Saturday, November 11, 2023

Touch the Water Movie: Please Watch!!

 

We have been a big fan of Holt Hamilton movies.  He is a great independent film maker with a focus on Native American life and underdog stories. They are inspirational and wonderful to watch!

Now his Touch the Water movie has picked up more movie times in the Phoenix area, Durango Colorado, Farmington, Gallup New Mexico areas:

Exciting news, 9 theatres will continue to play Touch the Water November 10-16, 2023! Please share the flyers below!
We continue our theatrical showings in the following cities/theatres:
Tempe,AZ/AZ Mills Harkins
Scottsdale,AZ/Shea Harkins
Flagstaff,AZ/Harkins
Prescott Valley,AZ/Harkins
Casa Grande,AZ/Harkins
Lakeside,AZ/Village 8 WME
Durango,CO/Gaslight Twin Cinema
Farmington,NM/Animas 10
Gallup,NM/Red Rock 10

See below:
Lets have a great 2nd week run so all who want to see it, still can!
Thank you to all who have seen and shared the film information. And Thank you to theatres who continue to support this film. Allen Theatres WME Village 8 Harkins Theatres

















Saturday, September 24, 2022

So tired of the lies spread about the American people




















 I'm back speaking up for all those patriots who believe we are living in the best country in the world.  All the garbage online and in the mob media just tears us down.  The elephant in the room needs to be talked about. The Emperor's New Clothes needs to be exposed.  We are not racists!!  We hold life dear to our hearts!  We don't not want baby fetuses in our food and there are only two genders!!

Enough is enough. Let's be rid of the evil and corruption in our government  

Thursday, October 14, 2021

Testimony of a Patriot

About a year ago, my husband and I started attending classes on the U.S. Constitution. A friend of ours whom we knew from church had invited us to go.  This friend has taught me a lot about the history of the United States.  He emails many whom he knows about what he reads and learns. This piece is by him: Ralph Hughes: (the references are from scripture and conferences familiar to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

"It is my conviction that for over a hundred years the United States has been beset with a carefully and methodically executed conspiracy intent on completely destroying the constitutional republican government which was established by the Lord, Jesus the Christ, as He Himself stated, "by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose" (D&C 101:80).

We should be thankful to the Lord, to the men who were inspired by the Lord as they drafted the United States Constitution during the hot summer months of 1787 in a room with limited air circulation and no air conditioning, and to those persons who subsequently realized what has been happening to that government and have tried to alert Americans to the existence of that "secret combinations" that prophets, apostles, and others have warned us would strive to "overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries" (Moroni, Ether 8:25, and President Ezra Taft Benson, October 1988 General Conference). 

We should also recognize the warning given us by Nephi, son of Lehi, who wrote "I prophesy unto you concerning the last days ..... there are also secret combinations, even as in times of old, according to the combinations of the devil, for he is the founder of all these things; (2 Nephi 26: 14 & 22). 

Also worthy of our awareness is the statement by Elder Bruce R. McConkie that "Gadianton robbers fill the judgement seats in many nations. An evil power seeks to overthrow the freedom of all nations and countries." (April 1980 General Conference)

 Interestingly, and much more recently, Elder Boyd K. Packer stated on two separate occasions the following: "We live in a time of war, that spiritual war that will never end. Moroni warned us that the secret combinations begun by Gadianton 'are had among all people .... Wherefore, O ye Gentiles [and the term gentile in that place in the Book of Mormon refers to us in our generation], it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you .... Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you.'" (16 January 2007 BYU Devotional, and later in the August 2010 Ensign magazine, Pg. 23). 

President Gordon B. Hinkley once stated that "The Book of Mormon narrative is a chronicle of nations long since gone. But in its descriptions of the problems of today’s society, it is as current as the morning newspaper, and much more definitive, inspired, and inspiring concerning the solutions of those problems.” 

You might find the following scriptures from the Book of Mormon indicative of what has been going on in America for some time now. In 2 Nephi 26 we read that in the "last days" “The Gentiles shall build up false churches and secret combinations.” 

In Alma 51 we can note that certain people, referred to as "king-men", "were desirous that the law should be altered in a manner to overthrow the free government and to establish a king over the land." 

