There exists some differences of opinion about the landing site of Lehi. There has been general agreement that Lehi probably began his exodus to the Promised Land near Khor Kharfot, Oman before sailing to the New World. Both the Mesoamerican Theory and the Heartland Theory are in agreement here. Those who believe in the Mesoamerican theory (M2C) think they sailed east towards India. Those of the Heartland Model (HM) feel Lehi sailed south west toward the tip of Africa.
You will see more about the discussion below. Those of M2C think Lehi landed somewhere on the west coast of South/Central America and the HM think they landed near the Panhandle of Florida. Those of M2C feel Lehi landed amongst a large population of Mayans. They also believe the Mayan civilization absorbed the Lehites and that is why today you find only Asian DNA amongst those people of South America. Those of us in the HM feel that Lehi landed amongst a few native hunter gathers in North America near Florida. We also believe there has been found Hebrew DNA in the Natives near the Great Lakes. National Geographic
As the scripture says, “this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations; for behold, many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance.” 2 Nephi 1:8. This is why the Vikings and others were not allowed to remain upon the land. We would expect a smaller group that Lehi would greet. I can’t imagine how Nephi could be a King amongst just a few of Lehi’s people, if there was a large contingency of natives on the land previously.
- Navigational Proof: Phoenicia 2009 Expedition (See map above) Blog Here
- Navigational Proof: Phoenicia 2020 Expedition (See map above) Blog Here
- Length of voyage: 4-6 months vs. 14-18 months around the Pacific route.
- Time of Year: Leave in Sept or Oct. Full Harvest. Land in March or April?
- Archaeology: 500-700 BC Mounds and Relics. Pierce Mounds, Florida.
- Bees and Honey: Only place in the world for Tupelo Honey. Apalachicola, FL.
- Similar Latitude: Seeds would grow. 30° 26′ 17″ N (Tallahassee, FL) 30° 04’42” N (Cairo, Egypt) 31° 46′ 48″ N (Jerusalem) 19° 43’ 26” N (Mexico City) 15° 30′ 0″ N (Guatemala)
- Mostly Unoccupied Area: 2 Nephi 1:8/Not overrun. Nephi=King
- Wind Currents: Leaving Oman in Sept (honey & fruit ripe), wind currents flow toward horn of Africa.
- Promised Land: Book of Mormon speaks of a Land of Liberty. (36 others) USA, not Mesoamerica
- Abundance of Food: Oman and Florida both called “A” Land Bountiful
- Same Land as Jaredites: [Cumorah and Ramah]
- Food prehistoric people needed: Deer, small mammals, Turtles. Bison, Mammoths, Bear, Elk further north.
- Signs of Hebrew writing or relics: Bat Creek Stone, Holy Stones, Hebrew Earthworks, etc.
- Access to Rivers: Chattahoochee only river source brings ice into the gulf.
- Comoros is off the south-east coast of Africa, to the north-west of Madagascar, where Lehi would have been. It’s capital city is MORONI. I doubt it is a coincidence.
- The Phoenicia 2009 ship captain Philip Beale said, the ship was moving backwards but the compass said they were going forward at a few points near the tip of Africa where the currents change. 1 Nephi 18:23
Pierce Mounds in Apalachicola, FL- Most Likely Land of Lehi’s Inheritance
The mounds were named for Alton Pierce, an early owner of the site. Much of the site is now on private property and inaccessible to the public. I personally visited these 13- Pierce mounds with Mike and Betty LaFontaine and a few of their friends on Oct 2017 with George Mahr the owner of the property. We saw and walked and dug around the surface of these mounds which also included a sizeable temple mound and a shell midden more than a mile long, shared with a bustling village the area around what is now Magnolia Cemetery. Daniel Seinfeld of Apalachicola times wrote the following: “The people who lived there were prosperous and powerful, influencing trade traffic to the north along Apalachicola River and to the east and west along the Gulf Coast. They were spared the hard work of farming by an abundance of seafood and game as well as wild fruit and nuts. There is evidence they imported cornmeal to broaden their diet. Skilled potters who produced both fanciful and utilitarian objects, they buried their dead with precious objects including silver, copper and pearls. The settlement was founded around 500 BC. Around the same time, the Scandinavian Iron Age began, the Chinese developed the handheld trigger crossbow, and burnt brick and donkey-powered grain mills were used for the first time in Greece.”
Nancy Marie White Dept of Anthropology at Un. of South Florida said, “World population had reached 100 million, 15 million of whom lived in the Western Hemisphere. “The (Pierce Mounds people) hauled soil in baskets or sacks or dragged it on hides or cloths to pile it up and build mounds,” White wrote. “They made both beautiful and plain pots, paints, points, pipes, musical instruments, and other artifacts, and used many in special ceremonies that also involved burnt offerings to accompany burial of their dead. “Wolves, panthers, other cats, but maybe even grub worms too were among the animals they considered important for more than just food. They hunted, fished, gathered nuts, chopped down and burned trees, made canoes, played chunkey and other games,” she wrote.”
Editor’s Note: This sounds just like a people called the Nephites in my opinion.
Daniel Seinfeld of Apalachicola Times continues, “At the time these first mounds were built, Greek engineers invented the catapult and the Acropolis was planned. Socrates lived and was executed for corrupting the youth of Athens. London was a collection of thatched huts boasting a wooden pier and surrounded by a mud wall.”
