This is the starting point that must be taken seriously. Book of mormon geography the encyclopedia of mormonism. In the last few years i have read over 5000 pages about the south america theory and reread the book of mormon multiple times highlighting every scripture over 500 that has any reference to geography, culture, prophecies, etc that may shed light on where the book of mormon lands are. May 10, 2016 i shall write these posts, or discussion headings, under the main title, north american book of mormon geography. This is a cool concept drawing of where events in the book of mormon may have taken place.
Book of mormon geography in the world of joseph smith. New correlations it is not enough to demonstrate that the book of mormon geography does not fit into central america. Exploring the lands of the book of mormon byu studies. However, sorensons map, which is the very best effort that mormons have made to plot the lands of the book of mormon, utterly fails to correspond to the text. Before reading phyllis olives book, the lost lands of the book of mormon, i was a deeply entrenched in the idea that the book of mormon lands were in chili as anyone could possibly be. The book of mormon west sea and east sea, on the other hand, are proper nouns that is, they are the actual names of bodies of water that situate on the west and on the east respectively, of the lands of zarahemla and nephi. Book of mormon lands january 12, 2015 several times our followers have commented that they wish the church would make an official statement about where the book of mormon lands are located to remove the confusion that exists about them being located in mezoamerica. Aug 21, 2015 the coming forth of the book of mormon. Critics believe joseph smith came up with all the names in the book of mormon, noting that joseph owned a king james bible with a table listing all the names used in the bible. Exploring the lands of the book of mormon ought to be on the bookshelf of everyone interested in book of mormon geography. It will not thoroughly examine the current or past theories of the origin of the polynesians, but concentrate on the book of mormon account and supplementary interpretations that have led to the traditional beliefs. Book of mormon scholars have concocted selfdefined theory after theory of where the.
I was reading about horses in the book of mormon at the farms mormon apologetics group website today. I encourage those with input and insights to share them in the book of mormon covenant lands forum. The signs from heaven seem to be something that will happen right before the second coming so those will have to. Visit guatemala, belize, honduras, and mexico as we discover the stories, miracles, and doctrines associated with the coming forth of this amazing record. Archaeological trends and the book of mormon origins byu. The story of how it came about is rather fantastic, after all, and the simplest explanation is that the book was a deliberate deception. The author reasons that the primary clue would be the narrow neck of land and proposes a location for that landmark. Perhaps the most outrageous example of bias is the authors extensive criticism of an opposing theory, the heartland theory, propounded most extensively by mormon rod meldrum. The logical model is where some logical consensus can be found among researchers. A radically different book of mormon geography theory. Some place the geography of the book in upstate new york or near the great lakes. Olive has done a great job of backing up her theory with maps, artifacts and research. Joseph allen wrote and published exploring the lands of the book of mormon, a large 8.
He was fortunate to marry dianne long, eldon helped dianne raise seven honest citizens that are gainfully employed and provide quality. It is based on a close reading of the text, which indicates that the lands inhabited by the lehites could be traversed on foot in only a few. Come and celebrate the book of mormon and explore the potential geographical theories in beautiful central america. Motivated by geographical theories which are contradicted by these. The book of mormon describes the final battle place between the nephites and lamanites as the land and hill cumorah. Having spent a lifetime searching for book of mormon lands in some 250 ruins throughout mexico and central and south america.
It is our assertion that the heartlands of the book of mormon peoplesthe nephites, the lamanites, the jaredites and the people of mulek. To help with the increasing amount of new information, a blog site has been setup for research relating to the book of mormon lands in baja california. The reason that this city is critical to the geography of the book of mormon is that. Clark had circumstances permitted a marked grave for the slain prophet, a fitting headstone could have read, by joseph smith, junior, author and proprietor. Comparative summary of several book of mormon lands theories. I do not accept astons arguments, but i consider them the best of the current proposals that are trying. Wouldnt it be cool to find some archaeological evidence. Careful analysis of early writings on book of mormon geography reveals a. However, other people engaged in mapping the nephite lands and theories. The title page of the book of mormon warns that if the scripture contains. The lost lands of the book of mormon paperback march 6, 2012. The following 2 theories are some of the most radical. A heartland book of mormon exploration the millennial star. The heartland model or heartland theory of book of mormon geography states that the book of mormon events primarily occurred in the heartland of north america.
