A New Landing Site for Lehi – Part III

Continued from the previous post regarding additional coverage of the Heartland Theorists claim that the Chattanooga area of Tennessee being the city of Nephi and the area of Montrose, Iowa, being Zarahemla.
    In the list of reasons why these theorists believe that Chattanooga was the city of Nephi, they list several points—the first (along with our response) was covered in the previous post:
2. “They went where the Lord directed them with the Liahona, so I don’t think they would have just landed wherever the wind blew them (which would probably have been Hispaniola or maybe the East Coast of Florida or South Carolina).”

The ocean currents and the winds that drive them have always existed because of gravity, wind, temperature, and land formations

Response: The Liahona did not change the environment around them, only gave them direction and instruction. Changing the course of the ocean currents and the winds that drive them would not have been the role of the Liahona as Nephi described it: “a round ball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness. we did follow the directions of the ball, which led us in the more fertile parts of the wilderness” (1 Nephi 16:10, 16); Lehi was told to “look upon the ball, and behold the things which are written…which caused him to fear and tremble exceedingly” (1 Nephi 16:26-27); and when Nephi added: “beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them” (1 Nephi 16:28).
    When the ball or compass stopped working because of the rebellion and mutiny of Laman, Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael, “the compass, which had been prepared of the Lord, did cease to work” (1 Nephi 18:12) and the mutineers “knew not whither they should steer the ship, insomuch that there arose a great storm…and we were driven back upon the waters for the space of three days” (1 Nephi 18:13). Then, later, Nephi states: “after they had loosed me, behold, I took the compass, and it did work whither I desired it. And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord; and after I had prayed the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was a great calm” (1 Nephi 18:21).
    Obviously, the Liahona (ball or compass) did not have power within and of itself, but was a conduit through which the Spirit directed Lehi’s party on their route both on land and on the sea. Consequently, the ship was taken by the winds and currents to a place the Lord wanted them to be, i.e., the Land of Promise, and that is where they went. They did not violate the physics of the Earth’s rotation, gravity, wind directions or currents of the sea. They not only went where the wind and currents took them, they would have landed where the wind blew them as the Lord planned.
3. I think it makes sense they landed about the same latitude [Similar climate for seeds] as Jerusalem, which they could tell from the stars. Latitudes Similar 30° 26′ 17″ N (Tallahassee, FL) and 31° 46′ 48″ N  (Jerusalem). Not similar is Guatemala at 15° 30′ 0″ N.”

There are only five Mediterranean Climates in the entire world that matches the climate of Jerusalem: The Mediterranean Area; South Africa, two in Australia, Southern California and La Serena, Chile

Response: More importantly is the climate of the coordinates, since they planted the seeds they brought with them from Jerusalem (1 Nephi 18:24). And that climate at Jerusalem is called a Mediterranean Climate, which by the way, only occurs on the west coast of a continent. However, the climate of Tallahassee (far from any continental west coast, is a Humid Subtropical Climate or Cfa on the Köppen-Geiger system or climate classification, while Jerusalem is a Mediterranean climate or Csa. The only matching Jerusalem climates in the Western Hemisphere are the area of Southern California (Mediterranean) and La Serena (Coquimbo Bay) Chile, which is also Mediterranean (29.90º S, 71.25º W)
4. “Crops grew abundantly. This would be difficult in the jungles or islands.”
Response: It would be difficult in any climate other than another Mediterranean Climate. While Tallahassee is certainly an area of sunshine and pleasant weather (it is one of the top 10 “Best Places” to live in Florida), the soils, temperature, and precipitation are harsher than a Mediterranean Climate which is what determines growth of plants, as all plants require certain climates in which to grow. Two of the big differences are the temperature and precipitation: the amount of rain in Tallahassee is 5.6 inches annually from 83 days of rain; in La Serena it is 0.9% inches annually, from 5 days of rain. The temperature in Tallahassee ranges between 93º and 41º; in La Serena it ranges between 72º and 47º. The summer weather in Tallahassee is hot and muggy (98º humidity); the weather in La Serena is cool and dry (0º humidity).  In addition, 40% of the days are overcast in Tallahassee, while 56% of the days are overcast in La Serena.
    The weather all year long is classified as cool, comfortable, warm, and hot in Tallahassee; the year-round weather in La Serena is comfortable and cool. In Tallahassee the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 60% of the time, and clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 40% of the time; in La Serena the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 44% of the time, and clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 56% of the time.

All of this has a direct impact on growing seeds in a different climate location than where they were originally grown, and one of the reasons why Lehi’s seeds would not have grown in Tallahassee, despite its latitude similarity.
5. “It had to be a mostly unoccupied area (not Mesoamerica). Only small groups of hunter/gatherers in Southeastern U.S. at the time. [A large group of people wouldn’t have allowed Nephi to be their king].”
Response: First of all, Nephi was never the Nephite king, though he was their leader (2 Nephi 5:18), and their teacher. Secondly, according to the scriptural record, there were no other people anywhere in the land promised to Lehi when they landed. Lehi said of this: “we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed” (2 Nephi 1:5). Also, “I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord. Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever” (2 Nephi 1:6-7, emphasis added). Note Lehi’s use of the future tense language throughout, meaning whoever the Lord would bring would be after Lehi—the Jaredites were no longer in the Land of Promise at this time.
6. “It had to be the same general land where the Jaredites lived [Cumorah and Ramah].”
Response: There is no question that the Jaredite hill Ramah was the same as the Nephite hill Cumorah (Ether 15:11); however, this hill was in the far north of the Land Northward (Ether 15:30). Neither the Heartland or in Mesoamerica, is such the case. Nor does the hill in western New York meet the descriptive requirements of the hill Cumorah described by Mormon, and this hill is not in the far north of the Heartland Land of Promise—but is actually to the east of the Sea East.
(See the next post, “A New Landing Site for Lehi – Part II,” regarding additional coverage of the Heartland Theorists claims of the Chattanooga area of Tennessee being the city of Nephi and the area of Montrose, Iowa, being Zarahemla)