"Those who were in favor of kings were those of high birth, and they sought to be kings; and they were supported by those who sought power and authority over the people." In their anger with the "people of liberty...they would not take up arms to defend their country" against forces from outside their county. It became necessary for Moroni and his army to "go against those king-men" in battle and kill many of the king-men before persuading/compelling others to join in fighting for the freedom that the Lamanites were threatening to take away from them. 

In Helaman 1 we read first that upon the death of a chief judge his oldest son is elected to fill the judgement seat. A younger son, desirous of the judgement seat for himself, tries to instigate a rebellion and "destroy the liberty of the people". For this he is executed. However, some of his supporters persuade a "hit man" to murder the new chief judge. The second son is appointed chief judge and governor. But contention among the Nephites allows a Lamanite force to invade, and kill the newly appointed chief judge. 

Ultimately, the Lamanites are defeated, but the judgement seat is left vacant for a time. In Helaman 2 we read how one Gadianton became the leader of a band, the object of which was to “destroy Helaman”, the newly appointed chief judge, and “to murder, and to rob, and to gain power”. We are also told that “this Gadianton did prove the overthrow, yea, almost the entire destruction of the people of Nephi.” 

In Helaman 3 we learn that “there was continual peace established in the land, all save it were the secret combinations which Gadianton the robber had established in the more settled parts of the land, which at that time were not known to those who were at the head of government; therefore they were not destroyed out of the land.” In Helaman 6 we are told in some detail that “Lucifer, the author of sin, guides the Gadianton robbers in their murders and wickedness – They take over the Nephite government.” 

It is interesting to read that “this band of robbers was utterly destroyed from among the Lamanites”, but “on the other hand, that the Nephites did build them up and support them....until they had overspread all the land of the Nephites,....And thus they did obtain the sole management of the government.” 

In Helaman 7 we read that Nephi, the son of Helaman, found “the people {of Nephi] in a state of such awful wickedness, and those Gadianton robbers filling the judgment-seats – having usurped the power and authority of the land; laying aside the commandments of God, and not in the least aright before him; doing no justice unto the children of men.; condemning the righteous because of their righteousness; letting the guilty and the wicked go unpunished because of their money; and moreover to be held in office at the head of government to rule and do according to their wills, that they might get gain and glory of the world, and moreover, that they might more easily commit adultery, and steal, and kill, and do according to their wills”. 

In Helaman 8 we read how “Corrupt judges seek to incite the people against Nephi.”, and that “those judges were angry with him because he spake plainly unto them concerning their secret works of darkness”. At the end of this chapter and into Chapter 9 we read that “By inspiration Nephi announces the murderer of the chief judge, and then by inspiration identifies the murderer, and finally “is accepted by some as a prophet." 


In 3 Nephi 6 we learn of further iniquities. “A complaint came up unto the land of Zarahemla, to the governor of the land, against these judges who had condemned the prophets of the Lord unto death, not according to the law.....those judges had many friends and kindreds....and they did enter into a covenant one with another....which covenant which was given by then of old, which covenant was given and administered by the devil, to combine against all righteousness.... And they did set at defiance the law and the rights of their country; and they did covenant one with another to destroy the governor, and to establish a king over the land, that the land should no more be at liberty but should be subject unto kings.” 

In 3 Nephi 7 we read of the murder of a chief judge and the overthrow of the Nephite government; "the regulations of the government were destroyed, because of the secret combination of friends and kindred of those who murdered the prophets....and did place at their head a man whom they did call Jacob; and they did call him their king." 

In 4 Nephi we again read “that the wicked part of the people began again to build up the secret oaths and combinations of Gadianton”, and “the robbers of Gadianton did spread over all the face of the land; and there were none that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus.” 

Do you recognize these sorts of things happening in our time now? We have been commanded to awake to a sense of our awful situation, and to suffer not that that these murderous combinations shall get above us. "Unless we as members of the Church do all we can to preserve the freedoms we have, within the bounds of the laws of God, we will be held accountable." (Principles of the Gospel, 1991 Edition, Pg. 36) 

"I know that the Lord gives no commandments unto the children of men, save He shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." (Nephi, son of Lehi, 1 Nephi 3:7). 

