Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Chapter XV - A Journey to the Times of the Book of Mormon and a Change of Heart

In my experience, the process of conversion or conquering the natural man occurs in quantum jumps. These jumps being triggered by extra ordinary events. Such an event occurred in late February and early march of the year 2006.

I had become interested in doing a group tour and had selected a trip to Mayan Country sponsored by LDS Tours. We were scheduled to visit major ruins in Belize, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras in a two week time frame with George Talbot as our tour director and Brennan Alldredge as his assistant.

The day my journey began my son Rick dropped me off at the Salt Lake airport. I bristled with excitement as I contemplated the adventure that was now underway. I was the only member of our group on the Salt Lake flight but would meet the majority of our group at the Houston airport for the flight to Belize.

Irony plays an interesting role in our mortal experience. The ancient prophet King Benjamin witnessed a change of heart of his Nephite followers as he gave his final sermon. Nearly a century and a half later Christ observed or caused the same reaction amongst the Nephites of that day when He visited the Americas shortly after His crucifixion. It was in this same region of the Americas that I experienced a change of heart while visiting the ancient Mayan ruins of Mesoamerica. In what follows I will attempt to describe that process.

Meeting and befriending new people can be a real challenge especially for someone as judgmental as me. As we waited for our flight to Belize, I started out as I usually do by making mental judgments of each person I met. But fortunately for me I sat next to Melody LePage on the long flight to Belize. Melody has a good personality and we had become friends by the time the flight ended. Something special had happened to me, I was now looking forward to befriending each member of our group. The process of a change of heart had begun.

After dinner at the Smokey Mermaid restaurant, where we had an opportunity to introduce ourselves to the other group members, and after a good nights rest at the Belize City Radisson Hotel, we boarded our bus, had our first daily devotional and drove through the beautiful jungle landscape of Belize to the ruins of Altun Ha. Much of Belize could have been the region of Jershon described in the Book of Mormon, where the people of Ammon lived after their conversion. Our next stop was at the Lamanai site which was occupied from approximately 1500 BC to about 1500 AD. This time period suggests that the Jaradites also lived in this area. We had lunch at a pavilion on the banks of the New River near Orange Walk in Northern Belize before taking a 35 mile boat ride up the river to Lamanai. All this time, I was building friendships by discovering the goodness in each of my fellow travelers.

We spent the next two nights in Chetumal Mexico, located on the east ocean of the Yucatan Pennisula. The first day we had one of many delicious breakfasts before visiting the Museum of Mayan Culture. At 10:30 AM we attended church with the local saints. I couldn't understand the talks but the spirit was there and I was able to sing the songs in Spanish. We visited the nearby ruins of Oxtankah. The coast line drive was breathtaking as George Talbot entertained us with his jokes and with stories relating the Book of Mormon to sites we were to see.

According to George the focus on Mesoamerica as the location of the Book of Mormon story makes sense for the following reasons.

1 It appears that the only place in North and South America where there was a written language dating to the time of the Book of Mormon was in Mesoamerica.

2 It appears that the only place in North and South America where there was a calendar system dating to the time of the Book of Mormon was in Mesoamerica.

3 The only place in North and South America where there are sufficient ruins dating to the time of the Book of Mormon that would accommodate the population sizes referred to in the Book of Mormon is in Mesoamerica.

4 The only place in North and South America where there are legends and history which support accounts mentioned in the Book of Mormon is in Mesoamerica.

5 The geography of a north, south, east and west sea, with mountains to the south (up to Nephi and down to Zarahemla), and major rivers running north and south is the geography described in the Book of Mormon and is well correlated with the geography of Mesoamerica.

Armed with these logical arguments, we were now prepared to correlate Book of Mormon geography with sites we were about to visit.

After breakfast on day four we were off to Becan with stops at Kohunlich and Chicanna. The Becan ruins are located west of Chetumal in the center of the land. George argues that Becan may be the city of Bountiful described in the Book of Mormon. The dry moat surrounding the main part of the city dates to approximately 200 BC and is evidence of a fortified city similar to those described in the Book of Mormon.

The Becan site was one of the highlights of our tour. At the site we were greeted by a half dozen or so children. They received their candy and other gifts, but instead of leaving, they kept us company for over two hours as we toured the ruins. They climbed the pyramids with us and when we stopped for our Book of Mormon lesson, Brennan, who had served a mission in Chile, gave them a lesson using a Spanish Book of Mormon. They were in awe of the pictures in the Book of Mormon showing pyramids similar to those they play on nearly every day. Brennan told them that the Book of Mormon was a story about the ancient people who built those pyramids. When he finished his lesson, the oldest boy asked if he could have the book to read. This episode exposed the character of Brennan. The two of us have continued as good friends to the point, that the last time we met for lunch he asked me if it was ok if he thought of me as his grandpa. What an honor.

