MORMON FOOTPRINT IN MESOAMERICA BY ROBERT A. PATE PH.D. To my father, Alma Jacob Pate, who loved the Scriptures and taught us where blessings come from. To my mother, a most loyal lady to her husband and family. To my wife Elaine who made President Ezra Taft Benson’s admonition to study the Book of Mormon a beloved reality in our home. To our children who responded to the Prophets’ admonitions. To the great prophet historian Mormon and his faithful son Moroni for their history and witness of Jesus Christ. And, to the beloved Prophet Joseph Smith and the day when men will know his history. MORMON FOOTPRINT IN MESOAMERICA COPYRIGHT © 2012 ROBERT A. PATE All Rights Reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photographic, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. First Printing: February 2012 Printed in the United States of America ISBN-10: 0985151919 ISBN-13: 978-0-9851519-1-1 Cover design by Adam R. Hopkins Published by the Alma Jacob Pate Family 2222 West 600 South Logan, Utah 84321 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Mormon’s Footprint in Mesoamerica is a continuation of discovery that follows publication of Mapping the Book of Mormon: A Comprehensive Geography of Nephite America; Mormon Names in Maya Stone; and Mormon Key to Maya Code. The ten years since the first publication have brought many more discoveries which provide additional confirmation of most of the findings and bring into better focus areas that needed correction. Corrections have been found and incorporated in each subsequent book. The Nephite geography is now very well defined. The Jaredite geography, while occupying essentially the same footprint, is much more difficult because of the additional 1600 years and the subsequent reoccupation by the family of Lehi. In my research it seems that every stone I turn over has gold on the underside. I recognize my weaknesses -- I am not that good. Something is going on and the time must be right for this information to become available. As Joseph was promised, “I will cause the earth to testify of the truth of these things.” And so He has. We are being flooded with information that can be appreciated by those seeking to know. If one is ignorant, it is by choice. Thanks to everyone with integrity who has been willing to share their findings – for dictionaries and lexicons, and readily available internet sources. Special thanks to FAMSI and their website www.famsi.org for Maya glyphs and dictionaries. Many good friends have provided books, computer resources, ideas, language skills, encouragement, and enthusiasm. Each has served not only as a source but also as a sounding board to question and test the findings. Thanks to my traveling partners Fred Perkins, Jess Thompson, and Dan McGough. Thanks to Chris McGinty and David Dickey for graphics assistance. Thanks to Joan Smith, Donna Galloway, and Maran Pate for editing help. v CONTENTS Acknowledgements .................................................................. v Contents ................................................................................. vi List of Illustrations ................................................................. xii About the Author ................................................................. xiii Preface ..................................................................................... 1 Introduction ............................................................................. 3 Paradigm Shifts ............................................................... 3 Paradigm Shift 1 -- Myopic Vision ................................. 4 Paradigm Shift 2 -- The Whole Land .............................. 4 Paradigm Shift 3 -- The Narrow Neck of Land .............. 4 Paradigm Shift 4 -- Jaredite Survivors ............................ 5 Paradigm Shift 5 -- Nephite Survivors............................ 5 Paradigm Shift 6 -- Seashore .......................................... 5 Paradigm Shift 7 -- Sea Divides the Land ...................... 6 Paradigm Shift 8 -- Direction Reference Frame ............. 6 Paradigm Shift 9 -- Rapidity of Language Change ......... 7 Paradigm Shift 10 -- Place Names Survive..................... 7 Paradigm Shift 12 -- The Chroniclers ............................. 8 Paradigm Shift Conclusion ............................................. 9 Chapter 1 Old World Departure ........................................... 11 Irreantum – Many Waters ............................................. 26 Sojourn in the Wilderness ............................................. 27 vi The Voyage .................................................................. 27 Chapter 2 The Arrival ........................................................... 28 Land of Lehi ................................................................. 28 First Land of Nephi – Nephi I ...................................... 29 Other Cities in the Area ................................................ 32 Chapter 3 Second Land of Nephi ......................................... 34 Nephi II – Lehi-Nephi .................................................. 34 Other Towns ................................................................. 36 Chapter 4 Zarahemla ............................................................ 39 The 21 Day Trip ........................................................... 39 Most Probable Route .................................................... 40 Zarahemla – Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa .................... 41 Archaeologists Contribution ......................................... 42 Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa ......................................... 43 The Peoples .................................................................. 46 Chapter 5 Return to Lehi-Nephi ........................................... 51 Return Trip ................................................................... 51 Zeniff’s People ............................................................. 53 Shemlon ........................................................................ 53 Noah ............................................................................. 54 Lomo de Vaca ............................................................... 54 Second Tower ............................................................... 54 Iron in the Area ............................................................. 55 Abinadi and Alma ......................................................... 56 Waters of Mormon ....................................................... 56 Helam ........................................................................... 57 Limhi’s People .............................................................. 57 vii Chapter 6 Missionary Travels ................................................ 59 The Four Sons of Mosiah .............................................. 59 Ammon to Ishmael ........................................................ 59 Waters of Sebus ............................................................ 60 Abish ............................................................................. 61 Middoni ......................................................................... 61 Which Land of Nephi? .................................................. 62 Aaron Travels to Jerusalem .......................................... 62 Ani-Anti ........................................................................ 63 Nephi-I .......................................................................... 64 Ishmaelite/Lamanite Split ............................................. 64 Ishmaelitish Women ..................................................... 65 Missionary Success ....................................................... 66 Cities Lemuel and Laman ............................................. 67 Shimnilom ..................................................................... 67 Cureloms and Cumoms ................................................. 68 Land of Amulon ............................................................ 70 Midian ........................................................................... 70 Anti-Nephi-Lehies ........................................................ 70 Xinca ............................................................................. 72 Chapter 7 Missionaries Return .............................................. 73 The Trip Home .............................................................. 73 Happy Reunion ............................................................. 74 Bloody Battle ................................................................ 74 Manti ............................................................................. 75 Jershon .......................................................................... 75 Cumeni .......................................................................... 76 viii Fine Tuning Judea ........................................................ 77 Alma, Amulek, and Zeezrom ....................................... 79 Antionum ...................................................................... 79 Antionum – The Name ................................................. 81 Chapter 8 Moroni’s Wars ...................................................... 83 Limits of Land of Jershon ............................................. 83 Melek ............................................................................ 83 Moroni and the Armor .................................................