Book of mormon central archive book of mormon central. The mormon leader joseph smith, the founder of mormonism, declared his book of mormon to be the most correct of any book on earth. Unconventional book of mormon geography theories mormon. Several theories of the origin of the text have emerged, but they lack solid evidence and require leaps of speculation. The land of zarahemla is at a lower elevation relative to the land of nephi. Let the book of mormon change your life, again, as you investigate exploring the lands of the book of mormon. Phelps on the origin of the book of mormon and the rise of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. The story of hagoth is recorded in just six verses 49 of alma 63. Book of mormongeographynew worldgreat lakes geography book of mormon.
This example should communicate a message of caution to the intelligent. Explore the proposed land of bountiful as the mayan calendar comes to and. The book of mormon geography lands and map with dna evidence. A summary of several theories of book of mormon lands in mesoamerica by. The american indian and the providential theory of empire, american. Other informative books about mormons and the lds mormon conspiracy the keystone of mormonism by arza evans click on the mormon book to buy it at summary. First on the list of evidences for geography is the declarations by the book of mormon that the promised land will be free from kings and other rulers for the righteous. Book of mormon maps are usually based on a logical model of some sort, implicit or explicit. This presentation examines the question of the location of the nephite lands in the americas. Today i wish to bring an interesting conspiracy to the fine people of atsone that involves religion, government, intelligence agencies and even some names known from other conspiracies. The book of mormon geography and map with dna evidence and the location of lands and cities such as zarahemla, cumorah, the narrow neck, mexico, caribbean sea, american indians, and true evidence are all here. Internal book of mormon geography focuses on the relationships between lands and other geographic features, independent of where they might be physically located on todays maps. Carr, president of book of mormon archaeological forum, were sending you a copy of his last article.
The book of mormon never claims that the people it describes were either the only or even the predominant inhabitants of america. During the same period, increasingly careful study of the book of mormon by. After several months of intense careful study of the text i have put together the following proposed map, showing the relative positions of book of mormon lands, cities, rivers, etc. The book of mormon geography book, a promised land, the land of promise, is one of our books at alpha publishing available for purchase at virginia elieson was inspired with this geography, while with her patriarch husband and mission president in dallas. The lord warns nephi, a book of mormon prophet, and his people to leave.
In fact, clues in its text hint at the presence of other groups book of mormon and dna studies. Mormon s map is book of mormon scholar john sorensons reconstruction of that mental map solely from information gleaned from the text after years of intensive study. See my answers to questions about the book of mormon here. Not long after the book of mormon was published, latterday saints began speculating about the location of this hill. Purpose of the book of mormon tour helps these single page descriptions of a specific book of mormon site are designed to provide pertinent information to the traveler about the site. Because of my love for conspiracy theories, i decided to make a short list of several conspiracies that mormons tell themselves and ill try to quickly debunk them. Archaeological trends and the book of mormon origins author john e. Some believe that the history depicted in the book of mormon occurred in north america, while others believe that it occurred in central america or south america. Although the book of mormon is primarily a religious record of the nephites, lamanites, and jaredites, enough geographic details are embedded in the narrative to allow reconstruction of at least a rudimentary geography of book of mormon lands.
Ever since the publication of the book of mormon, its readers have asked this. One common argument for the book of mormon having taken place in. Archaeological evidence, dna evidence, scientific theories, and scriptures from the book of mormon. Intelligence, intelligences church of jesus christ. Where in the americas are the lands of the book of mormon. Why the book of mormon is the great american novel the. The portion of the land of bountiful as the narrow neck of land is spoken of in the book of mormon and is what is known as upper michigan today. Pdf mormon s clues download ebook full pdf download get.
Testimonials the geographical picture of the ancient lands of the book of mormon is found in great detail in the lost lands of the book of mormon which was published by cfi in 1998. New world geography location of the majority of the book of mormon narrative, in the promised landsomewhere in the western hemisphere. An lds perspective on conspiracy may 8, 2011 darren andrews 94 comments most of us seem content to accept the world largely in the way it is presented to us by what passes as the mainstream of society. This significant volume, a large book of 437 pages with 147 maps, is a pleasure to read.