[Nancy] White writes “that the settlement at Turtle Harbor persisted until shortly before “the European invasion of Florida” in the 16th century. Why the Pierce Mound people left is unclear. Complete Archeological report from Nancy White here! Treasures taken from the site are in museum collections as far away as London, along with unpublished records and drawings from early excavations. Much of White’s research on Apalachicola’s prehistory took place in libraries. “This shows the value of the immensely difficult and complex labor of digging into unpublished field notes and maps, museum accession data, courthouse records, and other original sources,” she wrote. ” Today many think research is something done online. But there is a wealth of unpublished, dusty old paper out there with information that can greatly change or help interpretation.” Artifacts at the British Museum were probably purchased, a common practice during the 19th century. The museum’s collection includes a clay pipe and four stone artifacts, obtained in 1869, from a dig at “Turtle Harbor near Apalachicola” and stone and shell tools and pottery, acquired in 1875, are “from mounds near Apalachicola.” Pottery from Pierce Mounds is showcased at the Smithsonian.
An Ancient Tourist Attraction
Just as ancient cities today hold a charm and fascination, White believes that over time, the attraction of the Pierce Mounds grew. Certainly, it was a center of commerce and drew visitors from far away but it may also have been a place for religious pilgrimages, an ancient tourist attraction. “The earlier mounds may have become sacred places for later people to come to pray, worship ancestors known or thought to have been (buried) there, or just feel a sense of the spiritual beyond everyday life, or a sense of territory and patriotism,” White wrote. European settlers in Apalachicola collected many artifacts, a practice that continued well into the 20th century. Indeed, on the east end of the cemetery, it appears the remains of a mound or midden is currently being bulldozed for fill, she wrote. In 1888, H. L. Grady of Apalachicola collected artifacts that his heirs apparently donated to what would become the Florida Museum of Natural History. C.B Moore, a well-heeled and colorful archaeologist, carried out the first organized excavation at Pierce Mounds. He published a spectacular account of the dig in 1902. Moore excavated many Native American sites in the Southeast, around the turn of the 19th century, often traveling to them in his steamboat the “Gopher” accompanied by a lifelong male companion who was his personal physician. By the time Moore visited the site around 1898, the temple mound had been mined for fill. He described 99 burials from Mound A, including skeletons, weapons, jewelry and pottery In the 1940s, Gordon Willey, whose work laid the foundation for New World archaeology, visited the Pierce Mounds and performed additional excavations. By the 1990s, Willey was retired but continued to write. Among his works was a mystery novel, “Selena,” a story in which an elderly archaeologist becomes embroiled in sexual antics and murder in a fictitious Panhandle town. White said the Pierce Mounds are featured in the story as the “Bull Mounds.” William Sears, another archaeologist, excavated here in the 1950s, followed by Dan Penton who visited in 1972 and again in 1996. White said Penton told her the Muscogee Indian nation still considers the Pierce site sacred and tobacco offerings are made there. In 1975, architect Willoughby Marshall hired Robert S. Carr to examine historic sites for “Apalachicola: Economic Development through Historic Preservation.” Carr quotes from a manuscript by local memoirist, Dwight Marshall, who said the railroad construction cut through “some of the Indian mounds near the cemetery. They dug up skeletons of Indians that were a foot taller than the average man of today and also other items of pottery. The Smithsonian Institute sent some men here on the Steamer Gopher…” In reality, Moore was sponsored by the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia so it’s unclear how much of Marshall’s account is accurate.
Cool Springs Mound is missing
In 1994, the US Department of State tried and failed to buy part of the Pierce site, both for historical preservation and to conserve surrounding wetlands. Shortly afterwards, a team from the Florida Department of Historical Resources’ Bureau of Archaeological Research visited the Pierce site. White and her students inspected the artifacts DHR recovered and her work on the mounds began. She has located the sites of all but one of the 13 mounds, named Cool Springs Mound, a 7.5-foot high and 90 feet in diameter mound located as of 1902 on the western outskirts of Apalachicola. Now, it is probably in the neighborhood just east of Magnolia Cemetery. What will happen to the Pierce Mounds is unclear. In 1974, Pierce Mounds was added to the National Register of Historic Places but the designation provides no protection. “The beauty and monumental nature of the Pierce mounds complex remains impressive today, even with the damage to so much of the site,” White wrote. “It is crucial that Pierce be preserved as much as possible, for so many reasons, from heritage conservation to ecological issues to scientific research potential.” Apalachicola resident George Mahr, who owns the undeveloped remains of the Pierce site, invited White to work there and supported much of her research. He hopes either to develop the land preserving the archaeological site or to sell the land for conservation purposes. He has fenced the site in an effort to preserve it but said the problem of trespassers in the area is a constant challenge. White asked to remind everyone these mounds are a burial site and it is illegal to disturb, possess or sell human remains in Florida. If the remains are from someone who has been dead for more than 75 years, activities at the site of a suspected grave may not resume until the state archaeologist has been notified of the unmarked burial. To notify the state archaeologist, call Daniel Seinfeld at 850-245-6301 850-245-6301 or email him at [email protected]
Mounds at Turtle Harbor or Turtle Harbor Mounds
Truncated Pyramids
Truncated pyramids are associated with all the large Mississippian towns in the Mississippi River Basin . . . hence their anthropological name. The earliest “Mississippian” town in traditional Creek territory, Ocmulgee National Monument, began construction of a rectangular, pyramidal mound (Mound A ~ the Great Temple Mound) around 900 AD. However, at least four pyramidal mounds in Georgia predate the one at Ocmulgee by around 1200 to 800 years. They are at (1) Kolomoki Mounds [300-700 AD] in SW Georgia, (2) the Mandeville [800 BC-600 AD] in SW Georgia, (3) 9FU14 sites on the Chattahoochee River in SW Metro Atlanta and at (3) the Leake Site [300 Bc – 650 AD] on the Etowah River in NW Metro Atlanta. The Kenimer Mound [550-700 AD] also probably predated Ocmulgee’s Mound A [800-900 AD] by about 300 years. However, it is a pentagonal pyramid.
