Shulem Cracked the Book of Mormon Code, the Land of Nephi is now revealed! See for yourself! The Golden Key!

[Shulem]

As Mormonism evolved doctrinally so also did the prospects of Book of Mormon geography. By 1842 it was pretty much anything goes so long as it promotes faith in the Book of Mormon and any archeological evidence in the Americas (whether North or South) must be attributed to the ancient inhabitants recorded in the Book of Mormon. So long as the Book of Mormon is true then anything and everything points to that conclusion. Smith was branching out and letting the geography become whatever it would be and go where ever it was taken.

Joseph Smith wrote his own biography and therein is included the bit about how the angel Moroni appeared to him as a young man and told him that the golden plates was a record of the peoples who lived on "this continent". What exactly does the Book of Mormon imply for this continent? Book of Mormon prophecy and church theology pay direct reference to the land of the free made possible through the government of the United States of America. It's the land and country in which the flag of stars and stripes blows freely in the wind! It's the very land that has been given the blessings of the American Constitution; the United States of America and its territories. That is the land of promise. That is the land of Zion. That is the center place! So where is the very CENTER of this land of promise? If you guessed Jackson County Missouri then you guessed right. It's smack in the middle of the land of promise! That *is* Joseph Smith's "center place" in the midst of the continent.

The term AmericaS is a modern apologetic construct. The Book of Mormon narrative repeatedly describes how Lehi and the Jaredites inherited the Promised LanD which Smith confidently confirmed within the narrative as America (in the singular term), the future USA.

I feel impressed to further expound on the term "Americas" (plural) which apologists of the modern Church capitalize on in order to generalize or combine the two continents of North & South America as a hemisphere in which Book of Mormon peoples inhabited. But this was never an original concept in Joseph Smith's mind when he first conceived the story and delivered it in book form via the Book of Mormon in 1830. The idea of North & South America becoming a single land for ZION was a later construct in which Smith embraced as key to building up Zion in this hemisphere. Late in Smith's ministry the temple doctrines were expanded and the idea of elders becoming kings and priests were initiated by sacred rite. Joseph Smith and others were ordained kings. The particulars in linking this NEW CONCEPT is given in a discourse given by President Smith in April 1844 and recorded by Wilford Woodruff and Willard Richards:

Yet I have a proclamation to make to the Elders you know the Lord has led the Church untill the present time, I have now a great proclamation for the Elders to teach the Church here after which is in relation to zion, The whole of North and South America is zion, the mountain of the Lords House is in the centre of North & South America, when the House is done, Baptisim font erectd and finished & the worthy are washed, anointed, endowed & ordained kings & priests, which must be done in this life, when the place is prepared you must go through all the ordinances of the house of the Lord so that you who have any dead friends must go through all the ordinances for them the same as for yourselves; then the Elders are to go through all America & build up Churches untill all zion is built up, but not to commence to do this untill the Temple is built up here and the Elders endowed then go forth & accomplish the work & build up stakes in all North and South America

• President Smith has a proclamation to make

• It's in the NOW moment, a new declaration

• "Here after" this new revelation (proclamation) will be taught to the Church

Prest. J. Smith said he must give up the subject of yesteday— made a poclamation—— I have another great and grand Revelation—— great discussion where Zion is— The whole America is Zion that is th Zion where the mountain of th Lords house shall be. about the central part of N. & South America.— soon as the Temple is finised.

• President Smith has a new proclamation to make to the entire Church

• Note that it's "another" declaration to be made, something additional to be discussed regarding geography

• A new and bloody "REVELATION" is being made and it's great and grand!

• President Smith now declares where Zion *is*

Thus we see Joseph Smith was evolving and expanding his original story which took place in a localized area (Northeast USA) of the North American "CONTINENT" (Angel Moroni's own word) but later in 1844, via Smith's new revelation, it would encompass both continents!! Modern apologists act as though Smith always referred to the Book of Mormon peoples and continent as the "Americas" (plural) when originally it was only the North American Continent (singular). In the 1840's Smith learned about archeology down in Central America and attributed those ruins as being associated with his Book of Mormon peoples. He was willing to expand and consider the idea of those lands being Zarahemla or at minimum they were descendants of Book of Mormon peoples.

Stay tuned, there is more to come. I, Shulem, am telling you the truth and exposing the real origins of Book of Mormon geography. With a little luck and continued success, perhaps Doctor Scratch will call me the greatest Book of Mormon critic to have ever lived. Because, I AM!