Lds church and the american intelligence community. Intelligence has several meanings, three of which are. The statement indicates that members have also attributed book of mormon lands to south america. Church releases statement on book of mormon geography. The book of mormon is more than a history book of the ancient nephite and jaredite nations.
The book of mormon geography book, a promised land, the land of promise, is one of our books at alpha publishing available for purchase at virginia elieson was inspired with this geography, while with her patriarch husband and mission president in dallas here organized into a book by peter covino, jr. The theory that the book of mormon is an ancient american history is not accepted as scientifically verifiable by the mainstream academic community. Although church members continue to discuss such theories today, the church takes no position on the geography of the book of mormon except. In fact, i almost didnt read this book because i didnt think the idea had much merit. These principal book of mormon lands are southward from the land northward mentioned in helaman 3. The fact this was the official lds church publication containing the official church history directed by joseph smith and reprinted in the times and seasons 1840, the gospel reflector 1841, and letters by oliver cowdery to w.
All of those have come to past with exception to the last two. There are times when there is not the opportunity to get a clear understanding of what the traveler saw and these bulletins will help with that understanding. A summary of several theories of book of mormon lands in. Debunking 5 myths about the book of mormon lds living. The book of mormon does not contradict the land bridge migration theory. Allen makes convincing arguments in a style that is generally easy to understand. Fyi, over his last three posts, tyler was comparing the various heartlandgreat lakes theories of book of mormon geography i know of at. The book of mormon records the visit of jesus christ to people in the americas following his resurrection. Home comparative summary of several book of mormon lands theories comparative summary of several book of mormon lands theories the contents of all bmaf publications are the sole responsibility of the individual authors and therefore do not necessarily represent the views of bmaf or the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Much of the heartland of the united states may then correspond to the book of mormon south county or south countries.
A limited geography model for the book of mormon is one of several theories by latter day saint movement scholars that the books narrative was a historical record of people in a limited geographical region, rather than of the entire western hemisphere as believed by some early latter day saints. The fight over book of mormon geography deseret news. Of course these inconsistencies could readily be explained by understanding the book of mormon as a work of fiction written by a nineteenth century american, but book of mormon scholars often approach the topic with the a priori acceptance of the theory that the book of mormon. Sorenson, a retired professor of anthropology at byu, and the author of an ancient american setting for the book of mormon and a series of articles on book of mormon geography that ran in the ensign magazine in september and october 1984. The limited geography theory or lgt is a nontraditional interpretation of the text, but one that has gained wide acceptance among the book of mormon scholars and readers over the last 60 years. Jan 30, 2019 it cites an 1834 statement by joseph smith assigning north american lands to the book of mormon, and a later 1842 church newspaper article suggesting central american ruins were remnants of book of mormon civilizations. Mormon apologists have proposed multiple theories to explain apparent inconsistencies with the archaeological, genetic, linguistic and other records.
Official statement on book of mormon geography and its. An approach to the book of mormon geography a land choice above all other lands lynn and david rosenvall, march 2009 the book of mormon story happened somewhere. The hill cumorah in ontario county ny is the hill where joseph smith found the golden plates and is the same hill where the civilizations of the nephites cumorah and the jaredites ramah fought their last battles. Church history true book of mormon geography lands. The nephites separate from the lamanites 2 nephi 5. And it was in the morningverifying the longitude of zarahemla new behold i am jesus christ the setting and location of the saviors visit to the people of nephi in the land of bountiful new. Apr 16, 2014 this seemed like a little bit of a letdown compared to the days when i used to dream of getting the ultimate book of mormon tour package where all of the proposed book of mormon cities and lands would be visited, and we would see where the nephites and lamanites lived.
