In the pursuit of clarity, charity and understanding, and in the spirit of no more contention, the table below compares two alternative approaches to the Cumorah question.
The purpose is to simplify and clarify the differences while:
(i) assuming all parties are acting in good faith and
(ii) seeking understanding of both sides with no contention about "who is correct."
“All parties should strive to avoid contention on these matters.”
|
Cumorah: prophets vs scholars |
|
|
Prophets |
M2C Scholars |
|
New York Cumorah |
M2C (Mesoamerican/two-Cumorah’s theory that puts Cumorah
in Mexico) |
|
Basic premise |
|
|
Basic
premise: Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, their contemporaries and their
successors in Church leadership told the truth about Cumorah/Ramah in
New York. |
Basic
premise: Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, their contemporaries and their
successors in Church leadership did not tell the truth about Cumorah
but instead were merely speculating because a few RLDS and LDS scholars have
figured out that the “real” Cumorah must be in Mexico to make their maps of
the Book of Mormon fit. |
|
Specific examples |
|
|
Moroni called
the hill Cumorah during his first visit to Joseph Smith |
Joseph Smith,
Lucy Mack Smith, and Oliver Cowdery were all wrong |
|
Joseph
referred to the hill as Cumorah even before he translated the plates |
Lucy Mack
Smith was wrong |
|
The messenger
took the abridged plates from Harmony to Cumorah |
David Whitmer
was wrong |
|
Joseph and
Oliver visited the repository in Cumorah multiple times |
Oliver
Cowdery, David Whitmer, Brigham Young, Wilford Woodruff, Heber C. Kimball
were all wrong |
|
Joseph’s
contemporaries and successors in Church leadership, including members of the
First Presidency speaking in General Conference, reaffirmed that Cumorah is
in New York |
They were all
wrong. |
|
Who discusses which approach (with no more contention) |
|
|
Ordinary
Latter-day Saints who accept the teachings of the prophets have taught and who confirm their bias by assessing the extrinsic evidence that supports and corroborates the teachings
of the prophets and Cumorah/Ramah in New York. Often referred to as “Heartlanders.” |
Scholars in legacy
organizations such as FAIRLDS, Interpreter, FARMS, BMAF, Book of Mormon
Central, etc., all of whom reject the teachings of the prophets and confirm
their bias by interpreting the Book of Mormon to fit in a Mesoamerican
setting. Often referred to as “M2Cers.” |
The references are available here:
https://www.mobom.org/church-history-issues
