Talk:Limited geography model

Simplified Paragraph
The concluding paragraph of the introductory section was one long sentence with no reference. I have simplified this paragraph and added reference material. Onondaga (talk) 21:54, 26 December 2009 (UTC)

I added links and additional references to the section on the “waters of Mormon”. Onondaga (talk) 05:39, 19 January 2010 (UTC)


 * In the introduction there was a sentence which seemed to imply the all limited geography models are based in Central America. This is not the case. The fact is no Central American setting for the Book of Mormon is completely limited in that they all require Moroni to have journeyed thousands of miles to the Finger Lakes region of western NY to deposit the plates and other articles. I have corrected the sentence and also added a reference on the subject of archaeological evidence supporting the accepted literary setting not being viewed by mainstream academia as proof of the works historicity. Kovesh (talk) 22:43, 2 July 2010 (UTC)

Comparable Finds in Northeastern America
I added references to non-LDS archaeologist Trento and LDS apologist Coon in the section discussing Moroni’s depositing of the plates in his own country. Onondaga (talk) 16:50, 6 July 2010 (UTC)

Position of Seas
Made a minor correction in the section on the position of B of M seas. It is Jacob the brother of Nephi writing in 2 Nephi 10:20. Kovesh (talk) 21:35, 19 August 2010 (UTC)

Inclusion of various models
I understand and respect the need for contributors to be unbiased regarding this article. I would like to have somebody who, unlike myself, is unbiased to take a look at the two published models of the Book of Mormon limited geography theories for Baja California and add a synopsis of their strengths and weaknesses to this article. The two sites are http://www.achoiceland.com and my site, http://www.bofmmodel.org

Thank you Bofmmodel (talk) 03:57, 25 December 2012 (UTC)

What planet was this written on?
If Mormons set up their own online encyclopedia (Mormopedia?) this will doubtless be a great article to put in in (perhaps omitting some of the "but no one else believes this" sentences). As it is, I can't believe that this is in Wikipedia: a discussion in minute detail of an obscurantist topic, with lots of POV and original research. Just two examples:

"Continued reading of the text reveals that Moroni abridged the Book of Ether and added it to the record after making this statement. Moroni later writes “wherefore, I wander whithersoever I can for the safety of mine own life. Wherefore, I write a few more things, contrary to that which I had supposed; for I had supposed not to have written any more.” (Moroni 1:3-4) There is no explicit mention in the Book of Mormon of Moroni either having hidden the plates at the time of the final battle or having returned to this location to add more to them years later." If this isn't original research, who is it attributed to?

Again: "During the fall of 1842, Joseph Smith found it necessary to go into hiding (Doctrine and Covenants 127:1, Doctrine and Covenants 128:1). During this time, several anonymous and contradictory articles, doting on the discoveries of John Lloyd Stephens, were published in the church’s Times and Seasons newspaper. Joseph Smith thought highly of Stephens’ bestseller but only made minor mention of it in his "AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES" editorial (July 15, 1842). The anonymous “ZARAHEMLA” article (October 1, 1842), on the other hand, alleges that the Central American ruins of Quirigua (now known to date more recent than Book of Mormon times) are none other than the ruins of Zarahemla or some other Book of Mormon city. This sensational piece was published in the same issue as a signed letter to the church from Joseph Smith (in hiding). Inferred in Joseph Smith’s epistle (dated September 6, 1842) is the Finger Lakes location of Cumorah. A careful study of the Book of Mormon shows that Zarahemla cannot be thousands of miles distance from the land Cumorah (Mosiah 8:7-8, Mosiah 21:25-26, Mormon 6:2-6, Ether 1:1-2, Ether 15:11-12)." This whole paragraph seems to have been cooked up by a Mormon writer, based on his/her own study of the Book of Mormon.

The inclusion of those "No non-Mormon believes this" sentences does not stop this from being an article by Mormons for Mormons. It doesn't belong in Wikipedia and should be deleted, with small remnants, perhaps, merged into some of the several(!) other articles on the Book of Mormon. APW (talk) 13:54, 25 July 2014 (UTC)

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POV Issue? Not A Topic For General-interest Encyclopedia?
Was the B of M "a historical record of people in a limited geographical region, rather than of the entire Western Hemisphere as believed by some early Latter Day Saints[1]," quoting the opening line. "Some early LDS?" Come on, folks. I lived completely immersed in Mormon belief and culture from 1955 to 1985, in Utah, Arizona, California, Brazil, Spain, Washington, DC, Virginia, Idaho and Wyoming. During that time I never once heard any LDS speak of believing the limited geography model. Literally hundreds of LDS intellectuals and academics were my friends and acquaintances. I sat at Hugh Nibley's feet for many lectures--never a word from him about limited geography. Therefore, I will change the opening line to read "as believed by some early LDS and almost all current ones." Even if you do not permit the change to remain, I write this fully in agreement with writer of "What Planet Was This Written On?" This is by Mormons, for Mormons, with Mormons. Get busy and start Mormopedia. Take out of Wikipedia the hundreds of entries on obscure LDS professors and personalities that don't belong here.Moabalan (talk) 21:16, 29 January 2021 (UTC)

Why is this presented as legitimate historical research?
Brief phrases that non-Mormon scholars do not accept this view are not enough. This is pseudohistory and pseudogeography and should be clearly and consistently noted as such. Realistically, follow the comments above and remove the article entirely. It belongs in a Mormon encyclopedia. 2600:1000:B10D:ADCA:0:17:F891:4E01 (talk) 13:26, 1 September 2023 (UTC)

Merge proposal
I propose that the article Heartland model be merged into the "Great Lakes setting" section of this article. The subarticle offers really no new information - maybe a few questionable links - and it is reasonably discussed (or easily can be) here. Trevdna (talk) 21:11, 26 September 2023 (UTC)


 * As there has been no discussion here for two and a half weeks, I am moving forward with this merge. Trevdna (talk) 22:55, 13 October 2023 (UTC)