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An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon
"Where did the Book of Mormon events take place?" Ever since the publication of the Book of Mormon, its readers have asked this question. And the book itself provides some intriguing clues. But only recently has enough information come to light to make it possible to place the book in a plausible geographical, historical, and cultural setting. In An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, Dr. John L. Sorenson, chairman of the Department of Anthropology at Brigham Young University, presents a credible model for an ancient American background for the Book of Mormon. This model takes notice of extensive details given in the Book of Mormon descriptions of the land southward and of the land northward, of battle movements, of cities built and abandoned, of population and demographic data. Hundreds of geographical, historical, and cultural facts fall into place as his model is carried to its logical conclusions. How does Dr. Sorenson proceed? In a word, he asks more questions than he answers. His words are probing and carefully weighed. The results are great surprises and rewarding insights on every page. He asks questions like "Who were these people?" "What might they have looked like?" "Who were their neighbors?" "How many of them were there?" "How did they live, eat, speak, work, or fight?" He finds plausible answers to these questions by matching specific data from reliable archaeological and anthropological studies of Mesoamerica with the entire spectrum of cultural and historical information from the Book of Mormon. An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon is a thorough work of scholarship, a book that must be read by every serious student of the Book of Mormon.
415 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1985
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144 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
December 5, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. Sorenson presents a possible setting for the Book of Mormon in Central America along with a wide array of evidence that supports it. I was really impressed by the thoroughness of his investigation and found there is a lot more supporting evidence in the archeological record for the Book of Mormon's authenticity than I had thought. He provides probable locations for every important city in the Book of Mormon based on actual city remains that date to the correct periods, and his geographical model fits the war chapters perfectly, adding a lot of insight to the military strategy employed by Nephites and Lamanites. There are a lot of alternative theories out there for Book of Mormon locations, but it's hard to believe that any of them could be supported with anywhere near as much evidence as Sorenson's model.
Another interesting aspect of the book is that Sorenson takes on a litany of attacks to the Book of Mormon and resolves most of them satisfactorily. Specifically, he discusses complaints about crops, animals, geography, and the Nephite monetary or weights system. The book's biggest problem is that it's not organized particularly well, with the early chapters presenting a number of theories whose corroborating evidence is sprinkled among later chapters. You really have to read the whole book to appreciate the amount of evidence that he's managed to accumulate. Another thing to note is that he doesn't do nearly as much to elucidate the Book of Ether, his theories aren't as solid and he talks about the Jaredites mostly in relation to later populations.
Another interesting aspect of the book is that Sorenson takes on a litany of attacks to the Book of Mormon and resolves most of them satisfactorily. Specifically, he discusses complaints about crops, animals, geography, and the Nephite monetary or weights system. The book's biggest problem is that it's not organized particularly well, with the early chapters presenting a number of theories whose corroborating evidence is sprinkled among later chapters. You really have to read the whole book to appreciate the amount of evidence that he's managed to accumulate. Another thing to note is that he doesn't do nearly as much to elucidate the Book of Ether, his theories aren't as solid and he talks about the Jaredites mostly in relation to later populations.
September 4, 2024
Labeling this history is a slight stretch. Most of Sorenson's focus is on geography, anthropology, and archaeology. Nevertheless, a brilliant book that has been encompassed by his new magnum opus, Mormon's Codex.
October 30, 2008
Completely changed my context for the Book of Mormon.
November 19, 2008
This is a must reading on the location of the Book Of Mormon
August 8, 2019
Just as increasing archaeological evidence has demonstrated the historicity of biblical stories, J. Sorenson attempts to employ a similar approach to the Book of Mormon, examining the archaeological record for proof of the historicity of Mormon's records.
Obviously, Sorenson does not write with full certainty - that is still (and was at time of publication) not possible but through careful analysis not only of the Book of Mormon records but of Mesoamerican geography, culture, history, and linguistics to present a plausible historical background for the Book of Mormon.
