A Comparative Book of Mormon Chronology - Traditional vs. Updated
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Suggested Book of Mormon Chronology as Assessed by Elder George Reynolds, Adopted by
Apostle James E. Talmage, Integrated First into the Footnotes and then into
the Chapter summaries of the Book of Mormon and Are There
in Use in the Book of Mormon Until This Day.
600 BC, Jerusalem
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Reassessed Book of Mormon Chronology and Events as set on Biblical Stage
of Jerusalem as determined and provided by Don R. Hender.
During 601 to 600 BC, Jerusalem - First Nephi begins.
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Like anyone who lives in a populated area, you just don't take one step out
of town and consider yourself in the wilderness. Lehi, like any family going
to a 'wilderness' site to camp out or whatever, would have traveled such
know routes to where such wildernes would begin. That is, Lehi traveled a
likely known route to that 'wilderness area' that he considered or was told
to flee to. In this case Lehi either first went east by way of Jericho to
the King's Highway and down toward Elath or he when the less traveled route
south out of the land of Jerusalem, yet still following known roads and paths
until he reached his 'objective wilderness', the wilderness along the eastern
arm of the Red Sea. Thus just prior to entering the sea port and refining
trade city of Elath, Lehi departed into the wilderness and traveled for
three days into the wilderness traveling down along the Red Sea until he came
to the valley he called Lemuel.
There is at least one canidate for the valley of Lemuel which has a year round flowing river of Laman about three days travel distance from Elath. Its immediate extended 'valley' is more like a gorge with very steep and high surrounding rocky 'mountainous' cliffs. There are also other possibilities as well with seasonal flowing rivers which today leave their bed dry in the dry season yet the course is still marked by the river's bed which does run [not flow] continuously into the Red Sea. |
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Between 600 and 592 BC, In the wilderness
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Between 600 and 592 BC, In the Valley of Lemuel
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Lehi's family stays in the Valley of Lemuel for about 8 years as Nephi goes
from being 'exceedingly young' to being a 'man'. They have a number of seasons to test
out their 'seeds of every kind' likely obtained from the 'world trade center'
of Elath. It is absurd to presume Lehi gathered seeds of every kind being
confined to a sea side desert wilderness. Also, it likely that Elath is
where Nephi obtains his lamenanted 'steel bow'. And it is further likely that
Lehi's sons witnessed ship building and metal refining at Elath's shipyard and
refinery. In the 'off growing seasons' the sons may have even worked in the
shipyards and the refinery at Elath (It was only a tree day jorney away). They
may have even worked on the foot bellowses of the smelting pits
preparing themselves for the time when they would smelt ore and build their
own ship.
Now as noted previously, in 601 BC, when King Zedekiah was installed by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the people had met at the temple and entered into the temple comvenant to keep the law of Moses, the Law of the Lord God Jehovah and they swore alligence to King Nebuchadnezzar. Along with that covenant the Jewish released their Hebrew servants [slaves] as per the Law of Moses. When Nebuchadnezzar's presence withdrew, the ruling princes of the 'Sanhedrin' rather interpreted that the Jews did not need to release the Hebrew servants immediately, but rather they had 7 years from the date of entering into the covenant in which to comply. The Lord allowed them those seven years and then he sent Jeremiah to charge them of their obvious sin, for they had not release the Hebrew servants even after that 'additional' seven years (Jeremiah 34, particularly verses 8-10, 12-15 and 18-21). With that condemation which was given while the Babylonians were departed to fight the Egyptians, Jeremiah's mission and witness against Jerusalem was complete and Jeremiah sought to go home to the land of Benjamin where he lived. As he was leaveing the guards took Jeremiah into custody and thence was Jeremiah put into prison. This was when Nephi and his brothers were seeking to obtain the family of Ishmael. One perception of the Jews was that the Egyptians would resque them from the Babylonians. This was the brother's of Nephi had considered to be the case, but Nephi reminded them that 'even Jeremiah have they put into prison'. It would have been nice if Nephi's record gave more of the details but his small plate record was but a concise record of only that which was of a 'spiritual nature'. Nephi may have included these details upon his large plates in the 'book of Lehi', along with more of the details of Lehi's own early life under the righteous King Josiah. |
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Between 600 and 592 BC (continued)
