July 14th, 2006

Zelph the White Lamanite

Have you heard of Zelph? While doing some studying today, I came across some journal entries of Wilford Woodruff that talk about an open vision Joseph had, after the discovery of some bones in Illinois, regarding a white Lamanite named Zelph.

While on our travels we visited many of the mounds which were flung up by the ancient inhabitants of this continent probably by the Nephites & Lamanites we visited one of those Mounds and several of the brethren dug into it and took from it the bones of a man Brother Joseph had a vission respecting the person he said he was a white Lamanite the curs was taken from him or at least in part he was killed in battle with an arrow the arrow was found among his ribs, one of his thigh bones was broken this was done by a stone flung from a sling in battle years before his death his name was Zelph Some of his bones were brought into the camp and the thigh bone which was broken was put into my waggon and I carried it to Missouri Zelph was a large thick set man and a man of God he was a warrior under the great prophet that was known from the hill cumorah to the Rocky mountains. The above knowledge Joseph received in a vision.
Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, 1834

The whole Zelph thing is pretty intruiging. One final related link, is this FARMS page which talks about how the Zelph story plays into Book of Mormon geography. Interesting stuff.

One Response to “Zelph the White Lamanite”

  1. Robert(1)
    December 14, 2009 at 4:51 pm #

    Anybody know where the bones are now….why don’t they just test them to see how old they are?

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