“I Mormon, Began to Be Old”

Alan C. Miner

Richardson, Richardson and Bentley note that Ixtlilxochitl describes a man named Hueman who fits the Book of Mormon profile of Mormon in a surprising number of details:

1. Their names are similar---each having two syllables and ending with the suffix "mon" or "man."

2. Both lived during the same period of time.

3. Both were prophets (Mormon 1:15).

4. Both were historians (Mormon 2:17-18).

5. Both were generals (Mormon 2:1).

6. Both led a great army into battle in A.D. 326 (Mormon 2:1-7).

7. Both led their people in a great exodus from the land called Bountiful (Mormon 6:5-6). (The word Bountiful is not given in the Works of Ixtlilxochitl, but the English equivalent of the ancient name means the same thing.)

8. Both negotiated an important treaty in A.D. 350 (Mormon 2:28-29).

9. Both were forced to lead their people into the northern countries (Mormon 2:29).

10. Both had temporary hope and optimism for their people (see Mormon 2:10-12).

11. Each were notified by the enemy of plans to attack, according to the law of the land (Mormon 3:4).

12. Mormon was given 10 years of peace (Mormon 3:4; Hueman was given 3 years.

13. Each led his army into a final battle of extermination in which all but a few were killed (Moroni 1:2).

14. The Book of Mormon Lamanites were ancestral relatives of the Nephites---Ixtlilxochitl describes the enemy as "their own fierce kindred" (see Moroni 1:4)

15. Each wrote a sacred book shortly before death (Mormon 1:1-5; 6:5-6; Words of Mormon 1:11). Ixtlilxochitl's book was called Teoamoxtli, which means Various Things of God and Divine Book.

16. Each abridged the ancient records that contained history from the creation to their day (Introduction to the Book of Mormon). Ixtlilxochitl called his a resume.

(Sources from the Works of Ixtlilxochitl are found in Hunter and Ferguson, Ancient America and the Book of Mormon, pp. 337-343.) [Allen H. Richardson, David E. Richardson and Anthony E. Bentley, 1000 Evidences for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Part Two-A Voice from the Dust: 500 Evidences in Support of the Book of Mormon, pp. 143-144]

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

References