Difference between revisions of "Heartland Model of Book of Mormon geography"

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Revision as of 20:00, 30 September 2009

Model Name Date Proposed Scope Narrow Neck Land North Land South Cumorah River Sidon Nephi's Landing Religion Type of model

Model name: Meldrum 2003

Date proposed: 2003?
Scope: LGT
Narrow neck: Niagara Peninsula
Land north: Upper Canada
Land south: Mississippi river system to Gulf of Mexico
Cumorah: New York
Sidon: Mississippi
Landing: Gulf of Mexico
Religion: LDS
Type: External

This geography is based on a DVD presentation (which is in turn based on fireside presentations) produced by Rodney (Rod) Meldrum: Rodney Meldrum, DNA Evidence for Book of Mormon Geography: New scientific support for the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon; Correlation and Verification through DNA, Prophetic, Scriptural, Historical, Climatological, Archaeological, Social, and Cultural Evidence (Rodney Meldrum, 2007), mail-order DVD. ( Index of claims ).

Heartland model

FAIR Reviews

FAIR has a review of some of the contents and tactics used by this presentation:

Other reviews

  • Jerry L. Ainsworth, Dr. Ainsworth responds to Rod Meldrum DVD, mormonsites.org blog, 20 September 2008. FAIR endorses no Book of Mormon geography, and does not necessarily endorse all the conclusions in this off-site link. It is provided to properly credit the source.
  • Anonymous, "Errors of Rodney Meldrum," bookofmormongeography.info (no date, circa April 2009). FAIR endorses no Book of Mormon geography, and does not necessarily endorse all the conclusions in this off-site link. It is provided to properly credit the source.

Blog posts

Other resources

Plagiarism?

Ed Goble has also charged that this model plagiarized elements from his geography (Goble-May 2002)without attribution.[1]

Conclusion of DVD uses the Michigan relics as evidence. The DVD elsewhere refers to these artifacts as "a person on a cross" which makes their identity clear (Meldrum, DVD (2007), Sect #14, 7:56.) For more details, see subheading "Michigan Relics as Evidence," in FAIR:Reviews of DNA Evidence for Book of Mormon Geography:Identifying the Nephites.

The head of the FIRM Foundation replied:

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood” would be a good idea for this last post. You have obviously not seen Meldrum’s DVD as he has no Michigan artifacts in it and he came to his DNA conclusions long before encountering Wayne May.[2]

The former claim is false, since the Michigan forgeries are in the presentation (see screenshot image)

The head of the FIRM Foundation later told Goble:

This geography was not plagerized [sic] from you at all, as you so indicated in your rant. You called ALL of the Great Lakes ‘Sea West’, you claim the ‘Nephite North’ is a highly skewed angle nearly making Lake Ontario and Lake Erie north/south of each other (see p.75 of your book) which completely changes your geographic ideas. I do not espouse either of these arguements [sic]. If you had seen the DVD, you would have known that out [sic] geographies are substantially different, if not unrelated. Your unsubstantiated claim that I copied your geography is not true. I began to research North American geographies after I had worked on the DNA evidence. I had come to many preliminary conclusions prior to my meeting Wayne May. I found his geographic ideas were the closest to what I had found, and so went to one of his presentations to learn more. Again I am being accused without evidence in fact. I agree with you, your geography doesn’t work and I don’t blame you for abandoning it. The proposed geography of my DVD has many things that need to be addressed as well, and I am hoping for competent help in establishing a more complete understanding.[3]

It has, however, been pointed out that Meldrum's enthusiasm for Goble's book was much greater than his statements might lead us to believe, from a testimonial posted on Wayne May's website:

“Wayne May’s book series provides the 'most comprehensive compilation of Book of Mormon background history, geography, logical research, and artifacts (complete with photographs), of any book on the subject to date….Open your mind and heart to the information contained in these books, and you will gain a renewed love for the prophet and the Book of Mormon itself. Truth will prevail.”[4]

Goble has pointed out that one of his ideas is quite unique, and matches the Heartland model's claim:

“The idea of a confluence of rivers making up the head of the Sidon is lifted from MY book, Mr. Meldrum. That was MY idea.”[5]

This can be compared with The FIRM Foundation's identical idea.[6]

Index of geographical claims made in the DVD DNA Evidence for Book of Mormon Geography

The following tables respond to specific geographical claims made in the DVD. Only the geographical claims are treated here. For other issues related to this DVD and the presentation "Introduction to Book of Mormon Evidences," see the following:

Main article: A FAIR Analysis of DNA Evidence for Book of Mormon Geography and in associated seminar presentations

A note about DNA claims

It is claimed in the DVD and associated seminars that criticisms related to DNA and the Book of Mormon have not been addressed by LDS scholars. This is incorrect. For a detailed discussion of DNA related claims, see the following:

Main article: FAIR Wiki articles and videos related to DNA and the Book of Mormon


Heartland (Meldrum) Geography claims

Endnotes

  1. [note]  Ed Goble, comment on FAIR blog, (5 Sept 2008, 20h22) off-site
  2. [note]  DNA Truthseeker [Rod Meldrum], MADB message board post (12 May 2008, 2h11) off-site
  3. [note]  Rod Meldrum, comment on FAIR blog, (8 Sept 2008, 19h24) off-site
  4. [note]  Rod Meldrum, (date?) off-site
  5. [note]  Ed Goble, comment on FAIR blog, (5 Sept 2008, 20h22) off-site
  6. [note]  "The Book of Mormon index indicates the Sidon River flows north into a sea, is this correct?," FAQ, bookofmormonevidence.org (accessed 9 April 2009) off-site
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