KEN - In 2 Nephi 10:10-11 it says that "this land shall be a land of liberty where no king shal rule". The chapter heading refers to "America" as this land. I have also heard many church leaders use this in reference to the United States. My question is, if mesoamerica is the land of the Book of Mormon wouldn't this land of inheritance be mesoamerica not the USA?
JOEL - Of course the chapter heading in 2 Nephi 10 was not
part of the original translation, but was placed there
in modern times, reflecting the assumption that it
happened somewhere on the American continent.
The Church has no official position about where the
story of the Book of Mormon took place. Some Book of
Mormon scholars have postulated that it might have
happened in mesoamerica based on the geographical and
archeological evidence found there. Some of
their arguments are interesting, but not conclusive.
Obviously, the reference to a "land of liberty" would
seem to indicate the United States area of the
American continent. But the bottom line is, we don't
know where it happened, and my guess is that we
probably never will know for sure until perhaps the
Second Coming.
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