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Did you know that Jesus visited ancient America after His resurrection? And did you know He said He would return to that exact same location? Knowing the location of Book of Mormon lands is thus very important: 42 And the time cometh that he shall...

Introduction GPI Fringe Theory Errors Moratorium Prerequisites Models Reviewed Sacred Geography Topics  

"From all the evidence in the Book of Mormon, augmented by the testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith, these final battles took place in the territory known as the United States, and in the neighborhood of the Great Lakes, and hills of Western New York"...

Commencing at the southern shores of the northern lakes [Erie & Ontario] and extending southward a hundred miles or more we find a greater number of MILITARY WORKS [fortifications] than in any other section of the United States. It is my opinion...

The record specifically says that God guided them by the Liahona (1 Nephi 18:12-13) to a land that was hidden (2 Nephi 1:7-9). Geographers need to explain how the land in their model was hidden. The Book of Mormon does not say they were ever discovered....

Default Name The name of the indigenous peoples inhabiting Book of Mormon lands prior to the arrival of Lehi, or Mulek is "Lamanite by Birth"; however, not all Lamanites were Lamanites by Birth:  35 ...all the people of the Lamanites who were ...

Like with the elephants [Mastodons], the Smithsonian experts are sure no tribe in America had a written language—ever:  ...whenever an alphabet of any kind is veritably discovered, it must have had a foreign origin. By granting belief to anything co...

The Book of Mormon says man dwelt contemporaneously with "elephants" and that they were "useful" to them. This appears a problem to some, in particular, the Smithsonian. Authorities on Ancient America claim that elephants and horses ceased to exist after...

 Horses were here before the Spaniards: "There is a documented report from a French baron fighting the Iroquois in 1687 near Rochester , New York, that reads, "In all these villages, we found plenty of horses , black cattle, fowl and hogs." So much ...

GPI stands for Geographical Priority Index . The purpose of the GPI is to help geographers focus their attention on high priority items before wasting their time on low priority items. For example, what use is it to speculate where a city is if the...

Book of Mormon FRINGE THEORY was inspired by geography enthusiast John E. Clark:  Adena and Hopewell peoples lived in Pennsylvania and western New York, but this region represented the impoverished FRINGE of their culture (John E. Clark, "Archaeology ...

THE TRINITY OF BOOK OF MORMON ERRORS A model should minimally have three characteristics: SEA SOUTH - Every model we looked at either ignores this body of water, or has misplaced it; it lies south of the (Jaredite) Land Northward . SEA NORTH...

6. CITY BOUNTIFUL The City of Bountiful is not located on the eastern side, it clearly states it was on the western side, yet again, most scholars interpret this incorrectly. The details are on the Land Southward page. 7. NARROW PASSAGE - NORTH...

11. CARDINAL DIRECTIONS Geographers are not respecting the cardinal directions. Part of that problem is due to their lack of respect for how the record was written. The record was previously translated into English before Joseph dictated it to his...

16. MANY WATERS The phrase "many waters" is used twice in the geography - once in terms of Jaredite lands (Mosiah 8:7-11) and once in reference to the Hill Cumorah (Mormon 6:4). Geographers therefore conclude that the two places must be the same or...

21. CITY NAMES For anyone looking for current place names to match with Book of Mormon locations, they should not expect to find any, unless they had been named by the Lamanites. The Lamanites so despised the Nephites they said they would erase them...

24. GOLD Because The Book of Mormon mentions gold, critics demand that you show gold on Book of Mormon lands today. This is very naive. Take for example the CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH of the 1800's. Large quantities were found, this is an historic fact....

They considered the domain designated as "the promised land" to be relatively compact, continuous, and complete in itself comes from the finality and brevity of the statement in Helaman 6:10: "Now the land south was called Lehi, and the land north...

We have reviewed many Book of Mormon Geography models; most are on the H38 Virus page. It takes great effort to believe any model that is spiritually false. H38 Virus Book of Mormon Central Kirk Magleby RLDS - Community of Christ...

Bio Joseph L. Allen earned his Ph.D. from Brigham Young University in Ancient and Modern Scripture with an emphasis in Mesoamerica and the Book of Mormon. A popular teacher and lecturer, Dr. Allen served in the Church Educational System for 18...

  This page is about the Book of Mormon geography by Rodney Meldrum. He was interviewed by John Dehlin on Mormon Stories podcast (March 2022) during which time he demonstrated an unhealthy view of higher education: 2:15:40 Carah ...

Joseph Allen Duane R. Aston J Theodore Brandley Norman David Brockenshire Stephen Carr Randal S. Chase C. W. Clark John E. Clark W. Vincent Coon Delbert W. Curtis Del DowDell Thomas Stuart Ferguson...

John Sorenson - "Mormon's Codex: An Ancient American Book" (See a video further down the page.) "I admit that my own model was tainted by preconceptions" (John Sorenson, The Geography of Book of Mormon Events , pp. 209-210). The following...

[Update: Clark's version 2.0 (Sept. 2011) has emerged after 22 years and contains the same omissions as before. Next to Brant Gardner (whose backyard IS on ancient Book of Mormon lands), we assign the medal of honor for accomplishing God's design...

[SITE URL: Theodore has a book in Microsoft Word format. The download is here: http://brandley.poulsenll.org/ ] RIVER SIDON FLOWS THE WRONG DIRECTION Hate to say it but we have another person trying to defend the indefensible with the Mississippi...

Warning: the following model was never viewed from the ground level by the modeler. "The Malay Peninsula as the Setting for the Book of Momon" R. A. Olsen, 1997 Short Version: https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/131%2030-34.pdf...

Norman David Brockenshire (Lost Mounds of Western New York , 2006) is a convert to the Mormon Church and an admirer of Joe Smith. He is a native of western New York and has had the opportunity to roam the land. For this reason, we deem it appropriate...