Whether or not he is able to convince the reader of the accuracy and plausibility of this Ancient American setting depends on whether one believes the account of the Book of Mormon. If one does, Sorenson's detailed approach offers new evidence for its historicity and reliability; if one doesn't, this book is wasted effort. It is not written to convince a non-believer but rather to support faith with history.
I am agnostic as to the Book of Mormon' accounts but I value the work Sorenson has done here - he employs a serious scholarly approach to a subject not often considered among LDS members. Since this book was published in the late 1980s, I would definitely appreciate an updated volume with new developments that have undoubtedly appeared in both LDS and secular research on Mesoamerican history and culture.
Obviously, Sorenson does not write with full certainty - that is still (and was at time of publication) not possible but through careful analysis not only of the Book of Mormon records but of Mesoamerican geography, culture, history, and linguistics to present a plausible historical background for the Book of Mormon.
Whether or not he is able to convince the reader of the accuracy and plausibility of this Ancient American setting depends on whether one believes the account of the Book of Mormon. If one does, Sorenson's detailed approach offers new evidence for its historicity and reliability; if one doesn't, this book is wasted effort. It is not written to convince a non-believer but rather to support faith with history.
I am agnostic as to the Book of Mormon' accounts but I value the work Sorenson has done here - he employs a serious scholarly approach to a subject not often considered among LDS members. Since this book was published in the late 1980s, I would definitely appreciate an updated volume with new developments that have undoubtedly appeared in both LDS and secular research on Mesoamerican history and culture.
February 14, 2020
Interesting although dry-in-a-scholarly-way. I wonder if I found it dry because I've read many books/authors who quote this book and his research so that I already knew most of what the book had to say before I read it. This is one of those game changer books though. A book with research that strips away some layers of presumptions and gives plausibility to a new idea (although I heard about his research 25 years ago indirectly through other reading, so not too new). The content is worth a 5 but for dryness (IMHO) a 3 so I gave it an overall 4.
November 15, 2017
John Sorenson is the man. I like his model.
October 28, 2019
A compelling review suggesting a possible location for Book of Motmon events. By no means definitive but suggests such a story as told mat be possible.
February 26, 2020
An outstanding peek into the ancient world and connecting the Book of Mormon firmly with it.
June 29, 2020
very, very interesting
August 23, 2024
This book was far more thorough and convincing than any other book I have read on the subject. I especially appreciated how Sorensen went beyond geography and analyzed cultural and other evidences.
November 25, 2008
1. The Smithsonian Institution has never used the Book of Mormon in any way as a scientific guide. Smithsonian archeologists see no direct connection between the archeology of the New World and the subject matter of the book.
2. The physical type of the American Indian is basically Mongoloid, being most closely related to that of the peoples of eastern. central, and northeastern Asia. Archeological evidence indicates that the ancestors of the present Indians cane into the New World - probably over a land bridge known to have existed in the Being Strait region during the last Ice Age - in a continuing series of small migrations beginning from about 25,000 to 30,000 years ago.
3. Present evidence indicates that the first people to reach this continent from the East were the Norsemen who briefly visited the northeastern part of North America around A.D. 1000 and then settled in Greenland. There is nothing to show that they reached Mexico or Central America.
4. One of the main lines of evidence supporting the scientific finding that contacts with Old World civilizations if indeed they occurred at all, were of very little significance for the development of American Indian civilizations, is the fact that none of the principal Old World domesticated food plants or animals (except the dog) occurred in the New World in pre-Columbian times. American Indians had no wheat, barley oats, millet, rice, cattle, pigs, chickens, horses, donkeys, camels before 1492. (Camels and horses were in the Americas, along with the bison, mammoth, and mastodon, but all these animals became extinct around 10,000 B.C. at the time when the early big game hunters spread across the Americas.)
5. Iron, steel, glass, and silk were not used in the New World before 1492 (except for occasional use of unsmelted meteoric iron). Native copper was worked in various locations in pre-Columbian times, but true metallurgy was limited to southern Mexico and the Andean region, where its occurrence in late prehistoric times involved gold, silver, copper, and their alloys, but not iron.
6. There is a possibility that the spread of cultural traits across the Pacific to Mesoamerica and the northwestern coast of South America began several hundred years before the Christian era. However, any such inter-hemispheric contacts appear to have been the results of accidental voyages originating in eastern and southern Asia. It is by no means certain that even such contacts occurred; certainly there were no contacts with the ancient Egyptians, Hebrews, or other peoples of Western Asian and the Near East.
7. No reputable Egyptologist or other specialist on Old World archeology, and no expert on New World prehistory, has discovered or confirmed any relationship between archeological remains in Mexico and archeological remains in Egypt.
8. Reports of findings of ancient Egyptian Hebrew, and other Old World writings in the New World in pre-Columbian contexts have frequently appeared in newspapers, magazines, and sensational books. None of these claims has stood up to examination by reputable scholars. No inscriptions using Old World forms of writing have been shown to have occurred in any part of the Americas before 1492 except for a few Norse rune stones which have been found in Greenland.
2. The physical type of the American Indian is basically Mongoloid, being most closely related to that of the peoples of eastern. central, and northeastern Asia. Archeological evidence indicates that the ancestors of the present Indians cane into the New World - probably over a land bridge known to have existed in the Being Strait region during the last Ice Age - in a continuing series of small migrations beginning from about 25,000 to 30,000 years ago.
3. Present evidence indicates that the first people to reach this continent from the East were the Norsemen who briefly visited the northeastern part of North America around A.D. 1000 and then settled in Greenland. There is nothing to show that they reached Mexico or Central America.
4. One of the main lines of evidence supporting the scientific finding that contacts with Old World civilizations if indeed they occurred at all, were of very little significance for the development of American Indian civilizations, is the fact that none of the principal Old World domesticated food plants or animals (except the dog) occurred in the New World in pre-Columbian times. American Indians had no wheat, barley oats, millet, rice, cattle, pigs, chickens, horses, donkeys, camels before 1492. (Camels and horses were in the Americas, along with the bison, mammoth, and mastodon, but all these animals became extinct around 10,000 B.C. at the time when the early big game hunters spread across the Americas.)
5. Iron, steel, glass, and silk were not used in the New World before 1492 (except for occasional use of unsmelted meteoric iron). Native copper was worked in various locations in pre-Columbian times, but true metallurgy was limited to southern Mexico and the Andean region, where its occurrence in late prehistoric times involved gold, silver, copper, and their alloys, but not iron.
6. There is a possibility that the spread of cultural traits across the Pacific to Mesoamerica and the northwestern coast of South America began several hundred years before the Christian era. However, any such inter-hemispheric contacts appear to have been the results of accidental voyages originating in eastern and southern Asia. It is by no means certain that even such contacts occurred; certainly there were no contacts with the ancient Egyptians, Hebrews, or other peoples of Western Asian and the Near East.
7. No reputable Egyptologist or other specialist on Old World archeology, and no expert on New World prehistory, has discovered or confirmed any relationship between archeological remains in Mexico and archeological remains in Egypt.
8. Reports of findings of ancient Egyptian Hebrew, and other Old World writings in the New World in pre-Columbian contexts have frequently appeared in newspapers, magazines, and sensational books. None of these claims has stood up to examination by reputable scholars. No inscriptions using Old World forms of writing have been shown to have occurred in any part of the Americas before 1492 except for a few Norse rune stones which have been found in Greenland.
November 25, 2008
Sorenson argues the Two Hill Cumorah Theory in a pathetic attempt to cover over his glaring omission that the Hill Cumorah was officially claimed by the church to be in New York, not Central America. Not only had the church claimed the plates were found by Joseph Smith in New York, but the church has officially and directly stated at least two times that the New York hill was the same place where the BoM end wars took place. Consider Moroni 1:1 and 1:4. The whole premise of the BoM is that prophets would bury the plates to be later found by another prophet for publishing to the remnants of his people.
The BIGGEST fallacy in my humble opinion is that Native Americans are becoming white as they become righteous. Consider what a recent prophet said,
"I saw a striking contrast in the progress of the Indian people today as against that of only fifteen years ago. Truly the scales of darkness are falling from their eyes, and they are fast becoming a white and delightsome people....For years they have been growing delightsome, and they are now becoming white and delightsome, as they were promised..."(Spencer W. Kimball, Improvement Era, Dec. 1960, pp.922-3)
Consider what the Book of Mormon says in 2 Nephi 5:21
"And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them."
Brigham Young, who practiced human tithing in God's name, said this for Heavenly Father (not Jesus Christ-he isn't the head god in Mormonism):
"You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth, uncomely, disagreeable and low in their habits, wild, and seemingly deprived of nearly all the blessings of the intelligence that is generally bestowed upon mankind....Cain slew his brother. Can might have been killed, and that would have put a termination to that line of human beings. This was not to be, and the Lord put a mark upon him, which is the flat nose and black skin." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, page 290).
"Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so." (Journal of Discourses, Volume 10, page 110.)
Sorenson should write a history book about the mistreatment of African Americans, homosexuals, and children like Helen Mar Kimball who were brainwashed into marrying Joseph Smith.
The BIGGEST fallacy in my humble opinion is that Native Americans are becoming white as they become righteous. Consider what a recent prophet said,
"I saw a striking contrast in the progress of the Indian people today as against that of only fifteen years ago. Truly the scales of darkness are falling from their eyes, and they are fast becoming a white and delightsome people....For years they have been growing delightsome, and they are now becoming white and delightsome, as they were promised..."(Spencer W. Kimball, Improvement Era, Dec. 1960, pp.922-3)
Consider what the Book of Mormon says in 2 Nephi 5:21
"And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them."
Brigham Young, who practiced human tithing in God's name, said this for Heavenly Father (not Jesus Christ-he isn't the head god in Mormonism):
"You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth, uncomely, disagreeable and low in their habits, wild, and seemingly deprived of nearly all the blessings of the intelligence that is generally bestowed upon mankind....Cain slew his brother. Can might have been killed, and that would have put a termination to that line of human beings. This was not to be, and the Lord put a mark upon him, which is the flat nose and black skin." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, page 290).
"Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so." (Journal of Discourses, Volume 10, page 110.)
Sorenson should write a history book about the mistreatment of African Americans, homosexuals, and children like Helen Mar Kimball who were brainwashed into marrying Joseph Smith.
December 29, 2011
Although this book has been out for a while and I have read other FARMS books for some reason this one slipped by me. I have spent the last few years really putting in a lot of research on all of the different theories in regards to Book of Mormon Lands, whether it be the limited geography theory or the heartland theory or the Peru theory including attending conferences on almost all of them whether in person or online. I have read all kinds of articles by Sorenson and many other authors who support his theory so I figured in reading this book it would be all review. I was pleasantly surprised to find a handful of insights that had never been used by other authors or didn't seem to be used as popular evidences even though upon reading them they sure seemed to be to me. I have used this book for many evidences and insights on my own blog and would advise all interested in the Book of Mormon to read it no matter what your bias is.
April 11, 2016
The author of this book is truly an expert on Book of Mormon geography and Mesoamerica, and the book is full of possibilities for the geographical setting of the ancient text and has many helpful maps. Sorenson backs up his points without discounting other possibilities or claiming to have found the absolute truth. I have never been one to think it necessary to find geographic settings for Book of Mormon events, but if you tend to read the Book of Mormon with maps and colored pencils and rulers in hand, this will fascinate you. As it is, the book is very well written and well researched, without being necessary to anyone's testimony or lack thereof. A worthwhile side-note to one's appreciation of the Book of Mormon, although if you're going to get into that deeply, you may want to consider reading Sorenson's Mormon's Codex (which I have not read) instead of or in addition to this work.
December 30, 2009
For those who already believed that Joseph Smith Jr. translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God - you may enjoy this informative book that briefly explains the cultural & geographical elements of the Maya people of ancient Mesoamerica.
For those who don't believe that the Book of Mormon is true, or are waiting for 'archeological proof' that the Book of Mormon is a true account, I hope this books gives you more of that evidence you are seeking. However, faith is to believe before you have seen the evidence and if you don't believe the Book of Mormon on faith, then there will never be enough evidence to convince you. Only the Spirit of God can convince you of God's truth, man can not.
For those who don't believe that the Book of Mormon is true, or are waiting for 'archeological proof' that the Book of Mormon is a true account, I hope this books gives you more of that evidence you are seeking. However, faith is to believe before you have seen the evidence and if you don't believe the Book of Mormon on faith, then there will never be enough evidence to convince you. Only the Spirit of God can convince you of God's truth, man can not.
July 3, 2020
Sorenson takes a measured, logical and well researched approach to possible Book of Mormon geography. I appreciate the language he uses i.e. "it seems that", "it could be", etc. as opposed to "this is where it happened" and "Joseph knew..." I especially recommend this to anyone considering Rod Meldrum's geography theory. Since this is the book he spends so much time criticizing I encourage you to read and decide for yourself. I'm not saying I favor the Meso-American model. I personally subscribe to the Mark E. Peterson model which is "It has not been revealed." If the geography ever is revealed it will be through His servants, the prophets, and no one else.
September 24, 2011
Very good book, it gave a very plausible real-world setting for the Book of Mormon, and I think Sorenson is definitely on to something. He had a lot of really good ideas as to how the Book of Mormon could fit into current knowledge of history, archaeology, and geography of ancient North America. His theories definitely sounded more plausible than anyone else's I've heard.
The only problem I had was his utter lack of certainty about anything. Everywhere in the book he said things like "It could be this", or "It could be that" but hardly ever anything stronger than that. I understand why he did it, but I think he went a little overboard. It was a little frustrating after a while.
The only problem I had was his utter lack of certainty about anything. Everywhere in the book he said things like "It could be this", or "It could be that" but hardly ever anything stronger than that. I understand why he did it, but I think he went a little overboard. It was a little frustrating after a while.
August 10, 2010
This book is a great resource that I discovered while doing research for a story idea. The author, John Sorenson, has some insightful ideas about where the Book of Mormon lands may have been located, and he provides compelling evidence. He offers the reader more than just a landscape by describing other aspects of life, such as animals, building materials, and food items and how they may have related to the Book of Mormon peoples. My personal study of the Book of Mormon has taken on a new dimension since I read Sorenson's book. I definitely recommend it.
October 14, 2008
Presents a very feasible setting, along with known correlations of the Book of Mormon to ancient Mesoamerica. Gives cultural and geographical clues extrapolated from the Book itself as to where the Book of Mormon stories took place. Also dismisses the notion that anything contrary has been revealed to the brethren concerning locations and identities of Book of Mormon lands and peoples.
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May 7, 2012This book examines the possible location of cultures and geographic locations in the Book of Mormon. Most interesting to me were the sections on possible language connections between ancient cultures and the overall idea that the setting for Book of Mormon events was smaller than the entire continents of North America and South America.
March 11, 2008
This book, as far as I know, really launched the limited geography and two Cumorah's theories for the Book of Mormon in a big way. On first pass, or for the believer who is looking to bolster faith, this book can seem quite convincing.
February 15, 2008
It's fun to think about knowing it all has to fit together somehow.
May 21, 2008
This was a little dry for me, but it had some good info
September 24, 2008
This book was interesting but a little too detailed for my level of interest. I ended up reading the first several chapters in detail and then skimming through the rest.
Currently reading
March 2, 2009Can be quite technical
April 6, 2014
The book has some interesting information about Mesoamerica but since Sorenson's premise is wrong and the book leads so many Latter-day Saints astray I gave it 2 stars.
November 19, 2014
A house of cards. The author draws gallons of information from a quart of water.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews