist. Viracocha ordered these people that they should live without quarreling, and that they should know and serve him. he gave them a certain precept which they were to observe on pain of being confounded if they should break it.

Dr.De Roo wrote:

"The natives of Campeche assured the Spanish missionaries that their religious teacher, Quetzalcoatl, had given them images to explain his doctrine, and, in particular, a triangular stone, as an illustration of the blessed Trinity, with which mystery they were well acquainted says Sahagun, and in whose name they were baptized.

In the same book written fro Dr. De Roo there is a statement made from Francis Hernandez, a catholic priest.

" I found a good secular priest (Francis Hernandez), of mature age and honorable, who knew the language of the Indians, having lived among them several years; and because I was obliged to travel on to the chief town of my diocese, I appointed him my vicar, asking him and giving him charge to visit the tribes of the inland, and to preach them in the manner that I gave him. The same priest, after some months, or even a year, as I think, wrote to me that he had met with a chief from whom he had made inquiries in regard to his ancient belief and religion, which they were used to follow in that country. The Indian answered him that they knew and believed in God who dwells in the heavens, and that God is Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The Father's name was Icona, and he had created man and all things; the Son had for name Bacab, and he was born from a maiden always virgin, called Chiribirias, that lives in the heavens with God. The Holy Ghost they called Echuac. They say that Icona means the Great Father of Bacab, who is the Son...

When the Indian was asked the meaning of bacab or bacabab, he said that it meant Son of the Great Father, and that the name Ecuac signified Merchant. And, in fact, the Holy Ghost brought good merchandises to earth, since he satiated the world, that is, the people of the world, with his abundant divine gifts and graces.

The Virgin birth of the God of the Indians.

Dr. Brinton in his book American Hero myths (Philadelphia 1882) pag 172 214

Many of the goddess were virgin deities, as the Aztex Coatlicue, Xochiquetzal, and Chimelma; and many of the great gods of the race as Quetzalcoatl, Manibozho, Viracocha, and Ioskeha, were said to have been born of a virgin. Even among the low Indians of Paraguay, the early missionaries were startled to find this tradition of the maiden mother of the god, so similar to that which they had to come to tell.

Quetzalcoatl was born of a virgin in the land of Tula or Tlapallan, in the distant orient, and was high priest of that happy realm.

Von Humbolt made this statement regarding this issue:

How truly surprising is it to find that the Mexicans, who seem to have been unacquantainted with the doctrine of the migration of the soul and the Metempsychosis should have believed in the incarnation of the only Son of God, Tomacateuctli. For Mexican mythology, speaking of no other chimelma, the virgin of Tula (without man), by his breath alone, by which may be signified his work or will, when it was announced to chimelma, by the celestial messenger, whom he dispatched to inform her that she should conceive a son, it must be presumed this was Quetzalcoatl, who was the only son.

Paul Gaffarel in his book "Histoire de la decouverte de l'Amerique (Paris 1892)

a woman of accomplished beauty, who had never been wedded to man, gave birth to a most lovely child. This child after growing up to man's estate, worked many wonders, raised the dead to life again, made the lame walk and the blind see. Finally having one day called together a great number of people, he ascended into the air and was transformed into the sun who enlightens this earth.

About the crucifixion

Several Catholic padres were told by the Indians that Quetzlalcoatl had suffered death by crucifixion. Von Humboldt an explorer and collector of Indians traditions states that:

"Fair God was crucified for the sins of mankind as is plainly declared in the tradition of Yucatan, and mysteriously represented in the Mexican paintings.

John Taylor quoting Lord Kingsborough from his  collection "Antiquities of Mexico"

Quetzalcoatl is there painted in the attitude of a person crucified, with the impression of nails in his hands and feet, but not actually upon the cross" Again:" The seventy- third plate of the Borgian MS. is the most remarkable of all, for Quetzalcoatl is not only represented there as crucified upon a cross of Greek form, but his burial and descend into hell are also depicted in a very curious manner. The Mexicans believe that Quetzalcoatl took human nature upon him, partaking of all infirmities of man, and was not exempt from sorrow, pain or death, which he suffered voluntarily to atone for the sins of man.

Jaun de Torquemada in his book "Moraquia Indiana" published in Spain in 1613 A.D. wrote:

"A friar named Diego de Mercado, a grave man and a dignitary of his Order, one of the most exemplary religionist of his time, told and wrote above his signature that years ago he had held a conversation with an Otomi Indian over seventy years old on matters relating to our holy faith. The Indian narrated to him how, long ago, the Otonis were in possession of a book, handed down from father to son and guarded by persons of importance, whose duty it was to explain it. Each page of that book had two columns, and between these columns were paintings which represented Christ crucified, whose features wore the expression of sadness; and such is the God who reigns, they said. For the sake of reverence, they didn't turn the leaves with their hands, but with a tiny stick kept along with the book for that purpose. The friar having asked the Indian what the contents of the volume were and its teachings, the old man could not give the details but said that, were it in existence yet, it would be evident that the teachings of that book and the preaching of the friar were one and the same. But the venerable heirloom had perished in the ground, where its guardians had buried it at the arrival of the Spaniards.

Las Casa "History of America before Columbus (Philadelphia 1900) pag 373

They tell that Eopuco put him (Bacab, the "White bearded god") to death, had him scourged, placed a crown of thorns on his head, and hung him with extended his own arms. There he finally died.

De Roo adds the following information:

"We have noticed before that the Chiapan son god, Bacab, who had been scourged by Eopuco and crowned with thorns, had also been the divine son of the Mexican virgin goddess. This same son of Chiribrias or Chimelma had been put to death by crucifixion; and this sacrilegious crime had been perpetrated on a Friday. So had the Chiapans been informed by bearded men who in ancient times had taught them to confess their sins and to fast every Friday in honor of the death of Bacab.