Vaughn E. Hansen stayed under the radar quite well for a number of years with his first book on Book of Mormon geography - Discovering Book of Mormon Lands , Cedar Fort, 1997. His second book, also by Cedar Fork, is titled Cumorah: Great Lakes Region ...

The Book of Mormon Archaeological Forum (BMAF) is a 501(c)3 not for profit organization dedicated as an open forum for presentation, dissemination, and discussion of research and evidences regarding Book of Mormon archaeology , anthropology , geography...

As part of the "Book of Mormon Archaeological Forum" Wooley does not disappoint. In one coherent slough do their outdated theories mold. In his treatise on Cumorah, Wooley regurgitates the fodder of his kin. His inaccuracies equal the number of supports th...

4. On the assumption that Mormon expected readers to relate to his map, a valid geographic setting for the book must be possible . Therefore, I fully expect the pieces of the puzzle of Mormon’s map to fit together, and I personally have experienced t...

"Thick Darkness," "Vapor of Darkness," and "Mists of Darkness": Indications of Weather and Climate in the Book of Mormon by Ted Dee Stoddard "This article shows that such expressions also clearly refer to the territory of Mesoamerica. Further,...

Conclusions A careful examination of the background information associated with the expression “whiteness of the driven snow” results in several conclusions that are especially germane to any discussion about the New World setting for the Book of ...

The following comes from: "A Brief History of the Limited Geographic View of the Book of Mormon" by John A. Tvedtnes Finally, we must return to the question of Cumorah. Many Book of Mormon readers automatically assume that the hill near Palmyra, New York,...

 A Whole Bunch of Reasons Why Book of Mormon Geography Could Not Have Included North America by John Sorenson. 1. The “promised land” occupied by the Nephites was characterized for many centuries as an area of “civilization.” As indicated by archa...

"Revelatory Stewardship and the Book of Mormon" by Chris Heimerdinger Because I was fortunate enough to have been taught this basic and vital principle of revelatory stewardship, I felt immediately inclined to suspect the validity of everything this...

Another financially vested Mormon, whose earnings are at stake, has sought to defend the ever crumbling mountain of Mesoamerican geography theory - Chris Heimerdinger. With his cult following of Tennis Shoes books, and movie Passage to Zarahemla , Heimerdinger ...

Besides ignoring fulfilled land prophecies (1), church leader statements (2), and where the sacred Book of Mormon came forth (3), we see the curse that has been placed on Mormons (D&C 84:54-57) in full effect with the recent speculations of Jerry...

As will be seen, not a single reference to fulfilled Bible or Book of Mormon prophecies are mentioned. What is more trustworthy, fulfilled land prophecy or cultures that change? Criteria for Book of Mormon Lands and People - BMAF There are several...

"This article shows that such expressions also clearly refer to the territory of Mesoamerica. Further, this article presents evidences associated with massive volcanic eruptions as proof that the New World destruction recorded in the Book of Mormon at...

Another financially vested Mormon, whose earnings are at stake, has sought to defend the ever crumbling mountain of Mesoamerican geography theory - Chris Heimerdinger. With his cult following of Tennis Shoes books, and movie Passage to Zarahemla , Heimerdinger ...

The following comes from: "A Brief History of the Limited Geographic View of the Book of Mormon" by John A. Tvedtnes Finally, we must return to the question of Cumorah. Many Book of Mormon readers automatically assume that the hill near Palmyra, New...

 Unfortunate to the field of Book of Mormon Geography are the likes of Ted Dee Stoddard, Phd,  who is persisting in his flagrant disregard of fulfilled Book of Mormon land prophecies, particularly the one that says the Nephite record would come forth...

A Whole Bunch of Reasons Why Book of Mormon Geography Could Not Have Included North America by John Sorenson. 1. The “promised land” occupied by the Nephites was characterized for many centuries as an area of “civilization.” As indicated by archaeology and rel...

"Revelatory Stewardship and the Book of Mormon" by Chris Heimerdinger "Because I was fortunate enough to have been taught this basic and vital principle of revelatory stewardship, I felt immediately inclined to suspect the validity of everything this...

 Book of Mormon Traditions Found Only in Mesoamerica by Diane E. Wirth 1. We find Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon, the Old Testament, in the Popol Vuh of the Quiché Maya, as well as on some Maya stelae. 2. Moroni, towards the end of the Book of M...

[The following extraction is typical of Mesoamerican modelers. See our notes throughout.] A to Z in a Nutshell: Mesoamerican Locale for the Book of Mormon By © Diane E. Wirth This condensed list suggests Mesoamerica as the locale where the ...

This page is about the Book of Mormon geography by Wayne May, the founder of Ancient American magazine and author of This Land book series. Here are some of the deficiencies in his model: Wayne May places the Narrow Pass and Land Northward ...

Update: On May 14, 2011, John Lund was charged by Israeli authorities for smuggling artifacts in Israel: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/51848034-78/lund-antiquities-bar-tura.html.csp S. Michael Wilcox and Dr. John L. Lund were tour guides fo...

The documentary Rodney Meldrum, Wayne May, and other espousers of the Mississippi River basin don't want you to see. Hear from the experts that the mounds were NOT for warfare; were NOT made as described in the Book of Mormon, and are too spread out....

Not Book of Mormon Centric Unfortunately, The Holy Book of Mormon is NOT mentioned in the Mission Statement of the Heartland Research Group : Mission Statement The Heartland Research Group researches archaeological evidence of the ancient...

Quoting from Jonathan's website www.moronisamerica.com : How can we make sense out of all of this? The geography becomes more clear when we consult modern revelation. Cumorah is in New York (D&C 128) Zarahemla is in Iowa (D&C...

