The geography of the book of mormon has been a complex issue with multiple factors involved. Game theory, the prisoners dilemma, and the book of mormon. Never before has a reference work of this scope been created to help both the. It was first published in march 1830 by joseph smith as the book of mormon. As the above logo depicts, we do respect this mandate, and our model is. The book of mormon geography lands and map with dna evidence. A readers guide, have attempted to move the discussion away from polemics to an appreciation for the books.
It seems like the book of mormon describes the caribbean. The lost lands of the book of mormon and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. The book of mormon describes a journey by a group of people led by a prophet named lehi from the old world to the new world in approximately 600 b. Apr 20, 2009 unconventional book of mormon geography theories mormon heretic april 20, 2009 book of mormon, geography, historicity, lamanites, mormon 342 comments its been over a year since someone posted something on book of mormon geography, so i think its about time.
Our families may be corrupted by worldly trends and teachings unless we know how to use the book to expose and combat falsehoods in socialism, rationalism, etcthe situation in the world will continue to degenerate unless we read and heed the words of god and quit building up and upholding secret combinations, which the book of mormon tells. Certainly, all of this provided abundant motivation and inspiration for the writing of the book of mormon. As recorded in the doctrine and covenants, the lord sent missionaries to the indians living in new york, ohio, and missouri, specifically identifying them as lamanites and telling them that he the lord would go with them and be in their midst. Using odd concepts such as internal logic or geographic templates, book of mormon scholars have concocted selfdefined theory after theory of. Game theory, the prisoners dilemma, and the book of mormon robert f. Examining the book of mormon a christian view probe. Official statement on book of mormon geography and its.
The whole face of the land had become covered with buildings and the people were as numerous almost as it were the sand of the sea. This book locates everything from the narrow neck, to zarahemla, from cumorah, to the land of promise, bountiful. Gods word is to be established by two or more witnesses 2 cor. How manifest destiny destroyed book of mormon evidence. Scholars gathered in provo, utah, to discuss their theories about where the. Home true book of mormon geography lands western new. A strength of the theory is the belief that cumorah mentioned in the book of mormon where moroni buried the engraved records kept by himself and his father mormon see mormon 6. Church members are asked not to teach theories about book of mormon geography in church settings but to focus instead on the book of mormon s teachings and testimony of jesus christ and his gospel. The book of mormon mentions geography in these passages. These principal book of mormon lands are southward from the land northward mentioned in helaman 3. 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. As each new theory surfaces, we gain fresh hope of acquiring additional insights into it ancient location, but are all too often disappointed. 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.
Gadianton robbers prefer to plunder rather than working for themselves 3 nephi 4. The map spans jaredite and nephitelamanite periods during which settlements changed over time. The narrow strip of wildernessspatial features, orientation and recorded journeys. Exploring the lands of the book of mormon byu studies. Explorations in critical methodology 1993, edited by brent lee metcalfe. His latest newsletter dated oct, 2009, says, 10 reasons why the book of mormon took place in peru. All of those have come to past with exception to the last two. Aug 21, 2015 the coming forth of the book of mormon. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421.
The book of mormon reference companion deseret book. See more ideas about book of mormon quotes, mormon quotes and book of mormon. Meldrum has been one of the most notable proponents of this theory. Let the book of mormon change your life, again, as you investigate exploring the lands of the book of mormon. One group was the people of mulek supposed by bible authors to have died, who was the son of zedekiah. As the above logo depicts, we do respect this mandate, and our model is unique in this regard. 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. Critique of a limited geography for book of mormon events. Creating a map or a virtual app for book of mormon geography has been. An excellent overview of the various theories of the mesoamerican model is stephen l. Book of mormon geography your site for lds theology. What people think they should do, what they think they are doing, and what they do are usually three separ. No effort should be made to identify points on this map with any existing geographical location.
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. The book of mormon states that large cities were built so that by 322 a. Both the mesoamerican and the heartland book of mormon geography theories have their strong points and, shall we say, areas that need. 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. Book of mormon lands discovering the lost lands of the book. For example, when the book was first published, it was commonly thought that native american indians had never achieved the level of civilization as defined in the book ancient society by lewis henry morgan which had become the handbook of instruction for the us government in dealing with. 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. 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. I am fully aware that no church leader, joseph smith included, has pointed toward a southeast asian setting, but neither have they made statements which rule it out. Read a few of the testimonials of those who read the book and have now joined the thousands who accept the near cumorah setting for the book of mormon in western new york as the. Response to the genetic challenge from book of mormon defenders book of mormon population models. The church takes no position on the specific geographic location of book of mormon events in the ancient americas. In 2008, the new second edition of exploring the lands of the book of mormon, with authors joseph and blake, and edited by dr. Comparative summary of several book of mormon lands theories.
Exploring the lands of the book of mormon ought to be on the bookshelf of everyone interested in book of mormon geography. This readers edition of the book of mormon has some valuable footnotes that are not included in the scripture edition, but its chief strength is in the introduction and the appendices, which collect in one place the testimonies of joseph smith and other witnesses, a chronology of the translation, explanation of the lost 116 pages that were. One popular lds theory places the setting for the book of mormon in the vicinity of. Unconventional book of mormon geography theories mormon. Oct 31, 2012 some mormon scholars, like grant hardy, who wrote understanding the book of mormon. 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. Kindle ebooks can be read on any device with the free kindle app. Skeptics have argued since its publication in 1830 that the the book of mormon is the creative work of a religious con man, whose purported visit by an angel and account of hidden gold plates from which the book was written undermine it outright. Lund is a motivational speaker, author, tour guide, scholar and consultant. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints 218,745 views 2. 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. Thus, there are varying theories regarding the geography of the book of mormon. A reaction to the churchs recent essay on book of mormon.
Home true book of mormon geography lands western new york. Book of mormon geography, the near cumorah setting there have been numerous attempts to locate the long, lost lands of the book of mormon over the years. An approach to the book of mormon geography located in baja california. Notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands. Any scholar should create a map before trying to locate it in the real world. The discussion on book of mormon geography was getting heated. 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 these models, developed in an effort to reconcile claims in the book of mormon with archaeology. Both an approach to the book of mormon geography, february 2009 6 mediterranean california basin chile south africa australia mediterranean climates throughout the world. A readers guide, have attempted to move the discussion away from. According to the book, two of these groups originated from ancient israel. Mostly, their activity is motivated by social obligation and desire to keep the.
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. Tehuantepec geography, in new approaches to the book of mormon. A neighbor urged this book on me, so i read it somewhat out of a sense of obligation. Since no acceptable model for the book of mormon lands has yet been established that can not be picked apart by one of an opposing view, regardless of the truths of the matter, one might just as well conclude that the lands of the book of mormon were not in the. Study two dozen detailed, fullcolor maps that follow the footsteps of mosiah, alma, ammon, limhi, and lands from nephi to zarahemla. Mormons originally thought that the book of mormon peoples covered the entire north and south america. Reading the book of mormon to determine its geographical. Most of you believe that the book of mormon occurred in central america, right. Dec 02, 2016 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. As an anthropologist i have been trained to be aware that peoples motivations and their professed motivations dont always match up 100%. Book of mormon geography tour 11 days10 nights guatemala. My new book, nephi in the promised land is now available in the nephi project discovery store. Defenders of the book of mormon have made arguments that center on the idea that the book of mormon peoples from the middle east formed only a small contribution to the population of the americas, and that their genetic heritage may have been diluted beyond what can now be detected.
Some mormon scholars, like grant hardy, who wrote understanding the book of mormon. After arriving in their promised land, nephi and his older brothers, who had. Careful analysis of early writings on book of mormon geography reveals. The articles are entitled pros, cons of book of mormon geography theories and the fight over book of mormon geography. Sorenson may have been motivated by nothing more than a scholars. Critical theories that sidney rigdon was a book of mormon author or coconspirator summary.
Sep 08, 2009 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. The statement indicates that members have also attributed book of mormon lands to south america. Currons book included vivid and compelling descriptions of ancient peoples as well as correct idiom and spelling. Book of mormon geography new england theory mormonism. 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. There is one more theory that has been proposed, perhaps out of frustration as much as out of any real basis for such a theory. Book of mormon, i might bring up ostlers expansion theory as a way to. Joseph smith sees a vision of god and jesus christ duration. Read with kindle unlimited see all buying options available as a kindle ebook. The exact location of the book of mormon history has not been revealed by prophets to members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints sometimes erroneously referred to as mormons. There is generally no direct support amongst mainstream historians and archaeologists for the.
As a result, many other equally logical geographic models for the book of mormon lands have been formulated. The book of mormon, the founding document of the latter day saint movement and one of the four books of scripture of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church, is an account of three groups of people. 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. The smoking gun of book of mormon geography book of. This significant volume, a large book of 437 pages with 147 maps, is a pleasure to read. Carr, a summary of several theories of book of mormon lands in mesoamerica. My book will change the church and the belief of the mormons drastically. 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. Summary of problems with rod meldrums heartland theory. The book of mormon itself is the best source for understanding the geographical locations contained therein. Book of mormon lands discovering the lost lands of the. An account written by the hand of mormon upon plates taken from the plates of nephi, who claimed that it had been. Mar 06, 2012 the lost lands of the book of mormon phyllis carol olive on. The signs from heaven seem to be something that will happen right before the second coming so those will have to.
The book of mormon refers to them as robbers over fifty times, which suggest that theft was their chief activity or the activity for which they were most notorious. The 10th annual book of mormon lands symposium was held in salt lake city to. Possible book of mormon sites in relation to each other. Mormon apostle orson pratt wrote in 1851, the book of mormon claims to be a divinely inspired record. Motivated by geographical theories which are contradicted by these. Part of the evidence supporting the mesoamerican theory and. Meldrum frequently relies on paranoia or conspiracy theories to explain why his model has not been accepted. The approach here is purely prophetic priority as potter et al. An approach to the book of mormon geography from the sea west to the sea eastthe orientation of the book of mormon lands to the sea updated. The book of mormon is the true word of god, another testiment of jesus christ our beloved saviour who was given as a sacrifice by god the eternal father to ultimately atone for and pay the price of the sin of the whole world, ye the whole of mankind from the time of adam to the present day and beyond. What is the motivation of the church of jesus christ of. Possible book of mormon sites in relation to each other possible relationships of sites in the book of mormon, based on internal evidence. May 27, 2002 some people believe the book of mormon is a new revelation from god given to joseph smith. Scholars today have varying theories about the true authorship of the book of mormon, but most conclude that smith composed the book himself, possibly with the help of oliver cowdery and sidney rigdon, drawing from information and publications available in his time, including the king james bible, the wonders of nature, and view of the hebrews.
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. More evidences that the book of mormon is a true history springville, utah. Before we examine some of the possible locations for book of mormon geography however, i would like to stress the fact that as of today, the lord has not revealed where the nephites or lamanites lived, and as such, the lds church has taken no official stance on anything related to book of mormon geography. This article is brought to you for free and open access by the all journals at byu scholarsarchive. Whereas josephs book of 275,000 words 27,000 of which were lifted directly from the king james bible has been discredited by historians and criticized by linguists. Pros, cons of book of mormon geography theories deseret news. Read this book and over 1 million others with a kindle unlimited membership. Biblical lands and the book of mormon lands provides an important premise and solution for several geographical features and challenges noted in the book of mormon text. Its been over a year since someone posted something on book of mormon geography, so i think its about time. George is a proponent that the book of mormon lands are in peru. Im wondering your theories of how the book of mormon was. Mormons recognize it as divinely inspired and equal in authority to the bible, but others have reason to doubt its claims.
Allen makes convincing arguments in a style that is generally easy to understand. Unconventional book of mormon geography theories mormon matters. Proposed book of mormon geographical setting wikipedia. A memorable book of mormon lands tour guatemala, honduras, belize and mexico 11 days10 nights day 1 fri. This includes attacks on byu, lds scholars, lds who offer a different model, the national science foundation, the national association of science, the american association for the advancement of science, dna researchers on mutation rates and dating haplotype x2a, elder james e. 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. Book of mormon, absorbed the idiom of the king james bible and used it in his. The book of mormon also describes the journey of 2 other groups to america. Book of mormon promises for the lamanites motivated early efforts to. A radically different book of mormon geography theory. This new 919 page book is expected to be the encyclopedia of book of mormon history and geography for years to come.
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