Review
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Title: Moroni’s America: The North American Setting For The Book Of Mormon
Author: Jonathan Neville
Publisher: Digital Legend Press
Genre: Book of Mormon Geography/Mormonism
Year Published: 2015
Number of Pages: 384
Binding: Paperback
ISBN10: 1944200037
ISBN13: 978-1944200039
Price: $19.95
Reviewed by Steven Ray Montgomery for the Association for Mormon Letters
When George Washington accepted the surrender of British General Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1781, a British band played the tune, “The World Turned Upside Down,” most likely in a condescending and patronizing manner. The British were upset that the world’s greatest Army and Navy had been defeated by such a ragtag assortment of what were, for the most part, ordinary farmers or tradesmen turned into upstart citizen soldiers. Indeed, the American victory was a stunning turn of events.
In a similar manner, in recent months (perhaps a little over a year), there has been another war raging. But it’s not one of soldiers, guns, tanks, planes, or paratroopers. It’s one of belief, ideas, theory, or doctrine.
It’s a war over the question, “where did Book of Mormon events take place.” Did it take place in a Mesoamerica setting? Or did they take place in a North America setting.? And one man is committed to winning the war, and wants to see another tune played which will turn the world of Book of Mormon geography upside down.
That man is Jonathan Neville, and one only need go to Bookofmormonwars.blogspot.com, Interpreterpeerreviews.blogspot.com, or MormonInterpreter.com (search for “Neville”) to get an idea of what I mean. This “war” continues. It is an ideological war and is fought with ideological bullets.
His latest book (he’s written several on the subject), “Moroni’s America: The North American Setting For The Book of Mormon,” is the latest salvo in this war. He states how he came to write this book: “Every book I write is an answer to a question I had. Here, the question is simple and universal: Where did the Book of Mormon take place? . . . Although I wanted to believe what I was being taught [about Central America being the location of Book of Mormon events], there were too many inconsistencies and gaps to satisfy me . . . Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery shed more light on the question than all the scholars combined. But instead of searching the text with the aid of that light, some scholars have been obscuring the light Joseph and Oliver provided. These scholars insist that Joseph and Oliver were merely speculating about Book of Mormon locations; their statements should be considered an endorsement of a purely scholarly approach. Consequently, anonymous articles in the [Times and Seasons] that linked the Book of Mormon to Central America became the light under which they searched. Their scholarly conclusions have led to confusion and discord, even among themselves. Many faithful members have ignored the whole debate, but others who read about illusory Mayan connections have come to question the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.”
He further explains that “[he] came to realize that the Gospel was restored where it was lost.” That statement appeals to me on many levels. Could he be right?
He goes on to explain that his objective is not to convince anyone of anything, just to lay out the evidence. And since he’s a lawyer I suppose he wants the reader to be convinced at least on the lowest standard of proof, a “preponderance of the evidence.” And he might be tickled to convince the reader “beyond a reasonable doubt,” the strictest standard.
I think he achieves at least the “preponderance of the evidence” standard. At least for this reader. And even “beyond a reasonable doubt” on a few areas of argument.
Neville starts out by summarizing his thesis: “Until now, proposed settings for the Book of Mormon failed to reconcile all the available evidence from the text itself, additional latter-day scripture, teachings of Joseph Smith and the Three Witnesses, and real-world geology, geography, anthropology, and archaeology . . . The North American setting embraces all of these sources and harmonizes them in a way I didn’t think possible.”
Neville goes into why he chose the title “Moroni’s America.” He gives many reasons, one of which is what the short phrase, “this land”, means. It’s a “land of promise” (Ether 2:9). A choice land, free from bondage, and captivity, (Ether 2:12). And that the Lord established the Constitution of this land (D&C 101:80).
Neville also recognizes that some scholars dispute the validity of Oliver’s account, where he names Cumorah as the New York one. But he doesn’t explain it in detail in this book. It’s covered in one of Neville’s previous books, “Letter VII,” so he doesn’t cover this particular issue in this book. Since I’ve read his book “Letter VII,” I understand his arguments, but the new reader to Neville might not be convinced if he starts with “Moroni’s America.” I think he’s made a convincing scriptural argument, but I think he could have explained, in at least a few paragraphs, a summation of “Letter VII” arguments in this book.
Another of his biggest arguments is the “pins in the map” argument: Cumorah and Zarahemla, in New York and Iowa respectively, according to “glad tidings from Cumorah” (D&C 128:20), the Lord’s naming of Zarahemla, opposite the city of Nauvoo (D&C 125:3), and the fact that every one of Joseph’s contemporaries accepted the New York setting for Cumorah.
There are many other Nephite places that Neville “pins” to the map, such as “the wilderness on the west,” “sea west,” “Land of Nephi,” “Land of Zarahemla,” etc., and makes, to this reader, convincing arguments.
Neville also convincingly deals with other geographical issues, such as the map in Alma 22, the “sea west,” and so forth. In this argument he explains the “Interpretive Keys” he uses, utilizes Joseph Smith’s teachings, and attempts to reach out to Mesoamericanists in exploring what needs to be done to reach a consensus over Book of Mormon geography.
In his arguments Neville makes use of , or takes into account, Royal Skousen, the Joseph Smith Papers, early 19th century dictionaries, biblical Hebrew, John Welch and Chiasmus discoveries, and even, ironically enough, prominent Mesoamericanist scholars such as John Sorenson and Brant Gardner, as well as many other sources throughout.
Arguments as the idea that “line” means river in Egyptian hieroglyphics, and the close similarity to the “caractors” document copied by John Whitmer, lead the author to believe that whenever the word “line” is mentioned in the Book of Mormon, you have to consider that it might pertain to a river.
And consider the differing cardinal directions argument of the Mesoamericanists and North American or Heartland advocates. Nephi used a strict or literal North, South, East, and West when in the Old World; why would he change the directions when he arrived in the new?
Also the head of Sidon argument, where Neville argues that “head” means a confluence of rivers rather than the source of the river.
Neville also covers what the Book of Mormon says, in a verse by verse way (pertaining to geography) starting with 1 Nephi and ending with Moroni.
He “concludes” with eight chapters of “Additional Detail,” dealing with such things as the River Sidon, chiasmus, Mesoamerica as hinterlands, and so forth.
There are many arguments where Neville at least makes a “preponderance of the evidence” standard, in many instances a standard which is “clear and convincing.” And is a few instances he meets the standard “beyond a reasonable doubt.” But time restraints doesn’t allow me to cover them. And there are almost 400 pages to deal with. Besides I don’t want to spoil all the fun.
If you are even vaguely interested in the geography of the Book of Mormon you need to read this book. If you believe that Book of Mormon events happened in Guatemala or Mesoamerica you need to read this book as well. Your Book of Mormon geography world might be turned upside down. You might be convinced that events happened in North America. At the very least you’ll have to start engaging with Neville, if only to address the issues that Neville covers in this book, and issues that a growing number of Saints are starting to believe in as well.