BOOK OF MORMON LANDS
Present day LDS, members
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, usually think of Book
of Mormon lands, where the people of the Book of Mormon lived, as being
in the Mexico-Guatemala-Honduras area of Middle America. But what did God
tell Joseph Smith about this?
Millennial Star Article
An article titled "History
of Joseph Smith, "in the Mormon newspaper Millennial Star, published
in England, had the following to say about the ancient City of Manti (as
in the Book of Mormon):
The camp passed through Huntsville, in Randolph County [Missouri],
which has been appointed as one of the Stakes of Zion, and is the ancient
site of the City of Manti.... [Sept. 1838] (The Latter-day Saints'
Millennial Star, "History of Joseph Smith," Vol. 16, page 296, May
13, 1854)
The index of the present Book of Mormon under Manti, Land of, has: "most
southerly land of Nephites" and under Manti, City of, it has: "chief city
in land of Manti." All this information leads to the conclusion that the
Land of Manti is allegedly in the State of Missouri, in the United States.
Mormon historian and Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith, in his book Doctrines
of Salvation, Volume 3, pages 239-241, came to the same conclusion.
Consistent with the above
was a statement Joseph Smith made in a letter dated January 4, 1833 to
Mr. N. E. Seaton (Sexton?), the editor of a Rochester, NY newspaper.
The Book of Mormon is a record of the forefathers of our western
tribes of Indians;..... (History of the Church, 1:315; Teachings
of the Prophet Joseph Smith, page 17.)
A second letter from Smith to Seaton claimed that the first letter was
commanded by God.
To N. E. Seaton, Rochester. DEAR SIR;--I was somewhat disappointed
on receiving my paper with only a part of my letter inserted in it. The
letter which I wrote you for publication, I wrote by the commandment of
God, and I am quite anxious to have it all laid before the public,
for it is of importance to them . . . (History of the Church,
1:326)
It is important to keep in mind that Smith said that "The Book of Mormon
is a record of the forefathers of our western tribes of Indians;....."
by the "commandment of God." This was not Smith's conjecture or personal
opinion, but by the commandment of God. This helps us understand why Smith
said in 1838 that "Huntsville, in Randolph County [Missouri], which has
been appointed as one of the Stakes of Zion, and is the ancient site
of the City of Manti . . . " The discovery of the bones of Zelph, a
"white Lamanite," built on this idea.
The Bones of Zelph, The White Lamanite, and Book of Mormon
Lands
The finding of the bones
of Zelph, a "white Lamanite," by Joseph Smith in 1834 and the revelation
he received about Zelph also speaks to the location of Book of Mormon lands.
On the top of the mound were stones which presented the appearance
of three altars having been erected one above the other, according to the
ancient order; and the remains of bones were strewn over the surface of
the ground. The brethren procured a shovel and a hoe, and removing the
earth to the depth of about one foot, discovered the skeleton of a man,
almost entire, and between his ribs the stone point of a Lamanitish arrow,
which evidently produced his death. Elder Burr Riggs retained the arrow.
The contemplation of the scenery around us produced peculiar sensations
in our bosoms: and subsequently the visions of the past being
opened to my [Joseph Smith's] understanding by the Spirit of the Almighty,
I discovered that the person whose skeleton was before us was a white Lamanite,
a large, thick-set man, and a man of God. His name was Zelph. He was a
warrior and chieftain under the great prophet Onandagus, who was known
from the Hill Cumorah, or eastern sea to the Rocky mountains. The curse
was taken from Zelph, or, at least, in part - one of his thigh bones was
broken by a stone flung from a sling, while in battle, years before his
death. He was killed in battle by the arrow found among his ribs, during
the last great struggle of the Lamanites and Nephites. (History
of the Church, 2:79-80; June 3, 1834).
Note that it was in a vision by the "Spirit of the Almighty" that Smith
learned about who Zelph was, his role in the great extermination battle
at Hill Cumorah ("last great struggle of the Lamanites and Nephites," Mormon
6:9-15, 8:2-3), how he died and the geography he was associtated with ("known
from the Hill Cumorah, or eastern sea to the Rocky mountains," "He was
killed in battle by the arrow found among his ribs, during the last great
struggle of the Lamanites and Nephites"). This information did not come
from Smith's imagination, it was not his opinion, it allegedly came from
God.
The finding of Zelph's bones
was witnessed by other LDS, as many as 200 men in "Zion's camp" (Encyclopedia
of Mormonism, 4:1627). One of them, Elder Kimball, wrote in his journal
about this.
