WHY MESOAMERICA IS THE LAND OF THE BOOK OF MORMON

メソアメリカはモルモン書の地域である理由

 By Alan C. Miner and the editors of AAF.

Map by V. Garth Norman 2005　【地図はV・.ガース・ノルマン（日本からの帰還宣教師）】

Value of Book of Mormon Historic Geography Study（モルモン書の歴史地理の勉強の価値）

The above Study Map with gazeteer and booklet by Garth Norman opens up the real world of the Book of Mormon with surviving place names as a study aid while reading the Book of Mormon.  It can be ordered on AAF's web site.  There are multiple reasons why Mesoamerica is the only place in North and South America that meets the historic geography requirements in the Book of Mormon.  A brief inventory follows.

Distances（距離）　:

Sixty one percent of the whole Book of Mormon story takes place in the lands of Nephi and Zarahemla.  It took Alma and his group about 21 days travel between the cities of Nephi and Zarahemla.  This means that all geographical and cultural criteria demanded by the Book of Mormon for the land southward had to be circumscribed within a radius of about 400 miles.  These dimensions fit the area of southern Mesoamerica.

Multiple Advanced Cultural Centers（沢山の優れた文化センターはある）:

The Jaredite land matches the Olmec civilization that existed in the valley of Mexico-Isthmus of Tehuantepec region from about 2500 to 300 B. C.

The Lamanite, Mulekite, Nephite cultures from 600 B.C. to 400 A.D. match the Classic Mesoamerica cultures, including the lowland and highland Maya, Mixtec, and Zapotec cultures.

A Written Language　（書かれる言語はある）:

At present, it seems that the only place on the continent where there was a phonetic written language at the time of the Book of Mormon was in Mesoamerica.

Many Cities（沢山の都市はある）:

The majority of culturally advanced cities in North America during Book of Mormon times are located in Mesoamerica.

Bodies of Water（いろいろな大きい湖がある）:

Within the Book of Mormon, the following bodies of water must be accounted for: the river Sidon, the waters of Sidon, the waters of Mormon, the waters of Sebus, the land of pure water, the land of many waters, the place where the sea divides the land, the waters of Ripliancum, the large bodies of water in the land which was northward, the Sea South, the Sea North, the Sea West, and the Sea East. All of these bodies of water in their proper configurations described in the Book of Mormon are found in Mesoamerica.

Wilderness Areas（荒れ野の所がある）:

The most strategic wilderness area in the Book of Mormon is the "narrow strip of wilderness" which “ran from the sea east even to the sea west" and separated the land of Nephi from the land of Zarahemla. The only place in the Americas where this geographic feature is found is in Guatemala.  Many other wilderness areas are found in Mesoamerica as described in the Book of Mormon.

The Small Neck - Narrow Neck with a Narrow Pass - Narrow Passage　（地峡はる）:

These "small neck - narrow neck with a narrow pass - narrow passage" are strategic communication corridors mentioned from Alma's time in 90 B.C. to Mormon's time in 362 A.D. They are also linked to the Jaredite times from 2500 B.C. In Mesoamerica they are found on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and divided the "Land Northward” from the “Land Southward.” Mormon traversed this narrow neck five times in his lifetime. The last great battle of both the Jaredites and the Nephites at the Hill Cumorah occurred close to this narrow neck. The traditional idea of the Panama Canal area being this narrow neck that divides the land north from the land south just does not fit these criteria. Nor does a New York location for the Hill Cumorah fit the criteria demanded by the Book of Mormon record.

Conclusion（まとめるに）:　

A close scrutiny of the geography and culture of the Book of Mormon coupled with the scientific studies of the geography, archaeology, culture, language, and ancient history of Mesoamerica during the same time period provide compelling evidence that this is the land of the Book of Mormon, which is in agreement with Joseph Smith's views in 1842.  As we come to know the places where events occurred in the Book of Mormon, our appreciation grows for the reality of this sacred record in the same way that we have come to appreciate the world of the Bible.  

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注意：アメリカ人の翻訳