Ralph Hughes

There have been so many great examples of what we as a people  need to watch for in our own country. We will lose all that we have and hold dear. 
It's unconstitutional for the federal government to mandate masks, vaccines, and take away our right to bear arms. It is morally wrong for the federal government to take the proper medication away to help ourselves get healthier.

We are not a racist people!!  Our history is not a racist history!  We are being pitted against each other to divide us.

Those of other countries illegally coming over the border are cared for more than our own U.S. people.  It's a horror story that we need to take care right in our own back yards.
Keep fighting against evil and search for the truth of this land. There are good people who are helping. We just need to unite in the good cause and help them.



Saturday, September 4, 2021

So, you want to Learn about the Heartland Model?

 Learning about the Book of Mormon is fascinating. Not only is this book a scriptural wonder that will bring us closer to Jesus Christ more than any book in the world, we also learn about the Promised Land as we read from 1st Nephi until the very end of Moroni. This promised land is believed to be the United States and with the evidences found so far, our promised land needs the prayers of the righteous to keep us from the enemy.

Above photo from 

 Another fascination of the Book of Mormon is finding the places where the events actually took place. Now many who have studied the relics and artifacts from Michigan, Missouri, Illinois and Iowa (to name a few) have come up with a model of where the Book of Mormon has taken place called the Heartland Model.  There are many websites to study and understand this Heartland model.  Those who do understand the messages of many relics know that the temples built by the Nephites in ancient times had ramps, not steps as that is what the Jews did. Those who study the relics and artifacts found in Michigan, Missouri, Illinois and Iowa, learn how important the stories of the Old Testament were to the ancient Nephites. Check out these websites and you will be amazed:


https://hub.catalogit.app/5585/folder/17652120-d39a-11eb-b51c-57c5e999067f


 1.     heartlandsearch.org – Once this address is typed online it will change to a HUB website called Heartland Research Inc maintained by Lloyd Marchant.  This website has so much information and artifacts from all over the eastern side of the United States.

 2.     http://ldsarchaeology.com/ - This website maintained by Wayne May has information on the Hopewell (Nephite) and Adena (Jaredite) Cultures.  Video, pictures, explanations of many evidences of The Book of Mormon places in the United States.

 3.     https://zarahemla.site/ - This website maintained by John Lefgren has updates of the Heartland Research Group and what excavations as well as video of the evidences of what many have found to be relics and artifact finds for The Book of Mormon lands.

 4.     https://theholyscriptures.info/BookOfMormonCovenantLands/ - This website maintained by Jay Mackley is an extensive and logical physical model of The Book of Mormon geography.  This database driven website presents over 149 locations with modern place names. There is so much information here. 

Helpful Videos:

click for helpful video

Very interesting video

Another good video

More videos

Another good video

Some people might not understand why the search for the actual places of the Book of Mormon is so important. Yes, we have our own spiritual conversion to the Book of Mormon as another testament of Jesus Christ but if we think about how we felt when we visit the Sacred Grove in New York state, Nauvoo, Illinois where Joseph Smith lived and is buried or Adam-ondi-Ahman in Springhill, Missouri, then maybe we can understand why this search and study is important for all those who know The Book of Mormon to be true. When we visit these sacred places, we feel strengthened in our testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and that is what visiting these places in the United States does for me: it strengthens my testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.



Sunday, February 7, 2021

Israel Will Shortly be Free...

 

Today in Sacrament meeting we finally were able to sing the hymns.  I was so excited, as I have terribly missed singing in church. The opening song was Redeemer of Israel. (one of my favorite)  We got to the third verse where is says, “our foes have rejoiced, when our sorrows they’ve seen” and it just hit me like a ton of bricks. We see these foes every day on the news, radio and internet. There are such foes who rejoice in our difficulties. Even causing more difficulties to their benefit, but the next line was of great comfort to me: “but Israel will shortly be free”.

