Over and over archaeological evidence demonstrates that Hebrews were in America long before Columbus.

This video, made by non member, does not have the answers. But it certainly concludes that an influence from ancient Hebrews was here in North America thousands of years ago. I find it very interesting, and faith promoting, that all of the Hebrew-Like Native American Evidence he shows has reference to temple symbolism and meaning.

But what happens every time a claim like this is made? Critics immediately label it an anachronism because their understanding of history does not allow for any other explanation. The evidence is forced to fit the worldview, not the other way around.

Claims that the Bat Creek Artifact is a Forgery

In this case, critics claim the Bat Creek Artifact is a forgery because it contains script similar to something found in an 1870 Masonic book.

This is the same type of argument often used against Joseph Smith. Critics point to similarities between the temple endowment and Freemasonry and assume borrowing, while ignoring the possibility of a shared ancient origin.

More than a hundred years later critics a potential source and assume dependence, while overlooking the fact that the phrase itself is much older than both.

The phrase in question, “Holiness to the Lord,” comes from ancient temple worship. It is a biblical phrase tied to the high priest and sacred ordinances. Freemasonry preserved it because it draws from temple symbolism.

If a phrase was sacred enough to be preserved across generations, then its presence would be expected in more than one place.

And this is where the forgery argument begins to fall apart.

The Bat Creek inscription is not an exact match to the Masonic example. The characters are similar, but not identical. The wording differs. The structure differs. The claim rests on resemblance, not replication.

There is also no evidence that the finder of the artifact had access to that book, used that book, or copied anything from it. The entire argument depends on the assumption that similarity equals source.

The condition of the engraving adds another layer. Analysis of the inscription has shown features consistent with age, not a recent carving. If that holds, the idea of someone copying a printed example and carving it at the time of discovery becomes difficult to maintain.

Now consider what would be expected if the artifact is authentic.

The Book of Mormon describes a people centered on temple worship, covenant identity, and sacred record keeping. Nephi builds a temple. Jacob teaches at the temple. King Benjamin gathers the people at the temple. Their society revolves around preserving sacred knowledge tied to God.

A short temple phrase tied to holiness and consecration fits directly into that pattern. These are the kinds of phrases that get preserved, repeated, and engraved.

Critics also expect the writing to match known Paleo-Hebrew exactly. But the Book of Mormon does not describe a people preserving language in a fixed form. Nephi describes a mixed writing system. Moroni says their language had been altered over time.

A people separated from the Old World for centuries would produce writing that reflects that separation. Related to Hebrew, but not identical to it.

Languages shift. Writing changes. Sacred phrases remain.

So the argument comes down to this:

A phrase with ancient temple origins appears in both a later Masonic source and on the stone. The inscription is not an exact match. There is no evidence of copying. The engraving shows signs of age. The language would be expected to show variation.

Taken together, the forgery claim rests on assumption, not proof.

And if the artifact is authentic, a phrase like “Holiness to the Lord” is incredible evidence that the Book of Mormon is an authentic record of people who lived in the Americas.

Potential Temple Meaning in New Mexico Engravings

Another thing that stood out to me from the part of this video where they examine the New Mexico engravings was looking at potential meaning from a Nephite perspective is that these engravings seem to reflect temple themes.

We do not know how accurate these interpretations are. But if these readings are even close, they line up in a remarkable way with ancient covenant patterns found in the Old Testament and expanded in LDS doctrine.

Take the phrase “woe and sorrow.” That immediately echoes the Fall. Adam and Eve leave God’s presence and enter a world of pain, toil, death, and separation. Mortality becomes a condition of hardship, exile, and need. In LDS thought, that is the fallen world, the lone and dreary world, where man is cut off from God and must learn by experience.

Then there is “to cover” or “veil.” That is where the covenant meaning becomes especially striking. After the Fall, Adam and Eve are clothed by God. In scripture, covering is not just practical. It points to mercy, protection, holiness, and atonement. It suggests that even after man falls, God provides a sacred covering and a path back into His presence. In an LDS framework, that naturally connects to temple symbolism, covenant identity, and the redeeming power of Jesus Christ, who covers sin and makes return possible.

The phrase “sunburnt” or “black” can also fit that same setting when read symbolically. Not as a racial statement, but as an image of exposure, dust, labor, hardship, and life outside the garden. Man is no longer in a protected Eden. He is now out in the elements, working cursed ground, suffering in mortality, and facing death. That is exactly the condition the Fall introduces.

Then come the references to “brothers,” “relatives,” or “fellow man.” That also fits covenant thought. God’s work has never been only about the salvation of isolated individuals. It is about family, posterity, gathering, and bringing others into covenant relationship with Him. The story after Eden is not just about personal rescue. It is about helping our brothers and sisters return as well.

And finally, “to cry out” or “call for help.” That is one of the clearest atonement themes in all scripture. Fallen humanity cannot save itself. Man must call upon God. He must seek mercy from outside himself. The answer to the Fall is not human strength. The answer is the Redeemer.

Put together, the sequence sounds like a compact covenant pattern: woe and sorrow, covering, mortal exposure, brothers, crying out for help. That is very close to the scriptural pattern of the Fall and the Atonement. Man falls into suffering and separation. God provides sacred covering and covenant signs that point to redemption. Humanity lives in a mortal world of toil and death. We remain responsible for one another as the family of God. And our only hope is to cry unto Him and be redeemed through Jesus Christ.

If these ancient artifacts really are preserving Old Testament-style temple ritual and covenant understanding tied to the plan of salvation, that becomes one more piece of evidence that the Book of Mormon is what it claims to be: a translation of an ancient people who really did live on this continent.