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. Church releases statement on book of mormon geography book. Roberts 18571933, a general authority of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church, which examine the validity of the book of mormon as a translation of an ancient american source. Linguistic anachronisms in the book of mormon are words that represent concepts that are not believed to have existed in the americas between 2500 b. It is our assertion that the heartlands of the book of mormon peoplesthe nephites, the lamanites, the jaredites and the people of mulekwere located in what is now the peninsula of baja california. Joseph smith and the geography of the book of mormon book. Book of mormon geography in joseph smiths day book of. It contains a lineage history of three small colonies who came from the old world and settled in an american land of promise.
This claim, as well as all claims to historical authenticity of the book of mormon, are rejected by nonlatter day saint historians and scientists. Interpreting book of mormon geography byu scholarsarchive. Appendix from the book a promised land, the land of promise located at. Leaving places off a map meaning the map that is created is likely. Dec 02, 2016 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 narrow strip of wildernessspatial features, orientation and recorded journeys. Book of mormon plain english version wikisource, the. Feb 12, 2019 without elevating any one particular book of mormon geography theory as solely authoritative or divinely revealed, readers can faithfully seek further light and knowledge on this subject by. Book of mormon geography matters god intends us to find and use the evidence he has givenreasons, if you willwhich affirm the truthfulness of his work. 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. Book of mormon geography in nevillenevilleland book of.
Book of mormon geography the encyclopedia of mormonism. Whereas sea west meaning sea on the west is not capitalized. Joseph smith and the geography of the book of mormon. National geographic society statement on the book of mormon national geographic society statement on the book of mormon language. It is not an attempt to reinterpret doctrine, rather an. 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. More quotes on book on mormon geography book of mormon. This book of mormon is brought to you for free and open access by the all journals at byu scholarsarchive. Lund researched editorials ascribed to joseph smith in an early lds church newspaper called. 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. Internal book of mormon geography focuses on the relationships between lands. A discussion of the arabian, or old world, geography of the book of mormon enjoys many advantages over discussion of new world matters. Orson pratt, an interesting account of several remarkable visions, and of the late discovery of ancient records, 1840.
It was not intended to be a translation of the book of mormon into modern english, and it would fit that role poorly. 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. But the civilizations of mesoamerica and the book of mormon are a world apart from the tribes joseph might have known of in new york. What id like my kids to know about love june 19, 2018 10. First and secondhand accounts of what the prophet joseph said are referred to as lesser sources. The geographical setting of the book of mormon is the set of locations of the events described. Book of mormon geography a powerful backdrop to books message tyler griffin bmc 2018. This book deals with the varoius proposed geographies of the book of mormon since its initial publication in 1830. There are few books id characterize as must reads in mormon theology but i.
Sep 03, 2017 but the civilizations of mesoamerica and the book of mormon are a world apart from the tribes joseph might have known of in new york. Reid moon, proprietor of moons rare books, recently sat down with book of mormon central to discuss pieces in his collection which shed. 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. Review of books on the book of mormon 19892011 volume 15number 1 article 6 112003 interpreting book of mormon geography randall p. Book of mormon geography in the world of joseph smith. A sourcebook, he laid out his thinking on the subject in detail.
It is a book of scripture aimed at teaching people about christ and how to find happiness through the gospel. Book of mormon geography, place names, cities, lands, etc. Cecil mcgavin and willard bean this site is in the process of being replaced. Speaking of the book s history and geography, president russell m. He received his bs from weber state university, his ma from brigham young university, and his phd from the university of. Wayne may presents archaeological support of the book of mormon to a group in malad, idaho in february of 2017. Book of mormon geography posted by mormon heretic on january 25, 2008 in book of mormon, central america, geography, malay, mormon, science, south america about 7 years ago, i was introduced to the idea that the book of mormon lands didnt take place in. Book of mormon plain english version wikisource, the free.
This book was a common household reference in young joseph smiths time and place. Watch till the end to see a point by point walk through of mormons description in alma 22 2734. Chief among these is the fact that we know we certainty where the story beginsin old world jerusalem. 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. Mar 06, 2018 book of mormon nephite destruction outline narrow neck.
Arguments for and against the authenticity of the book of. Wikidata item this is a version of the book of mormon adapted into plain english by timothy b. Joseph smith and book of mormon geography why the lds. Book of mormon written in modernday english grace for grace. Book of mormon geography list of place names and scriptural. 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. 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. In this book are a number of future book of mormon names, which appeared within alphabetized lists. The plain english reference to the book of mormon is an interesting project, but it includes a lot of interpolations and interpretations. Lds book of mormon geography book is available here.
