Book of Mormon/Geography/Models/Limited/Poulsen 2004

Model Name	Date Proposed	Scope	Narrow Neck	Land North	Land South	Cumorah	River Sidon	Nephi's Landing	Religion	Type of model Model name: Poulsen 2004 Date proposed: 2004 Scope: LGT Narrow neck: Tehuantepec Land north: South-Central Mexico Land south: Southern Mesoamerica, incl Yucatan Cumorah: Tepetzintla (further North than Veracruz) Sidon: Grijalva Landing: Central America Religion: LDS Type: External

Lawrence Poulsen, stimulated by the models proposed by Sorenson and Hauck, used his own study of the text, combined with advances in 3-D computer mapping technology and satellite maps to provide a fascinating refinement of the Mesoamerican model.[3] Poulsen compares Sorenson's River of Sidon suggestion (the Grijalva River) with Hauck's (the Usamacinta River) and finds Grijalva much more plausible.[4] Poulsen extends this analysis to show how the explorers mentioned in Mosiah 8꞉7-10 likely mistook Usamcinta for Sidon/Grijalva, thus becoming hopelessly lost. The Book of Mormon text is even accurate in the direction which the Sidon flows at a critical point.[5] Furthermore, Poulsen suggests the use of a "quadrant"-based directional system as used by some Mesoamerican groups,[6] as opposed to arguing that the Nephites used cardinal directions off-set from magnetic north, as Sorenson does.[7] Clark's review of Hauck contained a similar suggestion that the Nephites conceptualized their world in a quadrant-based fashion (see image at right).

Clark's suggestion for how Nephites conceptualized their world.[1]

Satellite map with Poulsen's quadrant-based geography overlaid. The Grijalva/Sidon river is the blue line on the left; to the right is the Usamacinta.[2]

Endnotes

1. [note] From John E. Clark, "A Key for Evaluating Nephite Geographies (Review of Deciphering the Geography of the Book of Mormon by F. Richard Hauck)," FARMS Review of Books 1/1 (1989): 20–70. off-site; Figure 8 off-site
2. [note]  Lawrence Poulsen, "Directions in the Book of Mormon," bomgeography.poulsenll.org, Figure 5 (accessed 17 September 2006). off-site
3. [note]  Lawrence Poulsen, bomgeography.poulsenll.orgoff-site
4. [note]  Lawrence Poulsen, "A comparison of the river Sidon, as referenced in the Book of Mormon, to the Grijalva River found in Chiapas, Mexico," bomgeography.poulsenll.orgoff-site
5. [note]  Lawrence Poulsen, "Why did King Limhi's search party get lost in the wilderness?," bomgeography.poulsenll.org (accessed 17 September 2006). off-site
6. [note]  Lawrence Poulsen, "Directions in the Book of Mormon," bomgeography.poulsenll.org (accessed 17 September 2006). off-site