This new 919 page book is expected to be the encyclopedia of book of mormon history and geography for years to come. Many also are unaware of some rather surprising new discoveries supporting the book of mormon which have been brought about by the advanced methods of science. It provides a testimony of the visit of jesus christ to the promised land of america after his death and resurrection. Discovering the lost lands of the book of mormon book of. In my view, there are two categories of book of mormon maps. George is a proponent that the book of mormon lands are in peru. The book of mormon is more than a history book of the ancient nephite and jaredite nations. If we had conclusive proof of the book of mormon lands lying around, or anything else for that matter, it would be too easy. The information and opinions expressed herein are the sole responsibility and opinion of the authors. A summary of several theories of book of mormon lands in. Perhaps at tulum youll be surprised to see zama a maya city, book of mormon like setting perched as a light house on the shore the important structures here include the castillo, a former temple and the temple of the frescos with th century wall painting this is the garden tomb of book of mormon lands.
Temple dedicatory prayerslamanites in south, central. The book of mormon is a record of the forefathers of our. Those that show cumorah in new york, and those that dont. Book of mormon evidences mormonism, the mormon church. Publishers, 1989 for the best summary of this entire subject. This little hill is identified as the hill cumorah in our model of the lands of the book of mormon.
Defying mexican gangs costs mormons their lives houston. In this episode, well talk about strengths of the theory. We are the pioneers of the book of mormon tour concept. For me, any map that doesnt put cumorah in new york is not useful or even relevant. Come join us for an adventure of a lifetime to explore firsthand, the beautiful world of guatemala, the land of the eternal spring, and other wonderful countries of central and south america, mexico, and the caribbean. Outline map of part of mesoamerica, including southern mexico and western. Of course, placing the book of mormon lands within a limited region like. My response is simple, there isnt one or even ten, but rather it is the correlation of everything asserted in the book of mormon can be plausibly found in baja california that is most compelling. Of course these inconsistencies could readily be explained by understanding the book of mormon as a work of fiction written by a nineteenth century american, but book of mormon scholars often approach the topic with the a priori acceptance of the theory that the book of mormon is an ancient text as joseph smith claimed. Almas lds tours in cancun lds tours cancun, cozumel. In general, baja california geography theories have major geographical.
The book of mormon itself is the best source for understanding the geographical locations contained therein. Mar 06, 2012 the lost lands of the book of mormon phyllis carol olive on. In this podcast brother ash discusses the rosenvalls model for the book of mormon geography in the baja peninsula of mexico. This is our last conversation with david rosenvall. Our mission has been to show our visitors from all over the world the spiritualhistorical message of the mayan lands that relate to the book of mormon.
The church claimed 1,455,774 members at the end of 2018. The interpretion of the image as referenced in joseph allens book exploring the lands of the book of mormon is listed below the image. Book of mormon geography posted on july 25, 2014 by bruce nielson i recently came across a new and interesting book of mormon geography theory that i wanted to pass along even though i havent researched it much yet and so cant say what i think of it. Discovering the lost lands of the book of mormon e. Sporting bold grey and green colors, this symbolic mexico necktie features the pyramid of kukulkan, a legendary battle serpent. Mormons found sanctuary in mexico in 1880s prolades. See my answers to questions about the book of mormon here. The land of zarahemla is at a lower elevation relative to the land. Mexico, i dont believe there is evidence that indians on the baja. Book of mormongeographynew worldgreat lakes geography. In our last few episodes weve tried to poke holes in davids theory of the baja theory of the book of mormon. Mexico is home to the largest body of members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church outside of the united states.
May 02, 2010 i think the book of mormon lands were taken up into heaven along with the golden plates. New jerusalem true book of mormon geography lands, western. This book is a great read and serves as a great companion to studying the book of mormon. To the members and nonmembers of the lds church we warmly welcome you to lds tours in cancun by almas lds tours llc a us and mexico based company. The book of mormon is not specific if the weather system with the east wind comes from. To help with the increasing amount of new information, a blog site has been setup for research relating to the book of mormon lands in baja california. Perhaps at tulum youll be surprised to see zama a maya city, book of mormon like setting perched as a light house on the shore the important structures here include the castillo, a former temple and the temple of the frescos with th century wall painting this is the garden tomb of book of mormon lands for us.
Arianne brown is a mother of six young children and is an altra, probar, nuun and unshoes sponsored athlete. First, look at the 1983 mexico city temple dedication. I dont have a problem with the bearded white god in mexico and further south as christ told the nephites he had. Within our model of the lands of the book of mormon, the area that this. But i emphasize, thats because i think knowing the realworld setting is important. The name mesoamerica is a term used to identify the heartland of a number of significant precolumbian cultures. In 2008, the new second edition of exploring the lands of the book of mormon, with authors joseph and blake, and edited by dr. Book of mormon land in baja general discussions mormon. Sorenson acknowledges that book of mormon prophecy says the new jerusalem will be built on book of mormon land, specifically, the land northward, by a narrow neck, which cant be independence, missouri. The book details the story of mormons who sought refuge in mexico after fleeing from us authorities for polygamy. Such a view obviously raises questions about the sites located on the yucatan, especially those on the eastern coast. A model for the book of mormon in baja influence of the.
