Those who believe there is one Hill Cumorah and those who believe there are two Hill Cumorah’s can agree. Whether you believe the Book of Mormon was translated with a stone in a hat, or with the spectacles attached to a breastplate, we can agree. We all agree the Book of Mormon is the word of God.
Whether you love the Book of Mormon as a believer in the Mesoamerica Theory or the Heartland Model or some other theory, you will enjoy taking this brief personal quiz. I admit I am a Heartland follower and I feel it “Just makes sense”. I used to follow the Meso theory for 40 years, but it never made sense. All may feel the spiritual truth of the Book of Mormon as Moroni said, but I also feel you may know the truth about the Geography within the same promise. I believe truth is a simple process and it doesn’t require advanced learning or peer reviewed information. It just exists and “feels right”. I personally don’t know all the answers of my questions below, but how I answer them, just “feels right”. See how you feel!
Send this blog to a friend and see how much you agree with each other. If you do disagree on some issues, then just agree to disagree, but promote the Gospel of Christ either way.
Answer Yes or No
Was Noah’s flood universal and is it a factual event?
Was there any man on this earth before Adam?
Did Man evolve from monkeys?
Are dinosaurs about the age of Adam?
The name Cumorah was spoken by Joseph Smith to his parents in 1827?
Are there two hill Cumorah’s, one in Mexico and one in Ontario, NY?
Did Joseph enter a hill of records at Cumorah, or was it only a vision of a possible place?
Did Joseph Smith write a letter to Emma in 1834 from Illinois that said Joseph was wandering over the plains of the Nephites?
Did Joseph Smith have a vision during Zion’s camp discovery of the bones of Zelph?
Is the City of Zarahemla near present day Montrose Iowa?
Is the USA the Promised Land of the Book of Mormon?
Was Adam placed on the earth near Independence, MO?
Does the history of the Hopewell Indians follow the same dates as the history of the Nephites?
Did the Nephites practice the Law of Moses?
Would the Nephites have sacrificed Lambs, goats, bullocks, and doves, or Llamas, Apes, and Lizards?
Have Hebrew writings and earthworks been found in North America?
Are Eastern Native Americans (Woodland) descendants of the Jews?
Did the Lord send the first missionaries to Lamanites in NY, OH, and MO?
Are there cooper breastplates and head plates found in museums in North America that date to Book of Mormon times?
Did Joseph Smith use the stone in a hat to translate the gold plates?
Can you find any scripture that says Joseph used a stone in a hat?
Did Joseph ever look at the plates to assist him in translation?
Do the historical Adena Indians of North America match the dates of the Jaredites?
Are there 3,000 BC ancient copper smelters found in North America?
Were grapes and wine available in Mesoamerica during Book of Mormon times?
Did Book of Mormon Lamanites keep written records of their history?
Has a modern ship route been discovered to show the possibility of Lehi sailing and landing in Florida?
Did You Know?
1- Joseph’s use of, “these stones, fastened to a breastplate” JSH 1:35 is scripture?
2- Letter I, written by Oliver Cowdery below in red is scripture? See the “*” after JS 1:75 It says the source is “Messenger and Advocate, vol. 1 (October 1834), pp. 14–16.” But the actual source is Letter I from Oliver Cowdery to W.W. Phelps” (Letter I), (September 7, 1834)
*”Oliver Cowdery describes these events thus: “These were days never to be forgotten—to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven, awakened the utmost gratitude of this bosom! Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth, as he translated with the Urim and Thummim, or, as the Nephites would have said, ‘Interpreters,’ the history or record called ‘The Book of Mormon.’” JSH 1:75*
JS, History, [Dec. 1834–May 1836?];
“The following section includes transcripts of eight letters Oliver Cowdery wrote in 1834 and 1835 regarding JS’s visions of an angel and his discovery of the gold plates of the Book of Mormon. Cowdery addressed the letters to William W. Phelps and published them as a series in the Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate between October 1834 and October 1835. The titles and formatting employed in this history are similar to those in the published series of articles, indicating that the Cowdery letters were copied into the history from the Messenger and Advocate, not from a manuscript version of the letters. Frederick G. Williams could have begun the transcription in JS’s history as early as 6 December 1834, the date of Cowdery’s last historical entry in the preceding section of the history. However, Cowdery probably gave the history to Williams around 2 October 1835, when he gave Williams JS’s journal. On 29 October 1835, JS retrieved the history from Williams and delivered it to Warren Parrish, who continued copying the Cowdery letters. It is likely that Parrish finished copying the letters by early April 1836, when he gave JS’s journal (and presumably the 1834–1836 history along with it) to Warren Cowdery.25
In the first letter, Oliver Cowdery recounted his experiences with JS beginning when the two first met in April 1829. The letter includes an account of the vision he and JS had of John the Baptist, who gave them the authority to baptize. After composing this letter, but before its publication, Cowdery developed a new history-writing plan: he decided that in subsequent letters he would relate the “full history of the rise of the church,” beginning with JS’s early life and visions. As editor of the Messenger and Advocate, Cowdery prefaced the published version of the first letter with an explanation (also transcribed into the history) of the new plan. Although he had no firsthand knowledge of church history prior to April 1829, Cowdery assured his readers that “our brother J. Smith Jr. has offered to assist us. Indeed, there are many items connected with the fore part of this subject that render his labor indispensible.” Some passages in the ensuing narrative seem to have been related to Cowdery by JS, since Cowdery recounts events in which only JS participated.
