North & South-Not America
From Rod: Hey Jonathan,
As the most knowledgable person on Church history I have a question I need help with. In Smoot’s video he claims that Joseph Smith said that “The whole of North and South America is zion, the mountain of the Lords House is in the centre of North & South America,” which is from Wilford Woodruff’s personal journal, not the version that was put into the History of the Church which states…
“You know there has been great discussion in relation to Zion–where it is, and where the gathering of the dispensation is, and which I am now going to tell you. The prophets have spoken and written upon it; but I will make a proclamation that will cover a broader ground. The whole of America is Zion itself from north to south, and is described by the Prophets, who declare that it is the Zion where the mountain of the Lord should be, and that it should be in the center of the land. When Elders shall take up and examine the old prophecies in the Bible, they will see it.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Six 1843–44, p.362; HC 6:318)
My question is… which is more accurate and authoritative? We know that Woodruff read Incidents of Travel while returning from New York on the Erie Canal and wrote in his journal about how impressed he was with the books, which had been given him by John Bernhisel to give to Joseph. So that could have easily tainted his perspective on whatever Joseph said, thus he wrote in his journal that he thought Joseph said ‘north and south America’ rather than the HC account which says “all of America, north and south.’ There is a HUGE potential difference between the two statements. One is clearly the entire hemisphere, and the other could easily be understood to be speaking of the Union and Confederacy of the United States – for which Joseph had already received the revelation regarding the upcoming Civil War.
Several important points:
1. What exactly did Joseph say? Joseph did NOT say all of North and South America is Zion, he said the whole of America “from north to south” from which one must ascertain what exactly Joseph’s use of the word “America” meant. Did “America” mean “the America’s” to the Prophet Joseph or the “United States of America”? Joseph Smith on many occasions used the term “America” in his writings wherein it is absolutely clear that what was meant by him is “the United States of America” because he specifically mentions “America” and then talks about it Constitutional form of government, Founding Fathers, etc. Unfortunately, many early brethren misunderstood this singular reference and then made statements and comments themselves based upon their own beliefs about what they thought Joseph said or meant. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of examples of people back in Joseph Smith’s day and earlier that when speaking of “America” were specifically referencing the United States of America. When immigrants in Europe spoke of their excitement about coming to “America” is there any doubt that they were speaking of coming to the United States, not of immigrating to Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Chile, Mexico or Brazil?
2. “America” in Context: We must remember the context in which the statement was made. This was in 1844, just a year prior to the prophets death. As far back as Christmas day, Dec. 25th, 1832 Joseph Smith had received the revelation regarding the civil war and had prophesied it’s coming when the “Southern States” would be divided against the “Northern States” thus creating a great conflict between the north and south of “America.”
See Thomas Jefferson quote. “Our confederacy must be viewed as the nest from which all of America, North and South is to be peopled.”
D&C 87:3-4 “For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then warshall be poured out upon all nations.4 And it shall come to pass, after many days, aslaves shall rise up against their masters, who shall be marshaled and disciplined for war.
Now, had Joseph Smith said in 1844 that “the whole of America, EAST and WEST is Zion,” would anyone have questioned what was meant by that statement? No, it would have been absolutely clear that what was meant was the United States of America because “America” is geographically oriented more east-west than north-south. However, when one considers the fact that Joseph had already prophesied about a coming division between the northern and southern states of America, is it little wonder that the prophet may have used this same language in the same context in this statement. Others, specifically Wilford Woodruff (we already know his penchant for promoting John Lloyd Stephen’s Central American findings as Book of Mormon lands) interpreted what Joseph Smith actually said into what he wanted to believe he said, in his ongoing efforts to demonstrate proofs of the Book of Mormon in Mesoamerica. Certainly his views would be strengthened considerably if it was believed the Joseph indicated both North and South America to be the promised land.
The qualifiers given by Joseph don’t work if the land is defined as the entire hemisphere. The Center Place of Zion in Jackson County, MO is nowhere near the center of the hemisphere, but it is near the center of the United States.
Jonathan’s Answer:
This deserves a complete analysis, but at least I can give you what I’ve done so far.
First, you can find the original references for TPJS here:
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/articles/sources-for-teachings-of-js-by-joseph-fielding-smith
The original source is here:https://catalog.lds.org/assets/fd5f2ec7-0f1e-4329-9cb0-45bfe301a2c3/0/48?lang=eng
It’s misleading, though, because the library’s annotation says “Author: Smith, Joseph,” but it was not written by Joseph. It’s a strange entry in the library because it has “no title.” I think Willard Richards wrote this, though.
It got into the History of the Church here:https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1838-1856-volume-e-1-1-july-1843-30-april-1844/354
I discussed the issue of America, North and South, in detail here:
http://bookofmormonwars.blogspot.com/2016/07/bmaf-question-3-zion-was-all-of-north.html
Notice that in the same April 8, 1844, sermon everyone quotes, Joseph said this:
I have received instructions from the Lord that from henceforth wherever the Elders of Israel shall build up churches and branches unto the Lord throughout the States, there shall be a stake of Zion; in the great cities as Boston, NewYork &c. there shall be stakes.
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1838-1856-volume-e-1-1-july-1843-30-april-1844/355
This could be argued both ways; i.e., he was referring here to the States, so he likely was earlier in the sermon; or, because he said “States” here, he was not referring to the States when he said America, North and South.
Since I wrote that post, I’ve learned that it was Ethan Smith, not Winchester, who first came up with the “shadowing with wings” explanation. Ethan published it in 1823 in View of the Hebrews, complete with his own translation. That’s why in my indictment of M2C, I’m showing that Orson Pratt followed Ethan Smith, not Joseph Smith, and the whole “brown people in Latin America are Lamanites” message is based on Ethan Smith, not Joseph Smith.
Ethan actually first published this in 1811 in A Dissertation on the Prophecies.
Here’s the excerpt from View of the Hebrews, which is where I think Winchester got it.
Thou land “shadowing with wings.” The above direction lands the prophetic vision at the point of the western continent, where the two great wings of North and South America meet; as the body of a great Eagle. This at first might furnish the prophetic imagery of a land “shadowing with wings.” As though the inspiring Spirit had whispered; The continent of those two great wings shall be found at last most interesting in relation to your Hebrew brethren.
And those two great wings shall prove but an emblem of a great nation then on that continent; far sequestered from the seat of antichrist, and of tyranny and blood; and whose asylum for equal rights, liberty and religion, shall be well represented by such a national coat of arms, — the protecting wings of a great eagle; which nation in yonder setting of the sun, (when in the last days, judgments shall be thundering through the nations of the eastern continent,) shall be found a realm of peaceful protection to all, who fly from the abodes of despotism to its peaceful retreat; even as an eagle protects her nest from all harm. Yea, a land that, when all other lands shall be found to have trampled on the Jews, shall be found to have protecting wings for them, free from such cruelty, and ready to aid them.