View source for Book of Mormon/Geography/Statements/Nineteenth century/Joseph Smith's lifetime 1829-1840/Joseph Smith/Zelph

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{{H2
|L=Book of Mormon/Geography/Statements/Nineteenth century/Joseph Smith's lifetime 1829-1840/Joseph Smith/Zelph
|H="Zelph" and Book of Mormon geography
|S=
|L1=Question: What is the story of Zelph?
|L2=Question: Does the story of Zelph have implications for Book of Mormon geography?
|L3=Question: How reliable are the accounts of the discovery of Zelph?
|L4=Kenneth W. Godfrey, "What Is the Significance of Zelph in the Study of Book of Mormon Geography?"
}}

{{:Question: What is the story of Zelph?}}
{{:Question: Does the story of Zelph have implications for Book of Mormon geography?}}
{{:Question: How reliable are the accounts of the discovery of Zelph?}}

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|link=https://publications.mi.byu.edu/fullscreen/?pub=1398&index=11
|author=Kenneth W. Godfrey
|title=What Is the Significance of Zelph in the Study of Book of Mormon Geography?
|publication=Journal of Book of Mormon Studies
|vol=8
|num=2
|date=1999
|summary=Latter-day Saints continue to want to know where the events described in the Book of Mormon took place, and there continue to be those who claim this or that answer to certain questions. One element related to the question posed by all students of Book of Mormon geography is the account of the 1834 discovery in Illinois of the "white Lamanite," called "Zelph" by members of Zion's Camp. Those who support the view that North America was the scene of battles between the Nephites and Lamanites always cite this datum as proof that their view is correct. Before using it as proof of anything, however, careful investigation of the circumstances of this discovery has much to teach us about how historical information needs to be critically examined before one tries to use it to settle a dispute.
}}

{{SeeAlso|Book of Mormon geography/Disdaining the statements of Joseph Smith|Book of Mormon geography/Statements|l1=Disdaining the statements of Joseph Smith|l2=Book of Mormon geographical statements by Church leaders}}
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{{Critical sources box:Book of Mormon/Geography/Statements/Nineteenth century/Joseph Smith's lifetime 1829-1840/Joseph Smith/Zelph/CriticalSources}}
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