Millennial Star
Bibliography

The Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star was the official publication of the Church in the BRITISH ISLES from 1840 to 1970. Parley P. Pratt, an APOSTLE of the Church and the first editor of the periodical, outlined its purpose in its first issue, May, 1840, "The Millennial Star will stand aloof from the common political and commercial news of the day. Its columns will be devoted to the spread of the fulness of the gospel- the restoration of the ancient principles of Christianity-the gathering of Israel- the rolling forth of the kingdom of God among the nations- the signs of the times- ... in short, whatever is shown forth indicative of the coming of the ’Son of Man,’ and the ushering in of his universal reign on the earth." The presidents of the British Mission were always listed as the editors, among whom were five future PRESIDENTS OF THE CHURCH: Wilford WOODRUFF, Joseph F. SMITH, Heber J. GRANT, George Albert SMITH, and David O. MCKAY. The Millennial Star was officially retired in 1970, when it was subsumed into the Ensign, the English-language magazine for adults throughout the Church starting in 1971.

Perhaps the greatest message of the Book of Mormon is that God speaks to all his children, “on one continent or another, in one land or another,” all will be taught the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Announces The Great Migration, by J. Fitzgerald Lee, which is a scholarly book with the hypothesis that the Hebrew race originated in America and migrated there from Asia. Concludes that this “unwittingly testifies to the truth of the Book of Mormon”

Book of Mormon gives world new light on ancient history. Archaeology confirms its truth. Quetzalcoatl stems from Christ’s visit. Hagoth’s expeditions possibly settled South Pacific islands. Politics and war are highly developed in Book of Mormon, which is a divine record.

In Jacob’s sermon on immorality (Jacob 2) polygamy is not forbidden. What is forbidden is the taking of wives and concubines without the sanction of God.

Describes a time when Indian students visited the Alberta, Canada, Temple. They saw wall paintings that depicted Lehi offering a sacrifice after landing on American soil, and a picture of Christ administering the sacrament to a Lamanite at his coming after his resurrection.

Argues against statements that Joseph Smith produced the Book of Mormon by way of “visionary seizures” The testimony of the Three Witnesses is reprinted, as is a description of David Whitmer’s testimony before he died.

Growing amount of evidence shows that Columbus was late in his discovery of America. Ancient manuscripts indicate that the first inhabitants of America came from the East and that they had elephants as reported in the Sheffield Weekly Telegraph, November 4.

Lord Kingbrough (1830—1848), H. H. Bancroft, D. G. Brinton, Torquemanda, and Angus W. McKay found traditions of the virgin birth in the traditions of Mexico, the Otomies, and Navajo Indians. Other ancient peoples such as the Aztecs and the Indians of Paraguay believed in the virgin birth of their gods. This same belief was taught to ancient Americans in the Book of Mormon.

Catholic missionaries who arrived in America found the natives practicing baptism and were horrified. Some cultures sprinkled while others immersed the infant, but always it was meant to lead the individual toward a better life and salvation in the kingdom of God. These practices are explain by the Book of Mormon text that informs the reader that baptism was introduced early in America’s history. [J.W. M.]

The calendar developed by the Maya Indians began somewhere between 613 and 580 B.C., though it dates back to 3373 B.C., and was arranged by the deity Quetzalcoatl. The Book of Mormon people reckoned their time from the Savior’s birth. The date when Mayan history began and the correlation with the sign of the birth of deity are evidence of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon records that Lehi’s colony took brass plates upon which were recorded the record of the Jews and the genealogy of their forefathers. The British Museum has metal plates that are engraved with records of several different cultures.

Metal plates prepared by the ancients have been found in several locations in America. There are many historical accounts of metal plates that no longer exist as they were melted down to be used in other ways. Melvin J. Ballard describes plates seen in a museum in Lima, Peru, that were gold sheets, the size of the Book of Mormon plates (Deseret News April 30, 1932).

Joseph Smith described the gold plates as having “the appearance of gold” The word “appearance” is significant as plates of pure gold would have been in danger of easy destruction. Most likely it was a gold and copper alloy. The Book of Mormon could have been written in Hebrew on just 21 pages or plates; in Phoenician characters about 45 plates would have been necessary, even taking into account the loss of the 116 pages.

The legal status of the testimony of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon is important. “Their witness stands unimpeached before the world” Despite apostasy, none ever denied his testimony; all were honorable, upstanding men.

Harris cites evidence that many ancient American cultures used “seer stones” and breastplates that suggest a corrupt form of the Urim and Thummim used with the breastplate. He shows how many Indians from North America to Peru in South America used clear stones or crystals for divination.

Harris cites many examples of one language being written with another alphabet—transliteration. This he does to support the claim of the Book of Mormon that Hebrew was written with Reformed Egyptian characters (Mormon 9:32-33; 1 Nephi 1:2). Mentions the discovery by Sir Flinders Petrie of some writings in the Peninsula of Sinai that were in the Hebrew language but written “in Egyptian hieratic characters somewhat changed”

Explores geographical/historical/archaeological implications of Lehi’s journey out of Jerusalem. Says hostile Arabs prevented a journey through inhabited areas.

The copy of the Book of Mormon owned by Hyrum Smith at the time of his martyrdom is a cherished heirloom.

A non-Mormon scholar states that the Spaulding theory is false and that Joseph Smith is not a fraud, arguing that the Book of Mormon witnesses who left the Church would have exposed the Book of Mormon story if it truly were fraudulent.

Concentrates on the work of salvation for the dead as introduced when Moroni quoted Malachi to Joseph Smith.

Includes a reprint of the testimony of the Three Witnesses from the Book of Mormon, a report of Oliver Cowdery’s testimony given at the conference at Council Bluffs, his testimony at the time of his death in David Whitmer’s home, David Whitmer’s rebuttal to John Murphy, William Harrison Homer’s interview with Martin Harris, and Harris’s testimony given in Salt Lake City and in Clarkston, Utah, just prior to his death.

Ambrose R. Winch, through reading and manually copying a borrowed copy of the Book of Mormon, was converted to the Church.

Describes the first visitation of the angel Moroni to Joseph Smith, Joseph’s call to the ministry, and scriptures quoted and interpreted by Moroni. Emphasis is placed on prophecies of key events in the latter days.

Mentions the erection of the Cumorah Monument, identifies Moroni as a resurrected Nephite prophet. Stresses the doctrine of the immortality and resurrection of man.