AV Geeks 16mm Lunch 10-23-2025

Oh, YouTube, why are you being so weird? Um, yeah, twice I tried to broadcast to YouTube and it gave me an error saying it was forbidden. Then I tried again and uh it worked. But then I saw that there were two kind of remnant streaming things that I couldn't stream to which I I had to which you guys got caught up in and I had to delete those. What a life. What a world. All right. Uh so we just did a scan of this uh next film um from our collection. And um Oh yeah, I'm Skip and welcome to the AV Geeks lunchtime streaming show where we watch old 16 millimeter films just in case you were wondering. Um, yeah. So, this next film is uh how the eye functions and it's got some pretty serious uh vinegar to it. And so, we ran it through our laser graphic scanner, which is actually pretty good when it comes uh to vinegar and prints that are kind of like this. Uh, and so it it's a little jerky at the beginning and then at the end it just kind of all falls apart. But in the middle there's a beautiful beautiful uh animation in it. Uh so here's how the eye functions. Enjoy. [music] Right now at this very moment you watch these light rays of light are entering your own eyes. And it's by means of our eyes that we are able to gain a great part of our knowledge. Nature has located the eye close to the brain so that its messages may arrive there quickly. Nature has also provided ample protection for this very delicate organ. Here with the outer coverings removed, we see the eyeball completely surrounded by a layer of soft fatty tissue and placed within the bony orbit where it lies protected against sudden seen from the side. The protected position of the within its funnel-shaped eye socket is shown still more clearly. Once again, we see the fatty cushion which protects it on all sides. Note this white stalk which is the optic nerve and also these muscles which move the eyeball. This is the empty eye socket within the skull with its bony walls inside and the rim of the bony orbit in front. By gradually restoring the outer portions of the skull and also the covering tissues, we can now realize the location of the entire eye in relation to the outline of the face. Another important safeguard to the eye is the tear gland which secretes the tear fluid. This is an effective germicide which drains through the tear ducts into the nose after flushing and cleaning the entire eye surface. The eyeball itself has a white glistening surface. Its front part bulges and forms a highly transparent window. In this sectional view, the capsule of the eyeball is seen to have three layers. This thick tough outer layer is called the is called the cornea. Notice also the crystallin lens which is one of the main features of the eye mechanism. The second layer is called the koid. It consists of three different belts or zones. The first zone is called the koid proper and is the part that carries nourishment to the tissues of the eye. The next zone is called the siliary body. This is a broad ring-shaped band of thin muscle fibers which play a very active and vital part in the visual adjustment of the eye. The third zone is the well-known iris, which expands and contracts the pupil much like the diaphragm of a camera. The iris will soon be described in greater detail. Here is an outside view of the entire koid which shows the dense network of arteries and veins carrying nourishment to the eyeball. You can also see the shape of the siliary body and the iris. The innermost layer of the eyeball is the retina, a very delicate membrane. The retina is actually a part of the optic nerve which transmits the light impulses to our brain. The retina is the most important and complex structure in the eyeball. Magnified many hundred times, the retina is seen to consist of this complicated arrangement of rods and cones which convert light waves into nerve impulses. in some manner which even science of today cannot fully explain. Between the lens and the cornea is the aquous humor consisting mostly of water and a little salt. This larger space within the eye is filled with the vitrius humor or body consisting chiefly of water with some salt and albumin. The vitrius humor is really a highly transparent jelly and plays a very important part in the act of visual adjustment. Thus light rays entering the eye must pass in succession through first the cornea, second the aquous humor, third the pupil, fourth the crystallin lens and fifth the vitrius humor in order to reach their destination the retina. Now just how do light rays act to form a clear picture within the eye? First let us realize that light rays reflected from any object radiate in all directions and that as an object moves their away from us the angle between the rays that enter our eyes grower and smaller. And finally, when the object has reached a distance of 15 ft or more, the rays entering our eyes are practically parallel. Now, nature has provided that parallel rays shall produce a sharp image upon her without any effort, and as