Volume 10, Issue 2 The Gospel Pathway at Izapa June 15, 2016 By David B. Brown © 2016 Our recent Spring Expedition took and large altar, each of them made us to the Chiapas site of Izapa located from a single piece of carved stone. just outside the city of Tapachula and These features are clearly Olmec and just a few kilometers from Mexico’s testify to the influence of the northern southernmost border with Guatemala. culture in this region. Here we found an archaeological site Through the years we have identified with a long history and very unique certain ancient cities as locations for art styles. It appears that this site was Book of Mormon stories. Izapa has located on a merchant route that been identified as connected Teotihuacán with cit- the Lamanite city of ies in Guatemala and El Salva- Shimnilon that is dor. Being a site with such strong listed as one of the connections to the north, it dis- seven cities con- plays Olmec artisan influence by verted by the sons its use of very large stones. For of Mosiah. Ammon example, a large toad head, a is clearly responsi- large snake head, a large bowl ble for the conversion of King Lamoni and the peo- ple in the city of Ishmael. We have identified Ishmael as Tazumal in Chalchuapa, El Salvador. Aaron is said to have been held in prison in Middoni, which we have identified as the Guatemala Continues on Page 2 Mayan Burial Rituals by Terry Scott © 2016 We know very little about the Tomás (Chichicastenango) in Guate- early Maya’s burial practices. Much of mala, he “transcribed and translated our information about Mayan burial the manuscript (Popol Vuh) in paral- ceremonies and rituals comes from lel K'iche' and Spanish columns.”1 Post Classic accounts like the Popol Xibalba (Shee-bal-ba) or 'Place of Vuh and the books of Chilam Balam. Fright' is the name of the Mayan un- No written records exist regarding the derworld (afterlife) written about in early Mayan except what we find on the Popol Vuh. Many of the death or glyphs and images carved on temple burial rituals seem to be based on pre- walls. “As with other texts (e.g., the paring the dead for their journey to Chilam Balam), a great deal of Popol Vuh's significance lies in the scarcity Continues on Page 4 of early accounts dealing with Meso- Inside this issue: HILL CUMORAH EXPEDITION TEAM, INC american mythologies.”1 The Popol Vuh (book of the peo- The Gospel Pathway at Izapa Cont. 2 & 3 ple) was based on an oral history and Mayan Burial Rituals Cont. 4 & 7 mythology of the Maya. It was first 1 written down around 1554 to 1558. Adventures in Archaeology 5 & 6 Sometime after 1701 when Father Ximénez came to Santo Tonina Update 8 Cumorah Messenger The Gospel Pathway at Izapa continued site of Takalik Abaj about 40 miles straight. But, once Aaron leaves, ual through a narrow passage that southeast of Izapa. Because of the how does the story continue to get empties into a plaza. cultural commonalities shared by told with any accuracy? We believe Once in the plaza, to the left is a Takalik Abaj and Izapa, we have that Aaron used this method of pic- stairwell that descends to the terres- surmised that Aaron is the key fig- tographic story telling by carving it trial plane from the higher plane, ure who was instrumental in con- in wood or stone so that the images verting these Pacific Coast cities would continue to tell the accurate and developing the very unique arti- story even if he was absent. sanship known as the Izapan Art Likewise, we believe that struc- Style. tures were built to illustrate the The Izapan Art Style is character- pathway of the gospel. Izapa Site F ized by several features. There is a contains one of the gospel pathway central pictographic mural that de- illustrations. Coming into the site fines the theme of the stela, which from the northwest, we find that the is then bracketed by a celestial band left side on the west edge of the at the top and an underworld band first structure has three steps up, but at the base. Almost all of the stelae the right side is in the form of a are pictographic—there appears to ramp. We believe that the ramp il- be no glyphic writing involved. lustrates an event when a portion of the inhabitants of the higher plane slide down, or as the Bible says, Adam fell. Especially since the and beside this stairwell is a large stone bowl with a braided cord carved around the edge. Next to the bowl is a serpent head downward slide is in a westerly di- (Quetzalcoatl) whose mouth forms rection where the sun sets and the a spout. The symbolism seems to light fades—west is the direction imply that the waters of life from that symbolizes death and change. the higher realm will fill the bowl In order to avoid certain death as into which one will enter into a illustrated by the descent to the covenant as indicated by the west, we must find a way to reverse braided rope on the lip of the bowl. direction. Once on the terrestrial In spiritual terms, we will enter into Therefore, all of the images used plane it is necessary to perform a a baptismal covenant. After enter- and their relational positioning on 180 degree turn back toward the ing into this covenant we continue the pictograph are assumed to be light (east). This takes the individ- to travel east and find ourselves at symbolic. the north end of a ball court. We believe that this art style is On the north end of the ball court unique to Aaron. He came into a is a four-cornered alter with a head region with no formal writing (at carved on one end. We believe that least there is none discernable) and the new believer who has accepted he had to convey his story of the the challenge to change his life gospel. This would work fine as when he entered into the baptismal long as he was present to convey covenant is now being asked to sac- the story while consulting the writ- rifice the physical aspect of his life ten word from time to time to be Ball Court as alluded to by the four-cornered sure that he was keeping the story Continues on Page 3 Page 2 CUMORAH MESSENGER The Gospel Pathway at Izapa continued mounted in the south wall. This laws will judge our earthly walk by illustrates a ball player who has de- providing consistent direction. feated a bird that represents death. Once we have received judgment, Again, this seems to be representa- tive of Quetzalcoatl overcoming altar. Our physical existence is il- lustrated by the number four; four directions, four corners of the earth, four fundamental elements (earth, water, fire and air), four founda- tional atomic elements (hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon), and we are then invited to the higher so on. Therefore, if we are to win realms again, as illustrated by the the spiritual battle that takes place three tiered structure on the south on the ball court, we must focus on side of the plaza. the spiritual rewards and be willing I admit that there is nothing in to sacrifice the physical. death and exiting the spiritual battle writing stating that these are the On the east wall at the halfway ground (ball court) as the victor. intended meanings of the structures point of the ball court is a stela that Continuing the right turns, the and objects found at Izapa. This is illustrates a person in a boat who is south end of the ball court empties purely an esoteric interpretation of back into the central plaza next to a what is found. However, the posi- square structure that is slightly tioning is so artfully done that one humped, but the corners are set to gospel concept applied to one struc- cardinal directions of north, south, ture tends to lend itself to an under- east and west. We believe that this standing of another. And as we take a clockwise route through the site it appears to illustrate the interaction of heaven to earth, of physical ver- sus spiritual, of eternal life versus temporary death. holding a symbol of life (Egyptian One additional comment on the ankh) in each hand and there are positioning of the structures at fish underneath the boat. This picto- Izapa. If you do an internet search graph implies someone that offers on Izapa, you will discover count- life to all players on the court. less papers that connect astronomi- The Christian imagery abounds cal positioning with the placements with a bearded god bearing crosses, of structures, stelae and monu- fish (spiritual humanity), an ark, a represents the place of judgment. ments. Why would Aaron do that? rainbow, and the number 8 repre- The four corners refer to the physi- What is he trying to convey? He is sented in the waves; 8 is the number cal realm, the slightly humped cob- telling us that the placement of of resurrection in Mayan mythol- blestone feature refers to the Mayan things on Earth are ordered by Ce- ogy. Being placed at the midpoint concept that we live on the back of lestial Law. He is connecting this of the arena where opposing teams the turtle, and the cardinal direc- earthly realm with the heavenly battle, this diety certainly displays tions are symbolic of celestial laws realm and is using astronomical Christ-like characteristics by offer- that never change because on the order to direct its placement.