History is littered with traditions concerning the wise men, or magi, who came to worship Christ shortly following his birth. The earliest of these documents appears to be a Greek manuscript composed in Alexandria around 500 A.D. entitled Excerpta Latina Barbari. This document limits the number of wise men to three, names them, and identifies the countries from which each of the magi travelled. Other manuscripts expand the number of wise men to twelve and differ in tradition from each other as much as the dark night differs from the plain day.
The only contemporary record of the magi was made by Matthew. None of the other Gospel writers make mention of these men who came to worship Christ. And, contrary to many of the traditions that have worked their way into the annual Christmas celebration, Matthew neither identified the number of wise men nor provided any details concerning their names, their nationality, or "their own country" to which they returned.
It is not the purpose of this blog to rehash the all the traditions, exaggerations, and lies that our fathers have inherited (see Jeremiah 16:19) concerning the wise men because, in the end, it really doesn't matter that we know how many there were, or from whence they traveled. Rather, the importance of the visit of the magi to Christ is to be found in the testimony which these individuals provide concerning His birth. Their "testimony of Jesus", or "spirit of prophecy" (see Revelation 19:10), becomes a part of that great whole into which all truth is circumscribed, outside of which no man can be saved (see Alma 5:47, compare D&C 76:50-51, 74, 82; D&C 138:12-14, 31-37).
Thus, although knowing the names of the magi may not be crucial, it is important to acknowledge that all individuals who have provided us with any part of truth that comprises the Testimony of Jesus, or who have served as witnesses of Jesus Christ and his mortal ministry, were not randomly selected. They were men and women who were chosen, even before they were born, to be a witness and supply a testimony upon which others may build their "faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts" (see Moroni 7:30-32; compare Alma 13:2-6, 1 Corinthians 3:6-10, and D&C 1:17-23). Although devils, at times, have besought to be a witness of Him, they have been commanded to "hold their peace" (see Luke 4:33-36); after all, who wants to build faith upon the devil's testimony of truth!!
The purpose of this blog is to provide a fresh and unique perspective concerning the identity of those who were chosen to be witnesses of one of the most sacred events in the history of the earth--the birth of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
THE LAW AND PRINCIPLE OF WITNESSES
The scriptures teach, as an eternal law, that the word of God is confirmed by the mouth of two or three witnesses (see Matthew 18:16; compare John 8:16-18; 2 Nephi 29:8; D&C 6:28, and 128:3). This law also holds true with respect to the WORD OF GOD. It is also worthy to note that those who were chosen to be witnesses of Jesus Christ, were chosen for this important mission before they were born. There is also an eternal principle that should be noted with respect to how this law is carried out; the witnesses must be righteous individuals of profound faith. Consider, for example, the following testimonies that comprise the word, or seed, upon which every person must be willing to conduct an experiment BEFORE they will be given to know for themselves "that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world" (see D&C 46:13-14; compare Alma 32:28-43 and Alma 5:45-46):
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| The baptism of Jesus |
1) THE BAPTIST who is the witness of Christ's childhood (see D&C 93:6-18) and entrance into His Father's kingdom by water and by the Holy Ghost (Matthew 3:13-17). "Among them that are born of women", Christ declared, "there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist" (Matthew 11:11). Indeed, even before he was born, John was chosen to "baptize the Messiah with water" and afterwards "bear record that he had baptized the Lamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world" (see 1 Nephi 10:7-10; compare D&C 84:27-28). Upon no other testimony can we rely concerning these things. John's testimony must, therefore, become our testimony concerning these things BEFORE we will be given to know for ourselves concerning these things.
2) PETER, JAMES, and JOHN who are witnesses of His transfiguration (see Matthew 17:1-9), suffering (see Matthew 26:36-45; compare Mark 14:32-42 and Luke 22:39-46), death (John 19:25-27), and resurrection (Luke 24:1-48). These men were declared to be as "little children" and "greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (see Matthew 18:1-14; compare blog entitled "And a little child shall lead them"). To them, the Lord said: "ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning" (John 15:27). Their testimony must, therefore, become our testimony concerning these things BEFORE we will be given to know for ourselves concerning these things.
