They then address the topic of domestication, crosscultural naming challenges, the extinction of animals, and the difficulty of identifying an extinction date for any animal. Introduction to the annotated edition of the book of mormon 1 introduction to the annotated edition of the book of mormon 2 law of moses in mesoamerican terms where does the book of mormon really take place and does it matter. Why was coriantumrs record engraved on a large stone. Regarding point 1, i have read all of sorensons works and most of what farms and the maxwell institute have. Almost all northsouth land traffic and trade passed through this corridor from ancient jaredite times until well past the end of book of mormon times 420 ad.
Following are two of the most well known theories for book of mormon geography. The hemispheric geography theory or hgt is the traditional understanding of the book of mormon. Gods word is to be established by two or more witnesses 2 cor. The nature of the record another important new idea about the book of mormon is that it is not a history in the sense of the word often used today. However, alma 63 indicates that there was a massive northward migration in the midfirst century bc. Joseph not only didnt write the mesoamerican articles, he didnt edit, publish or even approve them. This book locates everything from the narrow neck, to zarahemla, from cumorah, to the land of promise, bountiful, and more. Here are a few random strengths and weaknesses from both theories. Most lgt models place book of mormon lands in central america. Book of mormon geography jeff lindsays site and the shake. May 27, 2010 there is civilization in mesoamerica, and civilization is what the book of mormon describes, said john l. Wayne may presents archaeological support of the book of mormon to a group in malad, idaho in february of 2017. It represents a complex culture and perhaps most importantly, is the only location in the americas where there. They far exceed the heartland models in their ability to synthesize the text with known archaeology.
An interesting correlation with mesoamerican geographysee map below. This is more of a summary of others work than mine, thought the experience in the last paragraph might be a little eyeopening to those investigating book of mormon geography. Bmaf supports a mesoamerican context for the major book of mormon sites. The only possible location where events of the book of mormon occurred was within central america, specifically the region of eastern ancient mesoamerica, which comprises guatemala, southeastern mexico, and belize. Theories related to a mesoamerican geography model. Oliver cowdery and joseph smith taught this clearly.
Both the mesoamerican and the heartland book of mormon geography theories have their strong points and, shall we say, areas that need further research. Feb 18, 2008 is the book of mormon being confirmed. The 10th annual book of mormon lands symposium was held in salt lake city to discuss the research and discoveries most recently made. For overviews of the development of ideas regarding book of mormon geography, including the development of the limited mesoamerican theory, see sorenson, geography of book of mormon events, and matthew roper, limited geography and the book of mormon. The best available evidence for the book of mormon continues to support a limited mesoamerican model. After decades of accepting the mesoamerican theory, ive changed to the north american setting. Some placed the nephite capital city zarahemla in mesoamerica, others in south america. Others look to peru and south america, or to the baja peninsula, or texas, and some even propose the malaysian peninsula. He has spent almost fifty years in teaching, searching and researching the internal and external messages of that sacred history revered by millions of latterday saints worldwide. The book of mormon geography lands and map with dna evidence. Hugh nibley and book of mormon geography book of mormon. Moreover, clark finds notable parallels between the book of mormon and the geography of the old and new worlds. It was a year ago this week, i spent three days at two book of mormon conferences on the same weekend. First, they discuss book of mormon geography, preferring the mesoamerican theory.
Cuttingedge technology has uncovered huge archaeological finds in the heart of ancient mesoamerica. Chief among these is the fact that we know we certainty where the story beginsin old world jerusalem. The discussion on book of mormon geography was getting heated. Some place the geography of the book in upstate new york or near the great lakes. The 10th annual book of mormon lands symposium was held in salt lake city to discuss the research and discoveries most recently made supporting. Overall, the information contained in the book was a very valuable approach to showing how information discovered since the publishing of the book of mormon today increasingly shows that the probability that the book of mormon is what it claims to be. The new essay begins with this declarative statement. The book of mormon and mesoamerican archeology book of. Both the mesoamerican and the heartland book of mormon geography theories have their strong points and, shall we say, areas that need. Even though the mormon church formally denies endorsing any geographical theory regarding the location of book of mormon events, its many book of mormon editions, film strips, pamphlets and professors using images and references exclusively of the mesoamerican area speaks otherwise. In any case, evidence appears to show that smith did not subscribe to the limited mesoamerican or south american geography theories promoted by some lds. So, focusing on data primarily from the mesoamerican area, let us now look at the book of mormon alongside the best information available on civilization and geography there. Analytical and contextual commentary on the book of mormon, 6 vols.
