So why is only one river mentioned by name in the book of mormon. A complete description of the book of mormon geography bomgeography, including an internal map model, external map model i. The heartland theory and the book, prophecies and promises, claim the mississippi river is the river sidon. The northerly flow of the sidon has been wellunderstood by book of mormon students for over a century. It is located about midway between the pacific ocean and the gulf of honduras precisely as required in the book of mormon. The river sidon flows from the headwaters, which are in the south wilderness, towards the north. Nov 10, 2011 the northerly flow of the sidon has been wellunderstood by book of mormon students for over a century. Allen again began publishing the digest in a newspaper format which we continued on a quarterly basis for several years. The mississippi flows nowhere near the great lakes identified in the lnam as the four seas, instead heading south to the gulf of mexico.
River sidon true book of mormon geography lands western. The book of mormon gave only scattered clues, speaking of a narrow isthmus, a river called sidon, and lands to the north and south occupied by. Poulsen extends this analysis to show how the explorers mentioned in mosiah 8. The king james quotations in the book of mormon, the history of the text of the book of mormon. The book of mormon only mentions one watercourse by name. In discussing book of mormon geography i will attempt to rely upon what the book of mormon literally states. It is important in the history because the great city of zarahemla, the capital of the nephitemulekite civilization after they merged, was just west of the sidon. Lehis family landed either on the east coast or on the northern shore of the gulf of mexico, after sailing around africa and across the atlantic ocean. Mississippi and river sidon connection joseph smith. As is true today, warfare in the ancient world took on ideological importance for both sides of a conflict. The hill cumorah in ontario county ny is the hill where joseph smith found the golden plates and is the same hill where the civilizations of the nephites cumorah and the jaredites ramah fought their last battles.
The claim that the river sidon is the mississippi river violates point d because the book of mormon indicates that the river sidon flows northward, likely emptying into one of the four seas mentioned. Melek was located west of the river sidon, for mormon wrote that alma departed and took his journey over into the land ofamelek, on the west of the river sidon mississippi. Mar 22, 2009 the river sidon is the only named river in the book of mormon. Mormon scholars often point to aztec and mayan ruins for evidence, but they disagree among themselves as to the identity of these ancient ruins. Includes every geographical place mentioned in the book of mormon. So the head of the sidon river of the book of mormon has two possible definitions, one at the commencement of a stream or river and one which.
Average annual precipitation in the river sidon drainage basin is equal to or greater than the planetwide mean 2. In addition to the river sidon, the only other uses of the term river are references to rivers in a land far to the north of zarahemla, a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains the colorado river delta in our model. It is exceedingly clear, from a genealogical research standpoint. The overall size of the lands around zarahemla can be approximated. Beginning in 2008 we began sending out articles on the history, language, culture and geography of the book of mormon via the. As you read you can follow the action from the map below. The text of the book of mormon that fell from the lips of the prophet joseph was early modern english see the blog article early. Items do not represent the official views of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints or of book of mormon central. And there is only one watercourse within the heartlands of the peninsula of baja california that could be considered the river sidonthe rio san ignacio. All this and more took place along the river sidonthe river that is central to the book of mormon story and a key to the book of mormon geography. If it does derive from the biblical name for the phoenician city s idon hebrew.
Behold, the lamanites will cross the river sidon in the south wilderness, away up beyond the borders of the land of b manti. Since the book of mormon river sidon passed through zarahemla, a city that was first settled by mulekites, it is likely that this gn is of mulekite origin. How a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand. The lands of te book of mormon are found in mesoamerica. Much more than simply reporting these wars like a modern journalist, mormon infused. It was a large enough river to throw thousands of corpses in after a battle and have them easily wash out to the sea. An account written by the hand of mormon, upon plates taken from the plates of nephi. The book of mormon manti is a land and city situated in the southern highlands of nephite territory, near the head of the river sidon. The river sidona key to unlocking book of mormon lands. The river sidon flowed north from the narrow strip of mountainous wilderness down past manti and on down past the east side of zarahemla, therefore, the mississippi river cannot be the river sidon of the book of mormon. If it does derive from the biblical name for the phoenician city sidon hebrew.
The grijalva river and the river sidon by joseph l. The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the book of mormon. It is the only named river and is mentioned twentyeight times in the text. And it came to pass that zoram and his sons crossed over the river sidon with their armies, and marched away beyond the borders of manti, into the south wilderness, which was on the east side of the river sidon.
The colorado river delta is an important part of our model of the book of mormon lands in baja california and the north american southwest. Poulsen compares sorensons river of sidon suggestion the grijalva river with haucks the usamacinta river and finds grijalva much more plausible. Jan 18, 2018 the book of mormon gave only scattered clues, speaking of a narrow isthmus, a river called sidon, and lands to the north and south occupied by the nephites and their enemies, the lamanites. One candidate for the sidon river might be the coyolate river. Another limited geography model, known as the heartland model, has the book of mormon taking place primarily in the eastern united states. A correlation of the sidon river and the lands of manti. The river sidon ran through, not along the land of zarahemla. It may be said that the river sidon is the nile of the book of mormon. Talmage and the 1980 edition prepared under the direction of bruce r. The scenario presented in the book of mormon took place throughout all of north america and south america.
And behold there shall ye meet them, on the east of the river sidon, and there the lord will deliver unto thee thy brethren who have been taken captive by the lamanites. Not one nonmormon scholar has ever identified the remains andor locations of any book of mormon land, city, river, battleground, or people group. Book of mormon sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. The amlicites journeyed southwest near the city of amnihu and met the nephites at the hill amnihu, across the river sidon, where they were defeated see alma 2. The most prominent river in the book of mormon is the river sidon.
The book of mormon describes this as a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains where both the nephite and jaredite cultures came to an end. The grijalva and umacinta rivers seem a little to big to match with what the book of mormon describes of the river sidon. Gideon, city of true book of mormon geography lands. There are times when there is not the opportunity to get a clear understanding of what the traveler saw and these bulletins will help with that understanding. The river sidon is the only named river in mormons abridgment of the nephite record. The only river described in the book of mormon is the river sidon. We believe that the city of z halo was located next to the des moines rapids.
A model for the book of mormon in baja the river sidon. Rivers true book of mormon geography lands western new. And there is only one watercourse within the heartlands of the peninsula. That definition also makes sense in the book of mormon. They retreated past gideon to the land of minon and there regrouped and joined forces with the lamanites, on the road to the land of nephi, before marching toward zarahemla. There were several battles fought in and around this river. The dominant geographical feature in the book of mormon is the river sidon. The lamanites under zarahemnah also crossed the river sidon near manti, located to the south of zarahemla alma 43. In addition to the river sidon, the only other uses of the term river are references to rivers in a land far to the north of zarahemla, a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains the colorado river delta in. The jarediteolmec correlation, first proposed in the 1930s by m. Gideon, located on the eastern side of the river sidon in the valley of gideon, named after gideon, a nephite patriot during the reigns of kings noah and limhi. There you shall meet them, on the east of the river sidon.
They need the sidon river to flow northward because the only two rivers in. The river sidon is key to locating the southern border of the land of zarahemla. River sidona key to unlocking book of mormon lands prophesied cursing and blessing of book of mormon lands the narrow neck of landa touchstone of book of mormon geography. Jan 12, 2015 this means river sidon did not change course during book of mormon times 21. Open your annotated book of mormon to page 293, or open your regular book of mormon to alma 43. Amidst the hundreds of passages of potential geographic significance, alma 22. Alma 2 the punctuation in the above verse may or may not. There are seas on both the east and the west of the land. River sidon south to north book of mormon resources.
The river sidon is the only named river in mormon s abridgment of the nephite record. Book of mormon, 1830, page 344 the joseph smith papers. The book of mormon textual references to the river sidon works very well in this geography, once a more complete understanding of what the head of the river sidon might mean. The book of mormon is a book saturated with warfare. Lee 1830 seven survey gives thousands of soundings measuring the depth of the mississippi at various points. This afternoon we will return to our resort hotel with time to relax. The river sidon the most prominent river in the book of mormon is the river sidon.
The river sidon is mentioned in connection with military movements at the river, baptisms in the river, and bodies floating to the sea in the river. As regarding the sidon river there is a very simple explanation that lies in the definition of head of a river. Ive been reading a lot about different theories of the book of mormon geography. Despite the limited space on the plates, mormonas a historian and. In his notes to the 1879 edition of the book of mormon, orson pratt said the river flowed northward, an observation that persisted in the indices to the 1920 edition prepared under the direction of james e. The grim reality for ancient peoples was that religious, political, and cultural ideologies were frequently enforced through war. The rio dulce river is also a candidate for the river sidon.
Below are the major criticisms of the heartland models proposal of the mississippi river being the ancient river sidon of the book of mormon. Exploring the book of mormon in americas heartland. In 1996, upon returning from serving a mission in spain, dr. The head source of the river sidon is in lamanite territory. The head of the river sidon is in the south of the nephite territories, as zarahemla is to the north of the head. The only named river on book of mormon lands is the river sidon other rivers not covered. Practically since the book of mormon was published, its geography has been the subject of discussion and debate. The heartland model or heartland theory of book of mormon geography states that the book of mormon events primarily occurred in the heartland of north america. The river needs to be small enough for a numberless army to easily cross alma x. The fact that sidon is the only river explicitly named in the book of mormons american setting, likely has more to do with the fact that principal nephite lands are geographically very localized comparable in size to the land of israel in the old world. The river sidon is the only named river in the book of mormon. The book of mormon mentions that near is hamm a lani army retreat, walked across the side and river. After the destruction at the time of christ, many nephite cities were rebuilt in their original locations 4 nephi 1. Comparing book of mormon geography models mormon lds.
I suspect identifying the features that are recorded in the book of mormon around this river will help in finding the book of mormon lands. If the river sidon can be correctly identified then all other geographical locations should flow from it pun intended. Why did mormon give so many details about geography. The book of mormon identifies where the cities of zarahemla, manti, and nephi, were located relative to the east and west seas, to each other, to the narrow strip of wilderness, and relative to the river sidon. Flow of the river sidon miscellaneous mormon dialogue. The river sidon is the only river mentioned by name, and is the most prominent river in the book of mormon. Usumacinta river is the river sidon book of mormon. Sep 07, 2019 open your annotated book of mormon to page 293, or open your regular book of mormon to alma 43. This site can be used as a study guide to help understand the book of mormon. Book of mormon, 1837, page 364 the joseph smith papers. The river sidon ran through, not along the land of zarahemla 15 and it came to pass that the amlicites came upon the hill amnihu, which was east of the river sidon, which ran by the land of zarahemla, and there they began to make war with the nephites.
Ultimate book of mormon lands including the country of honduras escape winter and join with us after christmas. Zarahemla site crossing the river sidon on foot facebook. Jun 04, 2019 below are the major criticisms of the heartland models proposal of the mississippi river being the ancient river sidon of the book of mormon. How do we know the river sidon flowed south to north. The antichrist korihor tried to preach there with little success. Proposed book of mormon geographical setting wikipedia. Why are there so many war chapters in the book of mormon. It is first mentioned in connection with the land of zarahemla alma 2. The index in the book of mormon states that the sidon river flowed north to a sea, but the mississippi river flows south to the gulf of mexico and therefore could not have been the sidon river of the book of mormon. Dec 02, 2016 river sidon a key to unlocking book of mormon lands prophesied cursing and blessing of book of mormon lands the narrow neck of landa touchstone of book of mormon geography.
Apr 25, 2014 all this and more took place along the river sidonthe river that is central to the book of mormon story and a key to the book of mormon geography. Palmyra, known as swifts landing and tolland before being renamed palmyra, 1796. Clarks article book of mormon geography in the 1992 semiofficial encyclopedia of mormonism includes the northflowing sidon as one of the few tenets of book of mormon geography unambiguously attested in the text. Crossing the river sidon would put them on the opposite side of the river than the land of ammonihah. Wells jakeman and thomas stuart ferguson while they were students at uc berkeley, remains viable. The mississippi river is the river sidon and the action takes place just north of the current city of st. The river sidon flows by the lands of manti, gideon and. Purpose of the book of mormon tour helps these single page descriptions of a specific book of mormon site are designed to provide pertinent information to the traveler about the site. Battle at river sidon mississippi alma 4344 book of. When we apply precisely what the book of mormon states by geographically identifying the land and city of nephi, then we can identify which river was the river sidon. In 1992, we published the first issue of the book of mormon archaeological digest. I believe what the prophet joseph smith declared, it says what it means and means what it says.