Using strictly the scriptures, I
would like to ask the following questions of those many Theorists who claim their pet theories about the
location of the Land of Promise are consistent with the scriptural record.
This sixth question is also
directed to John L. Sorenson, and all those Mesoamerican Theorists who claim
the Land of Promise was located in Mesoamerica:
6. “With Moronihah’s army along the western borders and Lehi’s army along
the eastern borders, where they thought the Lamanites would attack, how did both
Nephite armies get over the Sierra Madres mountains in time to head
Coroantumr’s Lamanite army heading for Bountiful up the center parts of the
land?”
The
Mesoamericanists’ Land of Promise has the Sierra Madre Mountains knifing
through the entire length. To the right above is the Land Southward, with these
mountains making movement north and south across the width most difficult
First, Moronihah thought any
Lamanite attack would come not toward their stronghold Zarahemla, but in the
borders of the land as had happened in the past (Helaman 1:26).
Second, Moronihah had stationed
his army along one border and stationed Lehi and his army along the opposite
border, not believing the Lamanites would try a central attack, which is
exactly what Coriantumr, a Nephite dissenter did (Helaman 1:17).
Third,
the Lamanites were not frightened
according to Moronihah’s beliefs of an attack along the west or east borders,
but they had come into the center of the land, and had taken the capital city
which was the city of Zarahemla, and were marching through the most capital
parts of the land, slaying the people with a great slaughter, both men, women,
and children, taking possession of many cities and of many strongholds (Helaman
1:27).
Fourth, after capturing Zarahemla with ease,
Coriantumr became convinced he could capture all of the Nephite lands (Helaman
1:22) clear to Bountiful and set out for that city (Helaman 1: 24) through the
center parts of the land (Helaman 1:25).
Fifth, and now "Coriantumr did not tarry in the land of
Zarahemla, but he did march forth with a large army, even towards the city of
Bountiful; for it was his determination to go forth and cut his way through
with the sword, that he might obtain the north parts of the land" (Helaman
1:23).
The Sierra Madre runs parallel to the coast, making any movement inland
a difficult climb or search for some type of low-lying pass; Once over the
initial mountains, the army would be faced with a series of mountain ridges to
climb up and down in order to get to the center of the land to try to join
forces with the eastern Nephite army and stop Coriantumr
Sixth, with great speed, Moronihah dispatched Lehi
and his army to head off Coriantumr from reaching Bountiful (Helaman 1:28). And
Lehi was successful in his racing his army northward and cut off Coriantumr
before they reached the land of Bountiful (Helaman 1:29).
Seventh, the Lamanites, encountering Lehi and his army, began
to retreat back towards the land of Zarahemla; however, Moronihah and his army
cut off the Lamanites in their retreat (1 Helaman 1:30).
Eighth, trapped between both Nephite armies, “the Lamanites
could not retreat either way, neither on the north, nor on the south, nor on
the east, nor on the west, for they were surrounded on every hand by the
Nephites” (Helaman 1:31).
Ninth, Coriantumr was slain in the battle and the Lamanites
surrendered (Helaman 1:32). Thus Moronihah
took possession of the city of Zarahemla again, and caused that the Lamanites
who had been taken prisoners should depart out of the land in peace, which
ended the forty and first year of the reign of the judges (Helaman 1:32-34).
The Sierra
Madre covers most of southern Mexico (Sorenson’s Land Northward) and all the
way in to Guatemala (Sorenson’s Land Southward). These mountains would have
presented a difficult obstacle to both Moronihah’s and Lehi’s attempts to climb to
cut off Coriantumr in his race from Zarahemla to Bountiful up the capital or
central parts of the land
The problem with all of this when we place these events in
Mesoamerica is that both Nephite armies would have been stationed in the
lowlands near the coasts where Lamanite advances were possible, since the
Sierra Madre Mountains run the complete length of Mexico through Guatemala to
Honduras, with only two low-lying passes over which armies could have marched
being one the Chivela Pass, in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (Mesoamericanists’
Narrow Neck of Land), which would have been too far north, for Lehi headed
Coriantumr before he reached the land of Bountiful (Helaman 1:28-29), and the
other pass is in Honduras, far to the south.
So, the question again is “With Moronihah’s army along the western borders and Lehi’s army along
the eastern borders, where they thought the Lamanites would attack, how did
both Nephite armies get over the Sierra Madres mountains in time to head
Coroantumr’s Lamanite army heading for Bountiful up the center parts of the
land?"
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