Many book of mormon names are either biblical, formed from a rhyming pattern, changed by a prefix or suffix, or greek in etymology. Written with an outside the box approach, it takes a new look at the subject and proposes new locations based upon the clues given by the book s prophets. I hoped to have some intelligence by the salvages, and to search the head of. Hagoth and the polynesians religious studies center. A twohundredyear era of peace followed that visit of christ. An ancient american setting for the book of mormon by john l. In particular, he rejects the socalled twocumorah theory. It provides a testimony of the visit of jesus christ to the promised land of america after his death and resurrection. People also point to book of mormon the musical as another example of the. Book of mormon lands map nephites, lamanites in central america b. Since they cant all be correct, obviously, some scientists are digging in the wrong place. Jun 04, 2019 as one of the principal researchers of the heartland model proposed geography, i applaud sister reads plea for coming to some agreement between the two prevailing theories. Here is more evidence showing that the lamanites of the book of mormon are in north america not mezoamerica as published in our book several years ago. Moroni, the last of the nephite prophethistorians, sealed up the abridged records of these people and hid them in about a.
There are over 100 theories concerning book of mormon geography. Dec 15, 2014 why the book of mormon is the great american novel when a jewish author sets off on quest to understand the fantastical foundational text of mormonism, he ends up learning more about himself. True book of mormon geography lands, western new york model. Study two dozen detailed, fullcolor maps that follow the footsteps of mosiah, alma, ammon, limhi, and lands from nephi to zarahemla. All opinions, speakers and presenters represent and express their own individual opinions, and not necessarily the opinions of firm foundation, book of mormon evidence, or its employees, and no information or opinions represent the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. A neighbor urged this book on me, so i read it somewhat out of a sense of obligation. Discovering the lost lands of the book of mormon book of. Proposed book of mormon geographical setting wikipedia. The churchs position on questions related to book of mormon geography.
Sep 08, 2009 a friend sent me info from a website of the book of mormon archaeological forum in which 16 scriptural points were listed as having to exist for any book of mormon lands proposal must include all of these to be seriously considered. North american book of mormon geography the interpreter. It is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations. If knowing where the book of mormon stories actually occured is important to you, this is a good book to read. The lost lands of the book of mormon bonneville books, 2003. One popular lds theory places the setting for the book of mormon in the vicinity of. Nonetheless, the hypotheses were presented as theories and defended.
Bruce porter book of mormon evidence for america bruce porter, takes the book of mormon and some of the leadership of the lds church and is there evidences that the book of mormon lands took place in north america. The elusive book of mormon lands rational faiths mormon blog. Dec 26, 2015 a very plausible lost and missing novel by solomon spalding manuscript found, separate and distinct from the oberlin manuscript has not been ruled out by mormon apologists. Critical theories that sidney rigdon was a book of mormon author or coconspirator summary. Melekin claims that his book titled, manifestations mysteries revealed, has proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that the book of mormon is an african book and about africans. Meldrum places book of mormon events in the area south of the great lakes, and cites the adena and hopewell cultures as likely book of mormon peoples. In ones head, written notes, internal map, spreadsheet, or something. As historians know, many early brethren viewed the entire hemisphere as book of mormon lands. Orson was one of the original mormon apostles, an intelligent man who was. Book of mormon geography is one of my favorite topics, and its been a while since i talked about it. The book of mormon terms them the land of desolation latter day saints. Some claim that sidney rigdon authored the book of mormon, and conspired with joseph smith well ahead of time to compose it and start a religion. There are several theories held among latterday saints for the location of book of mormon lands. Five misunderstandings of the book of mormon text that veils.
The book of mormon itself is the best source for understanding the geographical locations contained therein. This book is a must for the serious student of book of mormon geography. Most of the authors and supporters of the two main competing theories would agree that the north american continent is the land to which lehi was led and where the subsequent events of their record occurred. I am suggesting that studies aimed at locating book of mormon lands and accurately identifying the descendants of book of mormon peoples would need to undergo a radical paradigm shiftone that many would consider quite farfetched. It was a bit repetitive and a little too strident, but makes a reasonable and compelling case for the book of mormon lands to be in the united states, not mesoamerica as many promote. The book where in the americas are the lands of the book of mormon is essentially a research paper that evaluates the most prominent theories concerning the location of the lands of the book of mormon. The person most often associated with this theory is john l. Book of mormon geography, lands, map, dna true evidence. When i first encountered the book of mormon, i assumed it was a hoax. Great signs and wonderswhat caused the destruction and darkness in book of mormon lands. Others look to peru and south america, or to the baja peninsula, or texas, and some even propose the malaysian peninsula. Mar 06, 2012 the lost lands of the book of mormon phyllis carol olive on.
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