John L. Sorenson dead at 97

[Scott Lloyd]

Word has come that John L. Sorenson,  perhaps the most prominent proponent of the Meso-American setting for the Book of Mormon, has died. 
 

His works, such as Mormon’s Codex, have been discussed at length on this board. 
 

Here’s a blog post about his death from friend and colleague Dan Peterson:

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/danpeterson/2021/12/john-l-sorenson-1924-2021.html

[Calm]

 

Edited December 16, 2021 by Calm

[Calm]

 

[mfbukowski]

See the thread "in the news" board- I posted a link there a day or two ago, it links to a thread from a poster here, named "cursor"

I was amazed that Sorenson's views on "reality" were exactly like mine.

I found these posts from cursor extremely encouraging, back in 2015, to know that I was on a similar track!

As far as cursor indicated, my understanding was that John's views on this had only been communicated to his family.

I think it should be re-posted in here in general discussions, when I get a chance

[Calm]

I reported, suggesting all three threads be combined.  It should go in Social if we go by first, which usually happens.  But announcements like that usually go In the News, which was the second.  Otoh, most traffic is in here and he was a notable scholar.

So I have no clue if or when mods might combine, but my guess is they will.

[Stormin' Mormon]

In the early months of my mission, I somehow came into possession of a FARMS catalog.  I must have spent hours pouring over it various entries, daydreaming about how much knowledge and insight were contained with the books it advertised.  Near the halfway point in my mission, I finally squirreled away enough money to order a copy of "An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon." At the time I did so, I was working in a small, rural town in the Huasteca region of Mexico, and I crossed my fingers that the book book would somehow find its way to me through the capricious Mexican mail system.  It did, and after it arrived, I devoured the book within a few days.  It absolutely revolutionized the way I thought about the Book of Mormon.  In the 25 years since then, I've read as much of Sorenson as I could, as well as his spiritual and intellectual successors. 

I have both a spiritual and an intellectual testimony of the Book of Mormon.  The work of John Sorenson gets a lot of credit for helping me to develop and grow the latter. 

Edited December 16, 2021 by Stormin' Mormon

[LoudmouthMormon]

Here's his testimony, penned at 85 years old:

https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/testimonies/scholars/john-l-sorenson

[Scott Lloyd]

7 hours ago, Calm said:

I reported, suggesting all three threads be combined.  It should go in Social if we go by first, which usually happens.  But announcements like that usually go In the News, which was the second.  Otoh, most traffic is in here and he was a notable scholar.

So I have no clue if or when mods might combine, but my guess is they will.

I didn’t know there were other threads when I opened mine. Truth be told, I rarely look at the News forum and more rarely still the Social forum. This is my forum of choice because of the traffic. 
 

I agree that Sorenson was important enough that a thread about his death belongs where more people are apt to see it. 

[Robert F. Smith]

13 hours ago, mfbukowski said:

See the thread "in the news" board- I posted a link there a day or two ago, it links to a thread from a poster here, named "cursor"

I was amazed that Sorenson's views on "reality" were exactly like mine.

I found these posts from cursor extremely encouraging, back in 2015, to know that I was on a similar track!

As far as cursor indicated, my understanding was that John's views on this had only been communicated to his family.

I think it should be re-posted in here in general discussions, when I get a chance

cursor is John's son Curtis

Edited December 16, 2021 by Robert F. Smith

[Calm]

37 minutes ago, Robert F. Smith said:

cursor is John's son Matt

My emails have him as Curtis. (He and I exchanged some)

Edited December 16, 2021 by Calm

[Robert F. Smith]

57 minutes ago, Calm said:

My emails have him as Curtis. (He and I exchanged some)

Thanks, Calm.  I corrected my comment.