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| Christ in America |
3) THOSE TO WHOM CHRIST APPEARED IN AMERICA who "did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come" (see 3 Nephi 11:9-17). Theirs is the most authenticated of all testimonies that we have concerning the resurrection and personal nature of Jesus Christ, for "the multitude did see and hear and bear record; and they know that their record is true for they all of them did see and hear, every man for himself; and they were in number about two thousand and five hundred souls; and they did consist of men, women, and children" (3 Nephi 17:25). Concerning them, the record states that they were spared because they were "more righteous" (3 Nephi 9:13, 10:12).
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Their testimony is the best evidence available that Jesus Christ is "a man" (see 3 Nephi 11:8) that can be touched, seen, and heard. Theirs' is the best record we have of Christ descending from (3 Nephi 11:8) and ascending to heaven (3 Nephi 18:39). Their testimony is the written assurance that there is "one fold and one shepherd" (3 Nephi 15:21-24), that Jesus Christ is "the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth", and that "the Gentiles should not at any time hear his voice—that He should not manifest himself unto them save it were by the Holy Ghost (3 Nephi 15:23). The record of these witnesses provide the best evidence that Jesus Christ is a God with body, parts, and passions (see 3 Nephi 17:5-25). Their testimony provides us with the best hope that, in Him, we can be justified and sanctified (see Exodus 31:13, compare 3 Nephi 19:25-30, 3 Nephi 12:46-48). Their testimony must become our testimony concerning these things BEFORE we will be given to know for ourselves concerning these things.
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| Christ visits the spirit world |
4) THOSE TO WHOM CHRIST APPEARED IN THE GREAT WORLD OF THE SPIRITS OF THE DEAD to be witnesses that, although put to death in the flesh, he was "quickened by the Spirit and went and preached unto the spirits in prison, which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah (1 Peter 3:18–20; compare D&C 138:28). These spirits who witnessed of his advent in the spirit world were the "faithful spirits of the prophets who had testified of him in the flesh" (D&C 138:36) and a innumerable company of the "spirits of the just who . . . had been faithful in the testimony of Jesus while they lived in mortality [and] who had offered sacrifice in the similitude of the great sacrifice of the Son of God, and had suffered tribulation in their Redeemer’s name" (see D&C 138:11-19).
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| Joseph F. Smith |
Their exclusive testimony is the only evidence we have that "unto the wicked he did not go, and among the ungodly and the unrepentant who had defiled themselves while in the flesh, his voice was not raised; Neither did the rebellious who rejected the testimonies and the warnings of the ancient prophets behold his presence, nor look upon his face" (D&C 138:20-21). Their testimony is the only record we have that, during his sojourn in the world of spirits, Jesus Christ "organized his forces [from among the righteous] and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness" (D&C 138:30). Those spirits present at this event (see D&C 138:38-57) have undoubtedly maintained a record of these things that will one day be made available to us. Until that day arrives, all of their testimonies have been brought together under one witness, President Joseph F. Smith. He declared his testimony to be true (D&C 138:60) and, thus, his testimony must become our testimony concerning these things BEFORE we will be given to know for ourselves concerning these things.
- they were chosen before they were born to be witnesses of Christ's birth,
- they were righteous, Israelite men,
- they were men holding priesthood and priesthood keys, and
- they maintained a record of this event.
Of those who we know that were witnesses of Christ's mortal advent, we least of all need to rely on the testimony of Herod and his astrologers, for to do so would be to loose the tongues of devils concerning those things that are true. Preferred to them, is the testimony that comes to us from those shepherds abiding in fields to whom the angel came declaring the glad tidings.
According to many New Testament commentators, these shepherds were tending the sacrificial flocks of Temple service and were, therefore, men holding Levitical Priesthood. Concerning the manner of their lives, Elder Bruce R. McConkie declared that they "were in spiritual stature like Simeon and Anna and Zacharias and Elisabeth and Joseph and the growing group of believing souls who were coming to know, by revelation, that the Lord’s Christ was now on earth" (McConkie, Bruce R., The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary, 4 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979-1981], 1: 347). Their testimony stands as a sacred witness (see Luke 2:8-20) to worlds without number concerning the reality of Christ's mortal birth.