We will be free, but during the time we live in bondage can be very difficult. Sometimes if feels that there is no end in sight, but we continue to pray, move forward in life and be thankful for what we have. We can all receive our personal messages from God to comfort us as some call it: personal revelation. This personal revelation helps us to make good choices when those difficult times are around us. (It even helps when there are no difficult times.)

These messages can come in many different forms such as an email, a phone call from a loved one, at work or talking to a neighbor. Part of this particular message came from Lin Wood, the famous attorney from Georgia. I edited it to fit my needs.

What can we do to help ourselves to not worry so much during this difficult time?

1.   1.  Pray, Pray, Pray.

2.  2. Protect ourselves, our families and our friends whether it’s in the neighborhood, at school or at family gatherings.

3.  3. Write members of the military and tell them you love the fact that they will never dishonor their oath to defend the Constitution, freedom and the People

4.   4. Turn off your television. Do NOT watch any mainstream media, movies, comedies, game shows or other meaningful mind junk. (We have stopped watching the news. It’s just too depressing.)

5.  5. Read books that are inspiring and helps to uplift us as human beings. (Including the Bible, Book of Mormon or any other uplifting scripture.)

6.  6. Organize your communities and neighborhoods for safety. Talk to leaders of your congregations at church, synagogues or mosques.

7.  7. And above all: Love all and forgive all, but always demand justice and righteousness.

8. Yes, Israel will be free and we will eventually live peaceably, but this Sunday afternoon, I have to keep the thoughts from above in my heart and move forward on in life.


Saturday, January 2, 2021

The Evidences of Living a Lie

 

If you are one to follow CNN, MSNBC,  ABC, NBC CBS and now even Fox News at times, then you are not getting the clear, honest picture of what is really going on in this country. January 6 2021 is one of the most important days of our lives. As a people of the United States of America, we are equipped with the power to demand an election without corruption. Everyone has their own story of how they realized they were not living in the same place their great grandparents had lived. Here is one story from someone who wants to remain anonymous:

“Sometime during the middle of 2003, my mother-in-law showed me a documentary, Alex Jones' 911 The Road to Tyranny. At the time I thought maybe half of what he was saying might be true, so I started doing research... It wasn't this that woke me up, but this was one of the events that led to me waking up. It sure did open my mind.

Early in 2004 I began to take notice of the Presidential race between George W. Bush and John Kerry. This was going to be the first time I had ever voted. At the time I was leaning towards Bush because I knew I didn't like the ideas of the Democrats, but I still wasn't even sure if I supported the actions of the Republicans either.

As I was reading online a friend pointed me to a campaign website of a guy he knew that was running for office in Utah. It said that he was running as a 3rd party candidate with the Constitution Party. I had no idea what the Constitution Party was and at that time had little understanding of the US Constitution.


This Constitution Party candidate's site then led me to constitutionparty.com for more information about the party and their platform. As I read through the site I found various messages about freedom and a statement that said the Constitution Party (CP) is 'what the GOP used to be.'

Here's where my big 'aha moment' came; the moment of realizing that I was living a lie, that I didn't really know what freedom was, and I didn't understand the proper role of government. It was also a very spiritual moment for me. I read a story on the CP website titled 'Not Yours to Give.'

'Not Yours to Give' is the story of Congressman Davy Crocket and a constituent of his, Horatio Bunce. Mr. Bunce brought to Crocket's attention that he (and the other representatives) had usurped power and violated the Constitution by giving of the public money in charity (socialistic welfare). Crocket asked for this man’s forgiveness and strive to adhere to the Constitution from that point on. Something clicked in my mind as I read this, and began to start to understand the proper role of government.

This example was only the beginning. It was a powerful moment for me. I realized that there was so much I didn't understand about God’s intended role for government in our lives.”

For those who know how important the Book of Mormon is in these difficult times then you would appreciate this next paragraph:

 Ether Chapter 8 of the Book of Mormon:
“Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you…For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies…Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved.”

This next section was written by Joel Skousen, a true patriot and nephew to Ezra Taft Benson who was President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints from 1984 to 1994. Joel has years of study and evidences of what is really going on in the  world:                                                                                         

Joel Skousen

HOW TO ANALYZE THE NEWS AND WHAT GOES ON AROUND YOU 

“Critical analysis of current events is a complex process that is not systematized or rigid. All the information you see or gather is, generally, a combination of truth, half-truths, and error. Filtering out the truth begins with finding reliable sources, as well as critically scrutinizing sources that are known to have a specific bias.

