Vernal Garth Norman (June 30, 1934 - December 1, 2021) passed away in American Fork, Utah. John Leon Sorenson (April 8, 1924 - December 8, 2021) passed away in Provo, Utah. Joseph Lovell Allen (May 29, 1935 - May 29, 2023) passed away in Cedar Hills, Utah. All made significant contributions to Book of Mormon studies. All were awarded the Father Lehi and Mother Sariah award by Book of Mormon Archaeological Forum, now Book of Mormon Central. John and Helen Sorenson received the award in 2009, Joe and Rhoda Allen in 2011, and Garth and Cheryl Norman in 2013.
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| Garth Norman (1934-2021) |
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| John Sorenson (1924-2021) |
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| Joe Allen (1935-2023) |
A major Book of Mormon geography workshop will be held in Mexico City on June 19-21, 2023. Bright and capable Lamanite scholars such as Javier Tovar and Alejandro Martinez will help a dozen serious students of the Nephite text from Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico work through the complex association between canonical verbiage, science, and geographic information systems. The names Sorenson, Norman, and Allen will come up frequently during the 3 days of the conclave. The workshop will continue the life's work of these 3 scholars and if any good results, it will be partly to the credit of this trio.
I have known these 3 most of my adult life. I have been in their homes, their offices, in academic settings with them, and in the field with them exploring potential Book of Mormon lands. I have learned from and in some cases contributed to their publications. When the Book of Mormon geography puzzle is finally solved, the work of Sorenson, Norman, and Allen will prove to have been foundational.
