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Book of Mormon

 Promised Land

"CHOICE ABOVE ALL OTHER LANDS"

The Genuine Setting for the Book of Mormon

Art of Herb Roe, depicting a native North American earthwork complex

Click Here for the "Mound-Builder" Genre Textual Analysis

Image obtained from veimages.gsfc.nasa.gov

Land Northward (An excellent fit recognized by author Phyllis Carol Olive)

"And it came to pass that they did multiply and spread, and did go forth from the land southward to the land northward, and did spread insomuch that they began to cover the face of the whole earth, from the sea south to the sea north, from the sea west to the sea east." (Helaman 3:8)

There really is a northern land in the region where the Book of Mormon came forth, that is bordered by "seas" in the cardinal directions. The "seas" mentioned in the Book of Mormon are literal bodies of water. Inland bodies of water are commonly called seas in ancient scripture. (Joshua 12:3;15:5, Ether 2:7) The expression translated, “the whole earth” doesn't have to mean global or planet-wide. It can simply mean the full extent of a local land or region. (Exodus 10:14-15, Alma 38:7 ) The expressions "sea south", "sea north", "sea west", "sea east", tell us the directions of these seas from the location implied in scripture. From a location in "the land northward", "sea west" simply means the sea that is west from that location. The proper nouns "west sea" and "east sea" name bodies of water relative to other locations, such as the lands of Zarahemla and Nephi (Alma 50:5-8). The same is true for seas in the general directions of sunrise and sunset with respect to Old World Jerusalem. (Joel 2:20)

Image derived from Google Earth, © Copyright Google

An Ancient Covenant Land of Liberty (Alma 46:17) resides in the United States of America

“And now, it was only the distance of a day and a half's journey for a Nephite, on the line Bountiful and the land Desolation, from the east to the west sea; and thus the land of Nephi and the land of Zarahemla were nearly surrounded by water, there being a small neck of land between the land northward and the land southward.” (Alma 22:32)

The lands of Zarahemla and Cumorah were so near to each other, that travelers from the south Alma 38:7 could mistake one region for the other. (Mosiah 8:7-8; 21:25-26, Ether 9:3; 15:8-11)

"Then will I remember my covenant...and I will remember the land." (Leviticus 26:42)  

To God and Israelites, Covenant Lands Matter! The "stick of Judah" ("ets Yehuda", אֵץ יְהוּדָה) mentioned in the Bible (Ezekiel 37:15-22) represents the covenants God made long ago with the Jewish people. The record of these covenants resides in the Bible.  These include the promise of an inheritance in Jerusalem and her environs. The Book of Mormon contains the record of God's dealings with a branch of the tribes of Joseph, who were divinely led to a country far away from the biblical Promised Land. (JST Genesis 50:25) God's covenants, recorded in the Book of Mormon, are represented by "the stick of Joseph", mentioned in the Bible. LDS scripture clearly connects the Book of Mormon with “the record of the stick of Ephraim [son of Joseph]” (Doctrine and Covenants 27:5) Ephraim (pronounced “Efrayim”, אֶפְרָיִם) means double fruit. The Bible likens the separation of Joseph's posterity, to fruitful branches  extending beyond a barrier. (Genesis 49:22) Latter-day Saints interpret this barrier or "wall" to mean the Ocean. Inheriting the rights of the firstborn (Genesis 48:3-5, 18-20) , the descendents of Ephraim are entitled to double portions, including lands of inheritance. (Deuteronomy 21:17; 33:13-17, Jeremiah 31:9, 16-21, Genesis 49:26, Isaiah 61:6-7 ) One of Ephraim's inheritances is in  the land of Israel, but, where is there another Promised Land given to Joseph’s posterity? We learn the general whereabouts of this other covenant land from LDS scripture and statements made by the Prophet Joseph Smith. We learn of Israelites who were led out of Jerusalem by the prophet Lehi, a contemporary of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Lehi’s company included descendents of Joseph’s sons Manasseh and Ephraim. The ancestors of Lehi’s company were among those who had humbled themselves and united with the house of Judah at a time when the majority of the northern tribes of Israel perilously rebelled against the LORD. (2 Chronicles 30:1, 10-12) For their stubborn wickedness, the majority of Ephraim and other northern tribes, were conquered and removed, while Judah remained faithful, preserving much of the biblical legacy. (1 Nephi 13:25; 22:4, 2 Nephi 29:4-5) Sadly, it came to pass that Judah too became corrupt. Lehi’s prophecies of the destruction of Jerusalem were met with such opposition that the LORD instructed him to flee the doomed city, with the promise that he would be led to a land choice above all others. To Nephi son of Lehi, the LORD promised:

"And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands." (1 Nephi 2:20)

For many of Israel's descendents, the importance of knowing the location of covenant lands is more than an intellectual desire to satisfy curiosity. The subject is not just about geography or a need to tie scriptural sagas with accurate settings and genuine maps. It is about covenant inheritances and heritage. It is about blessings, responsibilities and penalties associated with lands of promise and posterity. To the Israelite mind, identifying, the God of the land, the covenant people and the covenant land is paramount. These, of course, are topics that the Book of Mormon is keen to address repeatedly. Needless to say, the God of Jacob would not leave his ancient covenant people without ways of identifying the general locations of their lands of promise. We might expect scripture to contain vital keys. And here, true to faith, we are not disappointed. So where is the Promised Land of the Book of Mormon? Both the Prophet Joseph and LDS scripture describe a land choice above all others, a land of liberty, a land and people delivered, prospered and lifted up by the power God above all other nations. In Nephi's own prophetic words to his brethren - after arriving in the Promised Land:

"...the Lord God will raise up a mighty nation among the Gentiles, yea, even upon the face of this land..." (1 Nephi 22:7)

Additionally the Book of Mormon mentions particular kinds of animals, the climate, forests, great works of earth and timber, large bodies of water and many other details indicative of its true American setting. The following segments distinguish between the best sources and sources that are dubious at best. There is really a preponderance of evidence available identifying Joseph’s choicest inheritance - in a land occupied by a mighty nation “above all other nations”.
(1 Nephi 13:30 )