Basically, the two maps compare a proposed map constructed by vernal from the internal descriptions of the book of mormon and comments, over the years by latterday saint scholars, with a map showing actual place names on maps of the area around palmyra, new york, where the book of mormon originally was published. Archaeological trends and the book of mormon origins byu. Everywhere in those latitudes, war was normally carried on by the precolumbian inhabitants during a limited annual period. 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. How a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand ended up losing his faith. Jan 03, 2011 book of mormon, mayan and aztec archaeology and geography in north america part 18.
The most fruitful exploration that directly connects to the book of mormon are texts and websites that explain the similarities and differences between ethan smiths the view of the hebrews and the book of mormon. We build enduring faith in jesus christ by making the book of mormon accessible, comprehensible, and defensible to the entire world. Our changing understanding of ancient america and its scripture. Since the publication of the book of mormon in 1830, mormon archaeologists have attempted. The book of mormon is supposed to be a history of real people living in a real place. This is a determinative point anchoring the book of mormon in mesoamerica. While nothing can take the place of a spiritual witness of the truthfulness of the book of mormon, an understanding of the correlating evidence of the book of mormon, especially as it relates to geography, can provide greater appreciation for this inspired book of scripture. Book of mormon, mayan and aztec archaeology and geography in north america part 18. See more ideas about book of mormon, lds scriptures and lds books. Many also are unaware of some rather surprising new discoveries supporting the book of mormon which have been brought about by the advanced methods of science. Civilizations of their magnitude and duration would be expected to leave extensive archaeological records.
Many latterday saints have not had access to sources which communicate how recent research has changed our understanding of the book of mormon as an ancient document. Jan 22, 2011 anthropologist mark wrights 2008 fair conference address on similarities between mesoamerica and the book of mormon. Archaeology research in precolumbian americas and the book of mormon. In addition, the entire story of the book of mormon occurred within a small 500mile radius within mesoamerica.
I originally wrote this piece in january of 2001 as a term paper for a harvard class on mesoamerican civilizations foreign cultures 34. Because we cannot expect to find textual proof of the nephites in mesoamerica, we must ask whether the book of mormons report is plausible in light of secondary evidence provided by archaeology. These finds confirm scriptures found in the book of mormon. M2c advocates think that joseph could not have known about ancient civilizations in mesoamerica, so the mesoamerican setting proves joseph couldnt have written the book of mormon. This category and its subcategories contain maps of mesoamerica particularly relating to aspects of its precolumbian history and its subregions.
The book of mormon and mesoamerican archeology book of. Joseph smith and the book of mormon should be the final arbiters of book of. The name mesoamerica is a term used to identify the heartland of a number of significant precolumbian cultures. Archaeological and historical evidence jareditesolmecs. Book of mormon statements with mesoamerica and us heartland. The number seven had several connotations to the precolumbian communities of mesoamerica.
Maya to aztec is richly illustrated with professor barnhartis own photos taken in the field, along with museumgrade images of artifacts, illustrations recreating ancient cities and temples, maps showing where to find different sites, and graphics that decode mesoamerican writing and iconography. Revisiting the seven lineages of the book of mormon and the. The archaeological and historical evidence indicates that the ancient people that we call olmecs in our day are the same people, called the jaredites in the book of mormon. The scientific legacy of a quest to prove the book of mormon.
In 1790 the great aztec calendar stone had been uncovered in mexico city. I purchased this book a few days prior to leaving, had it personalized and signed by him, and read it before, during, and after my adventure in the book of mormon lands. Mayan and aztec archaeology and geography in north america part 38. By contrast, they claim a setting in north america, with the hill cumorah in new york, supports the arguments of critics who say joseph wrote the book. Jun 20, 2019 m2c advocates think that joseph could not have known about ancient civilizations in mesoamerica, so the mesoamerican setting proves joseph couldnt have written the book of mormon. Donl peterson,a past professor of church history at byu, published two similar maps of moronis travel from central america to.
This book locates everything from the narrow neck, to zarahemla, from cumorah, to the land of promise, bountiful. When hernan cortes learned about the wealthy aztecs during his exploration trip, he set out to find them. Roberts, in his book studies of the book of mormon noted eighteen points of striking parallels between the two books. The book of mormon in mesoamerica home my approach. Did the inca, aztec or mayan civilizations leave any record that they.
Mesoamerica is the site of the only literate precolumbian population. One of the more obvious anachronisms contained in the book of mormon is the presence of horses. I agree that the book of mormon describes mountains, hills and valleys, but the text also refers to plains e. If you arent familiar with the book of mormon, please see my book of mormon introduction page and get your own free copy at. This similarity in recording time in mesoamerica and book of mormon times is reinforced by each groups parallel narratives of sequential civilizations. Wirth the number seven had several connotations to the precolumbian communities of mesoamerica. Book of mormon, mayan and aztec archaeology and geography. The term has been applied to the swordlike aztec weapons and to others. And i take mine account from the twenty and four plates which were found by the people of limhi, which is called the book of ether. Book of mormon difficulties, contradictions and explanations.