one may say, with the eye in a state of complete relaxation. But if a distant object approaches the eye, the angle between entering rays again grows larger. This increasing angle changes the direction of the light rays as they pass through the lens so that the sharp image falls behind the retina. As a result, the image upon the retina tends to become blurred. This blurring causes a response or reflex within our brain which brings about harmonious internal adjustments of all parts of the eye. This adjustment is called accommodation. Accommodation restores the sharply focused image with marvelous speed and accuracy. This is all the more remarkable because the distance between lens and retina is fixed and the lens itself must change its shape. Now compare this with the focal adjustment of a camera. Here the lens remains unchanged but the film itself is moved until it reaches a sharp focal image. It is also necessary that both our eyes be fixed upon the same point in order that we may see an object clearly. The object approaches us from a distance. Our eyeballs turn accordingly. This movement is called the convergence of visual axes. This action is shown here as the object approaches and recedes. Here in addition, we see the lenses accommodating their optical shape under the combined influence of blurred image and eyeball movement. And now let us look at this highly enlarged view of the lens itself. It has a soft yielding body and is as transparent as glass. But it also has a firm ball-shaped central core or nucleus. It is contained within a thin elastic membrane and is suspended all around by a spoke-like arrangement of delicate threads or ligaments. The lens itself lies between two liquids. These liquids can exert pressure but like all liquids cannot be compressed. You may ask then how is this soft pliable body of the lens made to take on the different degrees of convexity necessary for accommodation? In order to explain this let us again call attention to the important siliary muscle which we see here in the diagram. This muscle is shaped like a broad ring which can expand and contract. Whenever it does contract, it must press upon the non-elastic vitrius humor. This liquid is confined within the rigid capsule of the eyeball and must therefore exert pressure upon the lens. Now the lens as a whole cannot give way against the equally non-elastic aquous humor and its confining corneium. So the only part which can possibly yield to the pressure of the vitrius humor or body is the soft substance of the lens. This lens substance is thus molded into an even curve against the rigid ball-shaped core, thus forming this highly convex bulge which science has called lenticonus. So whenever the image upon the retina becomes blurred, the brain automatically causes the siliary muscle to contract or to relax until the lens has attained just the right shape to restore a sharply defined image upon the retina. This is the remaining portion of the koid called the iris with its central opening the pupil. Like the diaphragm of a camera, the iris regulates the amount of light and sharpens the image upon the retina. The iris acts automatically and so is an important link in the process of accommodation. Its action is caused by two sets of delicate muscle fibers within the iris itself. These muscles are shown here in simplified diagram. These spoke-like radial fibers pull the pupil open. This ring-shaped muscle around the pupil closes it. In this side view, we see the opening and closing of the pupil so that we may more clearly understand another important part played by the iris. Whenever demanded by conditions, the lens acquires this peculiar bulge called lenticonus. This cone-shaped curve at first causes light rays to become distorted into aberrations upon the retina. As a result of these distortions, the pupil now contracts until the diused rays have been shut away and only a clear image remains upon the retina. These interesting mechanics of the lens are not generally known and the facts presented here have only recently been accepted by science. It is well for us to know that our eyes are one of our greatest gifts of nature and indeed worthy of constant care and protection. >> And then the film gets super warped at the end and just kind of Yeah. Um, so I don't know about you, but I love those illustrations and those animations. Really, really awesome. Um, and I hope I have another copy of that film that's not so damaged cuz I love it. Um, and I should say as a story that I would say a month ago, I started getting flashes in this eye, like started seeing these weird flashes and I was like, what's going on? Like, I don't know what's happening. And I would see kind of floaters. And so I was like, I looked it up on the internet, which is a horrible idea. And it basically said, you might have a retinal tear. So, I freaked out, went to my eye doctor, and they did like a retinal scan image. Um, and no, there wasn't a tear, but what they think was going on was the the the humor inside, the