“The Nephites could not possibly have lived among the Mayans” by Jonathan Neville
Moroni’s America position- If you believe in the New York Cumorah, you will likely view this LiDAR discovery as additional evidence that the Nephites could not possibly have lived among the Mayans.
I think the text shows Lehi’s colony landing in the promised land, planting their own seeds, finding animals and ore in the wilderness, all while completely unimpeded by any existing civilization. (1 Ne. 18:23-5). I think Lehi’s observation that “this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations” was accurate; i.e., that there were no “other nations” in the promised land where they landed, “for behold, many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance” (2 Nephi 1:8). I do think think there were some indigenous people who went with Nephi when he fled (2 Nephi 5:6), but I infer they were unorganized hunter/gatherers that did not qualify as any sort of “nation” and were impressed by the Jewish immigrants’ technology, language, etc.
In my view, it is difficult enough to believe that Lehi’s family, a relative handful of immigrants from a distant culture speaking a different language, could have arrived and started planting crops on unclaimed land in Mesoamerica, encountering no resistance, but it is even more difficult to believe Lehi’s descendants could have managed to rule as kings and chief judges over even a part of a Mayan civilization, and that in the midst of this Mayan civilization, King Mosiah could have escaped with the Nephites into the wilderness and found a much larger group of illiterate people (the people of Zarahemla) who possessed exactly one engraven stone.
Now that we are learning from LiDAR that the Mayan civilization was even larger, more densely populated, and more sophisticated than we previously realized, the Book of Mormon seems even less plausible in that setting. IOW, the grander the Mayan civilization, the less likely it is that Lehi landed anywhere near that civilization.
This view is based on the text and has nothing directly to do with the New York Cumorah, but it does confirm my bias in favor of the New York Cumorah. _____
M2C position. If you believe the M2C position that Cumorah is not in New York and that the entire Book of Mormon took place in Mesoamerica, you will likely view this LiDAR discovery as additional evidence that the Nephites must have lived among the Mayans.
The basic M2C concept is described in the Meridian Magazine article. It is the idea that the Nephites were absorbed into Mayan culture. That’s why there is no Israelite DNA in Central America, no traces of Nephite languages or the law of Moses or Christian beliefs and practices, etc. M2C proponents believe there were bottlenecks (both DNA-related and cultural) that screened out Nephite cultural influence.” Jonathan Neville
Annotated Book of Mormon
“Within recent years there has arisen among certain students of the Book of Mormon a theory to the effect that within the period covered by the Book of Mormon, the Nephites and Lamanites were confined almost entirely within the borders of the territory comprising Central America and the southern portion of Mexico—the isthmus of Tehuantepec probably being the “narrow neck” of land spoken of in the Book of Mormon rather than the Isthmus of Panama (See Alma 50:34; 52:9; 63:5; Mormon 2:29; 3:5). This theory is founded upon the assumption that it was impossible for the colony of Lehi’s to multiply and fill the hemisphere within the limits of 1,000 years, or from the coming of Lehi from Jerusalem to the time of the destruction of the Nephites at the Hill Cumorah. Moreover, they claim that the story in the Book of Mormon of the migrations, building of cities, and the wars and contentions, preclude the possibility of the people spreading over great distances such as we find within the borders of North and South America. “If we are willing to accept the Bible record, which is confirmed by the Doctrine and Covenants, the entire civilization of the earth was destroyed in the flood except Noah and his family (See Gen 6; 7; 8; Moses 7:36–43). Moreover, this destruction took place less than 5,000 years ago, and today the population of the earth, notwithstanding wars and destructions, is estimated [in 1954] at over 2,000,000,000 souls [2018 population estimated at 7,600,000,000, has nearly quadrupled in just 64 years]. The population of Europe, based upon the best records available, is vastly increased over that at the time of the discovery of America; yet upon this hemisphere are to be found hundreds of millions of people, descendants of European and Asiatic ancestors who knew nothing of this land before the discovery by Columbus. The rapid increase of posterity is known to every genealogist who has traced the record of the early settlers in this western country. “This modernistic theory of necessity, in order to be consistent, must place the waters of Ripliancum and the Hill Cumorah some place within the restricted territory of Central America, notwithstanding the teachings of the Church to the contrary for upwards of 100 years.
