THE above is the title of a remarkable book that has lately fallen into our hands—remarkable from the fact that it produces such strong evidences in favor of the genuineness of the Book of Mormon. It is written by a reverend gentleman named Ethan Smith, the pastor of a church in Poultney, Vermont, and its second edition, the one in our possession, was issued in April, 1825; that is before the sacred plates containing Mormon's record were placed in the Prophet Joseph's hands by the Angel Moroni for translation; this latter important event having taken place in September, 1827.

The whole of Mr. Smith's book, (285 pages) is devoted to proving that the American Indians are a remnant of the House of Israel. This he does by appealing to their manners and customs, religious observances, languages, traditions, physical appearance, etc., etc., and a wonderful strong showing he makes. But the most remarkable thing is his own conclusions regarding the ancient history of America derived from long study of the material he has gathered. He writes, and it must be remembered that this was written years before the Book of Mormon was published, or indeed translated:

Some of the people of Israel who came into this western continent maintained some degree of civilization for a longtime; but that the better part of the outcast tribes of Israel here finally became extinct, at least in North America, under the rage of their more numerous savage brethren.

He then gives an extract from the "Transactions and Collections of the American, Antiquarian Society," (1820) which describes the discovery of ancient forts, temples, towns, altars, camps, etc., on this continent, and continues;

These certainly are precisely such remains as naturally might have been expected to be furnished by a better part of Israel placed in their outcast state, in a vast wilderness, with a degree of civilization which they possessed when banished from Canaan; and were situated in the midst of savage tribes from their race, who had degenerated to the hunting life, and were intention the destruction of this better part of their brethren. Thus situated, and struggling to maintain their existence, and to maintain their religious traditions, they would naturally form the very things above enumerated, walled towns, forts, temples, altars, habitations of chieftains, videttes, and watch-towers These cannot be ascribed to a people of any other origin, with anything like an equal degree of probability.

Those best acquainted with the contents of the Book of Mormon will most highly appreciate the wonderful similarity between Mr. Smith's deductions and conclusions and the actual facts. He, as a result of his studies, had reached the truth in great minuteness and gives us a condensed history of the rise and fall of the Nephites and Lamanites as they are now revealed to us in the inspired translation of their sacred records.

Mr. Smith, also, in more than one place, refers to a tradition among the various tribes that in former times they possessed a book of great value, which they had lost, but which would at some time be restored to them. Speaking of the Indians he says:

They tell you that Johewah [Jehovah] once chose their nation from all the rest of mankind, to be his peculiar people. That a book which God gave was once theirs, and then things were well with them. But other people got it from them, and then they fell under the displeasure of the Great Spirit; but that they shall at some time regain it. They inform you that some of their fathers once had a spirit to foretell future events, and to work miracles.

This is exactly the story, from the Lamanite standpoint, which the Book of Mormon records. In this relation he quotes Dr. Boudinot, at one time President of the American Bible Society:

Dr. Boudinot gives it as from good authority, that the Indians have a tradition that the book which the white people have was once theirs. That while they had this book, things went well with them; they prospered accordingly; but that other people got it from them; that the Indians lost their credit; offended the Great Spirit, and suffered exceedingly from the neighboring nations; that the Great Spirit then took pity on them, and directed them to this country.

Here we have an exceedingly clear tradition of the times when the forefathers of the Indians possessed the ancient Hebrew scriptures, which were copied from the plates of brass brought, as Nephi informs us, from Jerusalem by the company of Israelites, of which he was so distinguished a member.

A book published in London, England, in 1833, by a Mr. C. Colton, on the origin of the American Indians bears testimony to this same tradition. It is therein stated:

They assert that a book was once in possession of their ancestors, and along with this recognition they have traditions that the Great Spirit used to foretell to their forefathers future events; that he controlled nature m their favor; that angels once talked with them; that all the Indian tribes descended from one man, who had twelve sons; that this man was a notable and renowned prince, having great dominions, and that the Indians, his posterity, will yet recover the same dominion and influence. They believe, by tradition, that the spirit of prophecy and miraculous interposition, once enjoyed by their ancestors, will yet be restored to them, and that they will recover the book, all of which has been so long lost.

Mr. Smith also quotes the Rev. Dr. West, of Stockbridge, as saying:

An old Indian informed me that his fathers in this country had not long since had a book which they had for a long time preserved. But having lost the knowledge of reading it, they concluded that it would be of no further use to them; and they buried it with an Indian chief.

The following interesting account of the discovery of a Jewish phylactery is abridged from Mr. Smith's work:

It appears that in 1815 a Mr. Joseph Merrick, of Pittsfield, was plowing on a portion of his property known as Indian Hill, and at a point where the plowing was deepest he found a kind of black strap, about six inches in length and one and a half inches in breadth, with a loop of some hard substance at each end. He conveyed this strap to his house and threw it into an old tool box. After a time he attempted to cut it, but found it as hard as a bone. Eventually he succeeded, and found it was formed of pieces of thick rawhide, sewed and made water tight. On being opened it was found to contain four folded leaves of old parchment of a dark yellow color, covered with writing. One of these parchment leaves was torn to pieces by some of Mr. Merricks neighbors, the other three were sent to Cambridge (Mass.) for translation. They proved to be written m Hebrew and contained the identical texts of scripture usually placed by the Jews in their phylacteries. This discovery of texts of Hebrew scripture found underground in such a place and under such conditions created considerable comment, and the suggestion was advanced that some Jew had buried them there. But investigation showed that no Jew had ever, in modern times, been in that neighborhood. Besides the workmanship and general appearance proved the antiquity. The texts on the three pieces of parchment were respectively Exodus 13: ii-i6; Deut. 6: 4-9: and Deut. 11: 13-21. One only of these we will here insert, the other two were equally appropriate for the purpose: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou riseth up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and thev shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. — Deut. 6: 4-9

The conclusion is inevitable that in the distant past a people resided on this western continent who were acquainted with the Hebrew language and who observed the law of Moses, just as the Book of Mormon declares. No other people would have any use for such an instrument.