Phyllis carol olive, the lost lands of the book of mormon bonneville books, 2003. Beginning in the early 1990s, several latterday saints jumped on the great lakes book of mormon geography bandwagon. Because the great lakes and mesoamerican models are by far the two most popular, i plan to spend the next several issues discussing them. Lund approached them both and offered up a piece of universal advice. Vernal holley claimed to have reconstructed a book of mormon geography based on a great lakes setting from the book of mormon text, which he then compares to the new england of joseph smiths day holley based his theory on the spaulding theory of authorship for the book of mormon. Whatever the theory, it needs to be consistent with the internal evidence in the book of mormon, he said. An interesting correlation with mesoamerican geography see map below. The book of mormon narrative begins with a small group of people who arrived in the americas around 600 b. The book of mormon geography lands and map with dna evidence. The first latterday saint to publish a great lakes model appears to be delbert curtis, who in 1988 published the booklet the land of the nephites.
Evaluating the case for a limited great lakes setting byu. In 1993, he expanded his argument in his book christ in north america. Great lakes theory this theory is that the whole book of mormon took place around the great lakes region. The articles linked below will describe the various theories and examine the strengths and weaknesses of each. 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. Proposed book of mormon geographical setting wikipedia. Great lakes theories differ in that they incorporate the land of palmyra, new york as the place of the final nephite battle and the place where the jaredite omer walked. The population of book of mormon lands over much of the period of its history. The community for those interested in faithful discussions related to the church of jesus christ of latterday saints and its members, known. 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. In the great lakes or prairie regions winter storms are and were so common that. Yet, within 1,000 years, grew to a civilization of hundreds of thousands of people. Indians of the great lakes region and the book of mormon youtube. The book of mormon map described in alma chapter 22 has finally been deciphered.
Since information about the ruined cities in central america came to light after the publication of the book of mormon, it actually strengthens the theories and evidences which place the book of mormon in a mesoamerican settingjoseph was willing to consider a setting of which he apparently had no previous knowledge. An additional argument for a great lakes setting is made. The hopewell culture in the great lakes area and the book of mormon. By recourse to reconstructions of ancient lakes that no longer exist, olive is able to nearly surround. The church has been neutral when it comes to issues relating to book of mormon geography, as is fairmormon. This video shows that the hopewell indians, during book of mormon times, did not have the population that the book of mormon requires to be. Proponents of the great lakes theory adhere to the teachings of lds church leaders, official church history, and church canon that identify the hill in palmyra, new york as the hill cumorah of the book of mormon, the place of the final nephite battle. Book of mormon geography, lands, map, dna true evidence. We are thus required to place cumorah in the land northward. Proponents of the great lakes theory adhere to the teachings of lds church leaders, official church history, and church.
The two theories of the setting of the book of mormon discussed at the conference were the mesoamerican theory and the united states great lakes theory. Unfortunately for these correlations, the book of mormon clearly places this hill in the land northward. Some lds researchers have proposed a limited great lakes setting for the book of mormon aston 1998. A whole bunch of reasons why book of mormon geography. Book of mormonplagiarism accusationsplace names from. Following are two of the most well known theories for book of mormon geography. The 10th annual book of mormon lands symposium was held in salt lake city to discuss the research and discoveries most recently made. The heartland is the place where it all happened, right under our very noses. This book of mormon geography and lands is very different from all other published books on the subject of book of mormon geography.
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