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Deuteronomy 33:15

 

"And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills..."

 

Problem:

 

The Mormons interpret this song of Moses as follows: When the descendants of Joseph were led to this land of America about 600 B.C. they were told that it would be a land choice above all other lands. The reading of Moses' blessing to Joseph indicates that Moses was impressed with this fact and attempted to so describe it. He further indicated that it would be in the "ancient mountains" and the "lasting hills." The land to which they were led was in the western part of South, Central and North America, in the Rocky Mountains, which accurately answers Moses' description. ¹

 

Solution:

1. Mormons assert that the ancient mountains refer to the Rocky Mountains, but what is required is proof.
   
2. Richards asserts that the "descendants of Joseph were led to this land of America about 600 B.C.", but how does he know this for certain? Principally because the Book of Mormon allegedly records this migration. It can be seen that the validity of the Mormon interpretation of this passage stands or falls with the Book of Mormon. Once it is shown that the Book of Mormon is not divinely inspired, doubt is cast on all Mormon interpretations based on the Book of Mormon which are not capable of independent verification.
   
3. The Revised Standard Version translates verses 13-15 as follows: "And of Joseph he said, 'Blessed by the Lord be his [Joseph's] land . . . with the choicest fruits of the sun, and the rich yield of the months, with the finest produce of the ancient mountains, and the abundance of the everlasting hills . . ." Can the Rocky Mountains be described as an area which produces "the choicest fruits of the sun"? Much of the region is uninhabited rock, not fertile agricultural areas ² "accurately" answering "Moses' description".
   
4. The mountains of significance in the Bible are those about Jerusalem. (Psalm 48:1,2; 125:1,2; Isa. 2:2,3; 11:9).
   
5. There is circularity in the Mormon use of this passage. When pressed for evidence that the Bible refers to the Book of Mormon, this reference in Deut. 33:15 is cited as allegedly referring to Nephite migrations to America. But the passage in Deut. 33:15 merely refers to "ancient mountains" and "lasting hills" which in itself offers no proof of the Mormon interpretation. Recourse is then taken by the Mormon to the Book of Mormon to show what Deut. 33:15 "really" means. If the Bible refers to the Mormon records, this must be established independent of the Book of Mormon.

Footnotes:

1. LeGrand Richards, A Marvelous Work and A Wonder, (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Co., 1958), p. 64. Return
   
2. Even the Rocky Mountain Forest region which extends from northern British Columbia southward into Mexico, to below the Tropic of Cancer "is not important agriculturally". "North America, flora", Collier's Encyclopedia, (1964), XVII, 601. Return