[Shulem]

In an early 1833 letter from Joseph Smith to Noah C. Saxton of Rochester N.Y., Smith makes it clear who the Lamanites are and the geographical region in which their roots sprang. It follows that the American Indians were descendants of the Lamanites who lived in the regions described in the Book of Mormon which began at Lehi's landing and ended at Moroni's Cumorah, N.Y.

The Book of Mormon is a reccord of the forefathers of our western Tribes of Indians, having been found through the ministration of an holy Angel translated into our own Language by the gift and power of God, after having been hid up in the earth for the last fourteen hundred years containing the word of God, which was delivered unto them, By it we learn that our western tribes of Indians are desendants from that Joseph that was sold into Egypt, and that the Land of America is a promised land unto them, and unto it all the tribes of Israel will come. with as many of the gentiles as shall comply with the requesitions of the new coenant.

• "OUR" western Tribes of Indians are the Book of Mormon descendants

• "Land of America" is the America in which Joseph Smith and the western Tribes lived

• The "promised land" of the Book of Mormon is where the western Tribes live today

• American territories are the original lands of the Book of Mormon forefathers

All of this is agreeable to the revelations given in the Doctrine and Covenants:

And now, behold, I say unto you that you shall go unto the Lamanites and preach my gospel unto them

go with my servants, Oliver Cowdery and Peter Whitmer, Jun., into the wilderness among the Lamanites

And thus you shall take your journey into the regions westward, unto the land of Missouri, unto the borders of the Lamanites

NOTE - In the letter cited above by Joseph Smith to Noah C. Saxton, it's interesting to note that in the paragraph following the description of the Lamanites is a prophecy which failed to come to pass:

"And now I am prepared to say by the authority of Jesus Christ, that not many years shall pass away before the United States shall present such a scene of bloodshed as has not a parallel in the hystory of our nation pestalence hail famine and earthquake will sweep the wicked off this generation from off the face of this Land to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel from the north country"

Smith did not live long enough to realize his prophecy would go unfulfilled and neither would his successors see a fulfillment insomuch as multiple generations have expired and many years have passed away. Smith's prophecy of *this* generation witnessing those things without many years passing was a false prophecy.

[Shulem]

Joseph Smith as chief editor of the Times and Seasons, tipped his hand in relating his imaginary experience with the angel Moroni who informed him of the golden plates buried at the Hill Cumorah. Here we are able to ascertain that Smith originally and always believed in the American (USA) Book of Mormon geography in which his fantasied story was conceived because supreme eyewitness testimony given by Lucy Mack Smith revealed that the boy Joseph was thinking on these matters before being visited by an angel. The Book of Mormon was a project going on in Joseph's head many years before he ever dictated his first words to Harris & Cowdery. The angel Moroni story was a precursor to provide cover for previous conceived ideas that needed heavenly authority in order to introduce a restoration of Christianity in modern times. It was a pious fraud in the making!

On the evening of the 21st of September, A. D. 1823, while I was praying unto God, and endeavoring to exercise faith in the precious promises of scripture on a sudden a light like that of day, only of a far purer and more glorious appearance, and brightness burst into the room, indeed the first sight was as though the house was filled with consuming fire; the appearance produced a shock that affected the whole body; in a moment a personage stood before me surrounded with a glory yet greater than that with which I was already surrounded. This messenger proclaimed himself to be an angel of God sent to bring the joyful tidings, that the covenant which God made with ancient Israel was at hand to be fulfilled, that the preparatory work for the second coming of the Messiah was speedily to commence; that the time was at hand for the gospel, in all its fulness to be preached in power, unto all nations that a people might be prepared for the millennial reign.

I was informed that I was chosen to be an instrument in the hands of God to bring about some of his purposes in this glorious dispensation.

I was also informed concerning the aboriginal inhabitants of this country, and shown who they were, and from whence they came; a brief sketch of their origin, progress, civilization, laws, governments, of their righteousness and iniquity, and the blessings of God being finally withdrawn from them as a people was made known unto me: I was also told where there was deposited some plates on which were engraven an abridgement of the records of the ancient prophets that had existed on this continent. The angel appeared to me three times the same night and unfolded the same things. After having received many visits from the angels of God unfolding the majesty, and glory of the events that should transpire in the last days, on the morning of the 22d of September A. D. 1827, the angel of the Lord delivered the records into my hands.

