For good overviews of book of mormon geographies and related issues, see sorenson, an ancient american setting. It was sorenson who first proposed that the scriptures action likely took place in guatemala and southern mexico, rather than encompassing both north and south america. Interpreting book of mormon geography byu scholarsarchive. For all of its strengths, however, one aspect of the model has remained perplexing. I would recommend that the reader keep a book of mormon map close by.
Sorensons groundbreaking book, an ancient american setting for the book of mormon, published in 1985. Foundation for ancient research and mormon studies, 1996 1985, 1. As the ancient prophet mormon edited the scriptural texts that would become the book of mormon, he must have had a map in his mind of the places and physical. Sorenson, an ancient american setting for the book of mormon salt lake city, utah.
Before we examine some of the possible locations for book of mormon geography however. Clark, archaeology and cumorah questions, journal of book of mormon studies. Made popular by his 1985 publication an ancient american setting for the book of mormon, sorensons geographic model for the book of mormon has withstood the test of time and remains the preeminent geographic model for book of mormon events. Sorenson born april 8, 1924 is an emeritus professor of anthropology at brigham young university byu and the author of an ancient american setting for the book of mormon as well as many other books and articles on the book of mormon and archaeology.
The potential connection with the book of mormon is not proven, but the discovery of an underwater city within miles of sorensons earlier proposed location, and the evidence for its rapid submergence two thousand years ago, is striking. Mormon s map is book of mormon scholar john sorenson s reconstruction of that mental map solely from. Finally there is a way to really explore john sorensons book of mormon geography. Sorenson outlined his model in his seminal 1985 work, an ancient american setting for the book of mormon, john l. Book of mormon geography in the world of joseph smith andrew h. Book of mormon geography your site for lds theology. Sorenson was born in 1924 in smithfield, utah, where he grew up. Hugh nibley and book of mormon geography by kirk magleby. Sorenson s geographical model in his other books point to mesoamerica. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Sorenson in his book, mormons map which i recommend for anyone. Sep 06, 2018 the book of mormon opens with an account of a prophet named lehi who took a small group, including members of his family, into the wilderness to flee the babylonian destruction of jerusalem.
Five compelling archeological evidences for the book of mormon. The sobering lesson of the grolier codex sorenson, john l. Jan 01, 2000 as the ancient prophet mormon edited the scriptural texts that would become the book of mormon, he must have had a map in his mind of the places and physical features that comprised the setting for the events described in that book. Mormons map is book of mormon scholar john sorensons reconstruction of that mental map solely from information gleaned from the text after years of intensive. The book of mormon geography lands and map with dna evidence.
Bob sorenson started building homes for family and friends as a hobby, but his excellent work caused sorenson construction to grow quickly. Mesoamerica has highly varied landforms with elevations ranging from sea level to 5,600 meters. Since 1949 john sorenson has been collecting archaeological and anthropological evidence to show that joseph smith translated the book of mormon from a native mesoamerican codex, or book. Mormon s map is book of mormon scholar john sorenson s reconstruction of that. A terrific tool to follow the stories, travel and wars of the book of mormon with an inside map that is both comprehensive and follows the story chapter by chapter. John sorenson notes in his book, the geography of the book of mormon. Sorensons model places the book of mormon in part of the region known as mesoamerica, extending from. The geographical setting of the book of mormon is the set of locations of the events described. Finally there is a way to really explore john sorenson s book of mormon geography. Metals, weapons, and the book of mormon mormon answersldsfaq. May 31, 2018 the book of mormon describes mountains, hills, and valleys with significant elevation differences between them.
Sorenson construction 249 n main st mendon ut 84325. Proposed book of mormon geographical setting wikipedia. The book of mormon geography and map with dna evidence and the location of lands and cities such as zarahemla, cumorah, the narrow neck, mexico, caribbean sea, american indians, and true evidence are all here. The likelihood of such a setting was greatly strengthened by john l. It has been accepted for inclusion in byu studies quarterly by an authorized editor of byu scholarsarchive. Learn about the rules for making a book of mormon map through our article. The book is exactly what it claims to bea detailed construction of a map. And you have to admire the conversion of the simple phrase he did erect him an exceedingly beautiful throne into ethers overall portrayal of the construction of an elegant and elaborate throne.
He also serves as editor of journal of book of mormon studies. Critique of a limited geography for book of mormon events. It incorporates much of what i have learned since this journey began in august, 2011. Proposed map of the lands and sites of the book of mormon. This map was created by me to help bring the book of mormon stories to life. From the east to the west sea book of mormon archaeological. Book of mormon fringe theory was inspired by geography enthusiast john e. Book of mormon map the maps below will evolve as new information comes to light. Helaman, in the book of mormon, gives the following very interesting account of. 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. This site can be used as a study guide to help understand the book of mormon. And as with breastplates, helmets, and weapons, the book of mormons fortifications have been situated in a plausible mesoamerican context.
