In Defense of Cumorah

The Proposed Setting for the Book of Mormon.  


 
 

Introduction

   The Book of Mormon claims two mighty nations fought devastating battles around a hill the Nephites referred to as the Hill Cumorah, and Ramah by the Jaredites. Thus its location is vital in pin-pointing the lands once occupied by the ancients whose history is recorded in the Book of Mormon. As to where that sacred hill is located, the Apostle James E. Talmage, in his The Articles of Faith claims: "The final struggles between Nephites and Lamanites were waged in the vicinity of the Hill Cumorah, in what is now the State of New York, resulting in the destruction of the Nephites as a nation, about 400 A.D.,” (Ch. 14, pg. 260).
 

   In an equally impressive work, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder the apostle, LeGrand Richards, said: God led a branch of the house of Joseph to America and commanded them to keep records of all their doings. He then commanded his prophet, Moroni, to hide this sacred record in the Hill Cumorah in the western part of the state of New York, U.S.A. Centuries later he sent Moroni back to deliver the record to Joseph Smith and gave him power to translate it with the assistance of the Urim and Thumim. (Ch. 7, p. 68.)

 

   In the introduction of the Book of Mormon we learn the records of the people of Nephi were “written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel, . . . which is to show unto the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever--and also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.”
 

DNA and the North American Indians
 

    We read in the introduction of the Book of Mormon that the Lamanite branch of the Nephites "are the principle ancestors of the American Indians." While archaeological evidence has already established that America’s northeastern woodlands were filled with people between 500 B.C. - 400 A.D., it has just been in the last decade that DNA evidence proves a Near Eastern origin for some of our Native American populations, with their customs, traits and religious ceremonies leading unavoidably to their cultural ties to the Hebrews. Thus, a consideration of DNA evidence is of particular importance in any study of the placement of Book of Mormon territory. Moreover, for the first time, and with the aid of DNA, the story and identity of the remnants who survived the ancient Nephite civilizations can finally be identified and placed in their proper setting in the promised land of America. Those wishing to study the important subject of DNA and its relevance in identifying Book of Mormon people and the territory they occupied click below.
 

*Click HERE for a comprehensive study of DNA and the Book of Mormon
 


*Now Available!

 

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The Lost Empires of the Book of Mormon

    For the first time in 150 years all the questions related in any way to Book of Mormon geography can finally be answered. It took ten years of exhaustive study and research to piece together the numerous puzzle pieces relevant to the history, archaeology, geology and genetics of the aboriginal Americans who occupied the northeastern woodlands during the Nephite era before the over-all picture of Book of Mormon territory could finally be seen in its entirety. Thus, The Lost Empires of the Book of Mormon is unique and a must read for anyone who loves history, the scriptures, and the spirit of discovery. One such discovery is the fact that others besides the Nephites and Jaredites occupied the land during prehistoric times, some enormous in stature. Others arrived from the tribes of Israel, some in the company of various Celtic tribes who made a profound impact on both the early Jaredites and the later Nephite civilizations. In short, The Lost Empires of the Book of Mormon is an adventure in discovery which takes the reader from the tower of Babel through 4000 years of history to the time of the Restoration. The extensive history presented in this work helps clarify many parts of the Book of Mormon and brings to life the saga played out in that sacred work as never before, and is thus a must read for the serious student of the Book of Mormon.

The Lost Empires of the Book of Mormon is the broadest, most accurate picture of the world of the Book of Mormon written by anyone in our times. (Vincent Coon.)

$20.00 - Introductory Price 50% off - Your price $10.00 plus $4.99 S&H Pricing applies to U. S. orders.

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For books by Phyllis Olive click here
 



THE GREAT  LAKES SETTING

    Book of Mormon theorists focus on two main settings for the drama played out in the Book of Mormon, one around the Great Lakes in the promised land of America, and the other in the third-world countries of Mexico and Central America, generally referred to as Mesoamerica. The work presented on this web-site would be considered part of the Great Lakes theory, although more properly considered the “New York setting.” While both the Nephites and Jaredites spread out into a variety of locations from their heartland in New York, it is becoming increasingly evident that the drama played out in the Book of Mormon took place chiefly in western, central, and northern New York and lower Ontario. While this is a limited area to be sure, every requirement laid down by the scriptures can be reconciled with this setting, including its size. Trying to record the history of a greater area would have been next to impossible for the scribes of that day. Thus those who spread out into neighboring territories were commanded to keep their own records, many of which will no doubt also come forth in the own good time of the Lord.