The following comes from Rian's About page: Rian Nelson has always loved the Book of Mormon and its heroes, and after 40 years of searching for the location where Nephi and Moroni lived, served, and fought for their freedom has finally been realized....

The mission and purpose of the newly formed entity called "Book of Mormon Central" is to save The Holy Book of Mormon from becoming even more obscure than it already is. Some professors at BYU and the leadership of the Church have stopped believing...

Unfortunately, another misguided geography enthusiast is waiting in the wings to publish his model. Introduction Name: Kirk Magleby Model: Book of Mormon Model1 2 3 Uniqueness: Not much is different from the myriad of other Mesoamerican...

The Lord is trolling Tyler Livingston and those at Book of Mormon Central . First, they merged the two most popular Book of Mormon sites and organizations on my birthday (April 16th ), and used our initialism "BOMC" (Book of Mormon Christian) without...

  The Errors of Aric D. Turner Aric D. Turner - H38 Virus Review  

Aric Turner's model was reviewed previously on the H38 Virus page. Since he has chosen to besmirch Cumorah's sacred location in New York, we will again demonstrate the errors in his model. Quoting Aric Turner, he said the following on his website: 12....

The reason for confusion among modelers is two fold: 1. Modelers are not adhering to established standards An Internal Geographical Map must precede a Physical Land Map . That standard was established by John Sorenson and reiterated by John Clark. ...

Amazing Ancient Forests  Animals Bones Clothing Cement DNA Distances Elephants Flint Fortifications Fringe Theory Gentiles Geology Gold Herbs Hidden Horses Jershon Lamanites ...

One thing that leads us to suspect that most of the great powerhouses whose traces still remain were never anything more than pompous imitations or replicas is their sheer magnificence. The archaeologist finds virtually nothing of the remains of the...

Between modern day logging and fires, the types of trees and plants that once covered ancient Book of Mormon lands is near impossible to ascertain. With the discovery of ancient forests in key areas of western New York it is now possible to ascertain...

Domesticated animal bones are rarely found in archaeological sites. Of course large boned animals will leave more evidences than small ones. Once bones are found, the dating of the bones becomes the final hurdle. Thus, the paradigm one has will affect th...

Should bones still remain on the land after AD 400? Within 30 minutes of death flies arrive entering orifices and lay eggs. Within 24 hrs the eggs turn into flesh eating maggots. Within 6 days a body could become skeletonized, depending on conditions . Wit...

The following list of geography related names is divided into categories: Lands Ammonihah (also Desolation of Nehors) Amulon Antionum Antum Bountiful Corihor Cumorah Desolation Gideon Helam Inheritance Ishmael...

Clothing Early explorers of New York noted that some of the Indians wore very little clothing, even in the winter time:  "They wore little clothing in summer or winter and seemed to thrive. 'One Jesuit father who lived among the Mohawk people st...

There is a strong correlation between the Ojibwa tribe of the Great Lakes area, and the Druze of Israel. This remarkable find coincides with the true Book of Mormon Geography which is centered in Western New York - not Mesoamerica. Because the Nephites...

Ancient Ammunitions Plant Prior to the discovery of New York's Ancient Ammunitions Plant , any flint found in New York was interpreted as coming from distant areas such as North Carolina or Ohio. Needless to say, such conclusions skewed views of t...

Unfortunately, the Book of Mormon is filled with warfare and her writers thought it wise to include details of them. Part of those details include how their cities were fortified. Whereas Mesoamerica is filled with stone structures of all types, the B...

Unbeknownst to most Book of Mormon geography enthusiasts is the field of Geology and its relevance for understanding the geography of the Book of Mormon. The  traditional approach at the Y has been to seek anthropological (human based) commonalities. T...

"Where's the gold?" the critic cries out. This is the story of Book of Mormon gold. Gold Was Mined 16 Yea, and they also began to search much gold and silver , and began to be lifted up somewhat in pride. (Jacob 1) 12 And now behold, my brethren, ...

This is what the Book of Mormon says: 40 And there were some who died with FEVERS , which at some SEASONS of the year were very frequent in the land—but not so much so with fevers, because of the excellent qualities of the many PLANTS and ROOTS ...

The Land of Jershon was not heard of prior to it being given to the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, otherwise called the people of Ammon. They were converted Lamanites who swore never to lift the sword again, choosing death instead: 21 And it came to...

This account was taken from William Martin Beauchamp, “Perch lake mounds, with notes on other New York mounds, and some accounts of Indian trails.” Other New York Mounds A few supplementary remarks may be made on other mounds in New York, the lar...

Along the Lamanite Line of Possession (everything south of it was Lamanite, everything north Nephite) is a gorge that was cut through by Cattaraugus Creek.  It is a mere 30 miles south of Buffalo, New York, with cliffs towering over 400 feet, ...

As Hagoth sailed north to a place his people were "never heard from again"; the neighboring nation of Ontario, Canada abounds with Book of Mormon evidence. J. V. Wright, Ontario Prehistory, 1972, p. 8. Culture Chart. The following pictures represent...

Adjacent to the Narrow Neck was a "pass." The nature of this pass has eluded Book of Mormon geography enthusiasts since time immoral. These are the references: Pass The following verses contain the word pass : 18 Now behold the Lamanites could...

There are several plains mentioned in the Book of Mormon which Mesotheorists are hard pressed to identify within the jungles of Mesoamerica. Plains however should be accounted for, and in the right places. Because we know that the Sea that Divides the...

Shipping did occur in the Book of Mormon. The questions modelers should be asking are: Is there a natural harbor along the West Sea where Lehi docked his ship? Are there natural harbors in the Jaredite Land Northward where the Jaredites and ...

LANDS Book of Mormon lands were small (1.5 days wide, Alma 22:32), that's why serious researchers accept the Limited Geography approach. Simply put, if final battles occurred in Palmyra, New York around the Hill Cumorah , then that's where Book of...

