This comparison chart compares M2C (the Mesoamerican/Two-Cumorahs theory) with 1NYC (the One New York Cumorah).
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Proposition |
M2C |
1NYC |
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1. The most important aspect of the Book of Mormon is its message. |
Agree |
Agree |
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2. The Book of Mormon is an inspired translation of an actual ancient record of actual people who lived in the real world. |
Agree |
Agree |
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3. The ultimate objective of our research/writing is to motivate people to read the Book of Mormon and strengthen their faith in Christ as a result. |
Agree |
Agree |
|
4. Another objective of our research/writing is to help people better understand the text of the book by understanding its setting, culture and context. |
Agree |
Agree |
|
5. The Church has no official position on where Book of Mormon events took place. |
Agree |
Agree |
|
6. In Letter VII, Oliver Cowdery identified the valley west of the Hill Cumorah in New York as the location of the final battles of the Nephites and Jaredites. |
Agree |
Agree |
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7. Joseph Smith instructed his scribes to copy Oliver’s letters, including Letter VII, into his journal as part of his life story. |
Agree |
Agree |
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8. Joseph Smith gave permission to Benjamin Winchester to republish Oliver’s letters, including Letter VII, in his newspaper called the Gospel Reflector |
Agree |
Agree |
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9. Don Carlos republished Oliver’s letters, including Letter VII, in the 1842 Church newspaper called the Times and Seasons (T&S). |
Agree |
Agree |
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10. On Sept. 9, 1841, Dr. Bernhisel gave Wilford Woodruff a copy of the Stephens’ popular archaeology books about Central America to give to Joseph Smith |
Agree |
Agree |
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11. On Nov. 5, 1841, Wilford Woodruff wrote a letter to Dr. Bernhisel that is not extant. |
Agree |
Agree |
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12. A thank-you letter dated Nov. 16, 1841, was sent to Bernhisel on Joseph Smith’s behalf. No one knows who wrote the letter because the handwriting remains unidentified and no journals mention it. |
Agree |
Agree |
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13. A series of editorials were published in the T&S during 1842 that linked the Book of Mormon to archaeological findings in North and Central America. They cited the Stephens books and archaeology books by Josiah Priest. All were published either anonymously or over the signature of Ed. for Editor. |
Agree |
Agree |
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14. From February 15 through October 15, 1842, the boilerplate of the T&S said the paper was edited, printed, and published by Joseph Smith. |
Agree |
Agree |
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15. Joseph Smith originally obtained the plates from a stone box Moroni constructed out of stone and cement in the Hill Cumorah in New York. |
Agree |
Agree |
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16. Brigham Young said Oliver told him that he (Oliver) and Joseph had made at least two visits to a room in the Hill Cumorah in New York that contained piles of records and ancient Nephite artifacts. |
Agree |
Agree |
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17. Mormon said he buried all the Nephite records in the Hill Cumorah (Morm. 6:6), the scene of the final battles of the Nephites, except he kept out the plates he gave to his son Moroni to finish the record. |
Agree |
Agree |
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18. D&C 128:20 reads, “And again, what do we hear? Glad tidings from Cumorah! Moroni, an angel from heaven, declaring the fulfilment of the prophets—the book to be revealed,” followed by references to other events that took place in New York. |
Agree |
Agree |
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19. The geography passages in the Book of Mormon are subject to a variety of interpretations. |
Agree |
Agree |
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20. To date, apart from Moroni’s stone box and the plates and other objects Joseph Smith possessed and showed to the Witnesses, no artifact or archaeological site that can be directly linked to the Book of Mormon has been found anywhere. |
Agree |
Agree |
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21. Cultural characteristics can be discerned from the text. |
Agree |
Agree |
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22. The New Jerusalem Ether wrote about is located in Jackson County, Missouri. |
Agree |
Agree |
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23. Mayan civilization collapsed around 800 A.D. and Mayans migrated to North America, where they lived for several hundred years before returning to Central America. |
Agree |
Agree |
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24. The Newark Ohio earthworks are the largest earthworks in the world and demonstrate knowledge of astronomy and geometry. |
Agree |
Agree |
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25. There were a million ancient mounds in North America before the Europeans arrived. |
Agree |
Agree |
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26. There are two million skeletons buried in mounds in Illinois alone. |
Agree |
Agree |
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27. As an Apostle and Church Historian, Joseph Fielding Smith said the two-Cumorah theory caused members to become confused and disturbed in their faith in the Book of Mormon. He reiterated this when he was President of the Quorum of the Twelve in the 1950s in his book Doctrines of Salvation. |
Agree |
Agree |
|
28. The land of Zarahemla is north of the land of Nephi and lower in elevation than the land of Nephi. |
Agree |
Agree |
Source: About Central America