Book of Mormon Commentary CofC - Odessa, Missouri Community ...

Book of Mormon Commentary
Ether Chapter 4
"Their fine woollen cloths, especially with their rich embroidery, were pronounced equal to silk,
from which it was not easy to distinguish them."
Concerning the cloth of the ancient South Americans, Mr. Beasley says:
Many contain nearly 300 weft yarns to the inch. Mr. Crawford in order to obtain exact information
of the fineness of the weft in a fragment of tapestry, found it was impossible to count the weft with
the testing lens ordinarily used in textile analysis. It was necessary to clamp an inch of cloth on the
platform of a dissecting microscope and pick off the weft yarn with a needle. The operation took
three hours and a half.—
Saints' Herald. June 12, 1948, page 566.
Roy Weldon, in an article in the Saints' Herald for June 19, 1948, quotes several sources:
Dr. Alfred S. Romer, after referring to various finds in the southwestern part of the United States,
concludes: "There is strong evidence that horses, two genera of camels, a mammoth, the sloth
Norlhrotherium, two extinct genera of 'antelopes,' and the giant 'ca" Felix alrox existed in the
southwest in comparatively modern post-Pleistocene times''
(The American Aborigines, by Jenness, 1933, page 72).
The American Encyclopedia says: "Its fossil remains [horse] have been so frequently found,
especially in the southern and western states and inSouth America, and have been so carefully
examined by competent paleontologists, that no doubt can remain of the former existence of the
horse on the American continent, -it the same time with the mastodon, and that man was probably
his companion" (Article, "Horse").
Some of the drawings, made with colors, the weather of ages has not erased, show huge
palanquins on great beasts which somewhat resemble our elephants. There may have been great
sloths, but they tend to indicate that ancient man had tamed some of the bigger animals.— Anciew
Cities of America's Gobi.
While these evidences many not be accepted as conclusive, they strongly suggest that further
archaeological research may be convincing.
Ether 4:23 And Emer did execute judgment in righteousness, all his days, and he begat many
sons and daughters; and he begat Coriantum, and he anointed Coriantum to reign in his stead.
Four peaceful years later he died, after having seen "the Son of righteousness" (24). This refers to
Christ (11 N. 11:73; 111 N. 11:23). In Malachi 4:2, he is called the Sun of righteousness, "sun"
being a symbol of great light.
"Coriantum did walk in the steps of his father, and did build many mighty cities, and did
administer that which was good unto his people, in all his days" (25). His childless wife died at the
age of one hundred and two years. He then married "a young maid, and begat sons and daughters."
He lived until he was one hundred and forty-two. His son, Com, reigned in his stead for a period
of forty-nine years (29).
During Com's reign the people were very wicked. His son, Heth, took up the secret plans of old,
slew his father, and reigned in his stead (30, 31). Prophets came to warn the people that a great
famine would cause their destruction. The people cast them out and threw them into pits to perish
(32, 33).