Ancient Fruit Trees The Book of Mormon records that the Jaredites brought fruit seeds to the New World:  And they did also carry with them deseret, which, by interpretation, is a honey bee; and thus they did carry with them swarms of bees, and a...

[Stone Wall picture from LDS Guide to Mesoamerica by Daniel Johnson, Jared Cooper, Derek Gasser, Cedar Fort, 2008, p. 155] There are disagreements among theorists regarding what cities, city walls, and like structures were made of. Of course Mesotheorists...

"Modern-day Book of Mormon geography scholars appear to be much like the Scribes and Pharisees of the time of Christ. 'They strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.' (Matt. 23:24). Those men have completely overlooked the landmarks and the prophecies about...

Wilderness Side is an expression that only occurs four times and yet it places itself consistently west of the City of Zarahemla , and runs north to south: Borders of the Land - between Nephi and Zarahemla (yes they were side-by-side) And it came...

The trails described also match those in The Book of Mormon: Cutting through the wilderness of woods were numerous paths, which connected the scattered cabins, and opened communication with other far-away communities. Some of these were transient...

Introduction Temple locations are important for two main reasons: a) To know where sacred ancient BoM land areas are located, to respect, protect if possible, and make pilgrimages—as in Jerusalem. b) To know where Our Lord will first come when H...

  Waves of Gentiles The prophecy by an angel to Nephi mentioned three waves of Gentiles and other details. 1st Wave - One Gentile Before reading the prophecy it's important to keep in mind Book of Mormon lands were "hidden ," not along established...

 We are calling upon the LDS Church and any other group claiming to have a "Book of Mormon geography neutral" position to STOP endorsing countries south of the United States. The LDS Church has been funding research contrary to its "neutral" position s...

Sacred Geography (not to be confused with Sacred Geometry ) is about the field of Geography as it pertains to sacred and holy lands. The Bible contains many examples of lands that were consecrated by God and any place that God visited is considered sacred....

Book of Mormon lands were made up of two large geographical areas arranged north (Land Northward ) to south (Land Southward ) connected by a smaller one (Narrow Neck of Land ) along the west. Their lands were bordered on the east (Sea East ) and west...

 To arrive at the Promised Lands of Western New York , Duane R. Aston (The Other Side of Cumorah , 2003) did an excellent job connecting the dots. The following research is his. The traditional view says Lehi traveled by foot to the Arabian Peninsula ...

In 1922 "on the Rose farm, one half mile from Mormon Hill " a number of large skeletons , stone implements, copper ornaments, a copper axe of unusual type , and other articles were found. At this historic spot were found "many of unusual physique,...

 The following Preface should cause all readers to consider what President [no he wasn't President at the time of its writing but he did not change one word of it after becoming President] Joseph Fielding Smith said about Cumorah, and not toss ...

To satisfy the critic who believes the archaeological record of Western New York is complete, with no anomalies, we offer the fact that large bones, i.e. GIANTS were discovered there, which leaves a gaping hole in the status quo: "Some skeletons...

The most fundamental element of Book of Mormon geography hinges on the account of Omer.  If the Nephite battle occurred in Palmyra as the evidence reflects and as early church statements confirm, the account of Omer  locates: Jaredite Lands Sea N...

Official LDS Church canon says the hill in Palmyra where the record came forth, where Moroni met Joseph year after year, was in "Cumorah" : And again, what do we hear? Glad tidings from Cumorah ! Moroni, an angel from heaven, declaring the fulfilment...

Official LDS Church history said Nephite and Jaredite final battles took place at the hill in Palmyra called CUMORAH: The following communication was designed to have been published in the last No. of the Star; but owing to a press of other matter...

Oliver Cowdery's mission to the Indians as reported in the Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt : Elder Cowdery then commenced as follows: "Aged Chief and Venerable Council of the Delaware nation; we are glad of this opportunity to address you as our...

David Whitmer proclaimed that the two record depositories were both in Palmyra: I - Where are the plates now? He - In a cave, where the angel has hidden them up till the time arrives when the plates, which are sealed, shall be translated. God...

William, the younger brother of Joe, recorded the following:  All of us, therefore, believed him, and anxiously awaited the result of his visit to the hill Cumorah , in search of the plates containing the record of which the angel...

Not long subsequent to his return, my husband had occasion to send him to Manchester on business. As he set off early in the day we expected him home at most by six o'clock in the evening, but when six o'clock came he did not arrive. We always had a peculiar...

On the 22nd September, 1827, the angel directed him to a hill a few miles distant, called anciently Cumorah . Around this hill , in the fifth century of the Christian era, had rallied the last remnant of a once powerful and highly polished nation called...

"The hill Cumorah is situated in western New York , between the villages of Palmyra and Canandaigua, about four miles from the former. It is celebrated as the ancient depository of the sacred gold plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated....

Oliver Cowdery went with the Prophet Joseph when he deposited these plates. Joseph did not translate all of the plates; there was a portion of them sealed, which you can learn from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. When Joseph got the plates, the...

The 1879/1911 LDS editions of the Book of Mormon contain many geographical references which were removed from subsequent editions. What changed? Geographers realized that the scope of Book of Mormon land was small, much smaller than described in the footnotes...

We visited the Hill Cumorah and were accorded the courtesy of going thereon by the wife of Mr. George Sampson, a brother of Admiral Wm. Sampson, who before his death owned the property. When we went up there and looked around, we felt that we were...

Aug. 11, Wed: President McCune and I went early to the Grove. Later we were conveyed by auto to the Hill Cumorah by Brother Bean. We climbed the hill and traversed it back and fore and examined it with interest and care. It is the largest of the many...