We cannot understand how this world operates if we hold to a purely secular, evolutionary, or humanistic view. Even though the spiritual spectrum is mostly hidden to man on earth, its workings can be detected if one is sensitive to truth and if one avoids offending the source of all truth by chronic violations of conscience. 

With a lack of direct evidence and first-hand accounts of the ongoing conspiracy, we must rely on our own abilities to gather and analyze information to formulate a reliable picture of what’s going on in the world. The more accurate that picture is, the better prepared we will be to protect ourselves from the real threats that all of us will have to face."

 The above statements are key excerpts from an informative article by LDS investigative journalist Joel Skousen.   This link below will take you to it.

In my own experience, I have been taught from my parents who discovered the truth about the current events in the U.S. during the 1960s and what was really going on. Although I didn’t believe it then, I do now after doing my own study.   The United Nations was not a good fit for the United States in 1945 but joined then which now has its consequences. The act of removing prayer from public schools from the likes of Madalyn O’Hair has haunted public schools since this decision. Taking the Ten Commandments away from public buildings, the removing of religion during Christmas and Easter are all the tell tale signs of losing our freedoms. There are conspiring men in secret societies that want to make a one world order to take our freedoms away completely. When will the people of the U.S. wake up and demand we cut ties with China (specifically the Chinese Communist Party). We would be on better ground because according the goal of China by 2030 the goal of private property or ownership of personal items anywhere will be gone.

It’s not too late. Call, write emails or mail snail mail to your state and national leaders. Tell them that you want the U.S. Constitution to reign supreme in this great country. Study those truths so we can never live a lie.


The Fight For Freedom


This is a fight; a fight for freedom as we know it!! Do we want a new normal?  No! Do we want others to control every aspect of our lives? No!! We want honest and true elections without corruption.  We want our livelihood and our leisure with our families saved from corruption and control. We are the people of the United States. Our forefathers fought the King of England for independence. Our families fought the evil tyrants of World War I and II for our freedoms to continue. We can fight this obstruction of justice and burdensome control over our lives.  We need to retain our rights according to the U.S. Constitution.

From a trusted patriot about personal experiences of interest:  “In my lifetime (1938 to the present), the United States of America got into WW2 officially due to a conspiracy involving President Franklin D. Roosevelt and some of his military staff and civilian “advisors” that provoked the Japanese to attack U.S. forces on the Philippine Islands and on Hawaii on 7 December 1941. 

 America declared war against Germany and its allies in WW2 supposedly to protect Europe and Great Britain from Germany and to save China from Japan.   But I have since become convinced that the real reason was to protect the Soviet Union from defeat and create the formidable enemy to freedom that it became and still is.  

 At the end of that war, American traitors (I calls ‘em as I sees “em) gave the Soviets all of Eastern Europe, Manchuria, the Kurile Islands, the Chinese port of Darien, the northern half of Korea, and half of Germany.   In Yugoslavia, they guaranteed the success of Communism by throwing America’s weight behind the Stalinist Tito in his fight against the pro-Western Mikhailovich.  

Traitors in the U.S. State Dept. clandestinely supported the Communist forces of Mao Tse-tung in their war against Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist forces and actively worked behind the scenes to bring about the Communization of China.  Under leadership of the American traitor Alger Hiss and the Russian Molotov, the United Nations was created and its Secretariat was staffed with Communists from the United States Department of State.  The Soviets were given three votes in the General Assembly, compared to one for the United States, and it was agreed further that a Soviet national would always be in charge of UN military activities, which led to betrayals of Americans fighting in the Korean War. 

Algeria was pushed into the Communist camp by support of Ben Bella. Certain Americans helped Castro to power in Cuba and, later betrayed the anti-Castro invasion force at the Bay of Pigs.  In Korea and Vietnam, we denied our military forces the option of victory.  In the case of Vietnam, as some of you may remember, American aid was regularly sent to Communist countries that were sending military aid to North Vietnam.   Americans supported the Sandinista Communists in the takeover of Nicaragua. American traitors gave the Panama Canal to a pro-Soviet dictatorship.  America has been bilked of billions of dollars in foreign aid to our most bitter enemies around the world.  