Underwater archaeology and the book of mormon in sorensons. Adena and hopewell peoples lived in pennsylvania and western new york, but this region represented the impoverished fringe of their culture. When john sorensons longawaited volume an ancient american setting for the book of mormon finally appeared in 1985, i was thrilled and bought it immediately hugh nibley had been investigating the ancient near eastern background of the book of mormon for decades, but the study of its ancient american background had lagged behind. And you have to admire the conversion of the simple phrase he did erect him an exceedingly beautiful throne into ethers overall portrayal of the construction of an elegant and elaborate throne very early in ancient american history. Mormon s map is book of mormon scholar john sorenson s reconstruction of that mental map solely from information. As with breastplates, helmets, and weapons, the book of mormon describes the construction of fortifications and other defensive works by both nephites and lamanites. Sorenson in his book, mormon s map which i recommend for anyone who would like to study what the book of mormon says about its own geography.
About us sorenson construction sorenson construction. What is required is that sorensons map agree with what the book of mormon tells us. Made popular by his 1985 publication an ancient american setting for the book of mormon, sorenson s geographic model for the book of mormon has withstood the test of time and remains the preeminent geographic model for book of mormon events. Limited geography and the book of mormon byu scholarsarchive. The purpose of constructing unbiased internal maps is to orient major lands, seas and landmarks mentioned. Michael coe lidar, response to john sorenson, and the book of mormon. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. True book of mormon geography lands, western new york model.
But what about the nephite cities that were constructed near the east. New correlations it is not enough to demonstrate that the book of mormon geography does not fit into central america. However, this linkage of the book of mormon to central america seems to. Previous articles in the series looked at such topics as geography, the limits of archaeology, population, metal use, and written records. The geographical setting of the book of mormon is the set of locations of the events described in the book of mormon. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Archaeological trends and the book of mormon origins byu. They remain woefully incomplete, but there is enough substance here to help many book of mormon students visualize the texts new world setting. Sorenson, an ancient american setting for the book of mormon salt lake city. As mormon edited the book of mormon, he must have had a map in his mind of the places and physical features that were setting the events described in that book. Iow, the entirely correct portrayal comes from sorenson, not the book of mormon text. Mesoamerica is the only area of the americas that fits the text of the book of mormon, and actually fits it very well.
I recently returned from 11 days in guatemala where i collaborated with bright people such as mark wright, diane wirth, dave gray, rick callister, van dunham, neal rappleye, stephen smoot, and rolando amado. Recommended reading list for students of the lds mormon. Book of mormon geography, lands, map, dna true evidence. Mormon stories april 18, 2018 apologetics, book of mormon 25 comments. The land of zarahemla is at a lower elevation relative to the land of nephi. All opinions, speakers and presenters represent and express their own individual opinions, and not necessarily the opinions of firm foundation, book of mormon evidence, or its employees, and no information or opinions represent the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. See my answers to questions about the book of mormon here. John sorenson, the geography of book of mormon events, pp. The book makes a lot of seemingly good approximations of where the book of mormon predominately took place. Others recognize a setting among the mound builders as the books original setting. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints does not officially endorse any one particular geographical model for where the events in the book of mormon transpired in the new world. But for those interested in understanding the text, there are some answers that should be considered.
I admit that my own model was tainted by preconceptions. Oct 02, 2014 finally there is a way to really explore john sorenson s book of mormon geography. No effort should be made to identify points on this map with any existing geographical location. These maps are not drawn to scale and are for illustration only.
Interactive book of mormon map virtual book of mormon. This book is out of print but cheap used copies are plentiful on amazon. I know of 2 examples of this approach though there may be more. Possible book of mormon sites in relation to each other possible relationships of sites in the book of mormon, based on internal evidence. Sorenson construction 249 n main st mendon, ut mapquest. John sorenson true book of mormon geography lands western. The overall trend in the date over the past 175 years fits the expectations for the book of mormon as history rather than hoax.
Hugh nibley and book of mormon geography book of mormon. Building on the base of earlier achievements, civilizations sprang up in. An ancient american book see a video further down the page. Building out the dimension requires putting the puzzle together of the geography from east to west and.
This is the final article in this series which has attempted to highlight contemporary developments in scholarship and science that seem to support and even clarify the book of mormon. The lord could have removed all questions regarding the exact locations of these events but he did not. Underwater archaeology and the book of mormon in sorenson. Mormons codex is the culmination of a lifetimes labor by mormonisms preeminent mesoamerican specialist. The map spans jaredite and nephitelamanite periods during which settlements changed over time. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Sorenson attempts to reconstruct that mental map mormons map using information in the text.
Sorenson notes that the book of mormons most obvious geographical requirement is. The lamanite city jerusalem in the land of nephi was named by lehite migrants after the. However, sorenson s 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. Book of mormon in north america maps book of mormon evidence. The book of mormon is a religious record of three groups of people who migrated from the old world to the american continents. Virtual book of mormon book of mormon maps and learning. Site correlations more about these maps land northward. His lovely wife, jody handles all accounting and scheduling.
