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Book of Mormon/Geography/Models/Limited/Poulsen 2004
< Book of Mormon | Geography | Models | Limited
Contents |
| Model Name | Date Proposed | Scope | Narrow Neck | Land North | Land South | Cumorah | River Sidon | Nephi's Landing | Religion | Type of model
Model name: Poulsen 2004Date proposed: 2004 |
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| Lawrence Poulsen, stimulated by the models proposed by Sorenson and Hauck, used his own study of the text, combined with advances in 3-D computer mapping technology and satellite maps to provide a fascinating refinement of the Mesoamerican model.[1] Poulsen compares Sorenson's River of Sidon suggestion (the Grijalva River) with Hauck's (the Usamacinta River) and finds Grijalva much more plausible.[2] Poulsen extends this analysis to show how the explorers mentioned in Mosiah 8꞉7-10 likely mistook Usamacinta for Sidon/Grijalva, thus becoming hopelessly lost. The Book of Mormon text is even accurate in the direction which the Sidon flows at a critical point.[3]
This Cumorah candidate is about 110 miles north of Tepetzintla (which, at 4040 feet high he identifies as a potential Hill Shim). Interestingly enough, Tepetzintla translates to Cerro de Maiz in Spanish or "Corn Hill" in English, which has been suggested as the meaning of the Hill "Shim."[4] (Shim was the Jaredite hill identified by the Nephites as likely being in the same locality as "Cumorah"—see Mormon 1꞉3, Mormon 4꞉23; compare with Ether 15꞉11, Mormon 6꞉6). Poulsen suggests Santa Rosa for the city of Zarahemla. Furthermore, Poulsen suggests the use of a "quadrant"-based directional system as used by some Mesoamerican groups,[5] as opposed to arguing that the Nephites used cardinal directions off-set from magnetic north, as Sorenson does.[6] |
 Clark's suggestion for how Nephites conceptualized their world.[7] |
 Satellite map with Poulsen's quadrant-based geography overlaid. The Grijalva/Sidon river is the blue line on the left; to the right is the Usamacinta.[8] |
Notes
- ↑ Lawrence Poulsen, bomgeography.poulsenll.orgoff-site
- ↑ Lawrence Poulsen, "A comparison of the river Sidon, as referenced in the Book of Mormon, to the Grijalva River found in Chiapas, Mexico,"bomgeography.poulsenll.orgoff-site
- ↑ Lawrence Poulsen, "Why did King Limhi's search party get lost in the wilderness?," bomgeography.poulsenll.org (accessed 17 September 2006). off-site
- ↑ Bruce Warren, "Surviving Jaredite Names in Mesoamerica," meridianmagazine.com off-site Note: Some Mesoamerican experts consulted by FAIR have recommended caution in accepting Warren's conclusions regarding names. This link is included because it forms part of the basis for Poulsen's suggestion.
- ↑ Lawrence Poulsen, "Directions in the Book of Mormon," bomgeography.poulsenll.org (accessed 17 September 2006). off-site
- ↑ See Sorenson's discussion in John L. Sorenson, "Viva Zapato! Hurray for the Shoe! (Review of "Does the Shoe Fit? A Critique of the Limited Tehuantepec Geography" by Deanne G. Matheny)," FARMS Review of Books 6/1 (1994): 297–361. off-site See also wiki link here.
- ↑ From John E. Clark, "A Key for Evaluating Nephite Geographies (Review of Deciphering the Geography of the Book of Mormon by F. Richard Hauck)," FARMS Review of Books 1/1 (1989): 20–70. off-site; Figure 8 off-site
- ↑ Lawrence Poulsen, "Directions in the Book of Mormon," bomgeography.poulsenll.org, Figure 5 (accessed 17 September 2006). off-site