As stated in the last posts, it
would have been impossible for Joseph Smith in 1829 to have known anything
about the west coast of South America. This makes his comment about Lehi
landing along the 30º South Latitude that much more noteworthy. This is because
the 30º South Latitude is a significant location along the west coast of the
Americas—a spot so uniquely different, it is one of only five areas in the
world with a Mediterranean Climate, and the only location in the world that
matches the descriptive information in the Book of Mormon that would lead one
to locate the Land of Promise in the Western Hemisphere.
Stated more specifically, the 30º South Latitude is a unique slice of land along the
Chilean coast (see the yellow coastal area on map to left). Just north of this
landing site is the Atacama Desert, a rainless plateau and the driest desert in
the world. It extends for 600 miles, from the Peru-Chile border to just above
30º South Latitude. And north of that is the Peruvian Sechura Desert. The
Atacama Desert is so desolate it has been proclaimed by NASA a Mars-like
environment, and they train there for a future Mars landing. Just south of this area the winters drop to about 25º F, the
humidity ranges in the 80% to 90%, average rainy days is between 15 and 24 days
a month, and in some areas movement is only by boat because of the numerous
rivers and waterways. Further south the coast is a labyrinth of fjords inlets,
canals, twisting peninsulas, and islands. Only the area of the 30º South
Latitude along the entire Chilean coast—a length of 4000 miles—would have
provided an emigrant colony in 600 B.C. with a landing site, location for a
community, survival temperature and climate, and soil for growing crops.
Coquimbo Bay and La Serena at 30º
South Latitude, one of only two matching climates to Jerusalem in the Western
Hemisphere where “seeds from Jerusalem” would have grown so “exceedingly” in
600 B.C.
In
addition, there are numerous matches with the scriptural record:
1.
One of only five climates in the entire world—only two of which are in the
Western Hemisphere (the other in Southern California)—where “seeds from
Jerusalem” (also a Mediterranean Climate) would have “grown exceedingly” and
provided an “abundant crop” (1 Nephi 18:24). The importance of this climate
cannot be overstated since any emigrating group landing in an unknown and
unoccupied area would require a positive planting area that matches the one where the seeds they brought would grow, so they could survive.
2.
This area is the world’s leading producer of copper, almost five times greater
than the second country, the United States. Combined with the third country, Peru,
out-produces by far the five next countries combined, producing just over 1/3
of the world’s copper production (1 Nephi 18:25).
3.
Chile is the seventh largest silver producing country in the world, and Peru
is the largest in the world. Combined, Peru and Chile out-produce the second
largest country, Mexico, 165.7 million ounces to 104.7 million, and the third
largest producer, China, by two-to-one (1 Nephi 18:25; 2 Nephi 5:15).
4.
Chile is the seventh largest gold producer in the world, and Peru is the 6th
largest gold producing country (1 Nephi 18:25; 2 Nephi 5:15).
5. In this area from
the 30º South Latitude northward (the movement of the Nephites as they expanded
from the Land of First Inheritance to the Land of Nephi, then to the Land of
Zarahemla, and then to the Land of Bountiful and finally into the Land
Northward), was basically unknown in the eastern United States during Joseph
Smith’s time. As a result, several things existed there to which Joseph had no
knowledge and no language to explain or name as he read about them on the
plates.
• Two animals that
Joseph could not name and had to use the names as they appeared in the
scriptural record: the curelom and cumom (Ether 9:19);
• Two grains that
Joseph could not name and had to use the names as they appeared in the
scriptural record: neas and sheum (Mosiah 9:9);
• A plant provided by
the lord for the curing of fever that was unknown, as well as its medicinal
product: cinchona tree and quinine (Alma 46:40);
• That the area of
first landing had the same climate and vegetation zone, desertic soils, brown
soil group, and duplicate temperature and precipitation as that of
Jerusalem—the only place in the world outside of the Mediterranean Sea that
matches exactly, where their seeds would grow exceedingly: Mediterranean
Climate (1 Nephi 18:24).
Left: Coquimbo Bay; Right: La Serena Valley
It is always amazing that
Mesoamericanists, Heartland Theorists, Great Lakes Advocates, Baja California
and Malay enthusiasts all ignore these most simple, but critically important
parts of the Land of Promise that are clearly stated in the scriptural record.
In addition, this area in Andean
South America, also contained:
6. Stone walls (Alma 48:8);
7. Palaces, temples, spacious
buildings (Mosiah 11:8-9);
8. Extensive miles of roads and
highways (3 Nephi 6:8);
9. Forward outposts called
resorts or small forts (Alma 48:8);
10. Numerous forts (Alma 49:13);
11. A narrow neck of land divided
by two seas that was the distance of a day and a half travel (Alma 22:32);
12. A narrow neck
with a pass through it leading form the land southward into the land northward
(Alma 50:34; 52:9; Mormon 2:29);
13. Where corn, wheat and barley
could grow (Mosiah 9:9);
14. Slings were extensively used
as weapons (Alma 2:12);
15. Four seas (Helaman 3:8);
16. History of metallurgy into
B.C. times (2 Nephi 5:15);
17. History of textiles into
B.C. times (Alma 4:6; Helaman 6:13; 4 Nephi 1:24);
18. Ancient towers (Mosiah
11:13);
19. A tower adjacent to the
temple (Mosiah 19:5);
20. A fortification from then
west sea to the east with military posts (Helaman 4:7).
There are other areas that
existed in this area that also match the living conditions of the Jews, such as
copious irrigation works, circumcision, and medical capability including
extensive trepanning. We might also add two main and long-standing languages,
that of Quechua and Aymara, as well as ancient legends regarding the sea,
travel, four brothers with sister wives, etc. And, it might be added, this land
runs north and south and does not require extensive changes in the knowledge of
the Nephite directions. While a couple or three of these items might be found
just about anywhere, every single one of them is found in the Andean area of
Peru, and all fit the scriptural record without any adjustment, changes,
explanations or fudging.
For a list of all 65 comparison
scriptural references and their matching existence in Andean South America, see
the book Lehi Never Saw Mesoamerica.
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