The Heartland Model by Rod Meldrum
“As one of the principal researchers of the Heartland Model proposed geography, I applaud many for coming to some agreement between the two prevailing theories. As historians know, many early brethren viewed the entire hemisphere as Book of Mormon lands. Later research indicated that the distances between primary lands such as Nephi and Zarahemla were only 20 days travel apart, which could not support a hemispheric view. A more limited geography necessitated choosing between North or Central America.
One of the foundations of the Heartland Model is that the text also limits the Nephites “Promised Land” to a “nation” (1 Ne. 13:30) that would be “set up,” (3 Ne. 21:4) “lifted up,” (1 Ne. 13:30) “raise[d] up,” (1 Ne. 22:7) “established,” (3 Ne. 21:4) and “delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations” (1 Ne. 13:19) in the latter days. Eight times the text refers to this land as a “land of liberty” which would, in the latter days, be a mighty Gentile nation above all other nations. Being a “nation” is the scriptural limiting factor. We believe that these prophecies are making reference to the establishment of the United States on the Nephite land of promise. This is the only nation wherein the Lord claimed to have raised up men for the very purpose of its establishment (D&C 101:80) so that the gospel could be restored again to the earth as so many latter-day prophets have attested. The Lord Himself stated that the New Jerusalem, which we know by revelation will be built in Missouri, USA, would be built on these same lands (3 Ne. 20:22, Ether 13:2-6, D&C 57:1-3). These lands are the sacred sites of events throughout history and prophecy, from the Garden of Eden and the restoration, to the New Jerusalem and Adam-ondi-Ahman. These are all New World sacred sites, and are located within the United States.
Personally I would relish being able to reconcile between the Heartland Model and other theories. Our research has indicated that the “Promised Land” where the majority of Nephite history took place was centered in what is customarily called the heartland of North America, more specifically the entire Mississippi river system with all its tributaries. Lamanite migrations, Nephite missionary efforts and post Book of Mormon era migrations could have expanded their influence north into Canada and south into Central and South America. Their ships could have sailed the Atlantic, the Gulf and even the Pacific Oceans bringing the gospel to people the world over.
Several comments have been made about the embarrassment to the Church of the bickering and virulence that has been expressed in this regard. I wholeheartedly agree. I would ask where this animosity is coming from? If you visit our website, www.bookofmormonevidence.org you will not find ANY articles tearing down, attacking, discrediting or deriding the organizations, personal character or intelligence of those with differing viewpoints. In contrast, literally thousands of pages of such attack articles have now been published online by organizations that promote Mesoamerican theories. They have publicly attacked us on their websites individually, and organizationally, calling into question our understanding of the material, motives, commitment to the Church/gospel and other nefarious implications.
If there is any embarrassing infighting going on in the virtual world, it is demonstrably not coming from us. For over three years we have borne the oft times very personal and vitriolic attacks by these organizations without responding online, without directly defending our positions or research for this very reason. Instead, we have endeavored to answer those critiques indirectly by addressing them in subsequent educational materials, but not published online. We don’t want anti-Mormon forces pointing to Book of Mormon geography research and exclaiming “Watch the Mormon High Priests slug it out online!” As members of the Church both sides of this debate know the gospel is true and anti-Mormon groups will always be looking to find fodder for their attacks, therefore we should strive not to offer more fuel to energize them by limiting or eliminating such online attacks.
Unfortunately, many members of the Church have mistakenly thought that our lack of direct refutation or response to these attacks is a result of not having answers. That is not the case. If the attacks continue, we may at some time feel compelled to respond. We are hoping to avoid this but as can be shown in the political realm, even unfounded and baseless attacks do cause damage and at times it becomes necessary to directly address those attacks. If we “Heartlanders” eventually choose to respond with well researched, documented and respectful rebuttals, we are confident the Church’s reputation will not be harmed but ultimately may be made stronger by allowing these new evidence to be openly explored and discussed, just as an honest political candidate is often benefited by scrutiny of his or her record through forthright discussion. Both sides should be looking objectively at the evidence and information, but the critical question remains, are we more interested in seeking consensus or in finding the truth?
We “Heartland” researchers would enjoy greater cooperation with the LDS organizations that advocate Mesoamerican theories. With our combined research and resources, we could quite possibly transform the way the non-Mormon scholarly world looks at LDS scholarly research and the Church. So far, the organizations referenced above have been less than excited about taking advantage of our “white flag” offers of cooperation in coming to a more respectful, helpful dialogue. We hope this article will invite a new spirit of cooperation and encourage a change of heart for everyone involved.”
Rod L. Meldrum President Foundation for Indigenous Research and Mormonism; The FIRM Foundation
Moroni’s America by Jonathan Neville.
“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has no formal position on Book of Mormon geography, which leaves the question of geography open to interpretation.[i] The search for Book of Mormon locations has been underway for over a hundred years. While the search has led to dozens of theories, that doesn’t mean the truth will never be known.
Church leaders have emphasized that the geography question is not as important as the doctrines, a proposition with which I think all believers agree. But they have also indicated that the truth, someday, would be discovered.
In 1903, President Joseph F. Smith reportedly “expressed the idea that the question of the situation of the city [of Zarahemla] was one of interest certainly, but if it could not be located the matter was not of vital importance, and if there were differences of opinion on the question it would not affect the salvation of the people.”[ii]
In 1929, Anthony W. Ivins of the First Presidency said, “There is a great deal of talk about the geography of the Book of Mormon. Where was the land of Zarahemla? Where was the City of Zarahemla? and other geographic matters. It does not make any difference to us. There has never been anything yet set forth that definitely settles that question. So the Church says we are just waiting until we discover the truth.”[iii]
In 1929, James E. Talmage said, “I encourage and recommend all possible investigation, comparison and research in this matter. The more thinkers, investigators, workers we have in the field the better; but our brethren who devote themselves to that kind of research should remember that they must speak with caution and not declare as demonstrated truths points that are not really proved.”[iv]
In 1947, John A Widtsoe wrote a forward to Thomas S. Ferguson’s book, Cumorah—Where? that included this statement: “out of the studies of faithful Latter-day Saints may yet come a unity of opinion concerning Book of Mormon geography.”[v]
Latter day scriptures anticipate a day when more knowledge shall be revealed. An article in the New Era[vi] answered the question, “What is the ‘sealed portion’ of the Book of Mormon and will we ever know what’s in it?”
When Moroni was finishing the Book of Mormon record, he was commanded to seal up some of the plates, and Joseph Smith was later commanded not to translate them. This sealed portion contains the complete record of the vision of the brother of Jared (see Ether 4:4–5). This vision included “all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof” (2 Nephi 27:10–11; see also Ether 3:25). So basically the Lord revealed to the brother of Jared the history of mankind, and the sealed portion of the plates was Moroni’s translated copy of it.
Few people have seen the sealed record—for instance, the Nephites in the land Bountiful at the Savior’s coming (see Ether 4:1–2) and Moroni (see Ether 12:24). The Lord said the sealed portion would be revealed to the world “in mine own due time” (Ether 3:27). He also said it would “not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord” (Ether 4:6; see also 2 Nephi 27:8).
According to Joseph Smith’s associates who saw the golden plates, anywhere from half to two-thirds of all the plates were in the sealed portion (see Kirk B. Henrichsen, “What Did the Golden Plates Look Like?” New Era, July 2007, 31).
D&C 121:28 refers to “a time to come in the which nothing shall be withheld.” The 9th Article of Faith affirms that “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”
From these and other references, we conclude it’s not a question of whether we’ll ever know the location of Book of Mormon events, but when.
In the meantime, we can work to build consensus based on all the available evidence. The first step in doing that is to consider all the available evidence. The next step is to seek to integrate and harmonize it all.
The following table illustrates how the two most prominent models of Book of Mormon geography reconcile the extrinsic evidence.
| Authorities | Mesoamerica | Heartland |
| Relies on BoM text for abstract map of geography | Yes | Yes |
| Fits BoM text to real-world geography | Yes | Yes |
| Accepts entire text literally – Cardinal directions (N,S,E,W) – Animals and plants – Surrounded by water – Four seas – 3 Nephi change face of land – Law of Moses | No No No No No No | Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes |
| Relies on Times and Seasons articles about Stephens | Yes | No |
| Accepts D&C on Lamanites | No | Yes |
| Accepts D&C on Cumorah | No | Yes |
| Accepts D&C on Zarahemla | No | Yes |
| Accepts Oliver Cowdery on Cumorah in New York | No | Yes |
| Accepts David Whitmer on Cumorah in New York | No | Yes |
| Accepts Joseph Smith on Cumorah in New York | No | Yes |
| Accepts Joseph Smith on mounds in Midwest as evidence of BoM people | No | Yes |
| Accepts Joseph Smith in Wentworth letter that Lamanites are Indians living in “this country” meaning United States | No | Yes |
| Accepts archaeology | Yes | Yes |
| Accepts DNA evidence | No | Yes |
| Promised land is Mexico/Guatemala | Yes | No |
| Promised land is US/Canada | No | Yes |
Some may quibble with my characterizations, but as I’ve explained, I believed in the Mesoamerican theory for 40 years. I know it pretty well.
In my view, the various Mesoamerican models do not and cannot lead to a consensus because they fail to reconcile so much extrinsic yet relevant, authoritative and credible evidence. Other models, such as the ones based in Baja Mexico, South America, and limited areas of New York, Pennsylvania, and other locations, also fail to reconcile most of the extrinsic evidence.
What I’ve sought to present in this book is a model that does harmonize all this evidence with the text, as well as with the relevant geology, geography, archaeology, and anthropology.
Roger Terry, Senior Associate Editor, BYU Studies, once wrote, “Obviously, if one of the models answered all the questions presented by the scriptural text, there would be consensus on where the Book of Mormon history actually occurred.”
Like me, most believers in the Book of Mormon agree with Brother Terry. We wish that consensus already existed, but at least now it’s in sight.
[i] Anyone who peruses the Church’s web page, manuals, magazines, and officially approved art might conclude that the Church’s policy, in practical terms, is actually to not take an official position on where in Mesoamerica the Book of Mormon events took place. Building a replica Mayan temple on the Hill Cumorah in New York each year for the Hill Cumorah Pageant is a prime example of the confusion that currently exists among believers. There are examples of true neutrality, though. The video presentation titled “Scriptures Legacy” appears to portray Christ visiting the Nephites in a North American setting. But other parts of the film depict Book of Mormon events in Mayan-looking buildings and cities.”
[ii] Deseret News, 25 May 1903, online at fairmormon.org http://bit.ly/Moroni140.
[iii] Anthony W. Ivins, Conference Report (April 1929), 16. http://bit.ly/Moroni140.
[iv] James E. Talmage, Conference Report (April 1929), 44, http://bit.ly/Moroni140.
[v] Cited by Sorenson in Mormon’s Map, p. 7, http://bit.ly/Moroni140.
[vi] New Era, October 2011, http://bit.ly/Moroni141.”
Chapter 27 Moroni’s America by Jonathan Neville
Why Geography Matters by Rian Nelson
“If we in the church cannot even decide among ourselves where the Book of Mormon happened, how confusing is that to our youth and adults? Many anti-Mormons love the idea that we don’t even know where our sacred scriptures happened. There are over 100 theories of where the Book of Mormon happened, including, Baja, Chile, Malaysia, Honduras, Peru, etc. My feelings on all geographical theories about the Book of Mormon must include the following -The Hill Cumorah in NY is the hill where Joseph Smith received the plates from Moroni, and it is also the place of the last battles of the Nephites (Cumorah) and of the Jaredites (Ramah). I also believe the letter of Joseph Smith to his wife Emma in 1834 Illinois where he said “The whole of our journey, in the midst of so large a company of social honest men and sincere men, wandering over the plains of the Nephites, recounting [p. 57] occasionaly the history of the Book of Mormon, roving over the mounds of that once beloved people of the Lord, picking up their skulls & their bones, as a proof of its divine authenticity” Joseph Smith Papers Letter to Emma Smith, 4 June 1834 Page 56-7 (spelling not corrected), is a true statement. Any other specific locations of the Book of Mormon cities and places are unknown.
Any other geography that doesn’t include these preceding important details isn’t a viable interpretation in my opinion. No scholar, computer or archaeology tells me this, I just feel it is true.
I also believe the Promised Land spoken of in the Book of Mormon is indeed the United States of America and its Constitution was written under the Savior Jesus Christ’s direction. D&C 101:80. Also knowing that Adam lived in Missouri and the New Jerusalem will be in Missouri, tells me the importance of “this Land” of the United States as the cradle of civilization and is critical as the headquarters of the Church, the land where the Gospel goes forth from, the place where the “Marvelous Work and Wonder” takes place, and the “Land of Joseph” of Egypt spoken of by prophets, is indeed the United States of America. I also believe there is a great possibility that D&C 125:3 is the Lord designating the area west of Nauvoo, Illinois as the ancient place of Zarahemla. I also feel the Prophet Joseph Smith had a vision about the warrior Zelph who was killed during one of the many last and great battles between the Nephites and Lamanites, near Valley City, Illinois. This information makes me conclude that indeed the Book of Mormon events happened in the heartland of the United States of America.
I believe there are great Lamanites all over North, South and Central America today and in other countries, but they are not necessarily the ones spoken of in the Book of Mormon time frame. The Book of Mormon only contains a fraction of the history of the Promised Land Lehites. But I believe that small fraction of Book of Mormon history speaks about Lehi, and Nephi, and Alma, and Mormon as they lived and fought in these United States.
I spent over 40 years looking and studying the Mesoamerican theory and other many theories, and found them very lacking. Like I mentioned, I will have an open mind until the church acknowledges the specific location. I will follow the 15 chosen Prophets and Seers.
I know the Brethren of the Church take a neutral position on the geography of the Book of Mormon. For you and me to take a neutral stand is not required. The Lord told us to read and study, and in the promise to Moroni, He said we may know the truth of ALL things, and I feel that would include knowing the location of the Book of Mormon events. I believe knowledge of the Spirit and of the head, are both important in learning truth. As Elder Holland in 2018 said, “truth borne by the Holy Spirit comes with, in effect, two manifestations, two witnesses if you will—the force of fact as well as the force of feeling.”
