Introduction
Name: Kirk Magleby
Model: Book of Mormon Model1 2 3
Uniqueness: Not much is different from the myriad of other Mesoamerican models
Bio
I…currently serve as Bishop of the American Fork 29th Ward in the American Fork Utah East Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am co-owner and General Manager of Nuvek, LLC, a software and technology consulting company…I have a BA from BYU in Economics and Latin American Studies. I served an LDS mission in PERU… (Blogger Profile)
Failings
1. Lacks an Internal Map
See Internal Map
2. Totally Ignores Land Prophecies
See Prophecies
3. Where They Were Fulfilled
See New Jerusalem
4. How They Were Fulfilled
5. When They Were Fulfilled
6. Completely Ignores Land Distances
Particularly:
a. The length of the land (Alma 22:29) from Bountiful on the north (Alma 27:22) to Manti on the south (Alma 16:7; 22:27) was a day (Alma 43:18-24)
b. The width from City of Zarahemla to the East Sea less than a day (Alma 58:14, 24-25)
c. The length of the Jaredite Land Northward was less than a day (Ether 15:8-11)
7. Disregard ALL Statements by Church Leaders
Especially regarding the Final Nephite Battle location being in Palmyra (see Cumorah).
8. Has Totally Ignored the FOUR SEAS References
Surrounding the (Jaredite) Land Northward. His model was also ruined by the H38 Virus (see H38 Virus).
9. Presumptuous
“We now know that these models are flawed, based on an overly simplistic and erroneous interpretation of the text. Careful reading of the Nephite scripture clearly shows…“
“So, if we can’t trust simple little east west – north south syllogisms, how are we ever going to decipher the Book of Mormon map? We need to read the text with precision and consistency, just as Nephi, Alma, Mormon and the other Nephite authors wrote it” (Kirk Magleby, Ammonihah, Noah & Sidom all East of Sidon).
After witnessing the results of so many models firsthand, Magleby has learned nothing. A few little tweaks here and there make it not a worthy model. Finding a solution standing on the same level as the problem is impossible.
10. Not Forthcoming
Magleby has more than once bragged about how the 1879 Book of Mormon mentions Mesoamerica:
“In 1879, Orson Pratt published his new edition of The Book of Mormon with the chapter and verse divisions the LDS Church still uses today (The Community of Christ uses a different schema in their edition). Pratt was an articulate advocate for a sweeping, hemispheric vision of Book of Mormon lands with the Isthmus of Panama as the narrow neck of land. Pratt’s view dominated Mormon thinking until the middle twentieth century” (Kirk Magleby, Book of Mormon Lands 1830-1985, August 27, 2011).
He failed each time, however, to include the other mentions in favor of the Western New York Model:
Many Waters = Atlantic Ocean
And it came to pass that I looked and beheld emany waters; and they divided the Gentiles from the seed of my brethren (1 Nephi 13:10; fn. e, The Atlantic Ocean)
Mother Gentiles = British
And I beheld that their jmother Gentiles were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them (1 Nephi 13:17; fn. j, The British)
Mighty Nation = The United States
And it meaneth that the time cometh that after all the house of Israel have been scattered and confounded, that the Lord God will raise up a dmighty nation among the Gentiles, yea, even upon the face of this land; and by them shall our seed be scattered (1 Nephi 22:7; fn. d, The United States)
Hill Cumorah = Manchester
And I Mormon, wrote an epistle unto the king of the Lamanites, and desired of him that he would grant unto us that we might gather together our people unto the aland of Cumorah, by a hill which was called Cumorah, and there we could give them battle (Mormon 6:2; fn. a, The hill Cumorah is in Manchester, Ontario Co., N. York)
Ablom = New England States
And the Lord warned Omer in a dream that he should depart out of the land; wherefore Omer departed out of the land with his family, and traveled many days, and came over and passed by the hill of Shim, and came over by the place where the Nephites were destroyed, and from thence eastward, and came to a place which was called dAblom, by the seashore, and there he pitched his tent, and also his sons and his daughters, and all his household, save it were Jared and his family (Ether 9:3; fn. d, probably on the shore of the New England States)
Heaps of Earth = Ancient Mounds of North America
And there was great calamity in all the land, for they had testified that a great curse should come upon the land, and also upon the people, and that there should be a great destruction among them, such an one as never had been upon the face of the earth, and their bones should become as cheaps of earth upon the face of the land except they should repent of their wickedness (Ether 11:6; fn. c, ancient mounds of North America)
Ripliancum = Lake Ontario
And it came to pass that he came to the cwaters of Ripliancum, which, by interpretation, is large, or to exceed all; wherefore, when they came to these waters they pitched their tents; and Shiz also pitched his tents near unto them; and therefore on the morrow they did come to battle (Ether 15:8; fn. c, supposed to be Lake Ontario)*
11. His City of Bountiful on the Wrong Side
The City of Bountiful was south of the Narrow Passage along the West Sea. Magleby has incorrectly placed the city along the East Sea (see City of Bountiful).