Hedges in the course of his efforts to chart the development of ideas regarding book of mormon geography, john l. I agree that the book of mormon describes mountains, hills and valleys, but the text also refers to plains e. The book of mormon is so self consistent in its geography and fits this area so perfectly that it really is impressive. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading mormons map. Sorenson first developed his model in 1953 and committed it to paper in 1955. Includes every geographical place mentioned in the book of mormon. The most plausible correlation of book of mormon geography with todays map identifies the land of first inheritance or. This is a large coffeetable book with gorgeous fullcolor pictures. As the ancient prophet mormon edited the scriptural texts that would become the book of mormon, he must have had a map in his mind of the places and physical features that comprised the setting for the events described in that book. Our changing understanding of ancient america and its scripture. Inside map of book of mormon focused on the major features. It appeared that in order to accept that correlation one must accept that the nephites rotated north to what we typically.
Top 10 book of mormon map features book of mormon history. Wed love to chat with you about your building needs. The church and byu stay neutral in questions of exactly where the book of mormon took place. As seen by science, the book of mormon is stronger today than it was in 1830, 1844, 1950, or even 2000, so i expect it will continue to become stronger in the future. Before we examine some of the possible locations for book of mormon geography however, i would like to stress the fact that as of today, the lord has not revealed where the nephites or lamanites lived, and as such, the lds church has taken no official stance on anything related to book of mormon geography.
For the past 55 years, john sorenson has inhaled every detail of book of mormon life and history. The book of 1 nephi records how lehis group travelled through the wilderness, constructed a boat, and sailed for a land of promise in the new. Established in 1994, sorenson construction has developed a strong reputation as the premiere custom homebuilder in the central florida region. Critics have complained about book of mormon references to metals and weapons, arguing that they are out of place and evidence of a sloppy fraud. Most books on book of mormon geography can be discounted easily.
After attending utah state agricultural college now utah state university, he enlisted in the army air corps, where he was trained at the california institute of technology as a meteorologist and served in the south atlantic theater of operations. For that reason, our design team has chosen to develop an internal map that shows relational directions and approximate distances that match the. Sorenson, an ancient american setting for the book of. However, the version of mormons map set forth in sorensons book. This book of mormon map along with a wall map are available for down loading in color and the book of mormon geography book a promised land, the land of promise with all the mormon maps and details is also available at alpha publishing at. Each year at its annual book of mormon lands conference, the book of mormon archaeological forum gives the father lehi award and the mother sariah award to a couple who have contributed significantly to book of mormon studies and research. The book of mormon opens with an account of a prophet named lehi who took a small group, including members of his family, into the wilderness to flee the babylonian destruction of jerusalem. A limited geography model for the book of mormon is one of several theories by latter day. A popular traditional view among many latterday saint faithful covers. Recommended reading list for students of the lds mormon religion.
Unfortunately sorenson never gives an exact figure and provides no map showing. Book of mormon geographymodelslimitedsorenson 1955. There is no universal consensus among mormon scholars regarding the placement of these locations in the known world, other than somewhere in the americas. Jerry grovers book, which uses geological principles to explain the occurrence of natural events in the book of mormon, is not as widely known. Was a suitable vessel procured or procurable without new construction of one.
List of evidence of the book of mormon john sorenson. After attending utah state agricultural college now utah state university, he enlisted in the army air corps, where he was trained at the california institute of technology as a meteorologist and served in. This is also interactive, you can click on features of the map for more details. Metals, weapons, and the book of mormon mormon answers.
Compare them to a map of palestine to view the correlations. Sorensons an ancient american setting for the book of mormon presented the best argument for a new world location for the book of mormon. Book of mormon geography in the world of joseph smith. The book of mormon records the visit of jesus christ to people in the americas following his resurrection. Note that the anthon transcript, made public in 1980 as a copy made by joseph smith of characters from the plates of the book of mormon, has single columns, in agreement with the older, prechristian age of the language of nephi in which the book of mormon was kept. Sometimes members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints or investigators feel overwhelmed when first confronted with the big lists of arguments that critics often compile in an effort to shock or overwhelm others. Bob spent many years as an estimator, sales engineer and project managerskills that serve him well today. In comparable cases was a suitable vessel procured or procurable without new construction. These groups were led by prophets who recorded their religious and secular histories on metal plates. Sorenson published an ancient american setting for the book of mormon. Jun 10, 2019 there is ample data within the text that provide information on topology, climate, hydrology, geology, relative city location, etc. Yeah, theres some text there too, but the real value is in the illustrations and photographs showing central american artwork, pottery, iconography, temples, animals, clothing, tools, weapons, people, and jungles. Sep 26, 2011 the mexico map is the most likely to be correct. Possible book of mormon sites in relation to each other.
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