occupor was pulling away from the back of the retina. And um I was like, well, why does that happen? And they're like, well, when you get old, that sometimes happens. And sometimes that actually pulls the retina away from the the wall of the eye and that's when you get that tear, but I didn't have a tear. And I was like, "Okay, great." And I was like, "Well, what do we do to fix it?" And they're like, "Yeah, there's nothing you can do. [laughter] You'll get used to it." And so I'm like, "Great." And they handed me a brochure about flashes and floaters. So it's a thing. Um, and it happens to some people when they get old. So, we'll keep we'll keep a literal eye on it. Um, but it's unnerving, man. Get old, stuff starts falling apart. All the rubber bands start getting too overstretched and all that stuff happens. Um, so yesterday I was showing a film professor friend of mine the film bolt. I was looking around the shelves and I saw this film which I'm like, "Holy cow, I I didn't know I had this film. Uh, let's scan it. Excuse me." And so that's what we did. So this is a fascinating film made by the United States Postal Service that caution us what will happen if the mail stopped. Enjoy. fascinating story of today's al. It's so easy to take our postal service for granted because our post office department makes it so easy, so simple, and so certain. From the earliest days of our pioneering nation, personal contact over the miles has been essential to survival. The post office provided riders on horseback who dared the elements and enemies to deliver the mail. The neighborhood mailed as his Earl on horseback allows neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night to stay him from the swift completion of his appointed rounds. The postman is our government's most personal contact with citizens, the people, all of us. But that is only the beginning. The complete modern-day post office behind him is one you would hardly imagine. Let's look into it by considering the question, what would happen in this nation with the largest volume of mail in the world if the mail stopped? About 3/4s of all the mail comes from the nation's business and industry. Insurance companies, whose investments surpass those of any other industry, do nearly all their business by mail. And just imagine what would happen to all who depend upon insurance if the mail stopped. Our healthy economy buys approximately 8 million cars a year. Can you conceive of the amount of mail involved with 8 million cars? From raw material to finished product, even before a single buyer comes into the picture. Then there's the mail involved in credit and financing and the correspondence resulting from so important a purchase. What would happen to the auto industry if the mail stopped? In fact, what would happen throughout the thriving industrial world of this progressive nation? And how about you and me writing to Uncle Joe or asking assistance, sending in boxtops, mailing gifts just by putting a few cents worth of postage on a piece of mail. That few cents assures us delivery wherever we wish around the world or around the corner. What would you and I do if the mail stopped? Use other means of communication. Why even the telephone is responsible for a major portion of mail volume? A simple phone call might get a reply by mail or it might send into motion a flood of transactions and correspondence. The phone companies themselves are major users of the post office system. 1 billion telephone bills and payments annually pass through the mails. Yes, stopping the mail could mean chaos for all of us. It could make ghost towns out of Gotham cities for want of goods and information. Total isolation for some. Everyone would be affected. Could it really happen? Could the mail stop? No. Your letter will get there. Don't worry. And here's why. Since the founding of our nation, getting the mail through has been a major function of the US government. This year, more than 72 billion pieces of mail will go through the 34,000 post offices in this country. And that almost unbelievable volume is growing by more than two billion pieces of mail each year. Let's take a trip behind the windows of a post office and see what is being done to accommodate this overwhelming increase. We may take delivery for granted when we drop a letter into the mail, but that letter triggers great amounts of manpower and machinery in the largest, most complicated, most modern post office system the world has ever known. A letter mailed in this small local post office where two men keep the mail moving gets the same service. and efficiency as in the largest cities. The same letter handled through any larger post office, as illustrated here at the New York World's Fair Post Office, will be processed in part by machine. Odd-sized pieces must be processed by hand. Hands. Oh, yes. Hands are only aided by machines so that hands and machines together can move the daily mountain of mail. A machine such as this postmarks and cancels up to 30,000 pieces