Surviving Final Battles – Part I

Not only do Mesoamerican theorists claim there were other people in the Land of Promise when Lehi landed, John L. Sorenson also claims that there were Nephites that survived the final battle at Cumorah. While the disciple Nephi makes it very clear that the destruction in the land was quite severe, Sorenson tries to lessen the  results of the damage. As an example, Sorenson writes about the destruction that took place at the time of the Savior’s crucifixion as spelled out in 3 Nephi 8-9, stating in his book: “So we need to use restraint in the picture we allow our minds to construct of the totality of the destruction” (John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, Deseret Book, SLC, 1985, p320).

Clearly, Sorenson then turns around later in his book and states (p344) that, though the scriptural record makes it clear that all the Jaredites were wiped out in their battles, other than Coriantumr and Ether, he claims “We know from linguistic and archaeological study that it was occupied by groups descended in part from Jaredite times.” Of the final battle at Cumorah, Sorenson writes: “Were there Nephite left after the battle. Some, yes. The scripture makes that clear. Only they were no longer called Nephites. Mormon noted that, “a few…had escaped into the south countries, and a few…had dissented over unto the Lamanites” (Mormon 6:15). Sorenson then goes on to write: “Naturally, large number of people of Nephite descent had never consented to flee their lands in the first place” (Mormon 2:7-8), “but had switched allegiance and renounced their old beliefs and allegiance rather than move out” (Mormon 1:2).
    Now there are several points here that Sorenson either does not understand or simply believes he knows more than what was written, even in the references he cites. First is the reference to Mormon 6:15. After telling us that some 230,000 had fallen at Cumorah, Mormon tells us that:
1. 24 survived with him, and gathered on the top of the hill;
2. A few had escaped into the South countries;
3. Nephite towns, villages and cities were destroyed, but some Nephites did not join in the fight against the Lamanites
4 A few had deserted over to the Lamanites and been killed.
5. Mormon observed to his son that "many of our brethren have dissented over unto the Lamanites" (Mormon 9:24).”
6. “The Doctrine and Covenants says that modern descendants of not only the Nephites but also the major lineages allied with them, the Jacobites, Josephites, and Zoramites, will yet be identified (D&C 3:17-20; 10:48).”
    Now, as Mormon and the 24 other survivors looked out over the battlefield from the top of a hill, Mormon says: “O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you! Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss. O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have fallen! But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return” (Momon 6:17-20). This leaves no room for any large or significant number of Nephites surviving. Mormon even says that by using the phrase “a few escaped.”

As for those who did escape into the south countries, Moroni tells us later that “the Nephites who had escaped into the country southward were hunted by the Lamanites, until they were all destroyed” (Mormon 8:2).
    “Until they were all destroyed,” unequivocally tells us that all, that is all, that went into the south countries were killed.
    As for those who Sorenson claims did not join in with the Nephites, Moroni makes it quite clear that those left behind were killed as well: “The Lamanites have hunted my people, the Nephites, down from city to city and from place to place, even until they are no more; and great has been their fall; yea, great and marvelous is the destruction of my people, the Nephites” (Mormon 8:7).  Moroni makes it even more clear when he says: “And now, behold, I say no more concerning them, for there are none save it be the Lamanites and robbers that do exist upon the face of the land” (Mormon 8:9).
    Having spent almost an entire book showing that there were people in the Land of Promise at the time of Lehi’s landing, and that both Jaredites and Nephites survived the cataclysmic battles that saw the end of both civilizations, Sorenson still has the temerity to write that: “We should not go beyond what the text declares with measured care.”
    It is interesting that he can make such a warning comment when he violates his own rule, going far beyond what is written when wanting to connect the scriptural record to his theory of Mesoamerica—that is, claiming that there were people living in the Land of Promise when Lehi lived, and claiming that there were Jaredites and Nephites who survived the cataclysmic ends to their civilizations.
    As an example, Sorenson writes: “Were there Nephites left after that battle? Some, yes. The scripture makes that clear. Only they were no longer called Nephites. Mormon noted that ‘a few...had escaped into the south countries, and a few...had dissented over unto the Lamanites’ (Mormon 6:15). Naturally, large numbers of people of Nephite descent had never consented to flee their lands in the first place (Mormon 2:7-8), but had switched their allegiance rather than move out (Moroni 1:2).” Mormon observed to his son that "many of our brethren have dissented over unto the Lamanites" (Mormon 9:24).
    To determine if there were surviving Nephites left in the land after the final battle at Cumorah, let’s take Sorenson’s three points one at a time:
1. “24 survived with him, and gathered on the top of the hill.”
     This is the only point of which theorists are correct in all of these points of Nephites surviving the final battle at Cumorah. Of course these 24 people were eventually all killed by the Lamanites with the exception of Moroni (Mormon 8:3). We know of no survival of the others of whom Mormon mentions, nor is one ever implied.  

