Never before has this level of evidence been available to demonstrate by actual experiment the route most likely to have been taken by Lehi’s family to the Promised Land. Click on the map and then click ‘track the ships progress.‘  Zoom out using the scale bar on the upper left. It was at Bountiful where Nephi was commanded to build a ship (1 Nephi 17:7–8). Unlocking the Mystery of the Two Prophets, For Our Day: Divinely Sanctioned Governments, Lessons learned from the MTC President Sex Abuse Scandal, Questioning the Comma in Verse 13 of the Word of Wisdom. All three routes converge south of the Dead Sea and lead to Aqaba. These routes were in common use at least 900 years before Lehi’s … Flowering plants bloom, enticing bees to produce honey which is harvested in June and November. It is a subject still hotly debated by LDS scholars. [24], After traveling in an easterly direction, as the Book of Mormon indicates (1 Nephi 17:1), the party went through an area where they “did wade through much affliction.” This arid wasteland was perhaps the worst desert of all. Black lines or No traffic flow lines could indicate a closed road, but in most cases it means that either there is not enough vehicle flow … The exact route is not known. Contrary to Aston’s assumptions, the Book of Mormon provides some critically important clues about when they embarked on their journey. [14] W. E. Jennings-Bradley, The Bedouin of the Sinaitic Peninsula, PEFQ, 1907, 284. No matter which route Lehi took to the Red Sea, he would have encountered camel markets which would have allowed him to use this animal even if he started only with donkeys. Camels can take two 150- to 180-pound packs on their backs, and Lehi brought his tents, provisions, and seed with him to plant and harvest en route and to use in his promised land. The weather and geography of Arabia have changed little, if any, since Lehi’s day. Lehi Tourism: Tripadvisor has 7,136 reviews of Lehi Hotels, Attractions, and Restaurants making it your best Lehi resource. The Phoenicia Ship Expedition has now demonstrated unequivocally that Lehi’s voyage could have left the Arabian Peninsula and sailed around Africa to the America’s rather than attempting to cross the earth’s largest ocean at its widest point, as proposed by Mesoamerican theorists. Results for {phrase} ({results_count} of {results_count_total}), Displaying {results_count} results of {results_count_total}, Try these: joseph smithfree moviesfaith crisishomeschool. He received many dreams and visions in which the Lord instructed him to warn the people of Jerusalem to repent. [1] Hugh W. Nibley, Lehi in the Desert and the World of the Jaredites (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1952), 8, 12–13, 36–38. As a result, he was commanded to leave Jerusalem. This allowed the sons of Lehi the opportunity for marriage and family. Aston, a Mesoamerican theory adherent, assumes the route of the Jewel of Muscat for Lehi’s voyage as he states that this ship launched in February of this year, “sailing eastwards across the Indian Ocean toward Singapore in much the same direction that Nephi likely did.”  According to Aston, Nephi  “headed in a different direction” from the Phoenicia expedition. There are many similarities between Lehi’s journey and the journey of the pioneers. This is something the earlier design of the 600 B.C. It is my desire to eliminate obstacles so that the student and scholar will become so impressed and fascinated with this sacred record that they will eventually open the Book of Mormon, read it, and gain a testimony of its eternal truths. This route, however, ran eastward from Najran to Salalah. Indeed, was there any connection at all? After a successful mission, the sons returned with the brass plates and also with Zoram, the servant of Laban, who was the keeper of the plates. The land of Jerusalem encompasses much more of the immediate area surrounding the city. Nephi reported that Lehi had “dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days” (1 Nephi 1:4) and that he had “his own house at Jerusalem” (1 Nephi 1:7). These trees still grow in the area of Salalah, where Nephi might have been when he was instructed to build his ship. [8] This record contained the first five books of the Bible and other biblical books to the time of Jeremiah (1 Nephi 5:1–14). [10] Erastus Snow, Journal of Discourses, 23:184. Wstn. An article titled Sailing with Nephi, in Meridian Magazine by Mesoamerican theorist Warren Aston, discusses an expedition by another ship patterned after a much later 800 AD vessel with a deeper keel which helps it to better sail against contrary winds. The Liahona worked on the principle of faith and according to the diligent attention given to it (Alma 37:40). Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments you have about our organization. [21]. With the passing of time and with continued study, the case for the Book of Mormon record will increase in strength. Most researchers believe that the trail Lehi took was near or on the passage most commonly taken … Most Book of Mormon scholars who study Mesoamerica agree that Lehi's Land of First Inheritance is near Izapa, Mexico - and they also believe that is where Lehi's party landed. From the outside it looks like a small town museum, but once you walk in you are greeted by the most amazing knowledgeable staff who turns what you might think was going to be just ordinary into extraordinary. [8]. The second route roughly paralleled the first a hundred or more miles inland, intersecting the coastal route at Najran. You can track this expeditions progress , see photo’s of the ships construction and learn of the ancient sea-faring Phoenician people who left their homes in the Mediterranean Holy Land near Lebanon, Syria and Palestine by ship to circumnavigate Africa in search of trade goods. Services include checking and savings accounts, auto and home loans, and personal finance consulting. On the probable trail which Lehi traveled there are today 118 waterholes, spaced (on the average) eighteen miles apart. United States of America › Utah › Lehi. After repairs were made and the ship resupplied, they left South Africa March 22, 2010 headed north along the west coastline of Africa. At Najran it again turned south into the Yemen. It was a false report that was then promulgated time and again by faulty research, claiming that Joseph was its author. The Lord gave directions through “a ball of curious workmanship” (1 Nephi 16:10), which Nephi refers to as a compass (1 Nephi 18:12). The Phoenicians actually planted crops for future expeditions along this route. Of course, after weighing up the arguments of both scenarios I have arrived at my own judgment. At Timpanogos Highway (State Route 92), trail users looking for a longer trek will want to pick up the new Murdock Canal Trail, which extends southeast all the way to Orem. According to Arab writers, the only bow wood available grew near the mountains of Jasum and Azd. Alma records the name of the instrument as the Liahona (Alma 37:38). Archaeologist Salim Saad calls our attention to the fact that wood from the pomegranate tree which grows around a place called Jiddah would make a good bow. [5] Hilton and Hilton, In Search of Lehi's Trail, 74. Attacking and plundering camps still seems to be the chief object of some Arab tribes. [23] A possible site of Nahom where Ishmael was buried is thought by the Hiltons to be al Kunfidah in Arabia. Lehi's route Some time ago, a well-known CES employee told me that Lehi couldn't have crossed the Atlantic because it was such a long route around Africa. They then rightfully conclude that a ship could make such a long voyage, but the occupants could not store enough food and water for such a lengthy trip, and thus the Book of Mormon and Church upon which it is based, is summarily dismissed as being impossible. These particular trees, with especially hard wood, were an absolute necessity for bow-making purposes. What if we could prove geography or walk the trails that were described to us via Nephi in the Book of Mormon? In contrast to the Phoenicia, this ship set sail in February from the Arabian Peninsula in an easterly direction towards their final destination of Singapore, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula of Southeast Asia. According to Erastus Snow, Joseph Smith said that Ishmael’s “sons [had] married into Lehi’s family.” [10] This combination of families would increase the number who continued the journey to approximately twenty to thirty people, depending on the number of children among them. When Lehi embarked on his journey around 600 B.C., little did he know that millions of people would read and wonder about his story thousands of years later. I will examine ev… It not only gave directions to the travelers, but writing also appeared on the ball (1 Nephi 16:26). [17] It was the custom of experienced travelers in Arabia that they never built a fire, as it could attract the attention of a prowling, raiding party. Maybe Lehi sailed down and around the tip of Africa and crossed the Atlantic landing somewhere on the east coast. They continued north over the equator where they then entered the clockwise rotation of the northern Atlantic which continued to cause the ship to veer further and further west until they found themselves