Americans built much of Soviet industry and have given them high technology for their nuclear strike force. When they could not pay, their debts were forgiven and passed on to the American taxpayer.   American government have condemned anti-Communist regimes in Africa and Latin America allegedly for violations of human rights, but then invited to the White House and publicly embraced many Communist dictators in the world, no matter how bloody their mitts. And, while freedom fighters battled Soviet tanks in Hungary, Afghanistan and Poland, we gave the Soviets solemn assurances that we would not intervene and then sent economic aid to the very Communist governments which the people themselves are attempting to topple.   So many years ago now, all these and other events.   But they certainly form a pattern....hardly even a complete one, the truth of which should be made known, especially to Americans.” Ralph Hughes

No greater responsibility rests upon the citizens of this country then to protect our Constitution. 

We will protest or picket peaceably.  

We will not use violence or abuse.

We will rally together as a people; get off the couch and flood email inboxes, make telephone calls and mail letters telling our state and federal government that we demand a legal and honest election.

We as a people of the United States of America want our country back. As stated in our U.S. Constitution, we are entitled to our liberties and do not want Socialism, Communism, Fascism or any other form of government in these United States.  

We can take care of ourselves and protect our families. We will start standing up for our rights.

Remember, we don’t have to fight in hand to hand combat. We are not sent to foreign lands to kill other people. This has already been done for us by many brave men and women. The least we can do is take action in our own homes to save our liberties. 

President Trump won the election free and clear.  There is evidence that this is so. Seventy-Five million people agree as well.  We want President Trump to be our president for the next four years.


 

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

My Journey to Learn about the True Promised Land

 

Over the past ten years, I have been led on a journey which took me totally by surprise.  This journey strengthened my testimony of the Book of Mormon more than anything else in the world. I have read and studied this book from cover to cover countless times from 1981 to present day, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that it is “Another testament of Jesus Christ. What took me a step further in my testimony was the journey as to where the Book of Mormon lands are located. 

A view of the Nauvoo Temple from Zarahemla

2005: Fifteen years ago, my two oldest daughters attended college in Alabama: one at Auburn University and the other in Montgomery, Alabama (Huntington College). Many times we would drive up to visit them there which took 3 to 3 ½ hours each way. Driving back and forth presented a lot of time to think and ponder. Sometimes the Spirit would impress upon my mind interesting information. One of those being about some of the early people who lived in Alabama before the Europeans arrived.  I would see in my mind men running with girded loins and bare chests in and out of the wooded areas as I drove by.  I never really thought much of it until later on.

2014: During this year I started finding and watching some videos about the Heartland Model talking about Promised Land from The Book of Mormon being in the United States. This was an interesting idea as all I’ve heard was that the Book of Mormon lands were in Central America.  I never understood all of that information and it was confusing to me especially with the idea of having two Hill Cumorahs.  How can there be two Hill Cumorahs? There is no way to me that Moroni could drag all of those plates, sword of Laban and the Liahona from Central America to New York State. There must be more to all of this.

2015: With several weddings to attend in Utah, my family and I stumbled on a conference at the UVU Conference Center in Orem in April which promoted the Heartland Model. I know that nothing happens by accident and as I attended the conference I felt that I was being taught some Book of Mormon truths. After pondering the Heartland Model for ten years I felt that I really knew the people of the Book of Mormon and where they lived. I bought and read an interesting book called Prophesies and Promises by Bruce H. Porter and Rod Meldrum which explained the whole Heartland Model in a very simple and easy to understand manner.

May 2020: After finding the Zarahemla site on Facebook, I contacted the site manager and asked if they were in need of volunteers to help with their expedition in August of 2020. We were planning a trip back east anyway, but had not made final plans. I was overjoyed to find that my services would be greatly appreciated and planned to meet this group in August in Nauvoo to help with writing their blog.

