Book of mormon cannot be correlated to any realworld geography. Antimormon criticisms of the book of mormon are frequently based on a questionable set of assumptions concerning the nature of historical and archaeological evidence, the role of governing presuppositions, and the nature of historical proof. Civilizations of their magnitude and duration would be expected to leave extensive archaeological records. A complete description of the book of mormon geography bomgeography, including an internal map model, external map model i. There are significant challenges to the central american setting, as the hill cumorah in. An account written by the hand of mormon upon plates taken from the plates of nephi. This book presents new perspectives for enhancing our perception of the geography or spatial organization in the book of mormon. Since the publication of the book of mormon in 1830, members and. Home true book of mormon geography lands western new. Some members of the mormon church have made fantastic claims about archaeologists using the book of mormon. One of the major problems of book of mormon geographers is the failure to establish ground rules before starting to sort out the many descriptions and references to geography found in the book of mormon. 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. The nephites filled north amerca and the lamanites filled south america. The heartland is the place where it all happened, right under our very noses.
Sorenson does an excellent job in showing the requirements of the book of mormon volume and the antiquity of a limited geography model among latterday saints, contra critics who claim it is nothing short of a construct by sorenson from the 1980s and a mormon tactic to protect the book of mormon from alleged archaeological problems. Based on the same map, we see that the main river in the book of mormon called sidon, is the buffalo river. According to the book, two of these groups originated from ancient israel. A lot of exciting fluff on book of mormon geography is being discovered, but substance is still lacking. It, therefore, is an important geographical indicator. Basic methodological problems with the antimormon approach to the geography and archaeology of the book of mormon william j. Proposed book of mormon geographical setting wikipedia. National geographic society statement on the book of mormon. Regarding point 1, i have read all of sorensons works and most of what farms and the maxwell institute have. By careful study of that time period we can determine why some were destroyed in the terrible. The book of mormon includes a history of an ancient people who migrated from. Church leaders have generally declined to give any opinion on issues of book of mormon geography.
This site can be used as a study guide to help understand the book of mormon. As the above logo depicts, we do respect this mandate, and our model is unique in this regard. 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. Book of mormon geography problems life after ministry.
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. More importantly, it is the only book on the subject that is not merely someones belief or opinion, but every point made is reference directly to the book of mormon text and. Sorenson does address the issue of latterday saint church lead. Book of mormondna evidencegeography issues fairmormon.
This book locates everything from the narrow neck, to zarahemla, from cumorah, to the land of promise, bountiful. Speaking of the book s history and geography, president russell m. See my answers to questions about the book of mormon here. Chief among these is the fact that we know we certainty where the story beginsin old world jerusalem. Book of mormon geography 81 the plains of the nephites and the hill cumorah the documents cited above, all of which were associated with josephs name in one way or another, were simply conveying the idea that the events in the book of mormon took place somewhere in the new world, and that the. The two maps below came from a book written by the late vernal holley called book of mormon authorship. Limited geography and the book of mormon byu scholarsarchive. The heartland model or heartland theory of book of mormon geography postulates that the events described in the book of mormon took place, primarily, in the heartland of north america among its proposals are that mound builders, including the hopewell and the adena, were among those peoples described in accounts of events in book of mormon books such as alma and helaman. The book of mormon geography lands and map with dna evidence. A major portion of the book centers on the few decades just prior to christs coming to america. What this present work does provide is a platform from which intensive field work can continue.
Problems with out model include suggesting that north american archaeolgical dates might be systematically skewed or just as likely the book of mormon dates themselves are mistaken and we suggest the book of mormon authors had a limited view of what lie in the great salado basin believing the gulf of mexico or east sea extended far farther. A contemporary mormon view is that these civilizations rose and fell in mesoamerica. Hamblin, basic methodological problems with the antimormon approach to the geography and archaeology of the book of mormon, journal of book of mormon studies 211993, 14. All lds students of book of mormon geography who have worked systematically with the problem in recent decades have come to agree on this sorenson 1985, 2930. Holley emphasizes that book of mormon geography quite neatly matches the land described in manuscript. Why geography matters to me is that it has confirmed my existing testimony of the book of mormon. A discussion of the arabian, or old world, geography of the book of mormon enjoys many advantages over discussion of new world matters. The world will never value the land of desolation, as it is called in the book of. In the book of mormon we find a pattern for preparing for the second coming. After arriving in the new world, nephi, a son of lehi, left the place of their first. It was first published in march 1830 by joseph smith as the book of mormon.
