After talking to numerous people about the subject of Book of Mormon geography, I was surprised to discover that very few of them had any understanding of the placement of lands and cities within the Mesoamerican setting, or whether or not the setting stands up to the close scrutiny of the scriptures. Their belief that Mesoamerica is the territory described in the Book of Mormon seems to be based primarily upon the existence of the exotic ruins found in that region.    Now, although I disagree with the premise that the drama played out in the Book of Mormon took place in Mexico, the Nephites did play some part in the building up of both Mexico and Middle America and even certain regions of South America. The historical records of those territories show the greatest influx of Nahuas and Toltecs (a merged society of prehistoric Celts), along with some of Lehi’s seed who merged with them back in Ohio and Illinois, entered Mexico around 442 A.D., after being driven from the land by their more barbarous Chichimecs brothers. The old books of Mexico constantly refer to Nahuas, or Toltecs, as having come from a distant northeastern country and are credited with bringing the arts of civilized living to the natives of the southern territories. Such legends along with skull types, the language spoken, and other critical similarities, have led many scholars to conclude that the early Toltec civilizers of Mexico and Central America were the original Mound Builders of the northeastern United States.    Tragically, some of the Nephites in New York appear to have found the sun-worshiping ways of the Toltecs more appealing than the strict religious tradition of their fathers, for evidence indicates that some of the folks from New York joined the mound building civilization which grew up to the south of Zarahemla. Yet, the time came when they were driven out of the promised land by the wilder tribes, the Lamanites included, who were used by the Lord to usher these sun-worshipers out of the land, a land meant only for Christian based societies. Thus, the seed of Lehi followed them into Mexico and Central America and into South America and the isles of the sea, where the blood of Israel, especially that of Ephraim and Manasseh, could bless the peoples of those regions.    J. P. Mac Lean, a noted authority on the subject, came to that conclusion over a century ago as have several other prominent historians. He informs us:    It has already been stated that the type of skull, according to certain craniologist, belonged to the Tolteca family. If this be true, then the fact would be established that the Mound Builders were the original Toltecan race. The Toltecs at an early date settled in Mexico. Before their arrival, Mexico was possessed by an ancient native civilization; . . . From time immemorial there has been immigration into Mexico from the North. One type after another has followed. In some cases different branches of the same family have successively followed one another. Before the Christian Era the Nahua immigration from the north made its appearance. . . . Following this people came the Toltecs, and with them light begins to dawn upon ancient Mexican migration. They were cultivated, and constituted a branch of the Nahua family. . . .The Toltec monarchy came to an end A.D. 1018, on account of famine, pestilence and war. The remnant took refuge in Guatemala and Nicaragua. A century later the barbarous Chichimecs took possession of the deserted land. Scarcely had the Chichimecs taken possession when the Aztec, a race speaking the same tongue as the Toltecs, and one branch of that family, poured in from the north, and gradually overran the country, where their descendants still remain. But little can be gleaned relating to the Toltecs, on account of their written records having perished. But through the nations which succeeded them, we learn that they were well instructed in agriculture; understood most of the useful mechanical arts; were fine workers of metals and engaged in many enterprises. They were the founders of that civilization which distinguished itself in later times. The noble ruins of religious and other edifices that still remain owe their origin to this race. It would be impossible to tell whether the Mound Builders were the original Nahoas, {Nahuas} and as such immigrated into Mexico, or the Toltecs, and as such came later. Whichever may be true, still it appears to be certain that the Mound Builders did immigrate into Mexico. 1    The Toltec artisans of Mexico thrived for centuries until they ultimately became so wicked the Lord permitted their destruction. Their fall as a nation began with internal strife, and ended with a take-over by invading Chichimecs, with whom the Lamanites had merged, sometime around the 11th century, thus carrying Lamanite blood into the region as well. The Chichimecs descended upon Mexico by the millions (2 to 3 million is considered a modest estimate) and usurped power from the Toltecs and ruled over their fallen empire for the next 200 years. The Aztecs, the last of the great Nahuatl Race to descend upon Mexico, eventually gained control of the region from the Chichimecs around the 13th century. It took the Spanish Conquistadors of the 15th century to stop that fanatical group of apostates from one of the bloodiest reigns in the history of the country.    The fact that the Nahuas, Toltecs, Aztecs and Chichimec, all universally recognized as belonging to the same family (notwithstanding the seed of Lehi was interspersed among them), were not native to the region but came from a distant northeastern country is prevalent in numerous legends handed down by the locals of Mexico over the centuries and documented for posterity by Spanish historians. The hieroglyphic writings of that region tell the same tales, specifying that the Toltecs migrated into Mexico at a variety of times, some by land, others by sea, but always from someplace to the far northeast. Some legends detail pilgrimages which took many years, in one case, over a century, having settled in various regions along the way. Thus, after many years of careful study and an examination of all the available facts, a number of Spanish historians came to the unavoidable conclusion that the Nahuatl speaking people could have come from no other place than the mound building regions of the northeastern United States.    B. H. Roberts, an LDS scholar around the turn of the 20th century, had this to say on that subject in his work, New Witness for God.    The last battles of the great and long continued war which ended in the destruction of the Nephite party, took place south of the Great Lakes region, about Cumorah; and to this part of the land had been drawn if not the bulk, then certainly a very large proportion of the inhabitants of the land. These moved southward in time, tribe pressing upon tribe, as ocean wave presses on ocean wave towards the shore; and doubtless this movement of population southward after the disaster at Cumorah, accounts for those universal traditions found among the natives of America and Central America of successive migrations from the north of powerful tribes or races who so much affected the political history of those countries. As these tribes from the north reached the old centers of population and civilization they revived settled orders of government, fastened themselves upon the weaker inhabitants as their rulers, compelled industry among the lower orders, gave encouragement to the arts that ministered to their ease and vanity, encouraged learning at least among the sacerdotal orders, and received the credit of founding a new order of civilization, when in reality it was but a partial reviving of a former civilization, upon which they fastened the dark and loathsome Lamanite superstitious idolatry, with its horrors of human sacrifice and cannibalism.    So, yes, this author concurs that many of the great cities that hold such fascination for those of our day were indeed built by some carrying the blood of Lehi, through both the Nephites and Lamanites, many of which outlasted the Nephite civilization back in the Cumorah lands by a full millennium, coming to an end with the invasion of the Spanish in the 15th century.    Interestingly, the quake that shook the earth at the time of the crucifixion is well documented in Mexico, but with no deaths being reported in that area. Now this in itself is just one more small piece of evidence that the destruction of so many people and cities at the time of the Savior’s death did not take place in Mexico, for according to the scriptures countless lives were taken, and numerous cities were destroyed, some by fire, others by whirlwinds, others sank beneath the sea, and still others were buried in the depths of the earth. Little could possibly have survived such devastation. Moreover, those that did, or were rebuilt, were later burned by the Lamanites after they exterminated the Nephites in their efforts to wipe away all evidence that the Nephite had ever even existed. In fact, the lack of impressive monuments such as those found in Mesoamerica is one more evidence that the Book of Mormon spoke the truth, for it mentions clearly that the wooden cities of the Nephites were all burned by the enemy once the Nephites were destroyed. Stone cities do not burn.    And it came to pass that whatsoever lands we had passed by, and the inhabitants thereof were not gathered in, were destroyed by the Lamanites, and their towns, and villages, and cities were burned with fire; and thus three hundred and seventy and nine years passed away. (Mormon 5:5.)