Evidence for mesoamerican setting

John Sorensen is about to publish a book called ‘Mormon’s Codex’ and is thoroughly convinced that he has, in 50 years of work, amassed the evidence to support a historical setting for the Book of Mormon in mesoamerica.

http://www.johnlsorenson.com/docs/mcodex_preview.pdf

Some interesting bits from the ‘preview’:

1. Soon after their arrival in their promised land (presumably in Guatemala), the Nephites moved up to nearby highlands where they became farmers. Lamanites remained in the lowlands where they lived by hunting and took on darker skins. Guatemalan Pacific lowlanders at the time of the Spanish conquest had notably darker skins than highlanders, perhaps for environmental reasons.

2. Small clay figurines from the Valley of Guatemala dated about 300 BC have (skin) surfaces shaded white (figurines from Old World Jerusalem dated when Lehi’s party left there were white). Other figurines from Guatemala show skins that are shaded reddish-brown. These differences of course agree with those between “fair” Nephites and “dark” Lamanites. But about 200 BC the light-complexioned figurines ceased being made in highland Guatemala, about when Mosiah1 led his Nephites away to Zarahemla.

3. Near the time when Mosiah1’s party left, some evidence of warfare is found in the archaeology of the valley of Guatemala along with a decrease in population that may mirror the Mosiah1 group’s departure.

After the general collapse of Olmec society around 600 BC, a modified version of that tradition continued around the site of La Venta in the Isthmus. Art representations there are interpreted by some archaeologists as showing local leadership being taken over by immigrants who look like Jews. This hybrid culture site came to an end by 450 BC. In Book of Mormon terms the end of Jaredite society near 600 BC was followed by a period when some survivors of the earlier people must have combined with the tiny party of Mulekite colonists in or around the Nephite “city of Mulek.” The use of Jaredite personal and other names among the Nephites/Mulekites confirms the same phenomenon.

Areas in Mesoamerica suffered nearly simultaneous natural disasters—at least from volcanic eruptions and earthquakes—in the first half of the first century AD. These phenomena caused sudden population declines, cultural disruptions, and other elements of discontinuity. Corresponding natural disasters occurred at some point between AD 25 and 30 as reported in the Book of Mormon.

As part of that natural disaster Mormon’s record reports the destruction of the city of Jerusalem in the land of Nephi resulting from its being “covered with water.” Submerged ruins dating to about the time of Christ have been discovered beneath the waters of Lake Atitlán in Guatemala, where our geographical correlation places the city of Jerusalem.

The hundreds of Mesoamerican correspondences pointed out in Mormon’s Codex make any 19th-century New York origin for the book unbelievable. Furthermore correspondences to a local New York scene fall short. For instance would anyone writing a book based on that area fail to mention snow, ice or cold, even a single time, or tell about military action carried out in exhausting heat at new year’s?

All very interesting. I’m sure there are plenty of stretches in this, but I’m still considering reading it. I’ve given so much time and attention recently to the evidence why the Book of Mormon is not ancient history that it only seems fair to give the “other hand” time too.