According to Elder Kimball's journal, the facts concerning the person
whose bones had been found in the ground were not revealed to the Prophet
Joseph until the camp had departed from the mound. He says: ‘While on our
way we felt anxious to know who the person was who had been killed by the
arrow. It was made known to Joseph that he had been an officer who fell
in battle in the last destruction among the Lamanites, and his name was
Zelph. This caused us to rejoice much, to think that God was so mindful
of us as to show these things to His servant. Brother Joseph had inquired
of the Lord, and it was made known in a vision.' (History of the Church,
2:footnotes page 80). This affair was not only in Mr. Kimball's journal
it was also written up in the Church newspaper, Times and Seasons
6:788.
Note the phrases "revealed to the Prophet Joseph," "made known to Joseph"
and "that God was so mindful of us as to show these things to His servant.
Brother Joseph had inquired of the Lord, and it was made known in a vision."
Smith was not just expressing his opinion, he was describing what God had
told him. This adds to our understanding as to why Smith said in 1838 that
"Huntsville, in Randolph County [Missouri], which has been appointed as
one of the Stakes of Zion, and is the ancient site of the City of Manti
. . . "
Where Was Zelph Killed?
According to the History
of the Church 2:78-79 Zelph was found buried in a high mound (above the
tops of the trees) on the banks of the Illinois River in the State of Illinois.
This is not far from present day Florence, Illinois, which is about 75-100
miles north of St. Louis, where route 100 crosses the Illinois River. The
mound that Joseph Smith dug into on June 2, 1834 is still there and is
one of about 35 bluff top mounds covering about a mile along the river.
Archaeologists estimate that it dates from between 50 BC and 50 AD, based
upon the style of the artifacts found in it and the age of nearby mounds
which have been radiocarbon dated from 50 BC to 250 AD (1) (This is
an end note). This dating alone raises significant questions about
Zelph's involvement in any Hill Cumorah battles, but this is a different
subject.
The "last great struggle
of the Lamanites and Nephites" allegedly occurred in 385 AD (Mormon 6:1-15)
at Hill Cumorah. If Hill Cumorah was in the Mexico-Guatemala-Honduras area
then Zelph would have had to travel roughly 1,800 miles one way to return
to the spot where the Mormons found his bones. If Hill Cumorah is
near Palmyra, NY, the travel distance would be over 700 miles. While over
700 miles is a long distance in the days of traveling by foot, it is more
reasonable than 1,800 miles.
How likely is it that a
man who got an arrow between his ribs at Hill Cumorah in the Mexico-Guatemala-Honduras
areas, or the Palmyra, NY area, would then travel roughly 1,800 or 700
miles to die? No, the bones of the man Joseph Smith dug up must have been
killed near where Smith found him. It does not seem likely that Zelph's
friends or comrades carried him to the banks of the Illinois River. They
would be looking out for their own lives. Moreover, according to Mormon
6:15 and 8:2, the Nephites as they escaped went southward, not northward
from Mexico-Guatemala-Honduras to the banks of the Illinois River roughly
1,800 miles away.
Mormon apostle and historian
Joseph Fielding Smith in his book Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.3, pages
232-243 also relates the history about Zelph and provides additional evidence
why the Book of Mormon lands are in the continental United States. In addition he says
that the Hill Cumorah located in New York State, near Palmyra, NY, is the
place where the great extermination battle (Mormon 6:9-15, 8:2-3) took
place.
While there is evidence
that Joseph Smith later also gave other locations for Book of Mormon lands
(Kenneth W. Godfrey, BYU Studies, Vol. 29, No. 2, page 48), none of this
sets aside Smith's clear statements allegedly made by the power of God.
As a reminder, the following was said, "The Book of Mormon is a record
of the forefathers of our western tribes of Indians;....." by the "commandment
of God," "revealed to the Prophet Joseph," "made known to Joseph," "that
God was so mindful of us as to show these things to His servant. Brother
Joseph had inquired of the Lord, and it was made known in a vision" all
of which placed Zelph and Book of Mormon lands in the continental United States. While
Smith might have changed his mind, there is no evidence that God did.
Why is it so many Mormons
(like FARMS) try to place Book of Mormon lands in the Mexico-Guatemala-Honduras
area while Joseph Smith by the power of God said they were in the continental United States?
ENDNOTES
1. From a letter to John Farkas dated February 4, 1993 from the Center
for American Archeology, Kampsville Archeological Center, Kampsville, Ill.
John Farkas, Berean Christian Ministries; P.O. Box 1091; Webster,
NY 14580
E-mail: bcmmin@frontiernet.net
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art/bmlands 4-8-98