Chap wrote:Potter and Wellington recognize that this is a problem.
Yep, there is a problem. Here is a link to a Google Maps satellite image showing the mouth of the Potter/Wellington candidate for the River of Laman: http://tinyurl.com/nmtc44w
If you can't see the river, it's because there isn't one. There is actually a dirt road along the beach that crosses where the river would be if there was one running in the wadi. As noted in part of the quote I just snipped, Potter/Wellington have to posit an extreme but unattested geological event just to make this location fit the narrative. Hey now, stop that eye-rolling! We just have to accept the fact that some bulls-eyes are a bit harder on the frontal lobe than others.
Further inland there is some above-ground water, but probably not what anyone would call a river. Compare the width of the stream with the tire tracks that can bee seen in the photo:
"And when my father saw that the waters of the river emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea, he spake unto Laman, saying: O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness."
Say, I just had a thought: rather than invent a severe geological event to make the location fit, we should consider that perhaps Lehi was speaking prophetically. What he really meant was that like this river the Nephites would seep into the ground and leave no trace. As this would give us two bulls-eyes for the price of one, I believe I'm justified in spiking the football here.