 This article on Cumorah by President Ivins was in celebration of the purchase of the Hill Cumorah by the LDS church. THE HILL CUMORAH BY PRESIDENT ANTHONY W. IVINS  -There have been some differences of opinion in regard to it, and in order t...

The Hill Cumorah "The hill Cumorah is situated in western New York , between the villages of Palmyra and Canandaigua, about four miles from the former. It is celebrated as the ancient depository of the sacred gold plates from which the Book of Mormon...

“I do not believe that there were two Hill Cumorahs , one in Central America, and the other one in New York, for the convenience of the Prophet Joseph Smith, so that the poor boy would not have to walk clear to Central America to get the gold plates” (Th...

The following Preface should cause all readers to consider what President Joseph Fielding Smith said about Cumorah, and not toss them aside as if they were from just another armchair geography hobbyist's imagination:   Preface This third volume ...

Third, the hill from which the Book of Mormon plates were obtained by Joseph Smith is definitely known. In the days of the Prophet this hill was known among the people as Cumorah. This is a fixed point in Book of Mormon later history . There is a controversy,...

Both the Nephite and the Jaredite civilizations fought their final great wars of extinction at and near the Hill Cumorah (or Ramah as the Jaredites termed it) ...Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and many early brethren, who were familiar with the circumstances...

  A prolific writer: McGavin, E. Cecil and Willard Bean, The Geography of The Book of Mormon - 1948 McGavin, E. Cecil, Cumorah's "Gold Bible" - 1948 McGavin, E. Cecil, Historical Background of the Doctrine and Covenants - 1949 McGavin,...

For a century, Book of Mormon students accepted the Prophet Joseph Smith's clear indication that the Hill Cumorah is in the State of New York. Recently, however, some students have taken upon themselves the privilege of making private interpretations....

  Now, I like the Book of Mormon, and you will like it, because it is a great American Book . It was written in America, by Americans, for Americans . It has peculiar application to America. It is not full of foreign ideologies and uninspired...

As Prophet and President of the Mormon Church Gordon B. Hinckley acknowledged the hill in Palmyra as "Cumorah," and the place of the "final Nephite battle":   The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Office of the First Presidency Salt Lake...

Well known LDS fiction writer (authored/co-authored 85+ books) Brenton G. Yorgason, PhD, produced a booklet entitled Little-Known Evidences of The Book of Mormon published by Covenant Communicatios in 2003 from a Know Your Religion lecture given in...

The Messenger, July 1960, No. 51. Bishops "Attention Called To 'Book of Mormon' Maps" Our attention has been brought in the past few weeks to certain "Book of Mormon Lands" maps which are being offered to Church leaders and auxiliary workers by...

The following comes from a book entitled Glad Tidings Near Cumorah by Bruce E. Dana, 2004. Dana wrote a number of books including Mysteries of the Kingdom and The Three Nephites . Once compiled, Dana knew the evidence supported One Cumorah - in Palmyra:...

According to Book of Mormon Geography expert Duane R. Aston, Phd, the Two Cumorah theory began with Sidney Sperry: It was not until the 1960's that it became clear that the Hill Cumorah of wesern New York was simply too far from central America to...

The errors are of William J. Hamblin: Two Cumorahs? This issue has been dealt with by Latter-day Saint writers; it is unfortunate that Wilson is unwilling or unable to come to grips with the reality of current Latter-day Saint thought on the subject,...

Martin H. Raish wrote a treatise entitled "Encounters with Cumorah: A Selective, Personal Bibliography" printed in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies which was more than selective, it was a hack. "Throughout the 1830s and '40s, the mount, if named...

My article on Dec. 6 listed five common arguments of those who propose a Great Lakes theory for Book of Mormon geography. This column will address the second claim: “The Cumorah of the Book of Mormon is the same hill in New York from which Joseph retrieved t...

In his latest tripe for the undiscerning, Gardner has succeeded in once more "ever speaking and never being able to get to the point." In case readers are not aware, Gardner frequently scours the internet to ascertain thoughts on topics he has chosen...

John E. Clark's article "Archaeology and Cumorah Questions " in the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, vol. 13, no. 1, 2004, pp. 144-51, is the seminal work, the icing on the cake, of refutations regarding whether Cumorah in Palmyra has any relevance to ...

Reviewed: "Cumorah and the Limited Mesoamerican Theory" by Andrew H. Hedges, associate professor of Church history and doctrine at BYU in The Religious Educator , vol. 10, no. 2, 2009, pp. 111-134. This paper reeks sensationalism and is riddled wit...

The perpetuation of lies is exhausting. Readers must know that when a professor emeritus from BYU writes THE article for the amazing Book of Mormon Reference Companion on the "Hill Cumorah" and ignores every  authorized statement including Mormon Chur...

This article is quoted by a number of authors.* We identify it as an unreliable source because it fails to acknowledge the excellent expose by President Joseph Fielding Smith : At what point in modern times this New York hill was first called Cumorah...

According to John A. Tvedtnes, here's another reason why not to believe the Hill Cumorah in Palmyra is "the" Hill Cumorah of the Book of Mormon. However, according to a number of witnesses, there IS a cave in Palmyra in which many records were stored....

Even though Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and a Nephite messenger irrefutably identified the hill and land of Cumorah in Palmyra, NY, there remain diehards in favor of a distant location like Kirk Magleby (a.k.a. "Captain Kirk")—Executive D...

The following is a good description of the Land Northward *: 3 And it came to pass in the forty and sixth year there was much contention and many dissensions; in the which there were an exceedingly great many who departed out of the land of Zarahemla,...

The Land Desolation was exclusively in the Land Northward . Indeed, it was used as the name for the the Land Northward : Thus the land on the northward was called Desolation , and the land on the southward was called Bountiful (Alma 22:31)...