August 2020: My experience in Nauvoo, Illinois and Montrose, Iowa was a highlight of my life. The Lord was with us the whole way and we were able to learn about some of the point places of the Book of Mormon:

·         Both the families of Lehi and Mulek crossed the Atlantic Ocean

·         The place of Lehi’s Landing is Florida, near Pensacola.

·         The place of Mulek’s Landing is the Great Lakes Area

·         The Land of Nephi covers all the Tennessee and surrounding areas.

·         The River Sidon is the Mississippi River

·         The battle fought in Alma 2 between Amlici and Alma  was near Montrose Iowa and Nauvoo Illinois.

·         The Land of Zarahemla stretched from Nauvoo, Illinois to Montrose Iowa.

·         The Hopewell culture in the United States are the Book Of Mormon Nephites

·         The only Hill Cumorah is in New York State

·         The early Native American people living in the East, came from the East.

·         The United States of America is the Promised Land of the Book of Mormon

 Through these spiritual experiences and visiting areas on the Eastern side of the United States, my testimony of the Book of Mormon has been strengthened tenfold. I am learning more every time we study and read. I know the United States is the covenant Promised Land the Lord has guided the people of Jared, Lehi’s family and Mulek, the son of Zedekiah to live.  It is our beautiful United States and we should recognize how blessed we are to live in the Promised Land.

Riding the Mississippi River

 Our third day on the Expedition (August 5th) was spent on the Mississippi River.  We were with our Heartland Research Group on the boat “Truth” along with sonar equipment (using a sound ping sent to the bottom and coming back as a picture) expert Don Cummings. He was onboard to take more pictures of the bottom of the river.  

This time we had Don Blum and his diver brother and cousin with us. We were hoping for a human eye’s view from our two divers exploring the river bottom near where the crossing could have occurred over 2,000 years ago. This crossing is recorded in Alma chapter 2 in the Book of Mormon during the war between the Lamanites and Nephites. Finding this crossing would connect the ancient account to the geography on digital maps.

 

Two thousand years ago, even 200 years ago, the Mississippi River was crossable by foot at the harvest time of the year. Sitting on that boat it was hard to believe anyone could cross by foot but we tried to visualize what could have happened from our vantage point.   Before the Keokuk Dam was built in 1913, the rapids on the Mississippi River (called the Des Moines Rapids) were 12 miles long but only three feet deep. Since 1913, the river had risen 18 feet and that area of the Keokuk bend was difficult to imagine anyone crossing by foot. Gone are the little islands shown on a late 1800 map. Gone are the areas which could have been crossed so long ago.

 From the boat outing the day before, Don Cummings along with Mike Baker found three key areas where this crossing could have occurred. The first is called Sandusky and with the sonar scans, it was the most likely place for our divers to explore. The nature of the limestone as a horizontal ledge at the Keokuk Gorge at Sandusky would have been much shallower before the dam was built.


We also had Don Blum with us who has over 40 years experience as an explosive expert for a good part of the Mississippi River.  Before he even got on the boat he talked about the dangers of diving down into the Mississippi.  According to many divers, the Mississippi river is the most dangerous body of water to scuba dive into. It’s murky with very limited visibility and has whirlpools that catch divers who can lose their sense of direction. Then there are the leftover grappling hooks from past fishing excursions which can grab onto arms or legs and not let go. There are also many large logs which are hard to see with 150 pound catfish, snapping turtles and snakes swimming around, all creating a most dangerous place to dive.

Then we learned about Don’s experience blasting rock on the Mississippi River and how the Keokuk Gorge area, which have layers of limestone and is one of the hardest rocks ever blasted in his 39 years of blasting. Once blasted into pieces, these boulders called “riprap” are used to protect the banks of many rivers from erosion. From the Missouri River to the Moline River in Illinois to the end of the Mississippi river in New Orleans, barges of riprap are sent down the river to be used as protection from disintegrating river banks.


Our time on the river was an adventure as the wind blew and the waves pushed against the boat. It was time for the divers to go down to see if they could find that limestone ridge. Once in the water, the visibility under the water was just too difficult to see anything.  Even with underwater headlights, it was too dangerous to go any farther.  It was a great disappointment to us all, but there was nothing we could do.