Because of this theory some members of the Church have become confused and greatly disturbed in their faith in the Book of Mormon. It is for this reason that evidence is here presented to show that it is not only possible that these places could be located as the Church has held during the past century, but that in very deed such is the case. It is known that the Hill Cumorah where the Nephites were destroyed is the hill where the Jaredites were also destroyed. This hill was known to the Jaredites as Ramah. It was approximately near to the waters of Ripliancum, which the Book of Ether says, ‘by interpretation, is large, or to exceed all’ – Ether 15:8. Mormon adds: ‘And it came to pass that we did march forth to the land of Cumorah, and we did pitch our tents round about the hill Cumorah; and it was in a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains; and here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites,’ (Mormon 6:4)” –
Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, Edited by Bruce R. McConkie, Vol. 3 [1999] 232–243. As stated on page 441 SPECULATION ABOUT BOOK OF MORMON GEOGRAPHY
Moroni’s America
“In an effort to explain the discrepancy between the enumerated (small) population and the large population implied by having wars and building a temple, proponents of a Mesoamerican setting suggest that–
“When the Book of Mormon peoples entered the not-empty New World, they entered a land that was not only populated, but which already boasted highly developed civilizations. The Book of Mormon does not explain Mesoamerican peoples—but Mesoamerican peoples help explain the Book of Mormon… With such a small Lehite population entering an established region with a significantly larger population, the most logical direction of cultural borrowing would have been from the established indigenous population to the small population that had originated in Jerusalem.[i]
This suggestion contradicts the text, in my opinion. I agree with the likelihood that the Nephites encountered indigenous people, but far from “cultural borrowing” from any “established indigenous population,” Nephi keeps the law of Moses and is soon teaching his people how to build a temple, make weapons, etc., as we’ll see in the next section.
Father Lehi’s statement about “other nations” directly contradicts the idea that the Nephites landed among “highly developed civilizations” that existed in Mesoamerica. On the other hand, Lehi’s statement is compatible with the various hunter/gatherer groups identified in the archaeological evidence in the southeastern United States at the time. Such groups would naturally be attracted to new arrivals who brought with them productive seeds for food, advanced technology for weapons and buildings, a written language and other benefits.
Another possibility for the relatively large population during Nephi’s lifetime is that Lehi brought servants along with him. I consider this likely.
Erastus Snow noted that, “The Prophet Joseph informed us that… Ishmael was of the lineage of Ephraim, and that his sons married into Lehi’s family, and Lehi’s sons married Ishmael’s daughters…these descendants of Manasseh and Ephraim grew together upon this American continent.”[ii]
In his analysis of Lehi’s group, John Sorenson noted that “Nothing is said about Zoram’s ancestry, but it seems statistically likely, given his bureaucratic/military role in Jerusalem, that he was a Jew, while both Lehi and Ishmael counted descent from Joseph.”[iii] This would make all of Lehi’s group “Israelites, principally the descendants of Joseph,” which is how Orson Pratt described them in his 1840 pamphlet.[iv] However, Joseph Smith made a correction to this language when he wrote the Wentworth Letter. Joseph wrote, “They were principally Israelites, of the descendants of Joseph.”[v] It is possible that Joseph Smith was referring to Zoram after all, clarifying he was not a Jew. He may have been referring to those who accompanied the Mulekites (presumably Phoenicians). But it is also possible that he was referring to others who accompanied Lehi.
Here are John Sorenson’s comments on that topic.
Were there servants? No mention is made of male or female servants, yet it is possible that there were some. At first glance, 1 Nephi 2:4 would seem to rule that out, since reference is made only to Lehi’s taking “his family.” Yet Near Eastern usage would not rule out including servants under that heading without specifically distinguishing them. Lehi’s “great wealth” would seem to have called for at least female servants in the household. Nephi’s hesitancy about even adding Zoram to their party would not apply in the case of family retainers, who would have known no other life than service to Lehi and Sariah and had no alternative place in society in the land of Jerusalem even if they dreamed of defecting. I do not consider it likely that there were such people along, but the door should not be shut on the possibility, for they might account for some genetic variety in the colony as well as providing additional hands for the construction of the ship when they reached Bountiful.
Finally, I note that Lynn M. Hilton has proposed in an unpublished paper that Laman and Lemuel took dark-skinned South Arabian women as second wives during the sojourn in Bountiful, thus accounting for the skin color attributed to the Lamanites in the promised land in America. That the party had social interaction with local inhabitants in Bountiful on the south Arabian coast does seem likely, even inevitable. Among other things, Nephi claims “neither did I build the ship after the manner of men” (1 Nephi 18:2), implying that he had knowledge of other ships which almost certainly would have existed on that coast. However, Jacob 3:5, which credits the Lamanites with a tradition of strict monogamy, goes against the Hilton suggestion, but Lehi could have picked up families, or single people who married Lehi’s servants. We simply don’t know.
I think it is likely Lehi brought servants. The journey from Jerusalem through the wilderness would have been arduous for any small group, but also dangerous. Lehi was a wealthy man, and likely accustomed to desert travel; in the context of the times, he would have had servants to assist him in his work, as well as to assist the household. Furthermore, it seems unlikely that Lehi would have sent all of his sons back to Jerusalem, leaving Lehi and Sariah and their daughters alone in the wilderness, if he did not have servants. Perhaps he also sent servants to accompany his sons on their trips to Jerusalem.
Joseph Smith said the group was “principally Israelites,” so some of them were not. Apart from Zoram, the record gives no specifics on the identity of these non-Israelites. Had Zoram been the only exception, would Joseph have used the term “principally?” The term refers to rank or importance, not merely numbers, so even a significant number of non-Israelite servants would leave the group “principally Israelites.”
Mesoamerican advocates have considered but rejected the notion that Lehi’s party included servants or people from Arabia,[vi] but I think that approach reflects a desire to show that Lehi landed among a sophisticated Mesoamerican population. In my view, that idea contradicts the text.
To summarize: I think Lehi brought servants and landed in a mostly uninhabited area in Florida, among a small population of hunter/gatherers who lacked a well-organized society.” Jonathan Neville Moroni’s America pages 84-85
[i] Brant Gardner, Traditions of the Fathers, pp. 153-4.
[ii] Erastus Snow, “God’s Peculiar People,” Journal of Discourses, 23:184, available online at http://bit.ly/Moroni38.
[iii] John Sorenson, “The Composition of Lehi’s Family,” in By Study and Also by Faith, (Neal A. Maxwell Institute), available online at http://bit.ly/Moroni39.
[iv] Orson Pratt, A[n] Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions, p. 15, available online at http://bit.ly/Moroni40.
[v] The Wentworth letter was published in the 1 March 1842 Times and Seasons. The Historical Introduction in the Joseph Smith Papers explains that the letter echoes some wording from Pratt’s pamphlet. The letter is available online at http://bit.ly/Moroni41.
[vi] E.g., Brant Gardner, Traditions of the Fathers, p. 156.
The Amazing Replica Phoenicia 600 BC Ship, has been Purchased by some special people from the Heartland Group. See below.
Heartland Research Agreed to Purchase the Phoenicia for Display on the West Bank of the River Sidon at the Zarahemla Temple Site in Montrose, Iowa.
December 13, 2021, a few inspired and special members of Heartland Research, negotiated with the shipowner (Philip Beale) the terms for purchasing the Phoenicia, a faithful replica of a ship capable of bringing Mulek, the Prince of Judah, from Jerusalem to Zarahemla in the 6th Century before Christ along with making a voyage possible of bringing Lehi and his family from Oman, to Florida, as they demonstrated in 2020. John Lefgren and Mike and Betty LaFontaine of the Heartland Group have done the world a service. More here>
Nov 2025 Update: The Phoenicia Ship
Heartland Research continues to plan a Historic Museum in a location where the ‘Phoenicia’ may be touched and seen by more people. It must be near an international airport and in a location where millions of people travel every year. We are moving to Utah.
Now Heartland Research, has strategically disassembled the ‘Phoenicia’ in Iowa, carefully crated her up, and shipped her to Utah.We will rebuild this extraordinary ship Utah which is a more advantageous location to share with the world. The disassembly of the Phoenicia was completed the 3rd-8th of November 2025 in Montrose, Iowa.
We are now looking for someone who has or knows someone, to donate a building or land which is about 7-8,000 sq. ft., with 20-foot ceilings in Salt Lake, Utah Valley, or possibly even in St. George. We will then need volunteers to help re-build the ‘Phoenicia’ at that location in the spring of 2026.
Phoenicia.Rocks Text Mike LaFontaine 904-635-4476.
“Moroni told Joseph that he had hidden up the records four centuries after the birth of Jesus, while he was living on the earth. He said that the Nephites, the people to which he belonged, called the hill where they stood Cumorah, and that a still earlier people, the Jaredites, called it Ramah. This was a very important hill in the history of both these peoples.” The Latter-day Prophet. History of Joseph Smith Written for Young People by George Q. Cannon 1900
“We visited the Hill Cumorah and were accorded the courtesy of going thereon by the wife of Mr. George Sampson, a brother of Admiral Wm. Sampson, who before his death owned the property. When we went up there and looked around, we felt that we were standing on holy ground. The brethren located, as near as they thought was possible, the place from which the plates of the Book of Mormon were taken by the Prophet. We were delighted to be there. Looking over the surrounding country we remembered that two great races of people had wound up their existence in the vicinity, had fought their last fight, and that hundreds of thousands had been slain within sight of that hill. Evidence of the great battles that have been fought there in days gone by are manifest in the numerous spear and arrow-heads that have been found by farmers while plowing in that neighborhood. We were fortunate enough to obtain a few of the arrowheads.” (George Albert Smith, Conference Report, April 1906, Third Day—Morning Session p. 56)
When Joseph Smith made his “fantastic” claims and published the Book of Mormon as an ancient history of the American Indians, some scoffed at the idea that a major battle had anciently taken place in the local vicinity. However, evidence was soon produced that documented that this region of the country did indeed once possess a heavy Indian population, and that a terrible battle had taken place in that locality.
These holy treasures, these sacred archives are too precious to be bought with the riches of this world. Hence, Job says, “It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.” All the wealth of ages is valueless, compared with the records of eternal wisdom, the inexhaustible fountain of understanding, hidden in the secret recesses of the wonderful— the beautiful—the lovely hill Cumorah! O, Cumorah! the hill of ancient Seers and Prophets! the hill of God! Sanctified by holy angels’ feet! From thy bowels is heard a voice, low, sweet, mild, of heavenly tones! yet it thrills through every fibre of the heart! It speaks of man—of God—of earth—of heaven—of hell! It speaks of the past—of the future—of the destiny of nations—the reign of Messiah — the resurrection—the final judgment! O holy, lovely mount! the sacred resting place of Zion’s law! In thy chambers dwell eternal riches! In thy lovely bosom are fountains that never dry I Speak! 0 speak again! Let Zion. hear thy voice! for thy voice is not the voice of feeble helpless man! but the voice of the Eternal One, speaking from the ground. Let Zion sing for joy! let the heavens be full of praise; for thou, O Lord, makest the earth to disclose its wonders; thou bringest forth truth from the bowels thereof! thou openest the gates of wisdom, and showest thy word unto the sons of men! Hidden things are brought to light—things most precious to the soul! let the hills and mountains break forth into singing! let the earth itself utter songs of everlasting joy! let glory, honor, and everlasting power, be unto Him who sitteth upon the throne, who holdeth the keys of Creation and Redemption forever more.” The Latter-day Saints Millennial Star Vol. 28; publisher Liverpool: July 7, 1866 Orson Pratt (Italics added)
The Grave Creek Stone
Fig. 5.
