Kieth merrill discusses north american setting for book of mormon and mistake made in filming of the testaments. Book of mormon geography in north america wayne may youtube. A chapter from the dvd book of mormon archaeology in north america by wayne n. Amidst the hundreds of passages of potential geographic significance, alma 22. As indicated by archaeology and related studies, no place in north america in the period of book of. Wayne may, without a doubt the foremost authority on the real location and people in the book of mormon. Church releases statement on book of mormon geography book. Moronis america the book of mormon in north america. Book of mormon geography in north america the products services offered by wayne may are neither made, provided, approved nor endorsed by intellectual reserve, inc. Book of mormon great lakes geography jump to subtopic. This book locates everything from the narrow neck, to zarahemla, from cumorah, to the land of promise, bountiful. This opinion is my own and not endorsed by the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. The one and only river mentioned in the entire book of mormon is called the sidon.
Millions have asked the question, is there evidence of the historicity of the book of mormon, because the book of mormon is foundational to the mormon faith more accurately known as the church of jesus christ of latterday saints many have wondered what evidence has been found in its support, as the book asserts to be a record of ancient peoples that came by ship from the old world. The theory is that the land and continent formation is the same as today for the most part and that the archeological findings in that area could be. The purpose of this series of articles is to open a forum for the proponents of the two major north american theories on book of mormon geography and to. Readers of the book of mormon may wonder, at times, where in the americas the events described took place. A soontobereleased book that describes the geography of the book of mormon from jerusalem in the mideast to the hill cumorah in the land. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and. Anyone who is curious about the trends in book of mormon geography can ask their lds friends a simple question. Book of mormon lands were longer from north to south than from east.
In the book of mormon period there is no evidence of any such structures in north america. I believe the following secondary evidences of the truth and veracity of book of mormon geography. 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. 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. A discussion of the arabian, or old world, geography of the book of mormon enjoys many advantages over discussion of new world matters. Because of this theory, he wrote, some members of the church have become confused and greatly disturbed in their faith in the book of mormon. Mormon stories dr michael coe an outsiders view of book of mormon archaeology. I have watched more than 20 hours of wayne may book of mormon lecture videos and conversed with both wayne may and rod meldrum in person. The scientific search for nephite remains mormons in. Once we recognize that winchester, the smoking gun of book of mormon geography research, wrote these articles and that william smith published them, everything that joseph wrote or taught is consistent with a north american setting for the book of mormon. We read about a narrow neck, a narrow neck of land, a small neck of land, a narrow pass, a narrow passage, and a narrow strip of wilderness.
Book of mormon geography, information about the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, mormon church, questions and answers, doctrine, genealogy, gospel, scriptures. 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. The geographical setting of the book of mormon has been the subject of serious study and casual speculation since before the book was first published. Eventually, however, accepting that view of the book of mormon lands became difficult in light of new. Does the book of mormon fit best in a geography located around the great lakes, between the united states and canada. The official position of the church is that the events narrated in the book of mormon. 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. Short summary of problems with rod meldrums heartland by gregory smith. The prophet joseph smith himself accepted what he felt was evidence of book of mormon civilizations in both north america and central america.
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. Practically since the book of mormon was published, its geography has been the subject of discussion and debate. Major wars were fought among book of mormon peoples for well over 1,000 years. He received his bs from weber state university, his ma from brigham young university, and his phd from the university of. Although church members continue to discuss such theories today, the churchs only position is that the events the book. Book of mormon lands encompassed all of north and south america. The church, of course, has no official position on where the book of mormon took place. For that reason, we have designed and prepared this artistic rendering in such a way that you can get a basic idea of approximate directions and theoretical. Here are posts from bofm blog that i enjoy about book of mormon geography.
The prophet joseph smith himself accepted what he felt was evidence of book of mormon civilizations in. Book of mormon north american geography joseph smith. May showing examples of book of mormon armor and battle mound. It, therefore, is an important geographical indicator. In north america in the relevant period there is no evidence of warfare on any significant scale.
True book of mormon geography lands, western new york model. When we first read the book of mormon, it seemed clear that the land northward was north america, the land southward was south america, and the narrow neck of land was panama. The book of mormon geography lands and map with dna evidence. The heartland model falsely claims joseph smith had a revelation about 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. Some believe that the history depicted in the book of mormon occurred in north america, while others believe that it occurred in central. If you get any mesoamerican believers, follow up with. Jul 2, 2015 wayne may book of mormon geography in north america youtube pt 1. Lehis family landed somewhere on the west coast of south america after sailing across the pacific ocean. A whole bunch of reasons why book of mormon geography could not have included north america by john sorenson. The north american setting for the book of mormon kindle edition by neville, jonathan. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Videos watch past wayne may presentations as he reveals the supporting evidences of the book of mormon as found in archaeology, geography and historical records.