It was at the side of the pool at the hotel in Xpuhil that I got to know and appreciate Paul Spencer. Paul was somewhat reserved throughout our adventure but one on one you find a kind man with a strong testimony of the gospel. I learned about his luxury boat building business and his quest for success based upon the principle that anything worth doing is worth doing well.

On our fifth day we drove west passing over the Usumacinta River on our way to the monster site of Palenque which is ~200 miles west of Chetumal in Mexico. Palenque is on the eastern edge of the western hills or western wilderness and is about 25 miles west of the Usumacinta River. George thinks the Usumacinta River is probably the Sidon River referred to in the Book of Mormon. The Palenque site is spectacular with structure types that we haven't seen at any other site. The location of this city adjacent to the western wilderness provides an abundance of running water which argues for this to have been an important city for thousands of years. It may have been the ancient city of Ammonihah mentioned in the Book of Mormon.

The seventh day in Mayan country was classified as the monster day. We were up at 4 AM, had breakfast at 5, and were off at 6 AM. Our first stop was at the Bonampak ruins, a site maintained by the L Indians who function as a mini-nation inside Mexico. This site could be the ancient site of Melek, where the people of Ammon lived afer being moved from Jershon for their protection. We continued our journey through the Mexican jungles to Corozal and the Sidon River. Boats took us down the crocodile infested river to Yaxchilan an ancient site that could very well be the site of Zarahemla.

We traveled back up the river to the east bank where our Guatemala bus and guide Rita were waiting to take us to Tikal, a site centered in the lowlands of Guatemala. We bid our Mexican guide Guraldo goodbye with hugs of gratitude for his humor, his kindness and our safe journey through Mexico.

The long bumpy journey east through Guatemala gave George and Rita an opportunity to entertain us. George provided information on the connection between the Mayans and the Lamanites and Rita told us about her country and the things we were to see at Tikal. As we drove we saw peasants at work, children at play, and hills that could be hiding ancient ruins. The weather was pleasant and where ever we looked the hills and valleys were covered with all kinds of greenery. We arrived at our luxury hotel after dark. The next morning we found that we were located on the shore of beautiful Lake Penen Itza.

After another exotic breakfast and devotional, our bus took us to the Tikal ruins. The tops of the larger pyramids just barely jut above the jungle. The majority of the exposed ruins can be seen only by wandering at ground level. While I was standing around day dreaming, Brennan asked me to bare my testimony about the Book of Mormon to a site worker while Brennan translated. Such opportunities will keep you on your toes. After much heckling, the four cowards in our group finally climbed to the top of a pyramid above the canopy of the jungle. This demonstration of courage by the three ladies and I was rewarded as we nervously enjoyed a spectacular view of Tikal. This breathtaking day was capped off with a relaxing boat ride on the lake at sunset.

Our ninth day was a long ride south near the eastern sea to Quirique. We passed through several Guatemalan towns, stopping a couple of times for rest room breaks and for refreshments (ice cream and pop). The Quirique ruins are surrounded by banana and pineapple orchards run by Dole and Del Monte. At Quirique we saw monster stelae, as large as 35 feet tall and weighing as much as 65 tons. These structures were of sandstone rather than the limestone used at all other sites. We resumed our journey into the mountains and into Honduras to our hotel Marina de Copan. We enjoyed another excellent meal, some excellent music by a marimba band, and then George gave us a discussion on geography. Unfortunately, my room was next to the street and near the Plaza on a Saturday night. Rita provided me with ear plugs but my room still resonated until the wee hours from the Plaza music. This town of ~7000 souls lives off of the tourists and appears to be a little "island" separated from the rest of Honduras.

After another good breakfast, we got together and held Sunday morning church services. Ann Martineau and I agreed to speak. Ann spoke about the heart and I gave an abridged version of "In Search of Light". As I listened to Ann's talk on the feelings of the heart, It suddenly became clear why the word heart is used so often in describing mans behavior and what the heart actually symbolizes. The heart is symbolic of the Natural Man and modifying adjectives measure the degree to which we have conquered the influence of Satan. Thus, hard hearted suggests that Satan has the upper hand and that that person is in bondage. On the other hand, pure of heart means that Satan's influence has been eliminated and that that person is free. Therefore, a change of heart suggests a significant move toward a pureness of heart. A person who is pure of heart has mastered the attributes of charity and truly loves his or her fellowmen. Such a person radiates the pure love of Christ in all of his or her actions as well as in his or her countenance.

