As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints it is doctrine that King Zedikiah of the Old World is connected to the Americas as you read from the Index to the Triple Combination below.

Zedekiah¹—last king of Judah [c. 600 B.C.]

So we know that Mulek came to the Americas. As Heartlanders we believe the part of the Americas was in the Promised Land of the United States of America. What is the most likely route of Mulek and his mother from the Old World to America? Here some Heartlanders disagree and the purpose of this blog is to share with you Firm Foundations’ most likely route.

Rod Meldrum’s theory has been studied before the original Phoenicia voyage of 2009.  Based on Rod’s research along with the previous two Phoenicia Expeditions of Captain Philip Beale who has crossed the Atlantic with a 600 BC replica ship in both 2009 and again in 2020 with 30,000 nautical miles of travel.

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See Beale’s travels here: https://www.phoeniciansbeforecolumbus.com/

Also see the Heartland Research Group information and help them rebuild here: https://www.phoenicia.rocks/

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Heartland Research Group

Heartland Reseach is owned by John Lefgren and Mike and Betty LaFontaine who currently owns the original replica 600 BC ship that Beale used to travel those 30,000 miles. This 56 foot long ship was being restored at Montrose, Iowa the past 5 years and has recently been taken apart and is in storage in Utah waiting for the right time to rebuild it and display it at its own home in Utah sometime in 2026.

Mulek and The Route?

Captain Philip Beale a longtime British Sea Captain, and Artificial Intelligence both agree. The last King of Judah, Zedikiah likely had a son named Mulek, and young Mulek sailed with his mother, as a young lad, who escaped, and then they sailed from the Old World through Gibraltar in the Atlantic Ocean,  then through the Canary Islands and then up the Mississippi River likely landing near Nauvoo, Illinois at Montrose, Iowa. This is believed my most Heartland proponents. See D&C 125 that shows Zarahemla as the place the Muleties landed. Omni 1:16 says. “And they [Mulekites] journeyed in the wilderness, and were brought by the hand of the Lord across the great waters, into the land where Mosiah discovered them; and they had dwelt there from that time forth.” So where the Mulekites landed is the same place Mosiah found them in about 300 BC, in Zarahemla. Traveling up the Mississippi ships could not navigate past the Des Moine Rapids because it was not navigable. Not until the 1840’s did the Army Corp of Engineers open that spot to make it navigable.

There are others who believe Mulek went north from Gibraltar to Britain or directly from Gibraltar to the St Lawrence. It would be near impossible to travel from Gibraltar straight west to the St Lawrence River, according the AI and Captain Beale, and would be very likely impossible to travel from Gibraltar up to Britain and Ireland and then down to the St Lawrence Seaway. I will explain below.

Correspondance with Captain Beale

Email From: R Nelson [mailto:[email protected]] 14 December 2021 03:27

To: [email protected] Subject: Question

Hi Philip

I need your professional opinion as a navigator and ship Captain.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a 600 BC ship to sail to Nauvoo, Illinois, USA.

We have two suggested paths and I would like a short answer of which pathway to Illinois would be most likely and why.

1. From Tunisia across the Atlantic similar to the path you took in 2020. Instead of landing on the East Coast of Florida the ship would continue around Miami and travel up the Mississippi river and stop in Illinois USA and Nauvoo
2. Or from Tunisia going through Gibraltar and entering the St Lawrence Seaway following the Great Lakes through Lake Ontario Lake, Erie through Lake Michigan then taking the Mississippi River south to Nauvoo Illinois

I am just looking for a basic decision based on the information you have now, with a most likely scenario.

Thanks for your suggestion. Rian Nelson

Captain Beale’s Response

Captain Philip Beale in an email responding to Rian said, “I think in general the so called Northern route is a non-starter for an historical/maritime point of view because as you will see from the attached chart, the currents and winds (which have been the same for thousands of years) go against the northern route. Unless the Phoenicians invented the internal combustion engine or sailed to meet the Vikings first in Norway, it just does not make sense.

However the southern route is just like a conveyer belt all the way to the Caribbean from the Med. For the rivers we would have to look at the distances involved but I think at best you would be looking at 10 miles per day through rowing.

Happy to do a bit more work on this but I thought I would send this to get started”. Regards Philip

In another email to Rian from Philip Beale he said.

“Hi Rian,

It is fairly straight forward I think.. the southern route is by far the easiest because of the prevailing winds and currents.

If you look at the Gulf stream that was first identified by Benjamin Franklin… from the Med to the Caribbean is a simple conveyor belt.

Benjamin Franklin and James Poupard (according to Library of Congress page, linked above)

The winds and current are pretty much in synch most of the year and in the north Atlantic the prevailing winds are West to East… so very difficult for the Phoenicians to have gone the northern route.

Hope that helps, Philip

Below is a map of the proposed route of Lehi and Mulek. As you see in Helaman 6:10 the lord took Mulek north and Lehi south, just as the map shows.

Below you see the Canary Current that Philip Beale used on both of his voyages on the Phoenicia Expedition. You also see that is the proposed route of Mulek to the New World.

You can see below the currents from Gibraltar north would be nearly impossible, but taking the Canary Current south into Florida is most likely.

Question Chat GBT Feb 19, 2026

Could a single sail Phoenician ship in 600 bc traveling to North America more likely travel north to England and then to the St Lawrence Seaway or from gibraltar south to florida?

Answer: “Great question. If we’re talking about a single-sail Phoenician ship around 600 BC, the answer depends almost entirely on winds, currents, and navigational capability — not just distance.

Phoenicians were excellent coastal sailors and open-sea navigators for their time (they circumnavigated Africa under Necho II), but they relied heavily on predictable wind systems and coastal landmarks.

Let’s compare the two routes.

Route 1: North via Britain → North Atlantic → St. Lawrence

Step 1: Mediterranean to Britain

Phoenicians did sail as far as:

• Southern Iberia
• Possibly the tin mines of Britain (Cornwall)

So getting to Britain is plausible.

Step 2: Britain → North Atlantic → Canada

Here’s the problem:

• The North Atlantic westbound route at high latitude is difficult
• Prevailing winds at those latitudes often blow west to east
• Cold waters, fog, and storms dominate
• No clear current system pushing you toward North America

To reach the St. Lawrence, a ship would likely need:

• Advanced celestial navigation
• Strong hull construction for North Atlantic storms
• Knowledge of Iceland/Greenland stepping-stones (which appear later with the Norse)

The Norse (around 1000 AD) reached Newfoundland — but they had:

• Clinker-built ships
• Superior cold-weather seamanship
• Knowledge of northern island chains

Phoenicians did not have those advantages.

Conclusion: This route is technically possible but very unlikely without intentional exploration and remarkable luck.

Route 2: Gibraltar → Canary Current → Caribbean/Florida

Step 1: Exit Gibraltar

Once exiting Gibraltar, something interesting happens.

Ocean system:

1. Canary Current flows south along northwest Africa
2. Northeast trade winds blow steadily westward
3. These naturally push vessels toward the Caribbean

This is exactly the system used later by:

• Christopher Columbus
• Spanish and Portuguese explorers

A vessel caught in this system could drift west across the Atlantic in 4–8 weeks.

Even without advanced navigation, a ship blown off course near the Canary Islands could be carried across.

Landing zones:

• Caribbean
• Gulf of Mexico
• Florida

Which Route Is More Likely?

Overwhelmingly more likely: Gibraltar → Florida/Caribbean

Because:

Factor	Northern Route	Southern Route
Favorable winds	❌	✅
Favorable currents	❌	✅
Climate	Harsh	Manageable
Accidental drift possibility	Low	High
Proven by later sailors	Rare	Very common

If a Phoenician ship ever reached North America accidentally, the southern Atlantic gyre route would be the most realistic mechanism.

Final Verdict

For a 600 BC single-sail Phoenician vessel:

The Gibraltar → Canary Current → Caribbean/Florida route is far more plausible than a Britain → North Atlantic → St. Lawrence route.

If you’d like, I can also:

• Estimate realistic drift times
• Compare hull design vs Atlantic wave patterns
• Explore archaeological claims of Phoenician presence in the Americas” Chat GBT 

From the experience of a British Navy Captain, Artificial Intelligence and the research of the text of the Book of Mormon, we are confident that the likely route of Mulek was up the Mississippi River and not through the St Lawrence Seaway. Your opinion is welcomed.