The Seven Churches of Zarahemla (Book of Mormon Geography)

[@jamesault7832]

Great information! I really appreciate all the time and effort you put into making your videos. I have been a student of Moundbuiler Archeology for a long time but never thought that the academics did a good job of highlighting the vastness and incredible engineering that was required to make the earthworks. Your endeavors will go far in helping people to see a clear and logical explanation of Ancient America. Thank you so much!

[@bitcoinpoemspro1406]

Thanks so much, I wish I knew more of this when I was serving in Chillicothe and Jackson area on my mission

[@Eluzian86]

I think you're mistaken about the timeframe of the geometric earthworks that have all the astronomical alignments and their use. The seven churches of Zarahemla would have been built around 120 BC. (Mosiah 25:19-24) The Geometric Earthworks in Ohio are believed to have been constructed in the timeframe of 1-400 AD. That places them being constructed during the great period of peace after Christ's visit. The Ohio Hopewell were the center of the Hopewell Interaction Sphere. People did pilgrimages to Ohio from all over North America. Ohio has been referred to as the Ancient Crossroads of the Midwest. I think it would make sense for the location that Christ visited to be seen as the most holy location, and a place to make pilgrimages to. That would be the land of Bountiful, which the Heartland Model places in Ohio, and it would be of much more importance than the city of Zarahemla during the period of peace. The highest number of people would be gathering there on a regular basis, and so that is where most of the temples would be concentrated after Christ replaced the Law of Moses with the Gospel of Christ. The temples they built would serve the same purpose as our temples today and would no longer look like Solomon's Temple. I believe the Geometric Earthworks of Ohio are those temples. I don't think they doubled as the regular meeting house. KZbin reference: The Hopewell, LDS Temples, and Circling the Square; posted by J.J. Brown Archeologists also say the people who built the Geometric Earthworks built them as a community project. Nobody was forced to build them, everyone ate the same foods, wore the same clothes, and everyone worked just as hard as everyone else. That sounds like they are describing a peaceful, classless society, that is living the Law of Consecration, just as the people would have been living from 36-200 AD. Construction of the earthworks would have been able to happen quickly under such conditions. KZbin reference: Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks: Ohio's First UNESCO World Heritage Site; posted by the Ottawa County Historical Society www.nps.gov/hocu/learn/historyculture/hopewell-ceremonial-earthworks.htm#:~:text=Hopewell%20Ceremonial%20Earthworks%20is%20comprised%20of%20eight%20ancient%20Indigenous%20ceremonial www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2020/01/12/archaeology-hopewells-culture-touched/1913675007/

[@archangel_one]

I'm pretty sure that Zarahemlma had to have been in Columbia, South America, where the old Mormon maps placed it. But remember, this is all fiction.

[@craigberry902]

I really enjoy listening to you and your take on the history of the peoples of ancient America. Thanks so much

[@k.l.hancock8683]

I love that part of the country. It’s beautiful.

[@leedespain4310]

In D&C 125 the Lord said that Zarahemla was oposite of Nauvoo, on the Iowa side of the Mississippi.

[@Lamanitehistory]

He said to build a city and name it Zarahemla. He didn't say it was where Zarahemla was anciently.

[@johnbarton7159]

@@Lamanitehistory- I also have thought about D&C 125, - I’m now thinking it is more of a geographic area, It wouldn’t surprise me if however a temple site was built in that location as Wayne May’s work suggests. I think you are both on to something and feel both theory’s make sense - it would be interesting to learn if the seven church you mention turn out to be similar in nature to the Seven churches mention in Revelstions.

[@janegolson237]

What do you know about the city directly across the river from Nauvoo being called Zarahemla?

[@Lamanitehistory]

@janegolson237 Yep, he said to name it Zarahemla. He didn't say it was where Zarahemla was anciently but there are a number of people who read it to mean that.

[@LatterdayLamanite]

In the Book of Mormon, east of Sidon is the East Wilderness, which ran north and south between Zarahemla and Jershon, which was on the seashore of the East Sea. How do reconcile this?

[@Lamanitehistory]

@LatterdayLamanite To me that fits because the Appalachians would be the east wilderness between Zarahemla (Ohio) and Jershon, and Jershon would be further east on the East Coast (perhaps the Maryland or Virginia area).

[@LatterdayLamanite]

​@Lamanitehistory please factor in the River Sidon flowing south to north and emptying into the depths of the sea, which implies the Atlantic Ocean. Jershon is directly between the East Wilderness and the coast of the Sea East.

[@LatterdayLamanite]

@@Lamanitehistory Anyway, I appreciate your passion. I'm the same. I've had to start over and over again because every time I think I had it right, I found another data point in the Book of Mormon that contradicted my map theory. If you were to draw a "relational" map with all the cities, bodies of water, lands, etc with relationship to each other, you'd be surprised how much easier it is to rule out theories. Because, for example, the river Sidon flows to the north and is just east of Zarahemla. Then the East Wilderness is just east of the river Sidon. And east of the East Wilderness is the land of Jershon, which sits along the coast of the East Sea. But even though the river Sidon flows north in between Zarahemla and the East Wilderness, it still must empty into the East Sea. Then you have Bountiful not too far north of Zarahemla within the narrow neck of land which divides the East Sea from the West Sea. All these data points must harmonize. Good luck in your journey! I won't knit pick any more, but I just want to encourage you to start with established data points in the Book of Mormon rather than try to force random locations based on archeological evidences that may only be coincidences. Take care!

[@Lamanitehistory]

@@LatterdayLamanite Thanks. You're welcome to nitpick, as I appreciate the feedback and different views.

[@PaultheCanadian]

Good video. I strongly believe the Hopewell people were the Nephites and or Lamanites.

[@archangel_one]

I have a copy of a giant Mormon Lands map (Map of Ancient America), which clearly shows Zarahemla as being located in Columbia, South America. It was an official map printed in 1899 in Independence, MO. At the bottom of the map is the address of where I used to live, which I find interesting. My guess is that it was printed by RLDS, not the LDS, but I doubt any LDSian at the time would have objected.

[@copisetic1104]

What about Joseph saying zarahemla was across the Mississippi from nauvo

[@Lamanitehistory]

@copisetic1104 He said to build a city there and name it Zarahemla but he didn't say it was where Zarahemla was anciently.

[@noahriding5780]

I am curious to ask if there's a tribe with a story of burying their weapons? (See Alma...)

[@Lamanitehistory]

@noahriding5780 Good question. Currently I'm not aware of a matching story.

[@Thehaystack7999]

I believe the Haida on the North West had a tradition of this long ago. They have thick clothing for armor, helmets, metal weapons, and sea voyagers. Wonderful parallels and similar creation stories that are a mix of Chinese and Jewish creation stories.

[@noahriding5780]

@@Thehaystack7999 Very interesting. Thx!!

[@noahriding5780]

@@Thehaystack7999 Alma 24: is so miraculous. 16 And now, my brethren, if our brethren seek to destroy us, behold, we will hide away our swords, yea, even we will bury them deep in the earth, that they may be kept bright, as a testimony that we have never used them, at the last day; and if our brethren destroy us, behold, we shall go to our God and shall be saved. What courage. I hope the natives can see they can have a great future and be strong and courageous.

[@glodeo]

There are some who believe the phrase “bury the hatchet,” which has come from Native American tradition and represents making peace, may have originated from the story of the people of Ammon.

[@tcatt222]

Keep up the good work. Hopefully, eventually the truth will come out more clearly. Maybe the records of Chief Midegah can yield a bit more insight as to their purpose.

[@geoffshelley2427]

All well and good, but where then was the city of Moroni???

[@Lamanitehistory]

It would be on the Atlantic coast

[@archangel_one]

Moroni is the capital city of Comoros. Comoros is located between Africa and Madagascar. Interestingly, many of the natives claim to be descended from Jared.

[@geoffshelley2427]

@@archangel_one I'm unclear what you're trying to say. Are we talking wrong contenent for BoM events? And I'm referrring to the sunken city of Moroni. The same I'm very confident that there have be migrations around the globe that we know nothing about. Modern archelogists put excessive limits on what ancient peoples could accomplish. They lean toward the idea that ancestors were just plain dumb and couln't possibly travel great distances. bah-humbug! The origins of the inhabitants of Comoros could by all means be as they claim. We just don't have a record about it.