* They depart the valley of Lemuel and travel south-southeast for four days. They pitch their tents and call the place Shazer. * They continue their journey, following the directions of the Liahona. * Nephi breaks his bow. * They travel for many days, "traveling nearly the same course as in the beginning". * Ishmael dies and is buried in the place called Nahom. * Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael want to slay Lehi and Nephi. Nephi chastens them and they repent. 592 BC, Bountiful * They arrive at the land Bountiful, near the sea which they call Irreantum. |
Between 592 and 584 BC
* They depart the valley of Lemuel and travel south-southeast for four days. They pitch their tents and call the place Shazer. * Following the Liahona's directions they continue their journey * Nephi breaks his bow. * They travel for many days, "traveling nearly the same course as in the beginning". * Ishmael dies and is buried in the place called Nahom. * Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael want to slay Lehi and Nephi. Nephi chastens them and they repent. About 584 BC, Bountiful * They arrive at 'Bountiful', near the sea they call Irreantum |
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Nephi's small plates record is an abridgment containing that which is of the
things of God. Thus days, weeks, months and even years can pass without any
such notable relative events. Nephi's record does first establish their
likely mode of travel, that is, they travel during each 'work week' but they
always encamp to prepare for and hold to the things of keeping the Sabbath.
Only such 'significant' events are recorded such as Ishmael's death and when
Nephi broke his bow and even Lehi then complained. The Book of Mormon records
that for 8 years they traveled in the wilderness, that is the wilderness from
the Valley of Lemuel to that first land of Bountiful.
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About 591 BC, Bountiful
* Jacob and Joseph, "born in the wilderness", are first mentioned. * Nephi is commanded to build a boat. His brothers murmur and complain, but he persuades them to assist and the boat is completed. * Lehi and his family, Ishmael's family and Zoram embark for the promised land. About 590 BC, on the sea * Nephi's brothers and the sons of Ishmael 'make merry with much rudeness'. Nephi fears they will offend God and speaks to them "with much soberness". Laman and Lemuel bind Nephi. Storms arise, their compass ceases to work and they are "driven back upon the waters for the space of three days." On the fourth day, Nephi's brethren see that "the judgements of God were upon them" and they release Nephi. * Nephi guides the ship "towards the promised land". * After many days they arrive at the promised land. The land of Nephi About 589 BC, in the promised land * They find "beasts in the forest", "all manner of wild animals" and "ore, both of gold, and of silver, and of copper". |
Between 584 to 580 BC, Bountiful to Bountiful and Beyond
* Jacob and Joseph, "born in the wilderness", are first mentioned. * Nephi is commanded to build a ship. His brothers murmur and complain. He persuades them to assist. The ship is completed. * Lehi and his family, Ishmael's family and Zoram embark for the promised land. About 582 BC, on the sea * Nephi's brothers and the sons of Ishmael "make themselves merry", "with much rudeness". Nephi fears they will offend God and speaks to them "with much soberness". Laman and Lemuel bind Nephi. Storms arise, their compass ceases to work and they are "driven back upon the waters for the space of three days." On the fourth day, Nephi's brethren see that "the judgements of God were upon them" and they release Nephi. * Nephi guides the ship "towards the promised land". * After many days they arrive at the promised land. The land of Nephi About 580 BC, in the promised land * They find "beasts in the forest", "all manner of wild animals" and "ore, both of gold, and of silver, and of copper". |
Arrivals In The Land of Promise
[Further Note: King Nebuchadnezzar had taken as a part of his Kingdom the great international trade port of Elath, from which the ships of King Solomon did sail and spend 3 years upon the oceans in trade before returning back 'home' again. It is likely that Mulek, whose supposed mother had family connections with Sidon, did associate there and did sail from Sidon toward the furtherest distance known for safety, the trade lands of the Jaredites. Upon reaching that land, they found the Jaredite nation completely destroyed with only Coriantumr yet alive who spoke another language. They may have considered that the power of Nebuchadnezzar had also extended beyond the oceans. To be as safe of possible, Mulek's party appears to have taken refuge deep in the rain forest of the land southward, half way up the Sidon River to heart and center of that land. This they may well have done to obatin a degree of maximum security and protection from the reaches of Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar, whom they would have known had had all the sons of King Zedekiah killed before the eyes of King Zedekiah. That is except this one son, Mulek.]
