I agree wholeheartedly, and im not discounting anything. 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. While secular and non mormon scholars consider the book of mormon to be a work of fiction, latter day saints view the book as a chronicle of actual. The best available evidence for the book of mormon continues to support a limited mesoamerican model. Finally there is a way to really explore john sorensons book of mormon geography.
Based on the reasons i listed above as well as others, i currently favor a mesoamerica setting for book of mormon geography, similar to the map presented below. The mormon mountains are located in lincoln and clark counties in nevada, between 16 and 28 miles 45 km northwest of mesquite on i15 in the virgin valley, east of the meadow valley mountains and meadow valley and northeast of moapa valley. He promises to continue his research in peru next year. While some latterday saints have looked for possible locations and explanations for book of mormon geography because the new york hill cumorah does not readily fit the book of mormon description of cumorah, there are no conclusive connections between the book of mormon text and any specific site. The book of mormon geography lands and map with dna evidence. They discuss early church assumptions as to where the people of the book of mormon lived, and then discuss the plausible locale that is theorized by most lds scholars today. Madrea mountains along chiapasoaxacaveracruz border. Today, while some individuals still argue for a book of mormon setting in the great lakes region of the united states and canada, 2 most latterday saint scholars acknowledge mesoamerica as the most likely region that matches descriptions found within the book.
Feb 18, 2008 is the book of mormon being confirmed. Items do not represent the official views of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints or of book of mormon central. Book of mormon difficulties, contradictions and explanations. All of the static images in the article book of mormon map and most. Lloyd stephens explorations of ancient maya ruins in central america map quote, upper. Revisiting the seven lineages of the book of mormon and the seven tribes of mesoamerica diane e. Basically, the two maps compare a proposed map constructed by vernal from the internal descriptions of the book of mormon and comments, over the years by latterday saint scholars, with a map showing actual place names on maps of the area around palmyra, new york, where the book of mormon originally was published. Regarding point 1, i have read all of sorensons works and most of what farms and the maxwell institute have. If you arent familiar with the book of mormon, please see my book of mormon introduction page and get your own free copy at mormon.
John clark, a mesoamerican archaeologist answers this question. Formative 1500 bc to 250 ad antiquities constructed in book of mormon times. Why does the book of mormon include the rise and fall of two nations. The lamanites under zarahemnah also crossed the river sidon near manti, located to the south of zarahemla alma 43. Foundation for ancient research and mormon studies. Theories of book of mormon lands in mesoamerica showing 11 of 1 messages.
This page is a supplement to my book of mormon evidences page. Since the publication of the book of mormon in 1830, mormon archaeologists have attempted to find archaeological evidence to support it. Mormons detailed description of the nsw nephizarahemla mountain range. Considered a sacred number, it represented the seven directions in the. View the original article at the book of mormon resources blog. Joseph lovell allen, educator, author and explorer, is a pioneer in the study of history and geography of mesoamerica and the book of mormon. George has recently shifted his focus from the old world to the new world.
Cheesmans, the world of the book of mormon, deseret book, 1978. 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. Joseph allen took the first tour to mexico in 1970. I can soak in the rivers, mountains, jungles, beaches, passes and other terrain of the book of mormon s settings. Plausible locations in mesoamerica for book of mormon places.
The three authors of an lds guide to mesoamerica, walk us through the lands of the book of mormon. 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. And this eastwest mountain range runs from sea to sea a requirement to fit the book of mormon s explanation. The most important message of the book of mormon is its declared intent to convince readers that jesus is the christ. The church emphasizes the doctrinal and historical value of the book of mormon, not its geography. Book of mormon geography your site for lds theology. George is a proponent that the book of mormon lands are in peru. His latest newsletter dated oct, 2009, says, 10 reasons why the book of mormon took place in peru. Chapter 9 ancient america 6th grade social studies. Book of mormon geography jeff lindsays site and the. Each landscape contains inspiring beauty and jawdropping surprises. The book of mormon itself is the best source for understanding the geographical locations contained therein.
Virtual book of mormon book of mormon maps and learning. This site can be used as a study guide to help understand the book of mormon. Mesoamerica and the book of mormon linkedin slideshare. The purpose of constructing unbiased internal maps is to orient major lands, seas and landmarks mentioned in the text, and. 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. In john lunds book mesoamerica and the book of mormon. Home true book of mormon geography lands western new.
Book of mormon geography further analysis and information on book of mormon geography compared to land of joseph smiths youth. He notes that gold, silver and copper are mentioned several times in the book of mormon being found in abundance in the land. 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. From rolling bajadas speckled with cholla, yucca and joshua trees, to intricately carved canyons forested with pinyon pine and juniper, and jagged mountain peaks topped with stands of oldgrowth ponderosa pine. We are the pioneers of the book of mormon tour concept.
Discounting the text of the book of mormon when trying to locate the lands of the book of mormon is absurd. Exploring the book of mormon in americas heartland. Many accounts of significant lands and cities are given in the book of mormon. Mesoamerica, the region of southern mexico, guatemala, and adjacent nations. Book of mormon central bomc is a team of ardent students of the nephite scripture working together to share the wonders of this inspired masterpiece with the world. For that reason, our design team has chosen to develop an internal map that shows relational directions and approximate distances that match the. Byu library, an account of our book of mormon lands tour, 27 january to 16 february 1961. A peru setting for the book of mormon miscellaneous. As the above logo depicts, we do respect this mandate, and our model is.
Revisiting the seven lineages of the book of mormon and. How a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand. Why did moroni include mormon s condemnation of infant baptism. On february 1, 2018, national geographic broke a story about some incredible new discoveries in mesoamerican archaeology using new technology. Chief among these is the fact that we know we certainty where the story beginsin old world jerusalem. Many of her photos were also included in our book, exploring the lands of the book of mormon. A limited geography model for the book of mormon is one of several theories by latter day saint movement scholars that the book s 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. It comes with an optional explanatory booklet entitled book of mormon mesoamerican historic geography, and is available online. This book locates everything from the narrow neck, to zarahemla, from cumorah, to the land of promise, bountiful.
Even though we have yet to know enough to absolutely pinpoint any given city, just knowing that the book of mormon took place in mesoamerica lets me be a map nut again but this time with the book of mormon. A summary of several theories of book of mormon lands in mesoamerica 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. Joseph lovell allen true book of mormon geography lands. In this page, i discuss the recent discoveries in mesoamerica which have caused a complete paradigm shift in the thinking of scholars.
Mesoamerica as a whole is considered a culture area within which a number of cultural subareas existed. It comes with an optional explanatory booklet entitled book of mormon mesoamerican historic geography, and is available online in time for christmas. The number seven was significant to the precolumbian communities of mesoamerica, as it was in the book of mormon. Book of mormon tours has been operated by the allen family since 1970. Although historians and archaeologists consider the book to be an anachronistic invention of joseph smith, many members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church and other denominations of the latter day saint movement believe that it.
A complete description of the book of mormon geography bomgeography, including an internal map model, external map model i. This map plausibly positions these and other book of mormon locations in the general mesoamerican arena. Unfortunately, exploring and testing his geographic. 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. In other words, using the same references, it would be hard to show an archaeological and cultural relationship between the book of mormon and the rocky mountains usa or the midwest usa, or anywhere in canada or the lands of south america, at the time periods required 600 bc 400 ad. The article does not actually say that book of mormon lands are to be found in central america. How does the book of mormon help date the first christmas. Garth normans map book of mormon archaeological forum. I still think there is a serious problem of imprinting a particular geographyeven an abstract onebut if the people involved accept the scripture on faith alone, they may never care about the realworld geography, so a mental abstract map is no problem. Lost civilizations of north america documentary4, deborah bolnick on haplogroup x.
Interactive book of mormon map virtual book of mormon. Sheryl lee wilson has traveled throughout mesoamerica with a keen eye capturing on film the essence of americas greatest civilizations. Book of mormon geography, lands, map, dna true evidence. Oct 02, 2014 finally there is a way to really explore john sorensons book of mormon geography. Pacific ocean gulf of mexico caribbean sea 0 0 300 600 kilometers 300 600 miles mesoamerica n s. Lunds love for history and the book of mormon has taken him to mexico, honduras, belize and guatemala more than twenty times. Book of mormon mesoamerican historic geography, and is available online. See the video below for a great overview on the topic as well as the debates ive had on this topic with mormon apologists. I would recommend that the reader keep a book of mormon map close by such as the one shown above the next time you read through the book of mormon.
Inclusion within the bmc archive does not imply endorsement. Mesoamerica united states mexico panama honduras guatemala jamaica haiti dominican republic costarica elsalvador belize nicaragua cuba 20n 30n tropicofcancer 10n 110w 100w 90w 80w 70w 60w yucatan peninsula indies puerto rico u. In addition, the entire story of the book of mormon occurred within a small 500mile radius within mesoamerica. Jan 22, 2011 anthropologist mark wrights 2008 fair conference address on similarities between mesoamerica and the book of mormon. However, when serious book of mormon students first begin with a detailed consideration of the internal map implicit to the book of mormon and then search for a plausible location that fits the book of mormon s map, there has consistently been one general result. Includes every geographical place mentioned in the book of mormon. Claims the narrow neck of land is the isthmus of tehuantepec, and the basic area is that of mesoamerica. 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. As the above logo depicts, we do respect this mandate, and our model is unique in this regard. The highest point in the range is mormon peak, at 7,414 feet 2,260 m above sea level. The name mesoamerica is a term used to identify the heartland of a number of significant precolumbian cultures. The geographical setting of the book of mormon is the set of locations of the events described.
A pan mesoamerica legend tells of a core people descended from seven tribes, which may coincide with the seven lineages mentioned three times in the book of mormon. Bountiful is the name of two places described in the book of mormon, a religious narrative dictated in 1829 by joseph smith. Anthropologist mark wrights 2008 fair conference address on similarities between mesoamerica and the book of mormon. The mesoamerica area also fits many of the geographical features given in the book of mormon, including features and the absence of such features in some places like mountains, passes, waters, rivers, basins, in reasonable and plausible relationship to each other. The book of mormon and defensive fortifications in mesoamerica. We find a similar suffix in the book of mormon place names ammonihah. However, when serious book of mormon students first begin with a detailed consideration of the internal map implicit to the book of mormon and then search for a plausible location that fits the book of mormons map, there has consistently been one general result. The boundaries of the united states of america is the promised land. Metals and golden plates in mesoamerica, daniel johnsons. Carr, president of book of mormon archaeological forum, were sending you a copy of his last article. Even the hill cumorah, where joseph smith obtained the gold plates, is not really the same hill cumorah mentioned in the text.
The first location is set in the old world near jerusalem, and the second location is set somewhere in the americas. Virtual book of mormon another testament of jesus christ. Muleks party first arrived in the land north see helaman 6. Such maps can be a useful introduction for those who are new to the book of mormon. Items in the bmc archive are made publicly available for noncommercial, private use. However, alma 63 indicates that there was a massive northward migration in the midfirst century bc. Best trails in mormon mountains wilderness nevada alltrails. A summary of several theories of book of mormon lands in. 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. Metals and golden plates in mesoamerica, daniel johnsons 2010 bmaf lecture. The lord could have removed all questions regarding the exact locations of these events but he did not. The various climates and elevations in these areas provide important habitat for a wide spectrum of wildlife. 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 mormon geography jeff lindsays site and the shake.
Mayan civilization and parallels to the book of mormon. Archaeological evidence has placed ancient american peoples such as the olmecs, teotihuacans, zapotecs, mayans, and chiapas in various general locations in mesoamerica. He is a great teacher, a brilliant scholar, and gifted with a sense of humor. Daniel johnson in his 2010 book of mormon archaeological forum presentation. While all cultures in mesoamerica share a number of common characteristics, cultural subareas are defined by a higher level of specificity in defining elements i. Revisiting the seven lineages of the book of mormon and the. Gods word is to be established by two or more witnesses 2 cor. The first one to start showing evidence will be the one i jump on board. Wirth t he number seven had several connotations to the precolumbian communities of mesoamerica. We have taken more tours to mesoamerica to compare the ancient sites and civilizations with the book of mormon than any other tour operator.
This mantree notion is wellattested in mesoamerican iconography. We build enduring faith in jesus christ by making the book of mormon accessible, comprehensible, and defensible to the entire world. This dvd gives george potters support for a peru setting for the book of mormon. Particularly troublesome to the mesoamerica geography hypothesis, is the fact lds scripture places cumorah, a land which the book of mormon says is in a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains, near new yorks finger lakes, just south of lake ontario doctrine and covenants 128. The lands of te book of mormon are found in mesoamerica. Proposed book of mormon geographical setting wikipedia. The church and byu stay neutral in questions of exactly where the book of mormon took place. See more ideas about book of mormon, mayan ruins and lds art. Church history maps 1, 2 and 3 accompanying the doctrine. I finally got around to watching the free dvd i got from a small order i made with. 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.