There is considerable controversy and differences of opinion as to where Lehi landed, and where the land “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. Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord” (2 Nephi 1:5).
In looking for that land promised to Lehi, many theorists have put forth their opinions and beliefs as to its geographical location. Many, as the following Heartland theorist does, begin with a specific and single point in mind, and then build an entire Land of Promise around it. Quoting him: “In my view, there are two categories of Book of Mormon maps: Those that show Cumorah in New York, and those that don’t. I see this as a clear binary choice. For me, any map that doesn’t put Cumorah in New York is not useful or even relevant.”
A theorist beginning with Cumorah in New York
In order to do this, the theorist must place his Land of Nephi up against the Land Northward, ignoring Alma’s description that the Land Northward was “so far Northward that it came into the land which had been peopled and been destroyed” (Alma 22:30)—referring to the Jaredites—and that the Land of Zarahemla was between the Land of Nephi and the Land Northward (Alma 22:27).
In addition, his map shows no Sea West as Mormon describes for the Land of Nephi’s western boundary: “on the west, in the land of Nephi; yea, and also on the west of the land of Zarahemla, in the borders by the seashore, and on the west in the land of Nephi, in the place of their fathers' first inheritance, and thus bordering along by the seashore” (Alma 22:28, emphasis added).
In addition, this theorist has to place his Land of Bountiful between the Land of Zarahemal and the Land of Nephi, contrary to Mormon’s description (Alma 22:27). Also, this theorist claims that Bountiful, which he locates between the Land of Zarahemla, to the west, and the Land of Nephi, to the east, does not touch any sea to the West other than the Great Lakes—which are clearly lakes and had no outlet to the sea in 600 BC. Yet, Mormon states: “Hagoth, he being an exceedingly curious man, therefore he went forth and built him an exceedingly large ship, on the borders of the land Bountiful, by the land Desolation, and launched it forth into the west sea, by the narrow neck which led into the land northward” (Alma 63:5, emphasis added).
It is also interesting that on this map, the Sea South is north of the lands of Zarahemla, Bountiful, and Nephi; and the Sea West is in the middle of the Nephite lands—hardly correct or near-correct directional labels which all other places in the Book of Mormon are.
Heartland Theorist map of the Land of Nephi and the Land of Zarahemla
Another Heartland Theorist also claims that the Land of Nephi is separated from the Land of Zarahemla by the Land of Bountiful which they have placed in between—rather than by a narrow strip of wilderness as Mormon states (Alma 22:27). In fact, several errors appear in this brief map as in all theorists’ maps:
• The land of Zarahemla is north of the Land of Nephi (Alma 53:10). Map shows it to the west;
• There is a Narrow Strip of Wilderness running from the Sea East to the Sea West between the Land of Zarahemla, to the north, and the Land of Nephi, to the South (Alma 22:27). Map shows no such strip of wilderness, only the Ohio River, which is not a wilderness but a river. Also Map shows Nephi and Zarahemla east and west of one another, not north and south;
• Land of Zarahemla lower in elevation than the Land of Nephi (Alma 51:11; 53:10). One the Map, these two locations are nearly the same elevation;
• The Land of Nephi runs from the West Sea to the East Sea, throughout which Land of Nephi the Lamanite King sent his proclamation: “the king sent a proclamation throughout all the land, amongst all his people who were in all his land, who were in all the regions round about, which was bordering even to the sea, on the east and on the west: (Alma 22:27). Map does not show this, with the Land of Nephi running from the Allegheny River to the East.
Another theorists’ map
Yet another theorist map showing errors in the scriptural matches, with no West Sea to the west of the lands of Nephi, Bountiful and Zarahemla. Mormon specifically mentions such a Sea, when he states that: “the land of Nephi and the land of Zarahemla were nearly surrounded by water, there being a small neck of land between the land northward and the land southward” (Alma 22:32); and also that Hagoth launched his ships into the West Sea at the narrow neck of land (Alma 63:5).
In addition, this theorist’s Narrow Strip of Wilderness does not separate the Land of Nephi from the Land of Zarahemla, but lies between the Land of Bountiful and the Land of Nephi. Also, he has the Land of Bountiful north of the Land of Nephi, with the Land of Zarahemla north of the Land of Bountiful, all contrary to Mormon’s descriptions. Also, the land of Bountiful does not touch the Land of Desolation.
A Mesoamerican map showing the same error
A Mesoamericanist has the same trouble following Mormon’s directions, when he places the Land of Desolation to the west of the Land of Bountiful instead of to the north as Mormon states: “on the north, even until they came to the land which they called Bountiful. And it bordered upon the land which they called Desolation, it being so far northward that it came into the land which had been peopled and been destroyed” (Alma 22:29-30).
The land of Bountiful lies far north of the land of Zarahemla (Alma 22:29), with a “fortified” line between the land of Zarahemla and the land of Bountiful that could be crossed in a single day from the west sea to the east—Royal Skousen, a professor of linguistics at BYU, claims the word "sea" was purposely "ellipted" or removed in several cases.
Note that in Alma 22:32-33 that "East" implies the proper noun East Sea in the 1830 Ed., p288; Alma 50:8, note that "West" implies the proper noun West Sea, p363, 1830 Ed; in Alma 50:34, note that "west" and "east" are not capitalized, p365, Helaman 4:7. Also, note that "East" implies East Sea, p415, 1830 Ed. Implicitly, there was a "sea" east of Bountiful (Skousen, Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon, Part Four, FARMS, 2007, p2069).
Still another Mesoamerican map
This theorist has the Land of Bountiful far to the east of the Land of Desolation (Land Northward). Yet, Mormon makes it clear that Desolation was north of Bountiful: “they came from there up into the south wilderness. Thus the land on the northward was called Desolation, and the land on the southward was called Bountiful” (Alma 22:31, emphasis added).
It is also interesting that this theorist has Hagoth’s ships sailing several hundred miles westward rather than follow Mormon’s description: “Hagoth, he being an exceedingly curious man, therefore he went forth and built him an exceedingly large ship, on the borders of the land Bountiful, by the land Desolation, and launched it forth into the west sea, by the narrow neck which led into the land northward. And in the thirty and eighth year, this man built other ships. And the first ship did also return, and many more people did enter into it; and they also took much provisions, and set out again to the land northward (Alma 63:5,7, emphasis added).
The point is, as always, none of these maps match Mormon’s many descriptive explanations of various views and terrain of the Land of Promise—these theorists seem to be more interested in their own opinions and beliefs than the scriptural record.
(See the next post regarding more of theorist maps and the errors they contain based on the scriptural record).
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