New Jerusalem - Book of Mormon Locations

Quotes from Prophecies & Promises - The "Heartland" Model

Bruce H. Porter, Rod L. Meldrum, Digital Legend Press and Publishing, New York, 2009

Regarding the New Jerusalem - Page 44:

The Jerusalem of old will be the center place for the gathering of the tribe of Judah and Israel, and the New Jerusalem or Zion will be for the gathering of the descendants of Joseph and the Gentiles who have been "grafted" into the house of Israel. And that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type.

Note: Meldrum is using the verses in Ether 13:6-8 [RLDS 6:6-8] to justify that the New Jerusalem will be in Missouri

What the Book of Mormon says about the New Jerusalem

Some background from the Old Testament

Genesis 28:1 And Isaac called Jacob, ...

Genesis 28:4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.

Genesis 28:12 And he [Jacob] dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

Genesis 28:13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

The Lord made a covenant with Abraham for the land of Israel and confirmed the covenant with Jacob

What the Book of Mormon says about the New Jerusalem

3 Nephi 9:71 [20:33] Then will the Father gather them together again, and give unto them Jerusalem [in Israel] for the land of their inheritance.

3 Nephi 10:1 [21:22] But if they [Gentiles] will repent, and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant, and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land [Jerusalem/Israel] for their inheritance, and they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob; (this verse continues from 3 Nephi 9:71)

3 Nephi 10:2 [21:23] And also, as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem; [in Israel]

3 Nephi 10:3 21:24] And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem. [in Israel]

Meldrum leaves out Ether verses 6:2 through 6:5 from his justification that the New Jerusalem will be in Missouri.

Ether 6:2 [13:2] For behold, they rejected all the words of Ether; for he truly told them of all things, from the beginning of man; and that after the waters had receded from off the face of this land [Noah's Flood], it became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lord; [in Israel]

Ether 6:3 [13:3] Wherefore the Lord would have that all men should serve him, who dwell upon the face thereof; and that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord.

Ether 6:4 [13:4-5] Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land [still talking about the Middle East location]; and he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem [in the Middle East] from whence Lehi should come; after it should be destroyed, it [Jerusalem in Israel] should be built up again a holy city unto the Lord;

Ether 6:5 [13:5] Wherefore it could not be a New Jerusalem, for it had been in a time of old, but it should be built up again [in the Middle East], and become a holy city of the Lord: and it should be built up unto the house of Israel;

These are the selected verses that Meldrum uses for his justification that the New Jerusalem will be in Missouri

Ether 6:6 [13:6] And that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land [still talking about the Middle East location], unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type; for as Joseph brought his father down into the land of Egypt, even so he died there;

Ether 6:7 [13:7] Wherefore the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem [in Israel], that he might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph, that they should perish not, even as he was merciful unto the father of Joseph, that he should perish not;

Ether 6:8 [13:8] Wherefore the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built up upon this land [in the Middle east]; and it shall be a land of their inheritance; and they shall build up a holy city unto the Lord [Ether 6:4-5], like unto the Jerusalem of old; and they shall no more be confounded, until the end come, when the earth shall pass away.

Ether 6:10 [13:10] And then cometh the New Jerusalem [in Israel]; and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the lamb; and they are they who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph, who were of the house of Israel.

Ether 6:11 [13:11] And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old [in Israel]; and the inhabitants thereof, blessed are they, for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb;

Ether 6:12 [13:11] And they are they who were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father Abraham [for the land of Israel].

Refer back to the verse presented earlier that Ether 6:12 closes with the fulfilling of the covenant made in 3 Nephi 10:3 And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem. [in Israel]

A Review of the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C) regarding the New Jerusalem

From the D&C - June 1830

Section 36:12c [Moses 7:60] And the Lord said unto Enoch, As I live, even so will I come in the last days--in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfill the oath which I made unto you, concerning the children of Noah:

The "oath" mentioned in Section 36:12c refers to: Genesis 7:58 And the Lord could not withhold; and he covenanted with Enoch, and sware unto him with an oath, that he would stay the floods; that he would call upon the children of Noah; and he sent forth an unalterable decree, that a remnant of his seed should always be found among all nations, while the earth should stand.

Section 36:12f [Moses 7:62] his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out my own elect from the four quarters of the earth unto a place which I shall prepare; (1 Nephi 5, 3 Nephi 10, Ether 6)

Section 36:12g [Moses 7:62] a holy city, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem [in Israel].

Note: This parallels the Book of Mormon - New Jerusalem is in Israel

More from the D&C - Feb 9, 1831 (Kirtland, OH)

Section 45:12a [45:64] Wherefore, I the Lord have said, Gather ye out from the eastern lands, assemble ye yourselves together ye elders of my church;

Section 45:12b [45:64] go ye forth unto the western countries, call upon the inhabitants to repent, and inasmuch as they do repent, build up churches unto me;

Section 45:12c [45:65-66] and with one heart and with one mind, gather up your riches that ye may purchase an inheritance which shall hereafter be appointed unto you, and it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the most high God;

Section 45:12d [45:67] and the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it; and it shall be called Zion.

This description of New Jerusalem is an undefined location - but not in Kirtland

More from the D&C - Mar 7, 1831 (Kirtland, OH)

Section 42:3a [42:8] And from this place ye shall go forth into the regions westward;

Section 42:3b [42:9] and inasmuch as ye shall find them that will receive you, ye shall build up my church in every region, until the time shall come when it shall be revealed unto you from on high, when the city of the New Jerusalem shall be prepared, that ye may be gathered in one, that ye may be my people, and I will be your God.

Section 42:10c [42:35] and building up of the New Jerusalem which is hereafter to be revealed, that my covenant people may be gathered in one, in that day when I shall come to my temple. And this I do for the salvation of my people.

Section 42:17b [42:62] Thou shalt ask, and it shall be revealed unto thee in mine own due time, where the New Jerusalem shall be built.

Section 42:18c [42:66-67] Ye shall observe the laws which ye have received, and be faithful. And ye shall hereafter receive church covenants, such as shall be sufficient to establish you, both here, and in the New Jerusalem.

This description of New Jerusalem is an undefined location - but not in Kirtland

More from the D&C - Nov 3, 1831 (Hiram, OH)

Section 108:10b [133:53] In all their afflictions he was afflicted. And the angel of his presence saved them; and in his love, and in his pity, he redeemed them, and bare them, and carried them all the days of old;

Section 108:10c [133:54-55] yea, and Enoch also, and they who were with him; the prophets who were before him, and Noah also, and they who were before him, and Moses also, and they who were before him, and from Moses to Elijah, and from Elijah to John, who were with Christ in his resurrection, and the holy apostles, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, shall be in the presence of the Lamb.

Section 108:10d [133:56] And the graves of the saints shall be opened, and they shall come forth and stand on the right hand of the Lamb, when he shall stand upon Mount Zion, and upon the holy city, the New Jerusalem, and they shall sing the song of the Lamb day and night for ever and ever.

This description of New Jerusalem is in Israel (referencing back to Section 36)
This references the covenant that the Lord made with Abraham for Israel