Hugh nibley and book of mormon geography by kirk magleby. Smith claimed to translate the original text of the plates into english. The book of mormon also describes the journey of 2 other groups to america. These are the core areas for the history of the book of mormon and is called the western new york model. The book of mormon and the united states of america 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. Mapping book of mormon geography 101 book of mormon. In 1841 joseph smith read stephens incidents of travel in central america. The geographical setting of the book of mormon is the set of locations of the events described. Joseph smith claimed that the book of mormon was the most correct book in the world, and that a. Two points about book of mormon geography deseret news.
The american geography of the book of mormon has many competing theories that are divided mainly into two camps, those supporting a geography limited to the area of mesoamerica and those supporting a geography in the northcentral and atlantic regions of the united states. 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. It is part of a collection that includes book of mormon evidences, part two, book of mormon evidences, part three, and book of mormon nuggets contrary to the claims of our critics, there are many interesting findings that make it difficult to explain. State of affairs since publication of the book of mormon in 1830, readers have questioned where it all happened. Lds scholars discuss the evidences of the book of mormon found in the arabian peninsula place names, cities, geography that match the book of mormon.
According to joseph smith, the book of mormon was originally engraved on golden plates, which he received in 1827 from an angel named moroni, whom smith identified as a resurrected former inhabitant of the american continent. Book of mormon difficulties, contradictions and explanations. We do surmise they are located in the americas for the book of mormon testifies of the coming of columbus to the promised land and that the gentiles would be brought unto this land of promise. 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. National geographic society statement on the book of mormon national geographic society statement on the book of mormon language. Below are two maps one is for the book of mormon geography, the other is a map from the days of joseph smith. Book of mormon evidences, part one discusses some of the many factors supporting the plausibility of the book of mormon as an ancient document. I sat in shock as i read names of valleys and townships that were eerily similar to names i knew were in the book of mormon. The book of mormon map described in alma chapter 22 has finally been deciphered. 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. A limited geography model for the book of mormon is one of several theories by latter day. Holley composed the book of mormon map through the data he retrieved in josephs description of the area in the book of mormon and compared it with a map of the us and canada from josephs day. Gods word is to be established by two or more witnesses 2 cor. Book of mormon geography who have worked systematically with the problem in.
The mormon geography problem chapter and verse by robert a. Book of mormon geography problems life after ministries. Joseph smiths statements regarding book of mormon geography. Interesting as these matters may be, study of the book of mormon is most rewarding when one focuses on its primary purpose. Interpreting book of mormon geography byu scholarsarchive. Like book of mormon geography, such issues dont affect our salvation. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which, according to adherents, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. This book will astound all book of mormon geography enthusiasts. The book of mormon geography has not been revealed, and the lds church takes no official position on where the exact book of mormon lands are located. For example, one letter written by a prominent mormon, dated may 3, 1936, maintained that the book of mormon was used by the government to unravel the problem of the aborigines. There is generally no direct support amongst mainstream historians and archaeologists for the. Below is the modern map of the area of smiths youth.
Discussion regarding the historicity of the book of mormon often focuses on archaeological issues, some of which relate to the large size and the long time span of the civilizations mentioned in the book. Church releases statement on book of mormon geography book. The one and only river mentioned in the entire book of mormon is called the sidon. Book of mormon geography in the world of joseph smith. Hamblin, basic methodological problems with the antimormon approach to the geography and archaeology of the book of mormon, journal of book of mormon studies 2, no.
However, imagine the lds church leaders did publish an official geography of the book of mormon and it was accepted by the secular world as valid. Includes every geographical place mentioned in the book of mormon. As the above logo depicts, we do respect this mandate, and our model is. Sea south true book of mormon geography lands western. It is different, well written, long, and with more footnotes and references than i have ever seen. For detailed maps see our book of mormon geography site. The book of mormon is supposed to be a history of real people living in a real place. This book is not provided as the final statement on the geography of the book of mormon. For the first 150 years of mormonisms existence, everyone thought it was a story about a people who left the middle east and came to south or central america, and who fought wars clear up into new york state where.
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