There are many theories of the locations of the lands of the Book of Mormon. And they are just that, theories with supporting evidences. Until the Church and God revels the truth of the matter, let us call them what they are, theories. They are not correct until absolutely proven by the Lord's confirmation to be such. Some state their theory as though it where fact and argue and content against all who have an opposing opinion. Such should not be the case. I personally appreciate the many different 'theories.' There needs be opposition in all things, as it helps to point out various point of view, and perceptions of others by which one can measure and compare to. It gives rise to thought and I find much enlightenment to be found in each such study, some more than other's, perhaps, but insights and understanding are to be gleaned from each. Obviously, I cannot agree with them all, yet there are things from each I can learn from and I do find some points of agreement in each. This common ground is where, I believe one can build ones own thoughts on the matter. And I do have my own thoughts on the matter which I suppose are quite definite though just theory also. And at least until the Lord releases the reveled truths of the matter to us through his ordained leaders, I will believe as I believe.
Back in 1857, the Deseret News printed a fable related by Elder George A. Smith, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. It seems appropriate to related it here, and it does seem to relate to life and gospel living.
"A man, traveling through the country, came to a large city, very rich and splendid; he looked at it and said to his guide, 'This must be a very righteous people, for I can only see but one little devil in this great city.'
"The guide replied, 'You do not understand, sir; this city is so perfectly given up to wickedness, corruption, degradation and abomination of every kind that it only requires one devil to keep them all in subjection.'
"Traveling on a little further he came to a rugged path and saw an old man trying to get up the hill side, surrounded by seven great, big, coarse looking devils.
" 'Why,' says the traveller, 'this must be a tremendously wicked old man, only see how many devils there are around him!'
" 'This,' replied the guide, 'is the only righteous man in the country and there are seven of the biggest devils trying to turn him out of his path and they all cannot do it' " (Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine Teacher's Manual - for year 2000, Lesson 36 page 160 / Deseret News, November 11, 1857, 7:287).
Often in life, that which is easy and unopposed is the path most frequently followed. Satan is real and he does place all the obstacles he can in the way of finding truth, light and correct answers. Right now it is easy to study, learn and even visit the lands of MesoAmerica. Tourists abound and frequent the many archeological sites to be found there. Unmistakably, these sites where once inhabited by the Book of Mormon peoples of the Jaredites, Nephites, and of the Lamanites, who still do inhabit these lands today. And it is not incorrect to associate these MesoAmerican ruins with the cities of the Book of Mormon. Yet, if Satan could prohibit access to archeological evidences of the Book of Mormon, I believe he would. The land of Colombia is one of the least accessible as to its archeological sites, and there are many there. The countryside of Colombia is controlled by great 'Drug Lords.' They live lawlessly and present a constant danger to the traveler in that country. In fact, Colombia is the most dangerous in the world for a traveler, as there is more likelihood of being kidnapped in Colombia than in any other nation on earth. Thus, there is not free and easy access to the Colombian archeological sites without being subjected to the dangers of dealing of these great Colombian Drug Devils.
There is an often-repeated story, told in a number of ways. It involves a lost item and darkness and light. I'll retell it my way, but you will most likely recognize it as having been before told and likely a bit differently. I came home one night and found my son searching for something in the light of the streetlight on our corner. I approached him and asked, 'Shon, what are you looking for?' He said, 'I'm looking for the fifty cent piece that I dropped.' 'Okay,' I said, 'let me help you find it. Exactly where did you drop it?' To which my son replied, 'Oh, over there by the house in the dark.' This seemed quite strange to me. So I asked, 'Well Shon, if you dropped it over there, why are you looking for it here by the street light?' To which my son replied, 'Well you see dad, it is dark over there and hard to see, over here the light is much better and it is easy to see."
Right now the light is much better in Central America. There are numerous archeological sites being investigated. And due to all the additional information that is coming forth, there has been a wave of academically produced books proclaiming Central America as the primary Land of the Book of Mormon, Zarahemla. These books point to Zarahemla being there, the Land of Nephi being there, the Land of Desolation as being there, the Land of the Jaredites as being there, the narrow neck of land as being there, and the Hill Cumorah as being there. These books all point to all the major sites of the Book of Mormon as being in MesoAmerica. It is all there where the light is currently so bright that they can see that all that is in the Book of Mormon is right there in Central America and no where else. And they have their reasons and their logic for why it is that all is right there where the light is shining so bright.
In fact the light is shining so bright in Central America right now that all who have found all the Book of Mormon lands within the confines of Central America, seem to have lost sight of the rest of the Americas. To them there is no North America north of Mexico in the Book of Mormon to speak of. There is no South America in the Book of Mormon. It seems that to them North and South America has all but dropped off the face of the America's map, archeologically, geographically, anthropologically, and graphically.
One People
Now logically this just does not added up to me. I don't align up with today's academic and scientific world on a number of matters. You see I believe the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the other Scriptures that we have. I believe there was a great earth-covering flood in the days of Noah. I believe that God placed mankind upon the earth beginning with Adam. I believe that the earth was divided in the days of Peleg, and that it will be made one again by Christ at his Second Coming. I believe there was monumental continental moving events in the Americas at the death of Christ. The Science World of today does not support these things, they have their own ideas and theories. Yet I do take stock in the facts of the matter that science does reveal. But the facts of the matter are more truthfully present in the scriptures regarding a number of matters, than they are by the theories of man. The scriptures are the words of God.
There were people living in South America and in North America during the times of the Book of Mormon. They are the ancestors of the peoples living there today. I believe them all to be the 'Lamanitish' descendants of the Peoples of the Book of Mormon. In short I believe the American Indian to be descendant from the Book of Mormon peoples. I believe that all American Indians, south, north and central, are all one people, the same people, the descendants of Lehi and Lehi's children of the Book of Mormon with the exceptions of those of the Mulekites which are mixed with the blood of those of Lehi. I believe this one people lived anciently in the days of the Book of Mormon on the Lands of South America, on the Land of North America and on the Lands of Central America too. The people of Chavin, the Moche, the Nazca, the ancestors of the Inca, I believe to be the descendants of the Children of Lehi. I believe them to be Book of Mormon peoples. Only the Omec and other ancients associated with the Jaredites prior to 600 BC, who occupied Central and North America do I eliminate from being the same peoples as the American Indian today.
Now the logic here is that, if the ancestors of the Peruvians where the ancient Moche, and the ancient Moche where the ancestors of the Inca, and the Inca and the modern America Indian of Peru are the descendants of Lehi, then there were descendants of Lehi living on South America, the land south of the Isthmus of Darien during the time of the Book of Mormon. In fact the people of Chavin and their temples appear at the time that Nephi was building his temple, around 550 BC. And though science theorizes that the people of Chavin go back further because science cannot account for the civilization of Chavin just appearing without being developed in the land over hundreds of years prior, this is exactly how Nephi's people did developed, suddenly.
The logic of placing the Book of Mormon lands, during the times of the Book of Mormon, solely in Central America evades me. It gives rise to the logical difficulties when considering the America Indian as being one people from South America to North America. Else it annihilates and illuminates all the ancients of North America and South America into the extinction of not being a people on the modern Americas. Else, where are they? Where are those ancients who we know did live in North America and South America during the dates of 600BC to 400 AD? Where are they today? Were they not of the race of Lehi during those ancient dates of 600 BC to 400 AD? If so, they would logically be thought to be distinguishably different from Lehi's descendant, and so where are they today? The American Indian from the reaches of South America to the reaches of North America have the appearance of being one people. And I believe them to be of one people and of the same ancient descent. And that is being descended from the peoples of the Book of Mormon, from Lehi, making the ancients of South America, of Colombia and Peru the children of Lehi from 600 BC on.
You take an Indian from North America, an Indian from Peru, and I dare say a Maori from New Zealand, and they are one people. They are the same. So where are the other races and peoples who lived outside of Central America during the times of the Book of Mormon if you limit the major portions of the Book of Mormon times to MesoAmerica? Where did they disappear? Those who look solely to Central America as being the lands of the Book of Mormon need to consider what the answer to this question is. Because the logic of the American Indian being the people of the Americas today and being the Lamanites of the Book of Mormon asks that question. Where did the people of Chavin go? Where did the Moche go? Where did the Nazca go. And so on including all those who would have had to leave their lands vacant for the Lamanite descendants of Lehi to take their place? These Lehites, who according to the Mesoamerican theory where confined to lands the size of the State of Utah in Central America during their attributed parallel times with these other known peoples, of these other lands, where did all those other peoples go? My Logical conclusion is that they didn't go anywhere. They are still there because the Lands of the children of Lehi where not confined to a 400 mile stretch in MesoAmerica. The lands of the people of Lehi stretch over each of the Americas beginning in the South of South America and from thence up through Central and North Amercia. Logically I believe that and I believe they were and are all of the one people, the people of the Book of Mormon.