Historical Records Back The Book of Mormon

And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.  Moroni 10:5

Concerning the Book of Mormon, the Prophet Joseph Smith said, "I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book."

"We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true.  Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the power of the Holy Ghost."  (Introduction, Book of Mormon)

"A man filled with the love of God 

is not content with blessing his family alone, 

but ranges through the whole world, 

anxious to bless the whole human race."  

careforlife.org

Moroni hiding the gold plates from which Joseph Smith translated The Book of Mormon by the power of God

When I was first introduced to the Book of Mormon, I wanted to prove it false by using the Bible.  However, the more I cross referenced the two, the more I discovered the truth through evidence in the Bible and in other books.  Instead of praying to know the book was true as I should have done at first, I studied the history of the early civilizations in Central and South America to learn more of the ancestors of the people in the Book of Mormon.  I was on an intellectual search, which is all fine and dandy, since there are many evidences that have been discovered since Joseph Smith first translated The Book of Mormon that stand alone as proof he didn't write the book, but I missed the most important truth that could have saved me a lot of time and effort:   

The promise in the Book of Mormon is made by God.  He will send the Holy Ghost to bear witness in a person's heart and mind that it is true.  One only need to ask in sincere prayer.  

Okay, so I finally DID pray and I DO know The Book of Mormon IS the word of God.  It is a second witness of Jesus Christ and proof the Bible is also true scripture.  How I love to read about the historical aspects of  people in the scriptures and especially about the early people of the Americas in the Book of Mormon!  Recently, Meridian Magazine had a great article about histories written in the early sixteenth century about the ancestors of the Cakchiquel Indians, a branch of the Maya.

In the translation of The Annals of the Cakchiques, the following is recorded:

"We came from the west, from the place of abundance, from the other side of the sea." 

Note:  Alma 22:28, Book of Mormon, tells about their landing on the west coast of the New World. 
Lehi's family left a place called "Bountiful," which means a place of abundance.  It was on the other side of the sea.

Leaving Jerusalem because God told them to go before it was destroyed

Lehi, Nephi, and families left Jerusalem and sailed to a land promised to them by God

The Popol Vuh, regarded as the most authentic and important record of the ancient Maya that survived the Spanish conquest, recorded:

"From the west we came to Tulen (place of abundance), from across the sea; and it was at Tulan where we arrived."  "I shall write the stories of our first fathers and grandfathers that from the other side of the sea we came to the place called Tulan when we were four families who arrived at Tulan."

It is interesting to note that the "place of abundance" is identical to the current Spanish translation of The Book of Mormon when it refers to the Nephites leaving Bountiful in the old world.

The Quiche history describes how the ancestors of the Maya were guided across the ocean to their new home by a peculiar instrument called the "Pizom Gogal."  In the Book of Mormon, Lehi's family was guided across the ocean by what they called the Liahona.

Lehi and his family using the Liahona to guide them in their travels (God gave it to them)

In a third Quiche Maya source, the Title of the Lords of Totonicapan, it mentions that their leader guided his people to their new home by means of something called the "Giron-Gagal."  It also records:  "Our ancestors had come from the other side of the sea, from Civan-Tulan at the confine of Babylonia."  "These tribes come from the other part of the sea, from the East, from Pa-Tulan, Pa-Civan they come from where the sun rises, descendants of Israel, of the same language and the same customs they were sons of Abraham and Jacob."  (verified in the study of The Book of Mormon)

Christ coming to his the people in America after his resurrection

Jesus Christ come and taught his gospel to his "other sheep" as mentioned in the Bible.

The full article with this interesting information can be found in the link below.  Meanwhile, may I suggest you read The Book of Mormon first and take God up on His promise?

Meridian Magazine - Did the Nephites Remember Bountiful?