The heartland model claims that joseph smith said that the book of mormon was on this continent, meaning north america. Proposed book of mormon geographical setting wikipedia. Archaeological and anthropological evidence is used to demonstrate that migrations and cultural influence did in fact spread northward from mesoamerica into north america in precolumbian times. Wayne may book of mormon geography in north america. Book of mormon geography, the near cumorah setting book. Chief among these is the fact that we know we certainty where the story beginsin old world jerusalem. My belief of these quotes shows solid support of a north american setting of the book of mormon with only one cumorah clearly in manchester, ny. Regarding point 1, i have read all of sorensons works and most of what farms and the maxwell institute have. Book of mormon geography the encyclopedia of mormonism.
Until we have clearer knowledgeon book of mormon geography. The church has been neutral when it comes to issues relating to book of mormon geography, as is fairmormon. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading moronis america. For a long time, few people seemed to see any difficulty in setting the book of mormon in all of north and south america. Moronis america is a mustread for anyone interested in the historicity and geography of the book of mormon. 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. Mormon gave further evidence of that isle when he wrote that the lands of the nephites and the lamanites were nearly surrounded by water. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints does not officially endorse any one particular geographical model for where the events in the book of mormon transpired in the new world. Moronis america today in 1936, when lds scholars first began accepting the twocumorah theory, apostle joseph fielding smith warned the saints. The authors of this study use archaeological evidence to argue the animals mentioned in the book of mormon had once been present in north america, although dating to an earlier period than that covered in the book of mormon, and could have survived even into the lehite period. Do you think the book of mormon cumorah was in new york or southern mexico. The promised land occupied by the nephites was characterized for many centuries as an area of civilization. Here is a post i have done that deals with geography of the book of mormon. The north america model for the book of mormon home.
A whole bunch of reasons why book of mormon geography. Book of mormon in north america maps book of mormon evidence. Moronis americamaps edition 150 maps of the bofm in north. Summary of problems with rod meldrums heartland theory. Traveling from the land of desolation in the north, to the land southward, we encounter the principal book of mormon lands of bountiful, zarahemla, and nephi. 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. New insights into book of mormon geography priddis, venice on. A popular traditional view among many latterday saint faithful covers much of north and south america. Why did mormon give so many details about geography. Book of mormon geography in north america wayne may. 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. I shall write these posts, or discussion headings, under the main title, north american book of mormon geography.
Wayne may presents archaeological support of the book of mormon to a group in malad, idaho in february of 2017. According to joseph smith and subsequent presidents and apostles of the lds church, the geographical extent of book of mormon lands included virtually all of north and south america. Book of mormongeographynew worldgreat lakes geography. As each new theory surfaces, we gain fresh hope of acquiring additional insights into it ancient location, but are all too often disappointed. The book of mormon does not say that the entire land northward resides in land occupied by the united states of america. This will make your reading of the book of mormon come alive as you now can visualize the possible geography of the nephites in north america. It focuses on the north american setting with a bookbybook, chapterbychapter approach to the geography passages, illustrating the points with over 75 maps and diagrams. Despite the limited space on the plates, mormonas a historian and military. 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 church members continue to discuss such theories today, the church takes no position on the geography of the book of mormon except that the events it describes took place. This suggests that the events chronicled in the book of mormon occurred in a much smaller region than the traditional understanding, which argues the same events occurred across the entire western hemisphere.
North american book of mormon geography the interpreter. Were the nephites and lamanites spread throughout both north and south america or did book of mormon events occur within a more confined area. The material below covers the geography of the book of mormon in north america. Core and north american periphery of book of mormon geography. The book of mormon in north america book of mormon evidence. Book of mormon geography in the world of joseph smith. The great strength of the book is that it provides a wellargued perspective based on the geology of natural disasters that is new to the analysis of the book of mormonone that adds to the reality of book of mormon events and opens new doors for potential research and understanding of the geography of the book of mormon. For example, farms has published a limited geography model for the book of mormon. Although church members continue to discuss such theories today, the churchs only position is that the events the book of mormon describes took place in the ancient americas. His work this land is widely read by many people interested in the book of mormon. Some believe that the history depicted in the book of mormon. 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. Church releases statement on book of mormon geography.
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