of mail an hour. In the largest of post offices, a modern electronic device represents a major breakthrough in preparing the postal system for the more staggering mail volumes of the future. Envelopes are positioned mechanically. Letters at the rate of up to 43,000 an hour pass through an electronic brain which scans each side for legitimate stamps, spots them, flips the envelope if necessary, and even does some preliminary sorting. And this 12 operator letter sorting machine is capable of dispatching 43,000 letters an hour to 279 destination bins. It's like playing the piano. On the reverse side, postal personnel withdraw letters from the destination bins and place them on the conveyor. This takes the sorted canceled mail to an automatic tying machine now being tested. Wouldn't this be handy for Christmas gift wrapping? After sorting, mail is placed in pouches and sacks destined for any city or town. And that means virtually everywhere on the face of the globe. The 34,000 post offices across the nation are linked with millions of combinations of vehicles. The intricate meshing of transportation schedules helps make our mails dependable. Safe is another word often used to describe the males. They are safe because the post office is so mindful of the public's best interests. The security and sanctity of the males is the full-time job of the postal inspectors. They are aided by the most modern detection facilities available. When a criminal tries to interfere with your mail service, he's making a big mistake. Their conviction [music] rate is a near-perfect 99% for violators brought to court. By the way, sometimes people ask why there are so many stamp designs to choose from. Well, the answer is simple. About 30 billion stamps must printed each year. As the printing plates do not last forever, they must be remade to maintain high quality. So, the post office department issues about 15 special and commemorative stamps each year. These stamps have historical significance, are informative, and pleasant on the eyes. They also brighten up the males. In addition, the special stamps issued each year are a boon to the nearly 20 million stamp collectors throughout the nation and the many millions more in other countries around the world. President Johnson asked that the American public be given the best possible postal service at the lowest possible cost. Tighter budget control, better management techniques and mechanization have dramatically cut the cost of handling each individual piece of mail. At the same time, mail volume has jumped by 6 billion pieces. That's enough mail to stretch around the equator 25 times. And since 1961, over 5 million new delivery stops have been added. Local economies have been given a boost because the department now leases many new facilities from private builders, which are attractive to see and just as attractively stay on the tax roles. Employment has remained relatively stable. As the mail explosion continues, postal employment, which is open to every qualified person, is expected to rise very slowly in the foreseeable future. And today, as always, it is the postal employee who holds the key to effective, efficient, and economic operation of our mail services. The bulk of the 590,000 postal workers are members of employee organizations. In fact, the post office department is the largest employer of organized labor in government, conducting one of the most extensive employee management cooperative efforts. Our spiraling population and affluence have created new suburban communities by the thousands. To reach them, the department has recently introduced the Maester on a wide basis throughout the country. There now are approximately 12,000 mster roots and 10,000 new routes are being added. Putting a mailman in a mailster does more than give him wheels. It means more service for the patron, more economy for the post office department, and more comfort for the postman. The millions of people who are now on Maester routes or will soon be reached by the red, white, and blue three- wheeled vehicles have the benefits of 6-day parcel post service. The institution of many plans for new services have begun here with you, the public, in mind for service and more service. The past four years have seen many new services come into being. Among them are ABCD, NIMS, [music] and ZIP. ABCD stands for Accelerated Business Collection and Delivery. Now, you can mail a letter in any of 271 downtown areas before 11:00 a.m. and have it delivered in the same downtown [music] section before 300 p.m. that same day. ABCD not only serves the businessman, but also helps to expedite your personal letters, too. Another new program is called Nationwide Improved Mail Service or NIMS. Begun in 1961, NIMS was devised to encourage major users of the post office to work with local postmasters in developing cooperative efforts to improve mail service. Under a NIMS program, thousands of large volume mailers now deposit their mail earlier in the day and several times a day. Before