Today we took a tour to learn about the Hopewell Indian Culture and a possible connection to the Book of Mormon. As a way to introduce this culture I've included below an excerpt from the Encyclopedia Britannica:

"[The Hopewell culture, a], notable ancient Indian culture of the east-central area of North America. . . flourished from about 200 bce to 500 ce chiefly in what is now southern Ohio, with related groups in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and New York. . . . The earthworks [built by Hopewell Indians] sometimes suggest defensive purposes, but more often they served as burial mounds or apparently formed the bases of temples or other structures. . . . Trade routes were evidently well developed, for material from as far away as the Rocky Mountains and the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean are found in Hopewell sites, and articles identified as manufactured by the Hopewell Indians are found in localities as far distant. After about 400 ce the more spectacular features of the Hopewell culture gradually disappeared. The quantity and quality of fine articles and mounds declined, and the people apparently became less sedentary and more loosely organized."

It is estimated that the Hopewell Indians built as many as 155,000 mounds. Our guide, who showed us a few of these mounds, was Cal Christensen, a member of the Church and Nauvoo Temple worker.

Brother Christensen is on the left. The others pictured serve with us in the temple. (Blaine and Dawn Russell, Idaho Falls, ID; Randall and Judy Peterson, Nauvoo, IL; Vernon and Susan Moon, Ogden, UT; and Dane and Barbara Chapman, Manti, UT.)

We began our tour on the east bank of the Mississippi River near Nauvoo. (Brother Christensen believes the Mississippi is the River Sidon.) Below is a photograph of a ramp built to access the top of a mound, which was probably used for defensive purpose. The next picture shows a defensive earthwork that appears to have been thrown up.

We read in the book of Alma (50:1-6) the following:

"And now it came to pass that Moroni did not stop making preparations for war, or to defend his people against the Lamanites; for he caused that his armies should commence in the commencement of the twentieth year of the reign of the judges, that they should commence in digging up heaps of earth round about all the cities, throughout all the land which was possessed by the Nephites. And upon the top of these ridges of earth he caused that there should be timbers, yea, works of timbers built up to the height of a man, round about the cities. And he caused that upon those works of timbers there should be a frame of pickets built upon the timbers round about; and they were strong and high. And he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those works of pickets, and he caused places of security to be built upon those towers, that the stones and the arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them. And they were prepared that they could cast stones from the top thereof, according to their pleasure and their strength, and slay him who should attempt to approach near the walls of the city. Thus Moroni did prepare strongholds against the coming of their enemies, round about every city in all the land."

Below is a mound on the west side of the Mississippi. The top is used as a cemetery now.

Looking to the south from this mound is farm land that reminded Sandy of Adam Ondi Ahman.

Brother Christensen believes that the City of Zarahemla was on the west side of the Mississippi across from Nauvoo. A revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants directed that this area be called Zarahemla (D&C 125:3).

"Let them build up a city unto my name upon the land opposite the city of Nauvoo, and let the name of Zarahemla be named upon it."

Below is a picture from material prepared by Brother Christensen regarding the general location of Book of Mormon lands.

The tour was interesting, and what we were told seems credible.

This evening there was a talent show for the temple missionaries. It was enjoyable. On the way back to our apartment (9:00 PM) we drove past the temple and took this photograph.