Another circumstance of our Savior's death seems to be remembered in Mexico, for it is related in its tradition that, at the disappearance of Quetzalcoatl, both sun and moon were covered in darkness,

Events at the time of the crucifixion.

Works of Ixtilxochitl,  an Indian Prince who lived near the city of Mexico 1600 A.D.

"The sun and the moon eclipsed, and the earth trembled, and the rocks broke, and many other things and signs took place.

In Helaman 14:21-22 there is the only reference to the breaking of the rocks mentioned here, the Bible doesent' say anything about it but the book of Mormon does. This is a clear doctrine that it is found in the book of Mormon only.

In the Book of Mormon there is a very interesting doctrine regarding the time of the death of Jesus that it is not contained in the Bible. Helaman 14:21-22
"Yea, at the time that he shall yield up the ghost there shall be thunderings and lightnings for the space of many hours, and the earth shall shake and tremble; and the rocks which are upon the face of this earth, which are both above and beneath which ye know at this time are solid, or the more part of it is one solid mass, shall be broken up;
Yea, they shall be rent in twain and shall ever after be found in seams and in cracks, and in broken fragments upon the face of the whole earth, yea both above the earth and beneath."
For me this section is very interesting: when the writer is saying "Which ye know" It means it was a doctrine known to those people. We know from the scriptures that the heart of Mary the Jesus' mother it would be broken from a sword for the pain and sadness. we know from several scriptures, specially lds, that the earth is the mother of all living and that it has feelings about us. The earth was baptized by the flood and it will be purified at the end by the fire and it will be renew to guest the righteousness, maybe sometimes I will put together all the scriptures about this but now it is enough to say that like Mary was broken her heart when Jesus died the same pain was for the earth and its heart was broken too see 1 Nephi 19:12

"And all these things must surely come, saith the prophet Zenos, and the rocks of the earth must rend; and because of the groanings of the earth, many of the kings of the isles of the sea shall be wrought upon by the spirit of God to exclaim: The God of nature suffers."

continuing in quoting Works of Ixtilxochitl,

This happened in the year of ce Calli, which adjusting this count with ours, comes to be at the same time when Christ our Lord suffered, and they say that it happened during the first days of the year.

A few days after he (Quetzalcoatl went from there, the destruction and desolation related of the third age of the world took place, and then was destroyed that memorable and sumptuous building and tower in the city of Cholula, which was like another tower of Babel, which these people were building almost with the same designs, it being destroyed by the wind. And later those who escaped the extermination of the third age built a temple on its ruins to Quetzalcoatl, whom they placed as god of wind, because the wind was the cause of its destruction, they understanding that this calamity was sent by his hand; and they likewise called it ce Acatl, which was the name of the year of his coming. And, as it seems through the mentioned histories and annuals, the aforementioned happened some years after the Incarnation of Christ our Lord.'

Some people have guessed that maybe Ixtilxochitl receive this information from the catholic padres, but that is not possible because no one of the Catholic padres knew nothing of that, or better no ones in the old world knew nothing about it, only the historians of the new world and the book of Mormon contained this history well detailed.

Cieza De Leon "American Indians in the Pacific (Stockholm 1952) pag 715

This was a soldier from Spain and one of the first chroniclers to visit Cuzco

Before the rule of the Incas in these realms, and even before they were known, these Indians relate other thing much older than all that has been told. they affirm that for a long time they were without seeing the sun, and that suffering a great deal on that account, they prayed and made vows to those of whom they looked as their gods, and begged them for the light which they needed. And while this was going on the sun rose in great splendor from the island of titicaca, which is within the great lagoon of the Collas, so that all were delighted. And immediately after this event there came and stayed a white man of tall stature, who, in his appearance and person showed great authority and veneration.

Another important point between the history related by Ixtilxochitl and the book of Mormon is:

Ixtilxochitl declares:" and they say it happened during the first days of the year, and the Book of Mormon declares: " in the first month, on the fourth day of the month  3 Nephi 8:5

so there is a parallel between those two accounts, but even better the people of Mexico retain the same system of reckoning time, how the Nephites had decided to have at Christy's birth, but according to Stacy Judd in "Ancient Mayas" pag 54

"It will be remembered that in the answer to the questionnaire of King Charles V of Spain, the words, "the Changing of the times" appear. The expression. " the changing of the times" indicated the period of the arrival of Kukulcan or Quetzlacoatl, as he was known in Mexico, when he came, Both names, Kukulcan and Quetzalcoatl, have the same meaning,  The Changing of the times was of vital importance to the Mayas.

The Changing of the times took place in ancient America at the time of Christ's birth, and not at the time of His arrival in America.

Francis Hernandez's letter to Las Casas, cited in De Roo pag 373

"remained dead three days, and the third day he came to life again and ascended into heaven, where he is now with the Father. Immediately after came Echuac, who is the Holy Ghost and who supplied the earth all that was needed."

Ixtilxochitl  regarding the return of Quetzalcoatl.

And at the time he went about taking leave of these people, he told them that in time to come, in a year which he called ce Acatl, he would return, and then his doctrine would be received, and his children would be masters and would possess the land.

William H. Prescott Mexico and the life of the Conqueror, Fernando cortes (New York 1898) vol. 2 pag 388

"After presiding over the golden age of Anahuac (Quetzalcoatl) disappeared as mysteriously as he had come....As he promised to return at some future day, his reappearance was looked for with confidence by each succeeding generation. The Mexicans looked confidently to the return of the benevolent deity; and this remarkable tradition, deeply cherished in their hearts, prepared the way.... for the future success of the Spaniards."

Fortunately all of these writers had anything to do with the Book of Mormon, so they are purely sincere and genuine