This is the fifth video presentation in the 2026 Book of Mormon Geography series, and it represents a red letter event: the first pin in the map in the New World.
We analyzed the narrow neck of land from 21 different
perspectives.
1.
NOT an isthmus. This has been a red herring for
nearly 200 years.
2.
Book of Mormon text.
a.
4 names: narrow neck, small neck, narrow pass,
narrow passage.
b.
5 motifs: borders, movement, choke point, west
sea, game preserve.
3.
More than 1,500 necks of land exist around the
world. What do we learn?
4.
Example of “small neck of land” from 1676
English travel book.
5.
Non-English translations of the Book of Mormon:
tongue, strip of land.
6.
Mayan neck of land: long and slender passage
accessing the Puuc Hills.
7.
Early Modern English: Example of “narrow neck of
land” from Colombia.
8.
Nephite word usage patterns: by, between, a Nephite,
narrow.
9.
Explanatory power: land northward/land southward
origin of the terminology.
10. Gareth
Lowe’s research: military choke point.
11. Ric
Hauk’s research: fortifications at Los Horcones.
12. 1.5
day’s journey.
13. 1
day’s journey.
14. The
west sea.
15. Eastern
component of the west sea.
16. Hagoth’s
port.
17. The
place where the sea divides the land.
18. The
city of Lib.
19. Mormon’s
extraordinary fortifications at the city of Desolation.
20. AI
rendering.
21. Archaeological
sites on the Barra San Marcos.
1. All 21 lenses lead us to the same place: Barra San
Marcos, a sandbar fronting Mar Muerto and Laguna de la Joya near the city of Tonalá
along the Pacific coast of Chiapas, Mexico.
Barra San Marcos, the narrow neck of land, is the first pin
in the New World Book of Mormon map. It’s an important place, because a total
of 16 different named Book of Mormon places are immediately adjacent, so
finding the narrow neck of land identifies a total of 16 Book of Mormon
locations:
1.
Small neck of land (Alma 22:32)
2.
Narrow neck of land (Alma 63:5, Ether 10:20)
3.
Narrow pass (Alma 50:34, 52:9, Mormon 3:5)
4.
Narrow passage (Mormon 2:29)
5.
Place where the sea divides the land (Ether
10:20)
6.
City of Lib (Ether 10:19-20)
7.
Hagoth’s port (Alma 63:5)
8.
Land Desolation (Alma 22:32)
9.
Land Northward (Alma 22:31)
10. Land
Bountiful (Alma 22:33)
11. Land
Southward (Alma 22:32)
12. Line
between the land Bountiful and the land Desolation (Alma 22:32)
13. West
to East defensive line in land Bountiful (Helaman 4:7)
14. West
sea (Alma 63:5)
15. West
sea, eastern component (Alma 50:34)
16. Teancum
vs. Morianton battlefield (Alma 50:34)
Red Herring: If we have finally located the narrow neck of
land, it will explain why the Book of Mormon geography puzzle has not been
solved for nearly 200 years. See the blog article “Red
Herrings” published January 27, 2016.
2. The Book of Mormon’s narrow place.
4 Names in the text: narrow pass (3X), narrow neck (2X), small
neck (1X), narrow passage (1X)
7 Scriptural Passages + 3 Parallel Passages
Alma 22:31-33 the land on the northward was called
Desolation; and the land on the southward was called Bountiful, it (Bountiful) being
the wilderness which was filled with all manner of wild animals of every kind…32
it was only the distance of a day and a half’s journey for a Nephite on the line between the land Bountiful and
the land Desolation, from the east to
the west sea (synonymously parallel with Helaman 4:7 “from the west sea
even unto the east, it being a day’s
journey for a Nephite”); and thus the land of Nephi and the land of
Zarahemla was nearly surrounded by
water, there being a small neck of
land between the land northward and
the land southward. 33 And it
came to pass that the Nephites had inhabited the land Bountiful, even from the
east unto the west sea. And thus the
Nephites in their wisdom, with their guards and their armies, had hemmed in the
Lamanites on the south, that thereby they (the Lamanites) should have no more
possession on the north, that they (the Lamanites) might not overrun the land
northward.