[Thought Question: What are the changes, give all of the land of
North America for Mulek's landing party to land in the same particular spot
where Coriantumr had come to be at the time of that landing? What circumstance,
what facts of logic, is there which brought them together precisely at that particular spot?
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Between 588 and 570 BC, the land of their first inheritance
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Between 579 and 578 BC, In the Coastal Land of First Inheritance
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| A number of Book of Mormon scholars down play the fact that when Nephi flees from the Land of First Inheritance and his brothers the Book of Mormon states that Nephi journeyed 'many days'. The will presume as few as 5 days, a week's time is all that it takes to be 'many days' and they further contrive to presume that Nephi 'wandered in the land' in his flight rather than to travel a more direct and immediate course in his flight for his life and that of the true believers in God. The even fail to mention that Nephi had access to and use of the Liahona. Certainly having been warned of God, God would have so directed Nephi and his followers by that source to secure their relative safety. The reason these scholar make these presumptions is to decrease the distances of the land so as to support there more 'limited land theories', which they chose to fit in a land size about the size of the single state of Utah so they can fit it all into their Meso-American prefered context. | |
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Between 588 and 570 BC, the land of Nephi
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Between 578 and 559 BC, In the Land of Nephi
* Nephi, Zoram, Sam and their families, Jacob, Joseph, Nephi's sisters and "all who would go with [him]", journey in the wilderness "for the space of many days". * Nephi and his followers pitch their tents and call the place Nephi. * Nephi makes swords for his people lest by any means the people of Laman called Lamanites should come destroy them. * The Nephites build buildings. Nephi builds a temple. * The Nephites want Nephi to be their king, but Nephi is "desirous that they should have no king". * Nephi consecrates Jacob and Joseph as priests. * The Nephites live "after the manner of happiness. About 569 BC, the land of Nephi * The secular history is kept on 'large' plates. Nephi makes other 'small' plates to record "the things of God". About 559 BC, the land of Nephi * The Nephites had had wars and contentions with the Lamanites. |
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By the fifth chapter of 2 Nephi, where the Book of Mormon begins to give
relative stated dates in reference to the departure from date from Jerusalem,
there tends to end any major time diference until perhaps when one again
needs to more maticulously set out the events of the life and times of
Mormon and the extinction of the Nephites in Part 3 of this timeline
preperation. In part 2 of this text rather than dwell on the time diferences,
which basically are not, some effort of analysis will be undertaken in time
and motion, or rather to say time and distances, as well as some site locations,
which have been somewhat manipulated by subjective theorists.
In addition, it is of interest that once the people of Lehi land upon the shores of the land of promise, that a people who journyed over a thousand miles by land in less than two decades, and thousands and thousands of miles by sea are by the limited land theorist suddenly limited in their journeys and travels to but a land the size of the single state of Utah. Many such limited land models even eventually go so far as to place the 'hill of Cumorah' location relative to the narrow neck of land less distance than their prescribed narrow neck of land itself is wide. This point of interest will be gone into further in part three where the wars and times of extinction of the Nephites are considered. | |
[Special Note: The Bible chapters of Jeremiah are well known for being out
of sequencial order particularly about the time of Jeremiah's imprisonment.