With this experience now behind us, our divers will get another chance to go again in the future. Using 3D sonar and more powerful lights, the chances will be better to pinpoint a location to search and find the original banks of the river.  We will find better visibility and another time of the year would be better with little waves and no wind.  We will look forward to another excursion to ride down the Mississippi River and find the ancient crossing.

Mounds of History

 If you have ever traveled the eastern side of the country from Alabama to Michigan, you might have seen large areas of fields or woods that have mounds of dirt covered with grass that stand over 15 feet high. Some are not that high, but smaller mounds in wooded areas.  If you have been lucky enough to find these cherished burial grounds of an ancient people, you should call yourself very blessed.


  There are some places on earth that are so sacred, you cannot take a picture of it nor tell others of your experience.  They don’t fully understand what you have felt and many times make fun of what they don’t understand. Our visit to the Nauvoo Ancient Mounds on Tuesday’s (August 5th) excursion was a sacred one. It was life changing.

 

Walking along these burial grounds, one can feel a sacredness not matched in most places. Two thousand years ago the early ancestors of today’s Native Americans lived there along the banks of the Mississippi River. Roaming around these mounds, gives most people a feeling of serenity and peacefulness. It is believed that these mounds are a part of the Hopewell culture of 550 BC to 400 AD and are like “grave stone marker” that we would use today. Some believe this ancient mound area is the famous Hill Amnihu from The Book of Mormon’s Alma, Chapter 2.  I’m one of those believers.

 

When the care takers, Jennice and Wilson Curlee first started to clean up the area of the Nauvoo Ancient Mounds, it was discovered that some of the mounds had been looted and disrupted, leaving the mound partially open. There is a special ceremony to restore these mounds and the Curlees were able to organize enough people to replace these open mounds.

 

 First, the mound was cleaned for the dirt to be filled. A special material is laid in the spot for the soil. Then soil is brought by dump truck and piled close by to use for the fill. Then bucket by bucket in a bucket brigade, people placed the soil to recover the mound.

 

With much study and research, this special place along the Mississippi River was discovered to have many burial mounds. The early pioneer Saints of 1839, who settled there, leveled some of those mounds without knowing who was buried there before their arrival. There are many more mounds which have been discovered on the hill top of the Nauvoo Ancient Mounds since then and are kept safe with cemetery status from the State of Illinois.

Close to the Mississippi river where they laid Joseph and Hyrum Smith’s body along with their parents and Emma Smith, was discovered a Nephite burial ground. There are mound sights all along the Mississippi river on the Illinois side in Albany, East Dubuque at Granmercy Park and at the Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve.

 

 There is one special burial mound which was discovered back in 1834. During the months of May and June of 1834 Joseph Smith led more than 200 men on a trek called Zion’s Camp from Kirtland, Ohio to Clay County, Missouri. It was an unsuccessful attempt to regain land from which the early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were expelled by non-member settlers. It was on June 3rd while passing through west-central Illinois

 near Griggsville, that some bones were uncovered from a mound.  Through personal revelation and inspiration, Joseph Smith identified these bones belonging to a white Lamanite and chieftain-warrior named Zelph. It was also told that he was a “thick set man of God”. There was a sharp arrowhead stuck in his side near his ribs. According to the story, one of his thigh bones was broken apparently by a stone flung from a sling while in battle years before his death. He was killed in the battle during the last great struggle of the Lamanites and Nephites.

There is so much history living in these mounds. Peoples’ lives were lived with families in times of peace and in war. There is so much we don’t know about those who lived so long ago, but we can revere these burial grounds. One day we will meet those who lived in this area and they will have wonderful stories to tell.

The Curlees continue to treat the mounds with reverence and hope to preserve the entire site of the hill for the future.  They believe that this ridge or hill outside of Nauvoo is the ancient Hill Amnihu as mentioned in Alma chapter 2, and that the mounds and ancient fortification are located on that hill. Visitors are welcome to walk through the land and see the mounds located about 2 miles north of Nauvoo on Sycamore Haven Drive and feel for yourself about this sacred place.

 Nauvoo Mounds