"Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people unto whom this work shall come, that Joseph Smith, Jr., the translator of this work, has shewn unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which have the appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said Smith has translated, we did handle with our hands; and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient work, and of curious workmanship. And this we bear record with words of soberness, that the said Smith has shewn unto us, for we have seen and hefted, and know of a surety that the said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken. And we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that we have seen; and we lie not, God bearing witness of it. "Christian Whitmer, Hiram Page, Jacob Whitmer, Joseph Smith, Sen., Peter Whitmer, Jr., Hyrum Smith, John Whitmer, Samuel H. Smith." SECULAR PROOF OF THE BOOK OF MORMON. Proof that the Book of Mormon is authentic will also establish the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Herewith are presented some of the external or outside evidences of the truth of that remarkable work known as the Book of Mormon. The principal statements contained in the Book of Mormon concerning which there is a possibility of confirmation or corroboration in the annals of modern exploration and research are these: 1. That America was once peopled by a colony who went from Asia at the time of the confusion of tongues, when the inhabitants of the earth undertook to build the Tower of Babel; and that these colonists and their descendants flourished for a period of some sixteen or seventeen centuries, being a highly civilized race, but finally became extinct. 2. That America was again peopled, this time by a colony of the Hebrew race which came from Jerusalem 600 years B. C. That they observed the laws of Moses, had a record of the creation, the flood, etc. {268} 3. That they, too, developed into a great and highly civilized commonwealth. 4. That they had a knowledge of the coming of the Christ, and that He appeared unto them and taught them the Gospel. 5. That terrible convulsions and destruction of life and property took place at the time of Christ's crucifixion. COLONISTS FROM THE TOWER OF BABEL. The Book of Mormon states that a man named Jared, and his brother, and their families, with some other men and their families, being led by the Lord, went from the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, and crossed over to America in barges. There they multiplied and became a great nation, spreading over the land northward, or North America. Finally, about 600 years before Christ the nation became extinct through internal warfare. (See Book of Ether). Josephus, the Jewish historian, speaking of the events at the time of the dispersion from the Tower of Babel says