only 300-400 miles off of the coast of Puerto Rico. [25]. That leaves about twenty-five pages wherein the group’s travels are recorded, and most of these pages record opposition of the elder sons Laman and Lemuel to their father and younger brother Nephi. This resulted in oceanographic research which showed, using ‘drifters’ (floating bouy’s that transmit their positions to satellites orbiting earth) that the route would have taken at least 580 days! The company would probably travel for a few days, rest, hunt, and then take up their journey as the Liahona directed. Those of M2C feel Lehi landed amongst a large population of Mayans. I also discussed the voyage of the Phoenicia as a modern-day example of Lehi's voyage would have taken place, using actual ocean current, prevailing winds, and even 600 BC technology. [4] Lynn M. Hilton and Hope Hilton, In Search of Lehi’s Trail (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976), 39. Both left their cities shortly before they were invaded, both left temples behind, and built new ones after arriving at their destination, both traveled along an established route and then changed direction part of the way through, both established a base camp early in the journey, both had As one travels south-southeast of Jerusalem along the major trunk of the ancient Arabian trade route, the route branches east toward the southeastern coast at only one point: in the Jawf valley (Wadi Jawf) just a few miles from Nehem. Hugh Nibley has suggested that Lehi had been closely associated with Egypt as a merchant and thus had traveled between the two countries. His description of the valley’s being firm and steadfast and immovable is in contrast to the modern vernacular of Joseph Smith, who probably would have referred to the mountains and hills as the everlasting and stronghold areas. Lehi's possible landing place and the route they took to reach their Land of First Inheritance. Lehi in the Wilderness: 81 New Documented Evidences That the Book of Mormon Is a True History Nibley cites another witness to the building of a new bow. Rather than listen and repent, the people were angry with Lehi and sought his life. The Lord also counseled Lehi to have his sons return to Jerusalem a second time to bring the family of Ishmael, who was of the tribe of Ephraim, to join them on their journey. Reynolds suggests that the ancient Aztec map known as the Boturini Codex bears certain figures in hieroglyphic drawing which might depict Lehi’s travels. With more than 31 Lehi trails covering 261 miles, you’re bound to find a perfect trail like the Poison Creek Trail or East 224 Connector Trail. Of course, some Mesoamerican theorists consider the possibility that Lehi landed on the Belizean coast or on the Yucatan. [15] Cheesman, In Unknown Arabia, 27, 52. Lehi’s family harvested fruits and honey just prior to embarking on their epic journey. . We are therefore left to surmise several related things based upon consideration of other evidences. If you are correct that the winds can get around the horn of Africa and to North America then it will have to be a direct wind and current route. It was then that the route took a dramatic turn…to the northwest. It is my hope that all of our endeavors will be in studies that will sustain and support the truth in this marvelous record of Lehi’s extended family. Follow-up on Lehi's route and Isaiah 18 Astute readers have noticed that Winchester modified his views on Isaiah 18. More on this will be discussed in the upcoming book, Joseph Knew. 185 Heber J. [5], In this valley Lehi built an altar and offered a sacrifice to the Lord, giving thanks for their journey. The ship, deemed the ‘Jewel of Muscat’ after the port city where it was constructed, completed its journey across the Bay of Bengal arriving in Singapore, Southeast Asia, July 3rd, 2010. This route would have rounded the cape into the Atlantic Ocean and followed the currents and winds across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. Reynolds suggests that the ancient Aztec map known as the Boturini Codex bears certain figures in hieroglyphic drawing which might depict Lehi’s travels. Show more. Phoenicia could not have done effectively, due to its shallow hull design. Other fruits which are grown in the Middle East and could have been used include dates, coconuts, and pomegranates. sedentary society, with runaway slaves, bandits, and their descendants.” [19]. Little, the following item appears: ‘Lehi’s travels.—Revelation to Joseph the seer: The course that Lehi and his company traveled from Jerusalem to the place of their destination: They traveled nearly a south, southeast direction until they came to the nineteenth degree of north latitude; then, nearly east of the Sea of Arabia, then sailed in a southeast direction, and landed on the continent of South America, in Chili, thirty degrees south latitude.’, "The only reason so far discovered for regarding the above as a revelation is that it is found written on a loose sheet of paper in the handwriting of Frederick G. Williams, for some years second counselor in the First Presidency of the Church in the Kirtland period of its history, and it follows the body of the revelation contained in Doctrine and Covenants, section vii., relating to John the beloved disciple, remaining on earth, until the glorious coming of Jesus to reign with his Saints. Comment: Using the same methodology that showed us Lehi's path across the Pacific, we can also trace Mulek's route! Book of Mormon Places Lehi's possible landing place and the route they took to reach their Land of First Inheritance. [19] W. F. Albright, Archaeology and the Religion of Israel (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1942), 101. The summer rainy season along the coast of the Saudi Arabian peninsula occurs in the spring and summer. Keith, one of two members of the Church who joined the expedition, sailed for three weeks from the Comoros Islands to Mozambique, gleaning invaluable information relating to Lehi’s voyage in the process. This route, however, ran eastward from Najran to Salalah. We can only assume that their route was eastward from Arabia to the western shore of the Americas. Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr. (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1988), 241–50. From all observations, camels seem to be the mode of travel. It was also providential at this point that this area contained many animals suited for food. There is just such an area in the Qara Mountains on the southeasterly coast of Arabia. ... but shaded benches along the way offer comfortable places to rest. What if we could prove geography or walk the trails that were described to us via Nephi in the Book of Mormon? That this claim, thought to be made by Joseph Smith, has been shown through historical documentation to have been falsely attributed, is further evidence for the need of solid historical documentation for all claims regarding the mind of the prophet. The expedition has unequivocally demonstrated that a circumnavigation of Africa is not only possible; it is the most likely route for Lehi’s voyage coming from the Old World to the New. He went into the wilderness and left behind great treasures of gold, silver, and other precious items, carrying with him only the necessities for traveling and existing in the wilderness (1 Nephi 2:4). [16]. They intended to sail north along the western coastline from Cape Town, South Africa toward the Mediterranean, but the prevailing winds in the southern Atlantic blew them in a northwesterly direction, veering thousands of miles away from the … [13] The unique quality of the Liahona was in providing spiritual guidance as well as travel direction. It must have been a unique structure, since we are told that it was not built after the manner of men (1 Nephi 18:1–2). One might consider this a strange custom, but to the people of that day there was “nothing more sacred than the oath among the nomads.” [9] Such action supports the Book of Mormon as an ancient Israel document. Had they not been so determined to fight against the currents and continue north, at the rate they were traveling, they could have made landfall in the America’s in four days. The prevailing winds along the southern Saudi Arabian peninsula alternate from blowing northeasterly in the spring and summer, to southwesterly in the fall and winter months. Even less is known about their history or their journey to America. By this time they were about the same latitude as Florida and they began to gain the northeasterly currents that then swooped them back east toward the Azores in the mid-Atlantic. There are many similarities between Lehi’s journey and the journey of the pioneers. If the numbers were that high, the ship would have had to be at least sixty feet long to accommodate such a large group, especially if there was enough space for dancing, which the record states that they did (1 Nephi 18:9). Both left their cities shortly before they were invaded, both left temples behind, and built new ones after arriving at their destination, both traveled along an established route and then changed direction part of the way through, both established a base camp early in the journey, both had Albright notes concerning the general area where we know Lehi had traveled that