   A complete study of the distribution of the Nephites and Jaredites throughout the northeast can be found in The Lost Empires of the Book of Mormon., offered on this web site.
 


For a study of the various topics relevant to the New York/Hill Cumorah setting click on the topics listed below.

A simplified account of DNA and the Book of Mormon

    Not only does the topography fit the geographical descriptions given in the Book of Mormon, but now recent DNA evidence links many of the ancient occupants of the region to the Near East, which includes Israel, just as the Book of Mormon claims.  For a simplified account of the DNA issue, click on the header or the icon to the left.

The Hill Cumorah and its Rightful Place in New York

   There is no more important landmark mentioned in the Book of Mormon than New York’s Hill Cumorah. Both the Jaredites and the Nephites fell in battle around that sacred hill, the first in 600 B.C., and the other in 384 AD. The historians of the past two centuries have written extensively about the relics of war and the amazing fortifications which were discovered in western New York when European colonists first entered the land. Read some of their reports and see how wonderfully they portray the winding up scenes of the civilizations described in the Book of Mormon.
 

The Plants and Animals in New York
 During Book of Mormon Times

   It is obviously not enough just to zero in on a land or territory which fits the topographical features mentioned in the Book of Mormon, peripheral information must also fit, such as the animals which roamed the land during Nephite and Jaredite times and the plants they harvested and the minerals they mined. Not surprisingly, all these things can be reconciled in the ancient New York setting.


Metals and Relics

   Metallurgy was a big part of both the Jaredite and Nephite eras. Learn what ores they mined and what relics they left behind in this segment.
 

The Weather During Book of Mormon Times

   Questions about the weather during Book of Mormon times have come up more than any other question. Hopefully, the answers provided in this segment will satisfy any lingering questions about that long debated issue.

Volcanic Activity and Earthquakes in the American Northeast

   Answers to what weather phenomena may have played a part in the great destruction which took place at the time of the Savior’s death are provided in this segment.

Nephite territory in a Nutshell

   It is obviously not enough to just have a land which fits, all the peripheral information mentioned in the scriptures must also fit any given setting, including such things as the animals present during Book of Mormon times, and the plants they harvested, the minerals they mined. New York has them all.

The Narrow Neck of Land & the Sea That Divides the Lands

   Two of the most important landmarks mentioned in the Book of Mormon are the sea that divided the lands, and various references to a narrow neck of land which passed between the waters to either side of the neck and into the land northward. The discovery of these two landmarks helps clarify Book of Mormon territory.

Evidence of Nephite Occupation in New York

   Thousands of bones were found across western New York when early white colonists first began to penetrate the area, as were ancient fortifications built exactly like those built in Moroni’s day.
 

The Mound Building Hopewell

    This segment includes an examination of the close ties between the Nephites living in New York’s Zarahemla and the Hopewell populations living in neighboring Ohio and Illinois.


Zarahemla & The Lost Lands of the Book of Mormon MAP
 click here


The Mesoamerican Theory

It has become increasingly evident that a comparison between the New York setting and the Mesoamerican setting needs to be made available to those so interested. But, because those who have not yet read The Lost Lands of the Book of Mormon will not yet have had a chance to form an underlying understanding of the New York setting, only a few of the more general comparisons will be made here. Those who wish a more detailed account of the placement of lands and cities within the New York setting will find such answers in The Lost Lands of the Book of Mormon and in my newest work, The Lost Empires of the Book of Mormon, the latter, the most complete and up to date.

Putting it to the Test
For a critique of the differences between the Mesoamerican theory and the New York theory click below 
New York versus Mesoamerica
 
by Phyllis Olive


The Evolution of Book of Mormon Geography 

The Two Hill Cumorah Theory

Did Lehi Really Land in Chile

Meeting the Challenge

Contributions by other New York Enthusiasts
 

Book of Mormon geography articles signed by Joseph Smith
by Vincent Coon

A Critique of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec Theory
by Vincent Coon

What Church Leaders have said about The Hill Cumorah
by Scott Hamilton

The websites listed below support the premise that the promised land is within the
United States of America and the Hill Cumorah sits where it always has, in western New York.
Click on the title to visit that site.

bookofmormonpromisedland
by Vincent Coon

newyorknephites
by Scott Hamilton
 

Book of Mormon Geography; Requirements and Considerations
by Lee Pearson

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at Deseret Book
or your favorite LDS bookstore.
 Click here for more information
 

The Lost Lands of the Book of Mormon $16.95
The Lost Tribes of the Book of Mormon $13.95
The Millennium                                          $13.95


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