Hugh Nibley cites an article by Richard Smith who is a chemistry professor at Harvard. He analyzed this money system of the Nephites and came up with surprising things. It tells us here in Alma 11:4 that "they altered their reckoning and their measure, according to the minds and the circumstances of the people." . . . Since the new constitution [of Mosiah] this is what they had done; they had adjusted the money. They had a system which ran in sevens instead of fives and tens; or sixes and twelves, as the English system does; or the decimal system as we use it. The Nephite system ran in sevens, and Richard Smith pointed out it was the best possible system that could be devised. It used the least coins [or measures] for any necessary transaction. . . . It's an almost perfect system which Joseph Smith devised for his Nephites here [laughter]. [Hugh W. Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 2, p. 316]
“They Altered Their Reckoning and Their Measure”
In Alma 11:4 we find the following cultural comment:
"Now these are the names of the different pieces of their gold, and of their silver, according to their value. And the names are given by the Nephites, for they did not reckon after the manner of the Jews who were at Jerusalem; neither did they measure after the manner of the Jews: but they altered their reckoning and their measure, according to the minds and the circumstances of the people . . ."
Joseph Allen tells the following story of an incident on one of his tours to Guatemala:
Dean Williams, an attorney, and a member of the tour group . . . asked, "Joe, have they ever found any coins in Mesoamerica?" I answered, "Not really. They've found a few copper items, but not coins with which we are familiar." Dean . . . read about the money system during Alma's time, then said, "That's not talking about coins; it's talking about weights and measures." I said, "You're right. I know now what that's talking about. When we get to Lake Atitlan in a few days, we'll buy a couple of things they use for weighing purposes." When we arrived at Lake Atitlan, some of the group bought sets of the weights that the natives still use today to weigh their produce on a balance scale.
According to Joseph Allen, the native Mesoamericans traded with cocoa beans, quetzal feathers, and copper figures, and they used a weight-and-measure system that appears to predate the Spanish Conquest, and is still utilized today. The weights that the Guatemala Indians use today consist of cups nestled inside one another much like the measuring cups we use in our American kitchens. A small solid cap fits inside the smallest cup. [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 175]
In a paper by Thomas Howells, these weights were accurately measured and found that "the three smaller cups and the weight inside the smallest cup were equal to the fourth cup. The weight set is ingeniously designed. It is compact and seems to provide every combination of weights from 1/2 ounce to 16 ounces with the smallest number of pieces. There was a "16" stamped on the outside of the case and the small plug was marked "1/2". Presumably the system was meant to measure avoidupois ounces. It appears that the intention was for the plug and cups to equal 8 ounces and the case and lid to equal 8 ounces." [Thomas F. Howells, "Nephite Weight and Volume," unpublished]
Note* The important idea that the reader should grasp here is that, although the proportions are not quite exactly the same as the Nephite system, the Guatemala Indians were using a weights and measure system, a custom that had its origins long before the advent of avoidupois ounces. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]
Alma 11:4 They Did Not Reckon . . . Neither Did They Measure (Nephite Weights and Measures) [[Illustration]]: Relative Values: The following is a representation of the relative values of the Nephite weights and measures:
Senum of Silver or Senine of Gold 1 measure Leah 1/8
Amnor of Silver or Seon of Gold 2 measures Shiblum 1/4
Ezrom of Silver or Shum of Gold 4 measures Shiblon 1/2
Onti of Silver or Limnah of Gold 7 measures Antion of gold 1 1/2
Alma 11:4 (Weights and Measures) [[Illustration]]: These weights and measurements from Guatemala may tie in with both the gold and silver measurements described in Alma chapter 11. Sister Carolyn Lee purchased the weights and measures represented above, while in Guatemala on tour. The uniqueness of these weights and measures are that unlike many which are purchased in the highlands of Guatemala, these have eight units instead of four or five. Carolyn proposes that the seven units may tie in with both the gold and the silver measurements as described in Alma chapter 11. [Jace Willard, "editor's note," in The Book of Mormon Archaeological Digest, Vol. I, Issue IV, 1998, p. 13]