Since the publication of their work, an approach to the study of book of mormon geography, analysts of the scripture have found still more data in the book of mormon s own statements suggesting that the immediate land covered by the book s events was probably only. These writers have poured over maps of both north and south america in trying to find book of mormon lands. Book mormon colonies in mexico is also the title of a 1938 book by thomas cottam romney. The land of zarahemla is at a lower elevation relative to the land of nephi. Book of mormon tours lehitours guided tours of guatemala.
People would be left with a choice of living or not living the gospel instead of debating where it was taught or if it is real. It is our assertion that the heartlands of the book of mormon peoplesthe nephites, the lamanites, the jaredites and the people of mulekwere located in what is now the peninsula of baja california. Satellite image of baja california, mexico, overlaid with book of mormon lands. A dna study by emory university, accepted by the smithsonian, acknowledges that some native americans have ancestry in common with the peoples in modern israel and the mediterranean area. Jul 17, 2015 my model is presented somewhat differently than other book of mormon geographical models. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints has not officially sanctioned any mayan sites as book of mormon sites. According to latter day saint scripture, the narrative in the book of mormon came to an end in the ancient land cumorah, where moroni, in 421 ad deposited the golden plates prior to his death. The mormon colonies in mexico are settlements located near the sierra madre mountains in northern mexico which were established by members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church beginning in 1885 8699 the colonists came to mexico due to federal attempts to curb and prosecute polygamy in the united states. After several months of intense careful study of the text i have put together the following proposed map, showing the relative positions of book of mormon lands, cities, rivers, etc. It is pretty apparent to me that the book of mormon lands are much smaller. We propose that the land of nephi was located in the southern. An approach to the book of mormon geography a choice land. Book online the most popular tours in cancun, mexico.
The maya and the olmec have a written languagea requirement for book of mormon peoples, who kept records. The whole american continent is the promised land which is canada, united states, mexico, central america and south america. The theory is that the land and continent formation is the same as today for the most part and that the archeological findings in that area could be related to book. Lehitours offers quality, personalized tours for cultural, religious, humanitarian, medical and recreational travel throughout the americas. The book of mormon also speaks of the arrival of the mulekites who also fled the land when jerusalem was taken over by the babylonians. Its the picture on the postcard that everyone wants, the image most photographers need.
Colonia lebaron, mexico sustained by a stubborn resolve to live as they feel god commands them, the people of this americanfounded outpost in northern mexico s dry lands find themselves. It conforms to the book of mormons requirement that the events took place in a limited geography. Ancient myan ruins support the book of mormon blogger. Book of mormon lands, the near cumorah setting zarahemla, and the royal line of mulek the nephites were not the only company of israelites to live in the promised land. The term lehi has been used more recently and more frequently, but an interesting trend has developed that coincides with the changes to the introduction to the book of mormon. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints in mexico. It conforms to the book of mormon s requirement that the events took place in a limited geography. New correlations it is not enough to demonstrate that the book of mormon geography does not fit into central america. The rosenvalls spend an inordinate amount of time drawing connections between the climate of israel and that of baja. When you consider that baja california is a place where fertile lands are found in geographically restricted areas, the fact that those places are distributed in a way that matches up well to the book of mormon text is a significant strength to the model. Many latterday saints have not had access to sources which communicate how recent research has changed our understanding of the book of mormon as an ancient document.
Whether the book of mormon narrative took place in new york, tennessee, illinois, baja, mexico, guatemala, panama or chile, people from all those areas interacted with one another over the thousands of years they shared the continent. In the 2010 census, 314,932 individuals reported belonging to the lds church. Proposed book of mormon geographical setting wikipedia. Brother ash is author of the book shaken faith syndrome. However, the fatherson team of david and lynn rosenvall believe the baja peninsula south of california in mexicoits most famous city you may recognize is tijuana could be the location of book of mormon lands. Apr 18, 2010 many people ask what the most compelling evidence is that baja california is the location of the book of mormon lands. This site is not an official site of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. There are times when there is not the opportunity to get a clear understanding of what the traveler saw and these bulletins will help with that understanding.
