Book of Mormon geography/RLDS models table

From FAIRMormon

Model Name	Date Proposed	Scope	Narrow Neck	Land North	Land South	Cumorah	River Sidon	Nephi's Landing	Religion	Type of model
RLDS/Wes 1900?	1900	HGT	Panama	Panama to NY	South America	New York	Magdalena	Chile	RLDS	External	edit
Hills 1917	1917	LGT	Tehuantepec	South-Central Mexico	Southern Mesoamerica, incl Yucatan	Central Mexico	Usumacinta	Central America	RLDS	External	edit
Gunsolley 1922	1922	LGT	Panama	Panama to NY	South America	Central Mexico	Magdalena	Chile?	RLDS	Minimal external	edit
Simmons 1948	1948	LGT	Tehuantepec	South-Central Mexico	Southern Mesoamerica, incl Yucatan	Southern Veracruz	Usumacinta	Central America	RLDS	External	edit
Stout 1950	1950	LGT	Other	Unclear	Other	Unclear	Other	Central America	RLDS	External	edit
Hanson 1951	1951	LGT	Tehuantepec	South-Central Mexico	Southern Mesoamerica, incl Yucatan	Southern Veracruz?	Unclear	Central America?	RLDS	Minimal external	edit
Steede 1975	1975	LGT	Tehuantepec	South-Central Mexico	Southern Mesoamerica, incl Yucatan	Southern Veracruz?	Usumacinta?	Central America	RLDS	External	edit
Loving 1976	1976	LGT	Tehuantepec	South-Central Mexico	Southern Mesoamerica, incl Yucatan	Southern Veracruz	Usumacinta	Unclear	RLDS	External	edit
DeLong 1977	1977	LGT	Tehuantepec	Yucatan Peninsula	Southern Mesoamerica, incl Yucatan	Central Mexico	Usumacinta	Unclear	RLDS	External	edit
Le Poidevin 1977	1977	HGT	Panama	Panama to NY	Other	New York	Maranon?	Chile	RLDS	External	edit
Lesh 1980	1980	LGT	Tehuantepec	South-Central Mexico	Southern Mesoamerica, incl Yucatan	Southern Veracruz	Ulna	Central America	RLDS	External	edit

Table based on John L. Sorenson, The Geography of Book of Mormon Events: A Source Book (Provo, Utah: FARMS, revised edition, 1992), 32. AISN B0006QHZWE. off-site with additions and corrections by FAIR Wiki editors.

Book of Mormon geography models in table form:

• By Author
  • All models by author name
  • LDS models
  • RLDS models
  • Critics' models
  • Miscellaneous models
• By Date
  • All models by date of authorship
• By Scope
  • Hemispheric geography theory (HGT) models
  • Limited geography theory (LGT) models
• By Type
  • External (real world) models
  • Internal models - describes relationship between Book of Mormon places, but no attempt at real-world correlate

Book of Mormon Geography

• Book of Mormon geography
  • No official geography
  • Statements made by LDS leaders
    • Joseph Smith statements about geography
    • First Presidency Letter

Models and settings

• Old World
  • Nahom
• New World
  • New World geography models in table form
  • Hemispheric geography theory (HGT)
  • Limited geography theory (LGT)
    • Mesoamerica
      • Maya and Olmec as Book of Mormon peoples?
      • Plates to New York
    • Great Lakes geography?
      • Vernal Holley (1983) geography
      • "Heartland" (Meldrum, 2003) model
      • Burrows Cave
      • Michigan artifacts

Nineteenth century issues

• Borders of the Lamanites
• "Continents" in Joseph Smith's era
• Lamanites in the Doctrine and Covenants
• Joseph Smith statements about geography
• Book of Mormon and the Mound Builders
• Place names from Joseph's environment?
  • Comoros Islands and Moroni
• Zarahemla near Nauvoo, Illinois?
• Zelph
• Zion: location of Zion

Modern issues

• Archaeology, the Bible, and Book of Mormon
• DNA and geographic issues
  • Haplotype X2a?
• Demographics and Population sizes
  • Book of Mormon tribal affiliation
• "Disdaining or dismissing" Joseph's views?
• Historicity of Book of Mormon