it is a land of “disoriented groups and of individual fugitives, where organized semi-nomadic Arab tribes alternate with . Nibley explains the possibility that the name Nahom is related to an Arabic root word meaning “to moan.” When Ishmael died, the “daughters of Ishmael did mourn exceedingly” (1 Nephi 16:35). The ships captain has been desperately trying to sail north and east toward the Mediterranian from their position just east of Puerto Rico, but the prevailing winds in the Atlantic continued to blow the ship within miles of America! At Najran, it again turned south into the Yemen. [21] Hilton and Hilton, In Search of Lehi's Trail, 81–83. Grant Building We can only assume that their route was eastward from Arabia to the western shore of the Americas. It seems that the keynote of life in Arabia is and was hardship. An average encampment was calculated to be about twelve days long, but some crop-growing ones were perhaps as long as six months. Explore the best trails in Lehi, Utah on TrailLink. The story of Lehi’s leading the company of Israelites from Jerusalem to America is told in 1 Nephi 2–18. [20], After leaving Shazer, the narrative indicates that Nephi broke his bow and the colony was desperate for food (1 Nephi 16:18ff). Dr. Nikolai Maximenko, Physical Oceanographer with the International Pacific Research Center  estimated that an ocean voyage bearing east from Saudi Arabia across the Indian and Pacific oceans “would have taken 580 days…that’s more than a year and a half!”  Dr. James Delgado with the Institute of Nautical Archaeology then summarizes the problem; “I don’t think there is a question of ships making it. It is estimated that their trip to the Arabian Sea was somewhere near twenty-five hundred miles in length. Tucked away in the old downtown part of Lehi is a gem of a little museum. Because of the spelling and pronunciation of similar place names in Palestine, Nibley proposes that this could have been a name given to a place where trees grew. Source: Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon (Unpublished) By Alan C. Miner "Where Was the Land of First Inheritance?" In Lehi’s time, priests and Levites who officiated in the ordinances of the law of Moses, worshippers from the other tribes of Jacob, merchants from Egypt and neighboring countries, and artisans in various trades—all considered Jerusalem a center of civilization in the Near East. Although the Book of Mormon does not mention camels, it may be that they were not mentioned because they were taken for granted. Get directions, maps, and traffic for Lehi, AZ. Lehi’s Voyage Demonstrated: Phoenicia Expedition! Your email address will not be published. The following is also from with L. Swayne Samuelson’s article, entitled Lehi in the Pacific, Powerful New Evidence for the Book of Mormon, but is about “the Route of Mulekites,” not the Nephites. [13] Daniel H. Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976), 113. Maps. I submit this evidence as an added idea for the route which Nephi and Lehi's boat could have traveled to the Western Hemisphere. Where Did Lehi Land in the Promised Land?. One of our readers sent this in and asked us to take a look at it and tell her what we thought of it. A vessel can make it with dead people.” With that, the entire premise of the Book of Mormon was dismissed. [14] How fast did the Lehi company travel? Surely the wisdom of the Lord was involved in the selection of areas where the Nephites lived in the wilderness as he directed their journey via the Liahona. Those of M2C think Lehi landed somewhere on the west coast of South America and the HM think they landed near Florida. [12] George Reynolds and Janne M. Sjodahl, The Story of the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1955), 10–11. That is only four months short of two years. After traveling in this area, the Hiltons conclude that the valley of Lemuel is most probably the place now known as Al Beda in the Wadi El Afal, in Saudi Arabia. We are of the opinion that Lehi’s property lay somewhere in the land of Jerusalem and not within the walls of the city. Such a high level of actual evidence is mostly lacking for routes proposed by Mesoamerican theorists. Perhaps they traveled in the cooler months of the year. Nibley reminds us that Manasseh was the tribe living in the most remote part of the desert. He provided no indication why he believed this to have been the route, nor any evidence to support it. However, nowhere in the Book of Mormon does it state that they sailed east in their ship or that they landed on the west coast of the promised land. Drive up and ATM banking services are also available at the Lehi branch.