NIMS, most businesses saved their mail for only one large deposit, usually around 5:00 p.m. Now there is a smoother flow of mail throughout the day. And there he is, Mr. Zip, the little man who represents the new zoning improvement plan. You'll now see an example of what a hard worker he is. A package mailed from Los Angeles to Alexandria, Virginia without a zip code stops at Cincinnati to be resorted. then goes to the Washington DC sectional center before its trip to Alexandria. With a zip code in the address, the same parcel would bypass Cincinnati and be delivered at least 24 hours earlier. With fewer stops and handlings, there's less chance of damage. You can save delivery time on all mail, not just parcels, when the five-digit code is used. Because the zip code system is a money-saving streamlining of postal operations. Zip codes really keep the mails moving. Why? Since the beginning of this film, 2 million pieces of mail have entered the US postal system. So, you can see the mail certainly hasn't stopped and it will continue because of new ideas, new services, and new programs. We've come a long way since Ben Franklin, our first postmaster general. And we've come a long way in the past four years from A to Z. You've seen the complexity of our vast postal system. How it handles billions of well, what have we here? Another one. That's all right, honey. You can take it for granted that one day when you want to write to the man in the moon or your man on the moon, your US mail will get it there. [music] >> [music] [music] [music] >> Monumental Films. Um yeah, I'm sad. I'm sad uh and this this happened earlier. Uh I'm sad that uh our government has specifically legislators uh legislators have been attacking the post office because it's not great, but you know what? It was pretty good. Uh especially compared to other countries and it has been routinely gutted and targeted. Um, and I'm guessing it's probably lobbyists have been lobbyists for FedEx specifically uh have been targeting them. Um, and it's also uh a very anti- labor stance because all those people at the post office are unionized and legislators cannot stand that, cannot tolerate that. All right, what do we got? What's next? Um, so we've shown Moody Institute of Science films in the past and uh, you know, they like to dabble and show interesting things. Uh, but they always, you know, and they deal with science concepts, but they always kind of veer at the end uh, and talk about um, anti-evolution stuff or whatever their agenda is. Um, and here's another example of this. This is a kind of a history anthropology look at past cultures, but guess who's making it? This is Ancient America Speaks. Enjoy. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Woo! >> [music] >> This is a tomb of an ancient leader buried in the ruins of Penkei here in southeastern Mexico. According to some scholars, this area and the northern part of Guatemala were the cradle of the great Maya culture. Who was this man and why was he buried in this temple? [music] In this silent sunswept land ages ago, a sensitive cultured people lived out their days. Here they worshiped, built these great structures, prospered, loved, fought civil wars, and disappeared as mysteriously as they came. >> [music] >> What is the answer to this great riddle? This enigma of the past. The ancestors of these Mayans built an impressive civilization even before the time of Christ. Some scholars feel that the ancient inhabitants of Central America developed a culture equal to that of the great cultures of the old world. [music] As we try to visualize the people who lived in Central and South America when these cultures were in full flower over 1,000 years ago, we are intrigued by the comparison with their descendants, the unpretentious and friendly people who still make their homes here. [music] [music] The Aztec culture headed by the great chief Montazuma was the remnant of a once glorious civilization which foreshadowed it by thousands of years. Who were these ancient people who preceded Montazuma? Their origins and what subsequently happened to them are fascinating questions to scholars and layman alike. Beautiful modern Mexico City is built upon the ruins of several of these earlier cultures. Research has shown that these people [music] were deeply religious and among many of the cultures one of the most persistent beliefs was one concerning [music] the great sky and life god called Ketzel Kowatal. Although the god Kettzel Kawadal is given various names, the illusion is much the same. A fair bearded person with blue eyes and wearing [music] a light robe. He counseledled the people, taught them and left with the promise that he would someday return. Ketzel Kowal means feathered serpent and this symbol is seen in ruins all over Mexico and Central America. It is believed that the feathered serpent is a degenerate symbol created by later peoples to perpetuate [music] the memory of this great deity who left as mysteriously as he came. When Columbus