After finishing our Sacrament Meeting, we drove to the ruins of Copan. Copan was breathtaking and very busy. The site was well developed and well maintained and provided a delightful tour because of the care the Hondurans had placed in developing, preserving, and maintaining this beautiful facility.

On the long slow and beautiful ride to the capital city of Guatemala, we stopped to get a sample of obsidian. Obsidian is a rock from which Mayans made their cutting tools. Guatemala City has everything available for its 3 million people. Our hotel was spectacular. Dinner was great; a buffet with everything you could ask for, including the best tasting black beans that I have yet to experience. I took a shower and then sat down to prepare my discussion of the plight of Abinidi and Noah as described in the Book of Mormon.

On day eleven we visited the ancient site Kaminaljuyu which may well be the site of the city of Nephi. It was here that I gave my discussion about Abinidi the prophet. This site has been dated to ~1000 BC, which means there were people there when the Nephites arrived.

We next drove the winding mountain roads to the highlands of Guatemala. We stopped at Patzacia, where an LDS chapel was destroyed by the 1976 earthquake. This brought back memories and tears to Rosemary's eyes as she recalled those events. She was a service missionary at the time and was recalled from El Salvador to use her nursing skills to help with with the injured in Patzacia. The Bishop of the LDS ward and his wife were cleaning the church and let us in to visit. The Bishop bore his testimony and many of us joined Rosemary in shedding a few tears. Steve gave his presentation which was very moving in its own right. We next visited ancient Iximche which was a nice rest stop. Brennan gave a good discussion of the human cycle of humility, prosperity, pride, and destruction. Four cute kids had been commandeered by Brennan to help him with his demonstration and then they sang us a song that the oldest had learned in school. Needless to say they received a bountiful reward. Our next stop was the beautiful valley of Lake Atitlan. A gorgeous setting which some think is the site of the Waters of Mormon mentioned in the Book of Mormon.

On the twelfth day we enjoyed breakfast on the shore of Lake Atitlan which is located in the midst of semi-active volcanoes. For our devotional we sang "Love One Another". I then read Mary and my love story (The Power of Love) and then Steve gave Saint d'Assisi's Prayer augmented with some of his thoughts. We next boarded our boat for the ride across Lake Atitlan. Midway, Rosemary talked about Alma, baptism, and the Waters of Mormon. The visit to the people of Santiago Atitlan, the new LDS chapel, and the markets was choice. The custodian let us in the chapel where we talked to him and learned that there were four missionaries in town, that they have 12-14 baptisms per month, and that about 140 attend church. On the way back to the boat we met an ex-Relief Society president, who took us to see her humble home. While there she sold us some of the things she had made through her industry. These people are happy and at peace with their culture. We are blessed, they are blessed in a different way. They have the Light of Christ, a love that makes them smile and engage in enterprise to support their needs. Clearly, they are much better off than the poor in our own country.

Up early the next morning, we had our devotional and enjoyed our last look at beautiful Lake Atitlan. Clearly one of the wonders of the world. Our driver Ronnie guided our bus safely back to Guatemala City. We went to Camperos (Guatemala's answer to KFC and far superior in every way) for lunch and then to the MTC and the Temple. At the MTC, 65 Central American missionaries (including 8 sisters) sang "Born to Serve". The mission president asked the missionaries to bear their testimonies and Brennan shared his as well. Tears were shed including Rita's. We took pictures of the temple and then were bused to the huge 10000 to 1 model of Guatemala to get a birds eye view of our travels. After a rest, we gathered together for Becca's talk on adversity (excellent for a 16 year old) and for a special testimony meeting. Our testimony meeting was awesome as everyone including Rita shared their feelings. We capped the day with an excellent steak dinner with Edwardo as host. In chatting with Becca and her aunt, Becca said she thought I looked a lot like President Hinckley and I took that as a complement. The last night of our Mayan Adventure was as incredible as every other day and night.

On day fourteen we were up at 6 AM. I visited with George while he finished his breakfast. We discussed Rita, Two Jerusalem's, Pride and Mary's death. I picked up my breakfast and Brennan stayed to talk to me while I ate. We talked about marriage, Mary, Todd's death, and Becan and the kids. As we said our goodbyes to our new friends, we exchanged hugs of brotherly love and experienced the joy that that gift represents.

It was on the flight home as I meditated about what had occurred during this special adventure that I realized that I had experienced a change of heart.