The Book of Ether says that the Land Northward was plagued with poisonous serpents (rattlesnakes): 31 And there came forth poisonous serpents also upon the face of the land, and did poison many people. And it came to pass that their flocks began to...

[If a model has cement buildings in the Land Southward , it fails. They NEVER used cement in the cities of Zarahemla , Nephi, or Bountiful. ] 7 And there being but little timber upon the face of the land, nevertheless the people who went forth...

It says that after the Jaredites were destroyed, the land was desolate of timber. Later, when the Nephites traveled there, they became numerous and established a logging industry by way of shipping. If one were to look at a map for adjacent areas where...

The Book of Mormon says there were elephants in the Land Northward : And they also had horses, and asses, and there were elephants and cureloms and cumoms all of which were useful unto man , and more especially the elephants and cureloms and cumoms....

What is a "mountain" and what is a "hill" are of course subjective terms. Some modelers who lack items of greater value in their models are grabbing at straws when they try to elevate mountains to a great stature in terms of identifying true Book of Mormon...

The Prophecies Something else that is or should be shown to have occurred is a massive change in the land. The following verse is what was prophesied, followed by the verse of what happened:  12 And all these things must surely come saith the prophet ...

We must keep in mind there is a spiritual purpose for the Book of Mormon - to prove that Jesus lived, died, and rose again; Jesus descended there in western New York. God is Love  The glory manifests locally as love , and is felt by all who come, ...

Opposite the Land Northward is the Land Southward . The Nephites called part of this land Zarahemla : 31 And there came forth poisonous serpents also upon the face of the land, and did poison many people. And it came to pass that their flocks began...

The River Sidon is key to locating the southern border of the Land of Zarahemla . The River Sidon ran through , not along the Land of Zarahemla : 15 And it came to pass that the Amlicites came upon the hill Amnihu , which was east of the river...

 Those who are using the Mississippi River as the Sidon fail to recognize these facts: The Mississippi flows the wrong way. It flows from the north to the south. The head is not a place of "confluence." It is far too long - over 2300 miles ...

The River Sidon had two forks which ran along each side of the City of Zarahemla : East And now it came to pass that when Alma had made these regulations he departed from them yea from the church which was in the city of ZARAHEMLA and went over...

With the River Sidon identified, we can identify the location of the city and land of Zarahemla. We may surmise that because the Lamanites and robbers occupied the Western Seashore, the Mulekites would have avoided them and ventured inland, no...

This image shows a modern day road map of Zarahemla and the head of the River Sidon :   The lower red star identifies the town closest to the river's head - Java Village .  The next picture is a close-up of where you can go and view the river a...

There should be a hill (Amnihu) east of the City of Zarahemla where the Nephites fought the Amlicites: And it came to pass that the Amlicites came upon the hill Amnihu , which was east of the river Sidon , which ran by the land of Zarahemla,...

There should be a wilderness area (Hermounts ) west and north of the City of Zarahemla , where the Amlicites fled from the Nephites: 36 And they fled before the Nephites towards the wilderness which was west and north , away beyond the borders...

The Book of Mormon mentions "mountains" in conjunction with "wildernesses": 25 And they did commit murder and plunder; and then they would retreat back into the mountains and into the wilderness and secret places, hiding themselves that they could...

The Land of Nephi Greater is everything south of the Lamanite Line of Possession which is modern-day Cattaraugus Creek & Gorge which divides the Land of Zarahemla to the north from the Land of Nephi Greater on the south. To sum, the Land of N...

More than a cursory reading of the Book of Mormon shows there were "others" already in the land where Lehi arrived: "In 1980 Nibley continued teaching that it is a 'simplistic reading of the book . . . [to] assume that the only people permitted...

What is the definition of a "Lamanite?" It's a non-Nephite : And it came to pass that whosoever would not believe in the tradition of the Lamanites but believed those records which were brought out of the land of Jerusalem and also in the tradition...

There are three lands called "Land of Nephi" : 1. Land of First Inheritance - Nephite The first is where Nephi migrated and is called the Land of First Inheritance (not to be confused with the Jaredite Land of First Inheritance (Ether 7:16), or...

7 ...I caused that forty and three of my people should take a journey into the wilderness that thereby they might find the land of Zarahemla that we might appeal unto our brethren to deliver us out of bondage. 8 And they were lost in the wilderness...

Some Mesotheorists have parroted the following scenario as evidence the Land of Zarahemla was directly north of the Land of Nephi (proper not general) : 1 And now it came to pass that as Alma was journeying from the land of Gideon southward away...

The location of the City Ammonihah provides support for the premise that the City of Nephi and its Land of Nephi (i.e. there is more than one "land of Nephi"; see: Land of Nephi – Where? ), was south and west of the Land of Zarahemla , and th...

9 And it came to pass that when Moroni had driven all the Lamanites out of the east wilderness, which was north of the lands of their own posse ssions , he caused that the inhabitants who were in the land of Zarahemla and in the land round about should...

Somewhere south of the Lamanite Line of Possession is the landing site of Lehi's family. The location is known as the "Lamanite Land of First Inheritance" or "Ishmael" (not to be confused with Lehi's or Jared's Land of First Inheritance ). "Now...

In the late 1800s, visionary citizens brought Olmsted to Buffalo. It was here that Olmsted, inspired by Joseph Ellicott's radial street layout, designed his first system of parks and parkways, and proclaimed Buffalo to be "the best designed city in...

Mormon said that the City of Bountiful forever remained one of the most secured cities (Alma 53:5). 3 And it came to pass that after the Lamanites had finished burying their dead and also the dead of the Nephites, they were marched back into the...

Line Defined A "line" was a "boundary line" between lands, for example between Bountiful and Desolation . 32 And now it was only the distance of a day and a half’s journey for a Nephite on the line Bountiful and the land Desolation, fr...

