The Great Sea, the Great Deep

Just what do all the different named seas in the Book of Mormon signify? First, they all refer to the same thing—the major oceans of the world that all run into, or merge, with one another. As mentioned in the last Post, the Irreantum Sea (1 Nephi 17:5) is the Arabian Sea, which runs into the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and once beyond South America, merges with the Atlantic Ocean—truly a sea of “many waters.” In the Book of Mormon this sea is also described as the "Great Sea," "Great Water," "Deep," and "Great Deep."

Sometimes people lose sight of the fact, in trying to promote a specific model, that all the world’s oceans are interconnected. Irreantum, meaning “many waters,” obviouisly suggests these world oceans—as does the “Great Deep” over which the Lord led the Jaredites, Nephites, and Mulekites:

The Jaredites:

“The Lord did bring Jared and his brethren forth even to that Great Sea which divideth the lands” (Ether 2:13). “Behold O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this Great Water in darkness?” (Ether 2:22) And thus the Lord caused stones to shine in darkness, to give light unto men, women, and children, that they might not cross the Great Waters in darkness” (Ether 6:3). “O Lord, look upon me in pity and turn away thine anger from this thy people, and suffer not that they shall go forth across this Raging Deep in darkness; but behold these things which I have molten out of the rock” (Ether 3:3). And it came to pass that when they were buried in the Deep there was no water that could hurt them” (Ether 6:7). “He remembered what the Lord had done in bringing Jared and his brother across the Deep” (Ether 10:2). And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this Great Deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come” (Ether 2:25). “And he remembered the great things that the Lord had done for his fathers in bringing them across the Great Deep into the promised land” (Ether 7:27). “Hath he not read the record which our fathers brought across the Great Deep?” (Ether 8:9).

The Nephites:

“We did come to the land which we called Bountiful, because of its much fruit and also wild honey; and all these things were prepared of the Lord that we might not perish. And we beheld the sea, which we called Irreantum, which being interpreted, is Many Waters” (1 Nephi 17:5). “Our brother is a fool for he thinketh that he can build a ship; yea, and he also thinketh that he can cross these Great Waters” (1 Nephi 17:17). “My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the Great Deep” (2 Nephi 4:20). “Art thou not he who hath dried the sea, the waters of the Great Deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?” (2 Nephi 8:10) “And behold, also, if he say unto the waters of the Great Deep—Be thou dried up—it is done” (Helaman 12:16).

The Mulekites:

“And they journeyed in the wilderness and were brought by the hand of the Lord across the Great Waters into the land where Mosiah discovered them; and they had dwelt there from that time forth” (Omni 1:16).

Land of Promise Separate from England/Europe:

“And it came to pass that I looked and beheld Many Waters; and they divided the Gentiles from the seed of my brethren” (1 Nephi 13:10; see also 13:12, 13, 29).

As can be seen, it matters little what term is used to describe the oceans of the world that were involved getting to and surrounding the Land of Promise—all terms had the same meaning.

(Next Post will show how far afield some people go to try and support their own model for the Land of Promise in “Book of Mormon Lands Were Hidden”)