Letter VII by Oliver Cowdrey says the Hill Cumorah was in New York. What did Mormon say?

Letter VII by Oliver Cowdery;

     Letter VII is found in Joseph Smith Papers (search on-line for Joseph Smith Papers).  Oliver Cowdery clearly identifies the hill Cumorah in New York as the place where both the Nephite army lead by Mormon, and the Jaredite Army lead by Coriantumr were destroyed.  Letter VII was copied into Joseph Smith’s Journal.  Is Oliver Cowdery quoting God?  Did God reveal to Oliver Cowdery where the Hill Cumorah of The Book of Mormon was located?  If I can trust Dallin Oaks, then the Lord has not revealed to LDS prophets where the lands of The Book of Mormon are located.  I asked Elder Oaks to stop the “nasty contention” concerning the land area where The Book of Mormon happened.  Elder Oaks restated the position of our Church.  The Lord has not revealed where the lands of the Book of Mormon are located.  The Church has no position on this issue.

     I served as a missionary in Denmark (from summer 1956 until December 1959), and I presented a film strip called “Ancient America Speaks.”  Mayan and Inca ruins were shown in this presentation.  Back then, our Danish missionaries were using the ruins in Latin America as evidence for “The Book of Mormon.”  When I returned to Brigham Young University, I went to see Wells Jakeman, Chairman of the Archaeology Department (now extinct).  I was considering being an archaeologist.  I wanted to prove scientifically the truth of The Book of Mormon.  Wells Jakeman asked if I wanted to raise a family?  I said yes.  He told me that spending my life in the jungles of Latin America was no place for a husband and father.  However, I have proved to myself on the basis of the facts, said book is true.

      David O. McKay authorized $250,000 for archaeological research (under the direction of Thomas Ferguson) in Central America (Warren and Ferguson “The Messiah in Ancient America” p. 265), and Apostle LeGrand Richard said the following: No wonder they can find ruins of cities and cement highways as they delve into the depths of the earth down in that land of South and Central America where these people (Nephites & Lamanites) settled (April 1976 General Conference talk).

     The opinions of Church leaders have ranged from New York to Peru, and some would put the lands on an island.

     What does it matter, my daughter says: “I know the book is true?”  However, Richard Packham, in review of a book I wrote about the lands described by Mormon, said: “…if we could locate the places where events in the “Lord of The Rings” trilogy took place, we could then believe the trilogy was actual history.”  Hence, “The Lord of the Rings” is fiction, and “The Book of Mormon” is fiction. 

     Because we cannot agree among ourselves, I had no chance of helping Richard Packham or any other unbeliever.  Quoting Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith proves nothing to unbelievers.  The Book of Mormon must be scientifically accurate.  Providing this proof has been my lifetime objective, and I have the scientific proof I need.

       The Church does have a position: The twelve Articles of Faith are the position of the Church: “We believe ‘The Book of Mormon’ to be the word of God.”  Any theory that conflicts with the Word of God can be discarded, regardless of who said it.

