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Images of Ancient America: Visualizing Book of Mormon Life
Book by Sorenson, John L.
241 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 12, 2013
I bought this large ‘picture book’ volume from the Mormon ‘Deseret Book’ store during a trip to Salt Lake City in 1998, just after its publication. At that time I was a faithful Mormon and I enjoyed browsing the many colourful pictures and assumed the author a competent archaeologist who knew his stuff and that he was honest about the parallels he drew regarding the claimed descendants of Lehi and his family – ‘Book of Mormon’ characters who allegedly crossed the sea from the Holy Land to the Americas some 600 years BCE.
The Book of Mormon actually claims these people went on to populate the entire Americas where there were no other inhabitants before them – a position unquestioned by Mormons and their leaders alike until just a few decades ago when archaeology conclusively proved otherwise.
I have just read this book more thoroughly, as an exMormon author who accidentally discovered the truth behind Joseph Smith’s hoax religion a few years ago. Perspective obviously alters depending on your existing point of view. Published by FARMS (Foundation for Ancient Research), it is actually a Mormon apologetic book and the content is a far cry from being accurate, honest or reliable information.
The faithful who read this book will have a preconceived idea of ‘facts’ and will never loose sight of their Book of Mormon being a true historical record – to be supported by any available means and at all costs, including ignoring any and all evidence that runs contrary to their ‘belief’.
The sceptic will view the Book of Mormon as nineteenth century fiction and not find any parallels with archaeological finds whatsoever. In this instance, a preconceived notion that the Book of Mormon is fiction does not impact on the evidence at all.
Even the impartial observer will be drawn to exactly the same conclusions as the sceptic. There is no correlation between the Book of Mormon and archaeology anywhere in the Americas at all. Time after time, archaeological finds combine to refute the remotest possibility that any Book of Mormon ideas are real.
Sorenson relights an old Mormon candle under the concept that the Book of Mormon’s residual Lamanites are somewhere in the Mesoamerican area. He concludes it the only possibility and even provides a detailed map with proposed locations for Book of Mormon cities. None are real and none have ever been located.
This also goes against all that Joseph Smith taught in his Doctrine and Covenants (which Mormons also count as scripture) where he often recorded sending missionaries to the ‘Lamanites’ who everyone then knew for a fact were local native North Americans of various tribes. Twentieth century Mormon leaders claimed in the Mormon ‘Ensign’ magazine that the Lamanites consisted of all the natives of North, Central and South America as well as many of the islands. They remain quiet about that these days.
The book is littered with well over two hundred pictures and plates of archaeological details and artefacts. In addition, there are many photographs of modern day areas in Central America. Despite the fact that Sorenson almost immediately confesses the Aztec and Maya cultures could not possibly contain any Book of Mormon descendants, he then unashamedly includes well over a hundred plates related to them and then even draws parallels to the Book of Mormon. There are ‘Visualising Book of Mormon Life’ summaries on almost every other page. None of them work of course and moreover, his ‘links’ to the Book of Mormon from any area he covers are more than tenuous – they range from the absurd to the ridiculous with no bearing in reality whatsoever. Sorenson’s mind is clearly clouded by his belief in Mormon fiction which overrides common sense and reason. He cannot be taken seriously. Several plates remain undated and a number don’t even detail a location or culture. Generalisations and pretty pictures equal Book of Mormon ‘evidence’ to Sorenson.
Whilst Sorenson claims to cover aspects beyond archaeology, including daily living and no end of other things, he only briefly mentions calendars. There is a good example of one but he falls short of coming clean with the truth about it – and all other calendars located in the Americas. The fact is that Book of Mormon characters were Jews and held to a seven day week – they became Christian and built temples in the Americas, worshipping on their Sabbath. Sorenson does not acknowledge the fact that whilst several cultures did indeed have calendars and were generally able to work out the lunar year, not one – I repeat, not one – of them contained a seven day week.
Such a concept never existed anywhere in the Americas, yet it was the basis of Judaism and Lehi’s (fictional) family and descendants continued to worship on the Sabbath for hundreds of years after they arrived in the Americas. Sorenson fails to consider why he could not find any culture with a seven day week and a Sabbath day, reflecting the concept of the Judaic / Christian creation periods and remembrance.
Sorenson carefully avoids covering coins, currency, or even a ‘weights and measures’ system. Why? Because such things did not exist in the Americas. The Incas (Peru) reached their high level of civilization without any form of money whatsoever and the Aztecs and Maya (Mexico) used gold dust (kept in transparent quills) and also cocoa beans (in sacks of 24,000) as their ‘money’. When Joseph Smith concocted his Book of Mormon, he had no idea that most of what he included in the book never existed in the Americas during the period in question.
The Book of Mormon contains a complex description of gold and silver coins being used as currency by millions of people. None have ever been located. Note that Mormon apologists now realise that was impossible and they have tried to change the idea to one solely of weights and measures rather than coins – regardless of the fact that the Book of Mormon is very specific about it and even explains that certain coins were equal to the value of half a measure or a full measure of barley. That is, despite the fact that domesticated barley never existed in the Americas until it was introduced by the Spanish in the 16th century. See my article on the issue of Nephite coins on my web site at this direct link: http://www.themormondelusion.com/page...
Smith’s use of coins and metallurgy (steel swords etc.,) was a huge mistake in his Book of Mormon. He also included many crops that did not exist, the notable exception being maize (corn) which was a staple in the Americas. He pretended they had wheat and barley, which they did not – any more than the implements to sow, plough, reap or thresh that he claimed. Ploughs and chariots would have had no draft animals to pull them. They did not have ‘silk’ and could not make ‘fine-twined linen’ as claimed either.
Likewise, every single animal Smith claimed in the book (apart from the dog, which the Book of Mormon only mentions in passing) did not exist in Book of Mormon times in the Americas. And that’s just the start of Smith’s problems with the book which Sorenson fails to even mention, let alone address in the light of conclusive evidence now available.
There are literally hundreds and hundreds of pyramids in Central and South America. There is no mention of such edifices in the Book of Mormon. Sorenson glosses over this fact by claiming that ‘towers’ mentioned in the Book of Mormon were ‘possibly’ pyramids. Considering God supposedly dictated the Book of Mormon word by word to Joseph Smith whilst Smith’s head was in a hat looking at his ‘seer’ stone (which he had previously used when he was a money digging con artist), something accepted as fact by the Mormon Church in their Ensign magazine (see ‘A Treasured Testament’, Ensign, July 1993:62), it is hardly reasonable to suppose God didn’t know the difference and give Smith the correct translation so modern day Mormons would understand what He meant.
Faithful Mormons, learning of such nonsense, have to do mental gymnastics to maintain a ‘testimony’ of their supposed ‘truth’. The rest of the world simply understands and accepts the abundant, insurmountable and conclusive evidence that the Book of Mormon is pure fiction from beginning to end.
The final straw for Mormons came when my good friend and fellow author, Dr. Simon Southerton, published his book ‘Losing a Lost Tribe’ which details the DNA of all Native Americans. We now know for a fact that none of them came from Israel. It’s high time the Mormon Church faced the facts and accepted the truth of the matter.
This book is worthless regarding accurate and informative archaeological information and serves only to hold faithful Mormons close to their own unique perceptions which hold no semblance of reality whatsoever. If you are looking for an informative book on archaeology in the Americas – you will have to look elsewhere.
I recommend reading ‘Wanderer’s’ excellent review on Amazon.com for further information on the many errors contained in this book.
Jim Whitefield ~ author of ‘The Mormon Delusion’ series.
The Book of Mormon actually claims these people went on to populate the entire Americas where there were no other inhabitants before them – a position unquestioned by Mormons and their leaders alike until just a few decades ago when archaeology conclusively proved otherwise.
I have just read this book more thoroughly, as an exMormon author who accidentally discovered the truth behind Joseph Smith’s hoax religion a few years ago. Perspective obviously alters depending on your existing point of view. Published by FARMS (Foundation for Ancient Research), it is actually a Mormon apologetic book and the content is a far cry from being accurate, honest or reliable information.
The faithful who read this book will have a preconceived idea of ‘facts’ and will never loose sight of their Book of Mormon being a true historical record – to be supported by any available means and at all costs, including ignoring any and all evidence that runs contrary to their ‘belief’.
The sceptic will view the Book of Mormon as nineteenth century fiction and not find any parallels with archaeological finds whatsoever. In this instance, a preconceived notion that the Book of Mormon is fiction does not impact on the evidence at all.
Even the impartial observer will be drawn to exactly the same conclusions as the sceptic. There is no correlation between the Book of Mormon and archaeology anywhere in the Americas at all. Time after time, archaeological finds combine to refute the remotest possibility that any Book of Mormon ideas are real.
Sorenson relights an old Mormon candle under the concept that the Book of Mormon’s residual Lamanites are somewhere in the Mesoamerican area. He concludes it the only possibility and even provides a detailed map with proposed locations for Book of Mormon cities. None are real and none have ever been located.
This also goes against all that Joseph Smith taught in his Doctrine and Covenants (which Mormons also count as scripture) where he often recorded sending missionaries to the ‘Lamanites’ who everyone then knew for a fact were local native North Americans of various tribes. Twentieth century Mormon leaders claimed in the Mormon ‘Ensign’ magazine that the Lamanites consisted of all the natives of North, Central and South America as well as many of the islands. They remain quiet about that these days.
The book is littered with well over two hundred pictures and plates of archaeological details and artefacts. In addition, there are many photographs of modern day areas in Central America. Despite the fact that Sorenson almost immediately confesses the Aztec and Maya cultures could not possibly contain any Book of Mormon descendants, he then unashamedly includes well over a hundred plates related to them and then even draws parallels to the Book of Mormon. There are ‘Visualising Book of Mormon Life’ summaries on almost every other page. None of them work of course and moreover, his ‘links’ to the Book of Mormon from any area he covers are more than tenuous – they range from the absurd to the ridiculous with no bearing in reality whatsoever. Sorenson’s mind is clearly clouded by his belief in Mormon fiction which overrides common sense and reason. He cannot be taken seriously. Several plates remain undated and a number don’t even detail a location or culture. Generalisations and pretty pictures equal Book of Mormon ‘evidence’ to Sorenson.
Whilst Sorenson claims to cover aspects beyond archaeology, including daily living and no end of other things, he only briefly mentions calendars. There is a good example of one but he falls short of coming clean with the truth about it – and all other calendars located in the Americas. The fact is that Book of Mormon characters were Jews and held to a seven day week – they became Christian and built temples in the Americas, worshipping on their Sabbath. Sorenson does not acknowledge the fact that whilst several cultures did indeed have calendars and were generally able to work out the lunar year, not one – I repeat, not one – of them contained a seven day week.
Such a concept never existed anywhere in the Americas, yet it was the basis of Judaism and Lehi’s (fictional) family and descendants continued to worship on the Sabbath for hundreds of years after they arrived in the Americas. Sorenson fails to consider why he could not find any culture with a seven day week and a Sabbath day, reflecting the concept of the Judaic / Christian creation periods and remembrance.
Sorenson carefully avoids covering coins, currency, or even a ‘weights and measures’ system. Why? Because such things did not exist in the Americas. The Incas (Peru) reached their high level of civilization without any form of money whatsoever and the Aztecs and Maya (Mexico) used gold dust (kept in transparent quills) and also cocoa beans (in sacks of 24,000) as their ‘money’. When Joseph Smith concocted his Book of Mormon, he had no idea that most of what he included in the book never existed in the Americas during the period in question.
The Book of Mormon contains a complex description of gold and silver coins being used as currency by millions of people. None have ever been located. Note that Mormon apologists now realise that was impossible and they have tried to change the idea to one solely of weights and measures rather than coins – regardless of the fact that the Book of Mormon is very specific about it and even explains that certain coins were equal to the value of half a measure or a full measure of barley. That is, despite the fact that domesticated barley never existed in the Americas until it was introduced by the Spanish in the 16th century. See my article on the issue of Nephite coins on my web site at this direct link: http://www.themormondelusion.com/page...
Smith’s use of coins and metallurgy (steel swords etc.,) was a huge mistake in his Book of Mormon. He also included many crops that did not exist, the notable exception being maize (corn) which was a staple in the Americas. He pretended they had wheat and barley, which they did not – any more than the implements to sow, plough, reap or thresh that he claimed. Ploughs and chariots would have had no draft animals to pull them. They did not have ‘silk’ and could not make ‘fine-twined linen’ as claimed either.
Likewise, every single animal Smith claimed in the book (apart from the dog, which the Book of Mormon only mentions in passing) did not exist in Book of Mormon times in the Americas. And that’s just the start of Smith’s problems with the book which Sorenson fails to even mention, let alone address in the light of conclusive evidence now available.
There are literally hundreds and hundreds of pyramids in Central and South America. There is no mention of such edifices in the Book of Mormon. Sorenson glosses over this fact by claiming that ‘towers’ mentioned in the Book of Mormon were ‘possibly’ pyramids. Considering God supposedly dictated the Book of Mormon word by word to Joseph Smith whilst Smith’s head was in a hat looking at his ‘seer’ stone (which he had previously used when he was a money digging con artist), something accepted as fact by the Mormon Church in their Ensign magazine (see ‘A Treasured Testament’, Ensign, July 1993:62), it is hardly reasonable to suppose God didn’t know the difference and give Smith the correct translation so modern day Mormons would understand what He meant.
Faithful Mormons, learning of such nonsense, have to do mental gymnastics to maintain a ‘testimony’ of their supposed ‘truth’. The rest of the world simply understands and accepts the abundant, insurmountable and conclusive evidence that the Book of Mormon is pure fiction from beginning to end.
The final straw for Mormons came when my good friend and fellow author, Dr. Simon Southerton, published his book ‘Losing a Lost Tribe’ which details the DNA of all Native Americans. We now know for a fact that none of them came from Israel. It’s high time the Mormon Church faced the facts and accepted the truth of the matter.
This book is worthless regarding accurate and informative archaeological information and serves only to hold faithful Mormons close to their own unique perceptions which hold no semblance of reality whatsoever. If you are looking for an informative book on archaeology in the Americas – you will have to look elsewhere.
I recommend reading ‘Wanderer’s’ excellent review on Amazon.com for further information on the many errors contained in this book.
Jim Whitefield ~ author of ‘The Mormon Delusion’ series.
August 1, 2016
This book is out of print but cheap used copies are plentiful on Amazon. This is a large coffee-table book with gorgeous full-color pictures. Yeah, there's some text there too, but the real value is in the illustrations and photographs showing Central American artwork, pottery, iconography, temples, animals, clothing, tools, weapons, people, and jungles. A Mesoamerican geography for the Book of Mormon is not argued here so much as assumed, and if one has no trouble with that assumption then this book is a fascinating—and fun!—way to visualize the world as a Nephite might have seen it.
January 16, 2009
This is a coffee-table version of Sorenson's older book, it contains some beautiful images of Mesoamerica and some interesting insights. Some of the more interesting images were of wheeled toys possibly recalling the chariots mentioned in the Book of Mormon.
February 20, 2008
This book combined archeological information with what we know from the Book of Mormon. It made for a good read. If you are a Latter-day Saint and an archeology fan, I would recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews