Using a little common sense, let’s take a look at what Nephi and others said, and compare it with three different locations in the Western Hemisphere:
“And I did teach my people to build building, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance. And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon’s temple. But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceeding fine” (2 Nephi 5:15-16).
“And we multiplied exceedingly and spread upon the face of the land and became exceeding rich in gold, and in silver, and in precious things and in fine workmanship of wood, in buildings, and in machinery, and also in iron and copper, and brass and steel, making all manner of tools of every” (Jarom 1:8).
In 3 Nephi 9:3-10, many cities were destroyed in the Land of Promise. These were not villages or towns or settlements, but cities. In 4 Nephi 1:7, we find that many of these cities were rebuilt: “And the Lord did prosper them exceedingly in the land, yeq, insomuch that they did build cities again where there had been cities burned. Yea, even that great city Zarahemla did they cause to be built again”
“And they were lost in the wilderness for the space of many days, yet they were diligent, and found not the land of Zarahemla but returned to thi land, having traveled in a land among many waters, having discovered a land which was covered with bones of men, and of beasts, and was also covered with ruins of buildings of every kind, having discovered a land which had been peopled with apeople who were as numerous as the hosts of Israel” (Mosiah 8:8).
“And there were many highways cast up, and many roads made, which led from city to city, and from land to land, and from place to place” (3 Nephi 6:8).
The question always comes up when someone wants to claim the Great Lakes or Heartland theories—where are the remains of those cities, buildings, highways? What of the iron workings tools, and machinery? Where is the remnant of Nephi’s temple constructed like Solomon’s Temple?
What we find in the Great Lakes area and in the Heartland of eastern U.S. are mounds of dirt. While some are intricate in design, they are till simply moundes of dirt. There are no iron tools dating to the Nephite era, no buildings of any kind, no highways or roads. In short, there is nothing to suggest an advanced Nephite civilization ever set foot in the Great Lakes or Heartland areas of the U.S.
Left: The Grand Village of the Natchez mound. There were three such earthworks mounds which served as their main political and religious ceremonial center. Right: A section of the Great Circle Earthworks, part of the Newark Earthworks. Built by the Hopewell Culture between 100 B.C. and 500 A.D. The earthworks were used as places of ceremony, social gathering, trade, and worship.
Large structure ruins in the Andean area of South America
Large structure ruins in the Mesoamerican area of Central AmericaNow which looks like the Nephite construction outlined in 2 Nephi 5:15-16?
From reading all your previous posts this year, I would assume your final question in this post has to do with the fact that the Land of Promise, the Nephite Nation, was in the Andean area of South America, and the middle two pictures illustrate their building expertise. Then, when Hagoth built ships and Nephites emigrated into Central America around the middle of the last century B.C., they continued with their construction of magnificent sites. However, that the mound builders of the eastern United States lacked any vestige of such building ability, piling dirt mounds for burial was their only unusual achievement. Obviously, these mounds cannot compare with the description Nephi writes regarding what he taught his people form the beginning.
ReplyDeleteJackson.. I agree. We know that the Nephites and the Lamanites lived in the Promised Land for at least 1000 years. You would certain expect to at least find something similar to the descriptions that the Book of Mormon gives concerning its cities after 1000 years of being occupied.
ReplyDeleteMy question is.. why can't they see it? Are they that invested that when the truth stares at them in the face that they just can not let go?
Mr.M: The Mesoamerican archaeologists, scholars, and professors, as an example, who have been teaching and writing books, etc., about their model for more than 50 years have their college tenure, credibiity, and finances tied into their belief. They take tours of people down to Mesoamerica to see their view of the BOM lands which is a big money maker for them. No matter what they privately believe, think or wonder about, they are not going to jeopardize their careers and standings by looking elsewhere. Most of us here on this blog site originally came from some other belief than the one we learned from Del, which is right out of the scriptures, and is so compelling that we have all come around to this thinking, and have convinced others about it, also, many of whom have purchased Del's books, which are as accurate as anything I have ever read, anywhere. As you can see, we do not write much, tough most of us did in the beginning of our involvement in this, but we are here everyday reading, as you said you were. Anyway, glad to have you aboard and welcome to the reality of how scholars often see things...through their own rose-colored glasses.
ReplyDeleteHi. You asked: My question is.. why can't they see it? Are they that invested that when the truth stares at them in the face that they just can not let go?
ReplyDeleteThe answer, in a word is: YES!
As Wanda pointed out, it is their life's work. They cannot accept their entire life's work is for naught. Better, they think, to defend it to the hilt, than take the chance they might be wrong. Thus, the sciences have always been. It is why, I think, that great men with great ideas and theories, such as an Einstein, etc., make such discoveries when they are very young before they care corrupted by the establishment.
I'll just add my two-cents worth here. Contrary to the "Establishment" of anthropologists who claim the opposite, it is so obviously evident that all construction and cultural development moved from south to north in the Western Hemisphere. One look at the magnificent ruins through the south, central and north American continents shows a solid, unarguable movement of technology from the Andean area through Central America, and to North America, especially in the southwest where cliff dwellers and city builders far outstripped the eastern U.S.
ReplyDelete