Chapters 32 and 33 are so improperly placed as they give an account of
Jeremiah in prison before he was ever first imprisoned during King Zedekiah's
reign about 593-592 BC (Book of Mormon time),
which event is recorded in Jeremiah 37:15. Some times there are even chapters and
parts of chapters in the 'Zedekiah era' which are actually the history of
Jehoiakim instead. The Sarim first imprisoned Jeremiah in niry dungeon of
of Malchiah the son of Hammelech (Accounted in Jeremiah 37:15 and Jeremiah
38:4-6 then later because of the kindness of Ebedmelech the Ethiopeian's
report (Jeremiah 38:7), the King removed Jeremiah out of the 'mire dungeon'
and confined him in 'the court of the prison' associated with the King's own
prison. Jeremiah's time there is accounded in Jeremiah 32 and 33, which
chapters are so placed out of proper chronological order. Understanding that
Lehi's party spent about 8 years in the Valley of Lemuel and then spent 8
years in their journey from that valley to the first land of Bountiful avoids
an otherwise 'Book of Mormon Anachronism']
[Note: Upon arriving in the first land they called Bountiful, the Lord told
Nephi to build a ship. They would have seen ships being built when visiting
Elath and may have participated in such work in their off seasons of planting
in the Valley of Lemuel. They would have also seen the smelting of ore and
known its processes. Nephi does not ask the Lord how to do this, only where
he could find 'ore'. The 1830s edition of the Book of Mormon states that
Nephi made 'bellowses'. That is because the then known and used method
of pit smelting was done with a number of bellows workers, each operating
their own set of foot bellows to 'air' the central pit. So Nephi made several
sets of foot bellows or 'bellowses'. Today's Book of Mormon has, according to
'proper English', changed 'bellowses to bellows' and the concept of Nephi
making 'many bellowses' to read as though Nephi only made one bellows.]
Now about these same times the Lord also brought the people of Mulek to the
land of promise. Mulek's party first landed in the land north likely about
the location of that great 'trade city' of the Jaredites located by the narrow
neck of land where they
encountered not only a land of Desolation but also a sole wandering survivor
of the Jaredite race named Coriantumr. It is likely that the Sidonians or
Phonesians were well aware of the land of the Americas as there is evidence
that they did trade with that land perhaps for gold but certainly by certain
'drugs' unique to the Americas. It would have been the furtherest distance
from the treat of the then 'world dominating power' of King Nebuchadnezzar.
Having seen the destruction upon the land north, Mulek's party, perhaps even
guided by Coriantumr, again took sail south along the east coast down to the
mouth of the great river they would name Sidon. It would appear to effect
their security, they sailed half way up that river and first established
themselves in the central heart of that land south, building a great city
which would come to be named Zaraheml upon the west bank of the river Sidon
in the center of that land. The exact dates and times of the Mulek landing
in the north and settlement in the land south is know known other than that
they would have been in that range from the time of the destrution of
Jerusalem to about that same range of time when Lehi's party also came upon
the land of promise. If concurrent in occupation upon the land, it would
have been but the parallel river valleys which kept them apart and unaware of
each other, as well as the fact that Lehi landed upon the west coast and
journeyed south down the west valley to their land of first inheritence and
Mulek landed and entered the land upon the east coast, sailing up the Sidon
of the east parallel valley. [Note: It would have been the fact of these two
parallel river valleys which kept King Limhi's party from destrovering
Zarahemla, as they erroneously trace Lehi's journey in reverse taking the
west river valley and not the east Sidon valley in error. And then they went
up to that city of Lib and desolation where Mulek's party likely landed that
west valley and not the east valley. Thus subsequently they journeyed on up
was the south region of the land of Desolation, and there finding the 24
plates of Ether.]
Guide For Redating First Book of Mormon Chapters | ||
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1 Nephi 1 Between About 601-600 BC 1 Nephi 2 About 600-598 BC 1 Nephi 3 About 598-597 BC 1 Nephi 4 About 597-594 BC 1 Nephi 5 About 597-594 BC 1 Nephi 6 About 597-594 BC 1 Nephi 7 About 593-592 BC 1 Nephi 8 About 592 BC 1 Nephi 9 About 592 BC |
1 Nephi 10 About 592 BC 1 Nephi 11 About 592 BC 1 Nephi 12 About 592 BC 1 Nephi 13 About 592 BC 1 Nephi 14 About 592 BC 1 Nephi 15 About 592 BC 1 Nephi 16 About 592-591 BC 1 Nephi 17 About 591-583 BC 1 Nephi 18 About 582-581 BC |
1 Nephi 19 Between About 581-580 BC
1 Nephi 20 About 580 BC 1 Nephi 21 About 580 BC 1 Nephi 22 About 580 BC 2 Nephi 1 About 580 BC 2 Nephi 2 About 580 BC 2 Nephi 3 About 580 BC 2 Nephi 4 About 580 BC 2 Nephi 5 About 579-559 BC |
Time and Date Misnomer | ||
