Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Latter-day Saint
History and Religion
Heartland or Mesoamerica?

Heartland or Mesoamerica?

Last updated on: July 9, 2025 at 10:33 pm by Dan Peterson

0 Comments

Heartland or Mesoamerica? 2025-07-09T22:33:27-06:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Book of Mormon lands? An image from Utto at the English-language Wikipedia.

Newly posted today on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: The Heartland Versus Mesoamerica Part 13: Some Final Comments , written by Brant A. Gardner. I regard this series as a very important contribution to studies of the Book of Mormon, and a useful corrective.

Is the Interpreter Foundation officially pledged to a limited-geography for the Book of Mormon that is centered in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and (perhaps) adjacent areas? No, it is not. Am I myself fundamentally committed to a Mesoamerican geographical model for the Nephites and the Jaredites? I am not. I’m open to alternative proposals. To this point, though, and at least since my first reading of John L. Sorenson’s seminal 1984 book An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, the “limited Tehuantepec” model has struck me as plausible and, in fact, as the best proposal (or family of proposals) on the market. However, if advocates of “Heartland models” can present solid evidence and rigorous arguments in support of their positions, I will listen. Other than having been a friend of John Sorenson’s and counting other Mesoamericanists among my friends, I have no personal investment in a Mesoamerican setting for the Book of Mormon. I have to honestly confess, though, I haven’t found Heartlander arguments persuasive thus far.

Sunrise in the Rockies (Wikimedia Commons public domain image)

After a rather lengthy period of incapacitating ill-heath, the Pulitzer Prize-winning formerly Latter-day Saint political cartoonist Steve Benson has passed away. (That name may still mean something to some of you.) To the best of my recollection, I had only one in-person encounter with him. It was . . . umm, complex. I wish the best to his family and, yes, to him. Because there still is a “him.”

Not too far from where I’m currently sitting, in Canmore, Alberta, Canada
(Wikimedia Commons public domain photo by Jack Borno)

As noted by the small coven of my anonymous online monitors, only my customary attacks on racial minorities and gays occupy more of the attention of this blog than do my restaurant reviews and my lengthy and rapturous hymns to gourmet dining . So here are a few more thousand words on local eateries in the Canadian Rockies:

I’m happy to report that civilized living is, indeed, possible in Canmore, Alberta, because it has at least one good Thai restaurant. We had dinner there, in the Thai House, on Monday evening.
And then, in Banff, there’s The Grizzly House: My wife and I have been there about four times, I think, over the decades. We haven’t come to Banff as often as I would have liked, but we’ve always tried to make our way to The Grizzly House, which is fairly expensive but very distinctive and memorable. Late this afternoon, we brought two of our sons and a grandchild. My sons remembered it from a family trip up here that we took twenty-seven years ago. Today, we had appetizers of French onion soup (which we remembered as some of the best that we’ve ever had) and fondue neuchâtel (an hommage to my mission in Switzerland), and all manner of fondue meats, and then we finished the meal off with assorted fruits in a chocolate fondue. (I may not need to eat for the rest of this trip. And I can already imagine the indignation and mockery that my description will elicit from my anonymous online monitors over at the Obsession Board.)

The Bow River runs through Banff and Canmore (as shown here) and Calgary. (Wikimedia Commons public domain image)

The last couple of times that I’ve been in Banff, though, I’ve been really put off by the crowds. This contrasts markedly with my impression from the first time. I remember loving Banff and regarding Canmore as nothing more than a cut-rate substitute for the Real Thing. The last couple of times, though, I’ve thought Banff overrun with tourists. Not only that, however: I’ve come to appreciate the beauty of Canmore as well as its relative quiet. It’s a spectacular place.

The scenery in the Canadian Rockies is a major attraction, of course. But it isn’t their ONLY draw. (Wikimedia Commons public domain image)

In miscellaneous news, here are a couple of interesting items:

“IRS says churches can now endorse political candidates” Would you like a prediction? I predict — unless, say, President Russell M. Nelson seeks the American presidency — that my church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will not endorse a political candidate during my lifetime or the lives of my children and grandchildren. I’ve always found it amusing that my church is regularly accused of meddling in politics while evangelical pastors have commonly endorsed Mr. Donald J. Trump and Democratic presidential candidates have routinely spoken in Black churches without much if any criticism for it.
A couple of days ago, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed President Donald J. Trump that Israel had nominated Mr. Trump for the Nobel Prize. I wouldn’t have given Mr. Trump very good odds of winning that prize until I saw this. Now, for his having arranged such a notable gathering, I’m inclined to regard Mr. Trump’s receiving Nobel Prize as a sure thing.

The Calgary Alberta Temple was dedicated on 28 October 2012. (LDS Media Library). A new temple will soon be built to the south, in Lethbridge

Some will receive this as absolutely terrible tidings. But it must be faced. As the saying goes, “Life is tough, and then you die.” And then you go on living again. And you have to deal with it: “A Year Unlike Any Other: The Church Reports Record Global Growth: From July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, convert baptisms were the highest in Church history”

The Edmonton Alberta Temple by night (Photograph from LDS.org)

If the Church continues to grow, alas, there will be even more horrors and depredations such as these, accounts of which are preserved in the Christopher Hitchens Memorial “How Religion Poisons Everything” File™:

“Pop-Up Market Brings Relief and Community Spirit to Vernon, British Columbia”

“JustServe Helps Families Bond Through ‘Summer of Service Bucket List’: ‘Whatever your skills, times, talents, age — there’s a place for you to participate,’ says activity organizer”

Posted from Canmore, Alberta, Canada

History and Religion

Travel and Religion

Previous Post

July 8, 2025

Saying Farewell to a Longtime Friend? (I Hope Not)

Next Post

July 10, 2025 This World or the Next? Why Not Both?

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"DP: “But Mr. Sutherland worries about the fact that our time, when we can communicate ..."

Theodore Brandley

Learning more about a region of ..."

"Another class of memories are of individuals who previously lived. Some of these remembered individuals ..."

PlasmaMiasma

Accounts of Premortality?

"Sutherland's lecture sounds interesting. He seems to restate the Washington consensus that trade brings peace ..."

B. Wilson

Learning more about a region of ..."

"In a meeting today, I learned another important reason why accurate (or at least as ..."

the PROBLEM

From Serbia’s “White City,” Belgrade

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Jesus do before He fed the crowd?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Washed His hands Gave thanks and broke the bread Dug a hole Called down fire