The whole face of the land was changed
BookofMormonArchaeologicalForum
Please respond to the comment in the Book of Mormon that the whole face of the land
was changed and how that would affect Book of Mormon studies.
A – V. Garth Norman. The scripture says surface of the land. That doesn’t necessarily imply massive changes of geological formations, such as mountains and valleys. The kinds of destructions as I read in the Book of Mormon are obviously related to volcanoes and earthquake activity, which would change the face of the earth. But that really is the exception. Hurricanes, which often accompany volcanic eruption, and other massive storms, can change the whole face of the land, with trees getting knocked over, and structures destroyed. Archaeologically, there is nothing that could sustain a massive change in the land masses. The ruins that are in Mesoamerica predate the events of 2000 years ago.
A – F. Richard Hauck, PhD. I can only respond on the basis of my research in Guatemala and Mexico. There are areas, as Garth mentions, where we can go back and sites that predate the Savior’s crucifixion, and they’re still on the surface; so we know that those were not destroyed. As a matter of fact, Mormon knew about these earlier areas and referred to them, and he lived long after the crucifixion. So there wasn’t massive destruction everywhere, but there was destruction in some areas I have worked, particularly in central Guatemala just north of the highlands. There has been some tremendous geological devastation in which the karst systems there were literally torn apart by seismic disturbances. I’m not sure but I take it that it happened during the Savior’s crucifixion. But, I have seen some areas where the face of the land was totally changed.
A – Joseph L. Allen, PhD. I think that question has been asked on every tour we’ve ever taken. Somewhere along the way, some church authority 100 years ago or so stated that the whole face of the land was changed, therefore you can’t study geography. So, you just leave it alone – it’s impossible. But, it’s really just the reverse. Some times if an object is covered over by earth, it’s like a time-tunnel, where it actually helps, rather than hindering the excavation. In 3 Nephi 10:10, we read “and the earth did cleave together again.” Now, there may have been great destruction, but you certainly don’t change where places were. There was a place west of Mexico City that was covered over by a volcano, and the people went five miles away to live. We still know where that is because the Catholic church steeple still extends above the ground there. That idea of total destruction is an archaeological myth. I’d like to see it disappear, because it isn’t true.
A – V. Garth Norman. This issue always focuses in on: "If the changes were massive then we can’t do anything with geography, we can’t be confident that the narrow neck is the same." Joe has made this very clear that the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the Narrow Neck of Land, is the same today as it was 10,000 years ago. There may have been some minor changes in some of the coastal areas because of flooding, but not extensive. It’s also interesting in that hyperbole tends to take over as you read that part of the Book of Mormon. How many cities are mentioned as being totally destroyed? I believe it’s ten, as I recall. That really isn’t very many compared to all the Book of Mormon cities mentioned. If we’re looking at a localized land in a historical context, I don’t think we can take in North and South America, either.
Ben L. Olsen, PhD, petroleum geologist. Over the years I have known a number of people who became instant authorities on the geology of the earth after reading in 3 Nephi 8:12 that the "whole face of the land was changed", in verse 17 that the "whole earth became deformed" and in verse 18 that rocks "were broken up upon the face of the whole earth" during the three hours that Christ hung on the cross. Statements made concerning these scriptures range from "the fold in the rocks up Provo Canyon near Bridal Veil Falls was formed during this time" to "See those Rocky Mountains - they were formed while Christ hung on the cross". Some have suggested that all the mountains in the world were thrown into the air during this time. Others affirm that realignment and deformation of the continents was so complete that it would be impossible, after the crucifixion, to recognize any geographic features referred to prior to the destruction.
In the book of Helaman through the first eleven chapters of 3 Nephi, a period of 84 years, spanning fifty years prior to Christ's birth to His resurrected appearance at the Bountiful temple, all but one of the 29 "face of the land" etc. phrases refer specifically to the domain of the Nephites and Lamanites.For example, Helaman 3:8 tells us that people "cover the face of the whole earth, from the sea south to the sea north, from the sea west to the sea east". Again in Helaman 11:20, "they did cover the whole face of the land, both on the northward and on the southward, from the sea west tothe sea east." And in 3 Nephi 1:17 we are told that "all the people upon the face of the whole earth from the west to the east, both in the land north and in the land south---fell to the earth". The single verse which does not refer to Book of Mormon lands specifically during this tithe is a comment by Mormon regarding the general scattering and gathering ofIsrael.
Based on a review of the 105 scriptural references, it is my opinion that the massive destruction described in 3 Nephi by Nephi' and later abridged by Mormon, occurred in lands where the Nephites and Lamanites lived and with which they were familiar; their words were not intended to describe structural deformation on a global scale. The expressions "face of land, face of whole earth" etc. appear to have been common phrases used by Book of Mormon authors' to describe the area of their habitation.
The destructive events described in 3 Nephi during the Savior's death had nothing to do with creating the folded rocks in Provo Canyon or the formation of the Rocky-Andean Mountain chain and other major mountain ranges in the world, although it is highly probable that earth tremors were felt throughout the world to signal the completion of the atoning act.
Wherever Book of Mormon lands are, the earth in that area underwent a terrible time during the Savior's crucifixion. Severe earthquakes do not dramatically change continental shapes; they rarely move well-cemented rocks more than a few inches to a few feet. However, even small displacements, coupled with volcanic eruptions and fierce electrical storms could generate forces sufficient to cause major death and destruction via open cracks, wind, land-slides, slumping, flooding, burning, shaking, lightning and deposition of lava, ash and coarser explosive volcanic debris. In spite of the massive destruction, some cities did remain, although damaged (3 Nephi 8:15), and many of the righteous survived to view the havoc wreaked on the "face" of their land, to repair their homes, to greet the Savior at the temple in Bountiful, to rebuild cities, including Zarahemla, and to start life anew on lands northward and southward, their promised land.
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