We have reported in these pages
before that there are some 41,000 different Christian denominations as reported
by Christianity Today, who also
reported in “General Statistics and Facts of Christianity” that there are 2.18
billion Christians around the world, nearly a third of the global population,
with 247 million in the United States according to the 2010 Pew Forum on
Religion and Public Life. But it is the 41,000 different denominations that are
the concern. 41,000 different interpretations of some, part, or all of a single
book—the Bible.
This might make the
number of varying ideas, theories and models of the Book of Mormon Land of Promise
geographical location and appearance seem trivial, it is still a wonder that so
many different ideas can spring from such a limited number of scriptural
references on the subject. In addition, there are numerous people with their
own views of a geographical location that base their models on something an LDS
Prophet or General Authority has said, or is reported as having said.
To the latter, it
should be clearly understood that no LDS Prophet, or any General Authority is
ever going to make a claim contrary to the scriptural record of the Book of
Mormon. It is simply not within their prevue, nature, or priesthood calling to
do so. In addition, it should also be clearly understood that no LDS Prophet or
General Authority, or anyone else in a position of authority in the Church has
ever made a claim, speaking for the Church, of any specific location in which the Book of Mormon lands are located
other than to say they are located in the Western Hemisphere, with some going
so far as to say the Land of Promise is North, Central and South America.
Consequently, it is
always amazing when someone tries to validate a Land of Promise location by a
statement attributed to a Prophet or General Authority. Such is simply not the
case for any location.
This leaves us only
one reference to use in coming to our own conclusions about where the Book of
Mormon Land of Promise was located, and that is the Book of Mormon itself and,
more specifically, the words Mormon used to gives us such information.
No other source is
relevant! If it doesn’t agree with the scriptural record, then it is not
correct, no matter the source!
The Spirit is not
going to testify to any historian, writer, educator, or individual that any
location contrary to the scriptural record is the place of the Land of Promise.
Consequently, the Book of Mormon is the only source to quote, and the only
source to use, to verify a geographical location for the Book of Mormon Land of
Promise.
Now, having said
that, there are other sources that can be useful in helping to validate a
location. Archaeological findings, historical events, topographical features,
etc., but they are only secondary to the scriptural record itself. First and
foremost is the information Mormon gave us, knowing we, a future generation
would be reading his words, and knowing they might want to have some
understanding of the geographical setting of the events he abridged. It is also
helpful to have an 1828 American
Dictionary of the English Language showing the meaning of words known to
Joseph Smith, as a guide in understanding some of the words Joseph used in his
translation that, in our day, have changed to some degree in their meaning.
We need to start with Lehi’s travels, and
follow along with him until he reaches the Land of Promise to know where that
land was located. We cannot arbitrarily pick out a location, then try to
determine how he got there and what was located there
With this in mind,
then we need to turn to the scriptural record to consider any location,
beginning with Lehi leaving his home outside Jerusalem, including their travels
to Irreantum, including the ship that Nephi built, the winds and currents that
“drove” the ship, and where those winds and currents would have taken a weather
ship “driven forth before the wind.”
At that point, Nephi
tells us what he found on that land, where he found it, its quantity, and that
seeds from Jerusalem grew exceedingly and provided abundant crops. Nephi also
tells us that he found iron and could make steel, and that copper gold and
silver were found in single ore, and in abundance; Mosiah tells us about two
unknown, but important grains; Ether about two unknown, but important animals;
Alma tells us about a natural cure for fever, and herbs and plants curing
maladies, and also tells us that pieces of gold and silver (coins?) were the
Nephite monetary system and their values; and Helaman tells us about the
Nephites building ships and their shipping businesses.
We learn of fabulous
roads, stone walls, and a temple built that Nephi compared to the temple of
Solomon. We also learn of an industrious people who were taught numerous
building skills by Nephi who was taught how to build by the Lord. We recognize
the skills of the Nephites that originated with the Jews in terms of building
houses, synagogues, palaces, temples, etc. And throughout the writing we find
two peoples almost constantly at war, and
how Moroni and his son Moronihah fortified much of the Nephite lands
and cities, with wood, stone, and dirt.
While it is true that
people, especially Americans, like to think for themselves, the scriptures are
not for private interpretation (2 Peter 1:20-21, 2:1). We need to consider the
words carefully, contemplate and ponder their meaning, and arrive at an
understanding through this careful study that is consistent with other
scriptural references. We cannot say that one scripture means something when
another scripture contradicts that meaning. All scripture is written under the
influence of the Spirit and all scripture is going to coincide and complement
each other even if we cannot see that connection at first. Pondering is a lot
of work, and takes a lot of concentration, study, learning, and understanding.
What the scriptural
record does not allow, and we are not at liberty to do, is make up things and
claims that are not in the record.
As an example, since
distances are not clearly stated in the record, nor even implied in most cases,
we cannot decide we know how far it was from one point to another. There is no
scriptural verification for that. Even when the scripture says, “And after they
had been in the wilderness twelve days they arrived in the land of Zarahemla”
(Mosiah 24:25), we cannot be certain the distance or even come up with a close
idea, since we do not know at what elevations the journey covered, whether
people were moving on level, hilly, or rocky ground, or whether they moved quickly or
leisurely, whether they had to move slowly because of terrain problems such as
climbing over mountains, skirting canyons, or people problems such as seeing to
sick and injured, children and babies, old and infirmed, etc., etc., etc. How
long did they pause for meals, how long did it take to hunt, kill and prepare meat,
find water, vegetables, bake bread or whatever they did.
The only good example
is when Mormon tells us the width of the narrow strip of wilderness was a day-and-a-half journey for a Nephite can we really come close, since the purpose
of the statement was for us to better understand a distance. That is, Mormon
wanted us to know how wide the narrow neck of land was. So we can figure a Nephite
represents a common man of his day would be more or less equal to a common man
of our day, a day-and-a-half journey would be the same time frame as today, and
therefore we can figure out how far a common man can walk in a day-and-a-half,
etc. Though still not be exact, for we don’t know whether the Nephite was
walking on level ground, whether he rested during darkness, whether he had to
go around obstacles, etc., etc., etc.
With all of this in
mind, and looking at all the various suggestions and models for the Land of
Promise by numerous writers, and comparing each with the entire scriptural
record, not just a scripture or idea, but the entire record, it can only be
asked: “Where do they get their ideas from?” Certainly not from the Book of
Mormon!
(See the next post,
“Where do they get their ideas – Part II,” for examples of geographical
settings that are not supported by the Book of Mormon)
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