ALMA 11

Okay...open your scriptures right now to Alma 11 in the Book of Mormon. Check and see if you have anything marked there. Chances are that you have nothing marked, in fact you have probably skipped over this chapter every time that you come to it. I have a new incentive to read this chapter of the Book of Mormon.

It is called marcos or pesos. These weights are the form of measurement used here in Guatemala by many of the native people that are descendants of the Mayans. It is a form of measurement that is similar to the measurements used in the book of Alma. The people here use it for many things.

Our "nut man" explaining his weights

One of the people that we buy from in the Central Market here in Guatemala City uses his marcos to measure out the nuts that he sells. We buy cashews and macadamia nuts from him. We decide how much we want to buy and they he uses the weights to determine our purchase.

We are buying 1 whole weight of cashews

The weights sit inside each other. The largest weight is 1/2 the measurement, and the remaining weights total the other 1/2. If you use all of the weights at the same time you have a complete measurement or 1 whole. It was fascinating to us the first time that we saw it being used. I have often wondered what on earth all that meant in the Book of Mormon.....now I won't always skip over that chapter!!