Self-proclaimed prophet Mr. Embaye Melekin of Eritrea has written to enlist me in his campaign to spread the news that the Book of Mormon, far from being American scripture, is actually a record of African origin. As he says at his web site:

I was compiling this book to be published, but the Lord said to me, "You shall not make profit out of my words," and hence, was instructed to release it to the public and without any compensation. That is precisely what I am doing now. I urge everyone of you to read it with understanding. If you have never been shocked in your lifetime, I promise you that you will this time, when you finish reading my compilation of the Book of Mormon. And if you have any doubts about yourself, please read the Abyssinian Book (BoM). It is a book that will uplift your spirit and would bring closer to your God and Redeemer.

The Book of Mormon was compiled around the Buri Peninsula, Matara and Adi KeyiH. The people of Akeleguzay are the primary beneficiaries of the book. They are the closest link to the Book of Mormon. So also, the Moroni Hamassiens, the MensA and Maryas and other tribes in Eritrea, as well as Ethiopians and the rest of Africa and the black race in general. It is the most wonderful book you will ever read in your lifetime. I promise you that. If you have never read any book before, this is the one you should never miss. Because, if you don’t know the content of this book, you might as well consider yourself a dead person. You should not consider yourself a living being if you don’t read this book and understand it. [read all]

Frankly, I think that encouraging someone who has never read a book before to start with the Book of Mormon is a good way to ensure that that person will never read another book. But maybe that's just me.

More provocatively, Melekin asserts that remnants of Book of Mormon stories can be found today in the folklore of the peoples of Akeleguzay, and he has made extensive annotations to the book's text to support his contention. However, I was unable to plow through his writings far enough to determine how the heck this African record is supposed to have ended up in Joseph Smith's hands. You see, Joseph was an unwitting agent of God who was destined to misinterpret the scripture he brought forth—though why his translation is trustworthy if his interpretation isn't, I also can't determine.

I suppose I'll just write that off as one of the mysteries only a great wacko prophet like Embaye Melekin can unravel.