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| Migdal Eder, from whom the announcement would come |
MIGDAL EDER, THE TOWER OF THE FLOCK
According to the historian Eusebius, the fields in which these shepherds were abiding were linked to a unique biblical location called Migdal Eder, a tower mentioned in Genesis 35:21 in connection with the death of Jacob's wife, Rachel. The name of this tower literally means "tower of Eder", or "tower of the flock". The biblical record locates it near the present-day city of Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem (see Micah 5:2). Many have attempted to identify the location of this tower, but early sources differ as to its precise whereabouts (see Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg, Christology of the Old Testament: and a commentary on the Messianic predictions, vol 1 (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1871), 454-465). Mishnaic sources indicate that animals "kept" in the fields within a certain distance from Migdal Eder were used as sacrificial animals in rituals of the Jerusalem temple (see Shek. vii. 4). Importantly, prominent Jewish writers concluded in the Midrash that of all places in Israel, it would be from the "Migdal Eder" that the arrival of the Messiah would be first declared. This conclusion is loosely based on interpretations of Micah 4:8 as a prophecy that the Messiah would be revealed from the "tower of the flock", or Migdal Eder (see Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus, the Messiah, 1883):
And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem. (Micah 4:8)
All of the foregoing is interesting and of considerable worth to those who desire to understand the announcement of Christ's birth. However, what these scholars have failed to consider is that Micah did not use the phrase the "tower of the flock" in Micah 4:8 in relationship to a specific location, even though such a location actually existed. Rather, he used it in reference to a specific people who were known to the rest of Israel as the "tower of the flock" and "stronghold of the daughter of Zion". This conclusion is confirmed in Micah 4:12-13 wherein Micah described the "tower of the flock" and "daughter of Zion" as one who possesses horns of iron and hoofs of brass and who will be "gathered as sheaves into the floor" (i.e., into temples):
Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.
THE TOWER WITH HOOFS OF BRASS AND HORNS OF IRON
Who is this daughter of Zion, or tower of the flock, with horns of iron and hoofs of brass from whom the knowledge of the Redeemer would come? Symbolically, Joseph is referred to in scripture as re'em, the "wild ox", or unicorn (see a full explanation of this in the blog entitled "To the ends of the earth"). It was to Joseph, and more specifically to Ephraim and his seed, that the keys to priesthood leadership were promised and it is from him that the blessings of the LORD are to be extended to the rest of Israel. This is aptly supported by two dreams which Joseph related to his brothers (see Genesis 37:5-11) and by a revelation given on November 3, 1831 to the prophet, Joseph Smith:
And they shall bring forth their rich treasures unto the children of Ephraim, my servants.
And the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence. And there shall they fall down and be crowned with glory, even in Zion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the children of Ephraim.
And they shall be filled with songs of everlasting joy
Behold, this is the blessing of the everlasting God upon the tribes of Israel, and the richer blessing upon the head of Ephraim and his fellows. (D&C 133:30-34).
Notwithstanding that Jesus Christ comes through the loins of Judah, the knowledge of "the shepherd, the stone of Israel" comes through the loins of Joseph (see Genesis 49:24) and, more particularly, through Ephraim, his son. Hence, this duty that devolved upon Joseph--to bring the knowledge of the Redeemer to Israel--suggests that they of this lineage were the "tower of the flock" who were foreordained to be witnesses of His birth.
Juxtaposing Micah's words with those of the Savior's to the Nephites in America confirms this conclusion--that the daughter with horns and hoofs, or the tower of the flock--is, in fact, the descendants of Ephraim who migrated from Jerusalem to America 600 year before the birth of Jesus Christ (see 3 Nephi 2:6). Using Micah's prophecy as a foundation for his discourse, the Savior told the Nephites:
Then shall ye, who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, go forth among them; and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many; and ye shall be among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
Thy hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.
And I will gather my people together as a man gathereth his sheaves into the floor.
For I will make my people with whom the Father hath covenanted, yea, I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass. And thou shalt beat in pieces many people; and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. And behold, I am he who doeth it. (3 Nephi 20:16-19).
Ephraim is the "tower of the flock" and it was from Ephraim that the announcement of Christ's birth was to come.
