Archeology and Faith

Consider the following quotes

From A Book of Mormon Companion: Witnesses to its Validity – “This is not to be construed to mean that archaeological, historical or geographical data can prove the validity of the Book of Mormon.  The beautiful spiritual lessons, the powerful revelation of Jesus Christ and the marvelous words of prophecy which speak to our very day are matters of faith, not to be enhanced by the spade of the archaeologist.  The book, itself, declares that it will go forth among the children of men to “try” their faith.  In this, it is exactly as the Holy Bible.” [2]

From Biblical Archeological Review – “Ultimately, the Bible is not history, but rather an account of God’s miraculous intervention in human history.  Whether one accepts this premise, the Bible’s central claim is personal, not a scholarly matter.  Archaeology never sought to make a convert of a non-believer, nor surely ever did so.  Nothing could be clearer evidence of the modern lack of faith than our exaggerated expectations and demands for archaeological ‘proof’!  We may or may not someday be able to demonstrate that all the events recorded in the Bible did or did not take place, but in the end it matters very little.  Claims for truth of a higher order are simply not amenable to historical or archaeological investigation; nor do they benefit by historical or archaeological confirmation.  These are, in the end, matters of faith.” [3]

The Geographic Setting of the Book of Mormon:

Book of Mormon verses taken from the 1990 Independence Edition, which is published by the Church of Christ.

Nevertheless, thou beholdest that the Gentiles which have gone forth out of captivity, and have been lifted up by the power of God above all other nations upon the face of the land, which is choice above all other lands, Which is the land which the Lord God hath covenanted with thy father that his seed should have for the land of their inheritance;”

1 Nephi 3:176-177

The land of North America (inherited by the Gentiles) is the same land that was given to Lehi’s family.

Consider what the angel Moroni told Joseph Smith:

“He said there was a book deposited written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang.” (Times and Seasons, Vol. 3, No. 13, May 1842)

The continent of North America is the land of the Book of Mormon peoples.

Geographical References in the Book of Mormon Text

(Book of Mormon verses taken from the 1990 Independence Edition, which is published by the Church of Christ.)

Alma 13:68-80 – And it came to pass that the king sent a proclamation throughout all the land, amongst all his people which were in all his land, which were in all the regions round about, which was bordering even to the sea, on the east, and on the west, and which was divided from the land of Zarahemla by a narrow strip of wilderness, Which ran from the sea east, even to the sea west, and round about on the borders of the seashore, and the borders of the wilderness which was on the north, by the land of Zarahemla, through the borders of Manti, by the head of the river Sidon, running from the east towards the west; and thus were the Lamanites and the Nephites divided.  Now the more idle part of the Lamanites lived in the wilderness, and dwelt in tents; and they were spread through the wilderness, on the west, in the land of Nephi; Yea, and also on the west of the land of Zarahemla, in the borders, by the seashore, and on the west, in the land of Nephi, in the place of their fathers’ first inheritance, and thus bordering along by the seashore.  And also there were many Lamanites on the east by the seashore, whither the Nephites had driven them. And thus the Nephites were nearly surrounded by the Lamanites; Nevertheless the Nephites had taken possession of all the northern parts of the land, bordering on the wilderness, at the head of the river Sidon, from the east to the west, round about on the wilderness side; on the north, even until they came to the land which they called Bountiful.  And it bordered upon the land which they called Desolation: it being so far northward, that it came into the land which had been peopled, and had been destroyed, of whose bones we have spoken, which was discovered by the people of Zarahemla; it being the place of their first landing.  And they came from there up into the south wilderness.  Thus the land on the northward was called Desolation, and the land on the southward was called Bountiful; it being the wilderness which was filled with all manner of wild animals of every kind; a part of which had come from the land northward, for food.  And now it was only the distance of a day and a half’s journey for a Nephite, on the line Bountiful, and the land Desolation, from the east to the west sea; And thus the land of Nephi, and the land of Zarahemla, were nearly surrounded by water; there being a small neck of land between the land northward, and the land southward.  And it came to pass that the Nephites had inhabited the land Bountiful, even from the east unto the west sea, And thus the Nephites in their wisdom, with their guards and their armies, had hemmed in the Lamanites on the south, that thereby they should have no more possession on the north, that they might not overrun the land northward; Therefore the Lamanites could have no more possessions only in the land of Nephi, and the wilderness round about.

Alma 15:14 – And it came to pass that they gathered together all their people; yea, all the people of the Lord, and did gather together all their flocks and herds, and departed out of the land, and came into the wilderness which divided the land of Nephi from the land of Zarahemla, and came over near the borders of the land.

