2025 update on Hill Cumorah Expedition Team, Inc

Some Latter-day Saints may not be familiar with Hill Cumorah Expedition Team, Inc.

This is a group of believers in the Book of Mormon who have been searching for the hill Cumorah in Mesoamerica for over 20 years. They have a website with presentations and newsletters, which you can see here:

https://hillcumorahexpeditionteam.com/#

They are M2Cers, meaning they reject what the prophets have taught about the Hill Cumorah in New York. Most of them are not LDS anyway, so they don't care what LDS prophets have taught, but they also reject what Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, Lucy Mack Smith, etc., said about Cumorah. 

They are great people. I've attended their congregation (the Buckner Congregation of the Community of Christ church) and I've visited with David B. Brown, who writes much of their content. He's a wonderful guy, well-informed, smart, experienced, etc.

With respect to the FAITH model, David and I agree on the Facts. 

We both recognize what Oliver wrote in Letter VII. We both agree that Joseph had Letter VII copied into his journal (http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/90), that Joseph had it republished in the Times and Seasons, that Lucy Mack Smith and Oliver Cowdery explained it was Moroni who first identified the hill as Cumorah, etc. 

We also agree on the fact of the text of the Book of Mormon; i.e., neither of us uses a different translation (although we use different versions with different chapters and verses).

Our differences begin with the Assumptions. He and I just have a different starting assumption about what Oliver Cowdery declared was a fact; i.e., that the hill Cumorah/Ramah is in New York. He assumes Oliver was speculating and was wrong. I assume Oliver told the truth from his own personal experience.

We also disagree about Inferences from the text, such as the one I mention at the end of this post. These differences 

And we're happy to agree to disagree, pursuant to multiple working hypotheses, recognizing we're both working in good faith with no animosity or contention.

I bring this up partly to show the difference between how HCETI approaches the topic and how the LDS M2Cers become angry and agitated whenever anyone challenges their theories.

It's also interesting because their view of M2C differs from that promoted by Brant Gardner and other M2Cers. Here's their map, for example.

(click to enlarge)

You might wonder why their "land northward" is west of everything else. They explain their rationale in their latest newsletter, which you can read here:

https://assets.nicepagecdn.com/05349e96/6353314/files/NewsletterVol19Issue1.1.pdf

In the spirit of clarity, charity and understanding, and recognizing multiple working hypotheses, I consider their rationale as valid as anyone else's, given our different starting assumptions.

See what you think.

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Here's an example of how people can draw different inferences from the same text.

In his newsletter, David writes, "the first usage [of "eastward'] is by Nephi in his description of their journey across the ocean."

Here is the passage he refers to:

And it came to pass that we did again take our journey in the wilderness; and we did travel nearly eastward from that time forth.

(LDS edition 1 Nephi 17:1)

David infers that in this passage, Nephi described the entirety of his journey all the way to the promised land; i.e., including his "journey across the ocean." 

That's not an irrational assumption. Other M2Cers make that same assumption to explain why they think Lehi crossed the Pacific Ocean to reach the western shore of Mesoamerica.

However, when I read the same passage, I infer that Nephi described his overland journey to the land Bountiful. After mentioning "eastward" Nephi writes, 

"we did sojourn for the space of many years, yea, even eight years in the wilderness. And we did come to the land which we called Bountiful... And we beheld the sea, which we called Irreantum, which, being interpreted, is many waters."

In my view, Nephi's reference to "nearly eastward" refers to his "journey in the wilderness," not to his much later voyage across the many waters. 

I've explained elsewhere why I think Lehi sailed around Africa, citing both scripture and real-world conditions. https://www.mobom.org/lehi-cross-ocean

But I'm fine with people believing whatever they want and I encourage every believer in the Book of Mormon, LDS or otherwise, to become educated about the multiple working hypotheses and make their own informed decisions.

Most of all, I encourage everyone to pursue clarity, charity and understanding.

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References to Lehi's journey: