Why The Book of Mormon couldn't have taken place in North America

[livy111us]

FAIR has written a great review of Rodney Meldrums works/claims that The Book of Mormon happened in North America, and that DNA, archaeology, etc... support it. They show that he is wrong on most points. Very interesting:
Reviews of DNA Evidence for Book of Mormon Geography

[Loudmouth_Mormon]

From the Aug 2008 FAIR Journal:

The review of Rodney Meldrum's material was difficult for us because it deals with the ideas of a fellow active member of the Church. To try to be fair with him, we provided him with a rough draft of the reviews on July 12 and asked him to get back to us by September 1. He agreed to tell us if there was anything in our critique with which he agreed, and if so what he was going to do to prevent the spread of bad information. He also agreed to tell us what he did not agree with, and why. We have received nothing back on either of those points.

In response to the draft of our reviews, the only feedback we have received is that he wishes we wouldn't have this discussion. He has said that the DVD sales are now his sole source of income and we hope that fact does not influence his stance on these matters. To be fair, he has personally assured me that he has other financial options. With that in mind, I wish him and his family well.

What a dang shame.

LM

[bytor2112]

Interesting to me is that many Apostles and Prophets have believed that Hill Cumorah where Joseph found the plates is the very Hill Cumorah and Ramah where the great battles occured. Notably, Joseph Fielding Smith, Bruce R. McConkie, Marion G. Romney, LeGrand Richards and others.....made statements in confernce talks and in published works attesting to this.....

[prisonchaplain]

Loudmouth...wow...I'm sorry, but it seems rather caddy and political for FAIR to insinuate that a fellow active church member has no defense and has proffered his research primarily for money. It's like saying, "We don't want to hit below the belt...so we'll just use "quotes" from our opponents to do so." I'm I reading this wrong?

[Hemidakota]

Not the first time they would do that....

[Loudmouth_Mormon]

Doesn't sound to me like much of an insinuation at all - more like an open stating of some rather damning facts. This guy produced a crappy DVD chock full of errors, unfounded irrational leaps, demonstrable lack of understanding relevant facts, and very troublesome claims about having recieved inspiration that would violate church doctrine on how revelation happens. FAIR wrote up all these problems and sent them to the author for comment, and the author has apparently refused to comment beyond "please don't tell the world about your problems with my DVD, it's my only source of income".

Is it really a "hit below the belt" to tell the world about the author's total lack of substantive response? As far as I can tell, his response lives here at the Fairblog. There's lots of back and forthing between FAIR and Meldrum here, I suggest anyone interested read the comments.

LM
[edited as I discovered where the author is responding]

[prisonchaplain]

Originally Posted by Loudmouth_Mormon

Doesn't sound to me like much of an insinuation at all - more like an open stating of some rather damning facts. This guy produced a crappy DVD chock full of errors, unfounded irrational leaps, demonstrable lack of understanding relevant facts, and very troublesome claims about having recieved inspiration that would violate church doctrine on how revelation happens. FAIR wrote up all these problems and sent them to the author for comment, and the author has apparently refused to comment beyond "please don't tell the world about your problems with my DVD, it's my only source of income".

Is it really a "hit below the belt" to tell the world about the author's total lack of substantive response? Nobody has a gag on this guy, FAIR didn't go and bust his typing fingers, nobody has locked him in a closet. Where is his response?

As far as I can tell, his response lives here at the Fairblog. There's lots of back and forthing between FAIR and Meldrum here, I suggest anyone interested read the comments.

LM

When FAIR insinuated that Meldrum was in it for the money and that he had no defense, it demonstrated a less than ideal spirit, imho. My guess is that the author simply realized that FAIR wasn't going to be fair with him, and chose to disengage. BookofMormonEvidence.org

[Daniel]

I doubt Rod Meldrum would disengage, it's his livelihood. He has everything to lose if his theory is discredited, especially by members of his own faith. Meldrum is also characterizing attacks on his theories as attacks on him. I have seen nothing of the sort, what I have seen is Meldrum calling any scholars and people that don't agree with him as apostates. He is in no position of authority to do so. It also looks like FAIR was gracious with him and tried to help him. When he refused is when they published there findings. I know this was the case on FAIRS first response to the dvd's. From my understanding is they contacting him about using the Prophet incorrectly and he ignored them. He didn't put a change on his website till after FAIR published its findings. He is still selling the original dvd with the mistake with no notice on it. On this most recent release it also seems FAIR gave him over a month to review there work and were willing to work with him. Rod has refused to do this also. If Rod is so compelled that Heavenly Father has revealed to him what he has not revealed to his Prophets, why is he selling this prophetic announcement?

[livy111us]

Joseph Fielding Smith also taught that Lehi Landed in Central America, John Taylor taught The Book of Mormon happened in Mesoamerica, Joseph Smith taught that The Book of Mormon happened in Mesoamerica towards the end of his life, and so did MANY more. Opinions varied all over on the location of BOM lands. The only known site is Cumorah, which some assumed to be the same hill mentioned in the BOM, although the BOM teaches that what was eventually known to be called "Cumorah" in North America (wasn't named by JS, but by either WW Phelps, or Oliver Cowdery years after the publication of the BOM), was different than the Cumorah mentioned in The Book of Mormon.

[HiJolly]

Originally Posted by bytor2112

Interesting to me is that many Apostles and Prophets have believed that Hill Cumorah where Joseph found the plates is the very Hill Cumorah and Ramah where the great battles occured. Notably, Joseph Fielding Smith, Bruce R. McConkie, Marion G. Romney, LeGrand Richards and others.....made statements in confernce talks and in published works attesting to this.....

True. It's OK with me if they were wrong. Such is the human condition.


HiJolly