landed in the new world, many natives thought that he was this great white god who had returned. The people of this land believed very firmly that I, Christoval Cologne, with these ships [music] and crew came from the sky. And in such opinion they received me at every place where I landed. And to this day many of them are of the opinion that I came from heaven. And others went [music] running from house to house with loud cries of come come to see the people from heaven. >> The Spanish concistadores under Cortez experienced the same type of welcome from the great Monizuma and his people after they landed in Mexico. The crafty Cortez, taking advantage of the legend, told the chiefs he was indeed sent by Kettzel Kawat. And their belief in the great white god was so strong, it is recorded that with this joyful news they wept for a long space of time and could make no reply. Cortez wrote back to Spain, [music] describing large cities of 50,000 inhabitants or more. He mentioned towers of heavy construction. He described aqueducts and water systems of great size and efficiency. [music] Just outside of Mexico City, Teayoti Wakan exemplifies the high degree of civilization [music] attained by these pre-Aztec ancient peoples. [music] The architecture, the design, the massiveness of these structures [music] even rival the ancient pyramids of Egypt. Mitla in central Mexico exhibits the exquisite workmanship of these ancient artisans who were highly skilled in the art of masonry [music] and in the use of cement. North and east are the pyramids of Tecal and Guatemala. Almost hidden in the lust jungle, this complex served a vast population dating back to 600 years before Christ. In this tropical setting was a religious center serving thousands. Copan Honduras is thought to have been a great seat of learning. All of these great cities stretching from Mexico on the north down through the Yucatan Peninsula and here at Copan give mute evidence of the extremely high culture that existed here centuries before Columbus. Francisco Pisaro, a later explorer, made conquest in South America and was amazed to find millions of people scattered over this land from Ecuador to Chile. He discovered complex irrigation systems, including canals and reservoirs still in use today. The coastal plains, thus watered by mountain streams, produced many staple products, including cotton, of such unique content that botonists concluded to be a hybrid combination of the old and new worlds, and was most likely brought to the Americas by shipped or raft. The Paracus culture in Peru, dating from 500 BC to 300 AD, produced some of the finest fabric in the world. Dyes used in these fabrics still retain their brightness even after 2,000 years, attesting to their superb quality. The craftsmanship in New World pottery making was equal to the finest in the old world. Some resembled the ceramics of Asia. Here in Cusco, Peru, an ancient capital built high in the Andes, Pizarro found this city containing massive walls built centuries before. These enormous, beautifully cut and fitted stones were assembled without the aid of mortar. In fact, they are so perfectly fitted and laid that you cannot force a knife blade into their joints. Thor hardall mentioned seeing stones fitted like these in the old world. Some of these gigantic stones weigh more than 200 ton. Placing them on top one another was a remarkable engineering feat in itself. Machu Picchu hauntingly beautiful was believed to be a fortress. complex built to protect Cusco from invasion. It is well known that the ancients on the American continent were exceptional goldsmiths. Pisaro recorded that it took 60 Incan goldsmiths working night and day for one month to reduce all of the stolen artifacts down to bullion for transportation to Spain. Gold was so common in fact that some gold objects were painted other colors to break the monotony. Gold alloy was formed into breast plates and even flat thin plates have been found much like the aluminum foil in use today. The ancients also worked with copper, silver, and some bronze. These ancient inhabitants were gifted in the art of medicine to an astonishing degree. >> [music] >> They were familiar with the use of narcotics, treated abnormal pregnancies, and even performed successful skull operations. But these ancients displayed some of their greatest skills in their engineering and roadbuilding feats. Crisscrossing the land were excellent highways connecting all important points. They understood grading, tunneling, and the building of suspension bridges, all utilized in this interesting highway system, which runs from Kito and Ecuador to Chile, a distance of more than 3,000 miles. Similar ancient highways are also found in Mexico, such as this one at Caba. The pre-Colombian people of Central and South America were also accomplished musicians with a musical scale similar to that found in the Mediterranean area. The pan pipes of the new world are almost identical to those of the old world. They were also gifted