Here are more comments that
we’ve received on this website blog.
Comment #1: “I am enjoying reading your blog site
NephiCode.com. I will probably buy the book at some point. I read the book by
Venice Priddis (The Book and the Map) years ago, and have remained convinced
that the Book of Mormon lands are in South America” Richard.
Response: It is amazing how little interest this
information as generated, yet it matches every single scriptural description in
the Book of Mormon—something no other model can even come close to doing. If
you like the book, you might want to look at the second one, Who Really Settled Mesoamerica, since it
has some information no one has ever thought to consider about how the
Jaredites got to the Land of Promise and from what and how their submersible barges were
made.
For
information purposes, Verla Leone Birrell’s book The Book of Mormon Guide Book—An Internal Reconstruction of the
Archaeology, History, and Religious Teachings of the Ancient Peoples of the
Book of Mormon, Stevens & Wallis, 1948, was the first to propose the
Bay of Guayaquil to the Andes Mountains in South America as the narrow neck of
land. Vince Priddis’ book The Book and
the Map, Bookcraft, 1975, followed with a similar South American theme, and
that was followed by Arthur Kocherhans work Lehi’s
Isle of Promise, which expanded on the idea of Lehi landing in South
America.
Comment #2: “How did Moroni travel
all the way from South America to NY. I am about to purchase your first book.
Is this discussed at all in that book (or any of your other books)? Thank you!”
Jeffrey.
Response: That is not
covered in the book since the book is not about modern times (Hill Cumorah and
Joseph Smith). However, it has been written about several times in this blog.
In short, there are three possibilities: 1) Moroni carried the plates to
upstate New York while still living (not likely); 2) Moroni, as a quickened
being (like the 3 witnesses) carried the plates to upstate New York (more
likely, as it fits Joseph Smith’s comment about seeing Moroni along the road
carrying the plates over his shoulder; 3) The Lord transported the plates to
the hill Cumorah in upstate New York through whatever means that man would not
understand. Take your pick. Personally, I prefer the second one since there is
an example of Moroni doing just that after Joseph had received the plates. One
thing is for certain, the hill Cumorah in upstate New York is not the hill
Cumorah mentioned in the Land of Promise since upstate New York has not a
single match to any scriptural description of the Land of Promise.
Consequently, the plates had to have been transported there at some time
between 421 A.D. and 1820 A.D.
Comment #3: “It is claimed that though the land of
Desolation is so frequently referred to in the earlier annals of the Nephites,
nothing is said of a city of that name until the time of the great final war
between the Nephites and Lamanites and we are left in doubt as to whether it
was built or not, until after the advent of the Redeemer. Some suppose it was
the place where Hagoth’s shipyards originally stood: it is evident it was on
the sea coast, as we are told that after one important battle the bodies of the
slain were thrown into the sea. What is your take on this?” Henry W.
Response: We find
that the Jaredites, long before 600 B.C., “built a great city by the narrow
neck of land, by the place where the sea divides the land” (Ether 10:20). They
evidently built this in the Land Northward, or on the north side of the narrow
neck of land. This city is unnamed, but it would not matter since the Jaredites
would not have used the term “desolation” for any reason, either to name the
land or the city, since it was a Nephite term (from an old Jewish custom) of
naming an area desolation based on the destruction or wars that took place
there. This is seen in the destruction of the city of Ammonihah: “after many
days their dead bodies were heaped up upon the face of the earth, and they were
covered with a shallow covering. And now so great was the scent thereof that
the people did not go in to possess the land of Ammonihah for many years. And
it was called Desolation of Nehors; for they were of the profession of Nehor,
who were slain; and their lands remained desolate” (Alma 16:11).
As for Hagoth
building his ships in or near that city, we are told that beginning in 55 B.C.,
Hagoth built his ships “on the borders of the land Bountiful, by the land
Desolation, and launched it forth into the west sea, by the narrow neck which
led into the land northward” (Alma 63:5). This shows us that his shipyard was
in the Land Southward, or on the south side of the narrow neck of land. This
means that the city of the Jaredites, which many feel is same city as that of
the later city of Desolation, is to the north of the narrow neck and Hagoth’s
shipyards are to the south of the narrow neck. In addition, the city of
Desolation mentioned by Mormon was in the Land of Desolation and the city was
“in the borders, by the narrow pass which led into the land southward” (Mormon
3:5). This city is named the city of Desolation (Mormon 3:7). Thus, the city of
Desolation mentioned by Mormon was built on or near the old Jaredite city since
they are described as being in the same area.
Comment #4: “Alma
50:34, it states there is a narrow pass that leads into the land of Desolation.
Obviously, then, along with Alma 22:32, there are at least two ways to get into
the Land Northward from the south, not just one as you maintain” Sebastian A.
Response: In 67 B.C.,
a border dispute developed between the people of Morianton, led by a man named
Morianton, and the people in the land of Lehi. At one point, the people of Lehi
appealed to Moroni to intervene. Now Morianton feared Moroni and his army so he
and his people fled toward Bountiful, hoping to reach the Land Northward (Alma
50:31-32). Moroni then sent an army to head off Morianton before he reached the
Land Northward. This army was led by Teancum he “did not head them until they
had come to the borders of the land Desolation; and there they did head them,
by the narrow pass which led by the sea into the land northward, yea, by the
sea, on the west and on the east” (Alma 50:34). Here we see that the Land of
Bountiful and the Land of Desolation are separated by a “narrow pass,” with the
sea on both sides of this narrow area north of Bountiful and south of
Desolation. Or stated differently, the narrow pass is within the narrow neck of
land, for this is the only area ever described as separating the two lands. Thus,
we see that the entire Land Southward was surrounded by water except for the
narrow neck of land that ran between them (Alma 22:32), so there could be no
other stretch of land, or no other means to travel by land between the Land
Southward and the Land Northward. Consequently, there are not two ways between
the two lands—just the narrow neck which had a narrow pass or passage within
it.
Just saw some interesting news about the BofM lands.
ReplyDeleteElder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints created the Church's 100th stake (similar to a Catholic diocese) in Peru on Sunday.
During the Sunday services, Elder Christofferson encouraged Latter-day Saints to continue to follow Jesus Christ by serving others. He also spoke about the Church's rapid growth in Peru, where some 520,000 Mormons in nearly 800 congregations reside. The first Peruvian stake was created in 1970, and the Church has one of its 141 temples in Lima, with two others (one announced in Arequipa, another under construction in Trujillo) on the way.
The growth in Peru is really quite exciting. There was one stake in Lima in 1970, seven in 1980, 19 in 1990, 33 in 2000, 39 in 2010, and 40 in mid-2012. Lehi would be proud to see the promises the Lord made to him are being fulfilled.
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