Alma 50:34 they (the army of Teancum) did not head
them (the people of Morianton) until they (people of Morianton) had came to the
borders of the land Desolation. And
there they (the army of Teancum) did head them (the people of Morianton) by the
narrow pass which led by the sea into the land northward, yea, by the
sea on the west and on the east.
Alma 52:9 he (Captain Moroni) also sent orders unto
him (Teancum) that he (Teancum) should fortify the land Bountiful and secure
the narrow pass which led into the land northward, lest the Lamanites
should obtain that point and should have power to harass them (the Nephites) on
every side. (synonymously parallel with Alma 22:34 “afflictions on every
hand”).
Alma 63:5 Hagoth, he being an exceeding curious man,
therefore he went forth and built him (Hagoth) an exceeding large ship on the
borders of the land Bountiful by the land Desolation and launched it forth into
the west sea by the narrow which led into the land northward.
Mormon 2:29 the Lamanites did give unto us (the
Nephites) the land northward, yea, even to the narrow passage which led
into the land southward. And we did give
unto the Lamanites all the land southward.
Mormon 3:5-6, 8 I (Mormon) did cause my people (the
Nephites) that they (the Nephites) should gather themselves (the Nephites) together
at the land Desolation to a city which was in the borders by the narrow pass
which led into the land southward. 6
And there we (the Nephites) did place our armies, that we (the Nephites) might
stop the armies of the Lamanites, that they (the Lamanites) might not get
possession of any of our (Nephite) lands. Therefore we (the Nephites) did
fortify against them (the Lamanites) with all our force (synthetically parallel
with Mormon 4:4 “the Lamanites could have had no power over them” (the
Nephites) …8 we (the Nephites) did beat them (the Lamanites) again and
did slay a great number of them (the Lamanites), and their (Lamanite) dead was
cast into the sea.
Ether 10:20-21 they (the Jaredites) built a great
city (city of Lib) by the narrow neck of land, by the place where the
sea divides the land. 21 And they
(the Jaredites) did preserve the land southward for a wilderness to get
game. And the whole face of the land
northward was covered with inhabitants.
5 Narrative motifs: why do we think all 7 + 3 passages and
all 4 names refer to the same general locality that we refer to as the “narrow
place” or the “narrow neck area?” All 7 + 3 passages are describing the same
vicinity using similar language.
A. Borders – land Northward (8X)/land Southward (6X),
implied borders (7X), Bountiful (5X)/Desolation (5X), borders (3X)
B. Led by or led into – movement along a path, travel
corridor (5X)
C. Proximity – singular sea (8X), west sea (5X), west sea
with an eastern component (yea clause) (1X), east sea (0).
D. Topography favors defenders – choke point where a
modest-sized Nephite garrison could prevent Lamanite movement from south to
north (4X)
E. Game preserve in the land southward (2X), dense
population in the land northward (1X)
A1. The narrow neck area has always been a border region.
Anciently it was the border between Guatemala and Mexico. Today it is the
border between the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Chiapas.
B1. The narrow neck area has always been a travel corridor.
Today it is traversed by Barra San Marcos Road, Cabeza de Toro Road, Federal
Highway 200, and the original line of the Trans Isthmian Railroad. Barra San
Marcos is almost certainly the narrow or small neck of land. The railroad grade
could be the narrow passage, and the route of Federal Highway 200 between Cerro
Bernal and the Sierra Madre is probably the narrow pass.
C1. The narrow neck area is dominated by the Pacific Ocean,
what the Book of Mormon calls the west sea.
D1. The narrow neck area is the only place along the Pacific
coast of Chiapas where the coastal plain disappears and the Sierra Madre
borders the ocean, creating a natural choke point where a modest sized garrison
of soldiers could control south to north movement.
E1. The Book of Mormon describes the Jaredites protecting
hunting habitat in the land Southward. Today, most Mexican wilderness preserves
are in the southern part of the country.
3. What is a “neck of land?”
Cultural presumption: narrow neck = isthmus contradicts the
text. The narrow neck is always associated with 1 and only 1 sea, the west sea.
What do you call a coastal landform with an exposure to only 1 sea? It is NOT
an isthmus. It could be a cape, a peninsula, a head, a barrier island, a
sandbar. This changes everything.