Cowdery composed the letters to inform the Latter-day Saints of the history of their church, but he also wrote for the non-Mormon public. Employing florid romantic language, frequent scriptural allusions, and much dramatic detail, he clearly intended to present a rhetorically impressive account of early Mormon history. He placed the rise of the church in a dispensational framework, characterizing the time between the end of the New Testament and JS’s early visions as a period of universal apostasy. He included the revivalism of various denominations during the Second Great Awakening, which JS experienced in his youth, as an example of the doctrinal confusion and social disharmony present in Christendom. Throughout the series of letters, he defended JS’s character and that of the Smith family, and his explicitly apologetic statements include apparent allusions to both Alexander Campbell’s Delusions (1832) and Eber Howe’s Mormonism Unvailed (1834). Source: JSP https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/1#full-transcript
3- Why do most people in the Church don’t even know that Oliver Cowdery’s Letter I-VIII even exist?
4- Did you know Letter VII also says there is only ONE Hill Cumorah and that it is a FACT?
“At about one mile west rises another ridge of less height, running parallel with the former, leaving a beautiful vale between. The soil is of the first quality for the country, and under a state of cultivation, which gives a prospect at once imposing, when one reflects on the fact, that here, between these hills, the entire power and national strength of both the Jaredites and Nephites were destroyed.
By turning to the 529th and 530th pages of the book of Mormon you will read Mormon’s account of the last great struggle of his people, as they were encamped round this hill Camorah.” Letter VII Here
[Note: Mesoamericanists feel there are two Hill Cumorah’s. One in NY where joseph found the plates and another one in Mexico somewhere, where the final battles were fought. Also, “Camorah” was a typo in the original edition of the Book of Mormon, but it suggests the way Joseph pronounced the word because Oliver wrote phonetically.]
Are any of these Questions Important to you to be Answered?
As you read the scriptures below, are they speaking of you, non-believers, myself, all people, or does it matter? I think it does matter and I challenge each of you to personally reflect within your heart, so we can learn new things by humbling ourselves and pondering these things. Is it your focus to be correct or to teach correct principles?
Timothy 3:7 “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
D&C 121:34 “Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen? 35 Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn…”
I Nephi 11:35 “And the multitude of the earth was gathered together; and I beheld that they were in a large and spacious building, like unto the building which my father saw. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Behold the world and the wisdom thereof; yea, behold the house of Israel hath gathered together to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 36 And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
Joseph Smith Matthew:22 “For in those days there shall also arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch, that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant. 23 Behold, I speak these things unto you for the elect’s sake; and you also shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled, for all I have told you must come to pass; but the end is not yet.”
2 Nephi 9:28 “O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish. 29 But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God…. 42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.”
Have Some fun
The cartoons in this post are all from my great friend Val Chadwick Bagley. For 37 of the past 40 years he has believed in the Mesoamerican Theory and drawn cartoons reflecting that. He now believes in the Heartland Model and is having some fun sharing the differences between the two theories. It is amazing how Val also “just makes sense”. Purchase Val’s products below. Meso fans, just let go of the barriers and have some fun with these.
96 page cartoon book here
4 Coloring books and 5 posters here
12 Newest Heartland cartoons here
D&C 121:33 “How long can rolling waters remain impure? What power shall stay the heavens? As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream, as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints.”
Mesoamerican believers and Heartlanders are a huge part of the army of Latter-day Saints in which the Lord will use to get His message out to the world. Are we helping the Lord’s people or hurting them? May we all try to come together in sharing the truth of the Book of Mormon as it testifies of the Savior. Let’s not contend, but instead have fun sharing our differences and let others decide on their own.
