Moroni's America 2nd Edition - podcast

Last weekend we released the Second Edition of Moroni's America. This edition has lots of new material, including new insights and information accumulated over the eight years since the first edition was published.

The book contains QR codes for bonus material, including interviews, as well as links to online references and material that we couldn't fit into the book.

One of the key points is the discussion of how the Book of Mormon is "a type and a shadow" for every nation in the world. While America was Lehi's promised land, in our day every nation is the gathering place and the promised land for the people who live there. 

Thus, the promises and covenants set forth in the Book of Mormon apply to every nation and people. This is why the Book of Mormon is relevant to people everywhere as they "liken the scriptures" to themselves.

_____

Yesterday the Stick of Joseph podcast released an awesome episode about the new book, here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6DpUQfL_1w&t=1512s

Moroni's America - Eight years later

This Friday and Saturday I'm speaking at the Book of Mormon Evidence conference in Eagle Mountain, Utah. 

On Friday, my topic is "Moroni's America - Eight years later." We're releasing a second edition of the book, which has lots of new material in it, such as the concept of the Book of Mormon as a "type and shadow" of the promises available to people and nations everywhere in the world. While America was Lehi's promised land, in our day, every nation is, or can be, a promised land for the people who live there. This is what makes the Book of Mormon relevant to people everywhere in the world.

As part of the presentation, we'll also discuss No More Contention through clarity, charity and understanding.

You can see the schedule here:

https://bookofmormonevidence.org/presenters/

Discovering Cumorah is in western New York after all

Go vote

 

Naval

@naval

·

3h

Go vote - this one matters. Focus on policies, not people. Vote for freedom, entrepreneurship, meritocracy. Vote against serfdom, censorship, bureaucracy. Go vote.

America known in Europe in the 1300s

Following up on the Columbus post, there is evidence that people in Europe knew about North America 150 years before Columbus sailed to the western hemisphere.

Here is the abstract of an article on the subject from this journal:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00822884.2021.1943792

Marckalada: The First Mention of America in the Mediterranean Area (c. 1340)

Paolo Chiesa

Pages 88-106 | Published online: 16 Jul 2021

Abstract

The Cronica universalis written by the Milanese friar Galvaneus Flamma (it. Galvano Fiamma, d. c. 1345) contains an astonishing reference to a terra que dicitur Marckalada, situated west from Greenland. This land is recognizable as the Markland mentioned by some Icelandic sources and identified by scholars as some part of the Atlantic coast of North America. Galvaneus’s reference, probably derived by oral sources heard in Genoa, is the first mention of the American continent in the Mediterranean region, and gives evidence of the circulation (out of the Nordic area and 150 years before Columbus) of narratives about lands beyond Greenland. This article provides a transcription of the passage, explains its context in the Cronica universalis, compares it to the other (Nordic) references of Markland, and discusses the possible origin of Galvaneus’s mention of Markland in light of Galvaneus’s biography and working method.

Here is a recent summary:

https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/america-was-actually-discovered-150-years-before-christopher-columbus/

Depolarizing within and the Interpreter's movies

In the pursuit of clarity, charity and understanding, there is an excellent NPR article that discusses a program from Braver Angels called "Depolarizing within." We provided an excerpt here:

https://nomorecontention.blogspot.com/2024/10/depolarizing-within.html

_____

As part of the depolarization effort, I note that the Interpreter Foundation has been promoting its latest movie, Six Days in August. I haven't seen it (it doesn't play where I live).

Info is available at this website: https://witnessesfilm.com/

In the pursuit of clarity, that website reminds us of their Witnesses movie, the one that promoted SITH and the bizarre Martin Harris stone-swapping story.

I discussed it in the spirit of clarity, charity and understanding at the "Fun with SITH" blog, here:

https://funwithsith.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-interpreters-witnesses-film.html

For those who don't remember the Witnesses movie, the scholars at the Interpreter used the film as a vehicle to promote their SITH narrative. They didn't just ignore what Joseph and Oliver said about the translation; they explicitly repudiated what they said.

Here's an example, with the closed caption from the film.

As expected, although they showed David Whitmer leaving Fayette to pick up Joseph and Oliver, they altered the historical sources and omitted the encounter with the messenger who was taking the plates to Cumorah.

While undoubtedly acting with what they think are the best of intentions, the Interpreter remains determined to keep the Latter-day Saints in ignorance about what Joseph and Oliver taught regarding the origin and setting of the Book of Mormon.

Columbus vs Cabot

Today is Columbus Day.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/10/11/a-proclamation-on-columbus-day-2024/

Last week I was in Nova Scotia, which reminded me about the discovery of North America by John Cabot.

highway from Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia
(click to enlarge)

Many Latter-day Saints think that Nephi was referring to Columbus in this passage.

12 And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land. 

(1 Nephi 13:12)

It's a reasonable interpretation that makes sense, but other interpretations are also reasonable. And it doesn't really tell us much about history or geography, other than our inference that Nephi saw future Europeans coming to the Western Hemisphere.

