As stated in the last two posts (Part I and Part II), there is a list of fifty scriptural references to the geography describing the Land of Promise in the Book of Mormon. The first 20 references were stated in Part I, the next twenty in Part II, and the final ten in this post. For any Land of Promise model to bear any credibility, ALL fifty must be answered and shown to exist in the model. Once again, all fifty of these references are found in the Andean area and listed thoroughly in “Lehi Never Saw Mesoamerica.”41) A hill in the north lands where records or treasures are believed buried (Mormon 1:3; 4:23; 6:6)
42) Use of thin sheets of gold, like in a book, around 600 B.C. (1 Nephi 9:2-5)
43) Two unknown animals to represent the curelom and the cumom (Either 9:19)
44) A temple like unto Solomon's temple (2 Nephi 5:16)
45) A mist of darkness with lightning and thundering, where mountains tumbled down and others rose up to great heights, and cities sank and burned (3 Nephi 8)
46) In the northern land of the Land of Promise wars began constantly to be fought beginning around 200 B.C. and up until about 400 A.D. (from Mosiah to Mormon)
47) A land where earliest beginnings are along the southern coast, then the next major development of culture in the southern highlands, and the second development in the north (First Landing: Alma 22:28; City of Nephi, land of Nephi: Alma 22:27; Zarahemla and Bountiful: Alma 22:29)
48) A reason why the Lamanites attacked the coastal Nephite cities rather than using other lines of attack (Helaman 1:26)
49) The fortified wall the Nephites constructed to defend their north country against the Lamanites (Helaman 4:7)
50) A spoken and written language (Mosiah 9:1; 24:4; Mormon 9:32-33)
In addition to these scriptural references, Hebrew culture and the Law of Moses demanded that a male child be circumcised (Genesis 17:23; Moroni 8:8). Obviously, the Nephites lived the Law of Moses (1 Nephi 4:15-16) and did away with it after Christ’s appearance to them (4 Nephi 1:12). Thus they would have performed the Law of Circumcision until the Lord’s advent.
Any Land of Promise location must have a history of its ancient people practicing the Law of Moses and the Law of Circumcision. This is the case in the Andean area of South America, but not shown in other areas where scholars have placed their models. Also, as has been pointed out on several occasions, the Nephites were on an island of the sea, not some heartland, or Great Lakes, or Mesoamerican area. Jacob wrote:
“For the Lord has made the sea our path, and we are upon an isle of the sea: (2 Nephi 10:20). Note the phraseology used: They came by sea to an island in that sea. This scripture alone eliminates the Great Lakes area, the Heartland area, and the Mesoamerican area, as well as the Baja California area. The reason why it verifies the Andean area, is that the Andean area (Chile, Peru and Ecuador) were once an island with the rest of the continent of South America (east of the present day Andes) were underwater. In “Lehi Never Saw Mesoamerica,” this entire issue is dealt with in great detail. The point is, the Nephites were on an island as Jacob said and since that eliminates all other models submitted to-date except the Andean model, it is understandable by no other scholar or theorist quotes that scripture.
Again, someone can say that this place or that place is the Land of Promise, but it must bear up under a close inspection of ALL the scriptures relating to that land—not just a favorite few that can be pointed toward some area. Remember, the Nephites built large, walled cities of stone, built highways throughout their lands, and had two unknown grains, Sheum and Neas, (Mosiah 9:9), and the two unknown animals of great value, the Cumom and the Curelom (Ether 9:19). These and all other scriptural references are found in the Andea area, some of which, like the animals and grains mentioned, are found only in the Andean area. How can any other model claim to match the scriptural references when they simply do not?
(see the next two posts, “Talmadge and the Chilean Landing,” and “How Did Jacob Know?”, to see more about the island upon which the Land of Promise was located)
Del,
ReplyDeleteI was just wondering. Has there been any research done in the area of the land of Promise to see if we can do any matching up of cities? I know we probably will never see a sign that says.. "Welcome to Zarahemla". But is anyone looking? This is probably in the book somewhere.. :-)
Despite all the theorists' views to the contrary (they love to tell you where cities were located by today's views--especially in Mesoamerica where there are legitimate ruins to see), but two factors work against this:
ReplyDelete1. The scriptures simply do not give enough information to place more than a couple of cities, and
2. The destruction shown in 3rd Nephi, where cities were sunk into the sea, covered over by earth, etc., etc., does not leave much of a chance to actually place even general locations of cities as they would appear today.
Two exceptions to this would be the city of Nephi (referred to as Lehi-Nephi in Mosiah), which is described rather extensively, with a temple like Solomon's, and Noah's towers, etc. (which can be identified by todays findings), and the city of Zarahemla, because of its status as the seat of government and religion throughout the last 500 years or so of the BOM. I think both these cities can be identified with some certainty. Bountiful is rather sketchy, but we might make an intelligent guess on that one, too. Of course, there was no city built in the area of First Landing, but the location is fairly plane from winds and currents. But the rest are so general in description, it would be foolhardy and quite arrogant for someone to say this is where that city was, etc.
Yet, as I said, many theorists in their models, place cities with some certainty; however, most of these "certain locations" can be shown to be in error by the scriptures themselves--especially those placed in the Great Lakes area. And Meldrum's Heartland Model lists very few cities, but those I have found diagrammed or mentioned are not consistent with scriptural information.
And, yes, what we do know is in the book :)
Nirom. You should read the book. It is fascinating in what is known in Peru that relates to your question. There are more ruins in the Andean area than in Mesoamerica, and though the ruins were made of mud brick instead of rock, still much is known and can be seen. Plus the rock walls, etc., are purely remarkable.
ReplyDeleteThanks.. I am... "reading the book" :-)
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if there was any group doing digs in the land of promise.. especially with the Book of Mormon in mind?
Hi. You have some interesting arguments. I am curious, however, to know where you found the information that the Nephite cities were built of stone?
ReplyDelete