“The Missionaries”

Alan C. Miner

In Alma 35:1 it says that the missionaries "came over into the land of Jershon." For the Book of Mormon geography student, we have two questions to ponder here. First, what is the reference point? By using the word "came," does that imply that Jershon was closer to the location of the recordkeeper than Antionum? Secondly, the use of the word "over" has previously been applied to elevation. Is that the same implication here? According to John Sorenson, since both Jershon and Antionum are in the east lowlands, "over" might mean across a bounding river or perhaps across a low divide (see Sorenson, A Source Book, p. 254).

Note* The Book of Mormon geography student should realize that if the meaning of "over" now can include crossing over a river, then all references to traveling "over" should be re-evaluated to see if they might relate to a body of water rather than elevation. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]

Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon: A Cultural Commentary

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