astronomers. And over a thousand years before the old world had today's calendar, New World mathematicians and researchers were using a more accurate system. Old world influence in architecture is noted in this restored Peruvian ruin. At these ruins near Lima, Peru, many interesting discoveries have been made, such as this possible baptismal font. There is much evidence of a highly organized priesthood in their religious practices. This and other findings indicate that religion was the very center of their lives. These early Americans understood the creation of the world, the great flood, the closed ark, the building of the high tower, and the confusion of the languages much the same as they are found in the Old Testament. Scholars obtained this knowledge from the works of a royal Indian prince Istil [music] Shoshidel who was taught the Spanish language by padres who followed the concistadoris. [music] One of these Spanish scholars named Sahagun translated the ancient traditions of life after death, fasting and baptism, all basic Christian doctrines. Most scholars today believe that the American Indian is a mixture of many races and blood types. Recent studies and discoveries also link the Americas with Mediterranean cultures. Similarities [music] between the cultures of the old and the new world provide us with some clues as to their origin. Stone boxes, for example, have been found both in the old world as well as the new. These boxes often contain gold, jewelry, tools, or other valuables. Compare this box discovered in Mexico [music] with the one found in Pcipilus, Iran. The Pipilus box contained two thin metal plates, one of gold and the other of silver, upon which was engraved the record of King Darius. Several hundred different inscriptions engraved on gold, silver, and copper plates have been discovered in the old world. And then in the year 1823, a stone box much like those you have seen in Latin America was unearthed in the side of a hill near Palomra, New York. The stone box was found to contain ancient gold plates with strange engravings upon them much like those found in Iran. This record when translated told of three groups of people migrating here by ships from the old world. The record was found to be God's dealings with some of the early inhabitants of the American continent and was destined to change the course of history. It describes the rise and fall of these two glorious civilizations that prospered under the hands of the Lord when they kept his commandments and were destroyed when they did not. [music] As we study the stone box at the temple of Kukul Khan, another name for Kettzel Kawat, we see a box very similar to the one Joseph Smith described. Speaking of the lid of the box which he found in New York, Joseph Smith said, "This stone was thick and rounding in the middle on the upper side and thinner towards the edges so that the middle part of it was visible above the ground, but the edge all around was covered with earth. At the time of Joseph Smith, no stone boxes were known to scholars in either the old or the new world. 11 reputable men beside Joseph Smith were privileged to see and handle the gold record. Eight of them signed the following statement. Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come, that Joseph Smith Jr., the translator of this work, has shown unto us the place of which hath been spoken, which hath the appearance of gold, and as many of the leaves as the said smith had translated, we did handle with our hands. And we also saw the engravings thereon, all the which had the appearance of ancient work, and of curious workmanship, and of this we bear record with words of soberness, that the said smith has shown unto us. For we have seen and hefted, and we know of assurityity that the said smith has got the plates of which we have spoken, and we give our names unto the world to witness unto the world that which we have seen, and we lie not, God bearing witness of it. Evidence indicates that many of these beautiful temples and buildings were abandoned and allowed to decay. Why did these great civilizations die out? Why did the people leave? The Book of Mormon gives us some clues. For running throughout the Book of Mormon narrative is the story of two groups of people, one light-skinned and the other darker. We see possible evidence of this in the murals at Bonimpac, Mexico, as well as on the murals at Chichanita. And legends still exist among these Indians as to a dark and a light people who lived here anciently. The Book of Mormon also speaks of continual warfare between these two groups. The actuality of this is borne out by the numerous fortifications and weapons found in Mexico, Central, and South America. Metal weapons, many of which are similar to those used in the old world. Carved centuries ago in this mountain here in Paracus, Peru, this representation [music] is still called the tree of life. One of the most unforgettable stories in the Book of Mormon is the one called the Tree of Life given by a man named