Why HAVE the apologists sold out for Central America?

[_Henry Jacobs]

It confounds me why so many of the FARMS/FAIR apologists have so completed committed to a Book of Mormon area that contains no physical evidence and where the geography contains none of the significant features mentioned in the book.

There are other locations where they could at least point to a plausible River Sidon, a Sea East and West, a narrow neck of land, earthworks, a land of many waters, and even a Hill Cumorah.

What's your opinion? Why DID "Central America" become the hill that most of them will die on?

Written language?
Buildings that can be called temples?
Timeline of cultures?
Sorensons personal magnetism? ;-)

[_The Nehor]

Central America is sexier.

[_The Dude]

Written language?
Buildings that can be called temples?
Timeline of cultures?
Sorensons personal magnetism? ;-)

The written language is nothing like what we have from the plates, so it really doesn't count in their favor. The lure can only be the temple-like buildings and the evidence for civilizations of great size and sophistication. The timeline of cultures isn't a fit so much as a selective construction.

[_SatanWasSetUp]

Just because they are completely committed to Central America now doesn't mean they can't change their mind later. They aren't coming up with these theories through revelation, so they can always change their mind. Maybe 30 years from now the LGT will be "just an opinion" of a very small group of scholars. I have to give the apologists some credit. At least they're trying to come up with something plausible while the guys who really do have the keys to revelation remain silent on the issue.

[_JustMe]

The mere claim that there are no evidences in Mesoamerica does not mean there are no evidences in Mesoamerica.

It is the internal evidence of the Book of Mormon itself that has caused the LDS to come up with Mesoamerica. Besides Joseph Smith said that was where the Book of Mormon cities are.

[_The Dude]

It is the internal evidence of the Book of Mormon itself that has caused the LDS to come up with Mesoamerica.

Yes I think that's exactly the kind of thing Henry Jacobs is getting at. What is the most compelling internal evidence that points to Mesoamerica?

Besides Joseph Smith said that was where the Book of Mormon cities are.

CFR... oh, forget it. I already know what you are thinking of. Let me just ask this: did Joseph Smith mention Mesoamerican cities as doctrine or as opinion?

[_Daniel Peterson]

They haven't exactly hidden their reasons, which are available in print and on line.

[_beastie]

Mesoamerica is the only area in the New World that possessed the pre-requisite population density (not overall population, mind you, but density) that could even hope to provide the social complexity described in the Book of Mormon, during the specified time range.

[_Yong Xi]

Can you imagine Book of Mormon Tours to Cleveland?

[_Mad Viking]

The mere claim that there are no evidences in Mesoamerica does not mean there are no evidences in Mesoamerica.

It is the internal evidence of the Book of Mormon itself that has caused the LDS to come up with Mesoamerica. Besides Joseph Smith said that was where the Book of Mormon cities are.

Joseph held a hemispherical view. Of course he would say that cities in mesoamerica are Book of Mormon cities.