Holland said, truly rockribbed faith and uncompromised conviction comes with its most complete power when it engages our head as well as our heart truth borne by the holy spirit comes with, in effect, two manifestations, two witnesses if you will the force of fact as well as the force of feeling. Richard hauck, deciphering the geography of the book of mormon. Book of mormon geography jeff lindsays site and the. The author wrote in the preface to this 1959 book, for more than a hundred years there has been a need for a geography of the book of mormon. In fact, when the book of mormon was published, the idea of ancient advanced civilizations on this continent was so utterly foreign that the witnesses of the book of mormon expected it to be rejected by the people. Includes nephite, lamanite and jaredite place names and major features. An account written by the hand of mormon upon plates taken from the plates of nephi. National geographic society statement on the book of mormon. There was a book published in 1791 by john walker entitled, a key to the classical pronunciation of greek, latin, and scripture proper names. The book of mormon is not intended to be a history book or a guide to geography, science, or any other secular topic. It makes the text of the work more accessible and understandable to those who are not familiar with the style used in the original book of mormon, which resembles that of the king james version of the bible. The church emphasizes the doctrinal and historical value of the book of mormon, not its geography.
Book of mormon geography a powerful backdrop to books. The book of mormon is divided into smaller books, titled after the individuals named as primary authors and, in most versions, divided into chapters and verses. Joseph smith, discourses of the prophet joseph smith, compiled by alma p. Sep 04, 2015 book of mormon geography in nevillenevilleland 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. Interesting as these matters may be, study of the book of mormon is most rewarding when one focuses on its primary purpose. Book of mormon nephite destruction outline narrow neck. The recent gospel topics essay on book of mormon geography makes. It is a companion book to the mesoamerica and the book of mormon. 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 narrow strip of wildernessspatial features, orientation and recorded journeys. Book of mormon map and geography high def duration. Revelation or fabrication, challenges to the book of mormon a missionary tool for all from the book. According to most adherents of the latter day saint movement, the book of mormon is a 19thcentury translation of a record of ancient inhabitants of the american continent, which was written in a script which the book refers to as reformed egyptian. See my answers to questions about the book of mormon here. Book of mormon geography in north america wayne may.
The malay book of mormon geography model asserts that the book of mormon account matches the geography and historical record of the malay peninsula. Saints recently released a gospel topics essay which reiterates the churchs neutrality on the subject of book of mormon geography. What have prophets thought about book of mormon geography. Russell ballard, acting president of the quorum of the twelve apostles, reminded members that the book of mormon is not a textbook on topography. Book of mormon studies the encyclopedia of mormonism.
It is a book of scripture aimed at teaching people about christ and. A complete description of the book of mormon geography bomgeography, including an internal map model, external map model i. 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. Includes every geographical place mentioned in the book of mormon. Critics of the book of mormon have claimed that a variety of linguistic anachronisms exist in it which cast doubt upon its historical authenticity. It, therefore, is an important geographical indicator. A reaction to the churchs recent essay on book of mormon. Joseph smith and the geography of the book of mormon by john.
Mar 23, 2017 wayne may presents archaeological support of the book of mormon to a group in malad, idaho in february of 2017. Home book of mormon science, ancient history, and the book of mormon national geographic society statement on the book of mormon national geographic society statement on the book of mormon language. 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. 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. It is written in english very similar to the early modern english linguistic style of the king james version of the bible, and has since been fully or partially translated into 111. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints and mormon church news from the online home of the lds music and books. It was first published in march 1830 by joseph smith as the book of mormon. This was the first accessible book in english containing detailed descriptions and drawings of ancient. While some of these sources treat book of mormon geography in only the vaguest generalities, others make very specific claims on the topic. Studies of the book of mormon is a collection of essays written at the beginning of the 20th century though not published until 1985 by b.
Review of books on the book of mormon 19892011 volume 15. This is not the case in america where occurred the. I believe the following secondary evidences of the truth and veracity of book of mormon geography. My reason for investigating the book of mormon geography was that i could not find a. It no longer contains current data and will be sunset by april 30, 2020. The one and only river mentioned in the entire book of mormon is called the sidon. Narrow neck of land, narrow strip of wilderness, narrow pass, oceans. Lunds recent book on religion is titled joseph smith and the geography of the book of mormon 2012. First and secondhand accounts of what the prophet joseph said are referred to as. Without elevating any one particular book of mormon geography theory as solely authoritative or divinely revealed, readers can faithfully seek further light. The land of zarahemla is at a lower elevation relative to the land of nephi. Book of mormon geography jeff lindsays site and the shake. Aston and others have settled the arabian geography question in the minds of most latterday saints. Jan 25, 2008 book of mormon geography posted by mormon heretic on january 25, 2008 in book of mormon, central america, geography, malay, mormon, science, south america about 7 years ago, i was introduced to the idea that the book of mormon lands didnt take place in central america, but rather south america.
1440 793 1534 569 1374 147 904 1035 519 1571 654 871 427 802 326 1580 9 1251 1202 1652 1519 1222 892 955 409 939 1039 130 663 257 562 166 237