THE GREATEST WITNESS, THE SPIRIT OF REVELATION
Notwithstanding the testimony that we have from the shepherds of Levi, it is the testimony of wise men concerning Christ's birth that must stand as the primary evidence upon which we base our own testimonies of Christ's birth. This is so because they, alone, were given to know the prophetic sign of Christ's coming--that a new star would appear--and because these men were foreordained to be the Midgal Eder from whom the announcement of His birth was to first come. Their testimony stands independent of all other testimonies, It undoubtedly came to them as the result of fasting, prayer, and a personal witness concerning the coming of Jesus Christ (i.e., the spirit of revelation, see Alma 5:45-46). Their testimony was confirmed by a demonstration of their faith in those things that had been made known unto them; in short, they made the long journey to see the Christ-child based on what had been previously revealed to them. Their testimony is confirmed by the testimony of all prior prophets (i.e., the spirit of prophecy, see Alma 5:47). In contrast, the Levite shepherds were simply informed, after the fact, by an angel of God that Christ had been born; their witness, therefore, does not compare to that of the wise men.
MATTHEW'S ACCOUNT OF THE MAGI
The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible divides Matthew 1 into two distinct chapters. Thus, Matthew 2 of the King James Version is reflected as Matthew 3 of the Joseph Smith translation. Following is the Joseph Smith Translation of Matthew's account of the wise men; it differs very little from the Matthew 2 account of the King James Version:
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| Herod |
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is the child that is born, the Messiah of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him.
3 When Herod the king had heard of the child, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests, and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them, saying, Where is the place that is written of by the prophets, in which Christ should be born? For he greatly feared, yet he believed not the prophets.
5 And they said unto him, It is written by the prophets, that he should be born in Bethlehem of Judea, for thus have they said,
6 The word of the Lord came unto us, saying, And thou Bethlehem, which lieth in the land of Judea, in thee shall be born a prince, which art not the least among the princes of Judea; for out of thee shall come the Messiah, who shall save my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had called the wise men privily, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found the child, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and lo, the star which they saw in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child, with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshiped him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. (Matthew 2:1-12; JST Matthew 3)
Several facts from these verses help to determine, more conclusively, the identity of the wise men--
FIRST, since, according to verse 12, all of the wise men "departed into their own country" (singular), it is likely that they were all of the same country and did not travel from various countries as some traditions hold. Further, although they came from the east to Jerusalem, this does not necessarily mean that their own country was situated east of Jerusalem. The western border of the city is situated a mere 35 miles from the Mediterranean coast. Thus, individuals traveling to Jerusalem from another country would likely be coming from the north, south, or east. The fact that the record states that they had previously seen his star in the east conveys the idea that they were likely in the west when the star was first seen, for one would likely need to be in the West to see a star in the East.
SECOND, they identified Jesus Christ as "the Messiah of the Jews". Reference to "the Jews" in third-person suggests that the wise men did not consider themselves to be Jews.
THIRD, juxtaposing the facts contained in verses 2 and 3 with those contained in verse 7 suggests that Herod and all Jerusalem learned of the new star only after the wise men announced the fact of it to them. Thus, the wise men appear to be the first to know of a new star and to inform Herod, and all Jerusalem, that Christ had been born. The fact that the wise men had seen the Savior's star in the east and had used it as a Liahona to guide them to the general vicinity of Christ's birth suggests that they had seen the sign of his birth substantially prior of anyone else.
FOURTH, although the wise men came to the vicinity of Jerusalem by following the sign that had been given alone to them, they did not know the exact town in which Christ was to be born. Thus, they found themselves inquiring of Herod and his astrologers to discover that the Old Testament identified the exact birthplace as Bethlehem of Judea. From this, it can be surmised that the wise men either did not have the Old Testament verses which foretold of this event, or, were unfamiliar with them.THE PREPONDERANCE OF THE EVIDENCE
Among those living at the time, who would have met each of the foregoing criteria for being a witness of Christ's birth? In other words, at the time of Jesus' birth, who
1) were those holding priesthood keys, 2) were not of the Jews, 3) were of the blood of Ephraim, the tower of the flock, 4) had been informed that a new star would signal Christ's birth, 5) resided in the west when the new star was first witnessed in the east, and 6) were informed that Christ was to be born in Jerusalem, but were ignorant of the more precise prophecy that Jesus would come out of Bethlehem?
