thereof; that at the crucifixion of Messiah, during the three hours that he hung upon the cross at Jerusalem, the western world was visited by an unparalleled series of cataclysms which convulsed the whole land, destroying many cities, some being buried by mountains that were thrown up by convulsions of the earth, and others being sunk in the depths of the sea; that these dreadful convulsions of the earth were followed by three days of total darkness; that some time after these awful cataclysms the risen Messiah appeared in person to a multitude in the region of country in South America east and south of the Isthmus of Panama and including part of that Isthmus, [4] that he proclaimed his relationship to God, held himself forth as the Son of God, taught the doctrine of the Atonement, instituted the Christian sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper, chose twelve disciples and authorized the organization of a church to teach the doctrine of Christ and perfect, by its watchful care, those who accepted it; that this introduction of the gospel of Christ was followed by a period of universal peace and prosperity--a veritable golden age--through nearly three centuries; that after this the people declined in moral and spiritual excellence until they were in complete apostasy; that a series of civil wars and the rise of robber bands undermined government, and that about the close of the fourth century, A. D., the government was destroyed, the people divided into small bands or tribes and anarchy prevailed.