24 Behold, we followed the camp of the Amlicites and to our great astonishment in the land of Minon above the land of Zarahemla in the course of the land of Nephi we saw a numerous host of the Lamanites and behold the Amlicites have joined them; 27...

Introduction The reciprocal effect of the Jaredite Land Northward shaking, splitting (along the Niagara Escarpment ), and lifting was a splitting of the Land Southward (along the Onondaga Escarpment ) and a sinking of it inside the crack....

The Narrow Neck was also referred to as the Narrow Passage . It is a unique geographical feature that connects several important Book of Mormon areas that feature prominently in Book of Mormon geography: Land Northward Land Southward...

Going north from the City of Buffalo we should find a narrow strip of land running north with a body of water on its left and right. Indeed, that is what we find, although the water on the right is smaller today. This strip of land was fought over by...

Ancient Lake Tonawanda does exist. It is well documented and its perimeter can be identified. At the Wilson-Tuscarora State Park is an image with a description of what ancient Lake Tonawanda looked like in its earliest stages, before the Jaredites...

ASCENDS TOWARD THE SOUTH   The Narrow Neck itself must ascend toward the South: And it bordered upon the land which they called Desolation it being so far northward that it came into the land which had been peopled and had been destroyed of whose ...

Mulek's ship docked at a naturally occurring pier called "Black Rock Pier" in Black Rock , western New York, just north of Buffalo: Blackrock received its name and its reason for existence by virtue of a LARGE WEDGE OF BLACK LIMESTONE FORMATION THAT...

The prophecies make it clear that the land would change by the earthquake(s) that would occur at the death and coming of Jesus to America, all of which are splendidly accounted for in the True Geography of the Western New York Model . It's important to...

  Great Deep West Sea Sea North East Sea Sea South Map of Seas  

The Book of Mormon refers to the Atlantic Ocean as the "Great Deep" "Great Water" "Irreantum" "Many Waters" and "Deep": GREAT WATER 17 And when my brethren saw that I was about to build a ship they began to murmur against me saying: Our brother...

The Sea North is only associated with the Land Northward : 8 And it came to pass that they did multiply and spread, and did go forth from the land southward to the land northward, and did spread insomuch that they began to cover the face of the whole...

If you look for a sea on a map west of Cumorah , the West Sea would have to be Lake Erie .  What is important to understand from eye level is that the entire Niagara Gorge which runs from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario is still the West Sea . If ...

The East Sea bordered known Book of Mormon lands. It bordered the lands of Zarahemla , Bountiful , and Desolation . We must clarify "Land of Nephi" however before including it. The phrase "land of Nephi" is used to identify more than one land. Nephi's "La...

The Sea South is named because it was south of the Jaredite Land Northward : And it came to pass that they did multiply and spread, and did go forth from the land southward to the LAND NORTHWARD , and did spread insomuch that they began to cover...

The Book of Mormon is clear that the New Jerusalem would be in place before the Book of Mormon came forth. Joseph Smith missed this fact and hi-jacked the idea for his own use as demonstrated here in Article of Faith #10 : We believe in the literal g...

What all Book of Mormon geography enthusiasts miss are the prophecies that are tied to the land. The main one says that a New Jerusalem  would be setup before the Book of Mormon came forth (see sub-page New Jerusalem Already Here further down). Therefore:  Whic...

  The following verses make it clear the NEW JERUSALEM would be setup BEFORE the BOOK OF MORMON came forth: 22 But if they (Gentiles) will repent and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them,* ...

Fact: The Iroquois Nation and Benjamin Franklin jointly founded the future government of the United States of America with the Albany Plan of Union 1754 - in Albany, NY. Fact: Albany is the second oldest city in the state of New York. Fact:...

The following address by President J Reuben Clark, Jr., was delivered at the closing session of the forty-fifth annual M.I.A. Conference, Sunday, June 9, 1940.  America's Destiny: Thus America's ultimate God-given destiny, planned by the Creator ...

There's a name for fulfilled Book of Mormon prophecies: American Exceptionalism. "American exceptionalism is the theory that the United States occupies a special niche among the nations of the world in terms of its national credo, historical...

The following article is typical of the misguided zeal LDS members have manifested on behalf of the middle and southern countries of America, no doubt due to the unrestrained conversions that have taken place there. [Yes, unrestrained, for when church...

The Spiritual Geography refers to the lands of The Book of Mormon, the prophecies pertaining to them, and how they were fulfilled. Remember, The Holy Book of Mormon is first and foremost a spiritual record , full of prophecies , designed to test the...

The Bible has three land prophecies that can identify Book of Mormon lands. AN ISLAND  On September 21, 1823, the angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith and quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah to him and emphasized that it was soon to be fulfilled ...

The Lord made it clear, the land this gospel of the Book of Mormon came forth on was Book of Mormon land which was prayed over by Book of Momon prophets: 48 Yea, and this was their faith —that my gospel , which I gave unto them that they might preach i...

4 For, behold, said he, I have seen a vision, in which I know that Jerusalem is destroyed; and had we remained in Jerusalem we should also have perished. 5 But, said he, notwithstanding our afflictions, WE HAVE OBTAINED A LAND OF PROMISE A LAND...

1 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld many nations and kingdoms. 2 And the angel said unto me: What beholdest thou? And I said: I behold many nations and kingdoms. 3 And he said unto me: These...

10 But behold, THIS LAND said God shall be a land of thine inheritance, and THE GENTILES SHALL BE BLESSED UPON THE LAND. 11 And THIS LAND SHALL BE A LAND OF LIBERTY UNTO THE GENTILES , and THERE SHALL BE NO KINGS UPON THE LAND...

14 But behold, I prophesy unto you concerning the last days ; concerning the days when the Lord God shall bring these things forth unto the children of men. 15 After my seed and the seed of my brethren shall have dwindled in unbelief, and shall have...

1 And verily I say unto you, I give unto you a sign, that ye may know the time when these things shall be about to take place—that I shall gather in, from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel, and shall establish again among them my Z...

And behold the Lord hath reserved their blessings which they might have received in the land for the Gentiles who shall possess the land . (Mormon 5:19)  

FRUITS OF THE TRUE PROMISED LAND:   111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 397 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 4, 2009 Mr. Forbes (for himself, Mr. McIntyre , Mr. Lamborn , Mr. McCotter , Mr. Neugebauer , Mr. Akin , Mr. Latta...

O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings , and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and Governments; look down in mercy,...

We believe ancient Book of Mormon lands are here in Western New York between Palmyra and Erie, PA. Evidences of the ancient inhabitants are documented in these volumes: Memoir on the Antiquities of the Western Parts of the State of New York ...

Pioneer History of the Holland Purchase of Western New York by O. Turner - 1850 **The perimeter of the Holland Land Purchase directly mirrors ancient Book of Mormon lands. Map From the Title Page : " Pioneer History of the Holland Land Purchase...

  Now, I like the Book of Mormon, and you will like it, because it is a great American Book . It was written in America, by Americans, for Americans . It has peculiar application to America. It is not full of foreign ideologies and uninspired...

The true geographical model accommodates all prophecies and explains them. For example, the prophesied American New Jerusalem would be a joint effort between the Colonists and American Indians and would be established before the Book of Mormon came...

   

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The only named river in Book of Mormon lands is Sidon ; other unnamed rivers are mentioned only in the (Jaredite) Land Northward : 3 ...there were an exceedingly great many who departed out of the land of Zarahemla, and went forth unto the land...

The text does not mention creeks or brooks, only rivers; just as it does not mention lakes only seas. "Rivers" (plural) are mentioned in the text in two places, one in the Land Northward , and the other in the Land of Cumorah . What those two lands...

It was suggested by John Sorenson (and others) that no modeler of Book of Mormon geography should attempt to physically place it without first extracting the "Internal Geography." The physical maps here, in all their detail, were not formulated until...

Internal Book of Mormon Geography Map  Prophecy Fulfilled Book of Mormon Geography Map - The Holland Land Purchase  External Book of Mormon Geography Map  Watershed Book of Mormon Geography Map - True Lay of the Land Moraines an...

Shows dynamics of the south side of Lake Tonawanda , the Sea South,  Sea that Divides the Land .

The following Spiritual Map reflects the Spiritual Geography that is thoroughly described here , just as the physical maps reflect the Physical Geography , and the Internal Map its internal layout, which together make up the "PSI of Book of Mormon...

This world view map shows the "from where" "to where" locations and which sea they crossed to get there. See also: Old World Map Old World Land Great Deep  

The Jaredite Land Northward (not to be confused with other mentions of a "land northward" from within the Land of Nephi , referring to the Land of Zarahemla ) is where the Jaredites and Mulekites landed. The Mulekites were of the Tribe of Judah and ...

The Narrow Neck was within the (Jaredite) Land Northward and was bounded by a sea on its west and east and was described as being "small" (Alma 22:32) and "narrow" but was not "1.5 days wide" as traditionally taught. Relevant verses: 5 And it...

The expression “truth is stranger than fiction” applies to geography models—perhaps more than anything else—due to how land changes over time (2000+ years for Book of Mormon lands). These are real maps because this is the real geography. The Land of...

This is the land south of the Lamanite Line of Possession and, in general terms, referring to "Lamanite lands," meaning "Lamanites by birth" or, in other words, the lands of pre-existing, neutral in belief people (the Hopewell). How far north they were ...

There were two general factions on the ship that brought Lehi and the others to the New World—one led by his righteous son Nephi, and the other led by his wicked older brothers Laman and Lemuel, with a sub-faction who sided with Laman and Lemuel—the wic...

North of the Narrow Neck is the Land of Desolation which paralleled the Land of Bountiful eastwardly, they both bordered the West Sea , and both extended eastwardly, being separated by the Sea South (also called Sea that Divides the Land ) ancient...

The Land of Cumorah was north of the Narrow Neck and east of Jaredite lands, i.e., the Land Northward . It's important to note—no one lived in the Land of Cumorah—ever, besides preparing for battle. It was crossed by the Jaredite Omer who lived for...

This Old World Map shows the points of origin for each party that migrated to the New World and from whence they departed. [keyboard instructions: double click to zoom; use arrow keys to move the map or click and drag] See also: Great Deep...

This map provides an overview of all Book of Mormon lands.  

The Land Southward , as a whole, is everything south of the Narrow Neck of Land . This map will serve as an overview only, details can be found in the maps of the following areas: Land of Bountiful Land of Zarahemla Land of Nephi (Lamanite)...

One of the keys for finding the Land Bountiful is by locating a distinct Line of Demarcation north of the Land of Zarahemla that extends east to west. The following watershed map shows a distinct watershed that is orientated east to west—Scajaquada C...

A significant part of Book of Mormon geography is where the changes took place at the coming of Jesus   See Also Lands Changed – Land Northward Lands Changed – Land Southward  

There are three very significant boundary lines identified in the Book of Mormon: Line Bountiful Line of Defense Lamanite Line of Possession The Line Bountiful (orange) originates in Tonawanda and extends to Lockport . The Line ...

Some of the specifics are missing from Mormon's early years, but it can be surmised that he lived in Bountiful as a child and then migrated to Zarahemla, which city it does not say. After being recruited into the Nephite army it says they were slowly...

There are four major seas mentioned in the Book of Mormon: North , South , East , and West ; and two minor seas: Sea that Divides the Land  and Ablom . More information about those seas can be found on the Seas page.  The four major seas are not ...