In fact in people demographics of today, it is almost impossible to find a mathematical model that will allow you to assume a population growth pattern for humans above the doubling of population every generation. Usually that is the academically accepted extreme upper limit and most will suggest a much lower growth rate than 'doubling' the population every generation.
Thus it is not surprising that the anthropologist John L. Sorenson of FARMS has decided that Lehi's descendants could not be more than 3000 after 9 generations and more likely only 1500.(* See John's full quote below as footnote) Being an anthropologist and needing to limit the people to a land the size of the state of Utah, John forces a limited population upon the Lamanites, Nephites, and Mulekites. Yet, Joseph Fielding Smith does not agree, as he is of the opinion that the demographics of Lehi's people would be vastly a greater number. ( **See President Smith's quote below) I don't know how familiar John is with Mormon size families, but the number of grand children and great grandchildren of many of our older couples is quite astounding in and of themselves. And population explosions do exist. When resources are virtually or relatively unlimited and competition is almost totally nil, a fact of nature is that animal populations 'explode' far beyond traditional rates of growth. And such is the case of man. The Israelite society was committed to the command of God to multiple and replenish the earth and here the Nephites where in a land virtually vacant of people. The motivation would have been to increase the population. The social norm would be to have large families. There would be no one making jokes about cheaper by the dozen. The was no such thing as birth control or motivation to control the population. The Nephites prospered exceeding and multiplied and began to fill the land.
When Lehi's children came to the promised land there where unlimited resources. They where the only people in a vast land of plenty, a most wonderful and bounteous land. Limited resources would not limit population growth. Also their was virtually not 'outside' competition. This means that unlike the colonizers of America, there where no previous inhabitants to compete with and to wrestle the land from either of an inferior technology of superior technology. In fact the only such would be source in the entire hemisphere where in the process of self annihilation thousands of miles away, and that was the Jaredites.
Those who would limit the people of the Book of Mormon to MesoAmerica suggested a most stifling limit to population growth. They limit the population to about 3000 and suggest that anything as large of 5000 would be a gross over statement. Well Joseph Fielding Smith and I disagree - JFS statement and my 9 year simple calculation table to support the statement with 'Mormon' size family - Israelite size family (Jacob) growth considerations accepted as the norm.
The 'Reasonable' Model under such circumstance as unlimited resources, lack of competition and religious and social motivation to multiply follows:
Generation 0 (base) - 600 BC ~ Lehi Prophet |
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3 Couples 6 Adults |
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Lehi and Sariah had 6 sons and a number of daughters, two of which married sons of Ishmael. Ishmael had at least 2 sons and 5 daughters. Then there was Zoram. The Nephite group begins with at least Nephi, Sam and Zoram as adult couples and the Lamanite group begins with at least 2 sons of Ishmael and Laman and Lemuel as adult couples. |
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4 Couples 8 Adults |
Generation 1 - 575 BC ~ Nephi Prophet |
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30 Adults |
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2 die/disabled leaving 10 per family to multiply. (From 2 to 10 in one generation = Multiplier of 5 Couples) |
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40 Adults |
Generation 2 - 550 BC ~ Nephi Prophet |
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135 Adults |
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2 die/disabled leaving 9 per family to multiply. (From 2 to 9 in one generation = Multiplier of 4.5 Couples) |
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180 Adults |
Generation 3 - 525 BC - Jacob Prophet |
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540 Adults |
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2 die/disabled leaving 10 per family to multiply. (From 2 to 8 in one generation = Multiplier of 4 Couples) |
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720 Adults |
Generation 4 - 500 BC ~ Jacob/Enos Era |
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2000 Adults aprox. |
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2 die/disabled leaving 7.5 per family to multiply. (From 2 to 7.5 in one generation = Multiplier of 3.75 Couples) |
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2600 Adults aprox. |
Generation 5 - 475 BC ~ Enos Prophet |
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7000 Adults aprox. |
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2 die/disabled leaving 7 per family to multiply. (From 2 to 7 in one generation = Multiplier of 3.5 Couples) |
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9000 Adults aprox. |
Generation 6 - 450 BC ~ Enos Prophet |
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22,750 Adults aprox. |
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2 die/disabled leaving 6.5 per family to multiply. (From 2 to 6.5 in one generation = Multiplier of 3.25 Couples) |
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29,250 Adults aprox. |
Generation 7 - 425 BC ~ Enos Aged Prophet |
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68,250 Adults aprox. |
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2 die/disabled leaving 6 per family to multiply. (From 2 to 6 in one generation = Multiplier of 3 Couples) |
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87,750 Adults aprox. |
Generation 8 - 400 BC ~ Jarom Prophet |
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204,750 Adults aprox. |
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2 die/disabled leaving 6 per family to multiply. (From 2 to 6 in one generation = Multiplier of 3 Couples) |
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263,250 Adults aprox. |
Generation 9 - 375 BC ~ Jarom Prophet |
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614,550 Adults aprox. |
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2 die/disabled leaving 6 per family to multiply. (From 2 to 6 in one generation = Multiplier of 3 Couples) |
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789,580 Adults aprox. |
Generation 10 - 350 BC ~ Omni Warrior Leader |
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2 die/disabled leaving 6 per family to multiply. (From 2 to 6 in one generation = Multiplier of 3 Couples) |
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Laman's Group |
(** Doctrines of Salvation Vol. III, by Joseph Fielding Smith, page 232.
The reasoning of President Smith has many implications. Consider that by
the time of Abraham, the people had spread out over the earth and there where
great increases in populations within just hundreds of years from the time of
Noah. The earth had been divided in the days of Peleg, the Jaredites were in
America, the Egyptians where in Egypt building their great Pyramids, the
Orient was being populated, and the list goes on. Lehi's family had an empty
hemisphere to repopulate. They had unlimited resources. There was no other
people there to compete with them save it was themselves. Their society and
religious teachings promoted families of size. There was no birth or
population control. And the population exploded despite the wars and
destructions. The above table shows how a great population explosion could
reasonably occur far beyond the overly conservative estimates by the
MesoAmerica theorists. Now, I can't state that the population was as great
as the table allows, but I certainly would expect it to be far, far greater
than the 1500 in 200 years suggested by John L. Sorenson.
(REV. 3-31-01)
"This theory (MesoAmerican Book of Mormon geography model) if founded upon the
assumption that it was impossible for the colony of Lehi's to multiply and
fill the hemisphere within the limits of 1,000 years, or from the coming of
Lehi from Jerusalem to the time of the destruction of the Nephites at the Hill
Cumorah. Moreover, they claim that the story in the Book of Mormon of the
migrations, building of cities, and the wars and contentions, preclude the
possibility of the people spreading over great distances such as we find with
in the borders of North and South America.
"Earth Populated Rapidly. If we are willing to accept the Bible record,
which is confirmed by the Doctrine & Covenants, the entire civilization of
the earth was destroyed in the flood except Noah and his family. Moreover,
this destruction took place less than 5000 years ago, and today the
population of the earth, not withstanding wars and destructions, is
estimated at over 2,000,000,000 souls.")
hunter@xmission.com
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