Alma 22:6-12 – Thus Moroni did prepare strongholds against the coming of their enemies, round about every city in all the land.  And it came to pass that Moroni caused that his armies should go forth into the east wilderness; yea, and they went forth, and drove all the Lamanites which were in the east wilderness into their own lands, which were south of the land of Zarahemla; And the land of Nephi did run in a straight course from the east sea to the west.  And it came to pass that when Moroni had driven all the Lamanites out of the east wilderness, which was north of the lands of their own possessions, he caused that the inhabitants which were in the land of Zarahemla, and in the land round about, should go forth into the east wilderness, even to the borders, by the seashore, and possess the land.  And he also placed armies on the south, in the borders of their possessions, and caused them to erect fortifications that they might secure their armies and their people from the hands of their enemies.  And thus he cut off all the strongholds of the Lamanites, in the east wilderness: yea, and also on the west, fortifying the line between the Nephites and the Lamanites, between the land of Zarahemla and the land of Nephi; from the west sea, running by the head of the river Sidon; The Nephites possessing all the land northward; yea, even all the land which was northward of the land Bountiful, according to their pleasure.

Alma 22:34-35 –  Therefore Moroni sent an army, with their camp, to head the people of Morianton, to stop their flight into the land northward.  And it came to pass that they did not head them, until they had come to the borders of the land Desolation: and there they did head them, by the narrow pass which led by the sea into the land northward; yea, by the sea, on the west, and on the east.

Alma 24:10 – And he also sent orders unto him, that he should fortify the land bountiful, and secure the narrow pass which led into the land northward, lest the Lamanites should obtain that point, and should have power to harass them on every side.

Alma 30:6 – And it came to pass that Hagoth, he being an exceeding curious man, therefore he went forth, and built him an exceeding large ship, on the borders of the land Bountiful, by the land Desolation, and launched it forth into the west sea, by the narrow neck which led into the land northward.

3 Nephi 2:32 – And the land which was appointed was the land of Zarahemla and the land which was between the land of Zarahemla and the land Bountiful; yea, to the line which was between the land Bountiful and the land Desolation;

Mormon 1:69 – And it came to pass that I did cause my people that they should gather themselves together at the land Desolation, to a city which was in the borders, by the narrow pass which led into the land southward.

Note that the land as it exists today may be quite different geographically from how it did during Book of Mormon times following the crucifixion of Christ:

3 Nephi 4:14 – “And thus the face of the whole earth became deformed, because of the tempests, and the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the quaking of the earth.”

References

1. McIndoo (1994, pp. 6-7)
2. McIndoo (1994, p. 3)
3. Dever (1990, pp. 57-58)
4. Goetz & Morley (1950, p. 110)
5. Gardner (1986, p. 14)
6. Honore (1964, p. 55)
7. Verrill (1938, p. 180)
8. McIndoo (1994, p. 35)
9. Warren (1987, p. 74)
10. Warren (1987, p. 87)
11. Gordon (1974, p. 45)
12. Hansen (1963, p. 48)
13. Irwin (1963, p. 166)
14. Deal (2005, p. 2)
15. Maler (1901, pp. 164-165)
16. McCulloch (1997)
17. Mesoweb (2011)
18. McIndoo (1994, p. 64)
19. McIndoo (1994, p. 81)
20. McIndoo (1994, p. 89)
21. McIndoo (1994, p. 103)
22. Honore (1964, p. 96)
23. Sullivan (2010)
24. McIndoo (1994, p. 145)
25. Gardner (1986, p. 228)
26. Treat (1984, p. 26)
27. Noble (1982, p. 77)
28. Garrett (1989, p. 440)
29. Saville (1909)
30. BBC News (2003)
31. Hooker (1990, p. 346)
32. Thomas (1890, Figure 7)
33. Cheesman (1985, p. 32)
34. Book of Mormon Research (2011)
35. Welch (2006)
36. Yudkin (2005, 2009)
37. Anonymous (1968, p. 62)
38. Whittall (2011)
39. Wellington (2006)
40. Maya Relief Foundation (2005-2007)
41. Thorton (2011)
42. Wikipedia (2016), Mounds State Park
43. Wikipedia (2016), Fortified Hill Works
44. Squire and Davis (1847, p. 16-18)
45. Arc of Appalachia Preserve System (2016)
46. Ohio State University (2011)
47. Wikipedia (2016), Fort Ancient
48. Squire and Davis (1847, p. 20-21)
49. Squire (1860, p. 171-172)