Book of Mormon External Evidences: Book Review: Moroni's America

Moroni's America: The North American Setting for the Book of Mormon, Second Edition, by Jonathan Neville, Digital Legend, 2024.

This book focuses on the possible lay out for a North American Book of Mormon.  It provides a premise for this based on what Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey wrote about the location of Hill Cumorah--that the plates were compiled and hidden in this area.  It shows how geographically the Book of Mormon would fit in North America, with Zarahemla across from Nauvoo, and the Hill Cumorah in New York, and the rest of the map taking off from there.  

Most of the North American archeology was destroyed by farms, or cities or such, but there is still enough to make the case for many settlements in North America, during the timeline of the Book of Mormon.  The major mode of transportation was by waterway, the Mississippi and Ohio, Missouri and Illinois rivers.  

When he goes through the Book of Mormon chapter by chapter and tells where this could have happened based on current location of archeological finds.  I was sure he was not 100 percent correct, but there are possibilities.  It is exciting to see that the Book of Mormon could fit North America.  Part of the error is in 90 percent of the archeology in Nofrth America is gone.

However I find his arguments very convincing.

Each section has a scan code where you can listen to the author join in a discussion about the topics from the section.

I know there are those who go with the MesoAmerican theory, with most of the narrative in the Book of Mormon taking place in southern Mexico and Central America.  It is good to know that there are multiple places where the Book of Mormon could have taken place.  Of course always to remember tha the book is spiritual, and through the spirit we gain a testimony, and then come unto Christ.

Charles Lindbergh in Kingman (and Amelia Earhart)

Charles Lindbergh had a prominent roll in aviation.  He was proclaimed a hero after he was the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.  He had been a ail courier and continued in this.  This was the early  t days of airmail.  Clement Melville Keys started a new air service, Transcontinental Air Transport.  He asked Lindbergh to help design a transcontinental network for him.  This brought Lindbergh to Kingman Arizona.   They had the goal of being able to  fly across the United States.  They wanted to fly from Los Angeles to New York in 24 hours.  Lindbergh first came to Kingman June 1, 1928.  This was just more than a year since he made the first transAtlantic flight.  He was looking for refueling stations along the L.A. to New York route.  To do so there would need to be regular ports.  Kingman was chosen as a site in October of 1928.  Winslow was also chosen as a site in Arizona, Clovis in New Mexico.  Lindbergh and Major Thomas Lamphier visited in January of 1929 to make final arrangements.  Construction began on March 10.  The soils was compacted and oil was applied.  Plane service through the port began on May 17 with two flights a day.  Then on July 8 of 1929 the plane "City of Los Angeles" brought Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart for the official dedication.  1000 people greeted Lindbergh that day.  The Kingman airport became the first dedicated airport in Arizona.  Over the next 20 years, during the operation of TAT  (later TWA) Lindbergh was a regular visitor to Kingman and the Beale Hotel.  The only thing remaining of the airport is the terminal building which is on Bank and currently occupied by a construction company.  The airway ran from about Beverly or the I-40 to Airway along Bank and to the west.     

After WWII the city purchased the old Gunnery Airfield and that is where the airport is today.  

Oldest Town in Nebraska: Cutler's Park

The oldest town in Nebraska was very short lived.  Mormon pioneers began settling here in August of 1846.  In order to have better protection from the elements, 2500 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints crossed the Missouri at Middle Ferry, south of the Doorly Zoo.  They had entered Indian territory as Iowa was the extent of the United States at the time.  They traveled north and established a tent and wagon city.  Individual wagons were arranged in orderly squares.  Cutler's Park is only a couple miles from Winter's Quarters.  They established a town council and mayor.  They had 24 police officers.  The residents kept busy with harvesting the grass, building fences, herding cattle and digging wells.  There was a town square for meetings.  As early as September pioneers started moving to Winter Quarters.  By December the last of the residents had moved east to Winter Quarters.  The left behind fenced streets, an improved communal well and 800 tons of hay which would benefit the journey west the next summer.  They also left behind about seventy-five graves.

While at Cutler's Park, Brigham Young entered into negotiations with the Oto and Omaha Indians.  They had come to ask for rent.  They each arrived with a party of about 70 on August 27.  The Oto and Omaha were wary of each other.  Consequently meeting was held separately with each tribe.  Meeting was held in a tent on August 28.  Logan Fontanelle, half white and half Omaha interpreted.  Brigham Young explained the situation, that his people would only be there a couple years.  They would help the native Americans establish farms, and provide food if they could.  The Omaha were placed.  The Oto not so much and threatened to make war on the Omaha.  Negotiations for peace failed.  The pioneers moving to Winter Quarter's seemed to alleviate the situation as the Oto considered Winter Quarter's part of the river where their custom of free passage precluded asking for rent or recompense.

I visited Cutler's Park this last summer.  The plaques are at the corner of Mormon Bridge Road and Young Street, just west of the Winter Quarters Temple.  The plaques talk about the story from 1846.  There is a large cemetery there now, but the Cutler's Park cemetery is on private land, and you have to get special permission to visit.  The plaque includes the list of those buried there from the winter of 1846.  

History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Argentina

 The LDS Church in Argentina

https://www.lds.org/church/news/like-grandfather-elder-ballard-offers-blessing-on-argentina?lang=eng

Go to the above link which will take you to the Church's newsroom.  From there search for Argentina which will give you information about the dedication of South America by Apostle Melvin J. Ballard in 1925, 100 years ago come Christmas Day this year.
Today there are over 400,000 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Argentina.  This has risen from small beginnings.  In South America there are over 4.5 million members of the church.  Recently Elder Ballard visited Argentina, where a plaque commemorating the dedication of South America to missionary work 90 years ago.  When I served my mission in Argentina the Church had been there just over 50 years, and there were just over 40,000 members in Argentina.  There were four missions, with the fifth being created during my mission.  I served in the Buenos Aires North Mission. 
For much of my mission I served in Don Torcuato and dreamed of there being a branch there.  Now there is not only a ward, but their own meeting house.  Things change in a marvelous fashion.   M. Russel Ballard dedicated a plaque to that event ten years ago. He is the grandson of Melvin J. Ballard.

Pawnee Rock: Santa Fe Trail

 

Pawnee Rock is in Pawnee Rock Kansas.  It marked the halfway point of the Santa Fe Trail and was 50-60 feet high.  Ig was higher in the past but much of its stone was used in making railroads.  The top of the pavilion on top of the hill marks the original height.  From there you can see in all directions.  It is 12 miles north of Fort Larned, Kansas.  Fort Larned was establishd to guard the trail.

Petroglyph Canyon: Valley of Fire State Park

 This is very clearly marked in Valley of Fire State Park.  You just walk up the canyon a ways and there are many petroglyphs.  Many interesting designs that include a spiral, cloud looking and rainstorm looking, people holding hands and centipede like.

Atlatl Rock in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

 This petroglyph rock is in Valley of Fire State Park and clearly marked on the state park map.

It is call Atlatl rock because it has a depiction of an atlatl as well as another of someone throwing one.  The atlatl was a very effective weapon with a throwing stick.  The projectile was larger than an arrow and the arrow head was also larger.  They could be very accurate and were used in hunting and in battle. 

Atlatl rock is in the air.  A short walk and a staircase take you to the rock.  

The first picture shows the atlatl with a mountain goat above. with a thrower beneath

Book of Mormon External Evidences: He Walked the Americas, Book Review

 

He Walked the Americas by L. Taylor Hansen, Legend Press, Amherst, Wisconsin, copyright 1963, twenty-second printing 2003.

This book tells stories of the great white prophet and miracles associated with him.  These stories do not come from an isolated roup, but are general throughout the people of the Americas, and the islands.  The Book of Mormon tells of the visit of Jesus Christ to the people in the Americas. Nephites and Lamanites at the temple in the land Bountiful.  This book tells similar stories through the land, how the prophet taught against human sacrifice, and warring with each other.  In the Book of Mormon the influence of Jdsus lasted for over two hundred years before the people divided and began fighting with each other.  

After reading this book, there is really no denying that Jesus visited the New world after his resurrection. It is documented in the stories of numerous groups, whether North American or South American or MesoAmerica, and also the islands of the South Pacific.   I very much enjoyed it.  I purchased it through the Wayne May bookstore LDSarcheology.

Grinding Rock at Indian Grinding Rock State Park

Indian Grinding Rock State Park is located 12 miles east of Jackson off of highway 88 on Pinegrove Canyon Road.   This area was originally part of the Miwok territory.  The area had three different types of oak trees which produced acorns which was the primary food of their diet.  The park has a limestone outcropping which has been used for many years to grind the acorns.  There are 1,125 mortar holes in the park.  The acorns need to be leached because of the tannins in the acorn meat.  The Miwoks would shell, and then grind the acorn using a pestle in the mortar holes.  This is basically a rock that is rounded for grinding.  They would then leach the acorns by putting them in a sand basin and then pouring cold water on them.  The water would leach through the sand taking the tannins with it.  This was repeated until the water ran clear.  Also at the State park is a museum with cradle boards and weapons.  The park also included a round house and a Miwok village.  This included a granary and shelters.  The shelters were made from tree bark.