Fig. 6.
A 1930 article in Science News Letter reported in all seriousness that one Andrew Price had at last “cleared up one of the greatest hoaxes in the record of American science,” by translating the Grave Creek inscription into “good old West Virginian.” (Davis 1930) According to the article, “That hoax, perpetrated by some unknown practical jokesmith, has stood triumphantly undetected for ninety odd years.” The inscription, according to Price, reads, in plain English,
ANCIENT NEPHITE-LAMANITE BATTLEGROUNDS
They came back the next year, and again the third year, and traded and acted much as they did before and never seemed to wish to get acquainted with us, until 
About a week after, they sent for him to come among them again and talk to them once more. He wondered more than ever at their inviting him to talk to them so soon for he knew he had done very little good before. But as 
When I woke up, I called my family together and also the Counsel of Five Chiefs (of which I was a member) for our tribe that then lived in Manitoba was large, and 
I asked them how I would know the people who had the book that would tell my live Indian friends all about who they were and about their dead relatives; and they gave me these 
Yellow Face had grown quite eloquent in telling of his wonderful experience among the dead-yet-living Indians, as he termed them, and before he sat down, he asked for the Book. 
He then took the Book of Mormon, calling it their long lost Book, and wrapped it among their valuables, which they always carry in a separate buckskin sack, and hang it apart from any other belongings on a tripod in front of the head Chief’s lodge. These articles are held sacred by the tribe and are exhibited only on rare occasions.
17 
“Located in the Hill Country of Ephraim, the city of Shechem played a vital role in the history of Israel. This location, in the middle of the nation, provided the most important crossroads in central Israel. The city lay along the northern end of “The Way of the Patriarchs.” This road, also called the “
The Road of the Patriarchs or Way of the Patriarchs (Hebrew: דֶּרֶךְ הֲאָבוֹת Derech haʾAvot Lit. Way (of) the Fathers) is an ancient north–south route traversing the land of Israel and the region of Palestine.[1] The modern Highway 60 (Israel-Palestine) follows roughly the route of the Way of the Patriarchs.[2][3]
There are hundreds of thousands of Indian Mounds in North America, (Map left) that I never even knew about, until 53 years of age. Yet, the mounds, and cities and cultures of the Native Americans in North America were hidden, so to speak from the world in open spaces with thousands of artifacts in museums all over the land? Here is what a Historian said about this map left:
The FIRST, First Presidency was:
HELAM, CITY OF.(Near Pinson Mounds TN) 
THE NASHVILLE SMILODON: AN ACCOUNT OF THE 1971 FIRST AMERICAN CENTER SITE INVESTIGATIONS IN DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE John T. Dowd During the summer of 1971, construction activity in downtown Nashville, Tennessee exposed cave deposits containing the remains of a saber-tooth cat. Salvage excavation of the deposits by the Southeastern Indian Antiquities Survey (SIAS) yielded other early faunal remains as well, including horse, mammoth, peccary, and possibly musk ox. Human remains discovered above the early faunal remains were determined to be of much later origin. This report documents the author’s first-hand account of events surrounding the 1971 site discovery. Brief Summary of the 1977 Guilday Analysis Results The First American Center was completed in 1974 with a preserved Pleistocene cave section 30 feet under its lowest floor level. REGARDING THE HUMAN SPECIMENS, Ferguson noted “The human material represents four persons buried in prepared, rock-lined crypts near the ceiling of the cavern, in a narrow space. They were secondary , or bundle, burials and were moderately flattened on the frontal bone…. Radiocarbon dates later proved that the separation was 7,000 years or better. The Sabertooth cat had died about 9,000 years ago while the bones of the human had been buried in the fill near the top of the cave about the time of Christ. Tennessee Archaeology volume 5 summer 2010 NUMBER 1 Michael C. Moore Tennessee Division of Archaeology Kevin E. Smith Middle Tennessee State University Well over 1000 pieces of bone were found (including human) and his report lists some 520 pieces that could be identified. The fauna (and number of specimens) identified from the site included: A HUMAN tibia submitted to Geochron (Sample GX-2471) was dated at 1690 + 115 years B.P. A human tibia was also submitted to the University of Georgia Geochronology Laboratory (Betty Brandau) (Sample UGA-334). The date obtained was 2390 + 145 B.P. Given the disparity of these datings one may assume the time of Christ as central, or more generally the Woodland Period as first surmised.
SABER-TOOTH CAT (119) HORSE (92) COTTONTAIL RABBIT (44) NORTHERN PINE SNAKE (41) UNIDENTIFIED SNAKE (40) RACCOON (36) BOBCAT (24) LONG-NOSED PECCARY (23) RATTLESNAKE (20) RACER (18) WHITE-TAILED DEER (12) EASTERN MOLE (8) SWAMP RABBIT (7) DEER MOUSE (5) TOAD (5) UNIDENTIFIED FISH SCALES (3) DOG (3) PINE OR PRAIRIE VOLE (3) 
At some point later, possibly in more modern times, the original entrance was possibly built over sealing the contents of the cave like a time capsule. Fast forward to August of 1971… mechanical excavations were proceeding of what would become the foundation of the then First American National Bank (now the UBS Building) when one of the contractors removing blasted limestone bedrock for the building foundation noticed a bone in the bucket of his excavator. It ended up being a 9-inch long upper maxillary canine, the iconic fang of a saber tooth cat.
The next known entry to the cave was by Larry Johnson and members of the Nashville Grotto in 1978 hoping to find remaining passages but only found only the open space. I reached out to Mr. Johnson who was kind enough to speak with me about the trip, but sadly, no photos remain from this trip. For the next several decades, a portion of the sabertooth cat remains resided in building lobby on display (then called the Regions Bank (Nashville branch), though the centerpiece skull is actually a replica cast from a Smilodon found in the La Brea Tar Pits site in California. The iconic fang is that was found at the site was not present. The location of the fang is unknown though it is thought that the human remains from the site reside at Vanderbilt University. In 1997, the National Hockey League awarded Nashville an expansion franchise and it was decided that their name and logo would be inspired by the smilodon remains that were found back in 1971. Their name became The Nashville Predators. In 2008, Tennessee Archaeologists including Aaron Deter-Wolf visited the site to see if the site was of future archaeological interest. They found that very little of the original cavern was intact and what remains was only approximately 5 feet below the base of the entrance ladder. This lies below the layers that the Smilodon was found so it was determined that it would be unlikely that any archaeological remains could be found, but there might be material of interest from a geological or paleontological perspective. 
More recently, the saber-toothed cat remains were moved from the UBS building to Nashville Visitor Center in the Arena tower of Bridgestone Arena and were unveiled at the November 8, 2016 game against Ottawa. In researching, attempts were made to request gain access to the First American Cave under the UBS building to allow more current photos to be taken, but building ownership declined. A special thanks to TDOA Archaeologist Aaron Deter-Wolf for his support and providing photos and information for this post. 
A MIDDLE ARCHAIC BENTON OCCUPATION ALONG THE HARPETH RIVER DRAINAGE IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE Aaron Deter-Wolf During the summer of 2003, TRC, Inc. conducted a burial removal project at site 40Dv184 on the grounds of the new Ensworth High School in Davidson County, Tennessee. A total of 335prehistoric features were exposed during the search for human graves. Sixty-four of these features contained human skeletal remains. Artifacts recovered during the removal project indicate an enduring use of the site area from the Early Archaic through Mississippian periods. Seven burials yielded Benton biface caches along with other lithic and bone artifacts. These caches along with additional Benton artifacts from non-mortuary pit features and surface collections indicate a significant site habitation at 40Dv184 during the late Middle Archaic Benton phase. Over two-thirds of the Benton specimens were manufactured from non-local lithic resources 
FIELDWORK AT SWALLOW BLUFF ISLAND MOUNDS, TENNESSEE (40HR16) IN 2003 Paul D. Welch Swallow Bluff Island, located in the Tennessee River portion of Hardin County, has two Mississippian period mounds that have been known to archaeologists for nearly 100 years. Unfortunately, erosion of the riverbank has removed most of the larger mound. A short expedition to the site in 2003 mapped the remaining part of the site, and recorded information about the stratigraphy of the large mound. The mound had been constructed in four stages, achieving a final height of 5.5 meters. To see all of the articles and pictures above, see TENNESSEE ARCHAEOLOGY Volume 1 Number 1 Summer 2004 
“For those who have thought of the Book of Mormon geography in terms of an hourglass shape (map below right), here is a paradigm shift. Alma 22:27 says the border between the Nephites and Lamanites was a narrow strip of wilderness. Conceptually, think of it as a fence. (Picture left) (As I’ll show, it was a water barrier that acted as a border—effectively, a fence.)
While not professional archeologists, my father and I have collected Old Copper Complex artifacts for more than 35 years and between us 
When hunting artifacts we log each find as to type, measurements, location and date found, produce a sketch of each artifact and photograph the site. Our finds come from farm fields, construction sites, river banks, and lake shores, we do not despoil archeological sites with our collecting. We steadfastly refrain from excavating burials although we know of their locations, considering this action by those other than a professional archeologist to be grave robbing. Unfortunately most professional archeologists look upon artifact collectors who use metal detectors with disdain, unworthy of serious recognition and seem to place them in the same category as “pot hunters”. However, I would argue that the artifacts that we, and others, collect would otherwise remain buried and be unavailable for study. We have made our collection available for study and have been visited by archeologists for that purpose. Without artifact collectors like us the true extent of the Old Copper Complex would not be as well defined as it is. 
Two of the most important Prophets for us today are the Angel Moroni and Joseph Smith. I believe they have a critical mission for each of us even today. I believe they both are and will be, a big part of building the New Jerusalem and over seeing the Millennium. D&C 27:5 says, “and with Moroni, whom I have sent unto you to reveal the Book of Mormon, containing the fulness of my everlasting gospel, to whom I have committed the keys of the record of the stick of Ephraim”, which means anything to do with the Book of Mormon in this Promised Land and the World must be directed with Moroni in the lead. That includes an important stewardship to lead and teach Joseph Smith.
