The Ancient American Foundation (AAF) is pleased to present AAF Notes: a series of research articles by scholars of Book of Mormon culture and history and reviewed by AAF editors.

Visit our Web site: http://www.ancientamerica.org

WHY MESOAMERICA?

By Alan C. Miner and the editors of AAF.

There are several reasons why no other place in North or South America except Mesoamerica meets the geographical criteria as described in the Book of Mormon.

Distances:

Sixty one percent of the whole Book of Mormon story takes place in and around the cities of Nephi and Zarahemla. It took Alma and his group a few more days than 21 to traverse that distance. This means that all geographical and cultural criteria demanded by the Book of Mormon had to be circumscribed within or close to a 200 to 400 mile radius. These dimensions fit the area of Mesoamerica.

Multiple Advanced Cultural Centers:

The Jaredite (Olmec) culture existed in the valley of Mexico-Isthmus of Tehuantepec area from 2500 to 300 B. C.

The Lamanite, Mulekite, Nephite culture flourished from 600 B.C. to 400 A.D.

The Lamanite culture continued after 400 A.D.

The Mesoamerican lowland and highland Maya, Mixtec, and Zapotec cultures correspond to these cultures.

A Written Language:

At present, it seems that the only place on the continent where there was a phonetic written language at the time of the Book of Mormon was in Mesoamerica.

Many Cities:

At present, the majority of known culturally advanced archaeological sites from Book of Mormon times are located in Mesoamerica.

Bodies of Water:

Within the Book of Mormon, the following bodies of water must be accounted for: the river Sidon, the waters of Sidon, the waters of Mormon, the waters of Sebus, the land of pure water, the land of many waters, the place where the sea divides the land, the waters of Ripliancum, the large bodies of water in the land which was northward, the Sea South, the Sea North, the Sea West, and the Sea East. Mesoamerica has bodies of water, which fit the descriptions in the Book of Mormon.

Wilderness Areas:

The most frequently mentioned wilderness area in the Book of Mormon is the narrow strip of wilderness which “ran from the sea east even to the sea west" and separated the land of the Lamanites from the land of the Nephites. Mesoamerica is the only place on the continent with a mountain range running from an east sea to a west sea.  Many other wilderness areas mentioned in the Book of Mormon may also be fitted into the Mesoamerica area.

The Small Neck -Narrow Neck - narrow pass - narrow passage.

These "small neck, narrow neck, narrow pass, narrow passage" terms are mentioned from Alma's time in 90 B.C. to Mormon's time in 362 A.D. They are also linked to the Jaredite times from 2500 B.C. All seem to be of strategic importance over so many years.

In Mesoamerica, a narrow travel corridor stretches from the Pacific coast of Guatemala through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to the Atlantic coast of Veracruz, Mexico. Almost all north-south land traffic and trade routes passed through this corridor from ancient Jaredite times until well past the end of the Book of Mormon times (420 A.D.). This corridor divided the "Land Northward” from the “Land Southward.” Mormon traversed this narrow neck five times in his lifetime. The last great battle of both the Jaredites and the Nephites at the Hill Cumorah occurred close to this narrow neck. The traditional idea of the Panama Canal area being this narrow neck that divides the land north from the land south just does not fit these criteria. Nor does a New York location for the Hill Cumorah fit the criteria demanded by the Book of Mormon record.

Conclusions.

A close scrutiny of the words of the Book of Mormon coupled with the scientific studies of the geography, archaeology, language, ancient history and other cultural aspects of Mesoamerica during the time period of the Book of Mormon that have come forth in recent years provide strong evidence that the geography of both coincide with each other in a manner that cannot be duplicated in any other location in either North or South America. These criteria provide strong evidence that Mesoamerica is the land of the Book of Mormon.

. Copyright © 1999-2002 Ancient America Foundation. This message may be forwarded with identifying information.

 For more information or to subscribe or unsubscribe to “AAF Notes” or utilize the AAF  order form, visit http://www.ancientamerica.org and click “Contact us”. Refer, by e-mail, comments or questions to aaf@ancientamerica.org.