An interesting correlation with mesoamerican geography see map below. Why did mormon give so many details about geography. It postulates that the events in the book took place over north and south america, with the isthmus of panama as the narrow neck of land. The key to book of mormon geography is the narrow neck of land. Book of mormon geography jeff lindsays site and the. This book of mormon map along with a wall map are available for down loading in color and the book of mormon geography book a promised land, the land of promise with all the mormon maps and details is also available at alpha publishing at. Oct 03, 2016 a comparison of book of mormon geographies showing new york to be the most viable setting for book of mormon events. Civilization, meaning cities even great cities, large masses of people, large wars, big agricultural base for the economy, temples and towers and so on. We learned that the book of mormon people certainly did live in the most capital parts of the land helaman 1.
The book of mormon and mesoamerican archeology the book of mormon is a highly controversial book in the light of mesoamerican archeology. Home true book of mormon geography lands western new. These finds confirm scriptures found in the book of mormon describing the world of the ancient nephites and lamanites. However, what i discovered has prompted me to write a book mapping the book of mormon. Made popular by his 1985 publication an ancient american setting for the book of mormon, sorensons geographic model for the book of mormon has withstood the test of time and remains the preeminent geographic model for book of mormon events. John clark, a mesoamerican archaeologist answers this question. The two big problems with the mesoamerican model for book of mormon geography are 1 there is zero evidence of the book of mormon narrative there and 2 the proponents insist joseph didnt know much about the book of mormon. Book of mormon tours which take interested members to see the lands of the book of mormon in mesoamerica. Cumorah and the limited mesoamerican theory book of mormon. Even the hill cumorah, where joseph smith obtained the gold plates, is not really the same hill cumorah mentioned in the text.
Comparing book of mormon geography models mormon lds. Other locations may meet some of the following criteria, but only. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints released a statement today concerning the geography of the book of mormon in the form of a new gospel topics. Reply to pros, cons of book of mormon geography theories book. Ammon and the mesoamerican custom of smiting off arms. The maya and the olmec have a written languagea requirement for book of mormon peoples, who kept records. Book of mormongeographynew worldlimited geography theory. Church releases statement on book of mormon geography. Understanding continental geography and spatial relationships and keeping accurate calendar systems. This site can be used as a study guide to help understand the book of mormon. A recent theory argues that the mesoamerican theory or limited mesoamerican geography originated in 1841 with benjamin winchester, an early mormon. Muleks party first arrived in the land north see helaman 6. Mar 27, 2016 in that position, he continued to promote the mesoamerican theory of book of mormon geography.
Each year at its annual book of mormon lands conference, the book of mormon archaeological forum gives the father lehi award and the mother sariah award to a couple who have contributed significantly to. A discussion of the arabian, or old world, geography of the book of mormon enjoys many advantages over discussion of new world matters. Book of mormonlamanitesrelationship to amerindiansmaya. Early church authors, including benjamin winchester, william smith, w. This heartland model for book of mormon geography downplays the geographical information in the text. Book of mormon center this blog focuses on the historicity and geography of the book of mormon. Book of mormon hemispheric geography theory summary. While many lds scholars are converging on the idea of mesoamerica as the focal point for the book of mormon in the new world, there is a notable movement calling for new york and the eastern united states as the place of the book of mormon. On book of mormon peoples leaving the core nephitelamanite centers and reaching other regions of the americas, see mark alan wright, heartland as hinterland. Archaeological evidence has placed ancient american peoples such as the olmecs, teotihuacans, zapotecs, mayans, and chiapas in various general locations in mesoamerica. A comprehensive geography of nephite america, and share my. Aside from lacking four bodies of water, warr exemplifies how blinded one can become when fixated upon a physical model before extracting the internal. Although it may be surprising to joseph smith and other church leaders, as well as to the majority of current lds believers, modern book of mormon scholars insist that the book of mormon is actually the story of a relatively small group of israelites who were immediately subsumed within a larger, preexisting, native mesoamerican population. While the book of mormon makes sense in light of modern knowledge of ancient mesoamerican patterns of society, warfare, trade, literacy, temple building, and numerous other elements, and while the only plausible geographical setting for the book of mormon is a tiny section of the new world centered in mesoamerica, around the isthmus of.
Apostate book of mormon geography studio et quoque fide. Feb 15, 2010 mesoamerica holds some attractive possibilities as a location for the book of mormon. Book of mormon geography in north america wayne may. Joseph lovell allen true book of mormon geography lands.
From the time the book of mormon was published, its readers have speculated about its geographical setting. Overview of book of mormon geography and church history. Home true book of mormon geography lands western new york. A complete description of the book of mormon geography bomgeography, including an internal map model, external map model i. Sep 15, 2019 second, book of mormon authors rarely mentioned weather, and when mormon did alma 46. But thats the inverse of proving there were lehite people there.
This is the location of the ancient maya and olmec civilizations. Book of mormonlamanitesrelationship to amerindiansmaya and. Ill address that specifically tomorrow, but were discussing this topic within the framework of president nelsons teaching that good inspiration is based upon good information. The name mesoamerica is a term used to identify the heartland of a number of significant precolumbian cultures. The main passage mentions the land of nephi bordering on the seas, a narrow. I have been trying to avoid the topic of book of mormon geography for several years now, for it is a messy and oftentimes ugly endeavor. In addition, the entire story of the book of mormon occurred within a small 500mile radius within mesoamerica. Joseph lovell allen, educator, author and explorer, is a pioneer in the study of history and geography of mesoamerica and the book of mormon. Some people wonder how a discussion of m2c the mesoamericantwo cumorahs theory is good preparation for the upcoming general conference. That a written language was in use in mesoamerica anciently is beyond question. Issues in the limited mesoamerican or mayanland models. Scholars gathered in provo, utah, to discuss their theories about where the events described in the book of mormon took place. Jacobs isle of the sea and book of mormon geography. Proposed book of mormon geographical setting wikipedia.
The likelihood of such a setting was greatly strengthened by john l. So william smith was winchesters nauvoo insider and accomplice. Foundation for ancient research and mormon studies. Mesoamerica is the site of the only literate precolumbian population. Third, this argument, if applied consistently, precludes central america as a possible setting because the text never once mentions volcanoes, jungles, jade, tapirs, or. As the above logo depicts, we do respect this mandate, and our model is unique in this regard. I argue that these northbound immigrants spread out over the centuries and established settlements that were geographically distant from the core nephite area, far beyond the.
However, claiming that the mayan language is egyptian in. This map plausibly positions these and other book of mormon locations in the general mesoamerican arena. Mormons clues, a new look at book of mormon geography, 2006 internet edition 2001, james warr. At the time, i wrote a blog post setting out what i believe are the very obvious implications of the statement, and expressed a hope that people everywhere could cordially engage in. I view this as proving the american theory of book of mormon geography. Sorensons groundbreaking book, an ancient american setting for the book of mormon, published in 1985. Hugh nibley and book of mormon geography by kirk magleby.
Start with the hill cumorah in new york, as described in. Second, book of mormon authors rarely mentioned weather, and when mormon did alma 46. At the time, i wrote a blog post setting out what i believe are the very obvious implications of the statement, and expressed a hope that people everywhere could cordially engage in conversations about book of mormon geography. A recent theory argues that the mesoamerican theory or limited mesoamerican geography originated in 1841 with benjamin winchester, an early mormon missionary, writer, and dissident, who rejected the leadership of brigham young and the twelve after 1844. Mesoamerican core and north american periphery of book of mormon geography. How do these new discoveries relate to the book of mormon. A few months ago, the church updated its official statement on book of mormon geography. Most current models favor mesoamerica as the geographic region of nephite and lamanite lands. This book locates everything from the narrow neck, to zarahemla, from cumorah, to the land of promise, bountiful. The general consensus among lds scholars that book of mormon events are likely to have occurred in mesoamerica. Far from sticking the texts location into a small mesoamerican corner, our model correlates. Includes every geographical place mentioned in the book of mormon. Phelps, and the pratt brothers speculated about a setting in central andor south america.