Joseph Smith is the Prophet of this Last Dispensation of the Fulness of Times, and the Lord Himself said to Joseph, “Behold, there shall be a record kept among you; and in it thou shalt be called a seer, a translator, a prophet, an apostle of Jesus Christ, an elder of the church through the will of God the Father, and the grace of your Lord Jesus Christ, D&C 21:1
CUMORAH/RAMAH
“Moroni’s father was commander of the armies of this ancient people, known as Nephites. His name was Mormon. The war of which we speak took place here in America some four hundred years after Christ. As the fighting neared its end, Mormon gathered the remnant of his forces about a hill which they called Cumorah, located in what is now the western part of the state of New York… When finished with his record, Moroni was to hide it up in that same Hill Cumorah which was their battlefield. It would come forth in modern times as the Book of Mormon, named after Moroni’s father, the historian who compiled it.” 
A MIGHTY LAND
In a recent presentation, I summarized it this way, leading to my own conclusions. (click to enlarge) 
Words that aren’t defined as the named instruments above:
Lucy Mack Smith
Mosiah Interprets the Jaredite Stone by 
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“The feeling that President McKay had at Far West registered upon me once again, but now with greater impact. The events that transpired there are significant: (a) The Lord proclaimed Far West a holy and consecrated land unto him, declaring to Joseph Smith that the very ground he stood on there was holy. (b) The Prophet Joseph Smith contended with the devil face to face for some time, upon the occasion of the power of evil menacing one of his children in the Prophet’s home just west of the temple site. Lucifer declared that Joseph had no right to be there, that this was his place. Whereupon the Prophet rebuked Satan in the name of the Lord, and he departed and did not touch the child again. (c) The overwhelming feeling that President McKay had when he visited this sacred place.
Early settlers of the region thought it might cover some fantastic buried treasure and dug into it from time to time, but 20th century archaeologists found only that the eagle was built atop a natural rock outcrop. Theories as to the reasons for its construction currently range from the need for some central burial place by the ancient inhabitants of the area to the possibility that the people of Rock Eagle were sending a message to God.
The stone tower build by the CCC workers in the 30s provides a stunning view of the Rock Eagle and is a must for anyone visiting the site, although the stairs can be strenuous. A paved pathway circles the effigy and there are interpretive panels to explain the significance of the site. The park is beautifully maintained.
My mother and my father both served the Native Americans on the Southwest Indian Mission of 1949-51 under Pres. Golden Buchanan. They have told me wonderful stories about Pres. Buchanan all my life. I came across this Improvement Era article just a few years ago and as a lover of Lamanite Tradition and one who desires to share the Gospel with our Native brothers and sisters, I wanted to share this with you.
I have never met an old Indian who believed that he came from the north. They disagree with the books and students of racial history. They say, “We came from the south.” Several years ago, I was on the Umatilla Reservation near Pendleton, Oregon, talking with a young Indian some twenty-four or twenty- five years of age. He had just completed his tour of military service in the Pacific. He had been the private orderly of a prominent general.
“I had never joined any church because the ministers and the priests did not teach the Bible as I read it. I couldn’t read it and make it say the same things the other churches said it did. I speak the Papago language. I have lived among them all my life. I know their story and their traditions. And as I read the Book of Mormon that was placed in my hands by missionaries, I recognized the stories of the Papagos, and I knew the book was true. Your missionaries read the Bible the same way I did. These are the reasons I joined the Church. The Papagos believed they crossed the ocean and came to this land, that in the ships and on the trails they were guided by a ball. In this ball was a needle that pointed the direction they were to go. In the Papago language yet today, the name of this ball is ‘Liahona.’ ‘
Then came a night in which the sun didn’t go down, and it was light all night, and the people were much disturbed and’ distressed. But still there were troubles. Some years after this, came an extended period of darkness.
The principle of eternal marriage is not new to many of the tribes. The Hopi wedding, a beautiful ceremony, with the bride dressed in a lovely white garment woven by the hands of her finance, is a sacred affair, and is meant to last for the eternities. It is not until “death do you part.” Children are pure, they believe, and need no baptism or ordinances. When they die, they return immediately unto the God who created them. For that reason, children are never buried. They are taken to the cracks of the rocks in the cliffs where the spirit may pick up the bodies easily.
Some months ago I spent a few days in the hinterlands of the reservation. Among others that I visited was an old medicine man. His home was so remote that up to this time he had never heard the gospel. As we sat in his home, I began the story of the gospel, using his lovely daughter as an interpreter. As the story progressed, I could see his interest rising, and by the time our story reached the part of the visit of the Savior to this continent and his choosing of the Twelve, he could contain his eagerness no longer.
In his native tongue, for he could speak no English, he said, “I know of that,” and putting up his hands he named the Twelve disciples chosen by the Savior. He gave them all names and in order. As the story continued, more and more he entered into the discussion, supplying parts of it. He was so completely enthralled that he seemed not to notice that we were white people. He fitted in the stories of the people with the message of the restoration.
He sat for some time with his head bowed, and then finally looked up and said, “The names of the Twelve I have just given you, are not the Twelve that he chose on this continent, they are the Twelve that were with him across the waters before he came here. Their names are sacred and must not be used lightly.” After some little time I asked him if he would give me the names of the Twelve chosen here. He looked up at me with a twinkle in his eye and said, “My friend, you have had enough for one time. Come again some other time.” He got up from the log and hurried away and busied himself with some sheep that were in the pen. As I sat there pondering, his wife came over and warned me again of the sacredness of what I had learned and suggested that they should only be used on rare occasions. 