Over 1,500 named “necks” exist worldwide. 6 are isthmuses. The
rest are peninsulas. Simply based on the global distribution of landforms
called “necks” there is a 99.6% chance the narrow (small) neck in the Book of
Mormon is a peninsula. For an analysis of 115 necks of land,
see blog article “Necks
of Land” published September 12, 2014.
The US GNIS (Geo Names Info System) lists 1,306 necks. 4 are
isthmuses. 808 are capes aka peninsulas. Based on this US data, the odds are
200 to 1 that the narrow (small) neck is a peninsula, NOT an isthmus. Other
necks are the land between 2 flowing streams, the small part of stream
meanders, and sand bars or barrier islands along a shoreline. Inland necks are
common. Note the colloquial “neck of the woods.”
Long Island has 58 necks of land. 100% are peninsulas. Most
are on the south side by the estuarial waters.
Virginia has 206 necks of land. 100% are peninsulas. Most
are on the east side by the estuarial waters.
Sandbars and barrier islands form along depositional coasts.
20% of the coastlines in the world are depositional. Much of the eastern
seaboard of the United States is depositional coast. Ditto the Gulf of Mexico,
coast of Chiapas, etc.
4. Example of a “small neck of land” in Tabasco from Dampier’s
Voyages published in London in 1676. See blog article “OED
on Necks of Land” published September 14, 2014. This is a coastal sand bar
that runs between Laguna Redonda and Laguna Machona.
5. The 3 “neck” passages in the Spanish Book of
Mormon are translated “tongue of land.” The 3 “neck” passages in the Portuguese
Book of Mormon are translated “strip of land.” The 3 “neck” passages in the
French Book of Mormon are translated “strip” or “tongue.” The 3 “neck” passages
in the Italian Book of Mormon are translated “isthmus” (1X), “tongue” (1X), and
“strip” (1X). See the blog article “Romance
Languages” published September 15, 2014.
6. Mayan Neck = edge or limit (border). Alexander
Tokovinine, Place and Identity in Classic Maya Narratives (Dumbarton
Oaks: 2013) p. 24. Chilam Balam of Chumayel “cal” or “kaal” with connotation of
pass or passage. Notice the type of landform the Maya called a “neck”: long and
skinny, they look almost like ancient sandbars on the edge of the Puuc Hills.
See the blog article “Maya
Place Names” published January 18, 2018.
7. The work of Royal Skousen and Stanford Carmack has
shown that the language of the earliest text was primarily Early Modern
English.
EModE usage per the OED. Narrow = much longer than it is wide
such as a city street, a shoelace. See blog article “OED
on Narrow” published on October 10, 2014. An example of a coastal landform
the British (Sir Francis Drake) in 1630 called a “narrow neck of land” is a
sandbar protecting Cartagena harbor in Colombia.
Between = something of a different genre or nature by twin
or by twain such as a hammock between 2 trees or a hallway between 2 rooms. This
means the narrow neck of land which was between land northward and land
southward was a completely different kind of landform than either of the 2
twins.
8. Nephite Usage
Narrow (path, way). Small (Liahona spindles)
See blog article “Narrow
and Small Things” published November 9, 2012.
By (margin, proximity ca. 5 – 10 air
kilometers maximum distance) See blog article “By and
By” published March 13, 2014.
Between (by twins) See blog article
“Between
Things” published October 2, 2014 (war between the Nephites and the
Lamanites).
A Nephite (ordinary citizen or
soldier, not elite athlete) See blog article “A
Nephite” published October 10, 2014.
9. Explain the land northward/land southward
configuration. Pacific coast of Chiapas is oriented just N of NW. This is the likely
source of this familiar Jaredite terminology.
10. Gareth Lowe (1922 – 2004) focused on the
strategic military value of the area around Cerro Bernal. See the blog article “Gareth
Lowe’s Maps” published November 28, 2017. Image shows Cerro Bernal in
Google Earth with the Maps Terrain Layer activated. Image shows 2 Mexican boys
playing in the waters of Laguna de la Joya with Cerro Bernal coming to the
water’s edge.
11. Ric Hauck focused on the defensive fortifications
at Los Horcones which are extensive and impressive.