Smith takes this opportunity to credit Moroni's visitation with having learned all about the Book of Mormon BEFORE obtaining the gold plates and BEFORE translating a single word with his head buried in a hat! The previous years of imagination and story telling per mother Smith's account all came down to one late night when the lad was woken by an angel and kept up all night listening to tales from the gold-plated crypt! The boy already knew the following BEFORE he ever got the plates:

• aboriginal inhabitants of this country (United States of America)

• and shown who they were

• and from whence they came

• a brief sketch of their origin

• progress, civilization, laws, governments

• of their righteousness and iniquity (white and delightsome vs. dark and loathsome)

• and the blessings of God being finally withdrawn (dark and loathsome curse of the Lamanites!)

It can be safely said that Joseph Smith knew full well the story he was going to tell Martin Harris and Oliver Cowdery before he ever mumbled a word out of his magic hat! He worked on it long and hard and put together a coherent story that would match biblical chronology and introduce a Bible-like story into the New World. Please see:

600 Years in The Book of Mormon

These records were engraven on plates which had the appearance of gold, each plate was six inches wide and eight inches long and not quite so thick as common tin. They were filled with engravings, in Egyptian characters and bound together in a volume, as the leaves of a book with three rings running through the whole. The volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed. The characters on the unsealed part were small, and beautifully engraved. The whole book exhibited many marks of antiquity in its construction and much skill in the art of engraving. With the records was found a curious instrument which the ancients called “Urim and Thummim,” which consisted of two transparent stones set in the rim of a bow fastened to a breastplate.

Through the medium of the Urim and Thummim I translated the record by the gift, and power of God.

In this important and interesting book the history of ancient America is unfolded, from its first settlement by a colony that came from the tower of Babel, at the confusion of languages to the beginning of the fifth century of the Christian era. We are informed by these records that America in ancient times has been inhabited by two distinct races of people. The first were called Jaredites and came directly from the tower of Babel. The second race came directly from the city of Jerusalem, about six hundred years before Christ. They were principally Israelites, of the descendants of Joseph. The Jaredites were destroyed about the time that the Israelites came from Jerusalem, who succeeded them in the inheritance of the country. The principal nation of the second race fell in battle towards the close of the fourth century. The remnant are the Indians that now inhabit this country.

It all started at the southern tip of the peninsula of Delmarva.

I so testify, I know this to be true.

Amen.

[Moksha]

"And now I am prepared to say by the authority of Jesus Christ, that not many years shall pass away before the United States shall present such a scene of bloodshed as has not a parallel in the hystory of our nation pestalence hail famine and earthquake will sweep the wicked off this generation from off the face of this Land to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel from the north country"

Oh yeah? Well perhaps by pestilence, hail, and famine Joseph was talking about sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll. Remember the encounter the Apostle Ezra Taft Benson had with young Elvis Presley on that United flight back in 1956? Well, basically the encounter did not mention any of those three, but it did give Elder Benson a chance to brag about his role as a commie hunter and how farm subsidies were ruining the precious bodily fluids of America, turning them into some type of eye-talian cheese.

[Shulem]

Well perhaps by pestilence, hail, and famine Joseph was talking about sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll.

Well, 50+ years of Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, and Pink Floyd, certainly makes for "many years" of pure pleasure and wonderful listening experiences. "This generation" has had a hell of a good time! Party everyone! Joseph Smith's Jesus is NOT going to show up, not now and not ever.

Sorry Joseph, your prophecy failed. Your book is a joke.

[Philo Sofee]

S

hulem showed:
Joseph Smith, Chief Editor, Times and Seasons, 1 March 1842 wrote:
These records were engraven on plates which had the appearance of gold, each plate was six inches wide and eight inches long and not quite so thick as common tin. They were filled with engravings, in Egyptian characters and bound together in a volume, as the leaves of a book with three rings running through the whole. The volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed. The characters on the unsealed part were small, and beautifully engraved. The whole book exhibited many marks of antiquity in its construction and much skill in the art of engraving. With the records was found a curious instrument which the ancients called “Urim and Thummim,” which consisted of two transparent stones set in the rim of a bow fastened to a breastplate.

Joseph Smith and many of the early Mormons ALSO knew the Egyptian hieroglyphs from the papyri they purchased from Chandler in 1835 was of the same provenance, and same hieroglyphs, and same language as on the Gold Plates. It is why they KNEW the papyri was such a powerful witness to the Book of Mormon and said so. They even said Joseph translated the papyri by the same instrument he translated the Book of Mormon, that is, the Urim and Thummim. I shall be doing my live session next Sunday on this topic. You won't want to miss it. And I sincerely hope that in today's Superbowl that the Cincinnati Cureloms defeat the Los Angeles Cumoms. The Tapir cheerleaders are gonna be seriously sexy cheering them on as well! I have it on good authority that the cameras are going to be showing them a lot as well.

[Philo Sofee]

Shulem... the main problem you are having here is you appear to me to be taking Joseph Smith and what he taught to come to conclusions. You are only looking ar the primary direct evidence. Wouldn't it help your testimony if you began to cite some apologists and their evidences instead? I was just told in one of the comments to my live session from last Sunday Night that our problem is we want to do all our research without the Holy Ghost, and instead are discussing things.

So instead of going to what Joseph Smith said, it would be more enlightening to let the Holy Ghost testify to you concerning what today's apologists are saying about what Joseph Smith meant! See? we are really screwing up here and missing the truth of all these things because we haven't tuned into the inspired apologists, and instead just use the mere ideas of the Prophet hisself. We really ought to re-think our strategy.

[Shulem]

They even said Joseph translated the papyri by the same instrument he translated the Book of Mormon, that is, the Urim and Thummim.

I quoted Smith's own account in uncovering the stone box in an earlier post in which he discovered the gold plates with the accompanying artifacts wonderfully intact. This is somewhat reminiscent of Howard Carter describing his wonderful discovery of Tutankhamun's treasures saying, "everywhere the glint of gold", a discovery in a dry and protected tomb environment. Similarly, yet in a complete different environment, Smith found his treasure seemingly having a glint of gold and with it two clear as crystal "transparent" stones set in the box ever so perfect and neat, or so it seems:

I looked in, and there indeed did I behold the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate. In the bottom of the box were laid two stones crossways of the box, and on these stones lay the plates and the other things with them.

With the records was found a curious instrument which the ancients called “Urim and Thummim,” which consisted of two transparent stones set in the rim of a bow fastened to a breastplate.

Notice how both accounts describe the two stones placed in what might be seen in a different manner within the box:

1. The stones laid in the bottom of the box
2. The stones were set in the rim of a bow

Regardless of the differences in the description of finding the clear stones in the box, I explained earlier in another post that the seal of the box would have been broken through weathering over 1,400 years of extreme conditions within a hole of dirt atop a hill. I explained that natural deterioration of the stone from weathering, water erosion, water submersion, and swings in temperature would have resulted in a broken seal. Moisture and organic elements would naturally penetrate the interior of the box. In time, the box would have filled with natural dirt and organic matter. Therefore, when Joseph pried the cover off with a makeshift lever and exposed the box to the open atmosphere, there was nothing to see other than a dirty composition of matter -- an unrecognizable mass of filth.

Therefore, we can reason that Smith did NOT see transparent stones when he removed the cover of the box! That would have been an impossibility because those stones would have been buried and caked with a composition of dirt and organic matter. The contents of the box would have been potted in filth. But Smith makes no mention of that. It's like he is opening up a pirate's chest and finding beautiful sparkling treasure filled with gold coins and gems! Nothing to clean up, everything is just perfect. Just like you see in the movies or from Joseph Smith's imagination!!

But in reality, the transparent stones would have been calcified and covered with layers of minerals, organic residue, and buried in dirt. Smith makes no mention of having to clean up the mess and restore the stones to a natural state. The story is completely devoid of anything we might expect from someone telling a true story. The box and everything in it was make-believe! Props for the magician to begin the translation process.

Amen.

[Shulem]

It would have been comforting to read, "We came ashore on a beautiful Delmarva beach."

Yeah, Lehi sailed across the Atlantic ocean and made port at DELMARVA, surrounded by the Chesapeake Bay. There on the southern tip of Virginia they made landfall and placed their seeds in the soil the moment they arrived. To this day, the Virginian island off the SE tip of the peninsula is still named "Smith". The old maps used in Joseph Smith's day also reflect the name "Smith".

Am I the only one who knows the connection? Philo, did you know that? Moksha?

I say this in the name of Joseph Smith.

Amen.

[Shulem]

Joseph Smith's Book of Mormon peninsula is located below:

Captain Smith's map of Virginia from 1624



Click to Zoom Map

Upper map is Facing West



Land of Nephi, Zarahemla, Bountiful, Narrow Neck, Desolation