Joseph Smiths Book of Mormon geography

Here are a few quotes by Joseph Smith which place The Book of Mormon in Mesoamerica. We realize that he made several other statements which place The Book of Mormon in North and South America, but are only focusing on a few Mesoamerican statements in answer to those who claim Joseph Smith ONLY taught a North America setting for The Book of Mormon.

For more information on Book of Mormon geography taught in Joseph Smiths day, click here:
http://www.fairblog.org/2010/04/02/book-of-mormon-geography-in-joseph-smiths-...
and
http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon/Geography/Statements/Nineteenth_centu...

and
http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon/Geography/Statements/Nineteenth_centu...

and
http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon/Geography/Statements/Twentieth_century

to see information on Zelph in relation to Book of Mormon geography, click here:
http://www.fairblog.org/2010/04/02/zelph-in-relation-to-book-of-mormon-geogra...


References for these quotes are as follows:

Reference to the first quote :Joseph Smith (editor)," American Antiquities," Times and Seasons 3/18 (15 July 1842): 860

Second quote: Times and Seasons Oct. 1, 1843, Vol. 4 No. 22, pg 346-347

Third quote: The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, compiled and edited by Dean C. Jessee (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1984), 501 - 502

Last: Times and Seasons 3/22 (15 September 1842): 915, 922

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• book
• of
• mormon
• mormonism
• lds
• mormons
• joseph
• smith
• dna
• geography
• heartland
• theory
• mesoamerica
• central
• rod
• rodney
• meldrum
• evidence
• proof
• north
• america
• great
• lakes
• michigan
• relics
• farms
• fair
• neal
• maxwell
• institute
• firm
• foundation
• Kay
• Godfrey
• zions
• camp
• research
• talk
• speaks
• bluff
• zelph
• accounts
• mound
• indigenous
• trip
• builders
• smithsonian
• introduction
• dvd
• move
• disk
• one
• prophecies
• promises
• promised
• land
• above
• all
• usa
• hill
• cumorah

[Kokopnyama]

@fairldsorg P98, Stephens and Catherwoods book from GoogleBooks: "In our own country, the opening of forests and the discovery of tumuli or mounds and fortifications, extending in ranges from the lakes through the valleys of the Ohio and Mississippi, ... and the ruins of walls and a great city in Arkansas and Wisconsin Territory, had suggested ...ideas in regard to the first peopling of this country, and the strong belief [of] nations had occupied it and had passed away.." (edited for brevity)

[fairldsorg]

@Kokopnyama However, that small paragraph isn't even mentioned in the Times and Seasons, but Central America, Guatemala, and numerous other Central American locations are, which were the theme for the volumes written by Catherwood and Stephens.

[Kokopnyama]

@fairldsorg It's quoted in the Times & Seasons from Stephens book Vol 2, p 172: "the Tollecas .. descended from the house of Israel, who were released by Moses from the tyranny of Pharaoh, and after crossing the Red Sea, fell into Idolatry. To avoid the reproofs of Moses ....they separated from him and his brethren...passed from one continent to the other, to ...a part of the kingdom of Mexico, where they founded the celebrated city of Tula.” But you don't believe they came from Moses but Lehi.

[Kokopnyama]

@fairldsorg If the Maya were not the Nephites, which is the consensus among LDS Scholars, then the Stephens and Catherwood book (about the Maya) was not about the Nephites, which makes Joseph Smith a liar about Stephens' book. (But Stephens does mention, in a chapter, about North American mounds/ruins. Check GoogleBooks.) But to cover themselves, the Mesoamerica theory proponents have changed the theory, now claiming the Nephites lived among the Maya. This is waffling when the facts don't fit.

[Kokopnyama]

@fairldsorg 1 Ne12:20 states after destroying the Nephites, the Lamanties went forth in multitudes upon the face of the land. They could have then intermarried with the Maya who were on the land before Lehi, making the current Maya mixed descendants of Lehi. Jacob 5 talks of 3-4 branches of the House of Israel being led to the nether parts of the Earth, the branch of Lehi being the last. And F.A.R.M.S. has declared the Nephites were not the Maya.

[fairldsorg]

@biggdannyd It is also interesting that there are several inspired Temple dedicatory prayers given in Central America which say that the people in that are are descendants of Lehi. I believe that is telling.

[fairldsorg]

@biggdannyd Use to promote their theory is used to describe all of North and South America. "Promised land" should be added to that list as well. So to claim that these terms are limited to what a theory states where the BOM took place is only accepting the facts that are convenient.

[fairldsorg]

@biggdannyd Of course we don't believe our leaders are infallible. But this would include any statement by any leader on BOM geography, including the ones that Great Lakes theorist use.

While land of liberty is generally thought of as America, Prophets and Apostles have claimed it to be all of North and South America including Ezra Taft Benson, J. Reuben Clark jr, and others. Just like the terms "Zion" "Choice land" "land of liberty" and "nation." Every term which Great Lakes theorist

[biggdannyd]

@fairldsorg The reason it’s called the PROMISE LAND is because there are PROMISES GIVEN about THIS LAND. Wherever this “nation” is, it has to fulfill the revelations given in the Book of Mormon prophesying about “this land”.