“Their Fine Silks and Their Finetwined Linen”

Alan C. Miner

In Alma 4:6 mention is made of the Nephites' "fine silks, and their fine-twined linen." According to John Sorenson, neither "linen" or "silk" fabric as we now know them was found in Mesoamerica at the coming of the Spaniards. The problem might be no more than linguistic. The redoubtable Bernal Diaz, who served with Cortez in the initial wave of conquest, described native Mexican garments made of "henequen which is like linen." The fiber of the maguey plant, from which henequen was manufactured, closely resembles the flax fiber used to make European linen. Several kinds of "silk," too, were reported by the conquerors. One kind was of thread spun from the fine hair on the bellies of rabbits. Padre Motolinia also reported the presence of a wild silkworm, although he thought the Indians did not make use of the cocoons. But other reports indicate that wild silk was spun and woven in certain areas of Mesoamerica. Another type came from the pod of the ceiba tree. We may never discover actual remains of these fabrics, but at least the use of the words in the Book of Mormon now seems to offer no problem. [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, F.A.R.M.S., p. 232] [See the commentary on Alma 1:29]

Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon: A Cultural Commentary

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