Lehi. In Isafa, Mexico is one of the most detailed tree of life carvings to be found anywhere. One modern archaeologist who has made a thorough study of this stila has recorded 110 similarities between this sculpture and the story found in the Book of Mormon. Perhaps the most beautiful and memorable segment of the Book of Mormon is the portion that tells the story of the visit of Jesus Christ. He taught the people, blessed the children, and upon leaving promised to return someday. So great was the impact of Christ's visit to this continent that his story was repeated and handed down by word of mouth for centuries. Many believe that the legendary Kettzel Kawatal was in fact Jesus Christ. Is it any wonder then that the natives bowed down and worshiped Columbus, Cortez and Pisaro upon their arrival here, each time thinking Ketzel Kawat had returned. And so we come full circle to the question of the bearded white god, the most widely held legend in this part of the world. The stories of the bearded white god and these great civilizations of the past are no longer a complete mystery. We have the legends of Istiel Shoshidle and the wellocumented stories and records of the Spanish chronicles. And we have the Book of Mormon which contains the most lengthy and detailed history and emerges as one of the truly valuable and important records to date. I have visited Central and South America many times and marvel at the tremendous civilizations which once existed here. I have also studied the Book of Mormon carefully for many years. As I compare these ruins with the events recorded in this book, I have found nothing to discourage me in my convictions as to the truth of this record. And yet I have found hundreds of examples substantiating the things that are written here. It is not only a record of an advanced civilization, but also provides us with some profound guidelines for living which are as practical today as when written centuries ago. In this book, you will find reassuring answers to questions such as, "Is there a God?" "Does man live after death?" "What is the purpose of man's existence?" "Why must man suffer?" These evidences of great civilizations lead us to some answers with still much to be learned. But both the histories of the peoples described in the Book of Mormon and the remains of ancient cultures found in North, Central, and South America help us appreciate how truly advanced some pre-Colombian cultures were in this hemisphere. This Book of Mormon is true. It's a companion volume to the Holy Bible and the most electrifying and most important record of our time. I testify to you that it is true and I don't expect you to take my word for it. I'd like to read to you the words of Moroni and urge you to accept his challenge that he has given to you as recorded in his writing. And when you shall receive these things, I would exhort you that you would ask God the eternal father in the name of Christ if these things are not true. And if you shall ask with sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things. [music] [music] >> [music] >> Eric Bondon stuff and talking about the ancient civilizations and about the advances uh in these civilizations. And so, uh, there [clears throat] is, um, there is a Moody Institute of Science film. And Moody has nothing to do with Church of Latter-day Saints and Mormons. No, they're totally different entities. Moody Science Institute of Science was a splinter off of the Moody Bible Institute, which was straight up um, fundamentalist Christian. Uh and um I would say the Church of Mormon splintered off of that fundamentalist Christian thing and uh they have their own text that they have uh been talking about of which is referenced in this film. And so wow that was nuts. But I think this film came out in response to the Eric von Donigan stuff where somebody's like there seems to be a lot of interest in South American and Mexican cultures. Uh, let's capitalize on that and talk about our message. Holy cow, that was nuts. All right, so tomorrow I'm going to be traveling to Charlotte, North Carolina so that I can see uh B-52s, DVO and Nina Hogan perform outside. Uh, which just seems weird, but um I've never seen B-52s. seen DVO a couple of times and Nina Hogan I'm very excited about. Uh so if you're going to be at that show, say hi. Uh [laughter] but anyways, um so tomorrow's show will be pre-recorded and then Monday's show is likely will be pre-recorded too because I will be in the mountains with my wife. Um but Tuesday should be live again. So thanks for watching. If you like what you saw or at least are intrigued by the idea of what we do here, uh, hit the thumbs up button, hit the like button, subscribe, go to patreon.com, uh, geeks and donate there or kfo k-fi. Let me try that again. ko-fi.com/abeks. Those are ways to send us money also via the superthanks button. But just watching and commenting is what we like. And so, thanks so much. Um, and we'll see you tomorrow, everybody. Take care. Have a great rest of your day. Bye.