Other proximate features:
12. Line Bountiful/Desolation (1.5 day’s journey) 525
meters eastern terminus.
13. Defensive Line in Bountiful (1 day’s journey) 514
meters eastern terminus.
14. West Sea: Pacific Ocean.
15. Eastern Component of the West Sea: Laguna de la
Joya. East of either Mar Muerto or the Pacific Ocean.
16. Hagoth’s Port: Marinas in the eastern end of Mar
Muerto. Home of the Mexican shrimp fleet. See the blog article “The
Narrow (Small) Neck of Land” published March 28, 2013, point #11 top and
bottom portions.
17. Place Where the Sea Divides the Land: Boca de
Tonalá.
Rolando Amado story. See the blog article “Sea
Divides the Land” published February 8, 2016. Barra de Tonalá on the Oaxaca
side. Barra San Marcos on the Chiapas side.
18. City of Lib (Tiltepec, Tzuzucutli, Perseverancia,
less likely Pijijiapan) Tzuzucutli was excavated by the BYU New World
Archaeological Foundation, reported in 1983. NWAF.
19. City of Desolation with extraordinary
fortifications – megalithic granite (Tiltepec, Iglesia Vieja, Ciudad Perdida,
Perseverancia all used granite in their architecture.)
Mormon 4:4 the Lamanites could have had no power over them
(the Nephites). Explanatory power: Righteousness? No. Mormon 2:15. Numerical
superiority? No. Mormon 2:25. Military fortification technology Mormon 3:6.
20. AI rendering of a typical neck of land. Slender
peninsula.
21. Archaeological sites on Barra San Marcos. The
landform has been stable since Book of Mormon times.
Summary of 21 Lenses on the Narrow Neck of Land
1.
NOT an isthmus. This opens up new possibilities
including Barra San Marcos.
2.
Book of Mormon text.
a.
4 names: narrow neck, small neck, narrow pass,
narrow passage.
b.
5 motifs: borders, movement, choke point, west
sea, game preserve.
c.
Barra San Marcos and the pass between Cerro
Bernal and the Sierra Madre check every box.
3.
More than 1,500 necks of land around the world.
Peninsula, estuarial waters, depositional coast. Barra San Marcos is typical.
4.
Example of “small neck of land” from 1676
Tabasco coast. Sandbar between 2 lagoons. Similar to Barra San Marcos.
5.
Non-English translations of the Book of Mormon:
tongue, strip of land. Could be describing Barra San Marcos.
6.
Mayan neck of land: long and slender passage
accessing the Puuc Hills. Similar to Barra San Marcos in shape and function.
7.
Early Modern English: Example of “narrow neck of
land.” Cartagena sandbar similar to Barra San Marcos.
8.
Nephite word usage patterns: by, between, a
Nephite, narrow. All fit well with the features in the Tonalá region.
9.
Explanatory power: land northward/land southward
terminology fits the Chiapas coastline.
10. Gareth
Lowe’s research: military choke point. Only place along the Pacific coast of
Chiapas that fits the Book of Mormon description.
11. Ric
Hauk’s research: fortifications at Los Horcones. Every archaeologist who has
worked in this area comments on the defensive fortifications.
12. 1.5
day’s journey. Plausible. From the west sea to a point in the east far enough
upslope to impede travel.
13. 1
day’s journey. Plausible. From the west sea to a point in the east far enough
upslope to impede travel.
14. The
west sea. Pacific Ocean.
15. Eastern
component of the west sea. Laguna de la Joya. Fits the text.
16. Hagoth’s
port. Modern marinas in the right place.
17. The
place where the sea divides the land. Impressive place where estuarial waters
and the open ocean swirl and mix. 500 meters wide.
18. The
city of Lib. 3 good options.
19. Mormon’s
extraordinary fortifications at the city of Desolation. Megalithic granite.
Unique in Mesoamerica.
20. AI
rendering. A typical neck of land peninsula.
21. Archaeological
sites on the Barra San Marcos. Stable landform.
Barra San Marcos comfortably fits 100% of the relevant
scriptural criteria. We have plausible candidates for all 16 locations
proximate to the narrow neck of land. This is the only place in the Americas
with such a high degree of fit to the text. We have found the narrow neck.