     Where did Lehi land: “Now, the more idle part of the Lamanites lived in the wilderness, and dwelt in tents; and they were spread through the wilderness on the west, in the land of Nephi; yea, and also on the west of the land of Zarahemla, in the borders by the seashore, and on the west in the land of Nephi, in the place of their fathers' first inheritance, and thus bordering along by the seashore (Alma 22: 27).  Lehi crossed a salt sea, so the land of first inheritance was by the west salt sea.  Lehi did not land at the Great Lakes.  The Pacific Ocean appears to be the west sea where Lehi landed.  The lands of Nephi, Bountiful and Desolation bordered the salt sea where Lehi landed, and Zarahemla was near to the west salt sea: (Alma 22: 27-32). And it came to pass that the king sent a proclamation throughout all the land, amongst all his people who were in all his land, who were in all the regions round about, which was bordering even to the sea, on the east and on the west, and which was divided from the land of Zarahemla by a narrow strip of wilderness, which ran from the sea east even to the sea west, and round about on the borders of the seashore, and the borders of the wilderness which was on the north by the land of Zarahemla, through the borders of Manti, by the head of the river Sidon, running from the east towards the west—and thus were the Lamanites and the Nephites divided. ²⁸ “Now, the more idle part of the Lamanites lived in the wilderness, and dwelt in tents; and they were spread through the wilderness on the west, in the land of Nephi; yea, and also on the west of the land of Zarahemla, in the borders by the seashore, and on the west in the land of Nephi, in the place of their fathers' first inheritance, and thus bordering along by the seashore. ²⁹ And also there were many Lamanites on the east by the seashore, whither the Nephites had driven them. And thus the Nephites were nearly surrounded by the Lamanites; nevertheless the Nephites had taken possession of all the northern parts of the land bordering on the wilderness, at the head of the river Sidon, from the east to the west, round about on the wilderness side; on the north, even until they came to the land which they called Bountiful. ³⁰ And it bordered upon the land which they called Desolation, it being so far northward that it came into the land which had been peopled and been destroyed, of whose bones we have spoken, which was discovered by the people of Zarahemla, it being the place of their first landing” (Alma 22: 27-30).  The lands in question bordered a salt sea on the west, obviously the Pacific Ocean, not one of the Great Lakes.
     In the book “Jesus The Christ” by James Talmage, on page 18 and page 742, we read that the land of Desolation was probably found in Mesoamerica.  The Hill Ramah is the same as the Hill Cumorah (Ether 15: 11 & Mormon 6: 6).  Coriantumr (the last Jaredite king) pitched his tent at the Hill Cumorah (Ramah).  Then he gathered his people, apparently to Cumorah (Ether 15: 7-12), and they were killed at or near to the Hill Cumorah.  The Jaredites (people of Coriantumr) lived in the land that the Nephites called Desolation (Alma 22: 30).  Prophets foretold that the land of the Jaredites (Desolation) would be covered with the bones of the dead (Ether 11: 6). The scouts sent by King Limhi found the bones of the dead Jaredites at or near to the Hill Ramah (Cumorah) in the Land of Desolation when they found the 24 plates of Ether at or near to the Hill Ramah (Cumorah) (Ether 15: 33). The scouts of King Limhi, from the land of First Inheritance by the west sea, did not travel from the Pacific Ocean to New York to find a land that was littered with the bones of men and animals (Mosiah 8: 8). These scouts brought a record with them, even a record of the people whose bones they found (Mosiah 21: 27). Ether made the record and was present at the Hill Cumorah (Ramah) in the Land of Desolation when the Jaredites were destroyed there, and he left the record with the intent that the scouts sent by King Limhi would find it (Ether 15: 11-33). The Hill Cumorah where Ether left his record was in the Land of Desolation where the Jaredites were destroyed.  James Talmage reports that the land of Desolation was found in Mesoamerica, and it is unlikely that the land of Desolation was located near the Great Lakes, because the people of Zarahemla (Mulekites) crossed a salt sea and landed in the land of Desolation (Alma 22: 30), and the land of Desolation bordered the west sea (Alma22: 32), the same west salt sea where Lehi landed (Alma 22: 28).  So, try to fit these lands at the Great Lakes.  The Great Lakes are not salt seas.

     Regardless, James Talmage reports on page 260 (paperback) of his book, “The Articles of Faith,” that the hill Cumorah where the Nephites were destroyed was located in New York.

     Where did the Stripling soldiers live?  They lived with their parents in Melek (Alma 35: 13).  Melek was located west of the River Sidon (Alma 8: 3).  Where is the river Sidon?  See page 730 in the 1981 issue of The Book of Mormon.  The river Sidon is said to be the Mississippi. Regardless of where the river is located, Helaman marched from Melek south to the west sea: “And now it came to pass that Helaman did march at the head of his two thousand stripling soldiers, to the support of the people in the borders of the land on the south by the west sea” (Alma 53: 22).  Helaman and the Stripling Soldiers did not march north and east to the Great Lakes from any Melek located west of the Mississippi river. They marched south to the west sea.  Because The Book of Mormon is true, the Great lakes have nothing to do with the lands where the Stripling Soldiers fought their battles.

     

     Helaman arrived with his army at Judea (Alma 5: 9).  Judea was near to Antaparah where Antipus was killed.  The Lamanites had taken the cities of Manti, Zeezorom, Cumeni, and Antiparah (Alma 56: 14).  Antiparah was near the west sea (Alma 56: 31 & Alma 52- 11 & 56: 9).  Manti was located by the head of the river Sidon (Alma 22: 27), and Manti was located in the general area of Judea and Antiparah near the west sea.  Manti was also within marching distance of Nephihah near the east sea, for neither durst they (Lamanites from Manti) march down against the city of Zarahemla, neither durst they cross the head of the river Sidon over to the city of Nephihah (Alma 56: 25).  Mormon tells us that the city of Nephihah was near the east sea near the city of Moroni (Alma 50: 13-14).  Hence, Antiparah, the west sea, Manti, the head of the Sidon, Nephihah, and the east sea were all within marching distance for the Lamanites stationed in the cities they had taken from the Nephites.  The lands described by Mormon fit in Mesoamerica, but I do not understand how they fit in the Heartland of the USA (see Richard Hauck “Deciphering the Geography of The Book of Mormon” pp. xii-xiv).