Did Moroni die after dispatching three of the six Lamanites he encountered?

We might consider a comment purported to have been made by Thomas B. Marsh, an original member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and served as its first president, who claimed Joseph Smith told him, “that he became very anxious to know something of the fate of Moroni, and in answer to prayer the Lord gave Joseph a vision, in which appeared a wild country and on the scene was Moroni after whom were six Indians in pursuit; he stopped and one of the Indians stepped forward and measured swords with him. Moroni smote him and he fell dead; another Indian advanced and contended with him; this Indian also fell by his sword; a third Indian then stepped forth and met the same fate; a fourth afterwards contended with him, but in the struggle with the fourth, Moroni, being exhausted, was killed. Thus ended the life of Moroni" (this is not a direct quote, but a circular one that began at a meeting at Spanish Fork in the winter of 1896. 
    A Brother Higginson stated in my presence that Thomas B. Marsh told him that the Prophet Joseph Smith told him (Thomas B. Marsh, he being then President of the Twelve), that he became very anxious to know something of the fate of Moroni, and in answer to prayer the Lord gave Joseph a vision, in which appeared a wild country and on the scene was Moroni after whom were six Indians in pursuit; he stopped and one of the Indians stepped forward and measured swords with him. Moroni smote him and he fell dead; another Indian advanced and contended with him; this Indian also fell by his sword; a third Indian then stepped forth and met the same fate; a fourth afterwards contended with him, but in the struggle with the fourth, Moroni, being exhausted, was killed. Thus ended the life of Moroni” (Charles David Evans, “The Fate of Moroni, 1897,” Archives Division, Church Historical Department, Salt Lake City, UT., 1897; also: H. Doni Peterson, Moroni: Ancient Prophet, Modern Messenger, Cedar Fort, Springville, UT., 2008, p77).
    Thus we know that both Mormon and Moroni were killed, and since there is no mention of the other 22 from the top of the hill during Moroni’s following 37 year of wandering, it must be assumed they too did not survive.
2. Mormon noted that "a few...had escaped into the south countries.”

Alone and hiding from the Lamanites, Moroni wandered the land for 37 years while he completed his record

Moroni clears that up by saying as stated earlier that the Lamanites had tracked them down and killed them all. He also said that: “I even remain alone to write the sad tale of the destruction of my people” (Mormon 8:3, emphasis added). In addition, Moroni stated: “I am alone. My father hath been slain in battle, and all my kinsfolk, and I have not friends nor whither to go; and how long the Lord will suffer that I may live I know not” (Mormon 8:5, emphasis added); and finally, “for there are none save it be the Lamanites and robbers that do exist upon the face of the land” (Mormon 8:9, emphasis added).
    It is hard to imagine anyone, after reading the sad tale of the demise of the Nephites and Moroni’s doleful tale of their demise, that there would have been any Nephites left upon the face of the land. Yet many theorists claim such.
(See the next post, “Surviving Final Battles – Part II,” regarding the theorists erroneous views that Nephites survived the final battle at Cumorah and the next four points mentioned above)