A summary of several theories of book of mormon lands in. A summary of several theories of book of mormon lands in mesoamerica 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. Oct 06, 2015 that is his small 2000 book mormons map. Apr 06, 2007 i had the pleasure of being amongst many on a tour to mesoamerica with john lund. Below is the modern map of the area of smiths youth. You will be astonished with the amount of concrete scientific parallels between mesoamerica and slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. 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. How a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand. Finally there is a way to really explore john sorensons book of mormon geography. Considered a sacred number, it represented the seven directions in the universefour cardinal directions plus the zenith or sky, center, and nadir or underworld. Until recently most attempts to identify the locations of the events of the book of mormon focused on southern mexico and central america mesoamerica, but recent efforts have focused more on north america because the archaeology is better there, even though the sites do not fit the map described in the book of mormon as does mesoamerica. The maya are the only civilization in the new world that historians of science are interested in.
Other locations may meet some of the following criteria, but only mesoamerica meets all these elements required by the book itself. The main book of mormon events took place in mesoamerica. Mesoamerica has highly varied landforms with elevations ranging from sea level to 5,600 meters. Book of mormon tours which take interested members to see the lands of the book of mormon in mesoamerica. However, when serious book of mormon students first begin with a detailed consideration of the internal map implicit to the book of mormon and then search for a plausible location that fits the book of mormon s map, there has consistently been one general result. Any book of mormon lands proposal must be able to demonstrate all. Made popular by his 1985 publication an ancient american setting for the book of mormon, sorensons geographic model for the book of mormon has withstood the test of time and remains the preeminent geographic model for book of mormon events. For old maps showing mesoamerica and its subregions that is, maps made over 70 years ago, please see category old maps of mesoamerica. Considered a sacred number, it represented the seven directions in the universefour cardinal directions plus the zenith or sky, center, and nadir. Archaeological evidence seems to indicate that the main core or center of the jaredite civilization was located on the mexican gulf coast, in what are now the southern. The number seven was significant to the precolumbian communities of mesoamerica, as it was in the book of mormon. Jon daniels, the book of mormon and mesoamerican archeology excerpt from standord. The book of mormon records several references to a significant fourhundredyear prophecy, 19 consistent with this idiosyncratic mesoamerican calendar practice.
Archaeological and historical evidence why book of. Mesoamerica, the region of southern mexico, guatemala, and adjacent nations. Several volumes dealing with book of mormon archaeology published since those by. Jan 18, 2018 how a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand ended up losing his faith. Mesoamerica and the book of mormon is this the right place. Bill sanders was one of five archaeologists who worked with nwaf in its first field season in tabasco in 1953. A variety of such axes mundi are known from the archaeological record of mesoamerica and the text of the book of mormon. A contemporary mormon view is that these civilizations rose and fell in mesoamerica. Oct 06, 2015 bill sanders was one of five archaeologists who worked with nwaf in its first field season in tabasco in 1953. The three authors of an lds guide to mesoamerica, walk us through the lands of the book of mormon. Another area of agreement between mesoamerican and book of mormon.
This paper investigates the evidence for seasonality of warfare in the book of mormon account and compares it with what is currently known about the timing of warfare in mesoamerica. This site can be used as a study guide to help understand the book of mormon. Book of mormon, mayan and aztec archaeology and geography in. In mormon circles, he is often identified with jesus christ. All opinions, speakers and presenters represent and express their own individual opinions, and not necessarily the opinions of firm foundation, book of mormon evidence, or its employees, and no information or opinions represent the church of jesus christ of latterday saints.
Book of mormonlamanitesrelationship to amerindiansmaya. We have taken more tours to mesoamerica to compare the ancient sites and civilizations with the book of mormon than any other tour operator. Very cool article about the book of mormon and mesoamerica. A pan mesoamerica legend tells of a core people descended from seven tribes, which may coincide with the seven lineages mentioned three times in the book of mormon. Proposed map of the lands and sites of the book of mormon. Even the hill cumorah, where joseph smith obtained the gold plates, is not really the same hill cumorah mentioned in the text. The mayans language is the only language from central america that has been translated. I had the pleasure of being amongst many on a tour to mesoamerica with john lund. Clark concludes that the correspondences between the book of mormon and cycles of mesoamerican civilization are striking p 48. A panmesoamerica legend tells of a core people descended from seven tribes, which may coincide with the seven lineages mentioned three times in the book of mormon. Hence, it is written for an audience with background knowledge about mesoamerican archeology, but not about the book of mormon. Meat from large animals was a minor part of the aztec diet. Revisiting the seven lineages of the book of mormon and the seven tribes of mesoamerica diane e.