Although answers to each of these six criteria would only circumstantially prove the identity of the wise men, the preponderance of the evidence would certainly be sufficient to provide a reasonable basis for making a conclusion. Based on answers to these questions, it is my opinion that the evidence points to only one group of people from whom the wise men could have come; and they happen to be the most unlikely candidates to be considered. Nevertheless, we must still give this people adequate deliberation; the people whom the Book of Mormon called Nephites!
THE RETURN OF NEPHITES TO JERUSALEM
Based on what is written, only the Nephites in America held Melchizedek Priesthood keys at the time of Christ's birth. According to Helaman 11:5, there was a great famine in the land. This famine came approximately 18 years before the birth of Christ. Importantly, this famine came "according to the words of Nephi." Several years prior to this event, Nephi was visited by the Lord and given "power over this people, [to] smite the earth with famine, and with pestilence, and destruction, according to the wickedness of this people." In connection therewith, he was given all the keys of the priesthood including "power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Helaman 10:6-7). The record states that Lehi, his brother, was "not a whit behind him as to things pertaining to righteousness" (Helaman 11:19). And, based on the Book of Mormon record and the work that he undertook, I surmise that Samuel, the Lamanite, was equal in priesthood and righteousness to these sons of Helaman. Each were righteous, priesthood leaders in the Church of God on earth. Thus, if any on earth were designated to preside, it was these men. They were lineal descendants of Ephraim and, Nephi, in particular, stood as the TOWER OF THE FLOCK. Importantly, it was to these men that an angel came and foretold of a new star that would signify the birth of Jesus Christ. To the Nephites, Samuel declared:
And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day.
Therefore, there shall be one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a sign; for ye shall know of the rising of the sun and also of its setting; therefore they shall know of a surety that there shall be two days and a night; nevertheless the night shall not be darkened; and it shall be the night before he is born.
And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you. (Helaman 14:3-5)
The Nephites are the only people on record who were told that a new star would signify the birth of Christ. Thus, they would have been the only people on earth who would have understood its meaning when the new star appeared. If others on earth had also seen a new star arise, their lack of understanding would have caused them to quickly dismiss it as inconsequential. Thus, the fact that the wise men identified a new star as the sign of Christ's birth suggests that they were from these people to whom this exclusive sign had been given. In this regard, who else would have been better positioned in the West so that, to the eye of the beholder, a new star could be seen to arise in the East?
Although somewhat less relevant, it is interesting to note that the Book of Mormon has no record that Christ was to be born in Bethlehem of Judea. Contrary, it only states that "he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers" (Alma 7:10). Only the Old Testament includes the detailed prophecy that Christ would be born in Bethehem of Judea (see Micah 5:2). Based on the fact that Micah (circa 721 B.C.), who provided this detail, prophesied before Lehi left Jerusalem, it is possible his writings were included in the Brass Plates that were maintained by the Nephites. However, of this we cannot be certain (consider 1 Nephi 5:11-13). Further, even if this information was included in the Brass Plates, we cannot know that this information was readily available to those who lived at the time of Christ's mortal advent. Of one thing we can be certain--the wise men were ignorant of this detail concerning the precise locale of the Savior's birth.
Of all the things that potentially support the idea that the wise men came from among the Nephite nation, none are so reinforcing as the simple verse recorded in Helaman 16 concerning what happened one year prior to the birth of Christ:
But it came to pass in the ninetieth year of the reign of the judges, there were great signs given unto the people, and wonders; and the words of the prophets began to be fulfilled.
And angels did appear unto men, wise men, and did declare unto them glad tidings of great joy; thus in this year the scriptures began to be fulfilled. (Helaman 16:13-14).
Verse 14 is the only other verse in the entire Standard Works that mentions the existence of wise men in connection with the birth of Jesus Christ. Further, the fact that the phrase "wise men" was parenthetically inserted following the word "men" in verse 14, and that this parenthetical addition would provide no added meaning to the verse except if intended to connect these men to the New Testament wise men, is profoundly meaningful. [At this juncture, it is fitting to make a parenthetical comment of my own. "Being wise" was a characteristic attributed to Joseph, of Egypt. Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art" (Genesis 41:39).] Who among the Nephites would have qualified as "wise men" like unto Joseph, of Egypt? Certainly Nephi, Lehi, and Samuel would!