In mesoamerica, a narrow travel corridor stretches from the pacific coast of guatemala through the isthmus of tehuantepec to the atlantic coast of veracruz, mexico. Archaeology, relics and book of mormon belief deseret news. I have a problem with believers who insist the book of mormon is an ancient mesoamerican text when. The 21st international book of mormon evidence conference believes the book of mormon took place in north america the heartland theory, while the book of mormon central 2018 conference believes the book of mormon all took place in central america the mesoamerican theory. Oct 02, 2014 finally there is a way to really explore john sorensons book of mormon geography. Many accounts of significant lands and cities are given in the book of mormon. The book of mormon s metaphors, he remarks, make sense in the mesoamerican world. Jan 29, 2019 the church of jesus christ of latterday saints released a statement today concerning the geography of the book of mormon in the form of a new gospel topics essay titled book of mormon geography. The fight over book of mormon geography deseret news. Oct 31, 2012 the 10th annual book of mormon lands symposium was held in salt lake city to discuss the research and discoveries most recently made supporting the mesoamerican setting of the events of the book. The main passage mentions the land of nephi bordering on the seas, a narrow strip of wilderness, the land of zarahemla, and the headwaters of the river sidon see alma 22.
The church produced film the testaments depicts book of mormon events as occurring in a central american setting, with christ appearing in front of a classic mayan pyramid. This blog focuses on the historicity and geography of the book of mormon. Lds scholars have been attempting to base book of mormon geography correlation models on the two things that ancients were typically very bad at. Based on extensive textual analysis and comparison of the book of mormon limited geography model to existing geographical regions, timelines and cultures, the majority of lds scholars, so it has been claimed, agree that the book of mormon geography is centered in mesoamerica around the isthmus of tehuantepec, in the area of current day guatemala and the southern mexico states of tabasco, chiapas, oaxaca, veracruz, and the surrounding area sorenson 1985, pp. H38 virus true book of mormon geography lands western. Start with the hill cumorah in new york, as described in letter vii, and proceed from there. Sorenson, author of an ancient american setting for the book of mormon. An analysis of the limited geography theory since the advent of the book of mormon in 1830, interested observers and believers have proposed various theories regarding its development, origin, and possible historical significance and setting. The church takes no position on the specific geographic location of book of mormon events in the.
In 1975, he submitted a paper to a symposium about book of mormon geography outlining the failure of archaeologists to find old world plants, animals, metals, and scripts in mesoamerica. Review of book of mormon geographymesoamerican historic geography 2006, by v. Pros, cons of book of mormon geography theories deseret news. How a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand. Daniel johnson, jared cooper, and derek glasser, an lds guide to mesoamerica springville, ut. The majority of mesoamerican book of mormon geography models seek to correlate the isthmus of tehuantepec or the isthmus of guatemala. The mesoamerican limited geography model posits that the events of the book of mormon occurred in a geographically limited region in mesoamerica only hundreds of miles in dimension and that other people were present in the new world at the time of lehis arrival. Cumorah and the limited mesoamerican theory religious. Sorenson, the book of mormon as a mesoamerican codex, in book of mormon authorship revisited. For various reasons, the hemispheric model lost favor to a more limited geography model, with many scholars concluding that the book of mormon took place primarily in central america and mexico, with the narrow neck of land being the isthmus of tehuantepec. The claim that god revealed the details of book of mormon geography is not new, but the recent argument that there was a conspiracy while the prophet was still alive to oppose a revealed geography is a novel innovation. My original motivation in researching these questions was personal curiosity.
864 1380 1112 565 1449 416 1019 58 1097 908 323 426 743 753 1031 1228 1087 359 336 54 619 1322 1243 1065 27 674 208 894 336 506 1153 1493 991