11. “The ancestors of the natives of this land that is now called New Spain, according to the common and general opinion of everyone, as well as that which appears demonstrated in their paintings, came from ... the Division of Babel". 4. However, the Maya in the Mirador Basin could not have been the Jaredite people described in the Book of Mormon. 8 Hill Shim (place where Ammoron hid the Nephite records) was “passed by” by Omer when he fled Moron and traveled many days (Ether 9:3). Just where did the Jaredites come from anyway? Nehor9 is the next city mentioned after the city of Moron. The “sea south and sea north” references the Jaredite lands...The Nephites eventually populated all the Jaredite land northward from the line between Bountiful and Desolation northward from the Jaredite south sea to the Jaredite north sea. The Olmec heartland and surrounding areas meet all the requirements necessary to be the most likely and reasonable candidate for the Jaredite people. 3. As the site of the first kingdom and the place “where the king dwelt” (Ether 7:5), the phrase the kingdom refers to the physical land of Moron and surrounding cities that fall under Jaredite reign. 1. The blue circle shows the Jaredite heartland of the north kingdom. The many convergences of Book of Mormon locations and statements with geographical, archeological, and anthropological evidence, as shown in this article and others, confirm the Book of Mormon and its location in Mesoamerica. Remnants of Book of Mormon Language in Mesoamerica, Hebrew Cognate Accusative in the Book of Mormon, Hebrewic Construct State in The Book of Mormon. 2. Coriantumr who was living in the wilderness with his army “came up unto the land of Moron, and gave battle unto Lib” (Ether 14:11). Not only does the above theory rely on the Book of Mormon, it also aligns with the personal beliefs of Joseph Smith. However, there is one final conclusion that is absolute: The Jaredite civilization started in the Western Hemisphere about 2900 BC 4. West sea land Bountiful is the same area where all of the animals fled when the poisonous serpents and drought depleted the land northward. After leaving the wilderness of Akish for the last time, the Jaredites never returned to the destroyed areas again, but instead continued northward to a more populated area (Hedges, 2009). They could not talk to each ... to carry the Jaredites across the ocean to the promised land. The following is a list of all the intersections of the geography of the Jaredites and the people throughout the rest of the Book of Mormon. Ether, the final Jaredite prophet, had told Coriantumr that if he didn’t repent, “he should only live to see the fulfilling of the prophecies which had been spoken concerning another people receiving the land for their inheritance and Coriantumr should receive a burial by them and every soul should be destroyed save it were Coriantumr.” Part II: Creating a basic combined Nephite/Jaredite internal map The above scriptures indicate that the Jaredite people, as recorded upon the 24 plates of gold, came from the tower of Babel. In any case, the route depicted in the scriptures shows that all three locations can be accessed from any of those points making them relatively close together. From these conclusions, the following internal map connects the land of the Jaredites with the land of the Nephite/Lamanites. Journals, Diaries, etc. 1 The Jaredite People of The Book of Mormon 2 General Chronology 3 The Jaredite Survivors 4 The Jaredites and the Olmecs The Jaredites were a people whose history is given in the Book of Mormon, an ancient record kept by the people of the Americas and then later translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith. And the brother of Jared being a large and mighty man, and a man highly favored of the Lord, Jared, his brother, said unto him: Cry unto the Lord, that he will not confound us that we may not understand our words. 10 This means that the valley of Gilgal is on the western side of Moron because Desolation is to the east and the sea to the south. Gongorra said that he "arrived at the curiously definite results that the original settlers descended from Naphtuhim, son of Mizraim and grandson of Noah, who left Egypt for Mexico shortly after the confusion of the tongues.". This is the only location in the book of Ether where the distance between two areas is quantified by a number of days. 9 F. Richard Hauck proposes Nehor as the valley of Corihor in his book Deciphering the Geography of the Book of Mormon pg. Since the only time the word shore is used is in reference to the sea or as part of the word seashore, I conclude that the context and use of the word is consistent throughout the scriptures and thus refers to the ocean. locations for the Jaredites. I give…the account…from the tower down until they were destroyed.”   (Ether 1:1-5), “…Jared came forth with his brother and their families, with some others and their families, from the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, and swore in his wrath that they should be scattered upon all the face of the earth; and according to the word of the Lord the people were scattered. Their language was not confused as were others. By corroborating Jaredite landmarks with the landmarks and locations mentioned throughout the rest of the Book of Mormon a reasonable theory of the approximate geographic locations of these landmarks can be established. It is possible that some of these families migrated southward into the Yucatan area and mixed with the emerging Maya. Land of Nephi The distinction signifies that the location to which Omer took his family was a lot farther away from Moron than all the other locations mentioned in conjunction with Moron throughout the book of Ether. If Corihor had to go up from the land of Nehor, then Moron must be higher in elevation than Nehor. Up denotes elevation. Despite the self-annihilation of the Jaredite people, there were still other people outside of the Jaredite kingdom lineage who inhabited and cultivated the surrounding area of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It was not until 1941 that two Mexican archaeologists, Alfonso Caso and Miguel Covarrubias, along with an American archaeologist, Matthew Stirling, proclaimed that a culture that has become known as the Olmecs was the mother culture of Mexico. Moron was also located near Nephite-designated Desolation8 (Ether 7:6) in the Jaredite land Northward. 11 On the internet at Civilizations in America Richard Hooker states: “Around 300 BC, the Olmec vanished for reasons that vanished with them. All of these scriptures help in adding to the description of the topography of the land. In 1842 the Prophet Joseph Smith gave his latest statements of his personal beliefs regarding the geography of the Book of Mormon. Corihor desired to battle the king, it states, “…he came up unto the land of Moron where the king dwelt” (Ether 7:5). Although the body of work that is dedicated to the history and account of the Jaredite people is only a fraction of the overall text of the Book of Mormon, cardinal directions, descriptions of specific locations, and references to Nephite locations are used throughout the brief body of work. If the other 11 couples also had an average of 17 children, then there would have been about 200 children and many grandchildren by the time Jared and his brother died approximately 50 years after landing2. Create During the first part of chapter 14 the wilderness of Akish becomes the geographic focal point as Coriantumr and Lib fight back and forth. Archaeological & Other Publications by the Church, Digging Into the Book of Mormon Parts 1,2, & 3, Quetzalcoatl, the Maya Maize God, & Jesus Christ, Historia de Yucatán by Bernardo de Lizana, Popol Vuh Sacred Book of the Quiché Maya People, Webster's Dictionary 1828 - Online Edition. During the final civil war it appears that most of the Jaredites lived within the lower elevations surrounding and including the area of the Olmec heartland, which would have been the northern part of the Jaredite kingdom. Many times during the Book of Ether there existed at least 2 kingdoms, but Ether and the writers before him only recorded the events central to those loyal to the rule of the posterity of Jared and perhaps the brother of Jared1. Additionally, when Coriantumr chased Lib to Moron, Lib retreated to the seashore, illustrating that Moron is close enough to a seashore that the seashore would be the next natural line of defense (Ether 14:12-14). It would then follow that the Pacific Ocean would have been the Jaredite south sea/ Nephite west sea. Some Lamanites lived near the place where Lehi and his sons first arrived along the same sea that bordered west of the land of Nephi, …. Some may question the exact directions and locations I used for these geographical points, but as seen from the analysis above, I have limited the locations to the relative and possible positions based on the scriptures. [Actually, it was not the "Mayas" who were descendants from the "people of Babylon" but it was the Jaredites who were the descendants from the "people of Babylon". By 46 BC these migrations were accelerating: Attack Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon? Copyright © 2012, Phil Michel. The large yellow circle is the approximate Olmec Heartland. They lived almost exclusively in North America for exactly thirty-two generations, after which time they annihilated ". It is in the plains of Agosh that Coriantumr slays Lib and the war proceeds in a northerly direction from the Jaredite south sea towards an irreversible path of destruction. In all of these instances the geographic location exists in both time periods, providing the necessary information in establishing a link between the timeline and geography of the two periods. It may not be possible to prove anything to you if you don’t want to accept it, but if you like, I’ll present the evidence which convinces me that they were unquestionably black and did not hold the Since the wilderness of Akish is located in between Moron and Desolation and the seashore is southerly, then the plains of Agosh could only have been located to the north, east, or some combination thereof from the wilderness of Akish. Further, because the geography of the Jaredites corresponds with some Nephite locations, the internal map can reasonably be placed in Central America near the previously proposed Nephite location. Narrow strip of mountainous wilderness This means that a Nephite would have been able to complete the journey from an eastern point to the west sea in the specified amount of time. The Jaredites came from the Tower of Babel, Mesopotamia, to the Western Hemisphere. 4. All of North and South America, which comes In the end, Ether observes and records the destruction of the entire kingdom and fulfillment of prophecy. Moroni was correct. 10. Over 5 million people had been killed by the time the three battles on the hill Comnor had ended. Why Did Moroni Deliver the Plates on Sept. 22? ( Mexico and the Life of the Conqueror Fernando Cortes V2,  by William H. Prescott, p. 386-387), .The Jewish historian Josephus reports:"After this [the confusion of tongues]. Since Moron was the first city established, it is reasonable to surmise that the land of Moron is near the shore where Jared and his family first landed but also in a defensible position. Ether 6:5 states the Jaredite barges were propelled by a furious wind that “did never cease to blow towards the promised land” (vs.8). The Jaredites followed his directions and built the barges. Come, Follow Me (Older Children)-Doctrine and ... Each one spoke words the others did not know. The Jaredite land Northward was the same as the Nephite north country (Hel 4:7-8, Hel 6:8, Hel 7:1, Hel 3:3-12, Omni 1:22). By connecting the landmarks between the Nephites and Jaredites, a more concise map of the geography and locations of the Book of Mormon lands can be established. Land of Nephi Check Google for satellite maps of Oaxaca, find Salina Cruz and go to the southeast. While the debate still burns as to where in Mesoamerica the Nephites and Lamanites resided, few have attempted to create and identify an internal map of the geography of the Jaredites. Three consecutive battles occurred on the hill Comnor and after the third one, Shiz prevailed. By seeing the entire Isthmus of Tehuantepec as the Jaredite land northward from the north sea to the south sea instead of as the narrow neck of land, then it is possible to plausibly fit the rest of the Jaredite landmarks within this area coinciding with the Olmecs and early pre-classic Zapotec. The fact that the route starts in the wilderness of Akish, moves to Moron, then to the seashore, and back again to the wilderness of Akish, demonstrates a triangular relationship with Moron and the wilderness of Akish adjacent to one another, forming the base, and the seashore forming the point of a triangle. After Coriantumr and Lib leave Moron they battle on the seashore, which has previously been established as the same seashore that borders Desolation. The came to the Americas just after the Tower of babel was destroyed. The other people would have also exponentially increased their population over several generations and could have formed their own cultures in areas such as Abaj Takalik; Izapa; Pijijiapan; Ocos; Monte Alto etc. Question . Moron could not have been located south of the land Desolation because the Nephites designated that area as the land Southward, which included the land Bountiful. 2. The use of came up implies another geographic relationship. Part III The story of the Jaredites begins at a time when the people had just recently begun to descend from Ararat, the mountain where Noah’s ark landed. I believe that as we narrow our focus and search, our resources will best be used by focusing our efforts on the areas mentioned above. Desolation was located northward from the line and was part of the land northward. (Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxochitl, Obras Historicas, :9), ---------------------- Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora an ordained Catholic priest, (1645-1700). While some may view this as simply anecdotal, I feel that additional authoritative authentication only gives further credence to a theory that is so fully supported by the weight of the Book of Mormon. The contents of all BMAF publications are the sole responsibility of the individual authors and therefore do not necessarily represent the views of BMAF or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Jaredites are a group of people that left the Middle East at the time of the confounding of the languages at the Tower of Babel. It is not until chapter 14 in the book of Ether that the extent of the Jaredite geography is fully illuminated due to the route of the numerous battles. The large red circle is the proposed area of the Jaredites. It means honeycomb people or beekeepers, or people of deseret. The smaller red circles represent the Jaredite south kingdom in the area of Oaxaca. And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon their friends and their families also, that they were not confounded.…I [will] meet thee, and I will go before thee into a land which is choice above all the lands of the earth.”   (Ether 1:33-42)--------------------- 1. (Josephus Bk. The actual journey the Jaredites took is illustrated in the following three map diagrams. There was a small neck of land that included the “line” and divided the land northward (Jaredite) from the land southward (Nephite) (Alma 22:32). There are four commonly proposed. So where on earth, or more correctly, on the Western Hemisphere, is there any evidence of such a massive population that also had a written language having existed about 250 to 350 BC? After leaving the wilderness of Akish for the last time, the Jaredites never returned to the destroyed areas again, but instead continued northward to a more populated area (Hedges, 2009). 1, Ch. Which Organized Church is Jesus Christ's Church? We don't have dates for any of the events in the Book of Ether. Assuming that the scriptures mention all the locations that the troops would have crossed in pursuit of battle, then it is safe to say that the locations that are mentioned in relation to one another are in fact adjacent. (El Paso Herald, April 25, 1912, p. 11), << William Hickling Prescott was an American historian and Hispanist, who became one of the most eminent historians of 19th century America.He wrote the following:"The popular tradition of the Natives is, that it, [the temple of Cholula, Mexico], was erected by a family of giants, who had escaped the inundation, and designed to raise the buildings to the clouds; but the gods, offended with their presumption, sent fires from heaven on the pyramid, and compelled them to abandon the attempt. 12…the armies of Coriantumr did press forward upon Lib, that he fled to the borders upon the seashore. These statements confirm that, regardless of any prior statements he may have made, to the contrary notwithstanding, he believed, at the time of his death, that Central America was the location of the events recorded in the Book of Mormon. Now that the outline for the overall geography of the two time periods has been established, it is possible to place the rest of the geographic descriptions throughout the book of Ether according to the locations shown on the following cohesive map. How Long did it take Joseph Smith to Translate? We can now develop a map based on our understanding of the placement of locations in the rest of the book of Mormon to determine the position of the overlapping Jaredite sites. In fact this is the place where my paternal ancestors once lived. , to protect themselves in it when the second world would be destroyed. 6. The above scripture also establishes that Ramah, which is the place where the Nephites were destroyed, is west of the sea near Ablom and thus north of Desolation. They did however come from the same Egyptian/Mesopotamia area "Jerusalem" as shown on the map below. Resources were dwindling and the soldiers and people were injured and weakened. 3 See appendix A, Copyright © 2021, Book of Mormon Archaeological Forum, PARALLELS: Mesoamerican and Ancient Middle Eastern Traditions, Decoding Ancient America: A Guide to the Archaeology of the Book of Mormon, Mesoamerica and the Book of Mormon, Is This the Place? About 150 AD they suffered their first collapse as a society (AuthenticMaya:MayaCulture). The Jaredites Came From the Tower of Babel. North Then Gilead trapped Coriantumr in the wilderness of Akish for two years. The red triangle indicates the land Desolation, which was also where the plains of Agosh were likely located. From the plains of Heshlon Shared drove Coriantumr back to the valley of Gilgal (Ether 13: 29) where Coriantumr killed Shared but not before Coriantumr was wounded, and they suspended battle for two years. 6. Why Book of Mormon Events in Mesoamerica? The fact that Omer had to travel many days with his family and then continue onward passing Cumorah and Shim, suggests that Ablom was not located near the same seashore as Moron. City “Lib” must have been near the west sea land Bountiful (Ether 10:20-21 & Alma 22:31), near the Nephite west sea (Ether 10:19 & Alma 32:31), near a place where the Nephite west sea divided the land, and near the narrow neck of land leading by the west sea into the lands northward/southward (Ether 10:19-21 & Alma 63:5). (Genesis 11:5-9)  But because of the righteousness and prayers of Jared, the brother of Jared, and their families, the Jaredite's language was not confounded. West Sea of the land southward 2. For all other instances when Moron is not the intended kingdom, the scriptures specifically state the title of the alternate kingdom as in Ether 7:20 where it specifies “the kingdom of Cohor,” or sometimes it states “half of the Kingdom.”. They repented not of their iniquity and were destroyed about 580 BC (Maxwell Institute, Years of the Jaredites) .they were dispersed abroad, on account of their languages, and went out by colonies everywhere; and each colony took possession of that land which they light upon, and unto which God led them; so that the whole continent was filled with them, both the inland and the maritime countries. With this said, it is necessary to establish a language to analyze the text. The larger yellow oval shows the area most influenced by the Olmec. Why is There Some of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon? 3 An exceedingly great many…departed out of the land of Zarahemla. East Sea of the land southward [They were not descendants of the Jews.]. Moron was the first city and kingdom established in the Land of Promise under the reign of Orihah, son of Jared, around 2100 BC3 and was continuously occupied during the reign of the Jaredites. We will start the analysis by identifying landmarks that are associated with Desolation and Bountiful and moving outward. With Shiz determined to avenge his brother’s death, Coriantumr flees from city to city and from “the shedding of blood to the shedding of blood” (Ether 14:22) until finally arriving at the north sea shore where a three-day battle ensued. Desolation was located on the southern part of the land northward and bordered the same Nephite west sea. 8 p. 28), "They [the Aztec people] represent the confusion of languages in their paintings by the symbol of a round hill… and round the medallion on the outside are many tongues, which encircle and form a border to it" "They affirm, then that the time of the confusion of tongues there were… families who spoke the same language… they understood each other, they united, and forming a single company, proceeded on their journey…they arrived at the place where they made their first settlement in the northern part of this kingdom…"    (Antiquities of Mexico, Vol.