In this regard, it is most interesting that when "the ninety and first year had passed away and it was six hundred years from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem" that Nephi, the son of Helaman, gave charge unto his son Nephi, who was his eldest son, concerning the plates of brass, and all the records which had been kept, and all those things which had been kept sacred from the departure of Lehi out of Jerusalem." After doing so, the record that that "he departed out of the land, and whither he went, no man knoweth" (3 Nephi 1:1-3). The record further notes that Samuel, the Lamanite, was never again seen among the Nephites (see Helaman 16:8). Although Nephi, Lehi, and Samuel could have died in the 34 intervening years between the Savior's birth and his visit to the people in America, it is worthy to note that none of these three are among those listed as the Savior's chosen disciples (see 3 Nephi 19:4). If they still lived and were present at the time of his visit, they would have undoubtedly been called and included among the original quorum of 12 disciples. Thus, only three possibilities exist concerning them; either they passed away, were translated, or departed out of the land for a cause sufficient to leave the land of their inheritance.
A FINAL AND SERIOUS QUESTION
I now pose a question, in the form of a declarative statement, to each reader of this blog:
If you were Nephi, held all the keys of the priesthood, lived but a few years prior to the prophesied time of Christ's birth, had been given to know all the signs of his coming and the place of his birth, and desired to be a witness of this great event, would you not make every effort to be personally present to view the Christ-child?!
I would! In fact, to do so, I would sell all that I possess! Although a definitive record of such a visit is missing, it is my opinion that this is precisely what the two sons of Helaman and Samuel, the Lamanite, did. I can't imagine that anything else would have been more important to them.
GIFTS OF GOLD, FRANKINCENSE, and MYRRH
In conclusion, it is worthy to comment on a custom followed when individuals traveled to visit dignitaries of other countries; they took with them treasures from their own land to give as gifts to the one being visited. According to Matthew's account of the visit of the Magi, the wise men brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Without offering proof, it is well-established that gold was abundant in America at the time of Christ's birth. In fact, North America has been a substantial gold-producer over several millenai. But what about frankincense and myrrh? According to Wikipedia,
Burseraceae is a moderate-sized family of 17-19 genera and about 540 species of flowering plants. The actual numbers differ according to the time period in which a given source is written describing this family. The Burseraceae is also known as the Torchwood family,[2] the frankincense and myrrh family, or simply the incense tree family. The family includes both trees and shrubs, and is native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and the Americas.
Just as the family size (in terms of genera and species) differs according to the time period of the study, so too does its placement in the higher ranks. Nevertheless, the family is a genetically supported monophyletic group currently and frequently cited within the Sapindales and is recognized as a sister group to the Anacardiaceae.
The Burseraceae members are characterized by the non-allergenic resin they produce in virtually all plant tissue and the distinctive smooth, yet flaking aromatic bark,.[3][4] The origins of the family can be traced to the Paleocene (~65 Mya) when Beiselia mexicana first diverged in Mexico.[5] The subsequent divergences in the family lineage and migration of the species in the Eocene (~53 Mya) from North America have led to the current distributions of the species that are primarily associated with the tropics.[5] Though the family likely originated in North America, the greatest generic diversity presently is in the Southern Hemisphere.[5] Tabonuco (Dacryodes excelsa) and gumbo limbo (Bursera simaruba) represent the economic, ethnobotanical, and ecological significance of the Burseraceae in the Western Hemisphere, while frankincense (Boswellia sacra) and myrrh (Commiphora myrrha) represent the same in the Eastern Hemisphere.
There are several representative species within the Burseraceae that typify the economic and ethnobotanic significance of the family. First, Dacryodes excelsa of the Canarieae is an important old-growth species found in the Caribbean. Second, Bursera simaruba of the Burserinae is a fast-growing ornamental that is one of a few representatives of the primarily tropical family in the United States. Finally, the namesakes of the family Boswellia carterii (frankincense) and Commiphora abyssinica (myrrh) are important economically and medicinally in several parts of the world. Though this is a small subset of the large number of potentially important species, these four members exemplify the wide use and importance of the Burseraceae. The latter three are frequently cited in the literature for their renowned importance.
Based on the fact that the Burseraceae originated in North America, was plentiful, and of economic and ethnobotanic significance, it would have been likely that those traveling from this country would carry these most precious items to their new-born King.