The lost lands of the book of mormon takes the reader back in time to an era when ancient waters and. Jan 22, 2011 anthropologist mark wrights 2008 fair conference address on similarities between mesoamerica and the book of mormon. Bless thy saints in this great land and those from other lands who will use this temple. Antionum land of bountiful city of bountiful land of east wilderness hill riplah jershon land of melek land of narrow neck of land sidon river seas east and west zarahemla city of zarahemla land of. Book of mormon tours which take interested members to see the lands of the book of mormon in mesoamerica. My model is presented somewhat differently than other book of mormon geographical models. Almas lds tours in cancun operates tours in cancun and the yucatan peninsula, that show visitors the maya lands that relate to the book of mormons. Although there are some compelling reasons for scholars to use internal modeling to identify the lands of the book of mormon, internal models can also cause us to lose focus on what the text itself says. The great deep did not border book of mormon lands. The book of mormon describes the land of promise as a choice land where agriculture was practiced and seeds flourishedisnt baja california mostly just a. Mexico cyndis list helpful links for genealogy in mexico note. Come join us for an adventure of a lifetime to explore firsthand, the beautiful world of guatemala, the land of the eternal spring, and other wonderful countries of central and south america, mexico.
There are actually many statements by church leaders that the book of mormon civilization was in the united states. The shadow of kukulkan outlined on this pyramid during the equinox is a well known symbol of mexico s unique history. It is thorough, covers many aspects of the field, and is probably the most objective work at its time. The full text of this article can be found at deseret news online. Internal book of mormon geography focuses on the relationships between lands and other geographic features, independent of where they might be physically located on todays maps. We have taken more tours to mesoamerica to compare the ancient sites and civilizations with the book of mormon than any other tour operator. The answer to this question is simply yes, but if youre familiar with the text of the book of mormon, you might take note of how often it speaks of wildernesses as opposed to fruitful lands.
Relax, allinclusive, luxurious motels and the best of local cuisine. The baja model has a general list of attractive features. Narrow neck baja california book of mormon geography. A summary of several theories of book of mormon lands in mesoamerica the contents of all bmaf publications are the sole responsibility of the individual authors and therefore do not necessarily represent the views of bmaf or the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Book of mormon tours has been operated by the allen family since 1970. Of course these inconsistencies could readily be explained by understanding the book of mormon as a work of fiction written by a nineteenth century american, but book of mormon scholars often approach the topic with the a priori acceptance of the theory that the book of mormon is. Maps moronis america the north american setting for.
All parallels are based on speculation by lds archaeologists and historians, most of whom have spent years trying to find proof that the book of mormon exists among the many artifacts and temples that the mayans have left behind. However, sorensons map, which is the very best effort that mormons have made to plot the lands of the book of mormon, utterly fails to correspond to the text. The purpose of this article is to give cerro prieto a proper introduction so that those who study our model can start to understand the characteristics of the hill and its surroundings as well as its prominence in the area. Confusion about cumorah, lamanites, and the prophets. Are ruin sites on the yucatan peninsula related to the. Mesoamerica is the site of the only literate precolumbian population. Mayan civilization and parallels to the book of mormon. Wells jakeman claimed that a carved stone monument unearthed in izapa, mexico, in 1941 depicted lehis vision of the tree of life as reported in the book of mormon. The baja model of book of mormon geography book of. Book of mormon lands january 12, 2015 several times our followers have commented that they wish the church would make an official statement about where the book of mormon lands are located to remove the confusion that exists about them being located in mezoamerica. H38 virus true book of mormon geography lands western new.
Several times our followers have commented that they wish the church would make an official statement about where the book of mormon lands are located to remove the confusion that exists about them being located in mezoamerica. The book of mormon describes the land of promise as a choice land where agriculture was practiced and seeds flourishedisnt baja california mostly just a desert. Mormons found sanctuary in mexico in 1880s by laura king and amparo garcia on september 21, 1823, in palmyra, new york, 14yearold joseph smith, jr. Tours to the lands of the book of mormon guatemala and southern mexico. City of gideon, plains of nephihah, land of nephi, land of shemlon, city of teancum, land of desolation, city of mulek, city and land of manti, land of bountiful. Onidah, the place of arms a model for the book of mormon in baja. His latest newsletter dated oct, 2009, says, 10 reasons why the book of mormon took place in peru. Instead, i want to simply present an accurate picture of historic and current scientific thinking regarding the peopling of the americas and how the migrations and civilizations described in the book of mormon might fit into this picture if our model of the lands of the book of mormon in baja california and the north american southwest is. But the lands those in the book of mormon times lived in were smaller. My new book, nephi in the promised land is now available in the nephi project discovery store.
Book of mormonlamanitesrelationship to amerindiansmaya. I tend to frown on doing too much internal modeling. The scenic arch at land s end mexico is what those aboard gigantic baja mexico cruise ships anchored off cabo gaze upon. Purpose of the book of mormon tour helps these single page descriptions of a specific book of mormon site are designed to provide pertinent information to the traveler about the site. A model for the book of mormon in baja cerro prieto. For understanding, be aware that the book of mormon claims to be a record of ancient groups of people who left jerusalem and other lands to sail to the americas. Most current latterday saint authors writing about book of mormon geography, myself included, consider southern mexico, northern guatemala, and belize the primary lands of the book of mormon. Book of mormonlamanitesrelationship to amerindiansmaya and.