Wood Ship and West Sea Landing – Part I

According to a recent writing by a Great Lakes theorist, he claims: “The Book of Mormon does not say that Lehi's party crossed the Pacific Ocean. It says they traveled "nearly eastward" (biblical east) across the Arabian wilderness to a place where they were able to build a wooden ship. Apparently they needed to avoid contact with potential adversaries outside their families. Nephi's slaying of Laban alone would have necessitated avoiding the populous Mediterranean coast. A flight into the southern wilderness was both inspired and expedient. Yes, the Book of Mormon says that Lehi's American land of first inheritance was by a west sea, but there is nothing in the LDS scripture to make us conclude that this "sea...on the west" (Alma 22:27-28) was salt water (i.e. the Pacific Ocean).”

Before responding to this overall comment, let’s take a look at the statement above “able to build a wooden ship.” While the author of this makes an issue that the scriptures do not say anything about traveling across an ocean to the shores of the west sea, he makes the classic mistake of most theorists by claiming something—a wooden ship—that is also not mentioned in scripture. One might say that what other kind of ship would it have been, but that is not the point. The point is, ridiculing something for not being in scripture, then defending your position by quoting something else that is also not found in scripture seems a little disingenuous.

As an example, the only mention of wood in all 1 Nephi has to do with the making of a bow (1 Nephi 16:23). In the same chapter, we find that Nephi had a bow made of fine steel (1 Nephi 16:18). While Nephi mentions the fact that after settling in the Land of Nephi that he taught his people to work “all manner of wood,” in the same verse he states that he also taught his people to work in “iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores” (2 Nephi 5:15). Wood is mentioned twice more in 2 Nephi, but has reference to trees blowing in the wind.

Once again, we find one of these theorists claiming something not found in scripture while trying to make an issue about something else he feels is not mentioned in scripture. However, in this particular case, this author is inaccurate in both counts.

As an example, he states: “does not say that Lehi's party crossed the Pacific Ocean” and also claims: “Yes, the Book of Mormon says that Lehi's American land of first inheritance was by a west sea, but there is nothing in the LDS scripture to make us conclude that this "sea...on the west" (Alma 22:27-28) was salt water (i.e. the Pacific Ocean).”

Now let’s take a look at both these points:

1) Jacob, in talking to the Nephites not long after being in the Land of Promise, and trying to allay their concerns that the Lord might not know where they were since they were no longer in Jerusalem, says: “for we are not cast off, nevertheless, we have been driven out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a better land, for the Lord has made the sea our path and we are upon an isle of the sea: (2 Nephi 10:20).

One Great Lakes Theory map showing that Lake Erie (which had no outlet to the sea) is their West Sea—it would be very difficult to reach this lake via the sea let alone have an island in the that sea

Obviously, then, the Lehi Colony was led across an ocean from the area of the southern Arabian coast (Oman) to the Land of Promise. While it does not say which ocean they crossed, the point is, they crossed an ocean.

2) Now the “sea on the west was salt water” is a foregone conclusion. When a ship is led across the sea to the Land of Promise, and that Land of Promise is an island in that sea, one can only conclude that that landing site—land of first inheritance—was in that self-same sea which the ship was led across. “The Lord has made the sea our path and we are upon an isle of the sea.”

(See the next post, “Wood Ship and West Sea Landing – Part II” to see how the ship crossed the sea)