Brenton G. Yorgason

Well known LDS fiction writer (authored/co-authored 85+ books) Brenton G. Yorgason, PhD, produced a booklet entitled Little-Known Evidences of The Book of Mormon published by Covenant Communicatios in 2003 from a Know Your Religion lecture given in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1988.

In this booklet, Yorgason acknowledges the different views regarding where Book of Mormon events took place and chose the “One Cumorah” position. Unlike some, Yorgason found enough evidence in the historical records (McCauley’s History of New York, 1828; E. G. Squier’s Antiquities of New York, 1851; Josiah Priest’s American Antiquities, 1833; New York State Bulletin #2) and in the early angel accounts (Moroni’s visits, a second depository in the Hill Cumorah, etc.) to justify the geography of Western New York for the setting of Book of Mormon events.

Though Yorgason mentioned there would be a follow-up book, the geography subject has proven too hot a topic for him to do so. Aside from getting the geography right, Yorgason failed in the areas of how Joseph “translated” the record (pp. 12, 15, 21), and what their weight was (p. 19). Other notable deficiencies were identified by FARMS.