I spent some time today writing a post about the New Madrid fault. That quest took me down a little rabbit hole about the Book of Mormon lands. I have felt stronger and stronger that there is a correlation that links the Book of Mormon lands to North America.
My quest started with evaluating the 2017 and the 2024 eclipse and marking the Church History sites the two eclipses cross in Missouri, Ohio, and New York. The 2017 Eclipse crosses Liberty Jail, Jackson County, Huns Mill, Adom-ondi-Ahman, the Jackson County Temple Site, and more. In 2024 the eclipse will pass over Kirtland, Palmyra, The Sacred Grove and Hill Camorah.
As I contemplated, I thought about the tip of Illinois where Hidden in the Heartland described a fort that had been constructed. The video on the Stick of Joseph YouTube site with Rod Meldrum talked about the Indian tribes that were first taught about the Book of Mormon. I looked up the mission and where those missions took them. It was to the Catteraugus Tribe near Buffalo, NY; then the Wyandot Tribe hear Sandusky, OH. This was followed by the Shawnees and Delawares. Most of these connections took place directly under where the 2024 eclipse will pass. (Church News)
As I looked closer at the fortress in Southern Illinois, I found a few more interesting things. I found a person referring to Southern Illinois as “Little Egypt.” Well that is interesting. The Book of Mormon was written in “Reformed Egyptian” and there have been many arguments that there is no proof that there is a pre-colonial Egyptian influence in the Unted States. As I looked a little closer I found:
“Southern Illinois has long been referred to as “Little Egypt.” This nickname may be the result of the practices of early settlers from Northern Illinois who traveled to Southern Illinois to buy grain after a series of bad winters and droughts. These wagon train folks recognized the similarities between themselves and the ancient Israelites who went to Egypt to buy grain grown in the rich Nile Delta. Others have noted the similarity in shape between the mounds of the Native Americans who once lived throughout this area and the ancient pyramids of Egypt.
Additionally, one notices the existence of many Egyptian names such as Carmi, Cairo, Thebes, Karnak, Goshen, and Dongola. Other area Egyptian names include Sahara Coal, Lake of Egypt, Little Egypt Distributing, Greater Egyptian Athletic Conference, Bank of Egypt, Egyptian Drive-in, the Daily Egyptian newspaper, Egyptian Public and Mental Health Department, Egyptian Shrine Club, Egyptian State Bank, Little Egypt Realty, and many, many more.” (Southeastern Illinois College)
That felt a little bit as though I was on the right path. As I continued to search I found the fortress in southern Illinois referred to as the “Stone Walls of Southern Illinois.” This lead me to a few of the actual sites in Southern Illinois that I am guessing were part of the wall mentioned in Hidden in the Heartland.
There was no website, but there was a sign that talked about the Lewis people and Woodlands period. A quick search puts these people in Book of Mormon times. To see photos of one site click here.
“The Woodland period is divided into Early (3,000 to 2,200 years ago), Middle (2,200 to 1,800 years ago) and Late (1,800 to 1,250 years ago) sub-periods. Like the Archaic Period, each Woodland sub-period represents a slightly different way of life. Pottery first appears in Illinois during the Early Woodland.” (Museum Link Illinois)
The early Period 3000 to 2200 years ago. Lehi and his family would have landed on this area 2600 years ago. The late period was 1800 to 1250 years ago. The final battle between the Nephites and Lamanites would have been 1600 years ago. Interestingly enough, these fit the time period of the Book of Mormon.
Circling back to that first mission taken by the elders of the church. Where the Lord commands Joseph Smith to send missionaries to the Lamanites. (ChurchofJesusChrist.org) What are the chances that they would preach to those people, and that these would be the Book of Mormon lands, and that this eclipse in the last days would pass over their heads? The Lord easily could have planned it, so that it was so. The past being a mirror of the last days.
When you start looking at all the coincidences, there are many.