[@archangel_one]

@@geoffshelley2427 Actually, we do have some records of the descendants of Jared taking that route to the Islands of Comore (now Comoros). But I can't remember what they were called at the moment. But, if you are referring to the mythical city of Moroni from the BoM, I have a copy of an old Mormon map that places the land of Moron in Costa Rica (possibly Panama). Panama is labeled "Desolation" and the Yucatán Peninsula is labeled "Nehor." BUT, there is a city labeled "Moroni" in the ocean off the coast of Barranquilla, Colombia. It's next to one of the cities labeled "Jerusalem" which is also shown to be in the ocean.

[@geoffshelley2427]

@@archangel_one the BoM city of Moroni is not "mythical". The records Mormon drew upon clearly gave of its existence, and surely Mormon understood the geography enough to know where it was. I wish I could belive you on all that, but unless there is published archelogical sources it can't be substantiated. I am, however, convinced that the "Hopewell" peoples were concurrent with Zarahemla civilazation and were connected to that people in some way. We read that people traveled so far north to a land with large bodies of water. It's quite likely that after the wars that destroyed the Nephite nation, those in power worked dillegently to eliminate every trace of the same. They wouldn't have been satisfied with conquering them, they would have gone to work to entirely delete them and their culture from history. Those peoples in the far north were killed off as well, but the force/will to eliminate all trace of them was not there. so we have some traces of their culture.

[@andrewreed4216]

The nemenhah records will help with locations.

[@Lamanitehistory]

@@andrewreed4216 I don't believe the Nemenhah records are genuine

[@archangel_one]

Try the Kinderhook plates. "Until 1980, the LDS church claimed that the Kinderhook plates were authentic and proof of Joseph Smith's abilities and truthfulness of a prophet."

[@andrewreed4216]

@@Lamanitehistory I can understand you're doubts, it's alot to take in. But I have always had spiritual experiences since I was a child (it runs in the family). All the times I have had them, they have always come true. But Like anything it's best to ask God directly. I was very lucky to have been given a vision before, during, and after reading them. Christ was the one that showed up in the last one (all my visions are usually out of body experiences). Christ said to me "don't persecute my people the nemenhah ", while pointing to one of them whom was a mixed native American and gentile. Yes, the information is overwhelming, yes, it's challenging, but that doesn't make it untrue. The Lord may not even implement it into the current church, but he has confirmed the truth of it to me and the Holy Ghost confirmed. Same as he did with the book of Mormon to me. When i turned away the missionaries at my door 23 years ago, It was a female voice that I audibly heard telling me to get the missionaries back in. So I ran down the street before they got to the next house and asked them back in. I was baptised in 12 days. Finished the book of Mormon that month. My friends have been witnesses to my experience as sometimes, and only when needed, he has whispered things for me to share with them too, and they are true.

[@InTheGarden1960]

The Mormon religion is false doctrine and false teachings. Christ did not turn over his ministry to the Mormons or anyone else for that matter. My 4th great grandfather was Henry Zabriskie LDS- High Priest Aug 10, 1845, and traveled with the mormon groups to Utah and helped to build the temple, Which is also fasle doctrine as CHRIST IS OUR TEMPLE not some building and their doctrines very greatly from the scriptures GOD has Ordained and Blessed.

[@kz6fittycent]

Please keep reading the scriptures. There are several references to the need for temples in the New Testament. There is no specific reference saying "there's no need for a temple". To conflate the doctrine that our bodies are a temple to God with His actual temples is part of the problem with the sectarian world, which was clarified by the Restoration thru the Prophet Joseph Smith.

[@archangel_one]

@@kz6fittycent Are referring to these verses? Act 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Act 7:48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Act 7:49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? or to these? 2Co 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 1Co_3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 1Co_3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 1Co_6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

[@archangel_one]

Christ turned over his ministry to the Church, giving them the gift of the Holy Spirit. I think all my 4th great-grandfather's names were all Abraham. At this moment, we (the Church) are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Later, at the end of the end times, there will be no temple because the Lamb of God and the Lord God Almighty will be the Temple of the New Jerusalem (of the New Heavens and New Earth).