The Book And The Map: New insights into Book of Mormon Geography

by Venice Priddis

The book is the Book of Mormon. The map is the modern map. As Latter-day Saints know, making the two meet is no easy task. Venice Priddis has achieved this in a remarkable piece of detection which produces a unique geographical setting. How could the Nephites be upon an "isle of the sea"? This is here explained by a map reproducing the land as apparently it was then - a map supported by powerful evidence. Thus is revealed the narrow neck of land, the pivotal point for all Book of Mormon geography. Soon the reader is accompanying explorers along the famed Inca roads, while a ready guide points out the ruins of ancient cities and their implications in terms of the Book of Mormon lands. In this way the Nephite and Jaredite lands and cities are Nephi, Zarahemla, Bountiful, Cumorah, the Sidon River, the narrow pass, Desolation, Moron, Nehor, and dozens of others; major battlegrounds in the record; the mission fields of Alma and the sons of Mosiah - all this and much more is placed on the modern map, clearly and interestingly expressed and sustained by an impressive collection of data. The Book and the Map will not improve upon the sacred record, but it should certainly help to make the Book of Mormon story more understandable to the average reader. For this reason the average reader. For this reason the average reader as well as the student will want to keep a copy of this book near his Book of Mormon for easy reference.

169 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Steven H]

A NOVEL (ALBEIT UNLIKELY) SUGGESTION FOR "BOOK OF MORMON ARCHAEOLOGY"

The author wrote in the Preface to this 1975 book, "Eight years of teaching seminary gave me an overwhelming desire to discover the lands and cities of the Book of Mormon... After much prayer and study I stumbled onto the very clue that led to the discovery of those lands... Having made my geographical discoveries, I wanted others to share the thrill. This book is the outcome of that desire. It is my hope that it will induce in its readers the same excitement, the same insights into the Book of Mormon, that my quest has brought me."

Here are some additional quotations from the book:

"It is clearly stated in the Book of Mormon that there was a land northward and a land southward with a connecting link between called a narrow neck or small neck of land. (Alma 22:32; 63:5; Ether 10:20) This land-bridge is a major key to Book of Mormon geography." (Pg. 1)
"Let us suppose that the Amazon basin was then a fresh-water sea and that what is now Argentina was completely inundated... It is my conviction that this represents the great breakthrough in Book of Mormon geography, the hitherto unrecognized factor which defines not only the Nephite 'isle of the sea' but also ... that other vital point of reference 'the narrow neck of land.' For as this chapter will show, the Amazon 'sea' is not a supposition. There is ample evidence that it existed." (Pg. 10)
"Thus evidence indicates that the narrow neck was that land which lies between the Gulf of Guayaquil and the upper Amazon basin." (Pg. 29)
"As we have seen, 'the land southward' was all the land occupied by the Nephites and Lamanites south of the narrow neck of land." (Pg. 63)
"It is a well-known fact that white, blue-eyed, blond-haired Indians live in this area. Now known to many as the 'cloud people,' this white race has lived in the East Wilderness area as long as those who memorized Indian history could remember." (Pg. 129)
"We cannot know how a lone man, of himself, could have made the long trek from South America to North America to bury the plates in a hill in New York State. We can readily believe that the all-powerful God could have given him the wisdom, strength and food to survive, thereby making such a long journey both possible and bearable... and the way was opened for Moroni to place the Book of Mormon record in the North American hill where many centuries later it would be brought forth to the world by the great prophet and seer of the last dispensation, Joseph Smith." (Pg. 157)

[Douglas Fugate]

This book is ONLY for those who are interested and conversant with The Book of Mormon - Another Testatment of Jesus Christ. The author seems to take liberties and is frequently making suppositions. She then bases her following findings on previous suppositions. She is possibly correct is in certain areas. She does note scientific data and incorporate it into her work.

[Tym]

A solid 3 stars, incredibly well researched but made some huge leaps in logic

[Rick]

Interesting theory. It makes the case that much of South America was under water, and tries to use Darwin's finding of seashells on mountain ranges to make its case. While this may be true, I doubt the geology supports these mountain ranges under water just 2000 years ago--it was probably much longer ago.

It makes some interesting points, and is good to read, but I don't know how reliable the research is.

[Mormon Heretic]

Interesting look at South American theory of B of M.