Nevertheless, some M2Cers (promoters of the Mesoamerican/two-Cumorahs theory) claim that this identification of Columbus as the "man among the Gentiles" who "went forth... unto the seed of my brethren" means that the Book of Mormon events took place in Mesoamerica because Columbus never reached North America, per se.

It's an irrational argument for several reasons. 

1. Regardless of where Nephi and his descendants lived during through 400 AD, the "seed of [his] brethren" undoubtedly migrated far and wide, intermarried with other indigenous people, etc. Thus, if the prophets were correct about the New York Cumorah, by 1492 (over 1,000 years after the Cumorah battle) the "seed of [Nephi's] brethren" would be found throughout the Western Hemisphere. No matter where Columbus landed in the Western Hemisphere, he would have encountered the "seed of [Nephi's] brethren."

2. The passage doesn't say the "man among the Gentiles" was the first to "discover" the Western Hemisphere. Even if that is implied, there is evidence that Europeans "discovered" the Western Hemisphere long before Columbus, any of whom fit the description in verse 12.

Verse 12 is part of a larger passage.

10 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld many waters; and they divided the Gentiles from the seed of my brethren.

 11 And it came to pass that the angel said unto me: Behold the wrath of God is upon the seed of thy brethren.

12 And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.

 13 And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters.

14 And it came to pass that I beheld many multitudes of the Gentiles upon the land of promise; and I beheld the wrath of God, that it was upon the seed of my brethren; and they were scattered before the Gentiles and were smitten.

(1 Nephi 13:10–14)

3. Verse 12 works as a description of John Cabot as well as Columbus. Cabot, of course, landed somewhere in North America. 

Map by Evan T Jones - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54725020

For more info on Cabot, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cabot

4. There is evidence that Columbus was Jewish, not Gentile.

https://www.sciencealert.com/dna-reveals-a-surprise-twist-about-christopher-columbus

Although verse 12 might accommodate Columbus as a Jew ("a man among the Gentiles"), verse 13 refers to "other Gentiles," which wouldn't make sense if the "man among the Gentiles" was not himself a Gentile. 

_____

While we have come to expect our M2C friends to us Columbus as evidence that the prophets were wrong about Cumorah, it's easy to see that their arguments are irrational. We can all recognize that whether or not verse 12 refers to Columbus, it doesn't change the teachings of the prophets about the New York Cumorah.

_____

BTW, the Bay of Fundy is famous for having the highest tides in the world. In one area they've measured tides up to 53 feet. On the Oregon coast, the highest tides we get are about 10 feet.

https://www.bayoffundy.com/about/highest-tides/

Low tide in the Bay of Fundy 
(click to enlarge)

WSJ on experts

The Wall St. Journal published an article about experts that makes some good points relevant to our SITH and M2C scholars at Scripture Central, the Interpreter, etc.

Historians who promote SITH (the stone-in-the-hat narrative) apply subjective, inconsistent analysis of historical sources to conclude that Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery misled everyone about the translation of the Book of Mormon.

Self-proclaimed Book of Mormon scholars, particularly those at Scripture Central, who promote M2C (the Mesoamerican/two-Cumorahs theory) apply subjective, inconsistent analysis of the text and extrinsic evidence to confirm their biases that Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery misled everyone about the Hill Cumorah.

These LDS "experts" cite their credentials, but they ignore common sense as they reject and repudiate what Joseph and Oliver taught about the origin and setting of the Book of Mormon.

M2C scholars confirming their biases

The WSJ article:

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/jd-vance-is-right-about-experts-debate-policy-2024-election-8ff45c32?mod=opinion_lead_pos8

Excerpt:

The vice-presidential debate contained a fascinating exchange in which the moderators cited an analysis from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, which estimated that Donald Trump’s economic plan would increase the federal deficit by $5.8 trillion. JD Vance responded by pointing out that the experts had been wrong about many things, economic predictions not least.

The moderators’ invocation of Wharton’s reputation was the latest example of politically motivated attempts to shut down debate by citing expertise. Mr. Vance was right that these efforts ultimately embarrass experts and undermine the public’s faith in science. In his words, “They have Ph.D.s, but they don’t have common sense and they don’t have wisdom.”

Economic experts have been wrong about many critical policies. Mr. Vance discussed the most disastrous error of all, the near-universal consensus that trade with China would benefit American prosperity and security. Once the damage was done and communities across the heartland lay ravaged, economists got around to writing about “the China shock” and “deaths of despair.” In economic policy as in investing, there’s scant difference between being late to understand and being completely wrong.

---

Other fields have their share of embarrassments too. Diplomatic experts told us that moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would start a war. Public-health experts insisted we wear masks and stand 6 feet apart on the beach. Teachers unions assured us that kids would learn as well at home on computers as in the classroom. And the notion that Covid-19 might have originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China, was supposedly an idea so dangerous that only racists would entertain it.

Independent thinking is critical to democracy. Experts may have years of schooling, but they can be prone to motivated reasoning. What we need from the expert class is more humility. They know their analyses are fraught with uncertainty, but they seldom acknowledge it to the public.

There is no solution for thinking things through yourself. And as Mr. Vance emphasized, common sense and wisdom are as important as expertise.