Dissection of a Contrasting Model

When a Professor of academic letters investigates a topic he is considered an authority on, he is said to have dissected the matter and analyzed it, and came to learned conclusions on the matter using his logic and reasoning. A professor is a teacher or instructor of highest rank in institutions of higher learning who profess ‘to know’ the answers on a matter. One who professes is one who has learned, not just from books, but from first hand dissections of a matter involved in the process of self learning through analysis, logic and reasoning. Dissection is a detailed examination and analysis of a matter whether it be in anatomy or upon a scholarly matter. Dr. John L. Sorenson has professed to have dissected the Book of Mormon to the extent that he is convinced by his detailed examination and analysis the limited confines of Mesoamerica is where all the major events of the Book of Mormon has taken place.

Now in the world of 'good science' the worldly position of logic, reason, analysis, and dissection will prevail. This I find to be a weakness in such if it strives to stand alone and not consider a more divine source than just itself in becoming an authority on a matter such as the Book of Mormon geography. In a the September 2001 CES fireside President Hinckley stated the following."

"A so-called scholar recently expressed the view that the Church is an enemy of Intelectualism. . . . "If he meant by Intellectualism that branch of Philosophy which teaches quote, “The doctrine that knowledge is wholly or chiefly derived from pure reason and that reason is the final principle of reality.’ Then yes, we are opposed to so narrow an interpretation as applicable to religion. Such an interpretation excludes the power of the Holy Spirit in speaking to and through man. Of course we believe in the cultivation of the mind . . . "But the intellect is not the only source of knowledge."

Now when an analysis and dissection such as that of the Geography of the Book of Mormon is conducted which tends to belittle and ignore the statements of the Church and its authorities on a matter such as the location of the hill of Cumorah, then at least it ought to be somewhat susspect. And thus I believe that the Mesoamerican model does needs to be dissected and analyzed from the perspective that Cumorah is Cumorah as so stated by the Chruch and Authorites. And from that persepctive, I believe that one should consider the logic and reason of what would have to be in order for it to be true and proceed to dissect the Book of Mormon record upon that basis and also to contrast any opposing position against that type of logic and reasoning also. And then one should be more able to ascertain and conclude upon that matter.

It is a very myoptic view in deed that does not consider and contrast the oposition's view. You just do not ignore that it is there. That is the logic of there needing to be opposition in 'all things' not just 'good and evil' but in all that must be defined in life. How else can the sweet be distinguish if one does not taste of the salt also? And is salt bad? Not at all, it is just such contrast that defines and makes life possible. Thus I will proceed to contrast the Mesoamerican dissection of the matter.

Dissection of a Dissection of the Book of Mormon

If one dissects and analyzes upon false assumptions, one can easily arrive at faulty conclusions. As I have read Dr. Sorenson’s professed analysis, I have wondered if he and I do read the same book. Now certainly we do, but we must read through different eyes of perspective. I would like to attempt to dissect the information that comes from Mormon on the matter and put forth the perspective upon which I base my dissection in comparison to some of Dr. Sorenson’s assertions and let the reader be the judge as to the matter themselves.

At the right is a reconstruction of a map presented in Dr. Sorenson's little book 'Mormon's Map' on page 122. It is accurate and a good reproduction representing Dr. Sorenson's map quite well. You can judge by obtaining a copy of the book and viewing his map yourself. The various shades of green indicate elevation beginning with the light tan-green along the seashore. The first point I'd like the reader to notice is that the distance from the west sea to the east sea across the narrow neck is approximately the same distance from the narrow neck to the hill Cumorah, a hundred miles or so.

In Alma 22:32 Mormon states ". . . 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 . . ." This is taken to mean that the land of Bountiful which eastern and western borders were the east and west sea, had its northern border line across the narrow neck with the land of Desolation. Thus the land of Desolation's southern border and east and west reaches also went from sea to sea. Now here we have two lands, Desolation and Bountiful, both who's narrowest width was found across the narrow neck of land which divided the land southward from the land northward. Consider the perspective that such a limited model of Book of Mormon geography in Mesoamerica that this presents. It means that the 'hill Cumorah' which is many cities and many lands away from the 'narrow neck' of land is no further away than the width of one such land, Bountiful or Desolation, at those lands' most narrow width. Let me state it another one. The single width of one land at its most narrow width is greater than the 'height' of many lands combined from Bountiful to the hill Cumorah. Is that a logical perspective to maintain? It would be like stacking pizza's, flat and wide lands without much height to any of them. This means that the hill Cumorah, according to Dr. Sorenson's theory, is but 'a day (Helaman 4:7) to a day and a half's journey for a Nephite' away from the narrow neck of land. And all the land south of the narrow neck most certainly was the occupied lands of the Lamanite since 350 AD to 385 AD and thereafter. In fact by 379 AD, the Lamanites had taken possession of all lands south of Jordan.

Now one of the glaring false premises upon which the Mesoamerican model seems to build upon is that, while the Book of Mormon does not tell us all, it does tell us enough to build such a map as just presented. However, in this assumption, I tend to find that there is a void of appreciation that the Book of Mormon record is only one-hundreth of a complete record. It is highly condensed and abridged. A very careful reading of such will give such hints of such. For example, from Boaz the last retreat of the Nephites is said to have gathered in the people from villages and towns, and then there is a matter of time before Mormon even joins the retreat, having to secure the records first. After Mormon does join the retreat, Mormon further staes that in addition to these town and villages which had already been passed by and gathered in, during his part of the retreat to Jordan the further by pass lands plural, and cities plural, and towns plural. Now just where are these many lands, and ciites , and town, and villages upon the presented map? Now this dissection will further be gone into in it appropriate section. But such is the nature of a highly abridged account. If can mislead one into considering times, distances, and geography to be of a more 'limited' scope than what they really are. And this is one of the weakness that will be stressed as be proceed throughout our presentation among others.

Other than just presenting the Mesoamerican model to be dissected at this point, we will not take the time here to further dissect it in terms of the details to be discussed in analysing Mormon's Account. We will do that further in those section where it can be best addressed. For example the Mesoamerican model places the land and city of Jashon within a visual distance of the land and city of Shem. Because of Mormon's account of what takes place between these two lands, there will be further dissection of the Mesoamerican model at that point during the Second Lamanite War of Agression against the Nephites during Mormon's lifetime. And we will cover that within that section. Thus further dissection and contrasting the Mesoamerican Model will be done in conjunction with those later sections.