On a recent trip to Missouri we visited many of the Mormon historical sites. At
Adam-ondi-Ahman there is a large bronze plaque detailing the history of the surrounding area. Here is part of the text on that plaque:
“The prophet desired to found other settlements after this pattern, (meaning Far West Missouri). His party spent ten days near Adam-ondi-Ahman and returned later to stake out land on both sides of the river and eastward. In this vicinity he said there were “remains of an old Nephite altar or tower.”
Knowing that the Book of Mormon speaks about Nephi having a tower in his garden near Zarahemla we found the verses, they are in Helaman 7. The introduction to this chapter reads:
“Nephi, rejected by the people in the north, returns to Zarahemla--From his garden tower he prays to God and addresses the multitude.”
Starting with verse 9: “But behold, I am consigned that these are my days, and that my soul shall be filled with sorrow because of this the wickedness of my brethren.
10 And behold, now it came to pass that it was upon a
tower
which was in the garden of Nephi, which was by the highway which led to the chief market, which was in the city of Zarahemla; therefore, Nephi had bowed himself upon the tower which was in his garden, which tower was also near unto the garden gate by which led the highway.
11 And it came to pass that there were certain men passing by and saw Nephi as he was pouring out his soul unto God upon the tower;…”
If you click on the above link (tower) it will take you to a picture of the area that Joseph Smith said the tower existed.
Let’s assume that the “certain men passing by” were headed to Zarahemla to go shopping for or to trade goods. Assuming that a man can walk about 20 miles in a day we can assume that Zarahemla is with in a 20 mile radius. We checked with a local resident to see if there were any active or inactive archeological sites within that 20 mile radius. None. Let’s say it was 50 to 100 mile radius. Any sites or ruins there? None. Did Nephi live all alone in this area? If not, where are the ruins of the villages or city? If one continues reading verse 11 it says, “…and they ran and told the people what they had seen, and the people came together in multitudes that they might know the cause of so great mourning for the wickedness of the people. 12 And now, when Nephi arose he beheld the multitudes of people who had come together.”
Another thing to consider is the fact that Nephi “returned to the land of Zarahemla from the land northward.” That is another indication the Zarahemla was in the area of Adam-ondi-Ahman just as Joseph Smith said it was. Consider this, how far did Nephi go to get to the “lands northward?” “North” could cover a lot of country. Did he go clear to the Artic Circle? Or just up into what we know as Canada today? Or just Iowa and Minnesota? If there were people living in cities as the Book of Mormon says, then there should be evidence of those cities today. Does anyone know of any archeological sites in those areas?
Here‘s something to think about: Most Mormons equate Central America as the place of Book of Mormon times. That is to the south as described above. Nephi came from the north. Who is correct here, Joseph the author of the Book of Mormon or current Mormons teaching that it is Central America?
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