     

     Where was the city of Zarahemla located? It was located no more than 21 days journey from the west salt sea where Lehi landed:

¹     I, Zeniff, having been taught in all the language of the Nephites, and having had a knowledge of the land of Nephi, or of the land of our fathers’ first inheritance, and having been sent as a spy among the Lamanites that I might spy out their forces, that our army might come upon them and destroy them—but when I saw that which was good among them I was desirous that they should not be destroyed…⁶ And I went in unto the king, and he covenanted with me that I might possess the land of Lehi-Nephi, and the land of Shilom (Heleman 9: 1 & 6).  As explained above, the land of first inheritance bordered the west salt sea, considered by most BYU archaeologists to be the Pacific Ocean.

     

     King Noah was the son of Zeniff, and Alma was a priest of King Noah.  Alma lived in the Land of First Inheritance.  When Alma traveled to Zarahemla it took him 8 days (Mosiah 23: 3), 1 day (Mosiah 24: 20, and 12 days (Mosiah 24: 25).  It took Alma 21 days, to travel from the Land of First Inheritance by the west salt sea to Zarahemla, traveling with flocks and children.  Alma could cover little more than 10 miles a day.  Obviously, the land of Zarahemla was not much more than 200 miles from the west salt sea.  Again, Lehi lived in the Land of First Inheritance by the west salt sea. Lehi did not land at the Great Lakes!

     

     Mormon was driven out of the Land of Zarahemla to the north and to the west sea (Mormon 2: 3-6).  Mormon went to the Hill Shim and made a record (Mormon 1: 3 & 2-17).  Eventually, as the war wore on, the Lamanites gave Mormon the Land of Desolation located north of the narrow pass, and Mormon gave the Land of Bountiful and the land south of the narrow pass to the Lamanites (Mormon 2: 29).  The narrow pass was near the west sea (Alma 63: 5), apparently the Pacific Ocean.  The city of Desolation was near to the narrow pass (Mormon 3: 5).  Mormon’s army fortified this pass (Mormon: 3: 6).  The Lamanites apparently overran this pass and took the city of Desolation by the west sea (Mormon 4: 2-3).  Then, the Nephites fled to the nearby city of Teancum by the seashore (Ibid).  This seashore was the west seashore (Alma 22: 32 & 63: 5).  Mormon went to the hill Shim and got the records deposited there by Ammaron: “I Mormon seeing that the Lamanites were about to overthrow the land, therefore I did go to the hill Shim and take up all the records…” (Mormon 4: 23).  The Hill Shim where Mormon took up these records was within reasonable traveling distance of the narrow pass by the west sea, and the Hill Cumorah appears to have been located near to the hill Shim: for, Omer…came over and passed by the hill of Shim and came over by the place where the Nephites were destroyed (the Hill Cumorah) (Ether 9: 3).  So, the west sea, the narrow pass, the Hill Shim, and the Hill Cumorah appear to have been in the same area, within reasonable traveling distance of the Pacific Ocean.

     It is many hundreds of miles between the west salt sea where Lehi landed (Alma 22: 28) and the Hill Cumorah in New York.  Therefore, it is very unlikely that Mormon went from the Pacific Coast to a Hill Shim located near to the hill we call Cumorah in New York to get the records hidden by Ammaron (Mormon 2: 17), then back to the narrow pass to fight Lamanites (Mormon 2: 20-29). Then later, Mormon buried the records he took from the Hill Shim in the nearby hill he called Cumorah (Mormon 6: 6).  Cumorah, New York appears to be too far away from the Pacific seacoast.  The Hill Vigia in Southern Mexico appears to be the hill Mormon called Cumorah (Richard Hauck “Deciphering the Geography of The Book of Mormon” p. 150, Youtube  “In search of Cumorah” the video,  David Palmer “In Search of Cumorah”  p. 245,  Allen, Exploring the Lands of The Book of Mormon”p.192).

     I have written much more on this subject, found on-line.  Many references from the word of God discount the Heartland and Great Lakes theories.  If the reader wants to know more, follow President Benson’s advice: Read The Book of Mormon.  Pay attention to the geographic references provided by Mormon and Either.  Then you will be able to fit The Book of Mormon on the land.  Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery could not have possibly concocted said book.  The cultures, resources, and geography fit in Mesoamerica.  They do not work in the USA.  Mormon, Nephi, and Ether wrote most of the book,  Oliver Cowdery was only a scribe. There were no revisions and editing by Oliver.  Like most of us, the Lord uses the weak things of the earth to do his work, and we all mistakes, but the truth in The Book of Mormon will last forever. Trust the word of God.  It is the position of the Church.