Jaredites in Nephite Times – Part II

Even though in the Scriptural Record there is no indication, no record, no reference, not even a hint of suggestion that any indigenous or non-Nephite people, culture or languages, existed in the land of promise during the Book of Mormon record (600 B.C. to about 421 A.D.), John L. Sorenson and other Mesoamerican theorists insist there were. To these theorists, other cultures, languages and peoples lived there before, during and after the Nephite era providing a long and detailed history of their Mesoamerica model that does not match the scriptural record.

As absurd as this is, Sorenson insists:

“The treaty the Nephites had been forced to make would obviously be to areas inhabited by their own folk, not by strangers.”

What strangers?

 

There were no people mentioned or suggested in the scriptural record that would be classified as “strangers” other than Mulekites when first encountered—and that was short-lived since they were absorbed into the Nephites Mosiah brought out of the Land of Nephi. There simply were no such indigenous people existing anywhere in the Land of Promise only in theorists opinions and beliefs. What is amazing about all this is theorists unusual approach to what does and what does not exist in the record.

When it suits the purpose of the theorists, especially Mesoamerican theorists, to invent tens of thousands of indigenous people without one recorded word to suggest such, they can turn around and claim that when something is not in the record, then it must not have existed. Speaking in support of his view that no Nephites lived in the area of Moron, Sorenson writes:

“Nowhere in the Nephite record is there any indication that they occupied that zone,” yet turn right around and claim there were indigenous people in the land that are not mentioned in the record but were there!

How can anyone use the argument that something is not in the record, therefore it did not exist, when throughout their entire arguments, they keep insisting numerous things that are not in the record as existing? This is the fodder for humorous writing, and if it were not so serious a matter it would be humorous. Consider:

• Theorist: There is an extensive claim that there were indigenous people in the Land of Promise—though the scriptural record does not record a single one;

• Theorist: There is no mention that there were Nephites in the Land of Moron—but the scriptural record claims Nephites occupied that land;

• Theorist: There were those in the Land of Promise considered strangers to the Nephites—the scriptural record lists no people that were strangers to the Nephites (oher than the Mulekites who were quickly absorbed); 

Western coastal shoreline of Land of Promise

 

• Theorist: It is claimed there were highlands (highland mass) in the western half of the Land Northward—however, there is no mention in the scriptural record of western highlands in the Land Northward;

• Theorist: Theorists claim there were non-Nephite people speaking other languages in the Land of Promise—the scriptural record lists no such people, let alone another language;

The list of contradictions does not end here, of course, but that should suffice to show the convoluted thinking of these theorists, including Sorenson, and to what ends they will go to try and support their models.

• Mormon says north and south.
Sorenson, Nibley, and other Mesoamerican theorists says east and west.
But there are many other areas of immediately interest and, likewise, of immediate concern:
• Nephi tells us and Mormon verifies that there were no other people in the Land of Promise other than the Jaredites, Nephites, Mulekites and Lamanites.
Sorenson, Nibley, Roberts and other Mesoamerican theorists tell us there were all sorts of other people in the Land of Promise.
• Mormon says both the Jaredites and Nephites used metallurgy extensively.
Sorenson in his 1985 landmark book argues for metallurgy existence in 600 A.D., and claims the future will show us more and it is only a matter of time—however, 34 years later, no change in metallurgy archaeology in Mesoamerica has yet been discovered, despite the extensive work done in that area, both by Church archaeologist and others.
• Mormon says there is a Sea North and a Sea South.
Sorenson and other Mesoamerican theorists say there are only two seas, the Sea East, located in the north, and Sea West, located in the south.
• Mormon says Hagoth’s sailed to the north from his shipyard on the West Sea near the Narrow Neck of Land

• Theorist: Sorenson places his Land of Many Waters in Mesoamerica 350 miles away from his hill Cumorah—Mormon places the hill within the Land of Cumorah, which is within the Land of Many Waters, all in the same area.

• Theorist: Mesoamerican theorists claim there were just two seas: East and West—the scriptural record list four seas: North, East, South and West.

• Theorist: Sorenson and other Mesoamericanists claim Nephi landed on, and occupied an isthmus—the scriptural record states that Jacob states, and Nephi records on the plates, that the Nephites landed and lived on an island

Corinatumr writing on the stone in Zarahemla before his death

 

• Theorist: Sorenson, Nibley and others tell us that Jaredites survived and lived into the Nephite era and influenced the Nephites—however, the scriptural record states that all the Jaredites had been wiped out and killed, that only the Jaredites Coriantumr and Ether remained;

• Theorist: Sorenson and others tell us that Mulek landed among the Jaredites in the Land Northward and migrated down to Zarahemla later—on the other hand, Mormon states that Mulek landed along the seashore and settled there and lived there from the time they first arrived in the Land of Promise

• Theorist: Sorenson, using the Mayan calendar, tells us the Flood occurred in 3113 BC—Moses tells us in the Bible that the Flood came in 2344 BC, and all Book of Mormon, Land of Promise dates are based on that dating.

• Theorist: Sorenson claims that in the first centuries after Nephi’s landing, no indication is given that the Hebrew speech of the Nephites changed to any other tongue though the possibility remains. Other Mesoamerican theorists claim that it is unlikely that the Hebrew persisted down to the time of Cumorah—yet, Moroni tells us that the Nephites spoke Hebrew throughout their time in the Land of Promise.”

It does not matter who is speaking, short of a revelation voted on by the Church, anyone stating something different than is stated in the scriptura record, is doing so from their personal viewpoint, which is especially true of listening to theorists promote their theories, opinions and beliefs, no matter how strongly and convincingly they may be.