So, if im understanding you correctly, you are dismissive of vogels workclaims on the subject because so much remains undiscovered. A limited geography model for the book of mormon is one of several theories by latter day. The book of mormon and defensive fortifications in mesoamerica. I open mormons map to the first page and immediately note several inconsistencies that contradict my reading of the text. Can you learn about jesus by reading the book of mormon. And now i, moroni, proceed to give an account of those ancient inhabitants who were destroyed by the hand of the lord upon the face of this north country. Seasonality of warfare in the book of mormon and in mesoamerica. Wirth t he number seven had several connotations to the precolumbian communities of mesoamerica. This page is a supplement to my book of mormon evidences page. They discuss early church assumptions as to where the people of the book of mormon lived, and then discuss the plausible locale that is theorized by most lds scholars today. These points are discussed in the proofs, travel maps, and commentaries. After years of studying maps, mormon scripture, and spanish chronicles.
Thomas stuart ferguson lay in his hammock, certain that he had found. The book of mormon geography lands and map with dna evidence. Includes every geographical place mentioned in the book of mormon. Book of mormon geography jeff lindsays site and the shake. Book of mormon and the seven tribes of mesoamerica diane e.
However, when serious book of mormon students first begin with a detailed consideration of the internal map implicit to the book of mormon and then search for a plausible location that fits the book of mormons map, there has consistently been one general result. The book of mormon describes mountains, hills, and valleys with significant elevation differences between them. This approach, often referred to as the limited geography model, argues for a more limited view of the book of mormon, suggesting that the book is a history of only a small group of native americans in central america. How does the book of mormon help date the first christmas. The mesoamerican limited geography model posits that the events of the book of mormon occurred in a geographically limited region in mesoamerica only hundreds of miles in dimension and that other people were present in the new world at the time of lehis arrival. Anthropologist mark wrights 2008 fair conference address on similarities between mesoamerica and the book of mormon. A dna study by emory university, accepted by the smithsonian, acknowledges that some native americans have ancestry in common with the peoples in modern israel and the mediterranean area. If you arent familiar with the book of mormon, please see my book of mormon introduction page and get your own free copy at mormon. Why does the book of mormon include the rise and fall of two nations. In this page, i discuss the recent discoveries in mesoamerica which have caused a complete paradigm shift in the thinking of scholars.
We are the pioneers of the book of mormon tour concept. Graphics processing with supercomputers then yields highly accurate 3d maps of the. Quetzalcoatl mormonism, the mormon church, beliefs. Aug 01, 2019 until recently most attempts to identify the locations of the events of the book of mormon focused on southern mexico and central america mesoamerica, but recent efforts have focused more on north america because the archaeology is better there, even though the sites do not fit the map described in the book of mormon as does mesoamerica. Quetzalcoatl is the white bearded god or the serpent god from the legend of quetzalcoatl of the ancient aztecs. Although it may be surprising to joseph smith and other church leaders, as well as to the majority of current lds believers, modern book of mormon scholars insist that the book of mormon is actually the story of a relatively small group of israelites who were immediately subsumed within a larger, preexisting, native mesoamerican population. Bmaf supports a mesoamerican context for the major book of mormon sites. There are six serious mesoamerican book of mormon correlations. Numerous observers have suggested that the book of mormon appears to be a work of fiction that parallels others within the 19thcentury moundbuilder genre that was pervasive at the time. I compare and contrast several distinctive types of such ritual complexes from mesoamerica and the book of mormon and argue that they.
The aztecs existed from 01521 long after the nephites are assumed to have been. As the book of mormon states there were some seasons of the year, that doesnt. C largely because of his immense stature as an lds scholar. This similarity in recording time in mesoamerica and book of mormon times is reinforced by each. The river sidon is mentioned in connection with military movements at the river, baptisms in the river, and bodies floating to the sea in the river. Book of mormon tours has been operated by the allen family since 1970. Revisiting the seven lineages of the book of mormon and. Saints members proposed a limited mesoamerican geography for the book of mormon. Archaeological remains of peccaries have been found in mesoamerica from the preclassic or formative. This is a map showing known aztec military outposts at contact. Without going into too many details, there are 18 points of inaccuracies that i want to highlight about maps of mesoamerica that were published before the book of mormon. Book of mormonlamanitesrelationship to amerindiansmaya and. This paper investigates the evidence for seasonality of warfare in the book of mormon account and compares it with what is currently known about the. The grijalva river and the river sidon by joseph l.
The dates of the maps are displayed in the lower lefthand part of the map. For example, michael coe of yale university tries to connect specific aztec gods, whose characteristics we know mainly from. A complete description of the book of mormon geography bomgeography, including an internal map model, external map model i. Mormons map strikes me as a manipulation of the nephite record in support of a real world model preexisting since 1955. The river sidon the most prominent river in the book of mormon is the river sidon. The aztecs used a silk material taken from nests made by two indigenous insects, the moth. I open mormons map to the first page and immediately note several inconsistencies that contradict my reading of. Seasonality of warfare in the book of mormon and in. Clark checks correlations between the book of mormon and mesoamerican archaeology by focusing on the rise and decline of cities. The maya and the olmec have a written languagea requirement for book of mormon peoples, who kept records. There are many other anachronistic plants and animals present in the book of mormon, such as wheat, cattle, ox, sheep, elephant and the ass.
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