12. His Narrow Neck Lacks a Sea on the East Side
Yea, by the sea, on the west and on the east. (Alma 50:34) (see Narrow Neck)
13. His River Sidon is Not Traversable
The River Sidon was traversed in Book of Mormon times. Magleby’s river is too deep and too swift (see River Sidon).
14. His Great Deep Borders Book of Mormon Land
The Great Deep did not directly border Book of Mormon land. Once it was crossed, it was never referenced again (see Great Deep).
15. His Lands Are Not Hidden
Book of Mormon lands were “hidden,” meaning they were inland, not just off the beaten path by land or by sea. Mesoamerica is not hidden; it directly borders both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans (see Hidden).
16. Cement
Cement was never used in the Land Southward. Cement was used all over Mesoamerica. Magleby has not shown a distinct line of demarcation where cement was and was not used, which correlates with Book of Mormon lands (see Cement).
17. Land of Nephi
Nephi fled Lehi’s Land of First Inheritance and traveled for many days to get away from his evil brothers. Magleby’s model lacks that buffer zone (see Land of Nephi).
18. Sea that Divides the Land
Has no Sea That Divides the Land.
19. Sea South
Lacks a Sea South that is actually south (see Sea South).
20. Sea North
Lacks a Sea North that is actually north (see Sea North).
21. Will Have Much to Answer For
As can be seen in Kirk’s bio, he is heavily invested in the faulty Mesoamerican model. On judgment day, our Lord will ask one thing: “Did you put my Father’s will first?” The “Work of the Father” is the wonderful Book of Mormon and the American New Jerusalem, which is the inspired government of the United States of America, not a city anticipated to be built in Independence, Missouri.
The title of my book at the top of this page is FINAL WARNING! Note: dabbling in Book of Mormon Geography is a very serious matter if, in so doing, you are fighting against the work of the Father and His true New Jerusalem. And NO, Joseph’s later claim that the geography encompasses “all” of the Americas is not a pass on one’s stewardship for knowing, honoring, and defending the boundaries of the true Land of Promise.
Try telling an Israeli the boundaries of their lands do not matter; see if you’ll live another day. In the following video, Kirk concedes the fact that massive numbers of young people are leaving the Church—and confusion regarding Book of Mormon Geography is at the core of it for many of them.
Not only are they leaving the Church (which is a good thing), but they are leaving the sacred Book of Mormon behind as well (which is a bad thing). Am I saying that those lost souls will be on the hands of Kirk Magleby et al.? It’s possible if: a) God’s work is being thwarted by Mormons who disregard sacred doctrines in the Book of Mormon (e.g., don’t baptize children for sin, no polygamy for salvation or exaltation, etc.), and b) they are contradicting the true location of Book of Mormon lands, their promises and prophecies.
Remember Kirk, Book of Mormon witness David Whitmer testified solemnly two things: The Book of Mormon is true, and God told him to leave Mormonism.
Also, see Captain Kirk
Video – 4/16/16
*Source: 1879 Book of Mormon; V. Mack Summer, An Exploration of the Footnotes in the 1911 Edition, 1967. “The V. Mark Sumner Papers (1967) consists of “An Exploration of the Footnotes in the 1911 Edition of The Book of Mormon,” a report resulting from research done by V. Mark Sumner. This short paper (19 pages) deals with the footnotes of a review of the Book of Mormon completed by the Talmage Group in 1920. This group was named after James E. Talmage and was formed by the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to prepare an edited revision of the Book of Mormon. They used, as a base, the 1911 edition of the Book of Mormon printed in Chicago.”