LDS filmmaker says Book of Mormon set in North America

MIDWAY, Utah -- LDS filmmaker Kieth Merrill says he picked the background for "The Testaments" by default, and if he had it to do over, he would have sought locations in North America rather than Central and South America.

Speaking Friday at the Book of Mormon Prophecies Conference at the Zermatt resort, Merrill said he believes evidence supports a North American backdrop in the "promised land" for the Book of Mormon stories, wars and visits from Jesus Christ.

"I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I can't say I know where it all took place," Merrill said as he addressed a packed house as the conference's keynote speaker. "I'm the guy who made the biggest, most expensive film (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) has ever made, and I put it in the wrong place."

Recent research shows that cement was in fact ~~extensively used in Mesoamerica beginning largely at this time.~~ invented and in fact extensively used by the ROMANS BEFORE this time.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&q=romans+invented+concrete&revid=1131822820&ei=fgTJSqX8Jsiutgf63PGxDw&sa=X&oi=revisions_inline&resnum=0&ct=broad-revision&cd=2

Helaman 3:7
And there being but little timber upon the face of the land, nevertheless the people who went forth became exceedingly expert in the working of cement; therefore they did build houses of cement, in the which they did dwell.

There may be some slabs of concrete in the LARGE buildings found, but no HOMES of it have been unearthed.

Helaman 3:7 7 And there being but little timber upon the face of the land, nevertheless the people who went forth became exceedingly expert in the working of cement; therefore they did build houses of cement, in the which they did dwell.

In an interview given by Dr. Richard D. Hansen, a world-renowned archeologist and expert on the Maya, who served as a consultant on the film - APOCALYPTO - discussed key matters of point regarding deforestation and Mayan 'cement'

Deforestation is of particular interest to Dr. Hansen, who explained to the filmmakers how it might have played a major role in the annihilation of the Mayan kingdoms. He discovered that in the process of creating the lime stucco cement used to build their temples, palaces, plazas and monuments, the Maya had to create fires to heat the limestone. "It took five tons of fresh, green wood to make one ton of quick lime," notes Hansen. "I found one pyramid in El Mirador that would have required nearly 1,600 acres of every single available tree just to cover one building with lime stucco.

Note two items. One is that it was not used structurally, but as a stucco. Second point is the amount of wood necessary to create this lime based stucco - five tons of fresh, green wood to make one ton of quick lime

Now enter Helaman- they came upon a land with little timber EXISTING and started to make cement anyway. If they had 1600 acres of timber available to begin with (for just ONE temple) - why burn it all up just to make a little lime stucco? There was by necessity (for the creation of Mayan 'cement') an abundance of trees available. Hence another bom 'hit' falls far short of the mark.

But there was a great song posted here years ago called “Tapir Back Riders”, set to the tune of “Paper Back Writer” by the Beatles.

And now, a blast from the past . . .

Tapir-Back Riders
Tune: "Paperback Writer" by the Beatles

Dear Sir or Madam will you read my book?
It took me years to write, will you take a look?
It's based on a novel by a man named Joe
And the main idea is the Lamanites were
Tapir-back riders
Tapir-back riders

See, the Nephites came to the promised land
And those damn exmos just don't understand
That when they said "horse" they meant something else
But it all makes sense if you know that they were
Tapir-back riders
Tapir-back riders

I know the whole thing doesn't hold up well
If you take it literally, but what the hell
There's this group of guys that work at FARMS
And they can save the whole thing by postulating
Tapir-back riders
Tapir-back riders

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